The David Alliance

By Garth HeckmanReligion & Spirituality

The David Alliance episodes

October 20, 2025 A pair of Kleet'Os? Whuh?
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
[email protected]

8 min
October 19, 2025 Encouraging The Tush Push
8 min
October 15, 2025It's a Yes or No question!
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
[email protected]

Do you want to be healed? Why this question?
Well Jesus sees the heart… we know why he asks because the man starts giving excuses…
RATHER THAN:Do you want to be healed - YES!!!

The mans problems went beyond physical - they were mindsets. His body was handicapped, but worse his mind was. His excuses we’re his real limitations.

WHEN FACED WITH A NEW REALITY/THE TRUTH IT PEOPLE HAVE THREE CHOICES WITH IN THIS NEW INFORMATION IN (COGNITIVE DISSONANCE)
bAccept the truth - Change
Distort the truth - Excuses
Deny the truth completely - so you do not have to change your whole identity (the pharisees)

Self Mastery What is it?

THIS IS THE WORLDS DEFINITION - AND THEY ARE NOT WRONG…
They have self mastery

Self-Mastery focuses on internal control and external projection, emphasizing the discipline to align your actions, habits, and demeanor with your goals, even in private moments where no one is watching.

BIBLICALLY WHAT IS IT?
Jesus said I came to do only what my father has told me to do.
John 6:38: "For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me".

John 5:30: "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me".

John 4:34: "Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work"

**THE ULTIMATE DISCIPLINE OR YOU COULD SAY DISCIPLESHIP IS DOING THE WILL OF THE FATHER AND NOT THE WILL OF THE FLESH.

No Excuses

Luke 14:18 (NIV): (Part of the Parable of the Great Banquet, illustrating guests making excuses) "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’"

Prov.22:13
The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!”

We are prone to excuses:
Prov. 23:7
New King James Version
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

The original KJV says “as a man thinkers so is he”
**The story line behind this verse: A man invites you to dinner pretending to be generous… but in his heart he is watching every bit tallying up how much it will cost him.
HIS ACTIONS DO NOT REPRESENT HIS HEART.

*A Key to understanding people is this:
- Let me ask you a few questions:
**YOUR LAST RELATIONSHIP… WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?
***YOUR LAST JOB… WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?
***YOUR LAST SCHOOL… WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?

Here is what psychologist tell us: The longer it takes for someone to find themselves as the problem, the less self mastery they have.
When people immediately throw themselves under the bus- it shows great insight into who they really are.

The man gets healed, Jesus confronts his sin… and he runs to the pharisees…’its not my fault - its his fault!
8 min
October 14, 2025 Jesus - Kind but not Nice!
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
[email protected]

People Problems… today we are talking about the person who is your biggest problem.

If you could kick the person in the pants as hard as you could responsible for all your problems, you wouldn’t be able to sit for a week.

Jesus was never nice, but he was always kind.
We have been domesticated in our Xn walk.
Ex. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to be NICE to the world.
NO NO NO NO to die for the world.

John 5
Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. 2 Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. 3 Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”
7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”
8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
9 Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, 10 so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”
11 But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
12 “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.
13 The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. 14 But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse (GK same word: the evil spirit will return with 7 more and you will be worse) may happen to you.” 15 Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.
**Many times when Jesus healed the sick he would say and your sins have been forgiven- acknowledging that they believed he was the Messiah and had received their healing because of it- but not his guy. He did not want to be healed, nor did he believe Jesus was the messiah.

**I might add the Pharisees did not hassle this man they went after Jesus - which was typically not the case. HOWEVER I believe that because the man did not receive Christ as the messiah the demons didn’t care about his healing and left him alone… the pharisees were obviously motivated by the demonic!
8 min
October 10, 2025 Read the Room
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
[email protected]

### Key Strategies to Read the Room

Reading the room—picking up on the unspoken mood, energy, and dynamics in a social or professional setting—is a crucial social skill that enhances your interactions and builds confidence. Here are some practical, evidence-based strategies to develop this ability:

1. **Observe Nonverbal Cues Actively**
   Start by scanning the group for subtle signals like facial expressions, body language, posture, eye contact, and personal space. For instance, crossed arms or averted gazes might indicate discomfort, while open postures suggest engagement. Practice this by pausing before speaking to "spy" on these cues and decode the underlying emotions.

2. **Listen Mindfully and Tune into Tone**
   Pay close attention not just to words, but to vocal tone, pace, and volume—these often reveal true feelings more than content alone. Take time to listen without interrupting, and reflect on how the conversation flows to gauge the overall vibe.

3. **Regulate Your Own Emotions First**
   Before assessing others, level out your internal state to avoid projecting anxiety or bias onto the room. A calm mindset allows clearer perception of group dynamics. Techniques like deep breathing can help you stay grounded.

4. **Consider the Broader Context and Group**
   Factor in the setting, cultural nuances, and relationships among people—e.g., is it a high-stakes meeting or casual gathering? Attend to everyone, not just the loudest voices, to understand shifting alliances or undercurrents.

5. **Engage and Seek Feedback**
   When unsure, ask open-ended questions to draw out responses and clarify the mood, like "What do you all think about this?" Afterward, debrief with trusted friends for honest input on your reads—this builds self-awareness over time.

Practice these in low-pressure situations to refine your intuition; over time, they'll make you more adaptable and connected in any crowd.
8 min
October 09, 2025 Ain't talk'n bout Love Pt. 2
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
[email protected]

Rush is going to go on tour again, with a keyboard player and with a new drummer Anika Nilles… only 7 cities named so far in the US…

But with that I once heard someone say the only thing harder to keep together than a marriage is a band…

You don’t get married for a Good Time, you get married for a long time.

You don’t get married to have kids, you get married to learn how not to be a kid, act like a kid, pout like a kid, complain like a kid,
You don’t raise kids, they raise you.

If there is one major flaw in todays world of love and marriage - and trust me you could name a few dozen… but after 41 years of counseling I would simply say the number one major flaw in marriages is that they did not understand the amount of hard work it would take to have a loving successful marriage. It does not come naturally, it does not just happen when you find the right person, it is hard no matter who you marry and every great relationship put in great amounts of painstaking hard work.
Painful communication, lots of compromise, more then you might ever guess as far as having to forgive again and again and again.

So again talking about how we model for our spouse what God models for us to make our relationships work.

## 4. **Forgiveness **

* *Christ:* 1 John 1:9 — He is faithful to forgive.
* *Marriage:* Colossians 3:13 — forgive as the Lord forgave you.
**Teaching Point:** Forgiveness is the oxygen of both relationships.
**Activity:** Share a time when forgiveness restored peace in your marriage.

#5 Grace
Grace is the oil to any good relationship. Grace says you made a mistake, but I knew you would when I married you and I still choose to love you and not hold it against you.
Christ died for our sins knowing we would still mess up and hurt him. But his loving kindness leads us to repentance.
Our love for our spouse when they least deserve it leads them to back into a loving relationship with us.
Have you ever hated your spouse back into your arms? Have you ever be grudged your spouse back into your arms? Have you ever punished your spouse back into your arms? HOW DID THAT WORK FOR YOU?

Gods ways are best not only between he and a sinful world, but also between me and a sinful spouse… oh and also for me a sinner as well.
8 min
October 07, 2025 It ain't about love
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
[email protected]

"We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another,” Luciano de Crescenzo,

I would add - we will only fly as high to God as possible by which we can fly together each with our own wing and arm in arm with the other person.

You don’t get married for a Good Time, you get married for a long time.

You don’t get married to have kids, you get married to learn how not to be a kid, act like a kid, pout like a kid, complain like a kid,
You don’t raise kids, they raise you.

For example, in a marriage, we seem to assume that just because two people get married they must love each other. In reality, people do not get married because of love but in order to learn how to love. To have love in a marriage requires that the couple have intimacy and to have intimacy the two people must psychologically and spiritually grow up and quit being children. Most couples getting married today are doing so while still in states of emotional dependency, which means the marriage is based on neurotic need and not love. To have love and intimacy in a marriage requires that both people first must become adults.

* The same principles that sustain our relationship with Jesus also sustain a thriving marriage.

---

## 1. **Covenant, Not Convenience**

* *Christ:* Luke 22:20 — sealed in His blood.
* *Marriage:* Malachi 2:14 — a covenant before God.
**Teaching Point:** Both require lifelong, unwavering faithfulness.
**Discussion:** What are practical ways we can treat marriage as a covenant instead of a contract?

---

## 2. **Sacrificial Love**

* *Christ:* Ephesians 5:25 — gave Himself up.
* *Marriage:* Philippians 2:3–4 — putting spouse’s needs first.
**Teaching Point:** Real love is costly and others-focused.
**Exercise:** Each spouse lists one practical sacrifice they can make this week for the other.

---

## 3. **Daily Connection**

* *Christ:* John 15:4 — abiding daily.
* *Marriage:* Requires intentional daily investment.
**Teaching Point:** Distance grows when we neglect connection.
**Reflection:** What “daily rhythms” can keep our relationship strong?
8 min
October 05, 2025 More Sex or More Money? God says.....
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
[email protected]

I want to get back to a couple of things I shared in my last podcast in regards to making extra money… and then we will shift gears.

List a 100 things… in any area, but especially money. I have a list on my phone of ways to make extra money… when I think of an idea I write it down. I can’t act on all of them, but I keep a list for future options.
Smaller is better - big gym, small gym

Secondly I believe what Bill Johnson says “Lack does not illustrate humility. Blessing and riches managed according to Gods grace illustrate humility.”

Is it easier to sin if you are poor or if you are rich… I know people in both situations.. its the same. I have been in both situations - the struggles are the same. Dependence on God has nothing to do with how much you have or don’t have.

Someone asked me do you think God wants you rich?
Does God want you rich?
Does God want you to have a great sex life?

8 min
October 03, 2025MORE MONEY... more money!
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
[email protected]

I heard it again… I am broke and I need extra money… I don’t know what to do?
Freelance Your Skills Online: Use platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, or Freelancer to offer services such as writing, graphic design, programming, data entry, social media management, or virtual assistant work. You leverage existing skills and set your own hours.
Pet Sitting or Dog Walking: If you love animals, use apps like Rover or Wag! to find gigs watching pets in your home or theirs, or taking dogs for walks. This offers flexible hours and is often in high demand.
Deliver Food or Groceries: Drive for services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Instacart. You can work on a flexible schedule and earn money delivering meals or groceries to people in your area.
Sell Unwanted Items: Declutter your home and sell unused items like clothing, furniture, electronics, or books on platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, or at a local yard sale.
Take Paid Online Surveys and Participate in Focus Groups: Websites like Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, or Respondent pay you for sharing your opinion. Surveys are low-effort and can be done in your spare time, while focus groups often pay a higher hourly rate.
Rent Out a Room or Your Car: If you have a spare room, you can rent it out for short-term stays on platforms like Airbnb. If you don't use your car often, you can rent it out through car-sharing services like Turo.
Test Websites and Apps: Companies will pay you to test their websites and apps for usability, providing feedback on your experience. Services like UserTesting often offer a quick, one-time payment per test.
Tutoring (Online or In-Person): If you are knowledgeable in a specific subject, language, or skill, you can tutor students online or locally. Sites like Wyzant or Chegg Tutors can help you find clients and set your rate.
Complete Local Odd Jobs/Tasks: Use apps like TaskRabbit to find small gigs in your community, such as assembling furniture, light yard work, cleaning, or running errands for others.

The Bible does not contain a specific book on "business" or "entrepreneurship" as modern concepts, but it offers numerous principles regarding work, wealth, diligence, and ethical conduct that are highly relevant to both.
Here are the key biblical principles applied to business and entrepreneurship:

1. Work and Diligence are Commended

The Bible encourages hard work and warns against laziness. This principle is fundamental to a successful venture.
Diligence brings reward: "Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth." (Proverbs 10:4).
Diligent hands: active, eager, willing to try anything…..
When I first got online and saw the possibilities I figure out something pretty quick. Not every youth pastor had my creative skill and writing lessons for youth. I was already a regular contributor/writer for YouthWorker Journal - So I would put together these really good power point lessons with great applications. Then I sold them online… and guess what - people bought them!
To pay my bills I have lots of skills and I will try anything.
I have taught guitar, drums, I am a personal trainer. But all these things fit within my calendar. I can’t take on another hourly, full time job - I am still and first a pastor. So Diligent hands seek what works best for each person.
Just today I hit up a woman who has a unique skill for other women- I can’t give to much away just yet. But she absolutely loved my idea and wants to come on board. We will typically work with about 25 women for one night a week and make a few thousand dollars. Diligence - try anything and if you fail - keep trying.

YESTERDAY SOMEONE ASKED… Hey you said a $1000 bucks a week… how could you do that with just Uber… well my thought (and I did not explain it fully- sorry) is between uber, teach a lesson, sell something a $1000 a week is easy.
Hey first and foremost - you better have a budget and stick to it! Or you will never have enough money!
Purposeful work: The creation narrative and later writings present work as a good, God-given activity (Genesis 2:15, Colossians 3:23-24). Work is seen as service, not just to people, but ultimately to the Lord…. Maybe you are asking the wrong question… maybe you should ask God what can I do to add value to your kingdom and get paid at the same time. A great friend of mine teaches martial arts/self protection… but he is also a strong believer. He gets paid well, has a strong client list, but uses this opportunity to share Christ all the time. It is a win win.

2. Stewardship and Investment

The concept of stewardship is central, suggesting that everything a person possesses—time, talent, and treasure—ultimately belongs to God and should be managed wisely… here is an idea, managing our time also means charging for our time. Listen I have a ton of people that would call me a friend - many times they want me to teach or train them for free because I am a friend and on top of that a pastor. Here is one simple rule I let them in on all the time. I have to charge my friends because my enemies won’t do business with me. I say it in a fun loving way, but it gets the point across.
The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30): This parable is often cited as a direct encouragement for enterprise and investment. The master praises the servants who invested their money and produced a profit, while rebuking the one who buried his talent out of fear. This emphasizes the expectation of using resources (gifts, skills, capital, talents) productively, taking calculated risks, and seeking growth… is a God thing. It is a value to our maker.
The lazy servant is called wicked. He acted in fear… fear kept him from seeing his investments take off. FEAR will stop 95% of all people who have ideas to make extra money… but if you are lazy fear is a great excuse to fall back on. I will forever nag my friend for not acting on his stupid idea… it was Uber, but he never acted on it… FEAR!
Prudence and Planning: "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:28). This speaks to the need for careful planning, foresight, and sound financial management in business… most buisinesses fail due to lack of financial backing and a lack of planning. I used to have the #1 powerlifting gym in the country. Now I have a nice small personal training gym. It has everything I need…in time I will open another gym for body soul and spirit. But until then I just keep planning, picking up equipment that is a steal… and when the time is right - Boom I will act. But I will no longer rush into things!
8 min
October 02, 2025Extra $1000 a week - Easy!
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
[email protected]

I heard it again… I am broke and I need extra money… I don’t know what to do?
Freelance Your Skills Online: Use platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, or Freelancer to offer services such as writing, graphic design, programming, data entry, social media management, or virtual assistant work. You leverage existing skills and set your own hours.
Pet Sitting or Dog Walking: If you love animals, use apps like Rover or Wag! to find gigs watching pets in your home or theirs, or taking dogs for walks. This offers flexible hours and is often in high demand.
Deliver Food or Groceries: Drive for services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Instacart. You can work on a flexible schedule and earn money delivering meals or groceries to people in your area.
Sell Unwanted Items: Declutter your home and sell unused items like clothing, furniture, electronics, or books on platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, or at a local yard sale.
Take Paid Online Surveys and Participate in Focus Groups: Websites like Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, or Respondent pay you for sharing your opinion. Surveys are low-effort and can be done in your spare time, while focus groups often pay a higher hourly rate.
Rent Out a Room or Your Car: If you have a spare room, you can rent it out for short-term stays on platforms like Airbnb. If you don't use your car often, you can rent it out through car-sharing services like Turo.
Test Websites and Apps: Companies will pay you to test their websites and apps for usability, providing feedback on your experience. Services like UserTesting often offer a quick, one-time payment per test.
Tutoring (Online or In-Person): If you are knowledgeable in a specific subject, language, or skill, you can tutor students online or locally. Sites like Wyzant or Chegg Tutors can help you find clients and set your rate.
Complete Local Odd Jobs/Tasks: Use apps like TaskRabbit to find small gigs in your community, such as assembling furniture, light yard work, cleaning, or running errands for others.

The Bible does not contain a specific book on "business" or "entrepreneurship" as modern concepts, but it offers numerous principles regarding work, wealth, diligence, and ethical conduct that are highly relevant to both.
Here are the key biblical principles applied to business and entrepreneurship:

1. Work and Diligence are Commended

The Bible encourages hard work and warns against laziness. This principle is fundamental to a successful venture.
Diligence brings reward: "Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth." (Proverbs 10:4).
Diligent hands: active, eager, willing to try anything…..
When I first got online and saw the possibilities I figure out something pretty quick. Not every youth pastor had my creative skill and writing lessons for youth. I was already a regular contributor/writer for YouthWorker Journal - So I would put together these really good power point lessons with great applications. Then I sold them online… and guess what - people bought them!
To pay my bills I have lots of skills and I will try anything.
I have taught guitar, drums, I am a personal trainer. But all these things fit within my calendar. I can’t take on another hourly, full time job - I am still and first a pastor. So Diligent hands seek what works best for each person.
Just today I hit up a woman who has a unique skill for other women- I can’t give to much away just yet. But she absolutely loved my idea and wants to come on board. We will typically work with about 25 women for one night a week and make a few thousand dollars. Diligence - try anything and if you fail - keep trying.
8 min