Sean Ellingson Shares How In-N-Out Burger Defied California Tyranny and Stood Against Vaccine Mandates

[00:04] okay welcome back everybody and thank

[00:07] you to a wonderful team that was

[00:08] impressive might work for NASCAR that

[00:10] was such a quick quick quick switch uh

[00:12] welcome to the stage Sean Ellingson and

[00:14] uh

[00:15] who here loves In and Out Burger

[00:17] In and Out Burger

[00:20] well Sean and his family have done an

[00:23] amazing job uh growing and developing I

[00:25] think you guys are now coming to

[00:26] Tennessee isn't that right that is right

[00:29] we will we will be here in a couple at

[00:32] least a couple more years so it's

[00:34] awesome rob you have some opening

[00:35] thoughts yeah In and Out Burger I think

[00:38] that's what was the Mana in the

[00:40] scripture

[00:45] uh Charlie Charlie takes me I call him

[00:48] uh you've heard of Mr Toad's Wild rides

[00:50] uh it's Charlie's wild rice he'll call

[00:52] yeah the blue and say hey why don't you

[00:53] come with me so-and-so and he said uh

[00:55] come with me I want to go to a Bible

[00:57] study um with the owners of in and out

[01:00] and okay Charlie we get there and the

[01:03] two of us are in the car and we pull up

[01:04] into this cul-de-sac with a very humble

[01:06] house ranch style

[01:08] and we didn't know what we were getting

[01:09] into and we were the first to arrive and

[01:11] the folks didn't really know who we were

[01:13] and Sean and his wife hadn't shown up

[01:14] yet and we sit down and Sean's a teacher

[01:17] and it was one of the most precious

[01:18] times and Charlie and I loved it and

[01:21] then Sean asked Charlie to share and

[01:23] usually rich people get pitched

[01:26] but the amazing thing is Sean and his

[01:28] wife asked Charlie to come because they

[01:29] love what he's doing and they believe in

[01:31] it and then shortly after that when we

[01:34] left Charlie and I were moved and we had

[01:37] the chance to spend time with you and

[01:38] then just like our church in and out

[01:40] came under Fire by Governor New Cellini

[01:43] and the tyranny and and uh you you

[01:47] refused to allow your employees to have

[01:51] to get a shot

[01:52] and and that ended up yeah amen

[02:00] so I I just I teed that up to say thank

[02:02] you and and Charlie we've been blessed

[02:05] by this man amen

[02:07] Sean honor to call you uh a friend and a

[02:10] brother in Christ just what's up what's

[02:12] on your heart you know I know that you

[02:13] know as a pastor and as a teacher uh

[02:16] there's some things you want to share

[02:17] with our audience here but

[02:19] um yeah just share some thoughts and

[02:21] also tell us more about kind of the the

[02:23] decision you made to stand up against

[02:24] the Leviathan that is known as the the

[02:27] California government yeah thank you uh

[02:29] for having me here today you guys and um

[02:32] thank you for allowing me to be up here

[02:34] um

[02:36] I guess it has everything to do with our

[02:39] faith

[02:40] um you know I I do follow politics I was

[02:42] in the same way I was always told not to

[02:45] at least be involved in mixed politics

[02:47] and Faith

[02:49] um and so that I I struggled with that

[02:51] as well

[02:52] um

[02:53] but I I do follow politics I do believe

[02:56] in

[02:57] um being aware of what's going on uh

[03:00] culturally and socially and um

[03:03] and so I caught wind of of what you were

[03:05] doing

[03:06] um I had seen you on Fox News a few

[03:08] times and

[03:10] um it just really stood out at that

[03:13] point in my life uh when when I came

[03:15] across you

[03:17] um I was you know already pursuing my

[03:20] faith aside from my earlier life and it

[03:24] was in alignment with with so many

[03:26] different values that I hold on to now

[03:28] especially bringing Unity to the body of

[03:31] Christ

[03:32] and so

[03:34] um there was this boldness in this this

[03:36] courage that that was just on fire

[03:38] inside of you and I admired that

[03:42] um

[03:43] and I and I really felt in Lindsay my

[03:46] wife and I both felt that um we needed

[03:49] to stand behind you uh stand with you

[03:52] and try to bring this awareness to the

[03:56] rest of the body of Christ

[03:58] so yeah go ahead no thank you and just

[04:01] that talk about the prayer that you guys

[04:04] went through and the you know decision

[04:06] because running a big company and taking

[04:09] that stand I mean I I just hope everyone

[04:11] understands that's there's risk involved

[04:13] so some of you right now are running a

[04:15] church you say oh I'm going to lose ties

[04:16] and offerings

[04:19] um how many people have heard that

[04:20] they're they're running one of the most

[04:22] incredible companies they had a closed

[04:24] doors right you had to close in the

[04:26] Fishers Fisherman's Wharf store because

[04:28] of principle for saying you know what

[04:30] we're not going to require our workers

[04:32] to take an mnrna Gene altering shot tell

[04:34] us more about that

[04:36] yeah so they were uh trying to force us

[04:39] to to go along with that

[04:41] um I think because of our awareness of

[04:44] what had been going on up until that

[04:45] point

[04:46] um you know circumventing all of the

[04:48] legal process for the development for

[04:51] vaccines uh and just so many other

[04:54] things you know if if I didn't have that

[04:56] awareness if we didn't have that

[04:58] awareness I don't know if we would have

[04:59] stood like we did

[05:01] um my wife is an unbelievable

[05:05] Warrior

[05:07] and

[05:09] you know as this was happening you know

[05:11] we were trying to trying to

[05:14] think about all the different avenues

[05:15] that this could go and she we're sitting

[05:19] there talking

[05:20] um

[05:21] and she's like well what if I get

[05:22] arrested

[05:24] and and you know she brought it up but

[05:26] then she's like I'll go to jail

[05:30] and I'm thinking well gosh I got to take

[05:33] care of the kids like I'm gonna

[05:40] I mean that was the reality of what

[05:43] really was going through my head I'm

[05:44] like oh boy school I gotta do all this

[05:46] stuff but if that's really what you want

[05:48] to do I'll I'll support you

[05:53] and I'm not kidding you guys she really

[05:55] was willing to sacrifice

[05:59] that even to that extent to stand for

[06:04] [Applause]

[06:09] but like I said it has everything to do

[06:12] with our faith and uh she just has this

[06:15] boldness inside of her and not everyone

[06:19] does and I understand that

[06:22] um

[06:22] but

[06:24] we need to find those people and we need

[06:25] to empower them

[06:27] we need to we need to equip these people

[06:29] so that they can take the leadership

[06:32] inside of the body of Christ I think

[06:34] we're lacking that I think we expect one

[06:36] person do to do everything

[06:38] and that's just not the case and I I

[06:40] know we're all aware of that

[06:43] I wanted to comment that you were the

[06:47] largest corporation in California to

[06:50] stand against the Tyranny Mom and Pops

[06:52] did in our County alone 65 percent of

[06:54] our small businesses will never reopen

[06:56] because they were obliterated and no

[06:58] large corporation stood but in and out

[07:00] did that empowered so many small

[07:03] businesses that that was a shock wave

[07:06] that that turned the governor and I

[07:09] don't think people realize how

[07:10] significant that was

[07:12] and I you talk so fondly of your wife

[07:15] and um you know the in and out franchise

[07:19] comes from a long Christian line many

[07:22] people don't know that the Harvest

[07:23] Crusades with Greg Laurie were funded

[07:26] um by the the family

[07:29] and um and you and Lindsay together

[07:33] as husband and then you know her name

[07:36] operating you have such a sweet

[07:39] relationship

[07:40] uh can you share with the folks with the

[07:44] intensity that you face

[07:46] how your relationship is so critical

[07:48] especially when you're up against it and

[07:50] she's saying now I'm going to go to jail

[07:52] and you're like I'll watch the kids

[07:54] but but there's more to it in the day in

[07:57] and day out operations you're also you

[07:58] take care of your employees you follow a

[08:00] capitalistic Christian principle of

[08:02] providing for your employees unlike any

[08:04] other business I know of in California

[08:06] that's to be so commended it's powerful

[08:09] so please share with us how your

[08:11] relationship Builds on that yeah thank

[08:13] you

[08:16] um you know I recognize the position

[08:18] that she's in

[08:20] um and the influence that she has and

[08:21] the impact that she has in so many

[08:23] different lives our Associates we have

[08:25] just around 35 plus thousand Associates

[08:29] and

[08:30] um I've seen her pursue individuals

[08:35] um wholeheartedly

[08:37] and relentlessly

[08:39] and

[08:40] I've seen lives changed because of her

[08:43] effort and so I I've recognized coming

[08:46] into the relationship with my wife my

[08:50] role uh and she's also you know brought

[08:53] brought that made sure I'm aware and

[08:55] reminds me uh

[08:58] to be the spiritual leader in our home

[09:00] and

[09:01] um

[09:03] and so I I understood you know

[09:05] especially coming into the relationship

[09:06] that

[09:08] um you know I I'll back up I guess I I

[09:10] met her through a dating app

[09:13] and

[09:14] um

[09:16] yeah

[09:18] it's even better than that but keep

[09:20] going

[09:23] so

[09:25] um you know I grew up with not much

[09:28] um and so coming into the relationship

[09:30] with her and then finding out who she

[09:31] was

[09:33] um and and realizing what I was kind of

[09:36] walking into I really wanted to make

[09:38] sure that God made it clear to me if I

[09:41] was supposed to pursue it or not

[09:43] and

[09:45] um she's she had already been very

[09:48] strong in her faith she you know I

[09:51] started attending Bible study with her

[09:54] um

[09:55] and so I kind of knew going into the

[09:57] relationship that I wasn't going to

[09:58] bring you know I'm not going to pay the

[10:00] bills I'm not going to

[10:02] get a job that's going to pay more than

[10:05] what she's bringing to the family

[10:08] um and so I kind of recognized early on

[10:10] that I was supposed to be a spiritual

[10:11] leader in in her life and in my kids

[10:14] life uh lives in my in my my family so

[10:19] um I do I do what I can to uh under you

[10:23] know try to have understanding of where

[10:25] what she needs to do and just support

[10:26] her

[10:27] now Sean talk about Army of Love and

[10:30] also for those of you that know you know

[10:32] look carefully when you go to In and Out

[10:34] you see little bible verses on every

[10:35] single

[10:37] item

[10:38] and I think that's just awesome by the

[10:40] way and so talk about Army of Love this

[10:43] is one of the most amazing things you've

[10:45] deployed significant resources towards

[10:47] finding the lost help in the lost but

[10:49] also towards ending child sex

[10:51] trafficking talk about the incredible

[10:53] efforts you're doing and how you really

[10:55] Steward those resources okay towards

[10:58] those

[10:59] um

[11:00] let's see well

[11:02] a few years before my wife and I met I

[11:05] was serving in the United States Army I

[11:08] got out

[11:09] my brother was thank you

[11:12] my brother was on uh on heroin on the

[11:16] streets uh right before I left the

[11:19] military and my other younger brother

[11:20] had passed away from drugs

[11:24] and so I can maybe it was an escape for

[11:26] me but I left I came back

[11:28] um

[11:29] and within five months I met Lindsay uh

[11:35] earlier before that while I was serving

[11:37] she had a vision from God to start a

[11:40] Ministry

[11:41] called the Army of Love

[11:44] and so the 501c3 status didn't get

[11:47] approved for years

[11:50] and then as soon as we met a week after

[11:52] we got married

[11:54] uh

[11:56] they they approved it

[11:58] and so on top of the other signs that we

[12:01] had been asking for this was kind of

[12:03] confirmation for us to pursue this

[12:05] ministry

[12:06] and so our vision is to unite the body

[12:09] of Christ to set the captives free and

[12:12] to just equip the the body of Christ to

[12:15] heal brokenhearted and and hurting

[12:17] people

[12:19] um

[12:20] I believe in you know the material that

[12:23] we have is a discipleship program an

[12:25] amazing discipleship program that we

[12:27] offer for free we don't ask for anything

[12:29] from any churches we're just here to

[12:32] support the body of Christ we really

[12:33] want to see people experience what I

[12:36] experienced what Lindsay has experienced

[12:38] in so many of the people in this room

[12:40] have experience and that was an

[12:42] encounter with the with the Lord

[12:46] um I was molested when I was younger

[12:49] and

[12:51] um it really took Lindsay pushing in and

[12:55] having uh were you know a word of

[12:58] Knowledge from the Holy Spirit

[13:00] and and speaking into an area of my life

[13:03] that was dark and I was a and and I

[13:05] wanted to pretend wasn't there

[13:07] but she was relentless and she kept

[13:09] pushing in and because of that I faced

[13:12] the reality that okay this is this isn't

[13:15] her this this is somebody that knows who

[13:19] I am

[13:21] [Applause]

[13:26] and I'm telling you how you know how

[13:29] scared I was to acknowledge that

[13:32] um but when I did

[13:34] I told her I just I told her what

[13:37] happened

[13:38] and I allowed the Lord to really just

[13:40] come into my life at that point

[13:42] and I felt so singled out in this world

[13:45] by God I felt so loved by God

[13:56] and it you know after reading a lot of

[13:58] the Army of Love material that we have

[14:00] it kind of just validated everything

[14:03] about the process of my healing and the

[14:07] necessity of of that healing in the body

[14:10] of Christ I'm a very I'm a firm believer

[14:12] of transformational ministry and healing

[14:15] and counseling

[14:17] and allowing people to to truth

[14:20] truthfully uh truly feel the presence

[14:23] and the power and the love of God

[14:30] John that was precious

[14:33] Sean when I was a young youth pastor and

[14:36] I didn't know my elbow from my earlobe

[14:38] we'd put on a youth event and a limited

[14:41] budget I didn't have two nickels to rub

[14:43] together

[14:44] on a whim I wrote a letter to I think

[14:47] it's uh Lindsay's Grandma Esther

[14:50] and I asked if they would provide

[14:52] burgers for the the Youth Event

[14:55] and elderly handwriting she wrote back

[14:58] yes dear and she sent two Burger trucks

[15:00] and took care of the lunch and

[15:02] I was blown away and I never had the

[15:05] privilege to meet her I wrote her a

[15:07] thank you note

[15:08] but I never had the privilege to thank

[15:10] her face to face and when we went to

[15:11] that bible study

[15:13] I had already seen the video of your

[15:16] wife where I am second

[15:18] and how the the company ended up in her

[15:21] hands

[15:22] and the struggle she went through with

[15:24] her dad and and I thought

[15:26] this is an amazing human being that's

[15:28] got a lot on our shoulders

[15:31] um and and when Charlie and I walked in

[15:32] I was looking forward to meeting her and

[15:35] then I told her about her grandmother

[15:36] and how grateful I was and then to see

[15:39] her but then to meet you and to see the

[15:41] two of you together understanding the

[15:44] power of Christ regardless of all

[15:46] because money is a money's an accelerant

[15:49] it just makes you more of what you

[15:50] already are

[15:52] but the two of you together have such a

[15:54] love for the Lord and you understand

[15:57] how to make a difference and you

[15:59] understand the value of this nation and

[16:01] the freedom that we have

[16:02] I don't have a question I said all of

[16:04] that

[16:06] from the bottom of my heart to say thank

[16:07] you to you and your wife and your entire

[16:10] organization you've blessed us

[16:11] immeasurably

[16:14] thank you thank you Rob

[16:18] so Sean you have a beautiful thing you

[16:20] were talking about earlier about the

[16:21] holy spirit being the kind of the golden

[16:24] thread that binds everything together

[16:25] share that with us come on you know with

[16:27] the Army of Love we've worked with

[16:29] different Ministries and organizations

[16:30] and helped their staff and Leadership

[16:33] who sometimes feel like they can't talk

[16:35] about anything without jeopardizing

[16:37] their livelihoods losing their positions

[16:40] their jobs

[16:41] and so we've had we've gone into these

[16:44] organizations we've we've recognized

[16:46] that there's you know sometimes pastors

[16:48] that are put into some of the programs

[16:50] like this uh that we that we deal with

[16:52] that are from all across the nation from

[16:55] all different denominations and my

[16:58] pastor

[16:59] who pastures over one of the specific

[17:02] organizations

[17:04] has told me that it doesn't matter where

[17:07] they're from if we can find common

[17:09] ground in certain areas in the holy

[17:11] spirit will work like a golden thread

[17:13] and work his way in and around and

[17:15] navigate through all of those

[17:16] differences which you know can be so

[17:20] divisive but but the Holy Spirit can do

[17:23] it

[17:24] and so

[17:26] um

[17:26] I think that's that's one thing too is

[17:29] just like for us is is the power of the

[17:31] Holy Spirit like there's so many

[17:33] like crazy things going on in the world

[17:36] today and it is so multifaceted it's

[17:41] just so hard to keep track of everything

[17:42] how to

[17:44] you know to know how to navigate it all

[17:46] and I'll tell you right now that

[17:48] everything in my life personally I

[17:51] couldn't do without the leading and the

[17:53] guidance from the Holy Spirit

[18:00] you know Sean I I was just thinking here

[18:02] I was running into some of you in the

[18:04] hallway and we did a whole show on this

[18:06] today

[18:07] just it's tough to look at the current

[18:09] corporate landscape and it just hit me

[18:11] as you were talking Sean you know Target

[18:13] and you know all these companies one

[18:15] after the other isn't it refreshing to

[18:16] have a major company that actually

[18:18] stands for truth with leadership I mean

[18:21] it's just

[18:24] it's not all lost is what I'm getting at

[18:27] right it's really it's really something

[18:29] shown and so to talk about how the Holy

[18:31] Spirit plays into your leadership

[18:32] decisions and you and Lindsay and what

[18:35] does that look like what are the

[18:36] spiritual disciplines you include in in

[18:38] high stakes decision making

[18:41] uh well we fast we pray

[18:44] um you know we're actively involved with

[18:46] our church or we have a Monday night

[18:48] study group that we that we lead that

[18:50] we've been a part of for many years now

[18:53] and

[18:54] um I think one of the most important

[18:56] things is recognizing the need for the

[18:59] body of Christ

[19:01] uh just the eldership and the council

[19:04] um in the in the unity is is so

[19:07] important the Holy Spirit Will Reveal

[19:10] and lead us

[19:13] um but sometimes we're not so Keen to

[19:16] following his lead or recognizing where

[19:20] he's leading us or what he's saying to

[19:22] us

[19:23] and uh for that we need the rest of the

[19:25] body of Christ

[19:28] well we're limited on time I was going

[19:30] to point yeah if you want to clap on

[19:31] that I think we've got time for

[19:33] collapping that's for sure

[19:36] now I've heard that it said that every

[19:38] In and Out Burger must uh be located

[19:41] close enough to have fresh meat

[19:43] delivered all ingredients have to be

[19:45] fresh

[19:46] and and I was you know that's that's

[19:48] impressive because it limits your

[19:50] distribution and you know everyone frees

[19:51] it and it's a protection on that which

[19:53] goes into our body and you guys look for

[19:55] the freshest of ingredients I say that

[19:57] because as you're describing how the

[19:59] Holy Spirit works in your life

[20:01] and and spending time in the word of God

[20:03] that that's got to be fresh Manna that's

[20:06] got to be a time with the Lord where he

[20:08] speaks to you through his word and um

[20:11] and I think at least you know we can

[20:13] conclude with this I Charlie and I were

[20:16] both impressed with your your teaching

[20:17] ability and then we broke out remember

[20:19] we broke out men in one room women in

[20:22] another I mean it was like a Jewish

[20:24] wedding the press this is going to be

[20:25] awful

[20:26] but it was it was uh it was there was

[20:30] such a love for the word of God and I

[20:32] know that plays a huge role in your life

[20:35] you've overcome a drug addiction yeah

[20:38] molestation the Bible says be

[20:40] transformed by the renewing of your mind

[20:42] how is the word of God helped you

[20:44] through every step of that especially

[20:46] when I mean I know it's like to go

[20:48] through withdrawals I know it's like to

[20:49] go through those times

[20:52] how did God speak to you through his

[20:54] word share with some of these folks so

[20:55] that we can take that and give God the

[20:58] glory at the conclusion of our time

[20:59] together

[21:00] yeah thank you um well I would say and

[21:02] you shared the verse already one of my

[21:05] my life verses is Mark 12 30 or Matthew

[21:08] 22 37 to love God with everything we

[21:11] have and to love our neighbor

[21:13] and

[21:14] um

[21:15] you know for me that's that's just the

[21:17] driving force on on staying on track is

[21:21] if those are the two ultimate

[21:23] Commandments that fulfill everything

[21:24] else it's um you know I I've got to stay

[21:27] on track with that

[21:29] and um you know there's the Bible is

[21:33] full of other verses that help us day to

[21:35] day right and his word is living and and

[21:38] so you know as I'm praying or reading

[21:41] and and somebody comes on my mind as I'm

[21:43] reading something I'm going to share

[21:44] that verse with them or whatever it is

[21:47] um

[21:48] those are just kind of the things that

[21:49] help you know that that navigate my life

[21:54] let's have him praying yeah I was going

[21:56] to say

[21:57] um Sean how can we pray for you because

[21:59] you're you're you're unique to tell us

[22:03] it's like a unicorn really I know but I

[22:05] just you know what

[22:07] courage begets courage right and I can

[22:09] tell you this I was just recently in

[22:11] Santa Barbara and despite all you cannot

[22:14] you at 9 00 pm at night there is a line

[22:17] around the block to go to In and Out

[22:19] Burger I could tell you and I and uh

[22:23] come to Kentucky is that what you said

[22:25] you hear that I I think in and out has

[22:27] some big growth potential Sean really

[22:29] quick and how can we pray for you as as

[22:31] we conclude here uh just the protection

[22:34] protection over my family my kids

[22:36] thank you thank you Sean you're a

[22:40] brother in Christ and we are immensely

[22:42] blessed by your courage and your

[22:43] family's courage thank you and Rob let

[22:45] me pray for him yes Lord thank you for

[22:48] Sean thank you for Lindsay we do pray

[22:49] for protection for them we pray for

[22:51] wisdom If any man lacks wisdom all we

[22:53] need but do is ask of you God thank you

[22:55] for the way in which you've used them

[22:56] and the way in which you've blessed them

[22:58] and Lord he who refreshes others will

[23:00] himself be refreshed they have refreshed

[23:02] us we just prayed double blessing on

[23:03] them and God thank you for this

[23:05] Gathering and and it's all about you you

[23:07] are the guest of honor we thank you for

[23:10] your presence in Jesus name amen give it

[23:13] up for Sean