January 31, 2026 • 44 mins
We trace Matt’s journey from checkbox faith to a living relationship with God, sparked by a supernatural encounter and forged into a practical framework for hearing God’s voice. Identity, obedience, and courage replace vague belief and fear-based decisions.
• why testimonies break cynicism and build trust
• Matt’s breakdown in Italy and the angelic encounter
• asking God direct questions and expecting answers
• simple tests for discernment against Scripture and counsel
• identity first, calling after, with obedience as the hinge
• good fear versus toxic fear in decisions
• using a repeatable process for business and life choices
• how the book came together in seven days
• where to find the book and follow Matt
“the book is on Amazon, Dirty Disciple … would love for you guys to read it and give us a review … reach out to me in the DMs if it strikes you”
“Folks, if you have a story, if you have a testimony, bring it out to the world. Message me, DM me. I need more of these stories.”
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome back to Share Your Scripture, ladies and
gentlemen.
We appreciate you being here.
We're here with another episodeof another God story, another
testimony of somebody I knowvery well who found their way to
Christ.
The way they found their waythere was not ordinary.
It was remarkable, it wasextraordinary, it was
supernatural.
And that's the story we're goingto share here today.
So if you're new to the show, weshare testimonies of Christ,
(00:23):
things that have transformedlives.
These are real people from realstories every day.
The reason why we're here isbecause when you tell someone
some of these stories, you mightthink you're a little crazy
sometimes if you if youexperience this yourself.
So we're breaking it down andwe're making it very simple
because at the end of the day,God is real, God is true, and he
exists.
(00:43):
But I believe for the averageperson to understand how and
what and how to reach him, we'regoing to accomplish that by
hearing the stories and thetestimonies of other people
because they're more relatable.
I just got done uh reading abook from a friend of mine that
I've known for years.
We've never connected like onthis level, it's typically on
business.
(01:04):
Yes, we knew each other, we'reChristians, but like most people
in the world, we're chak, we'recheckbox Christians.
Yes, we like God, we believe inGod, we go to church.
However, did we really how deepwas our relationship with them?
Because there are differentlevels to your Christianity.
And this gentleman just got donewriting a book called The Dirty
Disciple, which I could not putdown, which is his testimony
(01:25):
that we're going to hear today.
So if you're new here, I wantyou to stick around to the end
because when you first encounterthe supernatural encounter you
have with God, and there's manyof these stories, there's no
denying it.
In Matt's case, he's sitting ina hotel room, one of the most
broken times in his life, and hegets woken up to a bunch of
(01:48):
angels singing to him.
Now, no, Matt's not crazy, butthis is the type of encounters
that we're talking about becausethere is no denying the story.
Like you can even make up whatyou're about to hear.
I don't even think Hollywooddirectors would be able to make
up the story because of how realit is.
So I want to go ahead andintroduce uh our guest here and
(02:09):
thank you so much for sharingyour testimony first.
Without further ado, let's getinto it and let's hear Matt's
story.
Uh, Matt Faggioli, hello andwelcome to the show.
And thank you for being here.
SPEAKER_01 (02:20):
Mike, uh, thank you, man.
I'm honored to be here.
And uh it's so fun to connect.
You know, as you said, we're oldbusiness friends, but uh to
connect in this format, talkabout Christ, talk about the
this book and testimony is uhit's a wonderful opportunity.
So thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (02:37):
What's you're not an author?
SPEAKER_01 (02:40):
It's your first book, right?
Well, it's funny, you know, mypart of my identity is author
now, but I certainly would nothave said that uh a month ago,
no.
SPEAKER_00 (02:48):
Because you're a very good writer, and your story
comes out in here.
I won't spoil it uh for people,but um God told you to write
this book.
You didn't just like pick thisup, and wasn't it?
I read that it took you this isan idea you had maybe seven or
eight years ago, or maybelonger.
I'm not sure you could clarify,but you didn't actually write
the book until he actually toldyou to and told you exactly how
(03:10):
to do it.
Is that accurate?
SPEAKER_01 (03:12):
Yeah, I think you know, um you you hit on the so
many good things there, but theum the I've never written a
book, never written anythinglonger than a business email.
And, you know, um, you know, Ithink I'm a decent business
writer, but just thought it wascompletely beyond me to write a
book.
And uh, and you know, I feltlike in that in that encounter
(03:35):
that you referenced three yearsago with the angels singing and
all that, like part of thatencounter, I felt like God said,
like, I want you to go write abook.
And I'm like, I don't know howto write a book.
And uh so I went down the roadand just like failed and failed
and failed and failed.
And I'm like, I actually wasright, God, I can't, I can't do
this.
And uh put it down for you knowa long minute.
(03:56):
And uh, and then um late lastyear, it was Christmas Christmas
morning.
Uh, like you said, I don't wantto give away too much of the
book, but Christmas morning, Godjust like gave me this like
massive download.
And it wasn't that I hadn'twritten anything in before, I
had written tens of thousands ofwords, but it wasn't a cohesive
book, like it wasn't a it wasjust a bunch of junk, and I'm
like, this is garbage.
(04:17):
Um, and so so I had a lot ofcontent.
I knew what it was, but itwouldn't come together.
And and so crazy.
It was like he gave it to me onChristmas, and that there was
like this absolute epiphany ofuh the whole thing, and and it
was almost as if God was saying,like, you know what, I just
wanted to make sure you knewthat you couldn't do this, I can
do it in a millisecond.
(04:38):
And so, so it's God's book, hedid it, it's gonna be whatever
he says it is, and you know, sono, I'm not a writer.
That was a long way to answerit.
SPEAKER_00 (04:46):
It's it's it's crazy because uh you also write that
it you did it in seven days, um,which is crazy.
And honestly, folks, this is howthis podcast gets started.
This is a concept got put on myheart uh in 2015, it's 2026.
Um, this is the second episode.
It's been on my heart the entiretime, but I didn't know what to
actually do until about four orfive months ago.
(05:07):
And here we are um having thisshow.
So I want to get into uh yourstory because when I tell people
my testimony that think I'mcrazy, um, until I actually tell
them the story, and that's ifthey're willing to listen.
Um, but when you have, there'sdifferent levels of, at least in
my experience, there's differentlevels, I guess, of
Christianity, I guess you couldhave.
(05:28):
Um, we've gone through thestages where we just show up for
church on holidays, right?
There's a chalk box.
However, um you and I shared asimilar story in a sense that we
were saved, but we didn't becomethese like super Christians
until later.
And I want to get into um whathappened in your particular life
(05:48):
when this switch went off,because there was a time where
this all of a sudden you'relike, whoa, what happened here?
And this was when uh the angels,I believe in your story, started
uh singing to you in the middleof a hotel room.
So I want to break down sort oflike because people are like,
What do you mean angels aresinging to you in a hotel room?
This guy's nuts, right?
(06:09):
So, and here we are talkingabout, and the guy wrote a book
about it, so now he's supercrazy.
This guy's off the wall, likethis guy's off the rocker.
What the hell are we doing here,right?
So I want to get into thatbecause that story you can't
make up.
And I want to first start umabout this moment in your life.
And I want to, before the angelsstarted singing to you, I want
(06:30):
to know why they were singing toyou.
Where were you at in life atthis time?
What happened?
Um, it sounds like you were downand out, but walk me through how
bad was this, and I wanted tosee the state of mind because I
want people to relate um to thisbecause there's a lot of people
that are in this exact momentthat don't know what to do in
their lives.
Where were you at before theangels started talking or
(06:52):
singing?
SPEAKER_01 (06:52):
I mean, well, you know, um, one of the things that
I that I talk about in the bookis just this idea of the walls
that we hit in life.
Yeah, all of us, uh, dependingon how old you are, you're gonna
hit, you know, over the courseof your life, you're gonna hit
wall after wall after wall thatare like the monsters.
I'm talking about the onesthere's no getting over it.
(07:13):
There's no getting like, oh God,I can't do anything.
If you don't save me, I'm dead.
Those walls.
And so this was that, you know.
I uh I'm happy to talk about it,but I don't think it serves the
conversation too well um to golike deep.
But it was it was bad, you know.
I had a huge business failure,and um, but there was
relationship failures, and itwas just like all of this
brokenness in that moment, andyou know, I was really having a
(07:37):
bit of an existential crisisabout what I believed to be
true.
Um, and uh and honestly, I Iwould say now that I think that
that's um kind of what levelsyou up in Christianity.
Although I'm I'm not sure how Ifeel about the levels language,
uh, or or how in the sense thatwe do anything to to earn those
(08:00):
levels, but but you know,breaking reality, whatever you
think is true, and being willingto accept what God says is true,
that's probably not what youcurrently think um is how you go
to a new place.
And so I don't think we're asopen to that uh other than other
than in the broken, we'reprobably most open to that in
(08:22):
the broken moment.
So this was a very, very brokenmoment.
And um, and I had a few daysbefore the angels, I had been in
a prayer group where people wereteaching me this concept of like
invite God in, ask him to speakand listen, and he's going to
speak.
And so it was like, I asked forit, and uh you know, I think
that element's important thatnot that God can't do whatever
(08:44):
he wants, but I had invited it.
It just was days and days laterin this hotel room.
Next thing I know, there's thissymphony of angels in my room.
And you know, if it was a movie,yeah, people would be, you know,
uh, my wife or anybody who wasaround, like, we should just put
this guy in a padded cell.
SPEAKER_00 (09:00):
He says, So you asked, you asked for help.
I did.
And how?
Like, did you just say, God helpme?
Like, talk a lot, like becausepeople are like, like, so he he
you're telling me he respondsand listens.
SPEAKER_01 (09:13):
Yeah, well, God, God help me is great, and you know,
it's a wonderful prayer, andeverybody, a lot of people that
pray pray that.
Um, this was more, and I wastaught this.
You know, this is more of a, youknow, I'm having uh if you're
God, Mike, and I'm having thisconversation with you, and I'm
saying, like, Mike, here's thesituation, here's my perception
of the situation, God.
(09:33):
Here's what I think is true,here's what I'm experiencing.
I need help with this.
What do you want me to knowabout this moment, God?
What do you want me to do withthis situation?
Like, what do I what do I donext?
And so you're you're asking asif you're actually expecting a
direct answer.
And uh, and you know, funnilyenough, it turns out you can you
(09:56):
can receive that and you willreceive that if you're asking
and you actually expect theanswer, you're listening for it,
it will come.
It just doesn't always come it,you know, in the way that we
think it's gonna come.
It comes differently fromeverybody, you know.
I've had to like learn what thatsounds like to me.
And so, you know, for for peoplelistening to this podcast who've
had that experience will go, ohyeah, like of course.
(10:17):
But I would say the vastmajority of people don't know
what that is.
And uh, and so the coolest thingis it's like, hey, you you can
have that two day with God, anduh, and the you know, the
purpose of the book title, DirtyDisciple, is like to say, like,
it doesn't matter who you are,what you've done, what you
think.
You know, uh I make a joke inthe book about uh people driving
(10:39):
slowly in the left-hand lane.
You guys are the only ones thatare not invited.
I think God excludes youspecifically, but but literally
any other sin other thanleft-hand slow driving uh will
get you direct access to Godtoday.
And and uh and so so but he hethis this situation was so
profound, you know, the way likethe way he met the apostle Paul
(11:00):
on the road, it's like okay, I'mgoing to completely change, you
know, the way I'm operatingbecause this was just
unmistakable.
And and so uh it wasn't the onlyI've had other sort of burning
bush experiences, but but thatwas the one that changed
everything for me.
SPEAKER_00 (11:15):
So where were you at when this happened again?
SPEAKER_01 (11:17):
I was in I was in Italy in the middle of this, you
know, crazy on a vacation.
Yeah, I was on this big tripthat I shouldn't have gone on.
Like the business has imploded,like all these terrible things
are happening, but we had thisbig vacation pre-planned, and so
I went and so yeah, I'm in themiddle of Italy, uh, you know,
drinking all the wine and likeyou know, drowning in my sorrows
and uh uh you know, which youknow, alcohol is a whole nother
(11:40):
conversation.
I, you know, have set since quitdrinking, and uh that's an
interesting, that's aninteresting conversation as
well, um, which I don't reallytalk about in the book, but but
at that time, uh I spent most ofmy life as a professional
drinker, and uh and I I I I wasattempting to drink all the wine
in Italy at that time.
SPEAKER_00 (12:00):
So with time of the night, was this like in the
middle of the night when you hadthis experience?
And uh walk me through if youcan't even describe it.
I know it's probably hard to,it's like a supernatural thing,
right?
You're like, I don't know whatjust happened, but something
happened.
And uh uh can someone likeplease report on this for me,
please?
Um, but what did your wife saythe next morning, like when you
wake up and like and then uhwe'll go into what happened
(12:22):
after that?
SPEAKER_01 (12:23):
Yeah, well, the good thing is my wife, you know,
we've been at that point we'dmarried 34 years, and so she she
knows I'm a little nuts anyway.
And uh, but um, but also, youknow, again, like I'm I'm up
still uh decades into my faithat this point, and she knows she
knows I'm a believer, she's abeliever.
Like it's not super crazy to belike, hey, I had this God
(12:43):
encounter, um, but the themagnitude of it was significant,
and and uh, and I think youknow, the the the punchline of
the story of that is is just togo like God made himself so big
in that moment, you know, Ithink, in order to then deliver
a bunch of other things that hesaid to me and instructions that
he's given me and things thathave happened, the progression
(13:05):
that has happened from that.
There's nothing about the momentthat we haven't already
described, it's just that it wasso profound that it shook me and
was like, okay, I'll yes, sir.
Like I literally will dowhatever I don't care what's
next, you tell me, you know, andand to have that.
So it's it's a blessing and acurse.
It's like the scariest thingever, but it's like, well, you
know, no doubt in my mind, whatI'm doing next is whatever, you
(13:28):
know, whatever the Lord says.
And uh and so, you know, what Itry to do in the book, you know,
yes, it's a testimony, and I'mI'm using my stories to
illustrate a framework and thatI've been taught and now have
studied extensively.
And it's like, this is how youdo it.
Like, if you you want moreexperience of God in your life,
(13:52):
okay, like here it is.
There, here's the framework.
These are the things you have todo, should do.
Have to the have to is aterrible word, you know.
You get you get to do thesethings which get you more of
God, and it's just you know,sort of a a tune-in process.
And and uh, and so and what Idiscovered as I was, you know,
learning and from all theseother people and you know
(14:14):
building this framework is thatoh, I'm not the first person who
came up with that.
I'm just reporting it in alanguage that I hopefully is you
know understandable to people.
SPEAKER_00 (14:24):
It's very relatable, I think, for the average person
that is is new um to their walkin faith.
Um I think you can reallyunderstand um the story here and
uh follow it pretty easilybecause I think uh the biggest
problem with so many people isyou you think of church as this
like religious event and thisreligious context, and there's
all these ceremonial things.
I I go back to Catholic Church,which I just never could really
(14:46):
relate to personally, um, andtherefore I wouldn't go, right?
Um so I think that it's gonnaresonate with quite a bit of
people.
But here's what I also foundreally interesting in your book
was that you're like like you'reyou weren't an author before,
and then all of a sudden you gotand download how to write a
book.
And and I'm not like and I'm nothere just trying to toot your
horn.
(15:06):
This was a really good book.
Um, like I didn't put it down, Ifinished it in two and a half
hours, and your writing skillswere amazing, but you also
credit those writing skills notto your own but to God in the
book, which I thought was wasreally remarkable.
Can you walk me through how thisbook even happened after this
experience?
Because this was something thatwithout that experience, does
this book get written?
SPEAKER_01 (15:27):
No, no, and you're you're absolutely right.
And I I really glad you broughtthat up that way, Mike, because
you know, lots of people it canbe a little trite to say, well,
like God did this, but he madeit so clear, uh, and even
clearer to those around me thatI was incapable.
Um, and then he sort of justdelivered it all.
(15:48):
And so it was, yeah, it's almostlike a joke.
It's like, okay, you you madeyour point, God.
Like I can't do this, andeverybody around me knows I
can't do it, including my poorwife.
And uh, and then boom, here itis.
So I come off the Italy thing,God said, you know, write this
book.
I'm like, I don't know how, butI did, I made spent ridiculous
amounts of time and money, wrotetens of thousands of words.
(16:10):
Um, and uh, and actually I guessI skipped over this a little bit
in the book, but uh the way Istarted was I said, Well, I'm
gonna write a newsletter and inorder to try to build the muscle
of writing.
And so I wrote a newsletterevery day for 180 days, and uh,
and so I'm like, okay, uh, now Ican write that much and
(16:31):
whatever.
So anyway, but did a retrowriting, but I could not get the
book out, and I was incrediblyfrustrated, and I just felt
like, you know, this is completefailure.
And so I put it on the shelf andI knew I kind of knew that it
would come back, but I'm like,whenever God says this is gonna
go, that's when it's gonna go.
And uh man, fast forward.
So three years later, Christmasmorning 2025, uh, I'm I'm in
(16:53):
bed.
It's two o'clock in the morning,which seems to be my thing with
God, and uh, and he just likegives me this download.
I think it started in the bed,but then I went in the shower,
and it was just crazy.
But he literally just like givesme all of the the missing pieces
to the puzzle, and I juststarted blasting writing and
(17:14):
using AI and all this stuff,which is a whole nother that's a
whole nother podcast about whatthat looks like.
Um, you know, every single wordin that book is mine and my
endorsement, but um, but I youknow, I used a really uh AI
heavy process to to get thedraft.
And um, and so but then Istarted saying, I said, okay,
well, New Year's Eve, before NewYear's Eve at midnight, I'm
(17:36):
putting I'm publishing thisbook.
I don't care what what.
So I didn't show it to anybody,no one read it.
There was no draft, there was, Imean, there was no editing,
there was no, like nobody lookedat it except for me.
And I just hit publish.
And I went through this arduousprocess with Amazon, whatever,
but two hours before the strikeof midnight on New Year's Eve, I
had it approved on Amazon.
And um crazy.
And then so since then there'sbeen edits and all that stuff,
(17:58):
but um, but yeah, so literallylike just gave it to me all at
once, and after proving to mefor certain that I was not going
to do it without him.
SPEAKER_00 (18:06):
So and the framework you outline, I think, is very
awesome, like in the book.
It's it's it's common sense,like to me, it it flowed really,
really easily.
I want you to walk us throughthat um in a second on here.
But since this encounterhappened, um you know, like we
wake up every day, like many.
Let me tell you if you tell meif you relate to this.
(18:28):
Like, oh, we wake up, we havethings to do.
We have but we're like, what'sour purpose?
So many people have that.
Like, what's your purpose?
What's your purpose?
Like, what's your purpose inlife?
Um after this encounter andafter this book, what is your
purpose?
SPEAKER_01 (18:41):
Honestly, it's so interesting to talk about right
now because I wanted for thelast three years, I have wanted
this book and the message thatcomes behind that book to be my
purpose, to be in the world,talking about what this looks
like to go, you know, you know,to level 10 with God.
(19:02):
And by the way, I have toqualify that by saying, like, I
think there's a thousand or ahundred thousand levels, but you
know, to level up to this placewhere you sort of have the one
of the one of the things I'velearned, and I love the
description of having a tree oflife experience.
So, you know, if you're whatyou're walking through life and
(19:22):
you're seeing this wonderland ofcolor everywhere and opportunity
and the bigness of what it musthave been like to walk in the
garden, um, that's tree of lifeliving.
And uh, and so, you know, I wantto, I want to spend my life
talking about that.
And so, you know, I have lots ofother, you know, business
(19:42):
interests and stuff like that,but um, but I wanted this book
to be everything and I couldn'tget it out, and I was so
frustrated.
And so I'm like, well, thatwhole thing's on hold.
So now that the book is in theworld, which was just an
overnight, seemingly, I knowit's a I guess it's like I know
you used to be in a band, it'slike the overnight success of
the band, right?
10 years of 10 years of painfollowed by two minutes of
whatever.
(20:03):
But so the book's in the world,and I mean, you know, my purpose
is to talk about it.
You know, God gave me a visionto, and I don't I don't get
visions, and I didn't say theword vision.
I have powerful dreams, but Idon't use the word vision.
I had a vision a couple of weeksago of walking through an
airport handing this book out topeople, and uh, and I'm like,
God, what was that?
Like that.
So this is you know aninteresting sort of idea of you
(20:24):
know how God communicates.
Like if you if you hearsomething in your head and it
you know it's not your idea, andit brings you joy, it's probably
got.
And so that's a good example,right?
Like, I get this vision ofwalking through the airport, you
know, handing out these books,and I'm like, that's awesome,
that sounds great.
And that's way, you know, waymore selfless mission than I
(20:47):
would have put myself on.
So it wasn't me.
And uh, you know, so that'sGod's voice.
SPEAKER_00 (20:52):
That's um, I was asking myself something similar.
Like, I'm like, how do you knowit?
Tell me if you uh agree withthis.
And folks, I'm still figuringout too, okay.
I'm not an expert here, I'm nota preacher or anything.
I just know there's somethingreal, and I'm learning every
day.
But I feel like it when you'relike when you how do you know
he's talking to you?
And it it's like an idea thatwon't go away.
(21:13):
You don't know why it's likeclinging in your brain, and we
don't even know why it keepscoming up.
It's nothing that was therebefore, but for some reason it
just keeps popping up.
I I know for me personally, Iget a lot of messages through
like it's crazy.
I'll be driving down the streetand I'll like I'll just like
think of something out loud.
And then, like one time, I'mdriving down the street, I'm I'm
broken, I forget why I wasbroken this time, but something
(21:34):
bad happened.
Um, and then I just pull upbehind a truck, and on the truck
in the dirt says, Jesus lovesyou, it's okay.
I get downloads through littlemessages.
I'll get an instant message, butI personally get it through
other people.
People come to me and they'lltell me a message.
I'm like, why'd you say that?
And I'm like, holy crap.
Literally, like 20 minutes ago,I was asking for the answer
that.
And then here's this roundaboutway of me getting this answer.
And it's just crazy where it'sso it's not after it happened so
(21:58):
many times, you guys, it's nolonger a cool.
Coincidence.
Um, and you have to startlooking like inward and and
deeper.
So um, for you, um that I thinkyou write in the book too.
You're like, you get yours inthe shower, like you get these
downloads, like where you'rejust constantly getting them,
but you've learned um tounderstand the difference
(22:19):
between a crazy idea and likeGod speaking to you.
Can you talk on that a littlebit?
Like, yeah, how do you knowthat?
Like, how do you confirm that?
I guess is my question becauseyou're it's crazy.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
Yeah.
Well, it's what's really cool,it mike, and and again, I you
know, gotta I give so muchcredit to a bunch of smart
people, mentors, pastors,friends, authors, you know.
Uh I I dug deep and just likelearned all this stuff.
And so everything I'm sharing, Ijust learned from other people.
But the the truth is thatthere's a process there, and
(22:50):
that's again if the frameworkthat's laid out in the book,
it's it's hiding a little bitbehind the stories, but um, but
it's not.
I mean, if you just take allthose chapter titles in in a
row, um, they're there in thatin that order for a reason.
And there's so there's thisprocess that you can go through
to go, here's how I get to thepoint where I know what God's
(23:10):
voice sounds like to me, whichit's different for everybody.
Uh, I know exactly when God'stalking to me, I know what that
voice is, and I know how toconfirm it.
Uh, I and there the you know,there's a process there.
And so I guess I'll I'll stop onthat piece just to sort of, you
know, I don't want to be in, I'mnot trying to be intentionally
vague, but it's it's not easy totalk about in in a short forum.
(23:33):
But sure, you know, butbasically, so God tells you, uh,
well, we we already used theexample a minute ago of you
know, God told me or gave methis vision of walking through
the airport handing out thesebooks, and I'm going, okay,
well, what was that?
That was the thought that I'mI'm sure it wasn't my thought.
And so if somebody there was itcame from somewhere else.
So, okay, is it a good thoughtor a bad thought?
(23:56):
Like, what what feeling do I getwhen I have that thought?
So if you get a thought and itmakes you angry or makes you
feel guilty or makes you feelshame, or like those are those
things are not of God.
Like you read the scriptures,God doesn't do those things,
even though lots of people'smisunderstanding of of scripture
might say that.
(24:17):
But if you actually read thegospel, that's not what it is.
So if you have a thought andyou're pretty sure that thought
wasn't mine, like where'd thatthing come from?
And it brings you joy and peaceand excitement, you know, that's
God.
And so, but then then you canaffirm that.
So, how do I figure out?
Well, I think I heard that,like, how do I know that's true?
(24:37):
Okay, well, you go through thisprocess and go, okay, well, does
it agree with scripture?
Is there anything in scripturethat conflicts with what I just
thought or heard or said orwhatever?
Yes or no?
Doesn't conflict with scripture?
Boom, go to step two.
Well, and before you leave stepone, A, it doesn't conflict with
scripture, and B, uh, are thereexamples in scripture of God
(25:01):
talking like that?
Like, does God say stuff likethat?
And you know, very often you go,you know, lay down by a brook
and I'll have the these you knowravens feed you.
He does, he says stuff likethat, so cool.
So anyway, so you pass itthrough scripture, then you you
know you ask, you know, smartfriends who are, you know, um,
you know, have the Holy Spirit.
So, you know, your pastor, hey,Pastor, I think I heard this,
(25:22):
you know, yes or no, is this andand and you're not asking him,
is it a good idea?
Should I do this?
You're asking him, does thatsound like God to you?
Whatever.
So, anyway, so that's kind of auh a short version, but there's
a there's a really specificprocess, and you build this
muscle.
And so I've spent the last threeyears building this muscle, and
I'm just like, now I knowexactly what his voice sounds
like.
I know intuitively, you know, inmost cases, like, oh yeah, I
(25:46):
think that was God.
And uh, and so it's just reallyinteresting.
And this to me is what I thinkJesus meant by follow me.
Follow me translates to, oh, youlearn to walk this way.
My sheep hear my voice.
Okay, well, okay, I heard yourvoice.
What do I do with it?
I'm not sure.
What do I how do I test that?
You know, and so yeah, dude, Icould talk and talk and talk.
(26:08):
So keep me on the rails.
SPEAKER_00 (26:10):
And your book, uh your book basically at the end
of the day is a process to learnhow to really hear his voice and
follow him.
I'm that's what it right, likeyou're just like, okay, um, can
we go um can we sort of gothrough that a little bit?
Are you alright with that?
Yeah, totally, dude.
Absolutely.
So this so I just want to do aquick rerind.
You've been a Christian forseven to ten years, um, but at
(26:33):
some time you your whole life,but 20 years, but you started
getting saved, but you and youstill thought you were you had
faith, right?
SPEAKER_01 (26:40):
Like, but yeah, I mean, I accepted Christ and was
as baptized in my 30s, so now 2025 years ago.
SPEAKER_00 (26:47):
So you think you're doing everything right, not
realizing that you could godeeper.
All of a sudden, angels pop upand you're broken in one of the
broken times you've had in yourlife, and also an angels pop up
and you're like, Oh, whoa, Ineed to go really deeper.
You start doing a bunch ofresearch, you pull you publish a
book in six days, um, none ofyour own doing, and you come up
(27:08):
with this process, which isreally just like your own
testimony, which is beautiful.
Um, walk me through this processbecause, like, uh, I think what
Matt's gonna share with us rightnow, guys, is gonna be um if you
want to hear God's voice, here'show he did it.
And this is something anyone canuh applicable, I think, to
anyone because there isn't umGod doesn't pick people based on
(27:30):
your color, your race, um, yourthe amount of money you make or
the amount of bad things you'vedone in your past.
Um it you just need to have theyou just need to be able to
accept them in your heart andturn your heart posture to say,
Lord help me, send me, bring me,talk to me, speak to me, be
there for me, show me, teach me,guide me.
But you've simplified thatbecause most people don't like
(27:54):
if I talk to my friends aboutthis stuff, like I'm just
talking like my my collegefriends, my frat bars, right?
Hey guys, uh here's what youneed to do.
They're gonna laugh at they'renot gonna take me seriously,
right?
Um so walk me through this ifyou can.
And uh I want to hear thisprocess because I think this is
what people need to hear.
SPEAKER_01 (28:13):
Cool, yeah, absolutely.
Well, um, you're absolutelyright about everything you said,
and and you know, it's not totake anything away from you
know, every everyone that'spreaching the gospel, and you
know, some are some are on anamazing track and some of them
are out in left field, butthere's lots of great preaching
in the United States, and I'mpart of an incredible church in
(28:35):
Atlanta that you know I givegreat credit to uh Kevin Myers,
the pastor of our church, who Inamed in my references in the
book.
But um, but yeah, this this isjust a different way to
understand the gospel.
You know, we one of the thingsI've learned is that we as
(28:55):
Americans read the gospelthrough the lens of our you
know, you know, capitalisticAmerican brain.
And it wasn't written that way.
It wasn't written to thataudience.
It was, it doesn't mean exactlywhat we think it means.
And, you know, what I'm sayingright now is sort of heresy to,
(29:16):
you know, lots of lots of youknow important Christians would
take exception to what I'msaying.
But um, you know, it's it'sbecome crystal clear to me.
He made it crystal clear to me,uh, that the mechanism, and you
touched on this, is all you haveto do is say yes, listen, try to
hear his voice, be willing, beand then become obedient.
(29:39):
And that's you know, furtherdown in that framework is
obedience, but but it startswith ding ding ding.
I'm open, I'm open to hear hisvoice, is what it starts with.
And when you if you if you canopen that door, and and you
know, you honestly, I mean, Godcan do anything, but it's a
whole lot better if somebodyhelps you that knows how to do
(29:59):
that, and people helped me thatknow deeply how to do that, that
spent their lives doing that.
So you learn you learn to hearGod's voice a little bit, and
then uh what God does is Hetalks to you about you, He's uh,
and that's identity.
And so, you know, a lot of thesethings, as you go through the
framework, you go, Well, thosewords have been kind of hijacked
(30:21):
and like used for all kinds ofpeople say all kinds of things
about what identity is, butidentity is comes from God, you
know.
You hear all through scripture,God's calling people by name,
he's changing their name, um,but he's saying, This is who you
are.
And most often those peoplewould not agree, they'd go, uh,
(30:42):
don't you know that I'm a taxcollector and a sinner and I'm a
you know, I'm a prostitute, andI'm, you know, and you know, he
meets the woman at the well andhe starts telling her about her
six husbands.
Like, God knows exactly who youare.
And so when you start hearinghis voice, what the first thing
he's gonna do is tell you whoyou are.
And so identity comes next.
So you you have to start tounderstand like this is who God
(31:04):
calls me, and um, and that'salso another really clear
process that you can learn.
You know, what is what is whatis he gonna call you?
He's gonna call you the thingthat was most true about you,
and you kind of knew it, butit's been hidden, it's been
covered by the lies and the sinand the enemy and and all these
things.
But when he calls you by thatname, you're gonna go,
(31:25):
eventually, you're gonna go, ohyeah, that's that's exactly who
I am.
And so all the rest of the stuffcomes after that.
But what I've told you so fardoesn't get taught in the
American church, right?
It's just say yes, say theprayer, you're not going to
hell.
Congratulations.
And you know what God's sayingis, I want to be with you all
(31:47):
the time, constantly having thisconversation, showing up for
you, bringing miracles, likeeverything in your life all the
time.
And that's not the conversationthat we have, right?
So that's the you know, the sortof the part of the message.
SPEAKER_00 (32:01):
And when you say identity, uh, I just want to
make sure we're we're followingyou.
You're talking about like yourGod-given gifts, like who you
are as a person.
Um, are you talking about likewhat you're what you're what God
wants you to do?
Or are you talking about becauseI I I personally believe that we
all we all have a superpower tounlock.
Um, I don't know what you Idon't know what well, I do know
what yours is because I readyour book, but like for me, it's
(32:22):
storytelling.
Um I just want that's why wehave this podcast called Cheer
Scripture for a reason.
It's to tell stories of otherson their walk to Christ, and
that's what God unlocked for me.
That but that was like that justrecently happened within the
last year.
So um, when is that what we'retalking about here?
So he says unlock your identity.
Is it like unlock your God-givensuper gifts or your superpower?
Because we're all born withthem, at least um I think we
(32:45):
are.
SPEAKER_01 (32:45):
So what you're you're talking more about
calling, and uh, and so and thatcomes after identity.
So identity, identity is who youactually are, and so you know,
you alluded to it, but you know,the the identity that and there
are pieces of identity, but thething that got called me first
and most is cliff jumper.
(33:07):
And so that doesn't meananything to anybody else, but to
me, that is the truest thingabout me.
Like, I am a cliff jumper, Iwill do, I will do anything,
take any reasonable risk, and Imean in business and all these
other things, and and that'sgone on to mean other things.
He's revealed other things to meabout what cliff jumper means to
(33:28):
me.
But the thing is, is that itit's incredibly descriptive of
exactly who I am and how hebuilt me.
Now, what a cliff jumper goesand does in the world could take
a lot of different forms.
You know, I could be anarchitect or or you know, uh a
professional bowler, it doesn'tmatter.
I that's calling or you know,vocation, uh, and those things
(33:52):
are important, but that's comesbehind identity.
But and when you really starthaving these conversations with
God, he's gonna start talking toyou about you, who you really
are, uh, what's going on, andand also, you know, all the
other things like what's goingon in your life, and like, you
know, hey, like, you know, uhcliff jump cliff jumpers who
love Jesus don't do X, Y, and Z,and you know, all that kind of
(34:13):
stuff.
But uh, well, and that you know,that the way I presented that is
a little bit inaccurate becauseit, you know, it's not again,
there's no there's no fear,guilt, or shame.
Sometimes fear, there's no guiltor shame that comes from God.
And fear is another reallyimportant part of the framework.
Um, and so there's you know,there's sort of use fear that's
used well and fear that's not.
(34:35):
Um, but uh, but yeah, so soidentity, you know, comes next,
and then he starts talking toyou about you know who you are,
and then you know, then we getdown to like, well, what's okay,
what got what has God called youto do?
Um, and that becomes apparent.
And it's not necessarily uh, andI would say, I would say more
(34:55):
often than not, is noteverything, it's not like oh my
god, I'm gonna become presidentof the United States or whatever
it is, you know.
So in my case, he startedtalking about this book, like,
bro, you're we're we're gonna gowrite a book, but I'm like, No,
we're not, you know, and uh andso so it's basically that you've
never been scared to do anythingelse and you haven't done before
in the past.
(35:16):
Right.
Well, I just like I don't knowhow, but but my point, and
that's a good example of likehow you know again back to you,
how do you know God's voice?
Well, I had no desire to write abook, don't know how to write a
book, never entered my mindbefore, ever.
And uh, and next thing I know,I'm like, I need to write this
book.
Where's where's that comingfrom?
So, but it's but there's nothere's mostly felt filled me
(35:37):
with joy.
There's no fear, there's noguilt, uh, or excuse me, there's
no shame, there's no guilt.
The fear thing, which I guess weshould address is that yeah, you
know, um, fear is a big, big,big topic, and you know, we
could talk about it for a longtime, but because the vast
majority of us, and I would putmyself in this group, um, when
if if you're really be able tounpack it honestly and your
(35:59):
review your entire life, you'llfind out that the vast majority
of the decisions that you'vemade have been based on some
level of fear, um, even thoughyou wouldn't have described it
as that, and it might take you along, long time in therapy to
process, but um we all makefear-based decisions.
And so, so there's a reason whydo not worry and do not fear are
(36:20):
you know the words in the Biblethat far exceed every other word
in the in the scripture.
And it's because he's trying toget us like with a billboard to
go don't do that, like don'tmake decisions out of fear, you
make decisions out of faith.
And so, well, what does thatlook like?
Well, you know, it's going to becrazy.
I'm not gonna, you know, I'm notgonna know what to do.
(36:40):
I, you know, if if you'rewaiting for it to make sense in
the physical world, well, that'syou're just not in the faith
realm anymore.
And so, so the worst fear-baseddecision in the world is well, I
need more data, or that's notpractical, or I have to be
reasonable.
Like, those are all actuallyfear decisions.
SPEAKER_00 (36:59):
So anyway, so just because you have this encounter,
you're telling me that lifedoesn't all of a sudden like
everything has a go your way,you're still gonna have
obstacles, you're still gonnahit brick walls, you're still
gonna have um things come up inlife that aren't like things you
look forward to, even, but um,with your framework, um you know
what to do when that happens.
unknown (37:21):
Right?
SPEAKER_00 (37:22):
So walk me through that.
I love the way how you put thatout in the book.
Like you're like, and I'll I'llgive people an example.
So um it could be uh a businessidea.
Okay, it sounds like a reallygood idea.
You don't know where it comesfrom, right?
Be like, this has got to be agod idea, it's gotta be a god
idea because it's not of mine.
(37:42):
But then you're like, butthere's how am I gonna overcome
this big challenge to get tothat idea?
And you bring that idea to Godand you let him answer it for
you.
Um, I want you to walk usthrough that part of the
process.
SPEAKER_01 (37:57):
Yeah, and this this is a great conversation for uh
us as as business people, and Ibet a lot of your audience will
be business-minded people, anduh, and so you know, if you're
like me, you have a milliongreat ideas and you want to just
go jump and and do those things,like oh, I got this great idea,
(38:18):
I'm gonna go do it.
And so, and that's where that'swhere this conversation comes in
of going, well, okay, do I wantto first of all, did God is this
God's idea or my idea?
Is God inviting me into this, ordid I just come up with it?
Um, or did it just come out ofleft field, or you know, and
what's my motive?
(38:38):
Is am I chasing money or am I amI trying to serve people or like
you know, what's the heart ofwhere this idea is going?
And uh so yeah, step one of Igot this idea is well, okay,
let's test, let's ask him, youknow, and then let's also
evaluate like, well, what's myfeeling when I have this idea?
(39:00):
Does it bring me joy?
You know, and then you know,you're gonna the we we kind of
didn't quite get there on thethis part of the fear
conversation, but when fear isproductive, is that whatever God
invites you into is going toscare you.
So that's sort of the good fear,is going like, oh, this scares
me?
Might be God, you know.
(39:21):
Um, and so so that's kind ofgood fear.
The bad, bad fear is when I, youknow, I'm making my decisions
based on that fear.
So you want to recognize thefear and go, okay, what is this?
And is this God?
And am I afraid because God'sinviting me to something that I
don't have the power to execute?
Hey, that's fine, that's great.
Okay, that's probably thatprobably is God, you know, or
(39:43):
but am I afraid that I'm notgood enough?
I'm not capable, I can't likeokay.
Well, now you're that's guiltand shame.
That's not God, right?
So so fear is this mechanismthat takes a lot of uh a lot of
work, and I certainly Icertainly don't have it all, but
that is the that is thebattleground um to keep me on
(40:03):
track, Mike.
SPEAKER_00 (40:04):
Love it.
Um so this process you gothrough and each chapter of the
book outlines each uh stage ofthe process, and uh as you read
it, you'll um you'll see all ofthese different um stages.
But what I also thought was agood was really good is that
people like you still have lifeyou face too, right?
(40:25):
It's not like it's oh great, Godspoke to me, I had angels sing
to me, and now everything's justgonna be hunky-dory.
Um, no, you're still gonna havechallenges.
Um, but it woke you up, itappears.
And uh I love how you um justbring everything to the Lord,
uh, your business, yourrelationship issues, whatever it
may be, and you ask him, andthen he guides you.
(40:46):
Um and it sounds so simple, butyet so many people don't know
how to access it.
And um I this framework thatyou've laid out, and just to
just just to show you guys likehow this isn't just like some
crazy guy who saw Angelssinging, this framework, uh
ladies and gentlemen, is exactlywhat I experienced.
(41:07):
Not to the T, but very similar.
And as I unpack every chapter,um it's very, very, very close.
Uh um no doubt.
And I'm like, this is likethat's how I know you're on to
something here.
Um, because me and you nevertalked about the book.
I don't think you even knew Iwas gonna read it before we got
on the show.
Um, I don't think you knew I wasgonna buy it, but I did.
(41:30):
And I did because um I don'tknow why, I just bought it.
Um, it was a message, uh, it'sone of those things, right?
But as I read through it, I waslike, whoa, this is right on.
And it just affirmed a lot forme personally.
So I'm gonna encourage anyonelistening to this.
Um, this is the best couplehours you'll ever spend, um,
especially if you're new and youwalk with Christ.
(41:52):
I'm encouraging you guys to goahead and pick it up, the book,
because um, it is deep when youwhen you think about depending
on where you're at in life.
And there is a process, though,that you have to follow.
And Matt's not the first personI've spoken to this with, just
so ever just so we're clear.
There's millions of stories,just like mine, just like
Matt's, and they all have thesame thing in common.
(42:13):
I feel like, because I I talk topeople in church about my
testimony and all this stuff,and they all go through this.
A lot of them, right?
It's it's the same process as anextra crazy experience.
You're like, well, I gotta takethis seriously.
And then slowly but surely, asyou become more obedient, things
start to unlock, and then theybecome very clear, and then
there's clarity.
SPEAKER_01 (42:32):
That's right.
Yeah.
And you know, and again, it'syou know, Mike, it's not my
framework and it's not Mike'sexperience.
It's, you know, when youactually do the work and and dig
through it, we find that um thisis the gospel, and this is the
experience of millions andmillions and millions of
Christians.
It's just been lost a littlebit, uh, the truth of what it
(42:55):
looks like to be in relationshipwith Christ and follow.
Uh, it doesn't look like, youknow, be a good boy, go to
church on Sunday and go toheaven when you die.
That's not the gospel.
SPEAKER_00 (43:06):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:06):
Um, so anyway, dude, I I really appreciate you uh
having this conversation withme.
And uh, you know, is thereanything else that I can share?
SPEAKER_00 (43:14):
No, I think you nailed it.
I think the only thing left todo is tell people where they can
get this book um should theywant to learn more about this
process.
Um, show them where they couldconnect with you to continue to
follow um your story.
SPEAKER_01 (43:26):
Cool.
Yeah.
Well, uh, you know, I'm MattFadzioli on all the socials, and
uh I'm sure you'll put that inthe show notes.
And um, the book is on Amazon,Dirty Disciple.
Um, you know, there's uh we'rebuilding assets on the website,
but the book came out so fastthat that's uh that's a new
experience.
Uh so but the book's on Amazon.
Would love for you guys to readit and uh and give us a review
(43:49):
and reach out, you know, to mein the DMs if uh if it if it
strikes you.
I've heard such amazing storiesfrom people already.
Uh it's been so fun and justinteresting to hear everybody
else's.
And how they relate to mine.
And so anyway, Mike, I reallyappreciate you, bud.
SPEAKER_00 (44:05):
Appreciate you, and we appreciate you listening to
another episode of ShareScripture.
Folks, if you have a story, ifyou have a testimony, bring it
out to the world.
Message me, DM me.
I need more of these stories.
I want to tell them.
I want to share them.
I want to bring them out topeople because the most
effective way to learn anythingis not through statement, it's
through story.
And when you tell stories,people can not only relate to
(44:26):
them, but they can consume themand more importantly, remember
them because it's just the wayGod made our brains, right?
The whole Bible itself is onebig story.
It's a lot of stories, but it'sessentially just stories, right?
Storytelling.
And that's all we're doing hereat Share Your Scripture.
Appreciate you, Matt.
Appreciate you guys listening.
Check out the rest of ourepisodes.
Follow our social channels, andlet's see where these convos
(44:48):
take us.
God bless.
See you next week.
SPEAKER_01 (44:51):
Appreciate it.
Welcome back to Share Your Scripture, ladies and
gentlemen.
We appreciate you being here.
We're here with another episodeof another God story, another
testimony of somebody I knowvery well who found their way to
Christ.
The way they found their waythere was not ordinary.
It was remarkable, it wasextraordinary, it was
supernatural.
And that's the story we're goingto share here today.
So if you're new to the show, weshare testimonies of Christ,
(00:23):
things that have transformedlives.
These are real people from realstories every day.
The reason why we're here isbecause when you tell someone
some of these stories, you mightthink you're a little crazy
sometimes if you if youexperience this yourself.
So we're breaking it down andwe're making it very simple
because at the end of the day,God is real, God is true, and he
exists.
(00:43):
But I believe for the averageperson to understand how and
what and how to reach him, we'regoing to accomplish that by
hearing the stories and thetestimonies of other people
because they're more relatable.
I just got done uh reading abook from a friend of mine that
I've known for years.
We've never connected like onthis level, it's typically on
business.
(01:04):
Yes, we knew each other, we'reChristians, but like most people
in the world, we're chak, we'recheckbox Christians.
Yes, we like God, we believe inGod, we go to church.
However, did we really how deepwas our relationship with them?
Because there are differentlevels to your Christianity.
And this gentleman just got donewriting a book called The Dirty
Disciple, which I could not putdown, which is his testimony
(01:25):
that we're going to hear today.
So if you're new here, I wantyou to stick around to the end
because when you first encounterthe supernatural encounter you
have with God, and there's manyof these stories, there's no
denying it.
In Matt's case, he's sitting ina hotel room, one of the most
broken times in his life, and hegets woken up to a bunch of
(01:48):
angels singing to him.
Now, no, Matt's not crazy, butthis is the type of encounters
that we're talking about becausethere is no denying the story.
Like you can even make up whatyou're about to hear.
I don't even think Hollywooddirectors would be able to make
up the story because of how realit is.
So I want to go ahead andintroduce uh our guest here and
(02:09):
thank you so much for sharingyour testimony first.
Without further ado, let's getinto it and let's hear Matt's
story.
Uh, Matt Faggioli, hello andwelcome to the show.
And thank you for being here.
SPEAKER_01 (02:20):
Mike, uh, thank you, man.
I'm honored to be here.
And uh it's so fun to connect.
You know, as you said, we're oldbusiness friends, but uh to
connect in this format, talkabout Christ, talk about the
this book and testimony is uhit's a wonderful opportunity.
So thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (02:37):
What's you're not an author?
SPEAKER_01 (02:40):
It's your first book, right?
Well, it's funny, you know, mypart of my identity is author
now, but I certainly would nothave said that uh a month ago,
no.
SPEAKER_00 (02:48):
Because you're a very good writer, and your story
comes out in here.
I won't spoil it uh for people,but um God told you to write
this book.
You didn't just like pick thisup, and wasn't it?
I read that it took you this isan idea you had maybe seven or
eight years ago, or maybelonger.
I'm not sure you could clarify,but you didn't actually write
the book until he actually toldyou to and told you exactly how
(03:10):
to do it.
Is that accurate?
SPEAKER_01 (03:12):
Yeah, I think you know, um you you hit on the so
many good things there, but theum the I've never written a
book, never written anythinglonger than a business email.
And, you know, um, you know, Ithink I'm a decent business
writer, but just thought it wascompletely beyond me to write a
book.
And uh, and you know, I feltlike in that in that encounter
(03:35):
that you referenced three yearsago with the angels singing and
all that, like part of thatencounter, I felt like God said,
like, I want you to go write abook.
And I'm like, I don't know howto write a book.
And uh so I went down the roadand just like failed and failed
and failed and failed.
And I'm like, I actually wasright, God, I can't, I can't do
this.
And uh put it down for you knowa long minute.
(03:56):
And uh, and then um late lastyear, it was Christmas Christmas
morning.
Uh, like you said, I don't wantto give away too much of the
book, but Christmas morning, Godjust like gave me this like
massive download.
And it wasn't that I hadn'twritten anything in before, I
had written tens of thousands ofwords, but it wasn't a cohesive
book, like it wasn't a it wasjust a bunch of junk, and I'm
like, this is garbage.
(04:17):
Um, and so so I had a lot ofcontent.
I knew what it was, but itwouldn't come together.
And and so crazy.
It was like he gave it to me onChristmas, and that there was
like this absolute epiphany ofuh the whole thing, and and it
was almost as if God was saying,like, you know what, I just
wanted to make sure you knewthat you couldn't do this, I can
do it in a millisecond.
(04:38):
And so, so it's God's book, hedid it, it's gonna be whatever
he says it is, and you know, sono, I'm not a writer.
That was a long way to answerit.
SPEAKER_00 (04:46):
It's it's it's crazy because uh you also write that
it you did it in seven days, um,which is crazy.
And honestly, folks, this is howthis podcast gets started.
This is a concept got put on myheart uh in 2015, it's 2026.
Um, this is the second episode.
It's been on my heart the entiretime, but I didn't know what to
actually do until about four orfive months ago.
(05:07):
And here we are um having thisshow.
So I want to get into uh yourstory because when I tell people
my testimony that think I'mcrazy, um, until I actually tell
them the story, and that's ifthey're willing to listen.
Um, but when you have, there'sdifferent levels of, at least in
my experience, there's differentlevels, I guess, of
Christianity, I guess you couldhave.
(05:28):
Um, we've gone through thestages where we just show up for
church on holidays, right?
There's a chalk box.
However, um you and I shared asimilar story in a sense that we
were saved, but we didn't becomethese like super Christians
until later.
And I want to get into um whathappened in your particular life
(05:48):
when this switch went off,because there was a time where
this all of a sudden you'relike, whoa, what happened here?
And this was when uh the angels,I believe in your story, started
uh singing to you in the middleof a hotel room.
So I want to break down sort oflike because people are like,
What do you mean angels aresinging to you in a hotel room?
This guy's nuts, right?
(06:09):
So, and here we are talkingabout, and the guy wrote a book
about it, so now he's supercrazy.
This guy's off the wall, likethis guy's off the rocker.
What the hell are we doing here,right?
So I want to get into thatbecause that story you can't
make up.
And I want to first start umabout this moment in your life.
And I want to, before the angelsstarted singing to you, I want
(06:30):
to know why they were singing toyou.
Where were you at in life atthis time?
What happened?
Um, it sounds like you were downand out, but walk me through how
bad was this, and I wanted tosee the state of mind because I
want people to relate um to thisbecause there's a lot of people
that are in this exact momentthat don't know what to do in
their lives.
Where were you at before theangels started talking or
(06:52):
singing?
SPEAKER_01 (06:52):
I mean, well, you know, um, one of the things that
I that I talk about in the bookis just this idea of the walls
that we hit in life.
Yeah, all of us, uh, dependingon how old you are, you're gonna
hit, you know, over the courseof your life, you're gonna hit
wall after wall after wall thatare like the monsters.
I'm talking about the onesthere's no getting over it.
(07:13):
There's no getting like, oh God,I can't do anything.
If you don't save me, I'm dead.
Those walls.
And so this was that, you know.
I uh I'm happy to talk about it,but I don't think it serves the
conversation too well um to golike deep.
But it was it was bad, you know.
I had a huge business failure,and um, but there was
relationship failures, and itwas just like all of this
brokenness in that moment, andyou know, I was really having a
(07:37):
bit of an existential crisisabout what I believed to be
true.
Um, and uh and honestly, I Iwould say now that I think that
that's um kind of what levelsyou up in Christianity.
Although I'm I'm not sure how Ifeel about the levels language,
uh, or or how in the sense thatwe do anything to to earn those
(08:00):
levels, but but you know,breaking reality, whatever you
think is true, and being willingto accept what God says is true,
that's probably not what youcurrently think um is how you go
to a new place.
And so I don't think we're asopen to that uh other than other
than in the broken, we'reprobably most open to that in
(08:22):
the broken moment.
So this was a very, very brokenmoment.
And um, and I had a few daysbefore the angels, I had been in
a prayer group where people wereteaching me this concept of like
invite God in, ask him to speakand listen, and he's going to
speak.
And so it was like, I asked forit, and uh you know, I think
that element's important thatnot that God can't do whatever
(08:44):
he wants, but I had invited it.
It just was days and days laterin this hotel room.
Next thing I know, there's thissymphony of angels in my room.
And you know, if it was a movie,yeah, people would be, you know,
uh, my wife or anybody who wasaround, like, we should just put
this guy in a padded cell.
SPEAKER_00 (09:00):
He says, So you asked, you asked for help.
I did.
And how?
Like, did you just say, God helpme?
Like, talk a lot, like becausepeople are like, like, so he he
you're telling me he respondsand listens.
SPEAKER_01 (09:13):
Yeah, well, God, God help me is great, and you know,
it's a wonderful prayer, andeverybody, a lot of people that
pray pray that.
Um, this was more, and I wastaught this.
You know, this is more of a, youknow, I'm having uh if you're
God, Mike, and I'm having thisconversation with you, and I'm
saying, like, Mike, here's thesituation, here's my perception
of the situation, God.
(09:33):
Here's what I think is true,here's what I'm experiencing.
I need help with this.
What do you want me to knowabout this moment, God?
What do you want me to do withthis situation?
Like, what do I what do I donext?
And so you're you're asking asif you're actually expecting a
direct answer.
And uh, and you know, funnilyenough, it turns out you can you
(09:56):
can receive that and you willreceive that if you're asking
and you actually expect theanswer, you're listening for it,
it will come.
It just doesn't always come it,you know, in the way that we
think it's gonna come.
It comes differently fromeverybody, you know.
I've had to like learn what thatsounds like to me.
And so, you know, for for peoplelistening to this podcast who've
had that experience will go, ohyeah, like of course.
(10:17):
But I would say the vastmajority of people don't know
what that is.
And uh, and so the coolest thingis it's like, hey, you you can
have that two day with God, anduh, and the you know, the
purpose of the book title, DirtyDisciple, is like to say, like,
it doesn't matter who you are,what you've done, what you
think.
You know, uh I make a joke inthe book about uh people driving
(10:39):
slowly in the left-hand lane.
You guys are the only ones thatare not invited.
I think God excludes youspecifically, but but literally
any other sin other thanleft-hand slow driving uh will
get you direct access to Godtoday.
And and uh and so so but he hethis this situation was so
profound, you know, the way likethe way he met the apostle Paul
(11:00):
on the road, it's like okay, I'mgoing to completely change, you
know, the way I'm operatingbecause this was just
unmistakable.
And and so uh it wasn't the onlyI've had other sort of burning
bush experiences, but but thatwas the one that changed
everything for me.
SPEAKER_00 (11:15):
So where were you at when this happened again?
SPEAKER_01 (11:17):
I was in I was in Italy in the middle of this, you
know, crazy on a vacation.
Yeah, I was on this big tripthat I shouldn't have gone on.
Like the business has imploded,like all these terrible things
are happening, but we had thisbig vacation pre-planned, and so
I went and so yeah, I'm in themiddle of Italy, uh, you know,
drinking all the wine and likeyou know, drowning in my sorrows
and uh uh you know, which youknow, alcohol is a whole nother
(11:40):
conversation.
I, you know, have set since quitdrinking, and uh that's an
interesting, that's aninteresting conversation as
well, um, which I don't reallytalk about in the book, but but
at that time, uh I spent most ofmy life as a professional
drinker, and uh and I I I I wasattempting to drink all the wine
in Italy at that time.
SPEAKER_00 (12:00):
So with time of the night, was this like in the
middle of the night when you hadthis experience?
And uh walk me through if youcan't even describe it.
I know it's probably hard to,it's like a supernatural thing,
right?
You're like, I don't know whatjust happened, but something
happened.
And uh uh can someone likeplease report on this for me,
please?
Um, but what did your wife saythe next morning, like when you
wake up and like and then uhwe'll go into what happened
(12:22):
after that?
SPEAKER_01 (12:23):
Yeah, well, the good thing is my wife, you know,
we've been at that point we'dmarried 34 years, and so she she
knows I'm a little nuts anyway.
And uh, but um, but also, youknow, again, like I'm I'm up
still uh decades into my faithat this point, and she knows she
knows I'm a believer, she's abeliever.
Like it's not super crazy to belike, hey, I had this God
(12:43):
encounter, um, but the themagnitude of it was significant,
and and uh, and I think youknow, the the the punchline of
the story of that is is just togo like God made himself so big
in that moment, you know, Ithink, in order to then deliver
a bunch of other things that hesaid to me and instructions that
he's given me and things thathave happened, the progression
(13:05):
that has happened from that.
There's nothing about the momentthat we haven't already
described, it's just that it wasso profound that it shook me and
was like, okay, I'll yes, sir.
Like I literally will dowhatever I don't care what's
next, you tell me, you know, andand to have that.
So it's it's a blessing and acurse.
It's like the scariest thingever, but it's like, well, you
know, no doubt in my mind, whatI'm doing next is whatever, you
(13:28):
know, whatever the Lord says.
And uh and so, you know, what Itry to do in the book, you know,
yes, it's a testimony, and I'mI'm using my stories to
illustrate a framework and thatI've been taught and now have
studied extensively.
And it's like, this is how youdo it.
Like, if you you want moreexperience of God in your life,
(13:52):
okay, like here it is.
There, here's the framework.
These are the things you have todo, should do.
Have to the have to is aterrible word, you know.
You get you get to do thesethings which get you more of
God, and it's just you know,sort of a a tune-in process.
And and uh, and so and what Idiscovered as I was, you know,
learning and from all theseother people and you know
(14:14):
building this framework is thatoh, I'm not the first person who
came up with that.
I'm just reporting it in alanguage that I hopefully is you
know understandable to people.
SPEAKER_00 (14:24):
It's very relatable, I think, for the average person
that is is new um to their walkin faith.
Um I think you can reallyunderstand um the story here and
uh follow it pretty easilybecause I think uh the biggest
problem with so many people isyou you think of church as this
like religious event and thisreligious context, and there's
all these ceremonial things.
I I go back to Catholic Church,which I just never could really
(14:46):
relate to personally, um, andtherefore I wouldn't go, right?
Um so I think that it's gonnaresonate with quite a bit of
people.
But here's what I also foundreally interesting in your book
was that you're like like you'reyou weren't an author before,
and then all of a sudden you gotand download how to write a
book.
And and I'm not like and I'm nothere just trying to toot your
horn.
(15:06):
This was a really good book.
Um, like I didn't put it down, Ifinished it in two and a half
hours, and your writing skillswere amazing, but you also
credit those writing skills notto your own but to God in the
book, which I thought was wasreally remarkable.
Can you walk me through how thisbook even happened after this
experience?
Because this was something thatwithout that experience, does
this book get written?
SPEAKER_01 (15:27):
No, no, and you're you're absolutely right.
And I I really glad you broughtthat up that way, Mike, because
you know, lots of people it canbe a little trite to say, well,
like God did this, but he madeit so clear, uh, and even
clearer to those around me thatI was incapable.
Um, and then he sort of justdelivered it all.
(15:48):
And so it was, yeah, it's almostlike a joke.
It's like, okay, you you madeyour point, God.
Like I can't do this, andeverybody around me knows I
can't do it, including my poorwife.
And uh, and then boom, here itis.
So I come off the Italy thing,God said, you know, write this
book.
I'm like, I don't know how, butI did, I made spent ridiculous
amounts of time and money, wrotetens of thousands of words.
(16:10):
Um, and uh, and actually I guessI skipped over this a little bit
in the book, but uh the way Istarted was I said, Well, I'm
gonna write a newsletter and inorder to try to build the muscle
of writing.
And so I wrote a newsletterevery day for 180 days, and uh,
and so I'm like, okay, uh, now Ican write that much and
(16:31):
whatever.
So anyway, but did a retrowriting, but I could not get the
book out, and I was incrediblyfrustrated, and I just felt
like, you know, this is completefailure.
And so I put it on the shelf andI knew I kind of knew that it
would come back, but I'm like,whenever God says this is gonna
go, that's when it's gonna go.
And uh man, fast forward.
So three years later, Christmasmorning 2025, uh, I'm I'm in
(16:53):
bed.
It's two o'clock in the morning,which seems to be my thing with
God, and uh, and he just likegives me this download.
I think it started in the bed,but then I went in the shower,
and it was just crazy.
But he literally just like givesme all of the the missing pieces
to the puzzle, and I juststarted blasting writing and
(17:14):
using AI and all this stuff,which is a whole nother that's a
whole nother podcast about whatthat looks like.
Um, you know, every single wordin that book is mine and my
endorsement, but um, but I youknow, I used a really uh AI
heavy process to to get thedraft.
And um, and so but then Istarted saying, I said, okay,
well, New Year's Eve, before NewYear's Eve at midnight, I'm
(17:36):
putting I'm publishing thisbook.
I don't care what what.
So I didn't show it to anybody,no one read it.
There was no draft, there was, Imean, there was no editing,
there was no, like nobody lookedat it except for me.
And I just hit publish.
And I went through this arduousprocess with Amazon, whatever,
but two hours before the strikeof midnight on New Year's Eve, I
had it approved on Amazon.
And um crazy.
And then so since then there'sbeen edits and all that stuff,
(17:58):
but um, but yeah, so literallylike just gave it to me all at
once, and after proving to mefor certain that I was not going
to do it without him.
SPEAKER_00 (18:06):
So and the framework you outline, I think, is very
awesome, like in the book.
It's it's it's common sense,like to me, it it flowed really,
really easily.
I want you to walk us throughthat um in a second on here.
But since this encounterhappened, um you know, like we
wake up every day, like many.
Let me tell you if you tell meif you relate to this.
(18:28):
Like, oh, we wake up, we havethings to do.
We have but we're like, what'sour purpose?
So many people have that.
Like, what's your purpose?
What's your purpose?
Like, what's your purpose inlife?
Um after this encounter andafter this book, what is your
purpose?
SPEAKER_01 (18:41):
Honestly, it's so interesting to talk about right
now because I wanted for thelast three years, I have wanted
this book and the message thatcomes behind that book to be my
purpose, to be in the world,talking about what this looks
like to go, you know, you know,to level 10 with God.
(19:02):
And by the way, I have toqualify that by saying, like, I
think there's a thousand or ahundred thousand levels, but you
know, to level up to this placewhere you sort of have the one
of the one of the things I'velearned, and I love the
description of having a tree oflife experience.
So, you know, if you're whatyou're walking through life and
(19:22):
you're seeing this wonderland ofcolor everywhere and opportunity
and the bigness of what it musthave been like to walk in the
garden, um, that's tree of lifeliving.
And uh, and so, you know, I wantto, I want to spend my life
talking about that.
And so, you know, I have lots ofother, you know, business
(19:42):
interests and stuff like that,but um, but I wanted this book
to be everything and I couldn'tget it out, and I was so
frustrated.
And so I'm like, well, thatwhole thing's on hold.
So now that the book is in theworld, which was just an
overnight, seemingly, I knowit's a I guess it's like I know
you used to be in a band, it'slike the overnight success of
the band, right?
10 years of 10 years of painfollowed by two minutes of
whatever.
(20:03):
But so the book's in the world,and I mean, you know, my purpose
is to talk about it.
You know, God gave me a visionto, and I don't I don't get
visions, and I didn't say theword vision.
I have powerful dreams, but Idon't use the word vision.
I had a vision a couple of weeksago of walking through an
airport handing this book out topeople, and uh, and I'm like,
God, what was that?
Like that.
So this is you know aninteresting sort of idea of you
(20:24):
know how God communicates.
Like if you if you hearsomething in your head and it
you know it's not your idea, andit brings you joy, it's probably
got.
And so that's a good example,right?
Like, I get this vision ofwalking through the airport, you
know, handing out these books,and I'm like, that's awesome,
that sounds great.
And that's way, you know, waymore selfless mission than I
(20:47):
would have put myself on.
So it wasn't me.
And uh, you know, so that'sGod's voice.
SPEAKER_00 (20:52):
That's um, I was asking myself something similar.
Like, I'm like, how do you knowit?
Tell me if you uh agree withthis.
And folks, I'm still figuringout too, okay.
I'm not an expert here, I'm nota preacher or anything.
I just know there's somethingreal, and I'm learning every
day.
But I feel like it when you'relike when you how do you know
he's talking to you?
And it it's like an idea thatwon't go away.
(21:13):
You don't know why it's likeclinging in your brain, and we
don't even know why it keepscoming up.
It's nothing that was therebefore, but for some reason it
just keeps popping up.
I I know for me personally, Iget a lot of messages through
like it's crazy.
I'll be driving down the streetand I'll like I'll just like
think of something out loud.
And then, like one time, I'mdriving down the street, I'm I'm
broken, I forget why I wasbroken this time, but something
(21:34):
bad happened.
Um, and then I just pull upbehind a truck, and on the truck
in the dirt says, Jesus lovesyou, it's okay.
I get downloads through littlemessages.
I'll get an instant message, butI personally get it through
other people.
People come to me and they'lltell me a message.
I'm like, why'd you say that?
And I'm like, holy crap.
Literally, like 20 minutes ago,I was asking for the answer
that.
And then here's this roundaboutway of me getting this answer.
And it's just crazy where it'sso it's not after it happened so
(21:58):
many times, you guys, it's nolonger a cool.
Coincidence.
Um, and you have to startlooking like inward and and
deeper.
So um, for you, um that I thinkyou write in the book too.
You're like, you get yours inthe shower, like you get these
downloads, like where you'rejust constantly getting them,
but you've learned um tounderstand the difference
(22:19):
between a crazy idea and likeGod speaking to you.
Can you talk on that a littlebit?
Like, yeah, how do you knowthat?
Like, how do you confirm that?
I guess is my question becauseyou're it's crazy.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
Yeah.
Well, it's what's really cool,it mike, and and again, I you
know, gotta I give so muchcredit to a bunch of smart
people, mentors, pastors,friends, authors, you know.
Uh I I dug deep and just likelearned all this stuff.
And so everything I'm sharing, Ijust learned from other people.
But the the truth is thatthere's a process there, and
(22:50):
that's again if the frameworkthat's laid out in the book,
it's it's hiding a little bitbehind the stories, but um, but
it's not.
I mean, if you just take allthose chapter titles in in a
row, um, they're there in thatin that order for a reason.
And there's so there's thisprocess that you can go through
to go, here's how I get to thepoint where I know what God's
(23:10):
voice sounds like to me, whichit's different for everybody.
Uh, I know exactly when God'stalking to me, I know what that
voice is, and I know how toconfirm it.
Uh, I and there the you know,there's a process there.
And so I guess I'll I'll stop onthat piece just to sort of, you
know, I don't want to be in, I'mnot trying to be intentionally
vague, but it's it's not easy totalk about in in a short forum.
(23:33):
But sure, you know, butbasically, so God tells you, uh,
well, we we already used theexample a minute ago of you
know, God told me or gave methis vision of walking through
the airport handing out thesebooks, and I'm going, okay,
well, what was that?
That was the thought that I'mI'm sure it wasn't my thought.
And so if somebody there was itcame from somewhere else.
So, okay, is it a good thoughtor a bad thought?
(23:56):
Like, what what feeling do I getwhen I have that thought?
So if you get a thought and itmakes you angry or makes you
feel guilty or makes you feelshame, or like those are those
things are not of God.
Like you read the scriptures,God doesn't do those things,
even though lots of people'smisunderstanding of of scripture
might say that.
(24:17):
But if you actually read thegospel, that's not what it is.
So if you have a thought andyou're pretty sure that thought
wasn't mine, like where'd thatthing come from?
And it brings you joy and peaceand excitement, you know, that's
God.
And so, but then then you canaffirm that.
So, how do I figure out?
Well, I think I heard that,like, how do I know that's true?
(24:37):
Okay, well, you go through thisprocess and go, okay, well, does
it agree with scripture?
Is there anything in scripturethat conflicts with what I just
thought or heard or said orwhatever?
Yes or no?
Doesn't conflict with scripture?
Boom, go to step two.
Well, and before you leave stepone, A, it doesn't conflict with
scripture, and B, uh, are thereexamples in scripture of God
(25:01):
talking like that?
Like, does God say stuff likethat?
And you know, very often you go,you know, lay down by a brook
and I'll have the these you knowravens feed you.
He does, he says stuff likethat, so cool.
So anyway, so you pass itthrough scripture, then you you
know you ask, you know, smartfriends who are, you know, um,
you know, have the Holy Spirit.
So, you know, your pastor, hey,Pastor, I think I heard this,
(25:22):
you know, yes or no, is this andand and you're not asking him,
is it a good idea?
Should I do this?
You're asking him, does thatsound like God to you?
Whatever.
So, anyway, so that's kind of auh a short version, but there's
a there's a really specificprocess, and you build this
muscle.
And so I've spent the last threeyears building this muscle, and
I'm just like, now I knowexactly what his voice sounds
like.
I know intuitively, you know, inmost cases, like, oh yeah, I
(25:46):
think that was God.
And uh, and so it's just reallyinteresting.
And this to me is what I thinkJesus meant by follow me.
Follow me translates to, oh, youlearn to walk this way.
My sheep hear my voice.
Okay, well, okay, I heard yourvoice.
What do I do with it?
I'm not sure.
What do I how do I test that?
You know, and so yeah, dude, Icould talk and talk and talk.
(26:08):
So keep me on the rails.
SPEAKER_00 (26:10):
And your book, uh your book basically at the end
of the day is a process to learnhow to really hear his voice and
follow him.
I'm that's what it right, likeyou're just like, okay, um, can
we go um can we sort of gothrough that a little bit?
Are you alright with that?
Yeah, totally, dude.
Absolutely.
So this so I just want to do aquick rerind.
You've been a Christian forseven to ten years, um, but at
(26:33):
some time you your whole life,but 20 years, but you started
getting saved, but you and youstill thought you were you had
faith, right?
SPEAKER_01 (26:40):
Like, but yeah, I mean, I accepted Christ and was
as baptized in my 30s, so now 2025 years ago.
SPEAKER_00 (26:47):
So you think you're doing everything right, not
realizing that you could godeeper.
All of a sudden, angels pop upand you're broken in one of the
broken times you've had in yourlife, and also an angels pop up
and you're like, Oh, whoa, Ineed to go really deeper.
You start doing a bunch ofresearch, you pull you publish a
book in six days, um, none ofyour own doing, and you come up
(27:08):
with this process, which isreally just like your own
testimony, which is beautiful.
Um, walk me through this processbecause, like, uh, I think what
Matt's gonna share with us rightnow, guys, is gonna be um if you
want to hear God's voice, here'show he did it.
And this is something anyone canuh applicable, I think, to
anyone because there isn't umGod doesn't pick people based on
(27:30):
your color, your race, um, yourthe amount of money you make or
the amount of bad things you'vedone in your past.
Um it you just need to have theyou just need to be able to
accept them in your heart andturn your heart posture to say,
Lord help me, send me, bring me,talk to me, speak to me, be
there for me, show me, teach me,guide me.
But you've simplified thatbecause most people don't like
(27:54):
if I talk to my friends aboutthis stuff, like I'm just
talking like my my collegefriends, my frat bars, right?
Hey guys, uh here's what youneed to do.
They're gonna laugh at they'renot gonna take me seriously,
right?
Um so walk me through this ifyou can.
And uh I want to hear thisprocess because I think this is
what people need to hear.
SPEAKER_01 (28:13):
Cool, yeah, absolutely.
Well, um, you're absolutelyright about everything you said,
and and you know, it's not totake anything away from you
know, every everyone that'spreaching the gospel, and you
know, some are some are on anamazing track and some of them
are out in left field, butthere's lots of great preaching
in the United States, and I'mpart of an incredible church in
(28:35):
Atlanta that you know I givegreat credit to uh Kevin Myers,
the pastor of our church, who Inamed in my references in the
book.
But um, but yeah, this this isjust a different way to
understand the gospel.
You know, we one of the thingsI've learned is that we as
(28:55):
Americans read the gospelthrough the lens of our you
know, you know, capitalisticAmerican brain.
And it wasn't written that way.
It wasn't written to thataudience.
It was, it doesn't mean exactlywhat we think it means.
And, you know, what I'm sayingright now is sort of heresy to,
(29:16):
you know, lots of lots of youknow important Christians would
take exception to what I'msaying.
But um, you know, it's it'sbecome crystal clear to me.
He made it crystal clear to me,uh, that the mechanism, and you
touched on this, is all you haveto do is say yes, listen, try to
hear his voice, be willing, beand then become obedient.
(29:39):
And that's you know, furtherdown in that framework is
obedience, but but it startswith ding ding ding.
I'm open, I'm open to hear hisvoice, is what it starts with.
And when you if you if you canopen that door, and and you
know, you honestly, I mean, Godcan do anything, but it's a
whole lot better if somebodyhelps you that knows how to do
(29:59):
that, and people helped me thatknow deeply how to do that, that
spent their lives doing that.
So you learn you learn to hearGod's voice a little bit, and
then uh what God does is Hetalks to you about you, He's uh,
and that's identity.
And so, you know, a lot of thesethings, as you go through the
framework, you go, Well, thosewords have been kind of hijacked
(30:21):
and like used for all kinds ofpeople say all kinds of things
about what identity is, butidentity is comes from God, you
know.
You hear all through scripture,God's calling people by name,
he's changing their name, um,but he's saying, This is who you
are.
And most often those peoplewould not agree, they'd go, uh,
(30:42):
don't you know that I'm a taxcollector and a sinner and I'm a
you know, I'm a prostitute, andI'm, you know, and you know, he
meets the woman at the well andhe starts telling her about her
six husbands.
Like, God knows exactly who youare.
And so when you start hearinghis voice, what the first thing
he's gonna do is tell you whoyou are.
And so identity comes next.
So you you have to start tounderstand like this is who God
(31:04):
calls me, and um, and that'salso another really clear
process that you can learn.
You know, what is what is whatis he gonna call you?
He's gonna call you the thingthat was most true about you,
and you kind of knew it, butit's been hidden, it's been
covered by the lies and the sinand the enemy and and all these
things.
But when he calls you by thatname, you're gonna go,
(31:25):
eventually, you're gonna go, ohyeah, that's that's exactly who
I am.
And so all the rest of the stuffcomes after that.
But what I've told you so fardoesn't get taught in the
American church, right?
It's just say yes, say theprayer, you're not going to
hell.
Congratulations.
And you know what God's sayingis, I want to be with you all
(31:47):
the time, constantly having thisconversation, showing up for
you, bringing miracles, likeeverything in your life all the
time.
And that's not the conversationthat we have, right?
So that's the you know, the sortof the part of the message.
SPEAKER_00 (32:01):
And when you say identity, uh, I just want to
make sure we're we're followingyou.
You're talking about like yourGod-given gifts, like who you
are as a person.
Um, are you talking about likewhat you're what you're what God
wants you to do?
Or are you talking about becauseI I I personally believe that we
all we all have a superpower tounlock.
Um, I don't know what you Idon't know what well, I do know
what yours is because I readyour book, but like for me, it's
(32:22):
storytelling.
Um I just want that's why wehave this podcast called Cheer
Scripture for a reason.
It's to tell stories of otherson their walk to Christ, and
that's what God unlocked for me.
That but that was like that justrecently happened within the
last year.
So um, when is that what we'retalking about here?
So he says unlock your identity.
Is it like unlock your God-givensuper gifts or your superpower?
Because we're all born withthem, at least um I think we
(32:45):
are.
SPEAKER_01 (32:45):
So what you're you're talking more about
calling, and uh, and so and thatcomes after identity.
So identity, identity is who youactually are, and so you know,
you alluded to it, but you know,the the identity that and there
are pieces of identity, but thething that got called me first
and most is cliff jumper.
(33:07):
And so that doesn't meananything to anybody else, but to
me, that is the truest thingabout me.
Like, I am a cliff jumper, Iwill do, I will do anything,
take any reasonable risk, and Imean in business and all these
other things, and and that'sgone on to mean other things.
He's revealed other things to meabout what cliff jumper means to
(33:28):
me.
But the thing is, is that itit's incredibly descriptive of
exactly who I am and how hebuilt me.
Now, what a cliff jumper goesand does in the world could take
a lot of different forms.
You know, I could be anarchitect or or you know, uh a
professional bowler, it doesn'tmatter.
I that's calling or you know,vocation, uh, and those things
(33:52):
are important, but that's comesbehind identity.
But and when you really starthaving these conversations with
God, he's gonna start talking toyou about you, who you really
are, uh, what's going on, andand also, you know, all the
other things like what's goingon in your life, and like, you
know, hey, like, you know, uhcliff jump cliff jumpers who
love Jesus don't do X, Y, and Z,and you know, all that kind of
(34:13):
stuff.
But uh, well, and that you know,that the way I presented that is
a little bit inaccurate becauseit, you know, it's not again,
there's no there's no fear,guilt, or shame.
Sometimes fear, there's no guiltor shame that comes from God.
And fear is another reallyimportant part of the framework.
Um, and so there's you know,there's sort of use fear that's
used well and fear that's not.
(34:35):
Um, but uh, but yeah, so soidentity, you know, comes next,
and then he starts talking toyou about you know who you are,
and then you know, then we getdown to like, well, what's okay,
what got what has God called youto do?
Um, and that becomes apparent.
And it's not necessarily uh, andI would say, I would say more
(34:55):
often than not, is noteverything, it's not like oh my
god, I'm gonna become presidentof the United States or whatever
it is, you know.
So in my case, he startedtalking about this book, like,
bro, you're we're we're gonna gowrite a book, but I'm like, No,
we're not, you know, and uh andso so it's basically that you've
never been scared to do anythingelse and you haven't done before
in the past.
(35:16):
Right.
Well, I just like I don't knowhow, but but my point, and
that's a good example of likehow you know again back to you,
how do you know God's voice?
Well, I had no desire to write abook, don't know how to write a
book, never entered my mindbefore, ever.
And uh, and next thing I know,I'm like, I need to write this
book.
Where's where's that comingfrom?
So, but it's but there's nothere's mostly felt filled me
(35:37):
with joy.
There's no fear, there's noguilt, uh, or excuse me, there's
no shame, there's no guilt.
The fear thing, which I guess weshould address is that yeah, you
know, um, fear is a big, big,big topic, and you know, we
could talk about it for a longtime, but because the vast
majority of us, and I would putmyself in this group, um, when
if if you're really be able tounpack it honestly and your
(35:59):
review your entire life, you'llfind out that the vast majority
of the decisions that you'vemade have been based on some
level of fear, um, even thoughyou wouldn't have described it
as that, and it might take you along, long time in therapy to
process, but um we all makefear-based decisions.
And so, so there's a reason whydo not worry and do not fear are
(36:20):
you know the words in the Biblethat far exceed every other word
in the in the scripture.
And it's because he's trying toget us like with a billboard to
go don't do that, like don'tmake decisions out of fear, you
make decisions out of faith.
And so, well, what does thatlook like?
Well, you know, it's going to becrazy.
I'm not gonna, you know, I'm notgonna know what to do.
(36:40):
I, you know, if if you'rewaiting for it to make sense in
the physical world, well, that'syou're just not in the faith
realm anymore.
And so, so the worst fear-baseddecision in the world is well, I
need more data, or that's notpractical, or I have to be
reasonable.
Like, those are all actuallyfear decisions.
SPEAKER_00 (36:59):
So anyway, so just because you have this encounter,
you're telling me that lifedoesn't all of a sudden like
everything has a go your way,you're still gonna have
obstacles, you're still gonnahit brick walls, you're still
gonna have um things come up inlife that aren't like things you
look forward to, even, but um,with your framework, um you know
what to do when that happens.
unknown (37:21):
Right?
SPEAKER_00 (37:22):
So walk me through that.
I love the way how you put thatout in the book.
Like you're like, and I'll I'llgive people an example.
So um it could be uh a businessidea.
Okay, it sounds like a reallygood idea.
You don't know where it comesfrom, right?
Be like, this has got to be agod idea, it's gotta be a god
idea because it's not of mine.
(37:42):
But then you're like, butthere's how am I gonna overcome
this big challenge to get tothat idea?
And you bring that idea to Godand you let him answer it for
you.
Um, I want you to walk usthrough that part of the
process.
SPEAKER_01 (37:57):
Yeah, and this this is a great conversation for uh
us as as business people, and Ibet a lot of your audience will
be business-minded people, anduh, and so you know, if you're
like me, you have a milliongreat ideas and you want to just
go jump and and do those things,like oh, I got this great idea,
(38:18):
I'm gonna go do it.
And so, and that's where that'swhere this conversation comes in
of going, well, okay, do I wantto first of all, did God is this
God's idea or my idea?
Is God inviting me into this, ordid I just come up with it?
Um, or did it just come out ofleft field, or you know, and
what's my motive?
(38:38):
Is am I chasing money or am I amI trying to serve people or like
you know, what's the heart ofwhere this idea is going?
And uh so yeah, step one of Igot this idea is well, okay,
let's test, let's ask him, youknow, and then let's also
evaluate like, well, what's myfeeling when I have this idea?
(39:00):
Does it bring me joy?
You know, and then you know,you're gonna the we we kind of
didn't quite get there on thethis part of the fear
conversation, but when fear isproductive, is that whatever God
invites you into is going toscare you.
So that's sort of the good fear,is going like, oh, this scares
me?
Might be God, you know.
(39:21):
Um, and so so that's kind ofgood fear.
The bad, bad fear is when I, youknow, I'm making my decisions
based on that fear.
So you want to recognize thefear and go, okay, what is this?
And is this God?
And am I afraid because God'sinviting me to something that I
don't have the power to execute?
Hey, that's fine, that's great.
Okay, that's probably thatprobably is God, you know, or
(39:43):
but am I afraid that I'm notgood enough?
I'm not capable, I can't likeokay.
Well, now you're that's guiltand shame.
That's not God, right?
So so fear is this mechanismthat takes a lot of uh a lot of
work, and I certainly Icertainly don't have it all, but
that is the that is thebattleground um to keep me on
(40:03):
track, Mike.
SPEAKER_00 (40:04):
Love it.
Um so this process you gothrough and each chapter of the
book outlines each uh stage ofthe process, and uh as you read
it, you'll um you'll see all ofthese different um stages.
But what I also thought was agood was really good is that
people like you still have lifeyou face too, right?
(40:25):
It's not like it's oh great, Godspoke to me, I had angels sing
to me, and now everything's justgonna be hunky-dory.
Um, no, you're still gonna havechallenges.
Um, but it woke you up, itappears.
And uh I love how you um justbring everything to the Lord,
uh, your business, yourrelationship issues, whatever it
may be, and you ask him, andthen he guides you.
(40:46):
Um and it sounds so simple, butyet so many people don't know
how to access it.
And um I this framework thatyou've laid out, and just to
just just to show you guys likehow this isn't just like some
crazy guy who saw Angelssinging, this framework, uh
ladies and gentlemen, is exactlywhat I experienced.
(41:07):
Not to the T, but very similar.
And as I unpack every chapter,um it's very, very, very close.
Uh um no doubt.
And I'm like, this is likethat's how I know you're on to
something here.
Um, because me and you nevertalked about the book.
I don't think you even knew Iwas gonna read it before we got
on the show.
Um, I don't think you knew I wasgonna buy it, but I did.
(41:30):
And I did because um I don'tknow why, I just bought it.
Um, it was a message, uh, it'sone of those things, right?
But as I read through it, I waslike, whoa, this is right on.
And it just affirmed a lot forme personally.
So I'm gonna encourage anyonelistening to this.
Um, this is the best couplehours you'll ever spend, um,
especially if you're new and youwalk with Christ.
(41:52):
I'm encouraging you guys to goahead and pick it up, the book,
because um, it is deep when youwhen you think about depending
on where you're at in life.
And there is a process, though,that you have to follow.
And Matt's not the first personI've spoken to this with, just
so ever just so we're clear.
There's millions of stories,just like mine, just like
Matt's, and they all have thesame thing in common.
(42:13):
I feel like, because I I talk topeople in church about my
testimony and all this stuff,and they all go through this.
A lot of them, right?
It's it's the same process as anextra crazy experience.
You're like, well, I gotta takethis seriously.
And then slowly but surely, asyou become more obedient, things
start to unlock, and then theybecome very clear, and then
there's clarity.
SPEAKER_01 (42:32):
That's right.
Yeah.
And you know, and again, it'syou know, Mike, it's not my
framework and it's not Mike'sexperience.
It's, you know, when youactually do the work and and dig
through it, we find that um thisis the gospel, and this is the
experience of millions andmillions and millions of
Christians.
It's just been lost a littlebit, uh, the truth of what it
(42:55):
looks like to be in relationshipwith Christ and follow.
Uh, it doesn't look like, youknow, be a good boy, go to
church on Sunday and go toheaven when you die.
That's not the gospel.
SPEAKER_00 (43:06):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:06):
Um, so anyway, dude, I I really appreciate you uh
having this conversation withme.
And uh, you know, is thereanything else that I can share?
SPEAKER_00 (43:14):
No, I think you nailed it.
I think the only thing left todo is tell people where they can
get this book um should theywant to learn more about this
process.
Um, show them where they couldconnect with you to continue to
follow um your story.
SPEAKER_01 (43:26):
Cool.
Yeah.
Well, uh, you know, I'm MattFadzioli on all the socials, and
uh I'm sure you'll put that inthe show notes.
And um, the book is on Amazon,Dirty Disciple.
Um, you know, there's uh we'rebuilding assets on the website,
but the book came out so fastthat that's uh that's a new
experience.
Uh so but the book's on Amazon.
Would love for you guys to readit and uh and give us a review
(43:49):
and reach out, you know, to mein the DMs if uh if it if it
strikes you.
I've heard such amazing storiesfrom people already.
Uh it's been so fun and justinteresting to hear everybody
else's.
And how they relate to mine.
And so anyway, Mike, I reallyappreciate you, bud.
SPEAKER_00 (44:05):
Appreciate you, and we appreciate you listening to
another episode of ShareScripture.
Folks, if you have a story, ifyou have a testimony, bring it
out to the world.
Message me, DM me.
I need more of these stories.
I want to tell them.
I want to share them.
I want to bring them out topeople because the most
effective way to learn anythingis not through statement, it's
through story.
And when you tell stories,people can not only relate to
(44:26):
them, but they can consume themand more importantly, remember
them because it's just the wayGod made our brains, right?
The whole Bible itself is onebig story.
It's a lot of stories, but it'sessentially just stories, right?
Storytelling.
And that's all we're doing hereat Share Your Scripture.
Appreciate you, Matt.
Appreciate you guys listening.
Check out the rest of ourepisodes.
Follow our social channels, andlet's see where these convos
(44:48):
take us.
God bless.
See you next week.
SPEAKER_01 (44:51):
Appreciate it.
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