WEBVTT

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Hey guys and welcome back to the salt not sweetener

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podcast. I am your host Danielle Townsend. I

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hope you guys have had a wonderful week Now in

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my time with the Lord this morning, I wasn't

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planning on recording an episode today y 'all

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I was just seeking the Lord reading scripture

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and There was something that the Lord put on

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my heart that really stuck with me And the more

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I was reflecting on it, the more I realized this

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was our topic for today. And our topic for today,

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what I have written down right here in my journal,

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is that God's Word as Truth does not change based

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on our environment or our feelings. We live in

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a world that takes feelings as truth. I'm speaking

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as someone that for the longest time I took my

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feelings as truth. A good 20 plus years of my

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life I moved off of how I was feeling in that

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moment and how I felt dictated what I believed

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to be true, how I reacted, and how I handled

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things. And when I gave my life to Jesus when

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I started looking at the Bible not as some separate

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thing or as just you know like a good a good

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way to live life when I started looking at the

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Bible as the living breathing Word of God when

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I started looking at scripture as God's Word

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And God's word is absolute truth. When I started

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looking at everything I read, even though it

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didn't make me feel good, even though some of

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it went against my feelings or went against my

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opinions, I finally put myself into a headspace.

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Whereas like instead of reading this and trying

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to conform God's word to my feelings and my emotions

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and my desires, I am going to start conforming

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my belief system. the way I react, the way I

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respond to what God's Word says. And it wasn't

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like a night and day, like I woke up the next

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day and all of a sudden everything was aligned

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with God's Word. I was praying fervently, y 'all.

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I was praying multiple times a day, every day.

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God, remove the desires from my heart that don't

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align with your Word and your will. And I pray

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that you place new desires in my heart that do

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align with your will, that do align with your

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Word. I pray that I have eyes to see and ears

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to hear. You know, I was praying for wisdom,

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I was praying for knowledge, the ability to steward

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over and understand what I was reading and what

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I was receiving. And before you know it, over

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time it was like, I didn't realize this was what

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it was, but I was starting to develop a Christian

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worldview, a biblical worldview is a better word

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for that. And there are a lot of Christians out

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here that do not have a Biblical worldview. And

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in the most loving way, I can say this, and I

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pray Holy Spirit help me to say this. Our Bible

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is the living, breathing Word of God. The Bible

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that we read... The God's word that we read this

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is his living breathing word. This is the truth

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Jesus Christ was the word become flesh We know

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that everything that God says is to be true and

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being a Christian being a follower of Christ

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is Believing that Jesus Christ is the way the

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truth of life and he is the word made flesh So

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if you you're following Jesus, you're believing

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in Jesus, you're a follower of Christ You should

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also be believing in God's Word putting your

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faith in God and what he says And then the most

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loving way I can say this not having a Christian

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worldview not having a biblical worldview is

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gonna keep you in some head spaces where you

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find yourself fighting against God's Word, where

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your feelings say this, your emotions say this,

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your opinion says this, but God's Word says that.

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And if you're not believing in God's Word as

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truth, and basing your morals and your values

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and your beliefs based off of what God says,

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if you are not conforming to His word, to His

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way, you're now relying on your own understanding.

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And that can lead people very far astray and

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very far away. So I believe it's so important

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that we establish right now in the beginning

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of this podcast episode that, you know, I move.

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And I move off of a biblical worldview. And when

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I am faced with something new where I'm like,

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I don't know how I feel about that. I don't know

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what I think about that. What I do is I take

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it to God's word and I say, what does God's word

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say about this? Because my thoughts, my feelings,

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my opinions, yeah, they're a thing. And yeah,

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I guess they have like a level of value. right?

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But they're not truth. God's Word is truth. So

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when I'm faced with things and I hold them up

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to God's Word, God's Word tells me the truth.

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And once I'm rooted in that, I am able to form

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beliefs and opinions that align with God's Word.

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And when I tell you that Aligning my beliefs

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and my values with God's Word has been transformational

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for me and has helped me to accept Jesus Christ

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as my Lord and Savior, has helped me to obey

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God. I will say this y 'all, it is so hard to

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obey God. It is so hard to submit to Jesus when

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you don't believe God's Word as truth. There

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is a wrestling within you. There's a defending

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of your sin. There's a defending of your disobedience

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that happens When you don't agree with something

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right And I wish there was a better way to word

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that I I hope I pray Holy Spirit give me a better

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way to word that but that when I when I started

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Finding the root of how I grew up in the church.

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I attended church every Sunday confessed Jesus

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as Lord with my mouth Took communion did all

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of these things baptized all of these steps But

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my heart was far from Jesus. I didn't have a

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desire to fully deny the flesh There were parts

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of my life that I'm like, yeah I know God is

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calling me to do better and to be better and

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to let this go and to trust in him But I don't

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want to I have reasons to defend this, so I'm

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gonna stick with it. I put more faith in my feelings

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and my desires and my opinions and my beliefs

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than I did in God's Word. I didn't submit to

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His Word. And when I looked back at the root

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of it, it was because I didn't see God's Word

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as truth. I saw God's Word, the Bible, as just

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like a separate book. that had nothing to do

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with my real life scenario and my real life situations.

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I felt like I was meant to rely on my own control,

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rely on my own understanding, navigate life.

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What do the psychologists say? What do all the

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scientific people say? Pay attention to that.

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Put God aside. In times when I was depressed

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or felt like there was no other option or no

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other way, that was when I would seek God. That

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was when the Bible was relatable for me. I didn't

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see the Bible as applicable to my everyday life.

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And because I didn't, I didn't mold my life and

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the choices and the decisions I made to align

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with that, right? And that was where my disobedience

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came from was not truly having a biblical worldview

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because I did not see God's Word as truth, the

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way, the life. So, when I started, you know,

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for example, Proverbs 3 verses 5 and 6, That

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line was relatable for me. I would submit to

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that word when I was in a place where all my

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resources were run dry. I saw that word as truth

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when I had no other answer, nothing else to do.

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Then I was like, oh, yep, God's the way, God

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knows, God knows, I don't know, God knows. But

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when I was in a situation where I felt like I

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could grasp some type of understanding, when

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I was in a situation where I felt like I could

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handle this, I could figure this out, I could

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maneuver things around, I could make assumptions,

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I wasn't really rooted in that word as truth

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so much, right? I started leaning on my own understanding.

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I started thinking, well, no, that's for times

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when you don't know. That's for times when you

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feel like you have absolutely no clue. That word

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is only, that's true for when you're confused

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and you're going through it. But when you feel

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like you have the resources and the answers,

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lean on those, rely on those. That was what my

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flesh was telling me. And when I look back now

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I can see how I was God God's Word for a long

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time was only truth for me in certain scenarios

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in certain situations You know how we're told

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to The first commandment is love the Lord your

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God with all your heart the second commandment

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is love one another as Christ loved you Well,

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it's really easy to take that as truth and love

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people that are kind to you love you or maybe

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want to accept your love. It's a lot harder to

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show that to people who are mean to you, who

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hurt you, who lie about you, who gossip about

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you, who do these things to you. Yet we're called

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to love those people too. Multiple times Jesus

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talks to us about forgiving people. 70 times

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7 you forgive them. You don't stop forgiving

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them and we're actually told when we don't extend

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that forgiveness to other people that forgiveness

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won't be extended to us And it's really again,

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it's really easy to say yeah, I'm supposed to

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love everybody When people are loving you back

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when people are easy to love it's actually in

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Scripture that even a sinner Even a tax collector

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can love people who love them can lend to people

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who they know will lend back to them What sets

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you apart? is loving people that aren't easy

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to love. Anyone can love and be kind to someone

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who's lovable, who's easy to love. It's a whole

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nother level to stand on God's word and stand

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on God's command in the face of opposition, in

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the face of hardship. And there are a lot of

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people who will say, yeah, God calls us to love

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one another and all of the people who love me,

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but the second someone's mean to them, the second

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someone, Messes up again the second someone continues

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to hurt them because that person hasn't had a

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transformation that person hasn't been changed

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that person hasn't whatever They're like but

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not them my forgiveness doesn't extend to them.

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I've forgiven them enough. I've prayed for them

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enough I've forgiven them enough chances But

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that's not what God's Word says I've said this

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so many times y 'all and I want to be so clear

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forgiveness doesn't mean letting down boundaries

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Especially if someone hasn't had transformation.

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God doesn't call us to give access to everybody

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We're not called to be like run over but we are

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called to give everybody to him because vengeance

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isn't ours It is the Lord's retaliation isn't

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ours. It is the Lord's so when we're holding

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on to that we're holding on to something That's

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not ours to hold on to And that's another thing

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of taking God's Word as truth God's Word says

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to forgive The same forgiveness we're given to

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other people is the forgiveness we're going to

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be shown. Take that as truth. And when you believe

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that as truth, your outlook on forgiveness might

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start to shift a bit. I know for me it did. For

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me it did. When I hit a point in my life where

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I realized that it doesn't matter the reason

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why I had been doing all the things I had been

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doing, what I had been doing with my life was

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sinful and against God's Word. When I hit a point

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where I was like, wow, I can't defend this, I

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recognized the need for forgiveness I had from

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Jesus. Like, I was like, yeah, I need forgiven.

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I need to be forgiven by Jesus. And you know,

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I repented and I started obeying and submitting

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myself to God's word. And when he started revealing

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to me, when I was reading his word that I need

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to be forgiving other people, and just as I was

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undeserving of Jesus's forgiveness, but he gave

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it to me anyway, To live a Christ -like life,

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I need to be doing that as well. And that was

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because I started believing God's Word is truth

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and submitting myself to God's Word. I was like,

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I have to trust in what God is saying. And the

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funny thing, guys, when I, for the first time

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in my life, because I hit a point, when I gave

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my life to Jesus, when I... Decided I'm gonna

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submit to God's Word I Did it and you know, I

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used to be ashamed to say this my original reason

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for doing it was because I I had tried everything

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else and I was desperate I Was desperate I hit

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the lowest space. I had been financially material

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in my life Emotionally relationally like I was

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having thoughts that were not from God I knew

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that I was very close to just like not being

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here anymore that I was truly withering away

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and when I started reading scripture and I started

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feeling conviction for what I was doing and I

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didn't even realize what I was doing was pursuing

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a relationship with Jesus I had started reading

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my Bible because I didn't have anything better

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to do with my time I needed something to distract

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me and I started feeling conviction and I started

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praying and I didn't realize that my heart was

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being softened And it was one day I hit a realization

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point where I was like, I have tried everything

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else in this life. I have tried the substances.

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I have tried the relationships. I have tried

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the attention. I have tried the notoriety. I

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have tried all of these things. I have tried

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people pleasing. I have tried all the amounts

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of therapy and medication, all of these things.

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And nothing has fixed my life. I am still where

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I am. I felt like I was stuck in this cycle of

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bad things keep happening. I felt like I was

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stuck on the cycle of a hamster wheel of where

00:15:56.950 --> 00:15:59.350
I'm just everyday surviving and getting through

00:15:59.350 --> 00:16:03.730
life. I was just looking for the next way to

00:16:03.730 --> 00:16:05.870
make me feel better, the next what's gonna make

00:16:05.870 --> 00:16:07.549
me feel like life is better, the next what's

00:16:07.549 --> 00:16:09.029
gonna make me feel like I'm moving forward, the

00:16:09.029 --> 00:16:11.649
next what's gonna make me feel. I didn't realize

00:16:11.649 --> 00:16:14.429
how deep in a survival mode I actually was, but

00:16:14.429 --> 00:16:16.610
I felt like I was in this hamster wheel cycle

00:16:16.610 --> 00:16:20.759
of like, I'm moving through life a bad thing

00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:23.019
happens moving through life a bad thing happens

00:16:23.019 --> 00:16:27.539
where it's just trying to get through life and

00:16:27.539 --> 00:16:30.799
I knew in my soul that there was more to life

00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:33.440
than what I was experiencing and that I had more

00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:40.480
of a purpose than what I was experiencing and

00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:43.639
it hit me where I was like I have never looked

00:16:43.639 --> 00:16:47.940
at the Bible absolute truth like every time I've

00:16:47.940 --> 00:16:49.779
read it and opened it I've looked at it as something

00:16:49.779 --> 00:16:51.460
to be picked apart and something to question

00:16:51.460 --> 00:16:54.360
say well not this what about this a man spouted

00:16:54.360 --> 00:16:58.159
a fish yeah right a talk yeah right a red sea

00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:01.059
splint yeah right like I I looked at each of

00:17:01.059 --> 00:17:04.059
these things as something to be logical and pick

00:17:04.059 --> 00:17:08.000
part and just move around shift around and you

00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:10.019
know well this is a good way to live but I'm

00:17:10.019 --> 00:17:12.460
gonna apply it this way I think it's more philosophical

00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:16.140
thing And I had a recognition where I was like,

00:17:16.339 --> 00:17:19.200
I had never opened this up and just decided that

00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:22.079
I'm gonna read this from a space of it's all

00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:25.279
complete truth. Every time I've opened this up,

00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:27.380
I've opened it up as something to criticize and

00:17:27.380 --> 00:17:29.700
critique and pick apart. I, for the first time

00:17:29.700 --> 00:17:32.680
in my life, I'm gonna read this as something

00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:34.420
where it doesn't matter my thoughts, my feelings,

00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:36.839
or emotions. I'm gonna read this as if this was

00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:41.339
all truth. I had been seeking truth my whole

00:17:41.339 --> 00:17:44.079
life. I had been seeking knowledge and wisdom

00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:47.039
and didn't never decided to look at the Bible

00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:51.339
as God's living breathing Word and that was when

00:17:51.339 --> 00:17:55.240
I started reading it as like these things are

00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:58.000
all absolute truth where I started thinking I've

00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:01.920
never 100 % Submitted myself to this and put

00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:03.359
this in action. I've said in the past. Well,

00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:05.859
I've tried Jesus Well, I've tried church. Well,

00:18:05.859 --> 00:18:08.160
I've tried Christianity. Well, I tried obeying

00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:10.559
God and when I thought about it I was like, did

00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:13.829
you really though? You went to church you would

00:18:13.829 --> 00:18:16.609
get baptized you would you you talk about Jesus,

00:18:16.849 --> 00:18:20.150
but you'd go and gossip You'd go and slander

00:18:20.150 --> 00:18:23.990
you'd go out and party you'd go out and participate

00:18:23.990 --> 00:18:26.230
in these lustful things you'd entertain the flesh

00:18:26.230 --> 00:18:28.710
There were areas of your life that you refused

00:18:28.710 --> 00:18:32.529
to deny you refused to grow in areas where God

00:18:32.529 --> 00:18:36.349
was calling you to grow When I started thinking

00:18:36.349 --> 00:18:40.130
I was like this time I'm just gonna I'm gonna

00:18:40.130 --> 00:18:46.619
do my best to like put my faith in God. I had

00:18:46.619 --> 00:18:48.839
that recognition where I was like, I've tried

00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:51.960
everything else. Why don't I try taking God's

00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:56.039
word as true and submitting to it? And in the

00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:58.259
areas where I feel like I can't do it, pray to

00:18:58.259 --> 00:19:01.339
God for strength that he helps me do it. If God

00:19:01.339 --> 00:19:05.059
says that he wants us to come to him this day

00:19:05.059 --> 00:19:08.339
for our daily bread, like if I take God's word

00:19:08.339 --> 00:19:12.220
as truth, Where God says, come to me daily. Come

00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:13.900
to me for the strength. You're not meant to do

00:19:13.900 --> 00:19:15.779
spiritual battle on your own. You're not meant

00:19:15.779 --> 00:19:17.460
to do warfare on your own. You're meant to come

00:19:17.460 --> 00:19:18.900
to me. You're meant to get strength from me.

00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:21.539
You're meant to get understanding from me. Like,

00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:27.500
you're meant to come to me. I moved by faith

00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:29.140
in that. I was like, okay, everything that I

00:19:29.140 --> 00:19:30.559
don't feel like I have the strength to do, I'm

00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:32.700
going to go to God. I'm going to say, God give

00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:35.349
me the strength to turn away from this. God give

00:19:35.349 --> 00:19:37.490
me the strength to get through for this. God

00:19:37.490 --> 00:19:40.250
deliver me from this. God deliver me from a nicotine

00:19:40.250 --> 00:19:42.809
addiction. I had tried quitting. I had been addicted

00:19:42.809 --> 00:19:45.009
to nicotine for over 10 years. Every time I tried

00:19:45.009 --> 00:19:47.930
quitting, couldn't do it. I was going through

00:19:47.930 --> 00:19:50.710
heavy withdrawal. I started praying to God for

00:19:50.710 --> 00:19:52.630
deliverance and he literally delivered me from

00:19:52.630 --> 00:19:54.309
the addiction. He delivered me from the symptoms.

00:19:54.569 --> 00:19:56.670
I'm not saying he does that for everyone. That

00:19:56.670 --> 00:19:59.049
might be the thorn in your side that God uses

00:19:59.049 --> 00:20:03.250
to keep you coming to him. But God delivered

00:20:03.250 --> 00:20:05.549
me where all of a sudden I didn't crave it anymore

00:20:05.549 --> 00:20:08.829
I didn't need it anymore the flu like symptoms

00:20:08.829 --> 00:20:12.509
I have were gone and I was able to focus on him

00:20:12.509 --> 00:20:19.990
and reading his word For the first time in my

00:20:19.990 --> 00:20:24.069
life I was like even though I felt like this

00:20:24.069 --> 00:20:27.190
this whole time I've had reasons to defend my

00:20:27.190 --> 00:20:29.390
thoughts feelings and emotions my reactions the

00:20:29.390 --> 00:20:32.130
way I do things if God says it's wrong I'm just

00:20:32.130 --> 00:20:35.930
gonna say it's wrong God help me do better for

00:20:35.930 --> 00:20:37.589
the first time in my life I'm gonna stop defending

00:20:37.589 --> 00:20:40.869
it I'm gonna stop explaining it away I'm gonna

00:20:40.869 --> 00:20:46.630
stop perpetuating and just submit and when I

00:20:46.630 --> 00:20:51.819
tell y 'all that God moved God mood. My life

00:20:51.819 --> 00:20:54.380
has been transformed. My life has not been the

00:20:54.380 --> 00:20:57.859
same. There is a hope that I have. There is a

00:20:57.859 --> 00:21:00.799
joy that I have. There is a peace that I have.

00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:03.900
There is a purpose that I have. There is a calling

00:21:03.900 --> 00:21:09.500
that I have. There is a sense of like, I don't

00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:12.779
even know how to explain it, of like a knowing.

00:21:13.529 --> 00:21:16.430
That I've never had as someone who I always desired

00:21:16.430 --> 00:21:19.529
to know truth and I always desired to not be

00:21:19.529 --> 00:21:24.369
lost And now that I have God guiding me and navigating

00:21:24.369 --> 00:21:28.349
me That lost feeling that I had before I don't

00:21:28.349 --> 00:21:30.470
have anymore and that's not saying I know everything

00:21:30.470 --> 00:21:32.609
that's about to happen That's not saying that

00:21:32.609 --> 00:21:36.549
God fills me every step before it happens But

00:21:36.549 --> 00:21:40.170
it's like Now that I'm trusting and truly believing

00:21:40.170 --> 00:21:42.609
that he's guiding me and working all things for

00:21:42.609 --> 00:21:45.450
my good, now that I'm submitting to his guidance

00:21:45.450 --> 00:21:50.250
and obeying the transformations I have seen,

00:21:50.269 --> 00:21:52.670
he has restored relationships I never thought

00:21:52.670 --> 00:21:55.490
were going to be restored. He has opened doors

00:21:55.490 --> 00:21:59.049
that I could never open for myself. He has healed

00:21:59.049 --> 00:22:04.279
things in me. Pains and traumas. that years of

00:22:04.279 --> 00:22:07.079
counseling and therapy, years of when I was in

00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:09.460
new age doing shadow work and all that stuff

00:22:09.460 --> 00:22:12.259
could never heal, that relationships couldn't

00:22:12.259 --> 00:22:14.539
heal, that attention couldn't heal, that the

00:22:14.539 --> 00:22:17.720
substances that I was using to numb didn't heal,

00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:23.119
that the accomplishments didn't heal. The responses

00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:25.500
and the reactions that I had for decades that

00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:27.259
I had just chalked up to this is me And this

00:22:27.259 --> 00:22:29.720
is how I always am and people and me are just

00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:31.500
gonna have to deal with it And if they really

00:22:31.500 --> 00:22:33.319
love me, they'll accept it and God was like now

00:22:33.319 --> 00:22:36.079
I call you to be better I'm calling you to something

00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:38.619
higher There are things broken off me that I

00:22:38.619 --> 00:22:41.359
didn't think could be broken off me the responses

00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:44.319
and reactions changed I don't think I never thought

00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:48.650
could be changed God used those changes to place

00:22:48.650 --> 00:22:50.890
me in room see the thing is there were things

00:22:50.890 --> 00:22:53.269
I was waiting on God to do in my life I didn't

00:22:53.269 --> 00:22:56.190
realize that I could not have those things yet

00:22:56.190 --> 00:22:58.890
because the person I was could not steward over

00:22:58.890 --> 00:23:02.950
those things well like in the long term I would

00:23:02.950 --> 00:23:05.849
not be able to steward over those things well

00:23:05.849 --> 00:23:11.960
and God used those transformations in me To then

00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:14.319
help me be a good steward in the rooms he was

00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:16.700
placing me in and the doors he was opening up

00:23:16.700 --> 00:23:19.500
for me For example that nicotine addiction I

00:23:19.500 --> 00:23:21.619
had for the longest time that actually I didn't

00:23:21.619 --> 00:23:23.859
realize really boxed in the jobs that I would

00:23:23.859 --> 00:23:25.900
allow myself to apply for or take because I wanted

00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:28.299
things that I could go and like leave and like

00:23:28.299 --> 00:23:31.220
have like a nicotine break and things and certain

00:23:31.220 --> 00:23:33.660
high -stress jobs I refused to take because I

00:23:33.660 --> 00:23:35.579
didn't want to I didn't want to have to try to

00:23:35.579 --> 00:23:38.480
do that with their nicotine and being delivered

00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:40.960
from that and there were other things that God

00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:44.019
worked up in me first like patience and different

00:23:44.019 --> 00:23:48.000
things when there was a job he blessed me with

00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:49.660
and I was working it and I looked back and I

00:23:49.660 --> 00:23:51.759
started thinking oh my gosh I would have never

00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:55.259
applied for this job or if I was given this job

00:23:55.259 --> 00:23:58.579
I would have not stewarded over it well I would

00:23:58.579 --> 00:24:01.519
not have appreciated it because it would have

00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:07.000
been in complication with my past habits my past

00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:09.059
ways of responding and my past ways of reacting

00:24:09.059 --> 00:24:11.500
and my past ways of thinking. I wouldn't have

00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:13.980
appreciated it for what it is. I wouldn't have

00:24:13.980 --> 00:24:16.119
seen the blessing in it. Instead, I would have

00:24:16.119 --> 00:24:20.180
seen it as a complication. And there are a lot

00:24:20.180 --> 00:24:21.759
of things that we're praying for and there are

00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:25.180
people who lose their faith in God because they

00:24:25.180 --> 00:24:27.700
believe that he's given them a promise and they

00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:29.559
believe that he's gonna do this big thing. They

00:24:29.559 --> 00:24:31.519
believe that he's gonna give them these blessings.

00:24:32.539 --> 00:24:36.880
But they have this misconception that the way

00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:38.900
they are right now is perfect and there's no

00:24:38.900 --> 00:24:42.140
growth or no changes that need to happen and

00:24:42.140 --> 00:24:45.160
they lose the faith because they they want the

00:24:45.160 --> 00:24:47.880
promise but they don't want to do the work to

00:24:47.880 --> 00:24:51.319
be a good steward over it and I want to be so

00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:53.599
clear that the things that God blesses us with

00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:56.420
it's not because we're deserving or we do all

00:24:56.420 --> 00:24:59.740
this work or we can earn right there are things

00:24:59.740 --> 00:25:02.819
promises that God made me when i was giving my

00:25:02.819 --> 00:25:05.920
life to christ and visions like of the future

00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:07.559
like things that god showed me like i'm gonna

00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:10.579
do this for you one day and i remember so clearly

00:25:10.579 --> 00:25:12.220
him saying i'm not doing this because you're

00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:14.900
deserving because you said a special prayer because

00:25:14.900 --> 00:25:16.720
you're a good person like because you're so much

00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:21.180
better than these other people it's because of

00:25:21.180 --> 00:25:24.319
who i am because i like god who god is because

00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:27.640
of who he is that he loves me and he's so graceful

00:25:27.640 --> 00:25:32.589
and so merciful That he will turn my pain into

00:25:32.589 --> 00:25:36.349
testimony and bless me with those things I knew

00:25:36.349 --> 00:25:38.910
that it wasn't any amount of work or like anything

00:25:38.910 --> 00:25:42.160
that I could do to earn or to deserve But I did

00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.220
recognize that the person I was in the moment

00:25:44.220 --> 00:25:46.819
that he made those promises to wasn't the person

00:25:46.819 --> 00:25:48.880
that was going to be able to steward over those

00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:51.559
promises. And I understood that there was a pruning

00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:53.599
process I was about to have to go through. There

00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:55.460
was a growth, there was a developing, there was

00:25:55.460 --> 00:25:57.339
a changing, there was a transforming I was about

00:25:57.339 --> 00:26:00.059
to have to go through before I could step into

00:26:00.059 --> 00:26:04.460
that. And when I tell y 'all, the way that I

00:26:04.460 --> 00:26:09.799
responded to criticism had to change. My my fit

00:26:09.799 --> 00:26:12.460
I used to get offended really easy that had to

00:26:12.460 --> 00:26:15.900
change My patience had to change. I had to be

00:26:15.900 --> 00:26:20.700
willing to wait Wait, but not just wait to wait.

00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:23.960
Well That's the thing is a lot of people are

00:26:23.960 --> 00:26:25.799
waiting but they aren't waiting Well in that

00:26:25.799 --> 00:26:27.920
waiting period they take waiting as just sitting

00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:30.099
there and just like waiting on God to drop that

00:26:30.099 --> 00:26:34.079
thing But you're supposed to wait well to continue

00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:36.299
pursuing relationship with Christ in my waiting

00:26:36.299 --> 00:26:40.049
period Waiting on the promise to be fulfilled

00:26:40.049 --> 00:26:43.049
God was using that time because no time is wasted

00:26:43.049 --> 00:26:45.750
with him to change and transform me I was going

00:26:45.750 --> 00:26:47.450
through trials. I was going through tribulations.

00:26:47.450 --> 00:26:48.869
I was going through highs. I was going through

00:26:48.869 --> 00:26:51.369
lows And that through each of these things, I

00:26:51.369 --> 00:26:52.930
was looking to God and saying, God, what can

00:26:52.930 --> 00:26:55.890
I learn from this? What can grow in me from this?

00:26:56.250 --> 00:26:58.250
What can change in me from this? Instead of just

00:26:58.250 --> 00:27:00.309
looking at painful things as these are hardships

00:27:00.309 --> 00:27:03.049
and these suck and I'm suffering, I started thinking,

00:27:03.170 --> 00:27:05.009
yeah, God, this is painful and this is hurtful,

00:27:05.009 --> 00:27:06.589
but there's something that can be learned from

00:27:06.589 --> 00:27:08.589
this. There's something that can be taken from

00:27:08.589 --> 00:27:10.170
this. There's something that can be grown in

00:27:10.170 --> 00:27:15.759
me. Please reveal it to me. And since I've given

00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:18.400
my life to Christ, I cannot I cannot tell y 'all

00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:20.319
a painful situation I've experienced where I

00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:22.140
feel like absolutely nothing has come out of

00:27:22.140 --> 00:27:26.819
it I'm not I'm not trying to invalidate suffering

00:27:26.819 --> 00:27:30.420
or pain in any way I'm not here to say well God

00:27:30.420 --> 00:27:32.480
allowed it to happen for a reason but what I

00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:35.980
am saying is God can take something out of it

00:27:35.980 --> 00:27:39.460
to use for your good I've seen it from experience

00:27:39.460 --> 00:27:42.380
that it's not like every suffering just like

00:27:42.380 --> 00:27:44.339
there's no good that can come out of it because

00:27:44.339 --> 00:27:49.339
that would go against God's word. God can use

00:27:49.339 --> 00:27:51.539
all things for the good of those who love him.

00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:54.619
God will use all things for the good of those

00:27:54.619 --> 00:27:58.759
who love him. Look at Joseph who was sold in

00:27:58.759 --> 00:28:00.880
the slavery. Every work of the enemy to stop

00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:02.900
Joseph from stepping into his calling and God

00:28:02.900 --> 00:28:13.130
used it for his good. There were relationships

00:28:13.130 --> 00:28:15.349
that one thing people don't talk about enough

00:28:15.349 --> 00:28:19.829
is there are doors God will close before he opens.

00:28:21.690 --> 00:28:25.730
There were, and I want to say this so thoughtfully,

00:28:27.349 --> 00:28:29.670
before God blessed me with some of the things

00:28:29.670 --> 00:28:33.509
he has blessed me with, there were relationships

00:28:33.509 --> 00:28:35.869
that he revealed to me where these people are

00:28:35.869 --> 00:28:38.440
not healthy for you. Meaning like these people

00:28:38.440 --> 00:28:40.779
aren't supporting their relationship with Christ

00:28:40.779 --> 00:28:45.039
They're not supporting it now and they're definitely

00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:48.759
not gonna be big supporters and the next blessing

00:28:48.759 --> 00:28:53.240
and That's a hard one that I know a lot of people

00:28:53.240 --> 00:28:56.099
get tripped up on because we we have the sense

00:28:56.099 --> 00:28:58.519
of like the people that we love We want to bring

00:28:58.519 --> 00:29:01.359
everybody with us and we want to pull everybody

00:29:01.359 --> 00:29:09.160
through that door but sometimes Those people

00:29:09.160 --> 00:29:12.039
that we are refusing to let go of are the very

00:29:12.039 --> 00:29:15.980
people who are going to be hindrances and Opposition

00:29:15.980 --> 00:29:17.819
in the next season if we bring them along think

00:29:17.819 --> 00:29:20.500
about Nehemiah Where Nehemiah is just obeying

00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:23.039
God trying to rebuild the wall trying to rebuild

00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:26.240
the temple And you see the opposition all along

00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:29.240
the way deceptive thoughts trying to get lure

00:29:29.240 --> 00:29:34.420
him away trying to plot scheme and scam There

00:29:34.420 --> 00:29:37.119
have been doors before I before God has even

00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:39.960
opened or even shown me what the next door will

00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:42.579
be Where he's like, but these doors have to be

00:29:42.579 --> 00:29:47.359
closed and that's what different Some of them

00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:49.700
is just I don't talk to that person as much,

00:29:49.700 --> 00:29:52.539
you know, I pray for them I love them, but there

00:29:52.539 --> 00:29:54.279
there are walls and boundaries. They don't know

00:29:54.279 --> 00:29:56.519
about my daily life and my daily steps anymore

00:29:56.519 --> 00:29:58.759
There are some people that I don't talk to and

00:29:58.759 --> 00:30:02.339
I don't communicate with at all I still love

00:30:02.339 --> 00:30:08.019
them. I still pray for them. Someone needs to

00:30:08.019 --> 00:30:11.579
hear this today, that before God opens doors,

00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:14.960
sometimes there are going to be doors that he's

00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:16.420
going to close. There are going to be things

00:30:16.420 --> 00:30:19.579
that he calls you to leave, relationships that

00:30:19.579 --> 00:30:30.579
he calls you to love them from a distance. What

00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:33.559
the preparation that God puts you through that

00:30:33.559 --> 00:30:35.519
that's gonna be a bit every single one of us

00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:39.420
has different life circumstances Has a different

00:30:39.420 --> 00:30:44.640
promise from the Lord So what God has called

00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:47.940
me to release and let go of might not be exactly

00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:50.599
what God is calling me to release or let go of

00:30:50.599 --> 00:30:53.460
I Will tell you this whatever he is calling you

00:30:53.460 --> 00:30:58.220
to do is going to align with his word I want

00:30:58.220 --> 00:31:01.000
to be so clear that the doors I closed, God wasn't

00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:03.039
calling me to close these doors in hate. It wasn't

00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:05.119
a thing where I was like cussing people out,

00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:08.059
like exposing them and running away, like during

00:31:08.059 --> 00:31:15.059
all these things. I lovingly took a step back

00:31:15.059 --> 00:31:18.559
where I still pray for these people. I still

00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:20.039
show these people love. If these people reached

00:31:20.039 --> 00:31:22.720
out to me today and like from a pure heart like,

00:31:22.900 --> 00:31:25.259
hey, I need some biblical advice. I need some

00:31:25.259 --> 00:31:29.410
understanding. Like I'm ready to give that There's

00:31:29.410 --> 00:31:31.069
some of these people that still every so often

00:31:31.069 --> 00:31:34.589
when they need help with something They know

00:31:34.589 --> 00:31:42.289
they can call me Still loving and trying to show

00:31:42.289 --> 00:31:46.750
that love While holding up boundaries and making

00:31:46.750 --> 00:31:56.170
sure that I obey God first I believe that someone

00:31:56.170 --> 00:31:57.809
listening to this needs to hear this today before

00:31:57.809 --> 00:31:59.990
you can step into that thing that God has promised

00:31:59.990 --> 00:32:04.650
for you. We go through a pruning season, right?

00:32:04.890 --> 00:32:06.390
There are some things that might be bearing a

00:32:06.390 --> 00:32:08.410
little bit of fruit, but the Lord knows it can

00:32:08.410 --> 00:32:11.450
bear way more than it is. So He'll cut that off.

00:32:12.009 --> 00:32:14.309
He'll cut off that habit. He'll cut off that

00:32:14.309 --> 00:32:17.289
routine. He'll cut off that thing that's keeping

00:32:17.289 --> 00:32:20.789
you from obeying Him and going ahead and allowing

00:32:20.789 --> 00:32:30.900
you to kind of regroup and relearn. Pruning isn't

00:32:30.900 --> 00:32:33.640
meant to just like keep you in a state of pain

00:32:33.640 --> 00:32:36.839
The pruning is meant to grow you and develop

00:32:36.839 --> 00:32:39.380
you when God blesses you with things He wants

00:32:39.380 --> 00:32:42.200
you to be able to steward over them. Well, right

00:32:42.200 --> 00:32:44.500
because when he when he gives you things Yes,

00:32:44.500 --> 00:32:47.460
he loves you, but all things are supposed to

00:32:47.460 --> 00:32:50.940
work To glorify him right we're supposed to be

00:32:50.940 --> 00:32:53.079
using our gifts to glorify him what we do in

00:32:53.079 --> 00:32:55.400
our lives Should be ministry pointing back to

00:32:55.400 --> 00:32:58.200
him So when he gives us something to steward

00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:02.440
over a blessing from God You know, yes, he loves

00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:05.700
us and he wants to see us enjoy and delight in

00:33:05.700 --> 00:33:09.140
him But he wants to see us use it to glorify

00:33:09.140 --> 00:33:13.440
him To point back to him, right? And if you're

00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:16.559
not in the space yet to be able to fully to do

00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:22.180
that. Well He so lovingly will prune you first

00:33:22.180 --> 00:33:34.789
He's a loving father You know that my mind is

00:33:34.789 --> 00:33:36.710
going back to that scripture of you know, what

00:33:36.710 --> 00:33:38.630
father if someone asks him for bread He'll give

00:33:38.630 --> 00:33:43.930
them a stone. God wants to give you These things

00:33:43.930 --> 00:33:47.930
these promises But someone needs to hear this

00:33:47.930 --> 00:33:52.269
today He doesn't want to give you something that's

00:33:52.269 --> 00:34:00.420
going to replace him in your life And there are

00:34:00.420 --> 00:34:03.200
a lot of, and speaking from experience, thorns

00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:06.640
in our side that we have that keep us going to

00:34:06.640 --> 00:34:10.099
God. If we didn't have that thorn in our side,

00:34:10.460 --> 00:34:13.619
that thing might replace God in our life. I've

00:34:13.619 --> 00:34:18.320
shared this in past episodes, that for a long

00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:21.199
time, you know, my financial situation was a

00:34:21.199 --> 00:34:24.460
thorn in my side that kept me going to God. And

00:34:24.460 --> 00:34:27.909
I honestly believe, like, year ago if God would

00:34:27.909 --> 00:34:30.050
have just immediately poured out like some fat

00:34:30.050 --> 00:34:34.309
load of cash on me I would have looked to money

00:34:34.309 --> 00:34:37.530
to solve my problems I wouldn't have looked for

00:34:37.530 --> 00:34:40.030
God what do you want me to do it wouldn't have

00:34:40.030 --> 00:34:42.650
been using prayer as a steering wheel it would

00:34:42.650 --> 00:34:44.710
have been using prayer as a steer as a spare

00:34:44.710 --> 00:34:48.949
tire the money would have become my decision

00:34:48.949 --> 00:34:52.150
maker well I can afford this well I can put money

00:34:52.150 --> 00:34:54.789
at this I can throw money at this Instead of

00:34:54.789 --> 00:34:57.449
asking God God do you even desire for this thing

00:34:57.449 --> 00:35:00.889
to be built up again? What do you want me to

00:35:00.889 --> 00:35:05.309
do my lack of ability in that area? Caused me

00:35:05.309 --> 00:35:10.170
to rely on God's guidance Glory be to God because

00:35:10.170 --> 00:35:12.889
I was not a great decision maker in that area

00:35:12.889 --> 00:35:14.590
in those things I was relying on my own thoughts

00:35:14.590 --> 00:35:17.110
my own control my own understanding my own feelings

00:35:17.110 --> 00:35:21.480
and I was put in a position where like I didn't

00:35:21.480 --> 00:35:24.820
have that ability. I had to trust in God. I had

00:35:24.820 --> 00:35:28.340
to rely on God. And in going to Him instead of

00:35:28.340 --> 00:35:31.980
going to myself, He revealed things to me. He

00:35:31.980 --> 00:35:34.079
did things that I could have never been able

00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:38.960
to do or orchestrate or align. That thorn in

00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:42.039
our side, although painful, although stressful,

00:35:42.739 --> 00:35:49.059
keeps us from relying on ourselves. And I know

00:35:49.059 --> 00:35:50.880
that there's someone out here who needs to hear

00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:53.320
that today, who maybe you're angry or upset with

00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:55.219
God because he hasn't taken that thorn away.

00:35:55.539 --> 00:35:57.619
And you're like, God, take it away. God, take

00:35:57.619 --> 00:36:00.900
it away. I'm giving you another prayer to pray

00:36:00.900 --> 00:36:06.679
today from personal experience. I am not saying

00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:10.489
I'm perfect in every area by any means. But when

00:36:10.489 --> 00:36:12.429
I started recognizing, I was like, okay, God

00:36:12.429 --> 00:36:14.190
isn't blessing you with this thing because I'm

00:36:14.190 --> 00:36:16.349
not able to steward over it. Well, I started

00:36:16.349 --> 00:36:19.250
praying to God of God, do what you need to do

00:36:19.250 --> 00:36:21.329
in my life to make me a good steward over this

00:36:21.329 --> 00:36:23.610
thing, break off what you need to break off,

00:36:23.969 --> 00:36:25.590
develop what you need to develop. I just pray

00:36:25.590 --> 00:36:27.550
that I continue to have my faith in you and trust

00:36:27.550 --> 00:36:30.530
in you. And I continue to go to you. I trust

00:36:30.530 --> 00:36:33.889
that, you know, like no temptation will come

00:36:33.889 --> 00:36:37.530
to me that like you don't know of. And that man

00:36:37.530 --> 00:36:42.159
hasn't already faced. Trust that by your strength

00:36:42.159 --> 00:36:44.860
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens

00:36:44.860 --> 00:36:48.019
me Philippians 4 13, right? It's like I take

00:36:48.019 --> 00:36:52.199
your word as truth So I trust that whatever developing

00:36:52.199 --> 00:36:55.719
and whatever growing and whatever changing That

00:36:55.719 --> 00:36:58.559
I trust that you will strengthen me and that

00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:02.039
you're not going to put more on me The knee plus

00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:04.400
your strength can handle I want to be so clear

00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:06.420
with that that because we're not supposed to

00:37:06.420 --> 00:37:08.670
do life on our own strength right? We get our

00:37:08.670 --> 00:37:11.010
strength from the Lord. There's a saying that

00:37:11.010 --> 00:37:13.250
a lot of people hear that like, God gives his

00:37:13.250 --> 00:37:15.210
biggest battles to his strongest soldiers and

00:37:15.210 --> 00:37:16.809
God wouldn't give you anything that you couldn't

00:37:16.809 --> 00:37:19.309
handle. And I guess there's like a half truth

00:37:19.309 --> 00:37:21.769
in it, but that's not the whole truth. Because

00:37:21.769 --> 00:37:27.889
we're not meant to handle it alone. God knows

00:37:27.889 --> 00:37:32.050
what us plus his strength, what us plus his strength,

00:37:32.190 --> 00:37:36.070
our spiritual maturity right now, can move through,

00:37:36.329 --> 00:37:39.070
right? So I actually want to change that saying

00:37:39.070 --> 00:37:43.010
more to God won't give you more than you and

00:37:43.010 --> 00:37:46.250
your spiritual maturity plus his strength can

00:37:46.250 --> 00:37:50.659
handle Okay, you know that and this is also in

00:37:50.659 --> 00:37:52.980
scripture to work spiritual infants like we're

00:37:52.980 --> 00:37:55.159
drinking milk It's more of the easy to digest

00:37:55.159 --> 00:37:57.519
easy to understand stuff and the more you mature

00:37:57.519 --> 00:38:01.059
in Christ you start getting neat you start getting

00:38:01.059 --> 00:38:05.739
harder to digest kind of understandings and Like

00:38:05.739 --> 00:38:07.699
I'll tell y 'all right now the way that I'm speaking

00:38:07.699 --> 00:38:10.599
to you today and the way I understand Christ

00:38:10.599 --> 00:38:12.860
and the way that I understand spiritual warfare

00:38:12.860 --> 00:38:14.619
and the way that I understand spiritual maturity

00:38:14.619 --> 00:38:17.659
all of these things is not the same as my understanding

00:38:17.659 --> 00:38:20.860
a year ago. Though the wording and kind of the

00:38:20.860 --> 00:38:24.159
depth I'm able to understand and speak in now,

00:38:24.659 --> 00:38:27.300
nowhere near a year ago. Even two months ago,

00:38:27.420 --> 00:38:30.019
nowhere near. And I'm sure two months from now,

00:38:30.219 --> 00:38:32.840
and a year from now, the way I articulate things

00:38:32.840 --> 00:38:34.780
and the way I understand things is gonna be different.

00:38:36.619 --> 00:38:43.079
I'm in a meat phase now, y 'all. There are, that's

00:38:43.079 --> 00:38:46.420
why when I say spiritual maturity is There are

00:38:46.420 --> 00:38:49.500
things right now that you may struggle understanding

00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:52.980
and struggle grasping That in your walk with

00:38:52.980 --> 00:38:55.739
Christ the more you pursue him, you know that

00:38:55.739 --> 00:38:59.199
the more that you're able to digest a Time from

00:38:59.199 --> 00:39:02.219
now where you maybe you're gonna be able to grasp

00:39:02.219 --> 00:39:04.579
these things You're gonna be able to understand

00:39:04.579 --> 00:39:06.760
these things my understanding of forgiveness

00:39:06.760 --> 00:39:11.739
now Was not the same as it was a year ago The

00:39:11.739 --> 00:39:13.940
trials and the testings that the Lord has trusted

00:39:13.940 --> 00:39:19.059
me to move through now with his strength He was

00:39:19.059 --> 00:39:21.679
not putting on me a year ago The things that

00:39:21.679 --> 00:39:23.760
I have gone through the past couple months now

00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:26.699
are things that would have broken me when I was

00:39:26.699 --> 00:39:36.389
new in Christ Would have just destroyed And a

00:39:36.389 --> 00:39:38.630
year ago, I thought I was ready for the promises,

00:39:38.889 --> 00:39:41.789
some promises that I'm waiting on God for. There

00:39:41.789 --> 00:39:43.110
are things He's done and there are things I'm

00:39:43.110 --> 00:39:45.369
still waiting on Him for. And a year ago, I was

00:39:45.369 --> 00:39:47.949
saying, God, I'm ready for Him. And now when

00:39:47.949 --> 00:39:50.789
I've looked at the testing and the trial and

00:39:50.789 --> 00:39:52.190
the growth and some of the things that He's had

00:39:52.190 --> 00:39:53.969
to break off of me, I'm like, yeah, I was definitely

00:39:53.969 --> 00:39:56.429
not ready for that. This thing would have hindered

00:39:56.429 --> 00:39:58.050
it. This thing would have hurt it. And what's

00:39:58.050 --> 00:39:59.949
so interesting is I didn't see these things as

00:39:59.949 --> 00:40:02.679
being broken off in that time period. Because

00:40:02.679 --> 00:40:05.239
I have been used to living with them. I normalized

00:40:05.239 --> 00:40:08.320
them. I normalized survival mindset I normalized

00:40:08.320 --> 00:40:11.119
some of the reactions I had from a hurt place

00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:16.739
There's a book y 'all that I have been reading

00:40:16.739 --> 00:40:19.500
that I feel led to just share this with you all

00:40:19.500 --> 00:40:22.519
today if anyone is needing to hear about this

00:40:22.519 --> 00:40:25.280
it's really been helpful for me and Revealing

00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:27.360
and unpacking some things I didn't realize really

00:40:27.360 --> 00:40:29.949
needed revealed and unpacked and showing me new

00:40:29.949 --> 00:40:32.429
ways to trust in God and to put my faith in him.

00:40:32.730 --> 00:40:36.150
And it's a book called Hiding From Love by Dr.

00:40:36.269 --> 00:40:40.849
John Townsend. It's hiding from love, how to

00:40:40.849 --> 00:40:43.010
change the withdrawal patterns that isolate and

00:40:43.010 --> 00:40:45.369
imprison you. And when I picked up this book,

00:40:46.050 --> 00:40:48.010
when I was, I found this book in the Goodwill,

00:40:48.130 --> 00:40:50.260
y 'all. And when I picked up this book, And I

00:40:50.260 --> 00:40:51.840
was like, I don't feel like I need this right

00:40:51.840 --> 00:40:53.679
now. I actually feel like I'm doing really good.

00:40:53.980 --> 00:40:55.260
Like I was going through a time period where

00:40:55.260 --> 00:40:56.780
I felt like I was really connecting with people,

00:40:56.920 --> 00:40:59.340
all my evangelizing was picking up and everything.

00:40:59.960 --> 00:41:02.719
But I felt convicted by it anyway. And there's

00:41:02.719 --> 00:41:05.860
a couple weeks later, I started reading it. And

00:41:05.860 --> 00:41:09.219
there were some areas where I'm like, oh, oh,

00:41:10.659 --> 00:41:15.639
I identify with that growing up. I could see

00:41:15.639 --> 00:41:19.190
those very bold things in me growing up. And

00:41:19.190 --> 00:41:21.349
at first I was like, I don't know if I identify

00:41:21.349 --> 00:41:23.769
with that now though. I don't know if I see those

00:41:23.769 --> 00:41:25.269
things. And the more I started reading it, the

00:41:25.269 --> 00:41:27.789
more I was like, ooh. But just two weeks ago,

00:41:27.849 --> 00:41:31.710
I responded in a way that is very, yeah. I started

00:41:31.710 --> 00:41:35.349
being like, dang. I thought I was completely

00:41:35.349 --> 00:41:38.429
healed. I was perfect. I want to say perfect,

00:41:38.610 --> 00:41:42.530
but God had done it and I was good to go. And

00:41:42.530 --> 00:41:45.849
in reading this, I started seeing like, no, there

00:41:45.849 --> 00:41:48.869
are areas where I can grow and I can move forward

00:41:48.869 --> 00:41:51.289
more. Someone needs to hear this today that growth

00:41:51.289 --> 00:41:53.769
is uncomfortable and God doesn't call us to stay

00:41:53.769 --> 00:41:55.769
in that comfortable space. But when he calls

00:41:55.769 --> 00:41:58.949
you to grow, there's gonna be an uncomfortability

00:41:58.949 --> 00:42:00.389
with it, right? Because there's gonna have to

00:42:00.389 --> 00:42:02.510
be an accountability taking. You're gonna have

00:42:02.510 --> 00:42:04.429
to take accountability for certain thoughts,

00:42:04.690 --> 00:42:06.730
reactions, ways that you're moving, ways that

00:42:06.730 --> 00:42:10.690
you're living. And also identify them as there's

00:42:10.690 --> 00:42:13.090
a better way to live. There's a better way to

00:42:13.090 --> 00:42:16.389
move. There's a better way to react So when you

00:42:16.389 --> 00:42:18.469
when you start taking so when you start recognizing

00:42:18.469 --> 00:42:20.269
that there is a better way to move There's a

00:42:20.269 --> 00:42:22.429
better way to react and when you start taking

00:42:22.429 --> 00:42:24.409
accountability of it doesn't matter why I'm moving

00:42:24.409 --> 00:42:26.389
this way or reacting this way God is calling

00:42:26.389 --> 00:42:29.349
me to hire Then you can also start seeking in

00:42:29.349 --> 00:42:33.250
his word What does he say? What is the correct

00:42:33.250 --> 00:42:35.409
way to respond? What is the correct way to react?

00:42:35.630 --> 00:42:38.130
What is the Christ? And what I mean by correct

00:42:38.130 --> 00:42:40.170
way is we're meant to be more Christ -like, right?

00:42:40.210 --> 00:42:46.510
So what's the Christ -like way of doing it? There

00:42:46.510 --> 00:42:48.550
are a lot of people who get in that comfortable

00:42:48.550 --> 00:42:53.369
space when God is calling them to hire. And someone

00:42:53.369 --> 00:42:54.789
needs to hear this, and I want to say this in

00:42:54.789 --> 00:42:57.829
the most loving way, your refusal to grow is

00:42:57.829 --> 00:43:03.800
disobedience to God. Your refusal to answer him

00:43:03.800 --> 00:43:06.599
calling you to hire and calling you to be better

00:43:06.599 --> 00:43:12.239
is disobedience and is blocking Some of the promises

00:43:12.239 --> 00:43:16.119
that he wants you to step into And I'm not speaking

00:43:16.119 --> 00:43:17.739
this from some mountaintop. I'm speaking this

00:43:17.739 --> 00:43:20.949
from experience There have been stages since

00:43:20.949 --> 00:43:23.550
I gave my life to Jesus where I got really comfortable

00:43:23.550 --> 00:43:25.829
and I was like well I've already changed so much

00:43:25.829 --> 00:43:27.750
and I already respond a lot differently the way

00:43:27.750 --> 00:43:30.469
I had before and like you know I'm speaking God's

00:43:30.469 --> 00:43:32.409
word like I never had before I feel like I'm

00:43:32.409 --> 00:43:34.210
telling people about Jesus I feel like I'm doing

00:43:34.210 --> 00:43:36.730
this and I felt God say but no I want you to

00:43:36.730 --> 00:43:39.329
do it more and there's a better way to do it

00:43:39.329 --> 00:43:41.670
and there's a more fruitful way to do it and

00:43:41.670 --> 00:43:44.230
there's a way that's more Christ -like I'm calling

00:43:44.230 --> 00:43:46.929
you to work on this that is the pruning season

00:43:46.929 --> 00:43:50.110
right is like that working on it that Pulling

00:43:50.110 --> 00:43:54.349
back Revealing what needs to be shifted and then

00:43:54.349 --> 00:44:01.550
shifting growing changing developing And I will

00:44:01.550 --> 00:44:03.650
be the first to admit like there were points

00:44:03.650 --> 00:44:07.250
where I Angry and upset prayed to God of God.

00:44:07.369 --> 00:44:10.050
Didn't we just get here like we just did all

00:44:10.050 --> 00:44:13.570
the work To make me this person. I'm comfortable

00:44:13.570 --> 00:44:16.739
now I finally handle things in this way a lot

00:44:16.739 --> 00:44:18.860
better than I've handled them in the past. I'm

00:44:18.860 --> 00:44:20.420
reacting a lot better than I have in the past,

00:44:20.440 --> 00:44:24.639
like what more do you want from me? Whereas like

00:44:24.639 --> 00:44:26.539
an angry or upset where I'm like didn't we just

00:44:26.539 --> 00:44:30.360
do this work? And I've had to go through a point

00:44:30.360 --> 00:44:32.880
where like I have to like understand where it's

00:44:32.880 --> 00:44:37.699
like my maturing in Christ is never going to

00:44:37.699 --> 00:44:40.980
stop. Spiritual growth is never going to stop.

00:44:41.099 --> 00:44:42.739
We are never going to, at some point in this

00:44:42.739 --> 00:44:45.039
lifetime, learn everything God wants us to know

00:44:45.039 --> 00:44:47.539
and be the final formed version of ourselves.

00:44:48.719 --> 00:44:50.699
We're going through a sanctification process

00:44:50.699 --> 00:44:56.260
until we enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Until we

00:44:56.260 --> 00:44:59.019
leave this earthly body and we're with the Lord

00:44:59.019 --> 00:45:02.360
and Savior Jesus Christ. There's going to be

00:45:02.360 --> 00:45:05.460
a continued molding and shedding and growing

00:45:05.460 --> 00:45:11.289
and developing. I was someone that there were

00:45:11.289 --> 00:45:12.750
a couple times where I was like, but God I'm

00:45:12.750 --> 00:45:15.150
comfortable here It was a lot of work to get

00:45:15.150 --> 00:45:17.250
here. It was a lot of pain. It was a lot of struggle

00:45:17.250 --> 00:45:21.690
I remember that I was talking With the pastor

00:45:21.690 --> 00:45:24.050
and I was like almost crying because I told him

00:45:24.050 --> 00:45:26.369
I was like I know that I am living in answered

00:45:26.369 --> 00:45:32.219
prayers right now I know that I And it wasn't

00:45:32.219 --> 00:45:34.079
an easy process I told him I was like it feels

00:45:34.079 --> 00:45:36.820
like every time God has done something new in

00:45:36.820 --> 00:45:39.679
my life has elevated me has opened doors There's

00:45:39.679 --> 00:45:43.260
pain and suffering that happens first And I told

00:45:43.260 --> 00:45:46.599
him I was like I feel like And it wasn't you

00:45:46.599 --> 00:45:48.659
know a couple months ago I didn't even have the

00:45:48.659 --> 00:45:51.019
way to word it that I do now so my wording I

00:45:51.019 --> 00:45:52.800
feel like is better now than maybe it was in

00:45:52.800 --> 00:45:56.159
the past But the way I was explaining it was

00:45:56.159 --> 00:45:58.159
like I know that there's more and being called

00:45:58.159 --> 00:46:00.639
to I know I'm being called the higher. I know

00:46:00.639 --> 00:46:03.159
that God wants to do more in my life I know that

00:46:03.159 --> 00:46:06.360
he wants me to pray for more But I'm afraid to

00:46:06.360 --> 00:46:08.260
do it because I'm comfortable with where I am

00:46:08.260 --> 00:46:11.800
now I know that I have answered prayers and I'm

00:46:11.800 --> 00:46:15.380
fearful of the work and the pain that may come

00:46:15.380 --> 00:46:18.320
with the pruning You know the way I worded it

00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:20.500
to him. I remember I was saying I was like I

00:46:20.500 --> 00:46:22.139
just want to move out of the space of abundance

00:46:22.139 --> 00:46:24.119
I'm afraid that like God's gonna take it all

00:46:24.119 --> 00:46:25.699
away and I'm gonna have to move out of the space

00:46:25.699 --> 00:46:28.980
of lack and like I see how God uses it, and like,

00:46:29.079 --> 00:46:30.519
I was still glorifying God, but I was like, I

00:46:30.519 --> 00:46:32.320
don't want the pain that comes along with the

00:46:32.320 --> 00:46:34.800
growth. And the way I'm able to word it now,

00:46:34.880 --> 00:46:36.579
y 'all, and this might just be a prime example

00:46:36.579 --> 00:46:39.300
of how just a couple months can really help,

00:46:39.639 --> 00:46:41.820
is now the way I see it is I was fearful of the

00:46:41.820 --> 00:46:45.820
pruning process. I was fearful of the pain that

00:46:45.820 --> 00:46:48.420
comes along with the testimony building. That

00:46:48.420 --> 00:46:51.179
I had gotten comfortable. God was calling me

00:46:51.179 --> 00:46:53.820
to hire. God was calling me to grow. And I understood

00:46:53.820 --> 00:46:55.960
that that growth came with uncomfortability and

00:46:55.960 --> 00:46:58.750
pain. I didn't want to leave the comfortable

00:46:58.750 --> 00:47:01.170
space I was in and I felt like isn't this good

00:47:01.170 --> 00:47:04.269
enough? Aren't I good enough? Can't you just

00:47:04.269 --> 00:47:07.510
bless this? Can't you just bless who I am now?

00:47:07.869 --> 00:47:10.369
Why do why does there have to be more pulling

00:47:10.369 --> 00:47:14.269
and plucking and pruning and that was me being

00:47:14.269 --> 00:47:19.070
fearful of the process and Me leaning into my

00:47:19.070 --> 00:47:21.210
flesh and away from the spirit and glory be to

00:47:21.210 --> 00:47:23.710
God, you know, the Lord didn't rush me and it

00:47:23.710 --> 00:47:26.369
was It wasn't like right after that that God

00:47:26.369 --> 00:47:28.670
is like, I'm gonna throw you into this process.

00:47:29.769 --> 00:47:34.550
God gave me time to get my heart right and like

00:47:34.550 --> 00:47:39.469
to focus on Him and to get in the space. God

00:47:39.469 --> 00:47:41.469
knew what I could or couldn't handle in that

00:47:41.469 --> 00:47:44.449
time period. And in God's time period, I started

00:47:44.449 --> 00:47:47.010
the pruning season again. I started the pain

00:47:47.010 --> 00:47:53.239
and I started the uncomfortability. But by the

00:47:53.239 --> 00:47:54.980
time God brought me through I was able to see

00:47:54.980 --> 00:47:57.659
it more as a birthing process Right of these

00:47:57.659 --> 00:48:00.039
are it felt to me more like birthing pains if

00:48:00.039 --> 00:48:01.780
I know that there's something good on the other

00:48:01.780 --> 00:48:03.760
side of this Like this is the process I'm going

00:48:03.760 --> 00:48:05.840
through and I went through the process and I

00:48:05.840 --> 00:48:09.079
started saying okay now I feel like I'm taking

00:48:09.079 --> 00:48:11.260
these things that God has given me and I'm using

00:48:11.260 --> 00:48:15.340
them There's that pruning season right there's

00:48:15.340 --> 00:48:17.599
that pain and that those things where God is

00:48:17.599 --> 00:48:21.530
showing you new ways to develop like new routines

00:48:21.530 --> 00:48:25.329
to develop new habits new reactions new thought

00:48:25.329 --> 00:48:27.530
processes and then there's that time period of

00:48:27.530 --> 00:48:30.610
where like Because faith your faith has to be

00:48:30.610 --> 00:48:32.670
tested right like your faith isn't tried and

00:48:32.670 --> 00:48:35.190
true It's not revealed until there's some kind

00:48:35.190 --> 00:48:39.650
of testing that happens with it and that's when

00:48:39.650 --> 00:48:43.449
you go through that period of like There's that

00:48:43.449 --> 00:48:46.730
testing of like there's this opposition coming

00:48:46.730 --> 00:48:49.889
at you. There's spiritual warfare. There's hardships

00:48:49.889 --> 00:48:52.090
there's hard situations where you have the opportunity

00:48:52.090 --> 00:48:55.030
to go back to old ways or to react in a new way

00:48:55.030 --> 00:48:58.349
we have the opportunity to like stand in faith

00:48:58.349 --> 00:49:00.650
and what these new things god has brought out

00:49:00.650 --> 00:49:04.809
in you like you have the opportunity to stand

00:49:04.809 --> 00:49:07.889
on that faith and trust in god and trust in these

00:49:07.889 --> 00:49:12.389
these new things that he has done in you or to

00:49:12.389 --> 00:49:15.250
go backwards you know when you get through that

00:49:15.250 --> 00:49:18.110
testing and you you stay faithful and your faith

00:49:18.110 --> 00:49:20.329
is tested and your faith is proven then there's

00:49:20.329 --> 00:49:22.329
like those birthing pains right of where it's

00:49:22.329 --> 00:49:25.050
like okay God is about to bring you into that

00:49:25.050 --> 00:49:27.429
new you're about to go into that new season and

00:49:27.429 --> 00:49:29.590
there's the opposition like you can think Nehemiah

00:49:29.590 --> 00:49:31.710
well we think Nehemiah I'm looking Nehemiah that's

00:49:31.710 --> 00:49:33.849
where I think more birthing pains where he's

00:49:33.849 --> 00:49:36.190
building he's using the resources he's using

00:49:36.190 --> 00:49:38.210
the tools and the whole step of the way the enemy

00:49:38.210 --> 00:49:40.269
is like don't do that the enemy's trying to think

00:49:40.269 --> 00:49:42.909
of any way he can to get you to stop doing it

00:49:43.019 --> 00:49:45.960
Like, and you know, when you're birthing something

00:49:45.960 --> 00:49:48.380
new, there's opposition that comes along with

00:49:48.380 --> 00:49:52.119
it, right? And I had been through, when I look

00:49:52.119 --> 00:49:54.219
back, like I had been through that stage enough

00:49:54.219 --> 00:49:57.440
where like that process where when I was talking

00:49:57.440 --> 00:50:00.179
to that pastor, I was coming from a space of

00:50:00.179 --> 00:50:01.920
I'm sick of going through that process. It's

00:50:01.920 --> 00:50:03.940
not fun. I don't want to go through it again,

00:50:04.420 --> 00:50:07.550
like. And I didn't have the words to use at the

00:50:07.550 --> 00:50:10.030
time like I do now and I'm sure two months from

00:50:10.030 --> 00:50:11.570
now I'll be listening to the wording of this

00:50:11.570 --> 00:50:13.170
podcast and be like there's a better way I could

00:50:13.170 --> 00:50:14.909
have worded that there's a better way I could

00:50:14.909 --> 00:50:16.909
have said that that's the beautiful thing about

00:50:16.909 --> 00:50:19.650
the spiritual maturing process And I feel like

00:50:19.650 --> 00:50:21.610
someone needs to hear just through my personal

00:50:21.610 --> 00:50:25.559
testimony Because y 'all this podcast I want

00:50:25.559 --> 00:50:27.780
to be so clear with it isn't me saying like I'm

00:50:27.780 --> 00:50:29.699
out on the other side and I've learned everything

00:50:29.699 --> 00:50:31.659
and I'm perfect and I have all these teachings

00:50:31.659 --> 00:50:36.500
I am Going through life like the sanctification

00:50:36.500 --> 00:50:42.619
process. I am I I gave my life to Jesus in 2024.

00:50:42.619 --> 00:50:48.280
It's about to be 2026 glory be to God I'm I don't

00:50:48.280 --> 00:50:50.969
know everything I'm not speaking from a space

00:50:50.969 --> 00:50:52.429
of like, I've learned all these things and now

00:50:52.429 --> 00:50:55.070
I'm teaching. Like I'm literally sharing with

00:50:55.070 --> 00:50:57.429
y 'all what I learn as I learn it. You're going

00:50:57.429 --> 00:51:00.190
through the process with me. I'm reflecting on

00:51:00.190 --> 00:51:03.130
these things and sharing with you what I see.

00:51:04.429 --> 00:51:07.130
And hope that that helps you with whatever you're

00:51:07.130 --> 00:51:09.849
moving through and whatever you're walking through.

00:51:13.969 --> 00:51:17.449
No, this is never meant to be a space of condemnation.

00:51:18.159 --> 00:51:21.980
a space of judgment and I speak with authority

00:51:21.980 --> 00:51:26.760
sometimes of like standing on God's Word of this

00:51:26.760 --> 00:51:28.800
is what you're supposed to be doing like this

00:51:28.800 --> 00:51:33.960
is what God's Word says. I know that there are

00:51:33.960 --> 00:51:36.119
some people out here who need to hear it that

00:51:36.119 --> 00:51:41.480
way. There were seasons in my life where I needed

00:51:41.480 --> 00:51:44.699
someone to just hit me with a cold I don't want

00:51:44.699 --> 00:51:50.260
to say cold but a hard truth of God. When I was

00:51:50.260 --> 00:51:52.840
going through the conviction and the transformation

00:51:52.840 --> 00:51:56.260
I needed I needed sometimes to just hear this

00:51:56.260 --> 00:51:58.360
is what God's Word says and as much as you want

00:51:58.360 --> 00:52:00.579
to defend it or move around it You can't your

00:52:00.579 --> 00:52:03.400
feelings don't change God's truth your feelings

00:52:03.400 --> 00:52:06.820
your emotions your environment doesn't determine

00:52:06.820 --> 00:52:11.460
God's Word is valid or not Doesn't negate God's

00:52:11.460 --> 00:52:13.960
Word God's Word is valid in any and all situations

00:52:15.300 --> 00:52:17.760
And y 'all the interesting thing what actually

00:52:17.760 --> 00:52:21.780
brought this to mind today I was reading acts

00:52:21.780 --> 00:52:26.280
and it was when Paul was you know, he was still

00:52:26.280 --> 00:52:28.739
jailed and he was with the soldier and he was

00:52:28.739 --> 00:52:33.639
on that ship and The wind started getting rough

00:52:33.639 --> 00:52:36.500
and they started getting really bad and it was

00:52:36.500 --> 00:52:38.900
clear that like, you know This wasn't a favorable

00:52:38.900 --> 00:52:41.860
traveling situation and they hit a point where

00:52:41.860 --> 00:52:45.539
they're like docked, right? but they decide that

00:52:45.539 --> 00:52:48.039
this isn't a good enough environment for winter

00:52:48.039 --> 00:52:51.400
time to be docked in. So although they're like

00:52:51.400 --> 00:52:55.340
in this space, relying on their own understanding,

00:52:55.440 --> 00:52:57.659
their own control, they decide that this isn't

00:52:57.659 --> 00:53:02.059
the ideal environment and they back away. And

00:53:02.059 --> 00:53:03.800
Paul is over here warning them saying, hey y

00:53:03.800 --> 00:53:05.739
'all, the winds haven't been favorable. Like

00:53:05.739 --> 00:53:07.900
he's saying like, he's trying to speak a warning

00:53:07.900 --> 00:53:11.320
to them of like, what are you doing? the soldier

00:53:11.320 --> 00:53:14.019
doesn't listen to Paul instead he chooses they

00:53:14.019 --> 00:53:16.900
that people choose to listen to the ones that

00:53:16.900 --> 00:53:20.440
appear to be more knowledgeable right that the

00:53:20.440 --> 00:53:23.280
ship the person who's operating the ship they're

00:53:23.280 --> 00:53:25.619
like now we're not gonna listen to you and God

00:53:25.619 --> 00:53:28.480
speaking through you we're gonna listen to the

00:53:28.480 --> 00:53:30.420
person who seems to have more knowledge of like

00:53:30.420 --> 00:53:34.829
the ocean and the waters and you wouldn't think

00:53:34.829 --> 00:53:36.789
this was a revelation that would really get pulled

00:53:36.789 --> 00:53:39.090
out of that but what the Lord revealed to me

00:53:39.090 --> 00:53:43.369
is there are people who feel like their environments

00:53:43.369 --> 00:53:48.269
right now or what they're going through negate

00:53:48.269 --> 00:53:51.030
what God is telling them or give them an out

00:53:51.030 --> 00:53:55.829
to disobey what God is telling them right I've

00:53:55.829 --> 00:53:58.349
had conversations with people before where they're

00:53:58.349 --> 00:54:00.860
telling me that You know, basically they're saying,

00:54:01.000 --> 00:54:03.179
hey, I know God is calling me to do better. I

00:54:03.179 --> 00:54:05.559
know God is calling me to focus on him, to read

00:54:05.559 --> 00:54:08.880
his word, to obey him. But I have all these other

00:54:08.880 --> 00:54:11.440
things going on in my life right now. I have

00:54:11.440 --> 00:54:13.079
all these other areas where I'm already pouring

00:54:13.079 --> 00:54:15.699
myself out into. I have all these other areas

00:54:15.699 --> 00:54:19.400
where I'm already emotionally invested in. You

00:54:19.400 --> 00:54:20.619
know, some people have told me they're like,

00:54:20.619 --> 00:54:22.280
I already go through all this therapy and all

00:54:22.280 --> 00:54:24.920
this counseling. Like, basically saying they

00:54:24.920 --> 00:54:27.039
already have that. They don't need to pour more

00:54:27.039 --> 00:54:30.170
out to God. And then I've met other people who

00:54:30.170 --> 00:54:31.690
are saying they have all these other areas where

00:54:31.690 --> 00:54:34.150
they don't have the time to read scripture. They

00:54:34.150 --> 00:54:36.150
don't have the time to pray. They don't have

00:54:36.150 --> 00:54:40.550
the time to do these things. But the interesting

00:54:40.550 --> 00:54:42.769
thing is when you read scripture, God isn't talking

00:54:42.769 --> 00:54:45.429
about how much time you have, or how comfortable

00:54:45.429 --> 00:54:48.269
your situation is, or how other many resources.

00:54:48.349 --> 00:54:49.849
One thing He does say is that we're supposed

00:54:49.849 --> 00:54:52.880
to trust in Him. That we should have no idols

00:54:52.880 --> 00:54:55.400
before him Although yes, you have other places

00:54:55.400 --> 00:54:57.300
to pour into emotionally God should be the first

00:54:57.300 --> 00:54:59.820
one you're going to with your emotions with your

00:54:59.820 --> 00:55:02.539
worries with your thoughts your feelings God

00:55:02.539 --> 00:55:05.940
should be the first direction God should be God's

00:55:05.940 --> 00:55:10.320
Word should be the guidance I'm not saying we

00:55:10.320 --> 00:55:12.619
shouldn't be opening up to other people and things

00:55:12.619 --> 00:55:14.559
because that is healthy. We are meant to have

00:55:14.559 --> 00:55:16.880
relationships. But we should be submitted to

00:55:16.880 --> 00:55:18.980
God first, taking things to God first, because

00:55:18.980 --> 00:55:23.360
God is the one who can shift and fix. God is

00:55:23.360 --> 00:55:25.920
the one who can reveal. So we take it to Him

00:55:25.920 --> 00:55:30.860
first. And that was what the Lord kind of opened

00:55:30.860 --> 00:55:33.559
my eyes to today is there are people who their

00:55:33.559 --> 00:55:36.179
environments right now are determining whether

00:55:36.179 --> 00:55:38.519
or not they go to God. and how much they give

00:55:38.519 --> 00:55:44.300
to God, and how much they obey God. When our

00:55:44.300 --> 00:55:46.960
obedience to God should be regardless of our

00:55:46.960 --> 00:55:49.900
environment, regardless of our circumstances.

00:55:52.360 --> 00:55:57.960
Y 'all, when I answered the call to obey God,

00:55:58.519 --> 00:56:02.329
my circumstances weren't ideal. for obeying God.

00:56:02.409 --> 00:56:04.650
My environment wasn't ideal for obeying God.

00:56:04.949 --> 00:56:07.909
At the time, like, I had hit a lot of hardships.

00:56:07.989 --> 00:56:10.070
Life wasn't going the way I wanted it to, and

00:56:10.070 --> 00:56:13.050
I was in my car in the desert in California,

00:56:13.269 --> 00:56:15.489
and my only stream of income was a terror reader

00:56:15.489 --> 00:56:18.789
online. And when I felt God calling me away from

00:56:18.789 --> 00:56:22.389
that, convicting me from that, the environment

00:56:22.389 --> 00:56:25.769
didn't look great to leave behind my only source

00:56:25.769 --> 00:56:30.840
of income. It actually looked the opposite. the

00:56:30.840 --> 00:56:33.920
environment to my eyes didn't look right for

00:56:33.920 --> 00:56:36.179
obeying God. It actually looked very dangerous.

00:56:37.420 --> 00:56:39.340
I was like, well, God's calling me to leave this

00:56:39.340 --> 00:56:41.380
and to throw away the cards and all of this.

00:56:41.659 --> 00:56:43.920
Where's my money gonna come from? What's the

00:56:43.920 --> 00:56:47.059
source? God didn't give me a job or money and

00:56:47.059 --> 00:56:49.980
say now leave. He didn't give me like a blanket

00:56:49.980 --> 00:56:52.639
of safety and a safe space and say go to the

00:56:52.639 --> 00:56:54.940
safe space and then leave this in. He told me

00:56:54.940 --> 00:56:58.949
to go and sin no more. He said if you feel convicted

00:56:58.949 --> 00:57:01.630
by this if you recognize this as wrong stop doing

00:57:01.630 --> 00:57:07.809
it and trust I will provide what you need So

00:57:07.809 --> 00:57:09.909
when I threw away those tarot cards and everything

00:57:09.909 --> 00:57:13.110
I didn't know if I was gonna eat I didn't know

00:57:13.110 --> 00:57:17.690
if I was gonna have money God provided But I

00:57:17.690 --> 00:57:20.309
didn't let my circumstances determine whether

00:57:20.309 --> 00:57:23.630
or not I obeyed God in that moment when I knew

00:57:23.630 --> 00:57:25.849
he was calling me to leave that thing When I

00:57:25.849 --> 00:57:27.710
knew he was calling me to stop it, I had to stop

00:57:27.710 --> 00:57:31.050
the period. It didn't matter what my emotions

00:57:31.050 --> 00:57:32.909
were around it. It didn't matter what my worldly

00:57:32.909 --> 00:57:35.969
concerns were. I trusted that God was bigger

00:57:35.969 --> 00:57:39.469
and that whatever I had to lose in my obedience,

00:57:40.389 --> 00:57:41.829
if it was something he meant for me to have in

00:57:41.829 --> 00:57:47.840
my life, he would replace it with better. You

00:57:47.840 --> 00:57:49.320
know, at that time too, I felt like the Lord

00:57:49.320 --> 00:57:51.480
was calling me to a sober lifestyle. He had revealed

00:57:51.480 --> 00:57:53.320
to me that smoking and drinking was a way for

00:57:53.320 --> 00:57:56.000
me to handle my emotions and was a way for me

00:57:56.000 --> 00:57:57.760
to detach and was a way for me to feel a bit

00:57:57.760 --> 00:57:59.659
more in control and it was a way for me to just

00:57:59.659 --> 00:58:02.460
kind of numb myself. And the Lord revealed to

00:58:02.460 --> 00:58:05.199
me that that was an idol in my life. That that

00:58:05.199 --> 00:58:07.159
was taking a role that Jesus was meant to play

00:58:07.159 --> 00:58:09.800
in my life. Jesus was meant to be my peace. Jesus

00:58:09.800 --> 00:58:11.980
was meant to be my relief. Jesus was meant to

00:58:11.980 --> 00:58:15.780
be my joy. And instead of giving my problems

00:58:15.780 --> 00:58:17.679
to him, I was giving them over to the substances.

00:58:17.860 --> 00:58:19.679
I was giving them over to the worldly ways of

00:58:19.679 --> 00:58:21.860
numbing. And I felt the Lord call me to a sober

00:58:21.860 --> 00:58:24.239
lifestyle of, you're not drinking or smoking,

00:58:24.480 --> 00:58:27.179
period. You're not opening the door, period.

00:58:28.099 --> 00:58:30.019
And I felt the Lord calling me to throw them

00:58:30.019 --> 00:58:31.760
away when I was going through the most stressful

00:58:31.760 --> 00:58:34.599
time of my life. I was like, what? This is the

00:58:34.599 --> 00:58:36.239
time where I feel like I need them the most.

00:58:36.599 --> 00:58:41.519
And you're calling me to let them go now? I obeyed

00:58:41.519 --> 00:58:43.099
the Lord and I let them go and I started getting

00:58:43.099 --> 00:58:46.719
hit with some real stressful situations and Jesus

00:58:46.719 --> 00:58:48.380
started giving me a peace that surpassed all

00:58:48.380 --> 00:58:50.420
understanding when I was praying to him. That

00:58:50.420 --> 00:58:53.400
made no sense. He showed me that he was the Prince

00:58:53.400 --> 00:58:56.480
of Peace. He showed me that he was all I needed

00:58:56.480 --> 00:59:01.440
to feel relief and to see joy. And I realized

00:59:01.440 --> 00:59:04.059
that was a solidification for me because see

00:59:04.059 --> 00:59:05.920
that was a testing of my faith. Did I believe

00:59:05.920 --> 00:59:10.050
God's Word? And when I stayed rooted in that

00:59:10.050 --> 00:59:12.610
faith. There was a solidification in my faith

00:59:12.610 --> 00:59:15.550
of like, yeah, God just showed me 100 % that

00:59:15.550 --> 00:59:17.889
He's what I need. I don't need these things.

00:59:17.889 --> 00:59:20.750
I'm not saying it was always easy, but He showed

00:59:20.750 --> 00:59:23.010
me that I don't need those things. I need Him.

00:59:25.150 --> 00:59:27.469
And I pray that these testimonies are helping

00:59:27.469 --> 00:59:30.469
y 'all. It's like I said, I never appear just

00:59:30.469 --> 00:59:34.030
like speaking from a place of condemnation or

00:59:34.030 --> 00:59:36.150
judgment. I'm sharing with y 'all what I have

00:59:36.150 --> 00:59:39.570
learned. these things I'm sharing with y 'all

00:59:39.570 --> 00:59:42.849
and quoting scripture and like these testimonies

00:59:42.849 --> 00:59:46.690
these are lived learned experiences that the

00:59:46.690 --> 00:59:49.250
Lord has so lovingly given to me and revealed

00:59:49.250 --> 00:59:52.590
to me and not all of it was just like easy a

00:59:52.590 --> 00:59:55.150
lot of these come through pain and through hardship

00:59:55.150 --> 01:00:00.250
but God was with me through all of it you need

01:00:00.250 --> 01:00:01.849
to remember that when you're going through the

01:00:01.849 --> 01:00:03.869
fire there's another with you in the fire I remember

01:00:03.869 --> 01:00:07.489
the first like real testing Season I had after

01:00:07.489 --> 01:00:09.349
giving my life to Christ I kept being led to

01:00:09.349 --> 01:00:11.329
that story about the three men who were thrown

01:00:11.329 --> 01:00:13.869
into the fiery furnace because you know, they

01:00:13.869 --> 01:00:20.630
refused to Not obey God You know when they were

01:00:20.630 --> 01:00:23.329
told to obey when they were told to worship a

01:00:23.329 --> 01:00:27.920
false idol when they were told to do things or

01:00:27.920 --> 01:00:30.059
take actions that they know went against what

01:00:30.059 --> 01:00:32.360
God has called them to do and how God has called

01:00:32.360 --> 01:00:34.280
them to be and how God has called them to live.

01:00:34.500 --> 01:00:37.739
They said, I obey God. The root of this is they

01:00:37.739 --> 01:00:43.880
decide to obey God and his word over fear of

01:00:43.880 --> 01:00:47.579
man and what man can do over conforming to the

01:00:47.579 --> 01:00:49.900
world around them. Even if that meant that they

01:00:49.900 --> 01:00:51.559
were going to get thrown in that fire and they

01:00:51.559 --> 01:00:54.420
trusted and God's ability to deliver them from

01:00:54.420 --> 01:00:56.400
that fiery furnace. If He chose to do so, they

01:00:56.400 --> 01:00:58.340
knew that He could take away that testing right

01:00:58.340 --> 01:01:01.320
then and there. But they also said, even if He

01:01:01.320 --> 01:01:04.420
doesn't, we'll still worship Him. Our faith is

01:01:04.420 --> 01:01:07.579
still in Him. And when they got thrown in that

01:01:07.579 --> 01:01:12.260
fire, God was in there with them. And when they

01:01:12.260 --> 01:01:13.599
got out, they didn't look like what they had

01:01:13.599 --> 01:01:17.039
been through. They weren't singed. They weren't

01:01:17.039 --> 01:01:18.619
anything. They weren't burnt. They weren't hurt.

01:01:20.219 --> 01:01:22.699
It became a testimony and someone needs to hear

01:01:22.699 --> 01:01:25.960
that today of whatever Testing you're going through

01:01:25.960 --> 01:01:28.739
whatever fiery furnace you're in trust that God

01:01:28.739 --> 01:01:32.940
is in it with you And trust in his ability to

01:01:32.940 --> 01:01:38.059
like when you're out on the other side You won't

01:01:38.059 --> 01:01:40.099
look like what you've been through when I meet

01:01:40.099 --> 01:01:43.000
people now people don't When they see who I am

01:01:43.000 --> 01:01:45.360
now, and they speak to me, and they hear my love

01:01:45.360 --> 01:01:47.480
of Jesus, and they see how I live my life now,

01:01:47.719 --> 01:01:49.559
they would never guess that I, at one point in

01:01:49.559 --> 01:01:52.519
my life, was a new ager. That I, at one point

01:01:52.519 --> 01:01:54.360
in my life, found fulfillment through substances,

01:01:54.619 --> 01:01:57.960
and partying, and relationships. That I, at one

01:01:57.960 --> 01:02:00.000
point in my life, was very disobedient to God.

01:02:00.719 --> 01:02:02.840
That I, at one point in my life, struggled with,

01:02:03.000 --> 01:02:05.199
yeah, the car situation, living in the car situation

01:02:05.199 --> 01:02:09.760
when I was in California. Like, they wouldn't

01:02:09.760 --> 01:02:15.079
know. and trusting God's ability to do that for

01:02:15.079 --> 01:02:20.780
you too. And I pray that this episode has blessed

01:02:20.780 --> 01:02:24.480
you and that this episode helps you. And I pray

01:02:24.480 --> 01:02:26.440
that the Lord, the Holy Spirit is speaking through

01:02:26.440 --> 01:02:31.139
me to you today and that this gives you the encouragement.

01:02:33.840 --> 01:02:36.679
And someone needs to hear this today because

01:02:36.679 --> 01:02:41.869
I know it's gotten me through. Psalm 23. Whatever

01:02:41.869 --> 01:02:44.889
you're going through read Psalm 23 the piece

01:02:44.889 --> 01:02:48.150
that Psalm 23 has brought me I know Psalm 23

01:02:48.150 --> 01:02:51.550
by heart and That's because of how many times

01:02:51.550 --> 01:02:55.090
a day I had to recite it after after giving my

01:02:55.090 --> 01:02:59.969
life to Christ the mental and emotional Spiritual

01:02:59.969 --> 01:03:02.750
warfare I was going through and the worldly I

01:03:02.750 --> 01:03:04.670
cannot tell y 'all how many times a day I had

01:03:04.670 --> 01:03:09.400
to remind myself of who God is The promises he

01:03:09.400 --> 01:03:12.119
makes and what he can do and what he can and

01:03:12.119 --> 01:03:15.340
that's what Psalm 23 gave me the Lord is my shepherd

01:03:15.340 --> 01:03:17.539
There's nothing I lack is trusting that when

01:03:17.539 --> 01:03:20.099
I'm following God's guidance I will lack for

01:03:20.099 --> 01:03:22.059
nothing the things I actually need if I need

01:03:22.059 --> 01:03:26.039
it God will provide it and If I hit a season

01:03:26.039 --> 01:03:28.860
of needing trust in God's ability to step in

01:03:28.860 --> 01:03:31.739
and provide Where's my shepherd? There's nothing

01:03:31.739 --> 01:03:34.219
I lack and green pastures he makes me lie down

01:03:34.219 --> 01:03:36.500
to still waters he leads me he restores my soul

01:03:36.500 --> 01:03:38.599
that was my reminder that these storms these

01:03:38.599 --> 01:03:40.619
trials these tribulations don't last forever

01:03:40.619 --> 01:03:42.519
and that there's a resting and there's a peace

01:03:42.519 --> 01:03:44.340
in the middle of the storm that God can give

01:03:44.340 --> 01:03:48.420
you that Jesus Christ can give you and that there

01:03:48.420 --> 01:03:53.800
is a promised land you know what y 'all I just

01:03:53.800 --> 01:03:59.059
want to recite Psalm 23 to you I feel like someone

01:03:59.059 --> 01:04:02.050
just needs to hear it spoken today So we're just

01:04:02.050 --> 01:04:03.889
going to read this. The Lord is my shepherd.

01:04:04.329 --> 01:04:07.730
There is nothing I lack. In green pastures he

01:04:07.730 --> 01:04:10.550
makes me lie down. To still waters he leads me,

01:04:10.670 --> 01:04:13.809
he restores my soul. He guides me along right

01:04:13.809 --> 01:04:16.289
paths for the sake of his name. And even though

01:04:16.289 --> 01:04:18.269
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

01:04:18.329 --> 01:04:22.329
I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your

01:04:22.329 --> 01:04:25.260
rod and your staff comfort me. you set a table

01:04:25.260 --> 01:04:27.880
before me in front of my enemies you anoint my

01:04:27.880 --> 01:04:31.000
head with oil my cup overflows indeed goodness

01:04:31.000 --> 01:04:33.260
and mercy will pursue me all the days in my life

01:04:33.260 --> 01:04:35.380
i will dwell in the house of the lord for endless

01:04:35.380 --> 01:04:38.340
days amen when i tell y 'all that i was reading

01:04:38.340 --> 01:04:43.719
that like doesn't so many times a day just to

01:04:43.719 --> 01:04:48.849
remind me of who god is and what he can do What

01:04:48.849 --> 01:04:50.869
he is capable of because the enemy loves to get

01:04:50.869 --> 01:04:52.730
in her head and make us think that our problems

01:04:52.730 --> 01:04:56.590
are bigger than our God The problems are bigger

01:04:56.590 --> 01:04:59.170
than God that there are things that God can't

01:04:59.170 --> 01:05:02.150
handle and that's not true Then the enemy wants

01:05:02.150 --> 01:05:04.309
us to get focused on all the things going around

01:05:04.309 --> 01:05:06.429
us what we could lose the pain the suffering

01:05:06.429 --> 01:05:09.590
That we lose sight of who God is and what he

01:05:09.590 --> 01:05:13.280
can do He guides me along right paths for the

01:05:13.280 --> 01:05:15.639
sake of His name. And as I was saying earlier,

01:05:15.780 --> 01:05:17.900
y 'all, that God does things for us because He

01:05:17.900 --> 01:05:21.039
loves us, but He also wants us to glorify Him.

01:05:21.440 --> 01:05:25.039
We're made to worship Him. And the blessings,

01:05:25.059 --> 01:05:26.880
the things that we steward over are to point

01:05:26.880 --> 01:05:31.019
other people closer to Him. towards Him, to glorify

01:05:31.019 --> 01:05:34.000
Him, to uplift Him, to glorify our Father who

01:05:34.000 --> 01:05:36.440
is in heaven, and trust that God will do things

01:05:36.440 --> 01:05:39.099
for you simply to glorify Him. It's not because

01:05:39.099 --> 01:05:41.280
you're deserving or you're a good person. And

01:05:41.280 --> 01:05:43.320
that was what I needed reminded of so many times,

01:05:43.320 --> 01:05:45.420
that God will do these amazing things for me,

01:05:45.639 --> 01:05:48.159
not because of me or who I am, but because of

01:05:48.159 --> 01:05:50.760
what He can do through them to glorify Him and

01:05:50.760 --> 01:05:53.300
to point other people towards Him. He will do

01:05:53.300 --> 01:05:56.039
great things for me, not because of who I am

01:05:56.039 --> 01:05:58.619
or because I deserve it, but because it'll point

01:05:58.619 --> 01:06:01.920
back to him. And this was what I needed all the

01:06:01.920 --> 01:06:03.739
time is even though I walk through the valley

01:06:03.739 --> 01:06:05.860
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for

01:06:05.860 --> 01:06:07.659
you are with me. You're riding your staff comfort

01:06:07.659 --> 01:06:10.320
me that even though I walk through the scariest

01:06:10.320 --> 01:06:12.599
situation, even though it looks like sure death,

01:06:12.960 --> 01:06:15.260
even though it just looks like pain and suffering

01:06:15.260 --> 01:06:18.940
and hardship, Jesus is walking with me through

01:06:18.940 --> 01:06:21.460
it. I'm not going through this alone and I will

01:06:21.460 --> 01:06:25.019
have comfort in the storms that he will protect

01:06:25.019 --> 01:06:28.099
me. That doesn't mean that I'll never experience

01:06:28.099 --> 01:06:33.019
pain or sadness or upset But he is with me through

01:06:33.019 --> 01:06:35.519
it and he will give me a piece This was one I

01:06:35.519 --> 01:06:37.860
needed for the longest time you set a table before

01:06:37.860 --> 01:06:39.699
me in front of my enemies You anoint my head

01:06:39.699 --> 01:06:43.500
with oil my cup overflows When I I had to go

01:06:43.500 --> 01:06:45.940
through so much of giving vengeance to God trusting

01:06:45.940 --> 01:06:50.239
in God's ability to avenge I Had to release my

01:06:50.239 --> 01:06:52.780
I'm doing in quotation hello quotation fingers

01:06:52.780 --> 01:06:58.500
my enemies to God the people who gossiped about

01:06:58.500 --> 01:07:00.820
me and people who lied about me people who slandered

01:07:00.820 --> 01:07:02.679
me the people who called me a liar people who

01:07:02.679 --> 01:07:04.780
called me this people who called me that the

01:07:04.780 --> 01:07:07.239
people who went out of their way to make my season

01:07:07.239 --> 01:07:10.340
harder the people who told other people yeah

01:07:10.340 --> 01:07:12.780
hurt her yeah do this yeah do this painful thing

01:07:12.780 --> 01:07:16.019
I cannot tell you how many people saw I was already

01:07:16.019 --> 01:07:19.500
down people who watched me online who were watching

01:07:19.500 --> 01:07:21.440
my live streams were watching my tik -toks people

01:07:21.440 --> 01:07:23.019
who were talking to my family people who were

01:07:23.019 --> 01:07:26.530
talking my friends Who saw me already down and

01:07:26.530 --> 01:07:30.469
continued to kick me. Who saw the knife in my

01:07:30.469 --> 01:07:34.409
back and twisted it harder. Who gaslit conversations.

01:07:34.889 --> 01:07:37.909
Who threw gasoline on the fire. Who encouraged

01:07:37.909 --> 01:07:40.869
people to hurt me further. Who encouraged things.

01:07:40.929 --> 01:07:43.010
Who would throw stones and hide their hands.

01:07:43.329 --> 01:07:45.349
I cannot tell you how many people were speaking

01:07:45.349 --> 01:07:47.510
death over me. Who believed I wasn't going to

01:07:47.510 --> 01:07:50.170
give my life to Jesus. Who wanted to see me in

01:07:50.170 --> 01:07:53.989
more pain and more suffering. the amount of I

01:07:53.989 --> 01:07:57.250
had such a desire for revenge I had such a desire

01:07:57.250 --> 01:08:00.190
to expose and to call out and to hurt back and

01:08:00.190 --> 01:08:02.730
to do all these things in my forgiveness I had

01:08:02.730 --> 01:08:04.969
to give all of that whatever right I felt like

01:08:04.969 --> 01:08:08.289
I had to that to God and trust in his ability

01:08:08.289 --> 01:08:11.710
to Reveal because for a long time, you know There's

01:08:11.710 --> 01:08:13.429
a part of me that wanted to stand up and say

01:08:13.429 --> 01:08:15.929
I give my life to Jesus and God's gonna do these

01:08:15.929 --> 01:08:17.689
things and God's gonna do these things and I

01:08:17.689 --> 01:08:21.560
wanted to speak for him. I felt like God told

01:08:21.560 --> 01:08:26.260
me the anointing on your life, the things I do

01:08:26.260 --> 01:08:28.600
will speak volumes. You're not going to have

01:08:28.600 --> 01:08:32.279
to say it. And the people moving against you

01:08:32.279 --> 01:08:35.460
will reveal themselves. Like just trust in my

01:08:35.460 --> 01:08:38.119
ability to do all of that. And this was my reminder.

01:08:38.239 --> 01:08:40.220
You set a table before me in front of my enemies

01:08:40.220 --> 01:08:43.899
where I was like, I have a trusting in God's

01:08:43.899 --> 01:08:47.000
ability to handle these people. I don't have

01:08:47.000 --> 01:08:51.319
to handle these people. I trust that in whatever

01:08:51.319 --> 01:08:54.819
way God chooses to handle them is the right and

01:08:54.819 --> 01:09:00.020
just way. And I also trust in his ability to

01:09:00.020 --> 01:09:02.720
reveal and expose the truth. I went through a

01:09:02.720 --> 01:09:04.239
long season where I felt like people were getting

01:09:04.239 --> 01:09:07.399
my intentions twisted. misunderstood and people

01:09:07.399 --> 01:09:10.159
were allowed to twist my character and my reactions

01:09:10.159 --> 01:09:12.340
and my meekness and my calmness was being taken

01:09:12.340 --> 01:09:14.680
as weakness and was being taken as deceptiveness

01:09:14.680 --> 01:09:16.739
and I was like God I feel like I'm handling all

01:09:16.739 --> 01:09:18.460
the things that you I'm doing it the way you've

01:09:18.460 --> 01:09:21.600
called me to do it but it's being twisted and

01:09:21.600 --> 01:09:25.119
I had to trust in God's ability to in his timing

01:09:25.119 --> 01:09:30.340
reveal and this because I know there are a lot

01:09:30.340 --> 01:09:34.550
of people who struggle with giving over Revenge

01:09:34.550 --> 01:09:37.810
to God who are still holding hatred and unforgiveness

01:09:37.810 --> 01:09:40.970
and anger in their heart As a part of them doesn't

01:09:40.970 --> 01:09:44.350
believe in God's ability to expose to do these

01:09:44.350 --> 01:09:46.289
things a part of them feels like God won't be

01:09:46.289 --> 01:09:50.590
hard enough Whatever that is And we know that

01:09:50.590 --> 01:09:54.029
that's against his word right forgive forgive

01:09:54.029 --> 01:09:56.850
others the same way like I quoted this scripture

01:09:56.850 --> 01:10:00.949
earlier where We will be forgiven with the same

01:10:00.949 --> 01:10:02.850
amount of forgiveness that we extend to others

01:10:06.400 --> 01:10:09.680
And this was my reminder here that in forgoing

01:10:09.680 --> 01:10:12.260
people to God, giving people to God, I'm trusting

01:10:12.260 --> 01:10:15.340
in God's ability to expose, to reveal, to handle,

01:10:15.720 --> 01:10:19.800
to do all of these things. And then seeing, indeed,

01:10:19.920 --> 01:10:21.720
goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days

01:10:21.720 --> 01:10:23.239
of my life. I'll dwell in the house of the Lord

01:10:23.239 --> 01:10:25.380
for endless days. Amen. That was my reminder

01:10:25.380 --> 01:10:28.710
of God will use all things for my good. Just

01:10:28.710 --> 01:10:30.890
how he did with Joseph whatever hardships whatever

01:10:30.890 --> 01:10:33.050
pain whatever suffering God can take something

01:10:33.050 --> 01:10:36.250
good out of it and God can use this as a stepping

01:10:36.250 --> 01:10:42.489
stone using the enemies as a stool As know that

01:10:42.489 --> 01:10:44.369
there's someone out here today listen to this

01:10:44.369 --> 01:10:49.670
podcast that needs to hear Psalm 23 if you're

01:10:49.670 --> 01:10:52.649
struggling with remembering who God is and what

01:10:52.649 --> 01:10:57.119
he is capable of and what he can do for you and

01:10:57.119 --> 01:11:00.319
the promises he makes. Start with Psalm 23. Now

01:11:00.319 --> 01:11:03.800
that's not the only piece of scripture, but I'm

01:11:03.800 --> 01:11:06.399
just saying that that that was the one that for

01:11:06.399 --> 01:11:10.020
me kept me rooted in God and his word and and

01:11:10.020 --> 01:11:13.220
who he was and what he can do. And when you're

01:11:13.220 --> 01:11:16.699
rooted in faith, it's amazing how God can move.

01:11:18.060 --> 01:11:20.180
I feel like it's time to close out this episode.

01:11:20.960 --> 01:11:23.079
I don't know how long we've been recording, but

01:11:23.079 --> 01:11:28.590
it feels like it's been A long time. I know we've

01:11:28.590 --> 01:11:30.409
at least hit an hour mark y 'all. Let's look

01:11:30.409 --> 01:11:32.390
at this time. Yeah an hour 11 minutes right in

01:11:32.390 --> 01:11:35.050
that sweet spot. So I just want to thank y 'all

01:11:35.050 --> 01:11:36.810
for listening to this episode today and I do

01:11:36.810 --> 01:11:38.689
ask that you hit subscribe wherever it is you're

01:11:38.689 --> 01:11:41.689
listening to this podcast. Leave a review, like,

01:11:41.829 --> 01:11:44.069
comment, subscribe wherever it is you're listening

01:11:44.069 --> 01:11:48.289
to this. Share it with other people. And continue

01:11:48.289 --> 01:11:52.149
to seek God. Don't lose your faith in Jesus and

01:11:52.149 --> 01:11:53.850
what he can do for you. Don't lose his faith.

01:11:54.369 --> 01:11:57.010
Don't lose your faith in the promises that He

01:11:57.010 --> 01:12:00.130
has given you. Don't lose your faith in His ability.

01:12:04.510 --> 01:12:07.890
And that prayer that you've been afraid to pray.

01:12:09.649 --> 01:12:11.590
That prayer that part of you has been afraid

01:12:11.590 --> 01:12:15.590
to pray because you know you're going to have

01:12:15.590 --> 01:12:18.869
to deny the flesh. That prayer of, God, prune

01:12:18.869 --> 01:12:25.239
me. God, make me a better steward. I'm encouraging

01:12:25.239 --> 01:12:29.000
you to pray that prayer to him. To overcome that

01:12:29.000 --> 01:12:30.840
fear. We know that God didn't give us the spirit

01:12:30.840 --> 01:12:34.720
of fear. That fear of praying that prayer isn't

01:12:34.720 --> 01:12:37.079
from God. Someone needs to hear this say that

01:12:37.079 --> 01:12:39.979
as a form of opposition. The enemy doesn't want

01:12:39.979 --> 01:12:43.439
you to give it to God. The enemy doesn't want

01:12:43.439 --> 01:12:45.699
you to entrust the area of your life to God.

01:12:47.520 --> 01:12:49.699
The enemy doesn't want you to grow and to become

01:12:49.699 --> 01:12:52.800
a better steward. to then see the blessings of

01:12:52.800 --> 01:12:57.659
God and increase in your faith. That prayer that

01:12:57.659 --> 01:12:59.739
you know that God has been calling you to pray,

01:13:00.199 --> 01:13:02.119
that the enemy has been making you fearful of,

01:13:02.180 --> 01:13:05.539
I encourage you today to pray that prayer, whatever

01:13:05.539 --> 01:13:09.840
that looks like, whatever that prayer is. And

01:13:09.840 --> 01:13:12.020
I'll see you guys next time. Have a wonderful

01:13:12.020 --> 01:13:13.100
day. God bless.