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Rooted, Not Rushed: Abiding in Christ · Fostering Faith

0:01
Welcome back to Fostering Faith. And hey, guys,
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welcome back. We took that month of August off
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because we were just busy in a season and just
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a reset. And so just kind of plan out the rest
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of the year. And so we are going to be in a sermon
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series called Rooted, a faith that holds. And
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so after the summer of busy and just like just
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enjoying all the things in life, September is
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going to turn into hopefully like formation of
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Rooted. And so it's going to be a five week series
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on how to build your faith. and not dependent
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on your mood or your ease or perfect circumstances.
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Each episode is going to explore a practice that
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God uses to deepen our beliefs. And so abiding
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in Christ and receiving scripture, honestly praying
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and obeying in just ordinary life and remaining
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faithful in the community and hardship. And so
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our anchor verse for this month is going to be
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Colossians 2, 6, and 7. Therefore you receive
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Jesus Christ, the Lord. So walk in Him, rooted.
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and built up in him and established in our faith,
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just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
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And so in this episode, we're going to be talking
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about rooted, not rushed, but abiding in Christ.
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And so in this episode, we're going to be, we
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live in a culture that celebrates speed, visible
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progress, and so constant production, but Jesus
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forms his people differently. In this episode,
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we're going to be talking about what it means
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to abide in Christ, why hidden roots matter more
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than public root. and how do we build a daily
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life that is still connected to Jesus with teachings
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from John 15, Colossians 2, Psalm 1. And this
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episode offers practical rhythms for listeners
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and you guys who are tired of rushing and are
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ready to grow deep. And so I hope that you guys
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are finding these podcasts informational, helpful,
1:50
like inspiring. And then I think that we might
1:52
add some fitness layers to this and some bonus
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episodes like later on. and just fostering your
1:57
faith and then maybe fostering your faith and
2:00
fitness. But we need to know in your comments,
2:02
we need to know that you guys are enjoying this
2:04
if I'm just talking to myself. And so those listeners,
2:07
leave some comments. And so leave us and let
2:09
us know that you are listening and then tell
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the algorithm that these are helpful. And so
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these are just like little seeds. This is not
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just to, this is a supplement. And so this is
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the time that you're spending with Christ. And
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so hopefully these are just little seeds. that
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are being planted so you guys can grow deeper
2:25
in Christ and walk with them yourself. And so
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if you are new here, my name is Tracy. I will
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be your host today. I'm so glad that you're here.
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We took August off as a reset and get back to
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school and new semesters, finish out our birthdays,
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breathe a little bit and make room for what God
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is doing next. And so now we're stepping into
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September and I'm coming back with one more word
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and it's rooted. And so we've done as We've done
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podcasts on Rooted before, but I just think it's
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so important that we have just deep roots. And
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so July was about freedom. We talked about wounds
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and shame and anxiety and identity. And it is
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about, we talked more of the things of God and
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God wants... to bring us out and what He wants
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us to break us off. But freedom is not only about
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what you leave behind. Freedom also creates room
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for something new to grow. And so if God pulls
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out, pulls you out of bondage, He doesn't not
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intend for you just to stand out there forever
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in an empty field, no, He plans you. He establishes
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you. He teaches you on how to live free. And
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so our series this month is called Rooted. A
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faith that holds our anchor scripture that we
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talked about before is going to be Colossians
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2, 6 through 7. So therefore, as you've received
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Jesus Christ, your Lord, so walk with him rooted
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and built up and established in faith, just as
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you were taught abounding in Thanksgiving. So
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Paul gives us a picture of a Christian life that
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has depth, rooted, built up, established, not
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frantic, not fake, not held together by a good
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week or a good mood or a good worship song. This
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is faith that can hold whatever life gets hard
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and loud and it doesn't go as planned and I what
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I want to have a Question that kind of sits with
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you is how are you growing? Are you only just
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moving? So those things are not the same you
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can move fast and still go nowhere And so just
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if you're on running on a treadmill you're going
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places But yet you are not going anywhere and
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you could have a full calendar and have an empty
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stole You can have a full bank account and have
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an empty soul. You can have a million followers
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and be the loneliest person out there. And so
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you can listen to sermons. You can say Bible
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verses. You can serve everyone around you and
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still living spiritually disconnected from the
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one that you're doing it all for. And so Jesus
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gives us clear pictures in John 15 that says,
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I am the vine and you are the branch. The one
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who remains in me and I am produces much fruit
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because you can do nothing without me. And some
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translations use the word abide, remain, stay,
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make your home with me. Jesus does not say visit
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me whenever you're in trouble. He does not say
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check in with me whenever you have extra time.
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He says remain, remain in me. And let us pray
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before we go a little bit deeper. And so dear
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Heavenly Father, thank you so much for today.
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Thank you so much for these listeners. Thank
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you that you are not asking us to manufacture
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a life that we cannot sustain. Thank you for
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inviting us to remain in you, Jesus. Thank you
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that you're going to slow our minds down, settle
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our hearts, show us where we hurry and we're
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distracted and self -reliant and have thin roots.
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Thank you that you're planting the truth deep
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in us today. And we pray this in Jesus' name.
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Amen. And so the difference between fruits and
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roots. And so fruit is visible, roots are hidden.
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And so people celebrate fruit. They can see the
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promotion, the healed relationships, ministry
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opportunities, the prayer that is answered, and
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the way that we hoped. But not a healthy tree
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begins with fruit. It begins underground. The
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root system develops in the body when no one
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applauded. It grows through ordinary days, quiet
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obedience, repeated surrender. and the time that
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God was there and nothing dramatic to post about
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or announce. And there's a problem. We often
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want visible fruit without hidden formation.
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And just like we talked about before in class,
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it's about the transformation that happens whenever
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we sit with God. And we want peace without practicing
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the patience of God. We want wisdom without staying
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in the word. We want spiritual strength without
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spiritual discipline. We want to stand in the
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storm, but we do not want to build roots. before
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the storms arise. And so in Psalm 1 describes
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a person who delights in God's instruction and
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meditates on it day and night. And that person
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is like a tree planted besides the flowing streams
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that bears its fruits in the seasons, and the
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leaves do not weather. Notice the order, planted
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first and then fruit later. The tree is not running
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on streams and panicking where it's going to
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find enough water. It is positioned near its
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source. And so some of us spiritually are exhausted
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because we keep asking for fruit to do the job
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of the roots. And so we think about another accomplishment
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would make us all secure. We think that another
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dollar sign would make us all the persons. And
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so another person's approval will make us feel
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chosen. Another busy season will prove our value.
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But fruit cannot feed if the roots are not there.
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The root feeds the fruit. And so our life with
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God cannot be built from the outside. It is not
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formed from the inside out. And so abiding is
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connection and not performance. When God says,
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He is the vine and we are the branches, He is
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not giving us another assignment to perform.
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He is describing dependence. A branch does not
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mean grit your teeth and produce the grapes.
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A branch stays connected and receives life from
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the vine and the fruit grows because life is
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flowing through it. That matters for the person
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who is tired of trying to be a good Christian.
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And maybe you feel like that today, maybe I should
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pray more, maybe more scripture, maybe I should
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know more scripture, maybe I should be more patient,
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less anxious, stop struggling with the same thing.
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You are working so hard and then you fall. Then
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shame tells you that you're disappointing God
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and you avoid him because you feel ashamed and
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the cycle continues. But Jesus did not say that.
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He didn't say try harder. Abiding is not earning
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his love. It is living with his love. It is not
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about convincing God to come closer. It is waking
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up to the truth that he's already there. And
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the gospel is not what you climbed your way to
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God. The gospel is that God came to you in Christ.
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Jesus lived in obedience and we could not live
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without him. and carried out the sins that have
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not been removed. He died and death was deserved
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and rose to victory. We received him by grace
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and Paul says we continue the same way as we
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received Christ the Lord. So walk with him. How
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did you receive him? By faith? Not by proving
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yourself. Not by cleansing everything up first.
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By trusting his finished work. And how did you
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walk with him in it. The same way. Daily trust.
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Daily dependence. Daily grace. And pruning is
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not rejection. And John 15 also says that the
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father prunes every branch that bears fruit so
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no one can bear fruit. Pruning can almost feel
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like a loss. The door closes. The relationship
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changes. A role ends. Something that once worked
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no longer works. The calendar gets clear in a
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way that you did not choose. We make the mistake
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that pruning is for punishment because it can
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involve something that is painfully, but it's
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being removed. But in Christ, if we're trying
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to pay the penalty for our sins, Jesus bore that
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penalty at the cross. Pruning is the Father's
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careful work in the child that he loves. It removes
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what drains our life. The crowds are gross and
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keeps us dependent on something other than God.
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And to look at what's been removed from your
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life just recently. Look at what's been removed
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from your life. And you're like, oh my gosh,
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why did this happen? Why did this happen? But
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was that a distraction? Was that keeping your
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eyes on that and versus keeping your eyes on
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Him? And that means that ask yourself, what am
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I calling rejection? Maybe calling a redirection.
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What am I desperately trying to hold on to because
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I'm afraid of who I am without it? And sometimes
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the most spiritual thing that you can do is release
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what God is no longer asking you to carry. And
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I can only say this so many times. I see so many
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people that are tired because they are just so
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exhausted from trying to strive and grind and
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just hold on to things that they think are important
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versus living with our hands wide open and saying,
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God, this is yours. Take it if it's not from
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you. And honestly, knowing that's great that
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we can have a God because we know that he is
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for us and not against us. We know that his plans
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are greater than ours. And we know, and it's
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scary, but we want his will to be done and not
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ours. Because if he brought us to it, he'll bring
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us through it. And so hurry makes our roots shallow.
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And so hurry is not only a schedule problem.
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But it can become a soul problem whenever we're
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rushed we skim over everything conversations
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and meals and scripture prayer and even grief
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We want god to speak in sentences because we
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only give him 60 seconds If it's not an instagram
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reel or if it's not this and i'm not moved within
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30 seconds or five We're done Jesus was busy,
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but he is not frantic. He is not a god of chaos.
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He is a god of order Crowds needed him people
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interrupted him religious litters opposed him
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The cross always led to him, and the gospels
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repeatedly show him withdrawing to a lonely place
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to pray. He lived for communion with his father,
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not the demands of the crowds. If Jesus made
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room to pray, we cannot pretend constant availability
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is spiritual maturity. We are allowed to be unavailable
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to the world so you can be present with God.
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You are allowed to put your phone down. You are
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allowed to sit in silence before You have the
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right words. You were allowed to build a life
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that is faithful and not frantic. And so a simple
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rule for life this week. And so let us make this
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practical. And I want you to build these three
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small points to connect it into your day. And
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so first, begin before you consume. And so before
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messages, before social media, before headlines
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or emails, give God your first few minutes. Read
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a short passage slowly. Pray. Jesus, I belong
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to you. Help me remain in you today. And so I
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read a book on vacation, and it was the 5 a .m.
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club. And so the majority of you know that I
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am up early in the morning, and this book really
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just is the story of my life, I really feel.
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I feel like it's just all about what we do on
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a typical day, but they were really, it was really
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big on... You're not checking your emails, you're
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not checking social media, you're not doing anything,
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but you have these certain things that you do
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before you start your day. And so that is just
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a great thing. And so before your feet hit the
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floor in the morning, just talk to him, too.
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Pause in the middle. And so just set one reminder
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during the day, when it goes off, stop for one
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minute, take a breath, name what you're carrying
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and ask, I am operating from connection or from
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pressure. And so I have people that have set
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reminders in their phones all day because we
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have all the things going on. And if we don't
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have a reminder, if we don't have an alarm, sometimes
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we miss it. But just having that pause break,
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having that one o 'clock, two o 'clock, or if
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you're at your lunch, just make that your reminder.
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Hey, what am I carrying from the beginning of
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my day? Hey God, take this from me. I lay this
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at your feet. And even just maybe writing it
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down and throwing it in the trash. And that way
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it's more symbolic and you're actually doing
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it. And that way you can just walk into the next
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part of your day. And that's why I take that
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breath, that time in the afternoon to do a workout.
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Now I will say that I've slapped off on my morning
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or my afternoon workouts because my time with
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Dia is important. So she's back in school now.
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And so instead of coming home for lunch just
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to check on her or taking her to a friend's house
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during lunchtime. So my time with her is so important.
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And so I work out in the mornings anyway. And
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so I'll get back to my routine. But it's just
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that pause of taking that drive, still talking
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to him even on my lunch whenever I'm driving
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home. But it's such that pause. And so I'm refreshed
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for that second part of my day. And so third,
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return at night. And so before sleep, looking
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back with God. And so where do you notice grace?
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Where did you notice a rush? Where did you notice
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your resistance? You're not grading yourself,
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but you're practicing awareness. And so before
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I go to bed at night, we walk through our day.
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We walk through all the great things and, hey,
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I have a question about this. Hey, I need, I
15:52
would like an answer about that. And just lay
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it at his feet and just talk to him. And these
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rhythms are not magical. They do not earn favor.
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They just simply help us return our attention
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to the one that is already present. And if you
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miss the morning, don't. It didn't turn out to
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be a misrhythm and turns into three weeks of
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avoidance. Come back at lunch. Come back in your
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car. Come back while you're folding laundry.
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The invitation is, it remains and grace always
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leaves the door open. And so we hope that this
16:23
message encouraged you. And so there are some
16:25
workbook questions at our website, fosteringfaithmedia
16:28
.com. And so we hope that website also too is
16:31
a great opportunity for you guys to print those
16:35
workbook pages out and just kind of look through
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them. And so where are you hurrying and making
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your spiritual life more shallow? What fruit
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are you trying to force? What might God be pruning
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off of you? What are daily moments that you could
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live and abide in? And so what are these things
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that are allowing you guys time? And so choose
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one rhythm, not 10, and faithfully show up every
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day. And so faithfulness grows through small
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obedience. And I have my screensaver on there,
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and I think it's Galatians 6. It was like small
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steps equal big gains. And so it's just that
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daily obedience. And so even just with a diet,
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with rhythms of life and exercise, it's obedience.
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It's showing up. It's those small walks. It's
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those small gains that you're going to have over
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a repeated time. That's what's going to transform
17:28
you. That's what's going to do all this. And
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so let's pray. Jesus, thank you so much for everything.
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Jesus, you are the vine and we are the branches.
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Forgive us for trying to create apart from you
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what we can only grow through connection with
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you. We surrender our hurry, our self -reliance,
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our need to prove that we are doing enough. Teach
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us to remain. Give us courage to release what
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you are trying to prune and patience to trust
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the healing and hidden works of our roots. Let
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our lives bear the fruit that looks like your
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character. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
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goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self
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-control. Root in us and build us up. In Jesus'
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name I pray. Amen. And so thank you so much for
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spending time with us today. If this episode
18:15
encouraged you, share it with somebody whose
18:18
soul is running on tired. Follow the podcast,
18:21
leave a review, visit Fostering Faith Media.
18:23
for a companion reflection in our sources. If
18:26
you sign up for email, we send out emails. There's
18:29
weekly blogs on there. There is the connection
18:32
guide. There's all these things. And so next
18:35
week, we're going to be talking about what happens
18:36
when the Word of God moves from the page into
18:41
the deepest parts of us. And so until then, stay
18:44
rooted, stay close to Jesus, and have a wonderful
18:47
week. We love you guys. Bye.