#157: The Skit Guys: Family Camp
Tommy Woodard & Eddie James have been making skits together for over three decades.
In our conversation we talk about what it means to bring humor to our faith, being connected to the local church, and why working with your best friend is a good idea.
Links:
EP. 157
Tony: [00:00:00] Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Reclamation Podcast or our goals to help you reclaim good practices for faith and life. I'm Tony. And today is episode 157 of the podcast where I sit down with legendary actors, the skit guys, and we talk a breath they're brand new. Family camp. Now I had the opportunity to watch this movie with my family and it was hilarious.
It was so good. So many great things to talk about with these two guys, they're family, men, themselves. They've been doing this kind of church comedy thing for really long time. So our conversation with both funny and scriptural, and we talk about their love of the church. And we talk about how.
Sustained success over long periods of time. It was such a good conversation with two guys who clearly loved the [00:01:00] Lord. Now, remember we believe that through intentional conversation, we can help you unpack a deeper relationship with God. So that's our prayer. As you listened to this episode, and if you enjoyed this episode, if you were moved by the episode, if you thought, wow, this is.
Man. I just love this content. Do me a favor, hit that subscribe button, wherever you listen to podcasts, leave a rating or review on iTunes or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. It really does help get the word out about what God is doing through this platform. As always, we are thankful for you.
And now without any further ado, here's my conversation with Tommy and Eddie, the skit guys. Hey everybody. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm excited today to be here with two legends in the church world, the skit guys, Tommy, Eddie. Thank you guys so much for being here today.
Tommy: Thank you. Yeah. Thanks for having us.
Tony: You know, I was thinking about how to kick off this interview. And I, I thought that I would ask this question first [00:02:00] and Eddie, we'll start with you. How would you describe your calling and what the Lord has called you to in your life? Cause I, I was trying to think about all the accolades I could put with you guys.
And I was like, oh, podcasters, actors, authors. But I was really like, man, what, what did God call them to? How would you describe it? And then Tommy will go right after Eddie. Great.
Eddie: Tommy invited me to church when I was 17 years old, September 17th, 1987. And I don't remember what was said or what was sung that night, but I knew I needed a savior and it was as if Jesus stepped out of heaven and in my heart changed my life.
And it was very, I mean, it was very what a new said a great word. And I think that word isn't used a lot anymore, but I, once I entered the church in the eighties and the nineties, that was a big word calling, what is your calling? I wish that word would come back more. So that was a main question. Once I became a believer, what's my calling, what am I going to do?
What am I gonna do for God? How am I going to make him famous? And it, [00:03:00] and it really, I think it probably was a year later that my calling was, well, I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm going to work in the church. I'm going to be, I'm going to be a pastor. And I started out as a youth pastor. Cause back in the eighties, there was, even though we were doing skits and we were even doing skids for big church and youth and that of.
There was no realm of thinking that there was going to ever be skit. Guys are full-time this. And so, but the Colleen really was to shepherd people. The Colleen was, I could probably do a lot of things with my life. This Colleen. Oh my goodness. I'm supposed to, I'm supposed to help people. I'm supposed to love, love the church.
I do remember when I was 18 and we got to be interns at a, at a church in California and We got to sit down with this man named Howard Hendricks. I didn't know who he was. You know, but he was, you know, big author, you know, Dallas, theological seminary. I mean, just, just a master. Right. I, I look back and I go, I have, I had no [00:04:00] idea who this, who this older gentleman was in front of us, but we all got to ask one question as interns.
And, you know, I said, you know, As an 18, 19 year old kid just gone, why do you do what you do? You know? And, and he goes, well, I wanted to be a doctor. I could have been a doctor, but he goes, my Colleen, what? Instead of saving lives on a medical table, it was to save. It was to save lives, to share with, and Jesus.
And at 19 years old, that kind of solidified my calling. I could do a lot of things. Even in my arrogant 19 Uranus, I was like, that's it like, okay. That I felt that, and he just said it, that's what I'm going to do for the rest of my life.
Tony: Wow. That's awesome. Yeah.
Tommy: Yeah. I would piggyback on that Eddie and I like to say that we're pastors more than pranksters in, in the line of work that we have.
There's a lot of jokes. There's a lot of humor. And so you can very easily get pigeonholed as a, as a couple of pranksters. And the truth of the matter is we see what we do as a mission. And that while there will [00:05:00] be so much laughter and so much fun, there's always a message behind what is happening. And my, my buddy Eddie you know, he was very kind to compliment me and inviting him to church later on in life, he would allow me and help me find something called a life plan.
And I sat down with a guy for about three days and went through my whole life. Had happened and you could see God's hand just molding and coming out of that, I had not just this calling to be a pastor, but this also understanding that the way God created me was to sheer joy and to help people see the possibility of change.
And so like, to me, that's really kind of the thing that motivates me. Yeah.
Tony: Okay. So you guys have been doing ministry together for over 30 years now, and that's incredible. That's wild to think about. I would be interested. I bet you guys have a really unique perspective. How have you seen the church change?
Right? Because you guys walk alongside [00:06:00] local churches, you go in you, you're kind of a catalyst in a lot of ways. You put out a lot of resources. W what, what have you seen. I kind of curious if you guys would give your thoughts on the status of the local church and compared to where it's, where it was and where it is now,
Tommy: Tony, that's a loaded question we can do.
We could do multiple podcasts in bad changes of the church. I will choose to focus on, you know, one thing that I love that has changed in the church. And that is when we started doing skits in the eighties. Nobody laughed like you, you, you, you do your whole show, you do things that you're like, I know this is funny, you know, and they would just sit there, you know?
And after the show is over, you know, and you're shaking, people's hands, the glorification of the worm as they call it. You know, you know, then at that point, they're not, not thinking what, that's some funny stuff. I, man, I never seen anything so funny. You guys are cracking me up, you know, and [00:07:00] we're like going, we thought you were dead.
Like we had no idea, you know? And then later on, somebody taught us that, you know, back in the day it was disrespectful. To laugh in the sanctuary, you know, and so through the past 30 years of we've been together, we've, we've been able to slowly watch people realize that, oh, this building where we meet is supposed to be a place that is filled with joy and it should be filled with laughter and hope it doesn't have to be stoic.
So that's one big change that I think.
Eddie: Yeah, I would, I would just pick up piggyback off that Tony. It's, it's sometimes very surreal. No, in what we, we get to do this, it's not a got to, it's a get to we're not entitled to this. No one is deemed this, you know, whenever we start thinking that we're bigger than we are any of us, whatever we do.
I mean, and we start thinking, no, I gotta do this. Then we're in a lot of trouble. So there's a lot of. To get to do what we get to do and to have seen [00:08:00] in the eighties when no one would laugh and my back would sweat. I'm like, well, what are we doing?
You know to, to be in front of people now you know, church services or, or a family night where there's a thousand people and there's all ages two to 200, so to speak and you're hearing laughter it really is that thing that I sometimes just Marvel as they're laughing.
I remember when no one would laugh. I remember when this was so disrespectful. So there has been, been a lot of freeing up in, in all of that. And it's been a beautiful get to, to see the, see this I all. We've also got to be you know, privy to some of these screenings and. You know, to, to know people are laughing as they watch it, as they're, as, or as little kids, two adults, a little adults are laughing at things.
Little kids have no idea about and vice versa. So, you know, it's, it's a beautiful thing to be a purveyor of laughter in that way, because it is good medicine. It does, it does heal a lot of worries and hurts.
Tommy: Yeah. [00:09:00] And when you're at that show and the 200 year old personal.
Tony: That killed that's literally killed.
Eddie: Yeah. Yeah. That's dry bones. Tony that's dreads come alive right there.
Tony: How do you guys deal with the pressure to be funny all the time, right? Like, I mean, you guys have been doing this for a long time. Like creating content at an excellent level over an extended period of time is really hard work and you guys seem to make it like an act of worship. What, what's the secret to to producing that much content?
For this length of time. And I don't mean to make you guys sound like you're super old or you're not super old, but 30 years is a long time, a long time to do ministry.
Tommy: It's a long time to work in the church. You know, like
Eddie: I think we're, we're both plugged into our local churches, which our youth minister back in the day, He was [00:10:00] like, you know, no matter what happens.
And, and again, no matter what happens, like what does that even mean? Right. Like we're going to do skits and then we're going to go work at a church. Right. I'm going to be an education pastor at some point. Right? Like that, that was, that was it right.
Tommy: So I'm going to manage a Chick-fil-A. Those are the two options.
Eddie: Those are the two options. So, so too, I think we've always been plugged in local church. You know, like this weekend, I'm filling in for my pastor preaching Tommy's teaching pastor at his church. I think being plugged in. Which I we've seen so many people, so many bands speakers, you name it across the 30 years, that group just rose to success and prominence, and then you don't, you don't hear from them anymore because they stopped going to church.
They had, they had the greatest church experience on the weekends or at a conference, and then they don't take their families to church because they're tired. We got to plug, we stay plugged into the local church and I think, again, it goes with that, get to. [00:11:00] Then you get to, you get to look at what we get to do and create for churches.
And we take that. So we take that comedy so seriously because we know churches all across the country. Need something to pastor just needs something just to segway this music, to this, to this. And so we don't make it about us. We really do try to go, how can we help the pastor? How can we help the music minister?
How can we up the creative arts director or even the volunteer who has a full-time job, but throughout their church, those are the things that always stay in our heads. And I think that keeps it from.
Tommy: Yeah, I, I would add to that, like, because we're in the local church, we get what is funny and what is off limits, you know?
And, and so like a lot of times you'll see. I don't know, Christian comedians or whoever, and, and, and that the church kind of becomes their foil for their comedy. And you know, what you probably noticed in the movie, Tony, like, there's no making fun of the church. There's no making [00:12:00] fun of Christianity. You know, it's walking alongside and going.
There's great things. I mean, over the years, we should be able to laugh about a lot of things that we do in church that are silly. But it's never making fun of the church. And I think Eddie, you said something. I never thought about it before, but yeah, we are both still plugged in and it is that reminder that the church is not a stepping stone to something else.
Like the church is the bride of Christ and it is a privilege to serve the local church. Yeah,
Tony: I actually really love the way that you guys honored, not just the local church, but you also honored the pastor. I was a local church pastor for a long time and in the movie you know, he, he gets to have a little heart to heart and it's super funny and it's just, it's a really it's a really honoring film to, to the local church and at the same time wrestling and some of the tension.
I as a pastor, I identified some of my tension with with the pastor in the film. And I thought that was very well done. And again, not, everybody's going to [00:13:00] get that joke and that's fine, but I got it and laughed out loud. And my wife laughed at me laughing out loud. It was good. It was really good.
Tommy: I know, I know the senior talking about.
And I, I really, I, for real, just kind of got goosebumps thinking about that scene because there's such great humor in that scene. And then it hits this just poignant moment, you know? And one of the things that we've told people is this movie, the only person that preaches in this movie is the preacher.
Like, like, that's it, you know? And I love that you, you don't go to this movie and get preached at, you know, and
Eddie: everybody's in perfect. Oh, right. Everybody everybody's imperfect. The men have issues. The women have issues like there isn't this, you know, and these two men are bumbling idiots. Like, you know, like you would watch on some, you know, nineties and early 2000 sitcoms where it's like, what, you know they, all, everybody has issues and trying to deal with things and overcome things and allow God to be first.
And I, someone saw the screening [00:14:00] and raised their hand and, you know, wasn't really a question. They were just going okay. And it was I think, you know, a 20 something young lady and she just said, Hey, thanks for making these characters imperfect. Thanks for, thanks for making everybody have having to have things they got to figure out and either be selfish or pointed toward God.
And I love that. I love that as far as what we did in this.
Tony: I am curious, how do you guys decide on what projects you're going to do this? Obviously, a full movie like this, that it's a multiple year undertaking. It's, you know, it's, it's a big project and you guys have written books together, like all the things, right?
Like how do you guys decide what God is calling you to next?
Tommy: That's a great question. I I'm going to turn it to the movie. I don't really know exactly how to answer your question and I'll let Eddie think about it. He may answer it more eloquently than I can, but I can say about [00:15:00] the movie that it's always been a dream.
It was that if you've ever had that dream, that. Most of you go says like, Hmm, probably not going to happen. You know? But for me it was that, you know, where normal guys would have a dream to play in the NFL or be in the NBA. And, you know, it was never really a good sports guy. So that was never the dream.
This was the, this was the ultimate dream. And, you know, there's a, the short version is this, there, there was a moment in time when we'd talked, we'd written scripts, we'd done certain things. And my buddy Eddie prays and says, God, we're, we're done. You know, people had said, Hey, why don't you crowdsource it or this, you know, and Eddie just said, you know, God, we're done.
If you want us to do this, then we'll, you know, we'll do it, but we're not going to force it. And two hours later, he got an email from a guy that just, and it was an acquaintance, a good acquaintance. And the guy said, I was thinking about you guys, have you ever thought about making a meal? You know, and Eddie replied back.[00:16:00]
Yes. You know, and he said, I need to connect you with someone, you know? And then, you know, we would get into the weeds if we went on with a story. But, but that connection was what started the ball rolling to make this movie happen. And the guy that we connected with there. Helped open up other doors. God used that person, you know?
So I think we've said for years, you know, God has just the right people, people, you don't even know he, who he brings into your life at just the right time to accomplish what he wants to do. And when you look at what we do, I would say many times it's because God has brought people in and it's opened up a door and we walked through it.
Yeah.
Eddie: Do what you can, what you have, where you're at. And leave the results up to God. Yeah. So for past 20 years it really was, well, we can do this conference and we can do this, or, Hey, why don't we think about creating this for the store for SCA guys.com. And I think you just have to keep, like, if you're on this wave, you're, you've got to keep [00:17:00] looking out and going, okay, well, there's a way there's a wave.
There's a wave. There's a wave. Let's, let's go over there. See what this is, like, see what this is like. And it probably wasn't Tony until fireproof came out that it was like, oh, Jesus films. We're just on college campuses, you know supported by campus crusade for Christ. Wait, wait a minute. Wait, await.
This is wait there's books and Walmart over marriage over this current Cameron movie. What? So it really was a fit and I think that's the thing about dreams. Whatever your dreams are, you know there's a decision to make. Whatever that wave is. There's a decision to go after it. And then to keep in mind, there's always going to be delays.
There's going to be dead ends. There's going to be difficulties before there ever is deliverance. You're going to hit him. And I think that's where most people give up on the dream that God has put into their heart. When a dead end happens, we go, well. When the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, you know, and Rob something up, I heard God wrong.
Nope, Nope, Nope. And we stopped in the delays and the difficulties and the dead ends when it comes to a dream. [00:18:00] But that dream has been since fireproof. And no one was asking us to do a movie up until maybe eight years ago. And it was, it was just a gentleman and we, it was just a gentleman. Hey, have you ever thought about this?
And we were, we were acting as if. Bottom line. If you look@anyofskitguys.com videos, or if you've seen one at your church behind the scenes, even though it costs money. Part of a dream cost money. We were acting as if we were making it like a film set. So it wasn't like three people. You sometimes she had 17 people and you had your PAs and your, you know, the cinematographer and the director.
I mean, we did it all. It costs money to do, but at the same time, we were as acting, acting as if, if this dream ever happens, we need to be in the pocket to do it. And so we started doing it, but it took a long time dreams. Just take a long.
Tommy: I don't want to add one thing, because we're talking about a movie called family camp.
I also have a dog but you know, it may seem like [00:19:00] we say yes to everything. Like, like you're talking about, you made a movie, you wrote books, you do these mini movies, you travel and do shows, but there's a sweet lady named Sarah who works for us. And she, she answers the phone and books, all of our shows.
And when she first started working for it, She would ask us, Hey, do you want to do this event? And we would look and go, no. And she was like, wait, why would you not say yes to everything? If it's ministry, if it's sharing the gospel, why would you not say yes to everything? And we set our family. W w we're not going to say my goodness.
I don't know what's going on with the dog, but we may have an intruder. But she, we said no, because of our families, because our families come first and Sarah, what she did was she printed up a picture of Eddie's family and she put it up a picture of my family and she sat them on her desk. And when she would answer phone calls and try to decide whether we would go do an event or not, she would look at our families and go, oh yeah.
Sometimes you have to say. Because there's other things that are more [00:20:00] important. So the fact that we made a movie called family camp family has always been. So vital to us in deciding what we're going to do and what we're not going to do. Yeah. The,
Eddie: the get to the, get to is free. Your ministry is free now, whatever you know that.
But when the yeses that you, every yes, you say to somebody else, you're S you're saying no to your family. So those nos have those nos come with a price. So you have to be really, really cautious and aware of what those nos are. Cause it is a no to your family at the end of the day. So what does that look like?
Tony: W one of the major themes of the movie is obviously family, but particularly for for a dad and maybe it's just cause identified as, as the data in the movie you know, in, in different seasons of my life. I'm, I'm curious as you guys were, we're putting all of this together was there anything about.
Conviction wise that needed to change in your guys's lives and any, any, cause you guys are both family guys. You know, as a part of this I'm I'm [00:21:00] thinking about the dad who's listening. Who's like, man, I need to get, I need to be more committed to my family. Do you have any first steps that maybe what's successful for you guys in that process?
Hmm.
Eddie: Hmm.
Tommy: That's convicted. I'll let Eddie answer it.
Eddie: I think a huge part of where dads get their insecurity or their inferior inferiority or just feeling like, just, just let, let mom do it or Men are such doers. And so we felt like if we're just doing things at work, and if we're just, if we're maintaining, you know, the grass and we're, we're, you know, taking care of the hot water heater and we're doing then we're good.
And sometimes we just don't stop and just really play with our kids or you know, I, I, since my kids were little. I was very intentional of going on. Daddy daughter dates. I mean, I have ticket stubs when they were just little kids and I would just [00:22:00] encourage dads. You know, he's got little kids go on daddy daughter, date, my daughter's at the age of four and five had no idea.
What was ice age was all about as a movie or a chicken little, but I remember going to him and sit in and sometimes they'd fall asleep. One of my daughters fall asleep in cars. Like we, I would take them to movies, you know we we'd go to McDonald's and how Sharon ice cream cone and their face would break out.
Oh, they have a dairy allergy like that. Those are the things. But I, in the midst of doing what what's one little what's one little moment. What's one little sitting alongside the curb, emotional curb with your teenager that you're not trying to fix it, but you're just listening to them as even it could be nausea, gating, and just long, but you're just listening.
You're sitting on the side of the emotional curve taking it. And just empathizing, empathizing as a huge word. I think for dads to not fix, you know, and sometimes even ask the [00:23:00] question, dads to go as your wife or a coworker, even your kids going, they they're telling you a problem and even ask, Hey, I'm a fixer.
Do you want me to listen? Or do you want me to help fix it? And even ask that question and for the other person to go, I just want you to listen and then to shut your pie hole and listen. So those would be, those would be little things.
Tommy: Yeah, that's good. I would say my daughter is 24. And we had a daddy daughter date two nights ago.
So those things, if that's something that you've started with your kiddos it can last, you know, and and, and that's, you know, one of the things, you know, she said to me, and she's like, it's been a while since we had a daddy daughter date, you know, and it's pretty great that your 24 year old wants to do.
You know and we also, you know, both of us had our kids were on set the whole time, you know Eddy's kids are in the movie and my kids work behind the scenes. You know, we overcame the child labor laws and, you know, got that taken care of. No, my kids are [00:24:00] both older, but yeah. So, so I think it was great to have, you know, it was bringing your kids to work day every day that we made this movie.
Tony: Hey, everybody just pausing this conversation to remind you that the reclamation podcast is part of the spirit and truth podcast network. The spirit and truth podcast network is a ministry of spirit and truth. A Wesleyan mind. Awakening and revival organization. So we're 5 0 1 C3, nonprofit that equips the trains, pastors and lay leaders and what it means to follow the calling of God.
We're so thankful to bring you content like this other podcasts on the network and our theological magazine firebrand. In addition to our awakening weekends that we do all over the U S one of the ways that you can support this podcast is by connecting. Becoming a monthly donor, our monthly donors are our partners.
And we're so thankful for that. To start giving today, go to spirit and [00:25:00] truth.life/gif. Now let's finish up our conversation with Tommy and Eddie on such a big project like this. I'm curious if there were any particular moments where you're like, oh, I can clearly see God in this. Or like those kinds of like this moment could only be made possible because of what God's done, anything like that really stick out to you in the filming process.
Tommy: It's totally, it's such a difficult question because the, the answer to that is like every day. I mean, but, but, but I can, I can narrow it down a little and say that when we. Started filming this movie. Th th we were the only movie filming in the United States at that moment. And there was only one other movie filming in the world, and that was because of the pandemic.
And what's beautiful. We didn't ignore the pandemic. We had really responsible, smart people who were taking a look at trends and [00:26:00] what was happening. And it was towards the beginning and there was a surge and then there was a dip. And when that dip hit, they said, we're making the movie, you know? And so we took precautions and had protocol, but for that time that we're filming, no one got.
You know, even though we had groups of extras, large groups of extras, like nobody, there wasn't one case, you know, and we have to look at that and say, that seems like a blessing in the midst of everything that was going on, you know whether it was not a problem. We had one weather issue, you know, and when you film for multiple weeks, Outside, almost everything we filmed was outside.
Sure. And, you know, we had one, it was a very last night that we were filming. We had literally one shot left to get, not even a whole scene, just a shot and some storms rolled in and you know, when we were supposed to be done at one, I think in the morning we were done at six in the morning, you know, because of that one delay.
But other than [00:27:00] that, the weather is, so I think. You know, I, I don't know that I would go here's this one thing I would go almost daily. You saw God, not just helping us through the process, but moving in people's hearts, you know, there's stories of crew members, they're stories of actors whose faith was just rejuvenated or, you know, we saw God do great things.
It was crazy to see God move.
Tony: That's awesome. Eddie, what about you? Where did you see God move kind of in the filming process of the.
Eddie: One, one beautiful. It would make me tear up every day with all our, we call them mini movies on skit guys.com a lot of the stuff that we put out for churches instead of just calling them videos, you know, back in the day we call it a mini movies. And so then just kind of stuck. It sounded better than video, right?
Like something you'd stick into your VHS player. But we, we had a we had a basically a makeup person that would come on set and do everybody's. [00:28:00] And her name is Cynthia. And we have got to just watch Cynthia. I mean, how long has she been with us, Tommy? Over a decade, I guess.
Tommy: Yeah.
Eddie: Yeah, and you get to watch, Cynthia always be on sets around Oklahoma and always helping out.
And then, and then with our movie, she got to be the lead makeup, makeup director. She, she was in charge of about four other people that was continually doing all these actors and everybody else's makeup and, you know, going on set and, and I mean, they're wearing masks and. But I saw Cynthia stick scripture up on her butter mirror, you know, in the trailer.
And I saw her really lean on God. And I saw her really went from fear to faith. And, and I think it's those little things. When you do relationships with people, you get to see them come out of their shells and, and be bigger and better than they thought they were for, for, for God's sake. It was, it was truly beautiful to watch that.
Tony: Well, one of the [00:29:00] things that's clear is that you guys both have a really intimate relationship with the Lord. I always love to hear from people, what are some of the things that you do on a regular basis to stay connected to, to God, and to make sure that you're kind of in a place where you're starting with God first.
Eddie: I have a really simple memory verse because if it gets too elongated, I won't remember it. But John three 30, John three 30 says, you know, he must increase and I must decrease. I mean, if we woke up every day and tried to really live that out where he must increase and I must decrease, like I think each one of us, no matter how long we've been a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.
10 decreases that we can make in our life. There's 10 things that we go, Ooh, ah, Ooh. You know, or if you talk to somebody and you're like, Hey, how am I doing when it comes to my walk with God and they will tell, well, they give you [00:30:00] the three and then if you were to go, yeah, but there's 10%. You're not saying, tell me that.
I don't know if I should, you know, but if they did, if they did tell you those 10% of things that they see this little character tweaks in you, those things that are just fatal flaws, that haven't been fatal yet, those are your decreases. And so every morning I just, I really do try to go, God. I know my stuff.
I know how I fail. I want you to increase the day and I need a decrease in these areas that I see really flaming right now. They're really big. So that's, that's one thing that I try to do is increase in, decrease up and down. And it's hard. It's hard at times.
Tommy: Yeah, I I have a structure, right. I watched televangelists every day and really helped
Eddie: given away a lot of my broke your
Tommy: bro broken, broken.
Blessed. No, I I'm gonna grab this real quick. Hold on. It's right here. [00:31:00] I, I made it. I changed in my quiet time a while back. And it's been a game changer for me. And and I'll just share it. I get nothing out of this other than the fact that hopefully it honors God, but they have these little deals. It's a little, it's just like, like I'm, I'm in Romans right now.
Right. And it's called a scripture journal and one page has, you know, the scripture and the other page is just blank. And so every day, When I meet with God, I sit down and I read, I, I disciplined myself. Like I will stop right there, even though the story goes on, I stop at the end of the page and I've got a red pen and a black pen.
And I just, as I'm reading, I'm underlining the red light, like there's, there's from this one. Do you know today? And. And then I just sit down and write whatever comes to my mind and the idea behind it is not that I'm going to gain. Not that I'm, I mean, I do gain some knowledge, but it's not that I'm gaining knowledge.
It's just trying to be in tune with what I feel like God is telling me in that moment, you know, and [00:32:00] sometimes I'll go back and read it and be like, oh, it was off. That was the pizza last night. But sometimes I'll go back and read it and go, wow. Yeah. I heard from God this morning. I think that's been a real game changer for me.
And I implemented, I'm not a liturgical guy historically, but I found a really great morning prayer and I pray it every morning because my head's just kind of foggy sometimes in the mornings, you know? And so having something just that, that I'm going, this is what I'm going to do. And then, yeah, that's, that's kind of what, what, where I am these days.
Tony: Well, one of the things that the movie really talks about as how easily are kind of demonstrates rather is how easy it is for guys to become isolated and YouTube have been connected for a really long time. What are some of the keys to a long-term real friendship that, that maybe that you guys have learned working with each other and being friends for as long as you.
Tommy: Tony. I'm glad [00:33:00] you asked that the key is in a book called smells like bacon. We, we did get to write a book about our friendship called smells like bacon and I'm really proud of it. I think it, it has like all of those little keys. At least what have worked for us. Well, I, I actually posted about one today and that is you know, the scripture says in Colossians two, bear with one another and forgive one another.
And I think that. You don't have a 30 plus year friendship, not, not a close one, unless you've learned that sometimes, you know, you don't have to like each other all the time. You don't have to like what the other guy does all the time. Sometimes you just bear with one another and you remember. It's not the actions or the words of a person that caused you to become their friend.
It was who they were inside. And then that person who they are inside is still there. And I think it's, it's a bearing was one another sometimes and it's forgiving one another. And over the years, I [00:34:00] don't think either one of us. I mean, maybe we could, I, I don't think we've kept. Of how many times Eddie's forgiven me and how many times I've forgiven him or how many times I've had to bear with him and he's had to bear with me.
You just keep doing it because you love one another.
Eddie: I think friendships some friendships stop because one person stops growing. I mean, let's face it. We're all leaders to some extent. I mean, if people are listening to us, you're, you're a leader. If you're a parent, you're a leader, leaders are learners and if you're not learning, you're not leading.
And so. I think it also takes an friendship to, to people that are continually wanting to learn and to grow, whether it's any relationship, a marriage, a friendship, you know, what, what have you, there's a, there's an ability or this drive to keep learning. I think if Tommy and I am this 30 year friendship of either one of us just wanted to stop growing or learning.
It probably would have died because there's only so much someone can do. You can't keep resuscitating friendship, but yes, in that book smells like bacon. [00:35:00] We have, I mean, it really is you, we sat down and went, okay, what are, what are our bacon bits of friendship? What are those things that we have instituted in our life?
And you know, one of them is you never leave a man behind. We, we don't ever, we don't ever leave one alone, you know or by themselves, or make them feel isolated. Another one is called the tunnel of chaos. You have to go through the tunnel of chaos to get to the tunnel of love, and that could be in marriages and in friendship.
The tunnel of love is a beautiful Swan. The tunnel of chaos is an ugly goose that nobody wants to sit in and deal with problems, but. Tommy and I get in the tunnel of chaos because we know it doesn't just stay in a tunnel of chaos. It leads to goodness we go there. And, and I think those are huge.
But yeah, those are all in the book where you can call us and we'll tell you.
Tommy: Yeah, exactly. That's really true. And, and I would say this, Tony, you said something that I think is a misnomer and that is that it's men who can be isolated. I think that there's a [00:36:00] lot of women who are isolated. They just hide it better.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And I think to be honest with you, that's one of those things that you see in the movie that is beautiful is my character and Eddie's character. They've got to learn to bear with one another, you know, but our wife characters, what they, they are two people who have felt isolated and in the movie, they kind of find each other and go, oh, your life isn't as great as I thought it was, you know?
And there's so many. You know, ladies in our world today that are scrolling on Instagram and Facebook and go on everybody's else. Else's life is better than mine, you know? And so once you get close to each other, you can realize all that stuff. Yeah. We're not,
Eddie: they're not suffering in silence. Yeah. Sorry, go ahead.
Tony: Yeah. Yeah. The, the, the better truth is that it might, might just really be a battle of expectations that men just have such lower expectations than, you know, than our wives, then that, that could just be part of. [00:37:00] The tension and all of that. So that's, that's a really good word. I like that. Now, one of the things I know about my community is that they love to pray.
And as this movie gets out into the wild what, what are, or how can they pray for it? What's the prayer.
Eddie: You
Tommy: want to start that one in?
Eddie: I think more than anything. We. We would love to continue to make faith-based family friendly comedies. This is the first one. This is the first faith-based family friendly comedy. This is the first movie where people aren't buying two tickets. You know, where the, you know, where it's a two ticket movie.
This could potentially be four tickets, six tickets. So I think the prayer would be, we want. Parents grandparents, you all become out of the theaters being heroes. We, in everything we do, there's humor, heart, and him. We always pointed back to God. You're going to laugh, you know, someone [00:38:00] called this, you know what looks like an Adam Sandler movie without Adam Sandler.
Well no, it's, it's. It's really good. And it's funny, you're going to laugh. We all laughter is good medicine, but with that there's heart and there's, and we pointed back to God to where you can leave the theater and you get to be the hero with, so a prayer is God help this movie to have families connect and have a good time because that laughter oh, it could be the ointment that you need when you leave.
Theater to have great significant conversations. Laughter does do that. So that would be a huge prayer. The laughter breaks down walls for truth to enter for family.
Tommy: Yeah, that's, that's huge that that's what we want. We want families to be healed and piggybacking on what Eddie said about wanting to make more movies, we believe that, you know, with all of the great Christian movies that have been made and will be made, there's still a, there's a gaping hole of, of, of real great family [00:39:00] humor.
And we want to fill that hole because we think it's important. We think it's important for families to go do this together and to have fun together and to laugh together. But realistically in the world that we've stepped into Tony. What we've learned is that first weekend is everything. And, you know, the powers that be that either say, yep, we'll make another movie with you, or, Nope, we won't.
They're looking at that first weekend. So I would say a prayer is that that this movie would do well the first weekend for the sole purpose of this, our ministry being able to make more money. To encourage families more because we've got a lot of ideas of how to encourage the family and encourage families, faith.
We've got a lot of laughs in us and we want to share them all. And so I think a prayer is just that this movie will do well so that we can do that. If this one does well, it opens up doors for a lot more opportunity to do that.
Eddie: And Tony, we know people will lower their. People will lower their standards to be [00:40:00] entertained.
With this movie, you don't have to lower your standards. You're going to laugh. You get to look on the side and see even your teenager laugh a little bit. It hits, it hits all ages. And there's no lowering your standards. There really isn't a bait and switch, even if you're. Even if you're going, I've gone to the other movies, but I'm not so sure about a comedy.
We, we do ask you to trust us. We do ask you to just give us that one step of small faith. If you have no idea who we are and trust that we are going to take care of you and your families, and it isn't a bait and switch.
Tommy: Yeah. Yeah. As Christians, we lower our standards, right. To go to a movie that we're like, gosh, I shouldn't be going to this, but I want to laugh.
We want to see nonbelievers lowered their standards and go, I don't normally go to Christian movies, but I'll check that one out because it looks funny. And throughout our history, You know, we've had a TV show called laugh with the skit guys, and we'll get emails from people saying, I can't get my dad to go to church, but he loves to watch your TV show, you know, or, you know, my, my, whoever, my aunt [00:41:00] doesn't go to church, but she loves here.
So we, we think we've made something that you could invite an unchurched friend to. And I think they're gonna gobble it up. It's
Eddie: Tony, or it may not go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. You're good. I was just going to say a lot of the movies that have come out really have been for the believers. And this is still for the believer, but I am not a, but, and with all of that, we've, we've allowed another door to open up as to, you can invite somebody, you can invite somebody and they're going to have a good time.
They may sit there and go. This is a Christian movie, and it's supposed to be funny and they'll find themselves laughing. And they may even find themselves God touching their heart on some issues that they need to deal with. So we we've created a mission field. For churches to invite the unchurched to a movie.
And, but I think everyone will still get fed.
Tony: Hmm. My sixteen-year-old gave a really high compliment. I said, well, what'd you think Sana, I'm going to talk to these guys, you know, what's your feedback. [00:42:00] And he goes, it was. So I
Tommy: I'll take it. I'll take it. I was like,
yeah. Yeah, I
Tony: have one more question for you, but before I ask it where is the best place to learn all things, get guys, how can people get connected with you and follow what God's doing through your.
Tommy: Skit guys.tv is, is your best place to go. Man, you can watch free videos there. You can find out what's going on in our ministry.
We've got a podcast. We've got bedtime Bible stories stuff though. Yeah. But yeah. Bedtime Bible stories. I mean, yeah. So ski guys.tv is your best place to go. That's awesome.
Tony: Okay. Last question. I always love to ask people. It's an advice question. I'm going to ask you to give yourself one piece of advice, except I get to name that.
And in this particular case, I want to take you back to the day after your very first skit together. So if you could pull up a [00:43:00] chair and sit knee to knee with a younger version of yourself and look that young man in the eyes before everything's about to change in his life. What's the one piece of advice you're going to give him.
Tommy: I wish I would have learned sooner that let Eddie be Eddie and you'd be Tommy. And don't, don't compete with one another. We spent a few years competing with one another. And once we learn that lesson and it took, it took a few years, you know, I think once we learn to let the other person be the other person and you just be.
I wish I would have learned that sooner. Yeah.
Eddie: Probably be gentle on yourself kid. There's a lot of. Beating yourself up over what you could've done. Should've done what a done. Especially back in those early days, when you, when you, when no, [00:44:00] one's really asking you to do it for a job it's just, you know, you're going from church to church for gas, money, and chicken dinner, but there's something maybe inside you like w you know, to park it back to your first word, calling.
There was a calling. There was something about it that we were doing skits differently. Tony w most gets in the eighties were very cheesy. You got to Jesus very quickly. The third sentence Jesus was introduced was scripture that backed it up. And that was the cough medicine. Oh, okay. They're up there doing a skin, but they said, Jesus.
They're okay. And we were still in step from Saturday night live and trying to make a Christian. So very hard to do. That's how we do, but there was this, there was this thing instilled in you when you would get in the truck. When we get in the truck and it was. God, this is good. This is good. And then, but, but there isn't a platform for this.
There isn't there. Isn't, we're going to be youth ministers. This isn't going to go anywhere, but there was a burning desire inside you. And I wish I could have been more gentle on myself instead of [00:45:00] maybe drivenness or beating yourself up or anything. But I think it's a good, yeah. Be gentle on yourself.
Tony: That's great guys. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time. Thank you for putting good comedy out into the world. And I just, I can't wait to see what God does through this movie. So thank you guys so much.
Tommy: Thank you, Tom. Thank you, Tony. And thank you for your kind words, man.
Tony: I love the heart of these two guys.
They're both funny. They're relatable. And it was a great conversation. I really appreciated the way they called themselves. Asters not pranksters. I loved their heart for the local church and the way that they just continue to stay connected to God throughout the entire. You know, kind of rise to success.
It's not everyday. You find somebody who's like that. So Hey, do me a favor, hit them up, go see their new movie family camp, wherever you like to watch movies at and let them know that you heard them here on the reclamation podcast. I'm so thankful for each and every [00:46:00] one of you for our community that we get to build.
And remember, if you want to follow Jesus, you must be willing to move.
