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Transcript

Tearing Down Walls · First15 Devotional

• 0:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: In today's verse 15, we're continuing our focus on honesty, by looking at how we can tear down the walls we've built up in God's presence every day.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: There is true life in vulnerability, and if we can trust God to be our shield, living with openness and love towards Him, ourselves and others, look experience a greater abundance of life than we thought was possible.
• 0:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's come before God today with courage, trust, and humility.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15 podcast.
• 1:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Our Scripture for today comes from Acts 24 verse 16, Scripture says, I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.
• 1:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: In order to protect our hearts from the pain and wounds of the world, we both consciously and subconsciously build walls.
• 1:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: These walls take all sorts of forms.
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Some walls are built for appearance, so that outward beauty covers up inward brokenness.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Some walls are built to be strong and tough so that pride and strength cover up inward vulnerability and self-consciousness.
• 1:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Some walls are built in order to blend in so that people pass us by altogether and never try to know us.
• 2:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whatever wall we choose to build, one things for certain.
• 2:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: The walls might guard us from harm, but they also keep us from ever experiencing true life.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Abundant life comes from being both fully known and then fully loved.
• 2:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: We can't experience the love of God and others if we don't allow ourselves to be known.
• 2:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: We can't experience God's grace and affection for us.
• 2:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: If we shield ourselves from Him, out of fear that He will see us and reject us.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: And whenever someone tries to love us fully, we will always reject their love by saying, if you truly knew me, you wouldn't love me.
• 2:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Living with walls up isn't really living.
• 3:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's surviving.
• 3:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: God knows our pains.
• 3:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: He knows our wounds.
• 3:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Psalm 34, 18 says, The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed and spirit.
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: God is for you.
• 3:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: He longs to be near you and save you.
• 3:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: But in order for you to experience the fullness of His love and healing, you have to let Him in.
• 3:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: In order for you to experience true life, you have to stop trusting in your walls to protect you and start trusting in the powerful capable hands of your loving father.
• 4:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: God is the one who protects our hearts.
• 4:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: There is nothing we can do to fully shield ourselves from the wounds this world causes, except allow our hearts to be fully open to God.
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Only in God can we have confidence.
• 4:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Only in God can we trust, and only in God will we experience true abundant life.
• 4:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: take time today to tear down your walls brick by brick.
• 4:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Stop placing your hope in that which can't ever truly protect you and look to God as your great protector that you might be fully known and fully loved today.
• 4:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: May your time of guided prayer be marked by freedom and deliverance in the Holy Spirit.
• 5:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: As we begin, meditate on the importance of living without walls up.
• 6:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: And next, where do you place your hope for protection?
• 6:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: What walls have you built that you might not be truly known?
• 6:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: In what ways are you guarding yourself?
• 6:56
  [UNKNOWN]: Thank you.
• 7:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: confess to God any places you've given your trust and place your hope for protection in him alone.
• 7:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Journal or think about any walls you've built up and respond to God's promise of nearness and healing by giving him your heart.
• 7:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Psalm 577 says, My heart is confident in you, O God.
• 7:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: My heart is confident.
• 8:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's important to take note when you begin to build walls around your heart.
• 8:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Run to God when you feel insecure, rather than building a walls that have to be torn down again, seek to live openly and honestly.
• 8:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: May you feel God's hand of protection around your heart today.
• 8:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for listening to today's podcast.
• 9:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with First 15.
• 9:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: As you go about your day today, look for opportunities to tear down a wall or two that have been built up in your relationships.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe there's a wall between you and your spouse or a coworker.
• 9:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: And maybe it'll take a conversation to make it happen.
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: But allow God to take what's happened here as you've met with him and let it build
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day and may God bless you as you see Kim.