Podcasts about yet you

Psa 8:5  Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!Psa 8:6  You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,Psa 8:7  All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,Psa 8:8  The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.Psa 8:9  O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8:3-6 - When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.

Jonah 1:17-2:10New King James Version:Jonah's Prayer and Deliverance17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.Jonah's Prayer and God's Answer2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly. 2 And he said:“I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction,And He answered me.“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,And You heard my voice.3 For You cast me into the deep,Into the heart of the seas,And the floods surrounded me;All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.'5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul;The deep closed around me;Weeds were wrapped around my head.6 I went down to the [a]moorings of the mountains;The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,O Lord, my God.7 “When my soul fainted within me,I remembered the Lord;And my prayer went up to You,Into Your holy temple.8 “Those who regard worthless idolsForsake their own [b]Mercy.9 But I will sacrifice to YouWith the voice of thanksgiving;I will pay what I have vowed.Salvation is of the Lord.”

Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. – Psalm 22:3

Hey Friend, Have you ever been told, “Everything looks normal” on your blood test, but you still feel exhausted, bloated, or just off? You are NOT crazy, and you are NOT alone! The truth is, conventional lab ranges often miss key health imbalances—leaving you frustrated and searching for answers. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on three powerful secrets that will help you interpret your labs through a functional lens so you can finally understand what's really going on with your body. We'll cover: ✨ Why ‘normal' lab results don't always mean optimal health (and what to look for instead!)✨ The blood sugar and inflammation markers that reveal way more than your doctor might tell you✨ The biggest mistake in thyroid testing—and why a full panel is non-negotiable if you're struggling with fatigue, weight gain, or hormone issues If you're tired of feeling dismissed and ready to start decoding your labs like a pro, this episode is for you! Put Dr. Google down, grab your notebook, and hit play now! In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP P.S. If this episode resonates with you, send it to a friend who needs this encouragement! What's Next? Join the LIVE Functional Hormone Jumpstart Workshop Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Join Me LIVE in this 2-Day Jumpstart Workshop! March 24-25 at 1 PM EST! Jump inside the Free Community of Christian Women on a Holistic Health Journey Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 07. Key Lab Markers Women Should Have Checked Regularly 24. The Magnesium-Gut Connection: Unlocking Metabolic Health 34. The Cost of Functional Medicine 52. How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women (Hint: This is a GREAT place to start!) Bandaid Solutions vs. Functional Solutions in Women's Health Join The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship. Thank you for listening to Functional Medicine for Christian Women!

Hey Friend, This episode is a special one. Not only are we diving into the incredible physiological effects of gratitude on your body, but we're also celebrating a HUGE milestone together—30,000 downloads on the podcast! I couldn't have done this without you, and I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

Hey Friend, Have you ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting nutrition advice? One person tells you to count calories, another says macros matter most, and then someone else claims intermittent fasting is the answer. It's exhausting! This week on Functional Medicine for Christian Women, we're diving into functional nutrition—what it is, what it isn't, and how it differs from traditional diet plans and dietitian recommendations. If you've ever wondered why following a meal plan hasn't solved your energy issues, bloating, or hormone imbalances, this episode is a must-listen! In this episode, we cover:✅ Why a standard meal plan may not be the answer to your health struggles✅ How functional nutrition gets to the root cause instead of just managing symptoms✅ The key differences between a functional health coach and a dietitian In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP P.S. If this episode resonates with you, send it to a friend who needs this encouragement! What's Next? Join The Functional Hormone Reset Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Apply Today! Join the Free Community of Christian Women on a Holistic Health Journey Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 07. Key Lab Markers Women Should Have Checked Regularly 24. The Magnesium-Gut Connection: Unlocking Metabolic Health 34. The Cost of Functional Medicine 52. How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women (Hint: This is a GREAT place to start!) Bandaid Solutions vs. Functional Solutions in Women's Health Join The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship. Thank you for listening to Functional Medicine for Christian Women!

Hey Friend, Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by nutrition advice? One day it's low-carb, the next it's plant-based, and you're left wondering… what actually works for your body? Good news: It doesn't have to be complicated. In today's episode of Functional Medicine for Christian Women, I'm breaking down the 100-50-2 Rule—a simple, biblically-aligned way to structure your nutrition that keeps your energy up, your hormones happy, and your body functioning the way God designed. This episode is packed with practical tips you can start using TODAY. No calorie counting, no extreme restrictions—just simple, sustainable nutrition. One quick favor? If this episode blesses you, would you take 2 minutes to leave a review on Apple Podcasts? It helps more women find this show—and I'd be so grateful! In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP P.S. If this episode resonates with you, send it to a friend who needs this encouragement! What's Next? Join The Functional Hormone Reset Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Apply Today! Join the Free Community of Christian Women on a Holistic Health Journey Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 07. Key Lab Markers Women Should Have Checked Regularly 24. The Magnesium-Gut Connection: Unlocking Metabolic Health 34. The Cost of Functional Medicine 52. How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women (Hint: This is a GREAT place to start!) Bandaid Solutions vs. Functional Solutions in Women's Health Join The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship. Thank you for listening to Functional Medicine for Christian Women!

Hey Friend, Have you been doing all the right things—eating clean, exercising, taking supplements—but STILL feel exhausted, bloated, or stuck with stubborn weight? It might not be your diet. It might not be your workouts.

Welcome to Day 2557 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2557 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 44:17-26 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2557 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2557 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. In today's Wisdom Nugget, we'll be concluding our exploration of Psalm 44 by focusing on verses 17 through 26 from the New Living Translation. Psalm 44 is a heartfelt and raw psalm of lament, where the psalmist reflects on God's faithfulness in the past but struggles with present suffering and apparent silence from God. In these final verses, we see a deep cry for deliverance and a powerful reminder that even in the midst of unexplainable suffering, we can confidently turn to God. Let's begin by reading the passage together: Psalm 44:17-26 (NLT) 17 All this has happened though we have not forgotten You. We have not violated Your covenant. 18 Our hearts have not deserted You. We have not strayed from Your path. 19 Yet You have crushed us in the jackal's desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods, 21 God would surely have known it, for He knows the secrets of every heart. 22 But for Your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep. 23 Wake up, O Lord! Why do You sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever. 24 Why do You look the other way? Why do You ignore our suffering and oppression? 25 We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt. 26 Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of Your unfailing love. Faithfulness Amid Suffering (Verses 17-19) The psalmist begins this section with a remarkable declaration: “All this has happened though we have not forgotten You. We have not violated Your covenant.” Despite their intense suffering, the psalmist asserts that the people have remained faithful to God. They haven't turned away from Him or abandoned His covenant, yet they're still experiencing crushing trials. In verse 18, the psalmist reinforces this point: “Our hearts have not deserted You. We have not strayed from Your path.” This heartfelt plea emphasizes the seeming contradiction between their faithfulness and their suffering. By verse 19, the psalmist vividly describes their plight: “Yet You have crushed us in the jackal's desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death.” This section highlights one of the most challenging aspects of faith: remaining steadfast when suffering doesn't make sense. The psalmist doesn't sugarcoat the pain or pretend to understand why it's happening, but he continues to direct his questions and concerns to God. Illustration: I once heard a story about a young missionary who faced relentless hardship while serving in a remote area....

Hey Friend, If you're anything like me, your days are packed. Between work, kids, and all the things, taking care of yourself often feels like the last priority. But here's the truth: balancing your hormones doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. In this week's episode, I'm sharing three super simple hormone-balancing hacks—all of which take less than 10 minutes per week. (Yes, really!) Here's what you'll learn: ✅ The 3-minute morning habit that jumpstarts energy & metabolism✅ A 5-minute blood sugar fix to prevent energy crashes & cravings✅ A 2-minute bedtime routine for better sleep & stress resilience These small shifts make a big difference—and they fit into even the busiest schedule. Give them a try this week and let me know how you feel! In Health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP P.S. Know another busy mom who needs this? Forward her this email or send her the episode link! What's Next? Join The Functional Hormone Reset: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Apply Today! Join the Free Community of Christian Women on a Holistic Health Journey Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 07. Key Lab Markers Women Should Have Checked Regularly 24. The Magnesium-Gut Connection: Unlocking Metabolic Health 34. The Cost of Functional Medicine 52. How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women (Hint: This is a GREAT place to start!) Bandaid Solutions vs. Functional Solutions in Women's Health Join The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Cora James Holistic Health Essentials: Magnesium Spray Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, Have you ever felt like something just isn't right with your health, but your doctor keeps telling you, “Everything looks normal”? If you've tried all the things—diets, supplements, Google rabbit holes—but still feel exhausted, bloated, or off, you're not alone. The good news? Healing doesn't have to be overwhelming. In this week's podcast episode, I'm breaking down exactly where to start with functional medicine, so you can stop spinning your wheels and start seeing real progress. If you're tired of feeling dismissed, confused, or stuck in a cycle of trial and error, this episode is for you. Put down Dr. Google and hit play. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP P.S. If this episode resonates with you, send it to a friend who needs this encouragement! What's Next? Join The Functional Hormone Reset: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Apply Today! Join the Free Community of Christian Women on a Holistic Health Journey Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 07. Key Lab Markers Women Should Have Checked Regularly 24. The Magnesium-Gut Connection: Unlocking Metabolic Health 34. The Cost of Functional Medicine 52. How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women (Hint: This is a GREAT place to start!) Bandaid Solutions vs. Functional Solutions in Women's Health Join The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

What I mean by the statement, All dogs go to heaven, is really a question I have been asked numerous times by both young and old: Will my pet go to heaven when it dies? I want to do my best to answer that question, but I want you to know that my answer will also address a much broader question related to what Gods ultimate plan is for his creation. We know what His plan is for humanity, but do you know if Gods plan of redemption includes animals? Let me begin by stating some things that could not be any clearer from the Bible and then we will dive into Psalm 8. So, here is what I know beyond a shadow of a doubt: The Bible assures us that God is the giver of every good thing (James 1:17); what this means is that God is not the taker of every good thing. When Nathan was five years old, we got him a kitten because we believed that he would enjoy having a cat. You have given gifts to your children out of your love for them as well. Here is what Jesus said about what we do for our children: If you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him (Matt. 7:1011)! God is so good that there is no room for improvement for Him to be better. I already mentioned James 1:17 but listen to what the verse actually states: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In Psalm 106, we are told to give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy is everlasting (v. 1). According to Psalm 145, God is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His works (v. 17). Because there is no room for improvement, God is not trying to get it right in the way He exercises His goodness. However, we live in a reality where the curse of sin is inseparable from our human experience and sorrow and sighing are like the compounds that come out of the curse that suck the joy out of life. You may even feel like Bruce from the movie Bruce Almighty in the way he described God: God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, but he'd rather tear off my feelers and watch me squirm. So, lets walk through Psalm 8 together with the hope that there is enough in these verses to help us gain a fuller appreciation of what God is doing with this sin-cursed world. A Good God Created a Grand Creation I love the way the Bible begins: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (Gen. 1:12). The earth was a formless and desolate emptiness until God spoke. He did not speak out of any need, for He was perfectly content within the fellowship of Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God was not lonely or bored, nor was He obligated to speak and create. No, God created because He wanted to, and He wanted to create because He was motivated by love. Out of love, God desired to share that which nothing else could top or compare, which was Himself. God was motivated by love to share Himself with us. Our solar system is estimated to be about 12 trillion miles wide. The diameter of our sun is estimated to be 109 times the size of our earth, and if you were to drive from the Sun to Pluto, it would take an estimated 6,000 years to complete the trip. If that were not enough, you should know that our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains thousands of solar systems like ours. On our little planet, in our vast galaxy, lives just over 8 billion people. The renown astronomer, Carl Sagan, died believing that there was no compelling evidence for the existence of a Judeo-Christian-Islamic God, and said of our earth and the universe: If we are alone in the Universe, it sure seems like an awful waste of space. David, in Psalm 8, answers Carl Sagans question, and if only Sagan could have opened his eyes to see what David saw: Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, You who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! If you are wondering if the universe is too big if life on earth is all there is, the answer is a resounding NO! The universe is the size that it is because it is testifying to the majesty and splendor of the One who spoke all of it into existence. The God who spoke all things into existence out of the overflow of His love and goodness is not only knowable but created us with purpose! A Grand God Created Mankind in His Image with Purpose There is only one creature of all the creatures created that was created in the image of God, and that creature is all of humanity. On the sixth day, after God created the animal kingdom and everything else, He created Adam and Eve: Then God said, Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth (Gen. 1:26). To Adam and Eve, God gave them the responsibility to manage His creation as His image bearers. Humans were commissioned and commanded to care for creation and at the same time add to creation by filling the earth with humans like themselves. We are not a part of the animal kingdom; we stand above the animal kingdom as stewards of what Almighty God created! King David marveled over this magnificent reality in his psalm: When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place; what is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him (Ps. 8:34)? David does not stop there, for what he says in the following verses ought to be enough to answer what place your pet has in the universe: You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the animals of the field, The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas (vv. 68). Adam and Eve were commanded to manage the Garden, to be fruitful and multiply, and not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. As you know, they ate the forbidden fruit from that one tree, and by eating the fruit they brought a curse upon Gods creation. As a result, all of creation was cursed as the Scriptures testify: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned... (Rom. 5:12). There is only one creature who bears the image of God, and that creature is mankind. As image bearers of the living God, we were created to live forever. There is a part of us that lives on after death known as our soul which is also referred to as our spirit (not to be confused with the Holy Spirit).[1] Unlike the rest of creation, humans have a soul that only God is able to destroy. So, when it comes to death, our soul lives on even after our body dies, but death for the Christian is not the end as we are assured from the Bible: For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed, in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, since in fact after putting it on, we will not be found naked. For indeed, we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. (2 Cor. 5:14) So, when your pet dies, there is no immaterial part of them that lives on because they do not bare the image of God and therefore do not have a soul. What this means is that when your pet does eventually die, regardless of the behavior, there is no eternal punishment or eternal life waiting for them... they simply cease to exist. The only creature that is born and lives in active rebellion towards God are humans. Unlike the animal kingdom, sin is now a part of our nature. A Good and Gracious God Has Provided Redemption Through a Second and Perfect Adam Now, remember what I said at the beginning of my sermon: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights... (Jas. 1:17). God is a good God who is the giver of every good thing, not the taker of every good thing! After Adam and Eve sinned, they were promised a Descendant who would reverse the curse of sin. A second and more perfect Adam was promised who would come to reverse the curse of sin: For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17). The second and more perfect Adam was also promised to David who wrote Psalm 8! God assured David, When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:1213). What will this second and more perfect Adam do? According to Jeremiah 23:5-6, He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.... Oh, and the Name by which the Son of David will also be called will be, The Lord Our Righteousness. In Isaiah we are promised that when He reigns as King, He will judge between the nations, and will mediate for many peoples; and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, and never again will they learn war (Isa. 2:4). The second Adam would, be born of a virgin as fully human and fully diving: ...a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. When the second Adam comes to reign as King, His reign will bring the kind of peace only God is capable of restoring: ...the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and fattened steer will be together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.... They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isa. 11:6-7, 9) When it was announced by the angels to the shepherds that the promised King was born, it was declared to them: Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11). Jesus, as the second and better Adam, humbled Himself by, taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.... He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Phil. 2:7-8). He was born to live the perfect life we could not live to die the death we all deserved. There is only One who is qualified to reverse the curse of sin, and it was and is Jesus! In Revelation 21:5, we are told that through His death and triumphant victory over death, that He is making all things new! This is what we all want and what all of creation is longing for! We long for a day without the dark cloud of the curse of sin. This is why Paul wrote, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Rom. 8:18-21) When Jesus entered into Jerusalem the week before He was to be crucified for the sins of mankind, the children in the temple area shouted something that irritated the chief priests and scribes. As Jesus entered into Jerusalem, the children shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! (see Matt. 21:15-16). The chief priests and scribes said to Jesus, Do you hear what these children are saying? What were the children saying? They were celebrating the promised second Adam, the righteous Branch of David, and the One who is to be called The Lord our Righteousness (see Jer. 23:5-6). Guess how Jesus answered the irritated religious leaders who were concerned about what the children were saying? He answered them by quoting Psalm 8:2, here is what He said: Yes. Have you never read [chief priests and scribes], From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself? Do you realize what Jesus said to the chief priests and scribes? He was essentially saying that although Adam made a mess of creation through his sin in the Garden, there was a Son of Man who was made a little lower than the angels and God when He willingly took on human flesh to become fully human while remaining fully God at the same time! Jesus did this for the purpose of redeeming mankind through His cross for our sins, and by doing so, made redemption possible for all creation, and this is the point of Psalm 5, Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! Do you hear Philippians 2 in Psalm 8? And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:8-11) Now, against the backdrop of Philippians 2:8-11, listen what Psalm 8:7-8 promises: You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the animals of the field, The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. All of creation, including your pets, are eagerly awaiting for the completion of our redemption because when it happens to us, creation will enjoy the good and faithful reign of the second Adam over them as well, and when He comes to do that, He will make all things new and it is what He will restore that all of creation is longing for: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, Write, for these words are faithful and true. On the Day Revelation 21 becomes our reality, all that was lost, will be restored and it will be even better than the Eden the first Adam lost! I am not sure if that means He will restore and make new your pet that was lost to the curse, but I do know that it will be better! The glory we will be crowned with will be the glory of King Jesus when, There will no longer be any curse... (Rev. 22:3). We will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isa. 51:11)! The great hope of our future is not who is in office as our president, but the King who is coming to restore all that was lost through the first Adam. Christian, because you belong to the second Adam, you can declare with David: Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! [1] Soul and spirit are used synonymously in the Bible (e.g. Acts 7:54-60; Matt. 10:28).

What I mean by the statement, All dogs go to heaven, is really a question I have been asked numerous times by both young and old: Will my pet go to heaven when it dies? I want to do my best to answer that question, but I want you to know that my answer will also address a much broader question related to what Gods ultimate plan is for his creation. We know what His plan is for humanity, but do you know if Gods plan of redemption includes animals? Let me begin by stating some things that could not be any clearer from the Bible and then we will dive into Psalm 8. So, here is what I know beyond a shadow of a doubt: The Bible assures us that God is the giver of every good thing (James 1:17); what this means is that God is not the taker of every good thing. When Nathan was five years old, we got him a kitten because we believed that he would enjoy having a cat. You have given gifts to your children out of your love for them as well. Here is what Jesus said about what we do for our children: If you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him (Matt. 7:1011)! God is so good that there is no room for improvement for Him to be better. I already mentioned James 1:17 but listen to what the verse actually states: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In Psalm 106, we are told to give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy is everlasting (v. 1). According to Psalm 145, God is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His works (v. 17). Because there is no room for improvement, God is not trying to get it right in the way He exercises His goodness. However, we live in a reality where the curse of sin is inseparable from our human experience and sorrow and sighing are like the compounds that come out of the curse that suck the joy out of life. You may even feel like Bruce from the movie Bruce Almighty in the way he described God: God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, but he'd rather tear off my feelers and watch me squirm. So, lets walk through Psalm 8 together with the hope that there is enough in these verses to help us gain a fuller appreciation of what God is doing with this sin-cursed world. A Good God Created a Grand Creation I love the way the Bible begins: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (Gen. 1:12). The earth was a formless and desolate emptiness until God spoke. He did not speak out of any need, for He was perfectly content within the fellowship of Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God was not lonely or bored, nor was He obligated to speak and create. No, God created because He wanted to, and He wanted to create because He was motivated by love. Out of love, God desired to share that which nothing else could top or compare, which was Himself. God was motivated by love to share Himself with us. Our solar system is estimated to be about 12 trillion miles wide. The diameter of our sun is estimated to be 109 times the size of our earth, and if you were to drive from the Sun to Pluto, it would take an estimated 6,000 years to complete the trip. If that were not enough, you should know that our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains thousands of solar systems like ours. On our little planet, in our vast galaxy, lives just over 8 billion people. The renown astronomer, Carl Sagan, died believing that there was no compelling evidence for the existence of a Judeo-Christian-Islamic God, and said of our earth and the universe: If we are alone in the Universe, it sure seems like an awful waste of space. David, in Psalm 8, answers Carl Sagans question, and if only Sagan could have opened his eyes to see what David saw: Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, You who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! If you are wondering if the universe is too big if life on earth is all there is, the answer is a resounding NO! The universe is the size that it is because it is testifying to the majesty and splendor of the One who spoke all of it into existence. The God who spoke all things into existence out of the overflow of His love and goodness is not only knowable but created us with purpose! A Grand God Created Mankind in His Image with Purpose There is only one creature of all the creatures created that was created in the image of God, and that creature is all of humanity. On the sixth day, after God created the animal kingdom and everything else, He created Adam and Eve: Then God said, Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth (Gen. 1:26). To Adam and Eve, God gave them the responsibility to manage His creation as His image bearers. Humans were commissioned and commanded to care for creation and at the same time add to creation by filling the earth with humans like themselves. We are not a part of the animal kingdom; we stand above the animal kingdom as stewards of what Almighty God created! King David marveled over this magnificent reality in his psalm: When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place; what is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him (Ps. 8:34)? David does not stop there, for what he says in the following verses ought to be enough to answer what place your pet has in the universe: You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the animals of the field, The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas (vv. 68). Adam and Eve were commanded to manage the Garden, to be fruitful and multiply, and not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. As you know, they ate the forbidden fruit from that one tree, and by eating the fruit they brought a curse upon Gods creation. As a result, all of creation was cursed as the Scriptures testify: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned... (Rom. 5:12). There is only one creature who bears the image of God, and that creature is mankind. As image bearers of the living God, we were created to live forever. There is a part of us that lives on after death known as our soul which is also referred to as our spirit (not to be confused with the Holy Spirit).[1] Unlike the rest of creation, humans have a soul that only God is able to destroy. So, when it comes to death, our soul lives on even after our body dies, but death for the Christian is not the end as we are assured from the Bible: For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed, in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, since in fact after putting it on, we will not be found naked. For indeed, we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. (2 Cor. 5:14) So, when your pet dies, there is no immaterial part of them that lives on because they do not bare the image of God and therefore do not have a soul. What this means is that when your pet does eventually die, regardless of the behavior, there is no eternal punishment or eternal life waiting for them... they simply cease to exist. The only creature that is born and lives in active rebellion towards God are humans. Unlike the animal kingdom, sin is now a part of our nature. A Good and Gracious God Has Provided Redemption Through a Second and Perfect Adam Now, remember what I said at the beginning of my sermon: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights... (Jas. 1:17). God is a good God who is the giver of every good thing, not the taker of every good thing! After Adam and Eve sinned, they were promised a Descendant who would reverse the curse of sin. A second and more perfect Adam was promised who would come to reverse the curse of sin: For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17). The second and more perfect Adam was also promised to David who wrote Psalm 8! God assured David, When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:1213). What will this second and more perfect Adam do? According to Jeremiah 23:5-6, He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.... Oh, and the Name by which the Son of David will also be called will be, The Lord Our Righteousness. In Isaiah we are promised that when He reigns as King, He will judge between the nations, and will mediate for many peoples; and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, and never again will they learn war (Isa. 2:4). The second Adam would, be born of a virgin as fully human and fully diving: ...a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. When the second Adam comes to reign as King, His reign will bring the kind of peace only God is capable of restoring: ...the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and fattened steer will be together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.... They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isa. 11:6-7, 9) When it was announced by the angels to the shepherds that the promised King was born, it was declared to them: Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11). Jesus, as the second and better Adam, humbled Himself by, taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.... He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Phil. 2:7-8). He was born to live the perfect life we could not live to die the death we all deserved. There is only One who is qualified to reverse the curse of sin, and it was and is Jesus! In Revelation 21:5, we are told that through His death and triumphant victory over death, that He is making all things new! This is what we all want and what all of creation is longing for! We long for a day without the dark cloud of the curse of sin. This is why Paul wrote, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Rom. 8:18-21) When Jesus entered into Jerusalem the week before He was to be crucified for the sins of mankind, the children in the temple area shouted something that irritated the chief priests and scribes. As Jesus entered into Jerusalem, the children shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! (see Matt. 21:15-16). The chief priests and scribes said to Jesus, Do you hear what these children are saying? What were the children saying? They were celebrating the promised second Adam, the righteous Branch of David, and the One who is to be called The Lord our Righteousness (see Jer. 23:5-6). Guess how Jesus answered the irritated religious leaders who were concerned about what the children were saying? He answered them by quoting Psalm 8:2, here is what He said: Yes. Have you never read [chief priests and scribes], From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself? Do you realize what Jesus said to the chief priests and scribes? He was essentially saying that although Adam made a mess of creation through his sin in the Garden, there was a Son of Man who was made a little lower than the angels and God when He willingly took on human flesh to become fully human while remaining fully God at the same time! Jesus did this for the purpose of redeeming mankind through His cross for our sins, and by doing so, made redemption possible for all creation, and this is the point of Psalm 5, Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! Do you hear Philippians 2 in Psalm 8? And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:8-11) Now, against the backdrop of Philippians 2:8-11, listen what Psalm 8:7-8 promises: You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the animals of the field, The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. All of creation, including your pets, are eagerly awaiting for the completion of our redemption because when it happens to us, creation will enjoy the good and faithful reign of the second Adam over them as well, and when He comes to do that, He will make all things new and it is what He will restore that all of creation is longing for: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, Write, for these words are faithful and true. On the Day Revelation 21 becomes our reality, all that was lost, will be restored and it will be even better than the Eden the first Adam lost! I am not sure if that means He will restore and make new your pet that was lost to the curse, but I do know that it will be better! The glory we will be crowned with will be the glory of King Jesus when, There will no longer be any curse... (Rev. 22:3). We will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isa. 51:11)! The great hope of our future is not who is in office as our president, but the King who is coming to restore all that was lost through the first Adam. Christian, because you belong to the second Adam, you can declare with David: Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! [1] Soul and spirit are used synonymously in the Bible (e.g. Acts 7:54-60; Matt. 10:28).

Hey Friend, In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tom O'Bryan, a leading expert on inflammation and chronic disease, to discuss how everyday exposures—like the food we eat and the toxins in our environment—could be fueling inflammation and impacting our health and our children's health. Dr. O'Bryan shares his journey into functional medicine and explains why inflammation is at the root of all chronic disease. We also discuss the biggest environmental toxins affecting families today and simple, practical steps you can take to reduce inflammation and reclaim your health. What You'll Learn in This Episode:✔️ How food sensitivities (especially to gluten) can contribute to hormone imbalances and autoimmune conditions✔️ Why many people have hidden inflammation—even if they feel fine✔️ The biggest environmental toxins affecting your family's health✔️ What you can do today to start lowering inflammation naturally✔️ How Dr. O'Bryan's Inflammation Equation can help you protect your health long-term Resources & Links Mentioned:

Hey Friend, Are you tired of trying gut health quick fixes that never seem to work long-term? Maybe you've tried probiotics, detox teas, or gut reset diets—only to find yourself back at square one. If that sounds like you, this week's podcast episode is a must-listen! I'm breaking down three essential truths about gut health that most people don't know. Plus, I'm sharing what actually works for long-term healing. If you're serious about healing your gut and balancing your hormones naturally, I invite you to join my Functional Hormone Reset program. This six-month journey will help you uncover the root causes of your health struggles and create a plan for lasting wellness. ➡️ Learn more & join here: FHR P.S. If you haven't yet, come join our free Facebook community, Functional Medicine for Christian Women's Health. You'll find encouragement, practical tips, and a community of like-minded women who get it! ➡️ Join here: Community In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Join The Functional Hormone Reset: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Apply Today! Join the Free Community of Christian Women on a Holistic Health Journey Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 07. Key Lab Markers Women Should Have Checked Regularly 24. The Magnesium-Gut Connection: Unlocking Metabolic Health 34. The Cost of Functional Medicine How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women (Hint: This is a GREAT place to start!) Bandaid Solutions vs. Functional Solutions in Women's Health Join The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, Have you ever left a doctor's appointment feeling frustrated—because once again, you were handed a prescription instead of real answers? If you're tired of masking symptoms and ready to actually feel better, today's episode is for you. In this episode of Functional Medicine for Christian Women, I'm breaking down three functional medicine steps that will help you take control of your health—no more guessing, no more band-aid fixes. We'll talk about: ✅ How to support your body's drainage pathways so healing can actually happen✅ Why balancing blood sugar is a non-negotiable for hormone health and energy✅ The overlooked connection between chronic inflammation and your lingering symptoms If you've been feeling exhausted, inflamed, or out of balance, this episode will give you practical steps you can start today to work with your body—just as God designed it. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Join The Functional Hormone Reset: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Apply Today! Join the Free Community of Christian Women on a Holistic Health Journey Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 07. Key Lab Markers Women Should Have Checked Regularly 24. The Magnesium-Gut Connection: Unlocking Metabolic Health 34. The Cost of Functional Medicine How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women (Hint: This is a GREAT place to start!) Bandaid Solutions vs. Functional Solutions in Women's Health Join The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, Have you ever felt like you've tried every diet, every workout, and every so-called quick fix, yet the weight refuses to budge—or comes right back when it does? You're not alone, and more importantly, it's not your fault. In my latest podcast episode, “Weight Loss: The Basics and How to Lose Weight, Even When You've Tried Everything Under the Sun”, I share why so many weight loss efforts fail and what's really going on beneath the surface. Hint: it's not just about calories or willpower—it's about addressing the root causes through a functional medicine lens. For many Christian women, hormonal imbalances (beyond just estrogen and progesterone) play a key role in stubborn weight gain, low energy, and even bloating. In this episode, I dive into how your body's communication system—including cortisol, thyroid health, and blood sugar balance—impacts your ability to lose weight and feel your best. I also share practical steps to start rebalancing your body naturally, along with encouragement rooted in Biblical wisdom. Because when we approach health the way God designed, amazing things happen. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Join The Functional Hormone Reset: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Apply Today! Join the Free Community of Christian Women on a Holistic Health Journey Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 07. Key Lab Markers Women Should Have Checked Regularly 24. The Magnesium-Gut Connection: Unlocking Metabolic Health 34. The Cost of Functional Medicine How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women (Hint: This is a GREAT place to start!) Bandaid Solutions vs. Functional Solutions in Women's Health Join The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, Have you ever felt like your body is working against you? Maybe you're exhausted, dealing with stubborn weight gain, or battling hormonal imbalances that make everyday life harder. The good news? Your body isn't broken—it just needs the right support to start healing itself. In this week's episode of Functional Medicine for Christian Women, I'm walking you through the step-by-step process to help your body repair and restore proper function. From supporting your colon and liver to boosting cellular health, we're covering the order your body needs to heal effectively. Plus, I'll share simple, practical tips you can start using today—no expensive tests or supplements required. Here's a sneak peek at what you'll learn: Why your colon is the first step to long-lasting healing. How to support your liver and lymphatic system for better detoxification. The connection between foundational habits and restoring energy, hormones, and vitality. This episode is packed with actionable advice to help you finally feel like yourself again. Don't miss it!

Hello Friend, Have you ever been told, “Your blood tests are normal,” but deep down you know something isn't right? It's one of the most frustrating things to hear, especially when you're dealing with fatigue, brain fog, or other unexplained symptoms. Here's the truth: those “normal” lab results might still hold valuable clues about your health—if you know where to look. Your CBC panel, a test you've probably already had done, includes five key markers that can reveal so much about what's really going on inside your body. In this week's episode of Functional Medicine for Christian Women, I break down the CBC differential and explain how Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Eosinophils, Basophils, and Monocytes can provide insight into your immune function, inflammation, and even chronic stress. I'll show you why this simple test is often the best starting place for uncovering the root cause of your symptoms—and how you can use it to take the first step toward feeling better. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP P.S. If you've ever felt dismissed by conventional doctors, I made this episode with you in mind. Let's start finding the answers your body is trying to tell you. What's Next? Book Your Free Consultation: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 (two spots now open!) The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD+ Can Help Exhausted Women Regain Their Energy Naturally - Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, Have you ever set New Year's resolutions only to feel defeated by February? You're not alone. Many of us have been caught in the cycle of big plans and fading motivation. But what if there's a better way? In this week's episode of Functional Medicine for Christian Women, I'm sharing a new approach to goal-setting that works with how God designed your body and mind. You'll learn: Why traditional resolutions often fail. How to align your goals with your faith and values. Practical steps to create sustainable systems that set you up for success. It's time to stop striving and start thriving. Let's commit our work to the Lord and trust Him to establish our plans. Listen now and discover how to build a foundation for lasting change. In health,Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP P.S. If you've been blessed by this episode, I'd love for you to share it with a friend who might need encouragement with her goals this year! What's Next? Book Your Free Consultation: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 (two spots now open!) The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD+ Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally - Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey friend, Today's podcast episode is extra special—I'm sharing the heart behind a big change and what it means for you. If you've been with me for a while, you might've noticed the podcast's new name: Functional Medicine for Christian Women. Why the shift? It's simple: I want to be upfront about the Biblical foundation that shapes everything I do. As I've reflected on my mission, God's calling has become clear—this is more than just health advice. It's about helping you care for your body as an act of worship and obedience, grounded in His design and through a functional medicine lens. In this episode, I talk about: Why our health is a spiritual calling, not just a physical one. The connection between your faith and your physical healing. How this new focus will inspire and equip you to reclaim your health—and your God-given purpose. Whether you've been frustrated with mainstream health care or simply looking for a fresh perspective, I think you'll find encouragement here. Let me know what you think—I'd love to hear how this resonates with you! In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Book Your Free Consultation: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 (two spots now open!) The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD+ Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally - Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Exodus 33: 12 - 19 (NKJV) 12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.' 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” 17 So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” 18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” 19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Hey Friend, Have you been experiencing irregular cycles, mood swings, energy crashes, or other symptoms that just don't feel normal? You might be navigating perimenopause—even if you're in your late 30s or 40s. In this week's episode of Functional Medicine for Christian Women, we're peeling back the layers on this often-overlooked stage of life. What is perimenopause really? What's happening in your body? And most importantly, how can you thrive during this season instead of just surviving? Join me as I share simple, practical steps to support your health—covering everything from the foods that fuel your hormones to building stress resilience and reclaiming restful sleep. And because this journey is as much spiritual as it is physical, I'll also offer biblical encouragement to help you walk this path with peace and confidence. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Book Your Free Consultation: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 (two spots now open!) The Stronger Collective App Learn more by clicking here. Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD+ Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, If you've been struggling with low energy, stubborn weight gain, mood swings, or poor sleep, it might be your hormones—but here's the good news: you don't need to do anything drastic to start feeling better. In my latest podcast episode, Hormones: The Basics and How to Balance Them, Even With a Busy Schedule, I'm sharing simple, sustainable steps to support your hormones naturally. You'll learn: Why your circadian rhythm is the key to hormone balance (and how to reset it). A simple rule of thumb for meals How to build stress resiliency to shift your health God designed your body to heal itself—it just needs the right support. Start with these practical steps and take control of your health.

Hey Friend, In this episode, Elise shares her deeply personal journey from struggling with chronic health challenges to becoming a passionate advocate for holistic healing. You'll hear how she overcame obstacles that many of us face—feeling unheard by doctors, and navigating the overwhelming health information out there. But more importantly, you'll discover the strategies and insights she used to reclaim her well-being and vitality, and how she now empowers others to do the same. If you've ever felt stuck, frustrated, or unsure of where to start on your own health journey, this conversation is exactly what you need to feel inspired and equipped to take your next step. To connect with Elyse further: Instagram: instagram.com/elyse_wagner Website: elysewagner.com/freebies In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Book Your Free Consultation: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 (two spots now open!) Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD+ Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, Ever been told that your lab results "look fine," but you still feel anything but fine? If you're nodding in agreement, you're not alone. Many high-achieving career women experience this frustration and wonder: why do I still feel off when the numbers say otherwise? In the latest episode of Functional Medicine for Exhausted Career Women, I'm diving deep into why focusing on just one or two lab markers isn't enough to uncover what's really happening in your body—and how functional medicine goes beyond these numbers to find the root cause of your health struggles. Here's what you'll learn in this episode: Why your body can't be understood by just one lab result. How your health is a complex, interconnected system that needs a comprehensive approach. Five practical ways to naturally boost your immune function—starting today. Listen now to find out why a holistic approach is essential for real, lasting health. And if you're ready to get personalized insights, I'm offering a free 15-minute call where we'll look at your lab results from a functional medicine perspective and uncover the missing pieces in your health puzzle. Spots are limited, so don't wait! Book your free call here Take control of your health. It's time to look beyond the numbers and see the bigger picture. Until next time, take care and know that your body is beautifully designed to heal. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Book Your Free Consultation: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 (two spots now open!) Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD+ Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, Do you ever feel like stress has become such a constant companion that you don't even remember life without it? Maybe it's the never-ending deadlines, family responsibilities, or the weight of keeping everything running smoothly because it feels like it all depends on you. If that resonates, you're not alone. And I've got some good news: it doesn't have to stay this way. On this week's episode of Functional Medicine for Exhausted Career Women, I'm breaking down actionable steps to help you navigate life with less overwhelm and more balance. We're not talking about eliminating stress completely (spoiler: that's not realistic), but instead, how to build resilience so stress no longer takes over. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Schedule your free Consultation: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk? Know Something's Not Right? Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal” or they only care to talk about symptoms and numbers but don't listen to how you FEEL? Come work with me! Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Does this sound familiar? "I'll start on Monday.""Once this project is done, then I'll focus on myself.""When "fill in the blank" season is over, I'll have more time." If you've ever caught yourself saying these things, you're not alone. I've been there too. But here's the hard truth: those “some days” often turn into never. This week on the Functional Medicine for Exhausted Career Women podcast, I'm sharing an episode that hits close to home. It's all about why we put our health on the back burner and how to reframe our mindset for a God-centered, sustainable approach to wellness. In this episode, I share: A deeply personal story about how neglecting health impacted my family. The three biggest reasons we delay prioritizing our health. Scriptural truths, like Proverbs 4:23, reminding us why our health matters to God's purpose for us. Practical strategies for small, impactful changes you can make today. You'll walk away feeling empowered, not guilty, and with tools to start honoring God with your health—even in the busiest seasons of life. Here's what I want you to know:Taking care of your health isn't about perfection. It's about making intentional choices and trusting God to guide you through them. If this message resonates with you, take a moment to reflect on one small change you can make today to prioritize your health. And don't forget to pray and ask God for wisdom and strength to walk this path. I also created a free resource to help you start taking action today. Head to FunctionalHealthForWomen.com to access it. Your health matters, not just for you, but for the calling God has on your life. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Watch the FREE Training: How to Go From Chronic Health Issues to Optimal Balanced Health with ONE SIMPLE Plan Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Schedule a free consultation to get started. Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 52. How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, Are you tired of feeling like you're barely keeping up with life—constantly fatigued, overwhelmed, and wondering if there's a better way? My latest podcast episode is for you. In this episode of Functional Medicine for Exhausted Career Women, I pull back the curtain on my Optimal Balanced Health program—a six-month hybrid group program designed to reset, restore, and empower women like you. From detoxing your body to optimizing hormones and metabolism, we're addressing the real root causes of exhaustion, not just the symptoms. By the end of this episode, you'll not only understand the unique framework behind this program but feel inspired to take the first step toward sustainable energy, weight loss, and lasting health. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Join Optimal Balanced Health Before November 22: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Schedule a free call to see if our next Group Program (Deadline to join with $1000 off is November 22, 2024) Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 52. How Inflammation, Toxins, and Stress Wreck Your Hormones - Inside the 3-Day Workshop for Exhausted Women Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

S8E7 Marcie shares her experience on High Bottoms and Low Bottoms. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "YET - You're eligible too", "You don't have to wait till the basement to get off the elevator" and "Recovery doesn't open the gates of heaven and let you in - recovery opens the gates of hell and lets you out." If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Shank and Wayne at freedom@alcoholicsalive.com    

Hey Friend, If you're tired of trying every solution and still feeling stuck in a cycle of fatigue, hormone imbalances, anxiety, or unexplained symptoms, I've created a podcast episode just for you. I break down the chronic issues that keep so many women feeling exhausted and out of control. This episode explores the hidden disruptors—like chronic inflammation, toxins, and stress—that throw our bodies off balance. More importantly, I'll show you how a functional health approach can help solve the puzzle, equipping you with tools for true, lasting change. Our latest podcast episode dives into the proven 6-month framework we use in my Optimal Balanced Health Program. Learn how we work to reset your body, personalize your health, and help you develop a long-term plan for a thriving life. If you're ready to start addressing root causes instead of just managing symptoms, tune in! And don't miss the special offer we have for our December program cohort—click here to schedule a call and see if it's the right fit for you. Looking forward to helping you find freedom in your health journey! In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Schedule your free Consultation: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Schedule a free call to see if our next Group Program (Deadline to join with $1000 off is November 22, 2024) Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, If you've ever felt trapped in the cycle of diets, intense workouts, and “quick fixes” for weight loss—only to find yourself back at square one—this week's podcast episode is for you. We're diving into why so many women struggle with lasting weight loss and how functional medicine gets to the root cause of these challenges. When our bodies are out of balance, dealing with hormonal chaos, and struggling with chronic inflammation, traditional weight loss methods simply can't provide long-term results. This episode breaks down why targeting weight loss first usually fails and what it looks like to focus on restoring your body's natural balance instead. In this episode, I also share how my Optimal Balanced Health program addresses the root issues that hold so many women back. If you're ready to stop the constant cycle of fad diets and start on a path to real health, I invite you to listen in today. You'll gain insights into how a balanced, holistic approach to health can help you finally achieve the lasting results you deserve. So, grab your favorite beverage, tune in, and let's start your journey to a healthier, more resilient you. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Save your seat in the FREE 3-Day Workshop: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD+ Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Sadie's Joke of the Week, Nerd Up with Cameo, The 2024 Word of the Year Is, The 10 Most-Searched Slang Terms in 2024 and What's Something So Simple . . . Yet You're So Horrible AtSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Friend, If you've been struggling to shed pounds despite eating well and exercising, this latest podcast episode is for you. It's easy to feel frustrated and wonder if there's something wrong with you – but what if the problem isn't you? In this episode, I break down the hidden chronic health issues that can stall weight loss, like thyroid imbalances, hormone disruption, and even gut health. These are the pieces of the puzzle that many traditional methods overlook, yet they play a huge role in how our bodies manage weight and energy. You'll learn how functional medicine looks deeper, aiming to understand why these symptoms persist and what you can do to get back on track. Ready to understand why weight loss has felt like an uphill battle? Tune in to uncover practical insights and strategies for finally feeling like yourself again. You'll also hear about a client success story that shows how it's possible to make lasting progress, even after years of frustration. Plus, I'm inviting listeners to my free 3-day live workshop starting November 13 – where we'll explore these health roadblocks in-depth and work together to find real solutions. Listen to the episode now, and if it resonates with you, make sure to join the workshop. Let's get to the root of what's holding you back! In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Save your seat in the FREE 3-Day Workshop: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD+ Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

#NeighborhoodWatch The One with the 24/7 Garage Sale + What's Something So Simple . . . Yet You're So Horrible At, Do you have a rival or arch-nemesis & CORYELLE'S BACK!

Hey friend, If you've been dealing with constant fatigue, gut issues, or hormone imbalances, this week's podcast episode is one you won't want to miss. I dive into why these symptoms keep coming back and how functional medicine can help you find real, lasting relief. In this episode, I share the story of Andrea, a client who was told by countless doctors that everything looked “fine,” even though she felt far from it. Sound familiar? Together, we found her root causes and created a plan to get her feeling healthy, balanced, and energized again. Functional medicine goes beyond managing symptoms—it's about truly understanding the body and addressing the underlying causes of chronic health conditions. I'll walk you through my approach to uncovering and healing these imbalances, so you can finally break free from endless doctor visits and symptom cycles. Listen in to learn how functional medicine can make a real difference in your health journey. You deserve more than “getting by” each day. Tune in now and start your journey to vibrant health! In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Save your seat in the FREE 3-Day Workshop: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 27. Why Career-Driven Women Should Care About Blue Zones, Air Quality, and Houseplants for Better Indoor Air 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health 47. How NAD+ Can Help Exhausted Career Women Regain Their Energy Naturally Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hey Friend, Have you ever felt drained, anxious, or just not yourself—even when your labs come back “normal”? You're not alone. In my latest podcast episode, I'm unpacking how hidden hormone and thyroid imbalances could be driving those feelings of fatigue, mood swings, and anxiety that so many high-achieving women struggle with. When the usual tests don't capture the full picture, it's easy to feel unheard, but there's more going on under the surface than you may realize. Tune in to learn why these overlooked imbalances are often at the root of what you're experiencing, from anxious days to low energy, and how identifying these hidden factors could be the key to reclaiming your health. This episode is packed with insights to help you start feeling calm, energized, and fully yourself again. Don't miss it! In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Save your seat in the FREE 3-Day Workshop: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 45. Unlock Your Energy: How Hormones Could Be the Key to Fixing Your Fatigue 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Hello friend, In this episode of Functional Medicine for Exhausted Career Women, I dive into the power of NAD, a molecule that's often overlooked but essential for cellular energy production. If you're feeling perpetually drained or exhausted, NAD could be the missing link in your health journey. I'll break down what NAD is, how it impacts every cell in your body, and why low levels might be contributing to chronic fatigue, sluggish metabolism, and added stress. You'll walk away with practical, natural ways to support NAD production and boost your energy—without drastic lifestyle changes. All it takes is a focus on nutrient-dense foods, gentle movement, and mindful supplementation. I also share stories from my own experience and other busy, health-conscious women, even practitioners, who found themselves battling low energy but saw significant improvement by supporting their NAD levels. Join me as I give actionable tips you can use today, and hear more about my 3-Day Workshop designed to help you take control of your health for good. If you're ready to understand the root causes of your fatigue and reclaim vibrant energy, this episode is the perfect place to start feeling empowered and informed. In health, Lacy Lain, FMCHC, LEHP What's Next? Save your seat in the FREE 3-Day Workshop: Sick Of Feeling Like Junk, Know Something's Not Right, Yet You're Told By Your Doctors That Your Labs Are “Normal”... Connect with Lacy: Apply to work with Lacy 1:1 Related Episodes You Might Enjoy: 42. Why Am I Always Tired? Common Causes of Chronic Fatigue in Working Women 15:The Lain Protocol for Optimal B.A.L.A.N.C.E.D. Health: Exercise 33. Bandaid Solutions vs Functional Solutions in Women's Health Disclaimer: Our life and health coaches do not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Nothing we share with our clients is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment, or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician. Lacy Lain, FMCHC may not make any medical diagnoses or claim, nor substitute for your personal physician's care. It is the role of Lacy Lain and her Practitioners to partner with their clients to provide ongoing support and accountability in an opt-in model of self-care and should be done under the supervision of a licensed physician. These platforms share personal experiences and provides education. Interaction on these platforms does not constitute a doctor/patient relationship.

Dealing with Uncertainty A Sermon by Pastors Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Providence, RI.   Exodus 33:12-13 NKJV 12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.' 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” James 4:14 NKJV 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.   For more information about Victory Church visit our website, www.victorychurchri.com or our Facebook page     

"Bless our God, O peoples, And sound His praise abroad, Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip. For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance." Psalm 66:8-12

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.For the music director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?Far from my help are the words of my groaning.My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer;And by night, but I have no rest.Yet You are holy,You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.In You our fathers trusted;They trusted and You rescued them.To You they cried out and they fled to safety;In You they trusted and were not disappointed.But I am a worm and not a person,A disgrace of mankind and despised by the people.All who see me deride me;They sneer, they shake their heads, saying,“Turn him over to the Lord; let Him save him;Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;You made me trust when upon my mother's breasts.I was cast upon You from birth;You have been my God from my mother's womb.Do not be far from me, for trouble is near;For there is no one to help.Many bulls have surrounded me;Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.They open their mouths wide at me,As a ravening and roaring lion.I am poured out like water,And all my bones are out of joint;My heart is like wax;It is melted within me.My strength is dried up like a piece of pottery,And my tongue clings to my jaws;And You lay me in the dust of death.For dogs have surrounded me;A band of evildoers has encompassed me;They pierced my hands and my feet.I can count all my bones.They look, they stare at me;They divide my garments among them,And they cast lots for my clothing.Bible Verse: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=psalm+22%3a1-18&version=nasbVisit us on all our social media platforms: https://linktr.ee/sovereignkingchurchListen on the go on your favorite podcast service:Apple - https://tinyurl.com/uxw3awb6Google - https://tinyurl.com/mzmza4fv

Listen along as we look at the space between Good Friday and Easter Sunday contemplating the silence of God. Notes//Quotes: Psalm 13:1-6 - Jon   “Habakkuk lived in the final decades of Judah, Israel's southern kingdom. It was a time of injustice and idolatry, and he saw the rising threat of the Babylonian empire on the horizon. Unlike the other Hebrew prophets, Habakkuk doesn't accuse Israel or even speak to the people on God's behalf. Instead, all of his words are addressed to God. The book of Habakkuk tells us about Habakkuk's personal struggle to believe that God is good when there is so much tragedy and evil in the world”  — bible project    1 The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. 2 How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. 3 Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. 4 Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted. 5 “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! (NASB)   Habakkuk 2:3 3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. (NIV)   “One of her colleagues attended a conference on Jungian dream analysis where people wrote questions on cards that were passed along to a panel of experts, among them was a grandson of Carl Jung. One of these cards told the story of a horrific, reoccurring dream, in which the dreamer was stripped of all human dignity and worth through Nazi atrocities. A member of the panel, read the dream out loud. As she listened, my colleague began to formulate a dream interpretation in her head, in anticipation of the panels response. It was really "a no-brainer," she thought, as her mind, busily offered her symbolic explanations for the torture and atrocities described in the dream.  But this was not how the panel responded at all. When the reading of the dream was complete, Jungs's grandson looked out over the large audience. "Would you all please rise?" he asked. "we will stand together in a moment of silence in response to this dream." The audience stood for a minute, my colleague, impatiently, waiting for the discussion she was certain would follow. But when they sat again, the panel went onto the next question. My colleague simply did not understand this at all, and a few days later, she asked one of her teachers, himself a Jungian analyst, about it, “Ah, Lois," he had said, "there is life, suffering unspeakable, a vulnerability, so extreme that it goes far beyond words, beyond explanations, and even beyond healing. In the face of such suffering, all we can do is bear witness so no one need suffer alone.” - Parker J. Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness   “I know that, as night and shadows are good for flowers, and moonlight and dews are better than a continual sun, so is Christ's absence of special use, and that it hath some nourishing virtue in it, and giveth sap to humility, and putteth an edge on hunger, and furnisheth a fair field to faith to put forth itself, and to exercise its fingers in gripping it seeth not what.”  —Samuel Rutherford   “Honesty. David is in agony and can't feel the presence of God. he cries out that God has ignored his pain and his sorrow. It is almost a howl, and the fact that it is included in the Bible tells us that God wants to hear our genuine feelings, even if they are anger at him. David never stops praying, however, and that is the key. As long as we howl towards God and remember his salvation by grace (verse 5), we will end up at a place of peace. If Christians do that, by hearing Jesus praying verses 1-4 on the cross, losing the Father's face as he paid for our sins, we will be able to pray versus 5-6 indeed.”  — Timothy Keller   It's enough to drive a man crazy; it'll break a man's faith It's enough to make him wonder if he's ever been sane When he's bleating for comfort from Thy staff and Thy rod And the heaven's only answer is the silence of God   It'll shake a man's timbers when he loses his heart When he has to remember what broke him apart This yoke may be easy, but this burden is not When the crying fields are frozen by the silence of God   There's a statue of Jesus on a monastery knoll In the hills of Kentucky, all quiet and cold And He's kneeling in the garden, as silent as a Stone All His friends are sleeping and He's weeping all alone   And the man of all sorrows, he never forgot What sorrow is carried by the hearts that he bought So when the questions dissolve into the silence of God The aching may remain, but the breaking does not The aching may remain, but the breaking does not In the holy, lonesome echo of the silence of God - Andrew Peterson, The Silence of God  

Psalm 22:1-31 “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In You our fathers trusted; they trusted, and You delivered them. 5 To You they cried and were rescued; in You they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 9 Yet You are He who took me from the womb; You made me trust You at my mother's breasts. 10 On You was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb You have been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. 12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; You lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—17 I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But You, O Lord, do not be far off! O You my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! 22 I will tell of Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You: 23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and He has not hidden His face from him, but has heard, when he cried to Him. 25 From You comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear Him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. 28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and He rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before Him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve Him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn, that He has done it.” Key Words: Forsaken, Cry, Trust, Deliver, Save, Affliction, Praise, Fear, God, Brothers, Nations Keystone Verse: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me. Why are You so far from saving me, from the words of my groanings. (Psalm 22:1)   Download Bulletin

Psalm 8:1-9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, You have established strength because of Your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.3 When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,4 what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! Key Words: Lord, Majestic, Glory, Man, Mindful, Care, Crowned Keystone Verse: Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the Earth! (Psalm 8:1a,9) Downdload Bulletin  

Psalm 44 For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. 44 O God, we have heard with our ears,Our fathers have told usThe work that You did in their days,In the days of old.2 You with Your own hand drove out the nations;Then You planted them;You afflicted the peoples,Then You spread them abroad.3 For by their own sword they did not possess the land,And their own arm did not save them,But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence,For You favored them. 4 You are my King, O God;Command victories for Jacob.5 Through You we will push back our adversaries;Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.6 For I will not trust in my bow,Nor will my sword save me.7 But You have saved us from our adversaries,And You have put to shame those who hate us.8 In God we have boasted all day long,And we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah. 9 Yet You have rejected us and brought us to dishonor,And do not go out with our armies.10 You cause us to turn back from the adversary;And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.11 You give us as sheep to be eatenAnd have scattered us among the nations.12 You sell Your people cheaply,And have not profited by their sale.13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors,A scoffing and a derision to those around us.14 You make us a byword among the nations,A laughingstock among the peoples.15 All day long my dishonor is before meAnd my humiliation has overwhelmed me,16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger. 17 All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You,And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant.18 Our heart has not turned back,And our steps have not deviated from Your way,19 Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackalsAnd covered us with the shadow of death. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our GodOr extended our hands to a strange god,21 Would not God find this out?For He knows the secrets of the heart.22 But for Your sake we are killed all day long;We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.23 Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord?Awake, do not reject us forever.24 Why do You hide Your faceAnd forget our affliction and our oppression?25 For our soul has sunk down into the dust;Our body cleaves to the earth.26 Rise up, be our help,And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness. New American Standard Bible 1995 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/maranatha-ministries/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/maranatha-ministries/support

Seven times, God makes a critical statement about Israel in the book of Malachi, and each time Israel responds with a challenge to that statement. Here are those statements and Gods answer to Israels objection. God: I have loved you. (1:2) Israel: How have you loved us? (v. 2) Answer: I have chosen Jacob over Esau, remained faithful to Jacob, and will bless the nations through Jacob even though Israel has shown herself to be faithless. (v. 5) God: You despise my name. (1:6) Israel: How have we despised your name? (v. 6b) Answer: Your worship of me is lackadaisical at best. (vv. 7-14) God: You have offered polluted food on my altar because honoring me with your whole life is a weariness. (1:7) Israel: How have we polluted you? (v. 7b) Answer: You offer what is cheap and sick because you do not regard my Name as holy. (vv. 9-14) God: You cover the Lords altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. (2:13) Israel: Why does he not? (v. 14) Answer: You have been faithless to the wife of your youth. (vv. 14-16) God: You have wearied the Lord with your words. (2:17) Israel: How have we wearied Him? (v. 17b) Answer: You have said, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them. Or by asking, Where is the God of justice? (v. 17c) God: You are robbing me. (3:8) Israel: How have we robbed you? (v. 8b) Answer: In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. (vv. 8c-9) God: Your words have been hard against me. (3:13) Israel: How have we spoken against you? (v. 13b) Answer: You have said it is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape. (vv. 14-15) It is Gods response to Israels fifth objection that we now turn our attention, and it could not be more timely! On October 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and murdered babies and children, abducted and raped women before killing them, and gunned down as many Israelis as they were able. Israel is at war, and the death toll of human causalities will continue to rise. China and Russia seem to be moving closer to a formal alliance, and it is not beyond reason that Iran and North Korea may join them. Based on what I read in my Bible, I am not surprised that this is happening, and it would not surprise me if Russia and Iran got involved in what is happening between Israel and Hamas. Now, if you consider what is happening between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict with Israel and Hamas and possibly Iran, and Chinas plans to have its military ready by 2027 to annex Taiwan, what we have is the recipe for a cataclysmic global war. If that were not enough to worry about, represented in this room is a sea of worries (some legitimate and some illegitimate). If you are anxious, if you are bothered, if you are feeling hopeless, if you are tired, or if you are discouraged Malachi 3:1-6 is for you. The problem of Israel and our problem can be traced all the way back to Adam and Eves great sin, there was a type of darkness. After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God drove them out of the beauty of Eden into the despair of the wilderness. Before God forced Adam and Eve outside the place of life and into the place of the curse, He promised them a deliverer who would destroy all that is an enemy of life (Gen. 3:15). Outside the Garden is the place of the curse the wilderness. It is the place of pain, distrust, frustration, thorns and thistles, weariness, sweat, burdens, and death. The Bible says, sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come (Rom. 5:12, 14). In being cast out of the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were driven away from the face of God. Gods Justice is Not Deficient (2:17) The people have wearied the Lord. The Message Bible, which is a paraphrase of the Bible, interprets Malachi 2:17 this way: You make God tired with all your talk. I think this is a terrible translation of Malachi 2:17! God does not get tired, he does not need a break, and He does not get frustrated because things do not go His way. Based on the Hebrew word that is used for wearied, for God to be wearied is for Him to be troubled or irritated. Have you ever had to deal with a person whose hypocrisy is so blatant that it is aggravating? Think about what God accused Israel and her priests of in chapter two. They were guilty of breaking their covenant by marrying people who worshiped terrible gods, such as Molech, whose worship included child sacrifice. The men were divorcing the wives of their youth to marry younger women who also worshiped other gods. If anyone was guilty of injustice, it was Israel. Israel has been on the receiving end of nations and people groups who wanted nothing but their destruction. Do you think what is happening today is new? No, what is happening between Israel and Hamas is nothing new, for throughout her history, her story is about a God who rescues and delivers. God liberated Israel from the tyranny of Pharaoh, He saved Israel from Goliath and the Philistines, He delivered His people from the Amorites, He sustained and preserved rebellious Israel through the exiles of Assyria and Babylon. Now, here they are in Jerusalem with a temple and walls by the grace and mercy of God, having demonstrated that they had no real desire to serve and worship Him, and now they have the audacity to question His moral character. Now, this question that Israel asks in 2:17 is different than the kind of lamenting those who love God demonstrate, such as the one we are introduced to in Habakkuk 1:2-3, How long, Lord, have I called for help, And You do not hear? I cry out to You, Violence! Yet You do not save. Why do You make me see disaster, And make me look at destitution? Yes, devastation and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises (NASB). Wow, Habakkuks question could not be more relevant for what we are seeing in our world today! His question is very different than the one Israel asked in Malachi, and it is very different than some of the questions you have been asked, questions like: How can you believe in a good God when there is so much suffering in the world? Or How can God be in control, when the world is so out of control? We tend to measure the justice of God against our own sense of justice. The problem with that is that our sense of justice is only as pure as we are good human beings. The crazy thing is that most Americans (80%) rightly believe that most of the suffering in our world is caused by humans. The bad news is that we have tried all kinds of things to fix ourselves, but only seem to make our situation worse. There are more slaves today than ever before. An increase of over 100 million people faced hunger in 2022, with a total of 783 million people who continue to go hungry in our world today even though there are more than enough food producers to meet the needs of the hungry. With all of our talk about peace, we humans are still the most dangerous species on planet earth. Our problem is as old as the Garden when Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Or, as the prophet Jeremiah put it: The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it (Jer. 17:9; NASB)? I have preached whole sermons on the topic of Gods goodness alone, but I do not have the time to do that here. What I will say is that God is good (Nah. 1:7) because He is Holy (Isa. 6:3). Because God is God, for Him to be good, He must be infinitely good. What does it mean for God to be infinitely good? What it means is that there is absolutely no room or any need for improvement for God. Therefore, if God is infinitely good, then He is equally just! This is why the Psalmist says of our great God: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you (Ps. 89:14). Gods Plan is Redemptive Gods answer to Israels question regarding the justice of God is Malachi 3:1-6. Where is the God of Justice? Oh, He has never left! He has always been with His people. He has been with His people because He is also a God of mercy. When Moses asked to see the face of God, he was permitted to see Him pass by while not being permitted to see His face; when God passed by, this is what Moses heard Him say: The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the childrens children, to the third and the fourth generation. (Exod. 34:6-7) Gods justice was coming, and the people who deserved to experience it first were all of Israel, beginning with her priests who did not regard Gods name as holy. However, the way that He would do it would be in a way where His infinite justice and his infinite mercy will intersect with His infinite holiness and His infinite love. How would He do it? The answer is in the first verse: Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. The One that Israel calls Father (2:10), is the One who will send His messenger. Who is the messenger that will be sent? It was John the Baptist, who is a type of Elijah, who went before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Who is the Lord that would, come to his temple? He is someone greater than Elijah or John the Baptist. The Lord whom John was sent to prepare the way for is the One who owns the temple. He is the One spoken of in Jeremiah 23:5-6, Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness. The first word in Malachi 3:1 is Behold and it literally means: Here am I. Israel asks: Where is the God of Justice? Gods answers: Here I am! I am sending my messenger before me who will prepare the way for Me to come to my Temple that you have polluted, for when I come, you will call Me: The Lord is our righteousness. Who is this Lord our righteousness? He is the righteous Branch of David! If Israel and the Priests had the sense to ask, they would have asked God: How can Yahweh come as the human descendant of David? This is the question the apostle John answers over 400 years later: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Fathers side, he has made him known. (John 1:618) Jesus is, The Lord our righteousness who came, but the priests and much of Israel did not receive Him. What was the purpose of his coming? Well, Malachi tells us in verses 2-3, But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiners fire and like fullers soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Gods Love is Restorative The story of humanity is one where we cannot help ourselves, for there is no remedy we can create to fix our sin problem. Our story is also Israels story, and the promise of Malachi 3:3 is that God would not and does not abandon impure people like us not because we deserve salvation, but because He is committed to his promise to bless the nations through Israel and the way that he would do it is through the righteous branch of David, namely Jesus the Christ. Through Jesus, a day will come when Israel says, Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel (Mal. 1:5)! Through Jesus, a day is coming when the nations will worship Yahweh: From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name will be great among the nations says the Lord (1:11)! How will he do it? Through Jesus, the righteous branch of David, He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring the offerings in righteousness to the Lord (3:3), and when he does, the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord (v. 4). The question begs for an answer; how will he do it? How can He refine out of mercy without the fire of his perfect justice? He would do it and He did do it by entering into our wilderness. Jesus lived the life Israel failed to live and by doing so was the perfect Jew (Heb. 1-2), the sinless and better Priest then Levi (Heb. 3, 5-7), and better than Moses because the covenant He mediates is better than the old (Heb. 8-10). Jesus entered into our wilderness for the purpose of suffering the fire of the Fathers perfect justice on our behalf; the fire fell upon Jesus instead of us. This is why the messenger said of Jesus when he saw him: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)! The Lamb was crucified and on that cross the wrath of God the Father was satisfied while His perfect justice, mercy, love, grace, and holiness intersected without contradiction. After Jesus died for our sins and was buried, he rose three days later! The refiners fire has come to us for the purpose of redeeming lost sinners. His work continues as His fire continues to remove the dross from our lives! As the author of Hebrews exhorts the Christian, we set our eyes on Him to, run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1-2). As for the rest of the wilderness and those who refuse to turn to the One who suffered the fire of Gods justice for sin, a judgment awaits and will come: Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. The Lamb of God is coming to bring the fire of Gods justice as the Lion of Judah! Jesus will come as the King of kings and Lord of lords; we are told that when He comes, all of the tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him (Rev. 1:7). You may be tempted to ask: Where is the God of justice? His answer is simply, Here I am, I never left. In the same way God answered Israels question in Malachi 3, He does the same for us in the last book of the Bible: Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Rev. 22:1215) Amen.

Seven times, God makes a critical statement about Israel in the book of Malachi, and each time Israel responds with a challenge to that statement. Here are those statements and Gods answer to Israels objection. God: I have loved you. (1:2) Israel: How have you loved us? (v. 2) Answer: I have chosen Jacob over Esau, remained faithful to Jacob, and will bless the nations through Jacob even though Israel has shown herself to be faithless. (v. 5) God: You despise my name. (1:6) Israel: How have we despised your name? (v. 6b) Answer: Your worship of me is lackadaisical at best. (vv. 7-14) God: You have offered polluted food on my altar because honoring me with your whole life is a weariness. (1:7) Israel: How have we polluted you? (v. 7b) Answer: You offer what is cheap and sick because you do not regard my Name as holy. (vv. 9-14) God: You cover the Lords altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. (2:13) Israel: Why does he not? (v. 14) Answer: You have been faithless to the wife of your youth. (vv. 14-16) God: You have wearied the Lord with your words. (2:17) Israel: How have we wearied Him? (v. 17b) Answer: You have said, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them. Or by asking, Where is the God of justice? (v. 17c) God: You are robbing me. (3:8) Israel: How have we robbed you? (v. 8b) Answer: In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. (vv. 8c-9) God: Your words have been hard against me. (3:13) Israel: How have we spoken against you? (v. 13b) Answer: You have said it is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape. (vv. 14-15) It is Gods response to Israels fifth objection that we now turn our attention, and it could not be more timely! On October 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and murdered babies and children, abducted and raped women before killing them, and gunned down as many Israelis as they were able. Israel is at war, and the death toll of human causalities will continue to rise. China and Russia seem to be moving closer to a formal alliance, and it is not beyond reason that Iran and North Korea may join them. Based on what I read in my Bible, I am not surprised that this is happening, and it would not surprise me if Russia and Iran got involved in what is happening between Israel and Hamas. Now, if you consider what is happening between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict with Israel and Hamas and possibly Iran, and Chinas plans to have its military ready by 2027 to annex Taiwan, what we have is the recipe for a cataclysmic global war. If that were not enough to worry about, represented in this room is a sea of worries (some legitimate and some illegitimate). If you are anxious, if you are bothered, if you are feeling hopeless, if you are tired, or if you are discouraged Malachi 3:1-6 is for you. The problem of Israel and our problem can be traced all the way back to Adam and Eves great sin, there was a type of darkness. After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God drove them out of the beauty of Eden into the despair of the wilderness. Before God forced Adam and Eve outside the place of life and into the place of the curse, He promised them a deliverer who would destroy all that is an enemy of life (Gen. 3:15). Outside the Garden is the place of the curse the wilderness. It is the place of pain, distrust, frustration, thorns and thistles, weariness, sweat, burdens, and death. The Bible says, sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come (Rom. 5:12, 14). In being cast out of the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were driven away from the face of God. Gods Justice is Not Deficient (2:17) The people have wearied the Lord. The Message Bible, which is a paraphrase of the Bible, interprets Malachi 2:17 this way: You make God tired with all your talk. I think this is a terrible translation of Malachi 2:17! God does not get tired, he does not need a break, and He does not get frustrated because things do not go His way. Based on the Hebrew word that is used for wearied, for God to be wearied is for Him to be troubled or irritated. Have you ever had to deal with a person whose hypocrisy is so blatant that it is aggravating? Think about what God accused Israel and her priests of in chapter two. They were guilty of breaking their covenant by marrying people who worshiped terrible gods, such as Molech, whose worship included child sacrifice. The men were divorcing the wives of their youth to marry younger women who also worshiped other gods. If anyone was guilty of injustice, it was Israel. Israel has been on the receiving end of nations and people groups who wanted nothing but their destruction. Do you think what is happening today is new? No, what is happening between Israel and Hamas is nothing new, for throughout her history, her story is about a God who rescues and delivers. God liberated Israel from the tyranny of Pharaoh, He saved Israel from Goliath and the Philistines, He delivered His people from the Amorites, He sustained and preserved rebellious Israel through the exiles of Assyria and Babylon. Now, here they are in Jerusalem with a temple and walls by the grace and mercy of God, having demonstrated that they had no real desire to serve and worship Him, and now they have the audacity to question His moral character. Now, this question that Israel asks in 2:17 is different than the kind of lamenting those who love God demonstrate, such as the one we are introduced to in Habakkuk 1:2-3, How long, Lord, have I called for help, And You do not hear? I cry out to You, Violence! Yet You do not save. Why do You make me see disaster, And make me look at destitution? Yes, devastation and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises (NASB). Wow, Habakkuks question could not be more relevant for what we are seeing in our world today! His question is very different than the one Israel asked in Malachi, and it is very different than some of the questions you have been asked, questions like: How can you believe in a good God when there is so much suffering in the world? Or How can God be in control, when the world is so out of control? We tend to measure the justice of God against our own sense of justice. The problem with that is that our sense of justice is only as pure as we are good human beings. The crazy thing is that most Americans (80%) rightly believe that most of the suffering in our world is caused by humans. The bad news is that we have tried all kinds of things to fix ourselves, but only seem to make our situation worse. There are more slaves today than ever before. An increase of over 100 million people faced hunger in 2022, with a total of 783 million people who continue to go hungry in our world today even though there are more than enough food producers to meet the needs of the hungry. With all of our talk about peace, we humans are still the most dangerous species on planet earth. Our problem is as old as the Garden when Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Or, as the prophet Jeremiah put it: The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it (Jer. 17:9; NASB)? I have preached whole sermons on the topic of Gods goodness alone, but I do not have the time to do that here. What I will say is that God is good (Nah. 1:7) because He is Holy (Isa. 6:3). Because God is God, for Him to be good, He must be infinitely good. What does it mean for God to be infinitely good? What it means is that there is absolutely no room or any need for improvement for God. Therefore, if God is infinitely good, then He is equally just! This is why the Psalmist says of our great God: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you (Ps. 89:14). Gods Plan is Redemptive Gods answer to Israels question regarding the justice of God is Malachi 3:1-6. Where is the God of Justice? Oh, He has never left! He has always been with His people. He has been with His people because He is also a God of mercy. When Moses asked to see the face of God, he was permitted to see Him pass by while not being permitted to see His face; when God passed by, this is what Moses heard Him say: The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the childrens children, to the third and the fourth generation. (Exod. 34:6-7) Gods justice was coming, and the people who deserved to experience it first were all of Israel, beginning with her priests who did not regard Gods name as holy. However, the way that He would do it would be in a way where His infinite justice and his infinite mercy will intersect with His infinite holiness and His infinite love. How would He do it? The answer is in the first verse: Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. The One that Israel calls Father (2:10), is the One who will send His messenger. Who is the messenger that will be sent? It was John the Baptist, who is a type of Elijah, who went before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Who is the Lord that would, come to his temple? He is someone greater than Elijah or John the Baptist. The Lord whom John was sent to prepare the way for is the One who owns the temple. He is the One spoken of in Jeremiah 23:5-6, Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness. The first word in Malachi 3:1 is Behold and it literally means: Here am I. Israel asks: Where is the God of Justice? Gods answers: Here I am! I am sending my messenger before me who will prepare the way for Me to come to my Temple that you have polluted, for when I come, you will call Me: The Lord is our righteousness. Who is this Lord our righteousness? He is the righteous Branch of David! If Israel and the Priests had the sense to ask, they would have asked God: How can Yahweh come as the human descendant of David? This is the question the apostle John answers over 400 years later: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Fathers side, he has made him known. (John 1:618) Jesus is, The Lord our righteousness who came, but the priests and much of Israel did not receive Him. What was the purpose of his coming? Well, Malachi tells us in verses 2-3, But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiners fire and like fullers soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Gods Love is Restorative The story of humanity is one where we cannot help ourselves, for there is no remedy we can create to fix our sin problem. Our story is also Israels story, and the promise of Malachi 3:3 is that God would not and does not abandon impure people like us not because we deserve salvation, but because He is committed to his promise to bless the nations through Israel and the way that he would do it is through the righteous branch of David, namely Jesus the Christ. Through Jesus, a day will come when Israel says, Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel (Mal. 1:5)! Through Jesus, a day is coming when the nations will worship Yahweh: From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name will be great among the nations says the Lord (1:11)! How will he do it? Through Jesus, the righteous branch of David, He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring the offerings in righteousness to the Lord (3:3), and when he does, the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord (v. 4). The question begs for an answer; how will he do it? How can He refine out of mercy without the fire of his perfect justice? He would do it and He did do it by entering into our wilderness. Jesus lived the life Israel failed to live and by doing so was the perfect Jew (Heb. 1-2), the sinless and better Priest then Levi (Heb. 3, 5-7), and better than Moses because the covenant He mediates is better than the old (Heb. 8-10). Jesus entered into our wilderness for the purpose of suffering the fire of the Fathers perfect justice on our behalf; the fire fell upon Jesus instead of us. This is why the messenger said of Jesus when he saw him: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)! The Lamb was crucified and on that cross the wrath of God the Father was satisfied while His perfect justice, mercy, love, grace, and holiness intersected without contradiction. After Jesus died for our sins and was buried, he rose three days later! The refiners fire has come to us for the purpose of redeeming lost sinners. His work continues as His fire continues to remove the dross from our lives! As the author of Hebrews exhorts the Christian, we set our eyes on Him to, run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1-2). As for the rest of the wilderness and those who refuse to turn to the One who suffered the fire of Gods justice for sin, a judgment awaits and will come: Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. The Lamb of God is coming to bring the fire of Gods justice as the Lion of Judah! Jesus will come as the King of kings and Lord of lords; we are told that when He comes, all of the tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him (Rev. 1:7). You may be tempted to ask: Where is the God of justice? His answer is simply, Here I am, I never left. In the same way God answered Israels question in Malachi 3, He does the same for us in the last book of the Bible: Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Rev. 22:1215) Amen.

Do you ever think of yourself as a  bitter person? Today I would love to share one of my most recent messages from our home church of West Ridge.  As you will hear this story connected so many dots and through lines of the Bible with me. I hope you enjoy this message today and it encourages you wherever you are.Need Another Podcast to listen to?When you are done with this episode, go ahead and check out my other podcast I co-hosting which is launching this Friday the 22nd!  The Together We Rise Podcast, an extension of Women Speakers Collective. My co-host Cheryl and I have been working hard all summer building a space where every woman is welcome at the table. Message NotesI beckoned the Eternal to hear, and He answered me. From the belly, the place of death, I cried out to You, and You have responded to my voice. You threw me into the watery depths and cast me into the middle of the chaotic seas. The waters closed in around me; your waves broke over me; Your surf swelled as I sank into the depths. Jonah 2:1-3 The VoiceFrom the belly, the place of death, I cried out to You.Hebrew word Sheol - the grave or pit. Dark and joyless. I have been driven out from before Your very eyes. Still, I know I will gaze again on Your holy temple.” The waters swallowed me; the deep abyss was covering over me. Seaweeds were wrapped around my head, trapping me as I sank down to where the mountains are rooted to the earth. I went down to the place where death's gate would lock me in forever.  Yet You lifted me up from the pit. Eternal One, You are my God! Only as my life was fading way did I remember the Eternal; Jonah 2:4-7Can I go anywhere apart from Your Spirit? Is there anywhere I can go to escape Your watchful presence?  If I go up into heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in the realm of the dead, You are there. If I ride on the wings of morning, if I make my home in the most isolated part of the ocean, Even then You will be there to guide me; Your right hand will embrace me, for You are always there. Even if I am afraid and think to myself, “There is no doubt that the darkness will swallow me, the light around me will soon be turned to night, You can see in the dark, for it is not dark to Your eyes.” Psalm 139:7-12“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them. Jonah 2:7-8But I will sing to You and sacrifice to You with a voice filled with thanksgiving…Jonah 2:9And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. - Jonah 2:10His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8  Reflection Questions1. Are you on the inside of a problem, journal about how you might change your perspective.2. Have you come to a place where bitterness has grabbed a hold of your heart?  Take some time in prayer to search that out and respond to God.Connect with Danielle | Instagram | Facebook How to support The Parable Podcast: #1 Subscribe or Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode of The Parable Podcast through your favorite podcast app (i.e. iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher). #2 Share this show with a friend, this is a perfect opportunity to start your own Parable Conversation together. #3 Are you in need of a speaker for your Church, Women's Group, or event? Contact Danielle to learn more.

Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston,or donate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com. Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessing of us to gather as Your people. We thank You for the holy scriptures. We thank You for Your holy people. You call them saints. You call us saints. It's not because of any righteousness in and of ourselves. We have none to commend ourself to You. We come to You only on behalf of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, we thank You that you were cast away from the presence of the Father in order to provide a way for us to never be cast out. If there's anyone who is outside Your family, outside of the elect, today, draw them to Yourself by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, in each one of us, develop a humility, a contrition of heart, a trepidation before Your Word, the same that we see with Jonah. You gave him the gift of hitting rock bottom, and I pray that that's not what it takes for any of us. But even if anyone of us does, we thank You that You meet us there. We pray that you bless our time, the holy scriptures today, and we pray You minister to us where we are and help us take the next step in obedience of faith. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen. Today we continue our sermon series through the Book of Jonah. The title of the sermon today is Rock Bottom. Jonah, as we met last week, is a reluctant believer, he's a rebellious prophet, and on top of that, he is a resentful missionary. God comes to Jonah and says, "Go." And Jonah says, "No." Jonah runs away. He runs to Tarshish, it's the opposite direction of Nineveh. It's not that he was afraid that people in Nineveh would believe in God and have their sins forgiven, no, no, no, that they wouldn't believe. He actually feared that they would believe he hated them. He didn't think they were deserving of the Word of God. He deemed that God had made a mistake. "No, God, You have to be wrong about these people." So Jonah boards a ship bound for Tarshish, pays the fair. It's a long trip, maybe a year, would cost a small fortune. He probably sold everything he had. So he's all in on running away from God. Yahweh the Lord hurls a great storm, God never misses, and the storm threatens the ship and the lives of the crew members. The pagan sailors don't know what to do. They do everything they possibly can. They jettison the [inaudible 00:02:55], they pray to their gods, they cast lots, they confront Jonah. Finally, Jonah confesses who he is. He says, "I fear God." And last week we saw that his fear of God was very half-hearted, and he confesses to what he's done. "I'm trying to flee from the Lord, that's why the Lord has cast a storm." They toss him overboard and the storm calms. The moment Jonah's off the ship, Yahweh relents from His wrath, calms the storm, delivers the crew, and the crew actually gets saved. They repent of their sin. They turn to Yahweh because they see the power of Yahweh even working right in front of them. The prophecy of Jonah reveals that it's Yahweh's redemptive purpose to save everybody, including gentiles. This was the whole making a covenant with Israel. God wanted Israel to be missionaries in the promised land, to serve as witnesses to his holiness and righteousness to neighboring gentiles. They didn't do it in the same way that Jonah didn't do it. The lesson that we can draw from here is you can run, but with God, you can never hide, neither from God nor from His purposes. Philippians 1:6 promises us, "I'm sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." And often God does allow us to hit rock bottom to fulfill, to complete His work in us. He doesn't just do it passively. Sometimes He actively determines it as He does with Jonah. He gives him the gift of rock bottom. Jonah wanted to literally hit rock bottom. He wanted to die. God says, "No," sends a big fish, big enough to swallow him whole. Obeying God is costly. Disobeying God is even more costly. But this book isn't about Jonah.,It's about a God that meets Jonah even at rock bottom. The book is about a God who loves us. I don't know when's the last time you meditated upon that, that God does love you and therefore God does pursue you. God does confront you. He will arrest you to awaken you, and He does this to bring us to the end of ourselves and bring us home in faith back to Him. The text here before us in Jonah 2 focuses not so much on what happens in the belly of the fish, but what happens in the heart of Jonah himself. Jonah's experiencing death itself. He's in a living tomb, perhaps even physical death. We'll get into that. If you take the sign of Jonah language, literally Jesus says, "I will send you a sign of Jonah," and then He compares a sign of Jonah to His own death, burial and resurrection. A sign of Jonah could have been that Jonah did die. We'll get into that. Either way, the miracle is that God doesn't just save this man physically, but He saves his heart and He saves his soul. Before Jonah can effectively preach repentance, he must first learn to repent himself. So that brings us to Jonah 2. Would you look at the text with me? "Then Jonah prayed to the Lord His God from the belly of the fish, saying, 'I called out to the Lord out of my distress, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me, all your waves and your billows passed over me.' Then I said, 'I am driven away from your sight, yet I shall again look upon Your holy temple.' The waters closed in over me and take my life. The deep surrounded me. Weeds were wrapped about my head. At the roots of the mountain, I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever, yet you who brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was fainting away, I remember the Lord and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple. "Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to You, what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord. And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Joan out upon the dry land." This is the reading of God's holy, inherent, infallible, authoritative word. May He write these eternal truths upon our hearts. Three points to frame up our time, first, the merciful wrath of God's discipline. Second, the missing words from Jonah's prayer. And third, the mysterious ways of the Lord's salvation. First, the merciful wrath of God's discipline. This phrase, merciful wrath, was coined by Martin Luther to describe the fact that God does, as a loving father, often send fatherly discipline that feels severe in the lives of his children. There are times when a Christian wanders so far, backslides so far from the path of faithful obedience to God, when the virus of rebellion has spread so vigorously through our spiritual system that nothing but the merciful wrath, a wounding medicine, can cure. Sometimes God has to bring us to the end of ourselves before we're ready to turn back to Him. This is what happened with the prodigal son. It wasn't until he finds himself sitting in the muck and the filth in the pigsty, and he sees pigs eating and he actually covets their food. It says that he came to himself, he came to his senses, and then he began to make his journey home. This is what God is doing in Jonah's life. It's a merciful wrath. It's a spiritual chemotherapy on the cancer of his rebellion. It's hard, it's sore, and it's necessary. But God does actively pursue convict those whom He loves. The purpose of God's judgment on Jonah is to bring him to repentance. Look how far Jonah has gone from God in an attempt to run from God's presence. He goes down to the port to catch the ship in Tarshish, down to the hull of the ship, down into the sea. So part of God's plan was to let him go down, down, down. There are many different ways to run from God, not just getting on a ship and running in the opposite direction. Jonah was active in fleeing from God. Many of us, we do it more passively. Perhaps you work so much you don't even have time to connect with God, "God, You know why I'm working so hard." Or perhaps it's endless entertainment or perhaps it's just generally avoiding any talk about God whatsoever. This is a subject that we shall never broach, ever, ever, ever. That's how many of us live in the secular humanist in Boston. There's subjects that you do not touch in public company, but also even in our own minds. Do our minds gravitate toward God? When Jonah hits rock bottom, what's he left to do? What are we left to do when we hit rock bottom? Well, he prays. And what does he pray? What do you pray when you have nothing to say, when you don't know what to say? Well, he prays the words of God back to Him. He prays psalms from the psalter. All the words here are quotes from the [salter, at least seven different psalms he quotes, perhaps directly or perhaps he had so memorized the Word of God that when he had nothing else to do, nowhere else to turn, he meditates on the Word of God. The psalm in this chapter is a meditation on his fish belly experience. As he's marinating in gastric juices, Jonah is meditating on God's Word. This chapter is a memorialization of his desperation. He's on the brink of death or he is dead, and then he wrote this after, I don't know. But Jonah 2:1-2, "Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, 'I called out to the Lord out of my distress, and He answered me, out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice.'" To whom does he pray when he hits rock bottom? To the Lord, Yahweh, the covenantal, relational, loving, merciful name of God. But I don't know if you noticed, that's personal. God got personal all of a sudden. God wasn't personal. I wanted nothing to do with the presence of God, what God's telling me what to do. All of a sudden, when he's got nowhere else to go, God becomes personal. Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. Jonah 2:6, "'Yet You brought up my life from the pit, oh Lord my God.'" Well, contrast that with what he says to the sailors when he confesses his identity, Jonah 1:9, "And he said to them, 'I'm a Hebrew. I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea in the dry land.'" Did you catch that? Before he needed God, it's the God of heaven. As soon as he has nowhere else to turn, "You're my God." Well, what is that? That's just a child. He's finally awakening to the fact that he's a child of God and he needs his loving Father right now. Apparently, Jonah does not fear death. After all, he was willing to sacrifice himself to save the ship's crew. What Jonah fears is being abandoned to Sheol. He didn't know what that was going to feel like. What is the Sheol? You can spend a lot of time figuring this out, but it was an understanding of this is where you go, this is where the dead go, the place of the dead to await judgment, the final judgment. And more generally, it's the interior place of the departed. As you look at how he thinks of Sheol, look at verse six, "At the roots of the mountains, I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever, yet You brought up my life from the pit.'" So Jonah sinks to the roots of the mountain, rock bottom metaphorically. And now, alas, in the depths of the ocean abyss, the reluctant prophet desperately cries out to Lord, "O Lord my God." What got him to cry those words, O Lord my God? He thought death was it. He thought, "Okay, I don't want to do what God wants me to do. I just want to die. I don't want to die, Lord, kill me, the suicidal prop. Kill me. Kill me. And then the Lord says, "Oh, you want run for My presence? You want to experience what it feels like to not have My presence forever?" That's what the text says, "bars close upon me forever." What is God doing here? God is giving Jonah a taste of hell. Not just of death, not just of physical torture, He's giving him a taste of death, of hell, of being abandoned by God forever. And this is wounding medicine that God made Jonah fish bait, not to destroy him, but to deliver him, and deliver him not just from the storm threatening to shipwreck the vessel, but from the sin that was making a shipwreck of his life. What a sober warning this is for many of us, that when we think we are fleeing God's presence and we run and we run and we run, there might come a point where that's it. There's no more turning back. You do end up in a place called Sheol or hell or whatever you call it, a place where God's loving presence no longer exists. So Jonah here is brought to repentance. Rebellion is running from the presence of God, repentance is returning to the presence of God. So here we find this man, the most extreme of circumstances, in the belly of the fish and the depths of the sea and the jaws of death itself. And what does he do? He prays and he cries out to God. Lesson here, friends, is cry out to God wherever you are, wherever you are, however you find yourself, do not wait until you are at rock bottom. If that's what it takes, God will take you there. No, friends do not scoff this gift of salvation, this gift of forgiveness of sin, this gift of heaven instead of hell. Do not scoff at that. Look at this man of God, it took him experiencing hell to finally cry out to God. We don't need to get there. How did he get where he is? In Jonah 2:3, he acknowledges that God is sovereign, "For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seeds, and the flood surrounded me, all your waves and your billows passed over me." How did he get there? "It was You," he says to God. Wait, I thought it was the sailors that threw him in. Well, yes, there were instruments in the sovereignly determining hands of God. The crew acted freely and out of desperation and prayerfully, but Jonah knows, "No, no God, You threw me in." The Bible frequently presents free human actions as the fulfillment of God's will with no attempt to resolve the apparent conundrum. Notice Jonas speaks of the seas, the waves, the storms as all Yahweh's possession, Yahweh formed the oceans, He controls the wind and the waves. These become Yahweh's means to both discipline and rescue the reluctant prophet. Verse five, "The waters closed in over me to take my life, the deep surrounded me, the weeds were wrapped about my head." He could feel his life fainting away, as verse seven says. It's a terrible, chilling, graphic depiction of a drowning man. He thought he was drowning. He thought his lungs were filling up with water, lungs with no oxygen, jaws closing in, and then he cries out, "God, you did it." There's two different ways. When you experience calamity in your life, you can say, "God, You did it. It's all Your fault. I'm going to blame You for the pain I feel. You are not loving, You are harsh." No, he doesn't blame God for his predicament, he says, "God, You did it, I deserve it, and this is for my good." He could say, "Lord has chastened me, and He's chastened me grievously, but not to give me over to prediction. I live, and while I live, I need to reassess my life. God has given me mercy and He's given me mercy for a reason." In 2:4, he begins to really wrestle with the heart of what it means to be abandoned by God. "Then I said, 'I'm driven away from your sight." Being driven away, another translation says to be banished. Leviticus talks about a spouse, a wife that commits adultery against her husband, the husband divorces or banishes her. As Jonah here is entombed in the belly of this great fish, he feels banished from the presence of God. He's been trying to flee from the presence of God, and God here gives him a taste of what that feels like. Hebrews 10:31, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." There are a couple ways of being in the hands of the living God. Jesus Christ talks about the fact that people who are Christians, the elect are children of the Father, and the Father holds us in His hands and He will never let us go. Sometimes the Lord's, the Father's hands are loving and tender and sometimes they are disciplinary and they're full of wrath. And this is the hands that Jonah fell in. Psalm 31:22, "I had said in my alarm, 'I'm cut off from your sight.' But You heard the voice of my please for mercy when I cried to You for help." So Jonah does cry out in verse five, "The waters closed in over me to take my life, the deep surrounded me, weeds were wrapped about my head," and verse six, "yet You brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God." Well, great, Jonah cries out to God, God saves him when he's meditating on the Word of God, he's repenting. But this brings us to point two, the missing words of Jonah's prayer. There's something missing. Reading Jonah's song of praise here is like listening to someone play a perfectly tuned piano, but there's one key missing. There's something missing. There's a good deal of beauty here, but that one note, and it's the note of repentance of the particular sin. There's missing lines, there's missing bars, if you will, of calling sin a sin. Jonah here has changed, praise to God, God's at work, but it's a gradual change. It comes in fits and starts like the blind man. Remember the blind man in Mark 8? Jesus restores the sight of the blind man. Jesus touches him and says, "What do you see?" And the blind man says, "I see men walking around like trees." He sees, but he doesn't see clearly yet. His vision was still in distinctive, still blurry. So what does Jesus do? He touches him again and at last he's able to see clearly. Isn't this how often God deals with us. The first time you come to the Lord, you're like, "I finally understand everything. I'm preaching next Sunday. I think I'm ready to preach the Word of God." And then little by little you begin to understand, "Oh, it's all a process. We're all in process." And some of the Lord's most important lessons, they take time and there's stages and changes that occur in our heart. Jonah has come a long way from his unbending rebellion. We get to a point where he's worshiping in the belly of a great fish, but he hasn't come far enough. He hasn't said the missing words. "Jonah, why didn't you go to Nineveh? Why didn't go to the capitol of Assyria, your arch enemy of Israel? Why didn't you go there?" "I didn't want to preach the word to them." "Why didn't you want to preach the word to them, Jonah?" "Because they might repent." "Isn't that a good thing, Jonah?" "No. No. I don't want them to repent because I don't want to call them brother or sister. I don't want to worship with them in the temple. I don't want to go back to my people and tell them, 'Hey, Israel, remember your enemies that killed you? Yeah, they're all repented and they're all going to come worship at the festivals.'" Jonah, he would get killed. No, Jonah should have repented. This should have been like verse two, "Lord, I repent for hating my enemies. Lord, I repent for hating the Ninevites." The one note that needs to be sounded loudest and longest and clearest is missing all together from this psalm is xenophobia, his prejudice that made him flee in the first place, his horror at the idea of those people becoming children of God. That's a festering sore that still remains in his heart, unaddressed, unrepented of. Look at verse seven, "When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple." I remembered the Lord. The reminded you of Himself very clearly. You didn't do much to remember the Lord, good sir. And then he continues in verse eight, so he's just talking to himself, I'm awesome, I remember the Lord, and then, "Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I... " Do you see the contrast? "But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to You, what I have vowed I shall pay. Salvation belongs to Lord." The phrase for steadfast love here, verse eight, God is steadfast love, he's got the theology. It's the word for hesed in the Greek, covenant love, covenant mercy, a love that sends Jesus Christ to die for our sins. A love that does not spare the Son of God but freely delivers Jesus up for us all. Jesus experiences what Jonah had not experienced completely. Jesus experienced the wrath of God, the eternal wrath of God. Jesus experienced the full brunt of hell on the cross for us so that when we trusted him, repent of our sins, all our sins are forgiven, and we experience the hesed love of God, His steadfast love. It's a covenant love. It's a faithful love. It's a redeeming love of God for His chosen people. "Idolaters, Jonah says correctly, "have no share in the redeeming love of God." It's all true. But look at Jonah, he doesn't consider himself one of the idol doers. He considers himself as the one that did all the things right. "Unlike them, you see, I know who God is." There is a self-congratulatory note, a self-centeredness that still persists. It clings to his heart tenaciously. His whole problem was he did think he was better than the Ninevites. "Well, of course, God loves me. I'm Jewish, I'm part of the Jewish people. I am a prophet. Look at the spiritual pedigree of my family." He may even be hinting that God saved him because he deserves to be. "Well, of course, God saved me. God still needs me to preach to the Ninevites. That's kind of what's going on here. He thinks the outsiders are beneath God. But he is absolutely right here at the end, salvation belongs to whom? To Israel? No. Salvation belongs to whom? Salvation belongs to the Lord. That's how he ends the whole thing. What does that mean? It means that we contribute absolutely nothing to our salvation. Yes, we must exercise faith and we need to engage in repentance, but these contribute nothing to our salvation, to our justification before God the Father, to our reconciliation before God. We add absolutely nothing other than the sin that made it necessary. Salvation is of the Lord from beginning to end. If God doesn't save us, then we're not saved. That's what Jonah learned in the belly of the fish, that salvation is all from the Lord beginning to end. He kind of knew it, but now he's learned it in the crucible of trial and suffering. So we're all in a process like Jonah, it's true, that God isn't finished with him yet. And praise to be to God, He's not finished with us either. But here we do need to take a lesson from Jonah's hypocrisy that's being exposed. Christian, where is there hypocrisy in your own life? There is the Lord putting His finger on some area of inconsistency in your Christian walk, someplace where you say one thing and do the other, some dimension of you thinking orthodox words are enough to cover selfish, prideful attitudes. Do you still struggle with xenophobia or partiality, where you would rather spend time with Christians like this not Christians like that? The church is a missionary society, and we must never forget that. This is why we exist, we exist to bring glory to God and extend His praise from shore to shore. And our goal is to reach those who are far from the Lord, the other, with the gospel of grace. There is no room, if we believe in grace, if we believe that we're saved by grace through faith, then there's absolutely no place for any superiority complex. Jonah 2:10, "And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land." The Lord spoke. The Lord spoke to the fish. Next time you go fishing, you should pray, "Lord, speak to some fish to come my way." Lord speaks to fish, and when God speaks, the fish obeyed, and Jonah is delivered onto dry land. Big fish don't usually beach themselves. The fish here is Yahweh's agent and does exactly as Yahweh commands, unlike Jonah, and deposits Jonah presumably somewhere near Palestine on a beach where Jonah will be recommissioned to preach the gospel. What did Jonah look like right now? I'll leave that to your imagination. I don't think he had eyebrows, and that's enough. If a guy comes to you and preaches without eyebrows that he lost in a belly of a fish, you listen. What we need to know here is that God is a God that can resurrect, and we need to know this, that this is the heart of our faith, that you must believe in the resurrection if you are to be a Christian. Romans 10:8-13, "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart,' that is the word of faith that we proclaim, 'because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the scripture says, "Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord as Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'" This is as simple as it gets. If you are not a Christian, you're new to Christianity, you just want to know what this is all about, this is as simple as it gets. Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, bearing the wrath of God that I deserve. He died, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day as proof that everything He taught was absolutely true. Now, how does that impact me? When you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, when you believe that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe that He rose from the dead, that's all it takes, you will be saved. Saved from wrath of God, saved from being banished into a place called hell. Saved from your sin. Saved from the penalty of sin. Friend, if you're not a Christian today, don't put it off, don't put it off. Today, in your heart of hearts, pray to the Lord, "Lord, I repent of my sin, of my reluctance, of my folly, of my rebellion, of my law-breaking. Lord, I repent. Lord, I trust in You. Jesus you're king. And Jesus, I believe that You rose from the dead and I will rise from the dead one day as well." Third, the mysterious ways of the Lord's salvation, Jonah 2:9, "But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you, what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord." So salvation leads to thankful sacrifice. God, thank You for saving me. What would You have me do? This is the natural inclination of every true child of God. It's the instinct of the redeemed soul. God, what would You have me do? True repentance always involves commitment, which means now, Lord, are You telling me to do the hard things like go preach to the Ninevites. Jonah had his Nineveh, what is your Nineveh? What is the thing that God is calling you to do and you're like, "No, no, no, that's going to take too much sacrifice."? Well, true repentance always includes a desire to sacrifice. Why should I sacrifice to attain salvation? No, this is where Christianity separates itself from absolutely every other worldview or religion. No, we don't sacrifice to earn salvation. No, salvation doesn't belong to us earning. Salvation belongs to the Lord, completely, 100%. Jonah here isn't swimming in the sea saying, "God save me." There is no power for salvation. That's the picture here. All he does is cry out. All he does is pray. And yet you know what? It's an imperfect prayer. It's imperfect, but it's answered. Do you notice before we move on that the prayer Jonah prayed as he sank into the sea was imperfect, but God still answers it? This is part of the wonder of the story. Jonah, he doesn't even know what to repent of. All he does is cry out. He knows who can help him and he knows he needs help. He turns to God for rescue even though it's not a full repentance. The whole Book of Jonah comes to a conclusion, as we'll see eventually, that we're still not really sure if Jonah repent. His heart hasn't changed as he prays, and God condescends to hear him anyway. Jonah is a hard-hearted, stubborn man, but he's still loved by God. He cries out to God, "God, I'm a sinner." And he's sinking of the ocean, the waves wrap around his head, his life faints away, he feels like he's entering Sheol himself. He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't even think, "You know what? The Lord is getting my attention. You know what? I think I am here because I have disobeyed the Lord. He doesn't do any of that. All he does is cry out to God from his mess, from his brokenness. He doesn't even do it right. He is completely self-centered. He uses the pronoun I 10 times in eight verses, my seven times. He's making vows that he doesn't really keep later. The point here is you don't have to work through all your junk before coming to the Lord. You don't have to have figured it all out. I was talking to a guy, invited him to church, he's like, "But I've never read the Bible." I was like, "Bro, that's like half my church. Don't worry, just come to the church." No, it's not. I mean, you guys have read the Bible. But you know what I'm saying? You don't have to be a theologian before you come. He's nasty. He hasn't cleaned himself up, gastric juice, all that, not a full repentance. But he does turn to Yahweh, and that's where the power of repentance is. What is repentance? Repentance isn't just confessing, acknowledging, chronicling all of your sins to God. He already knows them. Repentance is turning from sin and turning to the Lord. As you turn to the Lord, you're like, "Oh wow, You were gracious. You're so gracious to me." Jonah 2:1, "Jonah prayed to Lord His God from the belly of the fish." He prayed. Scripture says, "Seek me and you will find me if you seek me with all your heart." Scripture promises, "Come close to God and He will come close to you." This is how Jesus taught us to pray, "Seek and you shall find. Ask and you shall receive. Knock and it shall be opened to you." Yeah, Jonah is in a mess, but it's a self-inflicted mess, and it's a miracle that God would even take time to listen. But God does listen. Here is a God more willing to hear than we are to pray, a God who knows the words on our lips before we speak them. But He longs for us to speak them so that we may know that He has heard our prayers. To pray is to admit that there is something greater to the reality that we're all experiencing. There's a God in this reality, a God who is distinct from our own reality. He's transcendent. It's a reality which is different from ours and possibly therefore threatening. Who is this God? If I talk to this God, if I submit to this God, if I obey this God, will I be happy? Will I experience the life I want to experience? Once we come face to face with this reality, we realize, "Oh, this was the whole point the whole time. There is no joy outside of God. There is no joy outside the presence of God. There is no satisfaction apart from the presence. There's no comfort apart from the presence of God. Apart from the presence of God, all I have is darkness, Sheol for all of eternity." The Lord our God is this reality. Yahweh is the only safe hiding place, the only secure refuge. Only in Yahweh, in God can we acknowledge and expose ourself as completely defenseless, powerless, and vulnerable. He meets us there and He does not banish us. He meets us there and He loves us and He comforts us. To unmask ourselves in prayer is to begin to discover who we really are in the presence of God. In prayer, the heart, the eyes, the ears of the human soul are open to the possibility of being touched and healed by the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the breath of life, and it is Jonah's last hope, and it's our last hope. God appoints a great fish, and I take much comfort in this. In Jonah 1:17, "The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." When did God appoint a fish? How big of a fish does it have to be to swallow a man whole? That's a pretty big fish. I'm not an aquarist, but I assume that for a fish to get of that size, it takes time. I think God appointed this fish long before Jonah boarded a ship to Jhapa, before Jonah decided to flee from the presence of Lord to Tarshish, before even he had heard the call of God to go to Nineveh in the first place. I think God ordained this fish a long time ago knowing that this moment would come. Salvation really does belong to the Lord. And before Jonah was aware of what would happen, God had already made provision for his deliverance. Did God know that Jonah was going to sin as egregiously as he... Yes, of course. God before that sin ordains a means of deliverance. God's salvation is a sovereign gift, prepared and provided long before we even knew we needed or wanted it. Scripture teaches us that God has demonstrated His love for us in this and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Friends, there are no unexpected eventualities in your life for which grace is unprepared. There are stages or seasons in your life that I know you're scared of. You're like, "I'm not looking forward to this part." I'm like, "Grace will come." There are no unexpected eventualities in your life for which grace is unprepared. Jesus is a perfect savior to sinners, no matter the pattern or the contours of your particular sin. He is suitable to us. The Book of Hebrews says He's shaped perfectly to our need. Salvation belongs to the Lord, and He has provided it in Jesus Christ, a savior prepared in advance. Jonah 2:4. "Then I said, 'I am driven away from your sight, yet I shall again look upon Your holy temple.'" What's the connection between being banished from the presence of God and the holy temple? Jonah, what are you saying? "I've been banished because of my sin," he knows it, "but I'm still going to look at the holy temple." Why is he thinking about the holy temple? Well, the holy temple breaks down the gospel in a way that shows us both the bad news and the good news. In the holy temple, in Israel, in Jerusalem, at the center of the temple was the Holy of Holies. And at the center of the Holy of Holies was a wooden box, the Arc of the Covenant. And in it were two tablets of the Ten Commandments that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. It's the Ten Commandments. They outline God's character, that God has called us to live a life of love toward God, love toward people. It's a law that requires what we in our heart of hearts want to be. Who doesn't want to be a loving person? Who doesn't want to be known as selfless or sacrificial or humble in the realest way? Well, that's what the commandments call us to. And the law tells us that this is the only relationship with God to keep the commandments. Well, the bad news is we've all broken the commandments. We've transgressed the commandments. If you're not even familiar with the commandments, I'll just tell you commandment number 10 is thou shall not covet your neighbor's house. All right? If you live in Boston or Brookline, you have broken that commandment. This is how we're bringing revival through the real estate market. You have all committed sin there, commitment number 10. We're all jealous, we need need grace. The good news is, over the Arc of the Covenant, over the law, there's a golden slab called the Mercy Seat. It was called the Place of Propitiation. Propitiation means to turn aside the wrath of somebody through payment. Here it's God. And once a year, on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, an animal was killed and blood was sprinkled in the mercy seat, and God says, "I will accept the fulfillment of the law through a substitute that was killed on our behalf." Well, all of this, the temple that Jonah is thinking about, what is he thinking? He's like, "Lord, I have transgressed your law." Commandment number one, thou shall have no other gods before me. Jonah, God comes to him, he's like, "No, thanks." So he puts himself in the position of God. He supplants God from the throne. "I'm God." There you broke commandment number one, Jonah. Jonah needs propitiation and he understands unless he gets to the temple, there is no forgiveness of sins. But how can he get to the temple if he's in the belly of a fish? And this is the great conundrum. Even today, dear friends, like if you're Jewish, this is what I tell my Jewish friends, if you believe your own scriptures, if you're truly Jewish, how is there atonement for your sins? How is that being done? There are no animals being slaughtered in the temple today. There haven't been since the year 70 AD. No, no, no, this right here, the whole temple, the whole temple system, the sacrificial system, the priest system, all of that pointed to a greater temple, a greater priest, the greater sacrifice, a greater Jonah that of Jesus Christ. Jonah sojourned in the fish for three days and three nights points to Christ Himself. Matthew 12:38-41, "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, 'Teacher, we wish to see a sign from You." But He answered them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will a Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men in Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for their repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here." Reluctant Jonah's stay in the belly of a great fish was a pointer to Jesus Christ. That's what Christ is saying. It points to Christ. And Jonah is the anti example. One of the greatest ironies, I think, in the Book of Jonah, the fish is the savior, not Jonah. The fish is the savior. But Jonah the runway prophet is the type of Christ, pointing to Christ. In what way? In the opposite. Jesus Christ came to us willingly. He lived willingly to save the lost. Really, He willingly descended all the way down to death itself to willingly welcome us into the household of God. God gives us salvation in a mysterious way. He puts Jonah in the belly of a fish and He puts His Son on a cross. It was God who hurled His Son into death, into the sea of the wrath of God. Jesus Christ on the cross, He cries out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" What happened on the cross that the Father would forsake the Son? Well, the Son became our sin. He who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. And because Jesus became our sin, He was banished from the presence of God the Father. He did in a sense descend into hell. We need to turn to Jesus Christ because He is a savior suitable to us. How can we be saved? The only thing you need to do is what Jonah did, cry out to the Lord. Do it even before you hit rock bottom. But even if you do hit rock bottom, He'll meet you there if you turn to Him with humble repentance. And for those of us who have been rescued from the storm of God's wrath, let's use our beautiful feet and mouths to preach the good news that salvation belongs to Lord Jesus Christ and is found in Him alone. Romans 10:14-17 to close, "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent. As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news. But they have not obeyed the gospel for Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?' So faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ." Amen. Would you please pray with me in closing? Lord, we thank You for this word. And Lord, as we look at this sinful man, Jonah, we do not stand over him in condemnation or disdain. No, we look at him as one of us. Each one of us, we've sinned, we've run from Your commandments, we've run from Your presence, even from Your Spirit. Lord, we thank You that you've met us there, that You've given us the gift of hitting rock bottom, many of us, and You've turned us in repentance. For those who have not yet turned to You, Lord, turn them and their hearts to Yourself today and continue to make us a powerful, a missionary force here in the city and beyond. We pray this in Christ's holy name. Amen.