1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,760 Well, welcome back to Rising 365. 2 00:00:02,760 --> 00:00:08,200 If this is your first time, I'm Mike Penney and this podcast is committed to inspiring 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:14,720 and supporting others to embrace the opportunity to rise with each new day. 4 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:19,560 It took me some time to realize that Rising Daily can be a challenge for many. 5 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,040 It was a challenge for myself, even to this day. 6 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:30,280 So that's why I hope these episodes will assist you in rising every day of the year. 7 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:35,600 Well, welcome to episode 20 entitled, Even If. 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:37,160 So we're doing some backtracking. 9 00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:44,000 If you want to keep up with us back in episode 17, I've been talking about an avenue of a 10 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:49,280 ministry that my family and I are a part of. 11 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:54,480 We are full-time missionaries with a ministry called Child Evangelism Fellowship. 12 00:00:54,480 --> 00:01:01,440 And we are the directors here in central Nebraska, covering everything basically west of York, 13 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:02,440 Nebraska. 14 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:08,440 One of the avenues of our ministry is a teen leadership training called Christian Youth 15 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:09,440 in Action. 16 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:16,360 And back in episode 17, I was sharing about how what we teach these teens can inspire 17 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:23,320 us and people of all ages to rise every day of the year. 18 00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:26,720 In episode 17 is called, What is Your Life Tied To? 19 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,800 And it's a recap of the story of Rahab found in the Old Testament. 20 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:40,400 You see, Rahab was part of a city, a town called Jericho, and she was known for, of 21 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:46,560 course, if you're not familiar with this Bible lesson, doing things in the community that 22 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:48,960 you shouldn't be known for. 23 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:56,400 But yet she tied her hope to that of God and through her trusting in God's plan for her 24 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:01,640 life and what was happening, Jesus came. 25 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:03,600 So now we're in episode 20. 26 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:10,120 We are looking at a story that these teens are out teaching, found in Mark 521. 27 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,400 Jarius's daughter. 28 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:19,160 You see, Jarius, we find in Mark 521, he's a ruler. 29 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:26,720 He's a rich guy in the synagogues, but his daughter is really sick, because sick to the 30 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:28,880 point of death and he's tried everything. 31 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:34,920 The guy has the finances for doctors, for everything his daughter would need, but everything 32 00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:39,920 he's trying earthly is not healing his daughter. 33 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:43,040 So he hears that Jesus is in town, so he rushes. 34 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:44,040 He leaves his home. 35 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:50,320 He leaves his daughter to go and find Jesus. 36 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,160 When doing so, he encountered Jesus and he tells him of his need. 37 00:02:54,160 --> 00:03:03,840 He hopes that Jesus can do what only he thinks Jesus can do, and that is heal his daughter. 38 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:11,400 We all have that desire and our need for something in our life that only one person can do, and 39 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,080 that is Jesus. 40 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:22,800 But in our world of 2024, we find everything else that can meet only what Jesus can meet. 41 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:30,880 The definition of hope in the dictionary is a feeling of expectation or desire for a certain 42 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,480 thing to happen. 43 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,000 This is exactly what Jarius was hoping for. 44 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:42,520 The certain thing he wanted to happen was his daughter to be healed. 45 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:51,720 For this community of those who struggle with mental health, emotional stability, the desire 46 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:58,560 to keep going each and every day, we hope that the new day will bring a desire to keep 47 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:00,640 going. 48 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:06,600 Sometimes it isn't like that, but when we read through this lesson and what these teams 49 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:13,280 are teaching through this summer, is that hope is found in Jesus. 50 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:15,480 It doesn't look like an earthly hope. 51 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:25,720 It's not a wish on a birthday candle or you compiling a Christmas gift list of you hope 52 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,200 you get these things. 53 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:36,480 But the mindset is that Jesus will make our situation into something that we can live 54 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:44,360 with even though the result may not be the result we want. 55 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:51,480 In order to understand that, we've got to have a relationship with Jesus. 56 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:56,920 We see Jesus struggle with the same thing when he goes to the garden of Gethsemane and 57 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:04,560 he asks his father to allow the cup of crucifixion, which he's about to experience in order to 58 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:09,600 free the world from our sin and separation to pass through him. 59 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:15,600 He was like, if there is any other way that these people, my people, your people can be 60 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:20,840 redeemed, allow there to be that way. 61 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:27,120 But if there's not another way, Jesus said he is willing to follow the will of God, his 62 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:35,980 father, in order for us, those of us in 2024, looking for hope in a way forward in this 63 00:05:35,980 --> 00:05:42,440 life to be free of the things that keep us chained to our bed, keep us chained into 64 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:49,440 our house and allowing each and every day that the Lord gives us to pass by us. 65 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:50,960 That is the hope we are looking for. 66 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:59,920 So it takes an understanding of the entire work of God's word, the Bible, to find that 67 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:00,920 hope. 68 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:07,400 It's not a hope in this world that passes with each new season. 69 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:13,960 If you scroll on social media, there is something new every day that will give you hope, a bill, 70 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:19,040 some kind of materialistic thing, a book to buy so you can implement into your life. 71 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:23,720 But the only true hope that can be found is in what Jesus is doing. 72 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:32,680 In understanding that hope, you have to spend time with him in his word by studying his 73 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:33,680 word. 74 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:41,200 And a good way to start that is, if you're new to Bible reading, go get a Bible, an ESV, 75 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:46,040 an NIV, a CSB, or New King James Version. 76 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,840 Open up to the books of Proverbs and start there. 77 00:06:48,840 --> 00:06:50,880 There's 31 Proverbs. 78 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,800 You read one a day and you will see the wisdom that only God can provide. 79 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:58,800 And you implement that into your day. 80 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:04,120 Even if you're not a believer and you're listening to this, if you do that, you will see your 81 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:05,280 life changed. 82 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:12,280 If you read Proverbs 1, chapter 1, and you read that and you go forward for the rest 83 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:17,320 of your day and you try to do that same thing, you will see that the results of your life 84 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,360 are vastly different. 85 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,400 You make it a habit and then you'll explore. 86 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,480 Go and open the book of Mark, the book of John, and see what Jesus did for us and his 87 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:27,480 teachings. 88 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:33,080 You can see the letters that Paul writes to the church, to the believers, to encourage 89 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:41,280 us to endeavor, to have hope, especially when Paul and Peter writes to the churches. 90 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:46,240 He's telling them, I know the situation that you are living in doesn't look like what you 91 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:53,680 would like it to be, but have hope that Jesus has finished the work and you can have hope 92 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:58,460 in this life and the hope that you have will inspire others to have hope. 93 00:07:58,460 --> 00:08:06,720 That's why this podcast, Writing 365, was created, was because my hope was found in 94 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,760 Jesus in order to help me rise each and every day. 95 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,400 Is each and every day an easy rise? 96 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:15,120 No, it's not. 97 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:21,440 Do I have medications to help me with my mental stability and do I seek natural remedies to 98 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:23,120 help me with my mood swings? 99 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,120 Yes, I do. 100 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:32,340 But that's okay because God is working a new thing for you. 101 00:08:32,340 --> 00:08:42,520 We just have to go forward and live a life of open-mindedness, of trust, of faith, and 102 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:44,920 ultimately of hope. 103 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:50,720 Even if God doesn't change your situation directly, He is doing a new good thing in 104 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:57,840 your life that is worthy to rise and meet the day that He has given you. 105 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:06,120 So I hope you take this episode, you go find a Bible, open your Bible, go to Mark chapter 106 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:16,440 21, and you will encounter Jesus there, the hope that this Jarius has that only Jesus 107 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:17,440 can provide. 108 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:25,520 And even if the situation changes in a drastically dynamic way that you never considered possible, 109 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:27,520 know that that's what Jesus is doing. 110 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,280 That's what God is doing in your life. 111 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:35,320 And He's working through that through you so that when you come out on the other side, 112 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:41,440 you can turn around and bring hope by sharing your story with others. 113 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,680 Allow that to be inspiring to you on this day. 114 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:52,200 I'm at home recording this episode, episode 20, and it's amazing to do this on the front 115 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:56,560 porch of my house with the birds and outside. 116 00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:57,840 There's no fancy gimmicks here. 117 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:05,520 There's no fancy recording studios or fancy mics and stuff like that. 118 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:10,280 I'm trying to be authentic with these guys that hope only comes from a relationship with 119 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:11,280 Jesus. 120 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:18,840 And I hope that you find that even if the outcome isn't what you desire it to be. 121 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:19,880 Well thank you for tuning in. 122 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:24,880 I hope each episode brings you inspiration to embrace every new day. 123 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:30,440 To support this podcast, consider booking me as a speaker for your next conference, 124 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:35,440 school assembly, youth event, Bible study, or any special occasion where I can share 125 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,520 the message of Rising 365. 126 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:46,360 To arrange this, simply send me a message or email at rising247365 at gmail.com. 127 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:52,080 Additionally, you can support by liking, sharing, and rating this podcast on your preferred 128 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:53,400 listening platform. 129 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:58,680 Again, the family and I are full-time missionaries, the CEO of Central Nebraska. 130 00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:05,520 You can support this podcast and us as a family by clicking on our ministry website and going 131 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:07,960 to the support tab. 132 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:14,840 Until we meet again, I am Mike Painter reminding you to rise and seize the gift of the new 133 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:16,560 day you are giving. 134 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:23,560 Have a great day.