Money Matters | David Carpenter | Episode 26

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi, this is Grant Lockridge. I'm here with Jared Tafta on the Across the Counter podcast, where we create space for real people to have honest conversations. Today we have on the podcast David Carpenter, and David, just tell me a little bit about where you're from, how you got started and what you're up to now. Hey, thanks for having me on.

Speaker 2: 0:25

Love it, thank you. Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet both of you guys and I love doing podcasts. I only do them with certain people that I feel like that have the same character, integrity and mindset that I want to be associated with. So thanks for having me on. I'm originally from Phoenix, arizona. I live now in Florida, in Coral Gables. I moved this year, earlier this year, to change the environment, to grow. So being in that same environment my whole entire life is amazing. It took me to great places in business, but I felt like a leading from God that it was time to walk away and completely get out of my comfort zone and move somewhere that I really didn't know anyone in. So I guess the journey to like short give you the short version of it Journey is growing up. My dad was an entrepreneur. I saw him become very successful. He lost everything in 2008 and I'm getting himself in trouble. I want himself up in prison. I was taken care of by my mom my whole entire life and I got into sports in an early age. It really kept me out of trouble. It kept me grounded because of the coaches in my life and through the pain and through a lot of different struggles, obviously not having my dad in the picture and us really not growing up with any money. Basketball and football and sports in general was like my outlet to take out anger and take frustrations and that was like my safe place, I guess you can say. And getting to high school I realized that I wasn't going to go play professional sports so I need to go find an avenue to be able to make money to take care of my mom. That was my why, my goal and my passion. So I started in network marketing. I did network marketing for five years. That was my start of being an intrapreneur, to understanding a little bit of marketing, business and sales. And that company ended up not being the vehicle for me. About five and a half years in the company got into some trouble. Company's name was Vima, was a nutritional company, company was a supplement company and all the hard work of five and a half years boom down the drain overnight and pretty crazy story. And this is back when I was probably 1718. I did fairly well. I had the company car, which what I thought was a cool thing being 18 and driving a nice car and after that I went into like kind of a darker place in my life looking and just really struggle. I was a waiter but I had all these giftings and I had. And I was different than everybody else because I didn't think the same way as them. Like I wasn't okay with just paying bills, like I wasn't okay with just existing and I ended up searching for an opportunity after my girlfriend at the time, who I wanted to marry, was like a girlfriend, high school sweetheart, and then up leaving me for another guy and basically said, hey, like David's not going to do much with his life, let me go hop ship, it's better over here. And she told my sister this guy's making 80 grand a year and at the time I was making probably 30 and never made more than 40,000 at that time in a year. So that was my motivation I needed. I got, I looked for, I look for an opportunity and I got in a message. When I started to open myself up, I actually got a message. It's funny when you knock at opportunity, the door opens somewhere somehow. We don't really know what it's going to look like and ended up being for a sales career in the life insurance space and I met a mentor that I never really met before. Every other mentor I had who was flashy was all about them. It was very prideful. It was like, hey, look at me, I'm amazing, right. And this guy was humble, down to earth. He really knew how to stew at wealth and he had a beautiful family, a beautiful wife and kids. 38 years old, he could retire a millionaire from the pass of residual income from the life insurance business. And I said, if I could just do half of what this guy did, I'm gonna be all right. So decided to get involved, committed to the test. At that time, guys, I was getting in shape because I looked at my stomach, I looked at my body and I was like maybe she left me because of this, right? So I ended up getting so in shape. I did a bodybuilding contest it was a men's physique week back in 2016. And during that time, I'm studying for my exam. I'm really like working really hard and things aren't just really going that well. I didn't do that on the show, okay, that was a little bit disappointing. I ended up failing my exam four times and coming to the end of the, to the year that same year. Guys, the fifth time I'm taking my insurance exam, I have to take it. It's like the only location I could go to was about four hours away. Two weeks before my test I get a call. I'm waiting tables and my brother they're like hey, your brother's in the hospital. So I leave my tables and I'm struggling financially at this time. So this is a Saturday night. Anyone knows, if you're a server, saturday is your money day. You don't give up your Saturday. So I left Saturday night. All the tables, all the money I was going to make in tips, went to the hospital. Doctor sat me down. I was like you're older brother, he's not going to make it Some of the worst news you're ever going to get in your entire life. And I had to make a decision whether this was going to be part of my story or if I was going to get get into drugs and party and sorrow and woe is me right. So I decided to dedicate my brother's life after the funeral, my brother's life, to my first year into insurance. So I decided to take the insurance exam the day before my insurance exam. This is a pivotal moment. My mom came over and I'm broken, super depressed. Girlfriend left me, didn't do well in the show, nothing's going right. I've failed four times on this insurance exam, I'm like why is my life so freaking difficult right now? What the hell did I do? Why do I deserve this? And my mom knew how broken I was because I couldn't pay rent. My rent was 450 bucks at the time because I had taken a lot of time off to study and also being done with my money.

Speaker 3: 6:54

And your brother passed in that same window as well.

Speaker 2: 6:57

Same window two weeks span, so it was like, right after the show, it was like boom, he had died in an accident, and my last time taking the test while I'm broke, literally can't pay rent that same month. So all this weight is on me, and one great thing I did, though, was stay committed, like no matter how hard it was. I was like I was just thinking about hey, it's all about how I respond. All things work together for good for those who love God. That's one of my favorite scriptures, and I was like okay, this is going to work together for my good somehow, some way. So I stay committed. I go down to take my test. This is one of the craziest stories. So I go down to take my test. I'm with a buddy who I'm no longer friends with, but I go down there. I have no money for a hotel, so I stay with a buddy of a buddy that night. Guys, the guy that I stayed with, and the end of ends up getting robbed the night before my exam, the house that the buddy that I stay with, he ends up getting robbed. I have a gun pointed to my head, a guy in a clown mask, and I'm in this situation where I'm like. How can my life get any worse than this?

Speaker 3: 8:06

Even the clown mask is like a moron exactly.

Speaker 2: 8:10

I'm literally my life's a horror movie. What the. It was crazy and I remember it like yesterday and I'm just praying God, get me, let me just survive, because I knew if I would have died my mom probably would have committed suicide both her sons. She loved us very dearly and I'm just praying and thankfully I wasn't touched. There was a person that he robbed, like the owner of the house, but by the grace, god, I was in touch. That night I got no sleep. I go drive an hour away to go take an insurance exam for an all-commission based job. Who's crazy enough to do that?

Speaker 1: 8:47

Yeah go take a rob in a clown man yeah.

Speaker 3: 8:55

Did not get shot. Let's go take.

Speaker 2: 8:58

Yeah, I'm good, I go and I pass it and I just have this piece. Nothing in my life is peaceful, but I just have this piece of knowing. I really believe, like when, when you're in the right Place of the right time, like God gives you this piece and you just have this certainty in knowing that you're you done, you did right and that fast forward, that I dedicated my first year to my brother. It was my first year I broke over 40,000. I'm making my first six figures In that year. So many ups and downs in the business will get into, but that's really the start of, like, my journey so far.

Speaker 3: 9:34

What a beginning yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:38

I thought I was gonna be like and I graduated college and Got a college degree. I did a go to life insurance and there we go. I'm sure that's a fantastic Pitch for life insurance. I guarantee you've been to conferences and that is a good.

Speaker 3: 10:02

Day that somebody shows up in a clown mask at your house, like yeah. That is insane. Did they ever catch the guy that robbed your friend? I?

Speaker 2: 10:12

Think they did. I think they did, obviously not gonna even be associated with those people that was like. Also, another lesson is hey, if you don't feel right about a situation, don't be there regardless. I should have just even slept in my car that night.

Speaker 1: 10:26

Yeah, so Basically, I'm sure you've gotten this before, but how do you feel about the difference and this is not a question I'll trip you up whatsoever. I'm just curious, how do you feel about the difference between prosperity, gospel and all that jazz, and then the disparity gospel of that's almost the exact opposite of you shouldn't wear two tunics, you should give away your tunic and you should walk the earth with nothing. And then there's God bless Abraham or whatever, and you know I'm gonna bless me too. So I'm just curious, like how you feel about that and what Like you would say about that, because I always by myself in the middle and I always go a little back and forth, yeah, this is a.

Speaker 2: 11:15

this is something I like talk to my uncle about too, because I was like very torn in the same position, because I see both sides and I really believe everyone's not called to be like just rich either. I think Everyone's called to be prosperous in what they're doing. And one thing I love that my uncle told me was he said Rich doesn't mean your Irrigate in. Poor doesn't mean you're humble, and I was like, wow, that's so true he's. Yeah, I know some arrogant people that are broke and I know some of the some really wealthy people who are extremely Meek. I think when you acquire Money and I've been here completely the reason why I can say this and not judge is because I've been on both sides I've been super arrogant with my money, been like super flashy, and then I've also been in the point where I've been completely humbled because I've lost everything, gained it, lost it, gained it. Like I've had so many different places in my life and I think Money makes really shows your character and really shows your true love of God, because money at Mammon is God talks a lot about Mammon being like he's. He was more worried about Mammon being the God people following him with money more than him, more than he even was worried about Satan, right, that's how much he talks about this. So I think, if money is your God, that's the root of all evil, right? If that's what you're thinking about, you're chasing something that is gonna leave you empty and not fulfilled and you're always gonna have that God place whole in your heart. So I think that if you're chasing, if you're stewarding what God gave you, which he talks about especially in the story of the talents, right, we're called to multiply and I think, whatever you have, you're supposed to steward and operate in his likeness, which, whatever that means to you, right? So my business, I'm properly stewarding for him and I think my wealth is his money. I think, like, my life is his. So if you, I love being blessed because you can really help other people, like I've been able to give to different ministries and take care of my mom, I bought her a house that paid off her debts. Like I couldn't do that if I was broke and if I chose the easier path, if I didn't get uncomfortable my mom, who does not know any financial literacy, how to make money other than just being an employee, and I love her to death because she's an incredible woman of God. But I really believe that I like that prosperity helped give my mom a better life. Like that prosperity does help move and shift. Is it the end all be all? Absolutely not. I think your money or your money is your heart is, and it's like really a tool. It's not a God, it's never meant to be a God. And really what someone has, it you really see if they truly value God. Still, because the times where a lot of times people prosper, they move away from God and I think that's why a lot of people cannot. God doesn't allow certain people to have types of wealth because they'll destroy themselves, destroy others. And certain people do have wealth because they can steward it, operate it, multiply it and they're not going to let that obviously be their God. So I know it's a long answer, but that's just some of my thoughts there.

Speaker 1: 14:42

So what's your like way or, I guess, your secret to being content Cause it. That's something that I struggle with. In college I was like, oh, I'm gonna make a bunch of money and I got out of that just from various life circumstance which I can go into or not, but really truly believe that like contentment, just like being okay with what you have, makes you a billionaire. That's a really like lame phrase. Like literally like everything I have is good and it's all God's and I'm gonna do the best I can with what I have and if you're not, like after I'm gonna get so much more than that just makes you like so rich in my mind. And what's your practices? To keep, not to keep but just like to be content when obviously in a business you have to grow it, you have to do all that stuff, so you have to be hungry but how do? You stay content while you're like trying to kill in business.

Speaker 2: 15:43

Yeah, I think because I've lost it all, that I've lost it all multiple times and gained it right back, like different seasons in my business where I know that it has nothing to do with my happiness, like Jesus has everything to do with my happiness, like I'm completely content, whether, just like Paul said it too he's I've learned to be content in the right and the blessings, or in the place where the lowest moments of your life like in those moments really you find the peace of God and has nothing to do with your finances. There's nothing to do with even if you have a dollar in your account. So I think I've learned to just be content and grateful because it's him who gives it to me, it's him who can take it away and it's him that is the foundation to all of it. Like my life has my value is nothing to do with the money I have in my account or what I make or I think my. I know my value is because I'm stewarding the Holy Spirit, that I have God inside of me and then I have a purpose to help other people and like the short time I have, that's my calling. I feel like that is my value, is God. He's the only value that I even have in that whatever I have is to be used for the glory of him. So, whether it comes, whether it goes, whatever like I'm content because of who I have.

Speaker 3: 17:08

I feel like oftentimes in Christian circles, that's the right answer. Right, that's the answer that you should say. And then there's the battle of being at a certain status and contending with what's actually true in your day to day. That is what you should say. So then, what is the actual outflow of that battle been like in your life? Because I despise the hustle culture, but I know that we're supposed to grind right, Like where does Sabbath fit and where does a peace that doesn't have to do with earning love or earning worth or earning value? Where does that fit into having a motivation to grind?

Speaker 2: 17:56

Uh-huh, that's good. Does that make sense?

Speaker 3: 17:58

That feel yeah, you gave the right answer, Also like that sometimes that's the easy question. Yeah, also. It's like that just sometimes doesn't work, or am I wrong?

Speaker 2: 18:10

No, I agree with you. I think it's gotta be based on am I being led by God? Am I doing this really truly for Him? And it says everything that you do let it be under the glory of God. So am I doing this for God's glory? And it is a lot easier said than done and I've had times where it was really not about God. If I'm gonna be honest with you guys and I see it all the time like you got this, I just need more, I need more, I need more. I'm not happy until I have it, but in those moments you're really not happy period, because your focus is not seeking the kingdom of God. First it became more about my desires. It became more about my will and not His will. And I think when I came back to that place when my life was about all about him starting my day off first with him, being in my word, sacrificing my flesh, my own desires it actually gave me more motivation in the business, because I'd realized my business was my ministry. So, instead of just talking about how I can make someone's money, how do I help this person be a man of God? How do I help this women believe in herself and define God and I think being in that place there's, there's like true fulfillment, because you are Actually stewarding what God gave you.

Speaker 1: 19:55

What's the, what's your difference and your life between? Like happiness and joy, because I hear a bunch of happiness, but I know what you mean is a happy. What you mean is joy, because joy is within all circumstances. Oh yeah, yes, yes I just wanted to draw that line. And what do you think the the differences in your life? Like, between, like happiness?

Speaker 3: 20:18

and joy.

Speaker 2: 20:20

Yeah, that's really good Because joy is enough. You said it joy is in all circumstances. We have his joy that we carry, regardless of what we see, what is currently happening, no matter through the ups, through the downs, like we carry a piece that surpasses all understanding. We carry the joy. You have God in your heart, like you have all the spiritual blessings, you have those fruits of the spirit and One of those is joy. So even really, you find your love Deeper and you really do discover joy the most when nothing is going right. But yet you have this joy to you like it doesn't even make sense. You're crazy. I'm like, yeah, because I got the joy in my heart. Man like yeah 100%. It's undescribable. If you look at it as a fleshly place, it really is. It's completely at this is. It's completely about you and God, and yeah, thank you for bringing that up. You guys are asking great questions.

Speaker 3: 21:30

I like that. Yeah, you discover joy the most when nothing is going right. And I even like like thinking about that song, it's like down in my heart, it's like way, way down, like down there. You got to sing it. So I think what's interesting about that is you know that that scripture that says like you have, you find peace that surpasses understanding. Yes, like the idea of joy that surpasses understanding. It's almost, if not truly, the evidence that there is a joy or a peace, this outside of your circumstances. It's almost like you find the hand of God or the spirit of God. Yeah, because it doesn't make sense. Everything is falling apart and you're okay and not only are you okay, you're Joyful, yeah, yeah, some of the worst, some of the worst times of my life and my wife's life, and yeah, same thing. It's just like why do I feel peace right now? Mm-hmm, I think of it as my wife says, like when everything's falling apart and you feel peace, it you feel like as land is coming. It's just like. Because it can't be this bad and him.

Speaker 2: 22:55

Yeah, amen. Yeah, he's near the broken hearted and there's like a great story that. So I do these Bible studies with my uncle who's he's? He's a pastor in Trinidad and your uncle sounds like a man, yeah.

Speaker 3: 23:12

and when your uncle said that you can be poor and arrogant and rich and humble, yeah. Yeah sounds like a solid, he sounds like the man.

Speaker 2: 23:20

But he's very anointed and he's talking about the story of Joseph and it's like really resonating with me, like everything we're talking about. And I know you guys know the story of Joseph. And in the pit he's talking about how God gave him the vision he gave him to be get. He gave him the end right in the beginning and anointed him right and obviously he shared this with his brother. They threw him in the pit and he was taken into egypt and he rose up right, he got on top and it was stripped away because of Something that wasn't even true About him. Obviously pharaoh's wife said he raped her and he was thrown into the prison and it took 12 years for him to be, from when he started and to the end. And in the prison, that's when he got his gifting. And in the prison, that's when god downloaded the wisdom on how to interpret the dream. And in the prison where he built his patience. There's a verse I'll share with you guys, but it talks about how the faith and patience you will inherit the blessing. Let me give you the actual scripture on this. Okay, he bruised six, 12, that you do not become sluggish, but in imitate those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises. So in that hit he's building his capacity, he's building his inner man. That's what it's called the inner strength, the strength that only god can provide. And he's actually making him ready. He's giving him the wisdom, he's giving him his gifts in that low point and right, and probably in that low point, he still has this joy. The people are like what the heck is wrong with this guy. And then eventually, when his heart was ready, god took him out and put him in position. So everything we're talking about man, I like look back at my life and that was it. So many I had raises up and then down because my heart posture raised up down and god is just pruning my heart, building my endurance, building my patience To making it all about him. And really this last year different things have happened in the business, where it's slower and God's really built, changed my heart really, specifically this year More than every year, and I think in those pits, in those lower moments, that's where we truly he gets us ready and get and downloads the wisdom to be able to be in the palace you.

Speaker 3: 26:02

Two things. Earlier, when your brother passed and everything was going wrong, you said something. I was gonna write it down and I didn't, but it was something along the lines of I did the right thing and your right thing was I. Basically I didn't give up or I didn't like I held steadfast, so one. I just hear that as a reoccurring theme as well. But you just said, like god has been changing your heart this year more than any other. Put more words to that, and why, how? Why this year more than any other? What is the? What is david carpenter this year? See that. Maybe the child saw, but then the man in between has it seen.

Speaker 2: 26:49

That's good, I think this year because I got away from the other influences that were very. They were just very. It was just very worldly. And sometimes because before this I had a year in a period where I was so worried about what other thought I had to wear the designer had to spend money to look rich, to impress people that I didn't care about Like as much. But it's like living this facade and living this fake life. This year God really brought, brought to my attention how to stew it. He there's, our team still doing great in our productions up, but there's certain bonuses that I wasn't able to receive this year due to quality and so the money wasn't really flowing this year and that was like god's opportunity to to basically get my attention and it forced me to be like wake up, because in those moments where the money is not flowing as much, you really learn the most. That's really where you get this like deeper desire. It was in the pit right, like and I'm still blessed. It's not like I'm like poor or broke, but compared to what I want to and the growth that I want to this year wasn't the growth that I want to right All those things that we're talking about. But yet it was the most growth, spiritually, that I've ever had and it got me realigned that none of that crap even matters. And then it was like okay, so even just sharing this with you guys, like hanging out with men of Christ and hanging out with better individuals Now I'm so discerned in who I even spend my time with and then, just when you're in this place, you start waking up. Like you wake up and you're like what the hell was I even doing? Like can I even believe I would spend money like that? I can't believe I would even hang out with people like that. Like what the heck I feel? Like when you're in sin, you have this like scales on your eyes where you're just doing things, just to do it, like it's not even the true you, and like you step into this place, like really, when you have this great relationship with God, all you want to do is please him, you start to see life completely different and yeah, everything's just been about him. And even though the business isn't as booming as I want this year and the money's not as flowing as I want this year, like we talked about before is like man, I got this joy, I got this strength. I got this building of strength, this endurance, and I feel so clean. I'm dating this girl went completely clean in terms of nothing like not doing anything. That's the first time in my life that I've done that. I've always had sex. I'm just being honest. I've always had sex. I've always drank. I've been clean and drinking, having drank, having hung out with those people and completely took off the likes I used to pay for likes on Instagram, completely took those off and I'm just like getting in this place where it's like I just wanna be David Carpenter and the man that God has called me to be. I'm pure and as close to that as I possibly can, because I'm still flawed, right, but it's just man. That's what I mean by waking up and God changing my heart, and I know that when he does exalt me this time it's gonna be more for the glory of God and not for the glory of God.

Speaker 3: 30:09

I just realized I love names and I'm probably a poet at heart in some way, and just the idea of the name like David Carpenter. There's this juxtaposition of David, a man after God's on heart, and then just a simple carpenter. Jesus was satisfied to just do daily labor and be of use for 33 years of his life and until the given purpose or however long that was, and there's debate on what type of work he did. But to me, like even the and what's your middle name, Edward? I thought, yeah, your dad's middle name, okay.

Speaker 2: 30:52

Yeah, that was my dad's name. It is my dad's name.

Speaker 3: 30:55

Okay, yeah, I don't know. We've touched on a few different things, and I know that your dad is another area where, like with him, we didn't even go deep into that, with there being a separation, but you being a man that has a heavenly father and being called into the true version of David, david Carpenter, a man that glorifies God. It's just interesting to me that, like prior to the pit, as a child, joseph was a child who was being exalted and lifted up. He was a child who was being given a coat of many colors. There was so much love and peace and joy that existed in his life. That was true, but it was true without the trial prior to that, and so it's interesting to me now that it feels like I'm hearing a man that's sharing the true comfort of knowing that love and joy and peace on the other side of the torn robe, on the other side of the pit, and knowing that the like, the coat of many colors, like none of those things really matter compared to the relationship that you have, because he's the one that's come and rescued you and the one that's been with you and it's almost like the value of the relationship through the trials is what made all the colorful robe and the designer clothes. It made all that not matter, because those things haven't saved you, they haven't been there with you, those friends that you drink with, the masculinity like, none of those things were there. They all abandoned us in the pit. And then the one who's clean and didn't take us there, he shows up and says I'll be here with you and I'll clean you off and I'll take care of you. It's almost like how many times has that happened before we say you know what? I think I'm good just to be a simple carpenter, or I think I'm good just to be what you've called me to be, and I think I've just been thinking about that a lot Like the tension of being a faithful worker, but not hustling and grinding. You said you followed or you moved toward a man, a mentor, who was a good steward of wealth with a beautiful family, and I thought that was a beautiful sentence. So like, where do you see yourself going now? In this year? It sounds like your goals are shifting or your vision is shifting. So do you have a vision of where God's taking you now and what your hopes are?

Speaker 2: 33:24

Yeah, beautifully said, by the way. Like very well said, I wanna go where God wants me to go. I think I know it's speaking Like. I see visions of speaking on stage in front of thousands of people. I see using business as a ministry because it's the most dark place in the world, I would say, when you think of who loves money more than business, people, right, who's like the most lost man? Who's the most lost, like it is so dark and it's such an evil place because you can acquire these things. So I see a strong ministry there and I see like a coaching there and it has a lot to do with the business world. So those are both of the things I see. And then I see a lot of funding, like I wanna get wealth now, not to drive the Lamborghinis or to have a Rolls Royce or to just have this huge house, like I see like me acquiring wealth for to further the kingdom and what ministries he puts in my heart to give to. Those are gonna be expanded. So that's where the vision's shifting. And then helping people financially too is also part of that. Breaking limitations, like just making people better, and I want that to pour into all areas.

Speaker 3: 34:48

So that's kinda what's next? Yeah, that last part, the making people better. I just I wanna tag on one last question of that, and then I wanna hear Grant's thoughts too is like, oftentimes, when we move toward a calling for God, we also think, oh, I'm gonna now work for God and put this money to good use. And it seems like our perspective shifts and we think that money is still the solution. And it's interesting to me because now it's oh, because I'm not buying Ferrari's, now I'm going to buy souls. So what's fascinating is like how do you contend with that in your mind or heart? If money was the issue, god wouldn't have said make disciples. So how is money a tool in helping make disciples? And you said building people up. But how does it not become like I'm going to work for God Does that make sense.

Speaker 2: 35:43

That's so good? Yeah, no, it does, and I think it's. I think that it's again where your heart is. I think all that stuff is a byproduct of a heart issue, right, if someone really has that purity in terms of their longing, longing to do the will of God, that if they are in business, they can, because anointing that is on you, right, like you see, these guys that God's used, that were blessed and successful, and I think, like your heart has to be right and focused on him in order for you to not and it's very hard to not to get drowned back into the world and having to start living for everybody else. And I think what you can do with that is not just, oh, buy this, yeah, I get completely what you're saying, because that it is an evil thought. Oh, okay, now I'm better now because of this and that. But it could be completely released from that and just be completely led by what God wants you to do. I think, if you're in that space and you are dying to self and making it not about pride, because that's where it becomes evil, where it becomes just to be straight, used, which is very difficult to do that's why you got to be killing your flesh every day, like through the word, through hanging out with people that are the right, that are men and women of God that are very deep, that are doing the right thing. So that way you can have accountability to check yourself, and it's not easy to do.

Speaker 3: 37:19

That's good.

Speaker 1: 37:20

Yeah, gosh, this has been better than I thought it was going to be. I'll tell you that much.

Speaker 3: 37:25

Yeah, it's so much more depth than not that we thought that you wouldn't have depth, but we didn't know where. Most of our interviews haven't been connected to the business world as much because, like you said, it's kind of like a whole new thing, oh yeah. I don't blame you guys.

Speaker 2: 37:42

It's a hot, that's what I'm saying. It is a very evil place and it takes a certain person that I've been so sucked into it so many times, but every time I've left me broken and worse off, and it really does take a certain person for you to actually be used by God in that. Go ahead, yeah, go ahead, grant.

Speaker 1: 38:05

So what's your? So I'm a young guy, which I'm not that young anymore I'm 27, but let's just say that I'm just starting out. I'm 18, just graduated high school. What would be your advice that you'd give? To not fall into the pits that you've fallen into in business, Because Wow wish someone would have had that conversation with me.

Speaker 3: 38:30

Have that conversation with someone With our 18 year old business with somebody that we got a lot of young adults.

Speaker 2: 38:38

Man, what a great question.

Speaker 3: 38:41

Good job yeah there we go.

Speaker 2: 38:43

I would say stay, evaluate your circle. You got to be around. I would encourage you to be around men and women that have the proper fruit and when I say by fruit is, do they bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit and make sure you're surrounded yourself with people like that, because who were around. Either the enemy can use them or God can use them either to bless your life in so many areas or curse your life in so many areas. So, as the first thing I would say is really be careful on who you spend your time with, the next thing is I'd say you have to draw a line and you got to make a decision right now Whether you're going to try to please the world or do the opposite of the world. And that, set apart and holy, is actually where you're the happiest. Being the opposite of whatever else is doing, is really where you're genuinely authentically this place of joy and strength and boldness. And you just have this. You just have this confidence that can only be from God, and I would tell them that seek him first in his righteousness and the rest will be added, and that if you just keep your eyes on him, stay around great people. It doesn't mean life's not going to be hard for you, but you're always going to have joy and you're always going to have peace and it's going to be a lot easier for you than if you drift and you find yourself. Your five best friends are very, very like just making the wrong decisions Worldly fleshly. They just want to please themselves. They just want to feel the pride and please themselves in whatever ways that they want.

Speaker 1: 40:28

I have a follow up, just because this is something that I've seen a lot of people do. So where do you draw the line of like how to cut people off? Because there's like the idea of ministry, of like, all right, I have these guys around because I want to bring us all up and I want to share the gospel with them and I don't want to cut them off. And then there's the idea of like all right, I've got to cut everybody in my life off, start fresh and only get good people around me. So how do you know what I mean? Like good Christian dudes, be like all right, I can't be friends with these five people, because they're terrible. And they're giving it their best shot. So just cut them off entirely and tell them that you're kind of off.

Speaker 2: 41:17

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 41:18

So, I don't know. I've just seen that as the coin and I probably lean more to idea. I think that it is important to get incredibly toxic people out of your life.

Speaker 2: 41:30

Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 41:32

But I don't know where I'm going.

Speaker 3: 41:34

On the boundaries thing again, dad got it, it's funny because you say hey, you're basically saying there's terrible and then there's toxic.

Speaker 2: 41:41

Yeah, yeah, there you go.

Speaker 1: 41:43

So what.

Speaker 2: 41:44

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 41:44

Where do you draw that line? How do you find the good people? And what if there's, like, some loyal people in your life, kind of thing that maybe aren't doing the best things? You get where I'm going with this.

Speaker 2: 41:55

Completely. I think you got to save yourself first. So once you're saved, once you're really like living, then if you're, if your circle is causing you to not do that, like for me, I had to completely remove everybody almost, because every time I would I was battling my spirit and flesh and any time I was around them it was my flesh man, like my desires, pleasing me. This is what it's all about me. But so I distance myself and they'll text me and I'll text them back. So I think that's like the fine line is not, but I won't go hang out with them. And if I do them up, if I am around them and it just hasn't been right away, but if I am around them, it's going to be only in certain environments and it's not going to be for very long. And I'm also going to be very conscious and prayed up before I go so I can discern right from Okay, here's the old DC that is the enemy is trying to pull me back to. And I think they, those guys, need prayer and just letting them know. Hey, if you really care about them, just let them know. Hey, man, I'm praying for you. Let me know if there's anything that I can pray for you. I wouldn't go join them because I always had a good heart and in that the enemy would send the wrong people and the wrong influences to, and I would be like, yeah, but they're good hearted people, they want to do right, and I would end up falling into all this stuff that they're doing because, quote unquote, I want to be the light of the world. So, like you said, you gotta have, you gotta have just to discern it. You got to be prayed up, you got to be aware of this stuff and I personally wouldn't spend all your time with them. You need to be spending your time with people that are godly. And then, yes, if you are feeling like, hey, go meet with maybe someone one on one and let it be in a, go to the bottom of the church, go Britain, go or do an activity where you're not like in a club or in this position, where your flesh is going to come out. You're going to be tempted to sin.

Speaker 3: 43:54

I would say I like that. You said I would want to go spend time with them because I wanted to be the light of the world and we didn't mean it that way. But that's sometimes how we oh, I got to help these people get to where I'm at. And, bro, where are you at? Yeah, and there is that.

Speaker 2: 44:17

You know, like man, I'm lost. It's, we're all lost, but yet we're whatever.

Speaker 3: 44:23

Yes, you just got a little bit of life of. I need to change and the terrain like yo, just like I think maybe you need to get up before 12 one day.

Speaker 1: 44:34

Yeah, maybe we put this new Christian into a leadership position. Hey, that's always good. Yeah, that'll do it.

Speaker 3: 44:41

That was a really good answer. Yeah, and it's funny. I was thinking about like we use Jesus as our example so often. It's like he went into the clubs and he drugged 12 people along with him. It's like he also didn't sin. Yeah, so there was that like yeah. Like he took a crowd of misfits and he didn't bring a bunch of toxic people, but he also didn't have to check himself and be like, how am I doing today?

Speaker 1: 45:07

He was not. So there was that, and he was the light of the world.

Speaker 3: 45:13

Yeah, to be. Yeah it's funny what we don't look at, or his habit patterns. He was on his face in prayer and abandoning the, the fame of the world. He was continually. We don't look at that as okay. We need to follow in his steps. We're like I want to do what he did, so I'm gonna go get these misfits over here and be the Robin Hood that leads the Mary Bannas. Yeah, anyway, I just yeah, that's so true. We look at what we're gonna do and not who we're being, and.

Speaker 2: 45:44

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 45:45

Yeah, yeah wow as well. Chambers has this quote that I'm gonna butcher, but it's something along that. Through the filter of Jared Taft, it's something along the lines of the greatest competitor for intimacy with Jesus is work for God.

Speaker 2: 46:00

Wow.

Speaker 3: 46:01

So, if that makes sense, the greatest competitor of intimacy with Jesus is work for God like it was fine. Whenever the buying Ferraris was seen as wicked. But now the issue is like oh, I'm putting this money toward ministry and I'm hustling for. Jesus yeah. As though, like I'm, jesus is prostitute and he's my he's my pimp and like now, I'm out there Hustling and grinding for the Lord and I'm bringing it to the right places, I think. I think now I'm just prostituting myself to what I think is a better, righteous desire.

Speaker 2: 46:35

Yeah, wow.

Speaker 3: 46:37

And now I'm just pointing the finger at me yeah, yeah, this, this feels yeah, and then you just know it's not. Yeah, that's so good to end that, david, last few minutes here. What you've said multiple times, man, it's the heart and it's. Are you doing what God is telling you to do? That's another one of those things. That is, man. That's easy. That's the right answer.

Speaker 1: 47:08

Highly suggest, highly suggest it yeah.

Speaker 3: 47:10

Yeah, yeah, it's hard, so how? Did you how does DC Determined that.

Speaker 2: 47:17

Yeah, it's great. I think I know that it comes from complete surrender. It comes from every morning in, like you're saying what did Jesus do you do? Face like face first, praying, seeking God, putting him first In dying to your flesh? That's where that comes from and when your spirit is built stronger than your flesh. The problem is my flesh was stronger than my spirit Because I was feeding my flesh more than I was speeding my feeding my spirit. So if you starve the things of the flesh, you build your spirit. You spend time with God and you just hear, you have surrender, you just listen, nothing else, and you're just longing for his direction. In that moment you'll be directed and it might not be right away, but if you keep seeking him like, keep knocking, eventually that door is gonna open glory to God.

Speaker 1: 48:21

Thanks for listening to the across the camera podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please rate us five stars wherever you got this podcast. Thanks, y'all.