Podcasts about like god

There is often a gap between the moment the hurt arrives and the moment Jesus shows up. The grief, the loss, the unanswered prayer — all of it unfolds while we wait. And waiting can feel like absence. Like neglect. Like God is taking His time… just because.Martha knew that feeling well. She had seen Jesus heal the sick, restore the broken, and perform miracles that defied reason. So when her brother Lazarus became ill, she expected the same response. Instead, Jesus arrived after the funeral. After the tears. After hope had already been buried.John 11 reminds us that delay is not denial — but it doesn't soften the pain of the delay. Martha's heartbreak was real. Her question was honest. And Jesus did not rebuke her grief. He stepped into it.In this story, Lazarus rises. But the harder question lingers: what if your situation doesn't?What if the thing you prayed would live… dies?What if healing doesn't come the way you imagined?What if Jesus still shows up — but not in time to change the outcome you wanted?Before the Savior comes, faith is tested. Not in the miracle, but in the waiting. Not in the resurrection, but in the trust that His ways are higher, His thoughts are wiser, and His love remains — even when the ending doesn't look like resurrection.Can we trust His sovereignty when we don't understand His timing?Can we trust His love when the story doesn't resolve how we hoped?Can we trust that He is still good — even then?Because sometimes faith isn't believing God can raise the dead.It's believing He is still God when He doesn't.Reference Scripture:John 11:1-44Support the show

If this teaching blessed you, don't just watch and leave. Get plugged in.

Why Is This Happening To Me? | Christ For YouText: Genesis 3:19; 1 Corinthians 4:7 | Ash WednesdayWhen life hurts, do you put God on trial? When life goes well, do you take the credit? Have you prayed, “God, why is this happening to me?” like an accusation? Like you deserve better? Like God owes you answers?Ash Wednesday cuts you off. What do the ashes say about you? What do they silence? What do they expose? Are you dust? Mortal? A sinner? Then what is left to do but repent?Scripture presses harder: “What do you have that you did not receive?” Did you give yourself breath? Keep your heart beating? Hold your life together for one second? If you want “credit,” will you take it for what is truly yours: sin and the death it brought? And if suffering is not always tied to one specific sin, do you still see its root in the fall and the curse?Then the Gospel: Jesus takes what you earned, guilt, shame, curse, death, and bears it on the cross. Why was He forsaken? For you. What do you get instead? Forgiveness. Peace with God. Life. So where will you take your “why” now? Will you go looking for explanations, or will you go to Christ who gives Himself to sinners?Subscribe & Share:Spotify: Christ For YouPortuguês: Cristo Para VocêWebsite: ZionWG.orgLooking for a Lutheran Church near you?Support the preaching of God's Word

In this episode, we step into the vivid and surprisingly medical world of Hosea 6:1–6, where Israel's unfaithfulness is not treated primarily as a legal violation, but as a condition—a sickness that has left God's people wounded, struck, and in need of healing and restoration.Through Hosea, God portrays himself not as a distant judge, but as a skilled craftsman and healer. Like a stone mason working with hammer and chisel, God makes deliberate contact with Israel. The sharp words of the prophets function like cutting tools—painful but purposeful. These words cut deep and expose the corruption deep within - whatever does not reflect God's design. Even his judgment functions to point Israel along the path of renewal nd restoration - it's not merely punitive.At the heart of this strategy is God's unwavering commitment to stay with Israel, which is illustrated by Hosea marrying a prostitute. Hosea names the goal of this divine nearness as ḥesed—a loyal, faithful, loving relationship marked by intimacy and covenant devotion. When God declares, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings,” he is rejecting external ritual in favor of internal transformation. From there, we move to Matthew 9:9–13, where Jesus famously quotes Hosea: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Spoken in response to Pharisees scandalized by his table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus' words are not a proof-text—they are a self-revelation. Jesus is claiming to embody the very strategy God revealed through Hosea.By drawing close to the unfaithful, Jesus acts as the physician Hosea anticipated—the one who comes near the wounded and the sick to bring healing. His presence among sinners is like a divine medicine. He is embodying hesed love and faithfulness because that is the very thing he wants in return. Like God's dealings with Israel, Jesus' decision to faithfully attach with the "unfaithful" is meant to cultivate faithfulness in them.We close with the good news at the center of both Hosea and the Gospel: God does not respond to our unfaithfulness by creating distance. Instead, he comes closer. He binds himself to us, works patiently with our fractures, and heals us into covenant love. The God revealed in Hosea is the God revealed in Jesus—the one who heals us from our sins by staying with us until wholeness takes root.Key Passages: Hosea 6:1-6Matthew 9:9-13Explainer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Video⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.biblehub.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.blueletterbible.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave us a question or comment at our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website podcast page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

As you listen to this message, we pray it will feed your faith, and encourage you to trust God with all your heart.

If Love and Marriage go together like a horse and carriage, it's safe to say that a marriagewon't work without love. God's Word depicts a clear picture of what this kind of lovelooks and feels like. Let's learn about a love that can carry our marriages the distance.

Pastor Chris preaches on Rom. 12:14 - 21

Message from Jorge Villaverde on February 8, 2026

Title: “A Pure and Honorable Vessel” Part 1 Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5 FCF: We often struggle with sexual temptation and sin. Prop: Because God's will for His children is for them to be holy, we must abstain from all sexual sin by controlling our bodies. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. In a moment we will begin reading from the Legacy Standard bible starting in verse 1. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. We are at the beginning of a chapter yet again which means we need to review where we have been so far. In chapter 1, Paul expresses his thankfulness to God for the Thessalonian church because he knows they are elect of God, because the gospel came to them in the power of the Spirit and because he has observed how the Thessalonian church has become imitators of Christ amid affliction. In chapter 2, Paul zooms in to affirm that their visit among them was profitable. Probably to counter claims of unbelieving Thessalonians, Paul insists that it was a profitable visit because God gave them boldness to speak, they became a spiritual family, and because it produced the same results they had seen in previous outpourings of the gospel. Paul concludes chapter 2 assuring them that he greatly wished to visit them but had been hindered by Satan. But he assures them that they are his hope, joy, and glory in that they stand firm in their faith. In chapter 3, Paul reveals that he sent Timothy to them because he was overwhelmed with godly concern for their faith. He also reveals his joy at the report from Timothy that they stood fast in their faith but that he hopes to see them again soon and complete what is lacking in their faith. He ends chapter 3 with a benediction, good and comforting words, praying to God to bring them into fellowship again, to cause their love to abound and their holiness to be perfected for the Lord's return. The benediction ends the apologetic section of the letter, where Paul is defending their visit and the gospel they preached by the impact it had on the Thessalonians. He now begins a new portion of the letter, where he will seek to complete their faith by instructing them in things that he was not able to fully teach on while the evangelists were with them. With that please stand with me to focus on and give honor to the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Holy God, You are pure and distinct. There is none like You. You are Alpha and Omega. You are the beginning and the end. You are neither tempted to do evil, nor do you tempt anyone with evil. You are morally pure in all Your ways and You are always good in character and in action. Teach us today from Your Holy Word, by impressing Your Son's example on our lives, and by imparting Your Spirit's power and passion to know how to please You with our bodies. You have given these bodies to us to reflect Your character. You have saved us to be light in a world of darkness. May we be holy as You have willed us to be. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] While I will not be intentionally explicit or irreverent, we will discuss quite plainly and openly the will of God for sexual ethics among His people. As such, there will be plenty of concepts and principles relayed today that could generate lots of questions among young listeners. I recommend that any who are preteens, who normally sit in the service continue to do so and listen intently. But I also recommend that parents be ready to answer those questions and have those discussions and if they feel their child is not ready, that they should be excused from the service. Never had to give a parental advisory for a sermon before

Welcome to the Transformation Church Message Re-Cap podcast! Join Pastors Brad and Justin, and Ashley and Khian as they unpack the latest sermons from Transformation Church, offering fresh insights and practical takeaways. But it's not all about the message—they also bring plenty of fun, offbeat banter to keep things light and entertaining. Whether you're looking for spiritual growth or just a good laugh, the ReCap has you covered! For more info about Transformation Church check out our website at https://transformationchurch.com

Become a Spiritual Mentor!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Today's transcript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We depend on donations from exceptional listeners like you. To donate, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Rosary Meditations is now an app! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for more info.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To find out more about The Movement and enroll: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.schooloffaith.com/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Prayer requests⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe by email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download our app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to the Transformation Church Podcast! Each week you can be a part of the weekly sermon delivered at TC by one of our Pastors. You can join us and listen to each message and then catch our Message Re-Cap Podcast on each Wednesday where we talk a little message and a lot of nonesense. Thank you for taking the time to connect with us and with God through this message! For more info about Transformation Church check out our website at https://transformationchurch.com This week Pastor Brad brings the message from the Take It Back series with When You Feel Like God Ghosted You.

Title: Learning to Forgive Like God Passage: Matthew 18:21-22 Speaker: Bro. Bill Hill Listen/watch us live on Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/ODBaptist Don't forget to share and subscribe Listen/watch us on sermons at https://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=odbaptist Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Open-Door-115705998459103 1128 Oates Road Prattville, AL 36066 United States

What is the relationship between creativity and virginity?In this Logos Podcast episode, Fr. Joseph shares a powerful retreat talk given to Catholic creatives, artists, and content creators, exploring the concept of virginity as a way of seeing — a virginal gaze rooted in contemplation, detachment, and love.Drawing from the writings of Monsignor Luigi Giussani, this talk challenges modern assumptions about creativity, possession, control, and productivity. Instead, it proposes a radically Christian vision: true creativity flows from interior detachment, silence, prayer, and reverence for reality as gift.Connect with us here:Website: http://www.logos-podcast.com/Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/3PCPWBvNcAbptX17PzlC2x?si=BkEHS4vGSf-xmMlDFcpZ2QApple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/logos-podcast/id1560191231YouTube: https://youtube.com/@logospodxast?si=RaYkZAfLKea2kBtZInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/logospodxastPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/logospodcastSupport the show

Message from Jorge Villaverde on January 18, 2026

God is already at work in your future. This sermon invites you to see what He has for you in 2026 and provides four meaningful ways to build upon His leading as you journey forward.

Money often feels like a master we cannot escape, trapping us in a cycle of earning, spending, and constant worry. But generosity is the key to breaking that cycle, shifting your focus from financial anxiety to trusting God with your heart and resources. Let's learn how to find true freedom.Start the 90-Day Tithe Challenge today: https://form.church/TitheChallengeChapters:00:00 The Generous Life02:19 Defining Generosity02:53 We Gave Away Our Car14:02 Generosity Starts with God17:28 True Generosity Through Jesus18:25 Generosity as an Act of Worship20:09 My $20 Bill25:06 The Cycle of Worshiping Money vs. God28:01 Making the Shift to Worshiping God with Money31:23 The 90-Day Tithe Challenge34:29 Final Thoughts on Generosity and WorshipTAKE A NEXT STEP:INTRODUCE YOURSELF

There are seasons of suffering that can make God feel distant—even when we know in our minds that He is real and faithful. This devotional acknowledges that painful experience: moments when anxiety, grief, fear, or spiritual dryness convince us that we’ve been left alone. David voiced these same feelings in Psalm 22 as he faced enemies, isolation, and distress. Yet even in his desperation, David still cried out to God as his strength and help, showing us that feeling abandoned isn’t the same as being abandoned. One of the key truths in today’s devotional is that when God feels far away, the distance is not on His side. God does not leave His people. He remains constant, faithful, and present—yesterday, today, and forever. Often, the shift happens in us: sin, distraction, discouragement, or the slow drift away from prayer and Scripture can make us feel spiritually numb. But even then, God remains ready to forgive, restore, and draw us back close when we turn to Him. So what do we do when we recognize we’ve drifted? We return. We pray. We open His Word again. We choose faith over feelings. Like any relationship, closeness grows through communication, time, and trust. And the devotional reminds us that God’s love is proven—not only by what we feel, but by what He has already done through Jesus Christ. When you can’t sense His presence, you can still anchor yourself in His promises. God is not far away. He is near, attentive, and ready to strengthen you in the middle of deep suffering. Main Takeaways Feeling like God is far away does not mean He has abandoned you. God’s presence is constant—even when your emotions suggest otherwise. Spiritual distance often happens when we drift from prayer, confession, and Scripture. Faith is not based on feelings; it’s rooted in God’s unchanging promises. Drawing close to God through prayer and His Word restores confidence and clarity. Today’s Bible Verse: Psalm 22:19 Your Daily Prayer Here is a brief excerpt from today’s prayer: “I dismiss my feelings and trust with faith that you are near to me… Restore my faith, dear Lord.” You can read the full prayer and devotional at the links below. Looking for more daily encouragement and faith-filled content? LifeAudio – Discover daily devotionals, Christian podcasts, and biblical encouragement at LifeAudio.com Crosswalk – Explore faith, prayer, and Christian living resources at Crosswalk.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Get your copy of our 2026 Annual Read: Tozer on the Son of God by A.W. Tozer.First Time?Start Here: https://bit.ly/MarinersconnectcardCan we pray for you? https://bit.ly/MarinersPrayerOnlineYou can find information for all our Mariners congregations, watch more videos, and learn more about us and our ministries on our website https://bit.ly/MarinersChurchSite.FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marinerschurch• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinerschurch• Twitter: https://twitter.com/marinerschurch• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinerschurchSupport the ministry and help us reach people worldwide: https://bit.ly/MarinersGive

Introduction: Psalm 115:8 – Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. Ephesians 5:1 – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. Hebrews 10:28 - Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. John 8:1-11 I Want to Be Like God (John 1:14–18) Grace without TRUTH = Not like Jesus. Truth without GRACE = Not like Jesus. GRACE and TRUTH = Like Jesus. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead John 1:14-18What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Define “glory” (John 1:14). What did John actually see when he says “we have seen His glory”?Do you tend to lean more towards “grace” or “truth” when dealing with someone's sin? Why? What do you need to do to be “full of grace and truth” like Jesus?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Turn in your Bibles to John chapter 1.While you're turning there,just going to ask,we pause for a second and I would ask that you wouldplease pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's word.I will pray for you to have a heart open to receivewhat it is God is telling us here tonight in this passage.All right? Let's pray.Father, we thank you for your word.It's easy tonight to get so caught up in,I guess the decorations and the sentimentality and all of that.But God, this is really no different to what we normally do.We come to worship you, come to know you,come to hear from your word.I just ask Father that your spirit be at work with your word today.In a profound way,make us into the people that you've called us to be.We pray in Jesus' name.And all of God's people said,"Amen, you become like that which you worship."It's a true statement."You become like that which you worship."You know, it's really obvious in children.I mean, just looking back at my life,if you would have found me in the late 70s, early 80s,I would have been walking around with torn pantsand a torn shirt because I was the Incredible Hulk.Remember that show, "Lufa Rigno"?That was me."Aah!"Oh, then you go forward just a couple of yearsand I would have been running around the housewith a sword fighting Skeletor.By the power of Grayskull, I was he-man.Right?And then you go forward a few more years,early 90s, grunge.Ironically, I once again had ripped pants onand the flannel shirt, the mop hair.And you can laugh and make fun of me all you want,but I know some of you got hammered pants in your closet.Some of you ladies back then had a Debbie Gibson haircutbecause you become like that which you worship.It wasn't even my idea, actually.The Bible says this.Psalm 115 verse 8 says, "Regarding idols,it says those who make them become like them.So to all who trust in them,you become like that which you worship."And then we come to church.We come to church and the truth is still the samebecause Ephesians 5:1 says, "Therefore,we imitators of God as beloved children."Like, well, how do we imitate God?By worshiping Him.That's how.It starts with worshiping Him.You're like, "Okay, all right, but how in the world,even worshiping Him, how can I imitate God?"And you know, I think that's one of the most awesome thingsabout the incarnation of Jesus Christ.What we're celebrating at Christmas, God became a man.And I think that's one of the most awesome things.One of the most glorious things is that we get to seewhat God's holiness and love looks like in a humanon this planet interacting with other humans.It's not conceptual. We've seen it.Yeah, the Christmas story. It's a familiar story, right?You know, you've got the manger and the shepherds and the light.But that's Matthew and Luke's version.Matthew and Luke in your Bible give the historical version.But we're looking at John this year.And John gives the theological version.That God became something He's never been without ceasing to bewhat He's always been.It's the miracle of Christmas.God entered the world through childbirth,becoming a real human being while remaining God.So, what do you want for Christmas?When we started this series, we said, "I want to know God."The only way you can know God is through Jesus.Jesus is the revelation of God.He is the living Word of God, right?Then on Sunday, Pastor Taylor gave a message,"I want to belong to God."The only way you belong to God also is through Jesus Christ.It's through Jesus, through His death and His resurrection,that our sins can be forgiven,that we can have the promise of eternal life,that we can be adopted children of God.Tonight, I want to be like God.What do you want for Christmas?Really, all I want is to be like God.This section we're looking at talks about the glory of Jesus Christ.Those who received Him get to know how glorious our God is.And when we worship Him, we do become like Him.Look at verse 14 in John chapter 1.It says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,and we have seen His glory,glory as of the only Son from the Father,full of grace and truth."Mark that.Grace and truth.Full of grace and truth.Verse 15."John bore witness about Him and cried out,'This was He of whom I said,'He who comes after Me ranks before Me,because He was before Me.'"And from His fullness,we have all received grace upon grace.I love that last phrase, "Grace upon grace."It's just waves and waves and waves of grace.That's Jesus.He's not stingy with His grace.And He tells us in verse 16 thatwe've received from His fullness.We've received from the fullness of grace.You know what that means?We're always in,if you belong to Jesus,you're always in the waves and waves of His grace.Meaning, I can't say,"Well, I came to Christ in 1995.Boy, you should have seen me back then.I really needed His grace back then.I need His grace just as much todayas I did then.And if I live tomorrow,I'm going to need His grace just as much tomorrowas I do today and as I did then."But that's the good news.He says, "Grace upon grace upon grace,that if you're in Christ,you're always in it."He just keeps on giving it to us."On your best day, you're in His grace.On your worst day, you're in His grace."Look at verse 17.He says, "For the law was given through Moses.Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."There it is again.Grace and truth.Grace and truth.The law though, he mentions the law.The law came through Moses.There was no grace in the law.Like you read your Old Testaments.There's only judgment.You break the law.You're guilty.In fact, the New Testament talks about thatin Hebrews chapter 10.Anyone who has set aside the law of Mosesdies without mercy in the evidenceof two or three witnesses.There's no mercy.Just guilt.That's what the law does.The law kills.The law only shows you that you are a sinner.Yet, through Jesus comes...Did you see it again?Grace and truth.What's showing us is that there's a stark contrastto the law with what came in Jesus Christ.Verse 18 kind of sums up the whole passage.It really sums up everythingthat we're celebrating at Christmas.Here it is.No one has ever seen God.The only God who is at the Father's side,He has made Him known.God the Son has made God known.One is saying, "We saw everything that is God.We saw that in Jesus Christ."So what's He like?What has God shown usof His character in Jesus Christ?I mean, what's He like?Well, you notice in this passage,He said it in verse 14,and He said it in verse 17.If you were to say,"Describe God in two words."He does.He says, "Here's what God is like."Two words.Grace and truth.Those two words exemplifiedwho Jesus Christ is,who is the perfect expressionof who God is.Grace and truth.I want to talk about grace and truthfor a few minutes.What is grace?Well, grace is compassion.It's mercy.Grace is kindness and patience.Grace is forgiveness.Read your Bibles.Jesus always manifestsjust a tender, loving grace.So He's full of grace,but it also says He's full of truth.Truth.Jesus always spoke the truth.Read your Bibles.Jesus always upheld the authorityof God's Word.Jesus never told half truths.Jesus never minimized the truth.Jesus never downplayed Scripture,contradicted the Old Testament.Jesus never sugar-coated it.He never watered it down.And He never, not once, ever did Heapologize for what the Bible says.I want to be like God.And when we look at this character of Jesus,it is astounding, full of grace and truth,simultaneously, full.And we could have this temptationto just kind of step backand admire that like, "Wow, isn't that awesome?Isn't that an awesome representation of God?"But you know, and we should do that, yes.But the Bible doesn't tell usthat we should just admire the character of Jesus.The Bible tells us that Jesus' characterisn't something just to impress us.The Bible says that we should imitate His character.I mean, so many times, right,we are called to imitate Jesus.Matthew 11, Jesus says, "Learn from Me."John 13, He was washing the disciples' grimy feet.And Jesus said, "I'm doing this to show you an examplethat you should do the same."Philippians 2, Paul says, "Have this mind,which is yours in Christ Jesus."1 Peter 2, 21 that Pastor Rich just read,says that Jesus is an example,and we should follow in His steps.And then we turn to John 1 here,and it says, verse 16, "From His fullnesswe have all receivedthat we don't worship a distant God.We worship a God according to thiswho is to be received."You see, I can stand up here,and I can talk for hours about Grace and Truth.Don't worry, I know it's Christmas, I'm not going to.But I could.But unless you've received Jesus Christ,this isn't going to matter.Because the Bible tells us that when we truly receive Him,God puts His Spirit in usso that we are able to imitate His character.So that we can truly be His image-bearers.That Jesus was full of Grace and Truth,perfectly full of both 100% Grace and 100% Truth.And this is the profound thing.Jesus was never one or the other.Never lopsided, never compromising one over the other,never wanted the expense of another.John makes it clear, he says,"This is what God is like, Jesus Christ."And if there are two words that sum upthe kind of God we worship, it's Grace and Truth.And we have to get that,because if we're to worship Godand therefore imitate God,if we're to represent God to the world,we have to imitate Grace and Truthas displayed by Jesus.So you know what our problem is.Our problem is we are not perfectly full of Grace and Truth.And the reality is each of us have a tendency to leanmore towards one than the other.Some of you are more Grace people.And some of you are more Truth people.And I just want to show you tonight thatyou can't be content to lean in one direction or the other,because that's not like Jesus at all.Like, well, can you give me an example?Yeah, there is an example I want to show you.Look at John 8.He just turned over in your Bibles a few pages.I want you to see.We're just going to read this and reference this.But if there's one story from Jesus' lifethat demonstrates this full of Grace and full of Truthat the same time, character,if there's one story that would show that, it's this one.John 8 says,"They want each to his own house,but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.Early in the morning, he came again to the temple.All the people came to him and he sat down and taught them,the scribes and the Pharisees brought a womanwho had been caught in adultery.And placing her in the midst, they said to him,'Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.'Now, in the law, Moses commanded usto stone such women.What do you say?'This they said to test himthat they might have some charge to bring against him.Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground.And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them,'Let him who is without sin among yoube the first to throw a stone at her.'And once more He bent down and wrote on the ground.But when they heard it, they went away one by one,beginning with the older ones,and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him.Jesus stood up and said to her,'Woman, where are they?Has no one condemned you?'She said, 'No, Lord.'And Jesus said,Look at this.Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you.''Go, and from now on sin no more.'So if you have an outline,and you're taking notes which we always encourage you to do,I want you to jot a couple of things down here.I want to be like God.Number one, grace without truth is not like Jesus.Grace without truth?That's not like Jesus.Grace without truth is weak enabling.Never holding people accountable.You ignore the transformation power of the Holy Spirit.You disregard the truth that God says in His Wordthat we are called to righteousness and holy living.People who lean more towards gracecare more about being liked than they care about what's right and wrong.But I want you to see in this account in John 8,Jesus wasn't just grace.He didn't say to the woman,'I affirm you.You do you, ma'am.'And look, don't worry about what the Bible says.I mean, they're quoting the Law of Moses.That was a long time ago.That's not really for us.'I affirm you, ma'am.'He didn't say that.He wasn't just grace.You see, Jesus brought truth into it.Jesus says, 'Go, and from now on sin no more.'What Jesus said was,'Adultry dishonors God.'Hey, stop living like that.Okay?Stop living like that.And church, when we are content to overlook sin,when we're content to avoid the hard conversations,when we're ready to affirm people in their sin,that's not like Jesus.And now the truth people are like,'Yeah, give it to Him.Give it to the grace people.Hang on, truth people,because truth without grace is not like Jesus either.'Now look, I know the truth people.We've been around some truth people, haven't we, Aaron?Right now the truth people are like,'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.'How in the world could it be?Like, I thought Harvest Bible Chapter,I thought Bible was your middle name.Like truth is all that matters, right?Truth.It's truth that matters.How in the world could you have truth without grace?We realize in John 1.17 he told us.He told us again, John 1.17,'For the law was given through Moses.'Do you know what that is?Do you know what the law is?It's truth without grace.So let me ask you, was the law truth?This is a shouted out verbal reply question.Was the law truth?Yes, it was.It is.No, it was, it is.The law is truth.100% every letter of God's law in the Old Testament is truth.But there was no grace in the law.We referenced this earlier.This is how the law works.Oh, you broke the law.You're guilty.Now it's time for your punishment.Next, that's how the law worked.And truth without grace leads to cold, detached transactions with other people.That's truth without grace.You messed up.You're done.You're done.It leads to harsh judgment.Truth without grace leaves no room for mistakes.There's no second chances.There's no invitation to repent.There's no encouragement to turn it around.Listen, people who lean more towards truth than grace usually care more about their convictionsthan they care about actual people.And that is a problem.But you see in this John 8 account with the woman caught in adultery, do you notice Jesuswasn't just truth with her?Do you notice that?I mean Jesus didn't say to the woman, they bring the woman before Him, Jesus didn't say,"Hey lady, you know what the law says.You're guilty.There's nothing to discuss."He showed her grace when He says, "Neither do I condemn you."No good lived differently.That's grace.In church when we condemn people, when we are one striking you out, when we refuse toallow people the opportunity to change, that's not like Jesus.So we imperfect people tend to fall on one side or the other.So now that you've heard, I just want to ask you just for fun, which way do you lean?Show of hands.Many of you would say that you're more grace people.Put your hands up if you're more of a grace person.All right?Now raise your hand if you're more of a truth person.I have a note written from the first service.When I asked you the truth people were, they were a lot more bold to put their hands upthan the grace people.I think there's something to that.That'll be a sermon for Easter.Anyways, grace people, look, I love you, but you typically care more about the relationshipthan any sin issue.And that's not good.And truth people, you care more about upholding God's Word than loving someone in the relationship.And that's not complete either.And you know, I've been thinking about this a lot the last couple of weeks.While you do what you do at work, this is what I do at work, I was thinking so much,like what is it that causes people to lean one way or the other?And I was thinking about that, like whether you sit down with a grace person or you sitdown with a truth person, either way.But I was just thinking, like, if you set them down and said, what makes you lean inthe direction that you lean, what would they say?And then it hit me.Do you know what it is?And I'm sure of this.They think they're being loving.I mean, think about it.You sit down with the grace person.Why do you lean more towards grace?Because it's love.I'm loving.That's why my heart is so full of love.I'm so full of love.That's why, and you can't just discard the relationship just because of something theBible says, I'm just so full of love deep in my heart of heart of hearts.I'm so full of love.That's why I'm more of a grace person.But then, you know, if you sat down with the truth person and said, why do you lean moretowards the truth?Do you know what they'd say?It's love.Because what is more loving than giving people the word of our Lord?I mean, come on, Pastor Jeff, you're a pastor.You know this.The most loving thing you can do is tell somebody the truth, right?So that's what I do.I don't mince words.I tell them the truth.That's how I show love.That's how I love them.That's nothing more loving than that.I'm more true because that's the loving thing to do.There's a huge mistake in that line of thinking, isn't there?It's a mistake to think that grace is love because it's not.And it's a mistake to think that truth is love because it's not.You know what is love?God is love.And as a man, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, showed true love by being full of grace andtruth both.Well, that's number three.What do you want for Christmas?I want to be like God.Well, grace and truth is like Jesus.And see, that's the point of the story of the woman caught in adultery.Jesus showed her grace and truth at the same time.Grace, he forgave her.He says, "Neither do I condemn you."That's grace.Truth at the same time.Jesus said, "Your lifestyle is wrong.Go and sin no more."Jesus gave both.He says, "I forgive you.Now let's do better."In church, we need to learn this.We need to be people who represent Jesus accurately, full of grace and truth.Not a group of people that enable in the name of love, not a group of people who condemnin the name of upholding the Word.We need to be a people who demonstrate acceptance and accountability at the same time.Whereas John Piper put it, people who say, "I love you, but this is wrong."Parents, you're going to get that with your kids.Some of you parents need to sit down with your kids and say, "Look, I love you.I accept you, and nothing will ever change that.But this habit you have is wrong, and you need to stop this, and I'm going to help you stopthis because I love you."Do you see that?That's grace and truth both.Some of you have family or friends that are stuck in a sinful lifestyle.Maybe it's an addiction.Maybe they're in an unbiblical relationship regarding marriage and sexuality.You need to sit down and say, "Look, I care about you, but what you're doing is dishonoringthe Lord.Come on, let's get on a better path here.Let's get on track."For some of you, maybe it's even in church.Maybe it's in your small group.Maybe flagrantly in sin, and you're like, "I don't know what to do here.I don't know how to handle them.Here's how you handle them."You pull them aside, and you sit down with them, and you say, "Look, what you're doingis wrong, but I'm going to do everything that I can to help you get on track because I careabout you so much."You see, it's grace that refuses to beat people down, but it's truth that refuses to overlooksin.But what do you want for Christmas?I want to imitate God.The only way to imitate God, to demonstrate a love for God's Word and a love for God'speople is being like Jesus.And according to the Bible, it's full of grace and truth.Our worship team would make their way back up, and our candlelighters would come forward.We're going to close our service by singing to candlelight.Why on Christmas Eve do we sing by candlelight?Because it's pretty, right?It's so pretty.And it's a tradition, but this year, there's another reason that we're doing this.This year, thank you, Ashley, this year, it's also an illustration.In anticipation of this service, you know, I was looking at the order of service andthinking about this moment actually right now.And I was thinking about this flame.I thought, you know what is that flame?But two things perfectly.The flame is light and heat.Right?You can see the light.You'll just have to trust me on the heat.You can try it out if you like, but it's hot.But you see that flame?It's not one or the other.It's light and heat.It can't be one or the other.If you're going to have the flame, you're going to have light and heat both.You could say it is full of both aspects, light and heat.And as we sing, I just want you to look down at that flame and recognize how perfectlyfull it is of both light and heat.Then as you sing, I want you to think about grace and truth.It's like the flame imitating Jesus.You are to be full of both at the same time.We want to thank you for coming out and worshiping our Lord.And it is my prayer that your worship is genuine because then your imitation of Him will alsobe genuine.

St. Matthew 1:1-25 Why was the Son of God commanded to be named Jesus—the New Joshua? In this Advent reflection, Fr. Anthony shows how Christ fulfills Israel's story by conquering sin and death, and calls us to repentance so that we may enter the victory He has already won. --- Homily on the Name of Jesus Sunday before the Nativity In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. "They named Him Jesus, because He would deliver His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) Names matter in Scripture. They are never accidental. A name reveals identity, vocation, and mission. And so when the angel commands that the Child be named Jesus, we are being told something essential about who He is and what He has come to do. The name Jesus is simply the Greek form of Joshua. And that is not incidental. So we should ask: Who was Joshua? And why did the angel of the Lord insist on that name? Joshua was the successor of Moses, the one chosen by God to lead His people when Moses could not. Long before Joshua's time, God had made a covenant with His people and promised them a land—a place of rest, inheritance, and blessing. But that promise had been obscured by centuries of slavery in Egypt, under pagan gods who claimed power but offered only bondage. God sent Moses to remind the people who they truly were: not slaves, but God's own people. Through signs and wonders, God revealed His power over Pharaoh and over the false gods of Egypt. The people were delivered. They were free. They were heading toward the Promised Land. And yet, because of their disobedience and unbelief, that generation—including Moses himself—was not worthy to enter the land. And so God appointed Joshua to do what Moses could not: to lead the next generation into the inheritance God had promised. Joshua defeated the enemies of God—not by his own strength, but by God's supernatural power—and led the people into the Promised Land. All of this matters, because it prepares us to understand the name of Jesus and the mission it announces. "They named Him Jesus, because He would deliver His people from their sins." Now consider the situation at the time of Christ's birth. In many ways, it looked very much like the time of Pharaoh. God's people were again under foreign rule, again surrounded by pagan power, again longing for deliverance. The prophets had promised a Messiah, and the people waited for one who would set them free. But here is the crucial difference: this Joshua would not come to conquer territory.  This Joshua would come to conquer the true enemy. Not Rome. Not armies. Not borders. But sin itself. In his homily on this Gospel reading, St. John Chrysostom says: "He did not say, 'He shall save His people from their enemies,' but 'from their sins,' showing that this is a greater and more fearful tyranny than any foreign power." (Homily on Matthew 2) And this is precisely why the Son of God had to be born as a child. In his homily on the Nativity, which, Lord willing, you will hear on Thursday, Chrysostom draws the connection between the Nativity and our salvation with striking clarity: "He became Son of Man, that He might make us sons of God. He took what was ours, that He might give us what was His." (Homily on the Nativity) Jesus is the New Joshua—not leading one people into one land, but opening the Kingdom of God to all who would receive Him. He conquers not by the sword, but by the Cross. He defeats not nations, but death itself. And we know how He did it. By obedience where Adam fell. By humility where pride ruled. By offering Himself fully to the Father, even unto death. As the Fathers remind us, the victory was not loud or coercive, but hidden and faithful—won through righteousness rather than force. So what, then, is our situation? It is tempting to compare our world to Egypt, or to the time of pagan occupation, and to imagine that we are still waiting for deliverance. After all, many of us know what it is like to feel tired, burdened, or trapped in patterns we cannot seem to break, even while outwardly everything appears fine. We live in a culture that constantly distracts us, that teaches us to manage our desires rather than heal them, and that quietly encourages us to accept forms of bondage as normal. Like God's people of old, we forget who we are and whom we belong to, and so we begin to live as though freedom were still far away. But the truth is far more sobering—and far more hopeful. We are not waiting for the Messiah. He has already come. If we live as slaves, it is not because Pharaoh rules us. It is because we have refused the Deliverer. Christ has already opened the doors of freedom. Advent is the season in which the Church calls us to turn back, to repent, and to remember who we are—so that we may step again into the life He has already given us. Christ lives within the heart of every believer. He comes into the midst of all who gather in His name. He is present here, now, in the Holy Liturgy—offering the same grace, the same power, the same deliverance. He delivers us from the death of sin and leads us into the true Promised Land: the life of the Kingdom, the inheritance of the saints, communion with God Himself. So let us give thanks for the Deliverer—Jesus, the New Joshua. Let us praise Him, trust Him, repent, and return to Him, so that we may join Him in His victory. And let us receive His supernatural grace and power here and now, as we prepare to welcome Him anew at His Nativity. [For in the end, all of us must decide: Am I a sinner – of whatever type; a fornicator, a gossip, a glutton, a miser, a coward, a bully – (are we a sinner) who occasionally does Christian things but repents and reverts to my chosen sinful form. -OR- Am I a Christian who occasionally falls into sin, repents, and reverts to his chosen path of holiness? If we truly are sinners who only play at being Christians - if we only play at being holy – then when the Lord comes looking for a place to be born and dwell, there will be no room in the worldly varmint-infested inn our heart for him to lay and He will leave us to wallow and drown in the bondage of our sin. -BUT- If we are Christians who fall into sin but truly repent, the cave of our hearts is swept clean and He will be pleased to be born in our hearts and His glory will shine within and even from us. Christ has come into the world to deliver us – how have we responded?] To Him be glory, together with His Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.  

For many of us, faith feels heavy. Like God has done so much for us that we must now repay Him with obedience, effort, or guilt-driven devotion.In this message, Pastor Josh reframes John 3:16 through the lens of Christmas, generosity, and love. God doesn't come demanding repayment. God comes giving Himself. From a child giving a gift to their parent, to the vulnerability of a newborn baby, we're reminded that love doesn't ask, “What do I owe?” Love asks, “What can I give?”Christmas isn't God handing us a bill. It's God offering a gift. And the only thing a gift asks is to be received.

Do you ever feel like you're not the main character in the story? Like God's promises aren't for you? Like the good plans don't include you? Like you're left on the outskirts watching everyone else get their turn and their blessings? My sister, I want to tell you the truth about YOU, and if you […]

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Our obedience to, and testing of, God will pour out blessings. Matt 7:7-11 / Ps 84:11-12 / Lev 27:30-32 / Num 18:21-26 / Deut 14:22-29 / Lev 1 / Lev 2 / Lev 6:24-30 / Lev 3 / Lev 7:20-21 / Lev 4:1 / Lev 5:13 / Lev 5:14 / Lev 6:7 / Lev 7:1-10 / Mal 3:6-12 / Hag 1:2-11 / 2Kings 12:4-5 / 2Kings 12:9-12

In this heartfelt coaching session, Christine works with Jemma, who feels confused and heartbroken after believing that God led her into a relationship that ultimately ended in disappointment. Jemma wrestles with feelings of self-blame, loss, and spiritual doubt as she questions whether she misunderstood divine guidance—or was somehow being punished. Christine helps her see the situation through a lens of truth and compassion. Together, they explore how childhood wounds shape patterns of self-sacrifice, and how spiritual confusion often arises when we project human expectations onto God. Jemma learns that she hasn't "lost herself"—she was simply operating from childhood survival strategies, and she's now being invited to evolve through love, loss, and faith. If you've ever felt like the universe led you somewhere painful, this episode will help you find meaning, peace, and trust in a bigger plan. Consider / Ask Yourself: Have you ever felt misled by God or the universe? Do you blame yourself when relationships don't work out? Do you confuse caretaking or fawning with true connection? Are you interpreting disappointment as a sign you did something wrong? Key Insights and A-HAs: We often project human disappointment and abandonment onto God. "Losing yourself" is actually slipping back into old survival patterns. Every relationship can be a stepping stone toward deeper healing. Grief and progress can coexist—healing is not linear. Compassion for younger parts of ourselves softens relational patterns. How to Deepen the Work: Reflect on how childhood shaped your approach to intimacy and caretaking. Replace "I lost myself" with "I shifted into coping—and now I'm returning to myself." Journal about how this relationship moved you forward rather than backward. Spend time nurturing your inner child—the part of you longing for safety. Engage with God or your spiritual source as a loving presence, not a judge. Sponsor: Cured Nutrition Christine recommends Flow Gummies from Cured Nutrition for focused, sustained energy without jitters. Made with Lion's Mane, ginkgo, and green coffee extract, Flow supports mental clarity and smooth, balanced energy. Get 20% off when you subscribe at curednutrition.com/overit with code OVERIT. Coaching with Christine: Christine now has openings in two coaching pathways: • A VIP six-month mentorship for deep, ongoing transformation • A focused 10-week laser container for targeted support Apply at christinehassler.com/coaching-christine.   Social Media + Resources: Christine Hassler — Take a Coaching Assessment Christine Hassler Podcasts, including Coach's Corner Instagram: @ChristineHassler | @SacredUnionCouples Facebook: Christine Hassler Book: Expectation Hangover by Christine Hassler Email: jill@christinehassler.com — For information on Christine's services Apply to be coached live on the show: christinehassler.com/waitlist

Josh Hawley builds his account on masculinity and manhood on the idea that men are created in God's image and, as such, are his representatives on earth. But what is Hawley's God like? What kind of God does Hawley worship? Who is this God that is the pattern for human manhood? In this episode, Dan argues that Hawley's God's insecurity drives him to exercise his power to dominate others. Check out the episode to hear why. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza Subscribe to American Exceptionalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Micah 7

We've all prayed for something that didn't happen the way we hoped. In this episode, we talk about what to do when God feels silent—how to be honest with him in disappointment, remember his faithfulness, and find hope even when life doesn't go according to plan.Download the Audio Podcast Here:  

Send us a textWe are called to be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful. This requires us to see people the same way God sees them. Website @ https://www.st-innocent.orgInstagram @ https://www.instagram.com/st.innocentchurch/Facebook @ https://fb.me/SaintInnocentMaconGeorgia Help Support St. Innocent Orthodox Church @ https://onrealm.org/siocmacon/-/form/give/now

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"   *Transcription Below*   Hi, I'm Emily Johnson. I am a homeschool mama of two beautiful kiddos, married to my high school sweetheart, and the owner of Gracious Healing, a online nutritional practice that works with families to get to the root of their health issues with a holistic view and approach. I deeply love Jesus and pursue Him in all that I do, including health.  After walking through decades of undiagnosed health issues, I was lead to the world of functional medicine and eventually into the holistic health world. After finding support for my body and that of my kids (who have been on their own health journeys) I was able to pursue further education and began working with clients on a 1:1 basis, to help them find the hope and health that I have found.   Emily's Website   Questions and Topics We Cover: Another topic of health is pursuing the opposite of isolation, which is relationships. What does friendship do to us, even at a hormonal or bio-physical level? Will you share all your wisdom on the topic of nutrition? What other health topics have we not yet covered that you want to mention as we get started?   Thank You to Our Sponsor:  Sam Leman Eureka   Other Episodes Mentioned from The Savvy Sauce: 254 Raising Healthy Children with Dr. Charles Fay   Additional Savvy Sauce Episodes Related to Healthy Living: 3. Being intentional with our health, finances, and relationships with business leader, writer, and speaker, Elizabeth Dixon 14. Simple Changes for Healthier Living with Chick-fil-A Wellness Experts, Vasu Thorpe and Leslie Sexton 23. Nurturing Friendships With Harvard Graduate, Jackie Coleman 25. Leadership Principles and Practices with Former NFL Player, J Leman 81. Sacred Rest with Doctor, Wife, Mother, and Author, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith 251. Wintering and Embracing Holy Hygge with Jamie Erickson 256. Gut Health, Allergies, Inflammation and Proactive Solutions with Emily Macleod-Wolfe   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:10 - 1:40) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today, over 55 years later, at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka.   Owned and operated by the Burchie family, Sam Leman and Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at LemanGM.com.   As I mentioned last time, my amazing guest, Emily Johnson, had so much goodness to share that we decided to split this episode into two parts, so I'm going to make sure that you first go back to part one before you listen to this episode today.   But I'm looking forward now to continuing the chat about nutritional benefits and soul benefits and relational benefits in our health and the health in our children with my returning guest, Emily Johnson. Another topic that's health-related is pursuing the opposite of isolation, which is relationships. So, Emily, what does friendship do to us or do to our children, even at hormonal levels and biophysical levels?   Emily Johnson: (1:40 - 8:39) Yeah, yeah. So, you know, when I was really, really, really sick, from a pretty young age on, and then I had kids really young, and so my kids had some health issues. I was sick. I felt so isolated, and I really, really, really was discouraged when people would speak about community.   You have to be in community, right? And all the sermons and different things, books, these great books are like, you have to be in community, and I'm like, I don't know how to do that with where I'm at. I don't have, I barely have capacity, right, to like feed my children and like get out of bed most days.   How in the world am I supposed to like go find community? And so, I think that, one, I always go back to, for those people who do struggle, and they are in a season where community is tough, right? I always, I love the saying, where the ideal lacks, grace abounds, and there's something beautiful that happens within that, right?   So just to speak to that, because I feel like so many women I walk with have had seasons in their life, or whether it's health-related, or their kids, or just there, you know. Mom home with four young kids, and they just don't have capacity, or their single mom with four kids, and they're working full-time. Right, they just don't have great capacity for community. I always want to plug that reminder in that there are seasons, and God's grace always abounds beyond what is ideal. But then we take it too ideal, right?   And we say, what does that actually look like? And we were made for community, right? We see all the fun videos of the little kids who are like the babies who were in the womb together, right?   And you come out, and they're still like touching, right? We were made for connection. There's something really, really amazing that happens from a cellular level.   When we are, when we are hugged, right, you see some of those neurosciences of like, you need to hug for six seconds a day, because it'll increase your endorphins, you know, and so there's this beautiful thing. There is, in certain science communities, there is a thing called biofield, right? And so it's kind of this idea that from six feet out from me in any direction, I kind of have this like space, like there's a spatial awareness that most of us have about six feet like outside of our bodies.   And when you kind of like, you know, when you're like somebody walks up behind you, and you just know somebody's behind you, even though you haven't turned around or heard them necessarily, but there's just this awareness that they're there. And that is just, I think, so ingrained in who we are to be in community, because we actually have been created not for isolation, but we've been created even with this biofilm biofield idea that we actually get to when people are around us, right, there's an energy that happens, right? When my kid is sick, there's like this energy transfer that happens when my kiddo is sick, and their energy is low, their overall body is just depleted, right?   When I hold them and touch them, there's actually can be like this cool transfer that happens from an electrical perspective that actually boosts them back up, right? Why do we hold babies skin on skin? Because there is that super, super crucial need for connection.   One of my favorite studies I always refer to is a heart map study, where they took babies and mom, and they hooked mom and baby up to like heart monitors. They had mom just kind of like go through her natural day. Right, really smiley, happy, and they kind of watch baby match mom's heartbeat completely like in sync. And then they said, “Okay mom, like start running, like don't change your facial expression or your tone, but start running through all the like scary things that you have going on, right, and all the worries and fears and all the things.”   And they watch mom's heart rate level start coming up, and then they watch baby's heart rate level start coming up, right? Like we were just designed from the womb to connect with people. Then they found those who they ran some studies on who had moms who were super depressed, right? They weren't in connection.   They had whatever lives, whatever circumstances led to this, those kiddos didn't have the kind of intense one-on-one connection, maybe that another kid did. And just watching that those kids had a harder time empathizing and being around other people, right? So, like this idea that from the womb we were designed to be connected to one another, that there is something ingrained in our soul, right?   That the Lord put there that deeply, we deeply want community, but beyond community we want to be known and seen and loved, right? And obviously the ultimate desire is to be known and seen and loved by God the Father, but at a lesser level like we have been created to see that in one another and champion one another and encourage one another, right? One of my favorite Bible stories is when Moses is holding his hands up, right?   And as long as his arms are up, the Israelites are winning, but the minute his arm starts to fall, and then you know you have Aaron and her have to come lift his arms up, and he sits down and they're the ones holding his arms. And I just think that is such a picture of when we have this vision of what God's called us to, and kind of whether that be a mom or a specific vocation or a specific ministry, when we have been called as women to do that, but yet there's these seasons where we're like we're still trying really hard to do that, but I'm so wiped out and tired, right? You need those people around you who are going to go hold your arms up so that the battle doesn't break.   The battle is not going to stop whether you drop your arms or not, it's still going to keep going. And so, when we look at that from just again, like a metabolic perspective, we see that heart rates come down, right? We see someone super, super anxious in isolation, they go into a community where they feel seen and known and loved, and their body comes into this beautiful, restful, parasympathetic state, right?   I would say a caveat to that is a little bit of picking your community well, because I think that the opposite is true. You go into a community where everyone's naggy and negative and discouraging, and you will walk away feeling gross and weary and tired, right? And it doesn't necessarily...   Good community is what again boosts your soul, but it actually... I had a client, it was my favorite story, is we were having a hard time getting her blood sugar stable, and we were kind of trying all these things, and then she went and hung out with her girlfriend, and she was super tired that day, it had been a really, really stressful week, goes and hangs out with her girlfriend outside, right? Letting the kids play at the park, and that's all she did.   And her blood sugar, she took her blood sugar, and her blood came perfectly back into balance, right? And just, we need community for every metabolic process, honestly.   Laura Dugger: (8:40 - 9:27) That is incredible, and it is such a powerful truth, because I'd love to also talk about handling, managing, minimizing stress, which is important, but I think the enemy, our enemy, Satan, wants to convince us that if you're stressed, just power through, whereas like you said, God's inviting us into community with Him and with others. He's created us to need both, and that that is even more important, that trumps the stress and may even help us diminish the stress. So, I know it's not helpful for us to hear, you just need to lower your stress in your life, but how can we actually do that, and why is it beneficial?   Emily Johnson: (9:28 - 14:18) Yeah, so, we talked a little bit earlier about just kind of the idea of fight and flight, and I think one of the things that you see a lot in the world of holistic medicine is just looking at the nervous system. Because if I, everything that we're kind of bringing in is create, like our brains are always hyper vigilant and always looking at, is this safe? Is this not safe? So, you have somebody who is always stressed, always anxious, always running, running, running, running.   Your brain is kind of almost starting to get primed to think everything is dangerous, everything is a lie, and everything I need to be afraid of, right? And so, when we're constantly in that place, you never really, you're sleeping, just because you go to sleep, people are like, I sleep six hours a night. I'm like, you're unconscious six hours of the night. Are you actually getting restored sleep?   Or are you just running, running, running, and then you go to sleep. Yeah, you're unconscious, because your body's like, I'm exhausted, but is your mind actually calming down? Is your heart rate coming down, right? And so, when you look at the overall, every process of the body, there's so much that is related to nervous system, right?   Your breath, like we're not thinking about our hearts beating right now, or our lungs opening and closing. But our nervous system is, right? Our nervous system is always assessing and communicating.   And so, every sound we hear, every noise we come in contact with, every smell, light, right? All of it is having to be processed through that. And so, when you look at that, I would say there's a lot of stress in life that we can't control.   We're always looking, it's kind of like, you know, going on a bear hunt when they're like, we can't go under it, we can't go over it, we have to go through it. There's a lot of stress in life. That we just have to plow through.   I can't help my special needs kid, like I can't take that away, right? I can't help my marriage that's struggling. I can't necessarily run, I can't just like move around, you know, the financial struggles or whatever.   I can't always control everything, but I often go back to, but what can we control? Because when we kind of get into a place where we understand, I can't heal or be functionally healthy if I don't feel safe. So, do I feel safe, right?   And again, I can't control everything, but I often can sit with Jesus, and he will help me change the perspective of it. And so, when we look at how we, right, stress is going to put a huge burden on every organ system. Stress is going to put a huge burden on our adrenals.   Most of us know that kind of specifically, but it's going to put a huge stress on our nervous system. And so, where we can minimize stress, where it is within our control is always the best place to start, right? Again, sometimes simple things like unplugging your Wi-Fi will limit your metabolic stress, eating protein, right?   Eating good whole foods, not being dehydrated. Those are all things that are going to limit. Those are all most of the time within the stress that we can control, right?   I can control being on my phone, which has crazy blue light. And then right before I go to bed, which is going to like create a whole issue with my circadian rhythm. Like I can control putting my phone away.   I can control how I breathe and how I get outside. And so, minimizing stress, being in community with friends that are encouraging you and lifting you up, like those type of things are all things that we often can control at some level in order to help minimize that stress that way. Because the point I think of is the whole of health in general, right?   We know 2 Corinthians chapter four is my favorite because it's like we're all wasting away and this body is going to waste away. So, what is the point of this, right? And the point of it, I believe, is resilience to some degree.   Do we understand the processes of our body? Are we actively working to create some resilience? So, things don't knock us out, right?   You have some people, they'll get real sick, or they'll get into a car accident or something. And it's not major from the world's perspective, but metabolically it is enough stress and trauma that their whole system shuts down. Right?   Like the goal is that we are always renewing our spirit, but we're always working towards resiliency. And so, the more we can minimize stress, the better resiliency, every part of our body from a nervous system perspective, all the way down to a cellular perspective, it's going to function better and have more resiliency. So, when stress does come that we can't control, we can handle it better and not, it doesn't blow us over so quickly.   Laura Dugger: (14:18 - 15:59) And now a brief message from our sponsor, Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Burchie family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Steven's grandfather; Sam Leman opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago. If you visit their dealership today, though, you'll find that not everything has changed.   They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did with honesty and integrity. Sam and Steven understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle. This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle free as possible.   They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different. I've known Sam and Steven and their wives my entire life and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today.   Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread. So, come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka. Sam and Steven would love to see you, and they appreciate your business.   Learn more at their website, LemanEureka.com or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Eureka. You can also call them at 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.   Okay, Emily, everything you've said so far is gold. But there's a huge piece of our health, which is nutrition. And as we're training our children on healthy nutrition, I just love to hear all your wisdom on this topic.   So, take it where you'd like.   Emily Johnson: (16:00 - 24:16) Yeah, okay. Nutrition is part of my story, is actually nutrition was the thing that got me in the store that I write. I had so many crazy health things.   I remember asking a doctor at one point, like, will, if I change my diet, will that help? And he was like, no, right? That's not going to help your seizures. That's not going to help your allergies. That's not going to help all the stress, right? And all the things that you have.   And, which, by the way, right, to kind of go back to the stress thing, the amount of times that people who are really truly unhealthy are told it's just in your head, it's just stress, right? It's, it's crazy. So, I feel like there's that level of like, do what you can to deal with the stress, but also, you're not crazy.   If something doesn't feel right, it's probably not right. And you're probably not just so stressed that right, there's a level that is true that we can control, but then sometimes it has nothing to do with what you're doing. Just a little snippet in there.   Just because I think that can be so helpful for moms to hear sometimes it's okay. It's not all in your head, you're not making it up. But when we look at nutrition, when I started diving into it, I always joke that I was going to write a book that said like, it started with paleo, right?   Because we dove into this world of paleo. And all of a sudden, all these symptoms that I had been told I was going to live with forever, all of a sudden started disappearing. And I was like, I don't need my inhaler anymore.   I don't have seizures anymore. I'm sleeping better. I feel better.   My puffiness is gone, like all because I changed my diet like this. Why in the world did no one tell me this sooner? Right?   Which is crazy. So, when you look at again, nutrition, and we're saying what did God give us and all the different levels of nutrition, you can look at macronutrients. So, that's your protein, your carbohydrates and your fat.   Those when we look at metabolic processes, those are like our big three that we want to get in every meal to kind of keep that fire burning, right? So, from a metabolic perspective, you want metabolism is so huge in hormones, metabolism is huge in our weight, and how we feel and just energy levels in general. And so, when you're getting good protein, good carbs, good healthy fats.   And obviously, with all of these, right, there can be not so great proteins and not so great carbs, right? We're like, “Oh, I ate a cinnamon roll.” I'm like, well, not probably your best carbohydrate.   But so, when I talk about these things, what I'm always meaning is God made food, right? God food that is in its closest to full nature, right? And obviously, we've altered food over the years.   But to the best of our ability, what grows in the ground, what grows on the earth is what I'm talking about. I'm not necessarily processed food, even things like Siete chips, right? Those things are like, yes, their ingredients are better, but still processed, right?   Crackers, I don't care if they're gluten free, they're still processed. And so, when we talk about this, we're talking about just whole food, God food, right? And so, it doesn't matter what you have doesn't matter, the health situations, you have kind of the background you're coming from, everyone can on a fundamental foundational level, look at their nutrition and say, food is the building block to my health.   So, when I give again, we kind of talked a lot about nervous system and information, when I give the body good nutrition through what I'm eating, it is going to help every cell of the body right function and thrive. And when we're getting those good nutrients in, you're going to get all those you're looking at the big macros, but then we're looking at the micronutrients, you know, so, a lot of people talk about magnesium and calcium, right?   And so, all those are, you know, selenium, vitamin D, right, not necessarily synthetic form, but in so many of our foods, these nutrients are in abundance when you eat whole foods, right.   And so, I feel like for so many people one of the best things because food can also become this really, really, really scary topic. I always say if you want to tick somebody off, talk about their money and talk about what they're eating. Because everyone's like, now I'm mad.   Now you're not my friend, right? How dare you talk about what I'm putting in my mouth. And I think there's a really interesting spiritual component to what we see all throughout Israelites, right?   And just how they grumbled because their bellies were driving the train, right? Like God is literally giving them manna from heaven, his glory, like food, the angels food is on the ground. And they're like, I want to go back into captivity because they had leeks and watermelon, right?   And it's like, this isn't a new thing. Food is really hard and can be really scary for people to talk about because we are really honestly controlled by our stomachs more than most of us would like to admit. And so, when we look at food in general and nutrition, and we're being really honest with ourselves, right?   We don't want to be in a place of fear. That's I think the biggest thing with all the holistic space, just like this health realm is sometimes we trade like Western medicine for which we're afraid, like we're fearful and that like I, you know, we have to take antibiotics. We don't want to get, um, we don't want the strep throat to get out of control.   But then we run to this holistic side and we're like, well, I don't want to take the antibiotics. I'm afraid my gut microbiome is going to be all mess. I'm like either side, you're still walking in fear.   God's word tells us to not be afraid, right? This is the point of this is, is to empower us to make us stand in awe of our creator who made all of this in such abundance for our good. He created all of our bodies, right?   He created every mechanism, every cell. So, of course he's going to give us the nutrition in the food that we eat in order to help support those natural functions of the body when we eat food that he's created. Right.   And so, I say that with food because I think most people we can dive down, right? Some people do need very specific diets for short period of time to create better function in their body. Maybe they have an overgrowth of something and certain foods are not helping them kind of achieve that overall kind of thriving stability.   But for most of us, my favorite thing when it comes to nutrition is to go back to Philippians chapter four, right? What is good? What is true?   What is lovely? What is pure, right? And when we're focusing on that part of nutrition, we are just undone, right?   How do you combat fear? You stand in awe. And when we can stand in awe of how God created an egg, right?   Like we get to consume an egg, and an egg isn't just protein fat. It also is vitamin D and selenium, right? And all these other micro macro nutrients that we get to consume.   And all of a sudden, right, we're taught to sit and pray and thank God for our food. And we're like, but what does that mean? We're just pausing and taking a deep breath, which is there is some really interesting health studies that have agreed with that, right?   And they're like, you need to pause and breathe every time before you eat to better further digestion. But what are we actually doing? Are we teaching our children, like, look at this asparagus and this chicken breast that you get to eat?   Do you understand how intentional our God is that he made this food with such nutrient packed availability for you to be able to function right within your body. So, when we look at every part of the body, every process of the body, we need good information, right? Good food to be able to come in to support that.   And I think most people, when we use nutrition, you don't need your multivitamins, you don't need some of these things like food is fundamental. I always say supplements should be supplemental. They're supplemental, getting you where you need to go.   But nutrition is the foundation, the building blocks the road, right? It's paving the way to health.   Laura Dugger: (24:17 - 24:40) Okay, that is so well said. But then I'm even thinking, what are some examples of you've talked about the egg and the chicken and asparagus. So, will you share maybe we'll start here a way to get our kids involved.   I know you've shared something that you do with the farmer's market. Can you tell us that story? And then maybe give a few ideas for healthy snacks or meals.   Emily Johnson: (24:41 - 31:13) Yeah. And I do like Instagram, my website, I have I feel like I have lots of information. And honestly, maybe I could even share with you some of the handouts that I give and you could just put it in people are welcome to have them.   Because I love getting kids involved. It depends on your kiddos age depends on how you want to approach this potentially, right. So, when my kids were super little, we all we did a lot of rainbows, like, are we eating the rainbow?   And so, you know, we'd have like, I have a chart that we laminated. And you know, we'd be like, okay, here's your day how you know, maybe you get a sticker at the end of the day or something if you ate the rainbow. And so, that would be for younger kids.   That's super fun. Sometimes for older kids, kind of that who need to say like, high school necessarily, but when they're kind of in the like, end of elementary, maybe junior high ish, depending on how they're wired, and depending on parenting skills, I will have some other ones that are like, if you eat protein, fat and carb, now you can have maybe another choice that you would like, right. So, for my daughter, that might look like you need protein carbs, you know, like, let's say you're going to have protein, which is, again, I have some great handouts that are like, here's kind of a chunk of protein, right.   So, that might look like steak, eggs, or chicken, or ground beef, or, you know, bison patty, or we actually love Force of Nature, they make a really great ancestral blend. So, you're getting like liver, heart, all that stuff, and it's ground in ground beef. So, your kids don't necessarily know they're eating organ meats, but we'll do like little patties or something, right, keep it simple.   I feel like some of the most challenging things with nutrition is people want to really overcomplicate it. And if you're just thinking protein, animal protein, you get one of those, right, you grab on to like, maybe it's like, okay, now you need some salad, which is going to be, you know, maybe some less of good carbs, because you're throwing in zucchini and cucumber, and you're making a green salad, you know, with a few nuts in it, you know, and drizzling some olive oil on it. homemade dressings, I think are probably the probably the most complicated thing that I get to, just because it's easier to leave out all the bad ingredients in homemade dressing.   But there's some decent dressings out there, right? So, that's your fat. So, you do all that.   And then I'm like, now, if you want, like, maybe we'll have little snacks around the house that might be like, some healthy chocolate versions, right? And it's like, now, if you want a treat, you can, but you have to eat protein, carb and fat first, right? That type of thing.   So, there's different checklists, different things that you can do. We years ago, when my kids were super little, we actually started a list. And there, I think Dr. Walls is the one I originally got this from where she was like, you need to eat close to 300 different varieties within a year, right?   Because, again, kind of thinking back before refrigeration, before we were able to cart food places, we would have eaten a variety based on what was local to you that was growing in this season. Rright, which meant we didn't eat the same thing every single week, we had a lot of variety, I think diversity within the diet is also so important. Again, I think it's a further down the road, right? So, if you're like just starting in this journey, just getting yourself to whole foods is a great place to start.   If you're further along, the next thing we do is diversity, how many different foods. So, our goal one year was to get 300 different varieties, which doesn't sound like a lot until you actually start writing it down. We're like, cucumbers one. Okay, we eat a lot of cucumber, right?   Okay, tomatoes. Okay, well, that's two, right. And then so, one of the things that we had done when they were little was, we would go to the farmer's market.   And we would kind of think, our area and I think a lot of areas are really increasing in kind of this idea of farmers market's over the last few years, which is really cool. My kids were really little, we had one farmer's market, like, and so, we would go there once a week. They had to pick out one new vegetable or fruit that they had never tried before, whatever it looks like, right. And if they could get it on a color of the rainbow that was hard to consume, right, there's some colors of the rainbow, like purple, that's not always super easy to necessarily consume outside of grapes, you know, or any plant.   And they're like, Okay, what other purple options are there. And so, if you could find purple cauliflower, right, then that was like, the best thing because you found a color and a new food, maybe that we hadn't tried. Purple potatoes, right, if you could try even if it was like a food that we already had tried, but it was a different color of that food, right carrots, different things like that, that you could have different varieties of color, then that would count as well.   So, that was kind of one way that we and it's works outside of farmers markets are just going to the grocery store going to a different grocery store. And looking Is there anything in the produce section that we haven't tried before. It can be a good place start sometimes you have to like Google what in the world it is. How you write that was like our, we started off like I remember googling, how do you cut a mango, like I didn't even like I did not grow up eating this way. And so, everything was very new.   I didn't know how to eat anything but iceberg lettuce or canned corn as a vegetable. And, you know, learning and so, again, bite sized pieces, right? Easy plus one, my kids do classical, we do a classical model for education.   And I love one of the things they had done when they were little. In their writing was an idea of easy plus one. And I feel like this always applies to almost everything in life.   But nutrition is one of those where I'm like, don't get overwhelmed. Because it took me and my family years to get to where we are. It wasn't like an overnight thing, right?   It's been a 13-year journey for us, which sounds like a lot when you actually like look at what we eat. And you're like, it took us 13 years to change out things. And it's always evolving, because my kids are older.   So, now they're aware of things they weren't aware of when they were little. But easy plus one, right? What do we already have, swap it out for something new.   It doesn't have to be overwhelming.   Laura Dugger: (31:15 - 33:12) I love that easy plus one. And I'm even thinking of all these fresh ideas of how I plan to incorporate this into our homeschool because some of our daughters are interested in going on with culinary arts, and they love being in the kitchen. So, I think that's a great way to involve them.   By now, I hope you've checked out our updated website, thesavvysauce.com so that you can have access to all the additional freebies we are offering, including all of our previous articles, and all of our previous episodes, which now include transcriptions. You will be equipped to have your own practical chats for intentional living when you read all the recommended questions in the articles or gain insight from expert guests and past episodes as you read through the transcriptions. Because many people have shared with us that they want to take notes on previous episodes, or maybe their spouse prefers to read our conversations rather than listen to them or watch them now that we're offering video rather than just audio.   So, we heard all of that. And we now have provided transcripts for all our episodes. Just visit thesavvysauce.com.   All of this is conveniently located under the tab show notes on our website. Happy reading.   But as you're talking about swaps, this is just kind of my personal journey this year.   I feel like God doesn't always give me a word of the year. But this year, I felt like he gave the word nourish, and even added to that as the year went on, nourishing and flourishing. And food is a big piece of that.   But also just tied in with all of this and helping our kids grow up in a healthy environment. What are some other product swaps that would be helpful for things that we're putting on our body, maybe makeup if they're older, or laundry detergent and different things like that.   Emily Johnson: (33:13 - 36:27) Yeah, I would say we I always feel like my encouragement is to start with what goes on your body. Right, sometimes and again, there's always grace. So, sometimes it's like just stop burning the candle in your house.   That's creating actually more toxins, it smells nice. So, anything that smells like fake fragrance is probably not going to be helpful to your system. But I would say that my next favorite is what are we putting on our body?   So, that's shampoos, conditioner, deodorant, lotions, makeup, laundry detergent, right, anything that would be like touching our skin, then the next thing out of that would be, I think there's a lot of fascinating information that has surfaced the last five years of just the importance of undergarments and what it does to the endocrine system. When we're not, you know, putting natural fibers on our skin, we're putting all these synthetic fibers. So, again, it's not like you can financially most of us go out and swap out everything.   And sometimes I still, like my girlfriend, I was just talking like, I kind of miss Tide. I miss the smell of Tide deodorant. Like I haven't used it for years.   But I still like there's something like emotional pride just from childhood that like just feels clean. Even though I know right that it's not. But when you look at all these different chemicals on the body, so, again, when we talk about stress, when we talk about nourishing, right, anything extra that goes on your skin absorbs, right, we forget that it's the largest organ of our body.   And it is absorbing all sorts of chemicals and endocrine disruptors, and creating more stress on our bodies, right, clogging our pores. When you think of that the lymphatic system, the lymphatic system is a huge system within the body that will push toxins around and help drain the body of kind of this overburden of toxic waste. And one of the biggest places, well, the biggest places for lymphatic movement is around your armpits, right?   And what do we do, we put on deodorant, which actually then doesn't allow our arms to sweat and to get that toxin out. And the next part is around the groin. And it's like, okay, what are you putting around the groin?   Are you putting synthetic fibers? Are you putting plastics? Are you putting things, toxins within your laundry detergent, right, that is then creating a disruption, right, the body's trying to release toxins.   And now you're either not letting it sweat it out, or you're actually putting other chemicals in those places where it's going to absorb even more, and make that lymphatic system even more backed up. So, I would say, a home like cleaning supplies and candles and fragrances, those are all really important. But again, if we're starting with absolutely ground zero, I tend to go what's on your skin first, what's touching your skin, moving away from that stuff is super helpful.   There's so many different apps, you know, I we started with, you know, the IW or the Oh, my goodness, I totally blanked on what that is called. The app. Oh, my goodness.   Oh, well, it'll come back.   Laura Dugger: (36:27 - 36:59) Maybe say more about I wonder if one that I've started with a girlfriend of mine, Rachel Allen, actually, her husband was a previous guest on The Savvy Sauce, Chris Allen, but she's very healthy and has been on this health journey for a while. And she showed me the Yuka app, the YUKA, which is great. It's she said, it's not perfect.   It's just helpful. It doesn't tell you if there's seed oils in food. So, that's a bummer.   But with products, if I am out shopping, and I scan a few, it'll tell which is a better option.   Emily Johnson: (37:00 - 37:56) Yeah, so, that's a good one. IWD was the one that we originally started with, you know, 10 years ago. And so, that can be helpful when you just don't know, right?   And you're in the store. And you're like, I always buy this, you know, and you kind of scan it and see what pops up. But that can be helpful.   But I would say in general, again, looking at just reading ingredients, if you can understand the ingredients, and you're like, oh, this is beef tallow, and, you know, some essential oils, and baking soda, right? Like, that's probably okay, you know, versus the like, I don't know these ingredients. These are a long list of ingredients.   And I have no idea how to even pronounce them. So, apps can be helpful. My preference is to encourage us as much as we can, right, to get away from electronics.   And I think that sometimes it's hard when we're like, so, scanning apps can be helpful. But also, just reading ingredients can be helpful.   Laura Dugger: (37:59 - 38:12) That's great. And again, just to kind of jumpstart us, do you have any favorite brands to recommend? Or even on your website?   Is there a place where you talk about swaps that we can link to?   Emily Johnson: (38:13 - 39:44) Yeah, so, on my website, and I'm constantly trying to update this, as best I can, because again, a lot of this started for me almost 13 years ago. And so, so much has changed in 13 years. So, I'm constantly trying to stay up with the new things, because we all know that anytime something becomes a buzzword, all of a sudden, all these companies jump out of the blue.   We're in the world of the and are they good, you know, and so, being able to kind of, obviously, now, there's so much more happening so quickly. So, on my website, I have a blog post that's just like getting started. And that I just keep trying to add to it.   I find books or information or podcasts that I think are helpful in this realm. It kind of breaks it down. Do you want to read a book?   Do you want to listen to a podcast? Do you want to me and some of my girlfriends did like a whole series on different parts of the body and just different things. And like, that's all links there.   So, just whether you want to watch something, read something, listen to something, there's lots of information there. And then on my website, I have lots of different like my favorite things. And those are just some of my favorite products.   There's great products out there just because it's on not on there doesn't mean it's not great. But there's a lot of products that I really used to love, and that they don't make the products either the same that they used to or they have disbanded over the years, right. And so, just because it's not on there doesn't mean it's still a lot of great products.   But I try to update that if I find something I really love, I will try to update those two spots on my website.   Laura Dugger: (39:45 - 39:56) Well, definitely want to link to that in the show notes. But can you give us your website name and just tell more about in general all the work that you do and what you have to offer if we want to follow up after this conversation?   Emily Johnson: (39:56 - 41:56) Yeah, so, my website is mygracioushealing.com. Between my website, I have an email list. But then I also do a lot on social media, Instagram specifically.   So, my handle over there is gracious.healing. Try just to give lots of tips and lots of trying to reclaim some of that social media space to let it be more encouraging and not fear based. But hopefully, try to kind of clue people in on just things that I'm learning and things I see in my clients. I do have a one-on-one practice called gracious healing.   And it is we just work bio individual with, I started off with children, and then I've obviously moved to moms. And now I'm kind of treating most whole families. But I love working with families just because it's sometimes easier because you already know so much history and everything.   But our goal in doing one-on-one nutrition clients is we're looking at lifestyle history, symptoms, we're looking at personality, we're looking at all the ways God created you, and where is their dysfunction on labs? Or, again, we're not thriving, right? Someone might be tired, but what does that mean?   Is it a soul issue, a heart issue, a mental issue? Is it you're not getting enough rest? Do you need more nutrition, that kind of stuff.   So, we look at all of that, and really holistically, and then we break down a road plan, how are we going to get you there, you're in the driver's seat, I'm just trying to help you navigate what nutrition might you need, what kind of steps might you need, in terms of supplementation, diet recommendations, lifestyle pieces. And we kind of address all of that with kind of a game plan of follow ups and what that looks like. My goal is for people to not need me forever.   So, our goal is to help as much as clients want to be discipled and learn all of this, so that then they can get to where they feel they're truly thriving, and then they can run off into the world that God has for them.   Laura Dugger: (41:56 - 42:24) I love that. Thank you for sharing that. And I will definitely link to that in the show notes.   And I just have a couple more questions for you, because I want to make sure, even as you talk about meeting with your clients, and it's very bio individual. So, maybe there's not an answer to this. But is there anything in general, any other health principles or even supplements that you do see, generally speaking, this would be beneficial to everyone?   Anything that we haven't covered yet?   Emily Johnson: (42:25 - 45:21) Yeah, so, I'd say at this point, the only two supplement companies that I feel like can be pretty helpful for most people. One is called Core Formulas. They are just kind of basic, like nothing they're doing is crazy detox, nothing they're doing is like killing anything.   They're just really supporting the body from a nutritional standpoint. So, you're thinking drainage, gut support, and vitamin support. So, they're pretty basic companies, like most people kind of look on their website, determine if that's something that would be helpful for them.   And then the other one would be body bio. So, BodyBio is a great company that focuses specifically on cellular health. And so, you're going to have electrolytes, you're going to have some good kind of fatty acids, right?   When we look at the cell, we need four to one omega six to omega three, a lot of us focus on omega three, because they're just aren't great sources for omega six. And so, they make some really great companies that really look at the cellular level, the mitochondria level, being able their products are really based on that you're not going to have again, crazy detox supplements. So, most people can tolerate at least to a small degree, I always say it's individual, you should always kind of look at who you are, what you have, what your goals are.   Because again, sometimes I think we hear things and we're like, oh, this is the roadmap, I need to detox, I need to liver do a liver blast, I need to do all these things. And that may not be true, right. And so, the ability in this day and age to just be able to chew and spit right, like what information is helpful, spit out what's not, and then maybe tuck away in my brain what might be helpful down the road.   Yeah, I think that those companies are the only companies I ever feel confident being like, most people would benefit from kind of playing around with those products. Yep, I don't think I think everything we talked about just feels super fundamental and foundational. I think encouraging people to really know where they're not thriving and to be really honest and raw with themselves as to what they are, what God has for them and where they're maybe not stewarding or operating fully right with the knowledge they have in those places. I think can be really helpful.   It's kind of like going on a trip without a destination, right? Like you're just kind of wandering. And I feel like this stuff is so beautiful and so wonderful to incorporate in our lives.   But if we don't actually have a picture of what we're trying to achieve in the process, I feel like we kind of just get tossed around. And so, while this stuff is all wonderful and the nutrition and focusing on I think if we don't really know where we're trying to go with it, then it can just get really muddied.   Laura Dugger: (45:22 - 46:11) I think that's so good to talk about purpose and be aware. And I love this conversation how you've incorporated for us as the parent, but also for our children. And I will link to one other episode as well with Dr. Charles Fay, where he talks about raising emotionally healthy and mentally healthy children. He wrote a book with Dr. Amen. And in the episode, he just talked about instilling purpose in our children and talking about that, because God does have a purpose for them as well. And so, I love how you're bringing all of this back as you've done so well shining your faith throughout this conversation.   But Emily, you know, we are called The Savvy Sauce, because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, what is your savvy sauce?   Emily Johnson: (46:13 - 46:57) Yeah, you I knew this question was coming. And honestly, I was like, how do I pick just one? So, I think this is what I'm going to say.   Discipline equals freedom. And I have just found for me that kind of that savvy sauce, and it may change that discipline may change over a period of time. But if I can get real honest with what I need to be disciplined in in the moment, it gives me so much freedom for the rest of my day.   And so, being disciplined it used to feel constraining. And now it actually feels like, I don't have to think about right. Decision fatigue is a real thing.   And so, if I can just be disciplined, there's so much freedom that happens in my day with that.   Laura Dugger: (46:57 - 47:32) Wow, I love that so much. And I love how self-control I think of self-discipline as a fruit of the spirit. And that's what I've experienced.   You've cultivated that fruit in your life. And we've gotten to experience the good sweet fruit in this conversation and the abundant life that you're living in the overflow. So, thank you for walking this journey while stewarding all of this well and sharing so generously with each of us.   You are just a delight to spend time with. So, thank you for being my guest.   Emily Johnson: (47:32 - 47:35) Yes, thank you. Oh my goodness, such kind words.   Laura Dugger: (47:36 – 51:19) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

This is Week 2 of our series, More Than Enough.

We're kicking off our brand-new series Treasure & Trust with a message called “When You Live Like God Owns It All.” We live in a world that says, “This is mine.” My job. My money. My time. My life. But what if everything we have actually belongs to Someone else? Join us this Sunday as we discover how seeing God as the true Owner changes the way we live, give, and trust.

We're kicking off our brand-new series Treasure & Trust with a message called “When You Live Like God Owns It All.” We live in a world that says, “This is mine.” My job. My money. My time. My life. But what if everything we have actually belongs to Someone else? Join us this Sunday as we discover how seeing God as the true Owner changes the way we live, give, and trust.

From Sunday, 11/9, CrossLife elder Andy DeBoer delivers the last message in our sermon series through 1 Peter. Chapter 5 closes Peter's letter with practical and spiritual guidance for leaders and all believers. He focuses on what it means to be good shepherds like Christ. And how to persevere in the midst of suffering while being sustained in God's grace.

Pastor Chris Tress | November 9, 2025

Not Everything That Sounds Like God - Comes From God False teachers aren't just outside the church—they're inside it. Many wear the mask of biblical truth while quietly twisting Scripture to fit their own agendas. Leaders like Kenneth Copeland, Andy Stanley, Paula Whitea, and many others present messages that sound spiritual but deviate from the clear teachings of God's Word. In this powerful episode, Dr. Walt Swaim exposes how these modern voices deceive countless believers with half-truths and emotional manipulation. Drawing directly from Scripture, he reveals the biblical guidelines to identify false teachers and protect your heart and faith from their influence. Learn how to discern truth from deception and how to stand firm in sound doctrine. The Bible gives us the tools—Dr. Walt helps you use them. Audio only and video: https://truthunbound.podbean.com/  Truth Unbound website: https://truthunbound.org/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruthUnbound  YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TruthUnboundMinistries  Info@TruthUnbound.org https://lbu.edu

Not Everything That Sounds Like God - Comes From God False teachers aren't just outside the church—they're inside it. Many wear the mask of biblical truth while quietly twisting Scripture to fit their own agendas. Leaders like Kenneth Copeland, Andy Stanley, Paula Whitea, and many others present messages that sound spiritual but deviate from the clear teachings of God's Word. In this powerful episode, Dr. Walt Swaim exposes how these modern voices deceive countless believers with half-truths and emotional manipulation. Drawing directly from Scripture, he reveals the biblical guidelines to identify false teachers and protect your heart and faith from their influence. Learn how to discern truth from deception and how to stand firm in sound doctrine. The Bible gives us the tools—Dr. Walt helps you use them. Audio only and video: https://truthunbound.podbean.com/  Truth Unbound website: https://truthunbound.org/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruthUnbound  YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TruthUnboundMinistries  Info@TruthUnbound.org https://lbu.edu

Myron Golden joins Kap Chatfield to expose the lie that poverty equals holiness. He reveals how Kingdom wisdom creates wealth, why obedience attracts abundance, and how faith and finances were never meant to be enemies.God's not against wealth , He's against idolatry.Learn how to prosper with purpose and live Rich Like God.

Subscribe to this new meditation channel on YouTube, 11TH STEP CHANNEL.In this episode, I talk about spiritual arrogance...and the only thing worth practicing. Get my new book on Amazon! "JUST FOR YESTERDAY"and THE SARCASTIC BIG BOOK, etc..Follow me on Instagram 

Become a Spiritual Mentor!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Today's transcript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We depend on donations from exceptional listeners like you. To donate, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Rosary Meditations is now an app! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for more info.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To find out more about The Movement and enroll: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.schooloffaith.com/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Prayer requests⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe by email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download our app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In a church full of flawed people, forgiveness isn't optional—it's essential. Walk through Ephesians 4 and discover why forgiveness is the most God-like thing you can do and how it keeps the body of Christ united.

Ever felt like your entire business depends on your hustle, your content calendar, or the algorithm? On this episode of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast, I'm bringing you business coach and digital marketer Natania of Natania Creates to share a truth every entrepreneur needs to hear: your business is sustained by God, not your grind.Natania gets real about her own forced season of rest after becoming a first-time mom, and how it exposed her wrestle with ambition, identity, and control. She shares scripture-based wisdom that will challenge you to stop eating “the bread of anxious labor” and instead build a business with God at the center. If you've ever struggled with comparison, questioned your pace, or wondered if slowing down will cost you success, this conversation will hit home.You'll hear her talk about:Why hustle can't produce the peace or success you're chasingHow to avoid the comparison trap as an online business ownerWhat it practically looks like to build your business with God, not without HimThe surprising truth about rest as a business strategyThis episode is equal parts sermon and strategy packed with both encouragement and tangible steps to help you release the pressure, trust God with your finances, and build something that lasts. Whether you're in a season of uncertainty or riding high on a business win, this one's for you.Links mentioned: - Read the full shownotes: https://elizabethmccravy.com/316 - Follow Natania on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataniacreates- Learn more about Natania: https://nataniacreates.com/- Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram: https://instagram.com/elizabethmccravy   - Sign up for Podcast Success Blueprint: https://elizabethmccravy.com/psb - Take Our Website Quiz (+ Get Free Canva Templates!): https://elizabethmccravy.com/quiz    - Join Booked Out Designer: https://elizabethmccravy.com/bod As you start your biz, you're likely starting subscriptions to things left and right, like Showit, Dubsado or Honeybook, FloDesk, Riverside, and Kajabi just to name a few. To get the best deals on your needed software + easy to understand info about that software and if it's right for you, head to https://elizabethmccravy.com/tools (This page does use affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission!) Need some extra pages to improve or add onto your Showit website, BUT you're not in the market for an entirely new template? You need my Add On Templates for Showit! You'll find add ons like speaker pages, podcast pages, quiz lead magnets, favorite things pages, Link in Bio pages, and more.Use the code “BBPOD”to save 15% on your add on or full site template for a limited time: https://elizabethmccravy.com/shop Over my 9 years of business, I have learned some financial skills the hard way and a few years ago, I developed an an 8 step process I go through at the end of each month. This process helps me know how my business is doing financially, pay myself well and allocate money for things like taxes and expenses. And, it's yours for FREE at https://elizabethmccravy.com/profit