April 19, 2025 • 43 mins
Our March Fatness bracket finally crowns a champion as Chick-fil-A edges out Dunkin' by a mere three votes! We celebrate with a table full of fast food while dissecting what makes these chains so beloved. The secret to Chick-fil-A's success? Operational excellence, consistently delicious chicken, and a drive-thru system so efficient it should run our national elections. Meanwhile, Dunkin' has transcended being just a coffee shop to become a cultural identity marker in New England.
The conversation reveals fascinating aspects of brand loyalty that go beyond product quality. We debate whether Five Guys gives too many fries (is that really a problem?), why Texas Roadhouse surprisingly dominated the sit-down category, and whether Dunkin coffee deserves its popularity. Most excitingly, Chick-fil-A actually responded to our social media post about their victory with "three cheers for chicken," launching a brief but thrilling conversation with the brand.
After gorging ourselves on nuggets, fries, and milkshakes, we transition to weightier matters—Jesus' farewell message to his disciples in John 15-17. These chapters contain his final teaching before being betrayed and crucified, making them particularly significant. Central to Jesus's message is the command to "remain" or "abide" in him, like branches connected to a vine. In our distraction-filled world, the discipline of silence and solitude has become increasingly difficult yet vital for spiritual growth.
As you enter the Easter season, we encourage you to read these powerful chapters and reflect on what it means to abide in Christ. How might prioritizing this relationship produce lasting fruit in your life? As Jesus himself promised just before facing the cross, "Take heart, because I have overcome the world."
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
hello everyone.
Welcome back to the plugged inpodcast.
This is episode number 26 andwe have a special treat for well
, not really for you.
We have a special treat for ustoday true we are celebrating
the end of march, fatness.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Just look at this table and you can see on the
table.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
We've got some coffees.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Matt has two coffees.
I do have two coffees, one, twoJust for A lot of coffees on
the table, I see some milkshakes, fries, nuggets.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
I made the horrible decision of getting a sandwich
for this show.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
It's awesome.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
But the bracket yes, it's awesome.
Yeah, but the bracket yeah,we've reached a winner.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
We've reached a winner by a margin of three
votes.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Three votes.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
We have dubbed Chick-fil-A as the winner of the
March Fatness 2025 bracket.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
No surprise, thank you for interrupting.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I'm sorry.
I was so excited With yourexcitement.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Well, first of all, I think it's funny that this
bracket continued as long as itdid.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Wait, can I eat?
Yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It was so large.
This bracket was so large thatit spilled over into April and
finally, we found this beautifulconclusion, which I believed
from the start was going to bethis.
Duncan versus Chick-fil-a.
Yeah, I thought that I Ithought that was going to be,
you did just fair warning, nateyou are talking I'm trying.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It's amazing, I'm trying so hard to not chew into
this microphone right now,embrace it I know I will not.
Um, nate has is going to justgo on so many diatribes and
tangents today, because evenposting the Duncan versus
Chick-fil-A he had a lot to say.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So let's just get ready the more he talks, the
more we can eat.
That's true.
Keep going.
So go ahead, nate, tell usabout the bracket.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
I was really fired up .
But anyways, I think, before weget to where we are right now
in this championship showdownwhich you know, I can hear the
chewing.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
It's so funny we need to talk about how we got here
right we need to talk about whomade it to the final four in
those Elite Eight matchups.
Tell me about it.
I'm going to grab a milkshake.
Go ahead, so our final.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
We should just for those who are listening, we
should just tell everyone whatwe're doing.
I'm eating a chicken nugget, goahead.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Nate.
Our final four matchup was ourregion winner of the fast food,
which was none other thanChick-fil-A Chick-fil-A yeah
Versus our winner of the fastcasual region, which was kind of
a surprise.
Five guys, five guys ended upthe winner over there.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
That was number.
I don't like that.
I don't like that at all.
You don't like that.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
No.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I don't Well, because Domino's was Well.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
I mean Is that why?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Why don't you like it ?
Speaker 1 (02:44):
No, I'm going to get off this Domino's hill.
I do love Domino's, but we'vetalked about that enough.
There's been too many clips nowon the internet.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Hey, I really liked your Domino's clips yeah but
Five Guys.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
I just I don't really get it.
I don't.
I don't.
Okay, I don't know.
It takes kind of long to make.
They usually give you too manyfries, I understand.
Is that a problem?
But I mean, I don't want tofinish all that.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And then I throw it away.
And then when I'm throwing foodaway, I feel bad, I do.
A little bit of guilt, that'strue, but anyways, go ahead.
Sorry I interrupted.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Okay, so that was that side of the bracket and
then we had on the other end ofthe bracket we had Dunkin'
number one versus our sit-downrestaurant, which was also a
surprise, in my opinion TexasRoadhouse.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
That I'm annoyed.
I don't get it.
I'm annoyed, guys.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
I mean, I love Texas.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Roadhouse.
Why did that?
I don't know.
Why, I don't know?
Did we not have enough goodchoices for Sit Down?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
We had Cheesecake Factory.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Well, Olive Garden, the number two seed.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So what's the draw?
I mean, it has to come from thelisteners, but what's the draw
for Texas Roadhouse?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
That's my question too.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Like, are people going for steak?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Is it the rolls?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Is it the rolls and the cinnamon butter?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I come from the midwest and I feel like steak is
like it's legit, it's, it'sbetter there than it is here,
yeah, but I don't know, Iwouldn't associate, I wouldn't
go to texas roadhouse for asteak.
I just I don't know.
Yeah, what do you go there forburgers?
I get ribs, rolls, rolls, okayall right just kidding.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Well, it gets ribs yeah their um their onion
blossom at texas roadhouse isnot as good as the one from
Outback.
I don't know, it's a differentbread.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I want to hear from the voters.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
We need some comments from the voters.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Well, Texas Roadhouse also went way downhill the
moment that peanut allergiesbecame a universally accepted
thing.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Universally accepted yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Before it was like you know, just launch those
peanut shells like a biologicalweapon, throw them all over the
place and if someone dies, ifthey die, they die.
But now, now they die.
Now they give you the nicelittle convenient package, but
they don't.
You know, it's not likeunlimited anymore, they just
give you that one bag and it'slike don't throw them on the
(05:00):
floor, Put them in this littletin.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Should I ask specifically, like should I call
people out who voted for TexasRoadhouse?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
and ask them.
That's strong.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Voting is supposed to be anonymous.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I didn't know, I had the power.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
You can't go into the polling place and then take a
picture of your ballot.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
This is not a presidential election.
This is the most.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
March fatness.
It's close, march fatness.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
This means a lot to people.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I want to know.
I want to know the why that wasour final four.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Real quick story.
When we were young, my dadfound out that you could walk
into.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
They came out.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
When we were children , my dad found out that you
could walk into Five Guys andbuy a box of their peanuts, and
so he did and brought it homeand we had like a 25-pound box
of peanuts.
But Larissa is very allergic topeanuts and he totally forgot,
and so she has held on to thatfor like 15 years.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
But she survived, she made it she survived.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
But what's crazy is.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well, if Nate lived there, he'd be like if she dies,
she dies.
Yeah, really.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Tough crowd over here .
But what's crazy is she wasable to eat Reese's peanut
butter cups.
I guess there's not real peanutbutter.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
What yeah, oh interesting.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Or it's just Larissa being.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Larissa Processed.
Before Nate goes through therest of the bracket, can you
tell our listeners and corporate?
Chick-fil-a responded to you.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Wait, I keep forgetting we're actually
recording because I'm so excitedby all what's happening right
now.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
But, Chick-fil-A.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I tagged them in the region winner and they wrote us
back.
Guys, they wrote us back.
And not only did they write usback, we had conversation.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
They probably listen.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
They're probably like this is a.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Christian podcast.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yes, let's tag them.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Let's write back to them.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
So they wrote back and they said, which I posted on
our socials, they said threecheers for chicken.
So then I was like we're suchbig fans.
I was like we're fansespecially of the Walpole
Massachusetts location.
And then I was like we're fansespecially of the Walpole
Massachusetts location, whoop,whoop.
And then I was like feel freeto sponsor our next episode and
(07:10):
then they didn't say it.
They didn't respond to that,but they said like have a great
day.
Well, they said thanks for beingfans and like an emoji, and I
said it's our pleasure.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yes, I was so happy with myself.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
I was like like oh, my word, they haven't responded
to that yet, but I feel likethey're over me.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
But anytime we went back and forth, anytime I go to
chick-fil-a I'm just waiting forthat.
Yeah, are you gonna say it?
Are you gonna say so?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
wait, why three cheers for chicken?
Anyone know?
I know I have a theory hip hiphooray no father son, holy ghost
stop yes, too deep, that's toomuch Faith application man,
Three cheers for chicken hasspiritual significance,
everything has spiritualsignificance.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Wow.
Anyways, guys, nate is on ittoday.
I don't have anything to say tothat.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
I don't know if that's blasphemous, but I feel
like God loves chicken too.
Okay, All right Well.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Can you just move on?
You're making me concerned.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
You know the story of the two loaves and the five
chickens.
Or wait, did I mix that up?
Yeah, I always mix that up,sorry.
So we got to our championshipround.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
We got to our championship round, which was
our fast food representative,chick-fil-a number one seed,
versus Dunk Duncan, which is thecoffee slash dessert
representative, which I have abone to pick about that
classification.
Here we go.
All right, here we go, if youwill, if you will give me the
floor.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I'm ready with ourselves.
We made the bracket.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
I'm about to filibuster.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
You made the bracket.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So here we go, Filibuster hey let me get show
perfect timing.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yes, I feel like if duncan was okay, here's a hot
take, hot take.
Duncan coffee is not that good.
It's like it's like a six outof ten, it's like a c plus.
Everyone knows this.
Yeah, that's not why they getit.
So thank you but if you're, ifyou're the the coffee slash
dessert category, right like Iwouldn't go there for desserts
either.
Their donuts are worse thanKrispy Kreme.
Their donuts are worse than anylike.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Also this is not a hot take.
This is not a hot take.
Oh, it is spicy.
Yeah, it is spicy.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
That's more than usual.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Thank goodness you got a milkshake.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm good Go ahead, okay,so you don't go there for their
donuts, you know what I mean.
Like you go there because ofthe convenience.
Yeah, you go there because oftheir app, their app is great.
I will say this.
I will say their app is great,but I also say Chick-fil-A's app
is great as well, in terms ofrewards and also just the ease
of convenience.
They have oversaturated themarket.
(09:41):
I'm going to throw somethingelse out there.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Okay, this is a theory that I have with Duncan.
We all love community.
That's why we like sports teams.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
We all love being a part of something bigger than
ourselves, and that is such anidentity of New England, it's
true, and Boston, yep, I thinkeven if the coffee is not great,
even if the donuts are notspectacular, it is like the same
thing in New York walkingaround wearing a Yankees hat, if
(10:11):
you're walking around in NewEngland holding a Dunkin' Coffee
, you're a part of the team.
So I think it's an identitything.
I really do, yeah, like you'rejust part of the culture.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
And I'm sorry, but if you have not visited their
socials, their socials are topnotch.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
They are so witty and funny Like they just have it
Well the last couple of years,the Super Bowl commercials
Belichick and Brady and Damon,they've got everyone, but they
weren't good enough to respondto you.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
So that is true.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
I mean, I did tag them.
But, maybe this is what bringsthem to the table.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
All right.
So here's my question then Ifyou could improve what, what?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
No, you've spoken a lot.
I'm going to stop talking withmy mouth full.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
I thought you told me to talk because you guys wanted
to eat.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Okay, keep going, I do.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
All right, so I'm just listening.
If you could improve, duncan,what's?
Speaker 1 (11:01):
one thing you would do to improve Duncan.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Well, my mouth is full now, but so I have a beef.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Radio silence.
Can't wait for it.
The Duncan in Hanover.
I have a beef with you Aspecific call out.
Yeah, yeah, for real.
Well, I drop my kids off atdaycare and, like I get a coffee
every single morning.
I drop them off, I get a coffeefrom my car.
It's like probably 30, 40minutes from Hanover to get to
DHQ.
Right, it's obnoxious, but Ihave to have that coffee
(11:30):
Recently.
I don't understand, but liketheir current batch of cups leak
out the bottom.
Every single one of them.
Yeah, and I don't understand.
Every single one of them.
Yeah, and I don't understandlike they'll hand me a coffee
with, like, clearly a driprunning down the side with no
napkins and I'm just like guysyeah, there I'm driving my car
(11:51):
like I don't want this all overme, but then I'll put it in the
cup holder and each time I pickit up it starts pooling up,
because it's actually drippingout, the bottom yeah it's the
paper we gotta fix that it's thepaper cups.
No, it's true they can do it.
That's my beef with duncan.
Okay, I'm trying to think Ialso this.
I had this thought a coupledays ago and this is truly a
march fatness theme.
So when you do get hash browns,yeah, from duncan, I just like.
(12:16):
I don't have an issue with thequality, they're just hash
browns, but I like just give melike two more.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Yeah, no, I agree.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
I just want like two more.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
The amount of times I've reached in that bag.
The amount of times I'vereached in that bag thinking
there was another one in thereand there wasn't it was a sad
day.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Just give me one or two more hash browns, but
they're also like pretty soggy,like McDonald's gives you ones.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
No, sometimes they're nice and crispy Okay.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I've always had them salty.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
You don't get enough.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
I got crispy ones recently, but now I was just
like just one more.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
What's your top donut at Dunkin' Donuts?
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I'm pretty boring when it comes to donuts.
I'm like chocolate frosted,just pretty straight.
Caleb and Mackenzie right nowlove Well.
First of all, we don't everreally let them have donuts.
But if I go through to get acoffee it's like yell and scream
like, but they want the uh, thepink strawberry with sprinkles,
that's good that's good, butthen caleb quote unquote eats
(13:11):
his donut is it just the top?
just tears off the and then likesays here you go I'm done, and
hands me, like the whole donut,the bottom of it, yeah, 100.
Yeah, we usually oh, I don't,I'm not really a donut person.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I want to like, not I just want I'm done, and hands
me, like the whole donut, thebottom of it, yeah Right, a
hundred percent.
Yeah, we usually oh, I don't,I'm not really a donut person.
I want to like not, I just wantcoffee.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
fair, I don't really like their bagels because
they're not New York bagels.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Like once.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Once you've had a New York bagel you can't really.
This is the danger of eating onthe air Best episode and I also
just drank, an energy drink, soanyways.
But if I had to get a donut, itwould be the jelly donut.
I don't really waste carbs onother donuts.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Okay, fair, I'm a blueberry or Boston cream kind
of guy.
I will say their egg bites arereally really good.
Yeah, they are good.
Adam was talking about theiregg bites are really really good
.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Yeah, they are good.
Adam was talking about theiregg bites, but I'm not their
their breakfast sandwiches.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Like they're not as good as mcdonald's in my opinion
so chick-fil-a, do you thinkthey have like?
Speaker 1 (14:11):
do you think they're more successful because they
have a limited menu but they doit with like excellence?
Or is it just the chicken?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
like what is it?
That's a fair thought.
I don't.
Their chicken is just so good.
Their chicken is so good.
There's definitely a freshcomponent, and their mac and
cheese is good too.
Jackson gets that.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
There's definitely like a fresh component to it
that it's not like we'rereheating a bunch of just like
you know stuff that you throw ina microwave.
So there's a fresh component toit.
I think the service quality,the drive-thru is so impressive.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Whoever invented the Chick-fil-A drive-thru system
needs to run our nationalelections.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yes, I agree, run our government in general.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You know, on presidential election night when
you're waiting for Miami-DadeCounty hasn't counted their
all-over.
Whoever runs Chick-fil-A needsto run the elections.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
That is speedy.
They have those little pop-uptents that go around their
drive-thru personnel.
They have thought of everything.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
They have the drive-thru heaters that are warm
as you drive through.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
I will say one of my only gripes with Chick-fil-A is
if there's a long drive-thruline, now this is a plus and a
negative, so someone will comeby to take your order.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
And I'm like you're locked in.
No, but I'm like dude, I'm like10 cars from the board and I
don't know what I want.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
yet that's true.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
So you either got to show me your iPad or like I
don't know what's going on.
But he's just like what do you?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
what's your order?
If I had to criticize themClosed on Sunday yeah I'd say I
think it's a plus and a minus.
It's a plus for the kingdom butit's a minus for my flesh that
they're closed on Sunday, right.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
That's gotta be good.
I'd be curious to talk.
You're ridiculous, I'd becurious to talk to someone who
works there.
Like for employee morale.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Like to have a scheduled day off.
Nobody works, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
It is, it's got to be good.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
I would think so.
Yeah, are you?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
eating any of these fries.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
I'm sorry, you have not eaten any.
Yeah, I will.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
That is true.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Well, that's all I got to say.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Let us chew.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Let us chew All right .
Well, any more thoughts aboutMarch fatness I know there was
some controversy.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
I think it was good.
I think in the end I mean inthe end we really couldn't have
fit anything else on this table,so I think it had to be
Chick-fil-A.
Yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Well, that's a wrap on March Fatness, we have
Chick-fil-A as our bracketwinner.
Pretty impressive.
Now you got the sound effects.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Why is that the sound effect that you guys make?
Have you ever seen?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Superstore.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
No, parks and Rec, isn't it, parks and Rec?
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Superstore Okay well now we.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Now, we still don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Anyways, thanks for the sound effects.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
You're welcome Anytime bro.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
But we're going to wrap up this first segment of
the Plugged In Podcast, episodenumber 26.
Kind of another mini episodefor you today, but we're going
to wrap up this first segment ofthe Plugged In Podcast, episode
number 26.
Kind of another mini episodefor you today, when we come back
from our break, we're going tobe talking about Jesus' farewell
message and the last thing thathe says to his disciples before
he is betrayed and executed andthen risen from the dead.
(17:17):
Easter Epic, it is epic.
It is epic.
All right, we'll be right back.
Plugged In Podcast, episodenumber 26.
Alright, welcome back.
This is part number two,episode 26.
Plugged In Podcast.
We just consumed our lunch.
I thought we'd be all hyped.
One of us is hyped.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I'm here, man.
Thank goodness for one of usbeing hyped.
I could take a nap.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Oh, I've crashed.
I'm like looking at my Bibleright now and I'm just like, oh,
the words are blurry Words arecrossing.
Jesus this and that Prayer.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I could lay my head on this table.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
So we opened up a study a couple episodes ago
called Jesus's Farewell Messageand we've kind of referenced it
a couple times in the lastcouple episodes.
But this Jesus's farewellmessage, and we've kind of
referenced it a couple of timesin the last couple episodes, but
this is Jesus really his finalwords to his disciples before
the Easter season?
So if you have your Bible, openup to John, chapter 15.
I think that's where we'restarting and we're going to look
at chapter 15, 16, and 17 today.
(18:16):
So just really basicallylooking at chapter 15.
So in the study with FrancisChan, he uses the word abide a
lot.
The translation that I havesays remain in me, but here are
the verses just starting John 15, chapter 1.
This is Jesus speaking to hisdisciples.
I am the true grapevine and myfather is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch ofmine that doesn't produce fruit
(18:39):
and he prunes the branches thatdo bear fruit so they will
produce even more.
You have already been prunedand purified by the message I
have given you Remain in me andI will remain in you, For a
branch cannot produce fruit ifit is severed from the vine, and
you cannot be fruitful unlessyou remain in me.
I think you have a thought,Nate.
(19:02):
But before you jump into that,when I was listening to Francis
Chan speak about this and heused the word abide in me and
abide in me and abide in me, hekept on going over and over.
It made me think of this.
You may know this person,Captain Wani Williams.
Yeah, I feel like, well, maybewe all did, but I knew her as
Wani Yep and then I knew her asa Lieutenant, Wani Inn.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
And now she's.
It sounds very professional,captain Wani Williams, but I
remember there was some programwe were doing and and she sent
me a track that she was going tobe using for something that she
was putting together.
And she sent me the track andthe name of the track was like
resting in God's presence forfive hours.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
And I was like what so?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I opened up this track.
It's massive, it's five hourslong, so I was really curious.
So I'm listening to it and it'sreally like just kind of the
wash of sound Like peaceful.
Very, very peaceful.
So I click on the album andthen the next track is called
Resting in God's Presence for 10, 10 hours.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
So it was like these massive soundtracks.
But when?
Speaker 1 (20:02):
I was listening to Francis Chan preach about this
section abide in me, abide in me.
He's talking about being insuch a distraction-filled world
that, to truly soak in themessage of what Jesus is saying,
it's hard for us to break freeof that distraction, and so he
was just kind of like dwellingon this fact of to truly be in
(20:24):
God's presence.
What are you sacrificing?
Cause we talked about in ourprevious study, you can't just
keep on adding things, can'tkeep on adding things to your
life.
So what are you taking away?
What are you sacrificing togain God's presence?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
I thought it was really interesting.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
I'm always challenged in this section that the
fruitfulness apart from me, youcan do nothing.
And I think of all the thingsthat I do, or all the things
that I produce, and notinherently bad on my own, like
good intentions sometimes, orthings that I see are helping
(21:02):
people or impacting the world,uh, or affecting my family.
And then I think of all thosethings that I do and it's not
actually rooted in in who Christis, and I look back and when I
read something that's so I don'tknow severe as apart from me.
You can do nothing, nothing.
(21:22):
I have to reevaluate.
Okay, what?
Check my heart, what are mymotives, what are my priorities?
And I?
That's the challenge that Ialways take away from this, that
that we can do good thingsapart from God.
But are those good things goingto last?
Are those good things what,what God desires for us?
Are those the best things?
(21:43):
There's the good things, andthen there's the best things.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Yeah.
And does it have eternal value?
Yeah, or does it show that tome?
Speaker 2 (21:49):
off air.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Yeah, eternal significance, like yeah, I don't
know.
I'm always convicted when Iread this because remaining like
that's an intentional action.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
You have to be intentional to remain.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
It's not just you're there, you have to take.
You have to take, uh, takesteps to remain Right.
Um, someone described it to meas like our relationship with
God.
Uh, god never moves.
Um, like we're the ones whodrift, we're the ones who walk
away, we're the ones who fillour time and our space with
other things, and God is alwaysright there.
(22:22):
Who's moved, who moved in theprocess?
Not him.
It's us who have drifted awayand have failed to remain.
And so what a challenge.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I think it's like when you think about like,
abiding, just.
We've just been even at hometalking about the amount of just
noise in our lives.
You know what I mean.
And I personally, even when Iget to the office in the morning
, I put on my Alexa and I listento music or I have something,
some music, in my headphones,like I need other things
happening.
(22:51):
When I'm cooking, I have toturn either a show or music on,
like I don't.
The silence is is almostdeafening in in some ways, and
so it's so uncomfortable to sitand remain and abide in silence
and total transparency moment.
I know I told you guys this,but when I was watching his
videos I turned it on like 1.5speed Cause, like I even in
(23:15):
those moments and I thought thisis counterintuitive he does
speak slow, to be fair.
He does, it's deliberate and Iam so prone to wander in my mind
and so I was like, let me just,let me speed this up so I can
stay, stay in the moment, but II still like I even made those,
tried to make those faster, andit's just hard, it's a hard yeah
it's a hard practice.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I had to go into the study.
To be honest, I had to rewindit several times because I would
be like really locked in,focused for two and a half
minutes and then I'd wander andthen I'd have to go back
Somewhere else.
Yeah, Christianity, thepractice of silence and solitude
.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
And I think we do something like this at Music
Conservatory every year, where,in a day filled with chaos and
noise and loudness, at the endof the day, we intentionally
come together, we'll dwell inGod's word, but then we break
off and we try to be completelyseparate from one another for
about 15 minutes and there's noI mean there's just noise that
(24:14):
happens.
Right naturally you hear the humof the room or someone coughs
or sneezes, but I mean it's likereally really a time to dig in.
Skipping down to verse 9 inchapter 15, this is another
thing that Francis Chan really,really emphasizes, to not gloss
over and normalize this.
Verse 9 says I have loved youeven as the Father has loved me.
(24:37):
Remain in my love.
When you obey my commandments,you remain in my love, just as I
obey my Father's commandmentsand remain in his love.
I have told you these things sothat you will be filled with my
joy.
Yes, your joy will overflow.
In the video series, francisChan uses this specific verse to
(24:58):
say he's like this verse justmake you worship.
You should just worship him.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Uncanny.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
No, like I said, I lock into the cinematic moments
of it and sometimes he has alittle bit of a gravelly voice
and I'm just kind of like Iclear your throat, man like, but
I have, I have the same thingso.
But no, he was like uh, I havetold you these things, so why
have you told me?
I have told you these things sothat you will be filled with my
joy.
And the idea here is, if, ifyou're filled with the joy and
(25:30):
the love of the creator of allthings, why do you need anything
else?
Why should you want anythingelse that should like just be so
.
Uh, he just kind of hammeredhome Don't normalize that.
Don't oversimplify it, becausemaybe you've grown up with a
Christian understanding.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
And it's, it's just the idea and I have this
highlighted in my, in my iPad,from a separate study on this
chapter but just this idea ofjoy isn't dependent on our
circumstance, and that'ssomething I really struggle with
.
You know, like it can take one,one thing, one conversation, to
kind of just mentally spiral meto a play called like.
(26:08):
I was talking to Nate on thephone yesterday and I was like
man, I'm just in a, I'm in a, ina spiral, I'm stuck in a spiral
and I can't get out of this andI'm just trying to not bring
this home.
But like, how many littleinstances can really spiral my
mood?
Because it's, it'scircumstantial, but this idea of
joy, like pure joy in the Lord,is not being so swayed by
(26:35):
frustration, happiness.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Yeah, it should supersede it, but it's hard.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
But like in total transparency, it is hard.
It is so hard and and it's.
I am always just convicted bythat verse and reminded about,
like this, joy and serving andloving and being in joy and dang
.
It's hard.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
Well, he talks over and over again about the
challenge that we have, ashumans, to connect with an
invisible God, and not just aninvisible God, but a God who
spirit and power and might andmajesty is so far beyond our
comprehension.
And so he's continuallybringing back in that grovelly
(27:16):
voice of just do not miss thefact that the God of heaven
wants to reside in you.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Relationship.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Take that away, Because there's a difference
between knowing what life in theSpirit is on an intellectual
basis versus knowing what lifein the Spirit is all about
experientially and living that.
(27:45):
And so he says do not normalizethat, Do not gloss over that.
You can know that the fruit ofthe Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.
But unless you are activelyremaining and abiding in God,
these things are not going to bea part of you.
In fact, everything that youproduce is good for nothing but
to be cut down and thrown intothe fire.
(28:06):
But the things that he producesin you and desires to develop
in you, those are the thingsthat are going to last.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
That's the legacy that's going to point others to
the transformative power ofJesus Christ at work in you, and
I think, yeah, I think that wecan all just kind of bring that
back into perspective.
Yeah, Looking at the very endof chapter 15.
So one thing that I like tothink about he didn't Francis
Chan didn't necessarily talkabout this in the study, but
verses 18 through 25.
So this talks about like, ifyou truly, if you truly know and
are filled with the love of God, you will understand the hatred
(28:44):
of the world.
Now what I like to think abouthere is so Jesus is saying this
to his disciples Jesus knowswhat his disciples are about to
face.
It's true, Okay, so once Jesusdies, even after he's raised
from the dead, Jesus knows thatthese people are going to be in
(29:05):
life threatening crisis forknowing him, for associating
with him, for believing in him.
And Jesus is saying the worldhated me first, but be ready.
If you, if you know my love,you will understand the hatred
of the world.
And so like without thedisciples really knowing what's
coming.
Jesus has the upper hand insaying this, but I just thought
(29:27):
I think of that perspective isinteresting to think about.
Do you want to move on tochapter 16?
Yeah, or whatever your.
Do you want to move on tochapter 16?
Yeah, or whatever your.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
it looks like you got something else.
Uh sure, um sorry Well.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
I was going to say, like when, in transitioning to
chapter 16, there's just thiscontinuation and you can find,
like this thread, even on mydiatribe of joy, but there's
it's down towards the end.
But, um, my diatribe of joy,but it's down towards the end,
but in verse 16 of chapter 16,in a little while you won't see
me anymore.
So he's talked about the HolySpirit coming, and this is
(30:05):
what's best for you, that I goaway, so the advocate of the
Holy Spirit can come.
And then he says in a littlewhile you won't see him anymore,
but a little while after thatyou will see me again.
And so he's talking to thedisciples about what this means.
And then there's just this ideaabout how even our grief and our
sadness and the grief that thedisciples are going to
(30:26):
experience in Christ's deathwill be turned into their joy.
And that just kind of carriesover.
I mean, think of our lives andthink about, you know, grief and
think about the sadness and thedifficulties that we face, and
just just this idea that there'sgrief is is deeper than like
(30:48):
surface value, like like theLord wants to use that.
Um, and I just again, I just Icould, I could go on and on
about the idea of joy, becauseit's something I'm so convicted
by.
But the Lord can use literallyanything, even our deepest,
darkest moments, to be used forjoy which is not dependent upon
the situation.
(31:08):
Circumstance yeah, thecircumstance and I mean these
disciples.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
They went, like you, think of how their lives ended,
these disciples.
They went, like you, think ofhow their lives ended.
So many of them, you know,persecuted, executed, scattered,
exiled think of John exiledonto the island of Patmos.
And just like, like their faith, the faith that Jesus is
(31:30):
talking about here was, was putto the test pretty rapidly after
he left them.
And so he's he's very, he's,very clear to say I'm telling
you these things that you won'tabandon your faith, because
there is, there's going to comethings that you're going to
confront, things that will putyour faith to the test.
And are you going to withstand?
Are you going to cling on thepromise that an advocate, the
(31:52):
Holy spirit, is with you throughit all, or are you going to
feel like you're overmatched andyou are all alone and you're
abandoned?
And I mean, there aresituations in our own lives
where we feel like we're walkingthrough something that nobody
else understands my struggle.
Nobody else could ever, youknow, withstand what I'm facing
right now.
But we have an advocate whodoes.
(32:14):
You know, Scripture says thathe intercedes on our behalf,
that he prays the words that wedon't even know how to pray for
ourselves.
And so, when we really wrap ourminds around this beautiful
gift of the Holy Spirit.
We have that companion, thatcomforter, that peace, but the
one who also leads us intothings that are true.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Can I put verses to what you're saying?
Maybe Maybe you already readthis.
So Jesus is right before heprays.
Chapter 17 is Jesus' prayer.
But right before that, jesussays in verse 28 of chapter 16,
yes, I came from the Father intothe world, and now I will leave
the world and return to theFather.
Now here's a moment of realism.
Then his disciples said At lastyou are speaking plainly and
(32:54):
not figuratively.
Now we understand that you knoweverything and there's no need
to question you From this.
We believe that you came fromGod.
And then Jesus asked.
So here's verses 31 through 33.
Do you finally believe?
But the time is coming Indeed,it's here now.
When you will be scattered,each one going his own way,
leaving me alone.
When you will be scattered,each one going his own way,
(33:14):
leaving me alone.
Yet I am not alone because theFather is with me.
I have told you all this sothat you may have peace in me,
here on earth.
You will have many trials andsorrows, and then this is the
best part, but take heart,because I have overcome the
world.
I've already won.
I've already won.
I know some crap is coming up,but I've already won.
(33:37):
I just got chills I think it'sthe milkshake, and then we move
on.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
any more thoughts on those two chapters before we
wrap this up again, I'm alwayshumbled by the fact that even
the disciples who witnessed andsaw had uh doubts and
inabilities to believe, and sothe lord has grace for our
humanity and so when we havethose moments of doubt and when
(34:10):
you know the dark thoughts mightwin, like the lord has grace
with us and understanding hegets us, and so that now you get
it, now you understand, that'sjust always a reminder for me.
Like I'm, I'm okay, I'm human.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
I'm good, Two things.
Two things really stick out forme personally, and that's one
um, what separates Jesus fromany other God is that he lived
our experience.
You know God with us, emmanuel.
He walked where we walk, helived where we lived.
He feels what we feel andbecause of that he identifies
(34:46):
with us in our weakness.
And so we have a personal Godwho knows our experience and
comforts us in the midst of ourgrief.
And then I'm also always struckthat the week leading up to the
cross, you know, jesus's mindand heart could have been
anywhere else, but he's spendinghis time praying for us, like
we are on his minds as he'spreparing to go to the cross,
(35:09):
and we as individuals, but we ashis church, as the bride of
Christ, we are precious to himand it gives us hope.
It gives us hope in a worldthat is constant chaos and
conflict and division.
If he's praying for oneness, ifhe's praying for peace, if he's
praying for us to exhibit thelove of the Father, that this
relationship that they share, ifthat's his prayer for us, then
(35:33):
we have a holy calling, each oneof us, and those are the things
that are most impressed upon myheart.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
So you just used the word unity or oneness, but that
into chapter 17.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
I'm sorry I jumped ahead.
No, I mean, that's a perfectsegue.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
I mean, if you want to keep talking about it, you
can, but chapter 17,.
So you just said it, you justsaid the words, but, uh, before
this is all over, he's praying.
He's praying for us.
Yeah, so he talks about in thischapter, uh, the unity of the
church, the unity amongst thedisciples, um, and how important
this is.
Um, I, I lost the verse, Idon't.
(36:11):
I don't remember exactly whereit is, but there's a verse that
basically says I don't want tothe 21.
21.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Oh yes, is that what you're talking about?
I?
Speaker 1 (36:21):
pray that they will all be one, just as you and I
are one, as you are in me,father, and I am in you, and may
they be in us so that the worldwill believe you sent me.
Yeah, that's the one.
So I mean the idea here.
The unity of the church is theproof to the world that this man
(36:41):
is the son of God.
When people see how we interactwith each other, it's that
Christian witness of just youdon't have to say anything,
people see you.
They see how you live your life,how you interact with other
people.
Are you different?
Is your witness different,outwardly different?
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Yeah, I think that in the world the idea of unity can
be so easily confused with likeuniformity and unity is not all
thinking the same, looking thesame, acting the same.
You know that's not unitythinking the same, looking the
same, acting the same.
That's not unity.
Unity is all of our creativegifts, abilities given to us by
the Lord, all of our languagesand everything, being united in
(37:27):
the understanding of who Christis and who we are in Christ, not
washing away our uniquenessesand our and like who were who we
were creatively meant to be.
I think that, uh, can you know,kind of diminish the creativity
of our God to think ofuniformity, and so I think
(37:48):
there's just this, like I don'tknow this, this pair, this uh
misunderstanding of unity beinglike we all need to be the same,
no, like we can all think bedifferent, and that's what the
lord wants of us yeah, and thinkI mean, like, just think of,
even in the church, how manydifferent denominations and
interpretations there are and,uh, people that say it has to be
(38:11):
this way, in this way.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
And what jesus is trying to say, the the unity
that he's concerned about, isthat we are united in spirit and
in truth.
But we don't know that truthunless we look back a little bit
into verse 17, where he saysmake them holy by your truth,
teach them your word, which istruth.
Just as I sent, just as yousent me into the world, I am
sending them into the world.
We have the truth through thevisible manifestation of jesus
(38:39):
christ amongst us, who live thetruth, and because we know jesus
, we know the father's heart,and that enables us to carry
forth his truth to the ends ofthe earth.
And so when we're talking aboutthis, this unity of spirit and
of truth, we need to be peoplewho are remaining in Christ, so
that the world can sit back andtake notice that there is
(39:01):
something different about arelationship with the Lord
compared to a relationship withthe world.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Amen.
So that's going to wrap up oursegment of Jesus's farewell
message here on the Plugged InPodcast.
Now, obviously, these chaptersJohn 14, 15, 16, and 17,.
You know we talked about thisin 20 minutes on this episode,
maybe another 10 on the otherepisode.
That's not really the point,right?
(39:29):
That's not the point of this.
The Bible doesn't come out andsay like these are the most
important things I'm going totell you in the work of my
ministry.
And maybe they're not, butsituationally it just lends
itself to.
He's running out of time.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Right, what we?
What do you?
What are you going to say inyour final hour?
Yeah, it's probably important.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
What are you going to waste your breath on?
Right, yeah, it's going to bethe important stuff.
I was like that's strong.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Yeah, so take your Bible.
Open up your Bible.
If you can access right nowmedia, I do think this study is
helpful.
But if you don't have that,open the Bible.
John 14 through 17,.
That can lead you into theEaster season.
I think a lot of us are veryfamiliar with what happened
after he says these words.
That's kind of the much moreyeah.
I know how that goes, but theseare not simple sentences to
(40:22):
just kind of like.
I mean, we had already admittedwe were watching the study in
our car.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
That's not the point, not the point.
Maybe not you.
No, I was, I totally was.
I think I did.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
But actually sitting down with the word and trying to
digest what this is saying andagain, you mentioned this and I
really resonate this with this,but allowing yourself the grace
to still be confused at somepoints Like that's okay because
God showed it was okay that theydidn't understand right at
first.
Are you going to say something?
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Well, I just said, even in the study there's a
section where where FrancisChan's talking about you know
greater things, you will doafter me, which Jesus says to
the disciples.
And even Francis is like.
I really struggle with this,like how am I supposed to to
come to grips with the fact thatwe're going to do greater
things than Jesus himself?
And so he even says you know, Idon't understand all, all of
this, but I trust that thespirit of truth is continuing to
(41:15):
reveal this stuff to me as Icontinue to grow.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
His authenticity there.
Cause it's just like you knowwe need to be able to ask
questions yeah.
You know, there are some thingsthis side of heaven that we
will never truly grasp, it'strue, but if we have the
foundational truth central towho we are, um, I truly believe
that his spirit is going tocontinue to work in each one of
us and reveal his kingdom in us.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Very good.
Well, that'll be a wrap todayon the Plugged In Podcast,
episode number 26.
If you haven't done so, go backto episode 25, our yam special.
Maybe one of our betterepisodes, yeah that was a solid
one, guys.
It was a good one.
The yam overnighter was reallygreat.
We might touch on that in thenext episode.
So one more episode after thisYep, and we're actually going to
(41:58):
try to like sign off for theseason.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Let's wrap this.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
It's not going to be like there's an episode and then
like a seven-month like justdisappearance.
Hiatus.
We're going to try to have onemore episode and we're going to
sign off.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
It took two years, but we're getting realistic.
Yeah, yeah, realistic yeah,yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
So we're gonna sign off and then you won't hear from
us.
Uh, for the summer and then,pending who knows what, we'll be
back for another season in thefall yeah, so we'll, we'll see
all right.
Well, this has been the pluggedin podcast, episode number 26,
and we will see you next time.
Thank you.
hello everyone.
Welcome back to the plugged inpodcast.
This is episode number 26 andwe have a special treat for well
, not really for you.
We have a special treat for ustoday true we are celebrating
the end of march, fatness.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Just look at this table and you can see on the
table.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
We've got some coffees.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Matt has two coffees.
I do have two coffees, one, twoJust for A lot of coffees on
the table, I see some milkshakes, fries, nuggets.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
I made the horrible decision of getting a sandwich
for this show.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
It's awesome.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
But the bracket yes, it's awesome.
Yeah, but the bracket yeah,we've reached a winner.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
We've reached a winner by a margin of three
votes.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Three votes.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
We have dubbed Chick-fil-A as the winner of the
March Fatness 2025 bracket.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
No surprise, thank you for interrupting.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I'm sorry.
I was so excited With yourexcitement.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Well, first of all, I think it's funny that this
bracket continued as long as itdid.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Wait, can I eat?
Yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It was so large.
This bracket was so large thatit spilled over into April and
finally, we found this beautifulconclusion, which I believed
from the start was going to bethis.
Duncan versus Chick-fil-a.
Yeah, I thought that I Ithought that was going to be,
you did just fair warning, nateyou are talking I'm trying.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It's amazing, I'm trying so hard to not chew into
this microphone right now,embrace it I know I will not.
Um, nate has is going to justgo on so many diatribes and
tangents today, because evenposting the Duncan versus
Chick-fil-A he had a lot to say.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So let's just get ready the more he talks, the
more we can eat.
That's true.
Keep going.
So go ahead, nate, tell usabout the bracket.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
I was really fired up .
But anyways, I think, before weget to where we are right now
in this championship showdownwhich you know, I can hear the
chewing.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
It's so funny we need to talk about how we got here
right we need to talk about whomade it to the final four in
those Elite Eight matchups.
Tell me about it.
I'm going to grab a milkshake.
Go ahead, so our final.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
We should just for those who are listening, we
should just tell everyone whatwe're doing.
I'm eating a chicken nugget, goahead.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Nate.
Our final four matchup was ourregion winner of the fast food,
which was none other thanChick-fil-A Chick-fil-A yeah
Versus our winner of the fastcasual region, which was kind of
a surprise.
Five guys, five guys ended upthe winner over there.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
That was number.
I don't like that.
I don't like that at all.
You don't like that.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
No.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I don't Well, because Domino's was Well.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
I mean Is that why?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Why don't you like it ?
Speaker 1 (02:44):
No, I'm going to get off this Domino's hill.
I do love Domino's, but we'vetalked about that enough.
There's been too many clips nowon the internet.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Hey, I really liked your Domino's clips yeah but
Five Guys.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
I just I don't really get it.
I don't.
I don't.
Okay, I don't know.
It takes kind of long to make.
They usually give you too manyfries, I understand.
Is that a problem?
But I mean, I don't want tofinish all that.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And then I throw it away.
And then when I'm throwing foodaway, I feel bad, I do.
A little bit of guilt, that'strue, but anyways, go ahead.
Sorry I interrupted.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Okay, so that was that side of the bracket and
then we had on the other end ofthe bracket we had Dunkin'
number one versus our sit-downrestaurant, which was also a
surprise, in my opinion TexasRoadhouse.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
That I'm annoyed.
I don't get it.
I'm annoyed, guys.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
I mean, I love Texas.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Roadhouse.
Why did that?
I don't know.
Why, I don't know?
Did we not have enough goodchoices for Sit Down?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
We had Cheesecake Factory.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Well, Olive Garden, the number two seed.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So what's the draw?
I mean, it has to come from thelisteners, but what's the draw
for Texas Roadhouse?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
That's my question too.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Like, are people going for steak?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Is it the rolls?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Is it the rolls and the cinnamon butter?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I come from the midwest and I feel like steak is
like it's legit, it's, it'sbetter there than it is here,
yeah, but I don't know, Iwouldn't associate, I wouldn't
go to texas roadhouse for asteak.
I just I don't know.
Yeah, what do you go there forburgers?
I get ribs, rolls, rolls, okayall right just kidding.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Well, it gets ribs yeah their um their onion
blossom at texas roadhouse isnot as good as the one from
Outback.
I don't know, it's a differentbread.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I want to hear from the voters.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
We need some comments from the voters.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Well, Texas Roadhouse also went way downhill the
moment that peanut allergiesbecame a universally accepted
thing.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Universally accepted yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Before it was like you know, just launch those
peanut shells like a biologicalweapon, throw them all over the
place and if someone dies, ifthey die, they die.
But now, now they die.
Now they give you the nicelittle convenient package, but
they don't.
You know, it's not likeunlimited anymore, they just
give you that one bag and it'slike don't throw them on the
(05:00):
floor, Put them in this littletin.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Should I ask specifically, like should I call
people out who voted for TexasRoadhouse?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
and ask them.
That's strong.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Voting is supposed to be anonymous.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I didn't know, I had the power.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
You can't go into the polling place and then take a
picture of your ballot.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
This is not a presidential election.
This is the most.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
March fatness.
It's close, march fatness.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
This means a lot to people.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I want to know.
I want to know the why that wasour final four.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Real quick story.
When we were young, my dadfound out that you could walk
into.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
They came out.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
When we were children , my dad found out that you
could walk into Five Guys andbuy a box of their peanuts, and
so he did and brought it homeand we had like a 25-pound box
of peanuts.
But Larissa is very allergic topeanuts and he totally forgot,
and so she has held on to thatfor like 15 years.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
But she survived, she made it she survived.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
But what's crazy is.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well, if Nate lived there, he'd be like if she dies,
she dies.
Yeah, really.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Tough crowd over here .
But what's crazy is she wasable to eat Reese's peanut
butter cups.
I guess there's not real peanutbutter.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
What yeah, oh interesting.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Or it's just Larissa being.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Larissa Processed.
Before Nate goes through therest of the bracket, can you
tell our listeners and corporate?
Chick-fil-a responded to you.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Wait, I keep forgetting we're actually
recording because I'm so excitedby all what's happening right
now.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
But, Chick-fil-A.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I tagged them in the region winner and they wrote us
back.
Guys, they wrote us back.
And not only did they write usback, we had conversation.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
They probably listen.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
They're probably like this is a.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Christian podcast.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yes, let's tag them.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Let's write back to them.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
So they wrote back and they said, which I posted on
our socials, they said threecheers for chicken.
So then I was like we're suchbig fans.
I was like we're fansespecially of the Walpole
Massachusetts location.
And then I was like we're fansespecially of the Walpole
Massachusetts location, whoop,whoop.
And then I was like feel freeto sponsor our next episode and
(07:10):
then they didn't say it.
They didn't respond to that,but they said like have a great
day.
Well, they said thanks for beingfans and like an emoji, and I
said it's our pleasure.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yes, I was so happy with myself.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
I was like like oh, my word, they haven't responded
to that yet, but I feel likethey're over me.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
But anytime we went back and forth, anytime I go to
chick-fil-a I'm just waiting forthat.
Yeah, are you gonna say it?
Are you gonna say so?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
wait, why three cheers for chicken?
Anyone know?
I know I have a theory hip hiphooray no father son, holy ghost
stop yes, too deep, that's toomuch Faith application man,
Three cheers for chicken hasspiritual significance,
everything has spiritualsignificance.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Wow.
Anyways, guys, nate is on ittoday.
I don't have anything to say tothat.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
I don't know if that's blasphemous, but I feel
like God loves chicken too.
Okay, All right Well.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Can you just move on?
You're making me concerned.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
You know the story of the two loaves and the five
chickens.
Or wait, did I mix that up?
Yeah, I always mix that up,sorry.
So we got to our championshipround.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
We got to our championship round, which was
our fast food representative,chick-fil-a number one seed,
versus Dunk Duncan, which is thecoffee slash dessert
representative, which I have abone to pick about that
classification.
Here we go.
All right, here we go, if youwill, if you will give me the
floor.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I'm ready with ourselves.
We made the bracket.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
I'm about to filibuster.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
You made the bracket.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So here we go, Filibuster hey let me get show
perfect timing.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yes, I feel like if duncan was okay, here's a hot
take, hot take.
Duncan coffee is not that good.
It's like it's like a six outof ten, it's like a c plus.
Everyone knows this.
Yeah, that's not why they getit.
So thank you but if you're, ifyou're the the coffee slash
dessert category, right like Iwouldn't go there for desserts
either.
Their donuts are worse thanKrispy Kreme.
Their donuts are worse than anylike.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Also this is not a hot take.
This is not a hot take.
Oh, it is spicy.
Yeah, it is spicy.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
That's more than usual.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Thank goodness you got a milkshake.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm good Go ahead, okay,so you don't go there for their
donuts, you know what I mean.
Like you go there because ofthe convenience.
Yeah, you go there because oftheir app, their app is great.
I will say this.
I will say their app is great,but I also say Chick-fil-A's app
is great as well, in terms ofrewards and also just the ease
of convenience.
They have oversaturated themarket.
(09:41):
I'm going to throw somethingelse out there.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Okay, this is a theory that I have with Duncan.
We all love community.
That's why we like sports teams.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
We all love being a part of something bigger than
ourselves, and that is such anidentity of New England, it's
true, and Boston, yep, I thinkeven if the coffee is not great,
even if the donuts are notspectacular, it is like the same
thing in New York walkingaround wearing a Yankees hat, if
(10:11):
you're walking around in NewEngland holding a Dunkin' Coffee
, you're a part of the team.
So I think it's an identitything.
I really do, yeah, like you'rejust part of the culture.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
And I'm sorry, but if you have not visited their
socials, their socials are topnotch.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
They are so witty and funny Like they just have it
Well the last couple of years,the Super Bowl commercials
Belichick and Brady and Damon,they've got everyone, but they
weren't good enough to respondto you.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
So that is true.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
I mean, I did tag them.
But, maybe this is what bringsthem to the table.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
All right.
So here's my question then Ifyou could improve what, what?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
No, you've spoken a lot.
I'm going to stop talking withmy mouth full.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
I thought you told me to talk because you guys wanted
to eat.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Okay, keep going, I do.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
All right, so I'm just listening.
If you could improve, duncan,what's?
Speaker 1 (11:01):
one thing you would do to improve Duncan.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Well, my mouth is full now, but so I have a beef.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Radio silence.
Can't wait for it.
The Duncan in Hanover.
I have a beef with you Aspecific call out.
Yeah, yeah, for real.
Well, I drop my kids off atdaycare and, like I get a coffee
every single morning.
I drop them off, I get a coffeefrom my car.
It's like probably 30, 40minutes from Hanover to get to
DHQ.
Right, it's obnoxious, but Ihave to have that coffee
(11:30):
Recently.
I don't understand, but liketheir current batch of cups leak
out the bottom.
Every single one of them.
Yeah, and I don't understand.
Every single one of them.
Yeah, and I don't understandlike they'll hand me a coffee
with, like, clearly a driprunning down the side with no
napkins and I'm just like guysyeah, there I'm driving my car
(11:51):
like I don't want this all overme, but then I'll put it in the
cup holder and each time I pickit up it starts pooling up,
because it's actually drippingout, the bottom yeah it's the
paper we gotta fix that it's thepaper cups.
No, it's true they can do it.
That's my beef with duncan.
Okay, I'm trying to think Ialso this.
I had this thought a coupledays ago and this is truly a
march fatness theme.
So when you do get hash browns,yeah, from duncan, I just like.
(12:16):
I don't have an issue with thequality, they're just hash
browns, but I like just give melike two more.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Yeah, no, I agree.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
I just want like two more.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
The amount of times I've reached in that bag.
The amount of times I'vereached in that bag thinking
there was another one in thereand there wasn't it was a sad
day.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Just give me one or two more hash browns, but
they're also like pretty soggy,like McDonald's gives you ones.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
No, sometimes they're nice and crispy Okay.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I've always had them salty.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
You don't get enough.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
I got crispy ones recently, but now I was just
like just one more.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
What's your top donut at Dunkin' Donuts?
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I'm pretty boring when it comes to donuts.
I'm like chocolate frosted,just pretty straight.
Caleb and Mackenzie right nowlove Well.
First of all, we don't everreally let them have donuts.
But if I go through to get acoffee it's like yell and scream
like, but they want the uh, thepink strawberry with sprinkles,
that's good that's good, butthen caleb quote unquote eats
(13:11):
his donut is it just the top?
just tears off the and then likesays here you go I'm done, and
hands me, like the whole donut,the bottom of it, yeah, 100.
Yeah, we usually oh, I don't,I'm not really a donut person.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I want to like, not I just want I'm done, and hands
me, like the whole donut, thebottom of it, yeah Right, a
hundred percent.
Yeah, we usually oh, I don't,I'm not really a donut person.
I want to like not, I just wantcoffee.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
fair, I don't really like their bagels because
they're not New York bagels.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Like once.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Once you've had a New York bagel you can't really.
This is the danger of eating onthe air Best episode and I also
just drank, an energy drink, soanyways.
But if I had to get a donut, itwould be the jelly donut.
I don't really waste carbs onother donuts.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Okay, fair, I'm a blueberry or Boston cream kind
of guy.
I will say their egg bites arereally really good.
Yeah, they are good.
Adam was talking about theiregg bites are really really good
.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Yeah, they are good.
Adam was talking about theiregg bites, but I'm not their
their breakfast sandwiches.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Like they're not as good as mcdonald's in my opinion
so chick-fil-a, do you thinkthey have like?
Speaker 1 (14:11):
do you think they're more successful because they
have a limited menu but they doit with like excellence?
Or is it just the chicken?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
like what is it?
That's a fair thought.
I don't.
Their chicken is just so good.
Their chicken is so good.
There's definitely a freshcomponent, and their mac and
cheese is good too.
Jackson gets that.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
There's definitely like a fresh component to it
that it's not like we'rereheating a bunch of just like
you know stuff that you throw ina microwave.
So there's a fresh component toit.
I think the service quality,the drive-thru is so impressive.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Whoever invented the Chick-fil-A drive-thru system
needs to run our nationalelections.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yes, I agree, run our government in general.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You know, on presidential election night when
you're waiting for Miami-DadeCounty hasn't counted their
all-over.
Whoever runs Chick-fil-A needsto run the elections.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
That is speedy.
They have those little pop-uptents that go around their
drive-thru personnel.
They have thought of everything.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
They have the drive-thru heaters that are warm
as you drive through.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
I will say one of my only gripes with Chick-fil-A is
if there's a long drive-thruline, now this is a plus and a
negative, so someone will comeby to take your order.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
And I'm like you're locked in.
No, but I'm like dude, I'm like10 cars from the board and I
don't know what I want.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
yet that's true.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
So you either got to show me your iPad or like I
don't know what's going on.
But he's just like what do you?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
what's your order?
If I had to criticize themClosed on Sunday yeah I'd say I
think it's a plus and a minus.
It's a plus for the kingdom butit's a minus for my flesh that
they're closed on Sunday, right.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
That's gotta be good.
I'd be curious to talk.
You're ridiculous, I'd becurious to talk to someone who
works there.
Like for employee morale.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Like to have a scheduled day off.
Nobody works, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
It is, it's got to be good.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
I would think so.
Yeah, are you?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
eating any of these fries.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
I'm sorry, you have not eaten any.
Yeah, I will.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
That is true.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Well, that's all I got to say.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Let us chew.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Let us chew All right .
Well, any more thoughts aboutMarch fatness I know there was
some controversy.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
I think it was good.
I think in the end I mean inthe end we really couldn't have
fit anything else on this table,so I think it had to be
Chick-fil-A.
Yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Well, that's a wrap on March Fatness, we have
Chick-fil-A as our bracketwinner.
Pretty impressive.
Now you got the sound effects.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Why is that the sound effect that you guys make?
Have you ever seen?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Superstore.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
No, parks and Rec, isn't it, parks and Rec?
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Superstore Okay well now we.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Now, we still don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Anyways, thanks for the sound effects.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
You're welcome Anytime bro.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
But we're going to wrap up this first segment of
the Plugged In Podcast, episodenumber 26.
Kind of another mini episodefor you today, but we're going
to wrap up this first segment ofthe Plugged In Podcast, episode
number 26.
Kind of another mini episodefor you today, when we come back
from our break, we're going tobe talking about Jesus' farewell
message and the last thing thathe says to his disciples before
he is betrayed and executed andthen risen from the dead.
(17:17):
Easter Epic, it is epic.
It is epic.
All right, we'll be right back.
Plugged In Podcast, episodenumber 26.
Alright, welcome back.
This is part number two,episode 26.
Plugged In Podcast.
We just consumed our lunch.
I thought we'd be all hyped.
One of us is hyped.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I'm here, man.
Thank goodness for one of usbeing hyped.
I could take a nap.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Oh, I've crashed.
I'm like looking at my Bibleright now and I'm just like, oh,
the words are blurry Words arecrossing.
Jesus this and that Prayer.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I could lay my head on this table.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
So we opened up a study a couple episodes ago
called Jesus's Farewell Messageand we've kind of referenced it
a couple times in the lastcouple episodes.
But this Jesus's farewellmessage, and we've kind of
referenced it a couple of timesin the last couple episodes, but
this is Jesus really his finalwords to his disciples before
the Easter season?
So if you have your Bible, openup to John, chapter 15.
I think that's where we'restarting and we're going to look
at chapter 15, 16, and 17 today.
(18:16):
So just really basicallylooking at chapter 15.
So in the study with FrancisChan, he uses the word abide a
lot.
The translation that I havesays remain in me, but here are
the verses just starting John 15, chapter 1.
This is Jesus speaking to hisdisciples.
I am the true grapevine and myfather is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch ofmine that doesn't produce fruit
(18:39):
and he prunes the branches thatdo bear fruit so they will
produce even more.
You have already been prunedand purified by the message I
have given you Remain in me andI will remain in you, For a
branch cannot produce fruit ifit is severed from the vine, and
you cannot be fruitful unlessyou remain in me.
I think you have a thought,Nate.
(19:02):
But before you jump into that,when I was listening to Francis
Chan speak about this and heused the word abide in me and
abide in me and abide in me, hekept on going over and over.
It made me think of this.
You may know this person,Captain Wani Williams.
Yeah, I feel like, well, maybewe all did, but I knew her as
Wani Yep and then I knew her asa Lieutenant, Wani Inn.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
And now she's.
It sounds very professional,captain Wani Williams, but I
remember there was some programwe were doing and and she sent
me a track that she was going tobe using for something that she
was putting together.
And she sent me the track andthe name of the track was like
resting in God's presence forfive hours.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
And I was like what so?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I opened up this track.
It's massive, it's five hourslong, so I was really curious.
So I'm listening to it and it'sreally like just kind of the
wash of sound Like peaceful.
Very, very peaceful.
So I click on the album andthen the next track is called
Resting in God's Presence for 10, 10 hours.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
So it was like these massive soundtracks.
But when?
Speaker 1 (20:02):
I was listening to Francis Chan preach about this
section abide in me, abide in me.
He's talking about being insuch a distraction-filled world
that, to truly soak in themessage of what Jesus is saying,
it's hard for us to break freeof that distraction, and so he
was just kind of like dwellingon this fact of to truly be in
(20:24):
God's presence.
What are you sacrificing?
Cause we talked about in ourprevious study, you can't just
keep on adding things, can'tkeep on adding things to your
life.
So what are you taking away?
What are you sacrificing togain God's presence?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
I thought it was really interesting.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
I'm always challenged in this section that the
fruitfulness apart from me, youcan do nothing.
And I think of all the thingsthat I do, or all the things
that I produce, and notinherently bad on my own, like
good intentions sometimes, orthings that I see are helping
(21:02):
people or impacting the world,uh, or affecting my family.
And then I think of all thosethings that I do and it's not
actually rooted in in who Christis, and I look back and when I
read something that's so I don'tknow severe as apart from me.
You can do nothing, nothing.
(21:22):
I have to reevaluate.
Okay, what?
Check my heart, what are mymotives, what are my priorities?
And I?
That's the challenge that Ialways take away from this, that
that we can do good thingsapart from God.
But are those good things goingto last?
Are those good things what,what God desires for us?
Are those the best things?
(21:43):
There's the good things, andthen there's the best things.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Yeah.
And does it have eternal value?
Yeah, or does it show that tome?
Speaker 2 (21:49):
off air.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Yeah, eternal significance, like yeah, I don't
know.
I'm always convicted when Iread this because remaining like
that's an intentional action.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
You have to be intentional to remain.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
It's not just you're there, you have to take.
You have to take, uh, takesteps to remain Right.
Um, someone described it to meas like our relationship with
God.
Uh, god never moves.
Um, like we're the ones whodrift, we're the ones who walk
away, we're the ones who fillour time and our space with
other things, and God is alwaysright there.
(22:22):
Who's moved, who moved in theprocess?
Not him.
It's us who have drifted awayand have failed to remain.
And so what a challenge.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I think it's like when you think about like,
abiding, just.
We've just been even at hometalking about the amount of just
noise in our lives.
You know what I mean.
And I personally, even when Iget to the office in the morning
, I put on my Alexa and I listento music or I have something,
some music, in my headphones,like I need other things
happening.
(22:51):
When I'm cooking, I have toturn either a show or music on,
like I don't.
The silence is is almostdeafening in in some ways, and
so it's so uncomfortable to sitand remain and abide in silence
and total transparency moment.
I know I told you guys this,but when I was watching his
videos I turned it on like 1.5speed Cause, like I even in
(23:15):
those moments and I thought thisis counterintuitive he does
speak slow, to be fair.
He does, it's deliberate and Iam so prone to wander in my mind
and so I was like, let me just,let me speed this up so I can
stay, stay in the moment, but II still like I even made those,
tried to make those faster, andit's just hard, it's a hard yeah
it's a hard practice.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I had to go into the study.
To be honest, I had to rewindit several times because I would
be like really locked in,focused for two and a half
minutes and then I'd wander andthen I'd have to go back
Somewhere else.
Yeah, Christianity, thepractice of silence and solitude
.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
And I think we do something like this at Music
Conservatory every year, where,in a day filled with chaos and
noise and loudness, at the endof the day, we intentionally
come together, we'll dwell inGod's word, but then we break
off and we try to be completelyseparate from one another for
about 15 minutes and there's noI mean there's just noise that
(24:14):
happens.
Right naturally you hear the humof the room or someone coughs
or sneezes, but I mean it's likereally really a time to dig in.
Skipping down to verse 9 inchapter 15, this is another
thing that Francis Chan really,really emphasizes, to not gloss
over and normalize this.
Verse 9 says I have loved youeven as the Father has loved me.
(24:37):
Remain in my love.
When you obey my commandments,you remain in my love, just as I
obey my Father's commandmentsand remain in his love.
I have told you these things sothat you will be filled with my
joy.
Yes, your joy will overflow.
In the video series, francisChan uses this specific verse to
(24:58):
say he's like this verse justmake you worship.
You should just worship him.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Uncanny.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
No, like I said, I lock into the cinematic moments
of it and sometimes he has alittle bit of a gravelly voice
and I'm just kind of like Iclear your throat, man like, but
I have, I have the same thingso.
But no, he was like uh, I havetold you these things, so why
have you told me?
I have told you these things sothat you will be filled with my
joy.
And the idea here is, if, ifyou're filled with the joy and
(25:30):
the love of the creator of allthings, why do you need anything
else?
Why should you want anythingelse that should like just be so
.
Uh, he just kind of hammeredhome Don't normalize that.
Don't oversimplify it, becausemaybe you've grown up with a
Christian understanding.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
And it's, it's just the idea and I have this
highlighted in my, in my iPad,from a separate study on this
chapter but just this idea ofjoy isn't dependent on our
circumstance, and that'ssomething I really struggle with
.
You know, like it can take one,one thing, one conversation, to
kind of just mentally spiral meto a play called like.
(26:08):
I was talking to Nate on thephone yesterday and I was like
man, I'm just in a, I'm in a, ina spiral, I'm stuck in a spiral
and I can't get out of this andI'm just trying to not bring
this home.
But like, how many littleinstances can really spiral my
mood?
Because it's, it'scircumstantial, but this idea of
joy, like pure joy in the Lord,is not being so swayed by
(26:35):
frustration, happiness.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Yeah, it should supersede it, but it's hard.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
But like in total transparency, it is hard.
It is so hard and and it's.
I am always just convicted bythat verse and reminded about,
like this, joy and serving andloving and being in joy and dang
.
It's hard.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
Well, he talks over and over again about the
challenge that we have, ashumans, to connect with an
invisible God, and not just aninvisible God, but a God who
spirit and power and might andmajesty is so far beyond our
comprehension.
And so he's continuallybringing back in that grovelly
(27:16):
voice of just do not miss thefact that the God of heaven
wants to reside in you.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Relationship.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Take that away, Because there's a difference
between knowing what life in theSpirit is on an intellectual
basis versus knowing what lifein the Spirit is all about
experientially and living that.
(27:45):
And so he says do not normalizethat, Do not gloss over that.
You can know that the fruit ofthe Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.
But unless you are activelyremaining and abiding in God,
these things are not going to bea part of you.
In fact, everything that youproduce is good for nothing but
to be cut down and thrown intothe fire.
(28:06):
But the things that he producesin you and desires to develop
in you, those are the thingsthat are going to last.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
That's the legacy that's going to point others to
the transformative power ofJesus Christ at work in you, and
I think, yeah, I think that wecan all just kind of bring that
back into perspective.
Yeah, Looking at the very endof chapter 15.
So one thing that I like tothink about he didn't Francis
Chan didn't necessarily talkabout this in the study, but
verses 18 through 25.
So this talks about like, ifyou truly, if you truly know and
are filled with the love of God, you will understand the hatred
(28:44):
of the world.
Now what I like to think abouthere is so Jesus is saying this
to his disciples Jesus knowswhat his disciples are about to
face.
It's true, Okay, so once Jesusdies, even after he's raised
from the dead, Jesus knows thatthese people are going to be in
(29:05):
life threatening crisis forknowing him, for associating
with him, for believing in him.
And Jesus is saying the worldhated me first, but be ready.
If you, if you know my love,you will understand the hatred
of the world.
And so like without thedisciples really knowing what's
coming.
Jesus has the upper hand insaying this, but I just thought
(29:27):
I think of that perspective isinteresting to think about.
Do you want to move on tochapter 16?
Yeah, or whatever your.
Do you want to move on tochapter 16?
Yeah, or whatever your.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
it looks like you got something else.
Uh sure, um sorry Well.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
I was going to say, like when, in transitioning to
chapter 16, there's just thiscontinuation and you can find,
like this thread, even on mydiatribe of joy, but there's
it's down towards the end.
But, um, my diatribe of joy,but it's down towards the end,
but in verse 16 of chapter 16,in a little while you won't see
me anymore.
So he's talked about the HolySpirit coming, and this is
(30:05):
what's best for you, that I goaway, so the advocate of the
Holy Spirit can come.
And then he says in a littlewhile you won't see him anymore,
but a little while after thatyou will see me again.
And so he's talking to thedisciples about what this means.
And then there's just this ideaabout how even our grief and our
sadness and the grief that thedisciples are going to
(30:26):
experience in Christ's deathwill be turned into their joy.
And that just kind of carriesover.
I mean, think of our lives andthink about, you know, grief and
think about the sadness and thedifficulties that we face, and
just just this idea that there'sgrief is is deeper than like
(30:48):
surface value, like like theLord wants to use that.
Um, and I just again, I just Icould, I could go on and on
about the idea of joy, becauseit's something I'm so convicted
by.
But the Lord can use literallyanything, even our deepest,
darkest moments, to be used forjoy which is not dependent upon
the situation.
(31:08):
Circumstance yeah, thecircumstance and I mean these
disciples.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
They went, like you, think of how their lives ended,
these disciples.
They went, like you, think ofhow their lives ended.
So many of them, you know,persecuted, executed, scattered,
exiled think of John exiledonto the island of Patmos.
And just like, like their faith, the faith that Jesus is
(31:30):
talking about here was, was putto the test pretty rapidly after
he left them.
And so he's he's very, he's,very clear to say I'm telling
you these things that you won'tabandon your faith, because
there is, there's going to comethings that you're going to
confront, things that will putyour faith to the test.
And are you going to withstand?
Are you going to cling on thepromise that an advocate, the
(31:52):
Holy spirit, is with you throughit all, or are you going to
feel like you're overmatched andyou are all alone and you're
abandoned?
And I mean, there aresituations in our own lives
where we feel like we're walkingthrough something that nobody
else understands my struggle.
Nobody else could ever, youknow, withstand what I'm facing
right now.
But we have an advocate whodoes.
(32:14):
You know, Scripture says thathe intercedes on our behalf,
that he prays the words that wedon't even know how to pray for
ourselves.
And so, when we really wrap ourminds around this beautiful
gift of the Holy Spirit.
We have that companion, thatcomforter, that peace, but the
one who also leads us intothings that are true.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Can I put verses to what you're saying?
Maybe Maybe you already readthis.
So Jesus is right before heprays.
Chapter 17 is Jesus' prayer.
But right before that, jesussays in verse 28 of chapter 16,
yes, I came from the Father intothe world, and now I will leave
the world and return to theFather.
Now here's a moment of realism.
Then his disciples said At lastyou are speaking plainly and
(32:54):
not figuratively.
Now we understand that you knoweverything and there's no need
to question you From this.
We believe that you came fromGod.
And then Jesus asked.
So here's verses 31 through 33.
Do you finally believe?
But the time is coming Indeed,it's here now.
When you will be scattered,each one going his own way,
leaving me alone.
When you will be scattered,each one going his own way,
(33:14):
leaving me alone.
Yet I am not alone because theFather is with me.
I have told you all this sothat you may have peace in me,
here on earth.
You will have many trials andsorrows, and then this is the
best part, but take heart,because I have overcome the
world.
I've already won.
I've already won.
I know some crap is coming up,but I've already won.
(33:37):
I just got chills I think it'sthe milkshake, and then we move
on.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
any more thoughts on those two chapters before we
wrap this up again, I'm alwayshumbled by the fact that even
the disciples who witnessed andsaw had uh doubts and
inabilities to believe, and sothe lord has grace for our
humanity and so when we havethose moments of doubt and when
(34:10):
you know the dark thoughts mightwin, like the lord has grace
with us and understanding hegets us, and so that now you get
it, now you understand, that'sjust always a reminder for me.
Like I'm, I'm okay, I'm human.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
I'm good, Two things.
Two things really stick out forme personally, and that's one
um, what separates Jesus fromany other God is that he lived
our experience.
You know God with us, emmanuel.
He walked where we walk, helived where we lived.
He feels what we feel andbecause of that he identifies
(34:46):
with us in our weakness.
And so we have a personal Godwho knows our experience and
comforts us in the midst of ourgrief.
And then I'm also always struckthat the week leading up to the
cross, you know, jesus's mindand heart could have been
anywhere else, but he's spendinghis time praying for us, like
we are on his minds as he'spreparing to go to the cross,
(35:09):
and we as individuals, but we ashis church, as the bride of
Christ, we are precious to himand it gives us hope.
It gives us hope in a worldthat is constant chaos and
conflict and division.
If he's praying for oneness, ifhe's praying for peace, if he's
praying for us to exhibit thelove of the Father, that this
relationship that they share, ifthat's his prayer for us, then
(35:33):
we have a holy calling, each oneof us, and those are the things
that are most impressed upon myheart.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
So you just used the word unity or oneness, but that
into chapter 17.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
I'm sorry I jumped ahead.
No, I mean, that's a perfectsegue.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
I mean, if you want to keep talking about it, you
can, but chapter 17,.
So you just said it, you justsaid the words, but, uh, before
this is all over, he's praying.
He's praying for us.
Yeah, so he talks about in thischapter, uh, the unity of the
church, the unity amongst thedisciples, um, and how important
this is.
Um, I, I lost the verse, Idon't.
(36:11):
I don't remember exactly whereit is, but there's a verse that
basically says I don't want tothe 21.
21.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Oh yes, is that what you're talking about?
I?
Speaker 1 (36:21):
pray that they will all be one, just as you and I
are one, as you are in me,father, and I am in you, and may
they be in us so that the worldwill believe you sent me.
Yeah, that's the one.
So I mean the idea here.
The unity of the church is theproof to the world that this man
(36:41):
is the son of God.
When people see how we interactwith each other, it's that
Christian witness of just youdon't have to say anything,
people see you.
They see how you live your life,how you interact with other
people.
Are you different?
Is your witness different,outwardly different?
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Yeah, I think that in the world the idea of unity can
be so easily confused with likeuniformity and unity is not all
thinking the same, looking thesame, acting the same.
You know that's not unitythinking the same, looking the
same, acting the same.
That's not unity.
Unity is all of our creativegifts, abilities given to us by
the Lord, all of our languagesand everything, being united in
(37:27):
the understanding of who Christis and who we are in Christ, not
washing away our uniquenessesand our and like who were who we
were creatively meant to be.
I think that, uh, can you know,kind of diminish the creativity
of our God to think ofuniformity, and so I think
(37:48):
there's just this, like I don'tknow this, this pair, this uh
misunderstanding of unity beinglike we all need to be the same,
no, like we can all think bedifferent, and that's what the
lord wants of us yeah, and thinkI mean, like, just think of,
even in the church, how manydifferent denominations and
interpretations there are and,uh, people that say it has to be
(38:11):
this way, in this way.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
And what jesus is trying to say, the the unity
that he's concerned about, isthat we are united in spirit and
in truth.
But we don't know that truthunless we look back a little bit
into verse 17, where he saysmake them holy by your truth,
teach them your word, which istruth.
Just as I sent, just as yousent me into the world, I am
sending them into the world.
We have the truth through thevisible manifestation of jesus
(38:39):
christ amongst us, who live thetruth, and because we know jesus
, we know the father's heart,and that enables us to carry
forth his truth to the ends ofthe earth.
And so when we're talking aboutthis, this unity of spirit and
of truth, we need to be peoplewho are remaining in Christ, so
that the world can sit back andtake notice that there is
(39:01):
something different about arelationship with the Lord
compared to a relationship withthe world.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Amen.
So that's going to wrap up oursegment of Jesus's farewell
message here on the Plugged InPodcast.
Now, obviously, these chaptersJohn 14, 15, 16, and 17,.
You know we talked about thisin 20 minutes on this episode,
maybe another 10 on the otherepisode.
That's not really the point,right?
(39:29):
That's not the point of this.
The Bible doesn't come out andsay like these are the most
important things I'm going totell you in the work of my
ministry.
And maybe they're not, butsituationally it just lends
itself to.
He's running out of time.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Right, what we?
What do you?
What are you going to say inyour final hour?
Yeah, it's probably important.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
What are you going to waste your breath on?
Right, yeah, it's going to bethe important stuff.
I was like that's strong.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Yeah, so take your Bible.
Open up your Bible.
If you can access right nowmedia, I do think this study is
helpful.
But if you don't have that,open the Bible.
John 14 through 17,.
That can lead you into theEaster season.
I think a lot of us are veryfamiliar with what happened
after he says these words.
That's kind of the much moreyeah.
I know how that goes, but theseare not simple sentences to
(40:22):
just kind of like.
I mean, we had already admittedwe were watching the study in
our car.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
That's not the point, not the point.
Maybe not you.
No, I was, I totally was.
I think I did.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
But actually sitting down with the word and trying to
digest what this is saying andagain, you mentioned this and I
really resonate this with this,but allowing yourself the grace
to still be confused at somepoints Like that's okay because
God showed it was okay that theydidn't understand right at
first.
Are you going to say something?
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Well, I just said, even in the study there's a
section where where FrancisChan's talking about you know
greater things, you will doafter me, which Jesus says to
the disciples.
And even Francis is like.
I really struggle with this,like how am I supposed to to
come to grips with the fact thatwe're going to do greater
things than Jesus himself?
And so he even says you know, Idon't understand all, all of
this, but I trust that thespirit of truth is continuing to
(41:15):
reveal this stuff to me as Icontinue to grow.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
His authenticity there.
Cause it's just like you knowwe need to be able to ask
questions yeah.
You know, there are some thingsthis side of heaven that we
will never truly grasp, it'strue, but if we have the
foundational truth central towho we are, um, I truly believe
that his spirit is going tocontinue to work in each one of
us and reveal his kingdom in us.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Very good.
Well, that'll be a wrap todayon the Plugged In Podcast,
episode number 26.
If you haven't done so, go backto episode 25, our yam special.
Maybe one of our betterepisodes, yeah that was a solid
one, guys.
It was a good one.
The yam overnighter was reallygreat.
We might touch on that in thenext episode.
So one more episode after thisYep, and we're actually going to
(41:58):
try to like sign off for theseason.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Let's wrap this.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
It's not going to be like there's an episode and then
like a seven-month like justdisappearance.
Hiatus.
We're going to try to have onemore episode and we're going to
sign off.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
It took two years, but we're getting realistic.
Yeah, yeah, realistic yeah,yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
So we're gonna sign off and then you won't hear from
us.
Uh, for the summer and then,pending who knows what, we'll be
back for another season in thefall yeah, so we'll, we'll see
all right.
Well, this has been the pluggedin podcast, episode number 26,
and we will see you next time.
Thank you.
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