FriDudes - Getting Real. Pursuing Truth.

DJTommyP413
  • 4.8 (14)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Bunch of Flawed Dudes trying to make sense out of this broken planet. Seeking Truth - what works and what doesn't. Making and encouraging disciples via Christ. Striving to be better Servant Leaders, Husbands, Fathers, Neighbors and Colleagues.

  1. 2h ago

    Freedom vs. Freedumb

    Yes!  You are in!  For those listeners in the United States, most of us will celebrate 4th of July (our freedom).  250 years.  Is the United States the greatest country in the world?  Let's tackle it...I'll be back...Thanks for tuning in.  When worthy, thank you for sharing.  Is the United States the greatest country in the world?  Let's do a survey.  Avid listener, you know we love math, science and logic in this dojo.Are we free?  Do we have freedom of speech?Do we have freedom to protest?Do we have freedom of religion?Have millions of migrants recently entered this country?Why would you encourage anyone to come to a country that is systemically racist?Why would they want to come here?For resident of the United States, you stay here.  Do we have the greatest GDP in the world?Do we have a king?Hint:  Dictators and Kings don't allow you to do above.  Who has dictators today?  Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba, others (far left).  Iran, Saudi Arabia, Hamas, etc, (far right).  Gallup.com, whom I trust and have quoted on this podcat before, say we are are at a 20 year low in morale.  Why?  Definitely the Negative News is in full effect.  Yet, thanks for brining patient with me as I bring the Word finally in...Phil 4: 6-8, NIV... 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.So ending on a grateful prayer note...Thank you Lord for...Freedom.  Those that have sacrificed, served and died for us and our freedoms.That we choose/elect all races, creeds, women and men.  Is there a more diverse government on this earth?  Your Heaven is absolutely diverse and you teach us to love all.  Matt 22: 36-40.Thank you for our economy and the generosity of so many that live here.Thank you that the opportuities are so many here that migrants from all over the world are here and striivng to get here for these freedoms.Thank you for our Democrats, Republicans, Inddependents and others that get this and support our freedoms.Thank you that we can elect our leaders and they will come and they go.  That we don't have a dictator or a king.  And that we still have checks and balances for that....designed so long ago.Thank you for freedom of religion.  That you give us a choice of what to believe so why should we do the same.  Human tendency is to want to force feed what we believe.  Your design is better.  Our founding fathers understood that and why freedom of religion is in the constituion.  Thank you that we abolished slavery so long ago.  One of the first countries to do that.  If we truly follow Matt 22: 36-40, there is no slavery.  There is no racism.  For Love is greatest of all.  In this world, there are Negative Ned's and Nancy's and Positive Paul's and Paisley's.  Speaking of Paul.  He once was Saul.  You transformed his heart to Paul.  Who is next?  Who is that Saul in our life that needs encouragement?  As for Paul, he gives us a great formula in Phil 4: 6-8.  So we give thanks to you dear Lord for what is worthy and I ask for your wisdom over this land and both are Democrats and Republicans, Independents.  For we are certainly flawed.  We need you.  I love you and thank you Lord.  Amen.

    15 min

  2. 6d ago

    Where did God come from?

    Yes, you are in!  Where did God come from?  An excellent Deeper question for your next date night or small group ice breaker or family time.  Inspired by a comment i made on the previous Algorithms episode.  We'll tackle it.  Here you go...Thank you sincerely for clicking in.  When worthy, thank you for sharing.  Avid listener, you know my odd fixation to share Rom 3:23.  For we are all flawed.  I am a flawed dude.  Not everything that comes out of my mouth is correct.  I will make mistakes.  If you believe in God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, then let the Word be your ultimate guide.  Use that Owner's Manual for Life to quality control check any book or sermon or episode you hear or watch.  Of course, make sure to take the whole Bible in consideration.  Isolating on just one verse not in context can be equally dangerous.  So considering all that.  Where did God come from?  In the previous episode you hear me hypothesize about what preceded us.  We spoke about Algorithms and that AI can finally get through are thick skeptical heads that there can be and is something much more smarter and powerful than us.  Up til the latest tech, atheists that they were the smartest.  I hypothesized what if there was a previous civilization.  Hypothesis is the key word.  To be clearly, it was merely an attempt to help that skeptic find that mustard seed of faith.  That existed before you, me, and humanity alone.  To be clear, I do believe in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  That is my Faith.  Something absolutely started this.  That a code (your DNA code and mine) cannot exist without a coder.  So where did God come from?  Where did our coder come from?  How did our coder become the coder?  Short answer, I don't know.  What I do know is something can't come from nothing.  Even an atheist scientist has to grapple with that statement.  As for believers, where in the Bible does it explain where God comes from?  If you see something that I don't, please let us know at the Contact Us page at fridudes.com.  What I do know is that we have an explanation of a Creator.  An all knowing Creator that designed and created us.  And as I just confess, that sounds a bit crazy until GenAI came along.  Now an all knowing creator is more understandable.  Yet great is your Faith that believed in this possibility before we had ChatGPT and Gemini and Claude, etc.

    12 min

  3. Jun 19

    Algorithms

    Yes!  You are in!  Ask anyone if they are religious and the odds are they will say no.  Ask them to see their phone/screen and the algorithms will definitely tells us where each person is religious.  Big data knows exactly where you are religious.  Intrigued, stick around as we dive deeper on algorithms... Thank you again for clicking and listening, reflecting and sharing when worthy.  Ironically, we may be part of your algorithm.  Odds are you are listnting to this because you are open minded, like to get real, pursue truth...what works in life and what doesn't.  Either that or someone that fits that profile shared this with you.  Regardless, thanks again for listening in.Avid listener, you know I like finding inspiration from unlikely spots.  I love it when secular points to spiritual and deeper thinking.  And the unlikely source this round is NPR.  Yep, they get full credit.  Link to the article that inspired this in the show description.  Shout out to reporter/author Scott Neuman.  Excellent job!https://www.npr.org/2026/06/11/nx-s1-5848013/algorithm-word-week-etymologyAn algorithm is a set of instructions.  So maybe a better way to look at it is Big Data has algorithms on how to measure you vs. Big Data having it's own algorthithm for you.  Does that make sense?  In other words, they use the same algorithm to measure all of us.  It's the data report that tell them who you are.  For example, if Casey clicks on Francis Chan, the algorithm says feed more Francis Chan and others like him.  Part of the algorithm also says x% also like this or buy that if they like _________.  Side note, I'm working on a video that we are all religious.  All of us.  Even atheists.  That can be a common question.  Are you religious?  We all are. Show me your phone and I'll show you where your religious.  For some of you, your church is your screen.  Matt 22: 36-40Is that the outcome of the algorithms that track you?  AI, finally, some can finally comprehend that there is something much smarter than you.  That can track you.  Ending on a prayer note:  Thank you God for math.

    19 min

  4. Jun 12

    Obadi...who?

    Overview of the shortest book in the Old Testament and how a prophecy over 2800 years ago still very much applies to today.

    16 min

  5. Jun 5

    Idle, Check Engine Light On (2 Thes 3)

    Yes!  You are in!  Thank you for joining and when worthy, thank you very much for sharing.  Extra thanks for Two Tall for that opening hook.  Extra thanks to ThursDudesPM for bringing it last week.  As for this round, why do you work?  Why are we designed to work and contribute?  Here's your mic drop, your hammer coming from a letter written to Thesselonica... We talked about the importance of the Living Word last week.  You read it and it reads you.  This hit me like hammer this week.  Side note, not my first time reading it.  I've ready it countless times.  Yet that's the Living Word, it can impact you differently at different times in your life.  Hence, it's Living.  A reading from 2 Thes 3...Have you ever noticed that depression and idleness are closely related?How about addiction and idleness?Col 3:23I always feel good after a hard day's work, work out...ministry outreach.  It feels good and overflows the heart to serve.  To be of value to others.  To be careful, we are not to be workaholics either.  Some of us are bad at that too.  Resting.  We are commanded to Sabbath for balance.Have you seen a divide in the USA?  Do we encourage idleness?  Do we give people what they want for our power and votes?  Do we encourage their addiction?  Last week's reading warned us about helping people stumble.  Think about that.On the flip side, I serve the homeless.  Jesus encourages us to serve the poor, Matt 25:40.  To take care of orphans and widows.  Yet I don't shower and clothe my neighbors on the streets to keep them there.  I don't give them pipes nor syringes.  I serve to give them Hope.  To get them off the streets and into a life of Purpose.  2 Thes 3 is really one of the mic drops for that.  An idle society is a miserable society.  For those in the States, you enjoy the fruits of that country by those who worked their butts off and sacrificed.  If you think I'm trying to play a particular political angle, I also witness immigrants here in the Coachella Valley working their butts off in the hottest of days.  Their work ethic blows me away.  Did you know that retirement is not in the Bible?  A warning about being a glutton is.  God did not just put you on earth to golf, eat and drink.  If by chance you are able to retire, good job on your hard work and stewardship.  Now you have more time to serve the Lord, his Kingdom and your neighbors.  Clearly, I'm not retired.  If I could, I would still love and serve others.  Whether you are 20 or 70, this may be your wake up call.  The Idle Check Engine light may be on.Ending on a prayer note...

    14 min

  6. May 29

    ThursDudesPM: Puffy Knowledge vs. Edifying Love (1 Cor 8) Reflection

    Yes you are in!  Meet the ThursDudesPM!  A bunch of flawed dudes getting real and pursuing Truth.  If you are in a Bible Study or looking to start one, check out how Brother Ish masterfully initiates and facilitates it.  Note the 'No Forced Agenda/Set of Questions'.  Going with the flow with the Holy Spirit Guide and letting the group breath and reflect.   I notice too many groups forcing a set amount of questons.  Not these Dudes.  You'll observe how they get washed in the Word.

    32 min

  7. May 22

    No Pain, No Gain: Max Jolliffe and Cameron Hanes

    Yes!  You are in!  I love finding Hope in unlikely places.  Like an ultra racer's documentary.  Meet Max Joliffe and and Cameron Hanes.  Both of these guys have won the Cocodona 250 among other extreme races.  The Cocodona is 250 miles.  Up mountains and over deserts.  So imagine running 10+ marathons with thousands of feet of elevation gain.  Imagine the physical pain.  Here is what they have to say and perhaps not what you are expecting...Thank you Max and Cameron.  You can watch that entire YouTube at this link..."A Day with Max Jolliffe" by Cameron Hanes...https://youtu.be/d6jSdsH7GKU?si=06cVU9pQWYIdCBV9Odds are you are not an ultra racer but I bet some of you have and are running ultra races in life.  Like brutal tests.  Loss of a loved one.  Terminal diseases.  Betrayal.  Depression.  Violation.  You are not alone.  I testify the strongest people I know have gone thought the hardest things.  Thee strongest people did it with the Ultimate Power Source aka God aka the Heavenly Father who also offers up His Son, Savior, Lord and Holy Spirit Guide.  The greatest stories of resilience I have ever heard of all those in common.  Some of you are living it right now.  When times get tough, you don't get mad at God, you draw near.  That is part of the test.  Who wouldn't love someone when things are perfect?  That isn't a test.  My wife Lori, she's been battling Stage 4 cancer for years now.  Do you hear me angry?  She didn't run away.  She drew closer to the Lord.  Just like Max and Cameron.  Different pain and yes you can argue self inlficted for some.  Yet there is Truth in the saying no pain, no gain.  Truth God's best went through the worst.  How would you like your son tortured and nailed to a cross?  The comfort zone = the fade zone.  So why do we crave the comfort zone?  The flesh.  Rom 3:23.  Counterpoint, yes, we would rest.  That is why God gave us the Sabbath.  How are you doing with that BTW?  I always tell my Dudes that we are fooling ourselves if we don't get into the Word.  So here are some verses to bless you...2Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.  James 1: 2-3, NLT).1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.  Heb 12: 1-2, NLTEnding on a prayer note...

    12 min

  8. May 16

    The Good News in less than 2 minutes?

    Do you know what is the Good News?The Gospel?If so, can you share it in less than two minutes?  Lovingly simple.Here's the YouTube version...https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GMTadZx2PME

    3 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
14 Ratings

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Bunch of Flawed Dudes trying to make sense out of this broken planet. Seeking Truth - what works and what doesn't. Making and encouraging disciples via Christ. Striving to be better Servant Leaders, Husbands, Fathers, Neighbors and Colleagues.

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