Episode Transcript
[00:00:18] Speaker A: Hey, welcome to another episode of the Jonathan Project podcast, where iron is sharpening iron, and we take the biblical example of Jonathan and David and their friendship and loyalty as the inspiration for this podcast. If you want Jason and me to come on out to a men's event that you're having, come to a local business school, wherever it may be, and you found joy, inspiration in our podcast, please send us an email at the Jonathan Project podcast gmail.com. again, the Jonathan Project podcastmail.com Jason, welcome to another episode of the Jonathan Project. How are you doing today? How was your Christmas?
[00:00:59] Speaker B: Hey, brother. It was good, as you can probably see, and I'm trying to be very mindful. This microphone, I think, picks up everything.
[00:01:07] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:01:08] Speaker B: Like, I was sliding something and I saw it register. So I'm sorry if it.
[00:01:14] Speaker A: If it does, we can take out the background noise because I have two little elephants above me that are.
[00:01:20] Speaker B: They're going.
[00:01:21] Speaker A: I'm determined to. To break something. Historian.
[00:01:23] Speaker B: The holidays.
[00:01:25] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:01:25] Speaker B: It's good. It's good. Let me have a cup. A sip of my coffee. I don't know if you can.
[00:01:29] Speaker A: Oh, look at that. I like it. Where'd you get that?
[00:01:33] Speaker B: Well, how about that? I had that. I had a coffee cup made.
[00:01:36] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:38] Speaker B: And so you. You have one in route. I just couldn't get it there in time.
[00:01:43] Speaker A: Oh, man. Well, thank you.
I appreciate that.
[00:01:48] Speaker B: Yeah. So a local lady was able to put the symbol on the coffee cup.
[00:01:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:54] Speaker B: And so I've been holding it here, waiting on the show to start so that I could drink my coffee in front of you. That's great.
[00:02:01] Speaker A: I didn't see that one. I didn't see that one Christmas.
[00:02:06] Speaker B: Yeah. So, man, it's good to see you.
[00:02:08] Speaker A: Yes, sir. Good to see you.
[00:02:10] Speaker B: You know, the holidays, quite exhausting and refreshing at the same time.
[00:02:14] Speaker A: That's a good way to say it. That is a good way to say the holidays can be a challenge. It can. It can be hard for some folks, that's for sure.
[00:02:23] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:02:23] Speaker A: It's also one of those times where you get to reflect and just enjoy friends and family and. And have a good time, hopefully.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, you know, I got to thinking about it, and of course, it's this time of reflection. And of course, last year, during Christmas, I was in Africa.
[00:02:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:02:39] Speaker B: And I was in Chad at that time. And not. Not a lot of Christmas spirit except what you bring to the table.
[00:02:49] Speaker A: Right.
[00:02:50] Speaker B: Of course we did. But it was always good. It's good to be home this year and good to see the family A lot of. A lot of people who listening have been deployed multiple times and times on Christmas. Right?
So it just kind of made me stop, and I was kind of reflecting on it. You know, it's. I have people that go, oh, well, Happy Holidays. It's. It's Merry Christmas. It is here, right?
[00:03:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:03:17] Speaker B: And I was just kind of thinking about that. As a matter of fact, we. We got fueled the other night, my son and I, and we kind of ending some of the holiday festivities. I'm like, hey, I need to go get fuel. And at the counter, the lady's like, oh, happy Holidays. I'm like, well, Merry Christmas. And she chimed right back, merry Christmas. It's almost like people are afraid to say it these days, which kind of bothers me.
[00:03:39] Speaker A: Yeah, no, I've seen that a lot, especially since over the last year, which. This has been, you know, a long, long year for me in a lot of ways. As I transitioned out of the army after 22 years and then moving into a corporate space where everything is, you know, by the numbers, very political, and, you know, happy Holidays. We had a holiday party. It wasn't a Christmas party, as I've heard so many other times. And. And I understand where. Where people don't want to offend someone, like, you know, if they're Jewish and they have Hanukkah or whatever else is going on. I get it. But it doesn't bother me if someone says, you know, you know, happy Hanukkah or whatever else is. You know, I'm gonna say, you know, merry Christmas or, you know, happy holiday to you or whatever is going on. I just think nowadays is what it feels like about things. And. And to be quite honest, December 25th, the shopping season, especially here in the US is, let's just be honest, it's centered around Christmas.
[00:04:42] Speaker B: So, yeah, you know, so I did some. Some research. You'll appreciate it.
So the 25th was started by Sextus Julius Africanus.
[00:04:53] Speaker A: No, that's a mouthful.
[00:04:54] Speaker B: It is a mouthful. Probably was in the sixth grade before he learned to write his name. But it was in 221 AD and they just accepted it. Right. Well, what's even more significant to me is that this is the. When Christ's birth is the day that splits time.
[00:05:11] Speaker A: Right.
[00:05:12] Speaker B: It's either before Christ, BC, Or AD in the year of our Lord. Literally, that moment splits time. No other event has. Has done that.
You know, I think those are some reflections that we have have waxed over with commercialism. And don't. Don't get Me wrong. There are a lot of very good people who keep Christ at the center of it. Yeah, it's just a bombardment of, you know, the next greatest thing. It almost makes the. The Grinch cartoon prophetic. Right? Like all the things you need that you're gonna throw away in five minutes.
[00:05:55] Speaker A: So that's. Yeah, that's a great point. Like, you know, Jesus, birth is one of those red letter days. Those are super important days in human history. No matter whether you choose to believe or not about the Christian. Christian Christmas narrative. Excuse me. Jesus is that definitive thing where time is oriented off of him. And this holiday in particular, this time of the year really boils down to his birth and how important that was for. For all of humanity. It's good to take some time and reflect on that.
[00:06:27] Speaker B: No, I think that's it. You know, there's always the contention about nativity scenes. Those are always in the news. Well, should we have one here? Should we have one there? You know, and, and I agree with you. The 25th is Jesus's birthday, right? That's the one. We celebrate that. If any other religion wants a birthday, that's on them, right? If. If Buddhism wants a birthday, hey, man, go have your own birthday.
[00:06:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:06:55] Speaker B: The 25th is devoted to. To Christ. And as a matter of fact, it was like a Mass of Christ on this day is what the original thing was. Was. Right. I know a lot of Protestant churches, a lot of churches have those candlelight vigils around there. I think that's really good. Yeah, we. We attended ours.
[00:07:16] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:07:17] Speaker B: All those candles in one room. I thought, man, this is it.
This is the moment. Because it's. It had all the kids in there and you give them all candles. And I'm like, man, I love it.
[00:07:29] Speaker A: That is a humorous thing because I think that every year we do a Christmas. We go to our Christmas Eve service at our. At our local church, and it's always a candlelight service. Beautiful time. You know, everyone's, you know, they do a great job of getting you to reflect and think about what that night really meant or that time.
[00:07:45] Speaker B: And.
[00:07:46] Speaker A: But I also. I'm like you. I find a humorous because I know I have two children, children that are under the age of 12, and I look at them as the wonder, especially in the boy's eyes, as he is getting the whole fire.
[00:07:58] Speaker B: Oh, man. Yeah. It's like, I can contain this.
[00:08:01] Speaker A: And then, you know, they do this. They did a bowl move this year. They're like, hold it above your heads. And I'm like, my Son is gonna light some any second.
[00:08:12] Speaker B: So some nice old lady who had a lot of hairspray, a lot of.
[00:08:15] Speaker A: Hairspray is about to go up, but.
[00:08:18] Speaker B: About to go up. Yeah.
[00:08:19] Speaker A: That's funny. It's a good time.
[00:08:21] Speaker B: It was good. It was good. You know, how was your travels? You know, I gotta ask, you know.
[00:08:27] Speaker A: It'S always Jason, it's, you know me, and you've talked about this in a lot of different ways. It's good to go home. But it's always, you know, it takes you back to how you started, and that doesn't necessarily mean that's where you're still at. Right. And I think for anybody out there, going home, being around your family, friends, old places, right. It can. It can be an emotional kind of roller coaster. But it was good. It was good to spend a little time with the family, to break some bread and share some laughs and some memories. And then we're. We're back here in the wonderful Sunshine State. So.
[00:09:04] Speaker B: Yeah, I think that's good, man. You highlighted something. So we went back to see my. My parents, and of course, before we go, we stop at a local grocery store. Right. Franchise. And. And I couldn't help but comment, there used to be a church right here in this parking lot. And I was pretty upset about it. You know, I was kind of like. Because I hate to see when churches go away. And. Yeah, I'm like, man, this was a big church. What happened to it? And I was kind of beat up about it. Well, sure enough, we drive down the road and a little bit further down the road, and the church has moved. So they obviously did well enough to sell it to public. Whoops. And. And then, you know, relocate. So that was. That was really good. Right? You go home, you do see a lot of memories.
[00:09:51] Speaker A: Yeah, a lot of change, a lot of memories. But it was good. Like I said, the Christmas season, it was good, but, you know, like I said, at the same time, kind of worn out.
[00:10:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:02] Speaker A: And it's interesting, right. As we're going to talk about here in a moment. I think for. For guys, the holidays can take on a little different kind of twist and meaning and can feel like you're just facilitating the activities versus actually participating and being a key player. I think the Bible had a guy like that too, right?
[00:10:21] Speaker B: Yeah, Yeah. I mean, so we had talked about Joseph last Sunday, and you and I talked a little bit about him. And so I made some. I had some notes. And then, of course, I did some reading last night. Joseph, to be such a Central person in the nativity scene. Like, his character is always in there, right. Like, it comes in the set and he is mentioned. Right. Like, if you don't get Joseph in your nativity scene, you can take it back.
[00:10:47] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:47] Speaker B: They'll be like, ah, we got it. Give you another one. But he's only mentioned so many times.
[00:10:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:56] Speaker B: In the Bible, you know, and I looked at it. He's highlighted. He's a carpenter. Matthew talks about it. Right. And he's engaged to Mary when Mary becomes pregnant. And I thought about that. Like, here's a guy, he's engaged. He's been engaged for a while. He's a carpenter. He's making money. He's trying. He's excited about to get his life going. Like, we've, you know, both you and I are married. I remember those times when, man, I'm excited. I'm gonna get my life going. I'm marrying this beautiful young lady and here we are. Right?
[00:11:27] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:11:29] Speaker B: And then he. He figures out she's pregnant.
[00:11:35] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:11:36] Speaker B: So.
And. And then, you know, I thought about it like this. Joseph characters is revealed under pressure.
[00:11:45] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:11:46] Speaker B: It really is. Like, people are like sponges. When the pressure hits, whatever's in it comes out.
[00:11:51] Speaker A: Right.
[00:11:52] Speaker B: It's dirty dishwater. It's dirty dishwater if it's whatever. Right. And. But when the pressure hit, you know, the Bible records him as. As just.
Right. It gives two. It gives a couple of characteristics. I had. Three is what I found. He had mercy and compassion. Right. And I think as a father, I think that's super important. As. As a. As a spouse, as a husband, you know, mercy and compassion. Because he wasn't willing to make her a public example.
[00:12:22] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:22] Speaker B: Like he had every right to, according to their law. Right. Like, he could have thrown a fit and said, hey, this isn't for me.
But he didn't. And as a matter of fact, the third characteristic was, I found was he was obedient. Can you imagine that? Like, hey, you're getting married, she's pregnant.
[00:12:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:42] Speaker B: And it ain't your baby. And I think there was a popular TV show about things like that. Maybe Maury or Jerry Springer made a lot of money off of that. But. So he does. But an angel shows up and he's obedient. He has a dream, and angel basically says, you know what? This is what's happening. She's bearing Jesus. You're gonna name him Jesus, and he'll take away the sins of the world.
And he says, you need to marry her.
So he does it. Like, it had to be a pretty powerful dream and pretty significant.
[00:13:15] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, when you look at Joseph's in a dilemma, to say the least.
And I think for every guy out there, Joseph is relatable in more ways than we probably even think about during this time of year. You know, the stories listed out, Matthew, you know, 1-1825, is where we get the story. And like you said, Joseph feels like the. He is like this undercard to the big fight. You know, he comes out, he does some things and he kind of fades away. And we don't know much about him, but you can relate to him in that situation being, hey, I met this beautiful young lady, like you said, I'm excited. And in that culture, being betrothed, engaged was pretty much, you're married. Like, it's locked stock and barrel. There's no. Well, we're kind of figuring it out. We're going to premarital counseling, you know, going to see how this works.
[00:14:10] Speaker B: No, they weren't off ramping that.
[00:14:12] Speaker A: No, there's no off ramping. Right. But the story, and this is why I love the Bible and what it points out to us with Joseph's story is for real people and, and for all those who may struggling and don't believe, what you find in the Bible is very true and broken stories. Can you imagine? You have your life, you think you have a plan, you're going to get married, build this beautiful life with this young lady. She's, oh, by the way, I'm pregnant and it's the son of God. And you know, what he had to go through emotionally is one of the things I thought about. You know, he had the disappointment, confusion, anger, probably even popped up. You know, that sense of betrayal. Like, you're really gonna throw out the God card. You're gonna say, God did this. Like, you think I'm that dumb, you know, and, you know, really what we take from that, that situation, that initial moment, is I love where you're in the story. We see Joseph kind of steps away. He's like, I'm going to put you away quietly. He's pausing and he's thinking. And that's really something for us as men, women listening to, to this episode here is to think about in those heated charge moments, you need to take a second to kind of pause and to think. And that's where we see the angel come back and say, hey, you know, don't, don't do this. This, this. She was telling you the truth.
[00:15:32] Speaker B: Yes. Tactical pause is a big deal. Right. Like you take a tactical pause and figure it out. I love where the Bible says he was just. And it uses, and it gives those three components of it, you know, mercy, compassion. But then it's, he has obedience.
Right. And first off, you know, if you look at the book of Matthew, it gives the genealogy of Christ. And let's see, I think it's the one through David, isn't it? Or excuse me, begins with David, but it's the one of talking about Joseph. When you see Joseph's genealogy and the angel comes in, he goes, hey, you're going to name him Jesus and you're going to call his name Emmanuel.
There's nobody by that name in his lineage.
Right. The angel's very clear. This is not your son. But you are going to take care of this child.
[00:16:23] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:16:24] Speaker B: And he tells him this and then so he's, he's born, right? So Jesus is born, there's Joseph, he's taking care of him, take care of him the best he can. If he's born in a manger, okay, you can kind of infer he wasn't very wealthy. The Bible also talks about that, right?
[00:16:42] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:16:42] Speaker B: So here's Joseph taking care of someone that he knows is not his child. Even when the angel talks to him, the key words is carry the child and his mother, you know, all right, you're going to flee to Egypt, get the child and his mother. It doesn't say get your family, it says get the child and his mother. And then when he's in Egypt, the angel comes to him again and goes, take the child and his mother doesn't say your family.
[00:17:16] Speaker A: No, you're right.
[00:17:18] Speaker B: And I, when you think about it, so those three components, mercy, compassion, but obedience is, is kind of key. Like that's what that to me, when I see the term, just that's what it meant. And Joseph had to step out on faith. And when, you know, we always talk about how Satan can ruin things. And if you guys are ever, there's always a show before the show. And that's where Satan tries to off ramp this show with technical difficulties, whatever, you know, could be happening. But look at the, all the golden opportunities that Satan had to off ramp this event. All that Joseph had to do is go, no, this is a dream. I don't, I don't believe it. Right. Or miss going to Egypt or miss coming out of Egypt or all those things. But, but God called Joseph to bat, right? Like he put him in there for a reason. And then that's about all that said about Jesus. Or about Joseph, not about Jesus. But it goes, you're reading Jesus continues, but he goes, you know, that's all it said. And you kind of infer that Joseph passed away before the crucifixion because, you know, he looks down at Mary and says, behold, you know, I'm gonna pass you over. You know, John, take care of her. I forget the exact phrase.
[00:18:45] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:18:46] Speaker B: But yeah, Joseph, he. A lot to be said in those very few verses.
[00:18:52] Speaker A: No, you're right. And I think one of the things one, one of those takeaways you kind of hit on it to emphasize it though, is sometimes our greatest strength is the ability to stop, pray and reflect before making a decision. And Joseph strikes me as a man that was, you know, quick to listen. He was, you know, had a slow burn, infused, had a lot of patience.
[00:19:14] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:19:14] Speaker A: And there's no doubt in my mind that's one of the characteristics and why the Lord, you know, gave him this great responsibility. Because Joseph didn't have a problem. He saw it as God's plan. And we have to realize that sometimes we're going to face those situations where our plans are disrupted. Things have gone sideways, you feel lost, you feel confused, angry. But if we could take a lesson from Joseph's life is maybe it's not a problem, it's just a part of your journey and part of God's plan to get you where you got to go. And one of the first things we see, one of the most beautiful things we see in Joseph's story or his predicament, if you would, is God entrusted him to be a protector. You know, and Joseph took on that responsibility. You know, he could have, from a cultural perspective, just blown up the spot, so to speak. He could have put Mary out. He could have put her to death.
[00:20:08] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:20:08] Speaker A: You know, he could have made her an outcast, but he chose to protect from the get go. I want to protect your honor. You know, I really care about you. You know, it's clear that he loved her. Right. And he took Jesus, you know, and raised him as his own for all intents and purpose that we know. And we see that time and time again. Taking the child to Egypt, taking the child back to Israel. And I'm sure, and we, and we'll probably get this on the other side. There were probably many times that Satan tried to do something against that household when Jesus was quote unquote young and vulnerable. You know, he's out playing and, oh, there's snakes or whatever. And Joseph had to stand up and do the right thing. He obviously taught Jesus a little bit about a trade. You know, he embodied a work ethic into Jesus. Like, hey, I. I'm a man that knows how to make. You know, I'm a carpenter. And you know, we get that he was the son of a carpenter. Right. Is.
We learned so trusting in God's plan, taking that time to think and to see problems. Not necessarily as the end all be all, but maybe this is just a little bit of a rougher step towards the journey and the path that I'm asked to. To be on.
[00:21:16] Speaker B: Yeah. As a matter of fact, the last time Joseph is mentioned is when they did the big trip and he comes back and they've been walking with family and Jesus isn't found. Right. And they've found him at the temple. And he goes, well, I'm to be about my father's business.
[00:21:32] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:33] Speaker B: Right. And you know, you think about it, Joseph, in his entire life, he was foot. Well, let's be candid. When people looked over and they said, is that really your child or not? Right. Because virgin birth. Let's. Let's be candid. That had. That's one of one.
[00:21:52] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:54] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:21:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:56] Speaker B: An anomaly is to that. That's putting it very mildly.
[00:22:01] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:22:01] Speaker B: Like you have the one of one. And Joseph, his whole life is by public eye because Jesus hadn't declared his ministry. He's raising, you know, is it. Is. Does the community say that he's raising his child or is he saying that he's raising somebody else's child?
I don't know. Yeah, we don't tell us. But Joseph was a caretaker. He stepped up to bat and he did what was right. You know, we don't always get to pick our battles, but we get to pick how we negotiate them. And by the way, the dreams only appeared to Joseph. They didn't appear to everybody else.
[00:22:39] Speaker A: No, you're right, Jason. And I think that those lessons of facing those life challenges is something that we can draw from those short few verses that we have of Joseph's life and those snapshots that even when life feels a little chaotic, God hasn't left the building. Right. He's working behind the scenes constantly. And Joseph clearly demonstrates that sovereignty, that God is in control. You know, as hard as that was for that man, I'm sure at times like, like we said, like, hey, you know, your buddies are like, is that really your kid, Joseph? What's, you know, Jesus is a little bit different. Like, what's going on?
[00:23:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:15] Speaker A: You know, you guys are at the temple and he's he's talking about his. He's about his father's business. Well, you're a carpenter and constantly being. Facing those challenges. But Joseph teaches us it's how you respond. Your response really matters to God. And our faith and our obedience is something that we clearly get from Joseph in his life. And that's important. How, how you respond really matters.
[00:23:42] Speaker B: I think what you had, it's very important. Right. Plus, Jesus wasn't named after anybody in his family. And that's a big.
[00:23:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:23:50] Speaker B: You know, that whole lineage piece. And it was. It was a big deal. As a matter of fact, when you look at the rest of Jesus's half brothers, I think one of the. One. The brothers is named Joseph. I can't. I can't really remember off the top of my head.
[00:24:04] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:24:05] Speaker B: But it's. Yeah, Joseph took it on. And I think during the holiday season, I know for, for me and for you and other guys, I do think a little bit about Joseph. I'm like, what is it? What would it have been like to be the caretaker of Christ? Yeah, Yep, I'm here. What is. What do you think he was thinking? Like, yeah, what am I going to contribute to his upbringing? It's definitely not like raising my children where you're like, hey, you need to steer this back on tracks.
I don't. I don't think those conversations came up.
[00:24:39] Speaker A: No. You know, I don't ever think. I know 100% with a doubt. Jesus was never disrespectful to his mother or because he says he live a sinless life.
[00:24:48] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:24:49] Speaker A: But I, I do think the very humanness of it is, you know, I think those challenges that we face in Joseph's life and raising the Son of God is a clear example where your challenges can be a platform for God's glory. Because you think about that testimony we're still talking about thousands of years later. Here's a man that stepped in and filled the gap. And, you know, sure, there were times where he. He might have had to go out to the woodshed and spend a little extra time, you know, chipping away and just thinking about some st. Sure.
You know, seeking guidance through prayer. Really practical thing that can help us with our responses, you know, being patient. I just. To me, Joseph comes across as. He was a super patient guy. And that last story we get of him where, you know, it was such a comfort, obviously, with Jesus, that they're like, hey, he's been gone for a couple days, but this is kind of normal. And we feel Kind of good about it.
[00:25:43] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:25:44] Speaker A: But that takes a lot of patience because I can't imagine with either of my children, like. Like they're. No running around with the family somewhere.
[00:25:52] Speaker B: No, no.
[00:25:53] Speaker A: But Joseph gives us that. And I think it's something that's really a strong, great attribute to Foster is just slowing down, being patient, trusting in God's plan, and maybe sometimes just saying, hey, I don't know what to do but to trust and to just kind of keep moving and doing what the last thing you told me, I'm going to protect this kid the best I can.
[00:26:15] Speaker B: And, yeah, I'm going to keep moving.
[00:26:17] Speaker A: I'm going to keep moving.
[00:26:18] Speaker B: You know, when I think about Joseph and you talked about, you know, kind of going forward as. As we go forward when. When people get this or when they begin to listen. This next week, we'll be going into the New Year's time, and it's a lot of, you know, reflections. And, you know, you made the statement before the show began of being grateful for what you have. Right. Being grateful in the moment.
And I thought that was really good because Joseph, he had plenty of opportunity to go. This didn't work out the way I had thought about it, but he was, by all accounts, right here. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. He's a just man. And look at the great gift that came upon, you know, came to us as a result of his role. He had a critical role. Right.
I'm not written about in the Bible, I can tell you that. Anybody thinks that, we'll just kind of blow that off. Show me your name in the Bible and we'll. We'll revisit that conversation.
[00:27:19] Speaker A: No, you're right. You're right, Jason. And I think, you know, for the audience, you know, we're all facing something right now in our lives. But taking from Joseph's life, we should ask the question, you know, could this be something for a greater purpose?
And especially going into the new year, you know, a lot of the problems from 2024, I. I hate to be the first one to tell you if you didn't know they're gonna ro of 2025, and then there's going to be some new stuff.
[00:27:45] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:45] Speaker A: But what we can really clearly understand is life is going to be complicated at times, but God is working all the time. And when you trust him and have that faith and obedience that like Joseph demonstrates for us and his story, even if you feel like you have a minor part, you know, whether you're a father or business Person or single mom out there, whatever the case may be, you don't know what great of an impact you really having. And Joseph didn't get to see the end of the story. That's another thing to really think about. He didn't get to see this beautiful baby, this child that he had raised. He loved, fed, put a roof over his head.
[00:28:25] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:28:26] Speaker A: Coming to his full destiny. He didn't get to see the ministry start.
But that doesn't mean that he didn't have a tremendous impact. And I think that for us, sometimes we. We get so focused on wanting to see the end that we miss and can't be grateful in the moments that we have on that journey and how God is really building and making us a part of something really special.
[00:28:47] Speaker B: You know, when you look at the impact that Joseph had, when you think about this, I was thinking about his other children. Right. And James, one of the apostles that came to accept Jesus as savior and then went on and proclaimed the gospel until a very violent death.
And that was. That had to be Joseph's influence had to be echoed in James. Like that was Joseph's full child and he was the first, I guess, firstborn Joseph. Right.
[00:29:22] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:29:23] Speaker B: You know, and think about that like that. That had to have some reflection back to the influence that he had about it.
Yeah, I agree with you. You don't. You know, there's going to be problems in 2025. If. I like the old saying, if you are having problems, hang on, they're going to get better. But if you're having a good time, get prepared. Bad times are coming. Right. It's one of the other. But I think having that tactical pause of prayer and. Tactical pause and being obedient, showing a lot of mercy and compassion, those are the, Those are big deals.
[00:29:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:29:56] Speaker B: As we go forward.
[00:29:59] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:30:00] Speaker B: I also like what you had to say. You know, I mean, as a dad, as a husband, a single mom, or anybody out there, if you have any influence over people, being grateful for what you have instead of complaining about what you don't have is key.
Yeah, there's. There's plenty we don't have.
[00:30:18] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:30:19] Speaker B: But. But also, you've got a lot more than you think. You know, just getting to be around family is a big deal.
You know, I think that's. There's plenty of people who didn't get to see their loved ones this year. Yeah, there are people. There's always somebody worse off. Right?
[00:30:40] Speaker A: Yeah. And it can be hard to see. But I think. You know what? I would challenge the audience to think about as we put a bow on yet another great episode here is, you know, reflect on your own challenges. But the, you know, the holidays and the great gifts that you were given that you might not even believe were under the tree or someone gave to you, but you got a lot. If you really sit back and think about it and see how God is using those things, even that time that you thought was challenging, like, oh, I had to go and, you know, visit this or do that, or during the holiday season, it's still a time to really be grateful and to think how God is using that for his purposes, for your life. And then to take on just that mindset of Joseph that we talked about in the episode, to trust and obey.
When you see a problem, it might just be the next step in the plan for you. So. Yeah, well, my. My dear brother here. Wet. That's another episode of the Jonathan Project podcast. This episode will be out on Tuesday morning along with every episode as we always put out. You can find us on Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Apple, you name it, Spotify, we're there. And again, if you want us to come out, speak to engagement you have in the new year. We would love to do that. So please reach out to us at the Jonathan Project podcast gmail.com and the Jonathan Project podcast gmail.com.
well, that's it.
[00:32:10] Speaker B: Oh, you forgot to mention we have a TikTok or something.
[00:32:13] Speaker A: That's right. We are on TikTok again, trying to keep moving and doing these great things, but thank you, Jason, for reminding me in the audience. Yes, we're on TikTok. If you see the preview links and we'll. We try to put this out. We have a website which makes it easy to find all the places you can subscribe. One little sweet shot, but we'll put that into the comments as well. But again, on behalf of Jason and myself, we wish you a very happy new year. As we go into 2025, make sure that you take the Lord with you and continue to be that light that he's called us to be as we enter a new year. All right, brother.
[00:32:47] Speaker B: All right. We'll see. You.
[00:32:58] Speaker A: Don'T.
