Of Grace and Truth

This week Kelly Needham and I talk about how we can use discernment in the self help culture that we are saturated in. We talk about questions like: How do we know what messages we can trust and listen to? How do we know what speakers and teachers are trustworthy? How does it look, practically, to use discernment when reading self help messages, or anything, in general? Kelly tells us to saturate ourselves in the Gospel, and in her words, to "always look for the good."

This week Alisa Childers and I dug into our modern culture and the popular ideologies that help support the self esteem gospel. We talked about ideas like pluralism, moralistic therapeutic deism, progressive Christianity, and more. It’s my hope that this discussion will give you a better understanding of the ideologies around the self esteem gospel, why they aren’t supported by the gospel, and why the Gospel is our true solution for humanity’s struggles.

The cultural understanding of self-care falls short of Gospel-hope. It's often something people put false hope in– the Gospel’s definition of rest is the only thing that will give us peace and true rest. Self care can become something we do to find peace and freedom on our own, which ends up with us putting ourselves in God's place. In this episode, Emily Jensen and I talk about how caring for ourselves is good and holy, but how culture's understanding falls short and how the Gospel's answer gives us true rest.

This week on the podcast I talked with Gretchen Saffles about the popular message “you are enough.” In this episode, Gretchen and I talk about how knowing God is the only one who is enough in our place is the only true way of finding freedom from our lack of “enoughness.” This phrase is a popular one in culture, but without a foundation in Christ, this phrase leads us to ourselves and our own efforts. www.meaganelling.com/podcast  

Our culture implies to us that loving ourselves enough will give us freedom from insecurity, but in this episode we talk about how loving God is the way we find that freedom, even though it sounds backwards. We believe that loving ourselves is not a bad thing–a God honoring thing with a proper heart posture–but that it doesn’t follow through on it’s promise to free us from insecurity. This episode digs into what our culture says about self love and what the Bible has to say in response. You can find Blake here on Instagram and her website.

We've spent this season talking about messages in the self esteem gospel, ones that point you to your dreams, and their lack of a biblical foundation. But in this episode, Alli and I talk about how to *biblically* pursue our dreams. Alli mentions how playing “small” and holding back is almost a false humility, is not biblical, and how our “calling” is found in loving Jesus and telling others about him with our lives, however that looks for us as individuals. Alli said, "He looks for people to partner with to bring his purposes to life." God is looking for people to work with, not people work apart from him. That is a primary difference between following your dreams and biblically following your dreams.

I've seen a lot of fear among Christians about how to respond, and conflict among those who do respond. I think that vast majority of people want to respond well, but there is a fear associated with it. In this special episode of the podcast, I interview Jessica Mathisen about how we as Christians should work towards unity with each other, how to respond to recent events, and how the church should lead through difficult times. I think my favorite thing about what Jessica said was not a list of something we should all do, like we hear a lot in culture, but the freedom of being individually led by the Holy Spirit.  www.meaganelling.com/podcast

This week Abigail Dodds and I dug into the message “you are the hero of your story.” Abigail points women to the truth that our lives are lived fully when we worship what we’re meant to worship–Christ. The message we’re discussing today can quickly turn into a worship of self, and Abigail so kindly and gracefully directs us back to the truth.

We continue our discussion of the Self Esteem Gospel with guest Maggie Combs about the message "Follow Your Heart". The "follow your heart" message is extremely popular, and most wouldn't think twice about disagreeing with it. But, like Maggie says, this message has "self" at the center. And if this season of the podcast has taught you anything, we know that "self" at the center will result in slavery, not freedom. Throughout this episode, Maggie reminds us that ultimately, our desires are a good, God-given thing that have been affected by sin. As a result, we need to learn how to discern and guide our hearts to their true desire: God.   Follow this podcast here: www.instagram.com/ofgraceandtruthpodcast Find Maggie here: https://www.maggiecombs.com/ www.instagram.com/maggie__combs

We continue our exploration of the Self Esteem Gospel with guest Jen Oshman about the message "You Were Made For More." Throughout this episode, Jen reminds us that we are made for more, but that "more" is found in Christ, and not in ourselves or our efforts. I absolutely loved talking with Jen and she had incredible insight on the messages that focus on self in our culture, and how they ultimately won't last apart from Christ. Follow this podcast here: www.instagram.com/ofgraceandtruthpodcast Find Jen here: www.jenoshman.com/ www.instagram.com/jenoshman Preorder (or order) Jen's book here

We continue our exploration of the Self Esteem Gospel with guest Phylicia Masonheimer about the message "Only God Can Judge Me." Throughout this episode, Phylicia explains to us the differences between biblical and unbiblical judgment, how ignoring sin in fellow Christians can often be unloving, and how Christians can lovingly yet boldly speak and discern truth in a culture of tolerance. It was such a joy to talk with Phylicia and I love how she continuously reminds us to make sure we are judging lovingly and not hypocritically and to rely on the holy spirit's voice rather than our own when using discernment. Follow this podcast here: www.instagram.com/ofgraceandtruthpodcast Find Phylicia here: www.phyliciamasonheimer.com www.instagram.com/phyliciamasonheimer Preorder (or order) Phylicia's book here Recommended during the show: Hearing God, Charles Stanley Yes We Are Judgemental (But Not In The Way Everyone Thinks), Kevin DeYoung Jesus Commands Us to Judge, JD Greer  

We continue our exploration of the Self Esteem Gospel with guest Nicole Zasowski about the popular message "Never Give Up On Your Dreams". The "never give up on your dreams" message says that happiness is found on the other side of a met dreams, and that we should endlessly strive for our dreams regardless of anything. Fundamentally, this message tells women to rely on themselves and their effort, instead of God’s, which included it in our season of the Self Esteem Gospel. Often we can pursue work and success as a way to cover up feelings of insignificance, inadequacy, or feelings of shame. Nicole and I talk about how our happiness is found in God and not in our circumstances and how our feelings of shame are only redeemed in Christ. Here are a few things Nicole and I talk about: -How can our fear of giving up on our dreams, or the pursuit of dreams in the first place, actually be a way we are responding from shame that we carry? What are some signs someone might be dealing with shame in their lives? How can our performance actually be something we do to feel like we are  “enough” and to numb feelings of shame and insignificance??  What does God say about our performance, and what does he actually want from us if it’s not what we can accomplish?   Follow this podcast here: www.instagram.com/ofgraceandtruthpodcast Find Nicole here: www.nicolezasowski.com www.instagram.com/nicolezasowski

We continue our exploration of the Self Esteem Gospel with guest Sharon Hodde Miller about the popular idea "This Is Me". The “this is me” message has become popular in recent years and says that we are free to create our identity based on our feelings and desires, which should be unquestionably accepted by others. But, fundamentally, this message tells women to rely on themselves and their knowledge of themselves, instead of God’s, which included it in our season of the Self Esteem Gospel. Sharon and I talk about how our identity is actually rooted in Christ, not our desires, which will only lead to an identity on a faltering foundation of self. Throughout this episode, Sharon reminds us that freedom isn’t found in freedom from all external and internal expectations, or in creating our own identity, but in Christ alone. Follow this podcast here: www.instagram.com/ofgraceandtruthpodcast Find Sharon here: www.sheworships.com www.instagram.com/sharonhmiller Recommended during the show: Church of the City Podcast, John Tyson Charles Taylor, A Secular Age This Cultural Moment Podcast Secular Salvation Schema, Episode of the This Cultural Moment Podcast

On this episode of the Of Grace & Truth Podcast, we'll dig into the message "Live Your Best Life" with Kristen LaValley and see how it compares to the Gospel message. Kristen reminds it's good to enjoy life and have dreams, but that our best life is found not in ourselves or our met desires, but in Christ alone. Meet Kristen here: https://www.instagram.com/kristen.lavalley/ https://www.kristenlavalley.com/ Follow this podcast here: www.instagram.com/ofgraceandtruthpodcast/ Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to be notified when each episode is released.

The very first episode of the Of Grace & Truth Podcast features an interview with author and speaker Jamie Erickson about the "Self Esteem Gospel". The self-esteem gospel can be defined as a set of beliefs and principles that push you towards yourself, your desires, and your own effort & power, and make your happiness, freedom, and satisfaction the ultimate aim of life. The Self Esteem Gospel tries to solve the human condition with encouragement to try harder. Jamie reminds all of us that true freedom comes from trusting in God, not first trusting in ourselves. www.unlikelyhomeschool.com Mom To Mom Podcast www.ofgraceandtruth.meaganelling.com

This first season of the podcast will analyze around 15 popular phrases and ideas, those like self-love, self-care, "you are the hero of your own story", & you are enough–and compare them to the Gospel. I truly believe that trusting in ourselves, meditating on our worthiness, & believing we are our ultimate hero not only promotes today's anxiety pandemic but does the opposite of it's intended goal: keeps people stuck in their slavery. Because what the world sees as freedom is actually slavery. But what the world sees as slavery is actually freedom. My hope is that this podcast will teach women to discern half-truths preached from our culture so they can better trust in God rather than themselves. God says that He is the source of all joy, not ourselves. He says that he is our hero, not us. He says that we are to trust in him. Not ourselves. This season you can expect to hear from guests like Jefferson Bethke, Phylicia Masonheimer, Sharon H Miller, Jamie Erickson, Alisa Childers, Maggie Combs, and so many more. Future seasons of the podcast will explore social issues, more topics surrounding secularism, suffering, and many more different subjects. But each season will center on how to live with grace and truth as disciples of Jesus in a secular culture.