1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We are so glad to 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: have you listening with us here today. Today's topic is 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 2: the importance of recognizing culture straw to Easter. We will 5 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 2: return after a brief message from our sponsor. Why it's 6 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 2: important to recognize culture's draw to Easter Written by Peyton Garland, 7 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 2: read by Rochelle Alberti Bible reading. The good person, out 8 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 2: of the good treasures of his heart, produces good, and 9 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 2: the evil person, out of his evil treasure, produces evil. 10 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth 11 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 2: speaks Luke six forty five. Yes, b Believers were never 12 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 2: called to be ostriches. We don't get to stick our 13 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: heads in the sand and wash our hands of the 14 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,479 Speaker 2: world's problems. It's hard to love nonbelievers if we are 15 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 2: never around them. It's hard to reach a world we've 16 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 2: pushed away in the name of fear or false sense 17 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 2: of religious superiority. We were also never called to be 18 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 2: seasonal participants, waiting to share our faith when Easter or 19 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 2: Christmas rolls around. Truth be told, friends, If no one 20 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 2: knows anything of our faith outside the holiday obligations we push, 21 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,839 Speaker 2: What does that say of our hearts. Scripture is clear 22 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: that who we are, who we choose to be, will 23 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 2: be evident by the life we live. We can preserve 24 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 2: our comfort, keep our favorite sins close, and play the 25 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: church game all day long. But the world is desperate 26 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: for hope, and in this desperation they will see straight 27 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 2: through you. This desperation for fulfillment is culture's draw to Easter. 28 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 2: Even the secular aspects. The fresh flowers, baby chicks, and 29 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 2: Easter eggs are marketable depictions of newness, life and hope. 30 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 2: They are images that beg people to wake up, look around, 31 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 2: and rest in the light. But without the light of 32 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: the world, holiday simplicities can't sustain us. Easter egg dye 33 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 2: wears off, chocolate bunnies are consumed, and life moves on. 34 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 2: Deep down, the world knows this. It groans because of it, 35 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 2: creating a ravetous need for authenticity. Don't star the world 36 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:51,959 Speaker 2: of the God who fills your soul with good things daily. 37 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,679 Speaker 2: You know the secret to eternal hope, to the light 38 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: that isn't dimmed by circumstances or seasons, To the hope 39 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: that makes death a gateway to eternal fresh air for 40 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 2: our healed bones evangelism is it reserved for religious seasons 41 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 2: or church staff. It's not limited to international missionaries or 42 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 2: nonprofit directors. It's a mandate, an honor bestowed on each 43 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 2: of us, as we love people in word and deed 44 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:27,959 Speaker 2: with the love who saved our souls. Intersecting faith in life, 45 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 2: My husband and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary 46 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 2: on a cruise where we were paired with another young 47 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: couple for dinner each evening. A few nights in the 48 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 2: husband looked at us and said, I am assuming you're 49 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 2: church people, right. He didn't mean it disrespectfully, not in 50 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 2: the slightest. He was genuinely curious and wanted to confirm 51 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 2: his thoughts. My husband and I laughed and nodded their heads, 52 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 2: knowing this was, in a simple form, a compliment to 53 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 2: how we carried ourselves. We weren't thrilling them theology or 54 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: even trying any subtle evangelism. We were just living with 55 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 2: the hearts God had curated in us. This isn't to 56 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 2: brag on us, trust me. Apart from God's grace, the 57 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 2: two of us are a dynamic disaster, but we live 58 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 2: what we believe as best as we can. Our personalities 59 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 2: simply can't handle inauthenticity. Most of that comes from the 60 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 2: deceit both of us experienced from our unhealthy church upbringings. 61 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 2: But by believing in God as our source of goodness, freedom, 62 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 2: and rest, we can live life with a sense of 63 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 2: peace and joy. Apparently, non believers see it and they 64 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 2: sense its importance. After all, it's created beings feeling that 65 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 2: natural pull to their creator, that soulful invitation from the 66 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 2: Holy Spirit. Alone, come home to light and month Prayerfully 67 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 2: consider the life you live in and out of Christian holidays, 68 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 2: and take this personal inventory of what the others truly 69 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 2: believe that you live what you claim that Christ's resurrection 70 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 2: has given you joy to live life filled with boldness 71 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 2: and peace. Come with me further reading five thoughts on 72 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 2: being no Witness for Christ two Timothy one eighth. 73 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 74 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:35,239 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 75 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 76 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 77 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 78 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.