“Fast Past the Deception Point” - Barry Zungre AlongTheWay 74

After Barry Zungre was radically saved, he wanted to be a missionary. After several years with YWAM, God called him back into the business world where he started a successful Computer business. Fasting Past the Deception Point has always been a key way for Barry to seek God’s voice to make important decisions.

http://www.bzungre.com/

AlongTheWay Links

Join My Email List

JohnAlongTheWay@gmail.com

Become a Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AlongTheWay

More episodes and Social links for AlongTheWay

Watch episodes of My TV show RealLife & HopeToday

Transcript

Barry Zungre: 0:00

And I thought this is very curious, what is this start talking about GC is put down a Bible in front of me. I opened it. No kidding. I read something that I understood and thought was relevant. Then I realized,

Unknown: 0:13

wait, I'm not high.

Barry Zungre: 0:15

I should have been high. You know, I smoked a lot of pot that night. I should have been high. And I wasn't. So I went home, I was alone. As I told you live in the basement, and she gave me a track. It was one of these comic book things, okay. And I was reading it. And I and I believed, I believe in so wholeheartedly, and there was a prayer. So I prayed the prayer and asked Jesus to forgive my sin and the come into my life. And I felt light. I felt cleansed. I felt clean. I felt happy. I felt Jolie I don't know like all the any cliche that you could possibly apply to the most remarkable thing that can happen to a human being. It all happened to me in a moment.

John Matarazzo: 1:00

Welcome to along the way. I'm john Maeda Raza, your host and fellow traveler, thank you for joining me along my way as it tries to become more like Jesus every day. For this episode, I'm joined by entrepreneur and executive coach, Barry's hungry. Barry was actually one of the speakers in my missionary school back in 2003. Some of the things that he said have always stuck with me, especially what he said about fasting. You were gonna enjoy his journey in this episode. I'll get to our conversation in just a moment. But as always, I want to thank you for listening to along the way. I hope that you like what you hear and that you'll subscribe, you can connect with me online as well. All of my socials and contact links are in the show notes. And you can check out all of my episodes at my website along the way dot media. There's an easy way to join my email list and find out more about me too. I hope that you check it out and you connect with me, I would love to hear from you. I also have a Patreon page if you want to help me to continue to put out these along the way episodes. If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter, simply go to patreon.com slash along the way and select the level. The link to become a Patreon supporter is in my show notes. And now here's my along the way conversation with Barry is hungry. very hungry, it's great to have you on along the way. It was wonderful to run into you and to be able to talk with you recently, I just kind of shared my heart with with you about something that you spoke into my life when I was a discipleship training school student, you were one of the teachers that we had. And something that you said there an application from your life. You were going through a transition that has always stuck with me and I might be misquoting it exactly. But you said that you fasted beyond the point of deception or beyond the deception point. And that is something that has always stuck with me. And I've gone through several different seasons of longer fasts in my life where I've literally really wanted to seek the Lord for different seasons in my life, or different bit of directions. And so just being able to share that with you and how that story really made an impact in my life was really an honor to be able to share that with you. Because oftentimes, whenever somebody makes an impact in our life, we don't have the opportunity to let them know. And so that was really cool. But very, you have a very interesting story, because you're also a fellow former why whammer and so we've got that and in our common past, although different seasons, different years. So I want to hear your story of how God has brought you to where you are today.

Barry Zungre: 3:37

Sure, sure. On this on the story though, about the about the fasting, pester and deception point. I know everybody's different. My wife hears God, like, in the middle of the night during the day. Well, she doesn't sleep very good. So she wakes up in the middle of night anyway. So that's when she spends time with Laura's reserve Bible praise. And she she has got me, I hear boy, I'm really hungry. I want to eat. Boy, I'm really sleepy. I want to go to bed. Boy, that guy's a jerk. I want to punch him out. Yeah, I don't hear anything from God, you know, unless I fast. So like kind of doing the most important points, places in my life or important decisions I have. You know, I said, if I really want to hear God, then I have to set apart time to really fast. So that became something really important to me. And God has always been faithful, like, like, throughout my whole life. I'm 65 closer to 66 and 65. Now and and whenever I fast, it's like, like my mind, my heart. My my spirit opens up to be able to hear God thoughts. Yeah. And, and it comes in different ways. But that it's like sometimes it's a it's a deep impression. Sometimes it's a thought that I know I just wouldn't have thought Got it. But it always is at the point where you're past your own your own deception point, like your own deception point is, wow, food is really important to me right now. I'm sorry. It doesn't work. Like you're having that right, these arguments right? In your mind. It's like, wow, I really fasted a long time, this has been, you know, a good fast, I'm going to stop and eat. Because you know, God is faithful. He will come through, he'll speak to me, you know, all. But you know, in a second, when you're done, and you're feeling like, wow, I should have faster beyond that, and you restart fast. And all the fast thing you did already kind of doesn't, in my mind doesn't count. So you kind of have to go beyond that point where you go, no way I would have done that. Like, I decided it was way more important to her dive than to eat. So when you're past that point, then you can hear then you can hear God.

John Matarazzo: 5:58

Now, since we're talking about fasting right at the top of this interview. How often do you go through seasons of fasting? Well, I've

Barry Zungre: 6:06

had different different times, there's been times where I didn't fast at all for years and years and years, then there has been times where I fast three days a week. Now I fast. I just failed. I missed a month. I fast I do I do a three day fast once a month. And and it's really, it's actually a lot I can't tell you what I'm fasting about. Sure. But because involves somebody else. It's a private matter. But as fasting often should be. I

John Matarazzo: 6:37

mean, yeah, it doesn't need to be a public fast. I mean, fasting needs to be with you and the Lord. So good. If other people know about it, that's okay. But I mean, Jesus was was rebuking the Pharisees for basically lautering the same and they were, you know, they got the reward because they were seen by men already. So it's a good point. No, it's okay. People know, but if we're patting ourselves on the back public,

Unknown: 6:59

but I'm sure I've had lots of those. I know, I know.

John Matarazzo: 7:02

I'm guilty of that sometimes. But

Barry Zungre: 7:03

yeah, I just felt I felt in a fasting time over something that was really troubling me i can i can tell you it was a troubling me about a relationship. I can say that much. And so I felt that I was to fast and pray for that specific person, and actually pray a specific prayer. It would that was really weird. That never happened to me before. I've never been told by the Lord, that I or I've never gotten the impression. I've never been told by the Lord. You know, prayers have been kind of my custom prayers right there. Yeah, everybody, you get to make your own. But But in this I This time, I felt very specific directions to pray a specific prayer. It was it was really weird thing. And, and I know it was a God thing because there's something supernatural. There's something very supernatural connected to it. That involved my wife, she was thinking about the exact same thing. I was thinking about the exact same thing, which was a scripture. In the Old Testament, she was thinking about, I was thinking about, I went in to get advice, say, Hey, where's this found? I remember this, what does it say? What does it mean to you? And she told me what it meant to me. And then the next day, and I just read systematically through the Bible, I don't, I don't like open up, you know, kind of by Rayleigh, I'm not condemning that, but I'm sure that's true. I think my wife, my wife sometimes does that. But the next day, during my fast I read exactly that. So I knew I was like, this is a supernatural event, you know, and, and actually, that that scripture, the application of it was a clear rebuke to me. It was a clear rebuke as a Christian were, you know what? I mean? Is it the correction, you best stop? Yeah, you're thinking about this wrong. And I've been counseled by lots of people that I really respect. Generally, I try to listen, but really, I don't. A lot of times, too. So this one man, I was blindsided and, and the Lord really showed me I got a real problem here. So So therefore, I got instructions after that to pray a certain way for for this person on every month basis, so Wow. Yeah, so that was a that was a it was a cool time was a cool, cool thing to happen. That's interesting. Oh, so you asked me about about Yes, my life. Yeah. Tell

John Matarazzo: 9:19

me about your life. How did you Where did you grow up? How did you what are some of the things that that have shaped your life? How did you meet the Lord that kind of that kind of

Barry Zungre: 9:26

Yeah, I was just talking to somebody on a golf course today. I grew up in North Braddock, you know, we're in North Braddock.

John Matarazzo: 9:33

That's where my church project

Barry Zungre: 9:35

was here. I lived on top of the hill, the project was kind of like down a little bit in the valley. So, you know, lower middle class family, my dad worked in the mill sporadically. And then he he became a professional golfer, but when I was three years old, they got a divorce. So I hardly remember my dad. And he was kind of like, very distantly involved in in my sister in My life and my dad and my mom, it wasn't like, hey, let's get together and raise the kids. No, it was like, how can we hate that? It was more like that kind of a thing. So, and we were talking about, like, how was growing up, this is really not relevant to the direction of our life. Dear it, I don't know how it was for you j map, but my parents had no idea where I was. I live in kind of a got beat up a couple times, you know? Anyway,

Unknown: 10:32

I my parents had no idea.

Barry Zungre: 10:34

I could be five miles in any direction, they would have no ideas. And I would go far away, me and my friends or me alone. You know, I'd see a cricket playing a Crick. You know, it was like, it was that kind of thing. That's how it was for I remember most kids growing up like, you know, like I say, almost 66 but

Unknown: 10:53

that's how it

Barry Zungre: 10:53

was. There was no like, Hey, where's your kids today? No. Yeah, yeah, they we just knew we better be home by dinner. We better we had these checking points. So So I grew up there. A single family home. We stayed there as long as we could. Then we moved into my grandmother's home, she lived in green oak relocates because we couldn't afford to live on our own, you know, so we live there. And so I was not, you know, two bedroom house. I was the extra guy. So I slept on the couch. And eventually as I got older, I stopped in the basement because I really wanted privacy. I didn't want the chaos, you know, so. So that's kind of kind of how it was, but had a great life. You know, my grandmother and all my life, my uncle and my vault football. My mom, my sister. You know, I definitely had a great life, but was far away from God. You know, nobody in my church, like I, the only time I remember going to church, so literally, you know, everybody in my family was Catholic, except for my grandmother. She remarried because her husband died. Her husband was Catholic, but she married she married a C Methodist, she married a graph with us. So she she's doing really religious, she would go to church and, you know, you know, at that time, like I would take the side that best benefited my short participation. The Catholic you know, she wouldn't be good. She was I'm not going to church. I'm the Kalam Catholic. And, and, and I remember, the one time I went to church, I remember this one time going to church. I remember fighting my grandmother never to go to church. But I remember one time when church, I went to church, and they put me in this with the kids, right? I wanted to stay with my parents. They went somewhere else. I had no idea. I was a little kid. And I'm and I remember my mom giving me money. Okay, so I had this money. And we're passing around this church. So here here at all. I was watching these kids. Yeah, I think they were putting their money in this thing. I they weren't course. Now. I know. The church got to me. I have this church. And just because they want me to put my money that my mom gave me in this church. There was no way I'm putting my money in this dirt. It was like a box. It was like a box. It was shaped like a church. I guess they were teaching you to be generous, right? Yeah. Right. So So I remember they're telling me put your money into your mom gave me She told me you did get put your money? No, I'm not. So my experience was very negative. Yeah. And we never even went Easter. We didn't go Christmas. But we had like, we had a great home. But it was not a religious home. Yeah. Okay, so. So no church. And I remember this. I remember when I came to Lord was my second year college. And that marks a big change of some people. It's like a subtle change for me, was a big change coming to Jesus. But anyway, I remember. I came to the Lord in November, because I remember it was or October, October, maybe it was, yeah, cuz it was close to my birthday. With the Penn State McKeesport that prior Christmas, I went to church, why I thought I need to go to church on Christmas Eve church. I was drunk. I was drunk at church and receive on Christmas Eve. And and the thought didn't occur to me, Hey, this is really disrespectful. It just, it just really didn't didn't occur to me. Although, although in all honesty, I remember being a really little kid. I had an experience I had what I felt like was kind of a personal experience with God. But I didn't believe you could have a personal relationship with God. I believe I could talk to God, but I didn't ever expect that I would ever hear anything back. So you know, like that's, I guess how it was supposed to work. You talk to God and he, he talked back. He never talked back. So but I was playing Home Run Derby with some of my friends. I was probably in junior high and I I was playing really bad. I was usually pretty good at it. And I was I was playing really bad. And I remember saying this prayer before I went up, I was up about trying to hit home runs. And I said, God, would you help me to something like this? hit home run, right? And I'll believe in you if you helped me to hit and run, run, home run. And I was like, wow, I remember that. That never left my mind. So I, I think I believed in God, I I think I believed in God, you know, but you know, but but, you know, he definitely as I look back, you know, that definitely rescued me from stuff. Yeah, I remember that. So

John Matarazzo: 15:42

you went to a Christmas Eve service

Barry Zungre: 15:44

drunk? I was drunk. I was clearly drunk. Clearly drunk. Yeah. No, hiding that in my house was my house was Italian family. You know, you probably heard of how

John Matarazzo: 15:56

we are you Italian? Yeah.

Barry Zungre: 15:58

I mean, drop the F bomb. We didn't do that. No, that that was my family. That was my family. You know, you say whatever you thought, you know, you express how you want. But that that's that's how my family was. And my grandmother was the only one who hates death. You know, and we tried to respect her. But the rest of the family was pretty, pretty crazy. And you know, my sister was a really good girl. And my mom was really, really good woman. But I was. I was black sheep. Yeah.

John Matarazzo: 16:28

So you had this experience going to church drunk on Christmas Eve the year before you actually saved? Yep. What happened during that time? And then how did you actually come to your decision point? Yeah,

Barry Zungre: 16:42

you know, the thing was really weird. Like I really liked. I think I was like everybody, like, like, when I was in high school and college, everybody party. Everybody did and a lot. And during the summer, you drink almost every day, you get you smoke pot almost every day. And it was normal. Like I was ambitious. Like, I wasn't like, I was an ambitious kid. I wanted to go to college. I wanted to, you know, be successful in my life. I wanted to have a sense that, you know, I think I want to make money. I think that was really important to me. When I saw people with money. I thought, Wow, that's really impressive. That's impressive to me. For right or wrong, I'm just saying how I was sure. So but everybody got high. Everybody got drunk. The good kids were I I don't think I would have been considered a good kid. But I wasn't a bad kid. There were their kids. Their kids dying from taking drugs like my high school is. It's pretty common. A guy named Sam Hill. I don't know if you know, you know, Elizabeth, to glassport. Okay, you know where that is? Yeah, there's a real high cliff. Okay. Yeah, a guy jumped off there thinking he could fly. Because he was tripping. Like, like somebody I knew not not a close friend. But if somebody I know. So that was like, this before wasn't too good, I think when it comes to drug but, but everybody does. So that's that was me. Just you know, same thing, everybody. Everybody was getting high. And I remember I wanted to be happy. Okay. I remember thinking, I wanted to be happy. No see party to get happy girlfriends to be happy. You, you know, do whatever you do to try to be happy. So I was I was about that. And I remember, it was me. My friend permin. Jeannie, who just died by the way. perm Genie, think Rob Benedetti might have been there. Maybe not rob Benedetti. He was a friend of perma Genie. hermogenes my youth pastor. Oh, yeah, yeah. No, he came to the Lord. Yeah, he was in my high school. He came to the Lord. Yeah, we've talked about the Lord. I mean, I didn't lead him to the Lord behind but, but he thought about me getting saved. So he went off to college, and eventually he came to the Lord. Yeah, it was really cool. Anyway, went to a bar. And there was a dance contest. I won the dance contest. I want to get okay. Yeah. And we're, you know, we're, we're drinking, you know, and we were under age. And then we went to this other place. Somebody we met there took us to a place that was a private club. And they must, maybe they thought we were old enough. I don't know. But anyway, we were under age. We went in this place. And we're there and I was with a girl that I met there. And while I was there, and we're drinkin, we're we're supposed to be having fun. And I remember all my friends were there. And I said, Listen, you know what? We're sorry. We're supposed to be having fun. But this isn't fun. I'm not having fun. Something's wrong. I've been thinking about this for a long time. I just wasn't having fun. It was I wasn't happy. And then I felt like I felt like I was losing friends, I kind of didn't like myself. I was starting to not like myself. And I didn't like my relationships with people. And they didn't, I found that they were not liking their relationship with me. And it was just a really, really bad time. And I left there. And another person tells me the story I forgotten about I went to a reunion. There's a guy named Jim Eddie, great guy. We went to see the exorcist. Okay. It was when the exorcist and I think that you'll find that was in the fall of right before I came to the Lord. And he said, we were drunk and high, going to see the exorcist. And I put my head out the window. And I was yelling expletives at a cop. So he was getting No, it was really stupid. I was just being really stupid. He, he and my friends pulled me in, but it was just I was just being stupid. So went into see this movie. And I was terrified. I was so afraid. I was never as afraid as I was not that night. And I left there. You know, me being unhappy me being like, reckless meet. I said, if this is real, I'm on the wrong side. And I'm in trouble. And so, so what happened? What happened was, I went to we'd all go to the Mount Vernon field. Okay, that was when everybody there was no organized. I mean, there was organized sports, but people were playing tennis player playing basketball, playing, playing baseball was it was in the fall, and we still could do it. And we had a blast and my friends with Jimmy Turner, you know, Jimmy right there with my friend Jimmy Turner. And we went to Cindy barbers house, a cheerleader. And, and, and Janet harbury, Janet Kern, her name is harbor now good friends of ours came in. And she never liked me. Okay. But she started to talk about Jesus, she started. And I was like, looking at her and she seemed happy. She was always like, so so down about everything and so negative and that was me. I thought you should be optimistic about life. So, and I thought, this is very curious. What is this start talking about GC is put down a Bible in front of me. I opened it. No kidding. I read something that I understood. And thought was relevant. And I'm like, so then I realized, wait, I'm not high. I should have been high, huh. You know, I smoked a lot of pot that night. I should have been high. And I wasn't. So conversation went on. Somebody named Gumby was there a really, really great gal that I knew from high school. So I went home, I was alone, as opposed to live in the basement. And she gave me a track, you know, track. Yeah, it's I've never seen this track before. Or after, it was one of these comic book things. Okay. And I was reading it. And it talked about the person in there were sick, and they sinned. And then they died. And I'm not sure this, I'm in my, in my basement. I'm terrified. I'm terrified. Oh, my gosh, they died and they were in sin. You know, but this is serious. This is a serious, you know, normal. I think Normally, you know, somebody in another state, they would read this and they wouldn't be taking, I'm taking this dead serious. I'm like, like, I'm alone with this thing. So

John Matarazzo: 23:45

you were in your basement,

Barry Zungre: 23:46

I like I said, so I'm reading this, and then I read how, but Jesus came to forgive us and our son, you know, and, and, and to give us a gift of, of eternal life, and it's a gift you you give to someone. And there's nothing you do for with a gift except except that there's nothing you have to do and, and I and I believe that I believe in so wholeheartedly, and there was a prayer. So I prayed the prayer and asked Jesus to forgive my sin and to come into my life. And I felt light. I felt cleansed. I felt clean. I felt happy. I felt Jolie I don't know like all the any cliche that you could possibly apply to the most remarkable thing that can happen to a human being. It all happened to me in a moment. Wow. And I was instantaneously changed. I wanted nothing to do with my former life. I wanted to leave that lifestyle forever. Because whatever this new thing is, what am I you know, give me the Bible, whatever it says to believe I'm gonna believe you know, it's like, give it to me. Let me let me read it and Janet current harbury noodles Lord, and she was telling me about Jesus and, and there was this person who was kind of like a hippie character from Michigan. And he felt like he, he was supposed to come to Pennsylvania and they met up with him. And he was just helping people get to know Jesus. And he helped me and Jeff Merriman and Jeff America, you know him another guy that I knew from high school that was older than me, he came to the Lord. And he came into my life at that time, I didn't really, really hang out with him. And he started helping me get to know know the Lord. And Jimmy Turner kind of renewed his relationship with the Lord started getting to know him, and radically, radically changed. And then, two weeks later, I had no idea what it was. But hey, if they said, This is what I need to believe that they showed me in the Bible, okay, I believe it's baptism the Holy Spirit. I got filled with the Spirit. I prayed in tongues. I got numb, felt numb. I started laughing again. I started laughing uncontrollably. Yeah, you know, and oh, yeah, that sounds like when I came to learn, I cry. And then I started laughing uncontrollably. It was like, it was like a crazy, crazy emotional thing that that happened to me. And I knew I knew I was like a different person. I knew I knew it. Then I read later that you become a new creature. And yeah, like all these things. Well, yeah, I can relate to that. That happened. Oh, yeah, for sure.

John Matarazzo: 26:16

So So you were in a place that you just weren't happy with life at all? Oh, you didn't have much direction. You knew you want to do have money or whatever. But you know, nothing was working. Well, you saw God used the movie, The Exorcist to get your attention. You end up seeing a Bible open on somebody's table and something makes sense to you. And somebody then gives you a track. Yep. And you read it by yourself and you pray the prayer, and like magic, your life has changed. Because Jesus has come into your life. Oh, my

Unknown: 26:49

gosh,

John Matarazzo: 26:50

and two weeks later, you've filled with the Holy Spirit filled with the Holy Spirit, you were on a fast track

Barry Zungre: 26:56

telling everybody about Yeah, you know, such a dramatic change.

Unknown: 27:00

However, the

Barry Zungre: 27:00

hardest thing I had, I think it's because of this money thing. This this is a threat. It's a bad thread, you know that you know, Jesus kind of roots things out like the help you get better in your life. I had I just bought a Nickelback of marijuana had all my paraphernalia, you know, I'd go down to something head or something heads in squirrel Hill, all the hippies, it was the place to go to burger, your paraphernalia. It's closed now. But I remember I just love I love to go down there. But anyway, so so I had all this stuff. And it's not smoking pot. That didn't bother me at all. So I've asked people, what do I do with this? What do I do with all my stuff? So I said, can I sell it? And they said, No, you should throw it away. No, no, I should say so much money. I'm going to sell it to someone. So the first time I felt like I heard from the Lord, I felt like deep inside my heart like a conviction. That No, no, I need to get rid of this. So I flushed it down the toilet. I threw all my stuff away. Yeah, so it was good. That's right. So that's been that's been a struggle for me though. The whole money thing is really kind of crazy thread that the Lord has had the root out. Well, I

John Matarazzo: 28:12

want to I want to come back to that. But I want to hear about your journey because you went into why Wim and then thought you're gonna be a missionary for a little while. Oh, yeah. And so I want to hear about that part of your life. Because this is this is kind of leading to where you and I intersected and how your whole fasting beyond the deception point thing. That's where that story. I want to get to that point. So yeah, tell me about Tell me about your time and

Barry Zungre: 28:35

why so so so basically, um, the prelude to that is, I happen to be involved in I don't know, like, who is the Billy Graham of youth groups? Don't Tunney? They just happen to be Janet harbury Kern, her and harbouring happened to be in Jeff Merriman. And not that Michigan guy just happened to be involved in that youth group. Yeah, you know, that is the best group youth group, like in the universe, right. Legendary.

John Matarazzo: 29:04

The power group is there. Yeah.

Barry Zungre: 29:06

Yeah. So we started to go there. And, and right away the, the, the friendships formed in the, you know, and the teaching that we receive, that was just genuine Bible teaching, live out by by the 20s. You know, they had such an such an impact. And they were really, they were really impacted by missionaries. They were really, and they started to go on mission trips, and we started to go on these mission trips with them. And, and then I guess, kind of like the next chapter, Doug and Deb left the youth group to go off to be missionaries themselves. Yeah. And they went off the wound. So we thought, Okay, we got to do that. And the weird thing is, I went to San McKeesport transferred to Duquesne and graduated with an accounting degree and this whole thing of like establishing my career and you And being successful in my career because I came from poor family was really important to me. So that was, that was a thing for me. And so right we're in this amazing youth group, right? I finished college, I get this job. That's a really good job. I'm selling mainframe computers for Burroughs Corporation. That's like a competitive IBM, it's a really good job. And, and, and I sold to large account manufacturing companies and I was doing pretty well. You know, I found out that my, my love was not for accounting, it was for sales. So I saw this and, and, and I got this Good job, and I'm working this job. And then Terry says, you know, we have to do we said, we're going to do we need to go off and be missionaries. We're going off. You guys were married at this point. We were married by that point. Oh, no, we're all gonna be married. No, that's right. We were engaged. Okay. And no, I want she says, I want to know your commitments is no, I'm gonna go, he says, but I think that I need to stay here and get enough experience. So I'm established. I'm at least established in in business. And then I promise I'll leave and, and she said, Oh, sure. And then she went up to y, and, and kind of got counseled by the police. Hey, what's up, this guy's gonna lead you away from missions, you know, and you got to obey your call. And she went up to y wham, the visit it and she was even more firm than ever before. And then

Unknown: 31:21

I had

Barry Zungre: 31:22

a second their experience, right? This whole fasting thing? Yeah. Fasten praying. You know, we're gonna get married. I'm working this really good job. I'm thinking maybe I need to stay at least another year. So I established my experience. But hey, I also want to listen to and obey God. So I'm praying fast, Lord, what should I do? My wife is thinking about breaking up with, let's go off the why wham, you know, thinks I'm a dope. I'm a bud. Now. You know, he's not the guy that I want to marry. So I prayed. And I remember the point at which I got past my deception point. I was an Arby's on banxico Road alone. I was sitting there I headed drink. And I'm listening. Listen, you're listening in a fast food fast thing at a fast food place. Yeah. Because I still I still want to work. So. So this was my time to really listen to the Lord. And I and I realize I'm waiting. I'm waiting. And I'm, and I have my mind focused on God. I'm long past not being hungry. Yeah. And I'm way past, I paid the price. How many days? Are we talking? I'm sure. I'm sure it was a week or maybe two weeks.

John Matarazzo: 32:33

like yours, you're committed. It was

Barry Zungre: 32:35

a good fast, it was a good fast. So I don't remember exactly how long ago. So I'm there. And I'm sitting in there waiting. And I'm, I'm saying from too much spirit, be still you know, you can say that he's on, be still spirit and listen to the Lord. And and I reached this stillness. And I said, Now you can speak to me, Lord, what do you want to say? And I heard nothing. I heard nothing, huh. But that was very significance. Because right after that, there was this revelation. And, and it was like, don't you think I would have pulled you if it was time to go? It was like that. It was like that. No, is like Moses being in the water at the Red Sea. And, you know, what stress? He sees? What do I do? You know, Lord, don't you see these Egyptians coming? You know, and he separated by the, by the, by the cloud, you know? And God gets impatient with mosey said, says, you know, use your staff and part the Red Sea. What are you waiting for? In other words,

Unknown: 33:44

what are you doing, you know, stop praying and

Barry Zungre: 33:47

enact, you know, sometimes time, you know, to act, you know, or another another story, it was like this, it was like the Samuel story when Saul sin, and he made the sacrifice. He wasn't supposed to be supposed to wait for Saul. Saul is gonna come and make the sacrifice. It was after a battle, you know, and they ate the I mean, they they didn't destroy everything like there was supposed to be so he disobeyed anyway. Samuel

John Matarazzo: 34:10

asks, What about the bleeding of the sheep it I hear? Yeah, exactly.

Barry Zungre: 34:13

Exactly. The story. And Samuel was really bummed out about about Saul. And, and God talked Samuel and he said, Would you stop it? It was kind of like that way. You stop it going annoying. Goat annoying the son of Jesse. Because I've chosen him to be king. I reject. I've rejected solace, King, like, stop it. I felt like it was just like that. God was saying, stop it. I would have told you that you think I would have told you that you think I have a stake in this? It was like that. I was like this. I know that this is important. It's okay. You've done what you should know. You know, I'm not telling you to leave yet. It was just like that. And I knew by the side Once afterwards, it was like I was saying, no, it's up time. So time to move. I'll tell you when it's time. And so I stayed there about a year, year and a half. And then we went off to I went, yeah, yeah. And then we, I always wanted to go and work with, with an ethnic group. So it was really weird. Another fasting time. I'm really talking a lot here, but it's good. There is only one Bible verse. Did you know that theologians think? I believe it's from Isaiah. There is only one that they think refers to the Chinese culture. Really, I was fasting and praying. I can look it up if you need me to.

John Matarazzo: 35:39

I'd be interested in that. Yeah, there's

Barry Zungre: 35:41

only one. And while I was fasting, I read that verse. But this is mean that this is me. I looked it up, and I and I read about the dispute. But some theologians think this is the only scripture refresh. I'm thinking I'm praying about my call to go to China, because that's what I wanted to go. But I was specifically praying, praying about it was it was crazy. So that I was in Amsterdam, when I was doing my language school. And I went back into Amsterdam. Interesting story about that. So I started working with Chinese people. I started working with a Chinese pastor in Amsterdam, and amster. All Yeah, there's a lot of illegals. Yeah. And what happens with these these illegals, they come on a tourist visa, then then they disappear. And they work in Chinese restaurants. They have amazing Chinese food. By the way, when you go to Amsterdam, eat Chinese food. It's some of the best Chinese food in the world. It's It's great. They say the best Chinese food is in Hong Kong. But I think the second best I've had Hong Kong Chinese food. Second is Amsterdam. It's just amazing. Yeah. Anyway, so I'm working. I'm working there. And then a weird thing happens. Terry gets a word. She gets a word that we're going to Amsterdam, you know, we're just helping out like a couple days, everybody has to do this great a couple days in the office, as well as do your minister Raven for your culto. And then she gets this word. She said your position is about the change.

Unknown: 37:12

I said, What does that mean?

Barry Zungre: 37:14

I have no idea. She and she gets these things. She's prophetic. But she's assir she gets things she doesn't know what they mean. She's gotten these things my whole life. Yeah, that are exactly right. So that my partner who's a Hindu well, ex partner, now he bought me out. ass. What is Terry said, Can you get her to pray, see whether or not God will speak? Like she gets these amazing words that have led our company anyway. So anyway, so. So we'll get to that in a minute till next day. Yeah, I go to work. I go to work at y when I show them. And they say, the chief account that I'm just helping with a little bit I'm helping with. He says I am headed to Colombia. We're going to work with street children that live in the source. And we need you to take my place. I said,

Unknown: 38:02

No, no, no, you don't understand.

Barry Zungre: 38:03

I left business. I'm gone.

Unknown: 38:05

I'm like,

Barry Zungre: 38:05

exit. You know, now I'm a missionary. I'm here to do mission work all spelled out for you. I'm doing mission work.

Unknown: 38:13

There's no way I'm doing this because I have

Barry Zungre: 38:16

to. And go home Terry talks to me. She says, This is the word of the Lord. You have to do this. You have to you have to do with it what God is calling you to do. What do you mean I left this Okay, so I fight with a little bit more, but then I agree. So I'm their accountant. I'm the accountant of of why Wham Amsterdam. And by the way, the guy who's the head of that is Floyd McClung. I've heard of this that he's famous. This guy's crazy. I saw this man, live on nothing. He could have been a millionaire, all the gifts came in. Wow, he gave it all away. Wow. And I got to see that he never told a soul to get these gigantic gifts. And this is for you, Floyd for all the work you're doing. Give it away. Just give it to them who's giving you give it to this person he needs to give you this mission or give give to these poor people. I never saw anything. Oh, inflow of massive amounts of money, outflow of massive money. He never asked anybody for a penny. People saw the work he did. And this much, I got a chance to see that. So that was that was one of the blessings. So I did that for about two years. Wow. I was accounting for about two years, till I heard God. Again. I don't hear God. I want you to know I don't I rarely hear God. Unlike anybody who's listening to this. It just so happens that I felt like the Lord wanted me to go home because I needed to see my parents. I didn't know why. Terry got a word that we should get home. And I went in I wasn't quite because I didn't start right away. We're there for a two year term or two year term was almost off it was early so I was supposed to finish my commitment. But I felt like like I was supposed to leave. So I told him, and he really had a hard time the guy, he really, really had a hard time with me leaving. So I came back. Within six month period, my mom died. My dad died. And my grandmother, oh my gosh, I never had anybody died my family. And then six months, they all died. Wow, it was like, if I wouldn't have come home, then you would have missed it, Shawn. None of them? Yeah, I wouldn't have seen any of them. Wow. It's like this God, no. God knows. I felt like I'm giving this impression you're getting, I'm telling you these points of time, right? in between that is me feeling hungry. me feeling like I want to go to sleep. Me filling. Boy, that guy's a dope taxi driver. You know, I mean, I just wanna you know, I don't want people to think you get the wrong impression.

John Matarazzo: 40:52

Right, right. Like we're getting, we're getting a snapshot of your life. And so the some of the big things because, you know, I think life is full of transitions, and full of moments where we have these opportunities to make big decisions. And those are the things that when we're not in those when we're not in those times, we were preparing for those times. Yeah. And seeing how God has led you during those times, and you've been willing to fast beyond the deception point, you've listened to your wife and how God speaks to her. And then God confirms it like that has, that has been the guideposts for your life. And it's, it's encouraging to hear somebody that shares their story about how you were far from God, God radically saves you. And you're just trying to figure out the next step. Like you, I don't think you had like a master plan for your life. But you've done you've done very well. And God called you back into business after that. And so, like, I want to learn from these experiences, and what I'm learning so far is that, of course, the fasting beyond your deception point. But these little signposts along the way, where you've had opportunities to make a decision one way or the other. You've made a lot of good decisions. And so as God called you out of why, Wham. That's a tough transition. I was in Wyoming for eight years. I felt so lost, how

Barry Zungre: 42:23

long did it take you to get to reestablish yourself?

John Matarazzo: 42:25

i? Well, first, I dealt with burnout for about nine months. But I I lead for discipleship training schools back to back to back. Oh, that's crazy. And so that was three months of training, where I'm living with the students. And there's no, no, it's crazy, busy, no, no free time. And then going with them on a two month outreach to another country. And then a week in between getting ready for the next one. And then you're doing the next school. And then, and then Joshua generation in the summer. So I did that for two years. Oh, my gosh, and I was burnt out. But I knew that God had spoken to me about being at Cornerstone television. And being at my church, I remember that.

Unknown: 43:07

I remember you said, and

John Matarazzo: 43:09

I kept trying to fit why women there. And here. Here's my problem. I was trying to fit something that God wasn't saying into what he was saying. And that's where the confusion was. It was trying to get puzzle piece that wasn't designed to fit in this life. Yeah. And so that's, that's why I appreciate your story so much, because I see so many parallels with that. And when God called me out of why Wham it actually my pastor asked me a simple question. So what is God saying? God wants me to be at Cornerstone television, and at word worship church, which is now bridge, city church. But how does one fit into this? And then he said, let me let me ask you this again. God, I know that God wants me to be a cornerstone television and at bridge city church. But how does why wouldn't fit into this? And he said, so let me ask you this. What is God not saying? And then all of a sudden, the light went off, Paul and I are the light went on in this case, because I finally realized that the things that God isn't saying, is as important as what he is saying sometimes. And when I try to insert my own flesh in it, because I got used to being a missionary, I got used to that life. It's not an easy life, living off of support. living by faith is not easy. No, but I got comfortable in that. And I just assumed that that's the next day that God wanted me to do. But making that transition, and then eventually volunteering myself into a part time job at the TV station, which then led to a full time job as an assistant producer, and then a year and a half later being the lead producer of our daily program. It's just been me being obedient to the last thing that God said. So I want to hear about part of that transition because you leaving why Wham. Then starting a business being an entrepreneur, being successful selling your business and everything God's got done some really interesting things with your life with that as well.

Barry Zungre: 45:04

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, probably chapter two of my life is me wanting to be a missionary. Yeah. And, and gods and God saying, Yeah, but you're better as a business guy.

John Matarazzo: 45:18

And it is as missions

Barry Zungre: 45:20

in Yeah, like some kind of combination Eve right Right. Yeah. So So our next step after Amsterdam was in this is just a just a way to tell that story of this conflict between missions business missions a bit. How does how does this work? No, no, I don't want to be a businessman. I want to be a missionary and then me being dragged back in unwillingly all the time. And, and hopefully, finally win. Anyway, I still I still have I still have the conflict even to this day. But anyway, so came back came back from yym. Amsterdam. Yeah. And we, because it was so important to us that our next step would we are going to Hong Kong, we're going to do Hong Kong or new Chinese language study. And then we're going to work with, you know, what the new territories are? Somewhat. It's kind of the way rural, it's right next to people's republic. But it's, it's out, it's a way out suburb of Hong Kong. Alright, so

John Matarazzo: 46:29

we had to come back in we had to come inside the house because the all of a sudden there was a rainstorm, and it was just getting too loud for the recording. But so we were talking about you going to China and wanting to go to these

Barry Zungre: 46:43

new territory, new territory, characters in China. So so then you can't do it. Now. You could ticket yourself. When we bought the tickets, right? To make sure we would go, right. We were very rigid and missionary, we have to be missionary. So I was finally going to get there. And we're going to work with new territories people and share the gospel and be missionaries. Right. So we came back and it was really weird. I we were praying you fasting. Mm hmm. And I got a very distinct word. We actually church took a mission trip to the Bahamas and all kinds of people came. It was a good, good trip, people came to the Lord. And we came back. And I had a I was driving north. And Bobby Hollis gave me a car. He gave me a gremlin. What What do you and I drove it down the east coast from Pittsburgh to where I could catch a plane cheaper to go over to the Bahamas and Florida. So So basically, I drove this thing down, and it had a leak so that if it rained, it would drip. It was like a torture, like a drip in your face as you drive. And I had my family, me my wife and two kids. Oh, wow. And it would fill up with smoke. So it drive as long as we could with the windows down that would have to stop till the smoke would go in the car would cool off when we drive a little bit more. So that was like our car. So so we're doing that we we stopped at these people at our church, the Scots and they were both very prophetic. So we were there. And, and and a rest of this the first both stories, I got a word. Oh yeah, as soon as I got back, I felt very clearly that the Lord said I don't want you to raise any support. And here's the thing I have to say I was and why am I was really good at raising support as a sales guy. Yeah, I was in business, a sales guy. I was good at raising support. I had more support than any money and why? Well, you know, like, I would teach people in Wyoming how to raise grant, right, because I like I was passionate. And you know, I could tell my message. And I was involved in sales so I could teach people. So we had lots of money. So what happens is the Lord, the Lord told us very distinctly don't raise support. And so what happens our money started drying up. Hmm. So so we're thinking, Oh, this doesn't make much sense. So So anyway, I thought it was just gonna be a faith journey. We had our tickets, you know, we're going to Hong Kong, the date was sat, we prayed and we said, we got a scripture and it said, dwell in the land and feed securely on his faithfulness. dwell in the land, and feet securely. I think it's a salt. So after I got that word, I talked to Terry about it. And we said, dwelling wetland wetland

John Matarazzo: 49:22

as a missionary you're thinking

Unknown: 49:24

China is Yeah,

Barry Zungre: 49:26

I go to China we supposed to stay here. What What is going on? So So what happened was, we went to the Scott's we thought, so we go in there. We're having a we're, they graciously agreed to take us to stay overnight, you know, on our, on our journey, but we really wanted to go in there because we wanted them to pray with us. So so we're settled in, she cooks a nice dinner and and we have a prayer time. And she says, I have a word for you. You know, and we're great. We're gonna get a word. And she says, The Lord has told me dwell in the land and feed securely on his faith. bus? And I'm thinking, yes, we have the answer. So we both in tandem said, What land?

Unknown: 50:09

And she said, I have no idea.

Barry Zungre: 50:13

So we drove back the rest of the way in our in our Gremlin. And time passes, I get a job, it still isn't time to leave on the mission trip. But it's obvious. We have no money. We have no way to get there. It's becoming more and more bleak,

John Matarazzo: 50:32

right? Because you're a husband and a father of two kids. So you know, you got to really take care

Barry Zungre: 50:37

of them. I got a job and started working. And it becomes more and more bleak, then then it turned out really weird. Then you could take your tickets, and you could read ticket them in somebody else's name. different dates, you know, different. So we did that with Tina, because Tina halls, Terry sister was missionary

Unknown: 50:59

in Hong Kong.

Barry Zungre: 51:01

She was on a mobile team in Hong Kong. So we ticketed her and she came back, I guess to America for a visit and flew back and vertica So that was it. Like our dream is mission work. And I was working crappy jobs. Okay, I was selling mainframe computers. I was selling laptops, and I tried to get a good job. And here's what happened. I was scolded on the interview, you left to become a missionary, you left this job, right to pursue Christian service. Sir, we're not interested in you, you just don't have the passion or devotion that we're looking for. I would involve all the good jobs. So I had to start from the very lowest point, I worked went to work for Radio Shack, they started the sell directly business to business computers. I like I won a national sales award. Really, I like I won, I went to a national thing for the top 10 sales people in the country. And then I went to work for another company. I set records there, it was computer Centers of America, I sold network computing solutions still was not these crap jobs compared to what I have to but I outsold everybody. Then there was an opening, my sister became promoted to a manager in a software services company. And they wouldn't hire me when I first came back. He left for Christian service, and that would that was a good job. They wouldn't hire me. They saw what I did. They hired me. I set the world on fire for them. Like I was like the biggest salesperson they ever had. It was gift God gave Yeah, um, gift that it's selling them. It's really important to me to be able to do well and it's just a gift I have I've never not been the top salesperson in any job I've ever had never happened. So then I'm they're still craving permission thinking to my life is meaningless, but doing really well itself. Then I went to work selling nationally for a company. And I did really well there. Then events, I left there, and I started my own company, but I had a non compete. So so worried. Yeah, this company was gonna come after me. I didn't ever sell anything that violated non compete, but I was really tempted. I went to the edge. Okay, I went to

Unknown: 53:17

the edge. And

Barry Zungre: 53:19

I peeked over, you know, many times because I had their whole client list. You know, okay, I could have used it. But I waited till after the non compete was over. And I sold locally, which I never did for them. Well, no, no, I actually did sell them but I wasn't bound lokay Sure. So I was just found nationally. So

John Matarazzo: 53:39

anyway, so you started your own company

Barry Zungre: 53:41

start my own company. Yeah, we what was a funny story about that was it was computer enterprising. It's, it's now in $84 million company. So a year it's it's it's a good company. I don't have shares anymore. I was bought out too bad. But anyway, so I left. I got bought out when it was about 42 million. So, so doubled in size since then, but I've always continued to be involved, never not been involved. I sold out. I was on the board and then I stayed involved I I advise my old partner max partner. So while I was there, crew, this company won awards. We won national awards in company fast growing privately held company that a Pittsburgh Technology Council category and fastest growth. We won every category going on in the last one was over 25 billion we we won that a couple times. Then it was kind of like, you know, we didn't even apply anymore. We won. We're nominee for entrepreneurs of the year. then subsequently, after I left, my partner was nominate again and he won. Ernst Young Entrepreneur of the Year. So in our company, just we did what other people did in terms of software services, but we just did it really good. So but all that time, I still wanted to do mission work. So, when I was 15, I decided that I wanted to retire when I was 50. My partner agreed to buy me out. So it took a long time to come to that. But But we find it in through lots of struggles fighting, kind of have a, you know, a, what's the personality, personality type. Everything is everything is chaos and conflict. So, and my partner kind of, is the same way. So we struggle with that, when we're both in operation, so we don't when I'm advising, so, so it's a it's a good relationship. So anyway, so finally, he agreed to buy me out, still took a year to close the deal, we close the deal. And I started to get to do what I thought I wanted to do, which it was I learned a methodology for coaching nonprofits, that you take them through a year engagement, where they can become the goal was for them to become better business, so they'd be better at Mission. So I took three y one basis and took them through through this engagement. So it was kind of like I was still doing business. Right, right, even though I was doing mission. And later on, I helped my son with with a radio video game review program. And he worked on that for a couple years. And it turns out that there were two large companies, we had about a million listeners. But the other company had about two and a half million, they started 2 million and they started earlier than us. But then they got syndicated. So they instantly went over 4 million. Yeah. So we thought it'd be too hard to catch now. In our syndication options were much tougher. It was a tougher road. Yeah. So would have to work with very low profit for a couple more years, we decided to close that down. Yeah, so the conflict was always there between business. I'm good at business. Yeah. I'm okay at missions. But if you combine business and missions, that works well, yeah.

John Matarazzo: 57:00

You know, so this and so you still have a heart for missions, you still have a heart for business. And now you've got has helped you kind of mold those two together in various different ways to share, you can help other people who missionaries really need help. We need a lot of help with all this kind of fundraising, and this and structure and that kind of stuff. Sure. And so you've been invaluable to those people that have benefited from your influence there. So one of the things that I love to ask that whenever I get to do these, these shutter stations sure is, you know, this, this is based around the mass road story, you know, we look back at our lives, and just like the story of the mass road, the disciples were walking with Jesus. And they had no clue that it was him until they sit down at the table. Jesus blesses the food and breaks the bread, and then poof, he's gone. Right? And Luke 2432, the disciples turned to each other and say, weren't our hearts burning within us along the way, as he was revealing the scriptures to us? So I want to learn I want to be able to identify those moments in my life, where Jesus is walking with me so very, as you look back at your life, what's the moment that Jesus was walking with you? But you didn't realize it in the moment?

Unknown: 58:13

Wow, wow. I kind of look.

Barry Zungre: 58:19

Look back at it. You know, I

Unknown: 58:22

don't look back

Barry Zungre: 58:22

and think, Oh, geez, I made such terrible mistakes. Because even leaving CEI, I, you know, I prayed and fasted and got a definitive word, you know, that I should leave. Although, I oftentimes I look back, I wish I would have stayed longer, so I would be able to save more money. Uh huh. So, you know, so that I could do more things. But anyway, I'm able to do a lot. So, you know, it's, it's not really a sad story. I do fine. Yeah. But as I look back, you know, what, what are kind of those moments? I'll tell you what are mostly wish my life. I see my life as a combination of, I'm really close to Jesus, I'm really close to the Father. And then there's times where I kind of lose sight of him. Like, I like I'm at my life, but he's not in the middle of my life. And, and anyway, I have a problem. My makeup is my, my son says that I'm ADHD, I'm single focus. So if I'm focused on trying to make a company grow, I'm not really paying attention to anything else. If I could change anything, I would pay more attention to Jesus for way more of my life than I had. I would make Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit's so much more a part of my, my daily life during those periods of time, so that it was less like darker periods, light periods, darker periods, light periods, to more light. Yeah, yeah. So I think if I could change anything, I would change that. I also came to the Lord way sooner, I would have made so many ridiculous, pre Jesus mistakes. And I think, like, I'm not one of those these kind of people that think that you can look back at your life and think that you didn't make mistakes. I just don't have a I don't have a real lot of regrets in my life. I certainly don't I look back and I go, Wow, I made made a mistake. But I think the biggest thing about that is being able to say, wow, I made a mistake, I'm really sorry. And saying you're sorry, to the people around you, because people, people are really important. You know, people, people aren't like, props, as you go through life. They're like, an integral part of your story. You know, they're meant to be there. They're meant to be in close relationship with you as you go, as you go through. And I would make sure that that there was more light in some of those places, I think, were dark in my life. And I would make sure that, that people, always people were really important. And so that you don't have to go back and say you're sorry, you know, so that. Yeah. So hopefully, hopefully, those changes are happening. I'm almost 67 I better start happening soon. Yeah.

John Matarazzo: 1:01:20

Another question that I like, it's in that same vein, but I like asking. That's a tough question. It is, it is a really tough question causes us to be introspective and say, you really look at our lives tonight, man. Jesus really was there because we need to acknowledge that Jesus never left us. I know it's true. We're the ones that aren't aware. That's really true. And so true. Kind of like the follow up question to that is, if you could go back in time, and sit down and have give some advice to young Barry.

Barry Zungre: 1:01:51

Yeah, yeah.

John Matarazzo: 1:01:52

What advice would you give yourself? And what's kind of going on in your life that you would want to? That you would want to interject into that point in your life?

Unknown: 1:01:59

Yeah, I'm

Barry Zungre: 1:02:02

less proud that I would have less pride and I would listen to others more, that I would accept counsel, it seems like it always takes Jesus at these break down intersections for me to change. Because I just don't change easy. I would change listening to people and, and, and listening to counsel and not being so proud and think thinking I'm right all the time. If I could, if I could change that that would be that would be all the conflicts kind of trace back to that, that similar element. I've just been so independent, you know, me, me five miles away from my house when I was a kid playing the creature, you know, so that, that, hey, we're, you know, we're joined together with other people in this journey. So yada, yada, figure out who you know who these people are, that are important to you and treat them important. Love them. And listen to them. Yeah, that's that that would be it's okay to listen to yourself. But stop. Stop thinking. There's, there's there's some kind of invulnerability about your own ideas in your own mind.

John Matarazzo: 1:03:17

So what age of Barry, would you want to give that advice to?

Barry Zungre: 1:03:20

Oh my gosh, throughout throughout, like yesterday? Yeah. No, no, seriously, like, I have conflicts right now. Like, you know, I love to go out. I think I mentioned this before we record it. You know, I have to I have to quarantine for five days. I'm like, resisting quarantine. So I'm so I can like hug my grandchild. Yeah. Not because I'm sick. Just because it's awesome. It's awesome. And everybody tells me you've been ridiculous. Just Just quarantine for five days do what they say. Why is that hard? For me? It's like it's obvious to you, right? It's like, Ah, so that's what I mean. It is

John Matarazzo: 1:04:00

nice. But it's not easy either. So I'll give you that too. But Barry, what what's the life verse that you have? That is something that you've always just kind of anchored to?

Barry Zungre: 1:04:09

Yeah, I always say this, I always say this, I guess I ought to think about what what a verse is to correspond with us. But of all the pursuits of life of the mall. The gospel is preeminent. The Gospel story is principle. It's the most important. You know, like, you know, there's social causes. And there's like, like, all those kind of things that these are all really important, but the gospel is the most important. So something to do with what tells the the Gospel story, some scripture that tells the gospel, something from the four gospels, you know, that tell us about the Jesus the Savior and and you know, that we need to give our lives to Him. That's preeminent. That's like the most important you know, that's the that's the kind of thing But there is no least common denominator that is lower than or in but in this case higher than the gospel. Right. Then that Jesus came, he died. He loves us,

John Matarazzo: 1:05:14

you know, forgives us if we don't have that foundation. We can't build on anything.

Barry Zungre: 1:05:18

That's it. Yeah. And I think all the anything that is confusion about, like, religious ideas, yeah. It's all the talk about religious ideas, when really it comes down to like, the preeminence of Jesus and His love for us and he's the Savior and he's, but he's the Lord, you know, he needs to run your life. He the Father and the Holy Spirit are preeminent. You know, that that's, that's what it would be something like that.

John Matarazzo: 1:05:43

Yeah. Do you have any books that you would recommend for somebody that is wanting to develop themselves? And

Barry Zungre: 1:05:51

yeah, um, I. Although, although all the Christian learned people aren't going to like this book selected, but I'm going to tell it to you anyway, I get good because because I love this. I love this. I have been listening a lot. And reading a lot of Jordan Peterson lately. Okay. And here's why. When I listened to Jordan Peterson, in Jordan Peterson, I don't know if you, you know him, your listeners would know him. He's just great. He sees famous but I mean, he became famous for making your make your bed. Yeah. And, well, the one the one I just finished his 12 rules for this podcast. And the other thing is they're lengthy. And he does interviews and his interviews are lengthy, because the ideas that he discuss are lengthy. I like that there's an intellectual. There's a well thought out a intellectual base for the things that I believe, yeah,

John Matarazzo: 1:06:50

I was the scriptural like, like, also, like,

Barry Zungre: 1:06:51

I'm satisfied that the scripture says something. I accept that as the truth. It's absolute truth. I accept that. I accept that. But I would like to be able to somebody who doesn't understand anything about Christianity, I'd like to discuss with them in human terms in sociological terms in anthropology, anthropological terms, in other terms, in scientific terms. This is the meaning of these scriptures and these principles that the Bible talks about. There. They are infinitely well thought out. You, you know these pieces that you revere, here's how this is connected. This there, there's a real connection. And nobody I've ever heard in my life does that better than Jordan Peterson he's, it's remarkable. It's remarkable how, you know, just just one little thing that that just just just always sticks with me. He says, How do you know? There's truth? How do you know there's absolute truth when it when people said things are relative, like people who believe in the Bible believe believe there's absolute truth, and it's declared in the Bible? So he says, I know because there's evil. that nothing could be more true than that. Yeah. The exact the exact Converse, and that meant and that people could live good lives, and not be so affected by evil. It tells me that there's a God. That's true. People who live live in prison camps, Nazi prison camp in a Russian prison company, you know, the Gulag, you know, you know, the Gulag they live there. And they were able to not become serial killers. Yeah, they were able to become, you know, soldier needs to be him like a good people. A good person. That tells me there's a God, nothing else. He did this on his own. There's a god, you know, so, anyway, yeah. And I like I like Rena, because it tells me, that's what I believe. And now I can explain it better.

John Matarazzo: 1:08:57

Yeah, you know, so yeah, it's always good to be able to learn how we can defend our faith and defend our thoughts to, you know, because somebody else has has expressed that and, you know, I like having these long form conversations with people because, yeah, we can I can sit in a classroom, and which I have with you, and I've learned things from you. But being able to ask questions, being able to process things, being able to really explain things, without the confines of this needs this be in a soundbite. I think that's really an important thing. We so we missed so much. And so true. I think listening and caring for what the other person actually has to say, is so important. Because sometimes we're worried about what we're going to say next. So that we were not even paying attention to what they have to say. So true. So me personally, I'm trying to be an active listener. Yeah. And you do well, you can learn so much with that and so very, I I just want to thank you. Oh, allowing me to join you along your way.

Barry Zungre: 1:10:02

This is great. This is great. Thanks a lot. enjoyed it.

John Matarazzo: 1:10:08

I hope you enjoyed my conversation with berries hungry. It is really encouraging to be able to tell Barry that what he said to me years ago still has a positive impact in my life, as well as hearing his story in more depth. I want to encourage you to reach out to someone who is impacted your life like Barry's words about fasting past the deception point impacted me and let them know about it. Today encourage someone who encouraged you. I'll be providing the links to Barry's website in the show notes. Thank you for listening to along the way. If you've enjoyed joining me along my way, please share this with a friend who you think will be encouraged by this podcast. Also, please rate and review along the way on iTunes that helps more people discover along the way. And you can subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and my website along the way dot media. I hope that you've enjoyed this part of my journey in May you realize when Jesus is walking with you along your way. Along the way is honored to be part of the charisma Podcast Network. You can find tons of spirit filled content from their vast catalogue of podcasts, including my Monday through Friday news stories for the charisma news podcast. Go to CPN shows to see the full list and latest episodes.