1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 2: listening with us. 4 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 3: Today's topic is about building the faith into our souls 5 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 3: that we need to stand strong during difficult circumstances. We'll 6 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 3: return with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. 7 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 3: I have told you these things so that in me 8 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 3: you may have peace. In this world. You will have trouble, 9 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 3: but take part. I have overcome the world John sixteen, 10 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 3: verse thirty three. Most of us don't like to be 11 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 3: caught off guard. Hit was something we weren't expecting. Those 12 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 3: situations can feel disorienting if not over. Not long ago, 13 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 3: a friend shared an experience with me that in the moment, 14 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 3: triggered all of her internal alarm systems, resulting in her 15 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 3: landing in total freak out mode. In short, she and 16 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 3: her husband decided to attend a small group for those 17 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 3: enduring chronic anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. She 18 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 3: went to receive encouragement in her long and arguous healing 19 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 3: journey from complex trauma, and her husband accompanied to offer support. 20 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 2: She walked into the meeting room expecting something similar to 21 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 2: a Bible study with sharing opportunities similar to what one. 22 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: Might encounter with alcoholics. Anonymous. 23 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 2: Mentally and emotionally unprepared for a deep discussion on trauma, 24 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 2: she quickly found herself overwhelmed and embarrassed by her intense reactions. 25 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,639 Speaker 2: The following week, however, she responded much differently, largely because 26 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 2: she now knew what to expect and had been able 27 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 2: to talk through this with her therapist. That allowed her 28 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: to bring tools like her current knitting project as a 29 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 2: grounding tool when she sensed herself becoming overwhelmed. The disciples 30 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 2: Jesus spoke with in today's verse would soon face numerous 31 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 2: overwhelming and life threatening circumstances that could have easily triggered panic, 32 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 2: causing them to lash out physically or verbally, to flee 33 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 2: or withdraw from danger, and therefore their calling or become. 34 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: Paralyzed by their fear. The Lord knew this. 35 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 2: He grasped how difficult life would soon become for his 36 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 2: first century followers. That understanding, coupled with his incomprehensible love, 37 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 2: motivated him to prepare them for what lay ahead. First, 38 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: he told them that one of them would betray him, 39 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 2: Peter would deny him, and all of them would abandon him. 40 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 2: During his darkest hour, but recognize he didn't say that 41 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 2: to shame them, but instead to help them post failure 42 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: to return to him and receive his grace. 43 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: He also said that they'd. 44 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 2: Experience persecution and even death for their faith. First, however, 45 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 2: he spoke powerful promises to encourage and strengthen their trembling souls. 46 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 2: Although he told them he'd soon be leaving and they 47 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: couldn't join, he also assured them that he wasn't abandoning them. 48 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 2: He was going to prepare a place for them and 49 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 2: would eventually return for them. Thereby declaring that their hardship 50 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 2: would not get the final say his love and grace would. 51 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: He also let. 52 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: Them know that they wouldn't have to face their upcoming 53 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: difficulties or any other aspect of life alone. He'd send 54 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: God the Holy Spirit to strengthen, guide, and teach them, 55 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 2: and to speak through them. 56 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 3: Then, in John fifteen Versus one through eight, he spoke 57 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 3: words that, when applied, have the capacity. 58 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,119 Speaker 1: To bolster the most timid souls. 59 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 2: In verses four to five, he said, remain in me 60 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: as I also remain in you. No branch can bear 61 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: fruit by itself. It must remain in the neither can 62 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 2: you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am 63 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: the vine. 64 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: You are the branches. 65 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 2: If you remain in ME and I in you, you 66 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 2: will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. 67 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 2: That was their survival plan, their freak out escape route. 68 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 2: When overpowered and overwhelmed. They weren't to rely on themselves. 69 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 2: They needed to turn and draw near to remain vitally 70 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 2: connected to and spiritually alert to His presence at work 71 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 2: within them. He would give them everything they needed to 72 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 2: live as the victorious conquerors he was calling them to be. 73 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 2: They would overcome because He, their Savior, had already overcome. 74 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 2: Intersecting life and faith, God still prepares his children for 75 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 2: the hard things to come. Through scripture, we read numerous 76 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,919 Speaker 2: warnings of the unavoidable difficulties ahead, but the Lord also 77 00:04:55,000 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 2: describes in detail how to stand strong even when the 78 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 2: ground beneath us feels ready to give way. As we 79 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 2: abide or remain in him through prayer, Bible reading, connecting 80 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 2: with other Christ followers, listening for his voice, and resting 81 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 2: in his presence, he steadily and progressively replaces our fear 82 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 2: with courage and peace, our confusion with clarity and our 83 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 2: heartache with joy equally important. He speaks of his grace 84 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 2: before our moment of moral failure, so that we know 85 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 2: we can return to it and rely upon it. 86 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 3: Phrase differently, he reminds us that his grace wasn't his 87 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,679 Speaker 3: backup plan. It has been his life saving, soul nurturing 88 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 3: strategy since the beginning of time. No matter what we encounter, 89 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 3: we can trust that his grace is sufficient, for his 90 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 3: strength is perfected or reaches its full expression. 91 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 2: In our weakness when our weakness. 92 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 1: Draws us closer to him. 93 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 2: That is. 94 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk. 95 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 2: Devotional is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media. 96 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 2: If you liked what you heard today, please take a 97 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 2: second to rate and review this podcast in your favorite 98 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 2: podcast app so that. 99 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: More listeners like you can find the show. 100 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 3: For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio 101 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 3: dot com.