Church Acts with Terry Molinaro: Recent Episodes
Terry Molinaro
The Church Acts Podcast is based around one idea. The Church has always been a house of action. The body of Christ was never meant to sit on the sidelines and watch silently, but to stand up and be the hands and feet and a light to the world. With each episode, Terry hopes to bring truth as he shares personal experiences and lessons learned so we can all grow into what God has for each and every one of us. We may not always get it right, but with love, we will be people of action. New episodes every other Wednesday!
If you’ve ever struggled with fear, anxiety, or the feeling of being “stuck,” this episode will encourage you to step boldly into the fullness of what God has prepared for you.
Life comes for us all, but we have to remember, God is right now watching over the words that He has spoken to you and over you to perform them. We have to look for His word and wait for Him to fulfill them. 👉 Jeremiah 1:12 says, “Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.”
What or who do we live to worship? Do our answers line up with what our lives and actions show?
I was feeling really convicted about this the other day when I started thinking about what I was fixating on in my life. I'm not passing judgment, I just want to make sure that we are pointed in the right direction. 🙏 I hope this one stirs some thoughts and gets you thinking.
👉 The song I was referencing
What if the cycles we’re stuck in aren’t accidents, but results of open doors and old lies? This episode explores the hidden patterns shaping our lives, the spiritual traps we walk into daily, and how even good habits can lead to destruction when rooted in deception. It's time to wake up, examine your base state, and confront the beliefs that are quietly holding you back.
What do you keep holding onto that needs to be removed. Stop pretending there’s life in areas that are clearly dead.
Isaiah 43:18-19 says,
“Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
In this episode, we’re talking about perspective—how our thoughts shape our reality and the way we approach the work God has given us.
It’s easy to let the wrong thoughts turn what was meant to be a blessing into a curse.
How many of us are called to be set apart but spend years trying to fit in? How often do we compare our paths to others instead of seeking God’s direction for our own? 🤔
Today we'll be talking about the importance of renewing our minds, taking our thoughts captive, and recognizing when our perspectives have drifted off course. Because the truth is, our thoughts influence our words, our words influence our actions, and ultimately, they shape our destiny.
Scriptures Mentioned:
- 1 Samuel 8:4-5
- 1 Samuel 16:6-7
- 2 Corinthians 10:5 (Taking every thought captive)
Welcome back to the Church Acts Podcast! In this episode, Terry takes a deep dive into the idea of life’s timeline—how the big and small moments, both good and bad, can shape how we see ourselves and our journey.
You’ll hear about finding clarity in hindsight, breaking free from old cycles, and embracing the open possibilities of the future. This is about reclaiming your story, letting go of the weight of the past, and leaning into the plans God has for you.
Key Takeaways:
- Hindsight gives clarity, but it doesn’t have to define where you’re going.
- Charting your timeline can help you uncover patterns and gain perspective.
- Moving forward takes hope, action, and trust in God’s promises.
Action Step:
Take some time to map out your timeline:
- Grab a piece of paper and draw a horizontal timeline. Mark major events—good, bad, and everything in between.
- Reflect on what those moments taught you and where you see patterns.
- Pray over your timeline and the blank space ahead, inviting God into all the moments to come.
In this episode we aren't going to just talk about opinions. We'll be going to the Bible to see what it has to say about things concerning Halloween and talk about a unique perspective that was shown to me. 🙏
Ever get that nagging feeling that something's not quite right, even though you can't pin down what it is?
In today's episode, we’re diving into this feeling of disconnection, which can often be traced back to our modern distractions. Whether it’s an overwhelming schedule, feeling mentally scattered, or life just blurring by, these distractions come with a steep price. I’m shaking things up this episode by breaking things down in a more structured way. We’ll discuss how distractions creep into our lives, how they impact our focus, and the surprising stats showing where we're headed if we don’t make a change. My aim is to shed light on these issues so we can all find ways to focus better and enhance our daily lives.
15 minutes = almost 100 hours a year. All it takes is 15 minutes of intentional time to change your life. 🙏
Feeling discouraged? Or stuck in your life? The problem is we often try and do too much at once only to end up getting overwhelmed. Instead, we should focus on the next small step.
John 13:35
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Sometimes the most profound of lessons come from the most unlikely places. The wisest man to ever have lived told us to consider the ant. That's what we're doing today on the Church Acts Podcast.
Verses Mentioned
Proverbs 30:25 "The ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;"
Proverbs 6:6 "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise."
Proverbs 4:26 "Ponder the path of your feet than all your ways will be sure."
It's so easy to get caught up in what's happening all around us. Perceived truth is not the same thing as actual truth. Today on the show Terry helps us see "The Forest From The Trees".
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Let's consider this your "halfway through the year" check in. Are you living On Mission?
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🎤 Check out the 192 Podcast
💪 The episode mentioned in the show
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Episode 100! I'm so grateful for everyone who has ever listened to the show. How about a shot of endurance to help celebrate our 100th episode of the Church Acts Podcast, here's to the next 100 🙏
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Are you tired of living a Christian life with no results? Aimlessly lost in the day to day? It doesn't have to be like that and the Bible shows us what to do. Today we're talking about how to distinguish ourselves by taking a look at someone who came before us who did just that. Let's get to it. 🙏
Verses Mentioned 📖
- Daniel 2:48
- Daniel 6:3-14
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It's almost my birthday! Another trip around the sun means all new lessons learned.
Let's keep it casual today and talk about a few that I've learned and a few that I'm working towards.
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This time of year is filled with hope, not just for thousands of years ago, but for today and for whatever tomorrow brings.
On the episode today we'll be talking about how what seemed like the darkest day was actually the greatest setup for what ended up being the greatest victory.
Let's get to it.
Scripture References
Job 1:6-12
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 2:7-8
“…we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. 8None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
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How effective can we really be if we aren't paying attention and working on the small practical things? Let's talk about it.
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Have you (ever) felt hopeless? The Bible has a lot to say about the feeling of hopelessness. Today we'll be talking about where it can come from and a well known figure in the Bible who was led astray because of it so we can make sure we don't do the same. 🙏
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Today on the Church Acts Podcast we'll be talking about inertia. That feeling and atmosphere that tries to keep you stuck in the day to day, never realizing your full potential. We'll be going over some key strategies on how we can finally overcome it once and for all.
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In this second part of our Masterclass with Pastor Randeep Mathews we'll be talking about:
- House church. What is it, where did the idea of house church come from?
- Meditation. What is true meditation? Why is it so important for the church to return to a practise of meditation?
- How to grow in our spiritual gifts
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I'm honoured to have Randeep Mathews with me on the podcast. In Pt.1 we'll be talking about:
- The most radical transformation story I’ve ever heard. That goes right in the face of what a lot of us believe.
- Why prayers don’t get answered
- Why we don’t see signs and wonders
- The extreme importance of meditation, how we have it so wrong.
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Happy New Year 🎉 On the first episode of 2024 we're going to be talking about our thoughts/something practical/perspective change.
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Ask yourself, why not? Why not you. What if you do succeed.
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What anti-words are you bringing into this new year. Words that may have defined your past but are not going to define your future.
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Better an enemy that is known than one that is unknown.
Let's jump in.
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We have made it to the end of another year! My wife Magna-Leena joins me on the show as we wrap it all up by sharing some lessons we both learned (and some we started to unlearn) in 2023 🙌
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Today on the Church Acts Podcast we're going to take a look at what we've made into our foundations. We'll be talking about how different things in our lives add weight to that foundation and asking if what we've got is strong enough to hold everything up.
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We are the sum total of every decision that we have made up until this point. Let's take a few moments today to look at the patterns that have been governing so much of our lives.
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Today's episode comes from a major thing that someone said to me recently. If you feel like you've been fighting alone, or if you feel like it all depends on you I know this episode will help bring peace to your life. 🙏✌️
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Many feel like they are being overcome by many things: anxiety, depression, and a lack of purpose. Today let's get into the Bible and see what God has to say so that we can go from overcome to overcomer in Jesus' name. 🙏
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The first of many testimony episodes, where we want to showcase and talk about times when God did what only He can do 🙌
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Messenger International
The Relentless Series AudioBook
Watch Relentless On Youtube
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🔑 The lies we believe limit us from seeing things as they actually are.
On the episode today we'll be talking about the rich legacy that we all have as part of the body of Christ and a few lies that the enemy would love for us to (continue to) believe.
🎶 The enemy thought he had us, but Jesus said, "You're mine". 🙏
The song referenced in the episode - "Back To Life" by Bethel Music
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"How do you beat a man that doesn't quit?"
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What stories have you been replaying over and over in your mind? The things that we tell ourselves have the ability to change how we experience life radically. For the bad, but more importantly for the good.
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What if we lived underneath something that affected every part of our lives without knowing? On today's podcast we'll talk about what happens when we give our authority away and start to discuss how we can take it back.
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If we aren’t careful we’ll start living in a constant loop of missed opportunities and unlearnt lessons. We all have unique things that we are here on Earth to accomplish. Let's talk about how to win and lose in 2023 according to (present) me
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The Church is at war, and there are forces that need to be dealt with. Today on the Church Acts Podcast I want to start to dive into a topic that has been misunderstood by so many their whole lives. Spiritual Warfare.
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Do we live a supplemental Christian life? Just enough God to fill in the gaps? Let's talk about it.
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Life is always going to be a lot harder than it needs to be when we don't have a few things in order. The basics. How are the foundational basic things in our lives doing? Is everything moving smoothly or is something holding us up? Today we'll talk about the basics and how they need to be prioritized in order for us to do everything else we are called to do.
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Verses Mentioned:
Genesis 18:16-33
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.[c] 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[d] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare[e] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” 29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
Genesis 19:1-29
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” 3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” 6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.” 9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. 10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door. 12 The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry[a] his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. 15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” 16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” 18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords,[b] please! 19 Your[c] servant has found favor in your[d] eyes, and you[e] have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” 21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.) 23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
Genesis 6:1-18
When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. 5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.
Today we'll discuss the dangers of overcomplicating things...like IKEA furniture. We'll be talking about the importance of focusing on the simple truth of God's love and spending time in His Word as we talk about the importance of loving God and loving others.🙏
Magna-Leena joins us once again on the Podcast to talk about what we've been up to recently and some pretty cool things that God has been doing in the lives of people around us.
We have the right to be free as believers. Today we're going to talk about how we often limit our freedom plus I'll be sharing some personal stories and experiences to help us get closer to true freedom through a closer relationship with God.
Have you ever felt like on the outside you were doing everything in your control to be living your best life, but somehow still stuck? In today's episode, we'll discuss what to do if you feel like that's you and how there's most likely more to what's been going on.
In this episode of the Church Acts podcast, we’re going to be discussing practical ways to prevent heaviness and overwhelm in our lives. I’m talking really practical like writing down tasks to avoid mental clutter, bringing order to other areas of our lives, and taking things to God in prayer. We have to be diligent when it comes to instilling practical habits in our lives so that we can free up our mental capacity, therefore, helping us avoid overwhelm which leads to heaviness.
Hey there! On this episode of the Church Acts Podcast, we’re going to be talking about heaviness and how it can really mess with our lives. We’ll be explaining how heaviness can come in different forms, and how it can really affect our effectiveness. But don't worry! We’ll be encouraging you to face this heaviness head-on as we offer some practical and spiritual advice on how to practically do so. Remember, we don't have to fight this battle alone - the Lord's got our back, and the battle belongs to Him! 🙌
This is the exact time of year when people give up on the life they truly want to live. We'll be talking about the stats and what we can do to make sure we get it done, stay consistent and succeed 🙏
Verses Mentioned
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Stats Mentioned
- 38.5% of US adults set New Year’s resolutionsevery year.
- 59% of young adults (18-34) have New Year’s resolutions, which makes it the largest demographic that sets these goals.
- 48% want to exercise more, making it the most popular New Year’s resolution. The top 3 are all health-related.
- 23% quit in the first week, and only 36% make it past the first month.
- 9% successfully keep their New Year’s resolutions.
Verses Mentioned:
Joshua 1:7-9 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
How to start a new year.
👉 Step 1 | Set your focus, get your map
We need a map going into the new year, something that when times get tough when we feel like we don’t have anything left, we can know that we are headed in the right direction.
👉 Step 2 | Evaluate and put things in place
Why did we fail? What can we put in place this time so that we don’t fail in the same way going forward?
👉 Step 3 | Believe, getting intense and emotionally involved
We need to believe deep down, that the things we set out to do are in fact achievable, even if every other fact is pointing towards the fact that it isn’t because God partners with us.
⚡️ "I’m more interested in hearing what people already have been doing and less about what they say they want to do." ⚡️
How can we prepare ourselves for not just days but decades ahead? In this episode we spoke about three places where we can start:
- Set the foundation
- Be open to change but not compromise
- Build with God's grace
Questions to ask yourself:
- What's something you could put in place right now that would start you towards where you want to be?
- Where are your current choices taking you?
We're nearing the end of another year 🙌 It's a time of year when we look into the future to dream of what could be. We look over our notes and schedules and see what worked and maybe what needs to be improved on our next trip around the sun. One thing is always the same before we set out and do something new, we need to ensure that our foundations are set right. This is why today we're revisiting episode 42, to talk about setting our foundations right so we can build strong and build things that last!
Key Takeaways
- There is a difference between a good thing and a God thing. Our job is the get the wisdom that would show us what is what.
- Never settle and trade a God thing for a good thing.
- What separates us from any other religion is the fact that we serve the only one true living God who graciously sent us the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom we need to navigate through anything we might face.
- We are never alone. We have a powerful friend in the Holy Spirit who is always there.
Verses Mentioned:
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Phillippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus
at·ro·phy
- (of body tissue or an organ) waste away, especially as a result of the degeneration of cells
- gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect.
Verses Mentioned:
Psalm 28:1
To you, LORD, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit.
For the very first time my wife, Magna-Leena joins me on the podcast. She thought it would be fun if she interviewed me on the show, so that's exactly what we're going to do on this episode. (Plus a lot of espresso talk)
"There have been a lot of people who have been emptied. That need to be filled again."
If we're walking around empty, how can we show up for the people that God has called us to reach?
Verses Mentioned
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Verses Mentioned:
Proverbs 13:12 - “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Verses Mentioned
Daniel 3:16-18
"...O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Joshua 1:7
"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do."
Proverbs 15:22
"Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success."
Life Church Messages on Margin:
Pt. 1 Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmargin_128k.mp3
Pt. 2 Schedule Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fscheduling-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 3 Financial Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Ffinancial-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 4 Moral Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmoral-margin_128k.mp3
Guide To Implementing Margin
- Think about what areas in your life have been causing you problems. We need to first identify what areas margin is needed before we can implement it.
- Realize that margin can be front-loaded. Meaning, it might take a lot of work up front (i.e. saving up for an emergency fund when it comes to financial margin)
- Once you recognize where margin is needed, start to take small steps towards what needs to be done. There is no need to get overwhelmed. Don't look to other people, make small steps that you can achieve.
- Enjoy the life of peace that margin brings.
Life Church Messages on Margin:
Pt. 1 Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmargin_128k.mp3
Pt. 2 Schedule Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fscheduling-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 3 Financial Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Ffinancial-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 4 Moral Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmoral-margin_128k.mp3
Hey friends, today I am extremely excited about this episode and this topic. "Living With Margin".
Too many of us, myself included, have become exhausted, we've become overwhelmed and stressed out to the point where I believe we've stopped short of what God has for us. When we live with no margin in any area of our lives, we set ourselves up for all kinds of trouble.
Today, let's talk about it, and then next week let's brainstorm together on how to get the margin back, or maybe start putting things in place to create margin in areas where you have never had margin in.
Remember, we are blessed to be a blessing, we are called to be men and women of action, let's free ourselves up by giving our schedules, finances and other areas margin so that we truly can be able to do all that God has for us to do. Let's be people who are not stressed out or maxed out, but people who live a life with margin.
Life Church Messages on Margin:
Pt. 1 Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmargin_128k.mp3
Pt. 2 Schedule Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fscheduling-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 3 Financial Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Ffinancial-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 4 Moral Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmoral-margin_128k.mp3
With so many things happening in our lives, sometimes we lose track of the simple truths. It's important to remember that God is faithful no matter what we face. (Originally shared November 2017)
Verses Mentioned:
1 Samuel 16:7 “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
It hit pretty hard what she said earlier on in the episode, "Many people wait to seek professional help due to shame or access to resources." If you have something that has been preventing you from living your life on an ongoing basis make sure you put the work in and get the help that you need so that you can move forward into all that God has for you.
Books Mentioned:
- The Body Keeps The Score
- https://www.amazon.ca/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+body+keeps+score&qid=1657028391&sprefix=the+body+k%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-1
- Unwinding Anxiety
- https://www.amazon.ca/Unwinding-Anxiety-Science-Shows-Cycles/dp/0593330447/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=unwinding+anxiety&qid=1657031281&sprefix=unwinding%2Caps%2C75&sr=8-2
- Winning The War In Your Mind
- https://www.amazon.ca/Winning-War-Your-Mind-Thinking/dp/0310363543/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=winning+the+war+in+your+mind&qid=1657031314&sprefix=winning+the+war+in%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-1
Verses Mentioned:
1 Peter 1:13-20 “So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.
Genesis 1:26-30 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.
Genesis 3:4-7 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Matthew 4:8-9 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
"Energy flows to where attention goes". In other words, what we focus on matters because what we focus on will not only determine what we head towards, but also where we'll end up.
Key Takeaways:
- What have you been focusing on?
- Where is what you've been focusing on taking you?
- Have you been so busy that you haven't thought about where your day-to-day decisions are taking you?
Verses Mentioned:
1 Peter 5:8
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Some of my favorite take-aways from this episode:
- “When what we’ve been through maxes out past our ability to cope and the resources we have access to we end up with a mental health issue”
- “A lot of people are living in freeze and don’t realize it because it masks itself as depression.”
I thought it was also extremely interesting how she spoke about triggers and how they can happen out of nowhere, specifically when she said that even an elevated heart rate could serve as a trigger.
If ever there was an episode to re-listen to, it would be this one. The entire interview was filled with great, practical advice on how to finally overcome anxiety.
How terrible would it be if at the end of our lives we realized that we could have been so much more effective if only we knew what we had. Another way we could say it is if only we knew who partnered with us. Today, we're going to be taking some points from famed musician tobyMac, while we talk about the fact that "you never know what you got till it's gone".
Episode Recap
- Are we aware of what's going on around us?
- How we interpret things in our minds will determine how we experience our day-to-day lives.
- All of our actions start with (sometimes seemingly innocent) thoughts.
- Are our lives good soil for sin to take root?
Verses Mentioned:
James 1:14-15 "but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Genesis 4:7 “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Credits
Closing Song - Manafest - Nemesis
🔗 Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/ca/album/nemesis-feat-sonny-sandoval/1612703498?i=1612703499
When we think about people falling away, we never think about ourselves. King David never thought of himself as the one who would have an affair, and then proceed to kill that woman's husband to cover it all up. Just like Judas, I’m sure never walked with Jesus, abandoning all that he had in life, to one day betray the Son of God and hand Him over to be murdered.
All throughout the Bible and history, there are stories of good-meaning people, who tried hard, who did what they thought they should be doing, who had good intentions, but then ended up far from God's intended destination for their lives.
How can we make sure that we put ourselves in a position where no matter what comes our way we will be able to stand the tests of temptation and time and culture? The answer: By drawing near and building our relationship with the One who created it all.
Strength To The Church | The Relationship.
Where does strength to the church come from? I've watched many people in many different walks of life, through different circumstances do and say things that have been disempowering themselves from the fight that Ephesians 6 talks about.
In this episode, I talk about a friend who constantly was speaking hopelessness and death over his life to the point where the things that he spoke about started coming true.
Now, this isn't an episode on speaking positive things until we believe it, rather it's a reminder that the words that we speak have power that maybe goes unseen because of the authority that has been given to us by God.
Let's bring Strength To The Church by tackling our words.
Verses Mentioned:
Mark 5:2-17
Mark 5:2-17
"When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” 9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. 11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. 14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region."
Today on the Church Acts Podcast, I want to do what the enemy has tried to do for so many (but in reverse). I want to help you reframe prayer
Each step of building a house needs to happen in a certain order for the build to be completed . You can't install the drywall before the electrical, or the lights without the ceiling. Our lives are very similar to this. That's why we need to go all the way back to our foundations.
Are our foundations strong enough to withhold the things we are putting on top of them? Think about it like this, everything in our lives from relationships to our jobs is like a floor of a house, with each floor comes added weight that our foundations need to bear. Some people might have a strong enough foundation to support themselves, but then when the added floor of a marriage or a committed relationship, the added floor of a family comes along their foundation starts to crack.
What areas of our lives, that form our foundation, need to be strengthened? Maybe re-poured so that we will be able to support with confidence what God has for us in this life?
Verses Mentioned
Proverbs 16:9
"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."
We are all currently experiencing either the benefits or consequences of our past decisions. With that being said, where are our current decisions taking us? Do we like where we're headed?
Verses Mentioned:
2 Samuel 11:1
“In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.”
What are we supposed to do when we have no idea what to do? How do we get going, how do we start or begin fresh in an area of our lives? While I (Terry) can only speak about my personal experiences and share opinions based on those I think there are things that we can all do that will help get us on track.
- What was the last thing that God told you to do? Even if it was way back in your past. Do that. Why would God give you something more if He can’t trust you with what He has already given you?
- Start right where you are, steward the job, the relationships, the finances your health to the best of your ability. All while constantly seeking God in prayer and getting in the word. If you still aren't sure what to do, look to all the areas of your life and see if there is anything that is causing you ongoing problems. For example, are you tired all the time? Well, look to your sleep and if that’s a problem address that, or maybe it’s your diet, go there.
- If you are serious about change, know that your built-up habits are going to at first fight against you on this journey until you realign them, so let’s give ourselves the biggest shot of succeeding by redirecting all of our resources and focus and attention to solving this problem. It needs to be elevated as something serious in our minds or we will quite simply slip back into the old routines and continue to live life without direction. That’s not what we want.
When we do all of these things, as we continue to seek the Holy Spirit intentionally and repeatedly, I know that God will be good to give you the wisdom that you need so that you will know what to do.
Verses Mentioned:
Matthew 6:33
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
Luke 11:5-10
“Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Clear vision is something that all of us want. In the case of the last few years during the time of the Covid 19 pandemic, our lives have all looked differently than anticipated, but that doesn't mean that we can't learn from what we've been through. A lot of us have been forced to take a pause, to change routines and the way we've always done things. That's caused a few of us to really struggle mentally and on the flip side, others to really pull out of themselves what they never knew was there.
On this episode of the Church Acts Podcast, Terry spoke about three things that pausing and changing up his routine over the past couple of years has shown and taught him:
- Looking for opportunities in things that were originally supposed to be fixed assets (specific things for a specific purpose)
- We all have 24 hours in a day, but not all of those hours are the same
- What gets our attention gets done
Why should we even care?
I can’t establish your why for you and full transparency I’m still asking God to help me clearly define my why. But I know that if I’m at my best I will be a better husband a greater friend, I will be able to help those around me, I will have resources that can help set people free from the chains of debt, I will be able to reach people with the same message of hope that changed my life and I will help people realize that they are not victims or defeated but that they do have a purpose and they do have a call and they are not forgotten and they can do what God has called them to. And then I will be able to see this world changed because of it.
Here we are, the end of an entire year. On today's episode of the Church Acts Podcast, we're going to be doing something even more important than looking forward to a new year. Today we're going to be taking a look back over the one that just happened to see what we can learn. Let's jump into the final episode of the Church Acts Podcast in 2021!
Verses Mentioned:
Matthew 6:22-23 - "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
👉 Weekly Video Announcements for your church - Announcements.church
People everywhere are quick to offer their own opinions, sometimes even on behalf of God. Do we as Christians though truly know what God is doing in our own lives or are we open to having the wrong voices take us to places where we should never go?
Verses Mentioned:
Isaiah 6:11-12 - What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning looking for a drink of alcohol and spend long evenings drinking wine to make themselves flaming drunk. They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties — lyre and harp, tambourine and flute — but they never think about the Lord or notice what he is doing.
Isaiah 8:11-13 - The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble.
Episode Recap ⏱
👉 Direction - "You need to know what you’re aiming at or you’ll miss it every time"
- You’re not being productive because you don’t have a strong enough why that’s driving you. You don’t have clear direction.
- The Bible says that it’s for the lack of vision that people perish. Ponder the path of your feet then all your ways will be sure.
- “If you don’t know where you’re headed, you might not like where you end up."
👉 Self-reflection
- Ask why 5-7 times to really get down to the bottom of the situation.
- Have you set yourself up to fail before you even begin?
- Is everyone else’s task list your priority and as a result do you have no margin?
👉 Environment
- What’s the environment like around you? Is it conducive to productivity or does your environment prevent you from doing what you need to do?
- Who do you surround yourself with - this is a lot more important than people think. You will end up imitating eventually those closest to you.
It’s easy to hear the word productivity and want to roll our eyes 👀. Why are we even covering the topic of productivity on The Church Acts Podcast?
The truth is, we all have things to accomplish on this earth, yet at the same time there are so many distractions all around us, that unfortunately, the majority of us aren’t able to step into what we are called to.
We need to be intentionally effective and focused on our God given purpose if we are going to accomplish all that God has for us to accomplish.
Let’s talk about The New Productivity. 🙌
The formula:
- 👉 Purpose - We need to start with our purpose, the base for productivity is figuring out what it is that we are here to do. “If you don’t know where you are headed, you might not like where you end up.”
- 👉 Once we discover our purpose we need to get focused. This is where we need to get intentional. We need to make intentional decisions that move us closer to our purpose.
- 👉 The final step of the New Productivity formula is all about being effective. We need to ask the tough questions to make sure the decisions we are making are actually effective towards getting us to where we need to be.
There are a lot of things that can easily divide us. A divided church is exactly what our enemy wants. Today let's talk about holding it down and keeping it steady no matter what would come our way.
at·ro·phy
- (of body tissue or an organ) waste away, especially as a result of the degeneration of cells
- gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect.
Verses Mentioned:
Psalm 28:1
To you, LORD, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Whatever it is that God has spoken over your life, know that it will come to pass. Take courage, it will come to pass!
Verses Mentioned:
Numbers 13:25-33
25 After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned 26 to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. 27 This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. 28 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.” 30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” 31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” 32 So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. 33 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”
Number 14:1-10
1 Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. 2 Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. 3 “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. 6 Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. 7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! 8 And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” 10 But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb.
Numbers 22:1-4
Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho. 2 Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites. 3 And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified. 4 The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!”
Joshua 2:8-11
Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. 9 “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. 10 For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. 11 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
Psalm 52:1-9
Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior? Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever? 2 All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you’re an expert at telling lies. 3 You love evil more than good and lies more than truth. 4 You love to destroy others with your words, you liar!5 But God will strike you down once and for all. He will pull you from your home and uproot you from the land of the living. 6 The righteous will see it and be amazed. They will laugh and say, 7 “Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.” 8 But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.9 I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done.I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.
Micah 7:7
As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Before I close it off today I want to read with you a verse that I always just skimmed over until these past few weeks.
Psalm 77:19
Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there!
Key Takeaways
- There is a major difference between arrogance and spiritual boldness.
- What we do not confront, with Godly confrontation, will not change.
- Our battle is not against the people around us but against spiritual forces.
Verses Mentioned
1 Samuel 17:41-51
41 Goliath walked out toward David with his shield-bearer ahead of him, 42 sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. 43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. 44 “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. 45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. 51 Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.
Psalm 91:1-16
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.2 This I declare about the Lord:He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.8 Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. 9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! 14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”
Verses Mentioned:
Judges 16:4-22
4 Sometime later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces[b] of silver.” By the way, there is a few different debates on how much that would have been, but one person did the math and was saying that this could have amounted to as much as 110 years worth of wages between all of them. Which goes to show how desperate they were to make this happen. Back to the story:
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.”
7 Samson replied, “If I were tied up with seven new bowstrings that have not yet been dried, I would become as weak as anyone else.”
8 So the Philistine rulers brought Delilah seven new bowstrings, and she tied Samson up with them. 9 She had hidden some men in one of the inner rooms of her house, and she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson snapped the bowstrings as a piece of string snaps when it is burned by a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.
10 Afterward Delilah said to him, “You’ve been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now please tell me how you can be tied up securely.”
11 Samson replied, “If I were tied up with brand-new ropes that had never been used, I would become as weak as anyone else.”
12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them. The men were hiding in the inner room as before, and again Delilah cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But again Samson snapped the ropes from his arms as if they were thread.
13 Then Delilah said, “You’ve been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now tell me how you can be tied up securely.”
Samson replied, “If you were to weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on your loom and tighten it with the loom shuttle, I would become as weak as anyone else.”
So while he slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric. 14 Then she tightened it with the loom shuttle.[c] Again she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson woke up, pulled back the loom shuttle, and yanked his hair away from the loom and the fabric.
15 Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!” 16 She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it.
17 Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.”
18 Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come back one more time,” she said, “for he has finally told me his secret.” So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. 19 Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down,[d] and his strength left him.
20 Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!”
When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him.
21 So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison.
22 But before long, his hair began to grow back.
Verses Mentioned
Daniel 3:16-18
"...O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Joshua 1:7
"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do."
Proverbs 15:22
"Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success."
Life Church Messages on Margin:
Pt. 1 Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmargin_128k.mp3
Pt. 2 Schedule Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fscheduling-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 3 Financial Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Ffinancial-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 4 Moral Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmoral-margin_128k.mp3
Guide To Implementing Margin
- Think about what areas in your life have been causing you problems. We need to first identify what areas margin is needed before we can implement it.
- Realize that margin can be front-loaded. Meaning, it might take a lot of work up front (i.e. saving up for an emergency fund when it comes to financial margin)
- Once you recognize where margin is needed, start to take small steps towards what needs to be done. There is no need to get overwhelmed. Don't look to other people, make small steps that you can achieve.
- Enjoy the life of peace that margin brings.
Life Church Messages on Margin:
Pt. 1 Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmargin_128k.mp3
Pt. 2 Schedule Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fscheduling-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 3 Financial Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Ffinancial-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 4 Moral Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmoral-margin_128k.mp3
Hey friends, today I am extremely excited about this episode and this topic. "Living With Margin".
Too many of us, myself included, have become exhausted, we've become overwhelmed and stressed out to the point where I believe we've stopped short of what God has for us. When we live with no margin in any area of our lives, we set ourselves up for all kinds of trouble.
Today, let's talk about it, and then next week let's brainstorm together on how to get the margin back, or maybe start putting things in place to create margin in areas where you have never had margin in.
Remember, we are blessed to be a blessing, we are called to be men and women of action, let's free ourselves up by giving our schedules, finances and other areas margin so that we truly can be able to do all that God has for us to do. Let's be people who are not stressed out or maxed out, but people who live a life with margin.
Life Church Messages on Margin:
Pt. 1 Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmargin_128k.mp3
Pt. 2 Schedule Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fscheduling-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 3 Financial Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Ffinancial-margin_128k.mp3
Pt. 4 Moral Margin - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-church-with-craig-groeschel/id73802266#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fd.life.church%2Fsermon%2Fmargin%2Fmoral-margin_128k.mp3
Key Takeaways
Threats to the Long Game: The voices that we allow into our minds and thoughts.
There are a lot of good people that love to share their opinions. However, when we follow opinions over God's will we'll usually find ourselves ending up in two very different places.
"Your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thought" - Pastor Craig Groeschel
Threat to the long game: Making generalizations
We need to be careful what generalizations we are repeating to ourselves. Including the thought patterns that we speak out over ourselves and about our circumstances.
What we repeat can easily turn into limiting beliefs that in turn will act as the filter through how we see and process life. Impacting decisions and ultimately where we end up down the road.
Verses Mentioned:
1 Kings 19:10 - But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
Romans 11:3-4 - Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”
2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
How can we prepare ourselves for not just days but decades ahead? In this episode we spoke about three places where we can start:
- Set the foundation
- Be open to change but not compromise
- Build with God's grace
Questions to ask yourself:
- What's something you could put in place right now that would start you towards where you want to be?
- Where are your current choices taking you?
Key Takeaways
- There is a difference between a good thing and a God thing. Our job is the get the wisdom that would show us what is what.
- Never settle and trade a God thing for a good thing.
- What separates us from any other religion is the fact that we serve the only one true living God who graciously sent us the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom we need to navigate through anything we might face.
- We are never alone. We have a powerful friend in the Holy Spirit who is always there.
Verses Mentioned:
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Phillippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus
What's determined to say in our hearts and minds, and in our family trees for that matter, that we should be dealing with instead? Will we be more determined than the things of life that come against us? Or will we try and get by and exchange God's will, for a compromised life?
de·ter·mined
- having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it.
- processing or displaying resolve.
"...because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region."
What we do not confront, will not change.
Verses Mentioned:
Deuteronomy 9:1-6 “Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’ But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised. “After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The Lord has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must recognize that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people."
Judges 1:27 "The tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the people living in Beth-shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all their surrounding settlements, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region."
Recently I've been talking with a few people who have been extremely discouraged. From lockdowns to the loss of purpose, there has been a lot going on in many people's lives. However, one thing has stayed the same, the truth of God's word.
On this episode of the Church Acts Podcast, Terry brings some encouragement and reminds us that regardless of what we see or hear or understand that's going on around us, God has good plans for our good future. Sometimes all we have to do is be still, and remember who God is.
Verses Mentioned:
Psalm 129:2 "They have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not prevailed against me."
Luke 10:19 "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you."
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try you can't seem to overcome in a certain area of your life? Like no matter how hard you try, you can't achieve a breakthrough? Have you ever been in the middle of a situation only to look around and be completely confused as to why or even how a particular situation was happening?
Maybe you've even thought God was the cause.
Hopefully, you'll start to realize or even have a renewed understanding that there is more going on in this world than what meets the eye. There are forces at play, and they need to be dealt with.
Verses Mentioned:
Job 1:6-22
"One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face! “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. He said,“I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave.The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away.Praise the name of the Lord!” In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.
Job 2:1-10
One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.
Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.” Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!” “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.
Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
Hosea 4:6
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge".
Matthew 4:9
"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Everything bows to God. Even the things we deem as impossible and immovable.
- Your future is not fixed.
- Your circumstance is not fixed.
- What you are experiencing right now is real, but it is not fixed.
Verses Mentioned
John 11:20-22
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
John 14:12-14
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
Philippians 2:9
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name..."
Main Takeaways:
What you do not confront, will not change. If we are going to overcome anxiety and anxious thoughts we can't ignore them, we need to confront them and put things in place to weaken them.
We need to renew our minds.
If it's a battle for our mind, then the mind is where we need to battle.
Verses Mentioned:
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 / 16-18
"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed."
"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."
John 10:10
"The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."
Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
John 8:36
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
Resources:
- Think Learn Succeed
- Winning The War In Your Mind
- Atomic Habits
- The Journal I Am Currently Using
Episode Recap
When we come before God, we need to come before Him with honor and respect.
We need to make sure that we actually make room to hear from God. You don't need to see massive signs to know that God is with you, in the example we looked at God was found in the whisper.
God isn't in the flashy formulas. He already made a way through His son, now all we have to do is draw near, we need to slow down, slow the thoughts that are always racing in our minds, and focus in to hear the whisper.
Verses Mentioned:
Psalm 28:1
"To you, LORD, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit."
1 Kings 19:11-13
"...Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave."
If God is so good why do bad things happen? If God is so good why did He allow this person to die? If God is so good why do bad things happen?
Have you ever had a question like that, or heard someone ask a similar one? You can't have faith in someone you don't have confidence in, and it's by faith that we approach God. In order to move forward and step into hearing from God, we need to tackle some big questions.
Verses Mentioned:
Jeremiah 1:12 "...I am watching over my word to perform it.”
Psalm 37:25"I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread."
James 4:8"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."
What would our lives look like if we walked with God?
Not collectively, but you and I personally? Can you imagine knowing what to do in every situation, having the wisdom to guide your family, to have the discernment to know what to do and when to do it? To know of things and be able to prepare before they happen. To know how to be a light in any circumstance. To see what's actually going on around us and to understand, not just be a victim to the world around us.
To walk with God.
The Vision"There was a tree in the middle of a large white room. The room was so big that I couldn't see the borders of it, the only thing that I could see was a tree in the middle of everything. The tree was in a glass case and from the tree was lighting, the lighting reached out from the tree and lit up different memories from my past like they were connected.
The interpretation
The tree represented the source of power in a Christians life. God is the source. As long as He is first, He is the center, everything will flow from that.
Verses Mentioned:
James 4:8 "James 4:8 - Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."
Hebrews 2:6-8 "What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet."
Psalm 28:1 "To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit."
Hopelessness, anxiety, and everything that would be stealing life from you, that is not our inheritance as Christians, that is not the church, that is not for us to experience, we were called out of that. Not only that, we are called to show the people around us the way out.
When God sent His own Son down to earth to put us in right standing with Him, we were raised together with Him far above the cares of this world.
If you allow depression to hang out with you, if you allow anxious thoughts to hang out with you, that is the life you will experience.
We need to put these things on notice and take our place of authority back as Christians, when we do, we'll experience the freedom we were always meant to live in.
Verses Mentioned
John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law."
Luke 4:33-37 "In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area."
John 14:12-14 "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
Episode Recap
Accomplishing our goals in 2021 is like the steps to buying an engagement ring, here's how:
- First things first. You need to know as you are setting out to do whatever it is that God has placed on your heart, no efforts are too small.
- Make a plan. Many studies have shown that if you don't write your goals down if they aren't clear in your mind if they stay in just your head. They're just a wish. So we have to make sure that we actually make the transition from information to plan of action.
- Our mindsets need to change. The time old saying is true, what got us here won't take us there.
- The final step that will get us to where we need to go is actually stepping out and moving forward with intentionality. What we've done has gotten us to where we are now, so obviously, if we want different results, we need to approach things differently.
Important reminder: Don't forget to take into account the opportunity cost of a new goal. Usually, our goals require a lot more sacrifice in time and attention than we think. Make sure that the goal you are setting out to accomplish lines up with your current season of life.
Verses Mentioned:
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
2 Samuel 22:31 "God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true, He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection."
Atomic Habits: I highly recommend this book
I want to say thank you so much for hanging out with me this year.
I pray that you'll have a great Christmas wherever you are celebrating it, with whoever you are celebrating it with, remembering that Christmas was the biggest set up this world has ever seen. When God sent His Son to be a man of massive action to take the authority back so that today we can walk in that authority and see our world changed.
Remember with hopeful anticipation who you are in Christ, there are people that need us, there are circumstances that need changing, and ideas that need challenging. You're the one to do it, so have a great rest of 2020, go out take action and I'll talk with you next year,
God bless friends! I'm extremely excited for what's to come in 2021!
Talk then, Terry
Episode Recap
- If we're going to overcome, we need to stop managing things and instead be intentional about overcoming them.
- Anything that would cause you to shrink back instead of step into your calling is something that is not from God and something that needs to be addressed and with faith and the help of the Holy Spirit overcome.
- We need to start with the right foundation. The unchanging word of God.
- We need to take up the mindset of, no more excuses, whatever it takes.
- Make it harder to fail than to succeed. (At the things you want to set out to overcome) i.e Make bad habits hard to give into.
- We were never meant to go through this life alone. Just like we need other people to help us and be there for us, we need to bear each others burdens.
- If we stay single-minded and determined, with the help of the Holy Spirit and God's grace, we will overcome whatever it is that would try to keep us from living the lives God has for us.
Verses Mentioned
John 8:36 "So if the Son sets your free, you are truly free."
Isaiah 53:3-5 "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed."
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Luke 18:1-8 "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary. For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Genesis 39:1:12 "Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
Genesis 2:18 "Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone..."
Practical Steps (Review)
- It's going to take effort, we are going to come up against some times where we are going to want to quit, if we anticipate them, it'll be easier for us to push through.
- Self-discipline, we're not going to feel motivated, so we need to develop self-discipline
- We need to break it down, whatever our goal is, into small consistent steps. Remember we're building new habits here and that takes time. So every time you do something towards your goal remember you are casting a vote for the person you are becoming.
- We need to get super practical with our steps, try and take the big overarching goals and break them down to the point where you can accomplish small tasks every day. Like my credit card that I paid off, even if it was a few dollars a day, I was making progress which fueled me to want to keep going.
- We need to educate ourselves, we don't know what we don't know. There could be things that we think we're doing right that are actually making our lives harder. So we need to constantly be learning and growing.
Verses Mentioned
Hebrews 12:11
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Hosea 4:6
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;"
We're all about to cross over into a new year. For many people, because of all the fun that 2020 brought (sarcasm implied), we are looking forward to a fresh start. Let's make sure that we prepare for success not hope it happens.
Practical Next Steps
- Start planning for your new year in November.
- What 3 things, if accomplished would have the biggest ripple effect on your life as a whole? Start there!
- Take some time to think. What routines or pain points in your day to day life has not been serving you. Audit your calendar.
Verses Mentioned
Matthew 7:8 "For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."
We don't know what we don't know. Compound decisions by time and man, you can have all kinds of results. There are people all over the world making one decision after the next, some are based on parents some are based on culture, others are influenced by what they see online, all of these decisions good or bad hold something that I like to call opportunity cost.
Opportunity cost. How saying yes now automatically means you are saying no to something down the road.
Take Away Questions
- What are you currently saying yes to now, that ultimately is taking you down a road you don't want to be on?
- What is one thing you need to change and say yes to, to realign yourself with what God has for your life?
Verses Mentioned
Proverbs 4:26 "Ponder the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure."
Per·fec·tion·ism
"refusal to accept any standard short of perfection."
Do you want to stop short of accomplishing what God has for you? Perfectionism will make you stop short every single time because it's literally impossible to be perfect.
The majority of us know that. But why do we still chase it and wear the title like a badge of honor?
Done is better than perfect and excellence is better than perfection. Let's talk about it.
Verses Mentioned:
2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
One of the biggest things that we need as the body of Christ, is clear communication with God. Sadly, the enemy has tried to rob many of that very thing. I can't even tell you how many people I have met who think that getting wisdom and direction from God and hearing from Him is either something of the past or only available to a select few. Here's the thing, that message is nowhere to be found in the Bible. Let's get into it, and hear what the Bible really has to say about hearing from God.
Verses Mentioned :
John 15:26-27 “I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me.
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Psalm 143:7 "Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who descend to the Pit." it says "Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who descend to the Pit."
Pre·emp·tive /prēˈemptive
adjective
serving or intended to preempt or forestall something, especially to prevent attack by disabling the enemy.
Verse mentioned:
Luke 10:19
“...I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you."
Prayer: *Remember it's not about the words, it's about the power and faith behind who God is and the authority that He has given you when you pray.
In the name of Jesus, I command anything not of the Holy Spirit at the place of my work (name the exact place where you work) to be inoperative and inactive against me and every single one of my co-workers. I forbid any demonic atmosphere from affecting my thoughts or my emotions or my energy or anything to do with me or anyone else on the boundaries in the name of Jesus amen.
What we focus on, matters. It's easy to get caught up in a life that seems to be all about putting out one fire after another. The Bible is clear, in this world, we will face trials, there will be trouble. Remember though, our trials are not our everything. When we keep our eyes focused on the right things, we WILL make it through.
Takeaways
- There are going to be times where we are not going to feel it, but if God has called us somewhere, we can still hold it down.
- When the enemy tries to convince you that something outside of God's will is what you really want, remember, it's always a lie. "It was always just a lie"
Verses Mentioned
Hebrews 12:2 "Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." I started to think about that first part, because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross.
John 10:10 "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance."
If we're going to accomplish all that God has for us, we need to first prepare ourselves and second watch out for a few things.
To Recap
- Realize what's going on, Ephesians 6 baby, the enemy is going to try and convince you that you have made a mistake, "Shock And Awe".
- No more false timelines, God knows the times and seasons, if He hasn't given you the green light to leave we're not going to set up false timelines in our heads. That's only going to set ourselves up for failure and bring us down. We don't want to make things harder for ourselves.
- Determination. Say it with me I Will Not Quit! We need to be determined. That no matter what, if God has called us somewhere, we will not give in, we will not give up, we will not stop holding it down because we are the body of Christ. When it comes to what God has called us to, we need to take the word "quit" off the table.
Side note:
Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences."
When I go into the studio or I'm about to start working on a project, sometimes I'll pre-caffeinate. What does that mean? Well, it's just a ridiculous way of saying, I'll have an espresso or two before I jump into work. Just like I pre-caffeinate sometimes we walk into situations, pre-defeated.
Can I encourage you to watch what you speak over your lives and situations. If we are wanting to win, why should we speak death over our days and workplaces, families, and relationships? Remember, words have power.
Episode Review:
We're all going to experience hard times, it's how we respond and think about them that'll determine where we end up.
Conclusion Proverbs 3:5-6: If we're going to not cheat "the process" we need to be constantly getting into the word to gain a higher perspective. * What happens when we are pushed? Are we going to be relentless? What is our default? * Instead of looking to everyone around us, we need to focus on what we are called to do and ask ourselves, "What is in my hands, right now." (We need to be solution-oriented not victim minded*)
Links Mentioned:Pro Church Tools The Podcast: Pro Church Tools with Brady Shearer
In this debut episode for the Church Acts Podcast, we'll be talking about the thoughts behind the show and a little bit of the history as to how it came to be! Grab an espresso and get ready. Grateful to have you along for the ride! Cue Episode 1!