TPJ10 | How Do We Join Jesus All Week Long? | Tim Timmons | 11.01.22

With all these learnings, I would not be the man I am without my cancer diagnosis. No way. And so as I look at life, I look at how much I try to run from pain and sorrow. And yet those are the greatest gifts for growth.Trying to figure out how to embrace that more. Not not ask for it or pray for it. Just not damn it, but welcome it.

Hey, welcome to the Prodigal Journey where we celebrate Christ's power through our weakness. And thank you for joining us today. On today's episode it is going to be a little bit different format.I'm going to repost an interview that I did with Tim Timmons last year. This interview was done for another podcast called the Fame Music show where we interview mostly local artists and let them play some original music.But for this interview I happened to get a chance to sit down with Tim Timmons after a concert he performed and it was a really just a little bit about Tim before we dive into this interview. He lives in Nashville with his family and he is a Grammy nominated songwriter for the song.Even if now many of you might be familiar with that song because we hear it on the radio all the time by Mercy Me.But Tim was a part of writing this song with Bart Millard from Mercy Me and it has reached many people with its message of pain, raw honesty and hope in the middle of our circumstances. And I encourage you, if you have never heard Tim's music before, you really need to go check it out.He writes songs that just reach into the soul and give us something to connect to. It helps us know that we are not alone in our journeys, that there may be questions we ask and there may be pain, but we are loved by God.God reaches into our darkness and he meets us where we are. And I personally feel like music that is written from a perspective of personal experience and lessons learned is the best kind of music.I really do hope you enjoy this interview. I did wrestle back and forth off and on about whether or not to really repost this interview because it was not exactly one of my finest.And what I mean by that is in the editing process I realized in the original audio that I posted for the other podcast I happened to say cool and awesome way too many times. So I did try to do some editing for the Prodigal Journey repost and tried to make it a little better for you.There might still be some in there, but please be patient as I continue to grow my interviewing skills and continue to connect with people and their stories so you don't have to Send me any emails about that being a way for me to improve, because I have identified that.

So thank you ahead of time.

The more I thought about it, the reason I decided to post this one was because in the end it's not about how well I do an interview or how well I communicate. While those things are important, they are not the most important thing and not more important than the gospel.And the more I have gone back and listened to this interview, the more I realize how much Tim has to say and how incredibly honest and insightful he is. Tim is a very down to earth guy with a great sense of humor. He loves Jesus.And during our conversation he shares his burden for how we are living during the week outside of church. So we get to know a little bit more about him and we talk about some great truths. So here we go. Enjoy the interview.

All right, today we have Tim Timmons joining us in the studio. Tim is a Grammy nominated songwriter for the song even if that you hear on the radio by Mercy Me.A lot of times songwriters don't get noticed in the background like that. Tim, how are you doing today?

I'm doing well. We just, we just did a live thing here and Ben helped me. Basically took us a whole morning and helped me do some something live this whole show live.So anyways, I'm exhausted and excited to be here.

Awesome. Yeah, it's good to have you on the show with us today. The concert was pretty exciting last night, so maybe it's on one of your top places to play.Maybe. I don't know, we'll see. But.

Well, this place is awesome.

Yeah, the theater that we have here.

Is definitely great and it actually makes. I mean, I travel the country. That's what I get.Well, that's what I did do pre Covid, but you get to just be with so many different people and you know, I love different venues, but so often the venues, the people, the venues aren't. Aren't the most awesome and your team is incredible. So I was just. I was. That was a blast. So thank you.

Awesome. Yeah, we appreciate it. It was a fun time last night.

And I did the worm on stage, everybody. And it was pretty powerful. I mean, it was, you know, I feel like everybody's pretty impressed with me.

All right, let's. Let's get to know a little bit about you. Where are you originally from?

I'm from Orange County, California. Okay, so that's Southern California. And growing up there my whole life. I've surfed five days a week. My whole life.So now I just moved to Nashville about five or six years ago and there are no waves in Nashville, so I found that out pretty quick. So. Yeah, so we're. We're Orange county transplants in Nashville.

And I think your wife was saying earlier you're kind of outside of the. A little bit outside in the Franklin area, which I haven't been to Nashville yet. I need to go.But I'm imagining that's kind of nice to be disconnected a little bit. Just enough to where you know you're not right in Nashville. Yeah.

I mean, if Franklin blew up for some random reason, most of Christian music would be done. Most of country music would be done. So, I mean, it's just so many artists live in that one town. It's awesome.

Yeah. Now, what would you say is one interesting fact about you that fans might not know?

Gosh, other than I'm. I guess you can all see that I'm bald. There's a fact about me that you don't know. Gosh, I got thrown for loop.I mean, I'm gonna think about it tonight for sure.

I will say that's one thing that makes gonna make this episode so awesome. It's two bald dudes.

Yeah.

I mean, it's hard being this good.

Looking, you know, it's like, what else? Yeah, I'm gonna have to think about that. I mean, people don't know that I was a runner in high school. And I. My boy asked me.They were watching McFarlane the other day, which is a movie that. Like a running movie. And I did pretty well like that. Yeah, I was a pretty good runner.

Okay.

Yeah. Cool.

Yeah.

Do you have a place that you guys have traveled to as far as shows that you would consider to be one of the more memorable places you've performed?

Yeah, I mean, I had to. And you guys, this is.If you need to just stop and just think about me or pray for me or whatever you do, please do now, because we were asked to go to Maui and they said you're gonna have a whole week of just vacation and then you're gonna play for about an hour. So it'll be a big thing for the. Unifying the church in Maui. So that was a really hard. I think it was memorable because it was so hard.It was so rough on my wife and I. So that wasn't rough at all. It was like one of the most awesome things ever.

Yeah. Cool. Now, speaking of your family, I mean, do they travel with you to most of your shows?

No, they homeschool now, so we can Travel to more shows, and we started homeschooling at the beginning of COVID So, yeah, we've been homeschooling so I could travel, but I haven't been traveling, so they've come with me a few places. We do right before COVID We've done a few cruises. Like, there's a Mercy Me cruise that we do, so take them on that, which they love.But cruises aren't anywhere near our future right now.

Yeah. Okay. Now, how long have you been doing the music? I mean, what was it for you that clicked that said, hey, this is what I want to do full time?I mean, how did you get started with that?

Yeah, so I was a.If you aren't familiar with, like, Jesus kind of music, there's something called a worship leader, and that person generally just helps people sing their prayers to Jesus. That's really what that role is. And so that's what I did for years at a church community in California. And it was awesome. It was so great.And while I was out there, I kept. I would win these songwriting contests, and I just kind of put my songs out there, and I kept winning.And so these people from Nashville are like, you need to come start writing with us. So that's kind of what started me down that road.And then after a little bit, then I ended up learning some new things, and I had some more to say that I never had before.And once I started saying that stuff and writing those songs, then every label in Nashville started coming and saying, hey, man, you want to be an artist? Like, not really. I'm an old man. Like, you know.

Yeah.

So I kind of came in a little bit through the. The back door of this whole thing.

Yeah. And it's funny because I know last night when you had said about. You had mentioned, like, you don't really consider yourself a songwriter.So on your banner that comes up across on the bottom of the screen, you'll see in the video, I put prayer writer and musician, because I know you stressed that a lot last night. Yeah.

Idea of what I do is I literally.I'm writing my prayers, so whatever I'm going through, those are the songs that I'm writing so that other people get to pray those, too, or sing those. So I just often say, these aren't just songs. These are actual prayers.So, yeah, I make way too big of a deal of that in my shows, so I need to pull that back.

But I find that's the most rewarding type of show or concert to go to, is musicians who are Sharing those vulnerable moments so that other people can grow from that. I mean, last night, I've never seen you live before, and that was just, for me, was a huge encouragement.And I know some of the people that came told me afterwards it was just a blessing.Like, even the songs that seem like they talk about bad stuff, I mean, that's what people want to hear because it speaks to where they are in their lives.

So, yeah, I think we're just. We're all going through it at one time or another. My dad says if you're not, wait a week, it's coming, you know?

Yeah.

And I think the songs that most connect are the ones that other people can go, oh, my gosh. I know how. I know how to worry. Like, I'm a professional worrier.So to have a song that helps me do something else, practice something else other than worry, practice, trust rather than worry, I think speaks to everybody. So those are the songs that I love to write. Yeah. That's because I need them.

Yeah. Now, what would you say are artists that have influenced your music, personally?

Yeah, I was thinking of a bunch of jokes, but none of them came fast enough. I think there's a guy named David Wilcox. It's actually from North Carolina.He, early on was so instrumental for me in just being a lyricist and a songwriter, that he would invite you into this story, and you felt like you were part of it with him. You know, he was writing this. This really intricate, amazing song. Great guitar player. But I felt like I was part of his journey.And so as I started writing songs, I'm like, I want to involve people in my journey, that they kind of feel like they're part of it and they can put their own lens over this song, you know, this prayer.

Yeah. Now, for.

For you, as an.

As a musician and artist, how has Covid had an effect on what you're doing?Because I know yesterday during setup, you were all excited because you were using some new equipment that you had started using during some quarantine. What's that been like for you?

Yeah, well, I make money by traveling, and I don't travel anymore, which is just a whole different ball game. So that's been hard in a lot of ways. Yet it's also been awesome to be with my family more and more.I got to finish a record during COVID which was interesting because you're, you know, not with people all the time, But I got to finish a record, which was great. Gave me time to do that. So it has been really beautiful in a lot of ways, too. So I'm. We're still eating, and we're doing great.

Yeah, that's good. Now, is that. Is that the project that you have coming up that's coming out pretty soon here, I think.

April.

Is that correct?

April's when the record comes out. It's called Here, and there are four songs out now. They're kind of. The labels kind of trickling them out, dripping them out.And so there are four out now, and then one will come out next month, and then somehow we'll get to April and the record will come out. But I'm excited about it. I really love these songs. The real. It's really fun.

Okay, what was the inspiration behind this project?

Yeah, well, I was with Sony, a record label before, like Christian Sony before, and called Provident. And I got dropped from them a few years back, and I just started writing more songs, going, okay, I'm a fan of Jesus, and I kind of.I work with him, if you will. And I was like, if you want to open some door, you can. Because I quit opening doors for myself because I'm pretty.I can talk my way into things and become friends with people to get what I want. And I. About 10 or 11 years ago, I promised that I would never do that again.I said, I will never open a door again on my own to try to get my way and to be more awesome somehow, to make myself more awesome. And in that, I think all these doors started opening up.I ended up writing a song you already talked about, you already alluded to, even if with Mercy Me. And all of a sudden, I'm at the Grammys, and I decided that I would never open a door again. And yet these things keep opening up. And I.You know, the story behind that's actually really fun because I just had a sense that the song was for my friend Bart from Mercy Me. Yet I would never say that to him. Like, hey, man, I think you need to listen to the song. You know?And so how it happened, it's a long story, but he basically said the words of this chorus verbatim in one of our conversations as he was crying about his son with diabetes. And the fact that I had this sense that the song was for him, but I never wanted to say anything. It wasn't my job to open that door.I'm like, God, if you want to open the door, you can. So the fact that Bart and I then rewrote the song together, and then I'm sitting at the Grammys going, I didn't do Anything for this.I didn't schmooze my way in. I didn't, you know, try to, like, trick my way into anything. I just was present and tried to love people really well.And in the midst of it, I believe God keeps opening doors. So then all of a sudden, I get another record deal from a label called Integrity. And they said, what are you thinking about?What are you learning right now? And I have a nonprofit called 10000minutes. So it's 10000minutes.com where I blog and I do a bunch of videos. And we're starting to do some.A podcast and whatnot. But it's how do we join Jesus all week long if you're a follower of Jesus? Often we just kind of do it in the 80 minutes or 10,080 minutes in a week.So the 80 minutes are just in the gathering of the church. That's what the church does. We gather for 80 minutes. But there are 10,000 other minutes until we gather again.And I was thinking, gosh, I want songs that would help me not work for God, but just like, what if he's already at work? And the people around me and the things around me, I want songs that help me join him during my week.So that's really what this record started coming down to, was I want those songs and those prayers so that during the week in my car or whatever, I can be praying those. My kids can, or now people on the radio can.

So, yeah, that's awesome.I know last night when you did that song and I'm hearing it, I'm thinking that's the one thing I like about live shows with artists is because songs that maybe they had a help in the process writing, you don't always know that unless you do the research behind the song. Yeah. Because, I mean, we hear it on the radio from Mercy Me all the time. And, you know, we were talking about that earlier today, and it's like.Like Tim had a part in writing that song. And that's awesome.

So, yeah, it's so beautiful. I mean, I wrote that, the chorus, with a friend named Crystal Lewis, like six years ago.And so for it to then come out and do that and has helped so many people, encourage so many people. It's just awesome.

Yeah. Good.

So much more fun.

Now let's talk a little bit about. You mentioned your blog, and I know you got you some YouTube videos to associate with that. Yeah. Like you said, it's called 10,000 minutes, right?

Yeah.

Okay. What's the meaning behind that and what kind of Motivated those for that. Yeah, starting that for you.

Yeah. So it just. Somebody had mentioned that there are 10,080 minutes in a week. And I thought, huh, that's really interesting. And being I, you know, I was.I worked in a church before, a church community for all those years, and I think I just spent most of my time on the 80 minutes that we gathered. It's like everything was about, hey guys, come here, come here and see about Jesus, or we'll sing about Jesus in these 80 minutes.And as I left, being a pastor, it kind of hit me like, I've spent my whole Life on the 80 minutes, but there are 10,000 other minutes. And the 10,000 minutes is when the stuff hits the fan. You know what I mean? Like, that's when stuff goes down.That's when I'm driving in a car and somebody cuts me off and I want to say things to them, right? It's in those moments, yet Jesus would go his way. I could practice condemning that person and giving them the high sign.Or I could practice the way of Jesus, which I'm a Jesus follower. And if I'm practicing the way of Jesus, it would be, what if I started praying for my enemy?Because that person becomes my enemy when you cut me off or do something dumb or don't do what I think you should do. I judge you and you become my enemy. Yet Jesus would say, okay, awesome, Tim, you're doing great.What if you actually prayed for that person right now? Bless that person right now. It's not your job to change them, and it's changing me or even the idea that I literally am an addict.So, hi, I'm Tim, and I'm addicted to worry. And I think as I travel the country, most everybody is addicted to worry. I mean, it's a huge addiction that we have.And it hit me that I'm going, in my 10,000 minutes, I'm addicted to worry. In the 80 minutes, I can sing songs of surrender and God, you are God and you have this stuff, you hold it. But then I walk out the door.And financially, something happens. Covid happens, my kids, something happens with them. And I just get into this worry cycle.And so I've learned that in my 10,000 minutes, I can practice worry or I can practice trust, like, God, you're at work. Worrying's getting me nowhere. So I'm actually going to take a deep breath and open my hands.So those types of things, that's kind of what started me on that.And then I've got this text thread that's now 25,000 people on this text thread that I send two encouragements a week, which is super fun to get all the responses from that. But it's like, hey, who's driving you crazy today? Pray for your enemy today. You know, it's just encouragements twice a week.

So yeah, I still got to go and sign up for that.

Yeah, do it. Yeah, you go to go on your phone and then the number you'll put in is 5-5678. So 5-5678 is the number you call and then our text and then 10k. 10K.

So now you're also. You've also posted some videos. I think some of them are called United, Divided or something like that.And then there's also some called stuff we shouldn't say. Not stuff. It's stuff. Yeah. So are those all kind of connected under that 10,000 minutes?

So it's, it's these.Just these concepts that I'm learning and looking at the world and watching how divided we are about things that are just not of the way of the kingdom of God.

Yeah.

So Christians are all of a sudden taking stands in places where it's almost as if, you know, there's. Right now there's like the, there's a Christian side and there's a non Christian side, which is so ridiculous. And the kingdom of God is above it all.Like, it's just. So I guess I've been trying to figure out how do I practice not judging people, but trying to go, where, where are those, where they.Where are they from? How do I love that person? So it's stuff that I've needed.And so then I make these videos about it and stuff is just another way of saying things that are maybe inappropriate to say.

Yeah.

I put a little sh in there because that's kind of how it feels. But it's, it's a. It's a little provocative, but I think it's fun too. And I think hopefully it's encouraging.And all the letters I get from it is that it's been really encouraging to people.

Yeah, I think it's pro. Provocative because it's convicting for us. And yeah, we don't sometimes like to hear those things. So.

Yeah, but it's me too.I think that's the, that's my favorite part about us is I don't feel like I'm preaching something that I'm not going, oh, this is nailing me right now, you know?

Yeah.

So I feel like I'm in it with everybody instead of Doing it at people, you know?

Yeah. Now let's talk a little bit about some of the things you've walked through, you know, over the last several years.I know you had mentioned it last night at the concert, and you had said, like, I think it was about 20 years ago that you were only given, like, five years to live. So why don't you walk us through that kind of. That process? What was your initial thoughts from your diagnosis and what.What God's been teaching you through that?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, initial thoughts are. That's like, the most sobering thing to say. Hi, welcome to the doctor's office. You've got five years to live.And I think we were married three years at that point. My wife and I were. And, yeah, that was a pretty sobering moment. And my wife had a long wrestling match with God in that whole season going.You've totally hosed me. Like, I thought you were good. How is this happening? You know? And I think I had to wrestle with and have continued to wrestle with a lot of things.One is, is God actually real? Because if he's not, I'm kind of wasting my time. What's he think about me? Like, where am I in this whole thing? And is he good?So I've asked a lot of questions and continually ask a lot of questions, but I think it's. It refines things for me. So, you know, there are a lot of things that I think I would be caring about a lot more.And this is the daily reminder of, oh, yeah, you woke up again today. So I write this eczema wrist every day with a Sharpie, and a doctor told me I'm gonna get sharpieitis at some point. Which I'm like, no.But one of them is just remembering, like, you woke up again. Today is another day. This is the day that God made, you know, I get to be here today like, you who are listening, like, you woke up again today.It sounds, like, so silly and, like, duh, But, I mean, that's pretty awesome. And I get to actually walk with Jesus today. So it's like, all these learnings. I would not be the man I am without my cancer diagnosis. No way.And so as I look at life, I look at how much I try to run from pain and sorrow, and yet those are the greatest gifts for growth. So trying to figure out how to embrace that more. Not ask for it or pray for it, just not damn it, but welcome it.

Yeah, for sure. Had you been traveling full time doing music at that point or.

Nope. I was No, I was like, I was a youth pastor.

Okay. Well, it's. It's exciting that, to be able to just kind of sit down, talk with you some more.I know we've kind of chatted the last two days, set up and stuff like that, but I appreciate you being willing to just kind of come and share some things, some things from your life.

It's.

It's.

It's huge. So cool.

Thanks, Ben.

Yeah, and I encourage you guys, like you said. Yeah. Although. Although this morning you called me Dr. B. I might like that better. So it's hard to know, but make sure you guys go check out.You know, he's got the new album coming out in April and some of that's kind of been trickling out like he said. Now, where can people find you on social media?

You can go to timminsmusic.com Instagram. I put a bunch of dumb stuff up there. I'm Timmons Music on Instagram and then Tim Timmons on Facebook. The Facebook, I don't know, the YouTubes.You can go to 10,000 minutes on YouTube or you can go to Tim Timmons on YouTube. So.

Okay, awesome. Well, Tim, thanks for joining us today. I appreciate your time with us. The Fame music show is available on all major platforms.So go, subscribe rate us, give us a review, share us with others. You can also check out our Facebook page, the Fame music show, or our YouTube channel, Lighthouse Studio Productions. This is Big Ben.Tune in next time. The Fame.

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