November 26, 2025 • 33 mins
Country artist Chris Lane joins Brooke Taylor on The Upload for a candid, faith-filled conversation about the unexpected injuries, detours, and divine redirection that shaped his life long before music stardom. Chris opens up about tearing his ACL in high school—and again in college—an experience that sidelined his dreams of playing sports but sparked a life-changing relationship with the Lord. What felt like devastation at the time became the quiet space God used to draw him close, heal his heart, and prepare him for a future he couldn’t yet see.
Now a husband, dad, and touring musician, Chris shares honestly about this new season where his time feels “wrecked”—changing diapers at home, performing on the road, and fighting to keep Jesus at the center of it all. He talks about the conviction he feels to carve out time with God, how fatherhood has deepened his understanding of Christ’s love, and how marriage wasn’t even on his radar until he met his wife, Lauren. Their shared faith became the foundation of their relationship—especially significant given Lauren’s upbringing in Portland, one of the least churched major cities in America.
Chris also gets real about navigating fame in an industry that can inflate the ego. He talks about praying for humility, wanting success but not at the cost of his walk with Christ, and the ways God is teaching him patience in every area of life.
🎧 Listen now for an encouraging, down-to-earth conversation about faith, humility, family, and finding God’s purpose in the detours.
Follow The Upload:
📸 Instagram — @theuploadlife
🎥 TikTok — @theuploadlife
🔗 Listen on iHeartRadio — The Upload
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm so thankful that he allowed those things to happen
to me, even though I didn't understand it. Damn, my lord,
I was just playing many. I was fine with being single.
I didn't necessarily even want kids. But it wasn't until
I met Lauren that changed my mindset. Now, if you
prayed that prayer with the church, we believe you got
born again.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I'll give you a Bible.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome to the upload, y'all. I'm Brick Taylor. This right here.
I want to introduce you to Pastor Mark Evans. He
is I'm really great, thanks for being here. Pastor Mark.
He is part of the Believer's Ministry, which is just
a ministry that supports literally an umbrella of all of
the music industry. So he's one of our trusted friends
and we just love him so much. Let's go back
(00:49):
to me, okay, and our guest today, y'all, we go
back so long, we did over a decade. I feel
like he's a husband, a father, He's a man who's
faith just cantinues to shape his life and his music.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Y'all.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Welcome Chris Lane.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Welcome the crowds.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Wild Well. A lot of people know you from your music.
But here on this podcast, we want to talk about Jesus.
So that's what we're going to do. And I just
I want everybody to doesn't know your upbringing kind of
like how you grew up, you grew up in church,
tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yeah. I grew up in a little town called Kernersville,
North Carolina, and I grew up from the day that
I was born, or at least as far back as
I can remember, my parents had us in church every
Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday. So there was lots
of church in my life growing up, and which you know,
at the time, I think when you're young, you don't
(01:40):
know how to appreciate it until you come to know
Jesus and have the relationship and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
You're just like, I don't want to go to church
this morning, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
You're just tired. You want to sleep in.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
But my dad was our Sunday school teacher.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I mean, I feel so thankful now that I had
the upbringing that I had because it's obviously given me
a relationship with the Lord.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Well, when you talk about you know, it's not real
until basically you have that moment with Jesus. When was
Jesus real for you? When did that happen for you?
Speaker 1 (02:12):
I wish I could remember, like specifically. I think it
just kind of over time. Like I think as a kid,
I always like believed what the preacher was saying, but
did I fully understand what I actually believed. But I
think everything kind of changed for me when I got
into college and I was away from home, and I
don't know what it was. I don't know if it
(02:33):
was just everything I learned in my upbringing, reading the Bible, whatever,
it maybe just through prayer, I would say. My sophomore
year of college, I had gotten hurt for a third time.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Actually, maybe it was my junior year. I can't spend
so Dagon long ago.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I can't remember one of those times.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Actually, let's rewind, just to touch back in high school.
My junior year, I tore my acl had to miss sport.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Since sports were my whole life.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
My twin brother and I we played sports from the
time we came out the Dagon womb and that was
just like my love, Like I wanted to do it
all the time, all day long. And that's basically what
we did so fast forward or to high school. That
junior year, I tore my ACL, missed the rest of
football season, kind of made it back for baseball season,
(03:23):
went back my senior year football again, last game of
the year, tore my ACL again, and then I think my.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Relationship with there was.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Just something that happened during the downtime and being so
just sickened by the fact that I couldn't participate in sports.
I think I spent a lot of time in prayer.
Because I couldn't participate, it caused me to pray a lot,
and I think that's when I really really formed a
strong relationship with the Lord. I felt like I was
talking to him all the time, Lord, Please, you know,
(03:54):
maybe it wasn't the right things I was praying because
I'm like, please just let me get back.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
And be able to play sports. All that kind of.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
But then my junior or sophomore, junior year of college,
whatever it was, I think getting hurt again brought me
even closer, and again I spent so much time in prayer.
I think you just have something about that that brings
you closer.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Those seasons where God literally brings you to your knees,
I think It's such a cool thing of how he
takes something that is tragic in your life. He takes
that tragedy and he just turns it for good totally.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
It's the defining moments, you know. I think when you
don't the things that you love, that you hold onto,
that you rely on. You know, it's like sports man,
I rely on that music.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
I rely on that.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
As soon as there's you know, the tension there or
the tear there in your case, or the just the
brokenness stuff that happens. I feel like that's when the
relationship with God can go from just an awareness of God. Yeah,
I know there's something out there, there's got to be
that God shaped hole in all of us, but it
shifts to this is now real on a first degree level, yeah,
(04:56):
versus just an external It's an internal thing of where
you become, you understand, a revelation of who he is
versus just yeah, he's a principle, it's a person that
that's the shift, I think, and so many of us
my story going through high school hitting rock bottom, same
thing at that kind of time, that teenage years, which
is fascinating that about eighty eight percent of people who
(05:20):
follow Jesus make a decision before that eighteen really, which
is a huge stat and that makes me feel a
certain way about you know, multiple different things, but I
really believe that just it's so important at a young age,
not just an awakening, but just a real relationship with
God is everything?
Speaker 4 (05:38):
So for sure?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yeah, and how cool was it too that these injuries
led you to pick up a guitar, which led you
to where you are today.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Honestly, it is kind of crazy, and I think, I know,
I find myself all the time like I can't believe
this happened to me, But I think the Lord had
a plan for my life that I couldn't see in
those moments. I am so thankful that he allowed those
things to happened to me, even though I didn't understand it.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's one of those things that well, it's like a
constant thing for all of us. Like I didn't understand it,
and then ten years from now we're like, oh, remember
when Yeah, yeah, I understand.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
It's way better than the one I had for myself.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Ohio his thoughts, Ohio, that's right.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
So when it comes to you know, you're in the
middle of touring, you're in the middle of being a parent,
almost of three, being a husband. How do you find
yourself just staying grounded in faith and making sure that
you're you know, nurturing that relationship too.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
I think it's honestly, when you when you have kids
and you're not sleeping great and then you I'm out
on the road three or four days a week.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
I get home on Sunday. My wife needs a break.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
I think you definitely go through ebbs and flows where
you don't talk to the Lord as much and you
feel a little Hello, I'm not as close.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
As I totally used to be. I think everybody kind
of goes to.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Is might I'll tell you that, I'll be honest.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, I mean I'm sure. I'm sure. Like it's it's
like you're not reading your Bible like you used to,
and it's like mentally, you're like, how do I get
back to this point? Because I feel like my life
is just a from a time perspective is just wrecked
right now because I can't catch up on sleep. Somebody
always needs to die for change. I'm out on the road,
(07:14):
you know what I mean? I feel like I should
make a better effort then, because that's like my downtime,
like during the day, I'll get up, I'll go play golf.
I need something that will, like mentally outside of music,
outside of family, something that I'm not only speaking for myself,
probably a lot of us, like it's easy to kind
of get lost in the in the time and not
(07:35):
be on it as you once were.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
You know well that And I feel like sometimes too,
I feel like sometimes my daily devotional is like a
cop out, like Okay, let me just do this really
quick and then I'll get through it and then you're too,
You're to the next thing. But I think it is
those sweet moments where like I was driving here and
a song came on and like the Holy Spirit was
just like moving and it's just like spend. It's He's like,
I'm here. I'm still here. Even though you're distracted, even
(07:58):
though the world is, you know, doing what it needs
to do, I'm still here. And I think that it's
so kind of him to like have those reminders every
single day that's like, eight, I still see you. It's okay.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
Absolutely, Distraction is man, the thing that takes me away
every time, and you kind of just do it either
checking the box or hey, I'm preparing a message or
I'm going to this conversation you kind of step in,
but man, I am just coming back to the whole
God desires like an intimate, like he's a person, yeah,
not just a thing on the outside, And this whole
(08:31):
real relationship I just think is so important.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Mate. So yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Know, I feel like I find myself when I pray
a lot. I'm like, Lord, I'm so sorry that I
have not spent the.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Time with you. That's the easy thing to kind of
I think a lot of people may pray that.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
But also how kind is he to be like it's okay, yeah,
you know what I mean. I just want you here
in your hair, So he's just like, it's cool. Grace
is just one of those things. I feel like, especially
as a parent, you understand what that grace feels like,
because one of your kids could just tick you off
to the point of no end, and then the next
breath you're like, I love you so much you can
do no wrong.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
It is is crazy. I have that thought all the time. Yeah,
I'm like, it's now I understand.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
After having kids, I understand or Jesus love for us
even more because yeah, you go through that like you
can be so mad at them one second, but you're like,
I just love you, Like I can't be mad at you.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
You're asleep and I just want you to wake up
because I love you so much. It's the craziest feeling.
And I just always think about how God loves us
so much more than that, which is like it's just
unreal to think about beautiful, so crazy. Marriage and faith
is one of those things that I like to talk
about with people who drop by the podcast because I
feel like having a relationship with each other and then
(09:47):
having a relationship with each other with God is one
of those things that is just so indescribable. It's one
of the best things. So I'm wondering how you and
Lauren kind of how you keep your faith and keep
Jesus the center of your home.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah, I mean, and I think it's single handily the
most important thing. Hey, before you get married, like you
got to be on the same page. In fact, we
know somebody right now who's thinking about proposing to someone
who has no relationship, who has never had a relationship
and doesn't really care to have a relationship with.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
God, but they do.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
It's kind of like the center of everything for them
and this other person. I'm like, I don't understand how
you could propose to someone like that. I get it,
like you can kind of help lead somebody to Jesus
in hopes that one day they'll have their own personal relationship,
But it just feels like a foundation you got to
have going into marriage is already hard enough, no matter
(10:41):
how much you love somebody, like it's hard, yeah, very hard.
So having Jesus at the center of that, having got
at the center, that is very important.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
Well, it's your process, like with you and Lauren, just
exploring that discovering was it you both just like grew
up in church together. How did you kind of build
that foundation together?
Speaker 4 (11:03):
That's a great question.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
I think when I originally met Lauren, it was something
that she knew about me, just because I shared online
a lot. So I think she knew that I had
a relationship with God and that I kind of grew
up going to church all that kind of stuff. I
didn't really know that about her, and just a I
didn't really know her. She grew up in Portland, Oregon,
which is honestly, I think it's ranked number one, and
(11:29):
people who don't really go to church as often at
least that's kind of what data is Australia.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Yea, yeah, no, it's truely, Portland and Australia very similar
stats in terms of Christianity church it's it's a it's
post Christian for sure, almost pre Christian. It's almost in
that place right now.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
So yeah, so it was. It was one of those
things that I kind of learned a lot about her
when we first started dating, and I'm like, wow, this
is huge. I didn't know that, you know, she lived
in la for a while. Like I just you don't
judge a book by its cover. You just never know,
you know what I mean. So I'm thankful for that.
I mean that was had she not have had a
relationship with the Lord, I don't think we would have
(12:08):
ever been able to get married because I'm you know,
that's something that's super important to me and especially in
somebody that I'm going to marry, and.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Well, on the Bible size, you need to be equally yoked.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's a real thing.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
And it's like what a lot of people do in
the dating is they think, oh, you know what, I'll
just get married, it's going to get easier.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Oh, you're wrong, and I'm like, oh, my lord, but
we've got all these questions.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
We haven't got this foundation. You know what, It's going
to be better once we're married. And I always say,
you can do a lot of pre marriage counseling, and
I'm always like, hey, let's pause and let's work on
it now. This is the best time to be working
on these foundations.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
This is we dated.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
This isn't for everyone, but me and my wife were young.
We dated for three and a half years to really
really build that foundation. Yeah, And I couldn't agree more
that to be equally yoked. Our first year of marriage
was tough. If we'd have waited till then we moved
to America. Man, we were living in my parents' base,
in a den with a ping pong table with all
the boys around.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
It was not so awesome.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
It was not for her, and it wasn't the time
to build foundation. It was the time to hold on
to the same the center point of our relationships, which
was Jesus. And so that she could be like, all right,
that's enough, this is our sacred place. And I was like,
all right, God, work on my heart. It's not I'm
not a single man anymore. So anyway, I couldn't agree
(13:26):
more foundations work on them at the beginning, and it
sounds like you guys have done a great job and
about to have your third child in a crazy, beautiful, solid,
faith filled family environment.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
You know that's the dream man.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, you know, there's every every every once in a while,
the when my kids are acting up that the devil
will get a hold of me.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
I was gonna say every once in a while.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
Bro, Wait, you have four kids, mate, it is Oh
my gosh.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
I'm curious to know for you and Lauren specifically. I
know it's hard traveling, you know, being out on the
road getting home on Sundays obviously, like going into church
is a hard thing to do as a family. But
what are some ways that you guys encourage each other
spiritually or some things that you guys do as a
family to get that time.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, I mean, we try to make it to church
as many Sundays as possible. Sometimes I'm getting home so
late from the road it's just not possible. But Lauren
will try to take the kid. I mean, I feel
like we want our kids to kind of grow up
in the way that we did, especially for myself going
to church all the time. I feel like that ultimately
kind of led me to that relationship. So making sure
that they're just there even obviously they don't understand anything now,
(14:35):
but just being around like minded people.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
As well well, and they will understand. Because my oldesttern's four,
and she the other day she was just like walking around.
She was like, Mommy, I'm gonna be born again soon.
And I was just like what I was like, are
you being prophetic right now? What are you saying?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Like?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Are you about to get saved?
Speaker 4 (14:53):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
But she goes to church on Sundays and we ask her,
you know, what did you learn about today about at church?
And she's like, Jesus loves me. And so regardless of
whether or not, it seems like they're taking things in
they are. They're so aware, they're so resilient. It's so cool. Yeah, man,
speaking of kids, fatherhood obviously changes a lot in your life.
It changes, like you said, time with your spouse, time
(15:16):
with the word, things like that, perspective, priorities, even how
you pray. You're like, give me some patience today. How
is becoming a dad shaped your walk with God? Or
maybe changed it a little bit? Does it feel different
to you, Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Feel like it's definitely. Before I got I was always
the guy who I didn't want to get married, Like
I said this for so long, Like I was fine
with being single. I didn't necessarily even want kids. But
it wasn't until I met Lauren that changed my mindset
on all of that in the best kind of way.
(15:48):
But yeah, I think it's made me a more I
have a heart. I've realized I do have a heart.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
After all.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
You're a softie.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
I love it, and I think kids bring out the
softer side you and I touched on this earlier. But yeah,
I think it's God's love for us is infinite, and
I understand his love a lot more now that I've
had kids, and his mercy and just grace, all of
that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
What is the the term in the Bible to use
a gape, right.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Gay love? Yeah, that's right, the full, complete, multi dimensional,
layered love. That that's everything. And I think that perspective
you think before kids, yeah, I know, you know, I
get it, and then you have kids You're.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Like, oh, I.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Didn't get it, And you could never have felt those
things unless you feel them. And that's why I always
pray for those people who are struggling with kids. I
really have such a heart to pray for just a
miracle in their life to be able to experience that,
because the perspective and the miracle of it, even the
whole process you know, of new life coming into the
(16:54):
world is the closest to Heaven I've ever felt, you know,
just being in the room. It's like the veil is
so in and you just feel just like the tangibles, like, man,
how can you not believe in God when you experience
a birth like that? And then you see your child
and they're dreaming things. I don't know if your kids
had this, you'll said this, but like the dreams early
on when they're kind of like giggling, and I'm like, wait,
(17:16):
but you haven't learned to laugh, you haven't experienced like
but it's like someone something. Of course, it's God teaching
them even emotions through dreams, which you know, psychologists they
don't even understand what is a dream. They still can't
figure it out. But you see God in the children.
It's like little things like that. As a father, as
a mother, you go, oh, this is so much bigger
(17:39):
than me. You I was a lot less selfish. You know,
that was something I struggle with.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Same. Yeah, I was definitely I learned.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I don't think I realized it in the moment, but
I was definitely a selfish person, especially with time.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Same.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Yeah, that's just it.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
God will reveal those things to you for sure, and
the like the coolest ways. But I'm curious too as
about you know, it's changed your heart as a husband,
it's changed your heart as a parent, but your faith
when it comes to like what you do every day.
The music industry, I feel like, can be such a
dark place and it's easy to get sucked into, you know,
all of the things, all the qualms of like what's
(18:17):
happening and it's all about me, it's all about me.
Has it changed you in that way of where you're
just like, this isn't about me anymore?
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Yeah, I mean, I definitely think as an artist, it's
easy to have a lot of yes people around, Yeah,
and it really is. It turns everything kind of is
about you, like about the music, all that kind of stuff,
So it can it can change you a little bit.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
But I think that's it.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
That's why it's important to have a relationship with the Lord,
because he won't.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Yeah, if you're if.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
You're walking closely like you should be, he won't let
it change, like you won't get an ego, you won't
get it, like he'll humble you. You know what I mean,
which is one of those things. I actually when I
first moved to Nash, I used to prayer all the time.
I'm like, Lord, if I step out of line, if
I change in any way, please humble me, Please bring
me back down, please whatever needs to happen, Like I
(19:11):
don't want to lose the relationship that I have with you,
Like that's the most important thing out of anything. Like,
of course I want success, I want to be the
biggest artist in the entire world, but I don't want
any of that if it hurts my relationship with you.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
That's a that's an amazing prayer to pray, bro, And
I just think that that whole idea of God humble me,
like submitting to God disciplines those he loves. The Bible says, hey,
it's not punishment, it's not withholding just because I don't
like you.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
I love you so much.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
And you understand this as a dad, It's like, man,
I'm given my two year old like this, yet he
ain't ready for it.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
He can't handle it.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
And I think like understanding and having that perspective in God,
if I get in the way of this, like my
hands are off. If your ways are truly high than
my ways, thoughts higher than my thoughts, please, I don't
want to be the one just strategizing and kind of
you know, making it happen and get my ego getting
the way. Because it also says God opposes the proud,
and I don't want to put myself in opposition to God.
(20:15):
There's a level of man I partner with him. I'm
not just sitting back, you know, passively, but I'm actively
partnering with him. But man, I think for people listening
to pray, that prayer is a very important thing, a
good thing, but also a scary thing. I'm putting myself
in place for like discipline, like God disciplines those he loves.
(20:37):
This is part of a love thing.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
If you're not ready for it, ask him to do it,
because he will.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
That's so true.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
But it's the pathway, it's the gateway, it really is,
and it's the way that we stay you know, we
stay healthy long term.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
I agree, and I think too for those who aren't
in the music industry, maybe they're, you know, working at
nine to five, or they're a full time caregiver, whatever
their job is, I think they can pray those same
prayers too, because just because you're not on a quote
unquote platform doesn't mean that your job isn't important and
that God did not give you those gifts for you know,
for no reason. And to keep that same mindset where
(21:15):
you're just like God, this isn't for me, this is
for you. Help me walk through the doors I'm supposed
to walk through, and slam the ones shut in my
face that I'm not supposed to and just let it.
You just have so much joy that way too in
your life. I feel like not having to like have
those worries, you know, for.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Sure, Yeah, you just put all your faith in him.
I mean I feel like that's I learned that early on,
Like this was not a career path that I ever
thought that I would have, And I think when you
just let him do what he does, everything works out
for the best.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Yeah, for sure. I feel like maybe Dad's listening that
could use a little bit of encouragement when things get
hard from someone who has a you know, christ centered relationship.
Somebody that you know is walking his best walk. What
kind of encouragement would you give to those dads that
feel a little overwhelmed, because I could give moms perspective,
(22:03):
but I feel like coming from a guy, it's different.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Yeah, I mean, I feel I understand likes. It's having kids,
having a busy life is very overwhelming, and I think
as moms have a different kind of stress and worry
on them than dads do. As dads, we want to
make sure we're taking care of our families. You know,
it's easy to stress about that. You're like, all right,
(22:27):
I've got to go out and I've got to bust it,
you know what I mean. But I want to be
spending time with my kids. But we're not gonna be
able to live the life that we want if I'm
not out here busting. I think all dads think that way.
But when you are at home, I would just encourage
every dad to just be as present as you possibly can.
Don't come in check out because you're you're exhausted.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Like we're all.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Kind of in the same like moms exhausted, dad's exhausted,
you know what I mean, You just kind of if
you're going to commit to having children, you just have
to be willing to at the time and be exhausted
and and show up because your kids need you.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
And truly, I don't know how parents do it without
the Lord agreed.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
It's the grace thing you mentioned comes in handy every day,
sometimes every hour. My amazing wife, my Lauren, is on
her way right now to Charlotte, seven hour drive with
four of our kids.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
And so for your sister.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Right now, I'm just I'm just feeling a bit of
guilt because I'm here in Nashville and she's in the
in the car. But I really think that just the
parenting journey and the grace, the relationship, the tether to
that grace is hard to explain, and it's tangibly. It
(23:47):
doesn't seem like practical, like I'm looking for practical things sometimes,
but it is.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
It is everything.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
So all right, looking ahead to I mean next year,
this year, what are some things that God's teaching you
right now and maybe some things that you're like believing
for It's.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
A great question.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I think He's always trying to teach me patience, Yeah, yeah,
all of us. Yeah, you know, I think Ultimately, for
me career wise, I want to take that next big
step in my career.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
You know.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
I want to be where Morgan Wallin is. I want
to be where Luke Calms is. All these guys. I
want to be one of the biggest artists in this genre.
And I hope that that's his plans for me. If
it's not, that's okay because I've been able to see
how he's worked in my life. And I'll say it again,
like everything happens for a reason, everything always works out
for the best. So I wrote this song recently called
(24:43):
God Don't Listen to Me, and it's it's all about
how it was hurt, how I didn't get to live
out the dream of playing football, baseball, all that kind
of stuff. But I'm glad that he didn't listen to me,
because everything's way better than I could have ever imagined.
Life would look way differ for me if he had
listened to the prayers that I was praying and and
(25:04):
what I wanted. Like I think ultimately we always just
we should be saying Lord, what do you want for me?
Not I think it's okay to tell him too, like
this is what I want, this is what how I
foresee my life, but just trusting that he will always
take care of it and he obviously knows best. And uh,
it's easier to take your hands off the wheel at
that point.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Well, and I feel like it's it's hard to, like
you said, to give God all of that control and
not be like a little like okay, you know what
I mean. It's tough.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
It's just in our in our nature as human beings
to be like I'm driving this, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
But and to be gall orientated. I think we me,
you know, even destination like this goal when I get here,
you know, I want to be there. And when you
read the Bible, it's a lot about direction over destination.
It's like I'm the way, like follow my footsteps and
I think lamp into my feet like it's it's all
(25:59):
like direct action, way orientated. And I think about the
times I've been really disappointed, like God, you didn't listen
to me, or you know what what that you know
you didn't co sign on my plan. I've created a
lot of disappointing for myself. Whereas and I put on God,
but I created the destination. He's just like, hey, just
step in my footsteps.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
You know.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
I one of the guys, I just went turkey hunting
for the first time.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
This is stranger.
Speaker 5 (26:24):
I've been roue hunting a lot, but I went turkey
hunting for the first time. And one of my guys
he was like, hey, like you know, telling me his
story when he used to go hunting with his dad
and it was a swampy kind of area and he's like,
just step where I stepped, look for my footsteps, and
the hard ground is where I'm going to test it.
And I'm going to step before you, go before you
and if you step in my steps, you're good. And
(26:44):
I just think it's that's the that's the hard thing
to do is because I want to I'm like got
my eyes fixed on the destination. I don't really want to,
Like that's boring dad, and I just like, one step
at a time. It's like, yeah, I understand the truth
of that, but truth that the struggle of that is real,
because it's like exciting to think about and dream about
the destination. Be God's like, hey, just follow me, it's
(27:06):
all good.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Watch well.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
And I also recently just heard a conversation of someone
talking about just like pick your heart right like you
want to be here. Somebody else might be there, but
they might be going through like just no joy in
their life. They might not have work life balance and
you might not. They might be missing more home life.
But like, how cool that you get to be home
once a week and you know, get those moments and
(27:31):
it's just like we got to pick our heart because
everybody thinks that the grass is always greener, but truly,
the grass is always harder. Honestly, you know, Yeah, the grass.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Is greener where you water it.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
That's the truth, yes, And it's comparison is the killer
of joy. And I think it's easy to look left
and right protect our heart. So how do you manage
kind of that comparison thing of like, you know, you
just brought up the Morgan one, the Luke Comb sing
and it's tough, man.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Yeah, I think just being grateful for everything you've accomplished already.
I think it's easy. Especially I'm just kind of speaking
from an artist's perspective because I think we're all kind
of in the same like you always want more. Like
when I first moved to town, I was just like,
man if I can just have yeah, one hit, like
that would be everything. Like I wouldn't need anything else,
(28:22):
you know what I mean. And then you get that
and you're like, oh my god, I got to have
another one. I need another one right now, and it's
easy to kind of fall into that, and it's I
think it's okay.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
It's healthy to.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Like want to progress in the career that you're in
or whatever it may be, and it's easy to lose
sight of everything that you've accomplished because you're always wanting
more and you're looking around you're.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Like, this person's excelling.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So I think you got to really just stop and
focus on all the great things that have already happened
throughout your career already, and then it's easier to look
at it through you know what, Maybe one day I
will be there, but I'm so thankful for what I've
accomplished when I first moved to town. If I had
known that I would be where I'm at in my
(29:08):
career right now, eleven or twelve years in. If someone
has said you you you're going to be twelve years
into your career and you're still going, I would have
been like, there's no way that does not feel possible,
Like this is a hard industry, you know, so you
lose sight of that along the way because you're always
looking for the next step of success and whatever it
is that you're doing.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
Gratitude is the antidote to dissatisfaction.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Yeah, I couldnot agree more.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
But it's not easy. When you're dissatisfaction.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
You're like, yeah, you have to like really think about
it and like really focus in and like stop.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
I think you just kind of stop and just think
about it.
Speaker 5 (29:48):
Yeah, And even conversations like this shake you out of
the just ful that restlessness, because it's hard to get
out of that by something like you know what, I'm
just going to be thankful today. Yeah, it's like perspective
and conversation community that I think when you've got your
blonde is on when you frustrated, Yeah, it's important.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
I just had this conversation with my husband a couple
of days ago because he was complaining about something like
with work, you know, he was overwhelmed things like that,
and I'm like, don't forget, this is what you prayed for. Like,
thank you that you're where you are because you get
to be home with our kids and you're here on
the weekends and you're at traveling anymore, like you prayed
for this, Like, yeah, it's gonna get hard, there's gonna
be valleys through you know, seasons. But I was just like,
(30:27):
thank you Jesus that this is where you are and
that you have the opportunity to be frustrated at home
and not on a tour bus, you know what I mean.
So it's it's definitely one of those give and take things.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
That's hard.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
You're at home, the kids, you're screaming, you're having a
tough dam my lord.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
I was just flying man, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
But I think, like like Mark said, these conversations are
such a good, like little shakeout and just one of
those remember ways to remember you know that God is good.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
He's so good.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
To wrap things up. I'm gonna pray for you if
that's cool, Thank you, and then we're gonna we're gonna
let you get on your merry way. I know you've
got a busy, a busy schedule, so oh yeah, is
there anything specific I can pray.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
For you for? Yeah, just anything that's on your heart.
I mean, okay, nothing in particular.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Maybe for Lauren to have a safe I know she's
been stressed out over she's been so sick. That's time
around compared to the first two. And she just reads
too much stuff on the internet all the time.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Girl, I get it. Yeah, same, that was me this
last pregnancy too. It's hard and going through that as
a woman with two kids. She is a super hebro.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
All right, I'm gonna pray, Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, first
and foremost, thank you for these microphones. Thank you for
the hands that set them up. And we pray for
and just are grateful for those behind the camera as well. Lord.
Thank you for Chris and his heart. Lord, thank you
for his availability to just share more about you and
to use his microphone for good and his platform to
(32:02):
say this is for you and not for me. God,
And we just pray over his career and that you
would just continue to not only advance him to where
you want him to be, Lord, but give him patience
along the way, patience with his family, patients with Lauren,
patience with the kids, patients with family and friends and
coworkers and people in his crew. God, we just say
(32:24):
thank you for all of the blessings that you're going
to continue to pour out in his life. And we
pray over Lauren. We pray over a healthy pregnancy. We
pray over her mind as she goes through a third pregnancy, Lord,
that you would just give her the grace to get
through it even on the hard days. Lord. And we
just say thank you for the miracle gift of life.
(32:46):
Thank you for breathing life into those babies lungs. And
we just say thank you for another beautiful gift and
another beautiful child of God. Lord. And we just say
thank you again for these microphones and this platform and
those who are listening to the sounds of our voices
right now in Jesus name.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
Amen, Amen, thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Now.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
If you prayed that prayer with the church, we believe
you got born again.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Your hands at the back, someone will give you a Bible.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Sorry, that's my American accent.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
That's real bad Bible.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Thanks Chris, No, thank you,
I'm so thankful that he allowed those things to happen
to me, even though I didn't understand it. Damn, my lord,
I was just playing many. I was fine with being single.
I didn't necessarily even want kids. But it wasn't until
I met Lauren that changed my mindset. Now, if you
prayed that prayer with the church, we believe you got
born again.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I'll give you a Bible.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome to the upload, y'all. I'm Brick Taylor. This right here.
I want to introduce you to Pastor Mark Evans. He
is I'm really great, thanks for being here. Pastor Mark.
He is part of the Believer's Ministry, which is just
a ministry that supports literally an umbrella of all of
the music industry. So he's one of our trusted friends
and we just love him so much. Let's go back
(00:49):
to me, okay, and our guest today, y'all, we go
back so long, we did over a decade. I feel
like he's a husband, a father, He's a man who's
faith just cantinues to shape his life and his music.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Y'all.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Welcome Chris Lane.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Welcome the crowds.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Wild Well. A lot of people know you from your music.
But here on this podcast, we want to talk about Jesus.
So that's what we're going to do. And I just
I want everybody to doesn't know your upbringing kind of
like how you grew up, you grew up in church,
tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yeah. I grew up in a little town called Kernersville,
North Carolina, and I grew up from the day that
I was born, or at least as far back as
I can remember, my parents had us in church every
Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday. So there was lots
of church in my life growing up, and which you know,
at the time, I think when you're young, you don't
(01:40):
know how to appreciate it until you come to know
Jesus and have the relationship and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
You're just like, I don't want to go to church
this morning, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
You're just tired. You want to sleep in.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
But my dad was our Sunday school teacher.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I mean, I feel so thankful now that I had
the upbringing that I had because it's obviously given me
a relationship with the Lord.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Well, when you talk about you know, it's not real
until basically you have that moment with Jesus. When was
Jesus real for you? When did that happen for you?
Speaker 1 (02:12):
I wish I could remember, like specifically. I think it
just kind of over time. Like I think as a kid,
I always like believed what the preacher was saying, but
did I fully understand what I actually believed. But I
think everything kind of changed for me when I got
into college and I was away from home, and I
don't know what it was. I don't know if it
(02:33):
was just everything I learned in my upbringing, reading the Bible, whatever,
it maybe just through prayer, I would say. My sophomore
year of college, I had gotten hurt for a third time.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Actually, maybe it was my junior year. I can't spend
so Dagon long ago.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I can't remember one of those times.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Actually, let's rewind, just to touch back in high school.
My junior year, I tore my acl had to miss sport.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Since sports were my whole life.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
My twin brother and I we played sports from the
time we came out the Dagon womb and that was
just like my love, Like I wanted to do it
all the time, all day long. And that's basically what
we did so fast forward or to high school. That
junior year, I tore my ACL, missed the rest of
football season, kind of made it back for baseball season,
(03:23):
went back my senior year football again, last game of
the year, tore my ACL again, and then I think my.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Relationship with there was.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Just something that happened during the downtime and being so
just sickened by the fact that I couldn't participate in sports.
I think I spent a lot of time in prayer.
Because I couldn't participate, it caused me to pray a lot,
and I think that's when I really really formed a
strong relationship with the Lord. I felt like I was
talking to him all the time, Lord, Please, you know,
(03:54):
maybe it wasn't the right things I was praying because
I'm like, please just let me get back.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
And be able to play sports. All that kind of.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
But then my junior or sophomore, junior year of college,
whatever it was, I think getting hurt again brought me
even closer, and again I spent so much time in prayer.
I think you just have something about that that brings
you closer.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Those seasons where God literally brings you to your knees,
I think It's such a cool thing of how he
takes something that is tragic in your life. He takes
that tragedy and he just turns it for good totally.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
It's the defining moments, you know. I think when you
don't the things that you love, that you hold onto,
that you rely on. You know, it's like sports man,
I rely on that music.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
I rely on that.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
As soon as there's you know, the tension there or
the tear there in your case, or the just the
brokenness stuff that happens. I feel like that's when the
relationship with God can go from just an awareness of God. Yeah,
I know there's something out there, there's got to be
that God shaped hole in all of us, but it
shifts to this is now real on a first degree level, yeah,
(04:56):
versus just an external It's an internal thing of where
you become, you understand, a revelation of who he is
versus just yeah, he's a principle, it's a person that
that's the shift, I think, and so many of us
my story going through high school hitting rock bottom, same
thing at that kind of time, that teenage years, which
is fascinating that about eighty eight percent of people who
(05:20):
follow Jesus make a decision before that eighteen really, which
is a huge stat and that makes me feel a
certain way about you know, multiple different things, but I
really believe that just it's so important at a young age,
not just an awakening, but just a real relationship with
God is everything?
Speaker 4 (05:38):
So for sure?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yeah, and how cool was it too that these injuries
led you to pick up a guitar, which led you
to where you are today.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Honestly, it is kind of crazy, and I think, I know,
I find myself all the time like I can't believe
this happened to me, But I think the Lord had
a plan for my life that I couldn't see in
those moments. I am so thankful that he allowed those
things to happened to me, even though I didn't understand it.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's one of those things that well, it's like a
constant thing for all of us. Like I didn't understand it,
and then ten years from now we're like, oh, remember
when Yeah, yeah, I understand.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
It's way better than the one I had for myself.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Ohio his thoughts, Ohio, that's right.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
So when it comes to you know, you're in the
middle of touring, you're in the middle of being a parent,
almost of three, being a husband. How do you find
yourself just staying grounded in faith and making sure that
you're you know, nurturing that relationship too.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
I think it's honestly, when you when you have kids
and you're not sleeping great and then you I'm out
on the road three or four days a week.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
I get home on Sunday. My wife needs a break.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
I think you definitely go through ebbs and flows where
you don't talk to the Lord as much and you
feel a little Hello, I'm not as close.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
As I totally used to be. I think everybody kind
of goes to.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Is might I'll tell you that, I'll be honest.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, I mean I'm sure. I'm sure. Like it's it's
like you're not reading your Bible like you used to,
and it's like mentally, you're like, how do I get
back to this point? Because I feel like my life
is just a from a time perspective is just wrecked
right now because I can't catch up on sleep. Somebody
always needs to die for change. I'm out on the road,
(07:14):
you know what I mean? I feel like I should
make a better effort then, because that's like my downtime,
like during the day, I'll get up, I'll go play golf.
I need something that will, like mentally outside of music,
outside of family, something that I'm not only speaking for myself,
probably a lot of us, like it's easy to kind
of get lost in the in the time and not
(07:35):
be on it as you once were.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
You know well that And I feel like sometimes too,
I feel like sometimes my daily devotional is like a
cop out, like Okay, let me just do this really
quick and then I'll get through it and then you're too,
You're to the next thing. But I think it is
those sweet moments where like I was driving here and
a song came on and like the Holy Spirit was
just like moving and it's just like spend. It's He's like,
I'm here. I'm still here. Even though you're distracted, even
(07:58):
though the world is, you know, doing what it needs
to do, I'm still here. And I think that it's
so kind of him to like have those reminders every
single day that's like, eight, I still see you. It's okay.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
Absolutely, Distraction is man, the thing that takes me away
every time, and you kind of just do it either
checking the box or hey, I'm preparing a message or
I'm going to this conversation you kind of step in,
but man, I am just coming back to the whole
God desires like an intimate, like he's a person, yeah,
not just a thing on the outside, And this whole
(08:31):
real relationship I just think is so important.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Mate. So yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Know, I feel like I find myself when I pray
a lot. I'm like, Lord, I'm so sorry that I
have not spent the.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Time with you. That's the easy thing to kind of
I think a lot of people may pray that.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
But also how kind is he to be like it's okay, yeah,
you know what I mean. I just want you here
in your hair, So he's just like, it's cool. Grace
is just one of those things. I feel like, especially
as a parent, you understand what that grace feels like,
because one of your kids could just tick you off
to the point of no end, and then the next
breath you're like, I love you so much you can
do no wrong.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
It is is crazy. I have that thought all the time. Yeah,
I'm like, it's now I understand.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
After having kids, I understand or Jesus love for us
even more because yeah, you go through that like you
can be so mad at them one second, but you're like,
I just love you, Like I can't be mad at you.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
You're asleep and I just want you to wake up
because I love you so much. It's the craziest feeling.
And I just always think about how God loves us
so much more than that, which is like it's just
unreal to think about beautiful, so crazy. Marriage and faith
is one of those things that I like to talk
about with people who drop by the podcast because I
feel like having a relationship with each other and then
(09:47):
having a relationship with each other with God is one
of those things that is just so indescribable. It's one
of the best things. So I'm wondering how you and
Lauren kind of how you keep your faith and keep
Jesus the center of your home.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah, I mean, and I think it's single handily the
most important thing. Hey, before you get married, like you
got to be on the same page. In fact, we
know somebody right now who's thinking about proposing to someone
who has no relationship, who has never had a relationship
and doesn't really care to have a relationship with.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
God, but they do.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
It's kind of like the center of everything for them
and this other person. I'm like, I don't understand how
you could propose to someone like that. I get it,
like you can kind of help lead somebody to Jesus
in hopes that one day they'll have their own personal relationship,
But it just feels like a foundation you got to
have going into marriage is already hard enough, no matter
(10:41):
how much you love somebody, like it's hard, yeah, very hard.
So having Jesus at the center of that, having got
at the center, that is very important.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
Well, it's your process, like with you and Lauren, just
exploring that discovering was it you both just like grew
up in church together. How did you kind of build
that foundation together?
Speaker 4 (11:03):
That's a great question.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
I think when I originally met Lauren, it was something
that she knew about me, just because I shared online
a lot. So I think she knew that I had
a relationship with God and that I kind of grew
up going to church all that kind of stuff. I
didn't really know that about her, and just a I
didn't really know her. She grew up in Portland, Oregon,
which is honestly, I think it's ranked number one, and
(11:29):
people who don't really go to church as often at
least that's kind of what data is Australia.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Yea, yeah, no, it's truely, Portland and Australia very similar
stats in terms of Christianity church it's it's a it's
post Christian for sure, almost pre Christian. It's almost in
that place right now.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
So yeah, so it was. It was one of those
things that I kind of learned a lot about her
when we first started dating, and I'm like, wow, this
is huge. I didn't know that, you know, she lived
in la for a while. Like I just you don't
judge a book by its cover. You just never know,
you know what I mean. So I'm thankful for that.
I mean that was had she not have had a
relationship with the Lord, I don't think we would have
(12:08):
ever been able to get married because I'm you know,
that's something that's super important to me and especially in
somebody that I'm going to marry, and.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Well, on the Bible size, you need to be equally yoked.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's a real thing.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
And it's like what a lot of people do in
the dating is they think, oh, you know what, I'll
just get married, it's going to get easier.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Oh, you're wrong, and I'm like, oh, my lord, but
we've got all these questions.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
We haven't got this foundation. You know what, It's going
to be better once we're married. And I always say,
you can do a lot of pre marriage counseling, and
I'm always like, hey, let's pause and let's work on
it now. This is the best time to be working
on these foundations.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
This is we dated.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
This isn't for everyone, but me and my wife were young.
We dated for three and a half years to really
really build that foundation. Yeah, And I couldn't agree more
that to be equally yoked. Our first year of marriage
was tough. If we'd have waited till then we moved
to America. Man, we were living in my parents' base,
in a den with a ping pong table with all
the boys around.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
It was not so awesome.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
It was not for her, and it wasn't the time
to build foundation. It was the time to hold on
to the same the center point of our relationships, which
was Jesus. And so that she could be like, all right,
that's enough, this is our sacred place. And I was like,
all right, God, work on my heart. It's not I'm
not a single man anymore. So anyway, I couldn't agree
(13:26):
more foundations work on them at the beginning, and it
sounds like you guys have done a great job and
about to have your third child in a crazy, beautiful, solid,
faith filled family environment.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
You know that's the dream man.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, you know, there's every every every once in a while,
the when my kids are acting up that the devil
will get a hold of me.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
I was gonna say every once in a while.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
Bro, Wait, you have four kids, mate, it is Oh
my gosh.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
I'm curious to know for you and Lauren specifically. I
know it's hard traveling, you know, being out on the
road getting home on Sundays obviously, like going into church
is a hard thing to do as a family. But
what are some ways that you guys encourage each other
spiritually or some things that you guys do as a
family to get that time.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, I mean, we try to make it to church
as many Sundays as possible. Sometimes I'm getting home so
late from the road it's just not possible. But Lauren
will try to take the kid. I mean, I feel
like we want our kids to kind of grow up
in the way that we did, especially for myself going
to church all the time. I feel like that ultimately
kind of led me to that relationship. So making sure
that they're just there even obviously they don't understand anything now,
(14:35):
but just being around like minded people.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
As well well, and they will understand. Because my oldesttern's four,
and she the other day she was just like walking around.
She was like, Mommy, I'm gonna be born again soon.
And I was just like what I was like, are
you being prophetic right now? What are you saying?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Like?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Are you about to get saved?
Speaker 4 (14:53):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
But she goes to church on Sundays and we ask her,
you know, what did you learn about today about at church?
And she's like, Jesus loves me. And so regardless of
whether or not, it seems like they're taking things in
they are. They're so aware, they're so resilient. It's so cool. Yeah, man,
speaking of kids, fatherhood obviously changes a lot in your life.
It changes, like you said, time with your spouse, time
(15:16):
with the word, things like that, perspective, priorities, even how
you pray. You're like, give me some patience today. How
is becoming a dad shaped your walk with God? Or
maybe changed it a little bit? Does it feel different
to you, Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Feel like it's definitely. Before I got I was always
the guy who I didn't want to get married, Like
I said this for so long, Like I was fine
with being single. I didn't necessarily even want kids. But
it wasn't until I met Lauren that changed my mindset
on all of that in the best kind of way.
(15:48):
But yeah, I think it's made me a more I
have a heart. I've realized I do have a heart.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
After all.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
You're a softie.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
I love it, and I think kids bring out the
softer side you and I touched on this earlier. But yeah,
I think it's God's love for us is infinite, and
I understand his love a lot more now that I've
had kids, and his mercy and just grace, all of
that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
What is the the term in the Bible to use
a gape, right.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Gay love? Yeah, that's right, the full, complete, multi dimensional,
layered love. That that's everything. And I think that perspective
you think before kids, yeah, I know, you know, I
get it, and then you have kids You're.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Like, oh, I.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Didn't get it, And you could never have felt those
things unless you feel them. And that's why I always
pray for those people who are struggling with kids. I
really have such a heart to pray for just a
miracle in their life to be able to experience that,
because the perspective and the miracle of it, even the
whole process you know, of new life coming into the
(16:54):
world is the closest to Heaven I've ever felt, you know,
just being in the room. It's like the veil is
so in and you just feel just like the tangibles, like, man,
how can you not believe in God when you experience
a birth like that? And then you see your child
and they're dreaming things. I don't know if your kids
had this, you'll said this, but like the dreams early
on when they're kind of like giggling, and I'm like, wait,
(17:16):
but you haven't learned to laugh, you haven't experienced like
but it's like someone something. Of course, it's God teaching
them even emotions through dreams, which you know, psychologists they
don't even understand what is a dream. They still can't
figure it out. But you see God in the children.
It's like little things like that. As a father, as
a mother, you go, oh, this is so much bigger
(17:39):
than me. You I was a lot less selfish. You know,
that was something I struggle with.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Same. Yeah, I was definitely I learned.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I don't think I realized it in the moment, but
I was definitely a selfish person, especially with time.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Same.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Yeah, that's just it.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
God will reveal those things to you for sure, and
the like the coolest ways. But I'm curious too as
about you know, it's changed your heart as a husband,
it's changed your heart as a parent, but your faith
when it comes to like what you do every day.
The music industry, I feel like, can be such a
dark place and it's easy to get sucked into, you know,
all of the things, all the qualms of like what's
(18:17):
happening and it's all about me, it's all about me.
Has it changed you in that way of where you're
just like, this isn't about me anymore?
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Yeah, I mean, I definitely think as an artist, it's
easy to have a lot of yes people around, Yeah,
and it really is. It turns everything kind of is
about you, like about the music, all that kind of stuff,
So it can it can change you a little bit.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
But I think that's it.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
That's why it's important to have a relationship with the Lord,
because he won't.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Yeah, if you're if.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
You're walking closely like you should be, he won't let
it change, like you won't get an ego, you won't
get it, like he'll humble you. You know what I mean,
which is one of those things. I actually when I
first moved to Nash, I used to prayer all the time.
I'm like, Lord, if I step out of line, if
I change in any way, please humble me, Please bring
me back down, please whatever needs to happen, Like I
(19:11):
don't want to lose the relationship that I have with you,
Like that's the most important thing out of anything. Like,
of course I want success, I want to be the
biggest artist in the entire world, but I don't want
any of that if it hurts my relationship with you.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
That's a that's an amazing prayer to pray, bro, And
I just think that that whole idea of God humble me,
like submitting to God disciplines those he loves. The Bible says, hey,
it's not punishment, it's not withholding just because I don't
like you.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
I love you so much.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
And you understand this as a dad, It's like, man,
I'm given my two year old like this, yet he
ain't ready for it.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
He can't handle it.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
And I think like understanding and having that perspective in God,
if I get in the way of this, like my
hands are off. If your ways are truly high than
my ways, thoughts higher than my thoughts, please, I don't
want to be the one just strategizing and kind of
you know, making it happen and get my ego getting
the way. Because it also says God opposes the proud,
and I don't want to put myself in opposition to God.
(20:15):
There's a level of man I partner with him. I'm
not just sitting back, you know, passively, but I'm actively
partnering with him. But man, I think for people listening
to pray, that prayer is a very important thing, a
good thing, but also a scary thing. I'm putting myself
in place for like discipline, like God disciplines those he loves.
(20:37):
This is part of a love thing.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
If you're not ready for it, ask him to do it,
because he will.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
That's so true.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
But it's the pathway, it's the gateway, it really is,
and it's the way that we stay you know, we
stay healthy long term.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
I agree, and I think too for those who aren't
in the music industry, maybe they're, you know, working at
nine to five, or they're a full time caregiver, whatever
their job is, I think they can pray those same
prayers too, because just because you're not on a quote
unquote platform doesn't mean that your job isn't important and
that God did not give you those gifts for you know,
for no reason. And to keep that same mindset where
(21:15):
you're just like God, this isn't for me, this is
for you. Help me walk through the doors I'm supposed
to walk through, and slam the ones shut in my
face that I'm not supposed to and just let it.
You just have so much joy that way too in
your life. I feel like not having to like have
those worries, you know, for.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Sure, Yeah, you just put all your faith in him.
I mean I feel like that's I learned that early on,
Like this was not a career path that I ever
thought that I would have, And I think when you
just let him do what he does, everything works out
for the best.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Yeah, for sure. I feel like maybe Dad's listening that
could use a little bit of encouragement when things get
hard from someone who has a you know, christ centered relationship.
Somebody that you know is walking his best walk. What
kind of encouragement would you give to those dads that
feel a little overwhelmed, because I could give moms perspective,
(22:03):
but I feel like coming from a guy, it's different.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Yeah, I mean, I feel I understand likes. It's having kids,
having a busy life is very overwhelming, and I think
as moms have a different kind of stress and worry
on them than dads do. As dads, we want to
make sure we're taking care of our families. You know,
it's easy to stress about that. You're like, all right,
(22:27):
I've got to go out and I've got to bust it,
you know what I mean. But I want to be
spending time with my kids. But we're not gonna be
able to live the life that we want if I'm
not out here busting. I think all dads think that way.
But when you are at home, I would just encourage
every dad to just be as present as you possibly can.
Don't come in check out because you're you're exhausted.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Like we're all.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Kind of in the same like moms exhausted, dad's exhausted,
you know what I mean, You just kind of if
you're going to commit to having children, you just have
to be willing to at the time and be exhausted
and and show up because your kids need you.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
And truly, I don't know how parents do it without
the Lord agreed.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
It's the grace thing you mentioned comes in handy every day,
sometimes every hour. My amazing wife, my Lauren, is on
her way right now to Charlotte, seven hour drive with
four of our kids.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
And so for your sister.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Right now, I'm just I'm just feeling a bit of
guilt because I'm here in Nashville and she's in the
in the car. But I really think that just the
parenting journey and the grace, the relationship, the tether to
that grace is hard to explain, and it's tangibly. It
(23:47):
doesn't seem like practical, like I'm looking for practical things sometimes,
but it is.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
It is everything.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
So all right, looking ahead to I mean next year,
this year, what are some things that God's teaching you
right now and maybe some things that you're like believing
for It's.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
A great question.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I think He's always trying to teach me patience, Yeah, yeah,
all of us. Yeah, you know, I think Ultimately, for
me career wise, I want to take that next big
step in my career.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
You know.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
I want to be where Morgan Wallin is. I want
to be where Luke Calms is. All these guys. I
want to be one of the biggest artists in this genre.
And I hope that that's his plans for me. If
it's not, that's okay because I've been able to see
how he's worked in my life. And I'll say it again,
like everything happens for a reason, everything always works out
for the best. So I wrote this song recently called
(24:43):
God Don't Listen to Me, and it's it's all about
how it was hurt, how I didn't get to live
out the dream of playing football, baseball, all that kind
of stuff. But I'm glad that he didn't listen to me,
because everything's way better than I could have ever imagined.
Life would look way differ for me if he had
listened to the prayers that I was praying and and
(25:04):
what I wanted. Like I think ultimately we always just
we should be saying Lord, what do you want for me?
Not I think it's okay to tell him too, like
this is what I want, this is what how I
foresee my life, but just trusting that he will always
take care of it and he obviously knows best. And uh,
it's easier to take your hands off the wheel at
that point.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Well, and I feel like it's it's hard to, like
you said, to give God all of that control and
not be like a little like okay, you know what
I mean. It's tough.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
It's just in our in our nature as human beings
to be like I'm driving this, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
But and to be gall orientated. I think we me,
you know, even destination like this goal when I get here,
you know, I want to be there. And when you
read the Bible, it's a lot about direction over destination.
It's like I'm the way, like follow my footsteps and
I think lamp into my feet like it's it's all
(25:59):
like direct action, way orientated. And I think about the
times I've been really disappointed, like God, you didn't listen
to me, or you know what what that you know
you didn't co sign on my plan. I've created a
lot of disappointing for myself. Whereas and I put on God,
but I created the destination. He's just like, hey, just
step in my footsteps.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
You know.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
I one of the guys, I just went turkey hunting
for the first time.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
This is stranger.
Speaker 5 (26:24):
I've been roue hunting a lot, but I went turkey
hunting for the first time. And one of my guys
he was like, hey, like you know, telling me his
story when he used to go hunting with his dad
and it was a swampy kind of area and he's like,
just step where I stepped, look for my footsteps, and
the hard ground is where I'm going to test it.
And I'm going to step before you, go before you
and if you step in my steps, you're good. And
(26:44):
I just think it's that's the that's the hard thing
to do is because I want to I'm like got
my eyes fixed on the destination. I don't really want to,
Like that's boring dad, and I just like, one step
at a time. It's like, yeah, I understand the truth
of that, but truth that the struggle of that is real,
because it's like exciting to think about and dream about
the destination. Be God's like, hey, just follow me, it's
(27:06):
all good.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Watch well.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
And I also recently just heard a conversation of someone
talking about just like pick your heart right like you
want to be here. Somebody else might be there, but
they might be going through like just no joy in
their life. They might not have work life balance and
you might not. They might be missing more home life.
But like, how cool that you get to be home
once a week and you know, get those moments and
(27:31):
it's just like we got to pick our heart because
everybody thinks that the grass is always greener, but truly,
the grass is always harder. Honestly, you know, Yeah, the grass.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Is greener where you water it.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
That's the truth, yes, And it's comparison is the killer
of joy. And I think it's easy to look left
and right protect our heart. So how do you manage
kind of that comparison thing of like, you know, you
just brought up the Morgan one, the Luke Comb sing
and it's tough, man.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Yeah, I think just being grateful for everything you've accomplished already.
I think it's easy. Especially I'm just kind of speaking
from an artist's perspective because I think we're all kind
of in the same like you always want more. Like
when I first moved to town, I was just like,
man if I can just have yeah, one hit, like
that would be everything. Like I wouldn't need anything else,
(28:22):
you know what I mean. And then you get that
and you're like, oh my god, I got to have
another one. I need another one right now, and it's
easy to kind of fall into that, and it's I
think it's okay.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
It's healthy to.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Like want to progress in the career that you're in
or whatever it may be, and it's easy to lose
sight of everything that you've accomplished because you're always wanting
more and you're looking around you're.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Like, this person's excelling.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So I think you got to really just stop and
focus on all the great things that have already happened
throughout your career already, and then it's easier to look
at it through you know what, Maybe one day I
will be there, but I'm so thankful for what I've
accomplished when I first moved to town. If I had
known that I would be where I'm at in my
(29:08):
career right now, eleven or twelve years in. If someone
has said you you you're going to be twelve years
into your career and you're still going, I would have
been like, there's no way that does not feel possible,
Like this is a hard industry, you know, so you
lose sight of that along the way because you're always
looking for the next step of success and whatever it
is that you're doing.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
Gratitude is the antidote to dissatisfaction.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Yeah, I couldnot agree more.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
But it's not easy. When you're dissatisfaction.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
You're like, yeah, you have to like really think about
it and like really focus in and like stop.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
I think you just kind of stop and just think
about it.
Speaker 5 (29:48):
Yeah, And even conversations like this shake you out of
the just ful that restlessness, because it's hard to get
out of that by something like you know what, I'm
just going to be thankful today. Yeah, it's like perspective
and conversation community that I think when you've got your
blonde is on when you frustrated, Yeah, it's important.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
I just had this conversation with my husband a couple
of days ago because he was complaining about something like
with work, you know, he was overwhelmed things like that,
and I'm like, don't forget, this is what you prayed for. Like,
thank you that you're where you are because you get
to be home with our kids and you're here on
the weekends and you're at traveling anymore, like you prayed
for this, Like, yeah, it's gonna get hard, there's gonna
be valleys through you know, seasons. But I was just like,
(30:27):
thank you Jesus that this is where you are and
that you have the opportunity to be frustrated at home
and not on a tour bus, you know what I mean.
So it's it's definitely one of those give and take things.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
That's hard.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
You're at home, the kids, you're screaming, you're having a
tough dam my lord.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
I was just flying man, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
But I think, like like Mark said, these conversations are
such a good, like little shakeout and just one of
those remember ways to remember you know that God is good.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
He's so good.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
To wrap things up. I'm gonna pray for you if
that's cool, Thank you, and then we're gonna we're gonna
let you get on your merry way. I know you've
got a busy, a busy schedule, so oh yeah, is
there anything specific I can pray.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
For you for? Yeah, just anything that's on your heart.
I mean, okay, nothing in particular.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Maybe for Lauren to have a safe I know she's
been stressed out over she's been so sick. That's time
around compared to the first two. And she just reads
too much stuff on the internet all the time.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Girl, I get it. Yeah, same, that was me this
last pregnancy too. It's hard and going through that as
a woman with two kids. She is a super hebro.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
All right, I'm gonna pray, Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, first
and foremost, thank you for these microphones. Thank you for
the hands that set them up. And we pray for
and just are grateful for those behind the camera as well. Lord.
Thank you for Chris and his heart. Lord, thank you
for his availability to just share more about you and
to use his microphone for good and his platform to
(32:02):
say this is for you and not for me. God,
And we just pray over his career and that you
would just continue to not only advance him to where
you want him to be, Lord, but give him patience
along the way, patience with his family, patients with Lauren,
patience with the kids, patients with family and friends and
coworkers and people in his crew. God, we just say
(32:24):
thank you for all of the blessings that you're going
to continue to pour out in his life. And we
pray over Lauren. We pray over a healthy pregnancy. We
pray over her mind as she goes through a third pregnancy, Lord,
that you would just give her the grace to get
through it even on the hard days. Lord. And we
just say thank you for the miracle gift of life.
(32:46):
Thank you for breathing life into those babies lungs. And
we just say thank you for another beautiful gift and
another beautiful child of God. Lord. And we just say
thank you again for these microphones and this platform and
those who are listening to the sounds of our voices
right now in Jesus name.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
Amen, Amen, thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Now.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
If you prayed that prayer with the church, we believe
you got born again.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Your hands at the back, someone will give you a Bible.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Sorry, that's my American accent.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
That's real bad Bible.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Thanks Chris, No, thank you,
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.