Truth Warrior University

Geico asks how would you love a chance to save some money on insurance. Of course you would.

And when it comes to great rates on insurance Geico can help like with insurance for your car, truck, motorcycle, boat and RV even help with homeowners or renters coverage plus at an easy to use mobile app available 24 hour roadside assistance and more. And Geico is an easy choice switch today and see all the ways you can save it's easy. Simply go to Geico.com or contact your local agent today. This is Chris shoes with the Christian perspective podcast with Chris choose. We encourage our listeners to engage the culture with Jesus Christ your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting a just a few seconds. So enjoy it. Sure, but most of all, thank you for listening to The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network truth warrior University begins right here right now and from one of us in different places. It felt good to those with this place but is so good cupcake cuties where we gave comp to set it up for his buddy where you are in beautiful gorgeous downtown Wahlberg cupcake cuties here on Highway 109 and we just love coming to cupcake cuties think maybe we have permanent membership years. When you think so. They were stockholders. I tell you what.

Somehow the size that we found a stock or poundcake. I don't know whichever one pastor Jay we been here for many meetings and his need to be talk about Christ set the table, what you feel walking with these other godly men are truth warrior interns Marcus Colby Bo Tucker other inters a good beer day.

But what are your what your thought, your encouragement. Oh, it's always a blessing to hang out with people who love Jesus and it's always a blessing to be able to meet here cupcake cuties as well because you can get a lot of goodies.

Are we doing the younger me thing I'm thinking so this is a? Is asked this question, I love it when a profound assess question and we have some very special people, your pastor, Jay Boyce pressured Oaklawn Baptist Church in West Salem, North Carolina right and you did great turkey or little BBS to yes or about the nice last night but we had a great week so far.

We start our day together a Wednesday in the word Addario with a bunch of 50 other guys and he played the guitar and sing credible worship and we went to Psalm 23 which was so much fun. We got Max Lloyd real quick tells you Max.

Lloyd is in so born and raised on Kodiak Island in Alaska currently involved at Calvary day school in leadership and in shepherding the students their calorie day school and thank you Sue for having me into your left is here right rather across to me is Marcus watch the news. Marcus was real quick tells what you are our newest truth warrior enter Amanda's wife and I play Best Buy on them, Nancy grew up in Clemens but moved to Alanna when I was around ninth grade freshman graduated and went so, state and intensive financing.

All right, also now we got two other Jews were into research ulcer quick and who you are. My name is Bo Tucker Beatty and I go to cover day school grew up in yakking County and love playing sports. All right. And what about this guy.

Who are you sir are senior trees were injured.

My names Colby Hales, but I'm 20 years old.

I'm a junior at the Liberty University but I just been in the summer was to learn a lot mean a lot of cool people. We have a profound question.

Would Colby, I want you to introduce us to the guy that led you to Christ in 2016 is also one of our special guest. Your from out of town from from sunny Florida.

You think it's hot North Carolina right now who is this guy so the guy sitting beside his name is Mr. Bonner but December 12, 2016 I was in high school and he was my principal but I was spending a lot of time in his office that year for just being a young, young, dumb kid, but Mr. Bonner led me to Christ in his office on December 12, 2016 and so I'm eternally grateful for him and so thrilled that he's back in North Carolina and to spend the day a little bit with us in some very grateful for them, yes. Is Mr. Bonner you're munching on what their hold that little ice cream cone of what is on this is that cappuccino crunch ice cream. The best of the best and I on the waffle can have you back in North Carolina working. Let's Marcus Watson asked you a question and I love for all three of you to participate would pastor Jake Max Lloyd Mr. Bonner Marcus, ask him this question and by the way, there's a cool cliffhanger refundable fact about Mr. Bonner. We may mention or may not agree the ratings Mr. Bonner Samantha mentioned so someone of this table cut Michael Jordan was ninth grade national team unless and who not yet anyway let the listeners guess this is true talk on Stu Epperson truth were universities underway are truth or interns are here. We have truth of the youth. Also, the first segment of our show each week, but Marcus asked this question of him and I want you to give the same answer.

On one hand you might hear and then were going to go in there will asked the same thing a Mr. Floyd and pastor voice. Looking back on your life and all the hardships and everything was gone. What is if you go back and say youngest of what is one thing was some advice with the younger self. And that's a very, very good question and one answer really stands out to me above all it comes to be very, very quickly and that is to make sure that my life is not a a series of performances to try to please God, but my life is one where I am, I know, and confident that I'm saved and that Christ is taking care of everything.

Performance wise I could ever happen for me and that as a result of that, that my actions in my daily walk is more of a participation in kingdom work that it is a performance kind of policing. I would tell that to my younger self and it would save me a lot of grief and this is Max and I would say. And thanks for that question when and what a great question.

It is, and I gave I when you asked me this earlier in the first. My first reaction would be to as early as possible in life begin a walk with Christ as early as possible. I think if I could tell my youngest self as soon as you walked in the door of the church as Susie went to a vacation Bible school as soon as you first heard the gospel for the very first time never ever forget that and then apply it to your lives and live it out because it will radically change your life on a second note, I would. I would love to someone to have told me I would wish I would've known that when I began chasing after sports, and what God it gifted me at is that I would turn I should have. I would've liked to have known about turning my eyes heavenward and giving him the great glory for all of it asking for his help. Rather than doing all of this for me. I would love to to have had that is my mindset.

I think I would've been a better athlete.

I think it would've been a better teammate. I think I would've better been a better son friend because when self is on the throne your life.

Like the old crusade illustration when self is on the throne your life. It really things begin to implode. But when Christ is on the throne.

Then you become the teammate you need to be. You become the athlete to become the student you need to be and I wish if I had set it up if my older self would have told me that that's what I like.

Would've liked her but thanks again for the question J voice here.

Pastor Oaklawn that is a great question. I was over here pondering what I would say you have a lot of I hate to double back home. Mr. Bonner said, but I think that I would like to write a letter to dear younger me, I would say put on your running shoes and run away from any kind of un-biblical legalistic not try to be critical to church life as I was indoctrinated in group and then what caused me to do is find my identity in what my pastor thought or what my always going to be pleasing to my father, mother, mother, but you you grow up in your young adult years. Again, wanting to please people so much that you just forget about what God is done for you and the versa comes in my mind is Romans 81. Paul says there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus and so yeah how I would.

I would say that I will also tell my younger self to learn the value of hard work early, get out of bed early and no don't waste your life away sleep until noon. I don't care if it is a Saturday.

My dad taught me those kind of things but no, I would reiterate to myself the importance of learning to to work hard to leave. That's important later on in life you look back and wish you had. This is Stu Epperson that's pastor J Max Bonner great question for Marcus Watson or trees were interviewed another question into release of this table and four in case you don't know what's on the table. We got a combination of this only keyline cake award-winning strawberry cake carrot cake and I got this dad's chocolate fudge cake were cupcake cuties and what kind of coffee do you watch this gig out with Dave, the one and only Foster Hall's brother David awesome truth warrior like Warner in the full time with us points on the gospel music, leading people to Jesus all over the real radio stations.

And so honored to serve with him. What a great call he got. I learned a lot more from him that he does for me. Dave, I love to take Mark so I may bar your question is owed him to.

After that Colby's going as we wrap up. Ask a quick question of these guys. Dave, what would you say dear younger self love you if you could talk to yourself when you are the truth warrior University enter nature. I have actually you know turn it over in my mind. Steve even before we've had this discussion today because I have often fall. What I would love to do different. I would've been more disciplined. I think how I would've been more in God's word prayed more but you know the thing of it is we can go back and undo any regrets. Just like JMH and I have regrets in my life. I think we all do if were honest, we have regrets but we can go back and undo that we can't rewind the tape so display and record it again so we have one shot at life and at age 63 I can tell you Steve that I want to finish well. So I've been a Christian broadcaster since I was 16 years of age and end at some point I must confess that someone said old if you could only get on that country station and I thought about that.

I thought about that.

And God got my attention pretty quick when we were doing a live broadcast with some gospel singing all the air and we put together a little quartet me and three other gentlemen and we were singing the song learning to lean, learning to lay and I know that God spoke to me when we were sitting in learning to lay. He spoke loud and he spoke clearly. He said son Christian broadcasting is where I want you so almost 50 years later.

This is all locked and I'm so thankful cannot share something else real quickly in 2020. My job came to an end and that they they told me today is your last day I had been at that post W PET 42 years and is unprofessional, unprofessional as this sounds, I literally cried on that call with 44 pretty significant people watching me do that on a GoToMeeting call, but God had other plans.

I was mentally just.

I was a mass to student knows because he was calling me a check in all Megan praying with me one day brother Steve said what if I could buy that radio station and put you back to work.

Long story short that's what happened to me and I am forever grateful. Steve and as I told Stu and I been with for almost 2 years now. I told Stu that it was my greatest achievement coming to work for trade the calls I needed to be in this environment. So I praise God for that all is it if there is a letter to myself. Connect with Dave because a lot earlier spent a lot more time with him but he is been a huge blessing you can see to it to me with.

Thank you for sharing that. We got another real big question from Colby R truth, whatever truth warrior entrance, your truth warrior University working take a quick break. You can hear you to meet the man that did a big favor to Michael Jordan that he sit here with us and where it were to talk to him real quick and let that cat out of the bag hold on work and uprightness listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com what are you passionate about, what are you excited for in the kingdom of God. What is the Lord doing in your life was last known/question just a simple question. What brings you alive what makes you come alive for Christ was last time you let some of Christ stirred a powerful story became over and thought about you might how to play the guitar in then that buddy of mine encouraged him to pick up the good book and now there there encourage each other in God's working that guys like that guys actually said was right here.

We had a great last segment he did near that go get the podcast in here about what God is doing and what what several of us at this table that are truth warrior enters her sitting here part of what were called truth warrior University. At least that's what is called for. Now we been in all the sessions all day started very on Psalm 23 meeting with all kinds of Christian businesspeople and pastors and leaders in guys have a lot more to the tires not important of these guys here in we just love our young people there the next generation work will be gone on to have in someone's gotta keep running the show here right guy so were grateful for them known I was younger and broadcasting the young people came along I got a get annoyed internship. We talked about get busy in front of you. I got a station off here and I don't have time to show you how do's eyes do it myself will now I'm thinking wait a second I'm not getting any younger brother Dave, I am. I need to pour into some other people like we needed needed progeny. We need spiritual disciples. And so that's want to go death.

These young men are here learning and were cited and one of the guys at R truth were interned one of our guys to Christ as your weather season town from Florida. We got Mr. Bonner Mr. Floyd, Pastor J and worked cupcake cuties Wahlberg North Carolina recording here on site and I was in a throw the mic over to Colby Hills are one of our senior grantors – a quick question that we can just pass the background all you guys get. How's that sound even we can throw Dave and there is where we all can have a jaw-dropping moment as he shared something to say to go really got me teared up so you go so thankful to be here today with all these great guys are so much to learn. So the two questions I have to ask our one, what are y'all up to now, where's the Lord leading you and then to what are you most passionate about today and the Lord is rearrange your passions, their life, what is he calling you to right now and that might line up with what you're doing but yeah. Mr. Bonner you can start with that's that's a great question and what I'm up to right now is an associate pastor at a church in Winter Garden, Florida, was a church and basically what it entails is its title is deception.

Pastor what I'm responsible for in in in no uncertain terms really is is Christian education of the discipleship grades in both men and women groups and and it's really it's that I couldn't be more honored that that God's chosen me to step into that I could be more humbled because somehow don't feel prepared to do that. But God said go and he is given us a lot of a lot of success in that arena and have seen a lot of spiritual growth happen and lives in people's lives so God gets the glory for that.

When I specifically passionate about is discipling.

Then and just seeing men die to themselves see in men own their own mistakes their own weaknesses because we all have a stump but don't kid around. We we all stumble, we all fall.

We are broken people. Thanks Adam and Eve that we inherited that.

So first of all, begin by humbling owning humbly, only that our problems and then giving them back to God and Santa. Can God forgive me, use me. I confess these help me to repent and help me to move forward and live the life that you call me to live as a husband as a father is a neighbor is a worker in every arena of life, watching people come alive in their care in their spiritual lives. That's what I'm passionate about. Okay, this is Max Floyd.

Continuing with the question about what my currently doing now and then, what am I passionate about is that correct. So when my currently doing now. I've been at the Calvary day school for five years. I just completed my fifth year as a teacher there a but I'm transitioning into an administrative role is.

So instead of having 8200 student 60 day 200 students each day coming through my classes and now my it is expanded to where I am now the shepherd so to speak, overseer of of every student has seven through 12 at Calvary day school and at the title.

II guess is Dean of students now and so I am in charge of all the touch points that students will be involved with. I'll be interested in in the coaches relationship with the student. Albion interested in the teacher's relationship with the student. I'll be interested in the cafeterias relationship and touch point with the student.

I'll be interested in the administration registrar all the touch point and students with student and so I'm interested in. In all those kind of touch points and and as the Dean of students that will be my charge. What I'm passionate about right now I think is is that like Dave is that I want to finish well and in I think that when a passion about now is that every opportunity is on looking across this room right now. It's not by chance.

All these people in front of me.

God has sovereignly have people cross my path. Whether it's plumber whether it's you know a woodworker would flooring crew coming through.

Whether it's a stew in front of me, whether it's a you know a student intern there something about every episode and God is looking at me and basically sand there. They are Max and you've got the store you got the truth and what you gonna do with that you can you can say goodbye. You can talk about that the latest sports event. You can talk about the weather or you can talk about the most important thing that will transform their lives. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God and Jesus said on the way the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father but by me. Jesus said I am. I he who has me has life. He does not have me does not have life.

I have come that might have life might have it more abundantly associate I have that that message and now every every kind of some would say serendipity Sarah someone with a that was just a chance meeting. No I see is every kind of meeting with people as almost an ordained appointment now that God is given me the boldness and courage and some knowledge now through inattention in Sunday school. You know all those years and that now I can help them maybe along the way. So that's what I'm the most passionate about and and I pray that that will continue think that question Colby okay Pastor Jay here were unerring on the pastor at Oaklawn Baptist Church in Winston-Salem been in Oaklawn for almost 12 years. I started there is the worship pastor and I became the youth pastor was the worst worship and youth pastor together, but in 2015 became the pastor there still leave worship to just about every Sunday, but that's what I'm doing what I'm passionate about.

Obviously I want to see people come to Christ really am passionate about that on the passion about God's word love to to teach God's word is really probably the most favorite thing that I do else that and then my relation with the Lord and then you know right behind that is my family that two boys one is 21 is a junior in college and want to continue to see him surrendering his life to the Lord and blessed that he has so far then I got almost 12-year-old boy so no raisin voices is a big deal and passionate about seeing both of my boys serve the Lord and then you know this is not too important in the scheme of life. I'm very passionate about Atlanta Braves income okay did copy what you passionate about brother. I'm passionate about what I'm doing Christian broadcasting morning to make a difference and I pray that I it's it's my lifelong dream of being a broadcast history so that's what I want to continue to do and then you know you in our work were about to walk into some new avenues. Something that's coming up can talk about right now but I'm saying yes, Lord, Lord, I'll go will go I'll go. I'll do that. So I'm just going to keep on keeping on an undesired all of you gentlemen hear this type of the pray for me I just want to be a vessel want to be used only humble I want to be God honoring it. I remember many years ago my son is almost 40 you will be 40 in a few weeks when he was a young teenage we don't know exactly what happened, but he ran away from. He ran away from home. My wife called me left left my job.

Came home we were looking everywhere for him and all of a sudden I got to live with prodigal sons dad lived.

I'll look and from afar all I saw my son with a backpack and he was coming home he was coming home and all water reunion that was from our board to come home and hug him and to tell him and assured him that we loved him so I want to use in that capacity just help see others home was rather setting up asking her to the mortgagors real quickly go to blow Colby and then Marcus. The biggest thing you learn today all day long you got people pouring from you from pastors to worship leaders to adventure seeking Dean of students at schools and in you had anywhere from you guys at big motorsports companies executives was the biggest anything you learn today just tell us real quick.

As we wrap it up I say the biggest thing I learned today is mistakes that you made in your pass. You have to let go and move on from them and continue what you're doing. I would say something very similar to that that but also when you face trials of many kinds, leaning into your trials and knowing that God is using those to develop something bigger and better in your life with my not always understand what those specifically are just acknowledging that God has a plan and it's in his character to continue to lead and guide you throughout his plan and can get you through the other side so yet I'd be my day to go with Marty's lesson for me for knowing that forgiveness is a major part of life for you know moving on and just be able to forgive and forget. Because if you hold onto something they really just holding yourself back to forgive yourself and the forgiving people that the wrong is not everybody's right to know SRU I write yourself so Rochester I see God in the likeness when the most boring things just be able to forgive and move on and just knowing that sometimes you gotta be lonely when I listed earlier is a slight those those times when you're really lonely that sometimes we really find yourself and find out who you are supposed to be just a fire is need to move for SOI fly.

That's one of the most for their zoning today as if in truth war University and to cuties today who knows will be next time remember the truth warrior verse John 832 you shall know the truth. The truth shall set you free, does it with everyone loud you shall know the truth. Truth set you free. This is the Truth Network