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About Today’s Guest

Brian Metzger is a former Franciscan monk (21 years) and now serves through spiritual direction and teaching.

Contact Brian:

Website: Mission1249.com

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Worthy Before You Perform (Shame, the Yoke, and Receiving Worthiness as a Gift)

Buddy sits down with one of his spiritual directors Brian Metzger (former Franciscan monk for 21 years), after a weekend where Buddy felt disqualified and ashamed. Together they unpack a core truth: worthiness is received as a gift, not earned through performance. This conversation reframes shame, discipleship, and what it means to follow Jesus when you’ve fallen short.

What We Talk About

• Why we start every call with: “Where did you see the greatness of God this week?”
• The negativity bias and why it’s easier to obsess over what’s wrong than notice what’s right
• The trap Buddy hit: “I don’t feel worthy to do the podcast.”
• Brian’s core principle: “The only possible starting point is worthiness as a gift.”
• Behavior management vs. character transformation
• Jesus’ promise: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light”—and what “yoke” means
• “Everyone gets a cross… the difference is the follow Me part”
• How to start your day from identity instead of shame

Key Quotes

• “Catch yourself in the act of being generated—and know that’s the presence of Jesus.”
• “The Gospel is not behavior management. It’s character transformation.”
• “The only possible starting point is worthiness as a gift.”
• “My yoke is easy… whose yoke are you carrying?”
• “Everyone gets a cross. The difference is who you’re following.”

The Practical Takeaway

If you’re in a shame spiral, don’t start the day with:

“Here I go again… I failed… I fell short…”

Start with:

“Father, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your Son. Send Your Spirit—show me how to live from my identity today.”

Then ask yourself one question:

Where did I see the greatness of God today?

(beauty, meaning, goodness, provision, comfort, peace, conviction, clarity)

Challenge for the Week

1. One-minute reset each morning: “Thank You, Father… help me live from identity today.”
2. One moment of greatness: Write down one place you noticed God (even small).
3. When shame hits: Ask, “Am I carrying Jesus’ yoke—or my own?”

About Today’s Guest

Brian Metzger is a former Franciscan monk (21 years) and now serves through spiritual direction and teaching.

Website: Mission1249.com

(Luke 12:49 — “I came to set the earth on fire…”)

Scripture Mentioned / Referenced

• Matthew 11:28–30 — “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
• Luke 12:49 — “I came to set the earth on fire…”
• Mark 8:34 (and parallels) — “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.”

Call to Action

If this episode hit you, share it with one person who’s been carrying shame.

And if you’re listening on Apple or Spotify, follow/subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.

God bless — and don’t take the bait.

This is the Buddy For Junior Show — where faith, truth, and courage come together. Join us as we explore life’s deeper purpose and carry the torch of conviction. The show begins now.

Follow Buddy @BuddyFoyJr

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We trace the bold claim of Romans 8 and Galatians 4—that we are heirs with Christ—and show how that identity reshapes favor, repentance, and everyday courage. Stories from Turkey, a Manhattan boardroom, and our family bring the theology down to the street level.

• heir identity reframes favor from earning to belonging
• public devotion as a mirror for quiet faith
• behavior as the Christian uniform
• Romans 8 and Galatians 4 as anchors
• repentance as coming home, not shame
• living favored amid closed doors and delays
• practical rhythms to practice praise and presence
• noon prayer, daily Scripture, quiet public prayer

Please hit subscribe or follow wherever you're listening
And pretty please share the episode with one person, just one
For this week, three simple steps: set your alarm for noon, thank God for one thing, pray for somebody; open your Bible daily; pray naturally in public

This is the Buddy For Junior Show — where faith, truth, and courage come together. Join us as we explore life’s deeper purpose and carry the torch of conviction. The show begins now.

Follow Buddy @BuddyFoyJr

Send us a text

Scripture:

Luke 15:11-32: Prodigal Son.

Bible scriptures that emphasize the call to repentance:

1. 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2. Acts 3:19: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
3. Matthew 4:17: “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’”
4. Isaiah 55:7: “Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
5. Luke 15:7: “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

We explore repentance as a visible pivot in daily life, sparked by a jolt of conviction during a trip to Turkey. We challenge shame-based views of repentance and offer practical ways to wear our “Christian uniform” through behavior.

• conviction sparked by public devotion in Turkey and Manhattan
• repentance defined as turning back to God through behavior
• repentance contrasted with guilt, shame, and punishment
• Isaiah’s relevance to today’s upside-down values
• forgiveness as the hardest first practice
• public prayer over meals as a bold habit
• praying immediately for people who ask
• conflict diffused through quick prayer and trust
• road rage, restraint, and growth as daily reps
• a weekly “Jesus gym” assignment for gratitude and prayer
• obedience as the path, not a magic button

If you're on Apple or Spotify, can you hit the follow or subscribe button? And can you also forward this podcast to one person?

This is the Buddy For Junior Show — where faith, truth, and courage come together. Join us as we explore life’s deeper purpose and carry the torch of conviction. The show begins now.

Follow Buddy @BuddyFoyJr

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This is the Buddy For Junior Show — where faith, truth, and courage come together. Join us as we explore life’s deeper purpose and carry the torch of conviction. The show begins now.

Follow Buddy @BuddyFoyJr