1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:08,159 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Some of you are here smiling on the 2 00:00:08,340 --> 00:00:12,970 Speaker 1: outside and struggling on the inside. Some of you have 3 00:00:13,030 --> 00:00:15,930 Speaker 1: learned how to function while your heart is racing, your 4 00:00:16,210 --> 00:00:21,430 Speaker 1: mind is spinning, and your soul feels exhausted. Some of 5 00:00:21,470 --> 00:00:25,579 Speaker 1: you are strong for everybody else, but underneath that strength 6 00:00:25,860 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: is a quiet ache you've not known how to name. 7 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: If that is you, I want you to hear this first. 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: You are not alone and you are not beyond the 9 00:00:35,820 --> 00:00:40,620 Speaker 1: reach of God's peace. Today, we are going to talk 10 00:00:40,900 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: about how fear is a liar and how we can 11 00:00:46,659 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: break its grip and take back the key. Welcome back 12 00:00:50,700 --> 00:00:54,500 Speaker 1: to another episode of your hope-filled perspective, where it's always 13 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: our goal to restore hearts, renew minds, and empower listeners 14 00:00:59,460 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: to live in your God-given identity. I'm your host, Dr. 15 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: Michelle Bankson, board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, author, speaker, and fellow journeyer 16 00:01:11,260 --> 00:01:17,300 Speaker 1: in this spiritual body and emotional wellness journey. Today, we're 17 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,620 Speaker 1: going to talk about what is fear, where does it 18 00:01:20,670 --> 00:01:23,770 Speaker 1: come from, and how can we take back the key? 19 00:01:24,590 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: We'll dive into that right after this brief word from 20 00:01:27,700 --> 00:01:33,030 Speaker 1: our sponsor. I want to begin by saying something very clearly. 21 00:01:33,430 --> 00:01:36,790 Speaker 1: Anxiety is not a sign that you are a bad Christian. 22 00:01:37,069 --> 00:01:40,410 Speaker 1: Anxiety is not proof that you do not love God enough. 23 00:01:40,650 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: Anxiety is not the final word over your life. It's 24 00:01:44,900 --> 00:01:48,700 Speaker 1: a struggle. Yes, it's a battle often, but it is 25 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,180 Speaker 1: not your identity and it is not your destiny. I 26 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: know that both as a woman who has walked through 27 00:01:56,040 --> 00:02:00,700 Speaker 1: anxiety script personally and as a clinical neuropsychologist who has 28 00:02:00,750 --> 00:02:05,450 Speaker 1: spent decades helping thousands of others understand the brain, the body, 29 00:02:05,650 --> 00:02:09,090 Speaker 1: and the mind. I have seen the science and I 30 00:02:09,130 --> 00:02:11,750 Speaker 1: have lived the struggle. And I can tell you this 31 00:02:11,790 --> 00:02:17,090 Speaker 1: with confidence. God's word is true. God's presence is real. 32 00:02:17,490 --> 00:02:21,169 Speaker 1: And God's peace is available in the middle of your 33 00:02:21,270 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: hardest days. I want you to imagine something with me. 34 00:02:25,660 --> 00:02:29,630 Speaker 1: Close your eyes just for a moment if you feel comfortable. Now, 35 00:02:30,230 --> 00:02:33,590 Speaker 1: imagine you are standing in a large room and one 36 00:02:33,850 --> 00:02:37,890 Speaker 1: by one, people begin to walk in. At first, it's 37 00:02:37,930 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: just a handful, then a few dozen, then hundreds. Before long, 38 00:02:43,900 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: the room is so full, you can barely move. Statistically speaking, 39 00:02:48,860 --> 00:02:51,460 Speaker 1: one out of every four people in that room is 40 00:02:51,540 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: struggling with anxiety. in your mind's eye. Look around in 41 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:01,180 Speaker 1: this room. That person sitting next to you might be 42 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,100 Speaker 1: fighting thoughts they haven't told anyone about. The one who 43 00:03:05,220 --> 00:03:08,940 Speaker 1: always shows up strong for others may go home to 44 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: a mind that never quits and never quiets. Now open 45 00:03:13,660 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: your eyes. Let me make this personal because I don't 46 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,500 Speaker 1: just know these statistics as a neuropsychologist. I know them 47 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,010 Speaker 1: as someone who who has lived it. There was a 48 00:03:25,130 --> 00:03:29,049 Speaker 1: season in my life where anxiety didn't just visit occasionally, 49 00:03:29,330 --> 00:03:32,169 Speaker 1: it moved in. I remember lying in bed at night 50 00:03:32,230 --> 00:03:36,690 Speaker 1: completely exhausted but unable to sleep because my mind wouldn't 51 00:03:36,730 --> 00:03:41,410 Speaker 1: stop racing. Thought after thought, what if this happens? What 52 00:03:41,460 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: if I miss something? What if I'm not enough? I 53 00:03:46,060 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: drove to my private practice every day filled with anxiety. 54 00:03:49,940 --> 00:03:52,990 Speaker 1: It was like a Boulder had taken residence in the 55 00:03:53,050 --> 00:03:55,870 Speaker 1: pit of my stomach, and it felt like a mountain 56 00:03:56,070 --> 00:03:59,850 Speaker 1: of concerns were resting on my shoulders. And the hardest part? 57 00:04:00,190 --> 00:04:04,230 Speaker 1: Everything looked fine on the outside. I was functioning. I 58 00:04:04,980 --> 00:04:10,340 Speaker 1: was helping others. I was showing up. But internally, my 59 00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:14,580 Speaker 1: mind felt loud, and my body felt constantly on edge. 60 00:04:16,610 --> 00:04:19,750 Speaker 1: What I didn't understand at the time was this. My 61 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:24,150 Speaker 1: brain was trying to protect me. My amygdala, which is 62 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: my brain's alarm system, it was doing its job, but 63 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,700 Speaker 1: it had become overactive. It was sounding the alarm even 64 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: when there was no immediate danger. Now, expand that beyond 65 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 1: just my story. Over 40 million adults in the United 66 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:53,350 Speaker 1: States died and over 275 million people worldwide. Friends, that's 67 00:04:53,370 --> 00:04:57,750 Speaker 1: the size of multiple countries put together. Know that same feeling. 68 00:04:58,890 --> 00:05:04,210 Speaker 1: And often women experience it twice as frequently as men. 69 00:05:04,990 --> 00:05:07,950 Speaker 1: But we've gotten to a point in our society where 70 00:05:08,110 --> 00:05:11,870 Speaker 1: anxiety is considered the common cold of mental illness. And 71 00:05:11,910 --> 00:05:14,849 Speaker 1: why is that? I don't know where you live, but here, 72 00:05:15,170 --> 00:05:19,490 Speaker 1: frequently with our erratic weather in the wintertime, we just 73 00:05:19,610 --> 00:05:25,210 Speaker 1: come to accept that the common cold is going to happen. Well, similarly, 74 00:05:25,779 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 1: many I know have just accepted worry, fear, or anxiety 75 00:05:31,180 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: as if it's a foregone conclusion, like we just let 76 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: it move in for a while. Hardly a week goes 77 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,780 Speaker 1: by when I don't hear someone say, well, I'm just 78 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: afraid that. I'm just worried about, I'm just so anxious that, 79 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: and then their concern rolls off the tip of their 80 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:53,940 Speaker 1: tongue without giving it further consideration. But is it true? 81 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:58,180 Speaker 1: And furthermore, why do we have to accept it? But 82 00:05:58,220 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: here's what I don't want you to miss. If anxiety 83 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:06,229 Speaker 1: had a sound, the room that you just pictured would 84 00:06:06,330 --> 00:06:09,349 Speaker 1: not be quiet. It would be filled with the hum 85 00:06:09,470 --> 00:06:12,940 Speaker 1: of racing thoughts, the whispers of worry, and the pounding 86 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,860 Speaker 1: of hearts just trying to keep up. But instead, we 87 00:06:17,940 --> 00:06:24,059 Speaker 1: sit quietly, we smile politely, and we quickly say, I'm fine. Friends, 88 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,140 Speaker 1: anxiety does have a voice. And if you have lived 89 00:06:28,220 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: with anxiety for any length of time, you know exactly 90 00:06:31,540 --> 00:06:34,380 Speaker 1: what I mean. It sounds like alarm bells going off 91 00:06:34,420 --> 00:06:37,750 Speaker 1: in your mind. It sounds like, what if? It sounds 92 00:06:37,830 --> 00:06:43,940 Speaker 1: like worst case scenarios. It sounds like constant mental rehearsals 93 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:48,060 Speaker 1: of everything that could go wrong. And it sounds like 94 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:53,300 Speaker 1: these thoughts. You're not safe. You're not enough. You're going 95 00:06:53,339 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: to fail. You're going to lose control. Something bad is 96 00:06:57,180 --> 00:07:04,450 Speaker 1: going to happen. Anxiety rarely announces itself as anxiety at first. 97 00:07:04,790 --> 00:07:10,870 Speaker 1: It often arrives disguised as concern, as responsibility, as vigilance, 98 00:07:11,810 --> 00:07:21,140 Speaker 1: as perfectionism, as control, as over-functioning, as people-pleasing, or as productivity. 99 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:27,060 Speaker 1: But beneath all of that is often fear. And fear 100 00:07:27,420 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: is a liar. I want you to consider for a 101 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: moment how much of your life may have been shaped 102 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,970 Speaker 1: by fear rather than by faith. How many decisions have 103 00:07:38,010 --> 00:07:43,010 Speaker 1: been driven by panic instead of peace? How many relationships 104 00:07:43,050 --> 00:07:47,130 Speaker 1: have been strained because you were trying to control the uncontrollable? 105 00:07:48,060 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: How many sleepless nights have you spent rehearsing things that 106 00:07:52,580 --> 00:07:55,980 Speaker 1: never happened? Can I tell you what began to change 107 00:07:56,020 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: things for me? It wasn't pretending that the anxiety wasn't there. 108 00:07:59,620 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: It was to learn how to respond to it, both 109 00:08:06,380 --> 00:08:11,860 Speaker 1: neurologically and spiritually. As a neuropsychologist, I began to understand. 110 00:08:13,540 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: When I slowed my breathing, I was calming my nervous system. 111 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: When I interrupted anxious thoughts, I was retraining my brain. 112 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: And as a woman of faith, I began to lean 113 00:08:26,060 --> 00:08:30,810 Speaker 1: into the truth of Psalm 56, 3. When I am afraid, 114 00:08:30,830 --> 00:08:35,950 Speaker 1: I put my trust in you. And that journey is 115 00:08:36,010 --> 00:08:39,450 Speaker 1: what led me to write my book, Breaking Anxiety's Grip, 116 00:08:39,570 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises. Because I realized 117 00:08:44,660 --> 00:08:49,820 Speaker 1: something so important. Anxiety may feel powerful, but it does 118 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,870 Speaker 1: not have to be permanent. And peace is not just 119 00:08:53,950 --> 00:08:58,050 Speaker 1: a nice idea in scripture or Christmas carols. It's a promise, 120 00:08:58,410 --> 00:09:02,069 Speaker 1: a promise that can be experienced even in the middle 121 00:09:02,710 --> 00:09:06,050 Speaker 1: of anxious thoughts. So today, I want to walk you 122 00:09:06,070 --> 00:09:08,830 Speaker 1: through what I've learned, both in the science of the 123 00:09:08,890 --> 00:09:12,220 Speaker 1: brain and the truth of God's word, about how we 124 00:09:12,270 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: begin to loosen anxiety's grip on our lives and reclaim 125 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:22,250 Speaker 1: the peace God's promised. Oh, not overnight, not perfectly. but 126 00:09:22,330 --> 00:09:28,550 Speaker 1: faithfully and effectively. Because there is a way to understand 127 00:09:28,590 --> 00:09:32,070 Speaker 1: what your brain is doing, partner with how God designed it, 128 00:09:33,050 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: and step into the peace He's already made available to you. 129 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:40,059 Speaker 1: So if you've ever thought, this is just how I am, 130 00:09:40,580 --> 00:09:43,980 Speaker 1: or this is just my personality, or I just have 131 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: to live with this, I want you to gently set 132 00:09:47,300 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: that belief down today. Because what we're about to talk 133 00:09:50,980 --> 00:09:54,650 Speaker 1: about is how you begin to take your life back. 134 00:09:55,590 --> 00:09:58,370 Speaker 1: And we will dive into that right after this brief 135 00:09:58,410 --> 00:10:06,820 Speaker 1: word from our sponsor. So let's start with this. What 136 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,590 Speaker 1: is anxiety really? And why does it feel so powerful? 137 00:10:11,059 --> 00:10:14,680 Speaker 1: From a scientific standpoint, anxiety is the body's alarm system. 138 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:19,510 Speaker 1: It's your brain's God-designated way of alerting you to danger. 139 00:10:19,730 --> 00:10:24,330 Speaker 1: When we face something truly threatening, the alarm helps us 140 00:10:24,410 --> 00:10:28,730 Speaker 1: respond quickly to run, to protect, to act. We live 141 00:10:28,890 --> 00:10:32,410 Speaker 1: in the city, but we're very close to a walking trail. 142 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,100 Speaker 1: And I'm out on that trail most days of the week. 143 00:10:35,220 --> 00:10:41,210 Speaker 1: And once on that trail, I encountered a not-so-desirous species. Snake. 144 00:10:42,929 --> 00:10:44,690 Speaker 1: Many of you would ask, well, what kind of snake 145 00:10:44,730 --> 00:10:46,630 Speaker 1: was it? Well, I'm here to tell you that that 146 00:10:46,809 --> 00:10:50,700 Speaker 1: fear response kicked in and I ran as fast as 147 00:10:50,750 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: I could, as far away as I could from that snake. 148 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 1: I did not take the time to take a picture 149 00:10:56,580 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: or try to identify what kind of snake it was. 150 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: Because friends, as far as I'm concerned, ever since the 151 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: Garden of Eden, the only good snake is a dead snake. 152 00:11:04,620 --> 00:11:10,290 Speaker 1: But that fear response was to alert me to potential danger. 153 00:11:10,570 --> 00:11:14,809 Speaker 1: And God created that in us. Problem comes when that 154 00:11:14,910 --> 00:11:19,980 Speaker 1: alarm starts ringing for things that aren't truly life-threatening, like 155 00:11:20,059 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: the possibility of failure or rejection or loss of control 156 00:11:24,020 --> 00:11:28,270 Speaker 1: or death. an unknown future. And when that happens, our 157 00:11:28,350 --> 00:11:32,449 Speaker 1: minds can stay stuck in a state of emergency, even 158 00:11:32,530 --> 00:11:35,790 Speaker 1: when there's no real threat. Years ago, when I was 159 00:11:35,850 --> 00:11:39,890 Speaker 1: doing my fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, my 160 00:11:39,970 --> 00:11:43,270 Speaker 1: husband was working and living in Chicago. And so frequently 161 00:11:43,350 --> 00:11:45,590 Speaker 1: on weekends, one of us would drive to the other 162 00:11:45,870 --> 00:11:48,670 Speaker 1: to go see the other one. It was usually me 163 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,300 Speaker 1: driving to go see him because, well, if you've ever 164 00:11:52,700 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 1: visited Detroit, you know, Chicago's generally a nicer place to visit. 165 00:11:58,660 --> 00:12:01,320 Speaker 1: No offense to my Detroit friends and listeners. But one 166 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 1: weekend I got off work and I drove to Chicago 167 00:12:05,020 --> 00:12:08,780 Speaker 1: Friday night. Well, a storm rolled in Sunday about the 168 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,270 Speaker 1: time that I needed to head back to Detroit. And 169 00:12:12,890 --> 00:12:16,709 Speaker 1: in one of my less wise decisions, I decided I 170 00:12:16,750 --> 00:12:20,689 Speaker 1: was going to race the storm back and see if 171 00:12:20,750 --> 00:12:23,110 Speaker 1: I could beat it so that I would be back 172 00:12:23,150 --> 00:12:26,130 Speaker 1: in Detroit for work on Monday at the hospital. Wasn't 173 00:12:26,290 --> 00:12:29,130 Speaker 1: a smart move, even though I knew how to drive 174 00:12:29,220 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: in snow and on ice because I grew up in Michigan, 175 00:12:32,340 --> 00:12:35,300 Speaker 1: but I ended up in an automobile accident that did 176 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:40,559 Speaker 1: severe damage to my cute little red Mazda MX-6 and 177 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:45,370 Speaker 1: some mild damage to me. But what it did more 178 00:12:45,410 --> 00:12:50,630 Speaker 1: than anything was damage my nervous system and Much, much later, 179 00:12:50,650 --> 00:12:54,530 Speaker 1: I was visiting a friend in another state, and she 180 00:12:54,570 --> 00:12:57,770 Speaker 1: was driving, and I didn't realize it, but when she 181 00:12:57,830 --> 00:13:00,979 Speaker 1: would put on the brake, I would reflexively reach over 182 00:13:01,020 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: and hold on to the door handle. 183 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 2: Nope. 184 00:13:04,270 --> 00:13:07,450 Speaker 1: I'm sure that this happened multiple times because at one 185 00:13:07,510 --> 00:13:11,490 Speaker 1: point my reflexes really kicked in. And not only did 186 00:13:11,550 --> 00:13:13,730 Speaker 1: I reach for the door handle, but I put my 187 00:13:13,770 --> 00:13:15,900 Speaker 1: feet up on the dash because she had stopped a 188 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:20,540 Speaker 1: little too quickly for my liking. My nervous system was 189 00:13:20,620 --> 00:13:25,339 Speaker 1: alerting me to potential danger, except it wasn't really a 190 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: dangerous situation. And she looked over at me and said, 191 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,350 Speaker 1: are you okay? And I realized no. that I had 192 00:13:31,570 --> 00:13:36,090 Speaker 1: not yet processed from the car accident and my brain 193 00:13:36,590 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: was stuck and ready to fight. Have you ever lived 194 00:13:40,780 --> 00:13:43,660 Speaker 1: that way? Like your mind is always five steps ahead, 195 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:52,020 Speaker 1: rehearsing potential disasters, overanalyzing every conversation, preparing for battles that 196 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:58,410 Speaker 1: may never come. It's exhausting. Spiritually speaking, anxiety is one 197 00:13:58,450 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 1: of the enemy's most subtle and reliable traps. Friends, you're 198 00:14:03,340 --> 00:14:08,099 Speaker 1: not very creative. The very first example ever of FOMO 199 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 1: was Eve in the Garden of Eden when the enemy said, Oh, 200 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:14,730 Speaker 1: but don't you want to be like God? Well, we 201 00:14:14,780 --> 00:14:17,830 Speaker 1: all know how that ended up. Friends, the enemy can't 202 00:14:17,870 --> 00:14:21,230 Speaker 1: steal our salvation, but he will do everything he can 203 00:14:21,290 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: to steal our peace. Why? Because peace is power. And 204 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,530 Speaker 1: when we're anchored in God's peace, we think clearly, we 205 00:14:29,790 --> 00:14:34,930 Speaker 1: love deeply, we serve joyfully. But when we're anxious, our 206 00:14:35,030 --> 00:14:38,860 Speaker 1: focus narrows, our world shrinks, and we end up living 207 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,740 Speaker 1: more like survivors than conquerors. John 10.10 tells us the 208 00:14:43,780 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I 209 00:14:47,540 --> 00:14:50,890 Speaker 1: have come that may have life and have it abundantly. 210 00:14:51,300 --> 00:14:55,300 Speaker 1: Anxiety steals abundant life by keeping us trapped in an 211 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: imaginary future full of fear. It kills our joy by 212 00:14:59,180 --> 00:15:03,130 Speaker 1: making us live in constant dread. It destroys our peace 213 00:15:03,230 --> 00:15:07,070 Speaker 1: by convincing us that disaster is always around the corner. 214 00:15:07,590 --> 00:15:11,270 Speaker 1: And it whispers lies about who God is and who 215 00:15:11,310 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: we are in him. From a neuropsychological perspective, anxiety is 216 00:15:16,300 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: the brain's alarm system. It's designed by God to alert 217 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:24,130 Speaker 1: us to danger. That's a gift when we're facing real threats. 218 00:15:24,390 --> 00:15:28,710 Speaker 1: But when the alarm becomes overactive, it starts firing in 219 00:15:28,770 --> 00:15:33,940 Speaker 1: situations that are truly not dangerous. The brain begins to 220 00:15:34,020 --> 00:15:41,940 Speaker 1: interpret uncertainty as threat, ambiguity as danger, and discomfort as catastrophe. 221 00:15:42,790 --> 00:15:46,070 Speaker 1: That is why anxiety can feel so convincing. It's not 222 00:15:46,130 --> 00:15:50,590 Speaker 1: always rational, but it is persuasive. It takes ordinary uncertainty 223 00:15:50,750 --> 00:15:55,010 Speaker 1: and paints it as disaster. It whispers, you don't stay 224 00:15:55,050 --> 00:15:59,690 Speaker 1: in control. Everything will fall apart. And it declares, if 225 00:15:59,730 --> 00:16:03,490 Speaker 1: you're not perfect, you won't be loved. And it tries 226 00:16:03,550 --> 00:16:06,650 Speaker 1: to convince us that if you cannot solve this by yourself, 227 00:16:06,980 --> 00:16:11,140 Speaker 1: no one can help you. But friend, those are lies. 228 00:16:11,300 --> 00:16:15,590 Speaker 1: And one of the first steps towards healing is learning 229 00:16:15,620 --> 00:16:19,090 Speaker 1: to identify the lie for what it is. I learned 230 00:16:19,130 --> 00:16:21,910 Speaker 1: this in my own life in a very personal way. 231 00:16:22,170 --> 00:16:24,250 Speaker 1: There was a season when I was doing all the 232 00:16:24,290 --> 00:16:27,210 Speaker 1: right things outwardly. I was serving. I was working. I 233 00:16:27,250 --> 00:16:31,430 Speaker 1: was helping. I was teaching. I was showing up. But inwardly, 234 00:16:31,450 --> 00:16:36,020 Speaker 1: I was anxious. I was burdened. And I was exhausted. Now, 235 00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:39,860 Speaker 1: I knew scripture. I knew theology. I knew the science 236 00:16:39,900 --> 00:16:42,660 Speaker 1: of the brain, but I also knew what it was 237 00:16:42,740 --> 00:16:45,900 Speaker 1: like to wake up with dread sitting on my chest. 238 00:16:46,780 --> 00:16:49,860 Speaker 1: And one day the Lord lovingly exposed the root of 239 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,700 Speaker 1: my struggle. He showed me that I've been trying to 240 00:16:52,780 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: carry what only he could carry. I had been trying 241 00:16:55,760 --> 00:17:00,060 Speaker 1: to control outcomes, manage fear and secure peace through my 242 00:17:00,340 --> 00:17:05,290 Speaker 1: own effort. But peace is not found in control, is 243 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:09,260 Speaker 1: found in surrender to him. That was not an easy 244 00:17:09,340 --> 00:17:12,730 Speaker 1: lesson for me because control can feel safer than surrender. 245 00:17:13,109 --> 00:17:16,210 Speaker 1: But friends, control is an illusion. We were never meant 246 00:17:16,270 --> 00:17:19,890 Speaker 1: to be sovereign over our own lives. We were created 247 00:17:19,970 --> 00:17:24,360 Speaker 1: to live under the loving sovereignty of God. I want 248 00:17:24,380 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: to say that again because some of us need to 249 00:17:26,340 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 1: hear it deeply. You do not have to be God 250 00:17:29,660 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: in your own life. You do not have to know everything. 251 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:38,570 Speaker 1: You do not have to anticipate every possibility. And you 252 00:17:38,869 --> 00:17:42,210 Speaker 1: do not have to solve every problem before you can rest. 253 00:17:43,250 --> 00:17:46,170 Speaker 1: So let me ask you something very tender and very honest. 254 00:17:46,570 --> 00:17:50,970 Speaker 1: What lie has anxiety been telling you lately? Maybe it 255 00:17:51,020 --> 00:17:54,740 Speaker 1: sounds like I'm not enough. Maybe it sounds like I'm 256 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: too broken. Maybe it sounds like if I let go, 257 00:17:59,619 --> 00:18:04,740 Speaker 1: everything will fall apart. Or maybe it sounds like, yeah, 258 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,740 Speaker 1: God may love others. I'm not sure he can handle me. 259 00:18:10,020 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: If any of those sound familiar, I want you to 260 00:18:12,100 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: pause for a moment and recognize that those thoughts are 261 00:18:15,900 --> 00:18:20,260 Speaker 1: not the voice of your shepherd. Jesus says in John 262 00:18:20,260 --> 00:18:24,070 Speaker 1: 10 that his sheep know his voice. That means you 263 00:18:24,550 --> 00:18:29,590 Speaker 1: are capable of recognizing the difference between his truth and 264 00:18:29,690 --> 00:18:35,429 Speaker 1: anxiety's imitation. Anxiety is loud, but it is not Lord. 265 00:18:35,750 --> 00:18:40,210 Speaker 1: Fear is intense, but it is not truthful and you 266 00:18:40,630 --> 00:18:45,310 Speaker 1: are not powerless against it. Romans 12, 2 tells us, 267 00:18:45,570 --> 00:18:48,380 Speaker 1: do not conform to the pattern of this world, but 268 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 1: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Friends, that 269 00:18:53,420 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: means transformation is possible. Your mind is not fixed. Your 270 00:18:58,140 --> 00:19:03,090 Speaker 1: thought patterns can change. Your emotional responses can heal. Your 271 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:07,930 Speaker 1: habits can be retrained because God has designed your brain 272 00:19:08,190 --> 00:19:13,109 Speaker 1: with incredible capacity for renewal. This is not just spiritual hope. 273 00:19:13,430 --> 00:19:17,629 Speaker 1: It's also a reflection of how God wired the human mind. 274 00:19:18,650 --> 00:19:21,990 Speaker 1: The brain has the ability to form new pathways through 275 00:19:22,050 --> 00:19:26,670 Speaker 1: repeated thoughts and practices. But what we focus on grows. 276 00:19:26,950 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 1: So when we keep rehearsing fear, we strengthen fear. But 277 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:38,439 Speaker 1: when we keep rehearsing truth, we strengthen trust. That is 278 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:45,070 Speaker 1: why awareness matters. You cannot interpret a lie you have 279 00:19:45,210 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 1: not identified. You cannot replace a thought. you've not first 280 00:19:50,619 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: noticed i want you to pay attention to the patterns 281 00:19:56,500 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 1: what happens in your body when anxiety rises what triggers 282 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:06,980 Speaker 1: your fear what thoughts repeat in your mind what do 283 00:20:07,020 --> 00:20:09,920 Speaker 1: you do when you feel out of control Do you withdraw? 284 00:20:09,940 --> 00:20:15,090 Speaker 1: Do you over-function? Do you spiral? Do you numb out? 285 00:20:15,609 --> 00:20:18,450 Speaker 1: Do you obsess? I want you to consider for a 286 00:20:18,490 --> 00:20:21,910 Speaker 1: moment that some of the things you have called your 287 00:20:21,970 --> 00:20:27,619 Speaker 1: personality may actually be coping mechanisms born out of fear. 288 00:20:28,470 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: That is not to shame you. That is to free you. 289 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:35,660 Speaker 1: Because once you can identify the pattern, you can begin 290 00:20:35,700 --> 00:20:39,110 Speaker 1: to change it. And here is the good news. You 291 00:20:39,190 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: do not have to change it alone. The Lord is 292 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 1: not standing over you with condemnation. He's standing beside you 293 00:20:48,220 --> 00:20:52,180 Speaker 1: with compassion. Friend, he's not asking you to perform your 294 00:20:52,300 --> 00:20:56,580 Speaker 1: way into peace. You can't. I've tried it. It doesn't work. 295 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:02,430 Speaker 1: He's inviting you to receive it. Psalm 34 verse 4 says, 296 00:21:02,590 --> 00:21:05,450 Speaker 1: I sought the Lord and he answered me. He delivered 297 00:21:05,490 --> 00:21:09,310 Speaker 1: me from all my fears. Notice that he does not 298 00:21:09,430 --> 00:21:13,820 Speaker 1: say he delivered me from all my circumstances. It says 299 00:21:13,859 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: he delivered me from all my fears. God's deliverance though 300 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 1: often begins on the inside before it ever shows up 301 00:21:21,940 --> 00:21:26,310 Speaker 1: on the outside. So if anxiety has been speaking loud 302 00:21:26,369 --> 00:21:29,050 Speaker 1: in your life, I want to encourage you to start 303 00:21:29,230 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: asking better questions. Not what if everything goes wrong, but 304 00:21:36,710 --> 00:21:41,129 Speaker 1: What is true about God right now? Not what if 305 00:21:41,190 --> 00:21:45,970 Speaker 1: I fail, but what has God already said about me? 306 00:21:46,850 --> 00:21:51,580 Speaker 1: Not what if I can't handle this, but who is 307 00:21:51,660 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: with me in the middle of this? That is how 308 00:21:56,119 --> 00:22:02,060 Speaker 1: we begin to break anxiety's grip. Once we recognize the lie, 309 00:22:02,340 --> 00:22:07,090 Speaker 1: we must replace it with truth. Not vague, positive thinking, 310 00:22:07,310 --> 00:22:12,030 Speaker 1: not denial, not pretending everything is fine when it's not. Truth, 311 00:22:12,190 --> 00:22:18,510 Speaker 1: the living, breathing, unchanging truth of God's word. Jesus said 312 00:22:18,590 --> 00:22:22,100 Speaker 1: in John 8, 32, then you will know the truth 313 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:27,119 Speaker 1: and the truth will set you free. Freedom does not 314 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:32,260 Speaker 1: come from more information alone. It comes from truth that 315 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:37,340 Speaker 1: is believed, received, and lived. A lot of people know 316 00:22:37,380 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: scripture in their heads, but anxiety still rules their hearts. 317 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:45,540 Speaker 1: I understand that. I've lived that too. We can quote 318 00:22:45,580 --> 00:22:49,060 Speaker 1: verses and still spiral. We can know that God is 319 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 1: sovereign and still fear the future. That does not mean 320 00:22:53,460 --> 00:22:56,629 Speaker 1: the word is powerless. It means we need to move 321 00:22:56,690 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 1: beyond knowing truth intellectually and begin practicing it relationally. Let 322 00:23:04,140 --> 00:23:07,220 Speaker 1: me say that in another way. Your nervous system may 323 00:23:07,350 --> 00:23:11,210 Speaker 1: need what your spirit already knows. And that is why 324 00:23:11,369 --> 00:23:15,190 Speaker 1: scripture is so powerful. It speaks to the whole person. 325 00:23:17,010 --> 00:23:20,429 Speaker 1: Isaiah 41 10 says, so do not fear for I 326 00:23:20,490 --> 00:23:23,690 Speaker 1: am with you. Do not be dismayed. I love that 327 00:23:23,710 --> 00:23:26,050 Speaker 1: verse because God does not just command us not to fear. 328 00:23:26,070 --> 00:23:28,230 Speaker 1: He tells us why. I am with you. I am 329 00:23:28,260 --> 00:23:30,340 Speaker 1: your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. 330 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:32,220 Speaker 1: I will uphold you. That is not a distant God. 331 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:55,200 Speaker 1: That is a present, personal, sustaining God. Fear shrinks our vision, 332 00:23:56,690 --> 00:24:03,750 Speaker 1: but truth expands it. Fear magnifies the problem. Truth magnifies 333 00:24:03,850 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 1: the Lord. Psalm 34 3 says, I'll magnify the Lord 334 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:13,640 Speaker 1: with me. Let us exalt his name together. We often 335 00:24:13,700 --> 00:24:17,220 Speaker 1: magnify the wrong thing. We make the problem feel larger 336 00:24:17,300 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: than God by rehearsing it over and over in our minds. 337 00:24:20,940 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: But worship reorders perspective. When we magnify the Lord, we 338 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,580 Speaker 1: don't make him bigger than he already is. We make 339 00:24:28,660 --> 00:24:33,010 Speaker 1: him bigger in our awareness than the fear that's trying 340 00:24:33,070 --> 00:24:37,929 Speaker 1: to dominate our attention. I want you to consider for 341 00:24:37,970 --> 00:24:41,450 Speaker 1: a moment what would happen if you began answering fear 342 00:24:42,010 --> 00:24:46,750 Speaker 1: with scripture. in real time. When fear says, you are 343 00:24:46,810 --> 00:24:51,590 Speaker 1: not alone, the truth of Psalm 118.6 says, the Lord 344 00:24:52,050 --> 00:24:55,590 Speaker 1: is with me. When fear says, you're not going to 345 00:24:55,650 --> 00:25:00,070 Speaker 1: make it, the truth of Psalm 46.1 says, God is 346 00:25:00,150 --> 00:25:05,540 Speaker 1: my refuge and strength and ever-present help in times of trouble. 347 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:12,570 Speaker 1: When fear says, you're not enough, truth says, My grace 348 00:25:12,830 --> 00:25:16,500 Speaker 1: is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect 349 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:21,379 Speaker 1: in weakness, according to 2 Corinthians 12 9. When fear 350 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 1: says it's hopeless, the truth of Matthew 19 26 says, 351 00:25:26,859 --> 00:25:31,659 Speaker 1: with God, all things are possible. Friends, this is not pretending. 352 00:25:32,530 --> 00:25:37,090 Speaker 1: This is warfare. This is how we take every thought 353 00:25:37,150 --> 00:25:41,820 Speaker 1: captive to make it obedience to Christ, as 2 Corinthians 10, 354 00:25:41,820 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: 5 instructs us. Our feelings are the outward manifestation of 355 00:25:47,580 --> 00:25:50,699 Speaker 1: the thoughts we believe. So that's why we have to 356 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:54,859 Speaker 1: assess if the thoughts we are believing are truth, because 357 00:25:54,900 --> 00:25:58,729 Speaker 1: thoughts are not harmless. They shape our emotions, our choices, 358 00:25:59,050 --> 00:26:03,390 Speaker 1: our relationships, even our spiritual posture. That's why we must 359 00:26:03,450 --> 00:26:06,810 Speaker 1: pay attention to what we are allowing to live rent-free 360 00:26:06,850 --> 00:26:09,550 Speaker 1: in our minds. One of the most practical tools I 361 00:26:09,930 --> 00:26:14,250 Speaker 1: teach people is what I call truth replacement. When you 362 00:26:14,330 --> 00:26:17,730 Speaker 1: notice an anxious thought, do not simply tell yourself to 363 00:26:17,770 --> 00:26:22,460 Speaker 1: stop thinking about it. That rarely works. That's like me 364 00:26:22,700 --> 00:26:24,919 Speaker 1: looking at the bowl of peanut M & Ms on 365 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,250 Speaker 1: my kitchen counter and saying, don't eat those. No, I 366 00:26:28,330 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 1: need to get rid of them and replace them with 367 00:26:31,390 --> 00:26:35,340 Speaker 1: something healthier. So instead of telling yourself not to think 368 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:41,179 Speaker 1: an anxious thought, identify the lie and intentionally replace it 369 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,939 Speaker 1: with a specific promise from God's word. For example, the 370 00:26:44,980 --> 00:26:48,150 Speaker 1: lie says, I'm not enough. But the truth of 2 371 00:26:48,150 --> 00:26:51,969 Speaker 1: Corinthians 12 9 says, His grace is sufficient for me. 372 00:26:52,410 --> 00:26:55,150 Speaker 1: The lie says, I'll never get through this. But the 373 00:26:55,330 --> 00:26:59,250 Speaker 1: truth of Isaiah 41 says, Verse 10 says, the Lord 374 00:26:59,290 --> 00:27:03,330 Speaker 1: will strengthen me and uphold me. The lie says this 375 00:27:03,430 --> 00:27:07,899 Speaker 1: pain will define me forever. But the truth of Philippians 1, 376 00:27:07,900 --> 00:27:10,810 Speaker 1: 6 is that he who began a good work in 377 00:27:10,850 --> 00:27:16,210 Speaker 1: me will carry it on to completion. That is renewing 378 00:27:16,540 --> 00:27:22,899 Speaker 1: your mind. That is retraining your inner dialogue. That is 379 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:31,859 Speaker 1: learning to speak louder than fear. By speaking truth. But friends, 380 00:27:32,020 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 1: it takes practice. I wish I could tell you that 381 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,880 Speaker 1: after I learned these principles, anxiety never showed up again 382 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: in my life. But that wouldn't be honest. The truth 383 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,500 Speaker 1: is that fear has tried to return many times. But 384 00:27:43,660 --> 00:27:46,500 Speaker 1: now I know what to do when it does. I 385 00:27:46,540 --> 00:27:49,480 Speaker 1: don't have to obey it. I don't have to amplify it. 386 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,740 Speaker 1: I do not have to give it authority. I can 387 00:27:53,020 --> 00:27:56,879 Speaker 1: notice it. I can name it and I can answer 388 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: it with the word of God. Friends, I want to 389 00:28:01,140 --> 00:28:06,120 Speaker 1: teach you how to replace fear with truth in your 390 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:10,120 Speaker 1: daily life. So I hope that you'll join me for 391 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:14,229 Speaker 1: part two of fear is a liar, because we're going 392 00:28:14,250 --> 00:28:17,370 Speaker 1: to talk about not only how to replace fear with 393 00:28:17,490 --> 00:28:20,730 Speaker 1: truth in your daily life, but we're going to learn 394 00:28:20,850 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: how to access God's peace. And the thing that most 395 00:28:25,420 --> 00:28:29,379 Speaker 1: typically trips us up, we're going to learn what to 396 00:28:29,420 --> 00:28:34,180 Speaker 1: do about that so that anxiety, worry, and fear no 397 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: longer hold a key to your heart. I hope you'll 398 00:28:37,300 --> 00:28:41,030 Speaker 1: join me on the next episode of your hope-filled perspective. 399 00:28:41,910 --> 00:28:44,790 Speaker 1: Until then, it's my prayer for you that you have 400 00:28:44,950 --> 00:28:46,170 Speaker 1: a hope-filled week. 401 00:28:50,990 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 3: It is now known that depression is our greatest epidemic worldwide. 402 00:28:55,960 --> 00:29:00,300 Speaker 3: It is greater than heart disease, cancer, and AIDS all 403 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:05,140 Speaker 3: put together. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of biblically based 404 00:29:05,220 --> 00:29:09,330 Speaker 3: resources which identify the spiritual component that will help individuals 405 00:29:09,370 --> 00:29:13,510 Speaker 3: cope with depression or resources for their loved ones who 406 00:29:13,550 --> 00:29:17,550 Speaker 3: are trying to support them. During Dr. Bankson's 30-year career, 407 00:29:17,750 --> 00:29:20,790 Speaker 3: she has treated thousands of individuals with depression and has 408 00:29:20,890 --> 00:29:24,430 Speaker 3: also suffered with it herself. Because of her suffering, she 409 00:29:24,470 --> 00:29:27,620 Speaker 3: has come to understand the compelling need to address the 410 00:29:27,660 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 3: spiritual dimension of depression, along with the physiological and emotional components. 411 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,090 Speaker 3: In her award-winning book, Hope Prevails, Insights from a Doctor's 412 00:29:37,370 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 3: Personal Journey Through Depression, she shares with us her experiences. 413 00:29:41,740 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 3: She combines her decades of professional expertise in mental health 414 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 3: with her personal insights to help you overcome depression's grip. 415 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:54,110 Speaker 3: Jan Silvius, author of Foolproofing Your Life and Same Life, 416 00:29:54,310 --> 00:29:58,270 Speaker 3: New Story, said this about Dr. Bankson in her award-winning book, 417 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,820 Speaker 3: who prevails insights from a doctor's personal journey through depression. 418 00:30:02,780 --> 00:30:05,480 Speaker 3: It is a unique position to be both the doctor 419 00:30:05,740 --> 00:30:10,020 Speaker 3: and the depressed patient. Those dual experiences offer rare insight 420 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 3: into the nuances of a very difficult journey. Dr. Michelle 421 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:17,430 Speaker 3: Bankson has written a wonderful, hope-filled book for those who 422 00:30:17,470 --> 00:30:21,130 Speaker 3: suffer from depression and for those who love them. Because 423 00:30:21,170 --> 00:30:24,610 Speaker 3: she's been in the place of the patient, her compassion abounds. 424 00:30:25,150 --> 00:30:27,100 Speaker 3: Because she has been in the place of the doctor, 425 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,220 Speaker 3: her knowledge is spot on. Because she is a lover 426 00:30:30,260 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 3: of God, her book offers practical, spiritual hope for anyone 427 00:30:34,300 --> 00:30:37,180 Speaker 3: who is searching. I encourage you to read it. It 428 00:30:37,220 --> 00:30:41,010 Speaker 3: will make you better, no matter your situation. Hope Prevails 429 00:30:41,130 --> 00:30:45,250 Speaker 3: is available at Amazon.com and other fine online book retailers 430 00:30:45,570 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 3: or through her website at DrMichelleBee.com. Obtain your copy today 431 00:30:50,980 --> 00:30:58,980 Speaker 3: and begin your healing from depression. Do you appreciate the biblically-based, 432 00:30:59,180 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 3: hope-filled perspective offered each week by Dr. 433 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:02,540 Speaker 1: Bankson? 434 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,810 Speaker 3: Why don't you join the conversation? Take a moment and 435 00:31:05,850 --> 00:31:07,650 Speaker 3: leave us a review. It's easy. 436 00:31:07,990 --> 00:31:10,710 Speaker 2: Just scroll down on whatever app you're listening on, click 437 00:31:10,770 --> 00:31:13,010 Speaker 2: on Review, and tell us who you are, what you 438 00:31:13,030 --> 00:31:14,990 Speaker 2: love about the program, and let us get to know 439 00:31:15,010 --> 00:31:17,210 Speaker 2: you a little bit too. And while you're at it, 440 00:31:17,530 --> 00:31:19,810 Speaker 2: why not hit subscribe so you'll be the first to 441 00:31:19,870 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 2: know each time a. 442 00:31:21,060 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 3: New episode is aired. 443 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:26,740 Speaker 1: I'd like to take just a second to thank the 444 00:31:26,780 --> 00:31:29,700 Speaker 1: team at Life Audio for their partnership with us on 445 00:31:29,740 --> 00:31:33,590 Speaker 1: this podcast. If you go to lifeaudio.com, you'll find dozens 446 00:31:33,630 --> 00:31:36,930 Speaker 1: of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've got 447 00:31:36,970 --> 00:31:40,170 Speaker 1: shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.