Latest / Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast / Faith Without Works is Dead: Putting Faith Into Action | James 2:18-26

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Faith Without Works is Dead: Putting Faith Into Action | James 2:18-26 · Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, hello.
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  SPEAKER_00: Are you listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast episode 117?
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  SPEAKER_00: This week's devotional is titled Faith Without Works is Dead, Putting Faith into Action, James 2, 18 through 26.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: Let's go.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, I'm Jesse Morgan.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: My journey in love for Jesus Christ, my Savior.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hawk Podcast.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: This is a weekly devotional I started back in May 2024.
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  SPEAKER_00: But the inspiration for it came much earlier.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born four months early in 2023.
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  SPEAKER_00: Through that challenging time, God worked in ways that truly amazed me.
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  SPEAKER_00: On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith woven together with Scripture to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted, and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Let's all pray within.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Hello everyone.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to the podcast.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: We are continuing our study of James, and our focus this week is James 2, 18 through 26.
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  SPEAKER_00: This week we're talking about faith and what it looks like when that faith becomes visible in our lives.
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  SPEAKER_00: And um James, in the book of James, it makes this point, very famous point, that faith without works is dead.
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  SPEAKER_00: The verse that stands out to me the most, though, that really touched me this week is verse 18, which says in the NIV version, but someone will say, You have faith, I have deeds.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now let's be clear, we cannot earn salvation by being impressive, doing enough good deeds, or checking every religious box there is.
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  SPEAKER_00: We need Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: But when we put our trust in Him, that faith should begin shaping how we live, how we treat people, how we respond when things get difficult, how we obey, um, even when we don't know what will happen next.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: And that made me think, you know, about a season in my life when I had to put some action behind what I believed.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: So let me take you back to 2009.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I'm telling my age a little bit here.
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  SPEAKER_00: I was graduating from the University of Alabama, and the job market was rough.
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  SPEAKER_00: I had studied retail and I wanted to begin a career in my field.
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  SPEAKER_00: But with everything happening in the economy, I started thinking maybe I should stay in Tuscaloosa for a couple more years and get my MBA.
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  SPEAKER_00: My parents were supportive of it.
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  SPEAKER_00: I applied, took the admissions exam, and thought that might be my next step.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well, let me tell you something, let me tell you something about me.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm putting putting it all out there.
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  SPEAKER_00: Standardized tests have never been my thing.
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  SPEAKER_00: Never been my thing.
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  SPEAKER_00: I could study, do well in regular classes, maintain a strong GPA, but put me in front of one of those big tests that can decide something big in your life, that just is oh so overwhelming.
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  SPEAKER_00: So even my driving test, I failed it twice because I was so nervous.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: And before anyone says anything, no, I am not a bad driver.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: I have not had I had I haven't been in an accident in 20 years.
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  SPEAKER_00: So when my you know my exam for this MBA program came back, they weren't what I needed to get in.
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  SPEAKER_00: And that graduate school plan didn't work out, and I had to move home after graduation.
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  SPEAKER_00: And my mom said, Okay, Jess, you need to get a job.
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  SPEAKER_00: And she was being practical.
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  SPEAKER_00: She knew the economy was struggling.
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  SPEAKER_00: She encouraged me to consider different kinds of work, something to help me get started while the market was difficult.
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  SPEAKER_00: But remember, but I remember telling my mom, I said, Mom, I want a job in my field.
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  SPEAKER_00: I went to school for retail management and merchandising.
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  SPEAKER_00: I want to give, I want to give this a real chance.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, saying that was one thing.
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  SPEAKER_00: Doing something about it was another.
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  SPEAKER_00: I applied everywhere.
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  SPEAKER_00: I updated my resume, I reached out to people, I walked into stores, I kept looking for opportunities.
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  SPEAKER_00: Eventually I got a freelance job or freelance work with a place called Winston Retail.
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  SPEAKER_00: I visited optical stores, worked with eyewear displays, took pictures, checked inventory, and built relationships with the people working there.
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  SPEAKER_00: Was it my dream job?
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  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely not.
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  SPEAKER_00: The pay was modest, I didn't have health insurance through the job, I wasn't getting reimbursed for gas, but I was gaining experience in my field and I kept showing up.
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  SPEAKER_00: While I was doing that, I kept applying.
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  SPEAKER_00: And then a friend one day connected me with an interview at a brand called Mac Studio for like a retail like coordinator position.
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  SPEAKER_00: I interviewed with the man in July of 20 of 2009, and then I heard nothing.
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  SPEAKER_00: One month went by, then another month, three months, four months went by.
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  SPEAKER_00: And by that point, I thought, okay, maybe that opportunity is not going to happen.
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  SPEAKER_00: So I kept going.
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  SPEAKER_00: I kept working, I kept looking for other opportunities.
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  SPEAKER_00: And then around November, I got the call.
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  SPEAKER_00: They offered me a full-time position.
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  SPEAKER_00: I was so excited.
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  SPEAKER_00: I had a steady income.
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  SPEAKER_00: I had my own health insurance.
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  SPEAKER_00: Um, I remember I could, what else?
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  SPEAKER_00: I could contribute towards groceries at home and handle more of my own expenses.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I bought my first car.
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  SPEAKER_00: So I stayed in that job for about two and a half years.
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  SPEAKER_00: It became an important stepping stone towards my career at Macy's and eventually my career in tech.
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  SPEAKER_00: And looking back, you know, I see um how can I say, looking back, I see that I believed an opportunity was possible.
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  SPEAKER_00: And my actions reflected that belief.
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  SPEAKER_00: I didn't just say, I believe I'm going to find something and then stopped applying.
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  SPEAKER_00: I kept preparing, I kept connecting, I kept doing work that wasn't exactly what I wanted because it was helping me move forward.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, getting a job and following Jesus are two different things.
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  SPEAKER_00: Let me just put that out there.
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  SPEAKER_00: And determination doesn't guarantee that every opportunity would turn out the way that we hope.
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  SPEAKER_00: But that experience helps me understand this question.
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  SPEAKER_00: If I say I believe something, how does that belief show up in what I do every day?
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  SPEAKER_00: And that's the question I want us to bring into our walk with Christ.
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  SPEAKER_00: We say we trust God, but are we willing to follow his directions no matter what?
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  SPEAKER_00: We say we believe he calls us to love others, but what happens when someone is inconvenient, difficult, or needs something from us?
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  SPEAKER_00: We say we believe in forgiveness, but are we willing to really take the step forward to forgive?
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  SPEAKER_00: And then in James chapter two, it points it points to Abraham and Rahab.
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  SPEAKER_00: People whose trust in God showed up in whatever they did.
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  SPEAKER_00: Um, their faith involved action, even when obedience carried a cost.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I'm referring to verse 23 for Abraham and verse 25 for Rahab and chapter 2 of James.
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  SPEAKER_00: And you know, all that it just matters because sometimes we think, I accepted Jesus.
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  SPEAKER_00: Why is life still so hard?
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  SPEAKER_00: And being a child of God does not mean every day will be easy.
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  SPEAKER_00: It will not be, you know, cute little rainbows and candy.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's not going to be that way.
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  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, you can love the Lord and still experience disappointment.
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  SPEAKER_00: It happens.
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  SPEAKER_00: You can pray and still have to wait.
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  SPEAKER_00: You can obey and still walk through a really tough season in your life.
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  SPEAKER_00: Difficulty does not, you know, automatically mean your faith is weak or that you don't have enough, that you haven't done enough.
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  SPEAKER_00: But even in difficulty, we can ask, Lord, what does faithfulness look like right now, today?
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  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it looks like opening your Bible when you rather scroll through it or rush through it.
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  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it looks like apologizing without making excuses.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it looks like helping someone when there is nothing in it for you.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it looks like taking a responsible next step while trusting God with the outcome.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I think about a time also in my life when I was a beauty director at Macy's, and I covered 14 stores and managed those businesses.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: And that job was demanding.
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  SPEAKER_00: That job was seven days a week.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I was off weekends, but it was seven days a week.
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  SPEAKER_00: I got nonstop calls and emails and everything.
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  SPEAKER_00: And there were always visits, there were reports, recruiting, coaching, business analysis, and messages coming in throughout the week and weekend, even when I'm in church.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was crazy.
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  SPEAKER_00: And yes, though, there were perks to the job.
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  SPEAKER_00: The amount of fragrance and cosmetics that I got as gifts was insane.
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  SPEAKER_00: And let me tell you, they were wonderful.
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  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely wonderful.
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  SPEAKER_00: But having that title and having that job didn't mean I could stop participating in the work.
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  SPEAKER_00: That reminds me that faith is meant, you know, to be lived.
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  SPEAKER_00: We don't simply claim the name Christian and then leave Jesus out of our daily decisions.
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  SPEAKER_00: We spend time with him.
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  SPEAKER_00: We need to spend time, we need to pray.
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  SPEAKER_00: We learn from his word and we fellowship with other believers.
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  SPEAKER_00: And we let what we learn change how we treat people.
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  SPEAKER_00: We're not working, you know, for a promotion into God's love.
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  SPEAKER_00: In Christ, we're already loved, we're already hired, and we are growing in our relationship with God who loves us unconditionally.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: And there is always more, you know, I feel to learn, more room to grow in patience, generosity, humility, and and uh what's the last word I wanted to say?
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Trust.
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  SPEAKER_00: So this week, I want you to think about one area where your faith needs to, you know, become action.
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  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there is somebody you need to encourage, maybe there is an apology you need to make.
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  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've been talking about spending time with God, and today is the day you actually set aside the time and spend that time with your savior.
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  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you already know the next, you know, faithful step, but you've been waiting until it feels like the right moment.
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  SPEAKER_00: It feels comfortable.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ask God to help you take that moment.
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  SPEAKER_00: You do not have to have every answer, you do not have to know how the whole story ends, but you can respond to him today.
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  SPEAKER_00: Because living faith reaches beyond just words.
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  SPEAKER_00: It shapes our choices, it shapes our lives, our decisions.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: And just to remember again, James 2, 26, in the NIV version, it says, as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's just so powerful verse.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: I love you all.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the study of James.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for just making us and challenging us to live the life that we're supposed to live through you, Lord, after we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: Help us to take our faith and put it into actions, Lord, to glorify you.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: You've done so much for us, Lord, and we so appreciate it.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: And us as your children, we need to reciprocate and always include you in every single moment of our daily lives.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Father, thank you for the study of James as we continue it.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: Bless everyone who took the chance to listen to this.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: Father, I love you and I praise you, Lord, in Jesus' name.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Love you all.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: Till next time.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that wraps up this week's episode.
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  SPEAKER_00: I hope these devotions help you draw closer to God each day.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who might need the same message.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a weekly episode.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: Also, if you feek if you feel compelled, leaving a nice review would be so appreciated as well.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: For more information or to reach out, check the show notes or visit jessymorganhome.com or find me on Instagram at Jessimorganlife.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, God's timing is always perfect.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Keep trusting him.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, this is Jessie Morgan praying off.