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Looking for a Good Excuse? - Part 2: When Past Threatens God’s Promise, Trust God's Timing · Couples’ Journey Podcast Channel

• 0:00
  What happens when the challenges of the past threaten to derail our progress in God's plan?
• 0:06
  Hey everyone, welcome back to the Couples Journey blog series podcast.
• 0:10
  We're on part two of the series, looking for a good excuse?
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  Today, Ray and Annie share their honest reflections on facing setbacks,
• 0:19
  old habits, and trusting God's timing in our faith journey.
• 0:23
  Stay with us. This could be your next step toward a Christ-centered marriage. Here's part two.
• 0:30
  Two challenges we've noticed early on in our journey of committing our goals
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  and steps to God are, one, dealing with the consequences of past decisions that
• 0:39
  seem to hinder our desires to shift into God's plan for us.
• 0:43
  And two, the temptation to fall back into our old behaviors when we face discomfort
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  and challenges along the way.
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  It's easy to assume that once we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,
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  we're not going to do that.
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  All our problems and struggles will immediately be solved. But that's a superficial outlook.
• 1:00
  God has His own timelines and ways of guiding us into this new life we've committed to Him.
• 1:06
  He's not just here to make everything smooth and easy.
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  Our renewed relationship with Him is ultimately for transforming us into Christlikeness
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  and making us witnesses for His kingdom.
• 1:17
  When we begin to face challenges early in our faith journey,
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  we often don't realize that we're working toward blessings, blessings rooted
• 1:25
  in the one who provides, not just the blessings themselves.
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  It took us some time to understand this, but it was a humbling process that
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  brought us closer to His authority and led us to fully surrender everything to Him.
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  We still carry unresolved matters from our past decisions, but after exhausting
• 1:43
  all our options, we finally gave up and surrendered them to God.
• 1:47
  We've learned to wait, wait intentionally, with His guidance and direction.
• 1:52
  The lessons we shared yesterday from Proverbs 15 verse 22 weren't easy to accept
• 1:58
  as we truly immersed ourselves in them.
• 2:00
  We had to go through a process of relearning, and we've seen firsthand the consequences
• 2:05
  of navigating our goals without viewing them through God's truths.
• 2:09
  Here are some of what we experienced and observed when neglecting those lessons. 1.
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  Misunderstandings and conflicts. Without open communication or consultation.
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  Assumptions can lead to disagreements Misunderstandings And growing frustration 2.
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  Lack of unity and direction Acting impulsively,
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  Without a shared plan can cause a couple to drift apart, lose sight of their
• 2:34
  common goals, or make decisions that harm their relationship. 3.
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  Trust issues. Prematurely sharing intentions or breaching confidence can break
• 2:43
  trust, making teamwork and decision-making more difficult. 4.
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  Increased mistakes or failures. Impulsive or unwise decisions can lead to financial
• 2:53
  setbacks, missed opportunities, or other setbacks that impact your life together. 5.
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  External interference or sabotage Not keeping plans confidential or failing
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  to seek wise counsel can open the door for outside influences to disrupt or
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  damage the relationship 6.
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  Missed opportunities for growth Without deliberate, collaborative planning,
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  couples may miss chances to grow closer, build respect, and strengthen their
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  partnership Ignoring God's truths in our goals and steps can lead us into instability,
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  disappointment, and even separation But applying the key lessons from Proverbs
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  15 verse 22 can foster harmony and success, anchored firmly in God's Word.
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  We know shifting our mindset and habits isn't easy. We've seen and walked through
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  that with many couples who face their own challenges.
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  But it becomes even harder when we stubbornly refuse to accept God's truths.
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  It may seem impossible at times, but a shared commitment to staying grounded
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  in Christ, guided by His Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit,
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  turns this journey into a transformative experience.
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  It becomes a profound, impactful process of being changed from the inside out.
• 4:08
  Let's be encouraged by the message in Romans 8 verse 28.
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  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who
• 4:17
  love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
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  This verse reassures us that, even through challenges and setbacks,
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  God is working all things together for our ultimate good and His divine purpose in our marriage.
• 4:31
  Let's continue to seek His guidance and transformation.
• 4:35
  Before we close, we want to invite you to engage with us and support the Couples
• 4:40
  Journey blog series podcast.
• 4:42
  By following this channel, leaving comments, and sharing episodes with your family and friends.
• 4:49
  You're helping us in our mission to transform marriages today.
• 4:53
  Your support encourages more couples to seek God's guidance and grow stronger together.
• 4:58
  Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can make a difference.
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  Here's the final part of today's episode.
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  As we wrap up today's episode, remember that setbacks and setbacks are part
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  of God's refining process.
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  Ray and Annie remind us that surrendering our past and trusting God's purpose
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  bring growth and unity Stay tuned tomorrow as we continue this journey of faith
• 5:24
  Don't miss part 3 of our series Looking for a good excuse?