Call/Meeting Summary: Work as Worship and Faith-First Identity

Overview

Deep theological and strategic conversation with Dawson about making Christianity the central identity, work as worship philosophy, overcoming daily resistance through loving God, and the denominational "reset" opportunity the internet provides. Gary shared updates on Emily Slade's Israel trip nomination and reflected on being early to cultural movements. Dawson revealed Jenna is secretly Christian, which helped solidify their relationship.

Key Topics Discussed

Daily Spirit and Resistance Framework

Steven Pressfield Parallel:

• Gary: "It's not hard to see the metaphors of Steven Pressfield and Ryan Holiday, except Christian"
• Daily Spirit as "daily motivation for every Christian"
• Core message: "Christianity is not just for Sundays. In fact, I take off Sunday intentionally."

The Frustration Turned to Action:

• Gary: "There's so few people that I've met ever that I feel like are Christians as the number one thing that they are"
• Dawson: "If you're not willing to die for it, it doesn't matter at all"
• "If your work is not your worship, it doesn't matter at all"

What It Means to Be Christian

The Alyssa Example:

• Zach tried to set Gary up with Alyssa (went to Red Rocks, pastor family)
• But she goes out all the time, drinks a lot, would date atheists
• Gary's reaction: "What a joke. What does it even mean to be a Christian?"
• Dawson: "It's like Jesus' statement of 'I'll spit you out of my mouth'... if you're lukewarm. And I think that's most Christians."

Work as Worship in the AI Age

Soulful Creation:

• "AI is going to raise the bottom of things being created, but create demand for things that feel from a human soul"
• "I predict it's going to be pretty high class to be a connoisseur of very human things"
• Historical examples: cathedrals, Statue of David, St. Paul's Tomb in Rome

The Real Question:

• "Did it feel like this was what God called this person to create?"

How to Love God (Augustine Framework)

Dawson's Exploration:

• Referenced Augustine: "Love God and do what you want"
• "If you love God, then what you do will be blessed and inspired and holy"
• "How do you actively love God? How do you actively cultivate that?"

The Daily Practice:

• Gary: "The resistance makes me not want to wake up"
• Dawson: "The practice of loving God is how you overcome it"
• Gary: "It's like a muscle that we don't talk about"
• Gym analogy: Just like gaining physical strength, spiritual muscle makes "defeating the daily devil that's trying to keep you in bed" easier

Obedience and Blessing

Gary's Confidence:

"If you're just obedient to God for long enough, you're going to be where you need to be. It's not necessarily a number of wealth or follower count, but it's going to be beyond your imagination." "We stay diligent, consistent in obedience... we'll be hanging out with people we didn't even imagine hanging out with. Making more money than we previously imagined. With spouses that are kind of just beyond what we could have asked for."

Dawson's Hesitation:

• "I agree with you, but I don't want to believe to gain something... Maybe it's a false humility thing"
• Gary countered with Scott Adams example: Just saying you're Christian for Pascal's Wager doesn't work. "It's totally a heart posture thing."

Dawson's Testimony:

"Over the last year, as I've put faith more in the center of my life, those ideas have become stronger. The ideas of a prosperous future and of building things... Where before those things were much more dim. And as I've put God more at the center, it's almost like it gets brighter, slowly. And I'm able to see further. I'm able to believe it." "I feel like that's resistance's best trick, is that it makes you feel like there is nothing down the line."

Emily Slade Update

Israel Trip:

• Emily (from yesterday's call) nominated Gary for subsidized Reality Israel trip
• Gary was already planning to go at his own expense
• May travel for possible re-baptism in Jordan River
• "Individual actions matter" - Emily said she's going back to church after Gary's testimony

Being Early to Cultural Movements

Gary's Track Record:

• Tropical House: Worked with Kygo's team, Dom Dolla when they were bedroom artists
• Woke Folks: Had Facebook page before "woke" became mainstream (2017)
• Non-denominational Christianity: "I've been in so many Christian rooms that don't feel quite right, don't feel like the future"

Savoring the David vs. Goliath Phase:

• "It'll be really satisfying when there's tons of ambitious Christians crushing it"
• "But it's fun to be in a David vs. Goliath vibe for a while"
• "Secularism has no legs"

Nicki Minaj and Cultural Shift

The Pendulum:

• Nicki Minaj posting about Christianity as evidence of direction
• Referenced Lily Phillips/Bonnie Blue degradation trends
• "It's going to bounce all the way back to tradition and truth"
• "Instead of worshiping ass. Literally, that's what Cardi B and these people... Kardashians worshiping ass."
• "It's going to totally pay off to be not a bandwagon Christian five years from now"

Jenna Revelation

Dawson's Relationship:

• Gary asked: "Is Jenna secretly a Christian?"
• Dawson: "Yeah, we talked about faith... She is."
• Gary: "Did that help lock it in?" (their relationship)
• Dawson: "Yeah, I think so. We talked about the fact that I'm not just going to church."

Christians in Tech: Being "Out There"

Gary's Unique Position:

• Community builders told Gary: "That's so cool that you're so out there with your faith. Because they want to be. But they are scared or don't know if it's good for their business."
• Emily Slade's observation: "There's one person that's out there [making faith a big part of public identity in tech]. That's you."
• "There's almost zero case studies of people that show Christ is first in their lives as a successful tech person"

The Irony:

• Gary: "I'm going to be successful because of that"

Working with Mormons

Gary's Current Orbit:

• Travis Oliphant (Applied AI Society funder): Mormon
• Alpha School CEO: Mormon
• Gary: "I don't know exactly what God is saying with that, but I think he's basically saying stop fussing over denominations so much"

Dawson's Framework:

• Referenced Blake Thompson (First Light owner) not being Christian but leasing to Tarrytown church
• "Your whole life is your worship... It's my worship to work with a Jew"
• Goal: "Make the non-believers jealous"
• Cited Romans: "In order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save them"

Denominational Reset and Anti-Semitism

Gary's Ecumenical Journey:

• Roomed with Scientologist in New York
• Mentored career-wise by Mormon
• Embedded in Catholic elite circles
• Orthodox friends trying to pull him in
• Landed: Non-denominational

The Internet Reset:

• "The internet provides an interesting vector for almost like a reset. Because you don't have to carry the baggage of denominational baggage."

Anti-Semitism in Church History:

• Gary: "It's actually kind of crazy how much modern Christianity is rooted in anti-Semitism"
• Discussed Augustine's "doctrine of witness" (Jews preserved to show prophecy, but their suffering framed as God's punishment)
• Gary: "This is why you gotta really just never put anyone on a pedestal... What you have left is basically a relationship with God"

Key Quotes

Gary on Faith-First Identity:

"There's so few people that I've met ever that I feel like are Christians as the number one thing that they are. And that's what you're trying to become. Which is awesome, that's why we're aligned."

Dawson on Lukewarm Faith:

"If you're not willing to die for it, it doesn't matter at all... If your work is not your worship, it doesn't matter at all."

Gary on Resistance:

"I logically have long come to the conclusion that roughly the right worldview... I've been able to imagine what someone on fire for God looks like. But the resistance makes me not want to wake up."

Dawson on Faith Brightening Vision:

"As I've put God more at the center, it's almost like it gets brighter, slowly. And I'm able to see further. I'm able to believe it, honestly, even."

Gary on Working with Non-Christians:

"We have to make the non-believers, or the people that are misled, jealous."

Dawson on Twisting Scripture:

"The most devious trick is twisting God's word. Being a representative of God and then twisting it for your own gain is the worst thing to do."

Action Items / Takeaways

• Daily Spirit: Continue building awareness; positioned as "Steven Pressfield/Ryan Holiday for Christians"
• Gary: Explore Reality Israel trip for May (possible Jordan River re-baptism)
• Dawson: Faith connection with Jenna solidified relationship
• Both: Stay focused on work as worship, resist denominational tribalism
• Framework: Loving God as daily practice is the muscle that defeats resistance

Theological Insights

Making Believers Jealous (Romans):

• Paul's framework for Gentile ministry: make Jews jealous through flourishing
• Applied: Make non-believers jealous through excellent work and fulfilled lives

Augustine Tension:

• "Love God and do what you want" = beautiful framework
• But his anti-Semitic "doctrine of witness" = cautionary tale about putting anyone on pedestal
• Solution: Direct relationship with God, not mediated through flawed theologians

Prosperity and Faith:

• Not prosperity gospel (wealth as proof of faith)
• But: Obedience to God leads to "beyond imagination" outcomes
• Key distinction: Heart posture, not transactional belief