I'm Granger, I'm the an Man, I'm Tyler, I'm Parker.

What's up, everybody?

Welcome to the ninety nine for one podcast, where our goal is to seek the one and equip the ninety nine to do the same.

It's gonna be a good show today episode two.

Yeah, back for episode two.

Today we're gonna be talking about how should Christians feel about nicotine?

This actually started as a conversation off Mike's last week.

It just naturally started for like, Hey, that would be a good idea, let's talk about that.

So we are here this week.

Before we do, thank you for watching, listening, commenting everything that you did on episode number one.

Fantastic first episode and it seems like a lot of you guys liked it too.

Kendall want to send a shout out to you.

I somehow stumbled into your world.

I think talking to Granger, I do not listen to country music.

In fact, I kind of dislike it.

In fact, I'm not a fan of most of the things that would probably make up your typical viewer or listener.

Despite all of this, I've been greatly encouraged by your journey and have been inspired.

Thank you.

So I like it.

Ricky Boyd said, I'm excited about this new podcast.

I still hope you stay relatable to the average guy you always have been.

Remember the passes.

It says, now the tax collectors and sinners are all gathered around to hear Jesus excited about the new chapter and God is key, no doubt.

But some talk about trucks and four wheel drives and just guy stuff mixed in keeps it relatable and brings some new viewers.

I know you aren't trying to reach big volumes of people, but it's not a bad thing if you do.

Love your podcast.

I love the approach of like talking to a buddy in the cab.

Of a pickup truck.

I like that too.

Cindy said, I absolutely love this new podcast.

I followed your podcast journey since it started in your bus.

Love seeing how God has changed your life and the lives of your brothers.

Yeah.

My request to these comments, thank you all y'all for these comments.

My request is put where you're from?

Yes, absolutely, I'd love to know where you're listening or watching from.

That would be really cool.

I would like to know for the next episode where the furthest person is from us, right now maybe maybe Kintaro.

And I was just about to say soon as soon as kin starts h if he's watching, if he comments.

You'd better be watching, Yeah, Kintaro.

Just incredible, incredible story from Ye Nation.

I haven't even told you this, amen, but as the Lord is working in his heart and Cantaro started for everybody, just to just a backstory.

I mean, most of us know him, but he was just a fan of the music.

He came, I believe twice to hear me play in the second time he came was no, no, yeah, yeah, it came to us.

The first time was our farewell tour.

I believe that was the first time he came.

And he came to Billy Bob's and so saw our final show.

So we met him.

Came from Japan.

It's a big deal to have a you know, a guy from Japan that's a fan.

So we and he was a big he's been a big fan of the apparel company Ye Ye.

So then he comes again for Ye Fast last year and he told me something.

He said, Hey, man, you you mentioned at Billy Bob's that you asked the crowd, what would anyone follow you to the next stage?

And he goes, I don't really know what that next stage is.

You're talking about the God and stuff, but I'm interested in knowing how to follow you there.

And so we sat down in the office of ye ye uh you know eeee fast is going on outside.

He came a little bit early.

We had this long conversation.

I told him the Gospel told him the good News of Jesus, which which Barker's going to tell us here at the end of this episode.

And he was like, I'm I don't know what to think of all this, but I'm interested in hearing more.

So we continued to talk, continue to have these conversations, and I got him started on reading Matthew, the Book of Matthew, and then we would talk every day through reading the Book of Matthew, and he would have questions and we would have these, you know, just in depth discussions about Matthew.

And then he went back home to Japan and I just said, Hey, all I'm asking to do is just show up, just keep reading every day and message.

I'll message you every day.

We won't skip a day, We'll just keep talking.

So it was like I'd have to talk to him Tataro.

It was like.

Some somewhere in I think it was towards the end of Matthew he became aware of his sin and a need for Christ and he was converted.

He knew.

He even said, I screenshoted the message from a long time ago about my heart aches for my sin, for what I've done to God, and I ask Lord Jesus to save me.

It was like the most beautiful unscripted conversion words.

And I just cried when I read that, and I said, brother, you here a Christian.

What you're saying is the Lord has saved you.

And he couldn't quite articulate what it all meant, but all he knew was he wanted more, and he kept reading, kept reading, kept reading.

He advanced.

Then we went on a search for a church.

Japan is a dark country.

I just talked to him this morning reminding him it's a dark country and won a unique opportunity for a Christian to be in a dark country.

And we went through a few different churches, but we found one close to close enough to him.

In Tokyo is huge.

You could drive for two hours just on the other side of the city.

Finds a church.

He gets involved with the church, becomes really really in with the members there, the pastor there.

They baptized him.

Since me the video of his baptism.

This is like the timelines going by.

Everyone's pouring into them.

He's starting to love them.

Things are changing at work.

He goes from kind of being angry and disgruntled a lot of times to like now, he starts becoming kind and wanting to wanting to show the love of Christ to people.

His just anxiety levels going down.

The pastor everyone's seeing this.

He starts eating lunches and dinners with gathering with the members.

And just a few days ago he reached out to me and said the pastor is now ready to start pastoral training with him.

No way, are you serious.

That's incredib I was gonna say.

He's starting to provide commentary on his readings every day on social media.

He'll he'll give the scripture and he'll provide commentary on it.

He has not skipped the day.

That's awesome.

Let me let me read you what he said today this morning.

And I know I can read this because we talk every day.

But he said, he's talking about this podcast.

I love the podcast.

My new desire is to reach the one out of a bunch and bring the light by the Lord to the one each day.

He said, Today I saw my favorite Christian customer friend.

She came in and we had some conversations.

She mentioned that her son is influenced by my faith, talking about himself as well, and he wants to hang out with me at some point, and I have to already have some amazing ideas.

I'm willing to invite him to my church as well.

I wanted to sit down and talk about the Gospel and read together.

So we're going to start in Matthew one man.

Incredible.

I love that that's the one that was reached.

Who's now reaching another one?

Now going to start reading.

The process begins again.

Yep, as the Lord multiplies and it begins.

Sorry, I got way off on a tangent.

That was good.

That was really good.

We give away of a book, first book last week that has been picked.

So if check your DMS or whatever, Cayden's taking care of that.

We'll have another book giveaway at the end of this episode and we'll tell you what to comment with in order to be in that writing coming up a little bit later on.

But first, our topic today, how should Christians feel about nicotine.

So how did this this conversation started because we were talking about do we First I want to say that any any kind of health conversation in this is just about personal journeys.

It has nothing to do with actual medical advice.

So no one take it as that if there is any in here.

But we started with and also name brands.

Should we bring that up because it's kind of okay, well, because we're talking, so we don't give medical advice, but we could occasionally drop name brands and not you know, not be sponsored.

It's Zen?

Is that is that one of them?

Is that a big one?

Yeah, that's where the conversation started last week, like, oh this this there's actually I think I've heard of health benefits from nicotine.

And the first thing people think is, no way, smoking is terrible.

I'm not talking about smoking.

I'm talking about figuring out.

What I was thinking then was figuring out your own journey about the actual elements of things that are now.

Last year I had a stroke, so I was you know, I've been processing through every kind of almost element that you put into your to your it into your body now and thinking about how it affects from top of your head to the bottom of your feet, how it affects that health journey.

And I've read stuff about nicotine in super small doses that can be beneficial to some people.

Do I say that, I say that correctly.

This podcast is not about giving health advice.

No, that's a disclaimer.

Yeah, that's yeah, that's what I said at the very beginning.

Continue, yes, and that's but that's what piqued my interest when I heard you guys talking about.

So what's the question.

How Christians feel about that?

Well, don't ask me that because I'm struggling with it right now.

Are you for me?

That actually makes you a perfect person to speak to it, because you're a Christian that uses nicotine.

It's perfect.

Yeah.

Yeah, you know how this started for me.

Was by the way, this is not an intervention for Tyler either.

No.

No, I am the guy.

I am the guy that has trademark put a good dip in.

I don't know trademark.

I wake up?

Did you or did Earl?

I'm confused now because I mean here, let's I'm a country boy.

It's twenty sixteen.

I'm back picking college football games based on who's more countryfied this.

A little bit.

We like to call, dip them and pick them.

Yeah, both y'alls four right are we'll talk?

So yeah, there's endless stories about Earl Dibbles Junior and nicotine.

So that that's why I think, I think this is a good group to talk about this.

And you can't find a lot you can't find a lot on the Internet of of conversations like this that don't overlap into legalism sure, or abusing cheap grace.

So what's the conversation right in the middle of legalism and cheap grace?

Where do we fall?

How should Christians feel about nicotine?

What would you say your struggle is?

Yeah, this all started for me in the touring days in the music business, when we're on the road, when we're on the buses and you're around your boys and the band and the crew.

There's alcohol at every single show, whatever you want.

There's all kinds of weed, whatever you want.

And for me, at some point, nicotine became the lesser of the three evils.

I was like, man drinking just for horrible the next day, Like I eat a ton of pizza after the show if I'm trump, sorry mom, but uh sorry mom?

Yeah.

And then weed.

I was never a big weed, smoker, but it's just always around.

So it's like, Okay, which one of these am I going to pick?

Man, just being completely sober is just gonna be real.

That's hard on the road.

And when I mean what I mean completely sober, I'm not just talking about like drugs or alcohol or weed.

I'm talking about like caffeine, I was gonna say, makes you know, Yeah, caffeine, nicotine, like whatever masters you, whatever controls you.

Whatever.

You wake up every day four Yeah, no, we should do four every morning.

We get up with Chris.

Well, you guys did it more than me that stuff, like, yeah, it's a it's an.

We would get up on the road, yeah, you know, random town in Illinois, and we would get a cup of coffee and then her face starts itch in and then for a cup of Sea four, a scoop of sea four after your coffee, Yeah, and put in water.

Drinking the coffee while the uber or the runner is coming to take us to the gym.

Then by the time you finish the coffee, you start sipping the Sea four.

By the time you get to the gym, your face is just burnt, it's about to burn off.

You're you're so you're you're you're so up with this C four stuff.

I eventually stopped that.

I would actually say, that's probably more dangerous than nicotine.

Way I feel because that stuff, I started feeling really dizzy a lot, yeah, during the day, and I could attribute.

That, Yeah, that's the problem with n There's so many layers to it.

Somebody could be like, I don't do any of that stuff.

Well it could be food, could be pizza, could be ice cream, whatever.

There's so many layers.

But we're just talking about this.

But yeah, that's I think that's the danger.

But with nicotine, because that's that's my thought process too, It's like, uh, this is probably way more dangerous than nicotine C four because my I'm dizzy or I get up, I head rush or my face is like there's physical effects, like bad effects, negative effects.

With nicotine, there's no bad effects.

It's all good.

It makes you focus, lock in, you know, sharper thinking, critical thinking.

So that's my problem is like tell me something like with the dip right with errodibbles, it's like, okay, this causes cancer, mouth cancer, this is bad, don't do it.

Okay, done, I won't do it.

Addictions is a negative.

The addiction is a negative, so that now we go we go farther into the addiction, like, Okay, now now I'm struggling with Am I doing this too to walk in and focus and work on what I need to work on?

Or am I doing this because I'm bored because I'm addicted, because I need it, because I need to function, because I need to wake up, because I and I'm doing it throughout the day.

And you're building a great outline for this and then and then we'll use the Bible to go through everything you just said.

And then it's deluding the effects of what the nickeodteam does just because I'm using so much of it that my body is what's the word blunt, like, it's not it's not doing anything.

It's a new base for you.

You have to go that or above to feel any of what you felt before.

Yeah, And I don't, to be honest with you, I don't feel anything.

It's just addiction, you know.

So Parker, what can you what can you speak?

I don't think you ever really got into the zin packets or the.

Yeah.

I put us in in one time and I couldn't even stand up.

I was so buzz and I was.

Like six or three.

And how scary is that they think it was?

You try for the first time and you can't stand up.

I'm just popping them.

That's doing.

My body is just used to it now, so it's like, this is what's happening to my body?

Yeah.

Yeah, So in college I had guys try to like coach me through dipping, but I just could never keep it in my lip.

It would all just always just like get everywhere, and I threw up.

I tried like three times, and I threw up every time, and.

So I just was I was kept away from nicotine un despite trying.

People would train other people to do something that's actually bad for you.

Bad for your so you can fit in hang out.

I just thought it has something to do.

I don't know, and then uh, I would try.

I tried the chaw or whatever like Earl Dibbles did, but it just always like.

Tastes bad and kind of hurt my throat and it was kind of gross.

And so it's interesting because I didn't really either.

I didn't really dip.

I have a story in high school of like doing that and throw I threw up the very first time.

I remember.

It was in my buddy Peter's white Jetta threw up on the floor floorboard of his car where it was.

I was probably sixteen seven, sixteen years old, so that that made me not want to try it for a long time.

But then college kind of like Parker saying in the cork Adets at Texas A and M, it's very normal to have a chaw in at all times, which is probably what eventually a few years later influenced Earl Dibbles Junior and two that he has to have a chaw in his in his jaw.

And then I wasn't.

I didn't know.

I didn't and dip it all when we first started filming that, and so we would we would remember, we'd have to take it out real quick.

There's actually scenes of those very first videos when Earl's like ripping it out because it's like making me buzzed so fast of pointing out.

On you think you did like the whole package.

Well it started.

I started growing a tolerance, but and I wasn't even when Earl was on the stage, like at the very beginning that I didn't.

I didn't have a tolerance for it.

So I would get really buzzed after a show and not feel good.

But then that that started going away, and then it turned into hey, there, me and Chris, it's that there's earls.

Because we would get on the rider.

We would get Levi Garrett or Redman on the rider.

So everywhere we went, we show up, there's a fresh bag of Levi Garrett or Redman for the show that night, because Earl's going to use the whole thing.

But so sometimes people from the audience would throw them up, like a brand new bag, so we'd get that.

So they started collecting on the bus.

So at some point during the day, in the middle of the day, Chris and I, after we had our c four and our coffee and we worked out and we had catering, and now we're trying to focus and do some work, We're like, hey, hand me that brand new bag of Levi Garrett.

And and then we it became a daytime thing, and it became a production meeting thing, and then it just became until we realized, le Vi Garrett, for one, it's full of maple syrup.

Or something like that.

It's full of sugar, it's full of sugar molasses.

Does it also have whiskey?

Was it soaked and whiskey.

It's like literally syrup.

So if you have it in your teeth for too long, you're just having straight sugar on your teeth.

So there's that.

But anyway, so then that turned into probably Copenhagen.

Then that turned into Zen.

It was actually Jimmy Allen that showed me Zin.

Yeah.

He's like, man, you got you can go mess up your teeth with that stuff.

You gotta try this.

It doesn't hurt your teeth at all.

So that's what started in.

And then that's me and you Todler about the same time.

And then Chris would just and for those who don't wig off the deep end, I mean I was probably on the bus and saw that thanks to you, and Chris was like, well, might as well do that.

The reason I say it, and then we want to get back to your part because you have other you have other demons when you talk about but but the reason I say, I'm trying to set the table here that we are qualified to have this discussion.

Right, That's what I'm doing.

That's what I'm trying to do.

All right, tell us about your the adderall thing, same same vein.

Well, if I'm a listener, right now, I'm like, just talk about the nicotine.

That's what I came here for.

I can talk about this briefly.

I don't know how helpful it's gonna be.

Well, the only reason I say is because I don't want to leave you out because you've never touched nicotine.

Yeah, I'm just like more disciplined than you.

Guys.

My advice has always been I you know, I used to have buddies in college that would uh.

I can't remember the name of the drug.

It's like.

Bars or whatever is what they call it, and it's uh, it just like makes it like just numbs everything and you basically immediately go like eight beers deep trying to just numb the world out and get really really buzzed.

And that was never really appealing.

This is all before I was saved.

This is just me in college.

And was it because of dad or before that?

What when dad died?

What about it?

When did you start doing that?

I don't really know the story either.

I don't either.

In all you just the eight beers deep, like whatever you did, I don't even know.

No, I'm just saying I'm not I'm not saying.

I'm just saying.

In college I was around guys who would do drugs in order to numb out the world, and then you'd go and talk to at parties and stuff and there'd just be nobody home.

And that's like what they like to do, Like we're going to the bars.

Time to take our do the bars or whatever drugs it was, and then let's just like not, I don't want to remember anything, and like it's just that guy, you know.

And I was always just like I don't I don't want to be that guy.

I don't hate my life that much.

To not that they hated their lives, that's just like.

What they enjoyed to do.

And I always like to like be clear and like more energized and like more focused and more social, and so I always I would rather just like get an energy drink, like when we'd go out to the bars or whatever, and like I enjoyed that, and so like the highest level of that of feeling energized, I guess would be cocaine.

But I never did cocaine, but would was like from a legal perspective, would be adderall.

And but that wasn't until I was in my mid twenties and I had a buddy who showed me.

I can't remember the name of it was like an equivalent of adderall.

Uh, and it was like to work because you know, I was super productive.

I like to work really hard and uh.

And so I like took one of those pills and like what like had the most productive day of work in my life, and I was like, this is amazing.

It was like a right around the time when what's the movie, uh, Wolfule Wall Street, No, not Wolf Limitless Limitless?

Yeah, Limitless came out and well we all know how that movie ends or like it ends up being really bad for him.

But anyway, Yeah, so I ended up getting an adderall prescription and called my doctor said like I couldn't focus or whatever, just to get an aderall prescription.

And so took that pretty often at work or when we'd go out to bars or whatever.

Yeah.

So that's that's what I preferred naturally in my flesh over nicotine, which is no better.

It's just like we're all wiredly, wired differently to our different temptations.

I guess I will.

Jump back into this conversation here in just a second.

The first Parker I saw you walk in when he came in today, you brought some new shirts from EE Apparel.

Right, what I've got, I've got three new shirts that we just released on Friday of our there are variations of our best selling shirts that we've literally ever done.

It's our three best selling faith shirts and we just did each one in a new color.

So we've got this no Weapon Forged tea just in a clean royal blue.

For those who just like a little bit of color, We've got our christ As King tea that I'm wearing right now, the original and military green.

We did one in black.

A lot of people requested that.

And then lastly our nine to nine four one tu was originally in brown and we did a new color of that in cream.

So really excited to change up the colors.

And yeah, the response to the Faith stuff has just been amazing.

What sizes are those?

These are medium on him for you?

Thank you?

Yes, you want to get your own sizes, go to EUI dot com right now or right here.

It's linked in the podcast.

So now the table set and you're not off the hook, part er, you know.

That's why I did that.

Let's go to the Bible.

I think probably a good place to start it would be Romans twelve It's a good place to start for a lot of things.

When when Paul says, I appeal to you there, for brothers, while the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

And he goes on to say, famously, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

That by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

And that's actually part of the prayer we prayed right for this this podcast, And I actually didn't mean to do that, but that we would present our bodies as a living sacrifice and what we do and what we say because because he says, this is our spiritual worship?

And then.

How do we how do we view everything else in our life with that lens?

Like everything starts there?

So how how is whether it's caffeine or nicotine, or alcohol or adderall or whatever it might be, or food, fast food or sugar, or our money or or career or anything really anything or our gifts?

How are we using this to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God?

Holy?

Meaning set apart meaning different than the world, which he goes on to say, don't be conformed in this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

The transformed by the renewal of your mind is actually a really good argument against any kind of numbness, against any kind of drunkenness or anything that that numbs and blurs your mind as as a way to forget or to step away from reality.

I mean, that's not that's not this conversation with nicotine, because nicotine is as a focuser like adn'tall it's a focuser.

It's it is to help you think more clearly.

But the argument against alcohol is be it is, Hey, you're renewed by by the You're transformed by the renewal of your mind.

Use your mind, which it goes against any kind of Eastern religion that says for step out of your mind, forget, don't think, try not to think anything.

You know, that's the Eastern meditation.

Christianity is the opposite.

It's fill your mind, and we go on to read it's fill your mind with with Christ.

Ultimately, the things that are acceptable, things that are holy, things are good.

You don't know those things unless you're in the Word and you're able to discern what the will of God is for you.

So that's how we start First Corinthians six.

It's interesting, I will not be master.

Yeah.

I was gonna say.

The next one you go to is I will not be mastered by anything.

Yeah.

Perfect, So that but like you said, drunkenness and all that, it's like, okay, alcohol, drunkenness, like, okay, that's explicit in the Bible, but nicotine is not.

But you go to first Corinthian six twelve, I will not be mastered by anything, and then you ask your question, I'm mastered by this adderall am, I'm mastered by this nicotine exactly.

Okay, Yeah, that's so that's a different conversation.

Or filling the blank.

Gambling sports, sports like you said, yeah McDonald's.

Yeah, that list goes on and on and on, uh or or port.

You know, it's a very relevant example.

Exercise, workout, Yeah, twenty five hards, sure sports.

I think you said that my favorite team.

Sure work being addicted to work, workaholics, anything that has all that could be end of it, right.

Yes, well, and I think the best way to deterprete that too, is to ask yourself those questions, can I stop it?

And and you know, do you are you planning your day around using it or making it a part of Okay, I can get to this point with this much and get to the next point with this much.

And you know, like you said now that that what used to do that for you is now the baseline.

Yeah.

Yeah, and you got to go above it trades.

The clarity and the focus for dependence, right yep.

Yeah.

It's it's interesting to hit first Grantons because we're we're preaching through that right now in our church, and Marshall actually just preached first Granthian six.

The back half of it.

I wanted to look at two at like romans.

We can kind of live in.

Those two, those two chapters, but six sixteen.

See if I find out there is do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness.

We are slaves to whoever or whatever we obey.

Yeah.

I was going to say that next to the slave thing, it's like you become enslaved by these things, and then what did Christ do?

He came to set us free.

Yeah, Galatians five to one for freedom, Christ, to set us free.

Stand firm therefore, and do not be conformed to get into the yoke of slavery.

Yeah.

So that argument taller is it just crushes the idea of I can't help myself, I can't help it.

No, you've been set free in Christ.

You've been given the ability Mom's eight thirteen to kill sin.

And we haven't arrived there yet with that.

That nicotine is sin, but the sinful behavior that comes from it, that being dominated by it, being motivated to do it.

The Bible is not.

The Bible is not explicit about consumption as much as domination over you.

Right, does this substance have dominion over you?

Not the consumption part, but does it have control over you?

Then you're in sin.

Then having it or taking in.

It is sin.

Ye.

So Christ set believers free from enslavement to sin.

That's what the Bible's saying.

Theiralations, Yeah, Paul is saying Christ died to set you free from the yoke or that like harness, like a donkey, who's who's pulling a wagon.

That harness was we were slaves to our sin, whatever that's sin, and maybe and then Christ dies to then lift that so that we're no longer enslaved to our sin.

That's exactly right.

That's interesting.

So to that, Parker, what's interesting about the you know, the constant tension that the Bible presents us is that we are set free and so flee.

You know, you're you're set free from it, so get away from it.

But both of those things exists.

Being set free from it doesn't mean you stay in it.

And you know, but I thought you just set them set.

Free from it.

Yeah, so get away from it.

Wait, no, that's a tension that runs through the entire canon of the Bible.

And so we mentioned this a little bit last week.

But check out Romans eight thirteen that says, well, let me go to twelve.

So, then, brothers, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

Romans eight thirteen.

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die.

But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Like, wait, aren't you writing this to Christians.

You're saying I'm gonna die if I if I stay in sin, if I don't put it to death, you're saying I'm going to die.

Yeah, that's what That's what he's saying.

But aren't I secure in Christ?

Yeah?

Yeah, you're You're.

Secure in Christ.

Both do it?

You are this, so now act like it, act on it.

But Romans eight thirteen, it's clear that he says, for if you live in Morthrus, you will die.

But if you buy the spirit, put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

You can't do it by yourself.

You buy the spirit, you do it.

You try to do it by yourself, then you're stuck in legalism.

There's a I notice in my reading.

The other day.

Let me let me show you guys another one.

This is crazy.

Man.

It's two Timothy.

He does the same thing he says in what verses This is verse twelve, he says, I am convinced that he talking about God is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

And then verse fourteen, by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit and trusted to you.

So he's saying, I am confident that God is going to guard what He's given me.

So Timothy guarded guard yours.

You know, that's the tension.

I'm confident God is going to guard me get the deposit given me, namely the Gospel, my salvation, so I need to guard it.

But the key is the key is what he says, by the Holy Spirit, the same thing he says in Romans eight thirteen, by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit and trusted to you.

So this just destroys the idea of cheap grace.

It destroys the idea of I'm saved, like I could do.

You know, I'm saved.

God has set freedom for freedom.

Christ has set me free.

Brother, so I could just go and yeah, yeah, I do.

Send nobody's perfect.

That's what people say, nobody's perfect.

I don't think.

I think that's the sign of not a true believer, because if you're a true believer, you're not you don't have that heart posture.

You're like, Lord, I want to obey the Lord.

I want to know the Lord.

I want to know what the Lord says I should be doing and do him.

What's interesting is Christ set us free.

I just can't really get over that Galatians five to two.

You set us free from the yoke of slavery.

We were slaves, and he died so that we could be free.

But the perception of Christianity to the world is a horrible burden of rules and obedience, and that actually true freedom is found just in doing your own thing outside of God or religion or faith.

You know, it's just completely backwards.

Exactly how does that end up for him?

How does that feel?

How does it feel after that one night stand?

Feel good about it?

You have a little guilt and a little shame, a little doesn't feel that good?

What's what is that?

Is it?

Oh?

Is it the sin?

Is it sin?

That's why the Lord?

Oh?

Because the Lord loves me?

You know.

It's like it's just mind blowing.

Yeah, every everything.

Yeah, give me all the money in the world, all the women in the world.

How'd that work out for Solomon?

David likes Sheba.

Like once you understand that that he loves you and he's he's laying out his commands and because of his love for you, because he created you and knitted you together and your mother's womb, like it changes everything everything we think we want.

It's pretty much the opposite of what we should be doing and what the Lord has planned for us.

Yeah, makes sense.

So with this idea of of does it have dominion over you?

Does it have domination over you?

Like you were talking about Toller, we should ask ourselves the question with anything nickotine, caffeine, we should ask the question, can I quit at any time?

Can I quit?

Is this a tool for me to focus?

Yes?

But does it have domination over me?

Could I quit tomorrow?

If the answer is yes, okay, If the if the answer is I need it it, I must do this to feel normal, then it is not neutral and it has powered over you.

Yeah.

So once again, I'll say this a thousand times.

We should ask this question about anything anything over us.

Can I back away from it?

Do I have to play in my day around it?

Am I extremely irritable, anxious, distracted without it?

Then that's a sign that you're a slave to it.

And if you are a slave to it, then flee from it.

Because you been set free, you have the power by the Holy Spirit as a Christian just to flee from it.

If you're not a Christian, that's a different discussion.

And we're going to get to the Gospel after this, because this podcast is about reaching the one and empowering the ninety nine to do the same.

But it's a Christian believing that you're forgiven by the blood of Christ.

You've turned from your sin, you've repented of it, and you're trusting him, not in your own good works, but of you're trusting in Christ for what He's done on the Cross to forgive you.

If that's you, you've been set free.

And to that verse Galatians five to one, stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

That's what he says.

You've been set free in Christ.

Cool end the story.

No, so stand firm and don't submit again to the slavery.

That you came from, which reminds me the Israelites having been set free in the Old Testament when they are slaves in Egypt.

Moses leads them out, freeing them, and then.

They kind of don't want to go back.

Yes, And it's like pointing out the temptation in our hearts of like we've been set free and part of our flesh kind of wants to go back a little bit.

Yes.

Is it a refuge?

Are you seeking refuge and peace from it, and that's not always a bad thing.

We're talking about ultimate refuge, ultimate peace.

You know.

The reason I frame it that way is because isaily I put my seatbelt on because it gives me a little peace.

It's not ultimately say alcohol, man, Man, this was a tough day at work right five o'clock somewhere.

Man, this drink is great.

This hits the spot.

The short term piece that I feel from these couple of drinks is awesome.

Yeah, I've heard it said, like, what's your pacifier if you get really bad news in a stressful situation?

Are what are you prone to desire?

It is?

It is z in?

Is it a dip?

Is it a beer?

What is it that you're using?

Is it pornography?

What is it that you're using in that stressful situation?

Because each of us has our temptations to go to anything other than God for help in that anxious moment.

I think it's part of a revelation to you're talking about the the yoke of slavery.

Reason your flesh will want to and calls back to some of that, even though it is enslavement, is your flesh is not going with you where your spirit is going, your spirit, your soul is leaving your body and going somewhere else.

And this is all your flesh has, and that's why it cries out to you so much.

This is all I have, but it's not all you have, because your promise is it's we've talked we I don't think on the mic, but we've talked about before this whole time.

Here is a waiting room for an eternal time.

We're all just all in the waiting room, doing our doing our thing.

Some getting that revelation.

The ones who Christ is called are are getting that revelation that your yeah, your flesh stays here, but your your your spirit goes somewhere else.

I could I could see why in recognizing that it is your flesh and not and not the Holy Spirit living in you calling for that old or longing for that old enslavement because it's dying.

Yes, so good not going with you.

You know.

Another aspect of this is is the reason I quit dipping on stage is because I felt convicted that I was putting a stumbling block in front of others.

Yeah, so that's another thing that goes with any of this.

And if I'm on stage and there's kids, for one, seeing this seeing in this case tobacco being glorified, which is interesting because people have smoked cigarettes and cigars and pipes, good Christian men, But that was long before we realized this causes lung cancer that is actually really bad for you.

So it also goes with our own wisdom.

You know, most theologians back in the old days, we're smoking pipes as they were doing commentaries.

But I recognize that this is a stumbling walk on top of other people that might say.

Someone say, I have a brother that comes in that's been a spiritual brother.

Not you guys.

He's been struggling with nicotine and he's trying to quit, and he's twenty two days out.

You know, he's been struggling with mental focus and he's he's off of it and he's feeling way better, and he is if he's is he gonna come to my house and I'm gonna pop in some zen be like how you doing?

Brother?

Hang on and say no, that's a stumbling block.

That's a Romans fourteen stumbling block in front of my brother.

And if I don't have the ability to stop that, then I have a problem.

Right, Yeah, for sure, then you're being selfish.

Yeah, then I'm not loving my neighbor.

Right.

Is it physically possible to do zen and not be dominated by it, to not need it?

Do y'all know anybody that's just like yeah, every once in, I'm just throwing is in.

I think he's an honest question.

I think it's a personality.

With me, I'm like very addictive personality.

I'm all in or all out.

You guys know that.

I've said that multiple times.

I'm not gonna have one tequila shot, I'm gonna have ten.

I'm not gonna have one nick A teen pouch.

I'm gonna have the whole can.

Like, that's just ingrained in me.

It's hard.

So I think it different people, different personalities.

I think it's possible, but I can.

I mean, I have to be very careful.

But I remember when when Lincoln and I went to the Texas A and M Mississippi State game and I had a bunch of buddies from college and my buddy Scott Rice was there and he had some were sitting on the little balcony and I was like, can I have one of those?

He's like yeah, And.

Then we sat there.

I put through one end and watched the football game and it was with my buddies, and I remember being like, this is cool.

You used to tell me.

And I don't know if you're still there, obviously, I guess you still do it, Like I just want to enjoy it, like if I'm deer hunting or if I'm if I'm going to shast fishing.

Yeah, in the summertime, and you know, and you can go months without doing it, and then you'll do one, and then you'll go months again.

You'll go deer hunting, do one maybe football game.

Yeah, it's like you're saying that.

I'm just like blank space, Like, wow, there is no way I could ever do that.

You can't do that.

Yeh.

That's why I had to quit drinking.

Yeah, I haven't touched.

You can't social drink.

There'll be three years sober this year.

Like it's just because I'm fig trying to figure that out.

I just had to stop.

Yeah, just had to stop.

No, your growth, Tyler is so encouraging.

You've grown and like you've you've come so far, and and that Romans twelve really is you, like you you do not conform to the world because you've been your your mind has been.

Transformed by the gospel.

Yeah, it's a it's all the Lord and not me.

Yeah, it's all the Lord.

Like for everything you're saying right now, it's like, yeah, I'd love to go home and play some Grand Theft Auto and get drunk on some whiskey and eat some pizza to night.

But the Lord is like, now, that's just not in the cards.

What you just described is like what you used to say is like your that was.

Your ideal night play grant thee I mean, order a pizza, well, the whole thing, and drink a whole couple.

Well, we used to always talk on the road like we play.

We'd play Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night.

It's like, and you drink.

You have like again alcohol every show, it's new alcohol, new bottles, and so it's like, yeah, I might have a few drinks.

And then we start asking the question like are we alcoholics?

We drink like five nights out of the week, like probably, And then we'd go home for a couple of days and be like, well, it's Sunday night or Monday night, might as well drink tonight, might as well drink every other night and then my something in my stomach starts hurting, like a sharp pain, you know, like that's probably from all the whiskey, but I'm not going to go to the doctor.

And then when I stopped drinking, it's like it just went away, whatever that pain was.

Yeah, I think one of the things that we could we could say here is that.

And one of the things we want to model with this podcast is bouncing everything off the Bible.

What does the Bible say?

What does the Bible say?

What does the Bible say?

How should we think through this?

Because we're being sanctified by the word of God, and so we must be engaged with the Word of God, sit under faithful preaching of the Word of God, to being being nourished by our own personal time with the Lord around other believers, around other believers, the stumbling block like yes that say, hey, brother, I've noticed you've been doing this a lot lately.

I just I want to make sure it's not harmful for you.

We need brothers walking with us like that, they could hold us again.

You remember when you used to say you need to upgrade your five Have you ever thought that that is that's actually biblical advice?

Yeah, talk about the five people around you.

You remember that old thing, the old the old idea of upgrade your five.

I don't know that.

I didn't know that you become the five people that you surround yourself, you become.

I've heard that.

It's like if if you're hanging out with five people that work work out, you're going to become the next.

Like if you're hanging around five people that drink, you're going to start drinking.

Like if you were hanging around five people that go to church and love the Lord, probably going to become the fifth you know, like that sort of thing that's proverbs.

Yeah, so you need to constantly check your circle so.

That what used to be true for self help and in advancement in the industry is actually also true with biblical advice.

You need you need.

You need godly brothers around you.

Sisters, you need godly sisters around you.

Men, you need godly brothers around you.

Check your five right now.

Everybody that's listening right now, look at your hand and count five.

Count to five.

That's good.

Who are they?

You are going to become the common denominator.

Of those five?

Do you have Do you have a brother that loves you enough to say, brother, you Okay, I've been praying for you.

I've noticed you've been having the six pack after work?

Is everything?

Okay, I'm concerned about this, like it takes love.

That's not judgment, you know, that's not Hey, I don't judge.

That would be out of contact to say that.

That's love of a brother.

Right, So we have we have to have a five in fact one, two, three, four, five, We've got six in this room.

We got press and sitting with us listening in we got Caden New Year.

Well but that's right, that's it's you and five who you're five?

Yeah, so it's six people.

Yeah, there you go.

That's that's a that's a good example.

Yeah, another plug for a healthy local church.

Must have a healthy local church.

That's the easiest way to upgrade.

You're five.

Do you have a you have a good book for us this week?

Yes?

Yeah, last week we did that.

We're gonna sign this one because we didn't have it.

But I've got a new copy now I had a fresh copy.

Well, giveaway for this week is called.

What is a Healthy Church?

That's a great book and it's quick and it's insightful.

Yeah.

So if you're wating to upgrade your five and you're like, well, I'm not part of a local church, or maybe I'm part of local church, but I'm not really sure if it's healthy.

There's a difference between a false church and a gospel preaching church church.

False churches, no, there's no consideration.

But the gospel preaching churches.

You could have an unhealthy gospel preaching church.

You know they have to preach the gospel.

They preached that Jesus died for your sins.

It's unhealthy in so many other ways.

And then there's a healthy gospel preaching church.

If you want to upgrade your five and you're wondering about your church, or you don't have a church, here's the book giveaway for you.

I'm going to do these book giveaways every episode, but this is not about only getting it to the person that wins the giveaway.

It's about everyone else that goes think I'll go to Amazon and check that one out ten bucks on Amazon.

And it's very short, written by a dear brother of ours, the pastor that Parker spent five months learning under and then pressing, who sitting here with us?

New to our church?

And you've been reading this book.

How you got in a chapter two chapters in?

You've gout two chapters in.

Okay, it's going to start gett real.

Yeah.

Uh.

It's less than fifteen dollars and depending on where you are, you can get it overnight too.

Okay for all the church.

So what we're gonna do is we're gonna each we'll write you a message, each of us here in this cover, and we're gonna give away right now.

So healthy Church.

Okay, comment wherever you're listening right now, whether it's iHeart or Spotify or Apple podcast, cruise over there on YouTube and check out this video of this podcast and comment below Healthy Church.

That will enter you into Cadence Magical Winner choosing technique that he does, and we will mail this to you from ye apparel I believe.

Let's go there and put healthy Church a comment to this uh this video and if you want to, if you're not a YouTube watcher, you're listening on like he said, on Apple or Spotify or on iHeartRadio.

Uh, if you if you go to nine nine four one thepodcast dot com.

Everything we link all in one place right there, yep, nine nine one thepodcast dot com To.

Wrap up our topic here.

Scripture does not explicitly reject or or forbid nicotine.

It does not, but we need we must be wise.

Freedom does not mean indifference.

Grace does not mean self deception.

That's what we named the title of this podcast.

How should Christians feel about nicotine?

Not should Christians use nicotine?

That would be legalism.

But we must think through these things as brothers.

Parker, can you give us a gospel to end this episode?

A gospel?

Yeah, Gospel means good news.

The primary message of Christianity is not be a better person.

It's not for all these rules.

It's not don't drink or smoke or do anything bad.

The message of Christianity is that God created human beings to love him and serve him and obey Him for eternity, but that man kind did not do that, that man has turned away from God and has worshiped and served God's creation over him.

That we're not naturally good, that we don't have a little bit of good deep deep deep down in us, that were not born morally neutral, but that there's no one good on planet Earth, that we've all turned from God, and that our hearts are desperately wicked and we're sick and actually dead in our sins.

And because God is a good judge who.

Does not let the guilty go unpunished, just like a good judge in your local city wouldn't let a guilty criminal go unpunished.

So God on Judgment Day is going to rightly and justly judge sinners.

And based on our sins.

The Bible says that the wages of our sin is death, and that we deserve good, just, eternal condemnation for our sins and hell.

But God, not desiring that anyone would perish, sent his son Jesus Christ, who did obey the law perfectly, who lived the perfect life that we were supposed to live.

And on the cross he took on the penalty for our sins, substituting himself in our place, taking on the wrath of God.

And he died, and three days later he rose from the grave, showing that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, he was the son of God.

And now he sits at the right hand of God, calling all of us to repent or turn from our sins, to trust his sacrifice on the cross alone for our salvation, so that on Judgment Day, God says why should I let you into heaven.

It's not because I tried my best.

It's well because Christ lived the life that I was supposed to live, and I recognized my sin and I trusted in him, and you gave me a new heart that then wanted to obey and.

Serve you because of your grace, not because of anything that I did.

In that Gospel.

That good news that Parker just said to that, Paul writes in Romans One, for I am not ashamed.

Of the Gospel what Parker just said.

For it is what Parker just said.

It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

To the jew first and also to the Greek.

For in it what Parker said, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith.

For faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.

The Gospel is the power of God for salvation.

It is what converts unbelievers to believers.

It's what brings people from death to life and from darkness to light.

That's how we'll end the episode.

Love you guys, See you next Monday.

Yegee.