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The Art of Dying - You Can't Always Get What You Want - 250 · Marriage Life and More and Bible Study

0:04
Daniel Moore: Feelings in and of themselves aren't bad or inherently dangerous.
0:08
Daniel Moore: God designed us to be emotional beings, capable of experiencing deep emotions.
0:14
Daniel Moore: The real issues lies in how we prioritize them.
0:19
Daniel Moore: It's a matter of order and emphasis.
0:21
Daniel Moore: The key is that our decisions must lead and our emotions should come after.
0:26
Daniel Moore: When we base our choices solely on how we feel in any given moment, we open the door to a lot of poor decisions.
0:33
Daniel Moore: We simply can't depend on feelings to steer our lives.
0:37
Daniel Moore: This week, on Connecting the Gap, we continue our series on unshaken, holding fast in a culture of compromise.
0:46
Daniel Moore: We'll be back with this week's episode right after this.
0:51
Daniel Moore: Welcome to Connecting the Gap.
0:57
Daniel Moore: This is a podcast about marriage, bible and book studies whatever you people that have a story.
1:23
Daniel Moore: I'm Daniel Moore, your host.
1:24
Daniel Moore: Thank you guys for joining us this week.
1:26
Daniel Moore: If you're not familiar with our show, check out our website at wwwconnectingthegapnet.
1:30
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1:33
Daniel Moore: We're also on the Christian podcasting app, edify.
1:35
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1:42
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1:45
Daniel Moore: Feel free to leave a comment on our platforms and give us a thumbs up or a five-star review on Apple Podcasts.
1:51
Daniel Moore: We'd be eternally grateful to you for doing that.
1:54
Daniel Moore: Well, welcome once again to Connecting the Gap.
1:58
Daniel Moore: We are past the midpoint of our extended series based on the book of Daniel.
2:03
Daniel Moore: We've been taking different scenarios in Daniel's life and applying those to ours to see how we can also stand fast in a culture that compromises everywhere we turn.
2:14
Daniel Moore: This week we continue with the next episode in that series, the Art of Dying.
2:19
Daniel Moore: You can't always get what you want, dad.
2:34
Daniel Moore: I can't move, I'm too tired.
2:38
Daniel Moore: My son groaned, his face buried in the blankets.
2:42
Daniel Moore: Okay, bub, no problem.
2:47
Daniel Moore: I whispered, pulling the covers up around his shoulders.
2:48
Daniel Moore: You just sleep until you feel like getting up.
2:52
Daniel Moore: Feeling like a pretty understanding dad, I made my way to my daughter's room.
2:56
Daniel Moore: She was curled up scrolling through her phone Morning, sweetie, time to get ready.
3:01
Daniel Moore: School starts in an hour.
3:02
Daniel Moore: She gave me a sleepy look and said Can I skip the first period?
3:09
Daniel Moore: It's just math.
3:10
Daniel Moore: I hesitated for a second.
3:13
Daniel Moore: Please, I just don't feel like going yet.
3:17
Daniel Moore: Well, I mean, I hate math.
3:22
Daniel Moore: I guess math is optional.
3:23
Daniel Moore: I said, patting her head you know what, you just take your time.
3:27
Daniel Moore: And then I jolted awake to the blaring sound of my real alarm man, what a wild dream.
3:37
Daniel Moore: Letting my kids call the shots like that Not in this lifetime.
3:41
Daniel Moore: I think that was really more like a nightmare.
3:44
Daniel Moore: Not in this lifetime, I think that was really more like a nightmare.
3:45
Daniel Moore: You know, as a dad of three I've learned that parenting sometimes means being the quote unquote mean one.
3:50
Daniel Moore: The early morning drill sergeant, the bedtime enforcer, the no, you can't have candy for breakfast patrol.
3:57
Daniel Moore: We've had our fair share of resistance, tears and slam doors.
4:01
Daniel Moore: But through all the chaos, one thing's stayed clear Our love doesn't look like always saying yes.
4:10
Daniel Moore: It looks like teaching responsibility, consistency and self-control.
4:14
Daniel Moore: If we left every decision up to how our kids felt in the moment, they'd live off snacks, stay up till 2 am and treat school like an optional club.
4:24
Daniel Moore: It's not easy to go against the grain of their moods, but raising them well means prioritizing their future over their feelings.
4:32
Daniel Moore: And trust me, I'd rather survive the morning meltdowns now than watch them struggle to manage life later.
4:40
Daniel Moore: A Chinese proverb once said control your emotions or they will control you.
4:46
Daniel Moore: You know, kids aren't the only ones who tend to follow their emotions rather than what's truly best for them.
4:53
Daniel Moore: The same can be said for many adults.
4:56
Daniel Moore: Just think about how people often behave in relationships.
5:00
Daniel Moore: When we're infatuated or, worse, believe that we're quote unquote.
5:05
Daniel Moore: In love, we lose sight of logic and reality and our focus shifts entirely to doing what's best for the relationship.
5:13
Daniel Moore: It's during these emotion driven moments that poor decisions are frequently made.
5:17
Daniel Moore: But feelings whether if it's the high of love or the heat of road rage are temporary.
5:24
Daniel Moore: Whether if it's the high of love or the heat of road rage are temporary.
5:27
Daniel Moore: They come and go like a passing storm.
5:29
Daniel Moore: Actually, the urge to prioritize our emotions is one of the biggest obstacles to living a life of faith.
5:39
Daniel Moore: I've often found myself sitting across from a man at church who's trying to justify leaving his wife to pursue a relationship with his new soulmate.
5:44
Daniel Moore: His argument usually goes something like this I mean, doesn't God want me to be happy?
5:50
Daniel Moore: Wouldn't it make more sense to be with the person I truly love instead of staying in a marriage I committed to years ago, back when I was in a different phase of my life?
5:58
Daniel Moore: Now, my response isn't usually what they want to hear, but it's always consistent.
6:04
Daniel Moore: God cares more about your character than your comfort.
6:07
Daniel Moore: His goal isn't to make you happy, it's to make you holy.
6:14
Daniel Moore: Feelings in and of themselves aren't bad or inherently dangerous.
6:18
Daniel Moore: God designed us to be emotional beings, capable of experience and deep emotions.
6:23
Daniel Moore: The real issue lies in how we prioritize them.
6:27
Daniel Moore: It's a matter of order and emphasis.
6:30
Daniel Moore: The key is that our decisions must lead and our emotions should come after.
6:36
Daniel Moore: When we base our choices solely on how we feel in any given moment, we open the door to a lot of poor decisions.
6:43
Daniel Moore: We simply can't depend on feelings to steer our lives.
6:48
Daniel Moore: You've probably heard this analogy before, but it's worth repeating.
6:51
Daniel Moore: Emotions are a lot like fire.
6:54
Daniel Moore: When controlled and directed properly, fire can warm a home, cook meals and refine metal, but when it's uncontained, even a small spark can quickly turn into a destructive wildfire, consuming everything in its path.
7:09
Daniel Moore: The same fire that serves us so well within the boundaries of a brick fireplace can wreak total havoc when left unchecked.
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Daniel Moore: Feelings too well.
7:20
Daniel Moore: They are powerful and useful, but only when kept in their proper place.
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Daniel Moore: In the same way, our emotions have incredible potential to help us experience joy, peace and the richness of life.
7:34
Daniel Moore: The psalmist wrote Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart In Psalm 37, verse 4.
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Daniel Moore: What's important to notice is that the desires of our heart come after we choose to delight in the Lord.
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Daniel Moore: When our focus is fully on God and we find joy in our relationship with Him, our desires begin to reflect His will for our lives.
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Daniel Moore: In other words, when we intentionally put God first, our emotions begin to align with that decision.
8:02
Daniel Moore: Remember, emotions are a gift from God.
8:06
Daniel Moore: They're not the issue.
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Daniel Moore: The problem arises when we let those emotions direct our directions and drive our actions.
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Daniel Moore: If we want to remain steady in a culture that constantly urges us to compromise, we must first make a clear decision about whom we will serve.
8:22
Daniel Moore: Only then can we harness the intense energy of our feelings and channel them in positive ways that honor God and benefit others.
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Daniel Moore: Even when we prioritize God in our lives, that doesn't mean we won't sometimes be tempted to let our emotions take the lead.
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Daniel Moore: Throughout the Bible, we read many accounts of individuals who were guided more by their feelings than by faith, especially during times when they were not aligned with God.
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Daniel Moore: A clear example is found in the book of Judges, where it says At that time there was no king in Israel.
8:58
Daniel Moore: People did whatever they felt like doing.
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Daniel Moore: That's Judges 21-25.
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Daniel Moore: Just like today, letting emotions guide their actions brought hardship and disorder when our feelings direct us instead of God's truth, it inevitably leads to confusion and chaos.
9:17
Daniel Moore: Unlike those driven by emotions or fleeting desires, daniel consistently demonstrated a life guided by deliberate choices and firm commitments.
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Daniel Moore: He wasn't swayed by feelings or fantasies, but remained grounded in his convictions.
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Daniel Moore: But remained grounded in his convictions.
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Daniel Moore: Daniel understood his reasons for saying no, which empowered him to remain steadfast across different situations, whether if it was refusing the king's unhealthy food or standing by as his three friends faced the fiery furnace for their faith in God.
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Daniel Moore: Even when the stakes became deeply personal and he was thrown into the lion's den, no matter what Daniel may have felt, his faith you know really like his convictions remains steadfast.
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Daniel Moore: It wasn't built on his emotions, comfort or his ability to comprehend or agree with what God was doing.
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Daniel Moore: Throughout his 70 years in captivity, daniel likely experienced the full range of human emotions, yet he consistently chose to stand firm against the cultural pressure of the Babylonians.
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Daniel Moore: His choices weren't dictated by changing situations, convenient excuses or personal justifications.
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Daniel Moore: They were shaped by his unwavering trust in God.
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Daniel Moore: We have the same power to choose.
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Daniel Moore: God doesn't force us to follow him.
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Daniel Moore: He loves us enough to give us the freedom to choose whether to say yes to him or no to our flesh or no to him and yes to our own desires.
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Daniel Moore: By giving us free will, he allowed us the option to make choices driven by selfishness and emotion, even if they lead us away from him.
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Daniel Moore: This is the very issue that caused Adam and Eve to fall into sin, and it's the same struggle that continues to affect our world today.
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Daniel Moore: Many people today believe that Christianity has lost its relevance in modern culture and no longer meets our personal or collective needs.
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Daniel Moore: Depending on God's Word to guide our decisions is often viewed as an old-fashioned mindset and lifestyle, but that's simply not true.
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Daniel Moore: In fact, the Bible foresaw this type of thinking.
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Daniel Moore: The New Testament letters to the Corinthian church make it very clear.
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Daniel Moore: The city of Corinth shared many similarities with today's American culture.
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Daniel Moore: It was wealthy, self-centered and very proud.
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Daniel Moore: It elevated human reasoning above spiritual truth and placed indulgent pleasure over self-control and obedience to God.
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Daniel Moore: The attitude of the time could be summed up as if it feels good, do it, a slogan that would have fit right in on the back of a Corinthian chariot.
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Daniel Moore: Paul directly confronted the Corinthian culture by challenging its dependence on the wisdom of the world.
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Daniel Moore: He highlighted the contrast between a person who lives solely for themselves and one who chooses to live for Christ.
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Daniel Moore: In 1 Corinthians 1, verses 18-20,.
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Daniel Moore: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.
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Daniel Moore: For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.
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Daniel Moore: The intelligence of the intelligent will I frustrate.
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Daniel Moore: Where is the wise person?
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Daniel Moore: Where is the teacher of the law?
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Daniel Moore: Where is the philosopher of this age?
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Daniel Moore: Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
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Daniel Moore: Take note of the progression there in Paul's message.
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Daniel Moore: While the world may view Christianity as outdated, we know better because we've personally experienced God's power to transform lives, as it says in verse 18.
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Daniel Moore: God actively works against worldly wisdom which only leaves those who trust in it even more confused and frustrated.
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Daniel Moore: That's in verse 19.
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Daniel Moore: This is significant because it reminds us that we don't need to defend our faith through debate or argument.
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Daniel Moore: God's way ultimately stands on its own and every other way falls short.
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Daniel Moore: His truth proves itself.
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Daniel Moore: It's not our job to convince others that God's ways, which far exceed human understanding.
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Daniel Moore: Expose the wisdom of the world as foolishness.
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Daniel Moore: There in verse 20.
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Daniel Moore: Which far exceed human understanding.
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Daniel Moore: Expose the wisdom of the world as foolishness there in verse 20.
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Daniel Moore: He declared For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength, in verse 25.
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Daniel Moore: This truth should be the foundation that we stand on as we engage with the culture around us.
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Daniel Moore: As followers of Christ, we must continually affirm this core principle, especially in a world where every force of darkness tries to replace God's truth with what is labeled as the quote-unquote new normal.
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Daniel Moore: How did we reach a point where emotions are given more weight than God's wisdom?
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Daniel Moore: And, more broadly, how does any generation come to the edge of such despair?
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Daniel Moore: I firmly believe that you can't resolve what you refuse to recognize.
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Daniel Moore: So let's take a closer look at the key factors that have shaped the world that we live in today.
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Daniel Moore: These are the same two elements that consistently appear whenever we let the culture around us shape who we become.
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Daniel Moore: First.
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Daniel Moore: We followed our feelings instead of our faith.
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Daniel Moore: Even when God's word is clear and our own past experiences offer proof, we still often believe our feelings are trustworthy.
15:17
Daniel Moore: We treat our emotions as if they define reality.
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Daniel Moore: No matter what we feel, we tend to assume those feelings reflect how God created us and therefore assume they carry his approval.
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Daniel Moore: Like I mentioned earlier, feelings are valuable.
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Daniel Moore: They allow us to connect with God, with others and with the world in powerful ways, but it's not right to treat our emotions as truth.
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Daniel Moore: Only God defines truth, our feelings, opinions and desires.
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Daniel Moore: They don't have the power to shape what is true.
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Daniel Moore: Truth isn't something each person gets to define for themselves.
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Daniel Moore: God's truth is eternal and it remains unchanged, no matter how we feel.
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Daniel Moore: Often our emotions can make us more susceptible to temptation.
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Daniel Moore: The Apostle Paul cautioned against allowing our feelings to take control.
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Daniel Moore: In Romans 8, 6, he said so letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death, but letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
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Daniel Moore: It's important to remember that being tempted isn't sinful in itself.
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Daniel Moore: Even Jesus faced temptation, yet he never gave in or sinned.
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Daniel Moore: So we shouldn't judge or condemn anyone, including ourselves, for simply feeling a certain way.
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Daniel Moore: If we prioritize our pursuit of God above everything else, we can learn to handle our emotions in a healthy, balanced way, using them to enrich our lives and fulfill our purpose.
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Daniel Moore: When we're willing to repent and accept God's grace and forgiveness, we can learn to align our emotions with our faith.
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Daniel Moore: The true challenge arises when we must choose how to define sin in our own lives and in the lives of others?
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Daniel Moore: Will we align ourselves with God's definition of sin as revealed in His Word, or will we allow our feelings to shape our understanding instead?
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Daniel Moore: The second thing we trusted ourselves more than we trusted God.
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Daniel Moore: The core reason that we've become culturally bankrupt is because we believe we know better, we think we have all the answers when it comes to marriage, sex, parenting, money I mean basically just about everything.
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Daniel Moore: But how can we define what we didn't create?
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Daniel Moore: Wouldn't it make more sense to trust the one who designed it all?
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Daniel Moore: The real question is will we follow the shifting standards of culture or will we put our trust in God?
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Daniel Moore: It's time to draw the line.
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Daniel Moore: Time to stop following the crowd.
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Daniel Moore: Time to stand firm in our faith, to stop following the crowd.
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Daniel Moore: Time to stand firm in our faith.
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Daniel Moore: The world may label us as outdated, but we understand that God's truth is the pathway to real freedom and lasting liberation.
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Daniel Moore: His principles aren't meant to restrict us.
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Daniel Moore: They lead to a full, vibrant life.
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Daniel Moore: They offer us peace, joy, purpose and deep fulfillment.
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Daniel Moore: The world claims that chasing personal happiness and following our own bliss will lead to true joy, but I have yet to see that promise fulfilled.
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Daniel Moore: In fact, the reality often proves the opposite.
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Daniel Moore: Recent studies show a clear contrast between teenagers who lack a strong biblical foundation and those who embrace one.
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Daniel Moore: Teens without a solid biblical belief system consistently show more negative outcomes compared to their peers who have that grounding.
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Daniel Moore: Teens who lack a solid biblical belief system are 225% more likely to be angry with life, 216% more likely to be resentful, 210% more likely to lack purpose in life, 200% more likely to be disappointed in life, 200% more likely to steal, 200% more likely to physically hurt someone, 300% more likely to use illegal drugs and 600% more likely to attempt suicide.
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Daniel Moore: If these stats break your heart, you're not alone.
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Daniel Moore: I feel it too.
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Daniel Moore: I can't stop thinking about the teenagers in our neighborhoods, schools and communities who are reflected in these numbers.
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Daniel Moore: It's a powerful reminder that we must choose truth first and let our feelings align afterward.
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Daniel Moore: Without a belief system rooted in absolute, unchanging truth, we're vulnerable to the emotional ups and downs of life.
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Daniel Moore: One moment we feel great, the next we're discouraged or angry, and then fear sets in.
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Daniel Moore: Our emotions fluctuate wildly depending on our circumstances, our health, diet and relationships, but God's truth stands firm, unchanging yesterday, today and forever.
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Daniel Moore: So how do we avoid being Christians who are led by our feelings.
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Daniel Moore: The Bible gives us a clear answer we must crucify our flesh and follow the example of Jesus.
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Daniel Moore: Paul put it this way I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
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Daniel Moore: The life I now live in the body.
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Daniel Moore: I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
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Daniel Moore: That's Galatians 2.20.
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Daniel Moore: I understand this might not be the answer you were hoping for.
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Daniel Moore: Whenever I speak on this passage, I know it's not likely to be a message that fills seats or boosts church attendance, but it is a message that helps people grow to be more like Jesus Christ.
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Daniel Moore: This is the point where our faith gets real, where what we believe is put into practice in our everyday lives.
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Daniel Moore: Jesus encountered the same struggle well before his arrest and crucifixion.
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Daniel Moore: He consistently taught the importance of surrendering our selfish desires in order to fulfill the will of his Father.
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Daniel Moore: As his earthly ministry was drawing to a close, jesus even had a direct and intense confrontation with one of his own disciples over this very matter.
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Daniel Moore: In Matthew 16, verses 21 to 25, it says this From that time on, jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and, on the third day, be raised to life.
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Daniel Moore: Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
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Daniel Moore: Never, lord, he said.
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Daniel Moore: This shall never happen to you.
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Daniel Moore: Jesus turned and said to Peter Get behind me, satan.
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Daniel Moore: You are a stumbling block to me.
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Daniel Moore: You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.
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Daniel Moore: Then Jesus said to his disciples Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me, for whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
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Daniel Moore: You know here.
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Daniel Moore: Take note of Peter's frustration and anger in this moment.
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Daniel Moore: Like many of Jesus' followers, he believed the Messiah had come to establish an earthly kingdom, but God's purpose was far greater than that.
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Daniel Moore: He wasn't building a social, political or military kingdom.
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Daniel Moore: He was ushering in an eternal, heavenly and redemptive kingdom.
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Daniel Moore: At the time, peter couldn't see the bigger picture.
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Daniel Moore: He was simply upset because his personal expectations weren't being met.
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Daniel Moore: Instead of becoming Israel's new king, jesus told his disciples that he would be falsely arrested, sentenced to death and executed like a common criminal.
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Daniel Moore: This must have completely confused and shocked Peter.
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Daniel Moore: A good indicator that you've reverted to your old way of thinking is the level of frustration you feel when things don't go the way that you want.
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Daniel Moore: Reverted to your old way of thinking is the level of frustration you feel when things don't go the way that you want.
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Daniel Moore: But pay close attention to how Jesus responded to Peter's sudden outburst.
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Daniel Moore: It's likely he wasn't even speaking directly to Peter, but to the enemy influencing the situation.
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Daniel Moore: In essence, jesus pointed out you're not seeing this from God's perspective.
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Daniel Moore: You're caught up in a limited human viewpoint, and that's the core issue with letting our feelings take the lead.
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Daniel Moore: They deceive us.
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Daniel Moore: They don't give us an accurate picture of what truly matters.
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Daniel Moore: Then Jesus offered the answer, though it's a challenging one.
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Daniel Moore: Deny yourself, let go of what feels like life to you and take up your cross In order to follow Him and gain new life or eternal life.
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Daniel Moore: Something within us has to die.
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Daniel Moore: Walking His path instead of the world's way often comes with pain.
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Daniel Moore: I like to think of this struggle as spiritual growing pains.
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Daniel Moore: I like to think of this struggle as spiritual growing pains.
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Daniel Moore: It's a tough message to take in, and it goes against our natural instincts.
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Daniel Moore: To find true life, we must first lose it.
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Daniel Moore: The irony is striking when we choose to follow Christ and let go of our old way of living, we actually discover the freedom and joy that only come from truly knowing and loving Him.
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Daniel Moore: This is where real life begins.
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Daniel Moore: Paul explained it to the Romans this way in Romans 6, 6, and 7.
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Daniel Moore: For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with and we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
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Daniel Moore: Too often we ask God to change our circumstances, but what he really wants to change is us.
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Daniel Moore: His desire is for us to grow, to mature and to fully become the men and women that he designed us to be.
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Daniel Moore: When we let go of self, we experience true freedom.
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Daniel Moore: Our Heavenly Father loves us deeply and invites us to surrender the things that can never truly satisfy, even if they feel like they can, in exchange for lasting eternal joy.
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Daniel Moore: When you allow Him to transform your heart, you'll discover a level of happiness that you really never thought was possible.
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Daniel Moore: The idea of living a crucified life is something many of us struggle to grasp or even want to.
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Daniel Moore: What does it really mean to live this way?
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Daniel Moore: What does it look like in everyday life?
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Daniel Moore: How do we embrace this paradox that in order to truly live, we must first die to ourselves?
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Daniel Moore: Once again, paul's letter to the Galatians offers valuable insight.
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Daniel Moore: In it he refers to crucifixion on three separate occasions.
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Daniel Moore: The first mention of crucifixion appears in the verse that we looked at earlier.
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Daniel Moore: It says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live.
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Daniel Moore: That's Galatians 2.20.
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Daniel Moore: This clearly shows that we are called to crucify our self-centered nature.
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Daniel Moore: That process begins at the moment of salvation, an experience many people often see as a one-time event, like when you walked down the aisle at church and prayed for Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your heart.
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Daniel Moore: But Paul makes it clear that salvation involves an ongoing process of crucifying our sinful desires.
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Daniel Moore: He writes I face death every day in 1 Corinthians 15 31.
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Daniel Moore: Paul had learned the daily discipline of dying to himself in order to avoid slipping back into his old patterns and lifestyle.
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Daniel Moore: So what does that look like in real practical terms?
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Daniel Moore: So what does that look like in real practical terms?
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Daniel Moore: Well, while dying to oneself may look different in how it plays out day to day.
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Daniel Moore: I believe it starts with a posture of daily humility.
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Daniel Moore: Each morning, when I wake up, I thank God and surrender my life to Him all over again.
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Daniel Moore: I offer Him every part of me, my body, my time, my energy, my resources, everything.
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Daniel Moore: I often kneel during this time of prayer surrender, because it serves as a physical reminder of the attitude that I want to carry.
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Daniel Moore: He must become greater and greater and I must become less and less, as it says in John 3.30.
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Daniel Moore: Every day I ask myself how low can I go, not to be diminished but to make more room for Him?
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Daniel Moore: If you're not finding joy in your life, if it doesn't seem like you're experiencing the full and abundant life Jesus promised, then the root of the issue likely comes down to one thing there's too much of you and not enough of him.
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Daniel Moore: Paul's second mention of crucifixion in Galatians is found in 524.
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Daniel Moore: It says those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
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Daniel Moore: This refers to putting to death our sinful nature, the natural feelings, cravings and desires that operate apart from God feelings, cravings and desires that operate apart from God.
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Daniel Moore: This kind of death can be especially painful because our flesh is so closely intertwined with our emotions.
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Daniel Moore: All of us have passions and desires that don't align with God's word.
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Daniel Moore: Too often, we excuse them or try to justify the behaviors that they lead to.
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Daniel Moore: We say things like you know, that's just the way I am, or this is how God made me.
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Daniel Moore: Or you might even say it's just my natural tendency and there's nothing I can really do to change it.
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Daniel Moore: But no, that's simply our flesh speaking.
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Daniel Moore: We can't justify our sinful desires or weaknesses by claiming they're just part of who we are, as if we have no choice but to give in, by claiming they're just part of who we are, as if we have no choice but to give in.
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Daniel Moore: We are not obligated to follow our passions.
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Daniel Moore: We have the power to crucify them and experience true freedom.
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Daniel Moore: I mean, let me be honest.
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Daniel Moore: If I let my feelings lead and gave into my flesh, I wouldn't be hosting this podcast today.
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Daniel Moore: Every day, I wrestle with emotions and desires that go against God's word.
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Daniel Moore: Every day, I wrestle with emotions and desires that go against God's word.
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Daniel Moore: Like many men, one of my ongoing struggles is dealing with feelings and attraction toward women who are not my wife.
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Daniel Moore: This is one reason I really dislike going to the beach.
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Daniel Moore: I'm not a fan of anything about it the heat, the sun, the sand, the sunburn, the sunscreen, the water or the jellyfish.
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Daniel Moore: But more than anything, I know the beach can be tough for me sometimes, because I know it can be a spiritual battle for me.
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Daniel Moore: It's almost guaranteed that at any beach there will be women wearing very little, revealing much of their bodies.
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Daniel Moore: Many will be beautiful, attractive and tempting.
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Daniel Moore: So I know I'll have to actively fight against the desires of my flesh, which would love to engage, flirt and go much further in ways that dishonor God.
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Daniel Moore: Most men fight these desires, but I've already made my decisions to honor God and follow His word, to love my wife and stay true to the vows I made in marriage.
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Daniel Moore: I've chosen to respect the role that God has given me as a shepherd of his people and to protect my integrity as a leader who sets an example for others.
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Daniel Moore: These commitments were made long ago.
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Daniel Moore: As I mentioned earlier, I've drawn my line in the sand Because I've made these decisions.
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Daniel Moore: When my feelings try to take over, I don't give in to them.
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Daniel Moore: I put them to death.
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Daniel Moore: My I don't give in to them, I put them to death.
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Daniel Moore: My feelings don't define who I am.
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Daniel Moore: My choices do.
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Daniel Moore: Can you see now why our pleasure first culture is so concerning?
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Daniel Moore: It's like watching spiritual self-destruction in slow motion.
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Daniel Moore: So many people justify their actions based solely on how they feel.
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Daniel Moore: So many people justify their actions based solely on how they feel.
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Daniel Moore: You know, people have often told me I have to live my own truth because that's just how I feel.
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Daniel Moore: But I see the harmful path that they're on and though I usually keep my voice calm, everything in me wants to shout no, you don't.
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Daniel Moore: You don't have to believe what the world is telling you.
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Daniel Moore: There is something better.
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Daniel Moore: Your feelings don't determine truth, only God does.
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Daniel Moore: Many people today say let me love however I feel like loving.
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Daniel Moore: They justify behaviors that clearly go against scripture simply because those are the desires of their physical bodies.
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Daniel Moore: I'm not saying those desires aren't real.
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Daniel Moore: I just know that feelings can't be trusted to define what is true.
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Daniel Moore: When people engage in premarital sex, practice homosexuality or participate in any other form of sexual sin and justify it based on their natural desires, I often wonder why they believe they should be an exception.
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Daniel Moore: God clearly calls all of us to intentionally turn away from our sinful inclinations, so why would anyone be exempt from that call or encouraged to act on their own sexual urges, regardless of what God has clearly stated in His Word?
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Daniel Moore: Each morning when we wake up, we face a series of choices.
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Daniel Moore: Deep down, we already know what our flesh desires, but we must make a conscious decision to put those desires to death.
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Daniel Moore: Daily Scripture reminds us in Joshua 24, 15, who are you serving today?
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Daniel Moore: Who do you want to serve?
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Daniel Moore: What needs to die for you to have life?
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Daniel Moore: What fleshly desires must you crucify?
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Daniel Moore: You know Paul responds to these questions with this third and final mention of crucifixion.
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Daniel Moore: In Galatians he says His true north.
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Daniel Moore: Everything Paul encountered was measured against Christ and the truth of his sacrifice.
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Daniel Moore: Paul is widely known for his journeys across the ancient world, where he encountered many cultures and religious traditions.
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Daniel Moore: Along the way, he likely faced numerous temptations, from the seductive, lustful offerings of places like Rome to the more subtle lure of abandoning his mission to settle into a life of comfort and security.
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Daniel Moore: However, by viewing these situations through the lens of the cross, paul recognized that pursuing them would mean giving in to his own desires rather than aligning with God's will.
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Daniel Moore: These temptations, rather than drawing him closer to Christ, would have pulled him away from God.
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Daniel Moore: Each of us has to decide how closely we'll stay tied to the world, how much we'll let it pull us toward what feels good versus what God actually says.
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Daniel Moore: So how can you discern what belongs in your life and what doesn't?
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Daniel Moore: Well, you've been given the Holy Spirit, who convicts and guides you, and you have the Bible, which lays out God's standard clearly.
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Daniel Moore: With both, you'll have the direction that you need.
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Daniel Moore: Another useful sign is the kind of fruit that your life is producing.
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Daniel Moore: If you're too entangled with the world, your life will reflect that Worldly fruit, much like Paul described in his letter to the Romans in Romans 7-4.
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Daniel Moore: The natural results of living with a self-centered mindset will eventually become visible, and it may be hard to tell the difference between your life and the world around you.
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Daniel Moore: If this sounds familiar, it might be time to pause and take a serious look at how much influence your feelings have over your choices and actions.
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Daniel Moore: I have given up lots of things in my lifetime.
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Daniel Moore: I went to a Christian school and graduated from there.
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Daniel Moore: I complained about it all the time, as I wanted to be at public school like all of my worldly friends, but as I look back now, I know that Christian education was a godsend.
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Daniel Moore: I broke up with girls back then that I was dating.
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Daniel Moore: That I now know would have held me back in my walk with God.
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Daniel Moore: Plus, I wouldn't have ended up marrying the woman God had for me if I hadn't listened to Him.
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Daniel Moore: Going to parties, drinking, premarital sex and all the other sinful things I had to give up in order to strengthen my walk with God.
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Daniel Moore: Over the years I have had to make other significant choices, but those early ones still stand out in my memory, as difficult as they were at the time.
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Daniel Moore: I've never regretted choosing my relationship with God over my friends, partying and relationships with girls.
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Daniel Moore: I took my faith seriously and embraced the Bible's call In 2 Corinthians 6, 17, and 18,.
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Daniel Moore: It says come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.
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Daniel Moore: Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you.
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Daniel Moore: I will be a father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
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Daniel Moore: What might God be asking you to release in your own life?
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Daniel Moore: Separation is never easy, but it is vital for your spiritual growth.
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Daniel Moore: Our self-reliance, independence and the comforts of our culture often convince us that our feelings define our truth.
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Daniel Moore: We tend to think that if an emotion is strong enough, it must be true, but when we choose to follow our feelings instead of God's word, it always leads to a dead end.
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Daniel Moore: The bottom line is this we must place our trust in God, not in ourselves, as Proverbs reminds us.
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Daniel Moore: In chapter three, verses five through six, it says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your ununderstanding.
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Daniel Moore: In all your ways, submit to him and he will make your paths straight.
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Daniel Moore: The decision and the ultimate choice is yours.
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Daniel Moore: Well, that's going to do it for this week's episode of Connecting the Gap.
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Daniel Moore: As we say when we go, we believe that God's Word never fails us.
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Daniel Moore: God's Word has stood the test of time and through Jesus' death on the cross, he has connected the gap.
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Daniel Moore: Connecting the Gap podcast is a portion of Connecting the Gap Ministries.
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Daniel Moore: We pray that you have a blessed week.