Podcasts about philippians

Throughout history, whenever society falls into greater immorality and the tides of violence and hatred rise, God responds in remarkable ways. Chip wraps up his study in Philippians chapter 2 in this program with this astonishing revelation. Join us to learn about the life-changing work God is doing worldwide, and the passionate men and women He is looking for to join Him in His work.God is always shopping… What is He looking for?Ezekiel 22:30-312 Chronicles 16:9Question: Why does God use some people and not others?The answer: Philippians 2:19-30Paul CARES! -Philippians 2:19Timothy CARES! -Philippians 2:20-24Epaphroditus CARES! -Philippians 2:25-30Summary: Timothy and Epaphroditus exemplify the kind of person God uses to fulfill His purposes on Earth.4 things God is looking for:Do you have a SERVANT'S heart?Are you WILLING and AVAILABLE?Are you FAITHFUL in the assignments God gives you?Are you LOYAL and TEACHABLE?Broadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Throughout history, whenever society falls into greater immorality and the tides of violence and hatred rise, God responds in remarkable ways. Chip wraps up his study in Philippians chapter 2 in this program with this astonishing revelation. Join us to learn about the life-changing work God is doing worldwide, and the passionate men and women He is looking for to join Him in His work.God is always shopping… What is He looking for?Ezekiel 22:30-312 Chronicles 16:9Question: Why does God use some people and not others?The answer: Philippians 2:19-30Paul CARES! -Philippians 2:19Timothy CARES! -Philippians 2:20-24Epaphroditus CARES! -Philippians 2:25-30Summary: Timothy and Epaphroditus exemplify the kind of person God uses to fulfill His purposes on Earth.4 things God is looking for:Do you have a SERVANT'S heart?Are you WILLING and AVAILABLE?Are you FAITHFUL in the assignments God gives you?Are you LOYAL and TEACHABLE?Broadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Welcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we do a deep dive on the book of Philippians with Nate Pickowicz, the pastor of Harvest Bible Church. Nate walks us through the context of Philippians, and the life of the author—the apostle Paul—revealing how when we turn to God in the middle of our fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, we can find joy and peace that transcends our circumstances. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Nate Pickowicz Overcoming the Darkness Book of Philippians Interview Quotes: “Paul is writing from a very personal experience, sort of an authoritative experience. He’s in prison writing about joy, this is something very near and dear to his heart.” - Nate Pickowicz “Even though [Paul’s] uncomfortable, even though he’s probably not where he wants to be, he’s not happy about where he is in prison, he has this transcendent view of his suffering that actually gives hope and gives an element of joy, because he knows that the gospel of Jesus Christ is going out because of that.” - Nate Pickowicz “Regardless of our circumstances, not only can we find joy in the midst of trouble, we can actually find a purpose for our suffering that God is using to accomplish His end.” - Nate Pickowicz “Paul connects these two worlds: he connects the experience of anxiety and worry and fear about the future, and he pairs it with thanksgiving and contentment and rejoicing.” - Nate Pickowicz “Once you recognize that everything that’s good comes from God, suddenly you realize that, If I’m anxious or worried, what might I need from the Lord? I can actually just turn to Him.” - Nate Pickowicz “Learning to become thankful becomes an antidote to anxiety and worry and fear and discontent. Being grateful to God for what He’s given changes the entire focus of our hearts.” - Nate Pickowicz ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

“I know how to abound.” — Philippians 4:12 There are many who know “how to be abased” who have not learned “how to abound.” When they are set upon the top of a pinnacle their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall. The Christian far oftener disgraces his profession in prosperity than in […]

Today's Promise: Philippians 4:13 Feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges? In this episode, we explore the powerful promise of Philippians 4:13 and what it truly means to live in the strength of Christ.   The Apostle Paul wrote these words from a place of hardship, imprisonment, and uncertainty, yet his confidence in Christ never wavered. You'll be reminded that God does not call you to face struggles alone. He empowers you to overcome them.   Whether you're climbing a difficult hill, facing discouragement, or stepping into a calling that feels bigger than your ability, this episode will help you refocus on the source of your strength. Through biblical insight, practical encouragement, and spoken confessions of faith, you'll be inspired to trust Christ's power working within you. No challenge is greater than the strength He provides. Discover renewed courage to keep going today. Be encouraged to stand firm, persevere in faith, and depend on Jesus daily for victory.

The Super Bowl halftime show sparked outrage, but Jase, Al, and Zach argue that reaction misses the real issue. Using Bad Bunny's performance and TPUSA's alternate halftime featuring Kid Rock as a contrast, they cover why cultural moments like this reveal a deeper spiritual battle.  Plus, Jase makes the case that when it comes to lasting hope, the Easter Bunny is still the better bunny anyway. In this episode: Matthew 4, verses 1–11; Genesis 9, verse 6; Jeremiah 32, verses 6–15; Daniel 7, verses 13–14, 23–27; John 14, verse 30; John 16, verse 11; 2 Corinthians 4, verses 3–6, 16–18; Ephesians 6, verse 12; Hebrews 2, verses 5–9; Revelation 1, verses 4–7; Revelation 5, verses 1–14; Revelation 22, verses 1–5; Philippians 2, verses 9–11 “Unashamed” Episode 1265 is sponsored by: https://trustandwill.com/unashamed — Get 20% off and protect your legacy today! https://cozyearth.com/unashamed — Get up to 20% off when you use our link or code UNASHAMED! ⁠https://shopmando.com ⁠— Get 20% off + free shipping with promo code Unashamed! ⁠Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/UNASHAMED. ⁠http://unashamedforhillsdale.com — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Chapters: 00:00 Super Bowl Monday & Going Off the Grid 06:12 Kids, Phones, & Culture's Quiet Training 11:08 Why the Halftime Show Isn't Neutral Anymore 16:34 Outrage Fatigue & a Divided Country 22:10 The Battle We Don't See 28:04 Satan's Authority & Where It Ends 34:46 Jesus, Redemption, & Taking the Land Back 42:18 Why the Kingdom Can't Be Shaken 50:06 Bad Bunny, the Easter Bunny, & Who Wins Thumbnail photo of Bad Bunny: © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Adapted from original | Via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bad_Bunny_2019_by_Glenn_Francis.jpg — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a huge tension between God's sovereignty and our free will. Join Chip as he wrestles with this tension and finds answers in Philippians, Chapter 2, to the question: How do we "work out" what God has already "worked in"?Two critical questionsWhat can we expect from God?What does God expect from us?Church history: Two views concerning God's expectationsJ. CALVINJ. ARMINUSGod's Word rejects both extremes and hold God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in “biblical tension” and balance.Man's responsibility -Philippians 2:12God's sovereignty -Philippians 2:13How do we “work out” what God has “worked in”?The command: Be a GRATEFUL servant! -Philippians 2:14The purpose: Be a GODLY servant! -Philippians 2:15aThe result: Be a BOLD servant! -Philippians 2:15b-16aThe motive: Be a JOYFUL servant! -Philippians 16b-18Broadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Daily World Living from our heavenly identity invites believers to shift from striving to become someone in Christ to confidently living from who they already are in him. Rooted in Colossians 3:1-3, the message emphasizes that our true identity is established through resurrection with Christ, not through effort, performance, or earning. Apostle Paul reminds us that because we have been raised with Christ, our focus and mindset are to be set on heavenly realities rather than earthly distractions. Our old life has died, and our true life is now hidden securely with Christ in God.  __________ Colossians 3:1–3 ESV, 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV, Matthew 6:33 ESV, Romans 12:2 ESV, Galatians 2:20 ESV, Psalm 91:1 ESV, Philippians 3:20 ESV __________ Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com Leave a Comment: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/comments __________    

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Leviticus 10-12; Acts 16 Click HERE to give! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible podcast! On this episode, recorded February 9th, 2024, your host Hunter continues guiding us through our Bible reading journey—today marking day 40. We dive into Leviticus chapters 10 through 12 and Acts 16, exploring stories of tradition, holiness, and transformation. Hunter reflects on the tale of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, and their "strange fire"—a warning against trying to manipulate God and a reminder of the dangers of seeking control. Drawing parallels to the book of Acts, Hunter compares this to moments where others attempted to wield power for their own gain, and contrasts it with the fire of the Holy Spirit, a gift that brings true life, healing, and joy when simply received in faith. Throughout the episode, listeners are invited to pause, pray, and reflect on the words of Scripture, joining Hunter in prayers for encouragement, peace, and unity. The podcast is a vibrant mix of daily readings, thoughtful spiritual commentary, and heartfelt prayers, all anchored in the hope that we are deeply loved and called to live empowered by God's Spirit. Stay with us as we journey together—reading, praying, and letting God's joy be our strength. TODAY'S DEVOTION: We all struggle with the desire to manipulate and control, to offer our own strange fire, if you will. Tragically, it consumes us too. But there's a kind of fire that doesn't consume and kill. That's the fire that we see in the Holy Spirit. This is a fire that comes to dwell with us. In Acts 2, we see the Holy Spirit descend in tongues of fire. This is a fire that is bestowed on us and received. It's not manipulated. It's given to us, not through our own effort or designs. Instead, it descends on us. It's a gift from heaven. How do we become carriers of this fire of life? Paul and Silas tell the Philippian jailer, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you'll be saved along with everyone in your household." It seems like all of us in some way or another want to work with strange fire and gain control. It's no different now than it was then. The slave owners in Acts 16 have a girl that tells the future—this is a strange fire. The political leaders in town wanted to pacify the mob—they're playing with strange fire. The jailer drew his sword to kill himself for fear of his own execution—this, too, is a kind of strange fire. Strange fire is all about wanting to control and manipulate to ensure our future or to get what we want, whether it's fortune, power, honor. We all want to make strange fire to get these things. Our strategies appear to work for a while, but in the end, like Nadab and Abihu, it doubles back and ends up consuming us in the end. There are two kinds of fire. One is strange and will ultimately consume us. It's fueled by the desire to control, to manipulate. The other kind is the fire of God's presence that's received as a gift. What do we do for that? We believe in the Lord Jesus. We trust in him. We say yes to him. We say yes to his life. We give up control. We give up on our need to coerce. This is a life-giving fire that dwells within us, entirely bestowed upon us by his grace. It does not consume. It does not kill. Instead, it purifies us, heals us, and offers us his life. It creates within us something new, and offers us true riches, true power, true honor. And all these things are a gift. It is the holy fire of God in us. Today, you can live and walk in the reality of the fire that comes down from heaven. It is your life—the Holy Spirit, Christ in you. This gift has been bestowed upon you. Live in this fire today. Abide in it, not trying to control and conjure up things, but simply resting and receiving Christ's life. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, and my daughters, and my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Special Patreon Release: Emotionally Healthy Familial Relationships with Cherilyn Orr   "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4b (KJV)   *Transcription Below*   Cherilyn Orr is passionate about helping parents, teachers, and guardians raise emotionally healthy and resilient children. She has worked with families and educators in North America, Europe, and Africa to help them build safe schools, homes, and communities where children can flourish. The Stoplight Approach that she developed was born out of her experiences as an educator, a foster mom, and a mom to seven through birth and adoption, and it combines biblical truths with the latest brain science. Connect with her on her Website, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.   Topics and Questions We Cover: What are a few helpful tips for us to understand brain science 101? How can we repair the relationship when we don't disciple and discipline from our Green zone? Within the stoplight approach, can you provide some examples of how we can calm a red-rooted misbehavior?   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and The Savvy Sauce Charities (and donate online here)   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   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: (0:09 - 2:07) 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.   I want to say a huge thank you to today's sponsors for this episode, Chick-fil-A East Peoria and Savvy Sauce Charities.   Are you interested in a free college education for you or someone you know? Stay tuned for details coming later in this episode from today's sponsor, Chick-fil-A East Peoria. You can also visit their website today at Chick-fil-A.com/EastPeoria.   If you've been with us long, you know this podcast is only one piece of our nonprofit, which is the Savvy Sauce Charities. Don't miss out on our other resources. We have questions and content to inspire you to have your own practical chats for intentional living.   And I also hope you don't miss out on the opportunity to financially support us through your tax-deductible donations. All this information can be found on our recently updated website, TheSavvySauce.com.   Cherilyn Orr is my guest today. She is kind and humble and a woman who's passionate about helping parents, teachers, and guardians raise emotionally healthy and resilient children. She's going to share how she combines biblical truths with the latest brain science to build healthy relationships in the family. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Cherilyn.   Cherilyn Orr: (2:07 - 2:08) Thank you. I'm really happy to join you today.   Laura Dugger: (2:08 - 2:10) And will you start by just giving us a snapshot of your life right now?   Cherilyn Orr: (2:08 - 3:11) Yes, I am actually talking to you from Athens, Greece. That is where our family resides right now. And we've been here for the last few years. And before that, we lived in Uganda and Africa.   I have seven children and my oldest is now a mom herself. And she just gave birth a couple months ago to a preemie little baby. And I am so excited because now I have entered the world of grandparenthood.   But I'm also in the throes of life with a 12-year-old, a 14-year-old, and a 17-year-old. And I have a university student living at home. My next son is 21, and he's also living at home, going to university. So those are my four at home.   I have one in Canada, working there. And I have two that are married. One that lives in Africa with his wife, and they're working there. And another one with my grandbaby that's living here in Greece, working with the church here.   Laura Dugger: (3:12 - 3:19) That is quite a full family and a global family. What has taken you to the different parts of the world?   Cherilyn Orr: (3:20 - 3:44) Well, we are a missional family. But we believe that everybody's called to be a missional and to serve God. And God happens to have taken us to different places.   I've been working with The Stoplight Approach now for a few years now. My husband does leadership training as well. So that's kind of what's taken us around the world. Now that we're in Greece, I'm also involved with refugees as well here.   Laura Dugger: (3:45 - 4:06) Well, we are fortunate to live in a time with access to scientific knowledge about the brain. And it all points back to our brilliant Creator, God. But you make this brain science so simple to comprehend. So, can you just share a few helpful tips for us so that we can understand kind of brain science 101?   Cherilyn Orr: (4:08 - 6:40) Yes, I think for me, it's been a journey. But it came when after we adopted a child and she was having an all-out meltdown. And it would have taken me an hour or so to regroup her.   And it was just amazing. I was with a friend and she is a behavioral consultant. And she said, “Let me.” And this was after we had had her for at least a couple of years at this point. And she just said, “Let me.”   And she got down on the ground where my child was screaming hysterically. And she was able to get her back sitting on her seat, doing what she was supposed to in less than, I don't know, 10 minutes.   And I was shocked because here I am an educator. I have a master's degree. I'm a special needs teacher. I have been working for years with children in different settings around the world. And here I was looking at her doing something that I just didn't know how to do.   It was a huge paradigm shift for me when she said afterwards, I said, “What did you do?”   And she said, “It's by understanding the brain. The brain is like three parts. It's like a stoplight.”   So, she said, if you can think of it that way, as there's that bottom part of your brain, which is that fight, flight, freeze. When you are just only using 50% of your capacity and you just can't hear anybody's perspective.   And then there's that middle part of your brain, which is the limbic system. And she said, you know, that's when you're using 75% or so of your brain capacity. And that's when you're stressed, you're worried, you're anxious, and you're just not at your best.   And then there's your top part of your brain, which is your neocortex, which you are just ready to learn. And you can problem solve and you can think and you are the best version of yourself at that moment.   And she talked to me a little bit about that. And she's just said, this is what's happening in your brain. For me, that was a wow, you know, because it's like understanding the brain is so opposite than anything that I had ever done. And as an educator, I've been trained to control children. I've taken courses on behavior management. And this was just like changing the equation. When you understand the brain, then it changes how you can relate to the child in your care.   Laura Dugger: (6:41 - 7:05) And also, I will just sprinkle in a few little things that I found fascinating in your book. One of your conclusions was that relationships are the biggest factor in brain development and for it to develop in a healthy way. So, is that what you found true throughout the years of our life, that relationships are vital?   Cherilyn Orr: (7:05 - 8:02) It's for everybody. And it needs to start with that relationship. And that relationship has what I would say three pillars, which is safety, which is your red brain. In order to come out of that fight, flight or freeze, you have to feel safe.   And in order to come out of yellow brain, which is your limbic system, you need to feel connected and you need to feel respected. And respect means to be seen, heard and valued. And when you're in that yellow brain state, you don't feel connected. You feel disconnected.   So, in order to get people to green brain, you need to make them feel seen, heard and valued. So, if we want healthy relationships and we want green home, then we need to be able to help our children get to that green brain state. But it starts by making them feel safe and making them feel connected. So, relationship is foundational.   Laura Dugger: (8:02 - 8:24) And you've combined your knowledge of the Bible and all of this brain science to write a book entitled Signals: How Brain Science and the Bible Help Parents Raise Resilient Children. So, will you elaborate now on that Stoplight Approach that you teach and write about?   Cherilyn Orr: (8:27 - 11:10) Well, yes, I am so excited because we just looked at, you know, those three elements, safety, respect and being connected, and then we could teach it. And when we look at the Bible and we say, “How does God view me and how does He work with me?”   I go back to the fact is when God sees me in my mess ups and He sees my anger or my gossip or my addictions or whatever I'm struggling with. He looks at me and He says, “Come to me. I am your safety. I am your refuge.”   He wants us to bring Him our messes. He says, “Come to me just as you are, not as you want to be, not as you should be and not as you could be.” And in that context, He says, “I delight in you. I know you. I know every hair on your head. I know you. I know your name and I love you. You are in the palm of my hand and I delight in you.”   And Zephaniah talks about and He sings over us, not because we've done something, not because we're worthy, because He knows that unless we feel safe and unless we are in that connection and can relationship with them, then He cannot help us to train us and to walk with us and guide us through the process of growing and becoming that healthy person that He desires for us to be.   So, I was so excited when I looked at who God is and how it matches with what brain science is teaching us about red, yellow, green and how we can't teach anybody. It takes 12 to 15 times to teach a child a new skill when they are in green. That same child, that same skill when he's there in red will take 350 to 400 times because that is not the part of the brain where you can do problem solving or critical thinking or even to have empathy for anybody else. That part of the brain can only do rote learning. So, it will take you so long to teach a child when they're in that part of the brain.   And I love it because that obedience is an outflowing of a relationship with us, with God. And when we look at our child, that's what we want is we don't want them to obey us because they fear us, but we want them to obey us because they are connected to us. Just like God wants us to obey Him in that relationship, not because it's the rule and that's what we need to do.   So, I'm so excited to see how that brain science is catching up to who God is.   Laura Dugger: (11:11 - 12:07) Oh, my goodness. That is amazing to also just think of the Lord as obviously our parent and we want to model after Him. Some of this is reminding me there was a previous episode with Dr. Josh and Christy Straub where they were looking at research findings about parenting. And one of them was that it was so important for us to be self-regulated when we're responding to our children. And there's a connection.   So, in your book, I'm just going to read this one quote from page 56. You wrote, “One of the most shocking things I realized as I learned about brain science was that it is impossible to make a child feel loved when the parent is in yellow or red. They feel our stress. They feel our disapproval.” And so, would you like to elaborate on that as well?   Cherilyn Orr: (12:09 - 13:41) Well, we have this thing that we talk a lot about in The Stoplight Approach. We talk about the stoplight starts with me. You cannot give what you don't have.   So many parents will say, “I love my child,” but the child does not feel loved. And when I was doing seminars and training throughout North America, you know, often people say, “We are a yellow society.” And that broke my heart.   We are a yellow society. We're running our kids at five in the morning to this program, to hockey or this or programs late at night. And we're just running.   And I feel like if we are yellow and we are stressed, then there is automatically a disconnect. There's almost like a gate that says, do not enter. You can't go through it unless you are in green.   You're in red, then your whole house turns to red. Mama's in red, everybody's in red. Or if you're in yellow, you'll start to see the children in your care are in yellow.   And I find that in my house. When I start to see my house going to that yellow space, I start to have to do like, what color am I in? If I'm in yellow, then they're going to be in yellow. And you start to see them fighting amongst themselves or bickering or just not cooperating. And there's that tension that comes because they're picking up my yellowness and my stress.   Laura Dugger: (13:42 - 14:04) And so, let's go a little bit further with that scenario. If parents are in a very stressful season and there are quite a few to-do's that have to get done on top of the daily things. If that parent identifies they are in the yellow, maybe in the red, how can they get back to green even in the midst of a crazy time of life?   Cherilyn Orr: (14:06 - 16:26) Well, you know, you don't have to be perfect. You don't have to be a perfect parent. But what science is showing us and it's what God wants from us is that sense of repair. We need to look at how do we repair because that's what our child needs because life is not perfect and we are not perfect. And I am certainly far from being a perfect parent. But how do I repair the damage and how do I connect?   So, we call it fix it, treasure it and change it. So, fix it is: Yes, I am sorry. Mommy yelled at you. I am so sorry I did that. I was in yellow and I was really stressed. Would you forgive me? I love you and you did not deserve me to yell at you. I care about you and I did not handle that appropriately.   And I want you to help me. This is what I've said to my children. I want you to help me when I'm going to red or I'm going to yellow. Just remind me and say, “Mom, you're going to yellow.” And then that can help me to make some changes right then and create that gap so that I'm not reacting. Or maybe I could take a walk or maybe I could get myself back to green.   When I react in that yellow or red brain state, it's not safe for you. It's not safe for others. So, let's work together on this.   And then we can talk about maybe what was happening in our house at that time as well. And maybe how they can help things to go smoother in our house. So that they could take some responsibility in helping because Mommy didn't feel seen, heard and valued. You know, I had asked you five times to do that. So how do we work together to make this house run smoother?   So being red and yellow are not bad things. It's not like you are horrible because you went to red and yellow. It's warning. It's like an alarm going off to say, be careful, be careful.   It's an opportunity to reflect and say, what's not working here? What's the deeper issue here? Yes, maybe I was overtired and maybe I did this. But what else is going on? And I may need to look back on things that maybe are triggering me that are deeper. And maybe things that relate back to my own childhood or how I was raised.   Laura Dugger: (16:26 - 16:52) That makes a lot of sense, that reflection. Because I studied psychology and marriage and family therapy. And we were always taught, name it to tame it. And sometimes that really does help when we can pinpoint and identify and name. What is that trigger? It helps to tame it. And I think the biblical concept is when you share it with somebody else, when you bring it into the light, it does lose a lot of its power.   Cherilyn Orr: (16:53 - 17:46) Definitely. Because if I can say I'm in red, it helps me know what I need to do to get myself back to green. So, if I can start to recognize when my body is starting to get tense, when I'm starting to get stressed, I can say, oh, this is my warning. I need to do this. I need to have a shower. I need to go for a walk. I need to regroup myself so that I'm not reacting to my children in my red brain state. I can get myself back to green first. So, I can create that gap.   So, naming it, that's what I think the success of Stoplight is. It's the common language that says how do we help each other when we are moving to yellow and we are moving to red so that everybody in the family knows that red is not bad, but how do we help that person in their red to get back to green?   Laura Dugger: (17:48 - 17:52) What is the Stoplight Approach to discipline and boundaries?   Cherilyn Orr: (17:54 - 22:32) Well, sometimes people think, oh, is The Stoplight Approach permissive? You know, we just let kids do what they want and let them be in green. If anybody has multiple children, you know that if one child is being self-centered and they're in their own world, it's going to create chaos for the rest of the family.   And so, Stoplight is not about permissiveness. And I think we need to be looking at the word discipline comes from the word disciple, which means to train. If you can kind of get that word discipline, because so often we've mixed that word discipline with punishment. So, it's all about punishing a child, whereas actually discipline is not about punishing. It's about training a child.   And everybody, every child needs boundaries. Boundaries help to keep us safe. They help to keep our family safe. It helps to keep that relationships in a healthy way.   So, we often use that word to look at how do we as parents, we've always got boundaries. Don't run in the road. We want to keep you safe. Don't touch the hot stove because you'll burn yourself. So, we look for ways to keep our child safe, and we look for ways to help them be safe in relationships. Yes, you want that ball, but you don't hit the other child to get the ball. So, what could we do differently?   Proverbs 13:24 is a common phrase that I grew up hearing. It was kind of like the parenting theology of my generation. “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but who loves him diligently disciplines him.”   So that was a verse that I heard a lot in my life. But then as I was studying and looking at brain science and really studying about who is God. And I had to look at what is my image of God? Is He this harsh judge up there that maybe subconsciously I believed? Or is He that loving father like the prodigal son that's waiting for his son? Not to punish him, but to love him and to connect with him. And it says in the New Testament, Jesus says, if you've seen him, you've seen the Father. So, He's a good, good father.   So, then I started to dissect this. What is the rod used for? And it talks about the rod being a comfort and a rod being a sense of protection. And we often hear it used in relationships to sheep. You know, if we're going to keep sheep safe, then we need the rod. That shepherd used a rod to protect his sheep from wild animals. So, as we look at that word rod, it's a protection tool.   So, we take apart that and then hates his son. I think, wow, a parent that does not protect their child or teaches their child to be aware of the dangers in this world. So, as a young child, you're protecting them and teaching them to make safe choices. And then as they get older, you still have to continually, continually teach them that. And so, when I look at that word rod and hates his son, that would be a neglectful. In my words, a parent who is neglectful to teach.   The second verse talks about diligently. And that reminds me in Deuteronomy, when we're told to teach our children all through the day, when we're walking, when we're sitting, when we're at mealtimes. We should be using our days to continually teach our children and to discipline them, which would be to train them in the way that they should go.   And I look at God as our creator of our brain. And He loves us so very, very much. And He wants the very best for us. And we know that children and human beings do better when they feel better. So how do we connect with our child? How do we protect our children? And how do we take that opportunity to be present with our child?   Those are hard things for a lot of parents these days to be present, to be engaged with them and to look for ways to continually be working with them and protecting them and keeping them safe.   Laura Dugger: (22:33 - 22:58) Wow. And I just want to share one of my favorite takeaways from page 143, where you write “Green rooted misbehavior needs coaching. Yellow roots need connection. And red roots need calming.” So, can you provide some examples with that last one of how we can calm a red rooted misbehavior?   Cherilyn Orr: (23:00 - 27:00) Yes, I certainly can. So, all three of these are so important because we often miss it. I'm going to say that red root, it needs us to speak the red language, speak red brain. And to speak red brain means to stop talking about the problem.   That child does not have capacity to hear you when they are in a red brain state. They need me to be calm. They need me to be in green. And they need me to stop talking. And maybe to only use words that feel safe. You're safe. I'm here. You're safe. I'm here. There's no point in talking to anybody in red brain because they have no capacity to hear.   And then also to be able to go for a walk with your child. Repetitive patterning activities are really helpful. Like for my children, each of my children have, they have a green plan. It's like, what do I do when I'm starting to go to red?   So maybe for one of my children, we have a hammock outside. So, she goes there. These are planned ahead of time when they are in green. These are discussed ahead of time. So, another child will, you know, might listen to music, have a shower, go for a walk. Every single one of us, whether it be an adult or child, should look at what do I need to do to get back to green.   As a parent, when we're looking at green rooted misbehaviors, red rooted misbehaviors and yellow roots misbehaviors, you could have the same issue like two kids fighting. You come around the corner and there you see your two siblings fighting. As a parent, often we go to red immediately. Our brain state goes because it feels threatening. It feels fearful to us. And then we react.   So, I have to take a deep breath myself and I have to say, OK, what brain state is this child in? And sometimes we don't know. So, we can call the children and say, what's going on? Just stopping and asking the question will give us the opportunity to hear what brain state our child is in.   If they happily look it up and say, we were playing Pirates of the Caribbean or something that they had seen on a TV show, then you can say, OK, well, what you're doing is unsafe and somebody is going to get hurt. But they're just acting.   And then if it's a yellow brain state, it's like he pushed me, he touched me. And they're just kind of bickering at each other. They're not really all out fighting. But, you know, you can look at them and say, let's stop and let's make each other feel seen, heard and valued. So, you can work with that child because that child at that point is in yellow brain. And then we can speak yellow brain, which is people don't feel that they're being heard. They don't feel respected. And that's when you can talk about what other things that they could do instead.   And then, of course, we have red brain when these children are all out to hurt each other. They are mad. So that's when we can go into that red brain and say, OK, both of you need to get back to green. We're not going to talk about this right now. I want you to use your green plan and get yourselves back to green. And then we will talk.   Some children can do that independently and some children need you to do it with them. And sometimes it might be that you just take those two children out and say, we're going to run around the block together.” And it's how do you connect with your child at that particular time and keep them safe and get them moving and get their brain state back up to green before you talk with them.   Laura Dugger: (27:01 - 32:37) And now a brief message from our sponsor. Did you know you can go to college tuition free just by being a team member at Chick-fil-A East Peoria? 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Another way to find it is simply type in donate to the search bar on our website and just click the first picture shown.   We are all about sharing around here, sharing resources, sharing joy, and sharing the good news about Jesus Christ. We ask that you also will share by sharing financially, sharing the Savvy Sauce podcast episodes, and sharing a five-star rating and review. You can also share any of our social media posts on Instagram or Facebook. We are grateful for all of it, and we just love partnering together with you.   Now, back to the show. And then on our side, I love how you also bring in the repair piece. So how can we practically repair the relationship when we don't disciple and discipline from our green zone as the parent?   Cherilyn Orr: (32:38 - 34:39) Yes, I feel like that is, it's really hard to ask your child to do anything that you're not doing because they're not going to actually be able to take that to heart. And if you say to a child, “I want you to say sorry to your sibling,” they're just going to look and go, “Sorry,” and have no meaning whatsoever.   And that's why we've done a lot of apology notes in my home over the years, because it's an opportunity to really sit down and reflect and talk. And we talk about how the card needs to be beautiful because we need to treasure that person. And so, they need to apologize for what they did. They need to talk about why on earth are they even writing this apology note? Why is that person of value? Because they're our sister or they're our brother or they're our friend or they're the teacher or the coach. And they are a part of our community and our family. So, we need to write that apology note to value that person.   And then we talk about what are we going to do next time. So those three points go into every single apology note my kids write: fix it, treasure it, change it. But you cannot do that when the child is in red. You cannot do it when they're in yellow. You need to have them back to green and then we can talk through it. And then they can go and deliver that to that person and then talk about how they can reconcile the situation. But I find that that's a really good reflective piece that I've used over the years.   But as a parent, it's hard to say sorry to your kid. It's easier to jump in and just treasure the child. You know, let's go to the park. Let's do this and just value the child. But then you end up having an insecure relationship because you've never acknowledged the problem. Therefore, you cannot change it. So therefore, you cannot have a healthy reconciliation.   Laura Dugger: (34:40 - 34:57) And how have you seen this Stoplight Approach work across the world? So many different settings with different countries and cultures or families who foster and adapt or even ones raising children with special needs?   Cherilyn Orr: (34:59 - 36:53) Well, the great thing about science is it doesn't change based on where you are in the world and what culture you're in. Every human has a brain, and all human brains function the same way. And all human brains need safety, connection and coaching.   So that's been the exciting part about understanding brain science. So, you know, even when I work in Africa, I'll say to people when I get malaria, do they give me a different medication because I'm from Canada or do they give me the same as you? And everybody says, of course, malaria is malaria. You know, it's because of science.   And I love that whole element of science that our brains are made the same. It doesn't matter what culture you're in and it doesn't matter what special needs you have. If I see a child and they're under the table and they're holding their ears, I might not know that child at all. But I know that that child is in red brain. I don't have to know if they're special needs. I don't have to know anything else. I can immediately diagnose what brain state that child is in. And then I can work at creating safety for that child. And connecting with that child. And then we can find out how do we move that child and work with that child, whatever their needs are.   And I have four adopted children, and I have fostered many children. In the process of doing that, I have recognized that every child needs to feel safe, connected, and then we can train them. So, it's like changing the equation for how we work with the children. But it works for all people. So, I don't have to have a different philosophy of parenting for my adopted child or my foster child or my biological children. Does that make sense?   Laura Dugger: (36:53 - 37:03) Yes, absolutely. And to personalize it, how has The Stoplight Approach then worked in your life and with you and your husband raising your own children?   Cherilyn Orr: (37:05 - 41:32) I just love the fact that it's a common language. So, I can give you an example of one day there was company coming and I was really stressed. And it seemed like everywhere I looked; every room was a disaster. You know, I had teenagers who were cooking and making themselves food and it was a mess. I had children that had used the bathroom and made a mess all through the bathroom. And then I had toys everywhere and sheets being made into forts. And I had company showing up.   And so, I was going into to Red Brain and I started going, “Who did this? What did you do? Who left this here? Who made this mess?” And one of my kids went and says, “Dad, mom's going to Red.” And that wasn't a judgment. That was like, this is a fact. We need your help here.   And so, dad comes along and he says, he puts his hand on my shoulder and he says, “You're going to Red.” He says, “Why don't you go for a walk? I'll do zone cleanup with the kids because I'm in green. And you can come back in 20 minutes and then you can do all the final tidy up before the kids come. And then that we could greet the company and green.”   So, it just becomes that common language of understanding. And he knew my need at that time. I was feeling unsafe because the house was a disaster. And my brain just was it's a brain issue, right? It's not a behavior issue. But then it was like, how do we support mom in this moment? And then I came back 20 minutes later and did the final little cleanups, and we were able to greet the company in green.   So, there's an example of using the common language as a way to help others in our family know what brain state you're in to support one another. And to be able to identify and connect.   I mean, I could give you tons of examples, even from the smallest child. They start to understand. “He made me go to red” or “I'm in red now.” So, then it's like, OK, so what do we need to do? How do we do this?   I mean, there's been days when all of a sudden I hear everybody kind of not doing too great. And I get them all to sit at the table. And I said, “So what color is our home right now?” And somebody say red. Somebody else says yellow. Then you're saying, “OK, but what kind of home do we want to have?” And they'll say green. So, what do we need to do to get it to green?   So, I think there's there's many, many different ways. But I think it's that common language that even the small child that's two and three can start to learn when they're in red or we can start to use it to teach empathy. When you did that to your sibling, what color did we make him? He didn't feel seen, heard and valued.   Just a few weeks ago, my daughter. Here's here's a recent example. We've had a refugee staying with us for a couple of years, a little girl, and she was about three. All of a sudden there was this blood curdling screaming, you know, just screaming. And I come around the corner going, “What's going on?” And my 12-year-old, very responsible, is holding scissors. She's running with scissors.   And so, my 12-year-old here was a chance to talk. And I said, “OK, so when you took her scissors away, she did not feel seen, heard and valued. Because when you took them away from her, you didn't actually speak to her. So, you need to get down on your knees, and you need to look at her and say, what did you want the scissors for? And we need to teach her. Where do we have scissors? How do we use them?”   So, she was being responsible to keep her safe. But she didn't make her feel seen, heard and valued and listen to her and say, “Oh, you want to cut your hair. Oh, only mommy cuts hair. You can't cut your hair, but we could use our scissors at the table.” So, using red, yellow and green helps to give incredible opportunities to teach empathy and to look at themselves, self-awareness and how to grow and take responsibility.   Laura Dugger: (41:34 - 42:06) And I love how you talk about this common language in such a proactive way with our children, with our families. So that when we are in red, we've got a path and a plan to get back to green. And we've got some tips for repair.   So, when we go to the proactive side and kind of tie this back into the beginning, when we talked about relationships are the foundation for brain health and development. What are some ways to securely attach with our children during different ages and stages?   Cherilyn Orr: (42:08 - 45:54) I think it comes back to being intentional. I often think of it as the 5-10-5 rule. Five minutes in the morning, five minutes in the evening and five minutes before they go to bed at night. It's that opportunity to stop what you're doing and to just focus in intentionally connecting with my child.   It's not easy. It's not easy. But it's how do I connect first thing in the morning when that child has been disconnected from me all night long? How do I connect with them first thing in the morning before they start their day? And then how do I connect with them like after school, before dinner? And how do I hear about what they want to tell me about their day? What part was red? What part was yellow? What kind of day they had?   One of my kids goes, “It was lime green.” And I'm like, “Okay, so how did that happen?”   “Well, I was in green and then I lost my backpack. So, I went to yellow, but then the teacher helped me find it. So, then I went back to green.” So that's how she described her day.   And then you have that connecting before they go to bed at night. That's just like, I see you, I know you, I hear you.   And so that can look differently according to different ages and stages of life. But I think holding that 5-10-5 is a good principle. And there are so many of my children that that 5-10-5 happens in hours and hours. Because they are children that demand my attention. And they are there and they are wanting that continual attention. So, some kids it happens more naturally too.   And then there are some children, and especially as they start getting older, it's a lot more challenging to be able to find that 5-10-5. And that doesn't mean in the busyness of the dinner table or in chore times. But it's about trying to connect with them and say, “I hear you. Tell me about your life. And where are you at?” Or just really just having fun with them. And just connecting to them and laughing with them and playing a game with them as well. Or going for a walk. We do a lot of that.   And with teenagers, and especially boys, it was all about the food. I would show up in their room with a milkshake or something else. Or call them out of their rooms to connect with them at different times. So, you have to be creative. It's not about my schedule sometimes. It's about looking at when they are open as well. Especially as you start getting into teenagers.   And I found that one of my teenagers, she'd always like to come and sit on my bed. Just at 11 o'clock at night. Just as I feel like I'm down for the night. And you know that baby is going to start waking up at 6 or 7. And you're just dying to go to sleep. But you know that this is important. She's ready to talk. And so, I need to be available.   Which isn't easy. But also, I think, how do we do that with seven children? Because that's a lot of kids. But my husband and I, we look at dividing and conquering. And then we look at special times. Like daddy time. Or going out with mom. Where I'll take one child to do a chore. Or go shopping. And I think that is really important to think about. How am I intentionally connecting with my child? So, I took a child to Canada recently. And I often will take a different child on different trips that I'm going on.   Laura Dugger: (45:55 - 46:15) Okay, so five minutes right in the morning. Greeting each other. Five minutes before bed. And finding ten minutes of intentional time to connect. Is that one-on-one throughout the day?   Cherilyn Orr: Yes.   Laura Dugger: You've given us so many helpful tips to apply. Is there any other encouragement that you want to make sure that we don't miss out on?   Cherilyn Orr: (46:16 - 47:52) I think when you hear a lot of these stories. First of all, I want you to know that I am not perfect. As a mom, it's a journey. And I don't want you to go away feeling like, I could never do all this. It's a journey one baby step at a time. And I encourage you to get the book. Listen to podcasts. And be able to join that journey. But don't be hard on yourself. And don't feel that sense of guilt and shame. That says, oh my, I messed up. That's okay.   Being able to recognize you messed up is a good thing. And also recognize that you think, oh man, I messed up on my kids. I did all the wrong things. I want to tell you that we all do the best we can with the knowledge that we have. And that's really, really important to know. It's like, this is a journey. And you are doing the best.   I learned all about behavior management. How do I control my child's behavior? And that was how I parented when I started this journey. And it has been a journey to shift into brain science. And to learn as much as I can about the brain science. And how it impacts my child. And to grow and be the parent that God wants me to be. But don't be hard on yourself in that way. That would be my biggest thing is. And to take one baby step. To decide one baby step that you take.   Laura Dugger: (47:52 - 47:57) And where can people find and learn more from you online?   Cherilyn Orr: (47:58 - 48:14) Well, look at the StoplightApproach.org. So that is our website. And you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And you can preorder and sign up for your book (Signals: How Brain Science and the Bible Help Parents Raise Resilient Children). You can get that on Amazon.   Laura Dugger: (48:15 - 48:32) Wonderful. We will add those links to the show notes for today's episode. And Cherilyn, you may know we are called The Savvy Sauce. Because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so is my final question for you today. What is your Savvy Sauce?   Cherilyn Orr: (48:33 - 48:55) I would say that it's not about controlling behavior. It's about connecting with my child. Relationship first rather than behavior first. It's like changing the equation. Relationship is the key. And everything else will flow out of that. And then if you can think of change the brain. Then you'll be able to change the behavior.   Laura Dugger: (48:56 – 49:20) Oh, I love that. That is memorable. And I really appreciate your emphasis on relationship. And it's so helpful to hear your stories of how this has played out over time. And cultures. And how we can now take this common language into our own homes. So, Cherilyn, thank you so much for sharing this research. And your book with us. And thank you for being my guest today.   Cherilyn Orr: (49:21 – 49:23) Thank you for having me.   Laura Dugger: (49:24 – 53:06) 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.

Romans 10:16-17 — What is the Christian's reaction to the gospel? In this sermon from Romans 10:16–17 titled “Faith and Joy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares the first action of a Christian is to obey. There is a difference between people who merely hear the gospel and those who take action from it. Some listen and forget and some listen and do. He declares that this is the primary reaction to the gospel. The secondary reaction is joy. Dr. Lloyd-Jones raises a powerful question: if Christians are supposed to be lights in this world, why are so many caught up in their own problems and gloom? He says that Christians should be the happiest people on earth. He gives examples of some of the most joyous people in the New Testament: the Philippian jailor, the shepherd who found his sheep, and the woman who washed Christ's feet. These are all people who, in different ways, heard the good news and responded appropriately. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that Christians have great cause to rejoice as they have been forgiven of much sin and are promised an eternal inheritance with God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that in light of those joyous New Testament believers, perhaps Christians today should reevaluate their reaction to the gospel and reconsider the life they've been given. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Today we will focus on a very important aspect of human relationships, especially as it applies to marriage: our mental habits. If we look behind the main events of this chapter, we observe a marriage in trouble. Potiphar's wife has grown disloyal and disrespectful toward her husband to the point that she is aggressively pursuing other men. She has fallen into some negative mental habits which will produce greater unhappiness for both of them. Has he earned her contempt? Maybe, but whether he has or hasn't, her response can only make their marriage worse, not better. After observing Potiphar's marriage, we will turn to Philippians 4:6-9 in order to allow Paul to teach us the power of positive mental attitudes on our marriage and other important relationships.

In this message, Pastor Jake continues our series through the book of Revelation, unpacking Revelation 6:12–17 and Revelation 7 to answer a crucial question raised at the end of chapter 6:“For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” (Revelation 6:17)Revelation 7 serves as a powerful interlude between the sixth and seventh seals, revealing:The 144,000 servants of God, sealed on their foreheads (Revelation 7:1–8)A great multitude that no one could count, from “every nation, tribe, people and language” standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9–10)In this sermon, we explore:How the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls each describe the period between Christ's first and second comings from different angles (Revelation 6–8; Revelation 8–11; Revelation 15–16)Why the New Testament describes the entire church age as tribulation, not only a brief period at the end (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 8:18–25)How God's judgment often looks like letting our false refuges fail (Romans 1:24–28; Galatians 6:7–8; Jeremiah 2:13)What it means to be sealed with the seal of the living God (Revelation 7:2–3; Ephesians 1:13–14; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22) in contrast to bearing the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16–18)The symbolic meaning of the 144,000 and why this represents the fullness of God's people, not a limited ethnic subset (Revelation 7:4–8; Revelation 14:1–5)The connection between what John hears (the numbered 144,000) and what he sees (the uncountable multitude), and how both images point to the same redeemed people (Revelation 5:5–6; Revelation 7:4, 9)The contrast between those who hide from the face of God and the Lamb (Revelation 6:15–17) and those who stand before the throne in white robes (Revelation 7:9, 15)How our identity and allegiance—not our social status, politics, or tribal labels—determine whether we stand in the day of judgment (Philippians 3:7–11; Colossians 3:1–4; 1 Peter 2:9–10)We also meditate on the stunning promise given to those who belong to the Lamb:“Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat.For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;He will lead them to springs of living water.And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”(Revelation 7:16–17)If you've ever prayed, “How long, Lord?” (Revelation 6:10; Psalm 13:1–2; Habakkuk 1:2), this message will call you out of hiding and back into your God-given destiny—to follow the Lamb, bear His mark, and stand in His righteousness, not your own (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:1–2; Hebrews 10:19–23).

What if joy wasn't tied to your circumstances—even when facing an uncertain future? In this episode of Seek Go Create, Tim Winders explores the book of Philippians, a letter Paul wrote from prison, overflowing with gratitude and hope despite his chains. Discover the vibrant faith of the early European church, the radical message of finding contentment in any situation, and the urgent anticipation of Christ's return. If you've ever wondered how to anchor your joy beyond life's ups and downs, this is an episode you won't want to miss."Joy isn't tied to circumstances. It's anchored in Christ and it has teeth." - Tim WindersAccess all show and episode resources HEREEpisode Resources:NT90 Hub – This is the central website for the 90-day New Testament reading plan, with downloadable, printable plans, background information, and links to all episodes and resources.Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction to Philippians00:49 Context and Background of Philippians01:53 Historical Significance of Philippi02:54 Paul's Message to the Philippians05:55 Key Themes and Verses08:31 Warnings and Exhortations10:14 Final Thoughts and Reading Assignment11:20 Setting the Scene for the Letter

In this thought-provoking episode, we dive deep into the essence of who Jesus is and what it means to truly embrace His identity as the King. If you've ever felt disillusioned or disconnected from the concept of faith, this episode is for you. Join us as we explore the idea that many people have been introduced to a version of Jesus that doesn't align with the original teachings of the New Testament. We discuss how the translation of key terms, like "Christ," has shaped our understanding and often reduced Jesus to mere functions rather than recognizing Him as the Anointed One and King. Throughout the episode, we emphasize the importance of understanding Jesus' primary purpose—not just as a sin forgiver or comforter, but as the one who came to reign and establish God's final kingdom. We unpack various scriptures from the Gospels that highlight this kingdom theology and challenge listeners to reconsider their beliefs and how they engage with the world around them. Whether you're a long-time follower of Jesus or someone exploring faith for the first time, this episode invites you to rethink your perspective and consider the profound implications of Jesus as King in your life today. Topics Covered: -The true identity of Jesus as King -The impact of translation on our understanding of Jesus -The significance of kingdom theology in the New Testament -How to live out the principles of Jesus' kingdom in our daily lives Read along with our chosen scripture: Matthew 1:1, 18; 6:10, 33; Mark 1:14–15; 14:61–62, 64; Luke 1:32–33; John 1:41, 49; 20:30–31; Philippians 2:10–11 The Main Idea: The term "Christ" was originally a royal title meaning "Anointed One" or “King,” not a name. And the message of the Gospel is not just about personal salvation, but about aligning with the reign of Jesus as King. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are an alternative to church as usual. Our Sunday worship service is approximately a 75-minute experience designed to introduce people to the message of Jesus and equip believers to live their lives in response to the Gospel while their kids enjoy one of our safe children's environments. Centerpoint is designed to meet you wherever you are on the journey whether you are just checking out the "church thing" or you are a committed Christ follower. Centerpoint is a casual environment that combines today's music with creative media and relevant teaching. We hope you will visit us at Centerpoint Church regardless of what your past church experience has looked like.

Sunday Sermon from the book of Philippians from John Bourgeois on February 8, 2026. Our hope for you is that you will know, love, and follow Jesus Christ -- leading to personal transformation, intimate community, and a life of radical mission. You are always welcome to join us for worship at West End Community Church.For more info, please visit the WECC website at westendcc.org

All relationships take work. Whether in the church or outside the church—in marriages and families, and between friends, co-workers, and neighbors—wherever you have two sinners, you have the potential for disagreement and conflict. Our human default is selfishness which leads to division. But in Philippians 2, Paul tells us that unity comes from humility, and humility comes from following the example of Christ. Follow along in today's study as we look at Christ's example to encourage us to walk in His humility.

Jesus had everything but gave it up, coming down from heaven to reach us. Paul urges Christ-followers to do the same—giving up position, power, and comfort to reach more with the Gospel. Paul depicts greatness not as upward movement, but downward. Philippians 2:1-11 Speaker: Lucas DeVries

Spiritual growth was never meant to be a solo pursuit. In Philippians 3, Paul reminds us that maturity isn't arriving—it's pressing on together because Jesus has already taken hold of us. Real joy is sustained not by willpower, but by a community that stands firm in the Lord.Check out the sermon on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or bridge.tv/sermons.To support this ministry and help us continue our God given mission, click here: http://bit.ly/2NZkdrC Support the show

Philippians 2:5 In your relationships with one another have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!Trust: A FEELING of security or confidence in another person.Your feelings of trust don't come from just what you KNOW, but rather from what you decide to THINK about what you know.Your “Trust Picture” (what you think of others) is NOT necessarily the same as who they ARE.Judges 16:6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”You don't trust someone based on what they SAY. You trust someone based on their ACTIONS.While “blind love” can be DEVASTATING in dating, it can actually be an ASSET in a marriage.WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR SPOUSE: Do you focus on all the POSITIVES or NEGATIVES?I Corinthians 13:7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.I Peter 5:8 NLT Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.I Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.HOW DO YOU REBUILD TRUST?1. Realize TRUST and FORGIVENESS are not the same.With a deep break in trust, spouses often WITHHOLD FORGIVENESS because they think it means they must immediately TRUST AGAIN.That's not true, and it damages the rebuilding process. FORGIVE!FOR THE SPOUSE WHO HAS BROKEN TRUST:1. It's likely you're going to want things to get back to “NORMAL” before your spouse is ready.2. You'll often want trust to be given without SIGNIFICANTCHANGES to the relationship.WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR SPOUSE YOUNEED 2 THINGS: They need more TIME—and more TRANSPARENCYRomans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.SINGLE:- Spend TIME evaluating if you can really trust someone. Don't just listen to someone's WORDS, you watch their ACTIONS.MARRIED (without a big break in trust): - Begin the habit of always ASSUMING THE BEST about your spouse.MARRIED (with a big break in trust):- FORGIVE- Begin the process of REBUILDING TRUST.

Sometimes a bit of wisdom drops in when we least expect it. That happened recently as I was reading an article about American football player Travis Kelce. A frustrated coach once told him, “Everybody you meet in this world is either a fountain or a drain.” You can probably figure out which one Kelce was being! Perhaps all of us have a bit of both elements in us. But at any given moment, we’re likely behaving one way or the other. And our call to follow Jesus means becoming more fountain, less drain. I hear a similar idea in Philippians 2, where Paul challenges us to imitate Jesus’ humility and focus on others. Paul contrasts what drains life from others with what fills them up: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others” (vv. 3-4). A bit later in this chapter, he adds bluntly, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing” (v. 14). What does it look like to be a drain? Being self-focused and arrogant; complaining and arguing. And being a fountain? Paul says of Timothy, “I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare” (v. 20). Are we being more like a fountain or a drain? That’s a question worth pondering as we seek to bless others.

In our pursuit of greatness in God's eyes, we tend to imagine following Jesus into ever-increasing, upward levels of maturity. In this program, Chip poses the fascinating premise that we actually follow Jesus, descending into greatness.The quest for greatness = UNIVERSAL!How do we measure greatness?Power = Who and what we controlPossessions = What and how much we ownPosition = Our rank in the pecking orderPrestige = Who and how many “look up” to usProductivity = What and how much we accomplishHow do we obtain greatness?Two pathways to greatness:ASCENDINGDESCENDINGTrue greatness defined = Philippians 2:3-4How do you experience true greatness?One word = HUMILITYHumility is the channel through which the supernatural power of God's love flows to heal our deepest hurts and restore our most important relationships.Following Jesus into greatness - How to be authentically humble:Humility flows from a specific “mindset”. -Philippians 2:5We achieve true greatness when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward power and possessions. -Philippians 2:6We become truly great when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward position and prestige. -Philippians 2:7We become truly great when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward productivity. -Philippians 2:8We experience the REWARD of true greatness when we follow Christ's example of servanthood. -Philippians 2:9-11Conclusion: God wants you to be great!The acid test of greatness = LOVEThe road to greatness = HUMILITYThe opportunity for greatness = SERVINGBroadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Scripture tells us those who love God are those who obey His commands. Chip poses two critical questions when we talk about obedience: What can we expect from God? and What does God expect from us? Join Chip for the answers.Two critical questionsWhat can we expect from God?What does God expect from us?Church history: Two views concerning God's expectationsJ. CALVIN J. ARMINUSGod's Word rejects both extremes and hold God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in “biblical tension” and balance.Man's responsibility -Philippians 2:12God's sovereignty -Philippians 2:13How do we “work out” what God has “worked in”?The command: Be a GRATEFUL servant! -Philippians 2:14The purpose: Be a GODLY servant! -Philippians 2:15aThe result: Be a BOLD servant! -Philippians 2:15b-16aThe motive: Be a JOYFUL servant! -Philippians 16b-18Broadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Obedience is the way God says we show our love for Him. In this message, from Philippians, Chapter 2, Chip explores what our part is in obeying, and what God promises to do for His part. He tells us we approach obedience with built-in expectations and that God has already worked in, what we need to work out.Two critical questionsWhat can we expect from God?What does God expect from us?Church history: Two views concerning God's expectationsJ. CALVIN J. ARMINUSGod's Word rejects both extremes and hold God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in “biblical tension” and balance.Man's responsibility -Philippians 2:12God's sovereignty -Philippians 2:13How do we “work out” what God has “worked in”?The command: Be a GRATEFUL servant! -Philippians 2:14The purpose: Be a GODLY servant! -Philippians 2:15aThe result: Be a BOLD servant! -Philippians 2:15b-16aThe motive: Be a JOYFUL servant! -Philippians 16b-18Broadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

It’s easy to get weighed down by life here—by suffering, distraction, temptation, and the constant pull of what feels urgent or important in the moment. This devotional gently lifts our eyes upward, reminding us that as followers of Christ, this world is not our final destination. Our true citizenship is in heaven. Using the image of citizenship, the reflection invites us to consider how our lives reflect where we truly belong. Our values, choices, habits, and hopes are meant to point beyond the temporary and toward eternity. When our focus drifts too heavily toward earthly desires, it becomes easier to feel discouraged, anxious, or spiritually entangled. Scripture reminds us that Jesus is preparing a place for His people and that one day, everything broken will be made right. Even now, while we live on earth, God is at work sanctifying us—shaping us to look more like Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. This process of transformation is not wasted; it’s leading us home. When the world feels dark or overwhelming, fixing our gaze on our heavenly home restores perspective and hope. We are not just surviving here—we are living with purpose, carrying the message of Christ, and waiting with confidence for the return of our King. Main Takeaways Believers live on earth, but their true citizenship is in heaven. Eternal perspective helps guard our hearts against worldly distraction and temptation. Sanctification is a daily process that prepares us for eternal glory. Fixing our eyes on heaven brings hope when life feels heavy or dark. Remembering our heavenly home strengthens our obedience and gospel mission. Today’s Bible Verse “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:20-21, ESV). Your Daily Prayer Here is a brief excerpt from today’s prayer: “Help me to have a heavenly perspective… When the world gets dark, help me to fix my eyes on my heavenly home.” You can listen to the prayer here or read the full prayer and devotional at the links below. Looking for more daily encouragement and faith-filled content? LifeAudio – Christian podcasts, devotionals, and prayers at LifeAudio.com Crosswalk – Faith, Bible study, and Christian living resources at Crosswalk.com This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.orgTrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. https://trinitycredit.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Psalm 141:1-9 Psalm 142 Philippians 2:6-11 Romans 11:33-36 Prayer Requests to psp@sqpn.com

The most important thing you can give to another person is the gospel of Jesus Christ. In "God's Bigger Plan," a message from his series on Philippians, Pastor Bayless shares that God is always working on a far bigger plan than we can see. You'll discover from Paul's story of going to Macedonia how it's important to prepare and be fruitful where you're planted. And you'll gain insight into how God opens hearts to hear His truth. Listen and find out how the Holy Spirit wants to use you to fill the longing of hungry hearts!

Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners  Paul's description of how Jesus, even though HE was equal with GOD, did not regard equality with GOD something to be grasped.  Scripture References: Matthew 4:4; Philippians 2:6; Philippians 1:1-2; Acts 16; Philippians  1:3-2:13; Hebrews 1:2-3; Colossians 1:15-20; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 1:27 Scripture translation used is the NASB “Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 1971, 1995, 2020 (only use the last year corresponding to the edition quoted) by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org”CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S NEW PODCAST- The First Love ProjectHere is the video introducing the podcast on You Tube-https://youtu.be/PhFY1moDDmsHERE IS A LINK TO THE YOUTUBE PLAYLIST FOR FIRST LOVE PROJECThttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdaujk1npuKR0BLSkTlKyxmuxavrZQHM6&si=dC10K4Qdh0xMKElU FIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code.  I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain  Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you,  if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z  BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters  in the Holy Bible.  The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals.  Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive    LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING?              CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up.  https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds   Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comSupport the show

In our pursuit of greatness in God's eyes, we tend to imagine following Jesus into ever-increasing, upward levels of maturity. In this program, Chip poses the fascinating premise that we actually follow Jesus, descending into greatness.The quest for greatness = UNIVERSAL!How do we measure greatness?Power = Who and what we controlPossessions = What and how much we ownPosition = Our rank in the pecking orderPrestige = Who and how many “look up” to usProductivity = What and how much we accomplishHow do we obtain greatness?Two pathways to greatness:ASCENDINGDESCENDINGTrue greatness defined = Philippians 2:3-4How do you experience true greatness?One word = HUMILITYHumility is the channel through which the supernatural power of God's love flows to heal our deepest hurts and restore our most important relationships.Following Jesus into greatness - How to be authentically humble:Humility flows from a specific “mindset”. -Philippians 2:5We achieve true greatness when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward power and possessions. -Philippians 2:6We become truly great when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward position and prestige. -Philippians 2:7We become truly great when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward productivity. -Philippians 2:8We experience the REWARD of true greatness when we follow Christ's example of servanthood. -Philippians 2:9-11Conclusion: God wants you to be great!The acid test of greatness = LOVEThe road to greatness = HUMILITYThe opportunity for greatness = SERVINGBroadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Financial stress has a way of getting into everything—your sleep, your conversations, your sense of security, and even your peace with God. This devotional opens with an honest picture many people recognize: the cost of living rising, unexpected expenses piling up, and the uneasy feeling that no matter how hard you work or how carefully you plan, you’re still barely getting by. When budgets are tight and debt feels heavy, anxiety can hit fast with a single thought: How are we going to recover from this? What makes the situation even more discouraging is when you’ve tried to do the “right” things—avoiding unnecessary spending, saving where you can, and giving faithfully—yet still feel trapped. The devotional doesn’t shame that struggle. Instead, it reminds us that Scripture takes money seriously and speaks to it often, because finances reveal what we trust, what we fear, and what we serve. Philippians 4:19 offers a steady anchor: God promises to meet our needs according to His riches in Christ. That doesn’t mean believers are guaranteed wealth or a problem-free financial life. But it does mean we are not abandoned. God’s provision is real, and He invites us to live with open hands—using money as a tool rather than a master, practicing generosity with joy, and seeking wisdom to steward what He has entrusted to us. In seasons where money is tight, the devotional encourages a posture shift: from panic to prayer, from striving alone to seeking God’s discernment. Faithfulness isn’t just about giving; it’s about honoring God in the way we save, spend, plan, and respond under pressure. When we ask God to show us where to adjust, to build healthier habits, and to trust His care, we begin to experience His guidance and peace—often one practical step at a time. Main Takeaways Financial pressure can stir fear, but God invites us to bring that anxiety to Him. God doesn’t promise prosperity, but He does promise faithful provision for our needs. Scripture calls believers to steward money wisely, not be mastered by it. Generosity and gratitude are part of trusting God, even in uncertain seasons. Asking God for wisdom can lead to practical changes that reduce stress and honor Him. Today’s Bible Verse And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19 Your Daily Prayer Here is a brief excerpt from today’s prayer: “Show us areas where we can improve… Grant us ways to foster healthy habits with our income… as we give, save, and spend wisely.” You can listen to the full prayer here, or read the prayer and devotional at the links below. Want More? Relevant Links & Resources Looking for more daily encouragement and faith-filled content? LifeAudio – Daily devotionals, Christian podcasts, and biblical encouragement at LifeAudio.com Crosswalk – Prayer, faith, and Christian living resources at Crosswalk.com This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.orgTrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. https://trinitycredit.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A new MP3 sermon from Christ Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Carmen Christi | Philippians 2:5-11 | Dr James White Speaker: Dr. James White Broadcaster: Christ Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/1/2026 Bible: Philippians 2:5-11 Length: 37 min.

Overthinking is a quiet struggle many Christian leaders face. It often shows up as excessive analysis, fear of failure, and a deep desire to control outcomes—all of which slowly drain peace and undermine trust in God's sovereignty. In this episode, we examine what the Bible actually says about overthinking and why Scripture consistently calls leaders to trust God rather than rely on their own understanding. Overthinking is not simply “thinking too much”—it is often a form of under-trusting God, where anxiety replaces confidence in His guidance and timing. Rooted in biblical truth, this episode reframes overthinking as a spiritual issue of trust, peace, and surrender, and offers practical, scriptural steps for leading intentionally without mental exhaustion or fear-driven striving. Key Biblical Perspectives on the Overthinking Leader: Overthinking vs. Trust: Overthinking often reflects a desire to control outcomes rather than rely on God's direction and sovereignty. A Threat to Peace: Excessive thinking fueled by fear and anxiety robs leaders of peace and mirrors biblical definitions of worry rather than wise planning. Spiritual Warfare: Scripture reveals the mind as a battlefield, where anxious and fearful thoughts can distract, discourage, and exhaust leaders. The Command to Trust: God calls leaders to trust Him fully rather than lean on personal understanding, promising guidance and direction. Stillness Before God: Biblical stillness is an act of surrender—releasing control and trusting God's timing and power rather than forcing outcomes. What the Bible Says About Overthinking: 1 Peter 5:7 – Casting all anxiety on God because He cares deeply for His people Proverbs 3:5–6 – Trusting the Lord instead of relying on personal understanding Philippians 4:6–7 – Replacing worry with prayer to experience the peace of God Matthew 6:25–34 – Jesus' warning against worrying about the future and His call to trust God's provision 1 Corinthians 14:20 – Encouragement toward mature, purposeful thinking rather than anxious or obsessive thought patterns Practical Biblical Steps for Leaders: Shift Focus: Replace anxious thoughts by meditating on what is true, honorable, right, and pure (Philippians 4:8) Delegate Control to God: Intentionally surrender outcomes, timelines, and results to God Turn Overthinking into Prayer: Transform mental “what ifs” into active prayer and trust This episode is an invitation for Christian women leaders to stop striving for control and start leading with clarity, peace, and intentional trust in God's plan. Leadership rooted in faith does not require mental exhaustion—it requires surrender.   Invitation:  If you are a Christian woman who wants to lead with clarity, confidence, and biblical alignment, I invite you to sign up for the Confident Leader Workshop, a 3 session experience designed to help women lead intentionally and stay rooted in God's plan. Click here to sign up.   Your Next Step If this episode resonates and you're craving deeper clarity, confidence, and intentional growth, I would love to walk alongside you.

In this episode, Pastor Cindy delves into the book of Nehemiah, drawing parallels between Nehemiah's journey and the challenges we face today. She explores the significance of prayer and fasting in overcoming obstacles, the importance of interceding for the body of Christ, and the power of aligning our thoughts with God's will. Pastor Cindy emphasizes the need for vigilance and trust in God's plan, encouraging us to stand firm against the enemy through prayer and faith. Reflecting on scriptures from 1 Peter and Mark, she highlights the model of servitude exemplified by Jesus and the call to serve others with humility. Tune in for a message of hope, perseverance, and divine purpose.                   Scripture references: Philippians 3:14, 1 Corinthians 1:12, 1 Peter 5:8–11, Nehemiah 1:3–11, Nehemiah 4:10, 13–18, Nehemiah 6:15, Mark 10:43–45     Order your copy of Cindy's new book, FROM VISION TO VICTORY: 7 STEPS TO BUILDING TEAMS, CULTURE AND GOALS FOR SUCCESS Check out Cindy's TV show, CINDY STEWART LIVE. You can register for the 6-week, self paced e-course at COMPELLED TO CHANGE.  Please email Cindy with any questions or comments to cindy@cindy-stewart.com. She'd love to hear from you.  Pastor Cindy's Website  Pastor Cindy's Facebook  Pastor Cindy's Instagram Gathering Website  Gathering Facebook   Check out the other shows from KB PODCASTS: THE KINGDOM BRINGER PODCAST with Darin Eubanks Super-Natural Living with Beth Packard KINGDOM MASTER MIND PODCAST with Ann McDonald   Podcast music from HOOKSOUNDS.COM

In this program, Chip reveals five ways we typically measure greatness. But as with any scale, we always want to know whether the scale is accurate. From Philippians, Chapter 2, Chip explains how true greatness is achieved.The quest for greatness = UNIVERSAL!How do we measure greatness?Power = Who and what we controlPossessions = What and how much we ownPosition = Our rank in the pecking orderPrestige = Who and how many “look up” to usProductivity = What and how much we accomplishHow do we obtain greatness?Two pathways to greatness:ASCENDINGDESCENDINGTrue greatness defined = Philippians 2:3-4How do you experience true greatness?One word = HUMILITYHumility is the channel through which the supernatural power of God's love flows to heal our deepest hurts and restore our most important relationships.Following Jesus into greatness - How to be authentically humble:Humility flows from a specific “mindset”. -Philippians 2:5We achieve true greatness when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward power and possessions. -Philippians 2:6We become truly great when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward position and prestige. -Philippians 2:7We become truly great when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward productivity. -Philippians 2:8We experience the REWARD of true greatness when we follow Christ's example of servanthood. -Philippians 2:9-11Conclusion: God wants you to be great!The acid test of greatness = LOVEThe road to greatness = HUMILITYThe opportunity for greatness = SERVINGBroadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Did you know God wants you to be great? What does it take to be great in God's eyes? That's the topic in this message, as Chip continues his study of Philippians, Chapter 2. It's actually pretty simple - but it's not easy. Two words: Love serves.The quest for greatness = UNIVERSAL!How do we measure greatness?Power = Who and what we controlPossessions = What and how much we ownPosition = Our rank in the pecking orderPrestige = Who and how many “look up” to usProductivity = What and how much we accomplishHow do we obtain greatness?Two pathways to greatness:ASCENDINGDESCENDINGTrue greatness defined = Philippians 2:3-4How do you experience true greatness?One word = HUMILITYHumility is the channel through which the supernatural power of God's love flows to heal our deepest hurts and restore our most important relationships.Following Jesus into greatness - How to be authentically humble:Humility flows from a specific “mindset”. -Philippians 2:5We achieve true greatness when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward power and possessions. -Philippians 2:6We become truly great when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward position and prestige. -Philippians 2:7We become truly great when we embrace Christ's “mindset” toward productivity. -Philippians 2:8We experience the REWARD of true greatness when we follow Christ's example of servanthood. -Philippians 2:9-11Conclusion: God wants you to be great!The acid test of greatness = LOVEThe road to greatness = HUMILITYThe opportunity for greatness = SERVINGBroadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

What does it look like to put someone else's needs before your own?In today's episode, Richelle Alessi invites us to reflect on the real meaning of selflessness. As we learn from Philippians 2, we'll discover together how humility can transform our relationships. Whether its in your marriage, your friendships, or your family. Through her story of searching for a new home, Richelle Alessi shares how God gently reminded her to consider her husband's dreams as much as her own, opening our eyes to the blessings that come when we let go of selfish ambition.Join us as we lean into this lesson, praying as a community for the grace to place others first and embody the selfless love Christ modeled for us. Let's seek God's guidance together in our devotion today.Tap HERE to send us a text! BECOME A FOUNDING "MY MORNING DEVOTIONAL" MEMBERIf you enjoy your 5 minute daily dose of heaven, we would appreciate your support, and we have a fun way for you to partner with the MMD community! We've launched our "Buy Me a Coffee" membership where you can buy us a latte, OR become a founding member and get monthly bonus video episodes! To donate, go to mymorningdevo.co/join! Support the showNEW VIDEO EPISODES! You can watch our new video episodes on YouTube! Watch Our Video Devotionals NEW TO MY MORNING DEVOTIONAL? We're so glad you're here! We're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in a church in Miami, FL, and we're so blessed to partner with the My Morning Devotional community and continue the great work done by the show's creator and our friend, Alison Delamota. We pray our personal reflections and devotions will empower you to grow your faith in God, and that you'll join us every morning in prayer! HELP US GROW THE MMD COMMUNITY Subscribe to the show on this app Share this with a friend Join our newsletter Follow Us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Leave a review Support Our Friends and Family Connect with the original host of MMD Alison Delamota Follow our family's podcast The Family Business with The Alessis

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    What if our prayers were simply admissions rather than confessions…  What do I mean? Most people pray begging God… telling him what he already knows, asking for things he already said he would provide. We are confessing our doubts to him rather than praying simple confessions… that is what the word of God already says about a situation… we confess what Gods word says.    1. The Core "Postures" of Prayer These are the different intents or "heart-settings" mentioned throughout scripture: Petition (Supplication): Simply asking for what you need. From the "daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer to Paul's instruction in Philippians 4:6 to "let your requests be made known to God." Intercession: Praying on behalf of others. Abraham interceding for Sodom or Paul praying for the early churches are classic examples. Thanksgiving: Shifting the focus from what you want to what you have. The Bible often pairs this with petition—gratitude is the "atmosphere" in which prayer should happen. Lament: A raw, honest cry to God in pain or frustration. About a third of the Psalms are laments, showing that God welcomes our "unfiltered" emotions. Adoration & Praise: Prayer focused entirely on God's character rather than your own needs.

Guest: Dr. Lee Warren, Board-Certified Neurosurgeon Introduction: What if you could change your brain by changing your mind? Board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Lee Warren joins us to reveal something revolutionary: you're not stuck with the brain you have. Through groundbreaking neuroscience research, we now know that what you repeatedly think about literally restructures your brain. For parents learning to live from agency instead of control, understanding what's actually happening in your nervous system changes everything. Dr. Warren's new book, The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery: Connecting Neuroscience and Faith to Radically Transform Your Life, releases February 3, 2026. You're in the right place if: You wonder why you keep defaulting to control, even when you want to parent from peace It feels impossible to break old patterns even though you know the truth Your child struggles with thoughts like "I'm stupid," "I'll never learn," or "everyone else can do this but me." You avoid letting your kids struggle because you want to protect them from pain You want to understand the neuroscience behind why fear-based parenting creates control operating systems in your children You're ready to break generational patterns of fear and shame in your family Episode Highlights: Mind vs. Brain - The Revolutionary Truth Traditional neuroscience has taught that your brain generates everything about you—your personality, memories, even your sense of having a mind. But here's the problem: there's no actual science proving this is true. It's just a theory. Through functional MRI imaging developed around 2000, we can now see what really happens: your mind directs your brain, not the other way around. Your brain is like your kidneys or heart—an organ that carries out the interaction of your mind with the world. This changes everything. The Neuroscience of Fear vs. Gratitude When you're afraid, your amygdala (a walnut-sized area in your limbic system) triggers fight-or-flight responses. It's tiny and can't think well—it can only react. But your hippocampus acts like a one-way switch: it either triggers your amygdala OR your frontal lobes (billions of neurons designed for rational thinking). The deciding factor? Fear or gratitude. You literally cannot be grateful and anxious at the same time. This is exactly what Paul described in Philippians 4:6-8 two thousand years ago: "Don't be anxious, be grateful instead...think about what's noble, true, lovely..." Paul was 2,000 years ahead of neuroscience. The Auburn University Discovery Dr. Warren shares the pivotal moment at Auburn University's MRI Research Center when he and his wife Lisa watched a patient's brain respond to different thoughts in real-time. When thinking about the worst day of her life, her amygdala lit up, blood pressure rose, heart rate increased. When thinking about her happiest memory, frontal lobes activated, peace indicators appeared, blood pressure and heart rate dropped. That's when God spoke to Dr. Warren: "When you do surgery, you intentionally make a structural change in someone's brain to improve their life. When someone changes from harmful thoughts to helpful thoughts, they're also intentionally making structural changes in their brain to improve their life. That's surgery too—self-brain surgery." The Power of Anti-Fragility We've been taught that humans are fragile—easily broken and needing protection. But Scripture, neuroscience, psychology, and social science all agree: we're actually anti-fragile. You can't be as strong as you're capable of being without being broken a few times along the way. Romans 5:3-5 explains the process: suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. Your mid-anterior cingulate (the part of your brain that handles willpower and resilience) literally gets stronger when you do hard things you don't want to do. George's Story - From Dyslexia to Fearless Dr. Warren's 7-year-old grandson George couldn't read despite being brilliant at everything else. He was diagnosed with dyslexia and worked with a tutor for 8 months, making up 3 grade years in reading. When George called his grandfather and said, "Pop, I'm a reader!" everyone wept. But here's the lesson: George is now fearless at age 10 because he faced the hardest thing in his life—not being able to read—and overcame it. If his parents had blamed the school or lowered standards, George would still be afraid of things he doesn't know how to manage. Instead, he knows nothing in his entire life will be as hard as learning to read, and he did it anyway. Mary's Story - From "I'm Stupid" to Syracuse Graduate Janet shares about 10-year-old Mary who had every learning label and refused to pick up a pencil or book. When learning to type, every mistake beep triggered outrage: "I'm stupid, I'll never learn, you hate me." After 3 days, Janet transcribed Mary's words on a whiteboard and asked, "Can we call this list 'lies'?" They created a truth list: next to "I'm stupid" was "I'm capable," next to "you hate me" was "you believe in me." Mary's new instruction: every time she heard the beep, name the truth. Beep. Truth. Beep. Truth. Struggle, truth. In 3 weeks, Mary typed 35 words per minute with 98% accuracy. She recently graduated from Syracuse University on a creative writing scholarship. The Critical Lesson for Parents Don't just let your kids suffer—teach them to struggle well in truth. Many of us developed unhealthy willpower and over-functioned in dysfunctional environments out of fear, not agency. When you teach children that everything they think isn't true and that even when something is true, there's more to the truth God wants them to see, you're giving them the tools for transformation. Come alongside them. Show them how to confess their story to God, ask Him what's true, then walk in that truth. The Three Sources of Thoughts Not every thought you think comes from you. Thoughts come from three sources: (1) your brain's automated patterns, (2) yourself and the Holy Spirit, or (3) the enemy. Learning to discern which source is speaking—and training your children to do the same—is essential for self-brain surgery. Key Takeaways: Start practicing self-brain surgery today. When you're triggered or afraid, confess your actual story to God. Ask Him what's true. Walk in that truth. Let your kids see you do this. Do one hard thing you don't want to do. Your mid-anterior cingulate cortex gets the signal that you're the kind of person who can do hard things, making all future hard things easier. This works for your kids too. Let your children suffer when it's safe to do so. Don't protect them from scraped knees, failed tests, or rejected friendship notes. Their brains are built for this. The Bible promises it. Your child needs evidence that they can survive hard things before they face the next hard thing. Teach the "two truths" practice. When your child says "I'm stupid" or "I'll never learn," acknowledge their feeling ("Yes, this is hard right now") AND teach them to name the truth ("AND you're capable, AND you're learning, AND struggle doesn't define you"). Focus on what you're grateful for, not what scares you. Your hippocampus is a one-way switch—it either activates your fear response or your thinking brain, but not both. Practice gratitude to literally change your brain chemistry and model this for your children. Remember: the generational chaos ends now. God has declared it, and He's made your mind and brain to promise it's true. You can't give what you haven't received, so do this work for your sake AND your children's sake. Closing Thought: "Let your adversity make you more like Christ. It will make you more of who you're supposed to be. The more we stop thinking 'I want to live my own truth and follow my own way' and instead follow His way, the closer we get to Him, the better we use our brains, the better we use our hearts, the more alive we become, the more free we become." - Dr. Lee Warren     Resources: Dr. Lee Warren's new book: The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery: Connecting Neuroscience and Faith to Radically Transform Your Life (Available everywhere books are sold, including an audio version read by Dr. Warren) Website: DrLeeWarren.com (for books, podcast, YouTube, Instagram, and the School of Self-Brain Surgery) Dr. Lee Warren's podcast  Connect with Love Is Fearless: Email: janet@john15academy.com Contact information for Formation Cohorts and family consulting. Website: John15Academy.com Together, there is great hope.  

In this program, Chip gives us three specific action steps for becoming a more loving person. The conclusion comes down to a single sentence, a single attitude, that'll change everything about how you love others. Don't miss it.Introduction: “What's going on?”One of God's greatest joys is to see His children LOVE EACH OTHER.A prayer that only you can answer -John 17Paul commands what Jesus prayed -Philippians 2:1-2Structure of passage:The context Conflict without - Philippians 1:29-30Conflict within -Philippians 4:2The commandLive in authentic, Christ-empowered unity -Philippians 2:1-2The structure If you have any encouragement in Christ,If any comfort from His love.If any fellowship with the Spirit,If any tenderness and compassion… - Philippians 2:1Then make my joy complete by…Being of the same mindMaintaining the same loveUnited in spiritIntent on one purpose. -Philippians 2:2The Platinum Rule:“Do unto others as God has already done unto you.”How to become a more loving person:Choose to declare war on SELFISHNESS -Philippians 2:3Attack the root of the problem… PRIDE -Philippians 2:3Choose to PRACTICE HUMILITY daily by putting others' needs and interests ahead of your own -Philippians 2:4Broadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

If you’ve prayed for peace but still feel anxious, overwhelmed, or discouraged, you’re not alone—and you’re not failing spiritually. In this episode of Faith Over Fear, Jennifer Slattery is joined by Jamie Hampton, co-host of the Praying Christian Women podcast, for a compassionate and honest conversation about anxiety, prayer, and God’s peace. Jamie shares a season of debilitating anxiety and what that taught her. Together, she and Jennifer explore what Scripture—especially Philippians 4—really teaches about anxiety, why peace is often a process rather than an instant fix, and how God meets us in our physical, emotional, and spiritual realities. This conversation is for anyone who loves God but feels confused, exhausted, or ashamed by persistent anxiety—and longs for a gentler, grace-filled way forward. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why anxiety is rarely just spiritual—and why that matters What Philippians 4 does not mean about “being anxious” How praise and prayer can calm both the heart and nervous system Why honest, unfiltered prayer leads to deeper freedom Practical ways to interrupt anxious spirals with compassion How God’s peace grows through presence, not pressure Scriptures Referenced: Philippians 4:4–9 1 Peter 5:7 Download this episode's free companion guide HERE. Resource Referenced: She Prays Like a Girl: Discover the Joy and Power of Praying Like You (and no one else!) Featured Guest: Jamie Hampton, Christian author and co-host of the Praying Christian Women podcast, shares vulnerably from her own journey through anxiety and healing. Encouragement for Listeners: If prayer hasn’t taken your anxiety away, that doesn’t mean God is distant or disappointed or that your prayer practice isn't helping. God gradually cultivates peace in your soul as you walk with Him. Reflective Questions: When anxiety rises, what assumptions do I tend to make about myself or my faith? Are there physical, emotional, or situational factors contributing to my anxiety that I may have overlooked? What does it feel like to hear that God’s peace is often a process rather than an instant result? When prayer feels difficult, what gentle ways might help me orient my heart toward God? Are there fears or questions I’ve been hesitant to bring honestly to God? What might it look like to release those to Him? Which one small practice from this episode—praise, journaling, or honest prayer—feels most accessible to try this week? Connect with Jamie Hampton: On her and her cohosts website On Instagram On Facebook On Amazon Find Jennifer Slattery: On her website Instagram Facebook Amazon Subscribe to her free newsletter Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Elder Gowens' 1/18/26 sermon is based on Philippians 2:5-11. In the context of Paul's ethical call to spiritual unity, the apostle cites the example of Christ's radical humiliation as the model for Christian humility. This rich Christological passage embodies the very heart of the Gospel message. This is message #12 in the exposition of Philippians.

Most of us can quote the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In this message, Chip explains what he calls the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as God has already done unto you. It's step one in the process of how we choose love.Introduction: “What's going on?”One of God's greatest joys is to see His children LOVE EACH OTHER.A prayer that only you can answer -John 17Paul commands what Jesus prayed -Philippians 2:1-2Structure of passage:The contextConflict without - Philippians 1:29-30Conflict within -Philippians 4:2The commandLive in authentic, Christ-empowered unity -Philippians 2:1-2The structureIf you have any encouragement in Christ,If any comfort from His love.If any fellowship with the Spirit,If any tenderness and compassion… - Philippians 2:1Then make my joy complete by…Being of the same mindMaintaining the same loveUnited in spiritIntent on one purpose. -Philippians 2:2The Platinum Rule:“Do unto others as God has already done unto you.”How to become a more loving person:Choose to declare war on SELFISHNESS -Philippians 2:3Attack the root of the problem… PRIDE -Philippians 2:3Choose to PRACTICE HUMILITY daily by putting others' needs and interests ahead of your own -Philippians 2:4Broadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Chip begins this series, from the book of Philippians, Chapter 2, by telling us Christ's command for us to love one another means we are to live in authentic, Christ-empowered unity. The question is - how? Join Chip as he embarks on the journey to answer that question.Introduction: “What's going on?”One of God's greatest joys is to see His children LOVE EACH OTHER.A prayer that only you can answer -John 17Paul commands what Jesus prayed -Philippians 2:1-2Structure of passage:The context Conflict without - Philippians 1:29-30Conflict within -Philippians 4:2The commandLive in authentic, Christ-empowered unity -Philippians 2:1-2The structure If you have any encouragement in Christ,If any comfort from His love.If any fellowship with the Spirit,If any tenderness and compassion… - Philippians 2:1Then make my joy complete by…Being of the same mindMaintaining the same loveUnited in spiritIntent on one purpose. -Philippians 2:2The Platinum Rule:“Do unto others as God has already done unto you.”How to become a more loving person:Choose to declare war on SELFISHNESS -Philippians 2:3Attack the root of the problem… PRIDE -Philippians 2:3Choose to PRACTICE HUMILITY daily by putting others' needs and interests ahead of your own -Philippians 2:4Broadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” This is one of the most memorized and quoted scriptures. Empowering, motivating, reassuring … yes … and it's a call to action. Notice it doesn't say, “I can do all things through Christ who does it for me.” Unfortunately, many times we […]

Near our home is a famous garden where we often take walks with a young boy our family cares for. His favorite area is the Children’s Garden, which has a small door large enough for him to run through but small enough to force me to crouch. He laughs as I drop to my knees and wiggle through the small opening to chase him. The small garden gate reminds me of Jesus’ object lesson in Matthew 18 where Jesus calls a little child to His side to explain the type of person who will enter the kingdom of heaven (v. 2). It was a bold example, for in Christ’s day to be a child was to be inconsequential and overlooked. Unlike today, their opinions and desires didn’t matter. Jesus uses this description to highlight our human tendency to be noticed and seek power and influence. Of course, Jesus wasn’t asking His disciples to become children again, but rather pointing to the traits that mark those who serve him. The biggest marker is humility—the person who “takes the lowly position” (v. 4) and serves others. The small garden door is a reminder that humility doesn’t come naturally to us. Believers in Jesus, however, are to be this way. We’re to follow our Savior, who modeled this way of living by making “himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:6).

282. Family Sabbath: Pause and Delight with Eryn Lynum   Mark 2:27 NIV “Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”   *Transcription Below*   Eryn Lynum is a certified Master Naturalist, Bible teacher, national speaker, and author. Eryn lives in Northern Colorado with her husband, Grayson, and their four children, whom they homeschool—mainly in the great outdoors. Eryn has has been featured on FamilyLife Today, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Christian Parenting, MOPS International, Bible Gateway, Her View From Home, and For Every Mom. Every opportunity she gets, she is out exploring God's creation with her family and sharing the adventures. To learn more about Eryn, visit ErynLynum.com.   Eryn's Books Eryn's Free Resources Mentioned Nat Theo Podcast   Topics and Questions We Cover: What can this look like to daily align our activities with our deepest values? What do people actually do on this day of rest and what do you recommend for families? Are there any other practical benefits we're missing out on if we neglect rest?   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management Company   Related Savvy Sauce Episodes: 81 Rest with Doctor, Author, and Speaker, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith 99 Sabbath Rest with Sandy Feit 175 Practicing Sabbath with Shireen Eldridge   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website   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: (0:11 - 1:34) 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.   Leman Property Management Company has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com or connect with them on Facebook.   Eryn Lynum is my wonderful guest for today, and she's the author of this beautiful book, The Nature of Rest. We're going to discuss all things related to rest, ways that we can prepare for it, how we can enjoy and delight in it, what good gifts God has for us with rest, and then how to reflect well on the rhythms in our life, and so much more.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Eryn.   Eryn Lynum: (1:34 - 4:03) Thank you. Thanks so much for having me.   Laura Dugger: Well, I'd love for you to start us off by sharing your personal journey and tell why you are so uniquely qualified to teach and write about rest, as stress can literally kill you.   Eryn Lynum: Yeah, that's correct. So, when I was 14 years old, I was diagnosed with a potentially fatal autoimmune disorder. And kind of the context of that season, I was preparing to go overseas for the first time on a missions trip. So, I was going to be in Africa for two months. And so, before you go do something like that, you have to go to the doctor and get a checkup and vaccine recommendations, all the things. And so, my parents took me in.   Again, I was 14 at the time, and we had no reason to believe that there was anything wrong. There were no red flags. Besides, I had been a little tired, a little dizzy once in a while, but really, we just thought, okay, well, I'm growing up, my body's changing. But when the nurse took my blood pressure that day, it was 56 over 48, which is deathly low.   And so, immediately, that's a red flag. And I undergo more testing and hospital visits and seeing specialists. And they diagnosed me with something called Addison's disease. And Addison's disease, it's where your adrenal glands no longer function. So, maybe you've heard of adrenal fatigue, where someone is so taxed out that their adrenal glands can't keep up because they're meant to produce cortisol, which is our stress hormone. Well, Addison's disease is the worst-case scenario where you can't come back from it, barring a miracle. Like, my adrenal glands don't work, and they haven't for over 20 years now.   And so, you know, this system that God has given us meant to cope with stress, and it's that fight-or-flight response. At that young age, I no longer had that. And so, stress became quite literally deadly to me. And at that point, my parents, they began coaching me in biblical stress management, so identifying stressors in my life.   You know, when your shoulders start creeping up, and you can feel that tension in your neck, and knowing that those are signs that, okay, you need to step back, you need to calm yourself. Like the Psalms talk about, “I have calmed and quieted my soul,” and to bring everything to the Lord and cast all your anxieties upon Him. And this is really where I can see, in my life, I developed a very consistent prayer pattern in my life where just all day long, like conversing with the Lord.   And so, that's been a big part of this. But yeah, that's really what began leading me into this deeply restful lifestyle was out of necessity. But really what I've seen since then is God designed all of us to live and thrive through rest. Like this is His original design.   Laura Dugger: (4:04 - 4:27) I love that so much. And you articulate this so well in your book. But before I ever encountered you, I had never heard of the term master naturalist before. So, if you want to share anything about that, it would be great. And as a master naturalist, where do you see these rhythms of rest in nature?   Eryn Lynum: (4:28 - 6:54) So, a master naturalist, it's really a fancy term for nature teacher. And I pursued this because my degree and my passion are in biblical theology. And I've always been passionate about rightly handling God's word of truth from 2 Timothy 2:15.   And I began to see as my own family, my husband and I, we have three boys and a daughter, and now they're 14 down to seven. But when they were younger and we started spending more time outdoors, I started to see, okay, God has given us so many visuals and materials in nature with which we can teach about Him. Coming from Romans 1:20, that His invisible attributes, those things we can't see about God, are clearly perceived through what He has made. And I saw that also Jesus in the gospels, He used nature all the time to teach.   And God throughout scripture, like it's not just Genesis 1, nature narratives are strong throughout scripture. And so, I thought if God and Jesus use this methodology to teach, then certainly we can. And so, that's why I went through this training and taught, teach with this method is because, you know, the more we understand these materials, the more we see of God and the more we can communicate about Him.   And so, I was working as a master naturalist in our city and teaching my own programs. And I started to incorporate it more and more into my book and then later on in my podcast. And at the same time, God was leading my family into celebrating Sabbath. We had come into this season where we were just exhausted, like running businesses and raising and homeschooling kids, like all of us, no matter our circumstances, face this very real human existence of fatigue. And so, we came to a place where rest was no longer optional. It was critical and vital.   And so, I'm living in these two realms of learning about nature while I'm learning about scripture. And then God is bringing us into deep rest. So, I started to ask the question, where do we see rest in scripture? And I found that it is everywhere. The roots of rest run deep and wide throughout scripture. And also asking, where do we see rest in creation in nature? And it's also everywhere there that God designed all these cycles and these rhythms and all of his plants and creatures, even the ones that we think of as so frenetic and busy that God designed them to thrive through rest.   Laura Dugger: (6:55 - 7:04) And will you give a specific example then of something in nature as it's so apparent that it's designed for rest?   Eryn Lynum: (7:04 - 8:28) Definitely. Let's focus on one of those ones that we often think of as really busy, the hummingbird. I opened the book with the analogy of a hummingbird because when you think about a hummingbird, what do you picture in your mind?   Laura Dugger: (7:17 - 7:19) Busy, constant movement in and out.   Eryn Lynum: (7:20 - 8:28) Yeah, exactly. Like they have to visit between 1,000 and 2,000 flowers every day to get all the nectar that they need. And so, they are always like here and there in the next place. And they look like this little thing just zipping through the air and you can't even see their wings beating because they can be up to 70 times a second. It's this blur of motion. And we think about that little hummingbird, and we can sometimes feel like that little hummingbird just zipping from one thing to the next, thinking there's no time to stop.   But the hummingbird does stop. It has a very strategic method of rest called torpor. And torpor is kind of like a mini hibernation where the little bird is going to go into this deep state of rest. It lowers its body temperature by around 50 degrees and becomes completely unresponsive. And this is a regular thing that the hummingbird does, and it enables it to continue its God-given, good, busy, fruitful work. So, it's this picture of, you know, busyness is not bad. God created us for fruitful work, but it's all meant to be sustained through deep, rhythmic, intentional rest.   Laura Dugger: (8:28 - 9:06) I mean, immediately that makes me think of the weeks, even that I'm most productive, I've probably prioritized my sleep the best of it. And if I get great sleep, even if it's extra hours, that doesn't take away from the rest of the day. That probably makes my time even multiplied.   Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And I love, you point out so many times how God just clearly designed his creation to enjoy this gift of rest. So, you mentioned some of the nature parts. What about some of the foundational scriptural truths on this topic?   Eryn Lynum: (9:07 - 11:52) Yeah, well, of course, where's the first place that we get the idea of rest in the scripture? Yeah, exactly. So, God completes his work of creation and then he rests and he didn't need to rest. Isaiah 40:28 tells us that he, the creator of the world does not grow weary or tired.   I believe that one reason, and I talk about a couple of them in the book, but I believe that one main reason God rested was to stop and delight. That word Sabbath, it comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat, which can mean to both stop and delight. Like think about God finishing his creative work, bringing, bringing everything from nothing. Ex nihilo is that theological term, everything from nothing. Creating not only the animals and the plants, but the textures and the math and the shapes and the like everything he needed to make these things. And I imagine he just wanted to stop and enjoy it. I can even picture him going through creation and listening to the birds and taking in the colors and the shapes of the clouds.   What a beautiful reminder to us, because I know for myself, I'm so prone to just run from one thing to the next, like check it off the list. What's next? But here God is modeling for us. Stop delight, praise him for what he just allowed us to accomplish, to create, to do before rushing on to the next thing.   And so, we get that first mentioned there at creation, but then think about when Sabbath was actually established, there's a framework, there's a structure it's Exodus 16. And the context here is the Israelites. They're doing what they do. They're wandering and grumbling. They're hangry and God shows mercy to them in the form of quail and manna, but he has very specific instructions for them. He says for six days, you shall gather it, but not on the seventh day. Don't go out. It is a solemn day, a Holy Sabbath to the Lord.   That's the first mention of Sabbath, that word in scripture, but consider the Israelites. They had no context for what God was calling them to do. Surely they could think back to the creation story. Okay. God worked and then rested, but they had very little idea of what he was asking them to do. This was an act of faith. God was saying, stop gathering, trust me.   And this is so hard for us because like we are so prone to gather, gather, gather, do produce work more out of this scarcity mindset. But this picture is showing God is a God of abundance and his math works. When we trust him to be the provider, not ourselves. And we take that risk on rest. He provides abundantly through it.   Laura Dugger: (11:53 - 12:05) Absolutely. And within this gift then of rest, how can rest actually reorder and re-energize our lives?   Eryn Lynum: (12:05 - 14:03) I love this question because throughout the book, we talk a lot about reordering and creating margins. So, we can rest and reprioritizing. You know, it's so interesting when we look at the creation narrative, where we get that first mention of rest, because it's backwards to what we normally think.   Think about this. God created for six days and then he rested. Adam, the first human was created on that sixth day. So, Adam's first full day was a day of arrest, dedicated to rest. And in this, we see that God worked and then rested. But we, humanity, we were always meant to begin from rest.   And you see that even in the Hebrew tradition of a day, their day begins at evening. Their day doesn't start with, let's get up and get to work. Their day starts with, let me go to rest to get ready for the work. So, first we have to reorder our concept of rest, not see it as a reward. Oh, I'm going to work, work, work, get all the things done so that maybe I can rest this weekend or on vacation, or when the kids are out of the house or in retirement, that's backwards to the biblical framework. We are meant to begin from rest.   So, starting there. And as we do that, my family has found after sabbathing for three and a half years now, everything else kind of falls into place. And that happens when you operate by God's design. You know, rest allows us to tend to the most important things. Those deep values, whether like that should be of course, faith and family. So, getting clear on your values is really important. Like what is most important to your family faith? Maybe it's community generosity. Maybe it's physical health, mental health, all these things do better. And we have more time to tend to them when we first make room and space for rest.   Laura Dugger: (14:04 - 16:28) And now a brief message from our sponsor.    With over 1,700 apartment units available throughout Pekin, Peoria, Peoria Heights, Morton and Washington. And with every price range covered, you will have plenty of options when you rent through Leman Property Management Company.   They have townhomes, duplexes, studios, and garden style options located in many areas throughout Pekin. And make sure you check out their newest offering, the McKinley located in Pekin is a new construction addition to their platinum collection featuring nine foot ceilings, large spacious layouts, beautiful finishes, such as courts, countertops, and garages. You won't want to miss this outstanding new property in Peoria, a historic downtown location and apartments adjacent to OSF Medical Center provide excellent choices.   Check out their brand new luxury property in Peoria Heights, overlooking the boutique shops and fine dining on prospect. And in Morton, they offer a variety of apartment homes with garages, a hot downtown location, and now a brand new high-end complex near Idlewood Park. If you want to become part of their team, contact them about open office positions.   They're also hiring in their maintenance department. So, we invite you to find out why so many people have chosen to make a career with them. Check them out on Facebook today or email their friendly staff at leasing@lemanprops.com. You can also stop by their website at lemanproperties.com, check them out and find your place to call home today.   It never ceases to amaze me how God's economy and his math are just different. Sometimes upside down from ours, but I feel like when you're speaking, it reminds me of Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” So, if we actually obey, I think there are so many blessings that we can enjoy from this gift of rest. So, you're talking about our values. Then what can this look like to daily align our activities with our deepest values?   Eryn Lynum: (16:30 - 18:30) Yes, this is an ongoing practice because the enemy is always trying to distract us from what is most important. And that word there is key distract. And so, first we have to learn to identify those distractions, the things that are pulling us away from what is most important, but you know, getting to those core values and on my website, I have, my husband and I developed a family values guide that helps you step by step to really figure out what are our deepest values.   So, that's erinlynum.com/values. But really what it is, is this practice of getting clear on God's best for, for us and for our families and for those around us and, and making sure that we are aligning and realigning because it's going to get out of alignment, those values with God's agenda. You know, a lot of days I just start my day with a restful pause.   I call them in the book, Selah pauses. And I am quite literally, I am sitting before the Lord, my eyes closed and my hands just up in this posture of surrender and receiving. And I will say, Lord, I am surrendering my own agenda, my own expectations for this day. And I want to receive your power, your presence, your peace. And then throughout the day, just taking those checks.   Like I practice these daily Selah pauses and moments of rest because think about Selah in the Psalms. It can mean to pause, to contemplate, to redirect. And we need to do that often because as a day goes on, I think we lose energy and focus. You know, at the beginning of the day, we might feel really like focused. And this is what I'm getting done today. And that can waver like that can wane out as the day goes on. And so, constantly just checking back in.   Okay, Lord, what is it you have for me to do today? And how do I tend to those most important things? But you have to take that restful pause to be able to do that.   Laura Dugger: (18:31 - 18:46) That's good reminder. Okay. So, to check back in with the Lord and then can you give another example of one family and what their value is and how they live that out in their daily life. And maybe even what requires us to say no to.   Eryn Lynum: (18:47 - 20:15) Ooh, that's a fantastic question. Hmm. Can it be for my own family or do you want me to give them love it from your own family?   Okay. I was asked this question recently. Someone asked me, how do you make time to be outside as a family? One of our core family values is to be out exploring in God's creation. And this has been harder in different seasons. And we have two middle schoolers now, you know, we are, we have a lot going on.   And so, it can very quickly happen where at the end of the day, we're like, wow, we really didn't spend much time outdoors today, but how we prioritize this is you do have to say no to other things. So, we're a homeschooling family. And just as an example, it can be very tempting to feel like, am I doing enough? Am I teaching them enough? We need to check off all these boxes and get the lessons done. And it's constantly surrendering that and realizing, you know, I know that our value of being outdoors is important to God. I know that he is meeting my children there. He is meeting me there. He is giving us rest and rejuvenation there.   So, trusting with that, again, going back to the Israelites, stop gathering, stop checking off all the boxes, stop trying to provide and meet your own expectations. And instead stay super focused on what God has called you to and ruthlessly get rid of the rest, anything that's keeping you from that.   Laura Dugger: (20:16 - 20:36) I love that personal example. Thank you for sharing. And how can we also in our own families or in our own life, how can we distinguish which activities are vital for the abundant life in Christ that he offers so that we don't settle for less?   Eryn Lynum: (20:38 - 22:46) I love that you bring up that, that term, the abundant life. In John 10:10, that Christ came, that we might have life and life abundantly overflowing to the fullest, like brimming over is what that word means. And that scripture also says the enemy comes to steal and kill and destroy.   And I believe that one of the enemy's biggest schemes and methods for that is to send us into hurry and hustle mode. And he does that through distraction and discontent. And so, so much of this is pressing back against distraction and discontent and getting back to how God created us to thrive.   And again, I believe that that is through this, this gift of rest. You know, you talk about, you asked about settling for less. The enemy is going to put a million things in our life that would cause us to want to settle for less.   Let me give you an example of him trying to distract us. There was a recent weekend where we were coming up on the weekend, and I had several friends reach out and ask about me doing these things like these different opportunities coming our way. Like, do you want to do this? Do you want to do this? And each of them were for on Saturday and that's usually when our family Sabbaths. And so, I had this tension because these were good things.   It's hard to say no to a good thing, but I kept feeling again and again, the Lord saying, no, rest with your family, rest with your family. And it was so sweet because come Saturday morning, I was out on our back deck sipping coffee with my husband for hours, having incredible conversations, reading great books. The kids are playing in the yard.   Several times I caught myself thinking, I almost said no to this by saying yes to other things. And again, they were good things. This life is full of good things, but God's rest is one of the best things for our families. So, it's learning to be okay with saying no to those good things. So, you can say yes to that better thing.   Laura Dugger: (22:48 - 23:17) Examples are so helpful. And that requires a level of discernment and going to the Lord to ask him, but I'm wondering if you even have a system in place for how you discern that, or is it a gut piece that you follow or any practical ways that each of us can discern what's the right kind of busy that's good. And what's the wrong kind of busy and the things that we want to say no to.   Eryn Lynum: (23:18 - 25:05) Yeah. Going back to, again, busy is not bad. God created us for fruitful work, but I think, you know, when we are following Christ and God's spirit is within us, he's going to give us that sense of this is the right kind of busy.   This is the wrong kind of busy. And practically, you know, if it has any notion of distraction, like if you're doing this thing to just distract you or to procrastinate on better things, if it has a note of busyness, you know, some people will be like, well, some people, the enemy makes us want to think that sitting on our phones can be restful because you're not technically doing much of anything, but that distraction is stealing God's true gift of rest for us.   And so, you know, our family, as we practice Sabbath throughout the week, I know that come Saturday, we have a full day of rest. And sometimes it's tempting to add a little work into there, to let it seep out of those edges of the work week and kind of into our Sabbath. And as you practice this more and more and begin just ruthlessly protecting that time, whether it's a full day, whether you start with a half day, God is going to make you more sensitive to those things. Because sometimes I'll like work it out in my mind, like, oh, this isn't work. And really like it's definitely, it's definitely trying to serve my work during the work week.   And God is saying, no, like step away from that and allow me to refresh and rejuvenate your spirit so that when you go back to the work, you do so much more powerfully energized, restful, and ready to do that work to the very best of your ability with God's power.   Laura Dugger: (25:07 - 25:36) That reminds me of a previous guest I'll link to. He did two episodes, but Jeff Henderson just said he's a pastor too. And he said, sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.   I would agree on that, which you've kind of been sharing a little glimpses of your family's experience with Sabbath, but let's just zero in on Sabbath and I'll just try and go through a series of questions. But first what's the importance of Sabbath?   Eryn Lynum: (25:37 - 26:55) Well, first God commands it. Like if God commanded it, then surely it's important, but that can also sometimes cause us to get a little legalistic about it. What is it? What isn't it? Well, it is meant to be a gift, meant to be a blessing. It's meant to empower us and what God created us for and calls us to.   And so, keeping that just center, this is meant to be a gift, but we see it all throughout scripture, the importance of rest and rest in God's design. It's celebration. Like it's not idleness. It's not doing nothing. Although sometimes like that's the most beneficial way that we can rest. Like you talked about a nap.   I love a good nap on Sabbath, but also it can be energizing activities, inspiring activities. I also love a good long walk on Sabbath. Sometimes I love cooking with fresh ingredients and working on a meal during Sabbath because I don't get much opportunity to do that during the week. Sometimes I love going out and working in the garden because that's life giving and I don't have time to do that throughout the week. And so, getting back to this concept, this idea of Sabbath and rest are celebratory. Like when we do it well as a family, it feels like a mini vacation every week.   Laura Dugger: (26:56 - 27:15) Ooh, I love that. My husband said that before about date night and I connect with that, that it's a little mini reprieve, a mini vacation each week. But then that leads me to the question because I bet so many people share their Sabbath activities with you. What do families actually do on this day of rest?   Eryn Lynum: (27:16 - 31:46) Yeah, that's a great question. And first I'll say that it should look different from family to family. We are all in unique seasons. We have different stories, different scenarios. Again, if you can't start with the full day, now I strongly believe strive and work toward that full day. That's God's design.   And we've seen the most blessing from that. But if you have to start smaller with a half day with four hours, start there. So, it's going to look different. If you have newborns, like a newborn child, it's going to look different and that's okay. No going into it, that it's going to be messy. Hebrews says strive toward rest, work toward rest. It's so counter-cultural. We have to work toward it. So, just going in, knowing these things is very helpful.   It's also going to grow, adapt, and change throughout the seasons. Our family has seen that. But a typical Sabbath for our family right now is we follow the traditional Friday evening to Saturday evening for the most part. Some people ask me, why not Sunday? Isn't Sunday the Sabbath? Well, for us, Sunday is set aside for church community and fellowship and corporate worship. And that's so life-giving to our souls. But by the time I get home from church and I'm making lunch for the family, like I'm not rested physically. So, we needed a separate day set aside for rest.   And so, Friday afternoon, we start preparing where we're going to band together and just pick up the house, get it ready, wash all the dishes and just start preparing our hearts, our minds, our bodies, our home for rest. And then we start Friday evening with communion as a family, just breaking bread and celebrating what Christ did on our behalf. And again, that, that idea of celebrate, and this marks it as special. Okay. We're heading into Sabbath. Some families will like light a white candle for Sabbath, just really marking it. And then we have, we toast to the week. So, we'll pour sparkling juice and just toast and say, “Hey, what did we see God do this week?” Like going back to that idea of stop and delight, we are setting a hard stop to the week. We are delighting. What did we see God do? What did he help us overcome? What can we thank Him for from this past week? And then we'll do an easy dinner. Think tacos, take and bake pizza spaghetti.   We use paperware, which is a bit controversial since I work as a master naturalist, but it has been an easy button for Sabbath that I'm not worried about like dishes piling up on the counter. And then we'll, we'll wrap it up with a sweet treat like ice cream and then our kids go to bed, or they'll listen to audio books. Audio books have been massive for our Sabbath because they're screen-free because we do put away all screens and work like devices on Sabbath, but they can listen to good books.   And my husband and I, we read, like people ask me, when do you find time to read? You don't find time to read. You have to make time to read. And for us, that's on the Sabbath mostly. And then Saturday we sleep in, we get up pretty early during the week and the kids just know like you don't wake mom and dad on the Sabbath. Like that's their day to sleep in.   Again, if you have a newborn or young children, that's gonna look different and that's okay. But for us, that's the season that we're in and our kids, they'll make themselves first breakfast and then eventually we'll get up and we'll join them for a second breakfast or some Sabbath. I don't want to cook at all. And so, it's just take and forage. And you know, I usually have a grocery delivery the day before or go to the grocery store and make sure we just have a ton of good stuff in the house. So, no one's, you know, everyone has what they need.   Then the rest of the day, it is just a day of delight. Reading books, playing games, being out in creation, visiting with neighbors, having great conversations together. Sabbath is this space where you get to do all those things during the week that you're like, oh, I wish I had time for that and you just don't get to them. Like recently my daughter during the week, she really wanted me, she's seven. She wanted me to sit down and watercolor paint with her, which I love doing, but it was a really busy week. And I just didn't have the space.   And so, I told her like, “Hey, I would love to do that. Can we do that on Sabbath?” And she was so happy with that answer. And come that Sabbath a few days later, she remembered, she came up to me. She's like, mom, it's time to paint. And she got all the supplies, and we went and sat outside at our picnic table and painted for the afternoon.   You know, Sabbath does so much for me as a mom to remove that guilt of the things I don't feel like I have time for because I know, and my kids know, Sabbath is coming and that's our day to be together and do those things.   Laura Dugger: (31:47 - 31:57) Hmm. Okay. That makes me curious. Then to how much of a vote does everyone in the family get for what Sabbath will look like?   Eryn Lynum: (31:57 - 34:02) Oh, that is a great question. No one's ever phrased it to me like that before. I love that. What we found that's been important to keep in mind is that we all individually find different things, restful and inspiring. I'll give you an example. One Sabbath, my husband, especially in the spring, he loves to work in the yard on Sabbath because he spends most of his week. He runs a construction company on the computer or on the phone. And so, in the spring, he wants to be out in the yard and trimming his fruit trees and just working with God's creation. And so, one Sabbath he comes and he has like the clippers in his hand and he's like, “Hey, let's go work on the yard.”   And I was like, that's great. You do that. I'm going to go read my book in the hammock. And I fell asleep for two hours while he worked on the yard. And so, a lot of this is being okay that yes, a lot of it's going to be together. Like I talked about, we did, we do communion together and we do meals together. And a lot of times we'll be out on a hike together. That's a favorite Sabbath activity. But a lot of times we're also doing separate activities.   The kids are enjoying their books or their audio books or their painting or their, uh, visiting the neighbor kids. And my husband and I are reading books on the back deck. And so, it's okay that there's going to be some together time and some separate time, you know, just being flexible with it. Like our first year of Sabbath, we went, we had to go like hardcore. We had to learn to stay. I think about in the book, I talk about the word abide meno in the Greek and it can mean to stay, to dwell, to remain.   So, we've spent our first year of Sabbath, not getting in the car. We stayed home and learned to just be home together. And after that year, we started to miss our time. We live in Colorado, missing our time hiking in the mountains. And so, we changed it. We said, okay, well, toward the end of Sabbath Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, let's go hike or let's go have a picnic in the wilderness. And just being open to that, that God's going to change you as a family and change you individually. And just growing up in a Sabbath practice together.   Laura Dugger: (34:03 - 34:20) I like the freedom that you're communicating there. And then when you mentioned the neighborhood kids, it makes me curious. Do you encourage community for some of those who recharge with other people? Would you recommend Sabbath thing with others or just keeping it your family?   Eryn Lynum: (34:21 - 36:16) Absolutely. We love inviting others into Sabbath. And it actually started with, we started our Sabbath practice. It was so sweet because God convinced us to do this. And then our first Sabbath was on January 1st. That happened to be the first Saturday that we did it. So, it was like this fresh start. And right around that time, we had moved to a new neighborhood. And our neighbors near us are Messianic Jews.   And they follow Shabbat, the traditional Shabbat. And they invited us into that. It was the sweetest evening, and they have children, young children, like we do. So, like there's chaos and there's mess. And then there's sweet times of singing together and scripture reading. And they follow it much more the traditional method than our family has.   But it was so sweet to be invited into that and to get a picture for how to invite others into this rest. And so, absolutely, we encourage, especially our kids having friends over. And we do usually ask parents, hey, can you drop them off? And then we can bring them back maybe like later that day toward the end of our Sabbath. Or if you want to come pick them up. Because again, we like to just stay home if we can.   But our kids are to the point now too where they can ride their bikes over to friends' houses. And we're fine with that. They might not be home on Sabbath once in a while. It's not a regular thing. But they're getting fed. And we know that the people they're with are people who share our values, people that we do life together.   We love having bonfires in the backyard on Sabbath. Now one thing I have to be careful of is I don't want to invite people over and feel like I need to host or clean up first. And so, for one, we don't have full families over a whole lot on Sabbath because I just don't want any sort of self-induced, self-imposed pressure.   But sometimes it's so much fun to just be like, hey, let's go meet at a park and have a picnic dinner. Or let's have a family over and do a bonfire. Just making sure that you're keeping it really, really simple if you are going to incorporate community.   Laura Dugger: (36:17 - 37:54) Guess what? We are no longer an audio-only podcast. We now have video included as well. If you want to view the conversation each week, make sure you watch our videos. We're on YouTube, and you can access videos or find answers to any of your other questions about the podcast when you visit thesavvysauce.com.   Some of these things, like you said, “They do require forethought where you have the groceries coming or certain things in place. And I think you even refer to it as a sacred striving.” So, it's important for us to learn more about that. And here's a quick story.   I just remember we've moved states quite a few times in marriage. But when I was a young mom, there was a mom in the next season of life, and she had more kids than we did. And we went to church together, and she was just like, “Oh, we learned about Sabbath. That's not a thing for moms with multiples.” And I always wrestled with that, and I love her. She's a wonderful person. Maybe she's even changed her stance on that, so it's not to speak ill of her. But I do think that we can struggle with that because that's not an actual truth. I do think that's a message from the enemy.   So, I guess this is a two-part question. How do we protect ourselves from buying into a storyline that is not true that may hold us back from Sabbath? And then also, what is kind of the both and? It's both restful, and it requires a lot of work up front to make this a reality.   Eryn Lynum: (37:55 - 41:19) It does, and knowing that, that it is going to take work, but God's going to bless it. Think about Isaiah 55:10-11, that says, “Just like the rain and the snow go forth and produce life and bring forth life from the land, so my work goes out and does not return void or empty. It produces that which I sent it out for.”.   That is true for Sabbath and rest because, again, we find it all throughout scripture. So, know that it's going to take hard work, but God will not allow it to return void. He will bless our efforts as we step into His design that He created us for.   I talk about in the book a few ways that you have to prepare mentally, physically, and spiritually. So, mentally, for me, I have to just totally remove anything mentally that's going to distract me from rest. So, I own a business, and so a lot of my work is on the computer and on the phone. I will answer, so this is like Friday, I'll answer any lingering emails, those ones that are going to be on my mind if I don't get to them. And then I put an away message on my email. So, if anyone emails me on our Sabbath, it sends an automatic reply that says, hey, thanks for your message. My family's resting. It has a little blurb in there about Sabbath. I'll get back to you in the new week.   That gives me permission to not even look at my email. In fact, people expect that I'm not looking at my email if I'm keeping my word. And so, this has just freed me up mentally to step away, and then I literally put my laptop in my closet.   With my phone, I set it to a Sabbath mode, and you can create these different focus modes if you have a smartphone, so that I can only receive messages from my mom in case of emergency. And our people, our friends, they all know this now. Like, oh, I'm not going to hear back from Erin because it's Saturday for the most part.   And so, these little things that you might just need to mentally prepare yourself. And then physically, that goes back to preparing our home. So, this is not a deep clean that we do prior to Sabbath. It's just tending to the things that are going to distract me if we don't get to them beforehand. So, again, washing all the dishes and having the kitchen clean, vacuuming. Like, that's like just a hack to make the house feel clean is I feel like it's clean if it's vacuumed.   So, just these little things, and then physically also doing that grocery order. And I have a free Sabbath guide on my website, erinlynum.com/family-sabbath. And it walks you through creating your Sabbath grocery list so that every week you have what you need in the house. These little things that truly make it, Sabbath easier and more successful.   And then preparing spiritually, going into this, like a lot of times I'll know, okay, I'm going to study this on Sabbath. For our first year, I just had like this stack of books on Sabbath that I would work through on our Sabbath. Right now, I am parked in Genesis 1 and have been for weeks. And so, just preparing spiritually, you know, this is a time of communion with our creator, with our heavenly father. And so, just having an idea of, you know, this is how I want to spend time delighting in God on the Sabbath.   That might be a long walk. That might be time in the word or time of worship but making sure that that is a keystone part of your Sabbath practice.   Laura Dugger: (41:20 - 41:45) And, you know, it really is possible. I just think so many of us celebrate holidays and we do the same thing where we plan, prepare, prioritize ahead of time so that we can delight in that day. And what a gift to get to do that weekly. So, with all of these amazing benefits, why do we still resist God's design for rest?   Eryn Lynum: (41:46 - 43:00) Because we live in a fallen world, broken by sin, and the enemy wants to do everything he can to keep us from this. This is God's design and our faith, and our souls and our families flourish in this design. And so, the enemy is going to do whatever he can to keep us from it.   He's going to insert fear. He's going to insert distraction. He's going to insert doubt. You know, when we started this practice coming up to it, I was thinking, there's no way, like how are we going to get everything done in one last day a week, all these doubts. And yet what we found so quickly is that as we took this step of faith, we quickly became so much more productive and effective and creative during the work week, because we were starting from rest and following God's design.   We resist this because it is counter-cultural. Everything in society is set up against us doing this and succeeding in this. So, again, going and knowing that our war is not against flesh and blood. It is against the powers of the spheres, like things unseen. The enemy is against us, but God is on our side. And as we step into his design, he's going to make much of it.   Laura Dugger: (43:01 - 43:12) Okay. So, if we are convinced and we want to give this a try, what is a practical first step to just obeying this and receiving this gift of rest?   Eryn Lynum: (43:13 - 45:23) Yeah, super practical here. Two first steps. The first is to set a day and time. Now you're not committing to this forever. And again, if you, if a big hesitancy here is I can't do a full day. Okay. Work and pray toward that but start smaller. If it's four hours on a Wednesday, guard that time. Ruthlessly guard it. Don't let anything be written on the schedule besides that.   So, set a day in time and then write two lists. This is going back to the idea of stop and delight, right? Your stop list. These are things that send you into hurry and hustle mode, things that are related to normal work, things that feel heavy. Some of them are so important.   Again, our work is important, but this is going to be things like devices, media, regular work, answering emails, phone calls. It might be driving in traffic. It might be spending money. Write down those things that feel heavy. That's your stop list. The things you're not going to entertain on that day or that time.   And then write your delight list. This might be hard at first because what I've found with myself, with many of us is that we forget what we delight in but causes that childlike sense of play and wonder. This is learning to be human again, coming back to those things.   So, it might be playing music or listening to music, working with fresh ingredients, reading a good book, writing by hand, watercolor painting, going for a walk. What we find is that a lot of people who spend time during the week in front of a computer want to be outdoors on the Sabbath, but people who run a landscaping company might want to be inside with a great book. So, just writing down those things that are, again, those things that you think during the week, oh, I really wish I could get to that.   Only we don't. Those are your delight list. So, now you have a day and a time. You know what you're not going to do, what you're setting aside, even physically, that should probably most definitely be your phone. Stick it in a drawer. I have my Sabbath drawer where I put my phone, and then you know what you're going to do and spend that day on.   Laura Dugger: (45:24 - 45:47) That's so good. And for those who have been listening for a while, they could even put their phone in their RO box, and I could link to that episode as well with Joey Odom. That's incredible about where our phone could be in its right place.   But Eryn, are there any other practical benefits that we might be missing out on that you've seen as a result of this Sabbath rest?   Eryn Lynum: (45:48 - 49:44) One of my favorite benefits is how it unlocks our creativity. Whether you work in a career or position that you consider creative or not, God designed all of us to be creative, to produce. And so, what I have found is that my work, my work is very in that creative sphere, writing books, creating podcast lessons for children.   It's very creative work. And I've found that Sabbath is this day where God gives my mind rest. It's so incredible thinking about how he wired our brains to thrive through rest, and science points to that that a restful mind is better at problem-solving, connecting ideas, remembering details.   And so, as my mind is allowed to rest on Sabbath, and I'm out on a walk in nature, or I'm reading a good book, or I'm writing by hand, when it comes time to sit down at the computer Monday morning, I am ready. I am flowing with ideas. They are there.   And I'll give you an example. This one isn't from Sabbath. It's from one of my daily rest rhythms that I call Selah Pause, and that's a walk in the morning. And this might be a little controversial, but this is not an easy stroll. I have my rucking pack on, and I'm trekking up a hill, which is not physically restful, of course, but it's mentally restful for me. I love it.   And so, it was in January, so it's frigid out, and everything's covered in snow, and I'm in all my snow gear, and I'm trudging up this hill. And at the time, I was dealing with a problem in my podcast where it was a good problem. We had spent the month teaching about God's designs in the human body. So, we had taught kids about God's designs in cells and DNA and the heart and the brain, but I didn't want to just let this series end. I wanted to wrap it up in some powerful way, and I didn't know how. So, I could have stayed home that morning and hashed this out and been at the computer, and how should I end this thing?   Instead, I went on this walk, and God just dropped this idea in my mind. And it was this idea. He said, ask the kids how they are wonderfully made. And that was the top. The theme was wonderfully made. And so, I put it out there to my email list. When I got back from that walk, I said, hey, I would love to hear how you kids believe you are wonderfully made by the creator. And I opened up this little voice mailbox on our website, and I didn't know if anyone would respond. And then I'm like, what if they don't? And then I don't know what to do because I said I'm going to do this thing.   I tell you, message after message came in from children from ages. I think it was three or four up to 14 from all over the world. And I was weeping as I edited that episode. I had planned to add something at the beginning and the end to build out this episode. I didn't do that because it was, I believe it's 22 minutes straight of children saying, this is my name.   I'm five years old. I live in England and I'm wonderfully made because God made me to read well or God made me fast. Or one little boy shared, he said, I know I'm wonderfully made because my mama lost a baby before me. And I'm here and I'm wonderfully made. And I'm weeping.   And this idea that God gave me, I would have missed it if I hadn't taken that pause to be out in his creation walking that day. And so, that's a very roundabout way to get back to your question of what are the other benefits? We hear from God when we make time for rest. And if we keep just rushing and hurrying, I'm concerned that we are walking by so many opportunities to hear from his spirit and to let him unlock that potential within us.   Laura Dugger: (49:45 - 50:22) Oh, I love that. And I'm even reminded of one other thing that you write in your book that today, one way we can practically experience his original design of rest is by stepping outside. And you're full of tips and ideas like that, but I so appreciate those stories.   So, you've equipped us with this foundation of rest and ways that we can prepare for it, how we can enjoy and delight in it. And so now, Eryn, how can we reflect well on our rhythms of work and rest?   Eryn Lynum: (50:25 - 53:19) So, much of this is reflection. So, much of this is stopping to consider where God is at work in our lives, where we need to recalibrate, where we need to realign, where we need to step back into his pace because we're trying to run ahead of him. And one way that we can see it, you know, like you might ask the question, am I at rest? Even me sometimes on Sabbath, I'm like, am I doing this right? Like, is this actually restful? Is this what I'm supposed to be doing?   I think we can answer that question by the fruit in our lives, the fruit inside of us that God is producing and the fruit that we are producing. So, one thing I kind of sum up the book on is this question of, are you growing in truth and love? Because the enemy, when he gets us away from God's rest and into hustle, into distraction and hurry, we are not fully experiencing God.   And so, our levels of experiencing his love and offering it to others is going to suffer. Our experience of hearing his truth and living that truth out in our lives is going to suffer. And so, the opposite is true that as we live at rest, this whole concept of abide, that is living at rest, not just these rest practices, but living at rest in God's restful presence, we are going to be producing more love and more truth.   So, that's like a key visual. And then I love on that idea of abide. We spent a whole week on abide in the book and, you know, John chapter 15 being the abide passage. And what we see there is there's these 11 mentions of that word abide. And they all refer to us abiding in Christ, Christ abiding in us, God's word abiding in us. So, all this connectivity between Christ and God and us and his word.   But then it's, I think it's verse 16. There's a different mention of meno, abide. And it says that he wants us to go out and produce fruit that abides. So, this is different. It relates to our fruit and that word abide. Yes, it can mean dwell, remain, stay, but it can also mean continue and endure.   God created us to produce fruit and fruit that endures. Doesn't rot, doesn't fade, but continues into eternity. So, we can look at, okay, am I personally in my spirit? Am I growing in truth and love? Because God's spirit actually has the space to minister to me when I rest. And is that rest directly affecting the fruit of my life?   These are key things that we can look at and ask to see. Are we truly living from God's rest?   Laura Dugger: (53:19 - 53:53) I love questions so much. And that's so good to reflect then on the fruit that's being produced. And a mentor many years ago said, you never reap what you sow in the same season. So, that's a great place to even begin just reflecting. What did we do in the past season and what fruit are we reaping now? And where do we want to go then from here?   And one place we could go from here after this chat is to follow you. And you've mentioned your podcast. Do you want to elaborate on all the places that you're available?   Eryn Lynum: (53:54 - 55:03) Yes, thank you. So, the new book, The Nature of Rest is available wherever you get your books, along with my second book, Rooted in Wonder: Nurturing Your Family's Faith Through God's Creation. And that's all about taking our kids or grandkids, the next generation outside and reconnecting the dots between creation and creator. Really returning nature study and time outdoors to its proper place as theology and the study of God.   So, those are available anywhere, including Amazon or my website, which is my name, erynlynum.com. And then my podcast is Nat Theo, short for Natural Theology. It's nature lessons rooted in the Bible. It's a podcast for kids and families where we dive deep into science and all the design and intelligence we see in creatures and plants. And we tie it all back to biblical truth so that our kids are learning science and theology at the same time.   And that's available on any podcast platform, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, right on my website, erinlynum.com, as well as YouTube. We actually provide visuals so you can watch what you're learning about as well.   Laura Dugger: (55:04 - 55:22) So, incredible. We will add links to that in the show notes for today's episode. And Eryn, you may already be familiar. We're 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?   Eryn Lynum: (55:24 - 56:34) I love this question. And this is one that actually I was like, oh, I'm not asked this much. I'm going to have to really think deeply on this one.   It's get outside every day. That seems so simple, even though it's not really simple in practicality. But one thing I've learned through rest and through time outdoors is that 10 minutes matters. Like if you think I don't have time for this, but you have a 10 minute slot, go for a walk and see how God just communes with your spirit. Even in the dead of winter, if you live somewhere cold, like if it's safe to do so. For me, I had to buy like the best pair of snow pants I could find because I used to really dislike the winter. And I would just become like really down in those winter months.   And so, God just convinced me, don't go outside every single day if it's for 10 minutes. And then pretty often he just extends that. Like I think I'm going out for 10 minutes. And sure enough, I'm like playing with my kids outside. It's much longer.   But yeah, as best as you can, just prioritize that. If you have to do it first thing in the morning to make sure it happens, go for a walk and watch the sunrise. And God is going to minister to your soul through his creation.   Laura Dugger: (56:35 - 56:54) Amen. Amen. That is so good.   And this conversation has been so rich. Eryn, it is just very clear you have filled up on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you have just poured out goodness and love and truth for all of us, all over all of us today. So, thank you for all that you shared. And thank you for being my guest.   Eryn Lynum: (56:55 - 57:03) Thank you. Thank you so much for that encouragement. That means a whole lot to me. So, thank you. And for the opportunity for a great conversation.   Laura Dugger: (57:03 - 1:03:10) I really enjoyed it.    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.

At the last night of summer camp as a teenager, I felt conspicuous as I stood alone in a group of campers. When one of them mocked me, I felt hurt. I ran back to my tent, pretending to sleep when the group leader checked on me. The next morning I avoided her attempt to talk about it. She later wrote to me, helping me understand that God truly cared for me. She quoted from the apostle Paul: we can be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). I felt like the apostle’s words were directed right to me. Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, which he’d planted over a decade earlier, to encourage them to root their love for God and each other “in knowledge and depth of insight” (v. 9). God would carry on His work in and through them as He filled them “with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ” (v. 11). At the time I didn’t understand the original context, but I started to comprehend that my identity as one loved by God came from knowing and accepting the love of Jesus. God desires that we receive His love and that it would abound in us more and more. As He fills us with His joy and peace, we’ll grow in the knowledge not only of Him but of His good work in us.

Have you ever thought about heaven and wanted to go there sooner than later? Paul wrote in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He didn't have a “death wish” with dark thoughts of wanting to escape this world; he simply longed for heaven and was ready to go whenever God called him home. Sometimes the weight of this world can cause our heavy hearts to long for our eternal reward. Find out more about heaven in today's study with Pastor Gary Hamrick.

As the Robertsons begin wrapping up their first full duck season without Phil, they reflect on legacy, hard work, and the faith that shaped their family. Phyllis joins the conversation to look back on Phil's later years, the weight of the words “I never knew,” and the healing that followed Phil's honesty instead of silence. The guys and Phyllis discuss trauma, forgiveness, and how truth spoken even late in life can still bring restoration.  To hear Phyllis's story from the beginning, watch her first Unashamed appearances in episodes 95 and 96 here:  https://youtu.be/9n4Ab6mL9W0?si=YD9337YYIr5_AC6n https://youtu.be/kA4BCl5mhbY?si=MJgoQOfNB0EXjkwk And pre-order her book I Never Knew at https://ineverknewbook.com  In this episode: Hebrews 12, verse 11; Romans 12, verse 2; 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17; Philippians 3, verse 13 “Unashamed” Episode 1258 is sponsored by: https://ruffgreens.com — Get a FREE Jumpstart Trial Bag for your dog today when you use promo code Unashamed! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://open.spotify.com/show/3LY8eJ4ZBZHmsImGoDNK2l Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters: 00:00 Opening the first duck season without Phil 03:42 Remembering Phil's work ethic & love of the hunt 08:27 Living off the land & the values Phil passed down 13:41 Why hard work formed the Robertson family worldview 18:02 Phyllis is sharing her story with the world 23:55 How the letter, the photo, & faith connected the dots 29:48 “I never knew” — the moment Phil met his daughter 34:55 Trauma, forgiveness, & healing later in life 41:10 Telling the truth unlocks restoration 46:20 Phil gets the last word — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices