Podcasts about pursue

In this episode, Steph discusses the habit of inaction and its impact on our ability to create the life we desire. She talks about the way to overcoming the anxiety and fear we feel in our lives is so often to get back into action and simply PURSUE the thing we care about. She emphasizes the importance of ownership, purpose, and the universal desire for meaning, regardless of age or circumstance. She shares a story about a speech "almost" gone wrong and encourages listeners to pursue their passions relentlessly, reminding them that their energy can make a significant difference in the lives of others.For more inspiration and coaching nuggets, sign up for "The Impact Effect" newsletter at stephsaffer.com

Have you ever wondered what it means to truly live in peace while standing firm in your faith? Pastor Dave delivers a powerful message on the transformative power of being a peacemaker and persevering through persecution. Drawing from the Beatitudes, he reveals how pursuing peace isn't passive—it requires actively choosing reconciliation even when relationships are strained. Through vivid examples and Scripture, Pastor Dave shows that persecution often comes when we take bold stands for righteousness, but this shouldn't discourage us. Instead, we're called to "rejoice and be exceedingly glad," knowing our eternal reward far outweighs temporary struggles. Whether you're facing relational conflicts or feeling attacked for your faith, this timely message offers practical wisdom for walking as a peacemaker while remaining unshakeable in your convictions. Don't miss this inspiring conclusion to the Beatitudes series!Matthew 5:1-12 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4 Blessed are those who mourn,For they shall be comforted.5 Blessed are the meek,For they shall inherit the [a]earth.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,For they shall be filled.7 Blessed are the merciful,For they shall obtain mercy.8 Blessed are the pure in heart,For they shall see God.9 Blessed are the peacemakers,For they shall be called sons of God.10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:Romans 12:18 As much as you can, live in peace with all men. KJV as much as it lies with you2 Corinthians 4:9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

It's been a wild ride since our first episode aired in November of 2016, and today I'm reflecting on what it's like to pursue something for this long. Pursuing a passion project like this has taught me about personal development, resilience, and how daily habits can lead us toward self-compassion and growth. It's been so much more than a podcast. I wan to thank you for your support as we continue to learn and grow together! Help me celebrate 9 years of About Progress by submitting to our annual Favorite Things Giveaway! Simply leave a rating/review on Apple Podcasts. Favorite things + details on who won HERE. Sign up as a Supporter to get access to our private, premium, ad-free podcast, More Personal. Episodes air each Friday! More for Moms Conference use code “LISTENER” for $20 off Leave a rating and review Check out my ⁠workshops⁠! Follow About Progress on YOUTUBE! Book Launch Committee Free DSL Training Full Show Notes This episode is brought to you by cozy Earth, get up to 40% off at ⁠⁠Cozy Earth⁠⁠ with code "COZYPROGRESS" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seth and Sean dive into the odds of Will Anderson Jr. winning Defensive Player of the Year, the incredible season he and Danielle Hunter are having, react to some funny Jags trolling from Mike Florio and AI, discuss if the Astros might go after P Dylan Cease in free agency, and kick around what a good line would be for Texans-Bills in a couple weeks.

November 12, 2025 ~ Anne Vanker, mother of Flynn MacKrell, joins Kevin to discuss how they are using a 1927 statute to pursue involuntary manslaughter charges against the driver that killed her son's mother. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this deeply moving episode of the Life at NEXT podcast, we sit down with Chris from our Technology team to hear his powerful story of being diagnosed with stage two cancer at just 30 years old.Chris speaks with incredible openness about his journey, from the first symptoms and the initial diagnosis to the fear and vulnerability he felt. He shares why he believes using his voice was the most critical step in his fight and how the simple act of confiding in his partner set him on a path to recovery.This episode is a vital conversation about men's health, the importance of listening, and the power of having a supportive village around you—both at home and at work. Chris gives a heartfelt account of how his manager and team at NEXT provided unwavering support, giving him the space and security he needed to focus on his health. Join us for a story of resilience, the power of a positive mindset, and why it's so important to speak up, even when it feels hard.Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell to receive updates on everything Life at NEXT!

Tired of dating that feels confusing, inconsistent, or halfway holy? Here's what godly people actually do differently — so you can finally date with clarity, confidence, and peace.We've been married for 7 years now, but we didn't start out doing it right. We dated the world's way first — and it left us broken. God had to reteach us how to build love His way.In this episode, we're breaking down 7 things godly people do in dating that changed everything for us — and can change everything for you too.What You'll Learn:- How to pray about your relationship (and hear God, not just talk)- The right way to set boundaries (time, emotions, physical, spiritual, and money)- Why community and accountability protect your heart- What pursuing purity actually means (presence over performance)- How to communicate clearly — no ghosting, gaslighting, or confusion= What it looks like to honor each other in dating- How to date with marriage in mind — without rushing the processThis episode will help you date with confidence, peace, and direction — no more guessing if your relationship honors God.CHAPTERS:0:00 – Stop dating on vibes0:49 – Welcome + why couples copy1:56 – Is there a formula for godly dating?2:25 – The 7 things godly couples do3:38 – It's not perfection, it's intention5:38 – Our story: dating without direction6:32 – Loving God isn't enough6:38 – Pray about the relationship8:13 – How Pauline heard God13:35 – Set boundaries that guide you16:22 – Positive boundaries that build17:06 – Involve community18:37 – Pursue purity22:04 – Communicate clearly24:48 – Honor each other28:13 – Date with marriage in mind33:01 – Recap: 7 markers of godly dating33:57 – What's next + subscribeTjos For You If...You love Jesus but you're tired of guessing what a godly relationship actually looks like.You want to keep it fun and holy, but you also want something real — not just another situationship with Christian language.We're Tim & Pauline Wheeler, helping you build fun & holy relationships that last.New episodes every week on faith, dating, and building godly love that actually works.Tags: christian dating tips, godly dating advice, christian singles, faith-based relationships, dating with intention, christian couple advice, purity culture, godly love, christian relationship goals, christian dating boundaries, biblical dating advice, how to date as a christian

Text your thoughts and questions!It's far too easy to get caught up in a relentless cycle of stress and negative thinking in the world we live in. You want to feel calm, resilient, and finally break free from that stuck loop of worry, but where do you start? On this episode of the Positively LivingⓇ Podcast, I am joined by happiness coach Julie Leonard to discuss a path that leads to less overwhelm and a more intentionally happy life. Julie Leonard is a life coach, author, and self-proclaimed happiness evangelist based in Munich, Germany. After overcoming her own challenges with anxiety and a negative inner dialogue, Julie dedicated her career to understanding and sharing the science of happiness. With a background in psychology and experience in mental health, she specializes in helping women change limiting beliefs and negative thinking into positive action. Her mission is to share practical tools and knowledge to help people navigate life and live a more intentionally happy life, focusing on what is truly within their control.In this episode of the Positively LivingⓇ Podcast, Julie shares how happiness isn't just about avoiding struggle but about building the internal tools to handle what life throws at you. Our conversation provides you with actionable advice you can take today to cultivate resilience and live a more proactive, positive life. Julie and I cover the following topics:The difference between stress and distress. Identifying what true happiness looks like, separate from external validation or material gain.The societal and cultural messages that lead us to seek outward solutions for an inward problem.Practical strategies for taking back control and living a more intentional and happier life. You have more control over your happiness than you think. Now is the time to embrace that control and commit to building your own resilience toolkit. Learn more about Positively LivingⓇ and Lisa at https://positivelyproductive.com/podcast/Stop trying to fit into someone else's productivity rules! Grab my free Productivity Toolkit, a collection of workbooks designed to help you explore how you work, uncover what truly matters to you, and create your very own energy-friendly systems. Get it here: www.positivelyproductive.com/plpkitCONNECT WITH JULIE LEONARD:InstagramWebsiteCONNECT WITH LISA ZAWROTNY:FacebookInstagramResourcesWork with Lisa! LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:(Find links to books/gear on the Positively Productive Resources Page.)Ep 41 (Original Episode)Ep 197Self-Care Podcast PlaylistDance Song Playlist V1, V2, V3Music by Ian and Jeff Zawrotny

Hallee and I answer your questions and provide a woman's perspective on some different situations. I hope you all enjoy and find this helpful!HALLEE'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL:    / halleesmith  CONTACT/ FOLLOW ME:Instagram: @courtneycristineryanEMAIL/COLLAB: courtneycristineryan@gmail.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Finding staffing contracts in federal agencies is a processIt can seem overwhelming until you know the steps… here's mine. In this training, you'll learn:• How I identified almost 100 'staffing' contracts to pursue in FY2026• How I determine which are the best fit for me• What I do after identifying opportunities that look like a good fit.___________________________________

Justice Rolls DownAmos 1:1-2; 5:14-15, 21-24Amos 1:1-21 The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa—what he saw regarding Israel in the days of King Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 He said: The Lord roars from Zion and makes his voice heard from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.“I will not relent from punishing _______________, for three crimes, even four.”Amos 2:4-84 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept his statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray.5 Therefore, I will send fire against Judah, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem. 6 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals.7 They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground and obstruct the path of the needy. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name.8 They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines.Economic ExploitationAbuse of the PoorSexual ExploitationReligious AbuseAmos 5:4 For the Lord says to the house of Israel: Seek me and live!Amos 5:6 Seek the Lord and live, or he will spread like fire throughout the house of Joseph; it will consume everything with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.Amos 5:14-1514 Pursue good and not evilso that you may live,and the Lord, the God of Armies,will be with youas you have claimed.15 Hate evil and love good;establish justice at the city gate.Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be graciousto the remnant of Joseph.Pursue (seek) good and not evil.Hate evil and love good.Establish justice at the city gate.Isaiah 1:13-1713 Stop bringing useless offerings.Your incense is detestable to me.New Moons and Sabbaths,and the calling of solemn assemblies—I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.They have become a burden to me;I am tired of putting up with them.15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,I will refuse to look at you;even if you offer countless prayers,I will not listen.Your hands are covered with blood.16 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves.Remove your evil deeds from my sight.Stop doing evil.17 Learn to do what is good.Pursue justice.Correct the oppressor.Defend the rights of the fatherless.Plead the widow's cause.Amos 5:21-2421 I hate, I despise, your feasts!I can't stand the stenchof your solemn assemblies.22 Even if you offer meyour burnt offerings and grain offerings,I will not accept them;I will have no regardfor your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle.23 Take away from me the noise of your songs!I will not listen to the music of your harps.24 But let justice flow like water,and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.Pursue (seek) good and not evil.Hate evil and love good.Establish justice at the city gate.Let justice flow like water.Justice is living in such a way that those around you can live.Righteousness like an unfailing stream.We are to be people who seek God.What God desires is not a moment of goodness but a movement– a flow. Justice and righteousness aren't events we attend; they're rivers we join. Is your life adding to that flow or blocking it?

Send us a textGideon in Judges 8:4 was lacking support, lacking strength, and was flat out exhausted mentally and physically, but the scripture said that he was still in pursuit of the victory that God had promised him. Could you also be at the place of exhaustion and you don't know what to do? Then this episode is for you. DON'T YOU GIVE UP NOW!Click link to check out Kimberly Canty's new amazing podcast FROM SEED TO SANCTUARY!https://fromseedtosanctuary.buzzsprout.com Email me at JesseCantyPodcast@yahoo.com Feel free to give thru CASHAPP. $JesseECantyAnything you give will be appreciated. Be blessed and thank you. Support the show

Rob sits down with a powerhouse panel made up of Spears Group's Founder, Jonathan Spears, and its COO, Maria Coukoulis, both of whom are also co-founders of MyOps AI, and Larry Kendall, the author of Ninja Selling, to discuss a pivotal moment in every successful real estate agent's career. Together, this all-star team tackles the critical crossroads agents face: whether to continue as a solo producer or to build a high-performing real estate team.   This conversation goes deep into the nuts and bolts of scaling a real estate business from the ground up. The group explores Jonathan's transition from a driven solo agent doing $70 million in volume to the leader of a billion-dollar team, highlighting the operational challenges and mindset shifts required for success. They discuss the common pitfalls of team building, the necessity of creating documented systems and processes, and how a strong, clearly defined culture is the engine for sustainable growth. This episode provides an enlightening and informative case-study on how to turn a real estate practice into a true business, unlocking not just financial success but personal freedom and fulfillment. Episode Highlights: The critical crossroads every agent faces: staying solo versus building a team. Shifting your mindset from running a practice to owning a true business. The power of documented, repeatable systems for driving consistency and success. Why a strong culture - and getting the right people in the right seats - is non-negotiable for growth. Avoiding the "alligator pond" mistake: teaching agents to hunt versus simply feeding them leads. How mastering operations unlocks massive growth, eliminates waste, and creates personal freedom. Unlocking team potential by trusting each member to operate in their area of genius. Leveraging AI and technology to solve operational bottlenecks and give your team their time back. Key Takeaways: "We are not an anomaly… you can have this for yourself. You just have to be consistent with it, and you have to have those processes to carry you." "If you're an agent out there that's worried about an AI, oh my gosh, it's going to steal everything. Get curious instead of fearful." "A good system will work regardless of the market you're in. It's the documented process that will give you predictable results regardless of the market." "True success is when you're able to come alongside people, and out of that collaboration is birthed a greater product than either of you could create on your own." "People do not refer Jonathan Spears… They refer his process." "Build your goals into your calendar. Build your goals into that system and process. That way your daily executions, those daily movements, allow you to move towards them, not away from them." Links: Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/ Email: TSW@NinjaSelling.com  Phone: 1-800-254-1650  Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/# LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling  Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public  Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/ Spears Group: https://spearsgroupfl.com/ MyOps AI: https://myops.ai/#home Larry Kendall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-kendall-1078b61/  

In this episode of Bleav in Giants, Bob Papa and Carl Banks break down the Giants' preparations as they get ready to face the Chicago Bears. They reflect on the Giants' recent struggles, particularly their issues stopping the run and defending against the toss crack play that continues to burn them week after week. The conversation dives deep into defensive responsibilities, emphasizing the need for more physicality and smarter play recognition.  They also touch on the offensive side, highlighting improvements in offensive line play and the continued growth of Jaxson Dart , while stressing the importance of ball security against a Bears defense that leads the league in takeaways. Special teams and tackling are also discussed as crucial factors, especially with challenging weather conditions expected in Chicago. 00:00:19 — Giants travel to Chicago, Bears preview 00:00:25 — Giants: Refocusing after 49ers loss 00:00:35 — Key defensive concern: Stop the run 00:01:14 — Defensive scheme tweaks and execution issues 00:02:36 — Improving execution, communication breakdowns 00:03:38 — Strategies for defending rub routes 00:04:23 — Toss crack run play and defensive struggles 00:06:04 — Analysis of Chicago's blocking strategy 00:09:09 — Using physicality to stop wide receiver blocks 00:10:15 — Adjusting defensive strategy for last eight games 00:10:36 — Bears' rookie running back threat 00:10:48 — Chicago's legit receiving corps 00:11:51 — Giants need to execute with more freedom 00:12:20 — Bears' quarterback mobility and defensive approach 00:13:38 — Bears QB: Longest time to throw, under pressure 00:14:27 — Defensive coverage: Limiting big passing plays 00:15:19 — Special teams importance and recent struggles 00:16:12 — Special teams: Opportunity for young players 00:17:06 — Effort and hunger on kick coverage units 00:17:37 — Kicker injury concerns 00:18:05 — Giants' offensive progress 00:19:22 — Bears lead NFL in takeaways 00:20:29 — Attention to ball security, receiver detail 00:21:02 — QB Dart: Balancing playmaking and risk 00:22:04 — Growth and learning for Giants QB 00:22:41 — Offensive mindset going into Chicago 00:23:19 — Defensive adjustments: Stopping edge and inside runs 00:24:01 — Defensive linemen: Get off blocks, pursue the ball 00:25:16 — Defensive mentality: Pursue and make plays 00:26:23 — Injury report: Possible returns on defense 00:26:34 — Bears early-game offensive sharpness 00:27:43 — Defending Caleb Williams 00:28:05 — Bears scripting to target Giants' weaknesses 00:29:53 — Execution vs. coaching responsibility 00:30:40 — Simplifying defense for better execution 00:31:44 — Using film and formation analysis as preparation 00:32:58 — Importance of formation tips and communication 00:33:53 — Inside run defensive film prep 00:34:47 — Fan question: Why haven't adjustments happened earlier? 00:35:19 — Importance of player initiative, not just leadership 00:38:31 — Defensive strategies: Tackling toss crack, play the play 00:41:27 — Packing the paint, stopping ‘layups' early 00:42:00 —  Dart's rookie touchdown record 00:43:08 — Tyrone Tracy: Asking more of offensive players 00:44:16 —Singetary steady performance 00:45:02 — Bears offensive physicality, tackling emphasis 00:46:13 — Tyler Nubin's hesitancy at safety 00:47:47 — Defensive coaching: Unlocking aggression 00:48:02 — Nubin possibly losing a bit of confidence 00:49:07 — Information overload and freeing defensive play 00:50:57 — Preparing for bad weather in Chicago Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Before she was a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Jewel was a homeless teenager fighting to survive. Her journey from instability to global recognition is a masterclass in resilience and radical accountability. After skyrocketing to fame in the '90s (which, she quickly realized, wasn't really her thing) Jewel turned her pain into purpose through her mental health advocacy and the Inspiring Children's Foundation. In this episode, Jewel and Victoria dive deep into how to stop feeling like a victim of your circumstances, why “don't waste a good disaster” has become her life mantra, practical tools to reframe anxiety into something useful, and how to build true resilience without losing trust in the magic of the universe. Tune in to be grounded, inspired, and reminded of your own power to transform hardship into healing.Connect with Jewel: @jewelLearn more about the Inspiring Children Foundation: inspiringchildren.org// SPONSORS // Crunchmaster: Find Crunchmaster at a store near you! BetterHelp: Visit betterhelp.com/realpod today to get 10% off your first month. Quince: Go to quince.com/realpod to get free shipping and 365-day returns. Paired: Head to paired.com/realpod to get a 7-day free trail and 25% off if you sign up for a subscription. Function: Learn more and join using my link. The first 1000 get a $100 credit toward their membership.Visit www.functionhealth.com/REALPOD or use gift code REALPOD100 at sign-up to own your health.Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's episode, I'm sharing the behind-the-scenes of launching my new membership, Obsessed, and the deeper conversation that inspired it. I talk about what it really takes to create the life and business you want, starting with clarity, fueling it with genuine obsession and passion, and backing it up with messy action. I also share why gratitude and joy have become non-negotiables for me, especially in this season. If you're ready to operate from a place of purpose, fire, and momentum, this one's for you.

The guys spend hour two talking World Series, Ja Morant and much more on the Kings.

The Republican Fire: Manet, Gambetta, and the War That Declared a French Republic. Sebastian Smee discusses how Édouard Manet's family wanted him to pursue law or the Navy, but he became a passionate, anti-autocratic Republican inspired by the 1848 uprisings. Manet established himself as an activist painter, creating works protesting Napoleon III's policies. Léon Gambetta became Manet's friend and the leading moderate Republican lawyer. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 began under Napoleon III, but the French were crushed. When Napoleon III surrendered and went into exile, a Republic was declared in Paris. The victory was bittersweet: Paris was immediately surrounded by Prussian troops, and the entire male population joined the National Guard. However, France was defeated, leading to a humiliating surrender in January 1871. The trauma was reflected subtly in the Impressionists' art.

Auburn has fired Hugh Freeze, and named defensive coordinator DJ Durkin as interim head coach. Justin Hokanson from On3 joins us to break down what happened behind the scenes, and who the top candidates are to be Auburn's next coach. - - - Today's Sponsors: Boll & Branch - Get 25% off sitewide plus free shipping and extended returns at https://bollandbranch.com/BOOSTER and use code BOOSTER BAERSkin Tactical Supply Co. - Get a BÆRSkin now - while it's 60% off. Text CRAIN to 36912 - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Radiologist to Global Health Coach Mentor: Dr. Shaunna Menard on Reinventing Purpose Beyond Medicine   In this deeply inspiring episode of Life Beyond Clinical Practice, Dr. Diane Van Staden sits down with Dr. Shaunna Menard — a former radiologist turned international best-selling author, speaker, and founder of the Health Professional Academy. After 25 years in medicine, Dr. Shaunna reached a breaking point — torn between her desire to help others and a system that left her exhausted and unfulfilled. What began as a late-night search for meaning led her on a journey of transformation from “the photographer of disease” to a mentor helping health professionals worldwide build soul-aligned, profitable practices as health coaches. This conversation dives into the emotional, spiritual, and practical realities of leaving a successful medical career, rediscovering purpose, and building a new path with freedom and impact at its core.

In today's episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady responds to a deeply honest email from a young Christian man who left the gay lifestyle and is now wrestling with a difficult question:“If most of my past sexual sin involved homosexual desires, can I still pursue marriage to a woman? And how do I know if I'll ever feel enough attraction?”Brady shares his personal journey through same-sex attraction, surrendering his sexuality to Christ, rejecting identity labels, and discovering a biblical vision of marriage—not as a cure, but as a sacred covenant designed by God.Topics discussed:

The Bible portrays sibling rivalry through stories such as Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, Isaac and Ishmael, and Leah and Rachel. These accounts reveal how jealousy, pride, and favoritism can breed conflict, deceit, and even violence within families. Rivalry is described in Scripture as a “work of the flesh” that causes chaos, dishonors God, and undermines unity among believers (Galatians 5:19–21; James 3:16).Yet, amid these cautionary tales, the Bible also offers hope. Through examples like the reconciliations of Jacob and Esau and Joseph with his brothers, it emphasizes repentance, forgiveness, and divine restoration. Ultimately, Scripture calls believers to reject rivalry and embrace love, humility, and harmony as “brothers and sisters in Christ.”Causes of Sibling RivalryCompetition for attention: Children may vie for parental love and approval, especially when one receives more care or praise.Developmental differences: Conflicts arise as siblings go through different stages with varying needs and goals.Personality clashes: Differences in temperament or closeness in age can intensify rivalry.Identity and comparison: Constant comparison fosters jealousy as siblings seek to define their worth and uniqueness.Parental favoritism and jealousy: As seen in stories like Cain and Abel or Jacob and Esau, favoritism and envy can lead to resentment, conflict, and sin.Remedies for Sibling RivalryRecognize God's purpose: Like Jacob and Joseph, conflicts can become opportunities for growth and divine reconciliation.Pursue harmony: Scripture teaches that peace among brothers and sisters honors God and strengthens families.Embrace spiritual family: The New Testament calls believers to see one another as “brothers and sisters in Christ,” practicing unity and grace.Honor diversity: Celebrate each child's unique gifts and teach that every person has value and purpose in God's design.Cultivate humility and love: Following Philippians 2:3, treat others as more important than yourself, replacing rivalry with kindness and compassion. Find us on Apple iTunes, Spotify, PandoraFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/EnrichedPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/enriched_perspectives/YouTube:   @Enriched_Perspectives

The post Leaving Comfort to Pursue Your Calling appeared first on Point Harbor Church.

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptWell, good morning. My name is Chet. I'm one of the pastors here. We are working our way through our membership commitment. It's different for us. We're normally working our way through books of the Bible, but we've taken the fall to just kind of go, hey, we collectively are following Jesus together as a church family. And what are the things that we've committed to? What are the things that we believe? And then kind of, what, how have we designed how we're going to live life together? So we, we are on commitment number 11 out of 14. It's just a one sheet piece of paper that we say, yes, this is what we're trying to do here. It's kind of our outline for discipleship. I want to begin by showing you this tweet that kind of made the rounds a while back. I think it's a good intro to what we're talking about today. It says, nobody talks about Jesus. Miracle of having 12 close friends in his 30s. The point of that tweet is it's hard to have relationships. Being friends with people is difficult. You're doing well if you've got one. But this idea that you'd have a lot and that they would stay together and you'd be able to keep working things out. And the reality is in the church, Jesus says that they'll know you're my disciples by the way, you love one another. So that it is supposed to look different for us, that the church is supposed to put this picture of what love and relationships are, are meant to look like and be able to walk things out together. So this is actually a miracle that we're all supposed to get to participate in as Christians. But it is difficult to do. We understand that. So that's what number 11, our commitment is for us. I want to read it as we begin. It says, I expect relational difficulty as I seek genuine relationships with other sinners saved by grace. I will actively fight against gossip, drama, bitterness and relational weirdness. I will work toward reconciliation in all conflict, seeking always to live at peace, unified with others in the mill city family. So we're going to take that line by line. We're going to show you where that comes from in the scriptures, what we're talking about, what we're committing to. Let's pray. Lord, we ask for your help. We ask for your grace. We ask in the name of Jesus that this would be true for us, that we would work towards reconciliation and all conflict, seeking always to live at peace and be unified as your people. In Jesus name, Amen.All right, so that first line, if you're going to commit to membership here, and if you have committed to membership here, you have announced, I expect this to be difficult. You're like, I looked around, I saw you guys. And I'm pretty sure this is going to be hard. Yeah, that's how it works. I expect relational difficulty as I seek genuine relationships with other sinners saved by grace. And in some ways, this is commitment. 9, 10, and 11 follow a logical flow. 9 is, I'm going to pursue deep, genuine relationships. I'm going to do that by being here on Sundays and by committing to belong to a community group and that we're going to pursue these types of relationships. And then 10 says, and I'm well aware that I'm a sinner, so I won't be surprised if someone comes to me and says that I've sinned, I'm aware of that. I'll walk through that with them. And then 11 says, and I'm also well aware that they're sinners. And so this is going to be hard. What we're saying is that we expect. It makes sense that if what brought us here is sin and the need for forgiveness, Christianity is the people who raised their hand and said, I need help. The people who said, if the Lord doesn't have mercy, I'm in trouble. If he doesn't forgive sin, I'm in trouble. I want this to be about Christ. I want it to be about his goodness. I want my hope to be in Him. And if we all get together, the assumption that we would somehow not have conflict, that we're coming from different backgrounds, different economic places, we speak different languages at times, that we're coming from all these different places and we sinful. The idea that that wouldn't cause conflict is crazy. So we're saying, no, I expect that I'm a sinner who needs grace, and I expect that you're a sinner who needs grace. And I'm pretty sure if we try to have a real relationship, that's gonna. There's gonna be some problems. A lot of times we don't have conflict with people because we don't have relationships with people. The reason there's no frustration, the reason there's no difficulty, the reason there's no conflict is because you're not around each other enough for that to have even come up. We're saying, we want to be around each other enough to grow in these deep, genuine relationships, which means we expect there's going to be Some difficulty. So we say, I will actively fight against gossip, drama, bitterness, and relational weirdness. So we're saying, okay, it makes sense that we would have some problems, but I'm going to commit to fighting against these things. And this isn't just I won't participate. It's I'm going to try to stop them. I'm going to fight against it in myself and in others. We're going to. We're going to police this. We're going to defend something that is good together. Okay? Gossip. It's listed several times in the New Testament as a sin. What it is, is me and you talking about someone else. Be true. Slander would be if it was untrue. We're not going to do that either. But gossip is like, hey, did you hear this? Hey, I got something to say. People will say, I don't know if I should say this. And I've practiced. If you say that to me, I'll go, then don't. I'll try to wet blanket that as fast as I can. Because I know if you say it, I'm probably going to like hearing it. Proverbs says they're delicious morsels. Whispering like, this is a delicious morsel. And it's like, you know, don't even open the donut box. Like, I don't want to have to choose whether I'm eating two or three. Like, I just get it out of here. So when you're like, I don't know if I should say this, then you probably shouldn't. Don't say it. I don't know if you're the right person to talk to. I'm probably not. Leave me out of this. But we're going to fight against the gossip Is me and you talking about someone else. Did you hear that this was going on? One of the things I found personally that I love doing is telling you why someone did something. I don't know, but I have good negative guesses. So I. For a long time ago, I can tell you why they said that. I can tell you exactly what they're trying to do. And I had to learn, no, I can't. And even if I was right, I should keep my mouth shut. But we're going to fight against that. This is not going to be something we're going to participate in, which means that it's not just you're not going to say these things, but you're going to be an unsafe person for someone else to say them to. We're not going to get together to spill the tea? No, we're going to keep it all well contained, Highly good contained tea in our church. Family. Drama, not a Bible word. The Bible word that most often is used is we're going to pursue peace and we're going to see that a lot. Drama would be the opposite of that, would be you making things worse, making things bigger than they are, overreacting to things. The Bible talks about stirring things up. So Romans 16:17 and Titus 3:10. We've on the screen together, it says,> I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.>> As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.There are obstacles to following Jesus. There shouldn't be other ones that we add in. There shouldn't be other things that we go, well, you know, this is a problem. And this is a problem. And this is. Have you noticed this? I've noticed this. This is a problem for me. Is it a problem for you? We're not supposed to do that and to stir up division. He says, avoid them. Watch out for that. That's bad for you. You know, there are people who can. Their joy is contagious, and there are people who. Their bitterness and frustration and dislike is contagious. I have. I have a friend who can make you dislike a movie. You watch it with him and he can talk you out of it. I'm a little bit like that. I have to watch. So I don't dislike it when he does that. I'm like, yeah, tell me how stupid this movie is. But I heard two other friends talking, and one of them, they're friends with that guy. And one of them said, yeah, I didn't like that movie. And the third friend said, did you actually not like that movie or did you just see it with this person? And later that friend said to me, I don't know. I don't know if I actually didn't like it or if they just so affected my ability. And it's like, y', all, you've got to be aware that that's a thing. Someone can come poison something for you, and they can poison your church family, they can poison your community group. They can poison things for you. They can get in your head and talk you out of joy and forgiveness and. And life and grace. And he says, watch out. You may have someone who comes and says, hey, you know, I need to talk to you about something. And all they're doing is this.Titus 3:10. For a person who stirs up division makes it worse. That's drama. It's stirring things up after warning him once and then twice have nothing more to do with him. Or as Proverbs 16:28 says,> A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.I love the way 26:20 says it, for the lack of wood, a fire goes out. And where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. There's nobody actively stirring it up. A lot of times things will stop, we say drama, bitterness and relational weirdness. Bitterness is. You're not talking about it, you're just seething over it. It's internal. It's not gossip. It's just as something that you're working out internally. You're going, yeah, I know what they were doing. I know. No, that's fine. This is just be how. Okay, yeah, you're just working it out in your head. They were rude to me. I know they were rude to me, whatever. And it just starts changing your relationship. We're not going to do that. We're going to be on guard against that in our heart. Relational weirdness is not a Bible term. It's a catch all. We're trying to grab a concept when we talk about relational weirdness. It. It's one of those things where it's like, you know, it's developed where we used to be okay, or we had this thing and we talked about it, but now I just don't really know how to talk to him anymore. I don't really want to talk to him anymore. If I find out they're going somewhere, I don't want to be there. It's like, oh, well, that's relational weirdness. And we just kind of sometimes will consign ourselves to that and go, yeah, I don't know, I don't like them, they don't like me. It's fine, we're fine. We're not in a group together anymore. So it's fine. I'm fine, we're fine, it's fine. I'm telling you a little bit something personal about myself. When I wake up in the morning, my left heel hurts so much that it's hard for me to walk. But I'm coming up on 40. So what I thought was, well, I'll just have that be true about me until I die. I'll limp around my house in the morning and then at some point it'll stop hurting and I'll move on because I have no intention of seeing a doctor about this. That's what relational weirdness is. It's just relationships. It's where you're going. This is fine. I'm fine. No, it's okay. No, this isn't a problem. I don't need to talk about it. I'm okay. And it's like, yeah, you have this. Like, something's painful, something's weird. You feel this twinge. You don't want to talk. I don't. Nah. And you just go, it's fine, though. As long as we ignore it, it's fine. And then someday I'll die. And it's like, no, we're going to fight against that. I'm allowed to do that with my heel. But you're not allowed to do that with your relationships. But I want you to see something first. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 says this.> Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.He's talking about conflict. He's talking about forgiveness and unforgiveness. And he says, no, I forgive them if you're forgiving them, we're going to walk in forgiveness. And he says, so that Satan doesn't trick us. And one of the reasons we commit to fighting this stuff is because Satan wants us to walk in unforgiveness, wants us to walk in fractured relationships, wants us to have relational difficulty and drama all over the place, wants that to be true for us where we don't enjoy and participate in what Christ has purchased for us. And we just have all these little fractures and broken relationships and frustrations because we're trying to walk together. And if we're going to do that, it's going to be difficult. And he says, no, we're going to walk in forgiveness so that we won't be outwitted by Satan. This is one of the reasons we're fighting against it, because this stuff is cancer for a church. Most people who have church hurt, and they'll talk about it. It's them, this. So it's unacceptable here. It's unacceptable in any church. But we're. We're not going to practice it. We're going to sort things out. But how are we going to do that? And that's what we say. Next. I will work toward reconciliation in all conflict, seeking always to live at peace, unified with others. In the mill city family, reconciliation is. There's a broken relationship and we're going to fix that. There's something between us and we're going to get rid of it. We're not going to let it develop. We're not going to let it grow. We're not going to let it see. We're not going to talk about other people about it. We're not going to let bitterness develop. We're going to try to sort this out. We're going to get to where we can be at peace with one another. And this is commanded over and over again in the Scriptures. So we're about to look at a lot of verses together. 2 Corinthians 13:11 says,> Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.I said, I love that. That's a command. Agree. It's like something you'd say to your kids, hey, get along, be friends. That's what he's doing. He's saying, aim for restoration, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Our God is a God of love and peace. We actually get to participate in that. We get to have love and peace. And that gets to define the relationships here. And so we aim for restoration. That's what we're seeking to do. That's what the whole point of this is. So that's what you're committing to is, I'm going to do that. I'm going to commit to aim for restoration when there's conflict, when there's frustration, when there's difficulty. Romans 14:19 and Hebrews 12:14 says,> So then let us pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding.>> Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.I love these verses. The reason I have them next to each other. Pursue and strive. Pursue what makes for peace. Strive for peace. It means it takes work. This is something that's going to call out effort in us. You know, this is the reason this is all over the place in the New Testament is because they were like us. They became Christians and then found the other Christians kind of annoying. They had problems, they had difficulties, they had hurt feelings, they had sin. And he keeps going, y' all gotta work that out. You gotta work that out. You gotta pursue this stuff. I think sometimes we think about peace as, like, a byproduct. Like, it should just be there. It's just something you have or you don't have. When it's there, it's nice. When it's not there, it's, you know, whatever. And he's like, no, it takes work. We think of it as like a musical or something. Like they're in a barbershop and somebody's sweeping and somebody's cutting hair. Somebody's buzzing, and then they just start singing. It's magic. And that's what peace is like in a church. Imagine like we're monkeys in a Disney cartoon or something. That's not what it's like. That's not even what it's like in the thing you're watching. Where did that piano come from? Like, they've practiced this, obviously, and there's now instruments that aren't in this barbershop. But we act like that, and it's like, no, it's something that's going to take work. If you're going to be at peace with someone, it's going to take effort. It's going to take striving, it's going to take pursuit. And we're not going to want to do it. But it's worth it. And we're commanded to. So Romans 12:16-18 says,> Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.>> Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.>> If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.So this idea of living in harmony, living peaceably with all. And in the middle there, he says, do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. I've been a part of a community group in this church for 12 years. One of the things that I have found is part of the problem is that I'm right and good and they're stupid and bad. You ever feel that, you ever want to say, if they would just quit being wrong, then we wouldn't have a problem? Some of you married people know what I'm talking about. I've explained it to them twice. I don't know why they're so dumb. But you just feel that, you feel like I'm right. If you just see what I see, if you just know what I know. If you would just get on board now, you're like, yeah, and I got a Bible verse now, agree with me. Where is it at? It's like, that's not. There's a level of humility needed when we approach this and we're coming in and going, I'm aware of my own sin. I'm aware of my own self righteousness. I'm aware of my own haughtiness. I'm aware that I'm so wise in my own eyes constantly. I think I'm the smartest person who's ever existed. I just feel right about everything. My opinions feel like facts. And it's like that robs us of getting to do this. We're to live in harmony with one another. This isn't a solo. You have to work at it. Repay no one evil for evil. I want you to hear this. They actually did the thing that you're upset about most of the time. Sometimes we're like, yeah, but they really did sin. It's like, right? Yeah. Nobody's arguing that. We actually started with that we expected them to sin. They're a sinner who needs Jesus. We are not nobody's. We're not scandalized. Yeah, they really did it. They really. No, but they really. But it was really hurtful. It was really mean. No, they actually said it. No, they actually did. Yeah. Yeah, they did. And it's bad. Nobody's saying it's. It's not bad. Nobody's saying it's not sin. Nobody's saying it's okay. But we are saying we're not going to repay evil for evil. We've got to give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. Then verse 18, he says, if possible, and he's clarifying so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all meaning that there are some people that you can't be at peace with, but it has to be on their side, not yours. So you can't say, well, this person's just impossible to be at peace with. And it's like, only if it's on their side, not yours. You have to be holding out, going to be peaceable as far as it's up to me. All the parts that I can handle, I'm going to handle, and I'm going to live at peace.Okay, so what does pursuing reconciliation look like? We committing to do it? We're going to pursue reconciliation in all conflict. What does that look like? Well, first thing we can do is forbearance. Bearing with one another is just a way that you are going to absorb some of their sin in a way that you're going to offer forgiveness, offer love, and you don't have to have a conversation about it. Proverbs 10:12 says,> Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.Proverbs 17:9,> Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.There's a way for us to just by love forgive one another. And I think those proverbs can apply to, you've had a conversation, you've sorted things out. But I also think it's just one of those things that we get to do. We get to delight in to do someone is rude to you in your group, or they planned a time to meet with you and then they showed up late, and that drives you particularly crazy. The most offensive thing someone could ever do, they should hang up the phone on their mom and come show up on time to meet you. It's unacceptable. But you have these different things where it's like this, no, it was really rude. It was really offensive. They said that and it really hurt my feelings. We celebrated this birthday and then they acted like I didn't exist. And I told them it was my birthday. This stuff happens and it hurts. There's times where you go, yeah, but I've offended other people. I've been rude before. And I'm just gonna offer grace and forgiveness and love so that we get to have it. If I offer you grace and forgiveness and love, then our relationship gets to have grace and forgiveness and love. I just get to pour it in. Some of you people who live, have roommates and are married or whatever, you need to learn some of this. Like some of your relationships, you get to just add grace and forgiveness and love to your house on your own, from your side, and then it gets to be there. I'm pretty sure my wife does this with me 75 times a week where she's just going to make sure there's Love and kindness in our house. I know for a fact that I do things that she's asked me not to do. I noticed it this week as I was thinking about this. She tells me all the time when we're on the phone, say bye. Yeah, seems pretty simple. I'm constantly like, sounds good. Click. Alright. Yeah. It works for me. Click. I did that a couple times this week and I thought, I wonder if she's on the other side of the phone being like, I'll get texts every once in a while that say say bye. Because it's become evident to her that I've already hung up. I don't know if she's still talking. I don't know. I hung up the phone, you guys. I don't know how she finds out that I'm not on the phone anymore because apparently I don't say bye. But there's times where I just do that. She's told me a thousand times. I know for a fact I hung up on her twice without saying bye this week. She didn't say a word about it. I don't know if she didn't notice or if she just is like, he can't help it, something wrong with him and just chooses to love me and covers an offense, something that legitimately offends her. It bothers her, but she's just showing grace and kindness so that our house just gets to have love and we get to do this because we belong to Jesus. We just get to love each other. And so there's a whole lot of things that you can just go, you know what? I'm just going to forget. I'm just going to love. This is just going to be okay and I'm not going to hold on to it. 1 Peter 4:8 says,> Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.This applies in situations where we have to have multiple conversations. This applies to situations where we're having to work some stuff out. This applies all the time that we're seeking to love one another earnestly. But I'm just letting you know that forbearance lets you do this sometimes where you just go, I'm just going to choose on my side to not be offended by that. To be offended, but then to just choose to forgive and move on. And you can do that until it starts to grow. Because sometimes I think people say that's what they're doing and they're really just avoiding conflict because they don't want to have to have the conversation that makes them Uncomfortable. So they go, I'll just forgive. They were rude to me. That's fine. They're just a rude person. And then you see them and you say in your head, well, hello, Rudy. And it's like, okay, if you're doing that, I don't know if you've done the forbearance thing where you're choosing to forgive and show love. Like you, something else is happening. And so it's like, you can choose to do that, but you also can't sit and seize and have resentment and bitterness and difficulty. And if you start realizing, I'm trying, and I've done this for a while, but now it's still growing and it's still happening, and they're still offending me, and I'm going to have to have a conversation, which is the next thing that happens. So we can bear with one another, we can forbear, we can forgive without conversations. But then there are times where Matthew 18:15 says,> If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.You're trying to aim for restoration. You're trying to gain your brother. There's something between us, and this is what I think we sometimes miss. There'd be something between us. And someone will go, just. Well, it's just what it is. And it's like, you don't care about your brother. You're okay with just losing a sister. If you're going to hold on to that, or you'll be like, well, I just don't want to. I don't want. Sometimes people have in their mind peace just means the absence of conflict. But if I know about the conflict and you don't, conflict is still there. That's not peace. That's like, we see a hole and we put a blanket over it that didn't fix the hole. It actually increases the likelihood someone will fall into it. And so sometimes we're doing that in our relationships where we're just going, well, I just. I'm not gonna say anything. And it's like, yeah, but you're gonna hold on to it. That's still there. It's gonna affect the relationship. They won't know exactly why, but they'll feel it. And so he says, now you go talk to him. Because we're trying to aim for restoration. We're trying to gain our brother. And there are some baseline assumptions. If you sin against me and I come to you and I tell you or if I sin against you and you come and tell me we're making some assumptions. I love you. I want good for you and for us. I believe the spirit's at work in you so that this can work, so that you can repent, I can forgive. Like, I'm assuming good things about you if I come and talk to you. You're assuming good things about me. Now you're telling me I've sinned. I don't like that part. But you're making some baseline assumptions that are like, but if someone sins and I just go, yeah, not worth talking to them. Well, all my baseline assumptions are bad. Don't really care that much about them. Or you'll say things like, yeah, but I would talk to them, but I know what they're gonna say. And it's like, okay, so you're just gonna condemn them from here. Judge and condemn them from here, Lock them in that. And even if you are right and that's what they say or that's how they act, still supposed to do that for their good. God has you in this position in this relationship to see this thing and to have this conversation for their good, for their joy, and for yah's restoration. And it goes the other way, too. Matthew 5:23-24 says,> So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.You say, they didn't sin against me, they're mad at me. Okay, well, go talk to them. You can go have a conversation with someone where you say, it seems like you're mad at me, but I don't know what about, and I don't want to guess. You can go and say, hey, I know I did this, and I know that we hadn't quite been right since, and we need to talk about it. Matthew 18:16 says,> But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.That every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. We talked about this last week, but it's. If someone sins against me or if there's hurt, if there's conflict between us, I'm going to go talk to him privately. If that doesn't work, I'm going to get some other people to come help, and maybe that's because they don't see it. It's very clear that it's sin, but they don't see it. They're just denying it. Or maybe it's not clear that it's sin. We just aren't having a good conversation. It's hard for us to sort this out. Or they're, they said that I'm wrong, and so now I got to get somebody else and say, hey, maybe I'm wrong here, but can you come help us sort this out? But this is why if someone comes and talks to you about someone else, you are supposed to ask, what did they say when you told them? Because you're assuming we're on step two. If you're talking to me about it, you've already talked to them between you and them alone, and it didn't go well. That's my assumption. So how did that conversation go? And if you say, I haven't talked to them, then I'm supposed to say, well, go do that first. Now, I have had a lot of people ask, can't I come and talk to someone just to try to get some wisdom on how to have that conversation? Can I come and ask and say, am I wrong about this? Like, should I even be upset about this? And the answer to that is, yes, you can do that in limited circumstances with wise people who are actually helpful. You can come and say, hey, I'm trying to have this conversation with them. I'm really angry and I don't think I'm going to do it well. And you help me think about how to word this, how to structure this. You can also do that. You can say, I'm in conflict with a person. They don't have to know who it is. They don't have to know all the details. As a pastor, I do this all the time. Someone will say, hey, I'm having a hard time with someone. Can I tell you about it? And I'm like, yeah, maybe. But you can also, like, you can redact it. You can give me some of the details and not all the details. And I can try to be helpful on how to go have that conversation or how to approach this. You can go ask someone, am I wrong about this? And they might tell you, yeah, you're wrong. And then you may still have to go have a conversation with someone that says, I've been mad at you for bad reasons and it's affected our relationship, but we're ultimately going to be having conversations with the people that there's conflict between us. But this is the thing that happens, Philippians 4:2-3 says,> I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.So there are times where you just need somebody else to be in the room to help you have the conversation. I want to have the conversation. We don't communicate well. We need help. We've tried this two times, three times. I've already brought this up. They don't understand what I'm saying. I don't understand what they're saying. We need somebody else to come sit in the room and try to help us out. That's okay. You can get help. You're not trying to build a co if it's just conflict, frustration, difficulty, not addressing someone in sin. You're not trying to build a coalition of people on your team. You're trying to have someone who's wise and helpful to help you hear both sides sorted out, working towards peace, someone who's going to help make peace. Okay. Ephesians 4 says,> I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.He's saying, the church should look like Christians, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. Oh, what if that's what it looked like? What if someone sat you down and said, hey, I love you and I need to talk to you about something. But they had humility, gentleness, patience. They said, hey, I want to talk to you because I belong to Jesus and I love you and you belong to Jesus. And we need to sort this out because there's some difficulty between us being eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. I think we need to be real about the fact that a lot of times we're most eager to maintain our own comfort, more eager to maintain that than we are to maintain unity in the spirit. That I really just want you to get on my side so you'll quit getting on my nerves. And I'm not really wanting to sort this out in a way that gives grace and helps us both grow. But we should be eager to maintain that. We should dislike conflict between us to the point that we're wanting to overcome it. We should be like my sons, when there's a tag in their shirt, they will come to me like they're being attacked. Like a four year old will come like, and it's like, what is going on? This tag, let's burn this shirt. But it should be like that. It should be like there's something between us or something causing problems, and I can't stand it. I'm eager to maintain unity. So let's have a conversation. Let's get together, let's sort this out. And if we all have this, then it becomes easier. You should expect that this is going to be hard and you should expect other people to come do it. And when they come do it, you should feel loved, not attacked. You should go, oh, good, they want to maintain unity with me. They love me enough to try to sort this out. The reality is, if we clip off years where there's aren't conversations like this, if we go through your group never, then maybe y' all just aren't around each other enough or don't love each other enough because the idea that I'm around you and haven't seen things, that maybe, maybe we just aren't sorting things out like we should. Maybe we're not eager to maintain unity when we start telling ourselves, well, I just might. I might just go somewhere else. I think this happens so often in churches, especially in the south, where there's so many churches. You reach the place where now I'm going to have to have a conversation. I'm going to have to forgive, I'm going to have to repent, I'm going to have to go through conflict. No, I'm just going to go somewhere else. And you tell yourself that this shouldn't happen. There must be something wrong here. Because our assumption is that peace is a byproduct, not something we have to strive for as we just go somewhere else. And you're there for three years or four years or five years, really just long enough for these people to start really getting on your nerves or sinning against you or hurting you or for them. And then you go somewhere else. When we've reached the moment where we could grow and we could walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and actually step in the things the gospel empowers us to do and walk with the God of love and peace and have him be with us in these moments. Let's do that. Colossians 3:12-14 says,> Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.>> And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.Saying the same kind of things. He says, put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved. He's saying, this is who you are. You're chosen, you're holy, you're beloved. And he says, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience bearing with one another. That warms my soul that that's in the. It's in the Bible. Why does he have to write to every church and say, please put up with each other. And you're in a church and you're like, I'm having to put up with these people. There's something wrong with this church. And it's like, no, we look like we're in the New Testament. We're Bible people who are having a hard time sorting some of this stuff out. That's fine. It's normal. It's what it looks like for us to walk in life together. So he says, bearing with one another, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. But I want you to see that bearing with one another if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, so you also must forgive. This is a command. This is why we commit to it. This is why we say, this is what we're going to do here. This is how we're going to handle this here. Because we're commanded to. I was talking to a pastor one time. He had been a pastor. He was doing some stuff in kind of church, the church world. And we were talking about something when the first church had just started, our church had just started a church plant, and we only had a couple of groups. And I said we had some people that were at odds with one another. And he said, man, that's tough, because you can't, you know, what are you gonna do? You can't make them talk to each other. And I said, oh, we're gonna make them talk to each other because of this, because we're commanded to do this. So we're going to expect of each other that we're going to do this. We're going to expect that we're going to try to sort things out, and it's good for us. I need that expectation on me from you. And you need that expectation on you from me that we're. No, we're going to have the conversation. We're going to sort these things out because we can. And the reason we can. And the reason why you won't do this. You will not do this unless you understand what's in the middle of that highlighted section as the Lord has forgiven you. If we don't know the grace and the mercy and the depth of the love and the forgiveness of Christ, then we won't do this. We won't want to, and we won't have the ability to. We just will refuse. But if we're walking in this if we understand the depth of our sin and the grace of Christ. And then we can. And we delight to do it because we're participating in something that Jesus bought for us, that he claimed for us, that he gave us. This is what Jesus. What Paul says when he's talking about Jesus and he's talking to the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers and the hostility that was between them. He says in Ephesians 2,> But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.>> For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.He's talking to Jews and Gentiles there, and he's saying that we get to all belong to the Lord. And that's true for us in these other situations. He's our peace, and he bought reconciliation between us and God, which means the reconciliation between me and you is so narrow. We're drowning in the mercy and the forgiveness of Christ. So we delight to walk it out with each other, to participate in it tangibly in a real way in our lives. I love Matthew 18. So this is. He walks through the stuff we've been reading about, addressing your brother in sin. He gets through it. And I love that Jesus has disciples who follow him around and ask questions, because they ask the questions that we ask. Then Peter came up and said to him, lord, how often will my brother sin against me? And I forgive him as many as seven times. Don't you just love the disciples? Sometimes Jesus is like, this is how you forgive your brother? This is how you go get your brother back. This is what it looks like. Peter's like, mm, that's so good. Quick question, though. When can I stop? And y', all, he says, seven. Ain't none of us saying seven. We're Americans. The most we go on things is three. Because of baseball. Been trained in us. You get three, some of us lop off that third one. Fool me once, fool me twice. Fool me, can't fool me again. Sorry. That's just how some presidents say it. But I love this. Peter asks. Jesus says,> I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.Just means all the times. What's so wonderful about this? We'll talk about us. We'll talk about what Peter's asking in a second. But I want you all to see this. You ever have that moment with the Lord and you think how Long before you're done with me. How many times am I going to do this before you're just done with me? How many times am I going to fail and come back and say, I need you and I need mercy and I need grace. How many times is this going to happen before you're done with me? And the Lord Christ expects us to Forgive each other 77 times in a day, because that's the type of grace and mercy that he has for us. When will he be done with you? Never. If you belong to Christ and are covered by his blood. He has paid everything to keep you. He will keep you. So how much mercy and forgiveness do we get? All of it. And how much mercy and forgiveness do we give? All of it. Because we're the only ones who have access to all of it. That's why the church is known by their love. Because we have so much love and so much mercy and so much forgiveness that we don't run out giving it to each other. And you say, they've sinned against me and they've done it again. Right. But I'll never run out of the forgiveness that Christ gives. So I never run out of my ability to share. And I get to participate in a real way. When I feel the pain of forgiveness, I get to know that he was actually dripping blood on that cross because it hurts to forgive, but it's so good because everything breaks down without it. And so we get blood bought reconciliation and we get forgiveness and we get peace and we get joy and we get those handed to us by the God of love and peace, who loved us so much that he died for us. And we absolutely will not settle for not sharing that with each other and not participating. As people who belong to this type of God, we get to delight to share it with one another, even as it is hard, because it reminds us of the goodness of Christ and the mercy and the forgiveness that he's offered. And we get to walk what it looks like to belong to Him. If you're going to commit to a church, how many times are you going to have to forgive? All the times. And how many times are you going to be empowered by Christ to forgive? All the times. Because that's how many times he forgives us.Let's pray. Oh Lord, may you bless this church by your spirit, that we would aim for restoration and that we would be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit. Lord, you have forgiven us so much. You have had endless mercy granted to us. May we share it with each other. May we not see the sins committed against me as higher and more egregious than my sins committed against you. May I not think so highly of myself. May we not be outwitted by Satan, but may we be people of forgiveness and mercy and kindness and goodness. And may we have the conversations that we need to have and share the love that we need to share, which is given to us endlessly by you. So God of love and peace be with us in Jesus name, Amen.The band's gonna come back up, and here's what we're gonna do. Jesus says if you have something against someone, you need to go talk to them. He says if someone has something against you, you need to leave your gift at the altar and you need to go talk to them. So they're gonna play and we're gonna have a moment. I want you to humbly walk to the Lord and just say, help me to see my sin. Help me to not think so highly of myself. Help me not to be wise in my own sight. And if there's someone I need to talk to, if there's somebody that the spirit's convicting you, that you need to have a conversation with, then go have a conversation with them. You don't have to have the whole conversation now. You can get up and go grab and say, how many. Let's plan a time. We need to talk. You can shoot somebody a text message. Some of you need to step outside and make a phone call as an act of worship. You don't need to sing. You need to go call somebody. We need to be people who are eager to maintain peace. We want people to commit to this. But some of you have come over here from another church because you're in the middle of this exact thing and you need to go back and sort some things out. But we want to be people who look like we belong to Christ. So take a moment, pray, listen, and do as the Spirit leads, and then we'll stand and sing together.

In today's conversation, I'm joined by Dr. Shiloh Werkmeister — a psychotherapist, author, and speaker who blends the science of psychology with real-life strategies to help women protect their energy, set unapologetic boundaries, and live with unshakable confidence. Together, we talk about what it really means to protect your peace while pursuing your purpose. From learning when to say “no” without guilt, to recognizing the early signs of burnout, to navigating feedback and expectations as a faith-centered leader,  this episode will help you create space for what God's truly called you to carry. Dr. Shiloh also shares wisdom from her powerful book, The Unbothered Button, including what it means to “press” it in everyday life and how to emotionally regulate when boundaries get tested. If you've been feeling stretched thin or spiritually drained, this conversation will remind you: boundaries don't limit your calling, they protect it. Connect with Dr. Shiloh Instagram: @dr_shiloh_speaks Website: drshilohspeaks.com Book: The Unbothered Button on Amazon Connect with Destiny Follow along on Instagram @msdestinypickens Learn more about 1:1 coaching at www.destinypickens.comSend us a textSupport the show

How do we pursue God on His terms?

Crystal Rivers | Word for Now | Oct 27, 2025 In the spiritual realm, numbers function as more than mere quantities—they serve as divine measurements, spiritual addresses, and activation codes for heavenly operations. When you encounter specific numbers in scripture, particularly in prophetic books like Revelation, you're witnessing the language of spiritual architecture. Consider how your spiritual life operates with precise measurements. Just as Noah's ark required exact dimensions to become a portal of salvation, your devotional practices carry specific weights and measures. When you dedicate twenty minutes to prayer, you may be meeting a spiritual threshold that releases peace. When you maintain discipline for seven days or twenty-one days, you align with patterns that unlock divine revelations, much like Daniel's experiences. The story of Job reveals this principle powerfully. His possessions—seven sons and three daughters, seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels, five hundred oxen and five hundred donkeys—weren't random prosperity. These numbers represented a divine hedge, a spiritual canopy built through consistent priesthood and sacrifice. Job's daily intercession for his children created measurable spiritual protection that Satan couldn't penetrate until a specific season of testing arrived. Understanding this, recognize that Satan's assault on Job stemmed from terror—not mere malice. Job's expanding spiritual authority threatened to engulf an entire region, removing the enemy's foothold. The accusation wasn't merely about suffering; it questioned the purity of devotion itself: Do you serve God for who He is, or for what He provides? This question remains central to your spiritual journey. Your love for the divine must transcend material benefits. When trials come—and they will—they often arrive at promotion thresholds, testing whether your worship remains pure when everything else is stripped away. In Revelation, numbers like 144,000 aren't census data but spiritual operations. The recurring "third" throughout the trumpets isn't a fraction but a force of provocation—something that seizes attention and demands immediate response, like a trumpet blast calling to war. When you read about "a third of the stars falling," understand this as describing those who were provoked and deceived away from their divine calling, not a mathematical portion of angels. The number 3.5 appears repeatedly—42 months, 1,260 days, "time, times, and half a time"—each pointing to a complete spiritual cycle, a fullness of divine timing rather than literal chronology. These patterns reveal how heaven measures spiritual operations differently than earth measures time. Your spiritual disciplines create similar patterns. Perhaps your breakthrough number is five thousand—whether in prayer minutes, scripture verses, or seeds sown. These aren't superstitions but divine synchronicities. When you consistently meet these spiritual measurements, you activate angelic assistance and divine intervention. The key is discerning what the Spirit is saying, not imposing meaning where none exists. Remember: every spot and wrinkle in your spiritual garment provides potential access to the accuser. This isn't about perfectionism but about intentional consecration. As you grow in spiritual stature, the disciplines that once challenged you become natural expressions of your transformed nature. The yoke breaks not through struggle but through growth—through becoming too spiritually substantial for old limitations to contain. Your calling demands vigilance against deception, especially as you pursue Christ-likeness. The enemy's most sophisticated attacks target those destined for spiritual authority. Yet through patient endurance, pure devotion, and understanding of divine measurements, you build an impenetrable hedge—not through human effort but through alignment with heaven's mathematics. The ultimate message: Pursue holiness not for reward but for relationship. Understand that heaven operates by measurements and weights that manifest in earthly patterns. When you align your life with these divine rhythms—through consistent prayer, sacrifice, and devotion—you participate in operations that transcend natural limitation and release supernatural transformation.

In Pursue Righteousness and Kindness, Whitney Hopler reflects on Proverbs 21:21 and reveals how righteousness and kindness are designed to work hand in hand in the life of a believer. Too often, we separate the two—valuing truth over grace or compassion over conviction—but Scripture reminds us that real holiness comes from their balance. True righteousness isn’t rigid, and true kindness isn’t weak; together, they mirror the heart of Jesus, who perfectly embodied both truth and love in every word and action. Highlights Proverbs 21:21 connects righteousness and kindness as virtues meant to be pursued together. Righteousness without kindness can lead to self-righteousness and harshness. Kindness without righteousness can turn into people-pleasing and compromise. Jesus modeled perfect balance—He stood firmly for truth while showing compassion to sinners. Pursuing both virtues leads to spiritual growth, deeper relationships, and the fullness of life God promises. Living with both conviction and compassion points others toward God’s truth and love. Join the Conversation Do you find it easier to stand for truth or to lead with kindness? How can you bring more balance between the two in your life this week? Share your reflections and examples of living out Proverbs 21:21. Tag @LifeAudioNetwork and use #PursueRighteousness #LiveKindly #FaithInAction to join the conversation.

Discussion QuestionsSermon Overview Pursue a God-pleasing righteousness from the heart, including in your marriageI. The righteousness God seeks is from the heart (vv. 14-15)II. The kingdom Jesus brings fulfills the law but does not relax righteousness (vv. 16-17)III. God's enduring desire for righteousness is shown in his enduring instruction about marriage (v. 18)Digging Deeper    Read Luke 16:14-181. In the sermon, righteousness is “being right, doing right, before God.” The righteousness God is seeking is righteousness from the heart. What's the difference between being righteous just on the outside (like the Pharisees) and being righteous from the heart?2. Have you ever found yourself resisting a teaching in the Bible, only to later realize (or experience a sense of conviction from the Holy Spirit) that it is a truth that was pressing on something you were loving as a rival to God?  Please share.3. If you were to be honest, is there an area of your life where you are settling for outward conformity (a merely external righteousness)?  What might be a good step toward pursuing change in this area of your life?4. After hearing this sermon, how might you respond to someone who thinks they can live however they want because Jesus counts us as righteous through trust in him?5. Jesus didn't come to make righteousness unnecessary, but rather to make it possible.  What does that mean?  Do you find this truth encouraging?  How so? MARRIAGEIn our culture, the starting point for thinking about marriage is often self-fulfillment: my wants, my needs, my goals. It's easy to miss God's design for marriage, which is a covenant to which we must be faithful, a union that is only broken with great trauma, and a picture of God's love and faithfulness. It is, therefore, not surprising that so many fail to see the grievousness of divorce as God does. 6. How can we speak and act about marriage so that those around us are pointed toward God's good design of marriage?7. This passage urges us to “Pursue a God-pleasing righteousness from the heart, including in (our) marriages.”  If you're married, what would this practically look like?8. Given your marital situation and background, what was one takeaway from this sermon God might want you to remember in the days ahead? Prayer

Malachi 2:10-16 We are continuing in the book of Malachi. This morning we'll be covering chapter 2 verses10-16. Please turn there. You can find it on page 954 in the pew Bible. This is our fourth of eight sermons in Malachi. It's a short book. It only has 4 chapters, but as you have seen already, it packs a punch. Malachi's prophecy began with a reminder of God's electing love for Israel. But then God turns to the ways in which they have been unfaithful in response. The overall theme of the book is God's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness. And we will see that clearly in our text this morning. The people were demonstrating a lack of faith in God because of unfaithfulness in their marriages. Reading of Malachi 2:10-16 Prayer There is one relationship in life that is more important than any other. This relationship requires dedication. It's a relationship built on forgiveness. It's one where if you are not seeking to honor the one with whom you are in this relationship with, then you will struggle. Your path will be filled with difficulty. This relationship is that important. I'm talking about your relationship with the Lord. Some of you probably thought that I was going to say, “your relationship with your spouse.” Right? After all, a marriage relationship is critically important. But your relationship with the Lord is more important. It's tempting to see our text this morning as only applying to marriage. After all, it has plenty to say about marriage, and we're going to get there. However, this passage is ultimately about your faith in the creator God. So, whether you are married or not, you are directed to draw near to the Lord by faith. I don't know if you noticed it, but the word “faithless” is used here 5 times. Look at verse 10. After asking a couple of rhetorical questions, which we'll get to, it says, “why then are we faithless to one another.” Then immediately in verse 11. “Judah has been faithless.” Judah was the southern kingdom which was exiled, some of whom had returned. So in other words, God was calling them faithless. Now go down to verse 14. In the middle there it says, “…the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless.” That is repeated at the end of 15. “Let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.” In those instances, it is faithless to their spouse. And finally, this passage ends with this, “so guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” So, faithless. Their faithless actions and faithlessness in their marriages, displayed a faithlessness before God. To give a little structure this morning, we'll consider this in 4 points. 1. Faithless before a Faithful God (2:10–11a) 2. Faithless with a Faithless Bride (2:11b–12) 3. Faithless to a Faithful Bride (2:13–16) 4. Faithful despite a Faithless Bride Those may be hard to remember, but they are printed there on page 4. 1. Faithless before a Faithful God (2:10–11a) So again, #1, Faithless before a faithful God. Verse 10 and the first half of verse 11 begin by emphasizing their covenant relationship with God and therefore with one another. The two questions there in 10 direct them to God. Malachi asks “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?” They already know the answer. Yes, he is God their Father. Yes, they are his children. And yes, he is their creator. Those questions are to remind them of who God is;  who they are; and the centrality of his relationship with them. You see, before God speaks into the tangled mess of their marriage relationships, he first directs them to himself. He also directs them to one another. That is because their faithless actions not only reflected their faithlessness before God. But it also reflected on their faithlessness with one another. In other words, because they were in a covenant relationship with God together, anyone who broke that covenant with God, was being faithlessness toward one another. And anyone breaking the covenant with one another, was being faithless before God. By the way, we are going to get very practical in just a couple of minutes. But before we get there, it's critical to first understand why breaking the covenant was an act of faithlessness. It says that by their actions, they were “profaning the covenant.” That's  a strong statement Let me say a couple things about it: ·      The reference to covenant here includes the promises that God made to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. God established a relationship with them as his people. He called them to be his. He gave them his law. He promised them a kingdom and that they would be a people as numerous as the sands of the sea. They were set apart by the God of all creation. It was a beautiful thing. ·      But they “profaned” the covenant relationship. They profaned it because they were dishonoring God by violating the relationship that he had established with them. They had been breaking his commands. Rather than acting in faith, some had been rejecting the covenant promises that God had given them. So, it was serious. That's why it says in 11 that they had been faithless. They had been faithless to God and faithless to one another. Now, I want to say one more thing before we get to the heart of this passage about marriage. In the middle of verse 11 it says that they profaned the “sanctuary of the Lord.” At the heart of the word translated “sanctuary” is the word set apart. Some believe this is a reference to God's covenant people. They were profaning one another. And I think that's right. It goes along with two things. First, verse 10 had just said that they were faithless to one another. And second, immediately after saying they had profaned the sanctuary, it says, “which he loves.” Remember from the opening verses of chapter 1. God loves his people. In summary, their sin broke faith with God and with one another. Sometimes we don't think about that. Our sin is not only a sin against God it is sin against the covenant community. No matter our sin, it affects the community, sometimes in a more direct way, which we will see here, or sometimes indirectly. Either way, it was breaking fellowship with God and with one another. Ok, then, but what was it? What sin had they committed which was an abomination to God and which was faithless to one another? Well, they had been violating God's sacred establishment of covenant marriage. They were violating it in two ways: First, many had been marrying people outside of the covenant. And second, many had been unlawfully divorcing their spouses. 2. Faithless with a Faithless Bride (2:11b–12) Which brings us to points 2 and 3 about those two things. About unholy marriage and unlawful divorce. Point 2 is this: Faithless with a Faithless Bride. They were being covenantally unfaithful because they were marrying outside of the faith. Right there at the end of 11. They had “married the daughter of a foreign God.” Verse 12 points the finger at some men who were doing this When the exiles were in Babylon, all around them were not just Babylonians but also other nations that Babylon had conquered and brought to Babylon. The temptation was to intermarry with those outside of God's covenant people. But even when they were back in Jerusalem, there were now people from other kingdoms. Part of the temptation was marrying into the people group who was in control in order to improve their plight. Now, whether it was just an attraction to someone outside of the covenant community or whether it was for economic gain, either way, it was an abomination, as God says. And let me be very clear. This is not about race. There is nothing in the Bible that prohibits marriage between people from different ethnic backgrounds or people groups. Rather, this is about marrying outside of God's covenant community. That is very clear at the end of verse 11, “the daughter of a foreign God.” Plus, we have several examples of women who were originally outside of God's covenant community, but who became part of the covenant, and then married an Israelite. Think of Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite woman who was joined the covenant community and then married Boaz. Rahab is another example. She was a Cannanite, whom God spared from the destruction of Jericho because of her faith. She married Salmon. The admonition for us is to only marry someone who shares our faith in Christ. Let me take a moment to speak to those of you who are not married – young and old. Not everyone is called to be married. The apostle Paul wasn't married, and he makes it clear that there are blessings to being single. But many of you have the desire to be married. Younger kids, I want to make sure you are listening as well. Marriage may be far from your mind right now. You may be thinking “eww, marriage.”  But that will likely change. So, listen as well. If you decide to get married, the most important thing is to marry someone who shares your faith in Christ. It's God's command to marry in the Lord. The world says that love is not a choice. It says that when love finds you, no matter with whom, you cannot say “no.” But don't buy the lie. Don't mix up attraction with love. Love is a choice. Yes, you should be attracted to someone you want to marry, but that person needs to share your faith and commitment to your Lord and Savior. There is no such thing as missionary dating. Do you hear me? You are playing with fire if you are dating someone who you think you can win over to Christ. It's the Holy Spirit job to change someone's heart. Don't go there. The most important relationship you have is with the Lord and if you can't share that with your spouse, it is difficult and comes with consequences. I know several godly people who are married to unbelievers, and they would confirm that struggle. Sometimes that happens because one spouse comes to faith in Christ after getting married. Praise the Lord. If that happens, the struggle is still there. If you are in that situation, stay married. As the Scriptures say, so that you may win over your spouse. But sometimes someone young in his or her faith marries an unbeliever. It's only later that the person realizes the sin of it and how difficult it is. God forgives and he helps. If that is you, stay married and continue to pray for your unbelieving spouse to believe. And we will pray along with you. But for those of you who are not married, I plead with you, if you marry, marry a Godly man or woman who loves the Lord and his Word. Not just someone who says they are a Christian, but someone who demonstrates their faith and Love for the Lord. These verses are saying that marrying outside of God's covenant community demonstrates faithlessness. The consequences are difficult. 3. Faithless to a Faithful Bride (2:13–16) Which brings us to the other thing that they were doing. Many were unlawfully divorcing their spouses. This is point 3. Faithless to a Faithful Bride. As we already saw, twice it mentions unfaithfulness to the wife of their youth. These men had made a covenant commitment to these women, yet they were walking away from their marriages. We're not told, but perhaps some of them were the ones who then married outside of the covenant community. Before I go on, I want to be sensitive to the burdens and pain in this room from past marriages. Some of you have endured difficult marriages that have failed. Perhaps your marriage failed because of your own sin or perhaps your spouse's or perhaps both of you. Whatever the situation, it's hard and there's often relational fallout beyond the breaking of that marriage covenant. But I want you to know that God is merciful and forgiving. As you look back and either recognize your own complicity or you feel the hurt of being sinned against, know that God forgives and ministers his grace. To be sure, God's mercy and forgiveness is never to be a justification for an unbiblical divorce. The Scriptures are clear about divorce. Jesus spoke of divorce being permissible when sexual infidelity has occurred. Elsewhere abandonment is included. I would include abuse as a form of abandonment. These grievous sins are the only grounds for divorce. What was happening in Jerusalem is that marriages were being annulled because a spouse no longer cared to be married. And because of it, God no longer heard them or received their offerings, verse 13. They were weeping because of God not receiving them. It was not a godly grief that led to repentance, but rather just a groaning because of the consequences. In verse 14, they ask, “why has he not?” Why does God no longer accept us? By the way, this is the Malachi pattern, remember. They were reaping the consequences of their sin but didn't acknowledge their sin. And so the hammer drops again. Two weeks ago the hammer dropped on their polluted offerings. Last week it dropped on the corrupt priests. And here, it's back to the people, some of whom were faithless by divorcing their spouses without warrant. But they had made a covenant with their spouse. The Lord was a witness to that covenant commitment. And look at verse 15. “Did he [that is, God] not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?” They were united to one another in marriage. It's a reference back to Genesis 1. God was actively present in bringing about that oneness. So by abandoning their marriage, they were abandoning God. And not only that, they were abandoning God's call for them to raise their children to know the Lord. As the middle of 15 says, God desires “Godly offspring.” It would be a downward spiral of faithless future generations. Now, not every husband or wife was walking away from their marriage. But even some who were still married were considering divorce. We know that because it says, “guard yourself in your spirit and let none of you BE faithless.” The verse before said some of them “have been faithless.” In other words, for the ones who were still in their covenant marriage, they were to guard their hearts and minds against going down the path of divorce. And, actually, did you notice that the phrase, “guard yourself in your spirit” is used twice. Once in verse 15 and second in verse 16. Ok, let me now speak to those who are married. Some of your marriages are struggling. And I probably only know the half of it. Every marriage has its ups and downs, but some marriages have acute struggles for a variety of reasons. And it is hard. What is supposed to be the most intimate relationship on earth, is sometimes fraught with tension and mistrust and heartache because of current sin or past sin... which can lead to more sin and cause more tension and more mistrust and more heartache. If that is you, I want to say two things: 1. As it says here, “guard yourself in your spirit.” Do not let yourself wander to thoughts of divorce. Don't let go of the covenant that you made to your spouse. Pursue your spouse again. Recommit yourself to your marriage. There's a warning here of faithlessness if you pursue unbiblical divorce. So, guard your thoughts and your heart. 2. Number 2. There is help and there is hope. There is not a single elder here unwilling to help if your marriage is struggling. Please reach out. I will meet with you and pray with you, multiple times if necessary. We can also find help outside of our church if you would be more comfortable with that. But please reach out. If you do not think your marriage needs help, but your spouse does, let me encourage you to honor and listen to your spouse. Set aside whatever is preventing you from getting help. And do not lose hope. We serve a God who is in the business of forgiving and reconciling. The forgiveness and reconciliation that he gives you, individually, is the basis for forgiveness and reconciliation in you marriage. 4. Faithful despite a Faithless Bride Which is a nice transition to point 4. Faithful despite a Faithless Bride I'm not talking about a marriage between a man and a woman here. I am talking about the marriage between Christ and his church. Despite the unfaithfulness of God's people, his bride, God has remained faithful. The marriage paradigm is the pattern that God uses all throughout Scripture to convey his faithfulness despite our unfaithfulness. And this goes all the way back to the garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, when they ate of the forbidden fruit, their sin was spiritual adultery. They had been in a covenant relationship with God. He promised them life, but they turned against his promise of blessing and instead ate that which was forbidden. That spiritual adultery theme continues throughout the Scriptures. God's people were betrothed to God, but they forsook his name and committed spiritual adultery against him by going after other so-called gods from the surrounding nations. But as we read in Hosea 2 earlier in the service, despite the people's unfaithfulness, God promised that he would be faithful. He promised to be their husband who would protect and lead them in righteousness and justice. They would once again be called his people and they would call him their God. This is the pattern over and over in the Old Testament. The people forgot the Lord. They acted in adulterous ways like the people here in Jerusalem. Yet God was merciful… and just like here, he called them back to himself. And the climax of this marriage paradigm in Scripture… is found in Christ. He not only sought his bride, the church, but as we read earlier in Ephesians 5, he died for her. There is no greater love. He sanctifies and cleanses her. By giving his church his righteousness, Christ presents her pure and spotless. SO not only is he faithful despite her unfaithfulness, he makes her faithful. And he nourishes and cherishes her and leads her. And all of that will come to full fruition when he returns for the consummation of the great spiritual wedding. He will usher his people, his bride, into the wedding supper of the Lamb forever. Beloved, this is the reason that marriage is sacred. Marriage on earth is patterned after the union between God and his people. It is why a Christian should only marry a Christian. It is why God hates divorce. It is why those who are married should fight for their marriage and not against it. It is why in a marriage relationship you should love and forgive just as Christ loved you and forgave you. It is why a husband has been called to be the spiritual leader in his marriage and home. It is a sacrificial leading. Again, as Ephesians 5 said, husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and died for her. The people in Jerusalem didn't have this full picture, yet. They didn't yet know of what was to come. But as we will find out in these next 2 chapters, God is going to lift the curtain and give them a glimpse of what was soon to come for them. In the meantime, they were to return in faith to God by returning in faithfulness to their covenant marriages. For those who desire one day to be married, seek Godly spouses by faith in Christ. And for those who are married, pursue and love our spouses because God has pursued and loved you. For all of us, may we see the beauty and wonder of our bridegroom, Christ. And because of his love and faithfulness to us, may we seek to be faithful in return to him.  

1 Timothy 6:6-12 NLTYet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. … so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith.A consistent theme throughout Scripture is placing focus on God, His goodness, and His grace while staying away from the attraction of the world and sin. Simply reading the news every day gives us plenty of evidence that money and power do not make people happy and content. Suicide, depression, anxiety, and the like have little to do with the state of income but rather the state of mind.Let's do an honest inventory. Knowing that ‘money' represents security, prestige, pleasure. What is an area of your life that your focus has been the ‘craving' of money, and what it represents, as the scripture calls it?Listen once again, this time focusing only on the “do” verses, not the “dont's”: Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. … Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. (1 Timothy 6:6-12 NLT)As we often talk about here, focusing only on the dont's is not sustainable. We need to replace the dont's with the do's. Can you focus today on pursuing these things, not just staying away from the temptations of wealth? Pursue righteousness, love, perseverance, gentleness?Let's pray: “Father, teach me to be content. Help me to pursue righteousness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness as I fight the good fight for my faith in You. As above, so below.”

Greg Bishop delves into the latest filings to the U.S. Supreme Court about the Trump administration's use of the National Guard in Illinois, reaction to Wednesday's immigration enforcement actions in Little Village and President Donald Trump saying he will make Chicago safe. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hundreds of Chicago high school students were accepted to college on the spot today at McCormick Place.

In this episode of The Open Space Podcast, we dive into faith-based dating for men who want to build godly relationships. Discover three powerful Christian dating tips that challenge modern culture's approach to love. learn the difference between chasing vs pursuing women why its better to be a godly man rather than a "nice guy", and how to lead in a relationship with confidence and clarity. Eric shares real-experiences and biblical principles to help you date with purpose, establish healthy boundaries, and develop strong Christian leadership in your love life. If you're tired of shallow connections and want Christ-centered dating guidance, this episode is a must-listen. Join the Youtube Channel community here

Main Point: With eyes fixed on Jesus, be zealous in fleeing earthly wisdom and pursuing heavenly wisdomKey Scripture: James 3:13-18Wanted… a truly wise person (v.13)Flee earthly wisdom (vv.14-16)Pursue heavenly wisdom (vv.17-18)

Join us and list as Daniel Bridgers continues our sermon series "Soul Priority." Listen as he goes into detail about what it means to have a Godly character. 

There are three words that the enemy would tell you are words of doubt but are actually words of faith. You might believe these three words show weakness and foolishness, but instead, they show strength and godly wisdom. They sound like heresy to religious people, but they sound like refreshing honesty to people who are searching for answers. This week, we’re talking about those three words — I don’t know — and how we can constantly pursue Jesus without ever fully understanding Him. Why? Because the things of eternity can’t be contained in the things of earth. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours, but being honest and humble enough to say those words can help us grow closer to Him. NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to capture the entire message. We wanted to share what we were able to record in hopes that it will strengthen your faith, and we invite you to access the full sermon notes by visiting this link: https://www.bible.com/events/49509216. Please click “Save” on the event to ensure that you can revisit it later. Thank you for your understanding!

What should Christians do with the shame of a recurring sin? Today, Michael Reeves offers biblical counsel for finding hope and pursuing real change in the face of ongoing temptation. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/ask-ligonier/how-should-i-deal-with-the-shame-of-returning-to-the-same-sin-how-can-i-pursue-lasting-change/ Study Reformed theology with a free resource bundle from Ligonier Ministries: https://grow.ligonier.org/ Submit a biblical or theological question of your own by calling 1-800-607-9386 or by emailing an audio recording of your question to askligoniervm@ligonier.org. You can also receive real-time answers through our online chat service at https://ask.ligonier.org/. A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Your dream of owning a boutique fitness studio is the fuel, but the engine that gets you to opening your doors is funding. Knowledge and tenacity are your accelerator.   Understand your money options with Alina Cooper, Director of Start Your Studio Profitably, and Coach Matt Hanton in Episode 682: How to Fund Your Studio Without Drowning in Debt.   Go solo: bootstrap your business to maintain control and avoid bad debt Pursue tried & true: apply for an SBA (government-backed) loan as a solid source Nudge your network: enlist private investors to partner with you financially Appeal to the masses: try crowdfunding to supplement your own big investment Roll with the punches: expect the unexpected, delays and rejection along the way    The bottom line? If you're not a numbers person, you really need to become one to run a thriving business. Start learning early in your journey with Episode 682.   Catch you there,   Lise   PS: Join 2,000+ studio owners who've decided to take control of their studio business and build their freedom empire. Subscribe HERE and join the party! www.studiogrow.co www.linkedin.com/company/studio-growco/  

The Dean's List with Host Dean Bowen – Self-mastery is much harder than self-indulgence. The latter has become today's definition of what it means to pursue happiness. Our society's current beliefs tend more towards selfishness than self-government. The original intent of this pursuit is no longer understood. Virtue is no longer a part of our education...

Bestselling author and founder and president of The Urban Alternative, Dr. Tony Evans stepped away from ministry and has now been restored. Dr. Evans will encourage you to pursue the kingdom of God with passion. He'll describe how to live "unleashed" as you align your life with God's will and advance His kingdom. Hear Dr. Tony Evans on Chris Fabry Live. Featured resource:Unleashed: Releasing God's Glorious Kingdom in and Through You by Tony Evans October thank you gift:I Choose Joy by Chip Ingram Chris Fabry Live is listener-supported. To support the program, click here. Care NetBecome a Back Fence Partner: https://moodyradio.org/donateto/chrisfabrylive/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.