5 Ways to Not Lose Your Friends This Election Season

Brad:
Well welcome everyone not just to a new episode of Go Mad but to a new season, season four. Hey Doug, how you doing? How you doing?

How you doing? How you doing? I'm doing great.

That that shirt you have on, man, I think totally. I am not. You do not want me fixing anything or bold.

And Jesse How you doing over there? Ready for season four. Let's go.

It's gonna be a good one. Uh we have got a brand new set. So if you're just listening to us Big mistake.

Big mistake. Biggest mistake of your life if you don't have to. No hyperbole here.

Biggest mistake. That's right. Don't want to overstate it.

We've got because we're doing videos on YouTube now. So not just where you hear us on YouTube, but you can see us there. And what a blessing.

We have all the new stuff. We have the same heart behind the Go Mad podcast, which is all about going mad, going and making a difference for Jesus where you live. Now, I do have to tell you these shelves here are filled with Memorability and everything else.

And the only downside to having a video and having a set like this, people are not going to pay attention to anything we have to say until they have explored everything on these shelves. The other thing is they can fall on you. I will say the uh someone who helped design this uh did warn me Watch the boom box up top.

Doug:
I said just in case If you're wondering if we got a sponsor the answer is Yeah, my new paper round.

Brad:
Very good I'm glad you're doing that. Very exciting. Now, uh what we would love for you to do, we the cool thing is over the summer, while we haven't had episodes and everything People keep finding the podcast.

People keep downloading episodes and listening to them. What we would love is if you could just share, share this episode. Review the podcast, uh, especially on Apple Podcasts.

Leave a review. They're not just a rating, but a review. Uh, you the as of this season, we used to have some blogs on the site.

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Uh you want to make sure you find us on Facebook, on Instagram, all that, because there's gonna be a lot of great content there as well. You hear that?

Doug:
It's that time again, party against party, candidate versus candidate, swinging for the fences in the swing states, and more cable TV news coverage than could possibly be healthy.

Brad:
It's election 2024. Wait, uh Jesse, didn't Doug tell us we were gonna start with a simple topic like kittens or something like that?

Doug:
What shouldn't we start with everyone? It's agreeable, there's never it it's Sweet and fluffy and we said, how about politics?

Brad:
Now, here's the reality. You know, if you've listened to this podcast, we are not, you're not gonna walk away from here with Who to vote for or the top things to do at the ballot box? This is about making a difference in the election season. Doug, what are they going to walk away from here today with?

Doug:
Well, w we're hoping you'll walk away with is how you can not lose your friends.

Brad:
Oh.

Doug:
Um, during the elections season there's so many ways man uh election season people get real passionate which is cool what that's fine you and i care deeply we do we're we're we vote But this is more about how to be an ambassador. If you've listened to the podcast, you know this is all about how to be an ambassador, a representative of Jesus, like he says we are. He says he's making his appeal As far as how much he loves us, the gospel, that he died for us, that he rose again.

He's making his appeal through us. So how can we still be passionate? How can we be uh care deeply about politics, but you know, not lose your friends and your influence.

Brad:
Well and that's the reality is we want to share with you guys simple steps. We're gonna share about five steps with you today of how to not lose your friends. Some of you may be saying, Well, I wish this podcast had been done a month ago because I've posted many many things It's not too late.

It's not too late, even in the final countdown leading up to the election, to be able to be salt and light for Jesus. Uh, you know, I remember growing up that When I uh we had parents who knew voting was important because let's be real about this. How you vote matters.

While we're not going to talk about specifics today, how we vote matters, voting matters. Not just on a national election, but state level, local level. It matters what we do with this responsibility.

And I love that we had a mom and dad that instilled in us, hey, this is a big responsibility. Take it seriously, evaluate candidates, but most of all, look at what people are saying through the Word of God. That's right.

That you're supposed to have the Bible in one hand as you have well Dad used to say the Bible in one hand, newspaper in the other. That may not be as relevant as much phone in the other. So Bible in one hand, phone in the other.

But you've got to view these things through the perspective of the Word of God. You know

Doug:
I gotta tell you something. I um I've been looking around recently, and you're not gonna believe this, but there are apparently some real angry and opinionated people. Stop looking at me.

It's the shock of shocks. Uh people are very emotional about this election, really about all of them speaking out. By the way, I'd like to say whoever put the election cycle right before Thanksgiving Great Just give thanks.

Okay, fine, I'll go first I'm thankful I'm not a Democrat. No, I'll go for I'm thankful I'm not a Republican.

Brad:
The battling prayers are awesome.

Doug:
But there's a great way. That I we're all about practical advice on here. We are.

So if it starts to turn that way, political discussion, I've got the way. to get it off there as quick as you can. I'm ready.

No matter what is said, say pass the stuffing please. Wow. No matter what however angry it gets, they look at you, they're uh accusing you Pass the stuffing please.

Brad:
Try it. Evidently Doug doesn't know how controversial stuffing is because he's just saying it like it's a big thing.

Jesse:
Well just he didn't say cranberry sauce because then that really opens a can of cranberry sauce.

Brad:
I also like that if Doug and I get too political here, we literally just have stuff all around us we can throw at each other. We have the props now to throw. But Doug, before we go any further I do have to ask you, mostly because I think the warrant has expired. Oh yeah, but you have to share with our listeners your election day story because this is because as I said, voting is a serious responsibility. As I treated it that way.

Doug:
Kind of. Um so yeah, people can be on edge a little bit. So a few years ago Especially the poll workers.

This w this well apparently a few years ago I thought it would be for some reason Um, fun to yell at my friend across the room. We're in the voting place, and I just said something like, Hey, who are you voting for? Can you believe these are our choices or something like that?

That's when I found out that even small towns can have security guards at voting places. And small people can can tackle you still.

Brad:
We learn. Oh my goodness. Well, I have to tell you, one of the reasons we're tackling this today is uh the when you talk about it's amazing.

You would think that one of the things that wouldn't be controversial Is how Jesus talks to us through his word about how we're supposed to be with others. But I have had more than one pastor. share with me the reality that all of a sudden he will they they'll be just speaking in church and they will be talking about being salt and light And now these aren't exact quotes, but the vibe you get from them is, and then you will have people coming up from the congregation right afterwards with almost a yeah, but It's like, yeah, we're supposed to be salt and light, but not in this.

These people have it coming. And it's just like, first of all, who these people are, I don't know. But the reality is that even when we start to make what the Bible says to be controversial about treating people with it here's the verse that I I would go with.

Doug:
Oh, you're gonna bring scripture into this, Brad.

Brad:
First Peter three talks about treating people with gentleness and respect. There's no caveat there. There's no out in that. It is treat people with gentleness and respect. And so that's what we're going to be talking about today, is These simple steps of how to do that in your own life so you don't lose friends during this election season.

Doug:
You know, I saw a poll recently that said The number one reason people reject Jesus these days, get this, is because they're convinced following him means becoming part of a particular political party. Are they getting that idea from us? If so, we're kind of mixing things in with the gospel that aren't there.

Look, after you come to know Jesus, yeah. A number of the things you believe politically will probably change, but political party isn't part of the gospel. We are Christ's ambassadors.

He's making his appeal through us that someone needs to turn to him There's nothing more important. Um, I'm gonna bring scripture into it too, Brad. There's a lot of it.

When you start looking at election stuff and how we're supposed to be, there's a lot.

Brad:
Yeah, there is.

Doug:
I need it. I'm gonna tell you right. There's plenty of times I I'm I'm watching a debate or reading social media or something like that, and I get angry about something and the first thing you want to do is kind of let everyone know your opinion and lash out.

Romans 12, 18. One of those disrupt your day versus. Um, if it's possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

It's great scripture in 1 Corinthians 9. Paul says, who very much was about his rights, being a Roman citizen, being a Jew, he said that in God's word that those things were important to him, but he says, I become a servant everyone to win as many to Christ as possible. And finally, maybe the this is this is the real barn burner.

First Corinthians uh nine, a little later. We put up with anything. We put up with anything rather than hindering the gospel of Christ.

So be honest. Here's a question you might want to ask yourself. Are you more passionate right now about your candidate winning?

or about your neighbor hearing the gospel. Be honest. Ask yourself, what are you more fired up about right now?

Brad:
You know, I think uh uh I quick interjection here because I am loving this. I love that we're gonna have this video and uh this I I'm saying this on the video, which is awkward, but uh people are gonna learn how much Hutchcrafts talk with their hands. Uh we are like, I'm sitting here and you're doing, I'm doing them just like

Doug:
So anyway we can't help ourselves. I'm not as much. Before we started, we were debating whether the jacket I'm wearing is one of those makes a lot of noise.

So you guys have to tell me. You can't hear this right Alright, it's right. It's not that bad, fortunately.

I don't hear anything.

Brad:
Alright, good producer and engineer Jesse might want to test test those things before we start. But so one of the things that really sticks out to me going back to the Bible again is Colossians 4 says, Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt. That matters as much when we're in person to person, face to face, as it does with social media and what we text people and everything else, what we say matters.

How we say it matters, and I'm going to be honest, where we say it matters. There are so many people who believe that if they just throw their viewpoint out there, that it's gonna change not just minds, but change hearts. And when you're not willing to just have a dialogue with someone, when you're not willing to say, you know what, it's important enough, it's a if it's important enough to put out there, then it's important enough to say it the right way and with the right heart.

And that's so important. That our conversation is always, that word got me. I bolded it.

Always full of grace.

Doug:
You know, and don't hear Brad and I wrong here. We should speak out against the evils of our day. Um, that's important and I respect people who who go, this is something that really breaks God's heart.

And I've gotta Talk about it. I've got to share where where the Lord is coming from on this, but you don't want to do it in such a way where you turn the mission field. into your enemy.

Our neighbors, if you are a believer, our neighbors, our family that don't know Jesus, that is our mission field. Um yeah, call out the policies, maybe the issues, but when you start looking at others that vote different than you as the enemy or as in them, us versus them, now you're in danger of uh looking to others the way of not looking at others the way that Jesus does, who came to seek and save the lost. Man, don't let your passion for your convictions alienate you from the ones that need Jesus the most Um don't let how you communicate your convictions burn the bridge to the people in your life that need him.

Brad:
In charge and everything else. It matters on policies. It matters on what's happening.

It matters to life. It matters. It matters in a lot of areas.

But The reality is that don't let fear take over because no matter what happens. As the word of God says, the Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord is on his heavenly throne.

Doug:
On his throne.

Brad:
No matter what happens, the Wednesday after the election. or inauguration day or whatever it is, the Lord is still going to have his way in the whirlwind and the storm.

Doug:
Man, that's good stuff. Um, it's important to remember that politicians don't change hearts. If you really want the country to change.

We and we'll get into this a little bit towards the end too. But if you really want the country uh to change its hearts Changing that really makes a difference. You can change behavior for a little bit, but changed hearts, that's what our savior is in the business of doing.

Now, Brad, I have a question for you. I was not prepared for this. Are you ready to maybe share with some of our friends here some practical takeaways?

Yes. Top ways to lose not lose friends. Yeah, we can give you a lot of ways to lose friends.

Top ways to not lose your friends and to not lose your influence. as an ambassador as Jesus representative this political season. Can we take it off?

Brad:
Yeah, let's do that because the reality is you just mentioned ambassador. The reality is when all of a sudden when you have an ambassador that's representing a country and they do something that does not reflect well on the country, all of a sudden it's kind of like, whoop, let's blow the whistle on that one. We are and we're trying to help Give people practical tips so that they are effective ambassadors and they don't have to worry about all of a sudden the Lord tapping them on the shoulder and saying, um, that is not so Doug. You want to kick it off the the what's the yellow notebooks that's an old guy right there or your phone keepers help write a couple

Doug:
That's what's not on the screen. I know we need one of those too. All right.

All right, so here we go. Number one, don't insist your candidate is right about everything. Um uh 1 Peter 5, 5, Romans 12, 10, put them together, you get this, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another Honor one another above yourselves.

Man, nobody's right all the time, and you're just gonna come across as a know-it-all blowhard if all you're doing is insisting. My guy, my gal is right about everything all the time.

Brad:
That's really good. I diving into number two. We've got so don't insist your Ken is right about everything.

Number two. Don't make people feel stupid for who they're voting for. Wait, what?

It is people there are a lot of people that I I hear it all the time where it's like, hey, you know what? Uh, I'm voting for so and so and this person they just they don't get it. They you know, they'll say they're idiots, they'll say they're stupid.

I mean, it's just like why are we using Harsh words to attack someone when the reality is they may have put as much thought and heart into their choice As you did, you may not agree with it, and it may you may be like, Man, that doesn't even line up with the word of God in some things. I get that. But the reality is you should not belittle them, you should te treat them with dignity and respect.

The verse in Ephesians, let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths. This is a hard one. Here we go.

But only what is useful for building others up. Scroll through your Facebook. Scroll through your feed and just see what percentage out there is doing that if you are someone that is focused on building others up.

it you will be a light in some very dark places.

Doug:
Man, this is hitting me. Um yeah. See how Jesus communicated with people who really did not like him very much.

I always saw the value in people. Uh yeah, so that's a good one. How about number three?

Don't make assumptions about people who don't believe the way you do. Now, let me tell you what I mean by that. Um it's if you really want to get frustrated, we all like that, when you expect someone um who isn't following Jesus to care about what you do.

I think sometimes we are when we're communicating with people who who aren't believers We expect that they have the same values that we do. They aren't living trying to live their lives by God's word. Um, you and again, so if you're going to be a peacemaker in all situations and especially if you don't want to get so frustrated that you're kinda telling the guy off or or or annoying them next to you.

Don't just assume that they have the same way of believing that you do, another great way to not lose a friend this political season.

Brad:
Yeah, I I would say uh number four on that, uh this is again, we we do hope you're writing this down and as we mentioned before you can go to our website and uh find the blog that kind of lists these things as well. Uh we're taking some notes for you.

Doug:
Where would they find that blog?

Brad:
Gomadpodcast. com shameless plug. All right, gomadpodcast.

com. You can find these blogs there. But number four Sorry, this one is just it's a hard it again, these are all challenging.

I I want to be clear, these are challenging to Doug and Jesse and me personally as well in different ways. These aren't things we're just throwing out there. These are things that we really do believe make a difference.

Don't post stuff on social media that makes you sound like you hate a candidate. 1 Timothy 2, I urge then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people. All All people.

And then it goes on to list. Politicians you don't agree with. Well, Doug, it's interesting you ask that because it goes on to say for kings and all those in authority.

that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Jesse:
I mean it's not as if There there's some things that politicians may do or say that make us upset and angry and maybe for good reason.

Doug:
That's right.

Jesse:
And what that verse is saying is what do you do with that anger? Do you go to social media or are you gonna take it to the one who Who knows? The one who can change hearts, take it to God in s instead. Uh vengeance belongs to the Lord. It actually isn't ours to handle.

Doug:
God's word. God's word is just awesome. Every it does everything that you can think of that you come in contact with in life, there is great wisdom.

You know that that's interesting, Brad. It's good and pleases God our Savior who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. There is a connection.

This is what we're talking about. There is a direct connection between how you are responding to and talking about Uh people you disagree with and whether people will listen to you. It's about the gospel.

Brad:
As his ambassador Can I can I give a sub point? I'm doing one of those things. So I I don't want to be too controversial here.

Don't believe everything you see on social media. Wait. Or everything you see from your new source of choice.

Brad. I know. You're telling me just this just now.

Occasionally the interwebs lie to it.

Jesse:
Uh let me go let me google it real quick.

Brad:
Can you get can you get back to us? Well played. Let's see.

I have to tell you, even before AI, it was a reality that people were sharing stuff and everything else that w wasn't you couldn't substantiate it. It wasn't true. And then all of a sudden, AI, there was a picture that went around recently of from the devastation in Asheville and in in that area.

And then from the uh hurricanes and awful things took place there and just people losing things. And it was this little girl in a boat holding a puppy. It showed up on my Facebook feed shared from people repeatedly.

Total fabricated image Did I know it at first? I'm gonna be honest. Did I did I know at first?

I didn't. Joshua, my youngest son. My youngest son, 13. He's sitting next to me and I'm like, oh Joshua, did you see this?

And he's like, Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's AI. And he had not seen it before. And I'm just like, how do you know that?

And he's like, this, this, this. I'm just like Man, what is wrong with me? So the reality is is there's images and there's articles and there's things that are getting shared that you that sound like they support your view and so you're really quick to share them.

Before you're sharing something, a couple things. Make sure that you've shown that it's true. Secondly, make sure that it accomplishes what you want to in being an ambassador of Christ.

Well, you nailed it. I got one more here.

Doug:
Fifth one. This is important. Don't act like your favorite politician can do what only a messiah can.

Well wait, say say that again. Don't act like your favorite politician can do what only a messiah can. Man, when we act like our candidate Man, you look at some of these um and this is all through the years, this isn't about one person or different, all through the years you look at at the um you look at these uh um gatherings of of supporters and man people just the look on their face the screams they're they're it's such adulation almost like worshiping This person, when we act like our candidate is almost a God, the next time you try to share with someone about the real God A friend might not listen.

Um they go, I've already seen your judgment. You you give politicians You act like they were God, and now you're telling me about this other God. God himself says, I will not share my glory with another.

So just keep politicians. in the right place in your mind and your heart.

Brad:
Doug, if you could just wrap us up here with uh you had uh shared with me just three ways you felt that you had a responsibility uh just in these times how to be acting in three steps. Um I can you just share those three with us real quick?

Doug:
You know, uh yeah I I got a lot of this from talking with our dad. Uh so many when I was a younger man, so many questions and and I remember uh he said A lot of this. He said, look, in times like these, you're a believer.

This is what you have the responsibility to do. Number one, pray for God to have his way. Which honestly, we don't always understand it.

A lot of times. But we trust that we he will have his way. Number one.

Number two, we seek his guidance in how I cast my vote all the way down the ballot. Ask him. And number three, pray that God will direct outcomes so that his plans will be accomplished in our families, our communities, our nation, and our world, and that we may play a part in hearts turning back to him.

And look, bottom line. If you want real change in our land, get really serious about this, committing to a lifestyle of holy living, being in God's word and prayer. Um, one thing I'm pretty sure of in most of our lives, we've put our faith in the wrong person, in the wrong president.

And again, presidents can't change people's hearts. Um maybe it would be great to kind of wrap things up with this scripture, this reminder that we all know, but it's great to be reminded. If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and get this will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Oh Lord, do we need that?

Brad:
Lord God, we pray that. I would I, my kind of closing thought would be this. Um For those who have uh you know made it this far on the podcast, just one more thing in the right.

Without throwing something at the screen or one more thing that uh is very real right now. is that uh young people who are becoming voting age or about to be uh they are increasingly impacted by the vitriol that is out there especially uh around a presidential election, but even more so among the body of Christ. And I can tell you from having three children at home, they see They listen.

And they're listening. And what we want to instill in them is a healthy way. Voting matters.

You can make a difference with your vote. But before and higher priority than that is making a difference in the lives of others, starting at home with how you talk about people, how you talk about the candidates, how you talk about the different things. Approach things with the word of God with your family.

Don't lose them because you're wanting to win them to vote for a certain person.

Doug:
That is so good. I I personally am thanking you for that reminder. Um We're ambassadors to our families first.

Brad:
Well, folks, this uh wraps up the first episode of season four of GoMad. We have so much more coming your way this season. We can't wait to be back with you again. But until next time, and especially as you head out to vote really soon, go mad