Read the transcript
Kenny Embry: In this episode we
talk about introversion joy, and
the two words secret to getting
along with everyone. Welcome to
balancing the Christian life.
I'm Dr. Kenny Embry. We'll talk
about how to be better
Christians and people in the
digital age. Let's go. For a
moment, I want you to think
about the person you think about
when I say the word, joy. It may
be a relative or close friend.
The person who comes in my mind
is a guy, I go to church with
Paul Gavin. I often wonder about
why some of the characters in my
life are there. But I have a
sneaking suspicion. God put Paul
in my life to show me what joy
looks like. And I'm grateful he
did. Paul is a freelance drummer
and a musician, composer,
bandleader and private teacher.
He has taken an unconventional
path when it comes to
occupation. And he's passionate
about that choice. Another
passion is his relationship to
God. And when I started the
podcast, I knew he was one of
those guys I wanted to talk to.
Paul has a way of taking complex
ideas and distilling them to
simple explanations. That's a
true gift. Paul gets along with
everyone I know. So it was
surprising to me to find out.
He's an introvert. That's one of
the reasons I wanted to talk to
Paul, I see a lot of places that
often treat introverts as simply
broken extroverts. And if we can
just get them to adopt more
characteristics of extroverts,
they'll be cured. Well, Paul
isn't broken in that way. Paul
has an infectious joy that comes
through. And I want you to
listen to the two word solution,
Paul, as to problem
relationships. I think you're
going to love Paul, like
everyone else does. Just so you
know, about two thirds of the
way into the interview, we had
to change tracks. There was a
problem with the internet. The
audio quality is different. I
think you can still understand
Paul, but it is definitely a
change. Paul, whenever I think
of the word joy, you're the guy
that I think of? Why are you so
joyful?
Paul Gavin: A lot of things. The
first thing is I really liked my
work, I teach him play music for
a living. And I talk with
students a lot. And I have
students who want to be
professional musicians and
students who want to be doctors,
but I always remind them, the
thing that you're going to do
the most in your life, aside
from sleep is whatever your job
is. It is just so key that the
job that you take is a job that
you're going to enjoy. People
who are rude to waitresses and
service workers are people who
don't like their jobs. People
who are unkind to their families
are people who don't like their
jobs. Anytime you see that
behavior you can, you're able to
get to know the person, you can
almost always trace it back to
someone who really doesn't dig
what they're doing with most of
their time. I have the best wife
in the world walking the planet.
She is far better than I
deserve. She is kind to me, she
supports me, she thinks about me
thinks about things that I would
want or need ahead of me. And
then the last thing is Grace
makes me joyful. Knowing that
Jesus sits at the right hand of
the Father and advocates for me
is a big deal. I walk around
with a guilty conscience like I
know myself really well. And I
know all the things that I've
done that are not congruent with
God's word. And I could recount
all of them. I have a great
memory of those things. But God
doesn't. Yeah, that's amazing to
me.
Kenny Embry: Well, you started
off by talking about your job.
Could you tell me a little bit
about your job? Because you've
got an unusual one?
Paul Gavin: Yeah, so I play
right and teach music for a
living pre COVID days, I was
playing gigs, constantly playing
with an orchestra playing with
big band jazz band playing
private events, playing
restaurants playing big concert
halls, everything in between.
Kenny Embry: I've said this to
your face. I've said this behind
your back. It's almost
impossible to hate Paul, Gavin.
I don't know anybody who does.
You have such an infectious
energy about you? You have a
great time. And the thing about
it is and you know this better
than I do? You're an introvert.
Yeah. How does that work? Yeah,
so
Paul Gavin: so the the going
definitions of extraversion and
introversion is what interaction
with people does to your energy
level? Does it cost you energy
to be with people or does it
grant you energy to be with
people being with people cost me
a lot of energy? It's It's
exhausting. It doesn't mean that
I don't like it. But it costs me
energy. And it also brings a lot
of anxiety sometimes.
Kenny Embry: I don't know
anybody who talks to you that
doesn't walk away happier. That
doesn't walk away. Better.
That's a gift fall. And what
you're telling me is that gift
comes at a price to your energy
level. Is that accurate? Well, I
can certainly agree with the
second part. That's a gift Oh.
on that one,
Paul Gavin: but yeah, yeah, it's
it's exhausting. And I carry my
interactions with people with me
It kind of goes back to that
guilty conscience. I carry all
that stuff with me. And you
know, I'm working on releasing
that. I don't think that that's
healthy. I would recommend that
for anybody. But I'm working on
releasing that for myself. But
you know, all that stuff kind of
hangs around on me and I'm a
thinker, I think about stuff far
more than it deserves.
Kenny Embry: I'm guessing that
you've been an introvert
basically, your whole life. Is
that correct? Yeah. Okay. What
is the misconception that most
people have about introversion?
Paul Gavin: Oh, no, I mean it.
introverted people are not a
monolith. Like most people,
people groups, I guess you might
say, they're not a monolith. So
I don't know that I could speak
for all introverts. I guess if
anything, it would be that
introversion. You can't quite
tell unless someone tells you.
In some cases, I'm definitely
someone where like, if you see
me at a gig, part of my job is
to be social with people, you're
not going to be able to tell
them that I'm an introvert, the
way you would tell is if I'm
avoiding people, or how
exhausted I get my car at the
beginning, this weekend, I'm
leading a concert in Fort Myers
playing the musical Louis
Armstrong, with some really
fantastic musicians, but I'm
leading it so I'm responsible
for everything. I'm gonna be a
tie brother at the end of that,
I'm gonna be fired. That will be
like exhilarating for some
people. And it's exciting for
me. It's draining work to talk
with everybody, but I enjoy
doing it. It's not a burden. It
just has an energy cost.
Kenny Embry: But yeah, no, I
understand that. I teach at
college. One of the things the
university system has been
criticized for is we often treat
introverts as broken extroverts,
that if only you guys would just
start talking more that you
would finally find your voice,
and that you would finally
become fulfilled, you will be
cured from your introversion. Do
you feel like you need to be
cured from introversion?
Paul Gavin: No, no, I think
people are the way they are
intentionally in a lot of ways.
I talk about like a concept that
I talk about students when they
come to me talking about like
social interactions that
surround music in some way I
talk about how everybody has
holes. Yeah, no one is a
complete person where they have
everything right. And everybody
has different holes. And if we
didn't have all the people that
we have, we would never be able
to create entire pictures
together.
Kenny Embry: What are the things
that interests me about
introversion is, how do you
recharge your batteries?
Paul Gavin: hiding under
something, I need a lot of time
by myself. Some of that is spent
working on music working on my
music fills me up with energy,
especially when I have like a
successful creative moment that
fills me up, going for a walk or
spending time with my wife,
which is not being alone, but is
still recharging. Those are all
things that kind of fill me up
anything that's like extended
social interaction. Oops, yeah,
that burns a minute.
Kenny Embry: I've been thinking
about something for I don't
know, two or three weeks now.
It's that idea that Jesus didn't
come for people who were well,
he came for people who are sick.
Oh, yeah. The Pharisees could
never see that they were broken.
Man, you get no my thing. Yes,
sir. The Pharisees kept on
seeing that. Everyone else was
broken. But they were the only
ones that had it. Right. And by
the way, I think in Matthew 23 I
think Jesus basically affirms
that he said, Yeah, you got the
doctrine, right. You guys just
think it living it. With that in
mind, Paul, are you broken?
Paul Gavin: all day? Well, okay,
so I'm I am and I am not. I am
broken in that. I still struggle
with it. I struggle with angry
reactions. I struggle with
unkind thoughts, I battle with
those things. And those things
are sin. Yeah, fits of anger or
sin. I don't think a fit of
anger that happens in your head
is really that much different.
As far as the same thing is
concerned. You're supposed to
control that stuff. You're
supposed to take agency of those
kinds of things. Yeah. And take
responsibility for those kinds
of things and rein them in. The
old man is supposed to be dead.
But my old man is not quite
dead. I'm still knocking them
out. And so in that way, I am
broken I'm also broken in the in
the fact that I can't fix it.
I'm not the guy that's gonna be
able to fix it. Now I can grow
in character as much as I want
you to give me 2000 years honor
2000 years, and I keep getting
better and better and better and
better and better and I am
striving to get better I could
keep getting better and better
and better and better. And I'd
still never fixed my sin problem
never. I'd still battle with sin
I might battle different battles
or smaller battles are more or
less frequent battles, but I'd
still bouncing. But even if I
just stopped sending, right,
nothing's gonna pay that day.
Nothing's gonna pay that day. So
Jesus Christ. So in that in that
way, I'm very much broken, but
I'm not broken. Also, because of
what I said before that brings
my joy. I know that I'm walking
in the light, I know that I'm
walking in the light not because
I'm special because I'm
incredibly unspecial. But
because God's word is made clear
that if I'm walking in the
light, the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses me from all sin. Yeah.
So I don't walk around in fear
of what if I miss something,
because I know I missed
something. And all of us missed
something. Yeah. Pool, we
probably miss things every day.
Um, but because I can walk in
because I can live in the
comfort that if I'm conforming
myself to Jesus, if I'm walking
in the light, if I'm living
faithfully unto death, all these
different ways that the Bible
describes someone who's
faithful. If I'm doing those
things, I can be confident that
I have salvation. The Bible
never taught the Bible that the
the apostles do not to in Jesus
do not talk about salvation,
like it's something that may or
may not happen. And we'll see.
They talk about it as something
that already happened, often
right, or something that is
promised. So the faithful
Christians will Well, first we
need to understand that whether
or not we're faithful is
something that is intelligible.
God's word isn't that
mysterious, God is not trying to
trick us is not going to be any
mistakes or oopsie daisies on
the last day, it's going to be
clear. And it's going to be
based on what he already said.
And he already said that people
were faithful gonna go to
heaven, so I'm just gonna trust
him on it. I'm gonna keep being
faithful. And I'm gonna trust
him on that. The Old Testament
was written to the Canaanites.
Did you know that? No, it was
not written to the Canaanites.
It was written to the Jews. The
New Testament was written to non
Christians, right? Wrong. It was
written to Christians, that
means the scriptures are about
you. It's they're not about
someone else. And we and when I
say we, I mean me, because I can
do a real good too, we can sit
through assignment, that is
specifically talking about a
hole in our lives that needs
filling, so that we can grow in
our faithfulness. And imagine
somebody else the whole entire
time.
Kenny Embry: There's not a
passage in scripture where God
tells his people, you know what,
I need you to go out and hate
people. I really need you to go
out and give them what for
that's what you need to do. And
you know what? They got it
coming. And you know, what they
do? They do? have it come in
God's call is the opposite of
that. If they treat you like
dirt, love them.
Paul Gavin: Yes, sir. Because
Because how did you treat Jesus
before you met him?
Kenny Embry: I think the other
thing, I bring this up probably
every episode, the relationship
between God and His people, is
almost always characterized by
the family relationship. That he
always uses. Family metaphor is
that we are sons and daughters
that we are brothers and
sisters, that we are husbands
and wives. And I one of the
things that I would say about,
well, a good marriage, you and
I've had this conversation
before. A good marriage is not
made up of a perfect husband and
a perfect wife. It's made up of
two people who are still trying,
right, you know, you're not in a
good marriage anymore, when one
or both of you have stopped
trying. It's not that you guys
are either one good, it's that
you're both trying to be good.
In so many relationships, we
keep on saying something along
the lines of, you know, if only
they would change, our
relationship could probably be a
lot better.
Paul Gavin: Man. I avoid that
kind of thinking. And she does
too, which I'm grateful for.
We're very open with each other
about that kind of stuff. But
yeah, yeah, that's how everyone
thinks about everything. But
like I said earlier, everyone
thinks that right? I think I'm
right. Of course I do. What else
am I gonna be wrong? Everyone
thinks that they're right.
Kenny Embry: I don't want you to
use any Greek word. I don't want
you to use any Hebrew word. I
don't want you to use any of
those definitions. She Tell me.
What is love.
Paul Gavin: But so I can't use
other languages. But I can use
pictures and stories. Bingo. In
other words, it's,
Kenny Embry: it's awfully easy
to say, Well, here's the
dictionary definition of what
love is. But my problem is, I
don't live with a dictionary, do
you? I keep on living with
people. I keep on having defined
love by the people that I'm
around that I affect. Yeah. So
I'm going to ask you that same
question again. Yeah, don't give
me a copy. Don't give me phileo.
Tell me what love is them first.
That's pretty good. I'm not
gonna let you get away with to
two words,
Paul Gavin: you're gonna unpack
that for me. I'd be happy to
because we always think we're
right. Jesus is quoted by Paul
Paul as saying that it's better
to give than receive. There's an
eternal truism there, that it's
better to give it away. And then
to get it. And so if you just
put them first whoever them is
at the time, practice love and
little teeny ways someone trips
you Hey, it's all good. No
problem. God bless you hope you
have a nice day, every single
time that someone is short with
you or rude with you or
something, give them the benefit
of the doubt every single time
always. them first. If you just
make a consistent effort to do
that, always them first. And
then we're reflecting Christ
because Christ said them first.
Kenny Embry: Well, let me let me
put a couple of words in your
mouth. You walk in the light
because you love God.
Absolutely. What if they're not
lovable?
Paul Gavin: I love them first.
There's lots of what like
there's always a what is the the
whole reason that love is
challenging is because there's
what is Yeah. What if they don't
love me back? What if they're
unkind to me? What if they don't
agree with me on things that
mean a lot to me personally?
What if they don't acknowledge
what I did for them? What if
they lie about me? That doesn't
matter? I did all that stuff to
Jesus. For I became a Christian
and after in some cases,
Kenny Embry: that's exactly
right. Done, and they don't
deserve it. They don't deserve
your love, Paul.
Paul Gavin: That's correct. Alan
deserve his love. I really don't
deserve Jesus. So I have to love
my like, I just have to love my
neighbor. Yeah. Like that's what
Jesus did for me. How am I going
to do something else?
Kenny Embry: There's often a
distinction made between loving
and liking. Do you see a
distinction there? Absolutely.
How so? Yeah. Oh, I love a lot
of people, though. Yeah, I
Paul Gavin: do. I do. There's a
huge distinction there like has
to do with my tastes love is
what I decide to do. Love is the
actions, snap feelings, that's a
societal mishap of ours is
equating the choice to love
someone with you know, how our
feelings are feeling at the time
doesn't matter how you're
feeling like you're supposed to
love your neighbor all day,
every day. And everything that
I'm saying it's very easy to say
on a podcast talking to a fellow
Christian, and much harder to
actually do. And I acknowledge
that.
Kenny Embry: You haven't
articulated it yet. But I think
you're going to get there really
quickly, which is, there's a big
difference between simple and
easy. Christianity is simple,
but it's not easy.
Paul Gavin: It gets easier.
Things get easier when you
practice things they get easier.
Experienced Christians should
look different in newborn babes.
Kenny Embry: I brought this
analogy up earlier. I've done a
lot of people who have been
married for a long time. And one
of the things that I would say
is, I hardly ever see a good
married couple that was an
accident. Oh, yeah.
Paul Gavin: Yeah, absolutely.
You got a tribe and it's, it's
intentional.
Kenny Embry: There's a
difference between love and
like, yeah, there's a difference
between simple and easy.
Unknown: Mm hmm.
Kenny Embry: There's a big
difference between joy and
happiness.
Paul Gavin: Yes, I think people
use that interchangeably. You
know, truthfully, I'm kind of on
the last slide. Like we talked
before we started you know, we
press the red record button.
Like I'm actually kind of having
a hard time the last couple
weeks about some things. But I
am joyful. I wouldn't say I'm
terribly happy at the time. But
I am joyful. Despite how
difficult this world is. In the
end, it goes from being
everything that is to being very
insignificant. When the trumpet
sound, or when my life and I'm
gonna be with God, with Him in
His presence. He made a room for
me. And I'm on live there. And
let's see my grandmother, my
grandmother passed away a few
years ago, and I missed her I'm
going to see her again, because
as far as I can tell, she was
walking in the light. And
walking in the light is an
intelligible thing based on what
scriptures say. So I'm gonna say
I'm gonna see my grandma see my
aunt. Now that's my grandma, my
mom said, I never got to meet my
grandfather on my mom's side.
Also never got to meet my
grandfather or grandmother on my
dad's side, but all of them
became Christians before they
passed away. And as far as I
know, they were walking in the
light. So you know, that means
I'm gonna see them too. That's
hot stuff right there. So if
everything is not perfect in
this immediate in the immediate
right in front of my face, happy
stuff is right in front of your
face. Even if those things are
not perfect. I can still
maintain joyfulness based on the
far more significant and long
standing circumstances that
surround
Kenny Embry: you are absolutely
an instance of still waters run
deep, my friend. What's your
energy level like right now?
Paul Gavin: I'm okay, this is
cool, man. I'm thinking this.
I'm thinking this now like like
I like I said before, like a
small talk kills me man. small
small talk kills me softly. But
but like having a real
conversation about things.
That's, that's great. I'm still
gonna want to take a nap. Be be
clear. I'm not gonna be We'll
watch. But no, it was absolutely
wonderful.
Kenny Embry: Paul, I think I
know that I think I know the
answer that you're gonna give
me. How should extroverts be
treating people that they
recognize your introvert, then
First,
Paul Gavin: I'll just pay
attention to people, man, like,
just pay attention, which is
just the thing that everybody
needs to do anyway, just like
the practice self awareness.
Come on people, like look
around, like, how are people
around you doing? But is what
you're about to say? Or do is
that going to have an effect on
other people? What's that effect
going to be?
Kenny Embry: The best way to
treat an introvert is love them
all day, then first, you're
going to stick with that one
Archer them first.
Paul Gavin: I think I haven't
said that before. In those
words, I'm gonna stick with that
for good. It's good to make
little rules for yourself, then
first,
Kenny Embry: when you
internalize the definition, the
concept becomes yours. Okay. And
it's not that you are changing
the concept. It's that you are
adopting the concept, man, the
first century Christians
probably couldn't read the
scriptures.
Paul Gavin: And if they could,
they didn't have access to them.
So what does Jesus care more
about? If you can quote what
Jesus said on the Sermon on the
Mount? Or if you did what Jesus
said on the Sermon on the Mount,
Kenny Embry: what's the thing
that makes your Christian walk?
The best?
Paul Gavin: Man, we got to be
careful about the way we talk
about salvation. Man, well, we
talk about salvation. Like, you
can sacrifice everything in your
life to be as faithful as you
possibly can. And you make one
mistake along the way. And right
when you made a mistake, the
trumpets blow. And now you're
hellbound. Why would I become a
Christian? I think a lot of
people miss out on the joy that
the New Testament Church
probably experience by creating
these hedges around salvation
like the Pharisees, the way I
think we should understand
salvation is most clearly put in
the first john, but it's clearly
put throughout the scriptures.
We have to make it complicated
when the old man dies, and we
come back up, and then this is
why we come back as a different
person. So that means our record
is clean. All the old stuff is
gone at that point. Yeah, it
doesn't matter what you did.
Before that point, that stuff is
gone. Yeah, here you go. Yeah,
that your guilt, for the things
that you did before you became a
child of God is gone. That is
already amazing. That is already
amazing. You know, that means
that means that you can be
guilty of the worst things ever.
Yeah. And you can be in prison.
And someone can bring the gospel
to you. And God will forgive you
before society. That's what that
means. That's what that means.
Tell me that's not joke. Tell me
that's not joy. But not only
that, after you die, and you
come back as a new man, Jesus
starts talking to God about you.
Imagine what that conversation
sounds like. There Paul goes,
Lord, forgive me. He knows not
what he does. Come on. That's
amazing. How do you not get
joyful when you understand that
when you pray, selfish,
misguided pray, that the Holy
Spirit steps in before your
words hit God the wrong way It
says, Now what Paul meant by
that was, like, if you can't be
joyful about that, I don't know
how to help you. Like, that's
amazing. when Abraham did what
he was supposed to do, yeah.
He's described as being
faithful. And the book of
Hebrews says that God counted
Abraham's faithfulness, as
righteous. I've never been
righteous my whole life. I'm not
righteous today. I've never been
righteous my whole life. Who's
righteous? No, not No, no, not
one. That's what Jesus says none
is right. That's right. That
means I'm not righteous, you're
not righteous and a righteous
person walking the planet. But
God counted Abraham's faith is
obedient. as righteous.
Unknown: Come on.
Paul Gavin: Guys, don't take my
discount righteousness, and
declare it as real righteous.
First, john says He's faithful
and just to forgive, that just
word is important. Because what
just means is that it is the
right thing to do. Right? God
has declared it such that if
you'll walk in the light, then
he will make it just to forget.
That's not as good as it gets.
It's because the scriptures are
incredibly clear that once I
become a child of God, I have an
intimate relationship with him
to his son and his spirit. The
moment that I die, God's gonna
see Jesus's blood out. And I'm
gonna look great. That's a
gruesome picture, but it won't
be gruesome. The guy is gonna
see his son, and he's gonna say,
You know what? Answer I'm
looking forward to that's all
Makes my walk easy. By the way,
my walk isn't easy, but it makes
it easy. That's how we should
talk about salvation. I was
teaching Bible class, I asked
the students how salvation after
you become a Christian works,
and they had no answer. I feel
like if you didn't have an
answer to anything, it should be
that these are middle school
students. They've been sitting
in these Bible classes for a
long time. If you know the
answer to that question, but you
can't name the books of the
Bible, I think there's something
okay with that. Okay, so we're
gonna have to have a class on
this. We got to have class on
this. I don't remember what the
curriculum said we were supposed
to do. But I know that me and my
co teacher did not do that that
day. And so I made it my mission
to make it clear to them, that
after you die, you're raised
into newness of life. You have a
relationship with the body. You
have a relationship with the
sun, you have a relationship
with the spirit, the blood of
Jesus is ever on you.
Washington's is the 10th use and
first stop washes, not washed.
washes. It's continuously
happening. No, that means that
means today. mean you got one. I
don't know when exactly it
happened, might have been when
we woke up, could have been 10
minutes ago. But Jesus looked up
and said, they're due for
washing and the blood as Christ
cleanses us from our sins.
cleanses, made it clear. You
know what, I just have to make
it certain that they understand
that they're being cleansed by
Jesus Christ. So they've chosen
to be his child. They choose to
be God's child. They're being
clients. Right. That's what
makes my walk easy. That's what
makes work easier. So So now, I
love I love God so much that I
have to walk in life. I have to
he's been, he's been so good in
ways that I can't describe. And
Candace grad. He's been good in
ways that I don't know. Here's
how I know that. He said, set up
the blessing of my wife, like
years before we met. Yeah, so so
if he said that blessing of
yours before we met, what's he
up to right now? What's he up to
right now? Well, I don't know.
But I'll probably be able to
tell you in 10 years, and 10
years from now, he'll be up to
some more, because he works in
favor of his children. Paul,
this is what joy looks like.
Kenny Embry: This is why I say
you're the one one of the most
joyful people I know.
Paul Gavin: A lot of good stuff
to look at, man, a lot of good
stuff to look at the value and
weight of the good stuff is
always for the Christian is
always greater than the value
and weight of the hard stuff.
There will always be hard stuff.
Yeah, it will always be hard
stuff. Like I said, I'm having a
tough couple of weeks, there
will always be hard stuff. But
man, blood of Jesus Christ is on
me right now. I really came to
grips with that and felt
comfortable saying what I'm
saying explicitly in the last
year, I've always like kind of
thought around the edges of what
I'm now saying explicitly, and
clearly. Yeah, but I became
clear about it last year, and a
lot of that has to do with the
virus coming through and all of
the things that you know, I Dom
carnal things that I value that
should not have had nearly the
amount of value that they have
just a bunch of them has
disappeared, then what did I
have left, I had the best
treasure of all left, but didn't
quite give it the weight and
value that it should have had. I
mean, first john doesn't talk
about a middle place, right?
doesn't talk about this. People
that are walking in the diet,
the dark and people who are
walking in the light, and then
there's the babies, no babies,
and there's people who are
making a practice of sitting.
That's what he says further down
in chapter two, making a
practice of sitting. And there's
people who are walking in the
light or not making this and
saying that means it's
intelligible, I can look at my
life, I can look at my record
and say, Have I been making a
practice of sending? No, I have
not been making a practice of
sending. I know that. I know.
That means that means I'm
walking in the light. But what
that means is the blood of Jesus
Christ cleansing we've all said,
Alright, we're good. We're good.
Like, it's it's that simple. And
that's how we should preach it
and teach it. I bet we would
save more people. Yeah, you made
it clear like that.
Kenny Embry: I bet you would.
Why do you think so many people
are reticent to that?
Paul Gavin: Because we know
ourselves too. Well. I know me.
I know. I got problems. Yeah.
And we feel like it's too bold
to just say it's already been
decided. Yeah. Dude, like we
feel like it's it's almost
prideful. Like, I mean, I can't
say that I'm going to heaven.
Like, God is the judge of that.
Yeah, that's true. And God
already said how he was gonna
judge. So listen to God about
trust him.
Kenny Embry: I think you're
exactly right. I think so many
people Have heaven within their
grasp not because they deserved
it but because they were given
it and they keep on throwing it
away.
Paul Gavin: Like, that makes God
feel like when we talk about his
salvation like it's, it's one
part grace one part mercy and
then four or five parts like
lottery sometimes. How cool You
were right when you die?
Kenny Embry: Or how guilt free
you felt. What did I miss? What
did you miss? That I mentioned
them first? Yes, you got that in
there. I had all my podcasts
with be good and do good. What
is good? Well, then first you're
gonna stay on that one arch. For
the rest of my life, man. I like
puts it puts it succinctly. I
really like that.
Paul Gavin: You don't like any
kidding. I got an idea, man.
That's what this what you
needed. Tell me. It's time for
balancing the Christian life
bumper sticker. And you think
and patches, etc. And I hereby
give you permission to put them
first on whatever you want to do
on your merchandise. y'all heard
it here first. y'all heard it
here. I love it. You see them
first somewhere with the with
the balancing the Christian
lifestyle. Oh, my God.
Kenny Embry: Alright, well, if
somebody wanted to get in touch
with you, how would they do
that?
Paul Gavin: Oh, hey, you got a
website called music calm. And
it doesn't have to be about
music. I mean, it can be about
music, but it doesn't have to be
about music. I'm available to
talk. I said anything that you
think is crazy or you think was
helpful. Reach out, talk to me
about it. You're amazing. That's
what you are. Paul,
Kenny Embry: I really appreciate
this man. Send me my brother.
Well, I hope you enjoyed meeting
Paul. I'm a big fan of them
burst. And how we should stop
guessing if we're in heaven and
simply say yes. Thanks, Paul. If
you're interested in any of his
music, I'll be happy to put some
notes in the show notes so you
can go check him out. I told you
last week, one of the things
I've been doing is participating
in a chapter a day group started
by my buddy Chris Emerson. And
it's been a lot of fun. You can
find that at Excel. Still more
chapter day on Facebook. Well,
this week, my good thing is a
group that I just started
meeting with to help me develop
that spiritual maturity idea
I've been working on. I've got
some old friends like Mark
mccrary, Shannon Schaefer, and
George Sanchez, as well as some
new friends like the Hammonds
brothers, and I can't tell you
how much I've loved those
conversations. There's a real
blessing in the friendships we
have. I think God helps us a lot
through one another. I also want
to thank those who support the
podcast like George Sanchez,
Craig Embry, Kevin Hanson, Mark
Russell, and my parents, and
Barbara McElwee. I hope this is
making a difference for you. It
is definitely making a
difference for me. Next time I
plan to release the second part
of my digital literacy series.
I've also got my interview with
ginger Hubbard about dealing
with difficult teens. And I just
recently recorded two other
interviews. Andy Cantrell, talks
about evangelism, and an old
friend Jeremy to HUD talks about
something that I think falls
into the wonderfully broken
idea. So until next time, let's
be good and do good.