September 16, 2025 • 29 mins
The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has shaken many to their core, leaving artists wondering about their role in a world where truth-tellers face violent opposition. This watershed moment demands a response from those called to create in God's kingdom.
When darkness descends and voices are silenced, our natural instinct might be to retreat into safety and silence. Yet throughout history, persecution has never diminished the gospel—it has amplified it. As Acts 8:4 reminds us, "those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word." The early church didn't hunker down in fear but scattered boldly, carrying truth into new territories.
Your creative expression isn't merely a hobby or pastime—it's a strategic weapon in God's hands against the powers of darkness. When the enemy targets truth-tellers, seeking to silence their voice, our response must be to multiply that voice through our own creative gifts. Your art matters profoundly in this moment, whether it speaks truth explicitly or embeds it within beauty and mystery.
This isn't a call to belligerence or confrontation for its own sake, but to stand firm in five essential ways: First, recognize your art as a weapon in God's hands, not a trivial pastime. Second, reject fear as a lie—create boldly as an act of defiance against the spirit of fear. Third, understand that pushback proves your assignment—if you're facing resistance, your light is making a difference. Fourth, remember that truth wrapped in love is never hate, regardless of how culture labels it. Finally, take heart knowing Christ is with you in the battle—rejection isn't failure but confirmation you're advancing the kingdom.
The world needs Christian artists who respond to radical violence not with more violence, but with radical love expressed through radical creativity. As darkness deepens, light becomes more visible and powerful. This is our moment to link arms with each other and with the Holy Spirit, lifting the creative candle of our lives to illuminate a path toward God's kingdom.
What will you create today that brings heaven to earth? The world is waiting for your voice.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Many artists have beenwondering wow, what does this
mean for my art?
What does this mean for thevoice of truth that I feel like
I'm supposed to carry in theculture?
You know, I want to tell youthis the enemy is not just
random, he's strategic when hetries to take out voices of
truth and culture.
But today on the podcast, Iwant to talk to you about what
(00:22):
God's plan is for us ascreatives and why your art
matters, now more than ever, torelease God's light and life
into the world and release Hisglory so that His kingdom can
come and His will can be done inand through your life.
Today, on the ThrivingChristian Artist, all over the
world, artists are awakening.
Painters and potters, writersand weavers, poets and dancers
(00:44):
not chasing followers or fame,but sons and daughters called
for such a time as thisTransform from the inside out,
creating with purpose, releasingthe glory of God and living in
the power of the kingdom.
Right now, this is the ThrivingChristian Artist.
Hey, my friend, it's Matt andTommy.
So glad that you're with mehere on the podcast, whether
(01:06):
you're watching or listening forthe first time, whether the
first time in a long time ormaybe you're a long time
listener or viewer.
I'm super glad that you arehere.
Listen, today is sort of asomber day.
It's been that way for the lastweek or so.
I don't know about you, but myfamily and my faith community,
all of us have just been shakento the core to learn about the
(01:28):
assassination of Charlie Kirk,somebody that we, many of us,
have felt for so many years havebeen a champion of truth and a
champion of the goodness of Godand an invitation to people all
over the world, in every walk oflife, to come into the
life-saving knowledge of Jesusover the world, in every walk of
life, to come into thelife-saving knowledge of Jesus,
to walk in His kingdom and tolive the life that God designed
(01:49):
for us, and to see Himassassinated in such a brutal
and violent and disturbing wayin front of thousands of college
students.
It was just.
It shook me to the core.
In fact, my son, cameron, livesonly 45 minutes, uh, north of
of right there in Utah, wherewhere he was, and so we found
ourselves wondering if he wasokay.
(02:11):
I think it's one of thosemoments I think back.
You know, I'm 51.
Uh, I think back to like nine11, when that happened, I think
back when uh, columbine happened.
I think back even as a kid.
You know, in the Challenger,you know incident happened
during the Reagan years of theyou know all of the astronauts,
(02:33):
their spaceship getting blown upand the shuttle Just an
incredible marker moment, youknow, for me in my life and I
think this is going to be likeone of those two because it's so
interesting to me.
You know, charlie, he startedthis organization years ago
called Turning Point, and therehave been so many things.
(02:54):
I'm just echoing what I've.
You know, so many of us aresaying all over the place that
this really does feel like amassive turning point in our
culture, where all of us wholove Jesus and want to see his
kingdom come and his will bedone, no matter what we are
designed and assigned to do inthe kingdom, we're shaken to our
(03:14):
core.
And this is a turning point tosay hey, if you have not been
bold about who God's called youto be and what he's called you
to do, if you've been dancing onthe edge, if you've been afraid
in this world of cancel cultureand just trying to get along,
to get along sort of mentalitythat people can have a lot of
(03:34):
times.
This is sort of namby-pambysort of Christianity.
I believe that it's times likethese that shake us to our core
and wake us up and say you knowwhat?
There is an enemy.
He is at large, he is roamingaround, just like the Bible says
, like a roaring lion, seekingto kill and to maim and to
(03:55):
destroy and to derail and todiscourage and to get us to
focus on anything but thegoodness of God and the plans
that he has for us.
You know my thoughts.
In the middle of all of this,you know, so many people have
been, you know, shaken and kindof driven to fear.
But I've been so encouraged,not only in my own life and
(04:15):
friends, in our circles that wehave and in our communities, but
to see the body of Christ, notonly in the United States but
all over the world, stand up andsay no, no, no, no, no, no.
This is not going to push usback.
This is going to do the samething that persecution did in
the New Testament.
It's going to cause us to goforward.
(04:37):
In fact, I was thinking today,acts 8, 4, it says this
therefore, those who werescattered went everywhere
preaching the word.
In other words, whenpersecution comes and it came to
the early church, it didn'tjust cause them to, you know, to
to hunker down with each other.
Of course, we need community inthese times to to get strength
(04:57):
and to build each other up.
But you know what it causedthem to do?
It caused them to to goeverywhere, to scatter, to stand
up with boldness, no matterwhere God had called them to,
and to preach the gospel and tolive a life that was
demonstrating the goodness andthe power of God.
And I just feel that for us asartists, you know, back in 2009,
god called me to raise up anarmy of artists to reveal his
(05:21):
glory in the earth.
And while I've never thoughtthat that was ever supposed to
be about some kind of violentoverthrow through the arts, you
know, or anything like that, Ithink that there is a boldness.
I'm reminded of the words ofJesus that the kingdom of God
suffers violence and the violenttake it by force.
In other words, there's a,there's a you know boldness
(05:43):
inside of us that's got to standup and say you know what?
We are believers in Jesus,we're believers and sons and
daughters in this incrediblekingdom and in the middle of
great tragedy, in the middle ofgreat violence, we are not
standing up with those tools.
We're standing up with love andgenerosity and a boldness of
(06:04):
truth that says the living Godis living in us and wants to
live through us and wants toallow his light and life to be
made available and made gloriousthrough his church and through
his sons and daughters.
And, my friend, I just can'tthink of a more exciting time
for you and I to be artists tobring these life givers and
(06:28):
light bringers and beautyrevealers and truth revealers
into the middle of culture.
You know, if there was ever atime in history, right now, this
moment, where you said does myart matter?
Does my art?
Is my art just a pastime?
Is my art just some sort ofthing that I'm just doing to
have fun?
Does it really matter in theeconomy of God?
(06:50):
My friend, I want to let youknow God is speaking right now
and he's raising up artists allover the world with a prophetic
unction to release his light andlife and listen.
That doesn't always have to beovertly Christian, although for
some it will be.
For some, god will call you tocreate works that violently come
(07:12):
against the messages of theculture that are standing and
raising themselves up againstthe knowledge of God and against
the truth of his word.
And for others, it will beabout releasing his beauty in
his life and his life andnarrative and and story and and
metaphor that will cause peopleto to wonder, will allow them to
(07:33):
enter into this mysterious sortof conversation with the Holy
Spirit and will be used to drawthem.
Some will plant seeds, somewill water, some will bring in
the harvest.
But listen, all of that,wherever your creative
expression falls on thatspectrum, all of it is important
, all of it is needed.
(07:54):
And, my friend, I just feelit's so important today to tell
you this is not a time to shrinkback.
This is a time to rise up andto stand in the calling and in
the design and in the assignmentthat God's given you as an
artist in his kingdom.
Now, what does that not mean?
It doesn't mean go bebelligerent just to be
(08:17):
belligerent.
No, it doesn't mean that at all.
In fact, that's one of the mostbeautiful things I think that
we have seen in this incredibletragedy.
I can think about so many, notmany years ago, when some on the
political left were ragingagainst what was going on in the
(08:40):
country, what they felt wasreally bad situations that they
need to stand up against.
There were disagreements onboth sides, but what did so many
of them do?
Burning down cities, you know,destroying businesses there were
, you know, people being hurtand just all of the physical
violence that was going on.
And one of the things that I'veloved, I've loved to see in the
(09:05):
middle of this tragedy, is thatso many of us that love Jesus
and that are that are hurtingdeeply and angered deeply by
this assassination of CharlieKirk, have not gone to violence,
have not gone to burning downcities and looting businesses
and and shooting policemen, allthis kind of stuff.
(09:25):
No, we've gone to church.
We've started prayer gatherings, we've prayed for each other.
We've said no, this is notgoing to silence us, this is
going to allow us to stand upand be the true church.
Radical violence cannot be metwith radical violence.
Radical violence has to be metwith radical love and radical
generosity and, I believe,radical creativity to allow the
(09:49):
kingdom of God to be mademanifest in and through our life
.
I mean, one of the best ways todo spiritual warfare in your
life is not an eye for an eye, atooth for a tooth.
I'm not about and I certainlyhope you're not about some sort
of Old Testament justice.
In situations like this, whensomething happens to us as
(10:10):
believers, when we encounterthese things, we come in the
opposite spirit.
We come in the opposite spirit,the spirit of Christ, one that
says in the middle of violence,we're going to sow peace when
there's hatred, just like theprayer of St Francis where
there's hatred, just like the,you know, is that the the prayer
of St Francis where there'shatred.
Let me show what radical love,radical love, radical beauty, in
(10:31):
the midst of of radical tragedy.
And listen things, this, this,this way that Jesus taught, that
is, that is core to his kingdom.
This does not make sense to theworld, it doesn't make sense to
the religious mind, it doesn'tmake sense to the mind that just
wants to go out and do what theassassin of Charlie Kirk did,
(10:54):
to what feels like the wholeChristian community and so many
of us that hold these values.
But you know what?
It speaks much louder and itspeaks much more powerfully when
we can come out in the power ofthe Holy Spirit, in a spirit of
peace and of love and abundanceand joy, and say we are not
(11:15):
shrinking back from the truth,but we're going to do it in a
way that is invitational, thatis abundant, that is love filled
and that is filled with thebeauty of God and the nature of
God.
I think that's what it means tobe a son and a daughter, and
especially an artist, in thiskind of season that we find
(11:36):
ourselves in and listen, I wishI could say that I think it's
going to get better before itgets worse.
I don't necessarily.
I think that it's probablywe're going to see darker days
ahead, and so I wanted to giveyou five things today that are
not just for this situation inparticular, but I think they are
five takeaways for you thatwill serve you, if you will, in
(12:01):
this season that we are walkingin as prophetic people and as
artists, as creators, as sonsand daughters.
And so the first one is thisNumber one your art is a weapon
in God's hands.
You got to start pushing outthis idea that your art is some
kind of little pastime orwhatever.
(12:21):
No, your art is a tool in God'shands.
This is not a time to playsmall.
This is not a time to shrinkback from the difficult things
that you feel like God's callingyou to say in your art, god
wants to speak and is speakingthrough your art and your
creativity.
And listen.
The enemy knows it.
That's why he's out to kill anddismay and to destroy and to
(12:45):
derail people with voices,because he wants to silence the
voice within you.
I made a post immediately whenCharlie Kirk was assassinated.
I said I don't think it's byany chance that he was shot in
the throat.
The enemy is trying to steal,was trying to steal his voice,
but what happened?
It multiplied it.
(13:05):
It multiplied it.
I'm reminded of Ephesians 6, 12in the New King James.
It says this For we don'twrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities andpowers, against the rulers of
darkness of this age, againstspiritual hosts of wickedness in
heavenly places.
Listen, don't let your ownnatural reactions that may be
(13:28):
based in fear or even may bebased in just anger, in fleshly
anger.
Realize you're not fightingagainst flesh and blood.
Realize your art.
The art that God's given you isa tool in your hand to be a
tool in his hands.
And if you're not creating inthis time and not responding
creatively in this time, Ibelieve it's a major way the
(13:53):
enemy could be silencing yourvoice.
And so I would just say allowyour creativity to be that
weapon, to be that voice, allowit to be a place to process all
that you're feeling and all thatyou want to say in this time.
Number two fear is a lie.
Fear is a lie, and so we'recalled not to stand in fear but
(14:17):
to stand in power.
You know, second Timothy oneseven, you know it.
It says, for God's not given usa spirit of fear, but of what?
Power?
And of love and a sound mind.
And so when hate rises and fearis is pressing in on every side
, there's not.
This is not a time to cowerback.
This is a time to create boldlyand fearlessly, and so our art,
(14:39):
in this kind of situation, inthis season, becomes literally
an act of defiance against thespirit of fear.
It's the way that we are comingagainst the spirit of fear.
Number three pushback is proofof your assignment.
Pushback is proof of yourassignment.
There have been a number ofartists that I've seen lately
(15:00):
who are creating portraits ofCharlie Kirk, who are creating
really bold prophetic statementsabout this.
I saw one the other day, a guynamed Sam Ryan, and I've not
really known about a lot of hisart, but I saw a post that he
did recently and he said sinceyou know the Charlie Kirk
assassination and since he didthis, this portrait I think the
(15:22):
portrait actually his intentionwas to to give it to the family
as a tribute and I believe itdidn't make its way there, if
I'm not mistaken.
You can, you can check hissocial media.
But the interesting thing washe said, as of this is today, as
I was looking at it, he saidI've lost.
It was almost 23,000 followershad unfollowed him since he put
(15:44):
up you know that that post andhe was like awesome, make room
for more.
Please unfollow me if you don'tagree with what I'm saying,
because I'm just trying to makeroom for more.
Listen, if you're facingresistance in the art that
you're creating, in the way thatyou're responding, listen, it's
because your light is making adifference.
(16:06):
Jesus said in John 15, 20, ifthey persecuted me, they will
also persecute you.
Listen, this is normal.
Now listen, I get it.
Nobody likes to be persecuted.
I'll probably get ugly commentson this.
I'll probably get emails.
I'll probably get people sayingman, I'm not following you
(16:26):
anymore.
For all that, listen, I believethe time for being fearful of
all that is over.
It's over Opposition to youspeaking the light and light and
the truth of God in a lovingand invitational and abundant
way.
That is not failure.
Opposition to that is notfailure.
It's confirmation that you'reactually doing the things that
(16:48):
God's created you to do.
It's confirmation that you're apart of advancing the kingdom.
If you're not getting anypushback in what you're doing, I
would just ask what are youdoing?
What kind of life are we livingif we're not looking weird to
the world, not for the sake oflooking weird, but for the fact
that we're a peculiar people?
God's called us in a unique wayto preach his life and light,
(17:12):
to release his nature and gloryin the earth in ways that most
of the time do not make senseand are offensive to the spirit
of this world.
Now, obviously you got to bewise, and how God calls you to
do that, you know we're not justgoing out trying to, you know,
pick a fight.
No, obviously not.
We want to always release thetruth of God's kingdom with love
(17:34):
and generosity and grace andinvitation.
I would say, just like Charliedid it in many of the ways that
he lived his life.
Every day.
I'm inspired by that and I wantto live a life that is informed
in that way, and so this is notabout just going out and
picking a fight with the enemy.
This is about living in a waythat's authentic, creating in a
(17:56):
way that's authentic, and notallowing things like this to let
you back up from your Christiantestimony.
Number four truth in love is nothate.
I'm going to say that again.
Speaking the truth in love,demonstrating the truth in love,
in love, demonstrating thetruth in love, presenting the
(18:19):
truth in love through whateverwe do creatively, is not hate.
Listen, our culture and thespirit of this world will say
anything less than fullacceptance, full welcoming, full
approval of anything thatanybody wants to do.
Anything other than that theworld will always say is hate,
it's a phobia, it's this kind ofphobia or that kind of phobia,
(18:42):
it's this kind of hate or thatkind of hate.
But listen, that's not hate.
Culture is always going totwist your message, just like
they twisted Jesus's message.
But here's the truth the truthwrapped in love is still the
truth.
The truth wrapped in love isstill the truth.
The truth wrapped in love isstill the truth, and the enemy
(19:02):
is always going to say that thetruth is not the truth.
And so I'm just letting you knowwhen you put things out there
and when you're creating thethings and you're messaging
things in a way and you're, youknow, illustrating things and
bringing things into metaphor ina way that can be challenging
to people, don't think that, oh,if I get pushback, you know if
(19:24):
people say that that's hatespeech or whatever.
No, it's not hate speech,that's truth.
If we are saying things thatare out of the word of God, in a
way that is loving, we canexpect pushback.
But don't ever think that justbecause you get pushback, that
somehow you're speaking hate orwhatever.
(19:46):
Of course you're not speakinghate.
You're speaking the truth inlove.
Ephesians 4.15 says Speakingthe truth in love, that we may
grow up in all things into him,who is the head.
That's talking about speakingthe truth in love to each other.
(20:06):
But you know, as artists, weget to declare the truth of God
in love.
Why?
So that people can come to knowChrist, they can grow up into
Christ and they can live in theabundant life that Jesus died
for them to live in.
And so don't let the fear ofbeing misunderstood stop you
from doing and creating anddeclaring in a way that God's
called you to do.
All right.
(20:27):
Now, number five in the middleof all of that creating, facing
pushback, dealing with potentialpersecution, being
misunderstood, all the thingsListen, the Bible says that
Jesus was tempted in every way.
He went through everythingthat's common to man.
So you've got to realize,number one, you're not the first
(20:49):
person that's gone through this.
And number two, god's with youin the battle.
Jesus made it clear in John 16,33, it says In this world you
will have tribulation.
Some versions say trouble, right, you're going to have it, but
be of good cheer.
Why?
Because I have overcome theworld.
In other words, we're not outhere doing this for our own self
(21:12):
.
We're not out here trying topick a fight with the world just
to promote our own self.
No, we're trying to walk in away and live in a way and create
in a way that is honoring andconsistent with the life of
Christ that's living inside ofus.
Matthew 28, 20 says you knowthat Jesus promises this.
In the middle of all the stuff,right, he says I am with you
(21:35):
always, even until the end ofthe age.
So remember, rejection is notfailure.
Rejection, persecution is notfailure.
Difficulty is not failure.
Feeling pressed on every sideis not failure.
Persecution is not failure.
Difficulty is not failure.
Feeling pressed on every sideis not failure, and many times
it's proof that we're walking infellowship with Christ and
doing the very thing that he'scalled us to do.
(21:58):
And so, listen, everybrushstroke, every song, every
poem, every movement, everywhatever it is that you do, can
carry and declare the presenceof God and the nature of God
into culture.
Whether it's overt or covert,whether it's out there, you know
, just plain to see, or whetherit's an invitation to mystery,
(22:18):
god wants to use your creativity, in the middle of these
firestorms of culture, to raisethe flag and to say there's a
God who loves you, who sent hisson Jesus to die on the cross,
that you wouldn't have to livein death but you could live in
life, not only for eternity, butin this life right now.
(22:41):
My friend, listen, I just, witheverything in me, I hope you
can feel the passion that I feellike is the Lord's passion for
us today to stand up in the faceof radical hate and release
radical love through radicalcreativity.
My friend, I hope that you willask the Lord what that means
(23:04):
for you, for every person that'slistening and watching today.
That's going to be a little bitdifferent.
It's going to be releasedthrough your life and my life in
a different way.
For me, even doing a podcast,that is this bold, that is this
laying it out there.
Listen, this is something.
I have tens of thousands, ifnot hundreds of thousands, of
(23:26):
followers that follow us allover the world, and so to take a
stand immediately.
When you take a stand, there'sgoing to be pushback, but I'm
just telling you, my friend, I'mtelling you right now we're not
in a season of shrinking back.
We're in a season of momentumin the Spirit.
We're in a season where, as weall link arms, not only with
each other, but with the arms ofthe Holy Spirit, and release
(23:48):
the light and life of God in ourculture through the creative
expression of our lives, god'sgoing to use it in an incredible
way.
I believe our best days are yetto come.
I believe that we're going tosee millions and millions and
millions of people come in tothe kingdom.
As the darkness gets darker,the lighter is.
The light is going to getlighter and you're going to be a
(24:10):
part and I'm going to be a partof lifting the candle of our
life to be a part of this lightthat God is releasing all
through the earth.
Jesus, I thank you.
God, not for tragedy, because wedon't.
We don't like tragedy, we don'twant tragedy.
God, if anything, you know, wedon't want people like Charlie
Kirk and others.
God, not for tragedy, becausewe don't like tragedy, we don't
want tragedy.
God, if anything, we don't wantpeople like Charlie Kirk and
others, god, that have beenmartyred for your kingdom.
(24:32):
God, of course we don't wanthorrible, difficult things like
this to happen.
But, god, we know that in thisworld we're going to have
trouble and in the middle of it,god, you are working all things
together for your good, becauseyou love us and you've called
us according to your purpose.
And, god, I thank you thatyou're using moments like these,
god, untimely deaths.
(24:55):
It feels like to us, lord,these moments, god, these lives
Charlie's life and the lives ofothers who are laying down their
life for the gospel all overthe world, in the lives of
others who are laying down theirlife for the gospel all over
the world, god, that they wouldbecome seeds that would be
multiplied exponentially foryour glory, so that your kingdom
would come and your will wouldbe done and that millions would
(25:16):
come to know the saving power ofyour son, jesus Christ.
God, we thank you for that.
We thank you for theresponsibility and the
opportunity.
God I pray in Jesus' name giveus boldness.
Give us deep love, god, give usa heart to hear and to listen.
Give us a heart to pour forthout of a place not of anger and
frustration, but out of a deeplove and compassion that only
(25:39):
can come from you and God.
Thank you that, as we co-laborwith you in doing that, god,
it's you that's going to do thework, both in us and through us.
We thank you for that, lord, inJesus name.
Amen.
Listen, friend, I'm so honoredthat you're here with me every
week listening to the incrediblestories of transformation that
(26:00):
God's doing in the lives ofartists, being encouraged in
your walk on episodes like thistoday.
Listen, please make sure thatyou are subscribed Always.
If you're watching on YouTube,please leave a comment.
I always love to know whatyou're thinking.
If you've got a question, letme know.
I'm always happy to answerthose as well, and be sure to
share the podcast with a friend.
We are so close to seeing over 2million downloads, hitting over
(26:24):
2 million downloads this yearin the podcast, and I'm just so
excited and believing that God'sgoing to do so much more than
we could ask or imagine, astogether we continue to raise up
this army of artists to revealGod's glory all over the earth.
I love you, my friend.
Thanks again for being with me.
Remember, until next time youwere created to thrive.
Bye, hey, my friend.
(26:46):
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podcast episode, featured artistspotlights, a worship song of
(27:07):
the week and, again, tons oftips and encouragement and
inspiration for you to keep youinspired and encouraged, and
everything that God's got foryou as an artist in the kingdom.
You can click the link righthere in the show notes to join
us, and it's a great way to stayconnected.
All right, love you, bye.
You know the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Many artists have beenwondering wow, what does this
mean for my art?
What does this mean for thevoice of truth that I feel like
I'm supposed to carry in theculture?
You know, I want to tell youthis the enemy is not just
random, he's strategic when hetries to take out voices of
truth and culture.
But today on the podcast, Iwant to talk to you about what
(00:22):
God's plan is for us ascreatives and why your art
matters, now more than ever, torelease God's light and life
into the world and release Hisglory so that His kingdom can
come and His will can be done inand through your life.
Today, on the ThrivingChristian Artist, all over the
world, artists are awakening.
Painters and potters, writersand weavers, poets and dancers
(00:44):
not chasing followers or fame,but sons and daughters called
for such a time as thisTransform from the inside out,
creating with purpose, releasingthe glory of God and living in
the power of the kingdom.
Right now, this is the ThrivingChristian Artist.
Hey, my friend, it's Matt andTommy.
So glad that you're with mehere on the podcast, whether
(01:06):
you're watching or listening forthe first time, whether the
first time in a long time ormaybe you're a long time
listener or viewer.
I'm super glad that you arehere.
Listen, today is sort of asomber day.
It's been that way for the lastweek or so.
I don't know about you, but myfamily and my faith community,
all of us have just been shakento the core to learn about the
(01:28):
assassination of Charlie Kirk,somebody that we, many of us,
have felt for so many years havebeen a champion of truth and a
champion of the goodness of Godand an invitation to people all
over the world, in every walk oflife, to come into the
life-saving knowledge of Jesusover the world, in every walk of
life, to come into thelife-saving knowledge of Jesus,
to walk in His kingdom and tolive the life that God designed
(01:49):
for us, and to see Himassassinated in such a brutal
and violent and disturbing wayin front of thousands of college
students.
It was just.
It shook me to the core.
In fact, my son, cameron, livesonly 45 minutes, uh, north of
of right there in Utah, wherewhere he was, and so we found
ourselves wondering if he wasokay.
(02:11):
I think it's one of thosemoments I think back.
You know, I'm 51.
Uh, I think back to like nine11, when that happened, I think
back when uh, columbine happened.
I think back even as a kid.
You know, in the Challenger,you know incident happened
during the Reagan years of theyou know all of the astronauts,
(02:33):
their spaceship getting blown upand the shuttle Just an
incredible marker moment, youknow, for me in my life and I
think this is going to be likeone of those two because it's so
interesting to me.
You know, charlie, he startedthis organization years ago
called Turning Point, and therehave been so many things.
(02:54):
I'm just echoing what I've.
You know, so many of us aresaying all over the place that
this really does feel like amassive turning point in our
culture, where all of us wholove Jesus and want to see his
kingdom come and his will bedone, no matter what we are
designed and assigned to do inthe kingdom, we're shaken to our
(03:14):
core.
And this is a turning point tosay hey, if you have not been
bold about who God's called youto be and what he's called you
to do, if you've been dancing onthe edge, if you've been afraid
in this world of cancel cultureand just trying to get along,
to get along sort of mentalitythat people can have a lot of
(03:34):
times.
This is sort of namby-pambysort of Christianity.
I believe that it's times likethese that shake us to our core
and wake us up and say you knowwhat?
There is an enemy.
He is at large, he is roamingaround, just like the Bible says
, like a roaring lion, seekingto kill and to maim and to
(03:55):
destroy and to derail and todiscourage and to get us to
focus on anything but thegoodness of God and the plans
that he has for us.
You know my thoughts.
In the middle of all of this,you know, so many people have
been, you know, shaken and kindof driven to fear.
But I've been so encouraged,not only in my own life and
(04:15):
friends, in our circles that wehave and in our communities, but
to see the body of Christ, notonly in the United States but
all over the world, stand up andsay no, no, no, no, no, no.
This is not going to push usback.
This is going to do the samething that persecution did in
the New Testament.
It's going to cause us to goforward.
(04:37):
In fact, I was thinking today,acts 8, 4, it says this
therefore, those who werescattered went everywhere
preaching the word.
In other words, whenpersecution comes and it came to
the early church, it didn'tjust cause them to, you know, to
to hunker down with each other.
Of course, we need community inthese times to to get strength
(04:57):
and to build each other up.
But you know what it causedthem to do?
It caused them to to goeverywhere, to scatter, to stand
up with boldness, no matterwhere God had called them to,
and to preach the gospel and tolive a life that was
demonstrating the goodness andthe power of God.
And I just feel that for us asartists, you know, back in 2009,
god called me to raise up anarmy of artists to reveal his
(05:21):
glory in the earth.
And while I've never thoughtthat that was ever supposed to
be about some kind of violentoverthrow through the arts, you
know, or anything like that, Ithink that there is a boldness.
I'm reminded of the words ofJesus that the kingdom of God
suffers violence and the violenttake it by force.
In other words, there's a,there's a you know boldness
(05:43):
inside of us that's got to standup and say you know what?
We are believers in Jesus,we're believers and sons and
daughters in this incrediblekingdom and in the middle of
great tragedy, in the middle ofgreat violence, we are not
standing up with those tools.
We're standing up with love andgenerosity and a boldness of
(06:04):
truth that says the living Godis living in us and wants to
live through us and wants toallow his light and life to be
made available and made gloriousthrough his church and through
his sons and daughters.
And, my friend, I just can'tthink of a more exciting time
for you and I to be artists tobring these life givers and
(06:28):
light bringers and beautyrevealers and truth revealers
into the middle of culture.
You know, if there was ever atime in history, right now, this
moment, where you said does myart matter?
Does my art?
Is my art just a pastime?
Is my art just some sort ofthing that I'm just doing to
have fun?
Does it really matter in theeconomy of God?
(06:50):
My friend, I want to let youknow God is speaking right now
and he's raising up artists allover the world with a prophetic
unction to release his light andlife and listen.
That doesn't always have to beovertly Christian, although for
some it will be.
For some, god will call you tocreate works that violently come
(07:12):
against the messages of theculture that are standing and
raising themselves up againstthe knowledge of God and against
the truth of his word.
And for others, it will beabout releasing his beauty in
his life and his life andnarrative and and story and and
metaphor that will cause peopleto to wonder, will allow them to
(07:33):
enter into this mysterious sortof conversation with the Holy
Spirit and will be used to drawthem.
Some will plant seeds, somewill water, some will bring in
the harvest.
But listen, all of that,wherever your creative
expression falls on thatspectrum, all of it is important
, all of it is needed.
(07:54):
And, my friend, I just feelit's so important today to tell
you this is not a time to shrinkback.
This is a time to rise up andto stand in the calling and in
the design and in the assignmentthat God's given you as an
artist in his kingdom.
Now, what does that not mean?
It doesn't mean go bebelligerent just to be
(08:17):
belligerent.
No, it doesn't mean that at all.
In fact, that's one of the mostbeautiful things I think that
we have seen in this incredibletragedy.
I can think about so many, notmany years ago, when some on the
political left were ragingagainst what was going on in the
(08:40):
country, what they felt wasreally bad situations that they
need to stand up against.
There were disagreements onboth sides, but what did so many
of them do?
Burning down cities, you know,destroying businesses there were
, you know, people being hurtand just all of the physical
violence that was going on.
And one of the things that I'veloved, I've loved to see in the
(09:05):
middle of this tragedy, is thatso many of us that love Jesus
and that are that are hurtingdeeply and angered deeply by
this assassination of CharlieKirk, have not gone to violence,
have not gone to burning downcities and looting businesses
and and shooting policemen, allthis kind of stuff.
(09:25):
No, we've gone to church.
We've started prayer gatherings, we've prayed for each other.
We've said no, this is notgoing to silence us, this is
going to allow us to stand upand be the true church.
Radical violence cannot be metwith radical violence.
Radical violence has to be metwith radical love and radical
generosity and, I believe,radical creativity to allow the
(09:49):
kingdom of God to be mademanifest in and through our life
.
I mean, one of the best ways todo spiritual warfare in your
life is not an eye for an eye, atooth for a tooth.
I'm not about and I certainlyhope you're not about some sort
of Old Testament justice.
In situations like this, whensomething happens to us as
(10:10):
believers, when we encounterthese things, we come in the
opposite spirit.
We come in the opposite spirit,the spirit of Christ, one that
says in the middle of violence,we're going to sow peace when
there's hatred, just like theprayer of St Francis where
there's hatred, just like the,you know, is that the the prayer
of St Francis where there'shatred.
Let me show what radical love,radical love, radical beauty, in
(10:31):
the midst of of radical tragedy.
And listen things, this, this,this way that Jesus taught, that
is, that is core to his kingdom.
This does not make sense to theworld, it doesn't make sense to
the religious mind, it doesn'tmake sense to the mind that just
wants to go out and do what theassassin of Charlie Kirk did,
(10:54):
to what feels like the wholeChristian community and so many
of us that hold these values.
But you know what?
It speaks much louder and itspeaks much more powerfully when
we can come out in the power ofthe Holy Spirit, in a spirit of
peace and of love and abundanceand joy, and say we are not
(11:15):
shrinking back from the truth,but we're going to do it in a
way that is invitational, thatis abundant, that is love filled
and that is filled with thebeauty of God and the nature of
God.
I think that's what it means tobe a son and a daughter, and
especially an artist, in thiskind of season that we find
(11:36):
ourselves in and listen, I wishI could say that I think it's
going to get better before itgets worse.
I don't necessarily.
I think that it's probablywe're going to see darker days
ahead, and so I wanted to giveyou five things today that are
not just for this situation inparticular, but I think they are
five takeaways for you thatwill serve you, if you will, in
(12:01):
this season that we are walkingin as prophetic people and as
artists, as creators, as sonsand daughters.
And so the first one is thisNumber one your art is a weapon
in God's hands.
You got to start pushing outthis idea that your art is some
kind of little pastime orwhatever.
(12:21):
No, your art is a tool in God'shands.
This is not a time to playsmall.
This is not a time to shrinkback from the difficult things
that you feel like God's callingyou to say in your art, god
wants to speak and is speakingthrough your art and your
creativity.
And listen.
The enemy knows it.
That's why he's out to kill anddismay and to destroy and to
(12:45):
derail people with voices,because he wants to silence the
voice within you.
I made a post immediately whenCharlie Kirk was assassinated.
I said I don't think it's byany chance that he was shot in
the throat.
The enemy is trying to steal,was trying to steal his voice,
but what happened?
It multiplied it.
(13:05):
It multiplied it.
I'm reminded of Ephesians 6, 12in the New King James.
It says this For we don'twrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities andpowers, against the rulers of
darkness of this age, againstspiritual hosts of wickedness in
heavenly places.
Listen, don't let your ownnatural reactions that may be
(13:28):
based in fear or even may bebased in just anger, in fleshly
anger.
Realize you're not fightingagainst flesh and blood.
Realize your art.
The art that God's given you isa tool in your hand to be a
tool in his hands.
And if you're not creating inthis time and not responding
creatively in this time, Ibelieve it's a major way the
(13:53):
enemy could be silencing yourvoice.
And so I would just say allowyour creativity to be that
weapon, to be that voice, allowit to be a place to process all
that you're feeling and all thatyou want to say in this time.
Number two fear is a lie.
Fear is a lie, and so we'recalled not to stand in fear but
(14:17):
to stand in power.
You know, second Timothy oneseven, you know it.
It says, for God's not given usa spirit of fear, but of what?
Power?
And of love and a sound mind.
And so when hate rises and fearis is pressing in on every side
, there's not.
This is not a time to cowerback.
This is a time to create boldlyand fearlessly, and so our art,
(14:39):
in this kind of situation, inthis season, becomes literally
an act of defiance against thespirit of fear.
It's the way that we are comingagainst the spirit of fear.
Number three pushback is proofof your assignment.
Pushback is proof of yourassignment.
There have been a number ofartists that I've seen lately
(15:00):
who are creating portraits ofCharlie Kirk, who are creating
really bold prophetic statementsabout this.
I saw one the other day, a guynamed Sam Ryan, and I've not
really known about a lot of hisart, but I saw a post that he
did recently and he said sinceyou know the Charlie Kirk
assassination and since he didthis, this portrait I think the
(15:22):
portrait actually his intentionwas to to give it to the family
as a tribute and I believe itdidn't make its way there, if
I'm not mistaken.
You can, you can check hissocial media.
But the interesting thing washe said, as of this is today, as
I was looking at it, he saidI've lost.
It was almost 23,000 followershad unfollowed him since he put
(15:44):
up you know that that post andhe was like awesome, make room
for more.
Please unfollow me if you don'tagree with what I'm saying,
because I'm just trying to makeroom for more.
Listen, if you're facingresistance in the art that
you're creating, in the way thatyou're responding, listen, it's
because your light is making adifference.
(16:06):
Jesus said in John 15, 20, ifthey persecuted me, they will
also persecute you.
Listen, this is normal.
Now listen, I get it.
Nobody likes to be persecuted.
I'll probably get ugly commentson this.
I'll probably get emails.
I'll probably get people sayingman, I'm not following you
(16:26):
anymore.
For all that, listen, I believethe time for being fearful of
all that is over.
It's over Opposition to youspeaking the light and light and
the truth of God in a lovingand invitational and abundant
way.
That is not failure.
Opposition to that is notfailure.
It's confirmation that you'reactually doing the things that
(16:48):
God's created you to do.
It's confirmation that you're apart of advancing the kingdom.
If you're not getting anypushback in what you're doing, I
would just ask what are youdoing?
What kind of life are we livingif we're not looking weird to
the world, not for the sake oflooking weird, but for the fact
that we're a peculiar people?
God's called us in a unique wayto preach his life and light,
(17:12):
to release his nature and gloryin the earth in ways that most
of the time do not make senseand are offensive to the spirit
of this world.
Now, obviously you got to bewise, and how God calls you to
do that, you know we're not justgoing out trying to, you know,
pick a fight.
No, obviously not.
We want to always release thetruth of God's kingdom with love
(17:34):
and generosity and grace andinvitation.
I would say, just like Charliedid it in many of the ways that
he lived his life.
Every day.
I'm inspired by that and I wantto live a life that is informed
in that way, and so this is notabout just going out and
picking a fight with the enemy.
This is about living in a waythat's authentic, creating in a
(17:56):
way that's authentic, and notallowing things like this to let
you back up from your Christiantestimony.
Number four truth in love is nothate.
I'm going to say that again.
Speaking the truth in love,demonstrating the truth in love,
in love, demonstrating thetruth in love, presenting the
(18:19):
truth in love through whateverwe do creatively, is not hate.
Listen, our culture and thespirit of this world will say
anything less than fullacceptance, full welcoming, full
approval of anything thatanybody wants to do.
Anything other than that theworld will always say is hate,
it's a phobia, it's this kind ofphobia or that kind of phobia,
(18:42):
it's this kind of hate or thatkind of hate.
But listen, that's not hate.
Culture is always going totwist your message, just like
they twisted Jesus's message.
But here's the truth the truthwrapped in love is still the
truth.
The truth wrapped in love isstill the truth.
The truth wrapped in love isstill the truth, and the enemy
(19:02):
is always going to say that thetruth is not the truth.
And so I'm just letting you knowwhen you put things out there
and when you're creating thethings and you're messaging
things in a way and you're, youknow, illustrating things and
bringing things into metaphor ina way that can be challenging
to people, don't think that, oh,if I get pushback, you know if
(19:24):
people say that that's hatespeech or whatever.
No, it's not hate speech,that's truth.
If we are saying things thatare out of the word of God, in a
way that is loving, we canexpect pushback.
But don't ever think that justbecause you get pushback, that
somehow you're speaking hate orwhatever.
(19:46):
Of course you're not speakinghate.
You're speaking the truth inlove.
Ephesians 4.15 says Speakingthe truth in love, that we may
grow up in all things into him,who is the head.
That's talking about speakingthe truth in love to each other.
(20:06):
But you know, as artists, weget to declare the truth of God
in love.
Why?
So that people can come to knowChrist, they can grow up into
Christ and they can live in theabundant life that Jesus died
for them to live in.
And so don't let the fear ofbeing misunderstood stop you
from doing and creating anddeclaring in a way that God's
called you to do.
All right.
(20:27):
Now, number five in the middleof all of that creating, facing
pushback, dealing with potentialpersecution, being
misunderstood, all the thingsListen, the Bible says that
Jesus was tempted in every way.
He went through everythingthat's common to man.
So you've got to realize,number one, you're not the first
(20:49):
person that's gone through this.
And number two, god's with youin the battle.
Jesus made it clear in John 16,33, it says In this world you
will have tribulation.
Some versions say trouble, right, you're going to have it, but
be of good cheer.
Why?
Because I have overcome theworld.
In other words, we're not outhere doing this for our own self
(21:12):
.
We're not out here trying topick a fight with the world just
to promote our own self.
No, we're trying to walk in away and live in a way and create
in a way that is honoring andconsistent with the life of
Christ that's living inside ofus.
Matthew 28, 20 says you knowthat Jesus promises this.
In the middle of all the stuff,right, he says I am with you
(21:35):
always, even until the end ofthe age.
So remember, rejection is notfailure.
Rejection, persecution is notfailure.
Difficulty is not failure.
Feeling pressed on every sideis not failure.
Persecution is not failure.
Difficulty is not failure.
Feeling pressed on every sideis not failure, and many times
it's proof that we're walking infellowship with Christ and
doing the very thing that he'scalled us to do.
(21:58):
And so, listen, everybrushstroke, every song, every
poem, every movement, everywhatever it is that you do, can
carry and declare the presenceof God and the nature of God
into culture.
Whether it's overt or covert,whether it's out there, you know
, just plain to see, or whetherit's an invitation to mystery,
(22:18):
god wants to use your creativity, in the middle of these
firestorms of culture, to raisethe flag and to say there's a
God who loves you, who sent hisson Jesus to die on the cross,
that you wouldn't have to livein death but you could live in
life, not only for eternity, butin this life right now.
(22:41):
My friend, listen, I just, witheverything in me, I hope you
can feel the passion that I feellike is the Lord's passion for
us today to stand up in the faceof radical hate and release
radical love through radicalcreativity.
My friend, I hope that you willask the Lord what that means
(23:04):
for you, for every person that'slistening and watching today.
That's going to be a little bitdifferent.
It's going to be releasedthrough your life and my life in
a different way.
For me, even doing a podcast,that is this bold, that is this
laying it out there.
Listen, this is something.
I have tens of thousands, ifnot hundreds of thousands, of
(23:26):
followers that follow us allover the world, and so to take a
stand immediately.
When you take a stand, there'sgoing to be pushback, but I'm
just telling you, my friend, I'mtelling you right now we're not
in a season of shrinking back.
We're in a season of momentumin the Spirit.
We're in a season where, as weall link arms, not only with
each other, but with the arms ofthe Holy Spirit, and release
(23:48):
the light and life of God in ourculture through the creative
expression of our lives, god'sgoing to use it in an incredible
way.
I believe our best days are yetto come.
I believe that we're going tosee millions and millions and
millions of people come in tothe kingdom.
As the darkness gets darker,the lighter is.
The light is going to getlighter and you're going to be a
(24:10):
part and I'm going to be a partof lifting the candle of our
life to be a part of this lightthat God is releasing all
through the earth.
Jesus, I thank you.
God, not for tragedy, because wedon't.
We don't like tragedy, we don'twant tragedy.
God, if anything, you know, wedon't want people like Charlie
Kirk and others.
God, not for tragedy, becausewe don't like tragedy, we don't
want tragedy.
God, if anything, we don't wantpeople like Charlie Kirk and
others, god, that have beenmartyred for your kingdom.
(24:32):
God, of course we don't wanthorrible, difficult things like
this to happen.
But, god, we know that in thisworld we're going to have
trouble and in the middle of it,god, you are working all things
together for your good, becauseyou love us and you've called
us according to your purpose.
And, god, I thank you thatyou're using moments like these,
god, untimely deaths.
(24:55):
It feels like to us, lord,these moments, god, these lives
Charlie's life and the lives ofothers who are laying down their
life for the gospel all overthe world, in the lives of
others who are laying down theirlife for the gospel all over
the world, god, that they wouldbecome seeds that would be
multiplied exponentially foryour glory, so that your kingdom
would come and your will wouldbe done and that millions would
(25:16):
come to know the saving power ofyour son, jesus Christ.
God, we thank you for that.
We thank you for theresponsibility and the
opportunity.
God I pray in Jesus' name giveus boldness.
Give us deep love, god, give usa heart to hear and to listen.
Give us a heart to pour forthout of a place not of anger and
frustration, but out of a deeplove and compassion that only
(25:39):
can come from you and God.
Thank you that, as we co-laborwith you in doing that, god,
it's you that's going to do thework, both in us and through us.
We thank you for that, lord, inJesus name.
Amen.
Listen, friend, I'm so honoredthat you're here with me every
week listening to the incrediblestories of transformation that
(26:00):
God's doing in the lives ofartists, being encouraged in
your walk on episodes like thistoday.
Listen, please make sure thatyou are subscribed Always.
If you're watching on YouTube,please leave a comment.
I always love to know whatyou're thinking.
If you've got a question, letme know.
I'm always happy to answerthose as well, and be sure to
share the podcast with a friend.
We are so close to seeing over 2million downloads, hitting over
(26:24):
2 million downloads this yearin the podcast, and I'm just so
excited and believing that God'sgoing to do so much more than
we could ask or imagine, astogether we continue to raise up
this army of artists to revealGod's glory all over the earth.
I love you, my friend.
Thanks again for being with me.
Remember, until next time youwere created to thrive.
Bye, hey, my friend.
(26:46):
Before you go, make sure thatyou're signed up for the
Thriving Christian Artist Weekly.
It's my free newsletter, fullof spiritual encouragement,
creative inspiration andpractical tips to help you
thrive in everything that God'scalled you to do as an artist in
His kingdom.
Every issue is absolutely freeand it includes the latest
podcast episode, featured artistspotlights, a worship song of
(27:07):
the week and, again, tons oftips and encouragement and
inspiration for you to keep youinspired and encouraged, and
everything that God's got foryou as an artist in the kingdom.
You can click the link righthere in the show notes to join
us, and it's a great way to stayconnected.
All right, love you, bye.
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Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.