Rick Green

Welcome to the Intersection of Faith and Culture. It's the Wall Builder Show, taking on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical and constitutional perspective. We're going to jump right back into the interview we started yesterday with Nicole Theis from the Delaware Family Policy Council and it was actually done in the Tavern which is the television show I do for the Warrior Poet Society Network. You can go watch that whole thing over at Warrior Poet Society Network or at Patriot U, but let's jump in and listen to as much of the interview as we can get today. Nicole Theis, Delaware Family Policy Council, joining me in the Tavern.

Nicole Theis

At the end of the day, no matter what battle you've been in, you know, you have to ask yourself did I advance truth? And if the answer is yes, then you did what you were called to do in that day. And you have got to let God, like you always say. I know you're always quoting this, but you have to lead the results to God and be faithful and be consistent and not give up in what you are called to do.

And so many times we just get caught up in everything else around us and we just get overwhelmed by it all. But we have to advance truth where we are Okay. So God has placed each one of us in different spheres of influence, and so what we always say to one another is remember the power of one person right. I mean you and I know each other because one person made the introduction right, and so after that happens, then God just kind of takes that in the direction that it needs to go. But we always say one person who is well-trained or equipped we can use both words so one person who is equipped and strategically placed will take territory.

We've seen it over and over and over again. Again, we get caught up in the big picture. We want to bring it down to what can we do where we are? So God has you there as the one person, and we encourage you through your diet of information, and we'll talk about that too. That's another thing that we have found really effective. But through your diet of information, what are you reading, what are you taking in? What are you listening to? You know, what are you learning?

Because that's the equipping or the training right. Your diet of information is going to determine that's right your diet of information is your equipping.

And then, who's in your community? Who are you doing? Community with Right? So because you're all going to be encouraging one another, growing together, kind of running together, and so one person strategically placed will take territory.

Rick Green

It was I've used that probably a hundred times. No, and I'm serious, I've just everywhere I've been talking about that and people. It immediately gives them hope that they can do something and it gives them hope that somebody else is doing something right, that you don't have to have the majority and you don't have to. I'm telling you it's gold, that's Holy Spirit inspired and we've got to get that, you know, get people thinking like that. So, Nicole, you were talking about, one person is strategically placed, well-trained or equipped whichever word you want to use there and strategically placed can take territory.

And we're starting to see that, not just in politics. I mean, I think about our friend, you know, Kirk Cameron, who's now doing the kids' education with Brave Books, whether it's the books or the new animated show that he's doing, Iggy and Mr. Kirk is the name of it, the new Mr. Rogers of this next generation. You know that's one person going into the entertainment realm where they have dominated, right. I mean they've been doing woke, crazy CRT DEI stuff in Sesame Street. I mean they've taken over all the kids' programming. So one person going into that territory and starting to take back. Just think about all the families and kids that will benefit from that show being created. So just one example, but it's in every single area of the culture.

Nicole Theis

It is Okay. So everybody who's listening now say it with us One person equipped and strategically placed will take territory.

Rick Green

All right, I love it. That's our first. Nicolism was the definition of victory or success.

Nicole Theis

A win is when truth is advanced. Now we've got one person, equipped and strategically placed will take territory. So you be the one person. So what do we mean by taking territory? I think that's important. Taking territory is and what I've experienced is whenever you can ask the questions, whenever you can share information that is going to at least create question in the mind of the person that you're talking to or create a little more appetite for them to want to hear more. So whenever you can do that, you know, whenever you can jar that grip of.

Rick Green

It almost sounds like fishing. You're literally putting that lure in front of them. What do you get to get them to nibble a little bit and make them interested to learn a little bit more? 

Nicole Theis

And ask questions. Yeah.

Always ask questions and find out what do they believe, you know. Find out what do they believe to be true based on their actions. You know there's what people say and there's what people do.

Yes, yeah that's right, that's right. So we want to be able to change hearts and minds. So when I say territory, it's hearts and minds. Hearts and minds, you know, and opening people up for more conversation and sharing information. You always say iron, sharpening iron, but you know it's not always that way, but it's just important to be able to if you don't know where to go, especially in a conversation. But still, I think the most effective way to lead in is by asking.

Rick Green

And part of that, too, is just a genuine, sincerely caring about the other person and wanting to know how did they come to those conclusions? You know, how did they get to that? So if you're genuinely, and even just from an intellectual curiosity, asking those questions, that's going to foster good discussion and opportunity

Nicole Theis

Yeah, and you oftentimes will find that it's fear or pain and some experiences that they have had that are forming their decisions, and so it creates a lot of opportunity for us as believers. But you're right, rick, if you're not sincere in engaging someone, then you're not going to advance truth, right? Everybody knows what that's like, right? So we have to really come at it with the right heart, with a kingdom mindset.

Rick Green

And then ask God to give you those divine appointments. You know whether it's on the airplane or some student that comes to you know, the leadership congress or whatever it is, you know just God's going to orchestrate those situations for us.

Nicole Theis

Yeah, and we need to steward them well right. So one person equipped and strategically placed will take territory. That was actually introduced to me by a pastor here in Delaware who used to be in the Navy. He was the chaplain for the Navy Seabees, the fighting Seabee.

I was so intrigued and he explained it to me from his perspective. You know he was the one that was out there with them, you know, being a chaplain, but they would have to go into a territory and prepare the infrastructure for the soldiers and everyone else to come in after them, and they had to be. They had to expect anything out there, they had ready for anything and it wasn't easy. And so you know he was saying that these guys are well trained and they're strategically placed and they're taking territory.

Rick Green

That's great.

Nicole Theis

And he said you know what he said, Nicole. That's what you and your team are doing, that's what you remind me of. You remind me of the fighting Seabees. And he gave me this big wooden plaque. You know that, really just encouraged me.

Rick Green

That's cool, yes.

Nicole Theis

Yes, that's cool. So I'll always be grateful for that because, wow, did that just kind of hone in our whole strategic outlook on what we're doing and just encouraging people all over the state of Delaware and it's working. I mean, we have people. Now let me just say when we talk about equipped and you mentioned this, but let's talk about diet of information. You know, because you can tell what someone's listening to and you can tell what they're taking in based on how they're speaking, how they're forming their ideas. You can tell what they're listening to or not listening to you know,

But if we're really going to want to, I guess, influence or see change around us, we have to ourselves be monitoring our own diet of information and being careful about that. So what are we listening to? Is it edifying? Is it making us better? Is it moving us toward our goals? It takes a lot of discipline

Rick Green

It does, and you know this goes back to the. You know I'm a student of Zig. Ziglar grew up on Zig and I did the foreword to my first book and he had one of his most famous sayings and what permeated so much of what he taught was that you are who you are and where you are because of what's gone into your mind, and you can change who you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind. So that's the same thing as what you're saying the diet of information.

It's going to change your whole outlook. It's going to change how you think, how you talk, how you act. And to start doing that purposefully, actually planning out. Okay, I'm going to stop wasting my time getting this information into my head. I'm going to start purposefully seeking out things that are going to empower and equip and inspire. For some people.

That's going to be a major paradigm shift because the information outlets have changed so much. What people used to go to for their news or just their basic intake, even some of the religious input that their outlets that they were getting input from, have been taken by the left, and so there's woke ideology. That has, of course, taken. We all know CNN and those type of outlets, obviously, but but even some of the ones that that we don't, we may not recognize right up front that they're slipping that stuff in. So what you're saying is critical to getting the mind right. Maybe even we'll throw in a little Elon Musk here with his, you know, wanting to destroy the woke mind virus. I mean, that's how the woke mind virus has spread across the country is by people having a diet of information where they haven't thought through these things or been careful and guarding what's going into their mind.

Yeah, They've been purposely controlling that.

Nicole Theis

So somebody could be hearing this right now going okay, that's great, but I have no idea what to do. Organizationally, we are constantly looking and reading through resources. As a team, we want to make sure that our team all has the same diet so that we can read through, really talk and discuss what we're taking in. How does it line up with scripture?

Rick Green

Quick break, everybody. We'll be right back. You're listening to the Wall Builder Show.

Break

Rick Green

Welcome back to the WallBuilders Show, jumping right back in with Nicole Theis from the Delaware Family Policy Council.

Nicole Theis

We have so many great resources that we recommend and we, like the folks here in Delaware who are following us. We're all on the journey together, so we invite people on that journey with us, as we are all learning and connecting the podcast and different things. I hope to start a podcast soon where I can be talking about this diet and just kind of cut through all of the stuff that's out there.

Speaker 1: 12:16

Yeah, because there's so much coming. You need help figuring out where to get those resources and what's good. Hey, is that something? Right now I'm just going to pull up Delaware Families. Is that something that you already have? Some recommendations on the website.

Rick Green

Resources 

Oh, look at that. Okay, good yeah.

That's DelawareFamilies.org. That's where he is right now DelawareFamilies.org.

And look, there's Elisa Childers, the book you told me to read, and then I got her on the program just a couple of weeks ago. So see, I'm doing a good diet of information.

Letter to the American Church.

Nicole Theis

 I was the one person strategically placed. That's right, there's.

Virginia Pradon. She's a Texan now Saving my Assassin, the one from what? Was it Romania, I think.

Rick Green

Amazing. You got a lot of good stuff on here. Okay, good, Sorry, I distracted. We'll put that on the screen. Of course, DelawareFamilies.org even just for the resources there, but also just to follow you. Guys, I think even people that are outside of Delaware should be helping you. You're the advance team. I mean, you're literally like you're saying, like the Seabees and we've said this for a long time for Patriot Academy you're the beachhead in the Northeast, right? You're the place that we're beginning to take back territory, beginning to take back territory. So, folks, even if you're not in Delaware, still go to that website today. Get on Nicole's email list, Donate to the organization too and help her take back territory in that area and continue to advance truth. But those resources will be easy to get if you just go to DelawareFamilies.org. Okay, so diet of information critically important. One person, well-trained and strategically placed, can take back territory. Advancing truth is how we define success or a win. Wait, how do you set it so much more succinctly?

Nicole Theis

A win is when truth is advanced.

Rick Green

There it is. A win is when truth is advanced. So the, and then you had another one. It seemed like we did another one when we were sitting in the in the Capitol in our conversation, or was that it?

Nicole Theis

Well, we talked a lot about community, you know.

Rick Green

Oh, that's right. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we were going to. That's how we closed it out. That's right. Let's do talk a little bit about that. I don't know.

I like to think of myself as a bold you know I can go take territory by myself, but we do need community. We need people to encourage the students who come in, and students are 16 to 25. I mean, this year our governor was married, so these guys are coming in. We're creating community, we're cultivating community and they're finding like-minded people to do life with, to run with. They're finding how many marriages have you seen come together so far?

Rick Green

I think we're over 40 at this point and I got to perform six of the ceremonies, so it's kind of scary, but, yes, no for them. I think that's why they well, they come back year after year, some of them because they want to learn more, and they actually go from being kind of nervous and all that to actually running the show, which is really cool to watch. But I think part of what motivates them to come back is what you just described, that well, maybe even seeking out that spouse, but also just being around other young leaders in their 20s that care about the country, that are passionate, that want to do this. You need that. It's like finding out you're not alone and that other people are thinking about the same things, and even when you're not that we'll admit to it, but we will you know we have our down days and you know Nicole can pick up the phone and call me and say man, I'm getting beat up and I can encourage her.

I get down, I can call her and she can encourage me. I mean, that's a big part of why you need community in a culture war like we're engaged in right now.

Nicole Theis

 Yeah, we've got to remind each other of the truth, you know, and how to see past our emotions a lot of times. What's going on?

Nicole Theis

 I got to tell you the story though. This is a good story so.

I'm here in DC at the annual Social Conservative Conference, you know so all the leaders in our movement are here. It's great. And we're running alongside of Statesmen Academy, where again we're bringing together statesmen, allied statesmen, and just pouring into them. It's great. Well, one of the new statesmen who are here is from West Virginia I think one of the youngest to ever be elected and that's Elias.

Rick Green

This is our Patriot Academy grad. Okay.

Nicole Theis

So I saw Elias, my team's, here. He greets us with his big hug. But it was just so neat to share how Elias and I met. His dad was listening to your program and his dad really wanted him to be in Patriot Academy. And so he's just a kid, he just turned 16. And his dad wants him to come and sends him to Delaware and we knew that he was brand new and we just invested in him, hugged on him. You know like we look to cultivate and really pour into all of our students who come through. But he started with us when he was 16. And then he went to nationals with you but he came back to Delaware every year and still comes back to Delaware Even now. He's been elected and he's, you know, he's a legislator and he's connecting with other students that come through Delaware. But it was just really neat to see how that cultivation resulted in him being where he is, being the one person equipped and strategically placed, you know, to take territory. So that was just a neat example.

Rick Green

I love it. I love it. What a great example too, and I mean, I can remember sitting there with him. What was it six, seven years ago, when he was 16.

Nicole Theis

Quiet so quiet?

Rick Green

Yeah, he was quiet. And how he would come back every time, just getting deeper and deeper and more committed.

Nicole Theis

More confident.

Rick Green

Always a little bit of an old soul. You know, even at 16, he was a little bit of an old soul and, by the way, you know this probably. But for our viewers, two sessions now that he's got under his belt and voted the number one conservative in the entire legislature. Both sessions, which tells you that the training that we do at Patriot Academy gets them grounded and then they can go back and go represent that and he's a legislator. We've got folks that are legislators across the country. Members of Congress, school board members city council, you pick the area.

Nicole Theis

Yeah, pastors.

Rick Green

We mentioned earlier the entertainment world, making movies and TV. I mean that's the territory you're talking about when you say one person, well-trained and strategically placed can take territory. The territory is the whole culture. It doesn't have to be politics, it's every part of the culture.

Nicole Theis

Yeah, it doesn't matter what personality you have, it doesn't matter where you land. You need to learn how to stand, you need to learn to evaluate what do I believe and is it anchored in truth and who's the authority of that truth. And so, just taking them through that process and then so that they can become more and more confident about taking their stand and knowing where they are and that's a process, it's a journey, it doesn't just happen, it has to be very intentional but offering the Patriot Academy community to all of these students who come in. I tell them all the time you will meet great people right here where we are, but nationally you'll be connected and those connections will go far beyond me or Rick. So now, like you said, Rick, I mean we've got students who are landowners, now business owners. They're involved, they know how to hear, how to listen to what's being said and hear through the lift principles and be like, okay, hold up, that person's totally talking like a Marxist right now.

Rick Green

They recognize it because it goes back to what we always say If you know truth, if you're saturated in God's word, if you're saturated in truth, if you understand, if you have that civic and biblical literacy, you recognize the lie. That's right. You can do what you just said that way. That's Marxism, that person's saying. Or even if they can't define it as Marxism, they just know wait, that doesn't work, that doesn't line up with the plumb line.

Nicole Theis

It's critical for all of us as citizens, whatever our age. Yeah, so you have to know the truth in order plumb line of truth. So I wanted to say something to all the moms out there who might be listening Listen to dads. But you want to start cultivating the diet of information in your children very young. You want to start really cultivating an appetite for truth.

And so, even if you feel like you're just not getting everything to stick because you're not literally pray in people into their lives who will come alongside them, who will be cultivating and speaking into their lives and cultivating the appetite for truth, giving them truth, if you pray. That I know I can say in my own life God has been so faithful in bringing key people into the lives of my kids when they have needed it most. But I would just encourage you to be open to that. You're not supposed to be the end-all, be-all right. I mean you want your kids in community because that's going to make them, that's going to give them such strength when they step out in boldness and courage to leave their mark, to make their statement.

Rick Green

And there's so many times and we've both lived it, you know so many times that they need to hear the same thing we've said a million times from somebody else, right? And so both of your kids all but one of my kids has been through Leaders Academy in Hot Springs. A big shout out to them. Encourage you. If you've got an 18, 19, 20-year-old right now that you know, in fact, I recommend, rather than going to college, send them to Leaders Academy. They've still got some slots this year, by the way, so you need to do it quick. In fact, paul Kern's headed our way to join us in Fredericksburg next week to speak to the Patriot Academy students about coming. But all of that to say, every one of my kids that went through that came home multiple times and said Dad, did you know? And I'm like man, I've said that a million times, but I don't say that you know. You know because God used exactly what you're saying.

God brought somebody else into their life to confirm that truth, and it made it so much stronger in their heart and their mind.

And so, whether you send your kids to Leaders Academy or Patriot Academy or some other program, Summit Ministries, whatever it might be pray in, as you just said, nicole, Pray in, pray for people that God will bring into their life to confirm what you've planted all those years. It's so important because it's just our natural. I mean, you get 18 or even 16, and you start wondering, well, what do I really believe? Not just what did mom and dad teach me all those years, what do I really believe? And so they need to have that intellectual journey and that opportunity to sharpen iron and have other people that confirm those foundational principles I'm glad you mentioned that, yeah,

Nicole Theis

 praise God, I'm listening to you and I'm just thanking him for his faithfulness in that.

As parents, you mentioned it before, but we encourage you to go to summitministries.org and to see the curriculum that they have to help you build the foundation that your kids need to have so that when you do go to wrestle some of these issues and they do need the freedom to wrestle them out when they can't express the doubts that they're having that's dangerous, especially if they're exposed to social media, because a lot of times our kids are watching the arguments or hearing the arguments, and if we don't give them a solid argument back in their minds, the other other side won and we've just lost territory.

Okay, yeah,

Rick Green

 and if we don't give them the freedom to ask like what. Lisa Childress talks about in her book, you know, if you don't give them that environment where they can have that conversation. And in fact Jeff Meyers sent a bunch of his new books. We're going to be giving those out at Patriot Academy next week.

Nicole Theis

Oh great.

Rick Green

You know there's some really good organizations out there. I mean, we're in tough times and it's, you know, there's a lot of challenges, but God is raising up a lot of great organizations that have been around for a long time. I mean, you've been doing DFPC for how many years now? 14?, 16., 16 years. We've been doing Patriot Academy 20-something years.

Summit Ministry's been around longer than that. But a lot of these organizations, I think, have gone through a lot of what they've been through over the last few decades. For this moment, I mean, this is being raised up for such a time as this. I know that's overused, but I mean that's literally what's happening right now in this culture war. So I'm just thrilled to get to team up with you. I want to encourage people to go, especially in the Northeast. If you're watching this somewhere in the Northeast, go to DelawareFamilies.org, become a part of Nicole's organization. Look at the dates we don't even have them out yet. But pay attention for Patriot Academy. That's going to happen there at the Delaware Capitol next June and get involved. If you're anywhere in the country, you can go. In fact, I think when Elias came he was back and forth between West Virginia and California, so technically you could say he even came all the way from California at the time.

So you don't have to live in the Northeast to go to the Delaware Patriot Academy, but I will say it fills up quickly and so the youth will be out, probably in January. So be looking and as soon as you see them, get the slot, because we filled up by the end of February really and our spots are limited. Delaware is very unique I have to I just have to say this because we're one of the first original 13 colonies, right, and so everything's real colonial here. It's smaller, our legislature smaller, and so you know we only have slots for 45. So as soon as you see a slot open though across the country, yeah, get in. I mean, we love it when Rick comes here and talks. You know history. We even have a floor session in our original state house. I mean, how colonial is that? You know we love. We love it when you're in there.

I mean, you can describe it always fit,

Rick Green

 it always feels like the movie the patriot. You know the scene in there. And that small colonial legislature, when Benjamin martin gets up Mel Gibson’s character, when we're in that original statehouse so cool. And of course, as our viewers are seeing tonight, the place where, as you taught me, the Constitution was first ratified there, in that tavern.

Nicole Theis

Come on, let's talk about that. Got to go see that. Good stuff, good stuff. Yes, the Golden Fleece Tavern right there.

Rick Green

Yes, yes, and next to the old legislature.

Yeah, right there, yes, yes, and next to the old legislature yeah, so much rich history. It's right there surrounding you and the fellowship is great too. So listen, if you're a young person watching this, or you're a parent or grandparent and you have some young people in your life or at your church, go to DelawareFamilies.org today and get them signed up to come to Patriot Academy next year and just to get involved, and then we're going to be doing the Patriot Experience at the campus soon so you can come down there and bring the whole family so excited to get you back. Nicole, I know you did constitutional defense with us when we were going out to Nevada, so now we've got to get you down to the new campus so you can see our new rangers and all that.

But I just want to thank you for being in the fight. Thanks for joining me in the tavern. God bless you. Nicole, thanks for joining me. 

Nicole Theis

Thanks, Rick, it's great to be with you. 

Rick Green

All right folks out of time for today. Thanks so much for joining us here on the WallBuilders Show.