Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Hey, welcome to Grace Ops. On this episode, we want to talk about why we're collaborating this Lenny laguardi. We're going to get into our story, but we're going to really kind of center this episode around raising warriors. Why that means a lot to the Grace Ops culture, why it means a lot to the M4 initiatives culture. So, hey, this is Lenny. He's been on the podcast before. If you're newer, you're just meeting him for the first time. But we want to talk about our story real quick.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:00:34] Speaker A: For, for a few minutes. Right?
[00:00:36] Speaker B: Let's do it.
[00:00:36] Speaker A: Lenny LaGuardia. He's based in, in Kansas City.
I met Lenny. I don't know. I've been married for 27 years. Coming up in this August. This August. And that's good that I know that.
That's good that I know that.
[00:00:50] Speaker B: Very good.
[00:00:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:00:51] Speaker B: So for over 30 years.
[00:00:52] Speaker A: Yeah, over 30 years. So you've got 40 years of ministry experience. I've got 30 years of ministry experience.
[00:00:58] Speaker B: 70 plus years between us.
[00:01:00] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We've been, we know a few things.
[00:01:03] Speaker B: Something good.
[00:01:05] Speaker A: We've done a few good things. We've. We've been burned a few times.
Maybe we burned others a few times without knowing. Who knows?
[00:01:12] Speaker B: So of all of you. So speaking to the choirs, so I.
[00:01:16] Speaker A: Was kind of new to the face in my late early, like about 17 years old is when I gave my life to Christ. Was planning on being more of a military guy. I also had the option of being like a professional bowler. So those are two odd things. But always wanted to be somewhat of an entrepreneur. I always kind of knew I'd do something. And I didn't realize till later on in my faith walk and faith development that the spiritual gift that I actually have was called the gift of being an apostle. And an apostle is just a sent one. And the apostolic gift is actually just that innovative. CEO, let's just break something up out of the ground. You know, Lenny is very apostolic as well. So we're not looking to be called Apostle Brian, Apostle Lenny. That's not our goal. It'll never be on my business card. But it is important and strategic that we know those giftings. So I, I was kind of just in this program called Master's Commission. I was learning a lot. I was memorizing, you know, 400 verses of the Bible, studying all kinds of material, getting all kinds of hands on experience, which I really am thankful for. Master's Commission changed my life. It's led me to the Woman that I married, Christie, and she'll be on the future episodes. And I'm excited about that. I'm excited about a lot of grace stuff. Stuff. Because this year out, 2025, we're going to really bring in the family aspect to it. We're always aiming at men and. But I don't want it to be pigeonholed into a men's ministry type thing. It's for the family. That's why Lenny and I kind of collaborate and converge. And then. So when I first met you, Lenny, I had just finished master's commission. They didn't really know what to do with me. No. I had started this big neighborhood outreach, busing kids in and doing these big neighborhood things. And they were like, it was so funny because they didn't want that energy to stop and all that. And I didn't blame them. I. It was a good thing going. So I was like, hey, they're, you know, they have good arts. I wanted to honor them. So they were like, well, why don't you intern under Lenny? I'm like, lenny? Who's Lenny? And they're like, oh, he's the new children's pastor. This is a big church, right? This is a church of 2,000 to 4, 3,000 people or whatever.
[00:03:01] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:03:01] Speaker A: And I was like, oh, I guess I need to get to know Lenny. And I'll never forget, I had my. I had bought. I had just bought a compact Presario computer. I bought my first laptop ever. I mean, I was like, I was.
[00:03:11] Speaker B: You'Re ready to go?
[00:03:12] Speaker A: Yeah. And I showed up in your office and.
And I was like, hey, Lenny. It's like, I'm Brian. I'm your intern.
So that's how we met each other.
[00:03:21] Speaker B: Yeah. So here's my story. Over 30 years ago, I was sent to Rockford, Illinois, and did not know why. And I had a heart for the city when I was in Denver, and I had a heart for the police and chaplaincy, and I just had a heart for the neighborhood.
[00:03:37] Speaker A: So.
[00:03:37] Speaker B: And I was pushing the envelope with senior pastor as to how I could get to the neighborhoods and in that culture, which I understand now that I'm a little bit more mature pastors like you to focus on what's before you. And so when you get a little bit outside the box and you want to go reach neighborhoods, you know, you need to have your ducks in a row. And there's about 800 children coming to our ministry. And we were doing quite well and we had lots of training and people were doing that But I was pushing the envelope about the same time you were pushing the envelope. And I'll never forget, the pastor came into me and he goes, I'd like to introduce you to a. A young man named Brian Phillips. And quite honestly, I think he fits with you. When he said that to me, I thought maybe I did something wrong. What's going on here? But then, because I was pushing the envelope, and y'all need to hear this, because we were pushing the envelope to see a neighborhood changed.
[00:04:43] Speaker A: And my neighborhood. It was a neighborhood. It was your neighborhood. Yeah, it was pretty cool. It was pretty cool.
[00:04:47] Speaker B: Pastor Sid, like you said, we don't really know what to do with them. We don't know where to put them on the orc chart. That's exactly what it was.
[00:04:53] Speaker A: It's a big place.
[00:04:54] Speaker B: You did not fit on. And honestly, either did I.
[00:04:59] Speaker A: And you know what's wild now that we're sitting here, because during that time of my life, I would take times and I would go to that big sanctuary, remember, at the Mauve Carpet. And I mean, it was a beautiful place. It really was a great place. I gave my life to Christ there. So I. I love that place. You know, I love. I love the. The energy and all the. All that. It just changed my life. I mean, I wasn't really raised in church culture. I didn't understand denominations. I mean, when I found Christ, it. And it was at that place, and, And. And yet later on, when you live long enough with people, you see, oh, they got some issues. They probably saw I had some issues. But that's the beauty, the power of community is like trying to love everyone through that. And so, like, I'm not going to sit here and say, oh, I hate this person or that, or, you know, I'm not going to be all critical and mean about it. Like, I love the place. I'm indebted to the place. Yeah, me changed my life forever. And I. And I were going, that mauve, big auditorium, it's all changed now. It's not the same colors, but I remember I'd go in there and I'll never forget this one day is on the altar steps. And I spent like seven, six, seven hours in this just praying. Just because I would do that once a month or so. I just go, like, I'm going to give God this whole day. Like, it was pretty powerful. And I remember being In Isaiah, chapter 40 or 42, I can't remember. I think it's 40, where it talks about a bruised read. He will not break And a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. And then I was aching before the Lord at that altar time. I'm bawling because I'm like, oh, the smoldering wicks. He's not going to break. He's not going to just, you know, lick his fingers, you know, and the. In the bruised reeds, the bruised and broken people out there, the guy's not just going to break him. He's not just like, he's. He's loving and kind and compassionate and extends mercy and wants us to grow, and he's helping us to be sanctified and grow. And all this stuff's crashing into me. And I'll never forget at the same time as that time with God shifted gears and started crying a little bit, like, aching before the Lord. And I was like, lord, I'm in this big place, but I don't feel like I'm seen. I'm in this big place. And like, why wouldn't they just hire me to do this? Like, I could start a whole neighborhood evangelism focus. And it's not like they don't have the money. And the Lord spoke something to me that was very key.
He said, you're hidden. And it's Isaiah 49. Like, I hid you for a reason, for a purpose. And so. And I only bring that up because, fast forward, I got married. I. I interned with you for a year, is maybe a year and a half. And then I got married and left. I never really tracked your story, right? And then I'm in Kansas City one day at the prayer house, and I'm like, in the cafe. And you didn't you just. And it was winter time. I got this big jacket, hat, and. And Lenny just recognized me from the back. He was like, is that Brian Phillips? And there's like, you know, hundreds of people in and out.
[00:07:33] Speaker B: Brian, is that you?
[00:07:34] Speaker A: That's me. And I. And then. And. And I only bring this up because we went around the corner, this little coffee shop in this little table area, this little nook area. And we probably caught up for, like, 20 minutes.
[00:07:43] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:07:44] Speaker A: And I shared a little bit. And then you said something to me that went all the way back to that altar time. You're like, well, you're hidden.
And I remember going, lady, shut up, man. I don't want to hear that. You know, like, I didn't say that to you, but in my head, I'm like, I don't want to be hidden.
[00:07:59] Speaker B: That's right. Hidden sucks.
[00:08:00] Speaker A: But it doesn't, but it does.
[00:08:01] Speaker B: Doesn't. And you know, I want to say something about our time in Illinois, my wife and I meeting you.
It was such a blessing for myself to connect with you because I came from Denver and we had a large inner city ministry there. We were reaching children off the street. I just knew what lived in your heart. And my heart was that for whatever reason, there was a generation that found themselves in a fatherless, futureless situation. And we didn't want to go in there and tell them, wow, you're poor and you're needy or whatever. We just wanted to go in there, give the heart of the father. What I remember about my time with you in Rockford, Illinois, is that you truly, you truly carried the passion and zeal for seeing the love of the Father go forth the Father's heart. And we stood there in some neighborhoods and I later went to the west side and what?
[00:08:54] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:08:55] Speaker B: And I just believe heaven didn't get something. West side rock, west side Rocket man, they get them on the launch pad.
[00:09:02] Speaker A: It's so awesome, dude. Yeah.
[00:09:04] Speaker B: But I just, but no matter where.
[00:09:05] Speaker A: We are, what I love about it is you just see people. I want them to know that they're seen.
[00:09:10] Speaker B: Right. Anyway, that's your story. And when I saw you, when I saw you in Kansas City and I recognized you from behind, I was just in the beginning stages of going to the neighborhoods in Kansas City.
[00:09:27] Speaker A: That's right, brother.
[00:09:29] Speaker B: You rubbed off on me, you know, and I'm older than you or whatever, but you rubbed off on me. And I would say to people, I would want the heart like yours to be in the team that God would bring to us to go to Kansas City. Because I, I, I went to the pastor there and I said, hey, look, I'll build the infrastructure where we get a thousand kids coming a week, and we'll have workers and we'll have training and we'll continue to do that. And you cut me. I believe the next generation. I believe, Malachi. Four hearts of the fathers to the children, children to the fathers. And that's a strategy, it's an initiative.
[00:10:04] Speaker A: Not just, that's important initiatives. Right.
[00:10:06] Speaker B: It's just not like a little scripture going up on the hill singing love song.
[00:10:10] Speaker A: Right.
[00:10:11] Speaker B: You know, but when you, when you came, it was just, it was an answer, answer to my heart. Because.
[00:10:16] Speaker A: Well, and what was cool is like that was back in, I don't remember what year that was. I had have been like 2010. Yeah, 11. I don't know, it was something like that somewhere in there. But what that did was that kind of reignited this Kindle. It rekindled this relationship to where I wanted to be in Kansas City at least once a quarter.
[00:10:34] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: Because I love the barbecue there. Holy cow. If you ever go to Kansas City, go to jazz sax and. And have the. The barbecue, but have the beats. But anyway, I'll just leave it at that.
And I would just love. I just loved the environment, Kansas City. Get some prayer time, some relaxation, just. And then we more and more met more and more met more and more. And then I come down and help out with camps and we just had a really great thing. My kids got to experience all the camps, the Casey camps. It was just like great blessing. And then all the bigger, you know, the stuff our families would go to conferencing wise and all this is going to culminate here in a minute. But we the. The synergy that God placed between us, like, you know, some of the stuff you're spouting off about M4 initiatives. Right. Started in a lot of our conversations in barbecue joints in Kansas City. One in particular, we were writing it on the back of napkins. Yeah, it was Q39. I thought it was 40 something, but. Yeah, because I'll never forget Lenny's like, because out in Kansas City there's a bunch of barbecue places and they're all good and people like different ones for different reasons. But I remember, yeah, I'll try this and I'll try that one. And I remember I only get to go here like once or twice or three times a year. 4 if I'm lucky, if I get out once a quarter. And I was like, jack Sacks is my place and I am not trading it for anybody else.
I remember thinking that. So if we ever hit it big one day, maybe Jack Sacks would get some shout out this podcast. But.
But in the midst of all that, we started vision. You know, two visionaries kind of crashing together all the time. And we'd all. I remember going into the bigger offices and filling up whiteboards.
[00:12:05] Speaker B: Right.
[00:12:05] Speaker A: Remember that? And. And I remember working and collaborating with the teams and hitting the inner cities hard. And heck, man, just a couple years ago, I think I was on the team. I was at the camp that it was 100 plus degrees. Yeah. And we were out there filming potholes.
[00:12:18] Speaker B: Right.
[00:12:20] Speaker A: And we had a great group of guys out there.
[00:12:22] Speaker B: What I appreciate, what I appreciated about that time was you were.
It was brewing in you, man, that you wanted to see men take their place. And it just bled from You. But what I remember the most about our time in Kansas City is that you had a heart for me, man.
[00:12:40] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, man, I did.
[00:12:41] Speaker B: You had a heart for me.
[00:12:42] Speaker A: I turned my heart to you.
[00:12:43] Speaker B: You had all that?
[00:12:44] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, does this sound right? Yeah, okay. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah.
[00:12:49] Speaker B: But I mean, it touched me. You had a heart for me because you were able to see some of the tension that I might have been experiencing. We had several hundred workers showing up a week. We had a thousand kids coming to the movement over a 20 plus year period. But my heart always ached for the community and it was right around that time that I needed to do that. But in Q39, we tore it up not only with barbecue, but we came up with every type of initiative that Malachi4 could.
[00:13:22] Speaker A: We did possibly everything we built out.
[00:13:24] Speaker B: On your website, mission mandate. We did, you know, teaching and what have you. And so I have to tell you in front of this audience that I'm so grateful for you. I'm so grateful in this period of my life and moving forward and putting feet to my passion, turning the burden of what God's heart is for this.
[00:13:44] Speaker A: When it was during this season. And I say turning my heart towards you for. And I think this is a key point we can put right here in the podcast is like, I identified Lenny, whether he wanted to be or not. I ident. I started identifying him in my life as a spiritual father type. It's like, okay, there's a guy that's been running 30 years for, you know, coming up on a 40 year, you know, we've been running together for over a decade now. Like, there's a guy that, you know, when I was out there in kc, I would. And we know the place isn't perfect. It's gone through hell recently. I mean, that's kind of a known fact. But, you know, and it's also made the last two or three years. You know, I've gone through some most painful years the last couple years. And same, same with you. And yeah, you know, we've been able to kind of like spur one other on and, you know, but in the midst of all that, there, there was this. I remember when I turned my heart in that place of like, okay, yeah, this is a guy I want to identify, to learn from because I would watch, I would watch you and. And I knew that the flaming arrows of the evil one were always aimed, you know, because I, I have planted a church. I've led the church for 18 years, you know, so Q39 is kind of part of the origin story of M4 initiatives. And right. Somewhere not too long of that, around N 2019 ish is when this Titus 2:11 and 12 and this Grace and this eagle pops out of the Bible and all this. This origin story starts to develop in my life. And, you know, as a father, you're. You were affirming it and probably seeing stuff in it that I'm like, yeah, I don't know if I. I don't know if I ever do that or see that, but that dude, this dude could see, you know, like big, huge. How organizations, institutions develop or whatever. And. But I always watched Lenny and, And he was. What I always loved about you was like, you never complained horizontally. You never did. I mean, there'd be some stuff happening and I never knew the details.
[00:15:35] Speaker B: It was a good thing.
[00:15:35] Speaker A: You never told me.
[00:15:36] Speaker B: My wife's not on this podcast.
[00:15:39] Speaker A: But I'm saying you. I would learn that from, like, okay, this guy.
He. And you would always do this consistently over all the last decade, you know. What was your response to it? You always would talk in this type of language. Like, I just got my head down and I'm just plotting, right? I'm just gonna keep plotting, you know. And the Bible talks about being like an ox, lying. So I. I always had that mad respect for him. Like, dude, okay, there's a guy that, through thick and thin, of all the relationships out there, you never were an open door to squeak it out. You know, you never complained sideways. And that's really cool because, you know, one, it. It was just very biblical and I just. I just liked it. You know, I was like, man, this. Is this a cool dude. So then we.
Then I would identify you over time. I think that's the point I was making earlier. The principle of spiritual fatherhood is probably no man is ever going to come to you in your spiritual faith and build and be like, hey, I want to be your spiritual father. Because that's creepy. Maybe you should stay away from that guy.
[00:16:35] Speaker B: Right, right.
[00:16:36] Speaker A: Because that's just a little creepy. But I think the sons. I think it's important for as a son who. As a son development. I've taught many men this, like, look to some older guys, look to some guys that have been around guys that you really respect and you start learning from their life. And if you ever get the opportunity to identify them as spiritual father or call them that, you know, don't ask them, will you be my spiritual father? Say you're like one of those two. You're kind of like that to me. So it's like I claimed it. You know what I mean? And I've done that with a few guys, but only like three. Like, it's not. You don't go out and just mark everybody.
[00:17:08] Speaker B: I think you have to manage the people around you. I know I have. I. I have folks in my life, men and women in my life that have impacted me so much. But it's my responsibility, what I hear you saying, it's our responsibility to go after that sometimes without just putting a big old heavy burden on them or what have you. Because when people do that to you, it's just something you can't fulfill. Sometimes people come to me and go, you know, what can I do for you? And what can I help you with? And I go, best thing you could do for me is, in time, forgive me, because you'll need to. Sure, we'll need to. And that grace that we had for one another was just powerful.
[00:17:45] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think it's just for me, it's just key that. Because if. If. Because you could go through life. Like when I went over, no one ever chased me down. No one ever want to be my spiritual father. Well, nobody should want to be that sure. Like, they want to, but they're not going to talk like that because it's just weird and creepy. Like, I'm not going to go up to anybody younger than me, like, you know, hey, lad, looking for a spiritual father. Because that's just weird. But anyway, moving on past all this fun stuff, you know, it brings us to, like, where, you know, Lanny and I for many, many years have, you know, our story really is the collaboration, Right? You know, spiritual father type, spiritual son type. Just, you know, two faithful men. Not perfect, but just it's, you know, one of the things that's, I think, cool about us is we're hard to take out.
[00:18:31] Speaker B: Right.
[00:18:31] Speaker A: You know, and the enemy tries. And even though I just said that he's gonna try to take me out again.
[00:18:37] Speaker B: But I want to say something about my heart as a. You call it saying, spiritual father. I want to say that I've been with families for a really long time. I've been with the. The young people, and I've seen them through lots of different things. And I've watched a lot of families fall apart. I've watched mine fall apart. I've had to put mine back together, and everybody has. But then when you started talking it about what was going on in your heart, what God was beginning to do, and what you wanted to see happen through the father's eyes with the family and men really, really touched my heart. And it just was something that I wanted to see happen too. So I want to say to you, I wanted to see this happen too, because I'm with these kids every day and day to day, and you pastoring the church and you've gone through ups and downs with the church and what have you, and I'm so proud of you. It's hard standing there this Sunday, man. I was so proud of you. It's still there, the building still there, the people you know, and you could just feel the presence of the Lord because you stuck it out, man. You didn't go away. Somebody said, what's the key to ministry? To me one time, what do you do? How come you keep doing this? And I go, it's pretty easy. I showed up, I came back and I kept coming. But he quit and you didn't quit. And I admire that. And I truly, in this next season in my life, I want what you carry toward the next generation, toward young fathers, toward the families that we would truly see the Holy Spirit turn.
[00:20:08] Speaker A: And that, that's kind of where we're passionate about this collaboration thing. Because like what, what we're creating, what we're creating right now in this time, exact moment in time, is a mess. We, we want two visions to collide. And that was kind of, that's our strategy. Let's make it messy and then we'll have smart people help us figure out how it all organizes and stuff. But let's just go to the table and have like, let's just be messy visionaries. So what we know up front, we're going to get into raising mortgage here in a second. But what we know up front is that we are going to do a conference together, right? Because Lenny carries this passion and he's carried the same passion from the very first time I stepped into his internship office back in Rockford, Illinois. Like that you're that, that you're the same guy. You've learned a lot, you've matured more. You come weather a lot more storms, but you're the same guy passionate to put the kingdom of God into the hands of the children.
[00:20:57] Speaker B: I appreciate that.
[00:20:58] Speaker A: And, and, and that's right. And you, and you, and you don't, you know, you correct the adults, but more in a way that's kind of laugh. It's laughable in a way that helps inspire us and go, oh, yeah, why did I call that? Why did I say that? Why did I do that. Yeah. I think he's right. You know, we. And, and. And you help keep the pulse and the passion on which is very kingdom. Right. It's not all about the kids. The kingdom is actually about cross pollination.
[00:21:20] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:21:21] Speaker A: It's not all about under 40. If you're 40 and under like that. That whole. When I was under 40, that even annoyed me. I'm not just saying that now because I'm over 40. All right. I'm like, dude, we're cross pollinating. Let's. Let's get more of that.
[00:21:33] Speaker B: Like there was 70 years.
[00:21:35] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. You know, it's generation and generation. So it's not, it's not all about the next generation. But without the next generation, you know, we lose the trajectory and the moorings of the faith. And we've got to get like. I like how you say, like we got to give them a better version of church than we've been. Get. Than. We got one shot been handed down.
[00:21:49] Speaker B: We got one shot. It's with many of these children. And you know, when you talk about the kingdom and you know my story, I, I truly believe when Jesus let the children come to him on the, on that night, the. The disciples issue the rebuke and Jesus hijacks the meeting, man. And what does he do? He says, let them come. Don't hinder them for why Theirs is the kingdom of God. So there's a component in them that we have to call out.
[00:22:14] Speaker A: And you. You're good at unlocking that in the heart of a child so they can taste the kingdom, taste that they have a place. You show them that they have a seat at the. There. It's kind of cool.
[00:22:23] Speaker B: Their house too.
[00:22:24] Speaker A: Yeah, no, it's really cool. That pulse can't go anywhere, you know, so it's like our collaboration. So we were on the phone, what, a week or two ago, and we, we kind of like, we're kind of having those, like, you know, screw this and screw that kind of talks, you know, kind of like. Because that's kind of. We're just dumping. Emptying the ash from the fire pit.
[00:22:42] Speaker B: Well, I think because some.
[00:22:44] Speaker A: Cleaning out the.
[00:22:44] Speaker B: Some things that we see even in our own lives, what we do, it just rubs us wrong. We.
[00:22:50] Speaker A: Even in my own life. Yeah, we could just stay there. We just stay in my own life and screw that. Why am I doing. You know. Yeah, that's a good point. So like, we're having that talk, but then, you know, we don't. We don't ever Sit in those types of places. So, you know, we rise. We moved away from it and, and it was kind of like this collaboration. It was like, I don't know, just all of the things I'm passionate about. Because here's the bottom line. We're both messengers, right? You know, we carry a message that believe needs to be heard globally and. And I believe God's going to do that. You know how? I don't know. Might be after I pass somewhere, who knows, you know, I don't know. But it's one of those things where in this season it was like, dude, all these things we've talked about because I, you know, I've helped Lenny. I have a side hustle thing of like building websites and I like marketing that kind of stuff. And I do a little bit of that. Enough to be a side hustle and not a side full business, but, you know, side hustle and you know, so we kind of came alongside your story and built it all out and it was pretty cool how it all all happened. It's all functioning now.
But now that we got this, this caveat, this thing of like collaborating, like where do our worlds intersect? Because it's like, you know, you carry this passion of the soulmate flame. You carry like these. Just the equipping of the younger believers and, and even the youth and the teens. Right. Like you, you have such a huge. And then the impact of the communities. It's like, man, just, just chaplaincy, gang prevention, like all this stuff that you're doing, like, you just got like, you know, he's just kind of relaunching a lot of things. Kansas City, you just got this thing, this, this little, tiny, powerful office. Small and M in, in. In. Where's that Daisy, right? Yeah, Daisy Walnut. Where I've been many times.
[00:24:27] Speaker B: Totally.
[00:24:27] Speaker A: And love the people there. Love it. Love, love the smiles, children. It is, yes, Park. But you've got this powerful, like, place now. And I just love. I can't wait to come out and see it. But we started dreaming about collaborating. I was like, lenny, we need to do a conference together and in the. For the families, you know, to equip the parents to run strong in this hour to, you know, wokeism and liberalism has just done massive damage. Because behind all that, I'm not talking about the people necessarily that, that are into all that, but behind that ideology and that philosophy is. Is very demonic moorings. You know, they're in it and it shreds against the family, tears against the identity of a man.
[00:25:08] Speaker B: Everything's and so designed to tear the family apart.
[00:25:10] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. If the enemy destroys the family, he can destroy a nation. And, and so there's a lot of work to do. You know, there's. There really is a lot of redemptive work to do to turn the hearts of men and women back to God in a very powerful way. So raising warriors was like this thing because I've always kind of carried the Psalm 127, messaging the first, the all five verses of that. But we got this just, we just got super passionate about like, man, we should do a conference around this. We should do. Write a book. We're going to write a book together. Kind of complimentary. Write a book together. And we're going to, I think, talk about it on episodes like this. You know, like one of the things that I want to talk about out of the shoots of the book because the Psalm 127, 4 says like, like arrows in the hands of a warrior is, is like the children of one's youth. So like our children. But to, oh man, you know, if those children, you know, like arrows in the hand of a warrior. I want to talk about the hand first before I talk about the arrow. Right. You know, not that I'm not, not all of it here, but like to raise a warrior you have to first be one, you know, So I want to talk about that in the book. You want to do that in a conference and like pray over men and pray over women and families. I. And, and help. Help men win in this culture because there's a lot of good men out there and there's a lot of good men that will come to a conference like that. But there's. We need to encourage men in this hour, we need to encourage men to turn their hearts to their families. Right? And, and like really understand the power of presence and the power of just what they bring into the room. Right. You know, like my, my have a 13 year old daughter and she came into my office two or three nights ago right here in this room and she was like, dad, we gotta pray. And she doesn't do that all the time. That's not, it's not like, that's not like. That doesn't happen all the time, right? So I'm like, oh, what's up baby? Let's pray. And she's like, she's like, well, I just want to pray that. Do you think there'll be a man like you when I go to get married? And I was like, you're trying to make me cry, you know what did your mom send you? Who's. Whose joke is this? You know? But it was no joke. She really honestly longed, bro, that God would provide a man like me. And I was sitting there thinking, well, man, I guess that's cool. You know, been a good dad, good example.
[00:27:22] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:23] Speaker A: But I know all my shortcomings, too.
[00:27:24] Speaker B: So we start off really helping each other. We start off complimenting each other. You came to Kansas City, helped me with the camps. I'd come up here and speak to your team and what have you. And who would have thunk today we'd be sitting down over this weekend strategizing. Look, it's all along in the father's eyes. He saw us coming together to merge and converge. Some passion that he put in us.
[00:27:51] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:27:51] Speaker B: Some passion that he put in us. To see the hearts of the fathers turn to their children, children to their fathers and mothers. And what happened.
[00:27:59] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:27:59] Speaker B: To strengthen the family and build communities. Who would have thought we'd be sitting here today going, there's a book in the. In our hearts.
[00:28:06] Speaker A: I don't know. Books, probably. Books, resources, webinars, online tools.
[00:28:12] Speaker B: We got to put tools in. In the hands of the family. You gotta give people that confidence that they can go forth and see what God is doing in their children. That's why I'm so passionate about. He mentioned. Brian, my. My bro mentioned Psalm 8, flame. Psalm 82 is very clear on the role of children and young people to. When it comes to worship, it says, out of the mouths of children, young people, due to the foe. Due to the foe, the enemy.
[00:28:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:28:44] Speaker B: You have ordained praise, and that praise goes forth and silences the voice of the enemy. So I'm at a turn in my own ministry and life. But our assignment remains man, and it is to get the voices of the children to sing and worship and the families to be able to come together and do that together as a family.
[00:29:04] Speaker A: Yes. And I want to do that.
[00:29:05] Speaker B: That's the.
[00:29:06] Speaker A: I want to do that in a conference together. And I think the reason why I'm excited about is because we are messengers and we're not here because we got it all together. What I love about a conference environment like the one we're going to create is that people can come to it and they can encounter God. And it's in the encounter of God and maybe hearing a little. A little nugget or something you haven't heard before, because. And then allowing the Holy Spirit to. To work that into your life and to work those strategies into your life. You know, it's one of the things I will write about in a book. And it's not, I didn't originate this idea, but I always, I always, from the very first time my wife and I started our family and we'll, we'll probably talk about this in future episodes together, but we, we always built our family around a parent centered household. And that wasn't an idea that I went into marriage with. I read another book, James Dobson book book, you know, a focus on the family kind of thing. And I just heard that. I was like, man, that makes so much sense. And it was just this one simple strategy, you know, of how to do. And in my mind I'm like, you know, your children could be. Because here's the pain I carry sometimes when I see marriages fall apart. It's like if you're, you don't want to build a household around your children, you don't want a child centered house. And so that starts even in my own bedroom. Like my children, they've never had the luxury just sleeping in my bed.
That's my wife and I's bed. That's where mom and dad, the king and queen of this house, that's where we sleep. You know, now when they get to come into our bed because it has happened, you know, sleep in or they're scared or then it's a special thing, it's a special moment. But it is not something that they ever determined. And many times they were told, no, can I sleep with you? No, you can't. You know, so then when they can, they really appreciate all the more. And then there's not, there's a clear line. But anyway, I'm delving into some little. Maybe your kid's sleepy there. I don't know. I'm not trying to make it feel bad where. I'm just saying, like the power center of our relationship, of our household was around my wife and I's relationship. Our relationship was on display. Our love for one another was the confidence of the children. They fed off of that confidence. They could feel it and see it. And you know, because you know when your parents get in a fight, you start thinking, oh, man, you know, you fight a lot, you get a lot of that, ooh, man, anxiety.
[00:31:13] Speaker B: Yeah. You church and you've been pastoring and so a lot of things haven't gone just right. So you process with your wife and sometimes our children, they're part of that processing and they feel that from us. But I know by sitting at your table here this weekend to just see the joy around your daughters and the joy around you guys laughing together. And, you know, I just was really blessed.
[00:31:37] Speaker A: Well, thank you.
[00:31:38] Speaker B: To have this collaboration this weekend to really go forward. Who would have thunk?
[00:31:43] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. So I'm excited about just creating stuff together. Like I said, let's make it messy. And I figure it out, all the details out as we go or as the dust settles. But I just. I want to create environments where people can have, like, this powerful experience in the presence of God as families, breakout session, whatever, you know, but just. Just like. I don't know. I think there. I just feel like there's just a message. There's messages that we carry, and there's a way we carry it that. That just has a different distinction and I think. So I get excited about. I love to see a raising warriors conference. You know, like, just putting arrows, loving your kids. Where's it. What's that song that everybody sings now? Your. Your children and your children, you know, just goes on and on. It's like. And we just want. I want to cry.
[00:32:24] Speaker B: I want to be the songs we're singing children to come up and not just see a pretty song. But I do know that when we were collaborating and we're going to go forward with the. The book and. And conferences and different podcasts and things like that, it's with the heart that you have had all along in my heart is to see others do it. We don't want to just come and be another program, another mighty thing, another good voice, another speaker. We need to put arrows in the hands of warriors. And you are the warriors. Moms and dads and others and our children that are growing up, they're the warriors. And we want to lay it down enough to where we would be able to see others go way farther than me.
[00:33:06] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:33:07] Speaker B: And you.
[00:33:08] Speaker A: Well, hey, I think that's about it for this, what we were planning on talking about. So please keep us in prayer. Keep this collaboration prayer. I mean, we're gonna. We're gonna be strategically putting out monthly podcasts together real soon. Yeah. This is the first one. So, you know, each month, at least each month we'll do one, if not two.
[00:33:24] Speaker B: Right.
[00:33:25] Speaker A: And. And just start working together. We're gonna start writing. Right. I think tomorrow, start firing up the.
[00:33:30] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:33:31] Speaker A: The keyboards.
[00:33:32] Speaker B: And I would say to all of you, my friends, and what a privilege it is to be on this podcast, but start praying. Start praying about what the Lord is doing in you. Start praying about what the Lord is doing in your family. And don't retreat. Don't retreat. Stand still and go forward. I really believe this is going to be a powerful season of seeing tools and arrows go into the hearts of men and women all over the place.
[00:33:57] Speaker A: You know, I'd love to invite you to check out Lenny's website, m4 initiatives.org go, go in there in the middle section. You can join the email list, jump in, you can partner financial if you want.
[00:34:09] Speaker B: What if you do that one? What you're going to begin to get is not all, not, not just weekly, but every other week or so and at least two or three times a month, you will see a prayer meeting. You'll hear a prayer meeting that was done by the children, by the young people. It's called the Psalm 8 flame. We're going to raise up the voices of those children and so we'll have that. Week one, we pray restoration of the family. And week two, we pray miracles and signs and wonders to take place in our families that are sick and terminally ill children. And then we pray for Israel and then we pray for missionaries and pastors. And so each week has a focus and it's really going to help family devotion. So sign up for our. Sign up for our.
[00:34:54] Speaker A: Get connected to this. What's flowing for the prayer meeting only, man. Yeah, yeah. Check out Grace House website if you haven't done so yet. Right in the center of our main page, you can sign the five star charge. And it starts a little seven day challenge journey that takes just a few minutes a day to get through. It's me explaining our values into why we create them. So, hey, you know, as we're ending, why don't we take communion, man?
[00:35:17] Speaker B: Yeah, let's do it. I brought those.
[00:35:18] Speaker A: We've been wanting to take communion today. Yeah. Lenny brought these. And so we'll, we'll take communion together, then we'll pray. We'll close it out.
[00:35:24] Speaker B: Yeah. If you got a little bread laying around or you got something near you.
[00:35:28] Speaker A: To, or even one of these Styrofoam wafers, you want to join, join little travel communion cups.
[00:35:33] Speaker B: I think it's easier to get into another country without a passport that is.
[00:35:38] Speaker A: Than it's the open.
Sometimes these were easy, but I think they've been in your pocket. Yeah, I carry enough to where they're.
[00:35:46] Speaker B: Not going anywhere anymore without these cups, man.
[00:35:48] Speaker A: Well, that's awesome, man.
[00:35:49] Speaker B: Thank you, Lord. Yeah, lead us, man.
[00:35:52] Speaker A: All right. Well, Father, we thank you that you're the greatest warrior of all. You're the one that goes before us in Battle. And we don't really fight any battles or wars. Yes, you've destroyed the enemy on the cross, and you're taking the power of your resurrection to redeem and renew all things, to put the world back into a state of the garden of Eden. And, Lord, we thank you that we are remembering you through this. This meal, this mini meal that we're taking here. We're remembering the sacrifice. We're remembering how no one else has bled to the point of, you know, struggling with sin and how you drank the cup that your father desired for you to drink and the obedience that you walked in, the faithfulness that you walked in. So, Father, we just thank you for this, the body that was broken for us, your body. We thank you for the blood that was poured for us. You know, your blood. And it's the blood of our covenant, it's the blood of our hope. It's the blood of the grace and the power and the law and everything in all of scripture leads to this. This meal, this covenant, this. So we celebrate you. We thank you for that. We thank you that you wash over our minds, our bodies.
We judge ourselves as we take communion. We judge ourselves where we're weak and where we've. We've denied your cross. Where we spit on your cross, as Hebrew says, trampled over it. Father, help us to be men who walk sensitively and tenderly to the things that you care about.
[00:37:16] Speaker B: Yes, Lord.
[00:37:17] Speaker A: So we. We thank you for this meal.
[00:37:20] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:37:21] Speaker A: Amen.
[00:37:24] Speaker B: Thank you, Lord.
Pray, Lord, you bless our brothers and sisters listening to this ple your blood over their families. God, firewall around the passion and the love that you put in to each person and their families. Lord, we do this in remembrance of you, Lord.
[00:37:46] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:48] Speaker B: There we go.
[00:37:49] Speaker A: All right. Well, hey, thanks for tuning in to this episode. God bless all of you. And until next time, live upright.
