Three Life-Giving Resolutions for 2024

Jesse:
It is 2024 and the bros are here to talk about the new year. Find out about the unprovoked coffee mug that attacked Brad. And how Doug has been supporting Brad's resolution?

Sure, let's call it that. Speaking of resolutions, you'll hear no shaming from us about that gym membership you only used once so far. In fact, we talk about three topics that just might be getting in the way of your resolution keeping All that and more on the way.

So let's go mad.

Brad
Welcome everyone to a brand new episode of Go Mad with Doug and Brad, and we've got Jesse here. And I've got to tell you, if you were sitting there saying All I want for Christmas is a new episode. And then you're like, well, Christmas passed. All I want for New Year's is a is a new episode. Well, here we are.

Doug:
Here we are. We made I don't know why, Brad, but when whenever you introduce Um, these podcasts, I hear the theme song from the Prices Right. I can't, I don't know why it's a good one.

Brad
Okay, this is so weird because I thought you were actually gonna say Prices Right, and I have no idea why.

Doug:
We might know each other a little too well. Brad is having problems this morning. He came in in a um he came in in this actually incredible It's like from Friends in Native America.

Check us out on social media if you want to see this. Definitely. He's got this great uh the problem is white Uh and I knew that was gonna be a problem.

And he literally spilled coffee on himself. numerous times.

Brad
There's nothing else. There's one cup. You know what? All I know is that I it's it's Coming back to get me because I was like, well, I should wear it today, partly to taunt Doug, and uh because of this awesome Yankees hoodie. And uh that's what I get.

Doug:
Yeah, we we got held back a little bit by the holidays. Apparently our families wanted to spend time with us. And the weather delayed shows for a little bit.

We live in Arkansas. Oh man. Where if you get over an inch of snow, you are in deep trouble here.

I I was on Facebook.

Brad
If you get over a centimeter of snow, it is

Doug:
That's right. I've got my friends on Facebook. They're like from Minnesota.

They're like, We got two feet of snow last night. We're going to school with some dog sleds. And here it's like, two inches batting down the hatches.

Buy all the milk and bread at Walmart. And eggs. And that's right.

That's right. Um, I hope everybody's holidays were good. We're like right on the tail end to be able to say that.

I was supposed to actually I was scheduled to get coal.

Brad
Wow.

Doug:
This year, but apparently inflation made the price way too high.

Brad
So I got tree bark. Tree bark. Wow. You know, you can use that for fuel and to warm the house. That's all right. But we figured, hey

Doug:
We're already past the resolution thing. We've already failed at like ninety-two percent of them. So wait, wait. I gotta tell you I Oh you're at a hundred percent already?

Brad
Well I've come up with a foolproof way Uh a r re foolproof resolution. What? Strategy.

Are you guys ready? I can't wait to hear this. Mind blowing.

So I did some research and forty-three percent of people quit their resolution by the end of January and then you look in February. By the end of month two, forget it. It's all gone.

Doug:
Right.

Brad
Reverse psychology. Since people break their resolutions, I'm like, so maybe if I make an unhealthy resolution

Jesse:
Whoa.

Brad
I will break it and be the better for it. So I resolved to actually eat unhealthier, which yeah, some wouldn't think it's possible, but I resolve to eat unhealthier. I can tell you you're doing great with that.

Bad news. Yeah. It's it's evidently easier to keep with those Uh the reverse psychology design.

Doug:
Brad literally called me at about 9 PM last night out of nowhere. Speaking of he this is how I know it's a block of close. It was a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts.

He's like If you'll meet me at the parking lot at the big church at nine thirty. drug deal or something going down. We're like we've got our trunks open.

It's dark. There's no one else there. It's like we're like maybe we should uh get out of here fast.

So anyway, we thought so forget we're past resolutions all that Um, but we are gonna talk, I I as we've been talking about what we might want to cover today, we kind of started to realize that like so many of our resolutions are actually There are things behind them, spiritual things, where the resolutions, the things we want to get rid of or the things we want to do are actually just evidence of something that might be deeper going on with us. So today we're gonna actually we we hit What were the three huge uh spiritual components that would help our friends on the podcast help us to be able to receive God's blessings in a great way, kind of blessing guaranteers according to scripture, or three blessing blockers, um, because it can because each subject can lead to both. And we're gonna talk about three things today, three spiritual components of our lives.

that we might know, but that if you're like me, we need constant reminders of because of how vital God says they are about our spiritual health.

Brad
and to receive his actual blessing in our lives and in our walk with him. So I can I kick us off with one. It's uh it's actually this would be called the The resolution. Three amazing grace areas in our lives if we will allow them to be that. And I so this first one, the reason I'm going with it is because we always need, like you said, Doug, to be reminded of these things.

Doug:
I'm 52 and I need to hear these things all the time.

Brad
Yeah, this side so this first one for me is I will spend more time with Jesus

Doug:
Oh, all of a sudden someone's going, Oh yeah, brilliant. Read my Bible. I already know this one.

Brad
Turn to the next podcast. But hang on, hang on.

Doug:
We promised to say something at least moderately New and exciting here.

Brad
Well, here's why. For me, this is we've all had those moments where we are reading the Word of God And we're reading the same passage we have read over and over and over again. It happened to me again during the Christmas season.

I was reading through Luke again, and things are hitting me all of a sudden. I'm like, that's always been there Why didn't I see it before? And it's because you take things to a new level and you're going through different seasons in your life.

So one of the main reasons to spend more time with Jesus I look at Acts 16. You look at verses 25 through 40, and you've got Paul and Silas in jail, and all of a sudden the shackles come off. The doors are open and they are free.

Now they don't run out of there. They make sure that they are there when the jailer sees them in the morning and everything, and they use it as a chance to talk about Jesus. But We all have experienced the shackles coming off.

When you have chosen Jesus, you have found freedom. When you have that relationship with Jesus, you found freedom. But God doesn't want us to stop there.

He wants us to experience a level of freedom that is beyond anything we could imagine. We'll never get to fully experience the freedom he gives. even if we walk with them every day closely our entire lives, but we can experience more and more of it.

So this is not just spending time with Jesus, but spending time with them to experience his freedom and his joy in life. So Spend time with Jesus, but especially get in his word more. Hebrews 4.

12. For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow.

It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. In Psalm 119-105, your word is a lamp for my feet. And a light for my path.

We need to be meeting with Jesus and in his word constantly to be able to learn more about this.

Doug:
I love the way you put that, Brad. It's interesting. You didn't say read your Bible more.

say, spend your time with Jesus because that's really what we're talking about here. We're talking about trying to build a relationship with the God who loves us. He calls us his friend, his heavenly father.

Any friend, any father, any family member that I love I'm spending time with and getting to know. And Brad, I think the whole reason that we find something new in something we've read before is exactly that scripture you brought up. that uh that the word of God is living and active.

It's alive, so there's always something different when we read the same scripture. Um so we make we make time for Jesus because it's not it's not a book you're not making time for. You know, this isn't about some religious rule you follow.

I guess it's time to do my Bible reading. Better make it quick. The game's about to come on.

No, I but I actually asked Dad once, who absolutely loves God's word. He has literally boxes full of notebooks of journals from what God has communicated to him through the word and why it's so important. You know what he told me?

He said, Well, I love God. My Heavenly Father, and this is the way He has given us to spend time with Him. My relationship with Jesus is is my life's most important relationship.

Uh and I need to build this relationship with communication like any other relationship that's important to me. And get this. He also said the best way to understand God's will, something we're always trying to find, what is God's will, is to be able to get this.

To recognize his voice. So now I can tell what he's communicating to me and the more time I spend with him, not the more time I'm reading a book, but the more time I spend with him, the more I'll know and it's his voice I'm hearing.

Brad
Uh are you guys ready? Can I drop some stats on you here? Woo!

I love stats. They're in no way boring. No, they're good, but Sarah, my wife Sarah, she uh comes to me and says, Hey, could I share some stats about Bible reading with you?

And I'm like, Yeah. Uh I mean at first I was like, uh the the stats. Well Sure, let me hear those.

And as she's sharing them on the it was one of those wait, can you go back repeat that? Wait, is that true? Is that real?

But this is done by a reputable firm that just spent a lot of time researching the difference reading the Bible four times a week on average. Each week you're reading at least four times. That you're doing four days a week, meeting with Jesus, this is the change that makes.

Those who read the Bible on average four days a week or more, feeling lonely drops 30%. Anger issues drop 32%. Bitterness in relationships drops 40%.

Alcoholism drops 57% Sex outside of marriage drops 68%. Viewing pornography drops 61%. Wow.

And sharing your faith. jumps 200%. So when we spend this time with Jesus, not just does his word say it, but it's backed up by these studies that have been done that we wind up not being controlled by sin anymore and we want to share about this freedom we have found.

with our friends, our neighbors, our family.

Doug:
Yeah, and it's not because you're reading a bunch of rules again that all those awesome things happen. It's because you're plugging into the source of all power

Brad
to do those amazing things. So let's just wrap up this uh resolution, I guess, as it were, or whatever we want to call this, with a word to men. Take the lead.

Take the lead in this, guys, because I was reading 1 Thessalonians 1 this morning, verse 6. I got stuck on it because it says. You were imitators of us and of the Lord.

I get the being imitators of the Lord part. But Paul's writing you are imitators of us. And I'm just like.

Do I want that? Do I it can I honestly sit here and say, man, I want my children to be imitators of me. Yes, of Jesus.

Please, Jesus.

Jesse:
Right. Right.

Brad
Do I want others I interact with to be imitators of me and what a great goal that is because it isn't just about saying look to Jesus but see Jesus in us see Jesus in me so I better be living a life worth imitating If I'm going to have that make a difference heart. And the way you do that is meeting with Jesus more. And men, take the lead on it.

Doug:
That's so good. That's all about ambassadorship. That is being Christ's ambassador.

He is making his appeal about who Jesus is through us. So are is what they're seeing is w especially our kids or in our relationships, is what they're seeing something beautiful that they want to imitate as his ambassador or not? Now Jesse from what I understand you have a second um what we're calling maybe a resolution or or one of God's great blessing guaranteers or if we aren't doing it, one of his blessing blockers.

Jesse:
What do you got? Right, right. Well Thinking back over the past year, sometimes, um, I don't know if you've ever had this experience, you hear yourself talking and you kind of slow down and go, am Do I really sound like that?

Yes. Is that me talking like Anytime I listen back to the podcast, I'm like, why didn't anyone tell me I sound like that? Touche.

Touche. Well, uh I I've had those moments where I'm talking with my kids or my wife or something, and then I have to slow down and go How does this sound to other people? I know how it sounds in my head.

Um I want my words this year to be full of life. I want them to be life giving. There's this verse you mentioned Hebrews a chapter back.

Hebrews 3, 12, and 13. Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. And thirteen.

But so instead of that, encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception. The stakes are really high in those verses. It's turning away from the living God.

Oh, how do we counteract that? Encourage each other daily. Now, uh, I had someone local at a at a local event, um, I hadn't seen him in a few years.

And um I was already at the event, he came in the back door, saw me from across the room, walked over to me with purpose He put his hand on my shoulder and said something like, Man, I'm so happy to see you. You know, wherever you are, you just light up the room. If you need anything from me, I mean it.

You you reach out. And I left going, wow, that was so encouraging. And I was talking to my my wife about it, like, I want to be that when I grow up.

And I find it so awkward and difficult as a man to another man to say God is for you. He is not against you. You can do this.

Like that's so not natural to me, but it gave me such life. What if I could give that kind of life to the people?

Doug:
Wow. Well I mean and and encouraging each other is all through the New Testament. That scripture, I actually was uh no kidding thinking about it this morning.

It's interesting. It it doesn't say there's there are no random words in the Bible. It all has meaning.

So it's not encourage one another occasionally, encourage one another when you get a chance. It's Daily. I mean, we're getting beaten down with words by the culture, things we read in other relationships.

It might not be our healthiest relationship. You're getting beaten down by words all the time. This world is desperate.

Is our neighbors are desperate for words of encouragement. Remember dad saying something interesting. He said, think of that word encouragement.

It's like you're pouring courage into somebody, encouragement, when you take the time to say, you know what, here is something that I've noticed about you, like Jesse just brought up, here's something that I noticed about you that is awesome. Um, let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, it says in Ephesians 4, but only what will build one another up. It's so opposite, so the opposite of wholesome words are the ones that tear people down.

Brad
Yeah, and it's such a great encouragement, guys, because in encouragement. See, we're we're pouring courage into others. to do this because it's certainly a challenge.

Every one of us has a challenge with it with this. Now I know there are people who nail encouragement better and they that just kind of is how they're wired. But still There are those days, there are those times, even if that's you, there are those times it's like I'm not feeling that.

But that Ephesians verse, Ephesians 4. 29, what there's an equation there in Ephesians 4. 29 that I really like because You read that first part.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth. It's like, great. Yeah, right.

It's like how don't let any. Because I mean it's pretty clear, don't let any, but then the second half, but only what is helpful for building others up We have a limited numbers of number of words. Even Hutchcrafts have a limited number of words we can say.

Are you sure about that? No, uh in a day. I'm Googling it.

If your mouth is filled with encouraging words and building others up, it won't have room for the unwholesome talk. So the more you focus on don't focus on the negative of I can't do this. I can't avoid unwholesome talk.

Focus on the fact of doing encouraging talk, wholesome talk, words to build others up, and then you'll see the other dropping more and more.

Jesse:
And we've all been in those circles where the conversation is snarky and maybe jokes are a little offhand at other people's expense and we leave and we feel I don't know. Not great. And then we've been in those circles where people are building each other up or where one person takes the lead to encourage someone else or to call something out. About someone else that builds them up and we leave and we feel like we've just been buoyed afloat. That's good.

Doug:
It can keep you going for uh the right kind of compliment. I'm gonna keep you going all week, you know?

Brad
So we've got two here, Doug. We've got two. Two really I I spending more time with Jesus.

using these life-giving words more to build people up. Well, that's it. No wait, Doug, you have do you have you've got one and this one is so key.

Man, this trifecta here, uh this one is gonna be challenging for people, but could be a game changer

Doug:
Well I'm gonna talk about forgiveness here for a minute, but uh it's not as simple as we think sometimes. We've all had those moments Or those times where we've been hurt so badly by somebody, we're not sure we've ever let it go. Um and there's a real danger in that um because there's so much power.

In forgiving those according to God's word that have hurt us the most. You know, those relationships where, like, oh man, I hope I don't see him at Walmart. I hope I don't see him at the Thanksgiving table.

because there's something there maybe that you haven't forgiven. Uh and it's like unforgiveness i before you take another step in this year Ask God, is there somewhere I'm being held back in my relationship with you because of something? Some bitterness I haven't let go?

Maybe it's recently, maybe it's years ago. 'Cause unforgiveness is like chaining yourself to a tree when you wanna, like you said earlier, Brad, walk in freedom. What strikes me so deeply about letting go of bitterness towards even the people that have hurt us the most is how much emphasis Jesus puts on it.

It's a huge blessing blocker. We assume God is always thrilled with our praise and worship. But did you know there's actually a spot in God's word where he says Thank you.

Okay, so you're bringing me some praise and some worship. Stop. Not interested.

He says, actually, first go if you're bringing an offering and realize you have something against someone Or they have something against you, go be reconciled to that person first. Go get right with that person. Then bring your offering of praise to me.

Go get that taken care of first. I'll still be here.

Brad
The Bible is filled with equations like that, where it is take this step and you get to experience more of the freedom. Spend time with me, you get more freedom. Use life-giving words, you get more freedom, and certainly with forgiveness.

But let's face it, I mean, forgiveness, it's a hard topic to talk about because so much hurt has been done and so much hurt has been done and we I want to make sure that w you listening right now understand when we talk about this We don't take it lightly because we know that some of the hurts that have been done to you, not that you've done to others even now, that's a whole nother thing, but the hurts that have been done to you. They leave lasting scars. They leave hurt that lasts for a long time.

But that's where finding the freedom and the healing and forgiveness from Jesus so that we can then forgive others is so key because it is hard, but it also is doable. And Jesus says when you do it, you find freedom and you find life.

Doug:
See, Brad, I think that's a huge reason you just nailed it. Why we don't forgive sometimes. We feel like if I forgive that person, it's like I'm saying what they did to me was okay and that it didn't hurt me Yeah.

Um but you're not, you're just saying, I'm not gonna let that person, I'm gonna forgive them, and release bitterness, give it to God because I'm not going to let that person live rent-free in my heart, in my spirit, and that hurt. I'm also not going to take revenge. I'm not going to try to find a way to get back at them.

That's one way to know you've really forgiven somebody is that you when you see 'em, when you think about 'em You don't start entertaining those thoughts of, man, how could I do something, say something to get back at them? But actually, and get this, when Jesus gets involved, this gets pretty Incredible. But rather than that, praying for them and blessing them, you're not saying what they did was okay.

And and look, in situations of abuse, maybe something even illegal It doesn't mean you're not saying you don't want justice to be served. It's just saying I'm not going to be the one that serves that justice.

Jesse:
That's going to be up to God. Very good point. And there's a world of difference between Life and death difference between folding your arms and saying, I'm not going to forgive them because they don't deserve it, and the person who goes, I'm having a hard time, Jesus, help me.

Uh the former Jesus calls us to repent, and the latter Jesus is going to come alongside and help us as we look to him. If we don't know how to forgive, Jesus knows how to forgive and he can help us learn. A great way to know.

Doug:
If I've really forgiven someone, is it doesn't get brought up anymore. Not only in your mind, but when you're talking with that person.

Brad
You're right. You're right. It's just I'm sitting here and I'm just like, ooh, now I'm starting to think through my head and I'm like

Doug:
Oh, uh the We've all been in those conversations with a loved one or or maybe someone that we're not loving like we should. And All of a sudden something that came up eight years ago, something that happened eight years ago comes up in the conversation. Good chance you haven't forgiven that Um and so we don't bring it up in how I've been sinned against to the offender or bringing it up to others.

I would like us to pray for my friend. Joe who is really struggling with some things that are really offending me. And I'm gonna make a list.

Brad
Here's what they are.

Doug:
Cause is how we're how we were hurt those words, they keep coming back like a broken record player on skip First Corinthians thirteen one. This is huge. One of my life verses.

A great test to know have I forgiven this person Love keeps no record, no list of wrongs. Paul said that. A guy who had been the Apostle Paul, who had been betrayed so many times by people who were supposed to be believers.

And he says, no, you keep a list, that is not real Christ-like love. So Rip up the list, give it to God, move on.

Brad
Doug, I love that. And uh for those listening maybe a little younger The record player that skips, uh, we'll cover that on a different episode. But I actually love that because I remember it's a vivid memory of that you just get stuck in the same spot.

And for for Sarah and I, that was one of the key moments in our relationship. We had dated uh earlier on and we were apart for a while. And when we got back together, we sat there And had a conversation about we have to leave some things in the past because if we bring them into the new relationship This isn't gonna work.

And we talked for hours and we we shared what we had done to hurt the other person. We shared how maybe we had felt hurt. And I'm just gonna tell you, only by the grace of God and him being in those moments, we were able to leave those behind.

And when things come up maybe in a situation now, it's not like, oh yeah, well, remember when? It's a You know what? There's a freedom there and a freshness that is so amazing, but it really is.

I in all three of these things, so one thing I want to make clear. We started with joking about people kind of they give up their resolutions.

Doug:
Right.

Brad
These are easy to let fall by the wayside. Any of the three of these. It is only when we commit ourselves to Spending time with Jesus when we are committed to saying, I'm going to do the hard things to spend time with him.

That will be my priority. To make sure I am having giving life-giving words, and if I'm not, to ask for forgiveness when I need to. And I'm going to take the steps to forgiveness.

Because when we stay committed and we let invite Jesus into those moments, we can have success and not have these be like the other Random resolutions that fall away. These can be lifelong, high impact, life-changing things.

Doug:
Three either blessing blockers. Is God says, ignore these or or don't don't invite me into these or assume you've got your act completely together on these. And it could block blessing, it could affect our relationship, not our salvation, but our relationship.

Or If you focus on these things, if you invite me in, King David said, this is a guy after God's own heart, according to Scripture. He said, Search me. Oh God, maybe take a time every day, every week, where you say, Search me, oh God, see if there is any offensive way in me, especially.

in these areas and lead me in the way everlasting. Now I can move forward in freedom and enjoy. So invite God into these conversations.

They're so important in our relationship with God. Even if you think Hey, I've got it all together. Maybe tonight, search me, oh God, see if there's anything that I could be doing better at Especially in how I'm representing you as an ambassador.

Jesse:
That's awesome. Well, thanks everyone for joining us today for the first episode of the new year. Woohoo Woo-hoo.

Uh please leave a review. Please. Tell a friend.

Do whatever it takes.

Doug:
Share it. Share this.

Doug:
Share this. If it meant anything to you, um, if it if it's helping make a difference in your life, that's what the that's why it's called Go Mad, Go Make a Difference. If you think it might make a difference in somebody's life, maybe suggest this episode or the podcast to them.

Doug:
That's right. And from all of us to all of you, until next time, go