WEBVTT 00:00:00.970 --> 00:00:04.690 Hey guys and welcome back to the salt not sweetener 00:00:04.690 --> 00:00:08.990 podcast. I am your host Danielle Townsend I hope 00:00:08.990 --> 00:00:14.910 you guys are having a wonderful week now y 'all 00:00:14.910 --> 00:00:22.769 Our episode today is about dying to self and 00:00:22.769 --> 00:00:29.699 the cost of a life surrendered to Jesus And honestly 00:00:29.699 --> 00:00:32.060 a book that I got for Christmas this year has 00:00:32.060 --> 00:00:34.439 really had me thinking on this topic and that 00:00:34.439 --> 00:00:38.020 book is called The Cost of Discipleship. I haven't 00:00:38.020 --> 00:00:41.000 fully finished the book yet. I'm a little bit 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:43.579 more than halfway through it and I would say 00:00:43.579 --> 00:00:45.780 y 'all I think this book is going to be one of 00:00:45.780 --> 00:00:48.799 my book recommendations. I have a couple books 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:54.840 that we'll just say they are like a staple on 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:57.789 my bookshelf where it's like This is one of my 00:00:57.789 --> 00:01:00.109 Christian books that yeah, I'm gonna recommend 00:01:00.109 --> 00:01:03.450 it to anybody and everybody And I do feel this 00:01:03.450 --> 00:01:05.549 is gonna be one of those and I will warn y 'all 00:01:05.549 --> 00:01:08.230 who are Interested and want to go read it It 00:01:08.230 --> 00:01:11.170 is a theologically kind of heavy book and all 00:01:11.170 --> 00:01:13.129 I see me reading it. I'm like, this is heavy 00:01:13.129 --> 00:01:15.010 I'm usually one of those people y 'all there's 00:01:15.010 --> 00:01:16.890 sometimes I finish a book in like a day or two 00:01:16.890 --> 00:01:19.370 and this is one where I'm fighting to get like 00:01:19.609 --> 00:01:22.530 15 to 20 pages in a day. But that's because it 00:01:22.530 --> 00:01:25.530 takes me like an hour and a half of just meditating 00:01:25.530 --> 00:01:28.609 on it and picking it apart. It's one of those 00:01:28.609 --> 00:01:32.109 books that you just can't rush through and you 00:01:32.109 --> 00:01:34.489 shouldn't rush through. So I will tell y 'all 00:01:34.489 --> 00:01:36.189 I don't think this would be a book that I would 00:01:36.189 --> 00:01:38.469 recommend to someone who's like just a couple 00:01:38.469 --> 00:01:40.769 weeks in on their walk with Christ and still 00:01:41.980 --> 00:01:44.840 From the theological like a little bit the heaviness 00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:47.439 of it. I do feel this is something that's good 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:50.560 for everybody Just a fair warning. Okay, it's 00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:53.200 a little heavy, but it's a good read I think 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:56.540 everybody should read at some point and their 00:01:56.540 --> 00:02:00.959 walk with Christ But the book is about what it 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:03.760 kind of says the title the title speaks for itself 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:06.640 the cost of discipleship You know that the guy 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:10.680 who this book is about Diedrich Bonhoeffer he 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:16.840 he was a He died in world war two. He was martyred 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:22.460 and he had a very And what some people might 00:02:22.460 --> 00:02:26.560 view as intense View on the cost of discipleship. 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:28.740 I got to be really y 'all as i'm reading through 00:02:28.740 --> 00:02:33.900 i'm like I agree with this And this is true That 00:02:33.900 --> 00:02:37.479 it costs something to follow jesus and not just 00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:41.050 one time It's gonna cost you throughout your 00:02:41.050 --> 00:02:44.689 life. There is suffering we have to endure as 00:02:44.689 --> 00:02:48.810 Christians There is suffering assigned to us, 00:02:48.810 --> 00:02:52.849 which is the cost that we carry Right. And then 00:02:52.849 --> 00:02:55.330 of course there's suffering that we face when 00:02:55.330 --> 00:02:58.409 we disobey God and we face consequences of our 00:02:58.409 --> 00:03:02.520 own actions There's suffering that's, you know, 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:04.719 the work of the enemy, that's spiritual warfare. 00:03:05.219 --> 00:03:07.360 But we know that when we are submitted to Christ 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:09.240 and surrendered to Christ, we are never going 00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:12.219 through this suffering alone. And God will use 00:03:12.219 --> 00:03:20.139 the suffering for our good. Amen. But reading 00:03:20.139 --> 00:03:23.879 through this, we're in the She Reads Truth Study 00:03:23.879 --> 00:03:26.979 Bible, which is the Christian standard version, 00:03:26.979 --> 00:03:34.409 I believe. Mark 8 verse 34 Says here calling 00:03:34.409 --> 00:03:37.069 the crowd along with his disciples Jesus said 00:03:37.069 --> 00:03:40.389 to them if anyone wants to follow after me Let 00:03:40.389 --> 00:03:43.550 him deny himself take up his cross and follow 00:03:43.550 --> 00:03:50.030 me If you want to follow Jesus if you want to 00:03:50.030 --> 00:03:53.650 live a life Submitted to Jesus surrender to Jesus 00:03:53.650 --> 00:03:57.250 if you want to be a disciple there is a cost 00:03:59.019 --> 00:04:06.219 And that cost is self -denial, is denying of 00:04:06.219 --> 00:04:09.460 the flesh. I don't know who needs to hear this 00:04:09.460 --> 00:04:11.919 today, but once you give your life to Jesus and 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:14.180 you're walking with him and pursuing relationship 00:04:14.180 --> 00:04:18.779 with him, you should start to change. And if 00:04:18.779 --> 00:04:21.100 you have been walking with Jesus for years, if 00:04:21.100 --> 00:04:23.360 you believe you've given your life to him, but 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:26.699 you haven't actually had to die to yourself, 00:04:29.909 --> 00:04:35.290 You haven't seen real changes that make you look 00:04:35.290 --> 00:04:41.850 more like Jesus. You should take a look because 00:04:41.850 --> 00:04:43.970 something, in the most loving way I can say this, 00:04:44.589 --> 00:04:49.769 something's not right there. It should cost you 00:04:49.769 --> 00:04:54.329 something to follow Jesus. It should cost you 00:04:54.410 --> 00:04:57.870 your sinful life it should cost you your old 00:04:57.870 --> 00:05:00.569 ways of being that aren't christ -like and that's 00:05:00.569 --> 00:05:03.389 not saying that you're going to be perfect and 00:05:03.389 --> 00:05:05.269 that's not saying that you're going to look totally 00:05:05.269 --> 00:05:09.790 different overnight but you should start to change 00:05:09.790 --> 00:05:15.889 and jesus says right here anyone anyone who wants 00:05:15.889 --> 00:05:19.550 to follow after me because jesus can't force 00:05:19.550 --> 00:05:23.189 you to die to your old self he can't force you 00:05:23.209 --> 00:05:26.509 to obey he can't force you to love him he can't 00:05:26.509 --> 00:05:29.769 force you to have faith in him he's not going 00:05:29.769 --> 00:05:34.389 to that's why god gave us free wills he wants 00:05:34.389 --> 00:05:38.750 us to choose to love him he wants us to choose 00:05:38.750 --> 00:05:44.310 to obey him and jesus says here anyone that wants 00:05:44.310 --> 00:05:49.379 to follow me you have to deny yourself It's not 00:05:49.379 --> 00:05:52.040 sometimes you can deny yourself. It's not if 00:05:52.040 --> 00:06:00.240 you want to you can You have to deny yourself 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:08.100 and Hmm I didn't I didn't plan on saying this 00:06:08.100 --> 00:06:10.680 today, but Holy Spirit give me the words There 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:13.920 are a lot of people who call themselves Christian 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:18.860 and claim that God loves the sin that in his 00:06:18.860 --> 00:06:23.339 word it's clear that he hates. We know how God 00:06:23.339 --> 00:06:28.319 feels about sexual immorality. We know how God 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:31.319 feels about witchcraft. We know how God feels 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:33.740 about murder. We know how God feels about bearing 00:06:33.740 --> 00:06:36.660 false witness. We know how God feels about being 00:06:36.660 --> 00:06:39.600 a drunkard. We know how he feels about all of 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:46.139 these things. But people today operate out of 00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:51.720 a space of cheap grace Where it's okay. I can 00:06:51.720 --> 00:06:54.579 keep doing it. God loves me. Anyway, I'm his 00:06:54.579 --> 00:06:57.980 child. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me 00:06:57.980 --> 00:07:04.639 No self denial all grace When if you really love 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:10.620 the Lord You would obey him We know that from 00:07:10.620 --> 00:07:13.360 scripture to we know Jesus says I believe it's 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:16.519 in John chapter 3 the one who believes in me 00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:19.480 Will do the works that I do that if your faith 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:22.319 is really in Jesus if you really love him If 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:24.259 you really believe in what he did on the cross 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:27.620 and you believe in who he is then you will do 00:07:27.620 --> 00:07:30.800 what he does now that doesn't mean you will be 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:33.860 perfect but you will to the best of your ability 00:07:33.860 --> 00:07:37.620 die to self and live the life that he lived simply 00:07:37.620 --> 00:07:39.920 because you know that's what you're supposed 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:43.259 to do not because of some big reward you get 00:07:43.259 --> 00:07:46.740 not because of heaven but simply because that 00:07:46.740 --> 00:07:48.779 is what you're called to do you want to know 00:07:48.779 --> 00:07:51.819 why you're here you're here to serve god you're 00:07:51.819 --> 00:07:55.839 here to worship him Man was put here to take 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:59.180 care of God's creation to serve God in that way 00:07:59.180 --> 00:08:03.939 and to worship him And does the life you're living 00:08:03.939 --> 00:08:07.759 now look like that? Someone today needs to hear 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:10.000 this that if you want to follow Jesus you have 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:17.019 to deny yourself and y 'all As I just said that 00:08:17.019 --> 00:08:19.100 there are a lot of Christians who are all about 00:08:19.100 --> 00:08:22.639 grace and all about God's love but not about 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.079 obedience and not about self -denial. It was 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:29.060 crazy. I have a church that I love to attend 00:08:29.060 --> 00:08:31.660 that I go to, but out of curiosity there and 00:08:31.660 --> 00:08:34.679 I was looking up different churches in my town 00:08:34.679 --> 00:08:37.679 and there was one church that caught my eye because 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:41.820 a lot of their pictures were in their Google 00:08:41.820 --> 00:08:43.419 pictures. I want to be so thoughtful the way 00:08:43.419 --> 00:08:47.860 I word this. But I'm standing on business at 00:08:47.860 --> 00:08:49.779 the same time in the authority of Christ Jesus. 00:08:49.820 --> 00:08:53.230 Amen. That what caught my eye is a lot of their 00:08:53.230 --> 00:08:55.289 pictures in their Google reviews were symbols 00:08:55.289 --> 00:08:57.169 of things that we know that the Bible openly 00:08:57.169 --> 00:09:00.570 condemned It says that these things are sins 00:09:00.570 --> 00:09:07.029 So in clicking on that Church's profile I start 00:09:07.029 --> 00:09:10.330 looking through all of their beliefs and a lot 00:09:10.330 --> 00:09:13.690 of the things that they stand for and Say that 00:09:13.690 --> 00:09:18.299 they are supportive of and they encourage are 00:09:18.299 --> 00:09:23.419 things that God is directly against are things 00:09:23.419 --> 00:09:28.720 that God says will are not fruits of the spirit 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:33.279 are the opposite are produced by the flesh and 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:38.220 are sinful and this church glorified them And 00:09:38.220 --> 00:09:42.220 even in their information, they even had classes 00:09:42.220 --> 00:09:45.899 to help people be more comfortable and inclusive 00:09:45.899 --> 00:09:48.080 of these sins, where the people who were against 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.179 it, they were actually saying, y 'all are the 00:09:50.179 --> 00:09:53.179 bad ones, y 'all are the ignorant ones. And I 00:09:53.179 --> 00:09:54.820 want to be so clear, I want to say this right 00:09:54.820 --> 00:10:00.539 now, that everybody can be redeemed. And that 00:10:00.539 --> 00:10:06.179 Jesus' blood covers, okay? That there is no condemnation 00:10:06.179 --> 00:10:08.039 for those who are in Christ Jesus and this is 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:10.539 not a condemning voice I am someone who at one 00:10:10.539 --> 00:10:12.679 point in my life was participating in witchcraft 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.820 was participating in tarot card reading I was 00:10:15.820 --> 00:10:22.980 considered like a drunkard Know that Jesus has 00:10:22.980 --> 00:10:25.059 forgiven me and I have seen his grace and his 00:10:25.059 --> 00:10:29.580 mercy but repentance means I now flee the temptation 00:10:29.580 --> 00:10:36.029 Am I perfect? No, but I flee I quit making excuses 00:10:36.029 --> 00:10:40.110 for the sin. I quit making excuses for the flesh. 00:10:40.269 --> 00:10:43.370 I quit justifying it. I quit trying to twist 00:10:43.370 --> 00:10:47.750 scripture to match my feelings and started asking 00:10:47.750 --> 00:10:50.309 God to change the desires of my heart to match 00:10:50.309 --> 00:10:55.029 His will and to help me to change and to do better. 00:10:56.470 --> 00:10:58.330 And I want to say this from the most loving place. 00:10:59.149 --> 00:11:01.850 I've had to stop and evaluate myself so many 00:11:01.850 --> 00:11:04.149 times. I'm not innocent in this y 'all as I've 00:11:04.149 --> 00:11:07.029 been reading this book The cost of discipleship 00:11:07.029 --> 00:11:09.450 along with my scripture reading I've had to take 00:11:09.450 --> 00:11:11.690 looks of areas in my life and be like where in 00:11:11.690 --> 00:11:15.090 my life Am I relying on cheap grace instead of 00:11:15.090 --> 00:11:19.509 costly grace? Where in my life have I not denied 00:11:19.509 --> 00:11:22.110 my flesh and said God will forgive me Jesus will 00:11:22.110 --> 00:11:25.830 forgive me and just relying on the blood That 00:11:25.830 --> 00:11:28.389 is the cheap grace that is the God will forgive 00:11:28.389 --> 00:11:30.570 me. He died Jesus died on the cross He didn't 00:11:30.570 --> 00:11:34.649 die for nothing. Let his blood cover this sin 00:11:34.649 --> 00:11:39.549 Costly grace is where God has forgiven me for 00:11:39.549 --> 00:11:42.779 when I slipped up and when I fall in, but I'm 00:11:42.779 --> 00:11:45.220 gonna do what I can to not slip up. If my hand 00:11:45.220 --> 00:11:47.700 causes me to sin, I'm gonna cut it off. If my 00:11:47.700 --> 00:11:49.720 eye causes me to sin, I'm gonna pluck it out. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.759 I'm gonna do what I can to flee temptation. And 00:11:52.759 --> 00:11:55.360 then the times when I fall short, glory be to 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:59.720 God. His mercy and his grace covers me. That 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:02.700 is the difference of cheap grace and costly grace. 00:12:04.500 --> 00:12:07.840 And operating out of cheap grace will have you 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:11.279 calling yourself a disciple. when you're a lukewarm. 00:12:12.299 --> 00:12:15.240 And we know what God does to the lukewarm. You 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:17.000 can be hot, you can be cold, but the lukewarm, 00:12:17.139 --> 00:12:26.360 he's gonna chew up and spit out. And I feel like 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:29.519 that is something that someone so heavily listening 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:31.820 to this podcast needs to hear today. And again, 00:12:31.940 --> 00:12:34.519 y 'all, I'm not condemning every single person 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:38.350 listening to this. You can repent. You can obey 00:12:38.350 --> 00:12:40.590 the Lord. There is no condemnation for those 00:12:40.590 --> 00:12:48.730 who are in Christ Jesus. Look at Paul. But repentance 00:12:48.730 --> 00:12:51.870 isn't just feeling guilty for something. Repentance 00:12:51.870 --> 00:12:55.309 is you stop defending that sin. You stop making 00:12:55.309 --> 00:12:57.470 excuses for why you're allowing it in your life. 00:12:57.730 --> 00:13:00.070 You stop making excuses. You stop trying to twist 00:13:00.070 --> 00:13:02.759 scripture to match it. You stop saying I'll work 00:13:02.759 --> 00:13:04.559 on it later. I'll fix it later and you start 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:07.159 saying God says it's wrong point -blank period 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:12.299 I need to cut it out point -blank period Y 'all 00:13:12.299 --> 00:13:14.720 when I was giving my life to Jesus, I remember 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:17.299 I was in such a place of pain and sorrow and 00:13:17.299 --> 00:13:19.720 suffering and I had seen the consequences of 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:21.559 disobedience and I had seen the consequences 00:13:21.559 --> 00:13:24.100 of entertaining sin and the open doors that sin 00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:26.240 had in my life and I remember when I started 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:29.440 seeking the Lord and I was like God what do I 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:32.200 need to do like what do you need me to do I felt 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:34.659 like I was getting hurt and like it was like 00:13:34.659 --> 00:13:37.220 an endless door of suffering and pain I was like 00:13:37.220 --> 00:13:39.820 God I need you to intervene I need you to step 00:13:39.820 --> 00:13:47.909 in like what do you need me to do And I remember 00:13:47.909 --> 00:13:50.990 the Lord showing I need you to cut off the sin 00:13:50.990 --> 00:13:53.309 that you're entertaining in your life And not 00:13:53.309 --> 00:13:55.590 that time the really big door to sin. I was a 00:13:55.590 --> 00:13:59.990 tarot reader Which we know is a sin in the Bible 00:13:59.990 --> 00:14:03.950 God says multiple times not to be diviners not 00:14:03.950 --> 00:14:06.970 to be sorcerers not to be witches and that's 00:14:06.970 --> 00:14:11.309 clearly fortune -telling and sinful and not from 00:14:11.309 --> 00:14:16.490 God and That was the first step That was the 00:14:16.490 --> 00:14:21.110 first obedience call Jesus had me take when I 00:14:21.110 --> 00:14:23.230 recognized what I was doing went against scripture 00:14:23.230 --> 00:14:26.450 and I realized also my life was going to crap 00:14:26.450 --> 00:14:30.750 and I was like God I need your hand. I need your 00:14:30.750 --> 00:14:34.330 help. I cannot do this on my own What do you 00:14:34.330 --> 00:14:37.549 need me to do? What step do you want me to take 00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:39.950 and that was what he called me to do. Remember 00:14:39.950 --> 00:14:43.269 that man? The rich man who went up to Jesus and 00:14:43.269 --> 00:14:44.909 said, hey, I keep all the commandments. What 00:14:44.909 --> 00:14:48.029 else do you need me to do? And Jesus said, sell 00:14:48.029 --> 00:14:51.070 all your things and follow me. And that rich 00:14:51.070 --> 00:14:52.850 man walked away sad because he owned a lot of 00:14:52.850 --> 00:14:55.029 stuff. He kept commandments and all these other 00:14:55.029 --> 00:14:58.169 areas. But when Jesus said, part with these physical 00:14:58.169 --> 00:15:01.809 things, die to yourself in this area and come 00:15:01.809 --> 00:15:03.509 after me, that man walked away sad because he's 00:15:03.509 --> 00:15:06.809 like, no, I can't do that. Everything else, sure. 00:15:06.830 --> 00:15:09.090 But this, no, I refuse to let that go. I can't 00:15:09.090 --> 00:15:11.580 let that go. And y 'all, at the time when the 00:15:11.580 --> 00:15:13.639 Lord called me to die to myself in that area 00:15:13.639 --> 00:15:15.860 of letting the tarot cards go, that was the only 00:15:15.860 --> 00:15:19.200 way I was providing for myself. And the living 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:21.419 situation I had and just my life circumstances 00:15:21.419 --> 00:15:23.779 at the time, it wasn't very easy, even if I wanted 00:15:23.779 --> 00:15:25.960 to. And I actually felt the Lord called me to 00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:28.039 sit and wait. I felt the Lord actually give me 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:29.940 specific instructions not to go out and try to 00:15:29.940 --> 00:15:31.980 get nine to five. But even if I wanted to, it 00:15:31.980 --> 00:15:33.860 would have been very difficult circumstances 00:15:33.860 --> 00:15:36.440 to do so. I was very much kind of backed into 00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:38.649 a corner. So when the Lord called me to give 00:15:38.649 --> 00:15:40.769 up the tarot, although I knew, okay, according 00:15:40.769 --> 00:15:42.470 to scripture, yeah, this is what I should be 00:15:42.470 --> 00:15:45.990 doing. This is biblically sound. When it came 00:15:45.990 --> 00:15:48.470 to my comfortability and my peace, that looked 00:15:48.470 --> 00:15:50.450 like the worst decision because that was my only 00:15:50.450 --> 00:15:54.649 way of provision. But I had to have faith in 00:15:54.649 --> 00:15:58.269 Jesus and the desire to obey what he called me 00:15:58.269 --> 00:16:00.549 to do more than I have the desire to please my 00:16:00.549 --> 00:16:04.879 flesh. So that was me denying myself. and taking 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:09.399 up my cross. And later on, after repenting and 00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:11.399 giving my life to the Lord, there was a part 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:12.899 of me, y 'all, that wanted to be quiet. And I 00:16:12.899 --> 00:16:14.960 was like, no one has to know that was my past. 00:16:15.460 --> 00:16:17.139 No one has to know that's how I did with my life. 00:16:17.159 --> 00:16:20.779 I could act like that never happened. But another 00:16:20.779 --> 00:16:23.720 thing that was me taking up my cross was the 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:25.519 Lord telling me, this is a testimony for you 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:29.240 to speak to other people and show other people 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:31.700 who are making excuse for this sin and to show 00:16:31.700 --> 00:16:36.409 other people the redemption says in Christ Jesus 00:16:36.409 --> 00:16:38.750 the Lord has turned that painful past into a 00:16:38.750 --> 00:16:40.850 testimony but that doesn't mean everyone is accepting 00:16:40.850 --> 00:16:45.350 of that testimony there are people who don't 00:16:45.350 --> 00:16:48.250 treat me very good or keep me at an arm's length 00:16:48.250 --> 00:16:51.789 when they hear that testimony that is my cross 00:16:51.789 --> 00:16:56.610 in a way of one of the ways the Lord calls me 00:16:56.610 --> 00:16:58.570 to serve is by sharing testimonies of things 00:16:58.570 --> 00:17:00.750 that I would usually find embarrassing or want 00:17:00.750 --> 00:17:03.419 to hide and that's actually part of my cross 00:17:03.419 --> 00:17:06.059 is although I'm helping people, I'm happy to 00:17:06.059 --> 00:17:09.619 share things that I probably in an ideal world 00:17:09.619 --> 00:17:18.000 would want to act like never happened. So when 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:23.500 you're following Jesus, it comes at a cost. It 00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:27.460 comes at a cost. You should look different. We 00:17:27.460 --> 00:17:30.400 are not meant to conform to the world around 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:37.720 us. You are meant to be set apart. You are meant 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:40.519 to be set apart. That is how we evangelize. That 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:42.180 is how we lead other people closer to Christ. 00:17:42.619 --> 00:17:44.279 How are people going to know to look to Jesus 00:17:44.279 --> 00:17:46.140 if you look the exact same as your brother and 00:17:46.140 --> 00:17:47.700 sister out here in the world that doesn't believe 00:17:47.700 --> 00:17:54.019 in Jesus? What difference is it between you and 00:17:54.019 --> 00:17:56.910 them? It's also said in the Bible. Like when 00:17:56.910 --> 00:17:58.990 it comes to forgiving and loving one another, 00:17:59.029 --> 00:18:01.329 when it says to love your enemies, love those 00:18:01.329 --> 00:18:02.990 who hate you and pray for those who persecute 00:18:02.990 --> 00:18:05.430 you, Scripture actually says even the tax collectors 00:18:05.430 --> 00:18:07.509 love those who love them. Meaning even the people 00:18:07.509 --> 00:18:09.589 in the world, even the people who are openly 00:18:09.589 --> 00:18:11.849 entertained sin, it's easy to love people who 00:18:11.849 --> 00:18:14.150 love you. It's easy to do kind things to other 00:18:14.150 --> 00:18:16.250 people who are kind to you. It's easy to do those 00:18:16.250 --> 00:18:18.509 basic things. It's harder to do it to people 00:18:18.509 --> 00:18:21.250 who don't like you. It's hard to do it to people 00:18:21.250 --> 00:18:23.670 who have condemned you. But that's what sets 00:18:23.670 --> 00:18:25.829 you apart as a Christian. We should look different 00:18:25.829 --> 00:18:28.049 than the world. That's how we can minister to 00:18:28.049 --> 00:18:34.009 other people Okay Well, let's move forward here 00:18:34.009 --> 00:18:37.730 y 'all so we know that Jesus has made has said 00:18:37.730 --> 00:18:42.430 this But he has said if you want to follow me 00:18:42.430 --> 00:18:47.809 You need to die to yourself. You need to deny 00:18:47.809 --> 00:18:57.059 yourself Means if Jesus says you are not supposed 00:18:57.059 --> 00:19:01.559 to be doing this if God's Word says No, it doesn't 00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:04.759 matter how much your flesh wants to do it. God 00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:11.960 said no The world Satan loves to make sin feel 00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:15.200 like fun and enjoyable and safe and look like 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:20.559 the good answer But remember God says no for 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:22.839 a reason we've talked about this before y 'all 00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:25.680 What open doors do sin is an open door for the 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:27.700 devil to come in and wreak a lot more havoc in 00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:37.460 your life God calls us to say no for a reason 00:19:37.460 --> 00:19:43.940 So if you want to follow Jesus that comes with 00:19:43.940 --> 00:19:49.279 self -denial and there's no way around it Unless 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:54.420 you want to be a lukewarm Moving forward I digress 00:19:54.420 --> 00:19:58.519 But for whoever wants to save his life will lose 00:19:58.519 --> 00:20:02.240 it But whoever loses his life because of me and 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:04.480 the gospel will save it. This is the next thing 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:07.559 y 'all I remember when I when I was giving my 00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:10.059 life to Jesus When I was saying what do you need 00:20:10.059 --> 00:20:12.000 me to do because I felt like I was literally 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:14.500 losing my life y 'all I felt like I was wasting 00:20:14.500 --> 00:20:17.670 away And I felt like Jesus if you don't step 00:20:17.670 --> 00:20:20.289 in like it's done. My life is done. There's no 00:20:20.289 --> 00:20:23.650 redemption There is no up from here. If you don't 00:20:23.650 --> 00:20:28.109 step in I think I'm gonna die And I remember 00:20:28.109 --> 00:20:30.529 reading the scripture when the Lord was calling 00:20:30.529 --> 00:20:32.890 me to leave behind tarot card reading and then 00:20:32.890 --> 00:20:34.630 for a while He called me to leave behind social 00:20:34.630 --> 00:20:38.970 media as a whole And before I know it he started 00:20:38.970 --> 00:20:40.990 pruning me in other areas where he was calling 00:20:40.990 --> 00:20:44.950 me deny myself in the ways I responded and the 00:20:44.950 --> 00:20:48.509 ways I reacted and in the ways I used to comfort 00:20:48.509 --> 00:20:52.589 myself to instead turn to the Lord and I remember 00:20:52.589 --> 00:20:55.529 reading this where I just I knew that the Lord 00:20:55.529 --> 00:20:59.210 was telling me that he's like There is restoration. 00:20:59.269 --> 00:21:01.210 This was a personal promise that the Lord made 00:21:01.210 --> 00:21:05.869 to me like You will be restored from this. I 00:21:05.869 --> 00:21:10.250 will save your life. I will use you To glorify 00:21:10.250 --> 00:21:12.650 me and to spread the gospel, but you have to 00:21:12.650 --> 00:21:16.349 be willing to die to yourself first and for me 00:21:16.349 --> 00:21:20.750 that looked like No more new age. No more tarot 00:21:20.750 --> 00:21:23.470 cards. No more relying on my own understanding. 00:21:23.509 --> 00:21:26.890 No more relying on my own control denying myself 00:21:26.890 --> 00:21:29.529 and the Lord was telling me in order to have 00:21:29.529 --> 00:21:31.690 this new life that you're asking me for you've 00:21:31.690 --> 00:21:37.890 got to lose your old one first I'm just saying 00:21:37.890 --> 00:21:40.809 that that was what the Lord spoke to me personally 00:21:40.809 --> 00:21:44.690 over my life When I was reading that scripture 00:21:44.690 --> 00:21:48.289 Because I was asking him for a new life. I was 00:21:48.289 --> 00:21:51.329 asking him for a second chance at life I was 00:21:51.329 --> 00:21:53.970 asking him for another opportunity and him to 00:21:53.970 --> 00:21:57.109 step in and Pull me out of the pit and he was 00:21:57.109 --> 00:22:00.549 telling me I will do that I will save your life 00:22:00.549 --> 00:22:03.630 not not only and I feel like physically but like 00:22:04.329 --> 00:22:06.990 actually saved me where like I'm covered in the 00:22:06.990 --> 00:22:09.170 blood of Jesus and my sins are paid for because 00:22:09.170 --> 00:22:11.289 up until that point when I look back now I recognized 00:22:11.289 --> 00:22:14.750 I didn't have that. I was going to hell y 'all. 00:22:17.930 --> 00:22:20.470 So the Lord was really speaking two different 00:22:20.470 --> 00:22:23.069 things for me of like I would be covered in the 00:22:23.069 --> 00:22:26.210 blood of Jesus like giving my life to the Lord 00:22:26.210 --> 00:22:29.089 and taking these steps of obedience where me 00:22:29.089 --> 00:22:32.660 just showing my Because I want to be so clear 00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:35.039 y 'all that we are our salvation is not bought 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:36.940 by our works It doesn't matter how many good 00:22:36.940 --> 00:22:40.559 things I do That doesn't buy my way into heaven. 00:22:40.579 --> 00:22:44.660 It's faith in Jesus that That covers me in the 00:22:44.660 --> 00:22:47.599 blood and pay is my debt, right? And I felt like 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:49.720 the Lord was telling me because up until that 00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:52.440 point my faith wasn't really in Jesus But this 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:58.240 was this act of obedience Was also me putting 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:02.019 my faith in Jesus Because I there wasn't anything 00:23:02.019 --> 00:23:04.440 for me to see I had to believe in what the Lord 00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:08.900 was speaking to me over what I saw around me 00:23:08.900 --> 00:23:12.059 and My denying my flesh and my denying myself 00:23:12.059 --> 00:23:15.000 was putting my faith in Jesus Over what I saw 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:18.380 and my own control and what logic the world's 00:23:18.380 --> 00:23:24.799 logic tells me And let me tell y 'all Jesus kept 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:29.680 his promise he did he did But I feel like there's 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:31.299 someone else who's needing to hear that today 00:23:31.299 --> 00:23:34.160 that maybe you're asking Jesus for this new life 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:39.900 You're asking him for the second chance Is there 00:23:39.900 --> 00:23:42.160 something that he's calling you to deny yourself 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:44.480 in first is there something he's calling you 00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:47.440 to let go of it's really hard to welcome in that 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:50.319 new thing and Grab onto it with both hands when 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:52.140 you're still holding on to that old thing and 00:23:52.140 --> 00:23:54.660 honestly that old thing if it's not from Christ 00:23:55.420 --> 00:23:57.779 probably isn't going to fare well with a blessing 00:23:57.779 --> 00:24:01.039 from Christ. I've shared this before, things 00:24:01.039 --> 00:24:02.839 that the Lord had to prune out of me, coping 00:24:02.839 --> 00:24:06.059 mechanisms, thought processes, ways that I was 00:24:06.059 --> 00:24:08.480 moving in the past that were definitely un -Christ 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:11.420 -like, would not have been able to steward well 00:24:11.420 --> 00:24:15.460 over a Christ blessing. Glory be to God, He removed 00:24:15.460 --> 00:24:17.299 those things and worked on those things before 00:24:17.299 --> 00:24:22.099 He blessed me with things that needed to be stewarded 00:24:22.099 --> 00:24:25.529 over well, because Yeah, that wouldn't have cut 00:24:25.529 --> 00:24:28.470 it and wouldn't have lasted more than a season. 00:24:28.470 --> 00:24:32.130 Let's be real Let's move on here. It says for 00:24:32.130 --> 00:24:36.609 what does it benefit me? So for what does it 00:24:36.609 --> 00:24:40.009 benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet 00:24:40.009 --> 00:24:45.390 lose his life? And when we look here You know, 00:24:45.410 --> 00:24:47.869 Jesus is talking more about eternal eternal life 00:24:47.869 --> 00:24:50.710 right here, right? Because what what do we? What 00:24:50.710 --> 00:24:53.430 did Jesus Christ do? When He went to the cross, 00:24:53.890 --> 00:24:56.690 He paid the debt for our sins. So us putting 00:24:56.690 --> 00:24:59.930 our faith in Jesus means we get to have eternal 00:24:59.930 --> 00:25:06.630 life with our Heavenly Father. Yes, the first 00:25:06.630 --> 00:25:09.069 step to relationship with Jesus and like the 00:25:09.069 --> 00:25:11.769 first step towards, you know, being covered in 00:25:11.769 --> 00:25:14.569 the blood is believing in who Jesus is, believing 00:25:14.569 --> 00:25:17.930 that He is the Son of God, believing that He 00:25:17.930 --> 00:25:21.079 died and resurrected. believing that he is the 00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:23.160 way the truth and the life the word may have 00:25:23.160 --> 00:25:27.559 flesh believing that he is Lord and Accepting 00:25:27.559 --> 00:25:32.200 him as Lord But once you accept Jesus as Lord 00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:35.619 and Savior over your life Once you believe in 00:25:35.619 --> 00:25:40.279 who he is that is when you take the action of 00:25:40.279 --> 00:25:44.779 obedience There are a lot of people and I was 00:25:44.779 --> 00:25:48.690 one of those people Growing up who I had this 00:25:48.690 --> 00:25:52.069 belief that as long as I believe like Like I 00:25:52.069 --> 00:25:55.750 say, okay. Yeah, Jesus was real and like he died 00:25:55.750 --> 00:25:58.930 and you know Resurrected from the dead and like 00:25:58.930 --> 00:26:01.309 he came here died for a sins like as long as 00:26:01.309 --> 00:26:04.789 I say that with my mouth Go to church sometimes 00:26:04.789 --> 00:26:10.990 I'm covered. I'm good to go But as I got older 00:26:10.990 --> 00:26:15.490 you could tell that I didn't really have a fear 00:26:15.490 --> 00:26:18.490 of God and I didn't actually see Jesus as Lord 00:26:18.490 --> 00:26:21.170 because I didn't deny my flesh and I didn't obey 00:26:21.170 --> 00:26:24.589 him in any way. I was still lustful, I was still 00:26:24.589 --> 00:26:28.890 fornicating, I was still gossiping. I was still 00:26:28.890 --> 00:26:34.289 doing all these things that disciples don't do, 00:26:34.890 --> 00:26:40.529 that Jesus didn't do. And it wasn't until I actually 00:26:40.529 --> 00:26:44.549 repented and denied my flesh and started walking 00:26:44.549 --> 00:26:47.210 in obedience to the Lord I could look back and 00:26:47.210 --> 00:26:49.910 see just how disobedient I was. I want to be 00:26:49.910 --> 00:26:53.589 so clear with y 'all on this. I did not see things 00:26:53.589 --> 00:26:56.349 this way when I was calling myself a Christian 00:26:56.349 --> 00:26:59.930 growing up or even when I was in new age. It 00:26:59.930 --> 00:27:03.950 wasn't until I experienced actual obedience immediate 00:27:03.950 --> 00:27:08.529 I experienced actual restoration from God I went 00:27:08.529 --> 00:27:13.730 through really repenting I actually started listening 00:27:13.730 --> 00:27:16.589 to the convictions that I could realize oh wow 00:27:16.589 --> 00:27:19.269 yeah I didn't do that before you know how like 00:27:19.269 --> 00:27:21.069 you feel like you have a lot of knowledge on 00:27:21.069 --> 00:27:24.390 a subject or a topic and you feel like you're 00:27:24.390 --> 00:27:27.900 you're really you're really up there But then 00:27:27.900 --> 00:27:30.700 you actually go through a class on it, or then 00:27:30.700 --> 00:27:32.319 you actually have to go through and learn the 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:34.220 experience, and you're like, yeah, wow, I didn't 00:27:34.220 --> 00:27:37.319 know everything I thought I knew. Yeah, that 00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:39.920 was not, I thought I was doing it, yeah, no, 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:45.099 not. That was how it was for me all. I didn't 00:27:45.099 --> 00:27:49.519 know just how lukewarm I was and just how disobedient 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:59.059 I was until I started being obedient. And I remember 00:27:59.059 --> 00:28:02.359 in reading this part of the scripture Where it 00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:06.319 was like what is there to gain? If I have to 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:11.599 lose eternal life with the Heavenly Father Sure 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:15.339 entertaining the things of the flesh are fun 00:28:15.339 --> 00:28:19.920 But we know that and I say this fun and quotation 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:22.670 marks all because it's not actually fun Anytime 00:28:22.670 --> 00:28:25.269 you entertain a sin, it feels fun until you try 00:28:25.269 --> 00:28:28.289 to leave and then you realize how much you're 00:28:28.289 --> 00:28:34.049 bound The enemy makes it look fun makes it look 00:28:34.049 --> 00:28:37.069 harmless makes it look like Yolo There are a 00:28:37.069 --> 00:28:38.930 lot of things our flesh calls us to do every 00:28:38.930 --> 00:28:41.089 day. Maybe it's smoking or drinking that thing 00:28:41.089 --> 00:28:43.589 We're talking about that thing talking about 00:28:43.589 --> 00:28:46.029 that person. Maybe it's that passive scrolling 00:28:46.029 --> 00:28:49.809 That lustful action that you're acting on maybe 00:28:49.809 --> 00:28:53.130 it's that witchcraft Maybe it's that horoscope 00:28:53.130 --> 00:28:56.309 you keep checking, that zodiac you keep identifying 00:28:56.309 --> 00:28:59.069 yourself with, that natal chart you keep planning 00:28:59.069 --> 00:29:03.730 your life around, that envy, that jealousy. Maybe 00:29:03.730 --> 00:29:05.950 it's that false witness, that lie that you keep 00:29:05.950 --> 00:29:08.329 lying more and more and more instead of just 00:29:08.329 --> 00:29:12.470 telling the truth. These things produce separation. 00:29:13.100 --> 00:29:15.539 Know a lot of people get so caught up in the 00:29:15.539 --> 00:29:17.619 works don't buy my faith. So it doesn't matter 00:29:17.619 --> 00:29:21.099 what good things I do it won't buy my way into 00:29:21.099 --> 00:29:28.019 heaven and That is true your faith in Jesus But 00:29:28.019 --> 00:29:31.200 those who believe in him will do what he does 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:35.539 The first step is acknowledging and believing 00:29:35.539 --> 00:29:40.460 him but the next step is self denial And what's 00:29:40.460 --> 00:29:43.440 interesting actually y 'all in this book the 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:45.900 cost of discipleship is he actually kind of flips 00:29:45.900 --> 00:29:50.279 it where he says sometimes it's actually taking 00:29:50.279 --> 00:29:54.859 the step and faith faith is grown through taking 00:29:54.859 --> 00:29:56.859 that step interesting enough y 'all when the 00:29:56.859 --> 00:30:00.019 lord was calling me to deny myself to throw away 00:30:00.019 --> 00:30:02.680 the tarot card reading i i not only did i stop 00:30:02.680 --> 00:30:04.319 becoming a tarot card reader i threw out the 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:06.720 cards and everything entirely so your hand causes 00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:08.500 you to send cover off i made it very hard for 00:30:08.500 --> 00:30:10.319 me to go back i burned every bridge i could in 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:14.180 that area So that way I couldn't just go back. 00:30:18.819 --> 00:30:26.140 And in closing that door, I remembered that I 00:30:26.140 --> 00:30:28.160 was waiting on God's provision. I was waiting 00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:29.799 on him to take care of me. And it wasn't like 00:30:29.799 --> 00:30:32.180 the next door of like, this is my new source 00:30:32.180 --> 00:30:33.799 of income and everything opened up immediately. 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:36.019 God was bringing me provision. You all know like 00:30:36.019 --> 00:30:38.519 Elijah and the Ravens, God was doing that kind 00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:41.549 of thing for me for a little while. But I was 00:30:41.549 --> 00:30:44.329 still believing in a bigger restoration and I 00:30:44.329 --> 00:30:46.230 remember I started praying to God for God I need 00:30:46.230 --> 00:30:50.269 more faith Because I know in Scripture you've 00:30:50.269 --> 00:30:52.970 done this you can do this But I haven't seen 00:30:52.970 --> 00:30:55.410 this in my own life and I'm declaring you as 00:30:55.410 --> 00:30:58.670 Lord Jesus and I'm surrendering my life to you 00:30:58.670 --> 00:31:02.390 and you're calling me to Throw out because I 00:31:02.390 --> 00:31:03.950 went through a little period where I still holding 00:31:03.950 --> 00:31:05.710 on to the cards y 'all. I wasn't touching them 00:31:05.710 --> 00:31:07.490 I wasn't doing readings. I wasn't doing any of 00:31:07.490 --> 00:31:10.619 that. I had stopped Reading them publicly, but 00:31:10.619 --> 00:31:13.920 I had yet to throw them in the trash And I was 00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:15.880 going through a period where the Lord was slowly 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:17.859 convicting me of you need to completely throw 00:31:17.859 --> 00:31:20.380 it out We need to completely close that door. 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:22.279 So that way you you're not gonna run back to 00:31:22.279 --> 00:31:25.619 it And that was a leap of faith. I had already 00:31:25.619 --> 00:31:29.220 taken the leap of faith Right of God called me 00:31:29.220 --> 00:31:31.519 to stop reading for people I did and I saw how 00:31:31.519 --> 00:31:33.460 he provided I was like God I'm waiting on you 00:31:33.460 --> 00:31:35.769 to open the door and you haven't yet and that 00:31:35.769 --> 00:31:37.829 was the next step of obedience I felt him calling 00:31:37.829 --> 00:31:40.390 me to was throw them away entirely and that one 00:31:40.390 --> 00:31:42.710 was really hard for me all and I was wrestling 00:31:42.710 --> 00:31:45.210 with that where I was like I don't know if I 00:31:45.210 --> 00:31:48.690 have the faith for that and I felt and God showed 00:31:48.690 --> 00:31:50.910 me a testimony of Jonathan Rumi I've talked about 00:31:50.910 --> 00:31:54.849 this before of and God spoke to me in that testimony 00:31:54.849 --> 00:31:57.349 of just how he can bring provision out of like 00:31:57.349 --> 00:32:01.450 anywhere but that was an instance where my obedience 00:32:01.450 --> 00:32:07.140 came before the faith Where God was calling me 00:32:07.140 --> 00:32:11.059 to do this and I'm just gonna do it If I thought 00:32:11.059 --> 00:32:14.000 about it too long, honestly all I probably wouldn't 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:18.119 have done it and that was an instance where my 00:32:18.119 --> 00:32:22.819 obedience came and Then when I saw God deliver 00:32:22.819 --> 00:32:26.960 soon after which he did my faith was grown Exponentially, 00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:30.079 it was crazy. I had the faith to do some things. 00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:33.920 I didn't think I was gonna be able to do I think 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:38.160 someone needs to hear that today. I've had some 00:32:38.160 --> 00:32:40.819 instances where I have the faith and then the 00:32:40.819 --> 00:32:42.539 obedience, but there are also other instances 00:32:42.539 --> 00:32:48.980 where it was obedience and then faith. Sometimes 00:32:48.980 --> 00:32:54.200 you just have to obey what God's Word says and 00:32:54.200 --> 00:32:57.460 watch how He comes through after that step of 00:32:57.460 --> 00:33:01.750 obedience. But someone needed to hear this. how 00:33:01.750 --> 00:33:03.490 we're diving in on this today, and I pray that 00:33:03.490 --> 00:33:06.809 this is helping you. And I know, y 'all, that 00:33:06.809 --> 00:33:08.109 the way I've been wording some of these things 00:33:08.109 --> 00:33:09.950 might be uncomfortable to your flesh. It might 00:33:09.950 --> 00:33:12.710 be frustrating to some people, in all honesty, 00:33:13.009 --> 00:33:16.390 but you can hold these things up to the Word 00:33:16.390 --> 00:33:24.789 of God. And if you're convicted by God's Word, 00:33:25.109 --> 00:33:29.089 take it to the Lord. That's something for you 00:33:29.089 --> 00:33:33.319 to talk about with Him. All right, and I want 00:33:33.319 --> 00:33:35.440 to just remind y 'all as we're halfway through 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:38.460 this that these things I'm sharing with you in 00:33:38.460 --> 00:33:41.079 these convictions and the way I'm speaking I'm 00:33:41.079 --> 00:33:44.259 not speaking this to be preaching down at y 'all. 00:33:44.259 --> 00:33:47.019 I'm speaking this because I have been through 00:33:47.019 --> 00:33:53.519 this Remember I'm not Someone who's never sinned 00:33:53.519 --> 00:33:55.420 before the Lord and pulled me out of the new 00:33:55.420 --> 00:33:58.220 age. He pulled me out of divination He pulled 00:33:58.220 --> 00:34:02.369 me out of fornication Sexual immorality. He pulled 00:34:02.369 --> 00:34:05.450 me out of I had a mental addiction to smoking 00:34:05.450 --> 00:34:07.910 and drinking to detach So he pulled me out of 00:34:07.910 --> 00:34:12.190 basically being a drunkard He pulled me out of 00:34:12.190 --> 00:34:17.190 unforgiveness Lying like there were some heavy 00:34:17.190 --> 00:34:19.250 things the same things that I've spoken in here 00:34:19.250 --> 00:34:22.510 today saying God doesn't agree with this I'm 00:34:22.510 --> 00:34:26.570 saying it as someone who used to defend it But 00:34:26.570 --> 00:34:30.739 I have seen what God can do with the self -denial 00:34:30.739 --> 00:34:36.380 and the obedience and someone may need to hear 00:34:36.380 --> 00:34:40.179 this today too y 'all delayed obedience partial 00:34:40.179 --> 00:34:45.420 obedience is still disobedience someone needs 00:34:45.420 --> 00:34:49.139 to hear that today when you obey obey don't half 00:34:49.139 --> 00:34:51.960 obey don't delay obey if you know the lord has 00:34:51.960 --> 00:34:55.099 called you to it do it ask him for the faith 00:34:55.099 --> 00:34:59.119 this isn't meaning to rush you You shouldn't 00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:04.119 feel rushed But if you know the Lord has given 00:35:04.119 --> 00:35:06.679 you the green light and he is guiding you into 00:35:06.679 --> 00:35:14.019 something obey him obey him Yeah For what does 00:35:14.019 --> 00:35:16.480 it benefit someone to gain the whole world yet 00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:19.039 lose his life? How much does it benefit you to 00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:21.480 hold on to these comforts and to hold on to these 00:35:21.480 --> 00:35:25.500 fleshly desires? If you're gonna lose eternity 00:35:25.500 --> 00:35:34.510 with the Heavenly Father What part of you what 00:35:34.510 --> 00:35:42.610 area in life is worth? disobeying Jesus and Keeping 00:35:42.610 --> 00:35:46.469 him at an arm's length and keeping him at a distance 00:35:46.469 --> 00:35:52.190 What sin in your life? Are you justifying and 00:35:52.190 --> 00:35:54.110 working everywhere around to be able to hold 00:35:54.110 --> 00:35:56.110 on to it in your life? What are you gaining out 00:35:56.110 --> 00:35:59.389 of it that is worth your relationship with Jesus? 00:36:03.179 --> 00:36:07.739 When I look back, I can't believe that for so 00:36:07.739 --> 00:36:13.000 long I was defending us and sexual immorality. 00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:16.539 And those are such short -lived experiences and 00:36:16.539 --> 00:36:19.099 eventually you're left craving it again and wanting 00:36:19.099 --> 00:36:22.260 it again. It only feels good for such a short 00:36:22.260 --> 00:36:25.880 period of time. I remember there was a sin I 00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:28.230 was really struggling with. And God had delivered 00:36:28.230 --> 00:36:30.210 me from it. I actually fell back into that sin 00:36:30.210 --> 00:36:32.409 for a little while and after participating in 00:36:32.409 --> 00:36:35.349 it I realized that's like The dopamine would 00:36:35.349 --> 00:36:38.409 only last for like two minutes and then I would 00:36:38.409 --> 00:36:41.170 be left feeling like I wanting wanting more and 00:36:41.170 --> 00:36:44.369 wanting to do it again Because the fulfillment 00:36:44.369 --> 00:36:47.329 was already kind of gone And then there's a part 00:36:47.329 --> 00:36:49.489 of me that felt dirty and gross because I was 00:36:49.489 --> 00:36:52.429 like, I know God doesn't approve of this And 00:36:52.429 --> 00:36:54.050 then there's a part of me that started seeking 00:36:54.050 --> 00:36:56.429 scriptures. I remember googling it and being 00:36:56.429 --> 00:36:59.269 like, is this really a sin? And it was like, 00:36:59.269 --> 00:37:01.750 well, it's not word for word a sin in the Bible. 00:37:01.789 --> 00:37:04.989 I know it falls under this thing. I know God 00:37:04.989 --> 00:37:07.170 says this thing is a sin and I know that this 00:37:07.170 --> 00:37:10.409 action falls under that. It's clear. I've known 00:37:10.409 --> 00:37:12.989 it up and all the times I was denying the flesh, 00:37:13.030 --> 00:37:15.409 I knew it was a sin. That's funny how once I 00:37:15.409 --> 00:37:17.250 started regularly falling into it, I was trying 00:37:17.250 --> 00:37:19.409 to look for like, well, should I even feel bad? 00:37:19.449 --> 00:37:22.150 Should I even feel guilty? There were actually 00:37:22.150 --> 00:37:25.010 a lot of like threads online that made defenses 00:37:25.010 --> 00:37:26.949 for it and said it was okay, but glory be to 00:37:26.949 --> 00:37:30.230 God There were some other ones and then trusted 00:37:30.230 --> 00:37:32.829 Christian voices, you know that like, you know, 00:37:33.250 --> 00:37:35.989 I listen to their podcasts and I listen to You 00:37:35.989 --> 00:37:37.650 know their thoughts on things and read their 00:37:37.650 --> 00:37:40.530 books where all of them are very clear on You 00:37:40.530 --> 00:37:44.550 know this This is a sin and glory be to God. 00:37:44.590 --> 00:37:50.670 I I repented and I now flee the temptation and 00:37:50.670 --> 00:37:52.309 I believe that there's someone today listening 00:37:52.309 --> 00:37:55.030 to this too that like I know sometimes y 'all 00:37:55.030 --> 00:37:57.329 I speak to y 'all as if it was like all the sins 00:37:57.329 --> 00:37:59.210 were before I gave my life to Jesus and then 00:37:59.210 --> 00:38:01.610 I have not walked perfectly I have fallen into 00:38:01.610 --> 00:38:03.349 temptation I have times when I have not held 00:38:03.349 --> 00:38:06.150 my tongue and I've reacted in ways I shouldn't 00:38:06.150 --> 00:38:08.630 I've had times when I've been impatient I have 00:38:08.630 --> 00:38:12.329 had sins I've fallen into I have had like mean 00:38:12.329 --> 00:38:15.429 thoughts come to mind like judgmental I have 00:38:15.429 --> 00:38:19.599 not been perfect But I'm also here today to tell 00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:22.000 y 'all that what? Through my experience with 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:25.000 it once I fell into that and recognized that 00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:27.519 was the process I recognized was how I was seeking 00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:31.039 ways to excuse it and Just trying to find and 00:38:31.039 --> 00:38:33.059 there was actually a couple I think it was it 00:38:33.059 --> 00:38:36.119 was only like a day and a half Where I was allowing 00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:38.860 myself to kind of believe those voices saying 00:38:38.860 --> 00:38:41.920 it's okay It's not really a sin and I actually 00:38:41.920 --> 00:38:44.119 started noticing just I felt like a distance 00:38:44.119 --> 00:38:48.320 between the ward And I started feeling like an 00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:51.019 anxiety and just different things that I hadn't 00:38:51.019 --> 00:38:54.719 felt in a while. And things that I felt the Lord 00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:56.460 delivered me from, all of a sudden I felt like 00:38:56.460 --> 00:38:58.800 I was experiencing those again. And it clicked 00:38:58.800 --> 00:39:00.440 with me where I was like, oh my gosh, I opened 00:39:00.440 --> 00:39:04.909 up a door for the devil in my life. I willfully 00:39:04.909 --> 00:39:06.889 sinning and going through this process and not 00:39:06.889 --> 00:39:09.670 repenting. I'm opening up a door for Satan to 00:39:09.670 --> 00:39:12.230 kind of wiggle back in. I need to repent. I need 00:39:12.230 --> 00:39:14.010 to flee the temptation. I need to close that 00:39:14.010 --> 00:39:17.969 door no matter how badly I want to fall. I gotta 00:39:17.969 --> 00:39:22.449 say no. And sorry y 'all, I had to switch out 00:39:22.449 --> 00:39:24.190 my microphone real quick. My other one died. 00:39:24.650 --> 00:39:28.269 I feel led to ask this question to someone who's 00:39:28.269 --> 00:39:31.489 listening to this episode today and that question 00:39:31.489 --> 00:39:37.059 is That thing that as you're listening to this 00:39:37.059 --> 00:39:38.760 episode you might be getting a little frustrated 00:39:38.760 --> 00:39:41.239 and you're like, but Danielle you don't understand 00:39:41.239 --> 00:39:43.500 But then you know, this is just me, but this 00:39:43.500 --> 00:39:45.760 is just me. Maybe you're getting frustrated listening 00:39:45.760 --> 00:39:48.980 to me talking Maybe you've been feeling a conviction 00:39:48.980 --> 00:39:51.940 and you've found ways to excuse and defend Maybe 00:39:51.940 --> 00:39:54.739 you found a church that glorifies it even though, 00:39:54.860 --> 00:39:56.900 you know Every time you've read that scripture 00:39:56.900 --> 00:40:00.070 scripture says something different And this is 00:40:00.070 --> 00:40:02.250 the question I'm gonna ask you and this is a 00:40:02.250 --> 00:40:05.610 question I've had to ask myself, okay? So I'm 00:40:05.610 --> 00:40:11.750 saying this from a loving place Why do you feel 00:40:11.750 --> 00:40:14.690 like that sin is worth your closeness with Jesus? 00:40:16.489 --> 00:40:19.489 What are you gaining from that sin? Because we 00:40:19.489 --> 00:40:22.090 don't hold on to something that's only destructive. 00:40:22.550 --> 00:40:24.690 If we refuse to let it go, it's because we feel 00:40:24.690 --> 00:40:26.750 like that thing is providing us something. If 00:40:26.750 --> 00:40:28.949 it's comfort, you feel like it's providing you. 00:40:29.409 --> 00:40:31.750 If it's income, you feel like it's providing 00:40:31.750 --> 00:40:35.289 you. For some reason, I felt the need to say 00:40:35.289 --> 00:40:39.909 anonymity, like being anonymous, like a hiddenness. 00:40:41.210 --> 00:40:47.360 So maybe it's a way to avoid conflict. Whatever 00:40:47.360 --> 00:40:53.179 that thing is Like is it really worth? Your obedience 00:40:53.179 --> 00:40:56.659 to Jesus. Is it really worth your closeness with 00:40:56.659 --> 00:41:02.320 him and why? And I'm not asking you to tell me 00:41:02.320 --> 00:41:04.599 I'm asking you to have that conversation with 00:41:04.599 --> 00:41:09.239 yourself and take that to the Lord and how how 00:41:09.239 --> 00:41:11.519 does that conversation hold up once you take 00:41:11.519 --> 00:41:16.619 it to God and You listen Let's move forward y 00:41:16.619 --> 00:41:20.099 'all. Let's move forward The next thing Jesus 00:41:20.099 --> 00:41:23.539 says here starting in verse 37 What can anyone 00:41:23.539 --> 00:41:26.719 give in exchange for his life? For whoever is 00:41:26.719 --> 00:41:29.500 ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous 00:41:29.500 --> 00:41:31.699 and sinful generation The son of man will also 00:41:31.699 --> 00:41:34.519 be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory 00:41:34.519 --> 00:41:38.079 of his father with his holy angels Y 'all bear 00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:39.739 with me if it's a little noisy. I'm fixing my 00:41:39.739 --> 00:41:45.260 microphone right now, but This is an interesting 00:41:45.260 --> 00:41:48.699 This is an interesting thing here right where 00:41:48.699 --> 00:41:53.760 Jesus says whoever is ashamed of me like I'm 00:41:53.760 --> 00:41:57.900 gonna be ashamed of you Because we know that 00:41:57.900 --> 00:42:00.679 every single one of us has sinned No, none of 00:42:00.679 --> 00:42:03.360 us are able to enter the kingdom of heaven on 00:42:03.360 --> 00:42:07.099 are able to go before God We know that every 00:42:07.099 --> 00:42:09.139 single one of us will have to go before God. 00:42:09.139 --> 00:42:12.000 We know this if you've read the Bible that every 00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:13.679 single one of us will have to go before God. 00:42:13.980 --> 00:42:16.380 And every single one of us has fallen short. 00:42:16.960 --> 00:42:20.900 And when God says, why should I let you in? The 00:42:20.900 --> 00:42:24.760 only answer we can give. Because our works do 00:42:24.760 --> 00:42:27.239 not justify. No one will get in off his work 00:42:27.239 --> 00:42:28.900 so that he may not go. So you can't say, well, 00:42:28.920 --> 00:42:31.380 I don't any of these things. I was this, I loved 00:42:31.380 --> 00:42:33.380 everybody this way. I did all this, I did all 00:42:33.380 --> 00:42:35.900 that. God might say, okay, that's awesome. But 00:42:35.900 --> 00:42:39.289 you're still a sinner. Sin is what keeps us out 00:42:39.289 --> 00:42:42.010 of heaven and every single one of us to sin and 00:42:42.010 --> 00:42:45.110 what Jesus Christ did on the cross and That spilling 00:42:45.110 --> 00:42:47.630 of our blood because he was sinless and he was 00:42:47.630 --> 00:42:50.429 undeserving of going to the cross But he did 00:42:50.429 --> 00:42:52.989 that he endured the humiliation the torment and 00:42:52.989 --> 00:42:55.809 the suffering that we as Christians It's important 00:42:55.809 --> 00:42:57.690 to understand y 'all that when we are suffering 00:42:57.690 --> 00:43:00.989 on the behalf of Jesus in the gospel We are partaking 00:43:00.989 --> 00:43:03.230 in the suffering that Jesus Christ did on the 00:43:03.230 --> 00:43:07.400 cross When we are suffering on the behalf of 00:43:07.400 --> 00:43:09.599 Jesus in the gospel when we're I just want to 00:43:09.599 --> 00:43:11.239 pause here y 'all when we are suffering because 00:43:11.239 --> 00:43:14.460 we are preaching God's Word in truth When we 00:43:14.460 --> 00:43:17.300 are suffering on behalf of Jesus Christ, we are 00:43:17.300 --> 00:43:21.179 participating we are partaking in His suffering 00:43:21.179 --> 00:43:25.019 Which is an amazing thing. It doesn't always 00:43:25.019 --> 00:43:28.460 feel amazing But it's an amazing thing that we 00:43:28.460 --> 00:43:30.900 have the opportunity to do as Christians. It 00:43:30.900 --> 00:43:38.599 brings us closer to Jesus But when we go before 00:43:38.599 --> 00:43:41.539 God one day and he says why should I let you 00:43:41.539 --> 00:43:44.179 in? The only answer we are actually going to 00:43:44.179 --> 00:43:46.900 be able to have is because I put my faith in 00:43:46.900 --> 00:43:52.280 Jesus What's gonna be happening as Jesus is our 00:43:52.280 --> 00:43:57.199 is our intercessor. He is our mediator Where 00:43:57.199 --> 00:43:59.699 we there's nothing we can do to enter the kingdom 00:43:59.699 --> 00:44:03.820 of heaven But because our faith is in Jesus Jesus 00:44:03.820 --> 00:44:07.059 is gonna be able to say they're covered their 00:44:07.059 --> 00:44:12.079 faith was in me they're covered in my blood as 00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:14.900 what happens when we put our faith in Jesus is 00:44:14.900 --> 00:44:17.619 it's like we're giving our sin debt to him and 00:44:17.619 --> 00:44:20.239 his sin is paying it we're literally kind of 00:44:20.239 --> 00:44:24.139 in that way our faith is handing over our sin 00:44:24.139 --> 00:44:28.559 to him and being covered and I hope that also 00:44:28.559 --> 00:44:30.960 helps you all understand why we shouldn't just 00:44:30.960 --> 00:44:33.239 willfully sin and say it's covered in the grace 00:44:33.239 --> 00:44:38.539 it's all good We should do our best to deny the 00:44:38.539 --> 00:44:42.559 flesh having so much gratitude for what Jesus 00:44:42.559 --> 00:44:49.420 did But one day we are gonna we are gonna have 00:44:49.420 --> 00:44:52.619 to go before the Creator the Heavenly Father 00:44:52.619 --> 00:44:55.739 He's gonna know that we fall short, but because 00:44:55.739 --> 00:44:57.400 our faith is in Jesus. We're gonna be covered 00:44:57.400 --> 00:45:00.659 but here Jesus is saying That like if you are 00:45:00.659 --> 00:45:07.820 ashamed of him You're on earth He will be ashamed 00:45:07.820 --> 00:45:10.920 of you when you go before the Father. And how 00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:16.159 heavy is that? And I just, some ways that are 00:45:16.159 --> 00:45:20.619 shame is one way is conformity. There are people 00:45:20.619 --> 00:45:22.679 who conform to the world around them because 00:45:22.679 --> 00:45:26.619 they're ashamed to live set apart. Our culture 00:45:26.619 --> 00:45:31.820 says hookup is cool. Our culture says the fast 00:45:31.820 --> 00:45:36.340 and easy and quick ways are the best ways. Literally 00:45:36.340 --> 00:45:40.179 the current culture and the current status of 00:45:40.179 --> 00:45:43.059 the world, like everything that God is against 00:45:43.059 --> 00:45:47.320 is glorified and elevated. Lust, gluttony, greed, 00:45:47.440 --> 00:45:51.860 the grind culture, the hustle culture, the unforgiveness, 00:45:52.019 --> 00:45:55.320 the let me cut them off. I don't forgive and 00:45:55.320 --> 00:45:59.619 I don't forget. Like all of that stuff. There's 00:45:59.619 --> 00:46:01.260 people, I can't tell y 'all how many times I 00:46:01.260 --> 00:46:02.800 scroll through social media and people are bragging 00:46:02.800 --> 00:46:05.750 about how heartless they are. or how good they 00:46:05.750 --> 00:46:08.050 can play other people or how good of liars they 00:46:08.050 --> 00:46:11.190 are and when these are all the things that God 00:46:11.190 --> 00:46:14.409 does not applaud or encourage what the world 00:46:14.409 --> 00:46:17.710 does and there are people who are who are ashamed 00:46:17.710 --> 00:46:22.489 to be set apart who are ashamed to say I follow 00:46:22.489 --> 00:46:26.269 the life of Jesus and I want to live like Jesus 00:46:26.269 --> 00:46:32.070 there are things y 'all even on this podcast 00:46:32.500 --> 00:46:34.719 In just the beginning of this podcast, when I 00:46:34.719 --> 00:46:36.980 had to be so thoughtful with saying that there 00:46:36.980 --> 00:46:39.960 are churches who glorify and elevate the very 00:46:39.960 --> 00:46:42.440 things that God calls sin and tells us to flee 00:46:42.440 --> 00:46:44.860 from, I even felt the need to be so thoughtful 00:46:44.860 --> 00:46:46.880 with the way I worded it. Because we live in 00:46:46.880 --> 00:46:49.920 an environment now where I would and other people 00:46:49.920 --> 00:46:53.099 get cancelled for simply saying God doesn't condone 00:46:53.099 --> 00:46:55.900 that. And we get called unaccepting and hateful 00:46:55.900 --> 00:46:59.659 in all of these things. And years ago, before 00:46:59.659 --> 00:47:01.559 I gave my life to Jesus, I was one of those people. 00:47:01.789 --> 00:47:04.369 I'd be like, how dare you? You're hateful and 00:47:04.369 --> 00:47:07.409 ignorant and all these things. And now, because 00:47:07.409 --> 00:47:10.150 I have a biblical worldview and a Christian worldview, 00:47:11.829 --> 00:47:16.070 if God says it's a sin and it's wrong, it's a 00:47:16.070 --> 00:47:21.670 sin and it's wrong. And we live in a world that 00:47:21.670 --> 00:47:26.250 like literally condemns you and wants to cancel 00:47:26.250 --> 00:47:29.460 you. Look at how people treat this It's like 00:47:29.460 --> 00:47:31.699 a normal thing now for people online when they 00:47:31.699 --> 00:47:33.440 get offended over something to go and try to 00:47:33.440 --> 00:47:35.840 get people fired and ruin their lives It's like 00:47:35.840 --> 00:47:38.179 get their kids taken away on all these things 00:47:38.179 --> 00:47:39.780 and they think that's normal They think that 00:47:39.780 --> 00:47:42.659 kind of retribution is normal when vengeance 00:47:42.659 --> 00:47:46.519 is the Lord's even that even that act in itself 00:47:46.519 --> 00:47:50.960 is unbiblical and Again y 'all. I'm not the perfect 00:47:50.960 --> 00:47:53.760 police. I'm not here because saying I'm perfect 00:47:54.090 --> 00:47:56.630 But I can look at the Word of God and see what's 00:47:56.630 --> 00:47:59.429 going on around me. That the world is elevating 00:47:59.429 --> 00:48:05.190 and glorifying doesn't align. Maybe that act 00:48:05.190 --> 00:48:07.889 of obedience that God is calling you to do you're 00:48:07.889 --> 00:48:12.570 ashamed of taking. Do not be ashamed. There are 00:48:12.570 --> 00:48:14.670 people, for instance, who are ashamed to spread 00:48:14.670 --> 00:48:18.909 the gospel, who are ashamed to speak up. I was 00:48:18.909 --> 00:48:21.010 one of those people for a while. I wanted to 00:48:21.010 --> 00:48:22.849 keep my mouth shut. I didn't want any eyes on 00:48:22.849 --> 00:48:24.550 me. Part of me was ashamed because I felt like 00:48:24.550 --> 00:48:27.429 I didn't know enough to speak. I was afraid of 00:48:27.429 --> 00:48:29.010 the questions that would happen. Would I be able 00:48:29.010 --> 00:48:33.030 to answer them or would I not? But I can't be 00:48:33.030 --> 00:48:38.329 ashamed of Jesus and neither can you. You've 00:48:38.329 --> 00:48:42.190 got to be willing to speak the truth. You've 00:48:42.190 --> 00:48:44.510 got to be willing to do what God calls you to 00:48:44.510 --> 00:48:46.610 do even if the world doesn't want to see you 00:48:46.610 --> 00:48:49.760 do it. We know that as followers of Christ there 00:48:49.760 --> 00:48:54.119 is opposition we will face our entire lives and 00:48:54.119 --> 00:48:56.239 That a student is not greater than his master 00:48:56.239 --> 00:48:59.099 and Jesus even told us if they hated him if they 00:48:59.099 --> 00:49:01.460 crucified in him and condemned him They're gonna 00:49:01.460 --> 00:49:06.360 hate us too They literally crucified Jesus because 00:49:06.360 --> 00:49:12.539 they said he was a liar a blasphemer Some tried 00:49:12.539 --> 00:49:15.219 to claim he was demonically possessed and he 00:49:15.219 --> 00:49:18.880 was Antichrist and all these things and you think 00:49:18.880 --> 00:49:20.619 you're gonna I'm saying this in the most loving 00:49:20.619 --> 00:49:24.119 way y 'all and if you are Discipled by Jesus 00:49:24.119 --> 00:49:25.820 if you are looking like Jesus, do you really 00:49:25.820 --> 00:49:27.159 think you're gonna get through life without being 00:49:27.159 --> 00:49:31.039 the same accusations? If they called Jesus a 00:49:31.039 --> 00:49:32.820 liar and a blasphemer and a false prophet and 00:49:32.820 --> 00:49:34.820 all these things you're gonna get called that 00:49:34.820 --> 00:49:39.679 too People try to oppose him and stop him it's 00:49:39.679 --> 00:49:43.739 gonna happen to you too Satan used the people 00:49:43.739 --> 00:49:46.099 close to Jesus to try to stop Jesus look at Peter 00:49:46.099 --> 00:49:48.619 Jesus had to say get behind me Satan at Peter 00:49:48.619 --> 00:49:51.659 Of course, that's gonna happen to you, too If 00:49:51.659 --> 00:49:53.659 it happened to Jesus and you're looking like 00:49:53.659 --> 00:49:55.880 him and following him, it's gonna happen to you, 00:49:55.880 --> 00:50:01.530 too How many things Did Jesus say that people 00:50:01.530 --> 00:50:04.909 disagreed with there was a whole? Message that 00:50:04.909 --> 00:50:06.909 he was having to the Pharisees who these were 00:50:06.909 --> 00:50:09.449 the most respected people They were supposed 00:50:09.449 --> 00:50:11.690 to be the people who were close to God who are 00:50:11.690 --> 00:50:14.170 the most knowledgeable who were the most wise 00:50:14.170 --> 00:50:20.889 Who were above reproach above criticism and Jesus 00:50:20.889 --> 00:50:22.969 was sitting there saying y 'all look good on 00:50:22.969 --> 00:50:25.489 the outside But there's a lot of twisted stuff 00:50:25.489 --> 00:50:32.000 inside Whitewashed tombs Saying y 'all try to 00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:34.179 evangelize and you want people to change but 00:50:34.179 --> 00:50:36.920 then when people do repent you send them to hell 00:50:36.920 --> 00:50:40.440 anyway Saying you make it impossible for people 00:50:40.440 --> 00:50:42.679 to enter the kingdom to heaven You don't hold 00:50:42.679 --> 00:50:44.280 yourself to the same standard that you're holding 00:50:44.280 --> 00:50:45.940 these other people to you You're ready to condemn 00:50:45.940 --> 00:50:50.440 and accuse but sure you deserve forgiveness I've 00:50:50.440 --> 00:50:52.559 said this and I will say it again because I've 00:50:52.559 --> 00:50:54.320 recognized it myself and I know people listening 00:50:54.320 --> 00:50:56.280 to this you may recognize this in yourself, too 00:50:56.280 --> 00:50:57.760 There was one day I was doing my makeup where 00:50:57.760 --> 00:50:59.840 I had a whole recognition where I was like Lord, 00:50:59.960 --> 00:51:02.019 when all these other people, when I just see 00:51:02.019 --> 00:51:03.940 one thing wrong or a couple of these things, 00:51:04.000 --> 00:51:06.539 I'm immediately ready to write them off as a 00:51:06.539 --> 00:51:09.900 liar, ill -intentioned, a deceiver, this, that, 00:51:09.920 --> 00:51:12.599 and I'm ready to just like condemn them like 00:51:12.599 --> 00:51:15.809 mentally. But if I did the same thing I would 00:51:15.809 --> 00:51:17.730 be making excuses for myself I'd say well I did 00:51:17.730 --> 00:51:19.809 it because of this and I had a reason here and 00:51:19.809 --> 00:51:22.090 I had a reason here God look at my heart. God 00:51:22.090 --> 00:51:24.349 look at my intention. It's crazy How when it's 00:51:24.349 --> 00:51:26.150 me it's God look at my heart. God look at my 00:51:26.150 --> 00:51:28.889 intention I grew I learned all of these things, 00:51:28.909 --> 00:51:31.130 but when it's other people they can't grow they 00:51:31.130 --> 00:51:34.449 can't learn We live in a society like that, right? 00:51:34.590 --> 00:51:36.769 The law the cancel culture where something it's 00:51:36.769 --> 00:51:39.329 2026 and something will come out about someone 00:51:39.329 --> 00:51:42.530 from like 2014 and People will be ready to end 00:51:42.530 --> 00:51:47.119 their lives Even if that person has clearly learned, 00:51:47.460 --> 00:51:49.920 doesn't do those things anymore, isn't that type 00:51:49.920 --> 00:51:51.699 of person? People will be like, I don't care. 00:51:51.699 --> 00:51:54.500 Once they did it, they always did it. But that's 00:51:54.500 --> 00:51:56.300 the same person who has their own skeletons in 00:51:56.300 --> 00:51:59.019 their closet, that has their own things that 00:51:59.019 --> 00:52:00.639 they would hope that the public would never find 00:52:00.639 --> 00:52:02.599 out about, their own things that they wish they 00:52:02.599 --> 00:52:04.940 never said, they wish they never did. And when 00:52:04.940 --> 00:52:06.400 it came out, they would be quick to say, but 00:52:06.400 --> 00:52:08.380 I've learned I'm not that person anymore. Why 00:52:08.380 --> 00:52:11.710 don't we extend that same groups? And maybe you 00:52:11.710 --> 00:52:13.230 listening to this today, you need to hear that 00:52:13.230 --> 00:52:16.309 too. I know I need to hear it y 'all. Every single 00:52:16.309 --> 00:52:17.690 thing I'm speaking to you today and I'm sharing 00:52:17.690 --> 00:52:19.690 to you is things I've had to feel convicted for 00:52:19.690 --> 00:52:23.030 too personally. And sometimes I still do. It's 00:52:23.030 --> 00:52:24.510 not that I've come out on the other side and 00:52:24.510 --> 00:52:26.590 don't feel convicted, that I don't fall into 00:52:26.590 --> 00:52:33.210 things. I do. But every day I'm working more 00:52:33.210 --> 00:52:36.369 towards God's costly grace instead of the cheap 00:52:36.369 --> 00:52:38.750 grace because the cheap grace will keep you lukewarm. 00:52:39.099 --> 00:52:43.920 The cheap grace will keep you disobedient. The 00:52:43.920 --> 00:52:46.639 cheap grace will keep you far from Jesus. And 00:52:46.639 --> 00:52:48.960 we need to start adopting more of a costly grace. 00:52:53.300 --> 00:52:58.639 I pray, y 'all, that this episode helps you. 00:52:58.679 --> 00:53:01.840 And I pray that this episode blesses you. And 00:53:01.840 --> 00:53:04.139 again, I want to say, y 'all, I'm speaking to 00:53:04.139 --> 00:53:08.369 you in this way because... Number one of the 00:53:08.369 --> 00:53:11.570 fear of the Lord I have I know that some of the 00:53:11.570 --> 00:53:13.909 things I'm saying today isn't gonna sit well 00:53:13.909 --> 00:53:20.170 with some people Might trigger some people I 00:53:20.170 --> 00:53:22.369 know that things I'm saying today aren't technically 00:53:22.369 --> 00:53:25.809 culturally Acceptable like this climate a lot 00:53:25.809 --> 00:53:27.670 of things I'm saying today, even though I feel 00:53:27.670 --> 00:53:30.989 like I'm saying them in a pretty kind way Some 00:53:30.989 --> 00:53:34.369 people would still be cancel worthy and disgraceful 00:53:34.369 --> 00:53:39.889 But I'm saying it anyway, knowing this because 00:53:39.889 --> 00:53:42.010 of the fear I have for God and the reverence 00:53:42.010 --> 00:53:47.829 of his word and the truth. And the desire to 00:53:47.829 --> 00:53:51.309 obey him over a desire to be liked or receive 00:53:51.309 --> 00:53:55.869 likes. And I want to encourage you all to do 00:53:55.869 --> 00:53:58.150 the same. What is something God is calling you 00:53:58.150 --> 00:54:01.289 to do right now that might not bring you all 00:54:01.289 --> 00:54:04.219 the positive applause? that might not make you 00:54:04.219 --> 00:54:10.219 the most well -loved person in the room but in 00:54:10.219 --> 00:54:13.300 you not doing it you are disobeying him jesus 00:54:13.300 --> 00:54:15.780 didn't call us to be loved and liked he did call 00:54:15.780 --> 00:54:18.619 us to love others but he didn't promise that 00:54:18.619 --> 00:54:25.099 we were going to be more loved than him honestly 00:54:25.099 --> 00:54:27.840 if you're being treated like jesus i feel like 00:54:27.840 --> 00:54:30.599 that's i want to be so thoughtful with the way 00:54:30.599 --> 00:54:37.550 i word this Holy Spirit, give me the words. If 00:54:37.550 --> 00:54:40.030 you're 100 % well loved and well received and 00:54:40.030 --> 00:54:43.849 no one has any uncomfortability or feeling some 00:54:43.849 --> 00:54:46.190 type of way, you might not be looking like Jesus. 00:54:46.849 --> 00:54:48.869 And if you're participating in the suffering 00:54:48.869 --> 00:54:53.269 on behalf of the gospel, if you're maybe facing 00:54:53.269 --> 00:54:54.949 some of the same things Jesus went through, that 00:54:54.949 --> 00:55:01.239 might actually be a good indicator. And someone 00:55:01.239 --> 00:55:04.320 needs to hear this today, because I really feel 00:55:04.320 --> 00:55:07.039 like this episode is going to be speaking some 00:55:07.039 --> 00:55:09.059 life into people, it's going to be clarifying 00:55:09.059 --> 00:55:10.780 for some people, it's going to be direction for 00:55:10.780 --> 00:55:13.239 some people, and I pray that God uses this to 00:55:13.239 --> 00:55:19.619 bless your life, amen? That God uses this, this 00:55:19.619 --> 00:55:22.980 is the conviction you need, the answer to a question 00:55:22.980 --> 00:55:33.309 you've been asking. Y 'all you need to fear God 00:55:33.309 --> 00:55:39.210 and desire to obey him And his commands more 00:55:39.210 --> 00:55:42.130 than you fear man more than you desire to be 00:55:42.130 --> 00:55:44.369 liked more than you desire peace Jesus didn't 00:55:44.369 --> 00:55:47.550 come to bring peace He came to bring division 00:55:47.550 --> 00:55:50.409 in the household Remember y 'all it'd be like 00:55:50.409 --> 00:55:52.570 a mother turning on daughter father on son brother 00:55:52.570 --> 00:55:54.730 against sister some people have their faith in 00:55:54.730 --> 00:55:58.530 Jesus other people When Jesus came there was 00:55:58.530 --> 00:56:02.469 division that got stirred up with Jesus on behalf 00:56:02.469 --> 00:56:06.050 of him Now I'm not saying to be a divisive person. 00:56:06.050 --> 00:56:08.389 We know what the Bible says about being a divisive 00:56:08.389 --> 00:56:12.530 person But I am saying the acts of obedience 00:56:12.530 --> 00:56:15.329 that the Lord calls you to at times division 00:56:16.630 --> 00:56:20.590 Conflict may arise, but trust in God's guidance 00:56:20.590 --> 00:56:23.949 through it and trust in his ability to make a 00:56:23.949 --> 00:56:29.090 way and to use it for your good. Remember y 'all, 00:56:29.269 --> 00:56:32.050 God called David to show up to that fight with 00:56:32.050 --> 00:56:37.409 Goliath. I'm sure a part of David might have 00:56:37.409 --> 00:56:39.789 wanted to run away, might have wanted to avoid 00:56:39.789 --> 00:56:42.849 conflict in general. God didn't call David to 00:56:42.849 --> 00:56:45.170 fight that fight on his own. on his own wisdom 00:56:45.170 --> 00:56:47.110 or on his own strength, he just called David 00:56:47.110 --> 00:56:50.590 to show up and to trust in him from there. And 00:56:50.590 --> 00:56:52.829 someone may be needing to hear this today. With 00:56:52.829 --> 00:56:57.090 whatever step that God has given you, just take 00:56:57.090 --> 00:56:59.550 that step in obedience and in faith and trust 00:56:59.550 --> 00:57:03.409 that he's going to show up. I pray that this 00:57:03.409 --> 00:57:06.489 episode blesses y 'all. And I do ask, hit subscribe 00:57:06.489 --> 00:57:08.110 wherever it is you're listening to this podcast 00:57:08.110 --> 00:57:11.860 and be prepared for the next one. I love you 00:57:11.860 --> 00:57:14.239 all so much. Have a wonderful day. God bless.