Better Together

Healing Begins with the Heart - Episode 941

August 11, 2025 | S6 E941 | 52:34

God created us to flourish--spirit, heart, mind, and body! Being healed and whole begins with checking the "soil" in the garden of our hearts. When we allow God's love and truth to inform our emotions and transform our minds, we experience healing and freedom. | TBN Prayer Line: 714-731-1000

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Better Together | Healing Begins with the Heart - Episode 941 | August 11, 2025

- god created each one of us mind, body, and spirit,
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And he cares for every part of our being.
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His plan for us to live healthy and whole,
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Begins with a healed heart.
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Come on, let's talk about it.
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(music playing)
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- so i'm a trauma therapist because i was raised with an
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Older sister who had a mental illness.
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And we had no idea what was happening to her.
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She started having very heavy symptoms when i was about 7
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And she was about 11 or 12.
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She's waking up in the middle of the night screaming because
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She's hallucinating that demons are standing in the
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Door of the bedroom that we shared.
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So, this was incredibly horrible for her,
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But horrible for me.
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And then we're pastor's kids.
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So, my parents are coming in the middle of the night
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Hearing the screaming.
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They're praying until she doesn't see the demon anymore,
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But it kept coming back.
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And so, it took a while for us to realize like something else
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Must be happening because you know we know how to cast the
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Devil out, right?
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[laughing] and so, we're getting this done.
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And so about a year after the hallucinations started,
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They stopped.
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And we thought, oh, god did it.
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But it turned out that actually she had started using
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Drugs.
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And she found out that the drugs made the torment of
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Those hallucinations go away.
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And so of course, as a kid, how do you resist that?
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And so, she got addicted to drugs,
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Had a very difficult life and one day i was talking to my
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Mom, and she was crying about just what's happening to my
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Daughter.
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And she looked at me and she's like,
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I know something's wrong with valerie.
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That was her name, that we can't seem to fix.
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But i still want to understand it in my bible.
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And that just went into my teenage heart like, god,
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One day i want that answer.
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So i went to school, and i became a therapist.
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I learned all the academic stuff.
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But i still wanted to know what does the bible say?
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And so god began to lead me.
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So i was doing a bible study one summer,
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About 20 years ago of romans.
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And in romans 1:20, i came across the verse romans 120
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That says that which may be known about god is clearly
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Seen in the things that he.
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And it turns out that i was also starting my first
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Neuroscience class at that time.
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And so it was just the holy spirit lined it up.
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The next day after i saw that verse,
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I saw what a neuron looked like for the first time,
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And i'm going to show this to you guys.
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You guys have to see this.
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Look at this.
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On this side is a neuron, right?
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That's a nerve cell.
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Our brain and all of our nervous system are made up of
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These neurons, and these neurons like pass information
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Between them to form our thoughts.
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But then look at this.
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It looks like a plant.
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Now, if we really believe in god, like we say we do,
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The creator, the god of our sunday school book, right?
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That did noah's ark and jonah got swallowed by a fish.
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Then i have to believe that when he made plants on day 3
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And us on day 6, and put all these tiny plants inside of
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Us, that he not only planted the garden for us.
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He planted a garden within us.
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To teach us what it means to be whole,
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To teach us what it really means,
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Because i don't think we've really understood it.
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And so isaiah 58:11, that's a verse i want to share this
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Morning.
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It says, and the lord will guide you continually and
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Satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your
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Bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden.
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Like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
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And i was just like, thank you, god.
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To be whole is to be a garden.
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That plant is the mind.
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The seed is the spirit.
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The fruit is what we do, but the soil.
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- i like that.
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- where is that spirit, mind, body planted?
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The soil is the heart.
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Today i got to share an illustration with you all that
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Changes my life again every time i see it.
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It was this one.
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In this illustration, this is a neuron.
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You have billions of these planted all over your body.
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These are the building blocks of your thoughts,
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Of your mind.
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And look, it looks like a seedling, like a plant.
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If you really believe, that god created the heavens and
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The earth, and you.
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If you really believe that he had animals walking into an
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Ark 2 by 2 and closed the door himself.
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If you really believe that a big fish swallowed a guy named
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Jonah.
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Then you have got to believe that the creator did this on
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Purpose.
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To teach us about how god made us.
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And so knowing now that the elements of your mind are
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These tiny plants, you have to then recognize the bible says
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The soil is the heart.
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If i am going to be like a tree planted by rivers of
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Water, that whose leaf doesn't wither and who bears fruit in
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Season, the thing about that tree is where it's planted.
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The soil of your heart is critical,
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And we have been taught to see our emotions so badly,
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And yes, i know there's that one verse that says the heart
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Is desperately wicked.
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But there's also another verse that said,
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I'll give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.
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Why does it say heart before it says spirit?
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Because the heart is the spirit is the seed.
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I need the soil to be good, the heart,
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And then the spirit, the seed gets planted there.
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Jesus, the seed wants to fall into the soil of our hearts.
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You have to bring heart to the center.
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So from now on every time you have an issue,
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I don't like this feeling, emotions are bad,
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Emotions are weak.
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I want you to remember that god called your heart soil,
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And that includes your feelings.
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And that that is a special place to god.
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It is a sacred seed bed where the words of god are sown.
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Your heart matters so much.
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And just like we water soil on a regular basis,
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Your heart will need care on a regular basis, and that's ok.
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God created you that way.
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And it's a good thing because everything he made was good.
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- and i like how the you know analogy from the plant to the
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Neuron is really good because when you think about god it
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Says all things were created by him.
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There's nothing new under the sun and so i do believe that
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What we see in the natural is just a replication of those
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Things out in the spiritual arena.
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Why would he create a whole another system, right?
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He only created himself.
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And put himself in the earth and so everything we see
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Really has some kind of alignment to the spiritual
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Application.
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So you got sign and you got bible.
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So i really appreciate you really for going into the
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Field that you've gone into because so many of us do not
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Understand spiritual principles or not even
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Interested sometimes in the spiritual application when it
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Comes to our mental health.
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You know, but we wanna go to science,
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But we don't realize that the great counselor, you know,
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Is right here in the word jesus himself and so i,
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I think that's beautiful.
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I mean, come on, the garden within.
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Everything we will ever need is on the inside of us.
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And i didn't have a clue of that when i first, you know,
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Received jesus christ as.
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Because i was all over the place.
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I mean mentally, emotionally and everything.
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I had no clue of what no neuroscience, you know,
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Happened to be.
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It's like i just felt like i was crazy.
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I needed help.
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[laughing]
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I'm sad.
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I'm depressed and i diagnosed myself in most cases,
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You know.
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It's like i was just sad and so unproductive in life
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Because i didn't even have-- i didn't even give myself an
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Opportunity to think that i could be something better or
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Be something, you know, different.
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I thought i was just stuck and so no doubt that your sister
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Probably felt like she was stuck.
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Like she couldn't come out of it like this is gonna be her
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Life and when she found something that would,
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You know, comfort her or at least in her mind take it
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Away.
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And that's what you just succumb to.
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But thank god that we have the word, right?
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That we can put this word on and become solid in who he is
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And just relax in that, so.
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- as a trauma specialist when i mean that illustration is
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Really powerful when you see what happens to a plant.
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I mean a plant can be destroyed.
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A plant can be-- so how do you help someone who comes to you,
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Who has experienced trauma?
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How do you combine everything you've learned with the word
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Of god?
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- by looking at this garden, trauma is an earthquake.
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It shakes the ground.
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And so since we know that the ground is the soil,
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Is the heart.
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I want to go straight to talking about where we are
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Emotionally and what's happening in our bodies,
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Because if the soil is the heart and the creator made our
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Body from that same soil.
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Our emotions and our bodies are at the base.
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And so we start out just talking about how are you
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Feeling?
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We push our emotions aside so much and they are central to
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What it means to be whole.
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So we want to work on healing the heart,
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Healing the--
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- it's interesting because i remember i've talked
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About this before, but i spent a month in a
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Psychiatric hospital and i remember in one of the first
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Sessions.
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The doctor had this chart with all these different emotions
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And asked me which ones i most identified with.
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I didn't identify with any of them.
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I was like, none.
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But it's interesting how sometimes you can just shut
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Down.
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And what i discovered is you, you can't just shut down pain.
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You shut down joy as well.
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- that's it.
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- and that's been this incredible journey for me,
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Learning to face what's true, and then experiencing a joy
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That i never knew as well.
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- experiencing what is true.
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- yeah.
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- the truth will-- - set you free.
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- will set you free, but the truth of god's word,
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You're talking about everything that we have is on the inside
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Of us because he is the vine.
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We are the branches, we're in him, he's in us.
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Supposed to be a garden, healed, whole, emotionally,
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Physically, financially, social, mind, body, spirit.
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All the way around and i think so many people feel broken
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Sometimes with me.
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I think my spirit is the most-- strongest thing i've
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Got going.
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[laughing] - but it should be.
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- it should be.
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And so i'm thankful for that, but it's like i need my mind.
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And my body to line up.
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To what my spirit says, my soul,
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What god's word that is on the inside of me that i know that
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I know that i know, but so many times i'll just go, stop.
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Just stop.
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- but that's good.
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- right, stop thinking about what's going on in my mind.
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When they say the battlefield is your mind,
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That's exactly what's happening because what you
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Think about, however a man thinks.
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- so is he.
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- when you're messed up in your mind thinking about the
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Wrong things.
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Thinking about the things that aren't lovely, aren't pure,
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Aren't holy, aren't right, the fruit of the spirit.
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All those good things that we're supposed to think about
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When we're not doing that, we're wreaking havoc here.
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God has given us our bodies, god has given us our souls and
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Our minds.
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It's up to us to take care.
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To mount guard and garrison over our minds,
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Our thought life, everything about us,
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That's why we need to eat right, we need to exercise.
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We need to do all the things for the physical body,
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And then we need to turn our hearts over to god.
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Our souls and cast down imaginations in our minds.
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That's how we stay at peace.
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He says, you keep your mind state on me,
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I'll keep you in perfect peace.
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- so we often just say mind, but the culture loves the
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Mind.
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It's narrowed all of our vision to be thinking mind,
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Mind, mind.
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The bible says heart so many more times than it says mind.
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And so it's that heart mind.
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Even you said like where we're thinking,
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If your mind is a plant.
00:12:10.309 --> 00:12:12.444
And your heart is the soil when a plant is wilting.
00:12:12.444 --> 00:12:14.914
What do you do?
00:12:14.914 --> 00:12:17.016
- you water it.
00:12:17.016 --> 00:12:17.917
- you water--do you water the plant?
00:12:17.917 --> 00:12:19.051
- soil.
00:12:19.051 --> 00:12:19.718
- we water the soil.
00:12:19.718 --> 00:12:21.053
- if a plant needs fertilizer, nutrients, where do we put it?
00:12:21.053 --> 00:12:24.223
- in the soil.
00:12:24.223 --> 00:12:26.458
And so very often we're wrestling with our minds.
00:12:25.257 --> 00:12:28.093
We really need to just stop and ask yourself how we're
00:12:28.093 --> 00:12:30.296
Feeling.
00:12:30.296 --> 00:12:31.630
What's happening in the heart, what's happening in the soil.
00:12:31.630 --> 00:12:34.633
My mind is running because i'm scared.
00:12:34.633 --> 00:12:36.569
My mind is running because i'm mad.
00:12:36.569 --> 00:12:39.171
So it's like if i get down to how i'm feeling and work
00:12:39.171 --> 00:12:41.574
Through that, the mind can start to clear.
00:12:41.574 --> 00:12:43.776
When we talk about being whole,
00:12:43.776 --> 00:12:46.345
It's important for us to pay attention to all of our parts.
00:12:46.345 --> 00:12:49.315
And very often we talk about the mind, the body, the soul.
00:12:49.315 --> 00:12:52.484
But we leave out the word heart.
00:12:52.484 --> 00:12:54.420
Even though the word heart appears in the bible like
00:12:54.420 --> 00:12:57.089
Close to 1000 times.
00:12:57.089 --> 00:12:59.024
And the word mind closer to 100 times.
00:12:59.024 --> 00:13:01.694
We emphasize mind and leave the heart out entirely.
00:13:01.694 --> 00:13:04.763
But the heart is so important.
00:13:04.763 --> 00:13:06.232
It's literally the soil in the garden of our lives.
00:13:06.232 --> 00:13:09.902
In the parable of the sower, jesus shows us that he says
00:13:09.902 --> 00:13:12.538
That a sower went out and so the seeds everywhere and they
00:13:12.538 --> 00:13:15.307
Fell on different types of soil.
00:13:15.307 --> 00:13:17.776
And that soil was indeed the heart.
00:13:17.776 --> 00:13:19.812
Your emotional life matters.
00:13:19.812 --> 00:13:21.914
So when we talk about spirit, heart, mind, body,
00:13:21.914 --> 00:13:25.184
Or behavior.
00:13:25.184 --> 00:13:26.485
We really are learning from the garden seed, soil, plant,
00:13:26.485 --> 00:13:30.556
Fruit.
00:13:30.556 --> 00:13:31.423
The seed is spirit.
00:13:31.423 --> 00:13:32.658
The words of god, going into the soil of our hearts,
00:13:32.658 --> 00:13:35.761
The plant that springs up, that's our mind,
00:13:35.761 --> 00:13:37.997
That's our thoughts.
00:13:37.997 --> 00:13:39.331
They're being informed by the seed of the spirit and then it
00:13:39.331 --> 00:13:42.134
Produces a fruit.
00:13:42.134 --> 00:13:43.469
But that plant is dead, except that it's planted in the soil
00:13:43.469 --> 00:13:47.673
Of the heart.
00:13:47.673 --> 00:13:48.574
So when you think about getting well,
00:13:48.574 --> 00:13:50.376
When you think about being whole.
00:13:50.376 --> 00:13:51.877
Think about being a flourishing garden.
00:13:51.877 --> 00:13:54.847
Isaiah 58:11 says that that's what god has for us to make us
00:13:54.847 --> 00:13:58.984
A watered garden seed, soil, plant, fruit, spirit, heart,
00:13:58.984 --> 00:14:05.090
Mind, body, you cannot change one without it affecting the
00:14:05.090 --> 00:14:09.728
Others.
00:14:09.728 --> 00:14:10.796
So stop thinking about your parts separately.
00:14:10.796 --> 00:14:12.398
My mind's over here.
00:14:12.398 --> 00:14:13.565
I need to put my heart over there.
00:14:13.565 --> 00:14:15.067
My spirit is here.
00:14:15.067 --> 00:14:16.335
That's not how we were made.
00:14:16.335 --> 00:14:17.670
We are one flourishing system.
00:14:17.670 --> 00:14:20.372
Seed, soil, plant, fruit, spirit, heart, mind, body.
00:14:20.372 --> 00:14:26.178
- this whole journey of caring for the whole person, body,
00:14:26.178 --> 00:14:30.182
Mind, and spirit has been really,
00:14:30.182 --> 00:14:32.618
It's been a journey for me, understanding that god wants
00:14:32.618 --> 00:14:35.587
Us to be whole.
00:14:35.587 --> 00:14:36.789
Just as, you know, we think of that this father, son,
00:14:36.789 --> 00:14:39.725
And holy spirit.
00:14:39.725 --> 00:14:40.960
That they are this perfect trilogy, this perfect union.
00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:44.396
And that god has made us in such a way that he wants us to
00:14:44.396 --> 00:14:47.633
Be fully integrated.
00:14:47.633 --> 00:14:49.702
You know, we can't have a healthy mind if we ignore our
00:14:49.702 --> 00:14:52.137
Body.
00:14:52.137 --> 00:14:53.439
We can't have a healthy body if we don't take care of what
00:14:53.439 --> 00:14:56.709
We're eating and all the different things.
00:14:56.709 --> 00:14:58.644
So i think it shows us that god cares about our homes.
00:14:58.644 --> 00:15:02.214
You are made in his image, and he loves every part of you and
00:15:02.214 --> 00:15:05.651
When you're able to bring it all together.
00:15:05.651 --> 00:15:07.319
Then i think we see a tiny picture of what god our father
00:15:07.319 --> 00:15:11.190
Is like.
00:15:11.190 --> 00:15:11.890
(music playing)
00:15:11.890 --> 00:15:13.392
- let's keep the conversation going.
00:15:13.392 --> 00:15:14.827
- connect with us on social media and share your favorite
00:15:14.827 --> 00:15:18.063
Moments from today.
00:15:18.063 --> 00:15:19.798
- we are better together because of you.
00:15:19.798 --> 00:15:22.368
- let's keep the conversation going.
00:15:23.202 --> 00:15:24.603
You can find the better together podcast on your
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Favorite listening platform.
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Subscribe today.
00:15:28.974 --> 00:15:30.442
(music playing)
00:15:30.442 --> 00:15:33.001
(music playing)
00:15:33.001 --> 00:15:36.394
- what laurie was saying that i think is so good is we know
00:15:36.394 --> 00:15:39.697
If we looked in a mirror, right.
00:15:39.697 --> 00:15:42.433
We would see ourselves, we see our faces.
00:15:42.433 --> 00:15:44.869
We'd see that's what a mirror does, it reflects who you are.
00:15:44.869 --> 00:15:49.140
And in our spirit, the thing that reflects who we are when
00:15:49.140 --> 00:15:52.510
We're not sure everything else in our world could be going
00:15:52.510 --> 00:15:56.380
Crazy.
00:15:56.380 --> 00:15:57.581
But the word of god is our is our mirror of who we are,
00:15:57.581 --> 00:16:01.919
Who god says we are.
00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:03.354
We are more than conquerors.
00:16:03.354 --> 00:16:05.523
We are made for priestly work.
00:16:05.523 --> 00:16:08.359
We, you know, all of those things that it says we are,
00:16:08.359 --> 00:16:10.361
And we have to align all the crazy going on in our world
00:16:10.361 --> 00:16:15.199
When we're looking in the mirror going.
00:16:15.199 --> 00:16:16.700
Like this morning, for instance.
00:16:16.700 --> 00:16:20.438
I was a little haggard before i got here and had some great,
00:16:20.438 --> 00:16:24.075
Uh, hair and makeup people working on me and that could
00:16:24.075 --> 00:16:27.478
Be a reflection of what's really going on in my life,
00:16:27.478 --> 00:16:29.513
But who i am and my spirit, this is the mirror.
00:16:29.513 --> 00:16:32.550
This tells me who i am when i, when my mind,
00:16:32.550 --> 00:16:35.719
When my body wants to tell me a different story.
00:16:35.719 --> 00:16:38.689
I can look and say, no, this is, this is who i am.
00:16:38.689 --> 00:16:42.193
But it's being planted in that good soil.
00:16:42.193 --> 00:16:46.163
When we talk about being healthy in mind,
00:16:46.163 --> 00:16:48.466
Body and soul, and how does that relate to our christian
00:16:48.466 --> 00:16:51.936
Life?
00:16:51.936 --> 00:16:52.603
How do we walk that out?
00:16:52.603 --> 00:16:54.004
I think it's really important.
00:16:54.004 --> 00:16:55.306
We talked in our conversations earlier that the word of god
00:16:55.306 --> 00:16:59.076
Is our mirror.
00:16:59.076 --> 00:17:00.277
When we read the words that christ has written to us,
00:17:00.277 --> 00:17:04.482
That god provided for our roadmap in life.
00:17:04.482 --> 00:17:08.185
It tells us who we are.
00:17:08.185 --> 00:17:10.087
We find our identity from reading the word.
00:17:10.087 --> 00:17:13.257
And so in colossians 3, it says,
00:17:13.257 --> 00:17:15.793
Set your mind on the things above,
00:17:15.793 --> 00:17:18.329
Not on the things that are on earth.
00:17:18.329 --> 00:17:20.464
For you have died and your life is hidden with christ and
00:17:20.464 --> 00:17:23.267
God.
00:17:23.267 --> 00:17:24.301
When christ, who is our life is revealed,
00:17:24.301 --> 00:17:26.804
Then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
00:17:26.804 --> 00:17:29.940
So when we start thinking about the word as our mirror
00:17:29.940 --> 00:17:33.611
And who we are and how do we walk out.
00:17:33.611 --> 00:17:35.379
And mind, body, spirit.
00:17:35.379 --> 00:17:36.914
So how do we do that healthily?
00:17:36.914 --> 00:17:38.282
It's because we remember we don't set our things our mind
00:17:38.282 --> 00:17:42.052
On things on earth.
00:17:42.052 --> 00:17:43.287
We have to set our mind on things above.
00:17:43.287 --> 00:17:46.257
And when we are given the mind of christ,
00:17:46.257 --> 00:17:48.459
We can walk out all of life's disappointments.
00:17:48.459 --> 00:17:51.395
All of life's distractions.
00:17:51.395 --> 00:17:52.596
We can set our mind and our heart on things above.
00:17:52.596 --> 00:17:55.933
And our heart, our mind, our soul body will follow in
00:17:55.933 --> 00:17:59.603
Health.
00:17:59.603 --> 00:18:01.405
- so many people don't realize that they are created in the
00:18:01.405 --> 00:18:05.042
Image of god.
00:18:05.042 --> 00:18:06.210
What we have done we have created god in our image so
00:18:06.210 --> 00:18:09.446
We've looked at him like, ok, you just gonna be who i need
00:18:09.446 --> 00:18:13.551
You to be.
00:18:13.551 --> 00:18:14.852
And not even realize that he's created us already whole and
00:18:14.852 --> 00:18:18.022
Complete.
00:18:18.022 --> 00:18:19.290
You know, in him, but i like this thing you were talking
00:18:19.290 --> 00:18:22.493
About even with our emotions.
00:18:22.493 --> 00:18:24.562
I do, i believe so many of us ignore that.
00:18:24.562 --> 00:18:28.065
There is this system this whole; think and feel,
00:18:28.065 --> 00:18:30.734
You know, cycle that we go through we think and we feel.
00:18:30.734 --> 00:18:34.572
We think and we feel.
00:18:34.572 --> 00:18:35.573
We feel and we think.
00:18:35.573 --> 00:18:36.974
And you don't even realize that your body has memory.
00:18:36.974 --> 00:18:41.378
So your body has a recall system in it where we feel a
00:18:41.378 --> 00:18:45.516
Certain thing it's like when you encounter someone right
00:18:45.516 --> 00:18:49.086
Who have done you wrong or said something to you wrong.
00:18:49.086 --> 00:18:52.056
It's like you don't automatically always think
00:18:52.056 --> 00:18:54.391
About what they say.
00:18:54.391 --> 00:18:55.626
You feel it.
00:18:55.626 --> 00:18:56.927
It's like it's a feeling that comes over you and it causes
00:18:56.927 --> 00:19:00.231
You to respond.
00:19:00.231 --> 00:19:01.498
So it's a think, feel and act.
00:19:01.498 --> 00:19:03.467
It's a think, feel, and act.
00:19:03.467 --> 00:19:04.802
Or feel, think, and act.
00:19:04.802 --> 00:19:06.103
It just, it's a cycle that keeps us locked in and if we
00:19:06.103 --> 00:19:09.139
Don't renew our mind in this word, to think about god.
00:19:09.139 --> 00:19:15.346
I need to uproot some of those old neurons.
00:19:15.346 --> 00:19:19.650
Close off some of those old paths that are in our brain so
00:19:19.650 --> 00:19:24.388
We could just think god laid everything out for us.
00:19:24.388 --> 00:19:28.492
He created everything we would ever need in his word.
00:19:28.492 --> 00:19:32.863
He has written everything was written afore time for our
00:19:32.863 --> 00:19:36.934
Learning that we can have peace in him and so for him to
00:19:36.934 --> 00:19:40.704
Tell us, ok, all of that old belief system you've had.
00:19:40.704 --> 00:19:44.475
Let's uproot that.
00:19:44.475 --> 00:19:46.010
Let's get rid of that.
00:19:46.010 --> 00:19:47.144
Let's think about this word.
00:19:47.144 --> 00:19:49.246
Become me.
00:19:49.246 --> 00:19:50.481
Have the mind of me so we won't have to think about all
00:19:50.481 --> 00:19:53.250
Of the traumas, you know, that we have experienced.
00:19:53.250 --> 00:19:55.953
I don't know about you because all i mean i know i would say
00:19:55.953 --> 00:19:59.356
Most people have been traumatized in some form or
00:19:59.356 --> 00:20:02.426
Fashion.
00:20:02.426 --> 00:20:03.727
When we learn how to process it and filter everything we go
00:20:03.727 --> 00:20:07.598
Through and everything we feel through the word and we always
00:20:07.598 --> 00:20:11.435
Come out on other side the right way.
00:20:11.435 --> 00:20:14.204
But that's the challenge sometimes because people see
00:20:14.204 --> 00:20:17.107
Themselves when they don't see themselves.
00:20:17.107 --> 00:20:19.176
They read the scripture to hear,
00:20:19.176 --> 00:20:21.078
Ok god i'm looking at myself this is a mirror it should be
00:20:21.078 --> 00:20:24.481
A reflection of who i am.
00:20:24.481 --> 00:20:26.083
But i don't see me.
00:20:26.083 --> 00:20:28.185
I, so how do we switch from that to just see us in here?
00:20:28.185 --> 00:20:34.658
- one of the things i love about your whole garden
00:20:34.658 --> 00:20:37.027
Analogy, i think back to the very beginning.
00:20:37.027 --> 00:20:38.829
To adam and eve when the garden was perfect.
00:20:38.829 --> 00:20:42.299
There was nothing wrong there and there was nothing wrong in
00:20:42.299 --> 00:20:45.002
Adam and eve.
00:20:45.002 --> 00:20:45.669
There was nothing.
00:20:45.669 --> 00:20:46.370
And the minute they sin.
00:20:46.370 --> 00:20:48.939
That's where shame enters and they hide.
00:20:48.939 --> 00:20:51.175
But i love the question.
00:20:51.175 --> 00:20:52.509
It makes me think about what you said,
00:20:52.509 --> 00:20:53.844
What god said to them, where are you?
00:20:53.844 --> 00:20:55.913
It's not like god didn't know.
00:20:55.913 --> 00:20:57.081
He's like, take a look, adam and eve, where are you?
00:20:57.081 --> 00:21:00.951
Consider your heart.
00:21:00.951 --> 00:21:02.219
What's happened here.
00:21:02.219 --> 00:21:03.587
And i think that's something that god invites us to do.
00:21:03.587 --> 00:21:06.056
To take a look at what is true and what is hard,
00:21:06.056 --> 00:21:09.660
Because i think when we don't, the repercussions of just
00:21:09.660 --> 00:21:12.863
Pushing things into the basement.
00:21:12.863 --> 00:21:14.665
I discovered that was the root of a lot of my depression.
00:21:14.665 --> 00:21:17.201
I didn't want to deal with the harsh reality of what was
00:21:17.201 --> 00:21:19.870
True.
00:21:19.870 --> 00:21:20.738
So i just tried to bury it all.
00:21:20.738 --> 00:21:22.506
The problem is you bury it alive in your heart,
00:21:22.506 --> 00:21:25.442
In your heart, and it will deal with you until by god's
00:21:25.442 --> 00:21:28.779
Grace and his mercy you deal with it.
00:21:28.779 --> 00:21:31.682
- being created in the image of god and having a revelation
00:21:31.682 --> 00:21:35.786
And understanding of that is empowering, if you will.
00:21:35.786 --> 00:21:39.590
When i finally found out that i am not what i have gone
00:21:39.590 --> 00:21:45.829
Through, or i don't necessarily have to be who my
00:21:45.829 --> 00:21:49.466
Parents or my environment had created me.
00:21:49.466 --> 00:21:53.237
But i am who god created me, so all i had to do was to pull
00:21:53.237 --> 00:21:57.975
Out of me my ideal self.
00:21:57.975 --> 00:22:00.411
That was revolutionizing if you will like to have a real
00:22:00.411 --> 00:22:04.715
Grip of understanding that you are created in the image of
00:22:04.715 --> 00:22:09.153
God.
00:22:09.153 --> 00:22:10.254
And not just your past environments is powerful.
00:22:10.254 --> 00:22:14.591
- you know, it's 2 corinthians 5:17, when it talks about,
00:22:14.591 --> 00:22:17.694
You know, you are a new creation.
00:22:17.694 --> 00:22:19.830
The old has passed away.
00:22:19.830 --> 00:22:21.331
I think sometimes what used to trip me up and i think could
00:22:21.331 --> 00:22:24.868
Trip people up is you have this, you know,
00:22:24.868 --> 00:22:28.305
Experience with the lord where you've given your life over to
00:22:28.305 --> 00:22:32.009
Him.
00:22:32.009 --> 00:22:33.010
And then yet you still have the sickness,
00:22:33.010 --> 00:22:35.012
Or you still have the messed up relationship.
00:22:35.012 --> 00:22:37.080
Like you're, it doesn't seemingly feel like your life
00:22:37.080 --> 00:22:40.150
Has changed.
00:22:40.150 --> 00:22:41.418
And yet it says we're a new creation and it's,
00:22:41.418 --> 00:22:42.853
It's so much that understanding that our spirit
00:22:42.853 --> 00:22:45.656
Man was completely changed in an instant for eternity.
00:22:45.656 --> 00:22:49.793
But we have a mind and a body that still has to be renewed
00:22:49.793 --> 00:22:53.664
Every day.
00:22:53.664 --> 00:22:54.998
And so some of the situations physically that you might see
00:22:54.998 --> 00:22:57.935
Are still existing and it feels hard to reconcile with
00:22:57.935 --> 00:23:01.705
If i'm a new creation.
00:23:01.705 --> 00:23:02.873
Shouldn't everything have become better and yet the
00:23:02.873 --> 00:23:05.976
Spirit, you have to believe in faith, your spirit man did.
00:23:05.976 --> 00:23:08.579
But you still have to walk out that you have some real life
00:23:08.579 --> 00:23:11.448
Stuff that's going on and it's hard, you know,
00:23:11.448 --> 00:23:15.018
And reconciling that i think is part of the christian
00:23:15.018 --> 00:23:18.689
Journey.
00:23:18.689 --> 00:23:19.990
Like, you know, that we are constantly going until we are
00:23:19.990 --> 00:23:22.559
In heaven with him.
00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:23.827
We will constantly be working on the mind issues and the
00:23:23.827 --> 00:23:26.864
Body issues.
00:23:26.864 --> 00:23:27.865
- walking it out.
00:23:27.865 --> 00:23:29.166
- walking it out even though we know our spirit man is now
00:23:29.166 --> 00:23:33.837
Forever changed for eternity.
00:23:33.837 --> 00:23:35.405
Doesn't mean that we don't have the body and mind issues
00:23:35.405 --> 00:23:39.476
That we have to.
00:23:39.476 --> 00:23:40.844
- all of that though is our opportunity.
00:23:40.844 --> 00:23:42.679
That's what faith looks like and that's why we need faith.
00:23:42.679 --> 00:23:46.984
What do people do that don't have faith.
00:23:46.984 --> 00:23:50.287
That don't have hope, a blessed hope.
00:23:50.287 --> 00:23:53.524
I don't, it has to just be the worst thing in the world
00:23:53.524 --> 00:23:56.627
Knowing that or thinking that there's nothing bigger than i
00:23:56.627 --> 00:24:01.064
Am.
00:24:01.064 --> 00:24:02.366
That i have to be god, that i have to be in control of my
00:24:02.366 --> 00:24:05.669
Circumstances and everything about me.
00:24:05.669 --> 00:24:08.071
I mean, that is a hopeless life.
00:24:08.071 --> 00:24:09.806
- hopeless life, and i got revelation of that when mike
00:24:09.806 --> 00:24:12.509
Was in the hospital.
00:24:12.509 --> 00:24:13.844
I remember just sitting there praying and worshiping god and
00:24:13.844 --> 00:24:17.347
Saying, "wow i don't know how people do life without
00:24:17.347 --> 00:24:21.818
Him."
00:24:21.818 --> 00:24:23.053
And i begin to tell him god i don't ever wanna do life
00:24:23.053 --> 00:24:25.422
Without you, you know.
00:24:25.422 --> 00:24:26.823
I don't get it.
00:24:26.823 --> 00:24:28.125
Because i've done life without god and i've done life with
00:24:28.125 --> 00:24:31.929
God.
00:24:31.929 --> 00:24:32.796
And life with god is much better.
00:24:32.796 --> 00:24:34.631
At least i have that hope, right?
00:24:34.631 --> 00:24:36.867
But it doesn't always change, you know,
00:24:36.867 --> 00:24:39.303
Your circumstances immediately you gotta walk it out.
00:24:39.303 --> 00:24:42.372
- i think that we do have to take responsibility for that
00:24:42.372 --> 00:24:44.741
As we lead other people to jesus.
00:24:44.741 --> 00:24:46.376
That we're not bringing the perfectionistic standards of
00:24:46.376 --> 00:24:49.713
The world to our walk with god.
00:24:49.713 --> 00:24:52.282
And that's because i think we don't look at jesus.
00:24:52.282 --> 00:24:54.851
Jesus had a human body, so he showed us how to live like
00:24:54.851 --> 00:24:59.456
This perfect human life.
00:24:59.456 --> 00:25:00.724
And guess what?
00:25:00.724 --> 00:25:01.825
He cried and he was mad, and he was terrified in
00:25:01.825 --> 00:25:05.662
Gethsemane.
00:25:05.662 --> 00:25:06.396
He asked for friends' help.
00:25:06.396 --> 00:25:07.564
Like, look at jesus as a emotional pain expressions.
00:25:07.564 --> 00:25:10.834
Like he still dealt with what it meant to live in this body.
00:25:10.834 --> 00:25:13.837
He got exhausted.
00:25:13.837 --> 00:25:15.072
He got away from, yet he never sinned.
00:25:15.072 --> 00:25:18.642
And so it's not sin to feel.
00:25:18.642 --> 00:25:21.545
- he wouldn't be our perfect example--
00:25:21.545 --> 00:25:23.647
- right. [agreeing]
00:25:23.647 --> 00:25:25.015
- but we're not like send us another example.
00:25:25.015 --> 00:25:26.650
- right.
00:25:26.650 --> 00:25:27.684
- we have to know that you know pain.
00:25:27.684 --> 00:25:29.252
- right.
00:25:29.252 --> 00:25:30.287
- but we don't point to those weak moments.
00:25:30.287 --> 00:25:31.421
We only point to the victory moments.
00:25:31.421 --> 00:25:32.789
And so we make people feel like they have to be
00:25:32.789 --> 00:25:34.825
Victorious all the time, feeling.
00:25:34.825 --> 00:25:37.227
You know, like if my faith was strong, i wouldn't be sad.
00:25:37.227 --> 00:25:39.529
It's like, i'm sorry, jesus wept.
00:25:39.529 --> 00:25:41.431
So was his faith not strong?
00:25:41.431 --> 00:25:43.233
Like, we really need to be real.
00:25:43.233 --> 00:25:45.736
- one of the greatest lessons i've had to learn in my life
00:25:45.736 --> 00:25:48.105
Is how to be honest about our emotions.
00:25:48.105 --> 00:25:50.240
I think for a lot of my life, i kind of suppressed my
00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:52.976
Emotions because some of them were scary to me.
00:25:52.976 --> 00:25:55.445
And so i would think, you know,
00:25:55.445 --> 00:25:56.947
I'll just kind of shut them down.
00:25:56.947 --> 00:25:59.249
But what i discovered is when you try and shut down your
00:25:59.249 --> 00:26:02.052
Emotions.
00:26:02.052 --> 00:26:03.020
You can't just shut down the negative.
00:26:03.020 --> 00:26:04.054
Ones, you shut down all the good ones too.
00:26:04.054 --> 00:26:06.056
So if you try and shut down shame or fear.
00:26:06.056 --> 00:26:09.092
You also shut down joy and peace and hope that it's been,
00:26:09.092 --> 00:26:13.697
It's an ongoing journey for me to learn that emotions are not
00:26:13.697 --> 00:26:16.800
Things to be afraid of.
00:26:16.800 --> 00:26:17.701
They're god-given and their signals.
00:26:17.701 --> 00:26:19.870
They help us pay attention to our life.
00:26:19.870 --> 00:26:22.639
Isn't it interesting when it says that jesus learned
00:26:22.739 --> 00:26:25.342
Obedience by what he suffered?
00:26:25.342 --> 00:26:27.177
That always stopped me there.
00:26:27.177 --> 00:26:30.447
I kind of pause it's like, wow,
00:26:30.447 --> 00:26:32.215
He had to learn that he had to learn,
00:26:32.215 --> 00:26:34.217
But it wasn't he learned obedience by miracles.
00:26:34.217 --> 00:26:36.853
It wasn't he learned obedience by, you know,
00:26:36.853 --> 00:26:39.823
Water becoming wine.
00:26:39.823 --> 00:26:41.358
He learned obedience by the hard things,
00:26:41.358 --> 00:26:43.226
And i think that's why i'm so grateful, laurie,
00:26:43.226 --> 00:26:45.462
That we have this better together community,
00:26:45.462 --> 00:26:47.698
Because i think for a long time there's been this sense
00:26:47.698 --> 00:26:50.500
Of come to jesus and life will be perfect.
00:26:50.500 --> 00:26:52.769
Everything will work out.
00:26:52.769 --> 00:26:53.704
It didn't say come and make converts,
00:26:53.704 --> 00:26:55.505
Come and get people to sign a piece of paper, he said,
00:26:55.505 --> 00:26:57.574
Make disciples, teach people what it looks like to follow
00:26:57.574 --> 00:27:01.111
Me and to do things the way i did.
00:27:01.111 --> 00:27:03.246
That's why i love matthew.
00:27:03.246 --> 00:27:04.548
I love in the last two verses where he says come onto me,
00:27:04.548 --> 00:27:06.416
All who wean.
00:27:06.416 --> 00:27:07.718
And heavy laden i'll give you rest and then in the message
00:27:07.718 --> 00:27:09.853
Bible it says watch how i did it, you know,
00:27:09.853 --> 00:27:12.522
Watch how i did this life.
00:27:12.522 --> 00:27:14.391
This is what victory looks like.
00:27:14.391 --> 00:27:16.660
- so we don't live life in defeat.
00:27:16.660 --> 00:27:19.429
We come from a total place of victory of what jesus bled and
00:27:19.429 --> 00:27:26.236
Died for.
00:27:26.236 --> 00:27:27.738
And so walking out our faith, it goes back to that thing
00:27:27.738 --> 00:27:32.209
That i had that i was standing before the lord and had
00:27:32.209 --> 00:27:35.445
Nothing to give him except what i experienced in my faith
00:27:35.445 --> 00:27:39.149
While i was on earth.
00:27:39.149 --> 00:27:41.084
And all the rest of the time the worry and the care and the
00:27:41.084 --> 00:27:44.354
Struggle and the strife was wasted time.
00:27:44.354 --> 00:27:48.325
So now when i'm worrying in my daily walk with god and my
00:27:48.325 --> 00:27:53.897
Husband.
00:27:53.897 --> 00:27:55.098
[laughing] and when i'm worried, when i'm in strife,
00:27:55.098 --> 00:27:58.668
When i'm not thinking right in my mind.
00:27:58.668 --> 00:28:02.639
I am very conscious that i am wasting my time.
00:28:02.639 --> 00:28:07.778
- that's good.
00:28:07.778 --> 00:28:08.912
- and, and it gets in my gut and i could fall over it
00:28:08.912 --> 00:28:14.184
Because i'm thinking this is not where god wants any of us.
00:28:14.184 --> 00:28:18.054
We, he doesn't want us worrying.
00:28:18.054 --> 00:28:20.457
He says, don't care about tomorrow.
00:28:20.457 --> 00:28:22.425
Don't worry about you.
00:28:22.425 --> 00:28:23.827
I have you.
00:28:23.827 --> 00:28:25.295
I have your tomorrow.
00:28:25.295 --> 00:28:26.897
That doesn't mean we don't feel that.
00:28:26.897 --> 00:28:29.633
But in that, we get to taste and see that god is good in
00:28:29.633 --> 00:28:34.404
Those places because we know we already have the victory.
00:28:34.404 --> 00:28:37.808
And so, it's a pre-- it's such a precious thing that we know
00:28:37.808 --> 00:28:42.879
That we can walk through this trial.
00:28:42.879 --> 00:28:45.182
We walk through this pain, we can walk through this moment
00:28:45.182 --> 00:28:49.653
Of crisis and trauma and health problems and relational
00:28:49.653 --> 00:28:55.926
Problems and financial problems,
00:28:55.926 --> 00:28:58.628
Knowing that god loves us so much and he's never gonna
00:28:58.628 --> 00:29:05.836
Leave us wanting.
00:29:05.836 --> 00:29:08.171
We have everything that we need to be complete and
00:29:08.171 --> 00:29:10.774
Entire.
00:29:10.774 --> 00:29:11.708
That every good gift comes from god.
00:29:11.708 --> 00:29:14.010
So we come from that place of victory and walking through
00:29:14.010 --> 00:29:17.848
That, it's a priceless treasure filled life if we let
00:29:17.848 --> 00:29:21.284
It.
00:29:21.284 --> 00:29:22.752
- walking out your faith is simply living in faith.
00:29:22.752 --> 00:29:26.723
The bible says that the just shall live by faith,
00:29:26.723 --> 00:29:30.193
So when we are believing god for something.
00:29:30.193 --> 00:29:33.663
We're not stepping out in it, we're just living through it
00:29:33.663 --> 00:29:38.001
And that's how it is always supposed to be.
00:29:38.001 --> 00:29:40.704
There should be an alignment really with what you think,
00:29:40.704 --> 00:29:44.241
What you feel, what you believe, what you will act on.
00:29:44.241 --> 00:29:47.410
Faith is acting on what you believe.
00:29:47.410 --> 00:29:50.547
And so there must be some consistency that runs through
00:29:50.547 --> 00:29:55.185
All of those areas so you can have the alignment,
00:29:55.185 --> 00:29:58.521
And you can get kingdom results.
00:29:58.521 --> 00:30:01.625
- it's that gap though between the hardship.
00:30:02.626 --> 00:30:07.530
And the victory, that gap part where it is fully faith that
00:30:07.530 --> 00:30:13.837
Can--i mean-- - give god the gap.
00:30:13.837 --> 00:30:16.172
- you just have to be honest, it's really hard.
00:30:16.172 --> 00:30:18.108
I'm in a, i'm in a gap space.
00:30:18.108 --> 00:30:20.010
And it's like i know every truth you just said is true.
00:30:20.010 --> 00:30:23.079
I know it.
00:30:23.079 --> 00:30:24.314
- i think it's hard when we don't have a revelation of
00:30:24.314 --> 00:30:28.585
This word, he said, because my yoke is easy and my burdens
00:30:28.585 --> 00:30:33.056
Are light so when we do it.
00:30:33.056 --> 00:30:36.326
Opposite and think different from his word then we're gonna
00:30:36.326 --> 00:30:39.562
Have the hardship.
00:30:39.562 --> 00:30:41.364
I'm not saying that we aren't gonna go through something
00:30:41.364 --> 00:30:44.034
Because i understand scripture.
00:30:44.034 --> 00:30:45.402
John, this is a good conversation because john
00:30:45.402 --> 00:30:47.971
16:33, it talks about in this world we are going to have
00:30:47.971 --> 00:30:52.075
Trials and tribulation.
00:30:52.075 --> 00:30:53.443
But then he tells us to be of good cheer, you know,
00:30:53.443 --> 00:30:56.746
Because he's overcome it all.
00:30:56.746 --> 00:30:58.915
So i do understand and agree because i have had it,
00:30:58.915 --> 00:31:02.485
So i'm not trying to sit here and act like i haven't had my
00:31:02.485 --> 00:31:06.022
Own, you know.
00:31:06.022 --> 00:31:07.157
Challenges and some of those things i will share,
00:31:07.157 --> 00:31:09.626
But i like how laurie said when we deal with stuff we
00:31:09.626 --> 00:31:14.230
Come from a place of victory.
00:31:14.230 --> 00:31:16.232
And then we walk ourselves through it with the mindset of
00:31:16.232 --> 00:31:20.170
Ok, regardless of what i'm going through,
00:31:20.170 --> 00:31:22.872
I know i have victory.
00:31:22.872 --> 00:31:24.941
Like when my husband again was in the hospital.
00:31:24.941 --> 00:31:27.143
God gave me this word he said i want you to focus on the
00:31:27.143 --> 00:31:30.113
Promise and not the process.
00:31:30.113 --> 00:31:32.949
Because we all gonna go through a process we're gonna
00:31:32.949 --> 00:31:35.652
Go through, you know, whatever we gotta go through to get to
00:31:35.652 --> 00:31:39.656
The end result.
00:31:39.656 --> 00:31:40.857
But what kept me at a place of victory was to see the
00:31:40.857 --> 00:31:44.127
Promise.
00:31:44.127 --> 00:31:45.328
It's like, ok, i may be struggling in my flesh right
00:31:45.328 --> 00:31:47.764
Now.
00:31:47.764 --> 00:31:48.865
I may be feeling like i'm about to lose my mind.
00:31:48.865 --> 00:31:51.234
I don't ever want anybody to feel like they are a freak of
00:31:51.234 --> 00:31:54.270
Nature.
00:31:54.270 --> 00:31:55.572
Like out here because that's what the enemy wants to do is
00:31:55.572 --> 00:31:58.074
To kind of isolate you to make you feel like no one else,
00:31:58.074 --> 00:32:02.679
You know, has gone through it.
00:32:02.679 --> 00:32:04.180
But like the church, not christ the word,
00:32:04.180 --> 00:32:08.284
But the church has made us feel like, you know,
00:32:08.284 --> 00:32:11.688
Once we receive jesus christ as lord,
00:32:11.688 --> 00:32:14.624
We're not going to have any challenges we got to put on
00:32:14.624 --> 00:32:17.961
This term.
00:32:17.961 --> 00:32:18.628
- the fun begins.
00:32:18.628 --> 00:32:23.333
[laughing] - i think it's important like-- i love that
00:32:23.333 --> 00:32:25.035
We do talk about tools, you know,
00:32:25.035 --> 00:32:26.903
Like what are like people listening, it's like.
00:32:26.903 --> 00:32:29.439
Hey, but how do i what is that gap?
00:32:29.439 --> 00:32:31.808
It's you've gotta be in the word.
00:32:31.808 --> 00:32:33.009
You have to know what he says about you.
00:32:33.009 --> 00:32:35.412
Like it's so important that when you talk about coming
00:32:35.412 --> 00:32:38.882
From victory, like you learned all that because it's in the--
00:32:38.882 --> 00:32:41.317
- i learned all that and it's the truth that sets you free.
00:32:41.317 --> 00:32:43.553
But you've got to know the truth.
00:32:43.553 --> 00:32:44.988
- you have to know that.
00:32:44.988 --> 00:32:45.822
- that's what keeps you in this.
00:32:45.822 --> 00:32:47.724
- that's it.
00:32:47.724 --> 00:32:48.858
- because this is the life and podcasts are fine.
00:32:48.858 --> 00:32:52.162
All the there's a lot of tools,
00:32:52.162 --> 00:32:53.129
There's a lot of good things.
00:32:53.129 --> 00:32:54.230
But nothing can replace it.
00:32:54.230 --> 00:32:56.266
- i'm not saying you have to dig it out of the ground.
00:32:56.266 --> 00:32:58.835
You have to get your fingernails dirty sometimes to
00:32:58.835 --> 00:33:03.306
Even get this right.
00:33:03.306 --> 00:33:05.375
It's you know-- when it talks about renewing the mind.
00:33:05.375 --> 00:33:09.746
- but we don't like to work.
00:33:09.746 --> 00:33:10.914
- yeah, no.
00:33:10.914 --> 00:33:11.948
- we don't like the work that's involved.
00:33:11.948 --> 00:33:13.817
It's like we want something magical like if we could just
00:33:13.817 --> 00:33:16.820
Go rub you know somebody's belly and just change us,
00:33:16.820 --> 00:33:21.524
You know, but what the bible says faith without works is
00:33:21.524 --> 00:33:24.961
Dead.
00:33:24.961 --> 00:33:25.628
We all know that.
00:33:25.628 --> 00:33:27.597
- we talk about this feeling of we have the hard thing in
00:33:27.597 --> 00:33:32.802
Our life.
00:33:32.802 --> 00:33:34.003
And then we have the faith in the revelation of god's
00:33:34.003 --> 00:33:37.740
Goodness of what he did.
00:33:37.740 --> 00:33:39.042
But in between there, we have to walk out the hard thing.
00:33:39.042 --> 00:33:42.245
And as believers, it's hard.
00:33:42.245 --> 00:33:44.481
We don't, we don't like that part of the christian walk
00:33:44.481 --> 00:33:46.549
Where there's the gap before we see the promise.
00:33:46.549 --> 00:33:49.385
But i believe that the gospel, if we think of it this way,
00:33:49.385 --> 00:33:54.023
The gospel introduces the idea that there's an exchange that
00:33:54.023 --> 00:33:58.761
Happens.
00:33:58.761 --> 00:33:59.863
And we exchange the hardship for his goodness.
00:33:59.863 --> 00:34:03.099
We exchange our sinful nature for his righteousness.
00:34:03.099 --> 00:34:06.336
There's this great exchange, so when you're walking in that
00:34:06.336 --> 00:34:08.671
Gap, when you haven't quite seen the promise happen yet,
00:34:08.671 --> 00:34:11.441
I want you to be reminded that god is with you.
00:34:11.441 --> 00:34:15.845
He's giving you your identity.
00:34:15.845 --> 00:34:18.348
And in that season where all you have is your faith
00:34:18.348 --> 00:34:21.618
Believing that god is good. believing that he's working
00:34:21.618 --> 00:34:24.387
All things out for your good.
00:34:24.387 --> 00:34:25.889
I just want you to wake up every day.
00:34:25.889 --> 00:34:27.924
I want you to verbally say, maybe repeat scripture that
00:34:27.924 --> 00:34:31.027
You know her he's faithful, you know he's good.
00:34:31.027 --> 00:34:33.496
And in that gap part, when we're when it's hard to
00:34:33.496 --> 00:34:36.900
Believe it, remember that he paid the price on the cross
00:34:36.900 --> 00:34:40.637
For you to make that exchange.
00:34:40.637 --> 00:34:42.272
He will give you everything you need.
00:34:42.272 --> 00:34:45.675
- when we talk about how we're doing in terms of growth.
00:34:45.675 --> 00:34:48.845
I want you to think of yourself as a system.
00:34:48.845 --> 00:34:51.548
How is the garden doing?
00:34:51.548 --> 00:34:53.650
Seeds, soil, plant, fruit, there's going to be areas in
00:34:53.650 --> 00:34:57.253
Your life where it is reaping season.
00:34:57.253 --> 00:34:59.789
Where there is a harvest to be reaped.
00:34:59.789 --> 00:35:02.125
Your fruit is gorgeous.
00:35:02.125 --> 00:35:03.993
Good for you.
00:35:03.993 --> 00:35:05.195
And there'll be another area where maybe the soil is
00:35:05.195 --> 00:35:07.330
Resting this year.
00:35:07.330 --> 00:35:08.364
We're not growing anything over there and.
00:35:08.364 --> 00:35:10.767
Maybe there's another area where the soil is hard and dry
00:35:10.767 --> 00:35:13.870
Or stony or thorny.
00:35:13.870 --> 00:35:15.038
And you're doing work in that area to help the soil be
00:35:15.038 --> 00:35:18.141
Healthier so the garden can flourish in more areas.
00:35:18.141 --> 00:35:21.911
I'm saying this to point out an important fact.
00:35:21.911 --> 00:35:24.981
No person's life is perfect in every area all the time.
00:35:24.981 --> 00:35:29.252
One of the greatest indicators of growth spiritually,
00:35:29.252 --> 00:35:31.854
Emotionally and mentally is our relationship with pain and
00:35:31.854 --> 00:35:35.091
Discomfort.
00:35:35.091 --> 00:35:36.893
We must stop acting like we will never have any,
00:35:36.893 --> 00:35:39.095
And that means that i know jesus really well.
00:35:39.095 --> 00:35:40.997
That i'm no longer in pain.
00:35:40.997 --> 00:35:42.765
Just like after you gave your life to jesus.
00:35:42.765 --> 00:35:44.734
You didn't figure you would never again catch a cold.
00:35:44.734 --> 00:35:47.503
Well, you will also sometimes feel sad or angry or
00:35:47.503 --> 00:35:51.241
Frustrated or afraid.
00:35:51.241 --> 00:35:52.575
And that doesn't mean that you're not healed, whole,
00:35:52.575 --> 00:35:55.411
Or growing.
00:35:55.411 --> 00:35:56.479
It means you're human.
00:35:56.479 --> 00:35:57.647
Sometimes an area of the garden is flourishing while
00:35:57.647 --> 00:36:00.350
Another is getting there.
00:36:00.350 --> 00:36:01.718
But that doesn't mean that the whole garden isn't great.
00:36:01.718 --> 00:36:06.489
- be the first to know all the latest better together
00:36:06.489 --> 00:36:09.092
Updates.
00:36:09.092 --> 00:36:10.360
Visit bettertogether.tv to sign up for our weekly emails
00:36:10.360 --> 00:36:14.030
And never miss the latest news.
00:36:14.030 --> 00:36:16.299
(music playing)
00:36:16.299 --> 00:36:17.008
(music playing)
00:36:17.008 --> 00:36:20.970
- we do know that victory is coming, right?
00:36:20.970 --> 00:36:23.273
But again, back to jesus.
00:36:23.273 --> 00:36:24.407
Jesus is crying outside lazarus' tomb.
00:36:24.407 --> 00:36:27.944
Some people say he's crying because he was sad,
00:36:27.944 --> 00:36:29.212
Maybe because he was seeing that he was going to be next
00:36:29.212 --> 00:36:30.980
In the tomb.
00:36:30.980 --> 00:36:32.282
But either way, he knew he was about to raise lazarus from
00:36:32.282 --> 00:36:34.717
The dead.
00:36:34.717 --> 00:36:35.885
He knew his father was gonna raise him from the dead.
00:36:35.885 --> 00:36:37.153
But he still cried.
00:36:37.153 --> 00:36:38.621
We are allowed to express the pain of the process even while
00:36:38.621 --> 00:36:42.492
We believe in the victory.
00:36:42.492 --> 00:36:43.726
- absolutely.
00:36:43.726 --> 00:36:44.961
- and i feel like so many christians are not being given
00:36:44.961 --> 00:36:46.329
Permission to break down and cry about it.
00:36:46.329 --> 00:36:48.898
And feel like that doesn't mean that i don't believe that
00:36:48.898 --> 00:36:51.601
Victory is coming.
00:36:51.601 --> 00:36:52.669
But right now, this body needs a release.
00:36:52.669 --> 00:36:55.571
And when we hold that in, our immune system suffers when we
00:36:55.571 --> 00:36:59.909
Hold in emotional pain.
00:36:59.909 --> 00:37:01.277
We get sick easier.
00:37:01.277 --> 00:37:02.478
We can develop other mental health conditions because
00:37:02.478 --> 00:37:04.814
We're holding it in.
00:37:04.814 --> 00:37:06.015
Listen, sisters, we all break down crying sometimes.
00:37:06.015 --> 00:37:09.585
We get mad.
00:37:09.585 --> 00:37:10.653
Like i just want to be honest about that part.
00:37:10.653 --> 00:37:13.723
And it doesn't mean i don't believe in the victory.
00:37:13.723 --> 00:37:15.992
- it doesn't mean i'm not gonna get it.
00:37:15.992 --> 00:37:17.293
- it doesn't.
00:37:17.293 --> 00:37:18.394
I mean, the bible says to rejoice in the lord.
00:37:18.394 --> 00:37:20.496
That means to rejoice yourself.
00:37:20.496 --> 00:37:23.032
- yes.
00:37:23.032 --> 00:37:23.766
- renew your mind.
00:37:23.766 --> 00:37:24.734
God can't renew my mind.
00:37:24.734 --> 00:37:26.035
I have to do that.
00:37:26.035 --> 00:37:27.570
- you have to do that.
00:37:27.570 --> 00:37:28.371
- i have to renew my mind.
00:37:28.371 --> 00:37:29.472
David said, encourage yourself in the lord.
00:37:29.472 --> 00:37:32.308
Sometimes i have to pat myself on my back, right?
00:37:32.308 --> 00:37:34.777
[laughing] - absolutely.
00:37:34.777 --> 00:37:36.245
- dry you tears [crosstalk].
00:37:36.245 --> 00:37:39.282
- i keep going and, and it's stuff that we have to believe
00:37:39.282 --> 00:37:42.552
In.
00:37:42.552 --> 00:37:43.152
That's why.
00:37:43.152 --> 00:37:44.354
It's why your heart is so important because your faith
00:37:44.354 --> 00:37:46.489
Is in your heart.
00:37:46.489 --> 00:37:47.790
And out of it comes the issues of life.
00:37:47.790 --> 00:37:51.894
And so guarding your heart and what you think goes into your
00:37:51.894 --> 00:37:56.499
Heart.
00:37:56.499 --> 00:37:57.700
So that's why we have the precious word of god to help
00:37:57.700 --> 00:38:00.837
Us.
00:38:00.837 --> 00:38:03.039
You know, the bible says to guard your heart.
00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:05.208
So that means that we need to guard our heart.
00:38:05.208 --> 00:38:08.544
That's up to us to do.
00:38:08.544 --> 00:38:10.113
That means you watch what you put in your heart.
00:38:10.113 --> 00:38:13.683
Remember the little song will be careful little eyes,
00:38:13.683 --> 00:38:15.818
What you see, it'll be careful little ears,
00:38:15.818 --> 00:38:17.854
What you hear all of that little stuff.
00:38:17.854 --> 00:38:20.757
That is really true.
00:38:20.757 --> 00:38:22.658
We need to guard what we think about.
00:38:22.658 --> 00:38:24.794
We need to guard what we watch.
00:38:24.794 --> 00:38:26.996
What we see, and we got to guard our ears.
00:38:26.996 --> 00:38:31.467
- i think of it as rewallpapering my mind.
00:38:31.467 --> 00:38:33.803
I don't know if you've ever had wallpaper.
00:38:33.803 --> 00:38:35.605
I remember my mum had always wallpaper on every wall in the
00:38:35.605 --> 00:38:39.275
House is a scottish thing.
00:38:39.275 --> 00:38:40.576
She wanted to get new and trying to take wallpaper off,
00:38:40.576 --> 00:38:44.981
It'll make you say things that are not in the new testament.
00:38:44.981 --> 00:38:48.151
They might be in the old, but they didn't make it into the
00:38:48.151 --> 00:38:49.919
New covenant, and-- i think about--of rewallpapering my
00:38:49.919 --> 00:38:54.724
Mind.
00:38:54.724 --> 00:38:55.558
It's like all the old thoughts,
00:38:55.558 --> 00:38:56.726
All the negative stuff.
00:38:56.726 --> 00:38:57.994
I have to just, i mean, work hard and get rid of that and
00:38:57.994 --> 00:39:01.097
Then repaste it with the truth of the word of god.
00:39:01.097 --> 00:39:04.000
Like i've had times when i'm, if i go through a season and i
00:39:04.000 --> 00:39:07.570
Feel i'm kind of dipping again and i'm not doing good,
00:39:07.570 --> 00:39:10.006
I literally write out scriptures on 3 by 5 cards.
00:39:10.006 --> 00:39:14.143
And i have them pasted in the bathroom.
00:39:14.143 --> 00:39:15.611
I have them in my car.
00:39:15.611 --> 00:39:17.280
I have them all over the place because it's like dragging my
00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:20.783
Will back in line with the will of god.
00:39:20.783 --> 00:39:23.753
Dragging my mind back in line with this.
00:39:23.753 --> 00:39:26.289
Here's what i'm feeling.
00:39:26.289 --> 00:39:27.323
Ok, come on over here.
00:39:27.323 --> 00:39:28.958
Here's what's true.
00:39:28.958 --> 00:39:30.326
And it, it's work, but it's life changing, you know.
00:39:30.326 --> 00:39:34.630
The scripture talks a lot about renewing our minds.
00:39:34.630 --> 00:39:38.301
And there have been some great books written about how we do
00:39:38.301 --> 00:39:41.003
That.
00:39:41.003 --> 00:39:42.138
For me, it's almost been understanding that there's
00:39:42.138 --> 00:39:44.674
Actually a lot of work involved.
00:39:44.674 --> 00:39:46.309
Sometimes we just think, well, lord, just come and, you know,
00:39:46.309 --> 00:39:48.778
Just touch me and renew my mind while i'm sleeping.
00:39:48.778 --> 00:39:51.180
But i think god wants us to be part of the journey.
00:39:51.180 --> 00:39:54.317
It's like i talked about rewallpapering your mind.
00:39:54.317 --> 00:39:57.119
And i don't know if you've ever tried to scrape wallpaper
00:39:57.119 --> 00:39:59.922
Off a wall.
00:39:59.922 --> 00:40:01.023
It's, it's, it's a time-consuming job and it's
00:40:01.023 --> 00:40:03.059
Frustrating, and it doesn't all come off clean,
00:40:03.059 --> 00:40:05.127
It comes off in bits and pieces.
00:40:05.127 --> 00:40:06.596
But it's something you have to kind of stay with.
00:40:06.596 --> 00:40:08.898
And then you're able to read wallpaper with what's new.
00:40:08.898 --> 00:40:12.835
And for me it was trying to just work at all those
00:40:12.835 --> 00:40:15.438
Negative things that i felt about myself and go back over
00:40:15.438 --> 00:40:18.241
And over.
00:40:18.241 --> 00:40:19.475
And then rewallpapering my mind with what is true with
00:40:19.475 --> 00:40:21.744
What god says about me.
00:40:21.744 --> 00:40:23.246
Rather than those old tapes of things that used to run in my
00:40:23.246 --> 00:40:25.581
Head.
00:40:25.581 --> 00:40:27.350
- i think of your story.
00:40:27.350 --> 00:40:28.985
And you're somebody who is an inspiration to me.
00:40:28.985 --> 00:40:32.388
Not because your life has been perfect,
00:40:32.388 --> 00:40:34.290
Because you've gone through really hard things that you
00:40:34.290 --> 00:40:36.359
Were authentic enough to talk about that made me realize as
00:40:36.359 --> 00:40:39.862
A believer.
00:40:39.862 --> 00:40:40.963
Ok, you can go through some really tough things.
00:40:40.963 --> 00:40:44.867
And what i received from that more than anything is that you
00:40:44.867 --> 00:40:49.138
Turned purpose, from your pain.
00:40:49.138 --> 00:40:52.642
You didn't have this great purpose scot-free.
00:40:52.642 --> 00:40:56.379
You didn't get, you know, you had a lot of pain that really
00:40:56.379 --> 00:40:59.849
Inspired me.
00:40:59.849 --> 00:41:01.150
I think of you and with your sister, what you went through.
00:41:01.150 --> 00:41:03.786
It just, it's, i feel like we don't want the pain,
00:41:03.786 --> 00:41:07.723
We don't want the adversity, yet i'm looking at two people
00:41:07.723 --> 00:41:10.526
That have inspired me so much.
00:41:10.526 --> 00:41:12.862
You, at a young age, something,
00:41:12.862 --> 00:41:15.731
Some seed was planted in you, a passion that has helped
00:41:15.731 --> 00:41:19.835
Hundreds of thousands of people.
00:41:19.835 --> 00:41:21.604
In some ways, if we could not look at the pain as something.
00:41:21.604 --> 00:41:25.374
That we want to be afraid of something that we actually
00:41:25.374 --> 00:41:28.945
Understand god can use to bring about--
00:41:28.945 --> 00:41:31.614
- are you saying that the fire is our friend.
00:41:31.614 --> 00:41:33.349
[laughing] - the fire is our friend, laurie.
00:41:33.349 --> 00:41:35.952
[crosstalk] the fire is our friend laurie.
00:41:35.952 --> 00:41:39.088
- i love, i love shadrach, meshach, and abednego.
00:41:39.088 --> 00:41:42.224
They were not gonna bow to anything but god.
00:41:42.224 --> 00:41:46.729
There were no idols, no idols.
00:41:46.729 --> 00:41:48.898
I'll--and so when they go into the fire.
00:41:48.898 --> 00:41:51.534
First of all, what i love about that is that it burns
00:41:51.534 --> 00:41:55.037
Off all the bondage.
00:41:55.037 --> 00:41:56.038
- yeah, it did.
00:41:56.038 --> 00:41:59.542
- it came out smelling like smoke.
00:41:59.542 --> 00:42:01.877
- and the people who were outside throwing them in,
00:42:01.877 --> 00:42:04.246
The heat was so intense, they died.
00:42:04.246 --> 00:42:05.915
- they died.
00:42:05.915 --> 00:42:06.582
[crosstalk] - yes.
00:42:06.582 --> 00:42:08.250
- the fire is your friend; your prison is your platform.
00:42:08.250 --> 00:42:11.354
I mean we could go on with all that.
00:42:11.354 --> 00:42:13.122
But that's what makes us who we are and that's what the
00:42:13.122 --> 00:42:17.059
Currency of heaven is.
00:42:17.059 --> 00:42:18.394
Is your faith in god and your trust and your belief and who
00:42:18.394 --> 00:42:22.398
He says he is.
00:42:22.398 --> 00:42:23.666
That's why we can always see no matter how bad.
00:42:23.666 --> 00:42:27.737
How difficult your mind, your will and emotions.
00:42:27.737 --> 00:42:33.009
God cares for it all.
00:42:33.009 --> 00:42:34.610
God made it all.
00:42:34.610 --> 00:42:35.478
God made us to have emotion.
00:42:35.478 --> 00:42:38.481
God made us, our physical bodies to take care.
00:42:38.481 --> 00:42:42.218
Your body is a temple of the holy spirit, your mind,
00:42:42.218 --> 00:42:45.421
Your soul, and your heart.
00:42:45.421 --> 00:42:47.289
God gave us all of those as gifts to us,
00:42:47.289 --> 00:42:50.359
So honing that and, and living holy in god.
00:42:50.359 --> 00:42:54.163
He wants us whole on the inside and all of those
00:42:54.163 --> 00:42:56.932
Beautiful areas.
00:42:56.932 --> 00:42:58.100
But it is walking out all of those pieces of our life,
00:42:58.100 --> 00:43:02.672
And it takes time.
00:43:02.672 --> 00:43:04.907
- i mean, when a seed goes into the ground,
00:43:04.907 --> 00:43:06.208
Like you're saying when all things are new.
00:43:06.208 --> 00:43:07.777
We get the seed of the world in our heart.
00:43:07.777 --> 00:43:10.579
A seed doesn't become a full-grown tree full of fruit
00:43:10.579 --> 00:43:13.916
Overnight.
00:43:13.916 --> 00:43:15.151
So the seeds are new, that means i'm growing something
00:43:15.151 --> 00:43:17.420
New.
00:43:17.420 --> 00:43:18.087
Growing, it's happening.
00:43:18.087 --> 00:43:20.656
It's happening over time, over season.
00:43:20.656 --> 00:43:23.459
A tree grows.
00:43:23.459 --> 00:43:24.393
Some trees don't bear fruit for years.
00:43:24.393 --> 00:43:26.662
They may be 5 or 6 years old before they bear their first
00:43:26.662 --> 00:43:29.865
Crop of fruit.
00:43:29.865 --> 00:43:30.766
But when the seed went in the ground,
00:43:30.766 --> 00:43:32.501
Something new happened.
00:43:32.501 --> 00:43:34.203
And so we have to walk it out.
00:43:34.203 --> 00:43:35.738
We have to let it go.
00:43:35.738 --> 00:43:37.073
- like david says, i am like a tree planted by the springs of
00:43:37.073 --> 00:43:38.908
Water, ready to give forth my fruit in its season.
00:43:38.908 --> 00:43:42.545
My leaf will never fade nor wither,
00:43:42.545 --> 00:43:45.247
And everything i do will prosper.
00:43:45.247 --> 00:43:47.116
We're going to prosper.
00:43:47.116 --> 00:43:47.950
-we'll prosper.
00:43:47.950 --> 00:43:50.319
- i've heard it said it takes courage to bloom.
00:43:50.319 --> 00:43:52.688
And i think that's, it takes courage to bloom.
00:43:52.688 --> 00:43:55.725
When you're, you know, the conscious effort that i'm a
00:43:55.725 --> 00:43:58.527
Seed planted, but i'm going to do the work.
00:43:58.527 --> 00:44:00.362
I'm gonna be in the word.
00:44:00.362 --> 00:44:01.597
I'm gonna surround myself with people ahead of me in the
00:44:01.597 --> 00:44:04.834
Faith so i can learn.
00:44:04.834 --> 00:44:06.102
That's all a courageous act with the heart that wants to
00:44:06.102 --> 00:44:10.139
Bloom.
00:44:10.139 --> 00:44:10.706
- that was a tool.
00:44:10.706 --> 00:44:11.907
I pray that people that are listening will hear that,
00:44:11.907 --> 00:44:15.010
That to surround themselves with people that may have your
00:44:15.010 --> 00:44:18.414
Answer and have the courage to just do it.
00:44:18.414 --> 00:44:21.784
To do the work.
00:44:21.784 --> 00:44:24.386
- what i love about god is that he cares about
00:44:24.386 --> 00:44:26.889
Everything.
00:44:26.889 --> 00:44:28.357
He created us in his image and in his likeness.
00:44:28.357 --> 00:44:32.128
He created everything about us.
00:44:32.128 --> 00:44:33.763
He created our experiences.
00:44:33.763 --> 00:44:36.098
He created how we emote our emotions,
00:44:36.098 --> 00:44:39.335
All of that is from god's goodness.
00:44:39.335 --> 00:44:42.705
And so, i believe that he gets to experience faith through
00:44:42.705 --> 00:44:47.676
Us.
00:44:47.676 --> 00:44:48.944
And so to be whole complete and entire lacking nothing
00:44:48.944 --> 00:44:53.215
From god that's why we can see every trial,
00:44:53.215 --> 00:44:56.185
Everything that we go through every hardship that we go
00:44:56.185 --> 00:44:58.487
Through we can count it all joy from the start.
00:44:58.487 --> 00:45:03.092
And that's sometimes what i think we might struggle with
00:45:03.092 --> 00:45:06.896
Is, is that paul says count it all joy.
00:45:06.896 --> 00:45:10.399
That's number one, count it all joy when you fall into
00:45:10.399 --> 00:45:13.969
Trials and temptations because it's going to lead you lacking
00:45:13.969 --> 00:45:18.541
Nothing from god because if you let him have his perfect
00:45:18.541 --> 00:45:21.677
Work on the inside of you, it's all gonna turn out for
00:45:21.677 --> 00:45:24.113
Your good.
00:45:24.113 --> 00:45:26.015
- but i think the trials, the very trials to me,
00:45:26.015 --> 00:45:28.083
Strengthen your faith.
00:45:28.083 --> 00:45:29.685
Because when you go through something, you think,
00:45:29.685 --> 00:45:31.887
I'm not gonna survive this.
00:45:31.887 --> 00:45:33.689
And you walk through it with the lord,
00:45:33.689 --> 00:45:35.858
And you come out the other side, you're like,
00:45:35.858 --> 00:45:37.793
Great is thy faithfulness.
00:45:37.793 --> 00:45:39.395
It's not a song, it's my life story.
00:45:39.395 --> 00:45:41.697
It shows you what you believed was true about god.
00:45:41.697 --> 00:45:44.867
You can stake your life on.
00:45:44.867 --> 00:45:46.335
- right, i agree with that 100%.
00:45:46.335 --> 00:45:48.904
- yeah, that's why we testify.
00:45:48.904 --> 00:45:50.372
This i recall to my mind; therefore i have hope.
00:45:50.372 --> 00:45:54.643
- this hope will not disappoint.
00:45:54.643 --> 00:45:56.111
- that hope won't disappoint me.
00:45:56.111 --> 00:45:57.613
Yeah, that's where we get hope is recalling what he's done,
00:45:57.613 --> 00:45:59.849
And that hope from how he surprised us last time is
00:45:59.849 --> 00:46:03.285
Transferable.
00:46:03.285 --> 00:46:04.753
So this might be a different circumstance,
00:46:04.753 --> 00:46:06.789
But the hope i get from how he surprised me and got me
00:46:06.789 --> 00:46:09.558
Through that.
00:46:09.558 --> 00:46:10.893
I can transfer that hope over here and water something else.
00:46:10.893 --> 00:46:12.862
- and the hope-- - keep showing up.
00:46:12.862 --> 00:46:14.463
- and the bible hope is certain.
00:46:14.463 --> 00:46:16.198
It's a certain hopes and expectant of his goodness,
00:46:16.198 --> 00:46:21.136
That surely goodness and mercy follows us every day of our
00:46:21.136 --> 00:46:25.674
Lives.
00:46:25.674 --> 00:46:26.775
It's that hope that doesn't leave you wanting.
00:46:26.775 --> 00:46:29.211
That's what we have.
00:46:29.211 --> 00:46:31.080
It doesn't fluctuate when our mind does and our body does,
00:46:31.080 --> 00:46:34.116
And we may have our ups and downs.
00:46:34.116 --> 00:46:35.684
It doesn't fluctuate.
00:46:35.684 --> 00:46:37.586
- i love that we ended right there because i think that
00:46:37.586 --> 00:46:39.488
That may be the most important thing we talked about is hope.
00:46:39.488 --> 00:46:42.725
When you feel hopeful, i mean, that's everything,
00:46:42.725 --> 00:46:46.028
But here's something about hope.
00:46:46.028 --> 00:46:47.997
We can't have hope unless something painful is going on.
00:46:47.997 --> 00:46:51.800
Hope is that it juxtaposes pain.
00:46:51.800 --> 00:46:55.638
When we're at perfect peace and everything's going great
00:46:55.638 --> 00:46:58.307
And joyful, hope doesn't need.
00:46:58.307 --> 00:47:00.476
It's when i'm in pain.
00:47:00.476 --> 00:47:01.343
That hope springs up.
00:47:01.343 --> 00:47:03.479
That's the water in that water garden.
00:47:03.479 --> 00:47:05.481
Hope.
00:47:05.481 --> 00:47:06.515
And the bible tells us, have hope in god.
00:47:06.515 --> 00:47:08.684
And so, if we can just hold on to that,
00:47:08.684 --> 00:47:11.220
We can grow this thing and we can be whole if we can just
00:47:11.220 --> 00:47:14.857
Hold on to hope.
00:47:14.857 --> 00:47:16.058
But knowing that hope only springs when there's pain,
00:47:16.058 --> 00:47:18.060
I don't have to hold on to that idea.
00:47:18.060 --> 00:47:21.730
God of hope, who fills us with all joy.
00:47:21.730 --> 00:47:25.334
We love you so much.
00:47:25.334 --> 00:47:27.569
Thank you for your care for our hearts.
00:47:27.569 --> 00:47:30.873
Thank you for how you guide us continually.
00:47:30.873 --> 00:47:33.776
Thank you for reminding us that you want us to be a
00:47:33.776 --> 00:47:35.911
Garden and that you plant the seeds of your word in our
00:47:35.911 --> 00:47:38.981
Heart and that over time it grows into a strong tree
00:47:38.981 --> 00:47:43.986
Planted by rivers of water.
00:47:43.986 --> 00:47:46.155
We want to be that.
00:47:46.155 --> 00:47:47.423
So god, i thank you that every person listening will have
00:47:47.423 --> 00:47:50.492
Fresh hope today, watering the soil of their heart.
00:47:50.492 --> 00:47:53.963
So as the seeds of the word fall there new things will
00:47:53.963 --> 00:47:57.633
Spring up in jesus name.
00:47:57.633 --> 00:47:59.969
Thank you so much for that.
00:47:59.969 --> 00:48:01.770
Amen.
00:48:01.770 --> 00:48:02.738
- amen.
00:48:02.738 --> 00:48:05.641
- connect with us on social media and let us know how our
00:48:05.641 --> 00:48:08.043
Team can pray for you.
00:48:08.043 --> 00:48:11.380
- we talk a lot about what it looks like to be whole and to
00:48:11.380 --> 00:48:14.083
Experience wholeness in christ.
00:48:14.083 --> 00:48:16.218
And i think sometimes we can think that there is a
00:48:16.218 --> 00:48:18.754
Destination of wholeness, but wholeness really is a journey.
00:48:18.754 --> 00:48:22.124
And i think the, the season of wholeness that you walk in now
00:48:22.124 --> 00:48:26.829
Is predicated on what you do in the season before.
00:48:26.829 --> 00:48:29.665
And it's just kind of a cycle you're gonna continue doing
00:48:29.665 --> 00:48:32.501
Things in the season you're in to work on wholeness.
00:48:32.501 --> 00:48:35.237
And that is how you can walk in wholeness.
00:48:35.237 --> 00:48:37.773
We have the scripture here in psalm 103 that says,
00:48:37.773 --> 00:48:40.509
Bless the lord, o my soul, forget none of his benefits.
00:48:40.509 --> 00:48:44.713
Who.
00:48:44.713 --> 00:48:45.914
Hardens all of your iniquities who heals your diseases,
00:48:45.914 --> 00:48:47.750
Who redeems your life from the pit,
00:48:47.750 --> 00:48:50.285
Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion,
00:48:50.285 --> 00:48:53.789
Who satisfies your years with good things.
00:48:53.789 --> 00:48:56.925
Wholeness is understanding that god has for you good
00:48:56.925 --> 00:49:01.363
Years, a crown of life of righteousness.
00:49:01.363 --> 00:49:03.732
But you will walk in that repeatedly,
00:49:03.732 --> 00:49:06.001
Season after season.
00:49:06.001 --> 00:49:12.107
- the word of god is alive, and because it's alive,
00:49:13.242 --> 00:49:16.512
It still speaks to us today.
00:49:16.512 --> 00:49:19.415
Everything that was written in the word of god is for our
00:49:19.415 --> 00:49:23.585
Examples.
00:49:23.585 --> 00:49:24.453
It's for our lessons.
00:49:24.453 --> 00:49:25.788
We see people who were struggling with the same
00:49:25.788 --> 00:49:28.991
Things, believe it or not, that you and i have struggled
00:49:28.991 --> 00:49:32.261
With.
00:49:32.261 --> 00:49:33.262
And yet when they put their hope in god,
00:49:33.262 --> 00:49:35.264
They found that he was an anchor for their souls.
00:49:35.264 --> 00:49:39.334
I'm so thankful for those stories.
00:49:39.334 --> 00:49:42.304
In the scripture that speak to my life today.
00:49:42.304 --> 00:49:45.808
- the word of god gives us hope because it is truth.
00:49:45.808 --> 00:49:48.677
You see, whenever you feel like there is no hope or you
00:49:48.677 --> 00:49:52.014
Know things are hopeless, that already in itself is a lie
00:49:52.014 --> 00:49:55.884
Because you are never without hope you are never without,
00:49:55.884 --> 00:50:00.322
You know, something coming together to work for your
00:50:00.322 --> 00:50:02.825
Good.
00:50:02.825 --> 00:50:04.026
You know, even just take a moment and think about the
00:50:04.026 --> 00:50:05.661
Last time in your life where you felt hopeless and when you
00:50:05.661 --> 00:50:08.931
Look back, what do you see now?
00:50:08.931 --> 00:50:10.933
You see the fact that the hand of god was always on your life
00:50:10.933 --> 00:50:14.269
And that god turned what you thought was void.
00:50:14.269 --> 00:50:17.172
And just god this is the end for me,
00:50:17.172 --> 00:50:19.675
And he turned it around for your good.
00:50:19.675 --> 00:50:21.410
So we are never without hope and so the word of god reminds
00:50:21.410 --> 00:50:25.280
Us of truth.
00:50:25.280 --> 00:50:26.348
The word of god anchors us in truth,
00:50:26.348 --> 00:50:28.851
And i think for me that's key because when your mind is
00:50:28.851 --> 00:50:31.653
Going on a spiral.
00:50:31.653 --> 00:50:33.055
You know, just anchored in lies,
00:50:33.055 --> 00:50:35.090
You have to renew your mind, and you renew your mind with
00:50:35.090 --> 00:50:38.060
Truth which is found in the word of god.
00:50:38.060 --> 00:50:40.696
- stream full episodes of better together on demand.
00:50:41.797 --> 00:50:45.534
Go to bettertogether.tv to stream all of our latest
00:50:45.534 --> 00:50:48.737
Conversations.
00:50:48.737 --> 00:50:49.538
(music playing)
00:50:49.538 --> 00:50:49.538

Healing Begins with the Heart - Episode 941

August 11, 2025 | S6 E941 | 52:34

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