Afleveringen
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In this episode, we look at Jesus' response to his disciples' request to teach them how to pray in Luke 11. We consider the parallel between prayer and family dinner, and ask how our thinking surrounding prayer might be off.
In my observation, we pray small, we pray seldom, we pray safe, and we pray selfish. Small prayers reflect a small view of God. Seldomly praying says we donât think prayer matters. Safe prayers show that we feel best in the security of money, a steady job, comfort. Selfish prayers tell the true state of our hearts. Our faith might even feel less threatened when we pray small, safe, infrequent prayers because then we canât be disappointed.
What then is God's heart for prayer? How have we misunderstood the gift that prayer is? If Jesus' example prayer was only 36 words, why do we think we have to impress him and those around us?
My hope with this episode is that it would reclaim and redeem our understanding of prayer. Today, we're going to look at the childlike nature of prayer as Christ taught on several occasions. In both Matthew 6 and Luke 11, Jesus reveals that prayer is simple and rich.
References:
A Praying Life by Paul MillerShow Notes:
Luke 11:1-13 Revelation 3:20 -
Today I have the privilege of sitting down with a very special guest, my mom, Julie Brenton. For those of you who know my mom, she has a devoted faith in the Lord, she loves his Word, and because of this, she overflows with wisdom.
What led me to reach out to her was that I had been thinking recently about how many people in my world have dealt with the loss of a parent, including my husband. And truly as we grow up, we realize itâs one of those sobering things we will likely see happen in our lifetime.
One of the things I like to do with this podcast is to offer encouraging, practical, biblical wisdom as people are dealing with the hard, the painful, the nitty gritty details of life. So today, my mom and I talk about the death of both of her parents in different moments of her life story and in ways that have profoundly shaped her.
She lost her dad unexpectedly and tragically at a young age almost 40 years ago, and she lost her mom, my dear grandma Cuie, just a little over a year ago before recording this, and her decline and her death happened slowly over several years. But before we talk about her dadâs passing, we talk about who he was and who she remembers him to be.
Memorable Quotes:
âDonât you ever forget, boys are a dime a dozen. Wait for a good one.â
âI was processing the reality of how much I loved my dad and the truth that someone you can love with what feels like all your heart and soul can actually make a decision to not be in your life any longer.â
âA lot of times things that are manifesting themselves in our children, especially very young children, really isâŠhow they are breathing and reading and sensing whatâs going on in the home.â
âI think God wants to give us His Word to meet us in those places.â
âWhen my dad took his life, fear entered into a lot of the ways I processed things.â
âI think I was learning to think rightly about the sovereignty of God.â
âI feel like God is wanting us to think true and right things about Him at all times, so He values getting us to those right places if we let Him.â
âI spent a lot of time looking for someone who could answer my why that would have happened to my dad, and it wasnât until I realized thatâs the wrong question. I need to lay that down. My answer is going to come in my who. Who am I trusting. Thatâs going to come in the sovereignty of God.â
âIt was so much of an out of body experience to take this woman who has always meant strength, courage, wisdom, intelligence, beauty, who is nothing but a shell of that now and place her thereâŠIt was daunting to think how our lives get reduced from enormous quantities of stuff to just a room, and eventually nothing. Quite a visual reminder of how to live.â
âHow pointless and utterly dark and depressing this life is without the indescribable hope of eternity with Jesus.â
âI feel like saying yes to caring for my mom was also saying no to my children and my grandchildren, for a season, and I didnât know how long that season was going to be. Looking back, it was this profound opportunity that God gave me to honor my mother.â
âMy mom died just the way she livedâŠmom was kind all the way to the bitter end.â
âEither God is sovereign in all, or He is not sovereign at all. And I have learned the truth of that through the loss of both of my parents.â
âGodâs timing is His kindness.â
âI never heard my mother tell another person about something she had heard from someone else. I learned it is incredibly valued to be a trustworthy person.â
âThereâs such joy in knowing in a mom that sheâll listen to you no matter what. And she wants to hear.â
Show Notes/References:
Psalm 56:3-4, âWhen I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praiseâin God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Psalm 3:4-5, âI call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Mike Cooper recently retired from working as a chaplain in the federal prison system for 20 years. He is a husband to Denese, a father to 5 grown children, and grandpa to two grandkids.
Mike is a gifted storyteller and has a legacy of ministry that challenges us to consider how we spend our time and where we invest our heart. This interview pushes us to think differently about how we view men and women in the prison system and provides insight into just how powerfully God works in lives and places we may think of as beyond hope.
Are we looking at everyone we encounter with a gospel lens? Join me and Tim in an episode I believe will profoundly mark you.
We pick up the conversation where I admit I first reached out to Mike because I knew next to nothing about what goes on in correctional facilities and the prison ministry Iâd heard about for ages.
Memorable Quotes:
âMy plans are most of the time thwarted by Godâs plans, thankfully. He saw something different.â
âIt was that moment when I realized that my knowledge of the Word and my memorization of Godâs Word said was lacking. And he challenged me.â
âThere are two groups of people that are very similar, and that is teenagers and folks that know how to con people. They know when someone is true, they know when someone is legitimate, they see that theyâre sincere.â
âI donât call him Juan the embezzler, John the whateverâŠlisten, you are a man made in the image of God, you are a woman made in the image of God, and Iâm focused on what God is going to do in your life right now to get you to where God wants you to be.â
âI never had a chance to do what was right because I didnât know that was wrong" (quoting an inmate)
âI do know in my own life that there are times when His love and His mercy for me isnât the encouraging word but itâs actually the hard word and discipline. There is something to the truth that God disciplines the son He loves.â
âI canât tell you how many times are heard from the men and women that were incarcerated - âprison was the very best thing that ever happened to me, and the reason is I would probably be dead if I continued on the path I was on, so Godâs grace removed me from that terrible situation I was in and allowed me to be able to hear as crystal clear as Iâve ever heard in my life, the gospel.ââ
Show Notes/References:
1 Thessalonians 2:8, âso we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.â
Hebrews 12:6, âFor the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.â
Hebrews 12:11, âFor the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.â
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Today I sit down with Ryan and April Berg, the founders of the Aruna Project, a nonprofit organization committed to bringing lifelong freedom to victims of human trafficking.
They join us from Cincinnati, Ohio, and talk about the organic beginnings of an organization they started 10 years ago in South Asia as a result of a weighty problem that they could not turn away from.
This conversation is sobering as well as inspiring, and pushes us a to take a closer look at the massive problem of human trafficking, which currently claims over 49 million victims worldwide. In Ryan's words, data proves that no country is unaffected.
Whether you are familiar with this topic or are just learning about the reality of slavery today, this episode provides helpful information and reminds us of the importance of amplifying the voices of those affected.
*Please note that this conversation includes content about the nature of sex slavery that may be disturbing or inappropriate for younger listeners.
Memorable Quotes:
âWe think we have really gotten to the root of the problem for sustained freedom, the root of the problem in human trafficking is much larger, but at least for the root of the problem in sustained freedom, our whole goal was to try and figure out how can we significantly reduce re-trafficking rates and create lifelong freedom.â
âFaithfulness is often not this grand gesture where we wake up in the morning and know this is it, but itâs this day in and day out of walking and being faithful.â
"The latest data says that about 49 million humans are trafficked in the world today. No country is unaffected."
âThey are created in the image of God, and that for us is the hugest thingâŠâ
âAll of this is fueled by knowing Godâs love for us and for each one of these women, and so for me, as a mom too, each of these are daughters, and they may not have someone looking for them, but I will do everything in my power to give them freedom they deserve, because they are created in the image of God, and they need to know that, that they are worthy and valued.â
âI want my best days of my life to be a part of Godâs redemptive plan and part of that restoration.â
Show Notes/References:
www.arunaproject.com
Social media: @arunaproject
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Tim and I worked at a very special place called Doulos Discovery School from 2009-2014. This expeditionary learning school is found in the mountains of the Dominican Republic in a town called Jarabacoa.
The summer of 2023, Tim and I got to go back to be a part of the schoolâs 20th reunion, and I had the unbelievable privilege of connecting with one of my old students named Jenniffer.
I first met Jenniffer as a sophomore in high school when she was far too cool for me. Yâall are in for a treat! Her story absolutely blows me away. As a 19 year old alone in the United States, she was faced with a tough choice when her Visa ran out.
She decided to stay in order to work and send money to her family back home in the DR, but when she got pregnant as an undocumented immigrant, life felt overwhelming and looked really bleak. But before we get there, Jenniffer takes us back to the beginning of her life in a poor neighborhood in the Dominican Republic.
Show Notes:
Doulos Discovery School: https://www.doulosdiscovery.org/
Memorable Quotes:
âMy momâs faith has made an incredible impact on my life, now that I can look back on it, I can see it. Not when youâre a teenager.â
âThen I got pregnant, which was definitely not a plan of mine. I really wanted to go to college and I really wanted to grow differently.â
âI moved 6 times in 3 years.â
âWhen youâre in the dark tunnel, you pause all your dreams, you pause all your goals.â
âI think that the way God works is unexpected.â
âIt was really rough, being in a country that you are not familiar with, living by yourself, working by yourself, feeling very lonely, because youâre not able to see your family. I had no family on this side of the world.â
âI had really dark moments mentally, obviously financially, but mentally was the hardest.â
âItâs been a lot of dark moments that make those bright moments look 100x better.â
âI can never forget every single person who has had a hand, that God sent to take care of me.â
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In some ways, you could argue that todayâs guest and I are choosing to parent our children very differently.
While our family is invested in our local public school, Hannah Hernandez has started a home school co-op for folks in the area. But Hannah and I agree big on the importance of raising our kids while we as parents demonstrate a transparent faith.
We believe itâs a tremendous privilege to teach them the stories of the Bible, to share about the goodness of God in our lives, and to model how to walk out our faith in the everyday, mundane activities.
Join me in a conversation with a woman I deeply respect, a conversation that is both challenging and encouraging, convicting and inspiring.
Show Notes:
The Well - La Grange home school co-op
IG: @babiesintheword, @hannahcsh
Deuteronomy 6, especially verses 4-9
Memorable Quotes:
âSo, to me, this is what Christian parenting is. In every single thing that you do, youâre giving your children Jesus.â
âWe canât give our children what we donât have ourselves. We have to be in the Word, we have to be seeking His face. Only then can we disciple and share our faith with our children.â
âMy husband and I firmly believe that the most important thing that we as parents can do is to live out our faith at home while teaching our children the simple gospel to know God and to make Him known. We want every decision we make for our family to be through a gospel-centered lens.â
âThese are tiny humans made in the image of God, and He wants their hearts just as much as He wants our hearts.â
âYou are the primary discipler of your child.â
âMy children are only going to believe about me what they see. If my faith is all done in private, then how are they going to know what my faith is?â
âYour life is the most effective testimony of the gospel.â
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Today I get to share a fascinating conversation with Territa Chambers. Territa joins us from Charlotte, North Carolina and is a delightful woman who loves to read, learn new things, craft, and be with friends and family. She is married to Terry Jr. and they have 3 young adult sons.
Territa has been practicing as a licensed counselor and transformational coach since 2016. She has a Masters Degree in Clinical Christian Mental Health Counseling from Gordon-Conwell and is currently working on a PhD in Health Psychology.
Today, Territa dives into some territory that was new and unfamiliar to me - we talk about disorder eating as a subcategory of eating disorders. This opened my eyes and made me look at my relationship with food in a whole new way. We also look at our ethnic heritage as black and white women and how the body image and eating habits of North American culture today find their roots in colonial times.
We pick up todayâs conversation as Territa shares about coming to know the Lord and experiencing huge life transformation for the first time at age 23.
Show Notes:
âDo not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.â - Romans 12:2 âTherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and tremblingâ -Philippians 2:12 Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings -
If youâve met Erik Johnson, you know he has a huge heart and a contagious joy. Erik and his wife Kristen are friends of ours from church, and it was only in the past year that I learned more of his life story and asked if he would share it on the podcast.
Erik was born in the midwest and grew up in Nebraska, where he lived in a tiny town of 1300 people and graduated in a class of 32. Today, he shares his past struggles with alcohol and drugs, as well as a distinct memory of turning his back on God and the hard road that finally led him to sobriety.
*Know that this episode includes quite a bit of rough content related to alcoholism and substance abuse. So now, letâs dive in right at Erikâs younger years when he first remembers encountering alcohol.*
The Texas House: https://www.texas-house.org/ Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.aa.org/
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In this episode, I have the privilege of sitting down with bestselling author and speaker Gary Thomas.
He and his wife Lisa have been married 40 years and have 3 kids and 2 grandkids. He actually lived in Houston near my home base in La Grange for about 12 years, but now resides in Colorado, which we joked about as a great place to end up after the heat and humidity of Texas.
Gary has written many well known books and phenomenal resources, including a Sacred Marriage, Authentic Faith, and Sacred Pathways. But the book we dive into in this conversation is called When to Walk Away.
Folks, this book was groundbreaking for me - as a people pleaser, I believed that any toxic person I encountered who didnât change through our friendship must be some failure on my part. This book shifted my perspective in such needed ways not merely based on his opinion or experience, but a unique look into Christâs interactions with people as we see in the gospels.
Todayâs conversation is challenging, insightful, and filled with scripture, It may even shift your thinking on what our lives are intended to be about as Christ-followers made for eternal purpose and called to bear much fruit. I recommend taking notes on this one!
We dive in with Garyâs 1-minute elevator pitch of his book When to Walk Away.
Show Notes:
website: https://garythomas.com/ substack: https://garythomasbooks.substack.com/ IG: @garythomasbooks FB: @ Author Gary Thomas When to Walk Away by Gary Thomas Nehemiah 8:10, âThe joy of the Lord is your strength.â Matthew 6:33, âBut seek first the kingdom of god and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.â Joshua 24:15, âChoose this day whom you will serve.â 1 Corinthians 14:32, âThe spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.â John 10:10, âThe thief comes only to kill and steal and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.â Colossians 3:8,12, âBut now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth⊠Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patienceâ Matthew 7:6, âDo not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.â Matthew 8 - Jesus delivers a man from demonic possession. Matthew 10:34-36, âDo not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.â Matthew 12:48-50, "He replied to him, âWho is my mother, and who are my brothers?â Pointing to his disciples, he said, âHere are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'" Luke 11:27, âAs he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, âBlessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!â Matthew 28:19-20, âTherefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.â 2 Timothy 2:2, âAnd the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.â John 15:8, âBy this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.â -
Kathleen Wadkins lives with her husband, 2 kids and their dog in eastern Iowa. In her words, âit actually exists!â
Kathleen is the head of content at The Pour Over, which aims to be a politically neutral, Christ-first news source. When you subscribe to The Pour Over, youâll get an email newsletter 3x a week with a brief overview of some of the worldâs biggest stories.
I found the Pour Over about 6 months ago while walking with a friend. We were talking about how I wanted to do a better job of staying up with current events but didnât want to get sucked in to an unhealthy extent or consume news in a way that made me fearful, shortsighted, and/or emotionally fatigued. Enter The Pour Over.
This interview touches on how to read controversial news while keeping an eternal perspective, as well as seeking openness to correction and unconditional love. How do we respond when we're offended? How do we speak about people who are not present? Do we use our words to dignify or villify our enemies? Are we allowing the comment section on social media to be a petri dish that cultivates an US vs. THEM mentality?
We pick up this conversation on how Christians are called to be set apart in a world that thrives on division, offense, and controversy.
Show Notes/References:
thepourover.org
The Pour Over core values - brevity, levity, dignity, and clarity
âBy this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.â -John 13:35
IG: @ thepourovernews
FB: @ The Pour Over
Memorable Quotes:
âThe Pour Over exists to be a trustworthy news resource guiding people toward eternal hope.â
âThis topic, this story, might be really big right now, but our goal at TPO is to keep the big things big and the small things small, and in light of eternity it probably wonât matter in 1,000 years, but your relationship with God will.â
âOne of the biggest opportunities we have as Christians is to reflect Godâs light to other people.â
âIf someone was curious about how Christians are approaching the biggest topics of today and they came to our comment section, what would they find there? Would it be love and acceptance? Would it be gentle conviction? Would it be grace and truth? Or would it be keyboard warriors?â
âWe shouldnât be willing to sacrifice relationships in order to win arguments.â
âHow can over half a million people choosing to have an eternal perspective about an election year impact the world around them?â
âPeople are quick to make a judgment that weâre on a different team.â
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Today I get to sit down with my dear friend, Alisha Keating. Sheâs a wife to Nate and mom to Corban and Simon. She works as pediatric nurse practitioner and has a deep, beautiful soul. We talk about everything from why it's worth it to travel with kids to the importance of getting involved in the local church. We dive into the grief of losing children by miscarriage and thoughts post-pandemic from her medical perspective.
The friendship I have with Alisha is one of those that was forged in a really painful season for both of us. This is both a teary, heavy conversation and one in which we laugh and reminisce about the awkward way we met.
IG: @nateandalisha, @ajkeating, @natekeating
Memorable Quotes:
âI think itâs ok to let people sit in their pain for a time and sit in it with them instead of just encouraging them thereâs an end to the pain, because God is with us in the pain.â
âHow in the midst of the pain and sin and just the curse of the earth, how do I still acknowledge that God is still on His throne and still has a plan despite the fact that we sorta screwed that up in the garden?â
âI think sometimes loss or pain can actually give us that eternal perspective that wow, we are here for just this temporary time and how am I being a good steward of my love for my children, my love for my community? And it gives almost that healthy urgency that I donât number the days of my children, God does. I donât number the days of my own life, God does.â
âThe reality is only you get to be their parent, and only you have a voice in their life as their mom or as their dad and how are you using your voice in their life.â
âGrieving is not a lack of faith or gratitude but itâs merely a recognition that what we have lost is precious.â
âIf Jesus himself says that he is going to defeat sin and death, heâs going - âthis is an enemy only I can take on.ââ
âMy dad sat with me and cried and said, âItâs good to grieve.ââ
âHumans are not made for isolation.â
âI donât think the pandemic necessarily created new problems as much as it revealed the underlying issues.â
âIt is actually good for me, for Nate, for our marriage, for me to say - âthese are the things that I need!ââ
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Vivian Mabuni is an author, speaker, and fellow podcaster who lives in southern California. As an Asian American woman, Vivian is passionate about leading and discipling and does this as she shares her authentic faith. She has written several books, including one we dive into in this episode, Open Hands, Willing Heart.
She and her husband Darin have been married for 32 years. They have 3 grown children and are very much enjoying this stage of spending time with adult kids! She works with a ministry called Cru and speaks with Family Life, as well as serves on the Board of Trustees for Denver Seminary.
I am so eager to share this conversation with you on a life of surrender, living with fresh faith, and what discipleship looks like. We talk about everything from surviving cancer to valuing ethnic heritage to building a thriving marriage. Letâs dive in!
Show Notes:
Open Hands, Willing Heart by Vivian Mabuni
John 15:4-11 - âAbide in me, and I in youâŠâ
Vivianâs Discipleship message at If:Gathering - https://youtu.be/QhexfN4d8Q8?si=iTz-3cD8MG_YOAj-
Website: https://www.vivianmabuni.com/
Podcast Someday is Here: https://www.vivianmabuni.com/someday-is-here
Family Life Marriage conferences: https://www.familylife.com/weekend-to-remember/
IG: @vivmabuni
âWould we live a life of surrender. When we have open hands, God is free to put things in our lives, remove things from our lives. We donât have control over those things. We can grip our hands or we can open our hands.â
âGod is released to move in our lives when we have a willing heart. And thatâs one that says, âIâm ALL IN.ââ
âAs hard as cancer was, there was still an underlying confidenceâŠI knew the Lordâs got me.â
âI think thatâs what fresh faith looks like - that we are continually having to step out and trust Him in ways where we canât figure it out.â
âOur ethnic heritage does affect how we do life.â
âThe way that Jesus wanted us to reach the world was impacting people who would impact people who would impact people.â
âMinistry is not life. My kids are not my life. Jesus is life.â
âThereâs a difference between impression and impact.â
âAnything thatâs worthwhile requires work.â
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As we close out Season 3 of Whit's End, we look toward the disciplines we want to put into practice this fall. At Woven, we are big on Bible study and think it's important to always know the WHY behind our WHAT. So today we take a closer look at some scriptures that give meaning to what we practice. What are spiritual disciplines? Why does Bible study matter? What is our responsibility in being transformed?
Verses:
Hebrews 12:11 - âFor the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.â
Romans 12:1-2 - âI appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.âQuotes:
"Spiritual disciplines are an opportunity to partner with God for change, to consistently make room for the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out."
"If we only live a surface type of faith where Godâs Word figuratively hangs on our walls or sits on pillows in our home but isnât integrated into the deepest parts of ourselves then we cheat ourselves out of some of the richest blessings God has in store for us. Consistently partnering with the Holy Spirit for change is hard work and also deeply fulfilling work."
The phrase 'be transformed by the renewal of your minds' tells us it is both something that happens to us and something that we are actively engaged in."Closing Prayer:
God I want to respond to you in worship by making my whole self available to you, and Iâm trusting that as I engage with spiritual disciplines of Bible study, of prayer, of time alone with you, of slowing down my pace, you will produce fruit in my life. You will change me in the way I canât change myself. You will grow me in the ways Iâm powerless to create or bring about.
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Lindsey Hicks joins us from Houston, Texas to share the miraculous story of watching God revive her 4-month old son. She talks about the abiding presence of God through the darkest moments, growing in patience and grace in the grieving process, and allowing gratitude to push against the bitterness and cynicism that threatens to harden our hearts. She lives in the tension between having seen God work in mighty ways and the reality that her sonâs life is forever altered.
Show Notes
Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
James 1:1
Proverbs 3:5-7
Jeremiah 17:9
2 Corinthians 12:9
Quotes
âWe know thereâs a plan beyond our plan and our little life. God gave us a reassurance of His presence consistently.â
âI knew how deceitful my heart was being and I had to pray for compassion.â
âWhat God ultimately promises is His presence.â
âI knew my only source of help and strength was the Lord.â
âI could not get over my bitterness, my sadness, my self-righteousness without Him.â
âI donât have to be hard on myself for my weaknesses because of who He is and who I am in Him.â
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Tim and I reflect on our past 12 years of parenting and share mortifying moments, hilarious travel stories, and wisdom we've picked up from those further on in the parenting journey. We talk about faith formation over behavior modification, our strengths and weaknesses as parents, and pushing against the constant temptation to find our worth in our children's performance. What's the best way to discipline? How can we cut through conflict between siblings and get to the heart of the matter? How do we practice serving and living out our faith with little humans watching? How can we bring our kids into the adventure of life without making them the center of our universe?
Quotes
âI remember feeling, âAm I cut out for thisâ?â
âI thought, 'I must be terrible because I donât really enjoy being around my kids right now.'â
âWe saw the importance of it taking a village and having people come around us to stand in the gap for our kids. It wasnât just that we needed people to bring us meals, it was that we needed people to love on our children when we were not at our parenting best.â
âI think one of the best things we can do is take interest in the things that interest our kids.â
âOur kids are not the center of our universe, we are bringing them into our family and our life and we are on an adventure together but they are not our life, not the center of our universe or the source of our joy.â
âOur marriage is the relationship that takes priority.â
âWhatâs more important? This thing, or your sibling?â
âSpiritual formation should trump behavior modification every time.â
âOur kids are capable of understanding a lot more than we give them credit for.â
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Note: This podcast contains graphic content including domestic violence and the persecution of Christians.
We pray this episode moves you to respond in prayer as well as support the ministry of Lumens of Truth that Samir has started!
We encourage you to consider giving financially to support this ongoing work. You can donate through Servants International by clicking here. Under Designation, choose Lumens of Truth (not Afghan Support). All tax receipts will be processed by Servants International.
My hope and prayer is that you're moved to respond after listening to Samir's powerful testimony. As he mentioned, would we first be moved to pray for those experiencing intense persecution in Afghanistan, to pray for the laborers who are working to share the light of the gospel with those in darkness, and pray that the hope of Christ would continue to reach those who don't know him. Would we also ask God to turn our hearts from our desire to seek comfort above all and move us to care deeply for the global church, the body of Christ around the world. Lumens of Truth is in the process of raising $1500/month. They are hoping to have 10 supporters at $100/monthly and 10 supporters at $50/monthly. Use the link above to join Samir's team and set up a regular donation. Folks, this is one of those times I believe God is calling us to use our resources for something so big and meaningful and eternal!
If you'd like to reach out directly to Samir, contact him at [email protected]. He would love to talk further about his work in Afghanistan or visit your church to share further about partnering with this ministry!
Quotes and verses:
âThe gospel is precisely this invitation to pick up your cross.â
âFaith becomes alive through persecution.â
âThe bride of Christ is in pain in many parts of the world.â
âWe are giving hope to the people who have no hope.â
âMy prayer is that we wonât carry this pain by ourselves.â
âI pray that the mission to the unreached people of Afghanistan and those who are most persecuted would not just be my mission but the churchâs mission, and we would take this mantel for the sake of His name being praised among those who call themselves Taliban today, that they would become followers of Jesus tomorrow.â
âWhere you see persecution, there you see the hand of God.â
âThe gospel is not about words only, itâs about the power of God.â
âLetâs be a people that go before their Lord and confess that we have been a people that seek their comfort above all things.â
Romans 5:3-5 - suffering produces endurance
Colossians 1:24 - âNow I rejoice in my suffering for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christâs affliction for the sake of his body, the church.â
Matthew 16:24-25 - take up your cross
Philippians 1:29 - suffering for his sake
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Today Iâm joined by Jeanne Luebbe. True to the podcastâs name, this episode centers on leaning in to ask the hard questions. Jeanne brings genuine humility and inviting warmth to conversations that feel electrically charged. We talk about engaging people thoughtfully, recognizing and understanding worldview and changing definitions, thinking about critical theory from a biblical grid, approaching controversial topics, and how, in the end, a humble and loving approach covers the mistakes we make along the way.
Show Notes
Neil Shenvi Apologetics
Tactics by Greg Koukl
1 Peter 3:15
Questions that Worldview Addresses:
Who are we?
What is our fundamental problem as human beings?
What is the solution to that problem?
What is our principle moral duty or purpose?
Questions to engage further:
What do you mean by that?
How did you come to that conclusion?
Have you considered�
Francis Schaeffer quote: âIf I have only an hour with someone, I will spend the first 55 minutes asking questions and finding out what is troubling them. And I would share something of the truth for the remaining 5 minutes.ââIn my efforts to share the gospel I was really hitting some roadblocks.â
âA worldview is a lens with which we look at everything around us.â
âBiblical truth is grounded in the character of God.â
âLove does cover our mistakes.â
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Studies show that over 90% of professing Christians don't actively practice the discipline of prayer.
Several years ago, I read A Praying Life by Paul Miller. This book profoundly shifted my perspective and helped me discover the true joy of prayer. I recently connected with Adam Barker, who serves as the Southwest Coordinator for seeJesus, the ministry which works in conjunction with this book. He joins the show for a refreshing and insightful conversation. We talk about how the biggest prerequisite to a life of consistent prayer is recognizing our own helplessness. He helps us shift our thinking from answered vs. unanswered prayers toward entering God's story, and introduces a practical tool that can make prayer a part of the daily rhythm of our lives.
Show Notes
A Praying Life by Paul Miller
Training resources
IG: @seeingjesus
âThe prerequisite for a praying life is helplessness.â
âSometimes the fruit is not that I see a prayer answered, but the peace that I have and the reassurance that God is at work in this situation and it does not depend on me and my control of it.â
âWe enter the Fatherâs story when we pray.â
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Today, my husband Tim and I take on some of your hard questions. We reflect on 15 years of marriages, highs and lows, massive ridiculous fights, and bringing people in through confession and counseling. We talk about our tension over finances, my OCD tendencies, and how to keep pursuing each other physically and emotionally. Let's dive in!
Quotes:
"We realized that we did know the heart of each other, and we did know the character of each other, but the mannerisms, the idiosyncrasies, and the responses in the moment took time to adjust to."
"Here we were in this place in our marriage that we never thought we'd get to. What are we doing? How did we get here?"
"Life got different with a kid. We weren't connecting with each other and started to fill that void in other places."
"We learned the art of intentional confession, and the importance of it."
"Nobody can know, but someone has to know, or we won't make it out of this."
"You need the accountability, but you're terrified of the shame that comes from someone knowing."
"The truth is that counseling is always inconvenient."
"It sounds very unromantic and un-sexy to plan sex!"
"At the base of my defensiveness is pride."
"Apologies in our household have come to have a two-fold piece of fully owning and fully asking."
"The faithfulness of choosing one another day in and day out has tremendous fruit, but we don't always feel it, we don't always see it."
"Marriage is really about God refining each other through the other person and becoming more like him, and getting to experience the love of Christ and show his love to each other."
"The act of loving your spouse even when they suck is reflective of the God we say we serve."
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Hannah brings humor, joy and candidness to the podcast with this upbeat but thought-provoking episode! She talks about road trips (are you an "enjoy the journey" or a "hurry up and get to the destination" type of person?), getting married young, surprise pregnancies, and being led to adoption. She opens up about her role at the Archibald Project and how things have shifted in needed ways in the adoption world. She touches on a recent experience of wrestling with church leadership and leaving a congregation after seeing red flags. Having both been raised by Christian parents serving in ministry roles, we ask each other what our parents did well and what we learned from them. We reflect on the legacy of having folks who have sought to be consistent between who they are at home and on the "stage" of their lives.
Show Notes
The Archibald Project: thearchibaldproject.com, IG @thearchibaldproject
Scary Close by Donald Miller
Quotes:
"Adoption always starts with brokenness. Adoption can be beautiful, but you can also have to recognize that adoption starts with trauma."
"We knew that mom and dad were sinners and that they struggled, and when they did, they were going to apologize for it and own up to it and try to do better next time. And I think that has massively helped with our adult relationships today."
"I'm thankful that we worship a God who is not afraid of our hard questions."
"I know with confidence that I can look at [our daughter] for her entire life and say that when we adopted her we have always gone about it in an above board way."
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