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Chasing Joy in the storm · Fostering Faith

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Welcome back to Fostering Faith, friends. I am
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Tracie. I will be your host today for Fostering
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Faith. And we are all in new seasons in this
0:07
household. Gia has officially started high school
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and she has officially fell in love with high
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school. She was very anxious and nervous about
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starting, but then she realized how many people
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that she knew and how she was able to find friends
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in all her classes. She was able to make her
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travel volleyball team. She was able to make
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the school volleyball team. And so we are all
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going to be starting off. In new seasons, I get
0:31
to start school again next week. And so I have
0:33
been studying and reading already to get ahead
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of the game. As you know, I feel like this program
0:39
is going to be challenging, and I want every
0:41
opportunity just to soak in and not just kind
0:43
of run over the material, but just to really
0:45
read it and soak in. And we've had an opportunity
0:47
to use this computer program called Logos. And
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if you guys don't have it, if you've never heard
0:53
of it, look it up. I've been playing with it
0:55
now for almost two weeks. And there's just so
0:58
much that is packed into this program. There's
1:01
probably a free version. We get a version with
1:03
our school, which is just loads and loads and
1:05
loads of books in here. I've wrote like six sermons
1:08
in this program. I mean, it just, it's so good.
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I just, I'm so excited to get back to school
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and learn and to do a deep dive and just be surrounded
1:16
with people to challenge me and to grow me and
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just, you know, just walk with me in this faith.
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And so as I foster my own faith, going back to
1:24
school for my master's in theology. Bible study.
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I'm super excited to dive into this with you.
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And so as we get into this episode, we're going
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to call it Chasing Joy in a Storm. And so welcome
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back to Fostering Faith. I'm so glad that you're
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here today because in this episode is for every
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single one of us who has ever said, Lord, I can't
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handle the storm. I am not Tinto's Down. I am
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not Moses. Like I'm not your girl. I'm not your
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man. Now, I'm not talking about thunderstorms,
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you know, rolling across Midwest right now. I'm
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talking about storms in your mind, in your heart
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and in your soul. Anxiety that keeps you up at
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night, fear that paralyzes you, stress that makes
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you feel like you're drowning. But I want you
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to know something right up front. Joy is not
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canceled by storms. Happiness? Happiness runs
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away real fast when life gets hard. But joy?
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Joy is anchored in Jesus, and it doesn't move
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just because the wind blows. And so today's episode,
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we're going to be calling it Chasing Joy in the
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Storm. But spoiler alert, the whole point is
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you don't chase joy. You receive it and so in
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this episode I want you to think about anybody
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that's suffering with anxiety or feeling overwhelmed
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and send this episode Send it and then just listen
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to it with them and then go over it and talk
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through the points and it's about building community
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It's about having a tribe. And so if you guys
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are liking this Episodes make sure that you comment
2:42
leave us a rating. Let's grow a community together
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And so let's dive in and so let's start with
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one of my favorite verses when life feels overwhelming
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We have Isaiah 41 10 It says do not fear for
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I am with you. Do not be anxious look about you
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for I am your God I will strengthen you and surely
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I will help you. I will uphold you with my right
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righteous right hand now, please pause Doesn't
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that sound too good almost too good like if we're
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being honest because we're in the middle of a
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panic attack and if you were Been losing sleep
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at night. Your first thought is not gonna be
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oh, yeah, I feel God strengthening me. No We're
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like, where are you, Lord? Because I'm not okay.
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But that's why this verse is so powerful. Notice
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that God doesn't start with, here's how I'll
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fix all your problems. He starts with, do not
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fear, for I am with you. Bible scholars point
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out that God's answer to fear isn't a plan. It's
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His presence. One commentator even said, the
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antidote to fear is not courage, but company.
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But isn't that good? It's not about mustering
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up your inner strength, it's about realizing
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who you're walking beside. And Matthew Henry,
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in his old school way, said it like this, when
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God is with us, we need not fear the most powerful
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of enemies. In other words, the storm may rage,
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but the storm doesn't get the last word if God
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is holding you up with his righteous right hand.
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Now, let's be real. Fear makes us forget things,
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doesn't it? When panic hits, your brain goes
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into survival mode. Your heart races, your palms
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sweat. And your mind goes, I'm alone. No one
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understands me. No one can help me. Oh my gosh,
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what am I going to do? Like all these negative
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thoughts just race in. But God interprets that
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lie with his truth. Do not be anxious. Look around
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you, for I am your God. So think about that image.
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Anxiously looking about. So if you can't, like
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if you're panicked, like if you're a mom and
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you've lost your kid, or they're hiding underneath
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a clothing rack because I have no idea why kids
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do that. And it's like this anxiety of looking
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about. Can't you picture it? It's like being
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lost in a crowd. It's like you're looking for
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your kid. You're looking for your kid. Your head
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is floating around searching for just their voice,
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their hair, their t -shirt. But then you finally
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lock eyes with your kid. And he knows you. And
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that moment feels a flood of relief. And that's
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what God offers you in panic. Let me put it in
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everyday terms. Imagine you're in the airport.
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You're late for a flight. You've panicked. You're
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scanning signs. And you're running in the wrong
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direction. And you hear a voice call your name.
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You turn, and there's your best friend, waving
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you over, pointing you this way. That's what
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Isaiah 41 10 is describing. God's saying, stop
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spinning. I'm right here. I'll lead you. I'll
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strengthen you, and I'll hold you up. And here's
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the part that blows me away. He doesn't just
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say, I'll strengthen you. He repeats himself.
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I will help you, and I will uphold you. Bible
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teachers often say that when God repeats something,
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it's because we need reminding. It's his way
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of saying, hey, you can count on this. And let's
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be real for a second. How often do we try to
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hold ourselves up? We white -knuckle it. We see
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all the memes of, like, the disarrayed hair.
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I seen one the other day, and it was this woman
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carrying up a washer off the subway, um, up the
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stairs. And I, like, messaged my friend, and
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I was just like, um, I thought I was gonna have
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to send this to you because it's, like, this
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crazy lady, uh, carrying a washer up the stairs
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and saying, you know what, I'll just do it myself.
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And so we white -knuckle it. We say things like,
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I'll just have to push through. I just need to
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be stronger for my kids, for my spouse, for my
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job. And God says, actually, you don't. I'm the
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one holding you up. I don't know what you're
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facing. I don't know about you, but that takes
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a weight off of my shoulders. One scholar pointed
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out that the phrase righteous right hand doesn't
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mean strength. It means faithful strength. God's
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right hand never slips. It's not shaky. It's
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not uncertain. It's perfectly just, perfectly
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steady, and perfectly good. which means his grip
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on you is more secure than your grip on him.
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So if you're listening right now and you feel
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like you're barely holding on, I've got good
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news. You don't have to hold on perfectly. God's
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righteous right hand is already holding you.
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Let me ask you, what would it feel like if you,
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instead of trying to run out of panic, you've
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paused and reminded yourself, wait, God's here.
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He's got me. He's not letting me fall. That's
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joy in the middle of your panic not because the
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storms gone because but because your Savior stayed
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and So let's let's keep flipping to Philippians
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4 6 through 7 because my biblical boyfriend Paul
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He writes do not be anxious about anything, but
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in everything by prayer and supplication with
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Thanksgiving Let your request be known to God
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in the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension
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will guard your hearts in your mind in Jesus
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Christ Okay, so let's be real Do not be anxious
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about anything. Paul? Paul's my guy. But that
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feels impossible. Like, I can't even get through
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Monday morning without real anxiety creeping
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in. I mean, what about the bills? What about
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the doctor's report? What about the interview?
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What about these kids going back to school and
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wanting and needing new clothes, and we have
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lunch bills, and we have this? The kid that just
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will not listen? Don't be anxious about anything?
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Paul apparently was never married, never had
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a mortgage, and didn't have... No kids. But here's
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the thing. Paul isn't saying, hey, stop it. Just
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don't be anxious. That would be the worst advice
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ever. Have you ever had someone tell you in the
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middle of a panic? Just calm down. Well, that
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doesn't work. Spoiler alert. It doesn't. It doesn't
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work. What Paul is doing here is pointing us
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to exchange. He's saying, yes, you feel anxiety,
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but here's where you do with it. You hand it
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over to God in prayer. And one Bible scholar
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points out it like this, prayer isn't just a
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conversation, it's a transaction. We bring God
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to our worries. He gives us his peace. We unload
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the weight and his hands give us rest in return.
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And so let's look at the language in everything
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by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving.
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That means all of it, not just the big scary
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things. but the everyday stuff too. The stress
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about what to wear, the worry about whether you
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said the wrong thing in a text message, even
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the small details that you think are too silly
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to bring to God. He says everything. We have
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had this conversation in this house so many times
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about, did you take that to God? Did you take
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that to God? And even just in my conversations
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throughout the day, I mean, did you take that
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to God? No, I'm not going to bother him with
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that. It says everything. There is nothing too
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small and there is nothing too big. And so now
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I would love what Warner points out where he
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says, the way to be anxious about nothing is
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to be prayerful about everything. Isn't that
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good? Prayer becomes an antidote to anxiety.
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It's not about ignoring your feelings. It's about
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inviting God into them. And then Paul says, peace
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of God, which surpasses all comprehension will
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guard your hearts and minds. The word guard is
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a military term. It paints a picture of a soldier
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standing at the gate of the city. Anxiety tries
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to storm in. But God's peace is literally standing
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there saying, nope, not today. And so let me
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ask you, have you ever prayed and then felt calmer,
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even though nothing changed about your situation?
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That's the verse. That's the peace of God. It
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doesn't always change the circumstances, but
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prayer changes you. Tim Mackey from The Bible
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Project explains it like this. Peace or shalom
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isn't just absence of conflict. It's wholeness.
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It's everything in its right place. So when God's
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peace guard your heart, he's putting your chaos
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back in order. Even in the storms around you,
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you're still raging. So here's the part I love
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the most. This peace, the surpassing understanding,
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which means sometimes you can't explain why you're
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okay. You just are. You should be falling apart.
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You should be panicking. And yet you're steady
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because God's peace is holding you. It's not
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logic. It's the Holy Spirit. Let me paint this
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for you. Imagine your life is a castle. Anxiety.
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is invading army, pounding at the gates, let
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me in, let me in. Normally, you just let it in
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and suddenly your mind is filled with panic.
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But whenever you pray, God's peace literally
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stations soldiers at the gates of your heart.
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They're standing guard. And so when anxiety comes
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screaming, let me in, peace answers the door
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and says, sorry, this place is protected. And
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I can say that sometimes prayer itself is the
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hardest part. Right? Because whenever you're
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anxious, you don't even have the words. You don't
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even have the... You don't even have to feel
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eloquent. You don't even have to feel spiritual.
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You just feel heavy. And there's a saying, God
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isn't greeting your vocabulary. And thank God
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for that. He's listening to your heart. And sometimes
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the most powerful prayer is help. Lord, help
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me. And let me ask you this. When was the last
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time you actually gave your anxiety to God instead
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of carrying it yourself? I'm not asking whenever
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you last talked about your anxiety. I'm asking
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whenever did you lay it down, open hands and
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say, God, I can't carry this. It's yours now.
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I think a lot of us pray like we're holding the
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weight and we say, God, please take this from
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me. But we never let it go. We walk out the prayer
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and carry the same baggage that we walked in
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with. But true prayers, the Lord says, the Lord,
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I'm done. This is yours. And so here's a challenge.
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The next time that your chest feels tight, your
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thoughts are racing and you're spiraling. Stop.
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Just stop. Put your hands out like you're holding
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something heavy and then slowly release it as
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you pray. It's a physical act that says, Lord,
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I'm not carrying this anymore. I lay it down
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because here's the truth. Joy is found whenever
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you finally stop wrestling with your thoughts
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and let God guard them instead. And so let's
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talk about Elijah. If there's ever a prophet
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who had a front seat row to the power of God,
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it was him. And you have 1 Kings 18. You have
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Elijah on Mount Carmel, standing against 450
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prophets of Baal. And it's the epic showdown.
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His prayers fire literally falls from heaven.
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God proves himself in a jaw dropping dramatic
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way. And I mean, it would be on all of the news
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reels. It would be all over Instagram. It would
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be all over the things. I mean, if you and I
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were thinking Elijah is untouchable, this guy
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has all of the faith in the world. But then you
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have chapter 19 and suddenly Elijah is running
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for his life Terrified of Jezebel and collapses
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under a broom tree. So he's discouraged that
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literally asked God to take his life Talk about
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a crash out talk about your he's ready to crash.
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He just crashed He just crashed out and and can
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we just pause it for a second because this isn't
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That isn't that kind of like real life one day
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you feel like you're on top of the world spiritually
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strong full of faith and quoting scripture and
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like all the things and God send me where you
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want to go in the very next day your burnout,
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like, I'm not your girl, I'm not 10 toes down,
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like, pick somebody else, I'm Moses, like, go
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get Aaron. You feel overwhelmed, and you're wondering
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if you can even keep going on. Bible commentators
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note that Elijah's despair doesn't make him weak.
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It makes him human. Even the strongest believers
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hit walls. Even prophets who call down fire get
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tired, discouraged, and feel hopeless. Now notice
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what God does next. He doesn't rebuke him. He
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doesn't say, are you serious? After everything
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I just did, you're going to doubt me now? No.
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God sends an angel. And what does the angel bring?
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Food, water, and rest. Sometimes the most spiritual
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things you can do is take a nap and eat a sandwich,
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hopefully without bread. Can I get an amen? I
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mean, get you some salami and cheese, wrap it
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up, and call it a day. And we have Warren Wartersby
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that makes this point. God knows our frame. He
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remembers that we were dust. In other words,
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God knows that we're fragile. He doesn't treat
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us like we're superheroes. He treats us like
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children. who need Him. And I love this. Elijah
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sleeps, eats, drinks, and then sleeps again.
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The angel doesn't even rush him. It's like God
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is saying, I know you're at the end of yourself,
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so let's start with basics. Let me put this into
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our world now. Maybe your despair isn't fixed
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by another Bible study or another motivational
14:58
podcast. Maybe you want and need a first time
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to rest, to hydrate, to let God remind you. you're
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human because here's the truth sometimes the
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spirit isn't lack of faith it's lack of margin
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you've been running so hard carrying so much
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that your body and soul finally crashes and god
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in his kindness says rest child i'm still here
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and i'll be here whenever you get up isn't that
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like whenever you were sick and you like laid
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in your mom and dad's lap and um like whenever
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you woke up like he felt you slept for 10 years
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and they were still there I remember times whenever
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Dia was like little or just even maybe mid teenager
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and she's, you know, just 14 now. But I mean,
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she was like, oh my gosh, I can't believe that
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you're still here. Maybe I am not going to leave
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you. I am a busy person and I love, love to be
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on the move. But if you need me, I am here. And
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just think of that because your Heavenly Father
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loves you more. And then maybe you came from
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an environment where you didn't have parents
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to sit down. You didn't have that luxury of them
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and of parents that were loving. But know that
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you have a Heavenly Father that says child rest.
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I am here, and I'll be here whenever you get
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up. And so let me ask you, have you ever felt
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guilty for being tired? Like you should be stronger,
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more spiritual, more put together. And Elijah
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shows us that even God's prophets hit burnout,
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and God's response wasn't guilt, it was grace.
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And here's the part that gets me. After Elijah
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is strengthened, God speaks to him again, not
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in the wind, not in the earthquake, and not in
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the fire, but in a gentle whisper. Isn't that
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beautiful? That sometimes that whenever we're
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in despair, we're looking for God in dramatic
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ways and like earthquakes and fire and a burning
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bush. But he comes in close and quiet. And one
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commentary puts it this way. God does not always
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manifest himself in extraordinary ways, but often
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in the simple, the ordinary, and the gentle.
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That means joy doesn't come with fireworks. Sometimes
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it comes like a whisper in the dark that says,
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I'm still here. Let me... say this like a different
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way. So picture a mom who's going non -stop,
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which we just talked about, packing lunches,
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doing laundry, working full -time, and she finally
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sits down on the couch, literally spent, and
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her little one crawls in her lap, rests her head
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on her shoulders and says, I love you. In that
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moment, nothing on her to -do list changed, but
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joy showed up. Or think about someone who's grieving.
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The loss is heavy, the house feels empty, but
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a friend stops by with a meal, sits quietly on
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the couch. and just listens. No big speeches,
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no fireworks, just presence. That's God's whisper.
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So here's the takeaway. Joy in despair doesn't
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always look like God removing the storm. Sometimes
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it looks like God's spinning and sending you
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to rest, reminding you to eat and whisper, I've
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got you. So if you're in despair right now, please
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hear this. God is not disappointed in you. He
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knows that you are human. You are not perfect.
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This is not a shock to him. And his provisions
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will meet you. in ways that you might overlook
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through sleep, through a meal, through a friend's
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encouragement, and through his word softly reminding
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you, do not fear, for I am with you. And so as
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we are getting close to the end, I do want to
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encourage to rate and review and share this podcast
18:08
with people that you feel need rest, that are
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in the middle of a storm, that does not know
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where joy is. And so let's jump into Matthew
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11, 28 through 30. Jesus says, come to me, all
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who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
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rest. Take upon my yoke and learn from me, for
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I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will
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find rest in our souls. For my yoke is easy and
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my burden is light. Now, let's stop, because
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that doesn't just look like, you know, so great,
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does it? Because it doesn't just sound like water
18:37
to a dry throat. It's I will give you rest. I
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don't know about you, but I feel like those words
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hit different in today's world. We live in a
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culture that glorifies busy, hustle harder, grind
18:48
longer, sleep when you're dead, right? Even compete
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over who's the most exhausted. I only slept for
18:54
four hours last night. Oh, I only slept for three.
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Oh, I've not slept in 24 hours. But Jesus comes
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in and flips the whole culture upside down. He
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doesn't say, come to me and I'll give you a longer
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to -do list. He doesn't say, come to me and I'll
19:06
give you more hustle. He says, I'll give you
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rest. Now, here's the kicker. He's not talking
19:12
about taking a nap. He's talking about a weekend
19:14
getaway. He's not talking about a weekend getaway
19:16
with Netflix binging or whatever. Those might
19:19
give you distraction, but not rest. Jesus is
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talking about soul rest, a deep healing and a
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renewal that nothing in the world can duplicate.
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Bible scholars point out that the word rest here
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is an act of rest. It's not laziness or avoidance.
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It's renewal. It's the kind of rest that restores
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you whenever you're walking. And there was a
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quote by Warner Warpsy that says, true rest is
19:41
not the absence of activity, but the presence
19:43
of God in our activities. In other words, Jesus
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isn't inviting you to run away from life. He's
19:48
inviting you to walk with him in life at his
19:51
pace, under his strength. And we've done some
19:53
episodes and I've done some videos about pace
19:56
and, you know, fast husband or fast wives and
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slow husbands. It's about walking with him. He's
20:00
saying, take my hand. And now look at the invitation.
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Take my poke, my yoke upon you and learn from
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me. I know, yoke isn't a word that we use today.
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A yoke was a wooden harness placed over two animals,
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usually oxen, so they could plow the field together.
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So here's the thing. A yoke always has one stronger
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ox that carried most of the weight, and the weaker
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one walked alongside him and kept step. Do you
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see the picture? Jesus is painting. He's saying,
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walk with me. I'll carry the weight. You stay
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close. You don't have to force... This field
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alone like you're not doing this alone. I'm here
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with you I love this because it doesn't just
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say take my yoke. He says learn from me This
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means the rest isn't about collapsing. It's about
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this. It's about discipleship It's about letting
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Jesus teach you a new rhythm a new way of living
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That's not crushing not suffocating but life
20:48
-giving and then he describes himself gentle
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and humble and hard Can we pause right there?
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Because for some of us, it's not the picture
20:56
of God we grew up with. Some of us grew up with
20:58
a God that was harsh, demanding, impossible to
21:00
please. But Jesus says, no, that's not who I
21:03
am. I am gentle. I am humble. My heart towards
21:09
you is kind. And one commentator pointed out
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that this is one place in the gospel where Jesus
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describes his own heart. Isn't that wild? Out
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of all the things that he could have said, he
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says, I am gentle and humble. That's the heart
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that offers you rest. And notice the promise
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that you'll find rest for your souls. And not
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maybe. Not if you earn. Not if you get it together.
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He says, you will. And let me make this real.
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Think about the times that you've chased rest
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in counterfeit ways. Maybe it's scrolling through
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social media for an hour. You don't feel rested
21:41
after. You feel more drained. Maybe it's real
21:44
tail therapy. You buy the things and for five
21:46
minutes you're happy. Then the package arrives
21:48
and now you've got more clutter. and less money.
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Maybe it's numbing with food or binging a show
21:53
or even throwing yourself into work to avoid
21:55
dealing with your feelings. And yet none of it
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touches your soul. Jesus says, come to me, not
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go to that thing, not escape to that distraction.
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Come to me and I will give you what none of those
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can. And can I just get real practical here?
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Coming to Jesus doesn't always mean packing up
22:15
your life and moving to a monastery. Sometimes
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it's what? as simple as pausing in the car before
22:19
work and saying, Lord, I can't do this day without
22:22
you. Be my strength. Sometimes choosing to listen
22:26
to worship music instead of news. Sometimes it's
22:28
reading a single verse and carrying it in your
22:30
pocket all day. Those little moments come from
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Him and add up to real rest. And so let me ask
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you, what would your life look like if you actually
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lived at Jesus' space instead of the world's?
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Instead of running 100 miles an hour trying to
22:46
prove yourself, You walked with him, trusting
22:49
he's carrying the heavier end of the yoke. How
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would your life look? I'll tell you what it looked
22:55
like. It would look like joy. Joy isn't shaken
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by storms, joy that doesn't come from everything
23:02
being perfect, but from walking with the one
23:04
who is perfect. And here's the thing. Jesus'
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rest isn't passive. It's not an escape from responsibilities.
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It's not empowerment to live differently. It's
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empowerment to live differently. He's saying,
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walk with me, trust my heart. and let me carry
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the weight. And you'll find joy even there, even
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now, even in the storm. And maybe that's exactly
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what you need today. Maybe you're running at
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the pace that's crushing you. Maybe you're trying
23:26
to carry the load that was never yours to carry.
23:28
And I have a picture on my computer in my office
23:30
that says, it's a little wagon that I drew. And
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I have a message out and it says, was I meant
23:36
to carry this burden? And if I wasn't, I hand
23:38
it over because I have to have daily reminders
23:40
everywhere in every room. And Jesus is looking
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you in the eye with gentleness and humility saying,
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come to me. Let it go, and I'll give you rest.
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And so here's the invitation. That's the promise.
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And that's where joy is found. And so I hope
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this episode inspired you. In this world of illusions,
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how can you find joy in your real life? What
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does this look like in real life? Could it look
24:09
like if you're a teacher stressed out about testing
24:11
and students leaving you a kind note, joy shows
24:14
up? If your mom in the garden weeds everywhere
24:17
and your child brings you a flower with sticky
24:18
fingers, joy shows up. If you're a college student
24:21
drowning in finals, but you share your faith
24:25
with a friend, joy shows up. You're at work,
24:28
deadlines are crushing you, but you pray at lunch
24:31
and joy will show up. If you're a student and
24:33
you're feeling the pressure to fit in and you
24:36
choose integrity, joy will show up. If you're
24:39
a parent that is exhausted, but you carve out
24:41
five minutes with your Bible, joy will show up.
24:44
If you're serving at church in your community
24:46
and you will feel God's smile, joy will show
24:48
up. If you're in a small group, tired from the
24:51
week, and the laughter and the prayer remind
24:53
you, you're not alone. Joy will show up. Joy
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doesn't always come with fireworks, but sometimes
24:59
it comes with a whisper, sticky fingers, and
25:01
little reminders that God is with you. And so
25:05
let's put it all together. Presence and panic,
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God says, I'm with you. Peace with prayer, hand
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him your worries, and he guards your heart. Provision
25:13
and despair, God meets your physical and spiritual
25:16
needs with grace. And rest in Christ. Joy comes
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whenever you stop chasing and start receiving.
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And so here's my challenge for you this week.
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Whenever you're feeling the storm arise, panic,
25:26
fear, anxiety, don't chase joy in people, purchases,
25:30
or performance. Pause, breathe, and pray this.
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Lord, I don't want to chase joy anymore. I want
25:38
to receive yours. Anchor me in your presence
25:40
and fill me with your peace. Provide me in the
25:43
weakness and give me rest in you." And so friends,
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the storms will come, but joy doesn't run whenever
25:51
the rain starts. Joy stays because Jesus stays.
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So thank you so much for listening to us today
25:58
at Fostering Faith. If this encouraged you, share
26:00
with a friend who's in a storm right now and
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remember that joy in the Lord isn't fragile.
26:05
It's unshakable. And so until next time, keep
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fostering your faith, keep walking in joy. that's
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already yours in Christ. Have a great week. We
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love you guys.