Going M.A.D. in the Unknown

Jesse:
Hey everyone, Jesse here, producer for GoMad with Doug and Brad. Thank you so much for your patience in getting this episode out. We are ready to keep rolling and continue the conversation about making a difference.

Just a quick reminder if you haven't yet. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you stream your podcasts. We'd love your feedback and we'd also love to help other people find the show.

Also, just a heads up in case you didn't know, you can find us on social media. Links are always in the show description. We're looking forward to the rest of the season and we're so happy to have you along with us.

So without further ado, let's go mad with Doug and Brad.

Brad:
Welcome everyone to a brand new episode of Go Mad with Doug and Brad. Hey there. Now this is gonna be a little different episode. I mean we I think we sound good. We sound good right now, right? You look good

Doug:
Oh thank you so much. You look especially I've been told before I've got a great face for podcasts. I like that. I like it because it's not video. I'm not sure what it meant, but I really it was it was uh meaningful

Brad:
You know, it was sad that Jesse told us that. But actually Jesse is not here with us today. He's gonna produce this after we record it.

But Doug and I are sitting across from one mic. We've got one mic. Here we are talking.

This is like real deal podcasting.

Doug:
Why are we here? I I mean it Because it's kind of a crazy day. There's a lot going on. Why are we here doing a podcast today?

Brad:
You know what? This is called We're Going Mad in the Unknown. We're talking today about how you make a difference even when you're in the middle of so much unknown.

Now we're gonna talk the the world there's a lot of unknowns and everything else. We've been in this journey of unknowns. As we have been building the brand new On Eagles Wings Leadership Center for Native Young People to come for a gap year program to be equipped with the skills to make a greater difference for their people.

Doug:
for decades, um, just to have a place that and we've been doing classes already this year, but to have a place that native young people can come and be trained to be uh warriors for their people where they live to be leaders. Uh we are opening up this twenty-five thousand square foot leadership center any day here, we're just walking through it, amazed at God's faithfulness, amazed at everything that has come together, seeing miracle after miracle after miracle. And then seeing the students helping build it and seeing miracle after miracle after miracle in the students.

And uh we just got so our hearts got so full about wanting to share with our friends Uh what it means, what our experience has been here. This is a lot today is not we're not talking to you about uh uh building a building. What we we believe we've talked to uh our our Christian friends More and more of my friends are going, what is going on in the world?

There's so much stuff. How do I deal with it? What am I supposed to do as a believer?

A lot of people, Christians, feeling restless. Am I supposed to be doing more? Is God telling me to do something?

Maybe with so many things going on in this world that have never happened before, is God asking me to go? to a place I've never been before, either either spiritually or emotionally or even geographically. Maybe you're restless, you're a good Christian, you go to church, live in life, but you have this sneaking suspicion Maybe a Holy Spirit planted sneaking suspicion that there's more you're supposed to be doing.

I'm not talking about adding to an already full to-do list But God is saying to your heart, the reason you feel restless is I want you to. I want your heart restless. I want you to be looking for the more, because I do have more.

I've got a plan for your life and and it isn't just for when you're fourteen years old, the plan my big plan for the future. Fifteen, thirty, fifty, eighty, God I believe. And I'll bet this is resonating with somebody It's not just us or the friends we've been talking with, but a lot of God's people are going, is there something more I'm supposed to be doing right now?

Brad:
And the reality is We're just gonna tell you right now the answer is yes for most of us. It it maybe you're already doing a lot. And so I the you might be someone that you're Filling in the gap.

You're standing the gap for others. But there are a lot of us that we can do more. We can use our time more effectively.

Not to you know, uh sacrificing with your family or anything else. It's about investing your time wisely. And really what we're talking about today is that unknown time.

Uh let me tell you just a little bit of my story over this last stretch. As Doug mentioned, we've had this dream actually since Doug and I were out on the reservation in Arizona. We served out there together for a lot of years.

Doug:
Working with young people.

Brad:
Yeah, and we had a had this dream of a building and that people could come and young people could come be safe and be equipped. And we got really close. And then God said, now's not the time.

And that was really hard. That it was devastating to us. We it was just a challenging time.

But then God over the years has shown us maybe there's something more. You know, maybe there's something more I have in this. And I honestly, I'm gonna be honest, in this time of unknown between that dream kind of It seemed dying, but it wasn't really.

It was just uh it was just growing. It was growing under the surface where we couldn't see it And as I was going through this time, all of a sudden God started putting some pieces together, saying, well, you know what? Ron Doug, Brad, our wives, the rest our other family members, our staff.

Maybe now's the time. Guess what guys? This is the time.

I want you guys to move forward with this. And now and fast. Yeah, and really fast and you know what?

Here's the challenge. I we were excited about it. We were super excited about this, and maybe that's you right now.

God has called you to something and you're like, man, I'm excited because this is a new idea. It's awesome. It it's incredible.

I'm gonna get to be a part of God's will from the ground floor. There's so much unknown. Well there is and that's the thing is all of a sudden we in this time of unknowns and we started this construction project and let me tell you something it was really exciting at first and guess what it got really hard It was a battle at times.

I never thought I would have to battle my way through parts of this because it was such a dream come true. But over and over there were obstacles to overcome where it was God saying, you know, it's pretty quick to attribute stuff to spiritual warfare, and we definitely have seen that along the way. But the reality is that God was giving us moments to test us and trust him and build greater faith in him.

And I gotta tell you, I didn't Always love them.

Doug:
Yeah, well here's the thing though. I loved him. Let me be clear.

Brad:
I loved him. I just didn't love all those moments.

Doug:
Brad has Um he won't tell you this, but uh Brad has as been the lead ball carrier in uh so dad, um so many have been doing so many amazing things. But Brad has has been leading the charge here and along the way he has been sharing so many amazing things that God has been on showing him as God was asking him to do something bigger, something he had never done before in his life. Maybe you are listening right now Maybe it's starting a Bible study.

Maybe it's getting serious and intentional about sharing your hope story or what we would call evangelizing. Maybe it's going to West Africa to be a missionary. Something in between whatever it is.

It is God's great desire. That you are at this momentous time in history hearing his voice and living his will for your life. I believe God is asking us to go places, do things, pray in ways offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, as it says in Romans twelve one, to the Lord in ways we never have before, because God's will can't just be us sitting still, not with so much desperation for Jesus in this world.

Matthew 24, 12, I remember when my dad said, you know, he uh he said, you Doug, you know, there are two two lists. Um as as things start to get crazier and crazier, you remember it God said, Jesus said because of the increase of wickedness, this is Matthew 24, 12. Um the love of most will grow cold.

He's talking about believers. That's a scary statement. If if sin is exploding And and the the need for Jesus is greater than ever and and most of God's people, their hearts are getting cold.

Well, those that refuse to be on that cold list, and rather on the bold list, because that scripture also says there will be an explosion of the gospel. Guys, it's us. If you're listening, it's you.

It's me. Uh the gospel will be going to the ends of the earth like gangbusters, the ends of your neighborhood, maybe the end of your to the to every person in your school, in your workplace. Which are you gonna be on that cold list, the boldless?

Man, lukewarm. Remember in Revelation, Jesus says I'm gonna just spit the lukewarm out of my mouth. It not only makes Jesus angry.

It does nothing to impact this world. Desperate for Jesus. So we'd ask you, as we maybe share a little bit right now, but what we've been learning along the way here.

Ask the Lord, even as we're talking here, and maybe He's already put it on your heart: what is that restlessness? What is that big thing? What is that unknown?

That God has put on your heart that He wants to maybe speak with you about right now. In fact, Lord, we stop to pray right now that every listener, every follower of yours, We'll hear from you. We just are excited to share about the God of the unknown right now.

And what God, what you are showing us, and we pray that somehow. you would make it clear, make it clearer to your people who are listening what it is that you have for them to do that may maybe seem so unknown and so scary right now, but what steps they should be taking to accomplish your willingness in Jesus' name, amen.

Brad:
So here's what I uh feel like. I feel like I should sing the Frozen II song into the unknown right now. Do you think that would be Actually we may get sued if I do that.

Doug:
Uh is that the one that is that the one that goes a whole new world? No.

Brad:
I'm pretty sure it talks about into the unknown. Actually Is that from the Lion King? It's pretty close.

Doug:
I get my I'm getting my Disney films.

Brad:
You may be you you need to brush up on those. No you don't actually. I think people are praying right now that we don't send the free for us.

Doug:
The unknown?

Brad:
Is that the new? Now here's the thing. When we was started down this road of into the unknown in this stretch of our lives Uh a couple things stuck out to me and uh this first one I really want to make sure is clear because we're going to scripture here.

When you look At Hebrews 11, 8. Now you can hear read all about Abram and Abraham in Genesis, but by faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for inheritance, obeyed So after it he i if you read in Genesis, God says, speaks to Abraham says, go One thing that I learned as I look back at my journal entries through this last stretch, and I am sure was true with Abraham, is and others in the Bible that just went when God said to go. You may be sitting there saying, I need to know more of the plan first.

If God had told Abraham the whole plan, if God had told us, and honestly had told me Everything we would face in this, I would have been freaked out. You may be freaked out by not knowing, but knowing because God isn't Pulling you to that spot yet in the future. He's saying right now, trust me, take a first step.

Take a step. Walk into the water and see where the sea's Part, if I hadn't gone down this road, if we hadn't had this journey together these last few months, there is so much I would have missed about who God is and how big He is and how He can work even when I look. I don't feel I had all the skills for this.

I face discouragement over the last few months

Doug:
Right. As your brother, we've worked together for a long time. You got the places of discouragement that I don't think I've ever seen you get to.

Brad:
Yeah, and it was it was really high highs and then you'd come crashing.

Doug:
Even though amazing things, the enemy is doing his thing too. Well the m the more you're going, I'm gonna listen I'm I'm not gonna be on the cold list. I'm going to be bold.

I'm going to, no matter how scary things look outside my window, I'm going to Be the warrior, the person that God is using in ways maybe he never has before. The enemy sees it, he focuses his attention on you. But what I'm excited to do here, Brad, as we get into this, so you hit these level you hit these points of discouragement.

You hit the what do I do? What step do I take next? We're gonna talk about what each person can do when they're in the same situation.

Brad:
Yeah, because the reality is what we want you to hear in this is don't let fear of the unknown, don't let not know, don't let saying, hey, I don't have the right skill set. Don't let family saying, what are you doing? I don't understand what you're doing.

Don't let frustrations along the way keep you from seeing what God has for you because Doug and I just walked through a building that is just glory to God because he has done this. We read the verse all the time. The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes and you don't want to miss that.

Doug:
I think Brad, that's I mean some of this you haven't even said to me before um blown me away. I think most Christians have a comfort boundary. Everyone's is different, but a comfort boundary on obeying God, as far as it's safe as far as they can go safely.

I'll go there and I'll stop there. I'll obey I'll obey up to that point. But man when it gets uncomfy geographically, socially, financially, when it gets uncomfy, I'm gonna stop.

And that's exactly where you'll miss God's greater will for your life. The irony with God is he's not safe. God is dangerous.

Remember that great Mr and Mr. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver talking about Osline saying he isn't safe. But he is good. Um coming out of Wheaton College, I had a different plan for my life.

I thought I was going to Nashville, Tennessee to be kind of a Christian rock star. God says no You're going to this reservation where there are no youth ministries, nothing like that. You're going to go there, and I wanted a lot more detail.

He told me where I was going. He told me where I was gonna live, at least at the beginning. That was about it.

But I was sure of those things. And I have people, I have friends saying, are you crazy? I mean, no friends, not much money.

Um, my dad reminded me about this moment recently when I called him and mom um from this reservation only weeks after first getting there. No friends, no money. I don't know the whole plan.

But Dad said, he said, you know, I'll never forget this. She said, Mom and Dad, don't feel bad for me I feel like I've I I'm being where I was born to be, doing what I was born to do. I've never had greater peace.

Nothing in my circumstances could have explained that. But I promise you, if you're listening and you're worried about taking that next step that you are sure God's telling you to take, but it's so uncomfortable. You've never been there before, take it.

and you will experience God's peace.

Brad:
Yeah, Doug, here's something from George Mueller, who if you haven't read about him, great man of faith, and you you should Check him out for sure. But he said the strength of our faith is in direct proportion to our level of belief that God will do exactly what he has promised. Faith has nothing to do with feelings, impressions, outward appearances, nor the probability or improbability of an event.

If we try to couple these things with faith, we are no longer resting on the Word of God, because faith is not dependent on them. Faith rests on the pure word of God alone. And when we take him at his word, our hearts are at peace.

That's what you were just describing from being out on the reservation. That's what we've experienced during this, that even in the discouragements you go back to God's promises, you go back to what he told you in the light. That's why we talk to people all the time about journaling.

Because for us to be able to look back and see that God has never broken one of his promises and if we hadn't trusted him in these key moments and there's so many more we could bring up today but if you don't trust him in those key moments you're gonna miss out on the peace that comes Walking into the unknown he's called you to.

Doug:
Alright, so I'm gonna you need to be honest with me here, Brad. Okay. You sure?

You've been pleased. This is this is vital. Um, you're walk you're in Walmart.

There's an automatic door. I know we've seen our kids do it, just be honest. Have you ever pretended you have the force?

And the door is opening. You put your hand uh towards it, the door is now opening because of the force. What is this pretend you speak of?

Well, so like pretend I do. Pretend you're in Walmart, you've never seen an automatic door before, okay? Um, you got groceries in each arm.

You're starting to walk to the door. You know, man, if this doesn't open, I'm gonna break my nose. There's only one way that door opens, right?

Is when you walk toward it So it is with God's doors. Our approach is, you know, I'll walk toward them when they open. Again, trying to eliminate the faith part.

Can I just do this without faith? Please know that door opens when you purposefully walk toward it. Think about the Jews at the Jordan River.

Sometimes people forget there are at least a million Israelites there. Um they're on the edge. Exactly.

They're they're on the edge of all God has promised. But it's on the other side of the river. The snow has melted.

It's it's flood stage for the Jordan River. Go to Joshua 3. Remember, it's only as you step in it that it will part.

Well, Lord, I'm actually, how about you part it, and then I'll step in it. God's mechanism of the supernatural, though, is faith, the trigger. for the supernatural happening in your life is faith.

No faith, the river doesn't part. We can't step foot in the promised land until we step foot in the river.

Brad:
Okay, so this goes along with that, Doug. I'm not just, you know, all about quoting others today, but honestly, these are things The reason I'm quoting from a couple of great heroes of the faith, uh along with the word of God like that, Hebrews eleven eight, is because These are things God has shown me at just the right time in this unknown journey with him. And this is I this was actually just the other day.

As we're approaching the construction finish line, and it summarizes so much of what we've been walking through. This is from uh F. B. Meyer, and uh again, a great hero of the faith. Oh glorious faith.

Your works and possibilities are these. Contentment to set sail with the orders still sealed. Due to unwavering confidence not in me.

in the wisdom of the Lord High Admiral, and a willingness to get up, leave everything, and follow Christ, because of the joyful assurance that Earth's best does not compare. With heaven's least.

Doug:
That is good.

Brad:
I have to share with this Sug that it closes with this. You must also be willing to take your ideas of what the journey will be like. and tear them into tiny pieces, for nothing on the itinerary will happen as you expect. Oh man I can guarantee that is true.

Doug:
Oh man, I've lived a life seeing that. So he might be going like Brad was like Brad has like I have but how do I know? How do I know when it's his voice?

How do I know when God's telling me to do this Think of John 10, three different places. Jesus says, My sheep, hear my voice. He talks up, keeps talking about his sheep and his voice.

My sheep hear my voice. My sheep know my voice. My sheep listen to my voice, and they follow me So my wife is Navajo, okay?

You bring up sheep to her and her mouth starts watering. This mutton is mutton and fry bread. is everything.

She knows way more about sheep. When I met her, she had sheep jokes, she had sheep recipes. I uh and some of those jokes were just bad.

Oh no. I'm sorry. Um I'm my dad's son. Uh but as my wife would tell me, no sheep has any idea where they're going They only know who they're following.

He knows where they're going. The key to living the plan for why you were put here, why you were born, is you have to get really good at knowing God's voice. I read that Middle Eastern Shepherds have a name for each sheep.

Now some of these guys have like two thousand sheep. What at what point do you run out of names? That bumpy Fluffy, cuddly, smelly.

Um, but they'll only answer, those sheep will only answer to that shepherd's call, that voice, our granddad. had actually a sound for each sheep. And uh my dad told me that his parents, uh my granddad's parents actually came down once and said, show us how to do that.

Okay, we want to kind of see how that works. So they tried the same exact commands and not one sheep ever moved. They only knew their shepherd's voice.

They only responded to him. The only way to know our shepherd's voice, our amazing Jesus, hear it a lot. This is why when we when when God says, spend time with me in God's Word, in my word, it's never just about reading a book.

It's not, okay, it's my Bible reading time. This is how I recognize God's voice, especially in a time where there's so much crazy stuff going on, and God is maybe perhaps asking you to do more, something bigger, something different, then is way out of your comfort zone Hello, God's word. The more you make this a non-negotiable, the time with him every morning, every day The more we go, oh, that isn't the voice of the culture.

That's not the voice even of my friend or my parent um or or the newscast or whatever. That is my shepherd's voice. That's drowning out all the others.

I'm gonna do what he tells me.

Brad:
It's really good, Doug. The reality is if you don't spend time with him, if you don't daily connect with Jesus, with the one who helps us know the way. then you're going to miss out on the steps he wants you to take.

The reality is what we want to really encourage you with, you may be sitting there saying as we're getting close to being done here on time, we yeah we want to make sure you know that if you're sitting there saying, Well, I feel like God's been stirring my heart for something. I feel like he wants me to do whatever it is But you're wondering, how do I get there? How do I know what to do?

The key is taking that first step. You need to step out in faith. Does that mean that he is saying, you know what I want you to uh sell some stuff, to be able to free yourself up, donate things even, not just sell, but donate them.

to free yourself up to be able to move to what he wants you to do. Well maybe it's got your heart. Maybe that stuff has your heart.

Yeah, you know what that's really true. That's a absolutely. Or maybe it's just Hey, you know that neighbor that you know has been going through a medical struggle.

We've got a couple neighbors right around us who've been really going through some medical struggles and we keep coming back to, should we be doing more? And We need to take more of those steps. So it's whatever it is, it's between you and Jesus, but don't keep sitting there saying, well, Lord.

Show me, show me, show me. If you listen close, he probably is showing you at least the first step to take. And I love how Dad has shared with us.

He shared this with a whole lot of native young people who lean into this. Take a step, see a step. That's it.

Take a step and then see the next step into the unknown because the more when you're following Jesus. The unknown doesn't have to be scary. It can be exciting.

It can still be filled with peace and joy because you're not going through the unknown on your own. You're going through it with your shepherd.

Doug:
Finding God's big plan. This what is this the big plan for my life? Lord, show it all to me.

Finding God's big plan for you. Is the natural next step for somebody who's been following him one day at a time. I heard it put this way once.

God's macro will. is made up of a thousand micro wills. Maybe God's asking you to do some reps in God's gym on your temper.

He's saying, look, uh You need to be listening to me about your temper. You go, well, how does working on my temper today, that doesn't help me to know your will? Oh yes, it does.

You will almost naturally walk into his big will. by doing his little wills along the way. You work on your temper and you go, and wait a minute, now this isn't a wall between me hearing from the Lord.

Now this isn't a wall between me and relationships. He says, just take the step I'm asking you to do today I'll show you. You'll see when you look back how important of a step that was.

But again, I can't emphasize this enough. The key is not figuring out God's will as much as it is recognizing God's voice. Romans 12, 2.

Don't conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Think of how insane, how amazing this is. Listen to this.

Then you'll be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Man, the cultural voices Towards other gods and comfort can be so strong and seductive, it takes a transformed mind. Here we go again through God's word.

To align yourself with God's desires.

Brad:
One of the things I'd want to leave you with today, two things actually. First of all, and this is a whole nother podcast in and of itself. Parents, because we know there's parents listening to this right now.

If it is your child that is saying things about following God's will that scare you. That are like, man, I don't want them to be in danger. I don't want them to be in harm's way.

I don't want them to move far away from me. Whatever it is. You do not want to be the parent that is standing between your child and God's will for them.

Make sure that you let them speak with the Lord and be the safest place they can be is smackdab in the center of his will. So that's that's one of them. The other thing I would say is just from my heart, the emotion and the celebration of seeing what God has done.

in this project because of the hope it represents for Native American young people. I wouldn't want to have missed this for anything. Don't miss out on being able to celebrate God's glory coming through.

Because you weren't willing to walk into the unknown. Follow him, trust him, and remember, no matter how he uses you along the way, it's never about us. It's all about Jesus.

And he will lead you to things that will bring him the greatest glory. People may never know my name They may never remember my name, but if they remember my Jesus, that's what matters.

Doug:
So maybe ask the Lord, maybe right now, what is my leadership center? What is it that I've heard from you on? But I haven't been willing to take a step because I wanted more information from you first.

God saying, look, you don't write the contract. This isn't how it works. Well you write it and I sign it.

I write it. You sign it. And he's so trustable.

I've seen it. I'm 51 years old. I have seen it In so many relationships, so many situations, that when he promises that he'll do something, when he says, if you do this, I will do this, he has always come through.

Couple couple practical steps as you're praying that. Brad gave you a couple, um, I would say Do your best to up your commitment to hearing God's voice through his word. Make it non-negotiable no matter how much is on your list for that day.

Focus on what you do know about what God is asking you to do. Brad said something along these lines earlier. Walk in the light that you have.

What are some things you do know? Uh maybe God's saying, Look, it is I want you to be working with children. Maybe he's saying, I want you to be working with prisoners in a in a in a jail somewhere.

Take a step in that direction. Don't make the mistake of waiting to move. until you have the entire plan in front of you.

Another quick piece of practical advice, uh maybe talk with a person who's making the kind of difference you want to, um, who who has taken these steps, bold steps, and seems to be living outside of their comfort zone. And maybe wake up every morning. Try this for a week Try this for a month.

Wake up every morning and audibly, Lord, I'm available What is it you want your servant to do? Just like Samuel. What is it you want your servant to do?

He'll tell you Take some time where you can be quiet with him to hear his voice and be bold in taking that first step and then the next one and then the next one. And before you know it, God has done something. amazing that you never thought you could do, and you were right, 'cause you couldn't without him.

I look back behind this building and see this leadership center. I just was shaking my head, uh, throwing my arms up, going, how is this possible? God, what you have done here is so amazing.

I just keep thinking back to these little snapshots, especially with Brad, with our native staff here, with Nick and Wes and and Dad and and Seth and Sarah and Uh and I go, I remember when they were taking that one step. How did all this amazing, miraculous thing happen? When they took that one step.

And then the next day they took that next step. Take the next step. Brad, can we can we pray for our our friends that are listening

Brad:
Lord, we just uh thank you for this time with our friends here, Lord, and we just pray that you would encourage them. Uh that they can trust you? Would they remember your promises?

Would they remember where you have worked before? And we pray that they would trust you to work again. We ask, Lord, that anyone who is on the verge of something that only you could put together, would they not miss it?

Because they don't take this step into the unknown. We all are living in a world of unknowns right now, Lord. We've got to be faithfully following you and trusting you, even when it's hard, even on those days where it's like, man, I don't know if I can keep trusting.

Lord would they keep trusting. Would they hang on to that faith that they have grown and that they have trusted you with Lord and we ask that you would do amazing things through our friends who are listening, through those we've talked about today, the uh young native leaders we get to serve alongside with uh would you keep guarding uh guiding our hearts lord to what you want us to do And Lord, we pray that there would be a lot of celebration in the lives, even though things get hard, because we are celebrating what you are doing. Lord, we ask for your protection and your peace and your joy and your wisdom for all those who are listening to this, Lord.

And Lord, we also ask For all those children that are represented among those listening right now too, would you help them to hear your voice in a very special way as well? Yes. We know that we have no greater joy than to know our children are walking in the truth.

That's right. We pray that for those who are listening right now. In Jesus name.

Doug:
If this is a a podcast that is blessing you that and we pray that it is. Would you uh let some friends know about it? Maybe leave a review wherever you get your podcast and you can kind of share it officially there.

You can actually put in Emails with people you want to make sure know about it. We thank you so much for listening and you should know we pray for you a lot. We do this because We so want um God's people, we so want you and Brad and I to be his faithful ambassadors.

Brad:
So let folks know about it and pray for us, please. And thank you for tuning in for this personal conversation between brothers but between you our friends out there.

Brad:
We pray it's been an encouragement to you. And until the next time, as always, go mad.