So what's going on, everybody?

Hey, everybody.

I'm Derek.

I'm Matt.

I'm Luke.

And the return of the Luke.

And the return of the Luke.

Yeah.

Back to the Skywalker Saga.

Anyways, so we've been talking about Advent.

Yep.

And the Advent season.

And Advent has been an adventure.

It has.

Adventure.

Adventure.

I love what you did there.

Good.

Anyways, so just.

Just for kicks and giggles, I was wanting to share what we've been doing in our house during Advent.

We haven't done.

We've done a little bit with the.

The Advent weekly thing.

Right.

You know, my mom does that with all the grandkids, and so we video chat for that.

But what we've been doing in our house is that we got an Advent calendar for serenity.

Right.

So it's got the 24 days, and then it's a Lego princesses.

So each day she gets like a LEGO set, a little bitty LEGO set that she gets to put together.

And not only that, but it's a board game really.

So the.

The thing folds down and it's a board game.

So we said, forget about that.

We're gonna build this board game.

And so she.

She's got this.

This sheet of Lego, you know, whatever, the flat platform pieces, whatever.

And we've actually built out the game, the game board, on.

Out of Lego, on lego.

And so it's got a dreidel that you spin to tell you what color you move to or whatever.

It's great.

Anyways, it's been a lot of fun.

And before she's allowed to open it, we read a passage of scripture we're going through.

Each day has a different passage of scripture assigned to it.

So that's what we've been doing.

And it's been super fun.

She's been super excited about it.

And she.

It only took, like, I don't know, 10 days, 12 days for her to get to the point where she's like, okay, read the.

Read the passage so I can open it.

But, like, she's, you know, got the priority instead of just like, you know, tearing into the thing.

But it's been fun.

It's been cool.

That's awesome.

That's awesome.

I like that a lot.

Yeah.

For my household, we're just trying to.

It's been weird, especially because, like, talking about, you know, how to prepare for this season, I found myself personally having more trouble this year than normal when it comes to staying in the right mind frame and such.

It's like, I mean, go figure that here we are Talking about this and I myself am having stuff that I'm struggling with, but we've been able to get ourselves pretty much on track when it comes to preparing our house and starting to get things ready and starting to feel better about where we're at.

You got a whole gaggle of people coming to your place, aren't you?

I do, I do.

And yeah, it's gonna be an adventure.

And plus this is our first year here, you know, so lots of new stuff, lots of stuff to figure out.

Some of that might have played into it this year, but I don't know what it is.

But yeah, so it's just been trying to just get ourselves right and make sure that we're not overcome by the busyness or the ridiculousness.

Luke, how about you?

How have you been preparing for Christmas this year?

It's been alright.

I mean, I don't have a great like dramatic description to tell you.

It doesn't have to be.

Are you saying I'm dramatic?

No, I'm saying I'm.

In this instance, I'm not.

I feel like he's saying my story was dramatic and maybe your story.

Stop making it about yourself, Derek.

You're so vain.

Yeah, but it's been, it's been going okay.

I haven't been able to.

To get off work for some family event, so I'm gonna miss some stuff this year.

But I mean, I'm still kind of figuring out what it all means for me now as a Christian, you know, instead of just being about like the holiday and the parties and all the food and stuff.

So.

Yeah, well, it's just been quiet, I.

Guess you could say, I would say when I.

The first, like I think that the first years in certain holidays, especially Christmas and Easter, when you really have dedicated yourself to Jesus, is kind of information overload.

There's a lot that suddenly you feel like you're drawing on at the same time, especially when you're hungry like you are and you're constantly like, what is it?

And when you ask that question, people are willing to answer and it's a lot of information.

Some of it's great information, some of it's not that great.

But yes, it's always a lot to navigate.

But today.

So as we're talking about the Advent series, so we've talked about some things.

We've talked about our hope, we've talked about our joy.

And because, well, quite frankly we're running out of time for the month, we're going to talk about two at once.

We're going to talk about love and peace today.

And I believe when this comes out, actually, by the time you're hearing this, this is the week of Christmas.

It'll come out, what, the day before Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve, Yeah.

So it's the 23rd.

Yeah.

Christmas Eve Eve.

Well, Merry Christmas Eve Eve, people.

Yeah.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's what Adam said.

I'm just kidding.

I actually, a while back, I had a midterm for my history class, and on the back, there was a.

An extra credit joke, and it was like, what did Adam say to Eve before Christmas?

And I actually wrote, like, several paragraphs explaining how that joke didn't make any sense because none of that had happened yet, and because I finished early with the test.

So I just spent all my time doing that, and then I wrote a whole bunch of, like, hypotheses about how it could have been the case, and then I systematically went through and disproved all of the claims.

Oh, my goodness.

Luke, only you.

Only.

Well, I had the time.

And I mean, it was.

I don't know.

I mean, the funniest answer to what did Adam say to Eve before Christmas?

Is it's Christmas Eve.

Yeah, I know.

That was.

Yeah.

Which is a lame joke.

It is totally lame.

I love it.

What's funny, too, is I wasn't.

That was before, like, I had started.

Come in here.

Really.

So I think.

I just suppose I felt particularly passionate about that at the time.

That's really interesting.

Doesn't make any sense.

I kind of wish I could read what you wrote just because that would be fun.

It's somewhere, I think my history teacher.

I think she said.

She told me she saved it.

Oh, wow.

Really?

I don't know where it is, but she told me she has it somewhere because she went and showed all the other teachers because she thought it was so funny.

Oh, it's a gem.

All right.

That's pretty great.

You probably, like, made her day.

That's pretty funny.

And what were you.

Let's just go back.

You were voted what, in your school class?

Most likely to raise his hand and ask a question that has nothing to do with the assignment.

Okay.

That was the little plaque I got.

Holy cow.

They used lots of words on you there.

Yeah, they did.

I thought that was hilarious.

But, I mean, you are unapologetically you.

That's why I love you.

It's great.

So back into Advent, Preparing ourselves for the season.

Preparing ourselves not just for the birth of Christ, because that's already happened, but to continue to realign ourselves with Jesus so that we're ready for that second coming that's part of this Advent season, as we said.

And so, like I said, we talked about our hope and our joy today.

We'll talk about the love and the peace that is part of our mind frame this time of year.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

All right.

Was that satisfactory?

No, it wasn't, but.

Oh, gee, thanks.

No, I don't mean yours.

I just meant in general.

It was great.

It.

Yeah.

All right.

Welcome to the Truth Response.

Sa.

Luke, you want the very first thing?

Sure.

Heavenly Father, thank you for another day.

I ask you that you can give us your grace and your wisdom during this podcast, Father, and help us maybe stumble across something that we didn't know before or make a connection that we didn't see before.

Father, I pray that we can continue to grow in you forever and always, Lord.

And I pray that you can prepare our hearts for this Christmas that's coming up and help us really understand the significance, not in a way that's overwhelming, but in a way that's resolving.

Help us find that peace with this, Father.

And so it's in your powerful son's name that I pray in Jesus name.

Amen.

So, Advent season.

Love and peace.

Peace.

So heavenly peace, right?

Isn't that what the song says?

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Great peace for all people.

So anyways, so when it comes to peace anyway, how do we find our peace in a season that is so busy and burdened?

We conquer it.

Yes, we conquer it.

How can we conquer?

I mean.

Cause.

I mean, the reality of this season is that sometimes it doesn't feel very peaceful at all.

No, it's the most stressful time of the year.

Right.

It can feel that way.

Everybody sings a song.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

I sing.

It's the most overwhelming, stressful time of the year.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that I can never trust how I feel about certain times of the year.

Well, I just.

It's just crazy.

I mean, because, I mean, as a kid, there's excitement and am I gonna get my stuff?

You feel it as a kid, it's not.

The stress doesn't really come.

But when you become an adult and you have to buy things for people, oh, my goodness.

And then people are asking you to make plans and be there and do all the things, then the stress starts to build.

And then when you become a parent, I can tell you this, Luke, don't be in a rush.

I'm not an eye opening.

Because now there's.

Do we have enough time to get the things for the person that we are supposed to love most in this world?

You know, like outside.

Of course.

God, my wife, my kids.

My kids are important.

I need to make sure that people that you like.

Absolutely.

And so it's like how even kid or.

No, I'm just kidding.

Yeah.

And I mean, just from my own personal experience, just saying because I have five kids, that's a lot of stress.

Not only financially.

My goodness.

Yeah.

But you know, just.

Did we get this one wanted?

Did we get what this one wanted?

Do we buy more gifts from this kid than we did for the other kids?

Does it look a little lopsided?

Does it look a little favored?

Does it.

There's a lot of stress.

And then of course, you got the.

The plans, like I said, and the events and the getting ready and the getting it decorated and getting it set up and is the house clean enough or are we getting ready to receive people?

Are we gonna go.

Are we gonna look our best when we go see people?

Do we wear the Christmas sweaters?

Do we.

It sounds exhausting, dude.

It does.

And so where in all of this.

Maybe I'm.

It's just because I'm young and naive, but I.

It does seem like it slightly over complicated.

I mean, a lot of those things, you know.

I think you could simplify a little bit.

I mean.

Oh, man, I wouldn't think too hard.

Do you have any idea how many conversations adults have, parents have about how we could try to come un.

Complicate things?

Yeah, I mean, it.

You have a process of like making sure they all get like the same amount of like.

It's not exact.

So.

It.

Anyway, it's like quality.

You're looking necessarily value, if that makes sense.

Yeah.

Because I mean, I get socks like every Christmas.

I mean, first off, that's awesome.

Yo.

No, stop it.

All right, look, necessities are necessities.

You shouldn't get necessities as a gift.

That is just drives me nuts.

Yeah, but I don't mind underwear for Christmas.

I think it's good.

Underwear and socks should be stuff that I buy throughout the year when I need it.

Right.

But generally speaking, this is before I've had money.

Personally, I enjoy getting socks and underwear.

Not so much.

Socks, underwear.

Socks and underwear.

Not.

They're not a gift.

They're not something that's like.

I'll tell you what is a gift.

Yeah, that's the thing I want.

Hold on.

He's gotta change underwear.

I'LL tell you what is a gift is every year at least has been tradition.

My mother in law gives us fresh pajamas every Christmas Eve.

Fresh, like.

Yep.

New pajamas.

Yeah.

I mean it's not.

Sometimes they only buy dirty, sometimes they're more Christmas themed and sometimes they're just great pajamas.

But I look forward to getting new pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve.

And I will usually spend the day on Christmas wearing them all day long.

And it's wonderful.

Yeah, Yeah.

I love my new Christmas pajamas.

If my mother in law is listening to this at any point, know that I love you and I love my new Christmas pajamas every year.

Thank you.

So anyway.

Yeah, so that's, that's awesome.

See, I think pajamas are a little bit different because pajamas can be like fun and they're worn on the outside, right?

Like, I mean, we're talking underwear.

You're putting pants on over them.

My wife buys it.

Socks.

You're putting shoes on over the socks.

Pajamas are cute.

And you best not be wearing sandals over the socks because that's dumb.

Over.

Okay.

Sandals.

I thought for a second, my mind went, he's wearing socks over a sandal.

I don't know why my mind did that.

No, no, no.

I'm not doing either one of them.

So it keeps the sandal on your foot.

Okay.

All right, we're good.

No, I mean, a little excited here.

Yeah, we're getting, we're getting all riled up.

So anyway, it's, it's.

I mean, I'm happy.

If my wife were to get me underwear and put it in my stocking, I would be like, awesome.

New underwear.

Pajamas are, they're like.

I'm not saying I would complain.

I don't even wear pajamas, you know, like, it's not a thing that I do.

Like I'll get pajamas, you know, but it's like, it's cool and it's fun, but it's not like I do.

I see what you're saying, you know, about how it's different than and like socks and stuff.

So.

Sorry, I think you guys were trying on the subject and I think I.

Just even like, I don't know, some clothes would be acceptable.

Like, it just kind of depends on like what it is.

I mean, I'm good with it as long as it fits.

You guys should get me more cargo spaces.

Well, that's for me.

Like being as tall, it's hard to get stuff.

So when people find stuff that fits me, it's extra special for me, I think.

So anyway, getting away from the gifts thing but, like, just.

Yeah, like.

Like I said, stressful.

This can be stressful time of year, and it's even worse.

So, I mean, if you're talking about trying to find peace and just the.

All the stuff you have to do, then you have people that.

I mean, this could be their first year without their loved one.

This could be the first year where they've been on hard times, or they.

Or something could have happened, or they've been going through it, or they're just in a really bad place.

And so it's hard to find peace in a time of year that's so busy and so focused on a singular day that, you know, so, I mean, it messes with people, man.

This is an emotional time of year, you know, and it's so hard to navigate that sometimes.

You know, I've seen.

I've seen parents.

Well, I've.

Both men and women.

I've seen dads and moms that have cried because they feed.

They did not.

They feel like they failed their child and what they wanted to get their child for Christmas, which is an interesting emotion to navigate.

And there's the.

I have too much on my plate this season emotions.

There's just so much.

So how do you find peace through that?

That's the question.

I don't know.

I think that part of it is focusing on.

When you focus on what really matters in the season, right?

Like, why.

Why are we celebrating this in the first place?

Is it to buy each other gifts?

Because if that's the case, then why don't we just sprinkle that throughout the year and not be so stressed all the time, right?

Like, seriously.

I mean, because people don't really.

Is that.

Is that the reason?

Because if that is, then that's ridiculous, right?

Let's have sales throughout the year, and then we buy more junk that we don't need, you know?

But I think that focusing on.

On the fact that, like, the reason that we celebrate this holiday is not so that we have months of preparing for this holiday, but rather just looking ahead, looking at Jesus, looking at, you know, he's coming back, what he's done, those different things.

Like, if we're focused on that more so than.

Than all the other crazy.

I think it's easy to find peace in the midst of it.

Like, I don't even think about a lot of that stuff.

Like, I know every year around Black Fridays, when I'm buying most of the gifts for people that I'm gonna get, and I just wait till things kind of pop up.

I'M not, I'm not, like, worried about any of that stuff.

I'm have no problems with that stuff because that's not what it's about.

Like, yeah, if I'm gonna.

If I want to get somebody something, I'm just gonna get them something.

Like I.

Throughout the year, even.

So, Yeah, I don't, I don't make it about, like, the get togethers.

I don't make it about the.

The presents.

I don't make it about any of that.

In fact, like, I think the church sometimes puts a little too much emphasis on Christmas Eve.

Service has got to be perfect.

It's the most, like, biggest outreach of the year besides Easter.

And like, I think sometimes churches just get too wrapped up in this stuff.

It's like, look, let's just remember what it's about and let's make it, like, fun and.

And peaceful.

Right?

Like peaceful.

Let's.

Let's make it enjoyable for this whole thing.

Like, let's not.

Let's not make it so.

So, I don't know.

Hectic.

Yeah, hectic's a word I'm thinking, like, the church makes it such a, like, ah.

Point.

Like, it's got to be precise.

It's got to be.

You know, you can understand, though.

I mean, you.

Even in.

Even in your.

Even in your.

We'll call it even.

In your complaint, you had part of the answer on why, though.

I mean, because we understand that as a church that two times a year we're likely to get.

Well, actually technically three.

Three times a year we get more people.

Yeah.

More people than we get the rest of the year.

And one is Christmas.

Right.

The other one's Easter.

Right.

Mother's Day.

Mother's Day, yeah.

Yep.

Mother's Day is the third.

Yeah, but it's not.

It's not.

I mean, it is, but it's not big enough that it's like, we don't.

We don't call it a creaseter.

Right.

Like, no, but a creaser.

But the top two are Easter and Christmas.

You know, there are many people that.

That's the only time they come to church.

You know, they're.

When you're looking to see.

When it comes to sharing the gospel, when you have.

When you realize that this could be maybe the only opportunity you have all year to share Jesus with someone, to try to help them see something that they need in their life, then you're trying.

Yeah, there's a lot of pressure with trusting someone's.

Right.

Like, okay, so that's my thing.

Like, it Is our job as believers to be seeking opportunities all throughout the year?

Oh, I hear you.

To speak into those people's lives.

And creasters are not going to be.

They're not.

That's not really the pull time.

I get it.

There are great things that happen at Christmas and Easter that people's lives are changed.

There's.

People's lives are changed every day.

Right.

Like that's.

That's my thing.

People's lives are changed every day.

And unless people are in those people's lives, that.

That probably isn't going to change all that much.

Yeah, but when we have the chance, we have to take it.

Okay, but at the same time, that chance is right now, every day.

It's not.

It's not Easter and Christmas.

I don't disagree with you on that fact.

I mean, as Christians, we are called to be out in the world being examples for him and being the only Bible that some people ever read and being the only Gospel they'll ever hear, and being the only reflection of Jesus they'll ever see.

And so I'm not arguing that at all.

I think you're completely, 100% right.

However, the church also has to recognize that when you have an opportunity.

Absolutely.

I mean, I'm not saying don't do it with excellence.

Right.

But I think that overemphasizing those times is.

It gets a little crazy.

It's a little.

It's a little excessive to me.

Like, I think that it can see.

Important to prep for it just like you would any.

Any given Sunday.

I mean, it's a special event.

Right.

Not Easter.

Easter.

I mean, it is a special event, but it's not like a separate day.

Right.

Like most of the time, Christmas Eve is a separate day.

Right.

So not always Christmas Eve.

Service is always a separate day, though.

Even if it's the day before, you know, the night before or the night of.

Well, it's still a different.

Well, I mean, there are times where Christmas Eve will fall on a Sunday.

Right.

And then you have Sunday service and then you have Sunday evening.

Some churches will really just focus on the Christmas Eve part.

I wish that was our church, but it's not.

Well, I mean, in this case, I mean, if we were to grow to a point where we had so many people, I mean, okay, so we have two services going on here.

Right?

Right.

And we have the space to.

I mean, Easter, we had more people than we've ever had by far.

And we handled it, I think, pretty well.

And I think it was great.

Now, if that were to double that many people, then thinking about how we were to handle such things changes dramatically.

For instance, Christmas Eve services may not be all one day.

You know, there's other churches.

Oh, listen to me.

I know it's weird, but there are churches that are.

Their attendance is so great.

And at that point, honestly, our church is the kind of church that if we were to grow to numbers that big, we'd be looking to plant another church to help spread things out and reach more people in more areas.

We're not the kind of church that is trying to be the biggest church.

Yeah, we don't need to be the biggest church.

We don't need to have the biggest attendance or anything like that.

We want to have well sustained churches that.

And we want to have a reach for as many people in as many areas as possible.

So, but, but let's say for argument's sake that suddenly the attendance here jumped double than what it was on Easter.

At that point, having everybody in for one day is just.

Is either a series of.

I mean, a series of services or for, for mental health state sake, you might spread them out across a couple days.

And I've seen churches all over the country that have done that where Christmas Eve services might start on the 23rd or the 22nd or even that Sunday before and start rolling them in.

So that's wild.

It's wild.

But you know what, it works when you have that many people.

So I'm not saying that's where we're headed, but I'm just saying, like, these are things that you see.

And so, I mean, how you prepare for it.

The idea is that, you know, when you're knowing that this is maybe the only time that you may get those extra people because you have your normal people that are gonna come every Sunday.

And great, we want them there every Sunday, especially on those holidays.

But this is also the best time for inviting people.

And so if those people are only coming because they've been invited and this might be the only time you get to touch them, you want to make sure you're doing it right.

You want to decide to do something, maybe even a little special that they might remember, something that might impact them, something that's inviting, that's not too crazy.

I still think all kinds of factors.

I think we're failing on that part.

I think that we're failing when it comes to that.

Then like, if, if this is the time that we're thinking about, oh, this is the time to invite people, or the best time to invite people that's not true.

I think the best time to invite people is every day.

But I'm telling you, I'm just saying that we recognize that these are days that.

I'm not saying there's not a special thing that happens because, I mean, I agree.

I think Christmas Eve services are a good thing.

I think it's really funny how you guys can just go at it and both agree and disagree at the same time and then keep going.

Well, I mean, there's nuances, right?

No, I know there's nuances.

A lot of it's nuance, for sure.

But I just think there's an overemphasis.

Right.

And sometimes that.

I'm not saying it's wrong.

Right.

Like that's the reason for the back and forth here is.

Well, I mean, the biggest thing that I think, if I can speak for you for just a moment, I think the biggest thing that he's emphasizing is the fact that, you know, it shouldn't be a one day or two day a year thing.

It should be an everyday thing.

And I'm with him 100%.

But also my point is that, yeah, although that's true, we also recognize that these two days are special days for the church itself.

And so we must do what we can.

So that being said, let's move on from that because I think that we spent a lot of time there anyway.

So when it comes to.

Anyways, I don't want to talk about this anymore.

No, I think we've exhausted it enough because we're going to just keep rounding the drain there.

So.

Yeah, so when it comes to trying to find peace, trying to lock down the reason for the season, so to speak, and get that as early planted in your mind and in your heart as possible, I think is a great way to do it.

And if you feel like you're starting late, even if you're starting right now, as you're listening to this, perhaps it's December 23rd and you're listening to this podcast, you're like, man, I really haven't been in a great heart space.

Or maybe you're listening to it on Christmas Eve and you're like, man, I really haven't been in a great heart space.

Well, you know what?

No better time to start than now.

And one of the best things to do is to understand that what Jesus came to do ultimately is to give us peace.

And that peace comes twofold.

Now.

We've talked about the fact that our hope lies in things that he has promised us, and we've talked about the fact that our joy is the excitement as we look into those promises and that we get to participate in the work that comes into that.

But our peace comes from the fact that we know that it's true.

And see, that's when you have to come and taste and see, that's when you have to actually accept Jesus into your life and walk a mile in their shoes.

If you are in that state right now where you aren't sure if you're in the right heart condition, ask yourself where you are when it comes to Jesus and what you believe about the things that he's given us and done for us and has promised us.

Because if you can accept them as whole truths of your life, then you should have peace among peace above the most important things in life.

And that is, number one, that you've been forgiven.

You're no longer condemned.

As Romans 8 says, there's now no longer.

There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

It was said even earlier than that.

Oh, absolutely.

That was in John.

I'm just quoting.

Yeah, I know.

That's what I'm saying.

Like, even.

Even before that, right?

Even before that.

Even before that it was said, we're free.

Okay, yeah, we've messed up.

Yeah.

We've fallen short.

Yeah.

We've had a lot of things happen to us and maybe we've done a lot of things to other people.

Whatever it is, we were forgiven.

We're free from that penalty.

And I was emphasizing this with the students this past Sunday, but, you know, one of the things that we need to take, and it's a kind of a dark thought, but like everything that we've done without Jesus, without Jesus in our life, everything that we've done deserves death.

The penalty of sin can only be paid in death.

But the good news for us is that that death has been paid.

Jesus died, and he did so that his death would replace ours.

Our debt has been paid.

And so we can have peace knowing that we don't have to worry about being gone forever.

And that leads us into our second thing that should give us peace is that no matter what happens in this life, the life after this is going to be incredible.

And we get to look forward to it.

That with Christ in our lives and in our hearts, it is assured.

We don't have to worry about it.

We don't have to worry about death or any of that stuff.

You know, what can happen to you in this life that can overcome that, that can top the.

What we have to look forward to.

Nothing.

Nothing can.

And so our ultimate peace doesn't come from stuff.

It comes from that assurance.

100%, you know.

And look, I get it.

It's easy to try to think that you need.

This world's gonna try to lie to you and tell you that you.

Other things.

There's people that think, you know, to have peace in my life, I need a vacation.

I just need to meditate.

I need Zen moments, I need distractions.

I need to buy stuff.

I need to have that person, I need to have that thing, I have need of that car, I need to have that house, whatever it is.

And then I will have peace, you know, but none of that's true.

My daughter would say to those people, you don't need anything but God.

Don't need anything but God?

Yeah, she brings that up all the time.

I need you to go do this.

No, we don't need anything but God.

I was using earlier today and a little bit yesterday about, like, everything that's happened in my life up to this point.

And I saw a lot of moments where I saw myself searching for things.

And I real.

I always thought at the time, like, all throughout my life that something happened because, like, oh, I just didn't do this right, or, you know, I.

That was the right thing, but I didn't, you know, get through it.

But I realized that there's kind of weird moments throughout my life where things that would have continued on me in a different path kind of got like, weirdly abruptly cut off.

And it kind of kept happening.

And I was.

At the time, I was always really upset.

I got really upset about a lot of those things that happened.

But then I kind of realized recently, like, wait, that was.

Was that God's hand in my life?

You know, was he kind of like, nope, don't go there.

Nope, don't go there.

Because he knew that if I kept bouncing off the safety bars, so to speak, eventually I would make it to the right place.

So just something I was thinking about, because that's part of what helped me realize, you know, the only thing you need is God.

Because I found that, like, all these other things I thought I needed, like, you know, were imperfect, but there's one thing that's always going to be perfect.

You know, they don't lead to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control.

They don't lead to all those things.

Like, none of the other things lead to that.

Paul said that at some point.

I don't remember what.

That it's the fruit of the spirit.

Yeah.

The fruit of the spirit.

Yeah.

Like, none of that stuff.

Right?

The stuff.

None of this stuff.

None of the stuff.

None of this stuff.

And you know what?

Those things in your life, I mean, God does prune us.

Just as a gardener prunes away bad branches, he prunes away that stuff in your life, and I think you got to let him sometimes.

But, you know, he'll help you prune that stuff away.

He'll help you get things right.

Yeah.

The skit guys have a skit routine that is the heart chisel.

And it's so good, because it's like.

I feel like that more than the pruning sometimes where God's like, all right, here we go, and I'm gonna just beat on you until you're in the right shape.

Right.

That's a good way to describe it.

I mean, that's how I feel.

Sometimes I feel like that more than the pruning, because I don't feel like it's a sharp cut.

I feel like it's a smack over the head.

You know, Sometimes we need God to bring.

Instead of bringing the shears, bring the machete.

Hack me up, Lori.

Wait a second.

Now you're talking about, like, welcome to the jungle, baby.

Like, wow.

Yeah.

Well, I have this quote by Charles Swindoll, and he's a kind of a famous pastor preacher.

Why would you want to listen to anybody named Swindell?

It's awesome.

Anyway.

Anyway.

Sorry.

So he said that peace.

Peace is the calm of mind that is not ruffled but by adversity, overclouded by a remorseful conscience or disturbed by fear.

Read it again.

Peace is the calm of mind that is not ruffled by adversity, overclouded by a remorseful conscience or disturbed by fear.

Read it again.

I'm not going to.

I mean, it's pretty strong.

I mean, it's not shaken.

It's.

Nothing gets.

I mean, that's basically it in a nutshell.

It's not shaken.

Peace is when you don't get even, get in your own way.

Yeah.

And you know what's interesting is that, you know, peace has a tendency to show up in weird times.

Like, if you have that inner peace, there'll be something around you that's just kind of chaotic, and you'll find yourself just kind of all right.

And it's pretty remarkable when it does, when, you know, ultimately, everything's fine, everything's okay.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I.

I think a lot of people kind of have a belief that peace is, like, the absence of things, you know?

Like, no distractions, you know, it's quiet.

There's nothing really around.

But I realized recently, especially because I talked to you a while back, you know, I had a phase, you know, when I was searching.

I had a little bit of, like, a new ageist phase where I was looking at stuff.

And I never really found peace in any of that because it was just the absence of things.

But I realized it's not in the absence of things.

It's in the presence of another thing, which is God.

And that's kind of what I have realized recently, is that, like, no amount of quiet can really make me peaceful.

But it can be in the midst of all those things that when something else is present, that's when I have peace.

And so with peace, this is an ultimate peace, by the way.

This isn't an artificial peace.

This is something that's just always there.

It's not based on anything this world can provide.

It is only because we understand and have accepted that everything's already done.

Yeah.

And that's pretty big.

Which is funny, because we had a conversation, I believe, on the move trip at that conference where, like, every single time I was given a minute of free time, I would go to that old chapel because I felt like it was really peaceful there.

But you told me, you know, that's not how it works.

It's not the place, it's not the things.

It's, you know, God always there and within everything.

Yeah.

He created all things.

Yeah.

So that leads into.

I mean, honestly, the pieces is surrounded by love.

I mean, that was the other thing we want to talk about, you know, what is it the love of this season.

And it's easy to get.

Well, most people, when they think of this season, love is an interesting word to throw out there because they think of family.

They think of loving on people by giving them gifts or spending time with them.

They think of loving a little baby that was born.

And I get that.

But love is so much greater than just a baby.

It is about that baby.

It is about the fact that love became personified and the word became flesh.

Right.

The word became flesh.

And when that word became flesh and love took its first steps, it's opened its eyes in this world.

It did so.

So that it would shut them and so that it was going to lay itself down.

Jesus said, you know, there's no greater love than that of one who will lay himself down for his friends.

Right.

Jesus laid himself down in the greatest act of love ever.

He went to the cross for all of us.

So that we could have that peace, the thing that we've been struggling with for all history or I like to point out for all of his story, that one thing that we've all needed was peace.

Yeah, you can laugh, it's good, but.

It'S only you can call it cheesy.

It's true.

It is cheesy, but it's good.

And it's also true.

Anyway, that's why I said it was good.

Yeah, but I mean it's that love.

I mean God love surrounds us every day, you know, and sometimes we lose sight of that on our day to day basis.

But if there's a, if you're going to do anything, if you want to have this be a special time of year, maybe it's a good time to recommit yourself to understanding God's love for you.

To recommit yourself to God and receiving that love, letting it fill you up and reside in you.

Let it spill out from you in ways that are more than gifts and more than just spending time but actually caring and serving other people.

Like Paul tells us.

I don't remember the exact verse, but doesn't he say, you know, like we should imitate Jesus in that manner?

You know, have that kind of self sacrificial love for others.

Absolutely.

Paul, remember where that was?

Paul opens that up in many different areas of life, including how men should lay themselves down for their wives, how wives should love their husbands, how we should love our children, how we should even love those who are above us, how we should love those who are against us.

Pretty much any avenue of anybody that we could call thy neighbor, we are called to love them.

And that's how Christ said that people will know that we are his is by how we love.

This is just a side note.

I really liked when I was reading through the gospels for the first time when that guy asked Jesus like who his neighbor was.

Because it just made me think of all the people who will like point out things and they'll be like, oh, what about this?

What does that mean?

You know, and it's like you're missing the point.

You know, I just remember that you can continue.

Oh yeah, I mean that's a good point.

I mean people always look and say, well what is there an exception?

Is there something I can point out?

Is there some way that you can draw a border around that so that I can know that it only goes so far?

Yeah.

And it's a weird thing for humans to want, you know, oh, I have to love anybody.

But tell me When I stop, the answer is no.

The answer is.

The answer is you go until I come and get you, and then you continue to do it after that.

Yeah, it's.

You know, it's.

Why the Ten Commandments, the law itself, and Jesus simplified it.

The two greatest commandments, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength, and love thy neighbor as yourself.

That's huge.

Because if you're loving your neighbor, you're not doing anything bad that you're going to find in the Ten Commandments, such as stealing, murdering, lying, adultery.

Adultery, coveting.

No.

And if you're loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength, you're not going to have to worry about idols or other things.

So, yes.

I love how he simplified it.

Well, I actually really pointed out the simplification of it, but it's great.

Yeah.

I tend to say that to some people that really the Bible is really incredibly simple and the message is really incredibly simple, and it's us who keeps complicating it.

We're the ones that keep messing that up.

Dude.

I didn't realize how true that really was until my daughter decided to get baptized.

And I heard from her perspective what all that meant, and it was like, man, why can't we just think about it that simply?

You know?

Like, why do we.

I wish I could think about it that simply.

Why do we over complicate all this?

It's a good question.

It's so good, man.

That's.

That's the reality of the gospel, is that it's.

Is it.

Who's it for?

Everyone who can accept it.

Everyone.

How do I accept it?

Just do it to the ends of the earth.

Right?

You know, I saw this funny clip.

There was a show that.

I don't know if you would remember it, Luke, but you might.

It was called Malcolm in the Middle.

Oh, yeah, there was.

I saw a clip from that show from a long time ago, and it was one of his.

Malcolm's brothers was in the military, and he said in the middle now.

He was suddenly.

He was the one in the middle.

Yeah, he was suddenly like the perfect soldier.

And he's like his drill sergeant or whatever was like, how did you become this good overnight?

He's like, I just stopped thinking and just doing whatever you tell me to do.

And he's like, oh, my gosh, this is amazing.

And I thought about that.

I was like, that's really funny because it's kind of an exaggeration.

But, like, in reality, how many times does God give us Just clear instructions on what we should be doing.

And then we're messing it up because we're putting our own thought.

Well, actually, I know you said this is the way, but I was thinking it might be.

But here's my perspective on this.

Look at how many times he goes, I'm trying to talk to you.

Really.

You know, like, sometimes I feel like God's hit me upside the head and told me to shut up.

Let me tell you one of the most powerful, powerful verses in the Bible for me and my wife has been, be still and know that I am God.

It's like when you really start to put that into practice, it's like, I.

Wrote a song on that in college for an assignment.

And yeah, for sure.

That is one of the most, like, just, just stop.

God is just pleading, just stop.

I'm going to tell you that that came for me, being a dad that my kids have, because there's moments where I felt the same way towards my kids.

Like, if you guys could just stop and let me.

And sometimes, like, if you.

You guys don't even know what you're keeping yourselves from right now, like, I have something awesome planned.

I want to love on you right now.

And if you guys would just stop and just let me do this.

Just shut up so I can.

I can love on you.

Yeah.

Like, it's funny how you see it in children, but, like, even adults, we suddenly.

We keep wanting to put things in our own hands that really don't belong there.

And if we could just stop.

That's so true.

If we could just let go of all that.

And so, yeah, so that was the.

As I said earlier, letting God's love come to you is a large part of it.

My friend of mine, I was talking to him about proper meditation, getting away from, like, certain hokey practices and what is it to be like, meditate on God.

And I said, well, I said, one of the things you can do.

I said, you can find a verse that's just speaking to you and just kind of just continue to think about it and how that applies to you.

Same thing if you learn something from Scripture.

But I said, sometimes one of the best things you can do is just receive God's love.

Spend time clearing your mind of all the junk and all the excuses and all the ridiculousness and just allow God's love to come to you and just to resonate in you and be filled up to the point where now you have to start pouring it back out.

You know, visualize that in your life and the Thing is, is that it's when you're thinking about.

When you're really letting yourself receive and think about God's love, it's hard to let that other stuff in at that moment.

Man, when you really start leaning on him, it makes a difference.

It really can.

You know, my kids, the other day, they were complaining I listened.

When it comes to music, I listen to everything, really.

But I do listen to a lot of Christian music.

And, you know, when I.

There's times where my kids aren't in a mood to listen to Christian music.

Sure.

I mean, it is what it is.

And so I get in those moods.

They'll be like, hey, can we listen to music?

And I'll turn on whatever I'm listening to.

And it just so happens to be Christian music.

They're like, dad, why are you always listening to this?

I'm like, you know, I listen to everything.

Yeah, but I guess that's just because I love this.

Like, it helps me, you know, to know that my God loves me, to know that he's there, to know that, you know, I want to.

I do want to worship him because he's done more for me than I could ever do for myself, you know, 100%.

It's funny, I have a little bit of a similar thing that happens with my little brother.

A lot of the times when I'm in my room working on stuff, I'll listen to, like, chants or hymns, and he'll be like, why are.

He's like, why do you always listen to this?

It sounds weird.

And I'm like, I guess I just, you know, same thing you said.

It's just funny sometimes.

Yeah, well, I mean, sometimes you just need perspective help.

And that's kind of what really, that's the Advent season is perspective is helping realign your perspective with a godly perspective.

And, yeah, look, part of that.

We're going to look at that.

When Jesus came, we're going to think about the fact that he was born the way he was born.

And he was born in a way that was prophesied and we were supposed to be looking forward to, and then he was here.

We're happy that he did come when he said he was coming.

We're happy that God is a God who keeps his promises.

And when he said he had a plan, that it was true.

But that's kind of the point of this.

As we look and as I contrast the first coming and the second coming, I want you to understand the biggest thing is that one of the reasons we can have Such peace and understand God's love for us as well as having joy and hope is that God made promises and has kept them.

He promised a Messiah from the beginning and he delivered.

And that deliverer promised to come back.

That same God promised that he's coming.

Can I read some scripture and we.

Can believe it never.

Oh, okay, you can read scripture, of course.

It's from Revelation.

This is something I shared with you.

He's a good guy.

Yeah, he's going into Revelation.

It was something that I shared with my friend because we were having a really hard talk about like what it basically what everything meant.

And this is that promise that you mentioned.

And it really helped him understand kind of the perspective of everything up to this point.

Revelation 21:3,4.

And I heard a loud voice from the heavens saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people.

God himself shall be with them and be their God.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

Exactly.

So this promise, that's kind of the point, you know, as I said, the first half of all the promises was already completed.

And it is in that confidence that we can be sure that the seconds will that what is coming is coming and that God is going to keep that promise.

It is easy to get impatient when life gets hard.

It is easy to get impatient because it has been 2,000 years.

It is easy to start to let your eyes come off the prize a bit.

It is easy, but it's not right.

We need to be putting ourselves back into that perspective where we understand why it is that we do this.

I mean, the Christmas season.

Why do we celebrate the First Coming?

Because it meant that he kept his promise.

Why do we Advent, why do we prepare for not only receiving his first coming, but his second?

Is because we know he keeps his promises.

And what's on the other side of that is going to be amazing.

It's why we have to do the work while we have time to do the work.

But it's why you have to get yourself right while it's time to get right.

And you know, it's interesting that we spent.

We've chosen this time of the year to try to realign ourselves in that way, to help to understand that.

And the commercialism of the season and all the ridiculousness that ensues, you know, that that is just a distraction of the greater meaning, you know, that's why we want to love on our family and our friends, is because God loved us first.

He loved us so much that we should have that love pouring into our loved ones.

The greatest gift we ever had was that those promises were kept and Christ came and he freed us from the ultimate thing.

And that's the reason that we give gifts.

It's not because of Santa Claus.

It's not because this is something where we are so thankful that God has been the God he is and will always be.

And so we look forward to with great gratitude and appreciation and hope and joy and peace and love.

For sure.

Fo sho sho.

You know, it's funny because I told some of my friends at school, most of whom aren't Christian.

Usually we all sit at a lunch table together.

I told them that I had finished reading the Bible in its entirety for the first time.

And one of them asked me a question that I really wasn't expecting.

And he said, so what is it about?

And it kind of hits him.

He's a one word answer.

I mean, I mean, yeah, yeah, it.

Could be several one word answers, but.

So he kind of asked me, you know, what is it about?

What does it all mean?

It's funny because I had to think about it for a minute, like how to put that into words.

Like, you know, it's a big book, you know, how do I put it all into, you know, a short answer like that, you know, I can't be like, all right, let's sit down for the next 40 minutes.

I'm going to explain to you everything that just happened.

But I kind of simplified it to what you said.

You know what I said?

Yeah.

Kind of just now about how there have been promises and they're going to be kept and that there's a hope and a future for us even though we've done wrong.

I love that.

Yeah.

I said it in one sermon I did a couple a few weeks back.

It really boils down to the fact that the book is about one man in two events.

Jesus, his first coming and his second coming.

Yeah, one and two.

I mean, that's it.

Because when it comes to his first coming and his second coming, the whole book is about why, why, when, how all of it.

It's all about one man and two events.

Like I said Old Testament is God being sad that we aren't perfect.

And the New Testament is about God doing something about it.

Yeah.

Yeah, man.

Jesus.

Pretty cool dude.

Yeshua.

Pretty cool dude.

He is a cool dude.

Yes.

Can't wait to Hug him.

How is that gonna work?

I mean, once we're all in heaven, there's got, like, literally everybody is gonna want to talk Jesus.

And I know that we're gonna become, like, weird, dude.

We got eternity.

We've got Jesus.

We got a long time.

I have a finite number of us, and there's an infinite amount of time.

Yeah.

I've got a spot in the hug line, and I know he's gonna honor it.

It's gonna be great.

I'll be like, yo, I can wait.

See, I can wait.

First shall be last.

Last.

You know what the best thing about being last is?

No joke.

The best thing about being last is you get the most because nobody's waiting.

Seriously, you get the most.

Unless you're one of those ravaged families that eats everything.

The first go around, which most families aren't actually.

But they'll say that, right?

I am.

Yes.

If you wait till everyone else goes in line, there is zero guilt about how much food you put on your plate, because everybody's gotten something that's right.

And if you're last in line to meet somebody or whatever, you're gonna get the most amount of time because there's nobody behind you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's actually.

They feel like they're relieved so they can actually talk to you like a real human being.

I mean, it's the greatest thing.

Being last is really, actually awesome.

Yeah.

Actually, it's gonna play out this Sunday, actually.

Well, but it'll already have passed by the time everybody's listening to this.

But at student ministry, we're playing White elephant gift exchange.

You guys are having Jesus grift?

It's this Sunday?

Yeah.

Dang, man.

Oh, you're not doing it next Sunday, though?

No.

Okay.

So anyway, so white elephant gift exchange.

And it's one of the greatest things ever, because the person that goes first has the worst position.

Oh, yeah.

Because here's how it works.

Luke, have you ever played this game?

Yes.

I think it's unfortunate.

Yeah.

So we throw all the gifts in a pile in the front, and it's gonna all go on the preaching stage.

And then everybody's gonna draw.

Everybody's gonna draw a number, and the person that draws the number one takes a present, and they can sit down and open it.

The person that goes number two gets to either take that person's gift or pick a new gift.

So it's like playing the odds.

Like, do I like this one?

Or I think I want this one better.

But here's the thing.

Do you make the first person open the gift or do you let them choose?

I let them keep opening.

No, but I mean like.

Oh.

So anytime they pick a new present, they have to open it.

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

So that we know what it is.

So if you want to steal it or not, that's part of the fun.

But the person, there's also some fun.

In the whole chance of like, I don't know what that is, but they're holding onto it.

Yeah, I think we shouldn't open them.

I have something that I think is going to be a very nice gift but is going to be very underwhelming.

If someone opens it and then shows everybody.

No, I think this is gonna be.

That's the point.

But the point of it is that when you open the gift, you don't know if you're gonna keep it or not.

Because the person that goes last ultimately gets his or her choice to an extent.

I mean they do get, they get it at the very least.

The second gift, there's a.

Technically there's one gift left that they can choose that's not opened.

Right.

So there's now a 50, 50 chance.

If they can look at everything that's been opened and if they favored one of those things, they can take it or they can take the last unopened gift.

But once the last unopened gift is open, it's game's over.

You know how you can shuffle that up, right?

So like if they want something somebody else has and they get it, that person then gets to choose do they want the gift or do they want something someone else has?

And the game starts shuffling up that way too.

Well, see, the best part is once you get like 10 or 20 people in, right?

And then somebody's like, well, I've decided to take this person's gift, that person goes take somebody else's.

The only rule being in place is that on that turn, if you've taken someone's gift, that person that can't be taken back from you.

So for instance, like if you were holding this won't be in there.

But if you had something I really liked and I'm like, alright, I'm going to take that.

You can't take it back and no one else can take it from me on that turn, but on the next turn somebody can take it from me.

Okay, see how that works?

It's, it's weird.

Every round so it just gets better and better and better and basically gets to the point where somebody's gonna have to open up a new gift.

Yeah, that's the idea.

Good.

It's.

It's so, so good.

Yeah.

Yeah.

There.

A new gift will be opened every turn.

Do you do the Saran Wrap ball?

Oh, I forgot about that.

I thought about it.

It's so.

It's so much fun.

But you got to have the dice for it.

I mean.

I mean, have some dice.

I mean, you use Derek's big friend.

You're a big fan of dice.

Yeah, but you got to have, like, big dice.

Yeah, that's the point.

You get inflatable dice or whatever.

That's the best.

And when you roll a certain number or whatever, you.

You get to go anyways, that's the Saran Wrap ball.

Things wild.

Do I.

Wait, I forgot about that one.

Do I want to do that or not?

I don't know.

It feels weird getting gifts and then like adding a gimmick.

I mean, it just.

It.

I wouldn't feel right taking someone's gift that wasn't meant for me.

I don't know.

I think.

Oh, no.

The whole point is it that all the gifts are brought in not for anyone specific, but so that we can play this game.

I know, but I brought.

Isn't that weird?

I brought a 12 pack.

It's weird.

I brought a 12 pack of out of date diet coke one time as.

As a gift to.

To white oven.

It was supposed to be dumb stuff, right?

And that's what I brought.

Now I felt bad too, and I brought a backup gift.

Whoever got stuck with that?

But I mean, it's supposed to be dumb stuff.

It's supposed to be fun.

It's gonna be a great time again.

I still feel weird about, like, getting things.

So the more childish it is, the.

It's so much fun.

Like a whoopee cushion.

That's a great gift.

Yeah.

It's so much fun because, like, especially towards the end of the game, it gets better and better because gifts just keep.

Get exchanged throughout the game.

Like it's.

It's a blast.

Like, especially if the last person to go doesn't open up.

Like if.

And I hope you don't draw last because you'll be the person that opens up the gift.

I'm not gonna take someone else's gift.

They got it.

That's what I mean.

But like, but if the last person takes someone's gift, it usually starts an entire reframing of all the gifts until somebody finally takes the new gift.

And sometimes that's the person who was last stolen from.

The best part about white elephant gift is the fact that it Makes gifts not as important.

No, it just makes it fun.

The fun is the emphasized thing.

Right?

Like, that's the greatest.

Know how to have regular fun.

We're gonna help you in that sense.

I don't know that I can, but.

No.

Yeah.

It takes away the point of like.

Like Secret Santa becomes too much.

Sometimes things get sticky.

Sometimes it gets ridiculous.

Maybe I'm taking.

But White Elephant is awesome because like.

You said, it's a shovel.

It's not about the gifts being mad.

Maybe I've taken it too seriously then.

Because I had someone really, I had some in mind that I personally value a lot, and I was gonna bring that.

Look, you can, and.

But now I.

I don't know.

You can do whatever you want.

But here's the thing.

And look, if there.

Oh, there's always a catalyst gift.

I mean, like, there's.

White Elephant does not mean.

Look, if there's someone in there that you wanted to give a gift to, you could totally do that.

But that's separate from the game.

Yeah.

Well, I guess if it's a good gift, I mean, it's okay to bring a good gift to White Elephant.

Gift.

Oh, yeah.

Because there's got to be one that's like, oh, I want that.

I actually, I went out and I got a few gifts just in case.

You're gonna plant some, aren't you?

I've got some stuff in there just in case that people don't bring one.

And I've got some stuff that I think will be fun.

I'm waiting to see what people do.

You're gonna let people participate who didn't bring one?

I don't want them to not bring one.

All right, you gotta let me know if there's a purple video game controller, because I want to know if he repurposes the gifts.

No.

What.

What kind?

It was a jack.

The person that wants that if I get rid of it.

Because the first thing I pictured was it, like, a GameCube controller.

No, no, no.

Although, GameCube.

We gotta get on topic.

Where are we?

So I was trying to get the back to the thing off of GIFs.

Right.

It's just fun and enjoyable to be around people at this time of the year instead of it being.

I mean, that's the one thing that I wish that I wish I knew how to teach kids that.

That it's not about my presents.

Presents are fun, but, like, don't get them presents.

It doesn't matter how much you tell them, like, hey, Jesus loves you, they're still Excited.

Overly excited about what'd you get me?

And it's just like, wait, wait, wait.

Like, I am super excited to get to spend some time with my family.

Yeah, well, I can.

We can.

We can stay in our pajamas for three solid days if we want to next week, because we don't have anything.

We have to take a shower.

Just thinking about.

Right.

Like, it's gonna be wonderful.

I didn't say don't let me tell you the Christmas.

Oh, you meant, like, three different pairs of pajamas.

Yeah, I was remember.

I was remembering the hurricanes.

I don't have to get dressed.

Like, I don't have to leave the house, which is nice.

And I'll have already gotten what I need to do my meal, because the day before, I'm going to a place to get crustaceans.

So I'll be steaming crabs the Maryland way on Christmas Day.

Oh, it's.

We steam them very specific ways.

But anyway, it doesn't matter.

So it's apparently superior to.

It's superior to every other way.

It's superior to every.

My Marylanders would understand.

Agree.

So as opposed to us regular Go, go, Baltimore plebeian, or Maryland in general.

So look, if there's anything that we can unite behind in Maryland, it's crabs.

And it sounds really funny to say it that way.

So anyway.

But seriously, steamy crabs.

I'm looking forward to that.

So.

And I don't even have to get dressed for that.

I can just roll out, more than likely.

Yeah, no, that's.

And.

And I wish that the kids understood that.

I wish that then there was a way that I could describe that to my child like that.

Like, this is.

Like, we just get to chill.

I wish I had, like, you know what?

The joy for me.

I'm sorry.

Go ahead, do it.

Do your thing.

Go ahead.

Okay.

The joy for me, Christmas morning, like, when kids wake up, like, I love seeing them open their stuff and get excited.

Like, that makes me happy to think that, man.

Especially if.

If for some of them, if you get that gift, you know, I'm saying where they're like.

And they.

Like, they really hoped for it.

I wish I had a kid like that.

That was, like, there's one gift that I want.

Nope.

Well, she would be happy with anything, though.

That's.

That's the other.

With my youngest, it's a.

It's.

It's kind of a crapshoot.

You just kind of like, all right, is this the one?

No.

Okay, so you're happy.

You're happy that you got that one but not super happy.

And then the one you're like, that one's not going to be the one.

They're like, oh, my gosh.

And you're like, oh, that's the one.

I'm glad I bought both instead of just one of the two.

My parents asked me this year.

They were like, what do you want for Christmas, Luke?

And I'm like, well, I mean, I lost my $15 watch.

Do you want to see where that is?

But anyways, what I was going to say.

That wasn't what I was going to say, but what I was going to say is I wish sometimes around, like, something that's kind of popped in my head recently.

I wish I, like, had a lot of money.

Not because.

Not for, like, you know, just to have a lot of money, but because I wish I could have Christmas with, like, everyone instead of just my family, you know?

Like, I wish I could go around to, like, everyone's house and celebrate Christmas with them all at the same time.

But I can't do that because I'm one Luke and like, $60 in my bank account.

Oh, yeah.

Well, I mean, it's fine because I.

Like, what if I had, like, a mansion and then just.

Everyone just had Christmas at Luke's place and then it was like, so cool.

You could now get into ministry and throw a party here.

Yeah.

Nobody's saying you can't come to the church on.

On Christmas Day or whatever.

That would be nice.

Throw a party.

I mean, obviously, everyone.

I'm just not going to orchestrate it.

I mean, probably not.

I'd probably come visit.

I'd probably pop in.

Yeah, like, you wouldn't have to.

I would.

I would probably pop in if somebody was throwing something here and everybody was invited.

I'd probably show up probably close to the end of whatever it is and be like, yo, what's up?

And then leave.

Yeah.

When it comes to.

I tell you, you want to hear a holiday stressor when it comes to gifts is the fact that we are.

How many days out?

Let me see.

We got.

We got six days, right?

Six days.

My oldest child has given me zero ideas for him.

So don't give him anything.

Yeah, but he rarely talks.

Oh, he talks.

Not around me.

Ever.

He will.

Give him time.

But, like, he.

He just.

I ask him, give me anything, dude.

Throw something out there, don't even care.

See if it sticks.

Yeah, seriously, give me a direction.

Give me something.

Yeah, that's the thing is you gotta find the direction.

Nothing on the.

On the contrast, though.

My.

Then my Older daughter.

She typed hers up by category and everything.

Like, I'm serious.

That sounds about right.

Here's my priority.

Probably, like, a spreadsheet and everything.

Oh, dude.

It's, like, nice.

Probably stressing about how here is the.

Price and I understand.

Here's the.

Dude, it's crazy.

Like, so one kid can't tell me anything at all somehow that he wants, and then the other one has a categorized list.

You know, that's one thing I really appreciate about your son is that we needed to have very little conversation when we were at move, but, oh, man, I love spending time with that guy because neither of us felt like we needed to talk to each other.

We could just, like, hang out, exist around each other, and that, like, that was our bonding time.

I have a need to talk.

I don't.

I don't know if I could handle that.

I mean, Christian, he's.

He's.

And I'm Actually, what's probably going to happen is that he's going to flip.

And within a few years, especially once he gets out of high school, he'll start becoming more.

Hopefully he gets rid of your face, because that's the thing.

Like, if he would show emotion through his face, like, no, but seriously, if he would show emotion through his face, I'd be able to be like, okay, yeah, he's cool with what he's doing right now.

He inherited my just look at you straight face.

Well, don't I feel like everything.

So did Faith.

He could be having a good time.

I would.

No.

Yeah.

But I think within a few years, once he starts to really build a life for himself, I think that he'll start to become a little more open and easier to read.

And it happens a lot with kids who start out really quiet like that.

Well, it's funny because I was really loud as a kid, and now I'm, like, slowly getting more, like, deserved.

Yeah, See, it flips.

It flips.

But, no, it's just kind of frustrating because I'm like, dude, just give me something.

Give me something.

And no, nothing.

So are you flying him back down?

That's a Christmas gift.

No, no, he's not flying down for Christmas.

He'll be coming down for New Year's.

Oh, okay.

Gotcha.

But he's actually riding down because two of my friends are coming down.

You know, when I first got my car, I texted the group chat that I finally got everything insured and everything, and I said, if anyone ever needs a ride, let me me know.

And Mary responded.

Christian wants a ride to Florida.

I couldn't afford that, but, man, if I could, I would.

Christian.

Yeah.

That dude loves this place.

I do, too, but once again, I.

Wish I could see it.

Just can't see it on his face.

I'm currently 22 minutes late to my Bible study, so you guys want to wrap it up?

Whoa.

You hear this guy?

Well, I feel like we've been trying to wrap it up, but we keep talking.

That's fine.

Which, I mean, I guess thank you.

For coming and joining us this today.

It was a little chaotic today, but I feel like we had a really good conversation.

Yeah.

Around.

Around the Christmas season and yeah, the fact that everything leads one into the other when it comes to the Advent.

Yeah.

Advent quadruplets.

And if you have been riding with us this whole Christmas Advent season through our podcast, we want to give a special thank you for riding with us through it.

And if there's anyone in your life that you think, man, this might actually help them with any of the episodes, please share them, send them out.

And then, of course, we'd love hearing from you on what you think about it.

So let us know, especially on YouTube.

Give us a hit in the comments or message us.

Let us know what you think about the episodes, what you liked, what you didn't like, what you, what you, what you want to add, what you might have missed or whatever it is.

Just hit us up.

We'd love to hear from you.

Yeah.

Also, special shout out to all of you who have been giving us a shout out recently.

I've heard, even in person, I really appreciate all of the, the love that you throw our way.

And just, just remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.

It's not just a, it's not just a cheesy saying, but, like, he's the reason we live and breathe as Christians.

So it is really.

He is really the factor that if, if you're stressed out, that's what's missing in the midst of your season.

So we love you and God bless.

Bless.

Hey, thanks for joining us.

Make sure to subscribe and give us a like on itunes and Spotify so that you will never miss a show.

And while you're at it, check out our Facebook and Instagram pages and make sure you tell your friends about this show.

You don't want them to miss out on the truth because we are all about the truth.

Thanks for joining us this week and God bless.