Extended Transcript: Gary Sheng & Dr. Barbara Hastie - Spiritual Growth and Divine Calling

Date: August 29, 2025
Participants: Gary Sheng, Dr. Barbara Hastie
Duration: Extended conversation during Dr. Hastie's drive
Context: Spiritual mentorship and life transition discussion

Executive Summary

Extended spiritual mentorship conversation between Gary and Dr. Barbara Hastie covering Gary's spiritual evolution, his calling to document miraculous ministry in Liberty, Texas, theological insights on childlike faith, practical challenges of faith-based business partnerships, and mutual encouragement in divine timing. Dr. Hastie provided extensive spiritual guidance while sharing her own journey of trusting God through professional setbacks and health challenges.

Key Themes

Gary's Spiritual Awakening and Ministry Calling

Miraculous Reality Recognition:

Gary: "I feel called to help him get the word out. About the way the miraculous nature of reality. It's about the miracles. But it's about the miraculous reality that we live in, that people are not. Tuned into, and that's why they're miserable."

Breaking from Secular Religion:

Gary: "I feel like. There's some kind of secular religion. That I'm breaking out of. Just inch by inch, basically. Over the past few years. And I think it really accelerated this summer."

Critique of Surveillance-Based Work Culture:

Gary: "I had to really think about. The situation that I was in, where I was consulting for. This school system. That monitors every interaction you do on your computer. And basically works. You. Like a mule."

Theological Insights on Childlike Faith

Heart and Mind Integration:

Gary: "I realized. I have zero regret about it because. I needed to intellectually understand stuff. As well... But I've intellectually, basically, fully convinced myself. That at minimum, it is worth it to act as though Christ. Was. Our king and savior."

Biblical Foundation for Childlike Wonder:

Gary: "There's an amazing verse that I was not aware of. And I keep discovering verses. That resonate with me... It's truly. I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven."

Dr. Hastie's Validation:

Dr. Hastie: "That's why I have to send you the sermon, because you know what? That was actually part of the verse that he was preaching out the last week. It's beautiful."

Creative Work and Divine Inspiration

Pixar Example of Creative Work Environment:

Dr. Hastie: "The guy that could Pixar... created the inside of the workplace that was like a rainforest and all this kind of really beautiful setting for workers... he sent several of the top people. Out on scuba diving. Paid for and said, this is your work because you're going to see it."

AI and Human Creativity Integration:

Gary: "AI. Is like a little worker that once you know what you want, Ones that spark hits you. If you know how to use AI, it can execute on the thing. But I still think that people are not getting. That connection. Where humans are supposed to be really creative."

Divine Creativity Understanding:

Dr. Hastie: "What makes us unique to many of us of God's creation... we can create. We can be creative... We have this remarkable ability, and we're made in the image of God. Which means that our creativity and our abilities are really... Expanse of creativity."

Cultural Critique and Spiritual Warfare

Culture as Satanic:

Gary: "Guess what? The culture. Is. Satanic. So it's time for the coca culture to. Be truth." Dr. Hastie: "That's right. The truth Revolution."

Marvel vs. Supernatural Reality:

Gary: "I feel concerned that it's basically been replaced with Marvel. And it's fun. These were fun movies and stuff, but people's fascination with the supernatural is being replaced with commerce, essentially, if you think about it... Even though our actual reality is supernatural."

Non-Dualism Critique:

Gary: "I'm very wary... New age sort of spiritualities that. Have you heard about this concept of non dualism?... I feel like. There are spiritualities that almost intentionally ignore evil."

Great Cloud of Witnesses Teaching

Dr. Hastie's Profound Spiritual Insight:

Dr. Hastie: "Since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, Let us run with endurance. The race that has put before us... And all around me. Are my ancestors. All around me are the people that help me get where I am right now. And they're in heaven and they are praying up on my behalf."

Gary's Grandfather's Influence:

Dr. Hastie: "Your grandfather, I'm sure, is having an impact and praying for all of you. Even he's not on this earth. But his spirit is still here. Having an impact... And his boldness and all that... So you're. I will. I know your grandfather is praying for you and your boldness and your growth."

Contemplative Practices and Spiritual Disciplines

Contemplative Practice Introduction:

Dr. Hastie: "It requires. I'll use this word, but it sounds a little bit too like a month. It could templative. You know, there's contemplative practices... And it's getting quiet, getting still, going out in nature."

Labyrinth Walking Explanation:

Dr. Hastie: "Walking the labyrinth... as you're walking this labyrinth, it's like a prayer walk... At the beginning of Labyrinth, you go around and you're saying the whole thing... So when you're ending at the center, It ends with be still."

Silent Monastery Experience:

Dr. Hastie: "I found this monastery a bunch of months. It was a silent monastery... you're really there to kind of journal and find your connect with God, really... And some of these famous authors that have been writing about it for centuries."

Business Partnership Spiritual Standards

Faith-Based Partnership Challenges:

Gary: "I have zero regret about it because... This thought about being basically incompatible as business partners with someone that doesn't get all this stuff."

Dr. Hastie's Business Partner Experience:

Dr. Hastie: "You're right to go into business and business transaction with people that aren't. It's hard... Because also how they and we as believers. How we live, our faith is going to be different. In how they demonstrate their faith."

Deep Friendship Requirements:

Dr. Hastie: "It's got an increasingly difficult. To have a deep friendship with them... it's really hard. To talk about life in general because for me, my faith is such a core to who I am. That if I can't discuss that. Then I feel like there's a part of me that is not Sheng up fully present."

Inner City Youth and Nihilism Analysis

Cultural Hopelessness:

Gary: "I was in the room. Of a few inner city kids listening to this entrepreneur talk about the opportunities ahead. And they were all so bored and cynical... They have made it part of their culture. To laugh at anyone that has hope."

Coping Mechanism Understanding:

Gary: "It's a coping mechanism to feel like you have control over something, right? The control that you have is over your attitude towards life."

DNA vs. Destiny:

Dr. Hastie: "DNA does not determine destiny... God is doing. God knows our destiny. He's the one that's written every day, you know, every day of our life."

Divine Timing and Free Will Theology

Gary's Theological Wrestling:

Gary: "The way that I've been thinking about it is he works at such a higher level that it doesn't violate free will somehow at the same time... I don't understand. This goes back to childlike trust. I don't know what's going on."

Dr. Hastie's Theological Framework:

Dr. Hastie: "God knows our days, right? He knows how many days we'll be on this earth. And God knows how we will respond. But he's not going to program us like a robot... But that's why we have this opportunity to go. This is what I have."

Suffering and Recompense Theology

Gary's Theological Exploration:

Gary: "I've been exploring this. Theology of recompense. Where if you suffered a lot. This idea that if you demand recompense, Things will be made right."

Margaret Clarkson's Witness:

Dr. Hastie: "How could you not be angry at God? And how could you not? Demand some recompense for your suffering. And she said her first response was. I needed God to much to survive and get through. Her second response was, he gave me so much. That. How could I demand anymore?"

Romans 8:28 Revelation:

Dr. Hastie: "God works all things together for the good. Very different. Right? For the good... It's not saying you're going to have all good happening to you your whole life. Is that things aren't going to be. Are going to turn out for your good, your ultimate good."

Christianity as Reality Understanding

Gary's Breakthrough Insight:

Gary: "I feel like what he promises. Coming to Christ does. Mainly, what it first does is it helps you just understand reality better... And not be in real suffering, which is addicted to sin."

Dr. Hastie's Validation:

Dr. Hastie: "That's a brilliant way, and people don't tell you that... That's really insightful."

Sin Recognition Framework:

Gary: "It's a lot easier to change your life to be less about sin. If you even can start acknowledging of what sin is, right. Thing is, you can find an article just on the Internet justifying any behavior."

Liberty, Texas Mission Trip

Mission Calling:

Gary: "Saturday. Next Saturday... Could be two days, could be indefinitely, I don't know... I'm not over planning anymore. I'm definitely in the sort of one way ticket type. Mentality."

Dr. Hastie's Spiritual Connection:

Dr. Hastie: "I have a colleague from Southern California that moved to Houston... And she's spoken about some of the spiritual stuff that's going on in Liberty. Texas... she was saying how there's a lot happening spiritually in Liberty, Texas."

Mission Trip Recognition:

Gary: "I'm on a mission trip. Mission trip, Basically." Dr. Hastie: "I love it... you're on a mission trip. Then you're doing God's work. Which is awesome."

Professional Setbacks and Divine Redirection

Dr. Hastie's Conference Withdrawals:

Dr. Hastie: "So Dubai would have been the week of the 8th, and Botswana would have been the week at the 22nd... And that was the first time I've ever had to withdraw from a commitment, ever."

Divine Redirection Recognition:

Gary: "I'm hoping that. Your commitment that you have to withdraw from that. God redirecting you in a good way." Dr. Hastie: "I have to believe. That your will. And you're right. The redirection, that there's a reason why."

Health Insurance and Practical Faith

Creative Business Solution:

Dr. Hastie: "I found out. I thought I was going to call Group Health Insurance through Blue Cross... I can get group health insurance. Under my company If I have one between 1 and 99 employees... I've got to hire myself. To be an employee."

God's Time vs. Worldly Time

Gary's Time Philosophy:

Gary: "Economic time. The worldly time of the clock. Is very different. Than Cairo's time. God's time. The thing about God is that you can do the same actions. At a different time, but it'll have a completely different effect. If you're in alignment with God's time."

Partnership Requirements:

Gary: "This is why it's very difficult for me to say that I want to start anything new without anyone that's on fire, for Christ... There's so many people that don't make anything about Christ, their identity. And so they have to be on fire. And part of how you're on fire is you're deeply humble."

Parental Relationship Challenges

Gary's Growth Area:

Gary: "One of the biggest things that has held me back in the past, and I still need to continue to shed it, is stopping worrying about what my parents think about what I'm doing."

Dr. Hastie's Encouragement:

Dr. Hastie: "I will definitely be praying for them. Absolutely. It takes a lot of courage, and it's challenging... And somehow or another, you gotta work on her and work on a relationship because I don't have the energy for that."

Unique Calling and Divine Purpose

Individual Uniqueness:

Dr. Hastie: "There is not another person like you. There's not another person like me. And there never will be... We miss out. When who you're supposed to be. When you're not you when you're not you. We as a society, as a community, is that we miss out."

Gary's Life Work Recognition:

Gary: "It took me almost. 33 years. To get to the point where I'm like, okay. Creating. Amazing movement, like excitement around. Our inherently miraculous reality. What everything was training. Every experience was training me for."

Dr. Hastie's Encouragement:

Dr. Hastie: "You know what's cool? This is just the beginning. Looks like you lived on me, 99. That's only a third. There's two serves more."

Spiritual Warfare and Cultural Analysis

Nihilism as Spiritual Warfare

Gary: "Satan loves nihilists." Dr. Hastie: "Oh, yeah. Absolutely. They're like Frontline. Frontline workers."

Justification of Evil

Gary: "You can literally pick almost anything... And then you're like, oh, well, what about child sex trafficking? And be like, well, their actions say that it's okay. The fact that that happens."

Prayer and Intercession

Dr. Hastie's Prayer Commitment

Dr. Hastie: "I will also be praying. I'll be praying every day. I do delivery every now I'm being painted specifically for this incredible experience. And you're willingness to do it because a lot of people go, okay, got it. Really?"

Authentic Prayer Style

Gary: "I like the way that you talk to God. It's cool." Dr. Hastie: "I'm very real. I'm very. That has gotten. There is no other. But I'm very real with my feelings."

Key Insights and Revelations

1. Spiritual Maturation: Gary's evolution from intellectual understanding to heart-mind integration
2. Contemplative Practices: Introduction to labyrinth walking and silent monastery experiences
3. Great Cloud of Witnesses: Powerful teaching on ancestral spiritual support
4. Divine Timing: Understanding God's time versus worldly time pressures
5. Mission Calling: Gary's preparation for Liberty, Texas ministry documentation
6. Business Partnership Standards: Requirement for Christ-centered collaboration
7. Cultural Critique: Analysis of secular religion and supernatural replacement
8. Suffering Theology: Exploration of recompense versus gratitude frameworks

Action Items and Follow-up

• Gary to call Dr. Hastie in 1.5 weeks with Liberty, Texas updates
• Dr. Hastie to connect Gary with Houston colleague familiar with Liberty spiritual activity
• Dr. Hastie to send sermon link and contemplative practice resources
• Continued prayer support for Gary's mission and parental relationships

Significance

This conversation represents a pivotal spiritual mentorship moment, with Dr. Hastie providing extensive theological guidance and practical wisdom as Gary prepares for his ministry calling in Liberty, Texas. The discussion demonstrates Gary's continued spiritual maturation and Dr. Hastie's role as a seasoned spiritual advisor navigating her own challenges with divine trust and timing.