111: Bill Vanderbush | The Lie About God That's Secretly Ruining Your Identity

Send us Fan MailConnect with Bill:Website: https://billvanderbush.com/homeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/billosopher59/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billvanderbushToday I'm honored to sit down with my friend Bill Vanderbush, an author, speaker, and soon-to-be grandfather, to talk about one of the five pillars we cover on this show: the lies we believe. Most of the time when we talk about lies, we focus on the ones we believe about ourselves. But today Bill and I go deeper, because every lie we believe about ourselves actually starts with a lie we believe about God. If we get God wrong, we will inevitably get ourselves wrong too, since we're made in his image.Bill walks through why so many men, especially those with absent, abusive, or emotionally distant fathers, unconsciously project that wound onto God, defaulting to seeing him as a judge instead of a father. We talk about what it really means that Jesus is who God has always been, why the word "father" carries so much baggage for so many of us, and how healing that view can completely reframe our identity. Bill shares an incredibly moving story about his grandson Elias that reframes what unconditional acceptance actually looks like, and I get vulnerable about my own journey with a hardworking but emotionally absent dad and the distant, performance-based version of God I carried into my faith for years.By the end of this conversation, we get into something I don't share often: the day I had the honor of leading my own 74-year-old father to Christ, and Bill shares a similar story about his dad leading his grandfather to faith after growing up with real abuse and no expressed love in the home. If you've ever wrestled with whether God is truly for you or just waiting to judge you, this episode will challenge you to examine that belief and take an honest, intentional step toward healing it. This is part one of a conversation we're continuing next week, so stick around. Thanks for watching, liking, subscribing, and sharing this with the men in your life who need to hear it.Chapters00:00 – Meet Bill Vanderbush03:25 – God Was Father Before He Was Ever Creator06:49 – Why Your Earthly Father Doesn't Define Your Heavenly Father10:08 – Healing a Distorted View of Father Through Jesus13:29 – Bill's Grandson Story: Nothing Matters More Than That Child16:54 – Forgiveness Frees the Forgiver20:16 – David's Story: An Absentee Father & a Distant God23:41 – God as Judge: What the Bible Actually Means27:07 – Grace, Mercy & Being Cleansed From Unrighteousness30:22 – David Leads His 74-Year-Old Father to ChristWelcome to Next Third Best Third! Join us for the inaugural episode of the Next Third Best Third podcast! Host David Fenwick, founder, author, and life coach, introduces the mission to inspire men over 40 to thrive in the next stage of life. Discover how to conquer life's challenges across physical, mental, relational, spiritual, and emotional dimensions. In this episode, David shares insights on:- Physical Health: Strategies for maintaining fitness and vitality as you age.- Mental Resilience: Techniques to stay mentally sharp and manage stress.- Relational Growth: Building and nurturing meaningful relationships.- Spiritual Fulfillment: Finding purpose and deeper spiritual connections.- Emotional Well-being: Managing emotions and fostering a positive outlook.Don't miss out on this journey towards making the next third of your life the best third!Website: (https://www.nextthirdbestthird.com/)