1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hey everyone, Nicole here this month on How 2 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: to Say the Bible. We're beginning a new series called 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: One Word twenty twenty six, a gentle way to reflect, 4 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: respond and reconnect with God as we start the year. 5 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: You can download your free companion guide at nicoleunics dot 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: com slash New Year and walk through it with me. 7 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: That's Nicole Unice. You nice dot com slash New Year 8 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: and you can pick up that guide for free. Looking 9 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: forward to walking through it together. Hey everyone, welcome back 10 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: to How to Say the Bible. My name is Nicole 11 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: Unis and I am so excited for us to continue 12 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: in our series this month as we're exploring what it 13 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: looks like to spend some time reflecting and really asking God, 14 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: how do you want me to grow in twenty twenty six. 15 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 1: Now we know that there are a myriad of ways 16 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: that you can be growing in your faith and in 17 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 1: your love for God. But it is helpful to have 18 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: a focus. It is helpful to look back and say 19 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,759 Speaker 1: thank you God for how far You've brought me. Thank 20 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: you for all the ways that you have been faithful 21 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: to me, and maybe some of the things that I've 22 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: been able to overcome or ways that I've seen you 23 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: help me grow and looking forward, God, I want to 24 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: be used by you. I want to be an instrument 25 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: for your glory. What are some of the ways that 26 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: you might be drawing me towards you this year. So 27 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: that's what we've been doing over this last month. We 28 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: didn't want to rush it. We didn't want to just 29 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: take one episode and try to be like, this is 30 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: what the new Year's about. But I did want to 31 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: provide you some invitations. And really, all we're really doing 32 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: is I'm asking you to listen with attention to where 33 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: God might be prompting you a bit. Maybe a place 34 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: that God's saying, you know what you've come so far 35 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: and I want to bring you even further, or Hey, 36 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: here's a place in your character and in your circumstances. 37 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: I'm going to use those circumstances to help you grow 38 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: in a new way. And as you're listening to these words, 39 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: my hope and my desire is that one of them 40 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: just might be prompted in your spirit. You might just 41 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: be like, Yeah, that sounds like what God's been saying 42 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: to me, what God's been whispering to me, or how 43 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,519 Speaker 1: I've been hearing God speak to me through his word, 44 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: through other people, through sermons, et cetera. And that's what 45 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: we're going to do. And of course, thank you to 46 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: those of you who've reached out to me and you've 47 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: shared your words with me, either on social media or email. 48 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: It's great to hear from you. Thank you for letting 49 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: me know that you're out there. It's always super encouraging 50 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: to get to know that there are other listeners on 51 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: the other side of this microphone. So thank you. All right, So, 52 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: in the last couple of weeks, we've gone over four 53 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:54,399 Speaker 1: different words. We started with confidence, we moved to diligence, 54 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 1: we went through gratefulness and peacefulness, and today we're wrapping 55 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: up with two more invitis, the last two for the year. 56 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: The first is enthusiastic and the second is trusting. So 57 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: let's start with enthusiastic. This might be a word that 58 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: kind of sounds like, well, how's that word part of 59 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: what we're talking about right now? And actually this is 60 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: the word that inspired the rest of this series because 61 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: as I was praying at the end of last year 62 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: and asking God, Lord, how do you want to grow me? 63 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: How have you wired me? How have you gifted me, 64 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,679 Speaker 1: and how might you be calling me back to who 65 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: you've made me to be. This is the word that 66 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: came to mind because Enthusiasm, to me requires so many 67 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: other things. Enthusiasm requires trust, It requires discipline in a 68 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: world that is dark and encourages us to despair. Enthusiasm 69 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: says that we show up with the kind of energy 70 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: that believes that God is still at work, that God 71 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: is moving with his people, and that we can trust him, 72 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: that he loves us and that he has good plans 73 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: for us. And as I was thinking about that and 74 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: then preparing for this week, I just discovered something that 75 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: I had never seen before, which is so cool, which 76 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: is that enthusiastic. The word is actually the English word 77 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: does come from the Greek. And you know we've talked 78 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: about before, the New Testament is mostly written in the Greek, 79 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: and the word in the Greek is in thuos, which 80 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: is possessed by a God. And that's what the word means. 81 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: The word means in with God, that God is inside 82 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,919 Speaker 1: of you. And so the word was originally used to 83 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: mean divinely inspired, like that person has the spirit of 84 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: God in them, And now, of course we use it 85 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: to talk about being energetic, vital vitality, strength, and optimism. 86 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 1: But the original language is to be enthusiastic, was to 87 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 1: be possessed by the spirit of God. You might need 88 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: this word today, You may need this word this year. 89 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: If you found that your energy for the minute story 90 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: that God has called you to has waned, you might 91 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,679 Speaker 1: choose this word like I did. Because you've been following 92 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: Jesus for a long time, but your love has grown 93 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 1: a bit dim not because you don't believe, not because 94 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: you don't believe that God has done amazing things for you, 95 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: but just because you've become discouraged or distracted or tired. 96 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: And in that distraction and discouragement and tiredness, you've actually 97 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: lost your focus on where enthusiasm comes from. So often 98 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: we try to manufacture a certain way of being in 99 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 1: the world. It's like, Okay, I'm going to get out 100 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: there today and I'm going to be positive, or I'm 101 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: going to get out there today and I'm going to 102 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: love the people who irritate me. Get out there today 103 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: and keep pushing through even when I'm frustrated. And we're 104 00:05:51,160 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: trying to do it in our own strain. But what 105 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: this word is saying is that no enthusiasm. The kind 106 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,119 Speaker 1: of enthusiasm that is the actual origin of a word, 107 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: is to be possessed by the strength of God, to 108 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: do the work, to have the Spirit of God be 109 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: the one within you that is hopeful, that is loving, 110 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: that is joyful, that is patient, that finds kindness even 111 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: when you feel like your kindness is in short supply. 112 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: The opposite of enthusiasm is indifference or apathy. And I've 113 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: preached about this multiple times in the last couple of years. 114 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: I really believe that apathy is the temptation of our 115 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: day because apathetic is what we become when we are overwhelmed. 116 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: When we are surrounded by bad news or a sense 117 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: of struggle or suffering, and we haven't returned to the 118 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: strength of the spirit within us, we will find ourselves overwhelmed, 119 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: and in our own way, in our own and human strength. 120 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: Overwhelm creates apathy like we're like I can't do any 121 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,840 Speaker 1: like nothing's worth working. Therefore I can do nothing, and 122 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: we become sort of helpless victims to our own lives. 123 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: This is the opposite of what it means to be 124 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: possessed by the spirit of God. The verse of this 125 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: word is Romans twelve, verse eleven, Never be lacking in 126 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: zeal but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. There's 127 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: some good words in that verse, never be lacking in 128 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: zeal but keep your fervor serving the Lord. And when 129 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: I think about kind of who might be your biblical character, 130 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: that can be your inspiration for the year. If enthusiasm 131 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: is your word, I go right to Luke chapter nineteen, 132 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: and it's the story of Zachieas you may remember the 133 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: story of Zachias from your vacation, Bible school days or 134 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: Sunday school crowd. If you don't know it, I'll tell 135 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: it to you right now. But there's a great song 136 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: about Zachias being a wee little man because it says 137 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: in scripture that he was short. And what I love 138 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: about this story is it's just so real. It's so human. 139 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: You can see it playing out in your mind once 140 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: you know a little bit of the context. A few 141 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: things that you might want to know. And what happens 142 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: in this story is Jesus enters Jericho and he's passing 143 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: through Jericho and it says that there's a name, there's 144 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: a man there named Zachias, and that he was a 145 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: chief tax collector and was wealthy. Now, these are important 146 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: context clues to the passage. This is always the way 147 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: the Bible doesn't waste words. Every word is needed, and 148 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: so we're getting a little bit of a background on 149 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: who this guy is. Now. A tax collector was generally corrupt. 150 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: It was generally someone who was maligned in their culture 151 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: because they were considered to be cheating their own people. 152 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: And so we know that he was not only the 153 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: tax collector, but he was the boss of the tax collectors. 154 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: And not only that, but he was wealthy, which is 155 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: meant to give us a nod to the fact that 156 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: he was probably corrupt himself. And the reason that he 157 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: was wealthy is because he was skimming off of the 158 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: taxes that he was already collecting from the people who 159 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: were already oppressed. If you wanted to think about what 160 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: this might look like in our day, think about the 161 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: way we have felt maybe in a people who are 162 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: kind of like slimy personal injury lawyers, like someone that 163 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: you feel like is really out for themselves, They're not 164 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: really out to help the people. They kind of act 165 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: like they're out to help the people, but you know 166 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: that they're maybe not up and up right. That's not 167 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: every personal injury attorney, but you know what I mean, 168 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: that's just one of the stereotypes in our culture. And 169 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: so you think about that kind of person, and that's 170 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: the kind of person we're talking about. For me, it's 171 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: like I can see Zakias. He's in a colored suit, 172 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: he's looking good, he's got cold shamee and it says 173 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 1: that he wants to follow Jesus. It says he was 174 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: so short though, he couldn't see over the crowd, so 175 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: he's going to solve the problem himself. And it says 176 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: that he ran ahead of the crowd because Jesus was walking, 177 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 1: so people were following him. And he runs ahead and 178 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: climbs up a tree so that he can see Jesus coming. 179 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 1: Like this guy is scrappy. This guy is going to 180 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: make it happen. If he wants something, he's going to 181 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,560 Speaker 1: get it. And Jesus reaches the spot where Zachius is 182 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: and looks up at him, like Jesus has seen this 183 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 1: go down. He knows what's happening. And he looks up 184 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: at him and he says, Zakias, come down right now. 185 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: I need to stay at your house. Today, And so 186 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:22,719 Speaker 1: Zachias just went from this on the margins, maybe maligned, 187 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: maybe corrupt, guy who is very curious about Jesus, so 188 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: curious in fact, that he's willing to exert his energy 189 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: to make sure that he can see Jesus. And he's 190 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: not placing himself in front of Jesus, right, He's just 191 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: trying to get a peek. But Jesus sees him and 192 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: invites himself over, and it says that Zakias came down 193 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: and welcomed him gladly. And at this all the people 194 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: began to complain. They started muttering behind their hands, and 195 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: they're like, Jesus, look at Jesus. He's going to be 196 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: the guest of a sinner. And this would have been 197 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: like a this is who this is the guy that 198 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: Jesus is to hang out with. But Zachias stands up 199 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: and says to the Lord, look, Lord here and now 200 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: I give half of my possessions to the poor, and 201 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will 202 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: pay them back four times the amount. And Jesus then 203 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: says to Zachias, today salvation has come to this house, 204 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: because this man, too is a son of Abraham, for 205 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: the son of Man came to seek and to save 206 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 1: the lost. And there's so much goodness in this passage. 207 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,199 Speaker 1: There's so much that this says about the way our 208 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: hearts are often so misaligned with the purposes of God, 209 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: the way that we mutter about who's who and what 210 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: they act like and what they're doing. But just the 211 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: pure enthusiasm of Zechias in this story, like he is 212 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: immediately going to take action on his life from being 213 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 1: around Jesus for about ten seconds, Like he gets into 214 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 1: the presence of the Lord. He is invited into the 215 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: presence of the Lord, and he immediately responds. He responds 216 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: with just a generous He's not asking what do I 217 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: need to do to be saved. Remember, there's another story 218 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: of a rich man who says what do I need 219 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 1: to do to inherit the kingdom of God? And to 220 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: that person Jesus says, sell all your possessions and follow me, 221 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: and he goes away sad. Meanwhile, Zachias is just getting invited. 222 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: Jesus is inviting himself over and out of that welcome. 223 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: The enthusiasm of Zachias is I'm going to do all 224 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: these generous things as a response just being in the 225 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,199 Speaker 1: presence of God. And what Jesus says, he makes a 226 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: lesson of this moment and says, this man that you're 227 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: calling a sinner, this man that's a tax collector, this 228 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: man who's been living his life however he's been living it. 229 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 1: This man who's in Jericho, which was not like a 230 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: great place to be, this man is a son of Abraham. 231 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: Like this is a chosen individual. And we know that 232 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: what Jesus did through the message of his life and 233 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: his death and resurrection on the cross, is he said, 234 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 1: you are all sons and daughters of Abraham. Every promise 235 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: that's been made through God, from Genesis to Revelation is 236 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: for you. When you say yes to Jesus. This is enthusiasm. 237 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: This is what enthusiasm looks like. The affirmation that I 238 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 1: offer you. If your invitation is this year to find 239 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: that energy again, to find that energy in Christ. Is 240 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: I am ardently alive, fueled by the spirit of God. 241 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:31,719 Speaker 1: I am ardently alive, fueled by the spirit of God. 242 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: All Right, everyone, our final invitation for twenty twenty six 243 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: is trusting. Okay, So trusting has been a word that 244 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: we've used in the past but just had to include 245 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: it again because of how deeply what a deep work 246 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: it is to truly trust God more and more with 247 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: every aspect of your life, every relationship, every plan, every purpose, 248 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: every regret, everything that seems wrong. To really truly grow 249 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: in your trust of God in every circumstance is an 250 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 1: ongoing invitation. I know it is no matter where you 251 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: are in your life. So let me give you a 252 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 1: definition for trusting. This is a assured so that a 253 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: steady reliance, an assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, 254 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: or truth of someone or something, one in which confidence 255 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: is placed. So it is the reliance, the ongoing, the 256 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: ongoing belief and reliance, the foundational idea, the foundational sort 257 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: of settledness on the character, the ability, the strength, and 258 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: the truth of someone. The opposite of trusting is doubtful. 259 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: We may find that as life comes at us, and 260 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: as things perhaps don't go the way we expect it, 261 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: or as we just moved through a world that we're in, 262 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: you may find yourself doubting the goodness of God, doubting 263 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: the faithfulness of God. Maybe you're even doubting yourself for 264 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 1: doubting God. And you're in a spiral of shame and 265 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: insecurity where you think, maybe there's something I've done wrong 266 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: and that's why I'm not experiencing God and God. And 267 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: you go down this negative spiral where you're believing that 268 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: God is somehow leaving you and that for whatever reason, 269 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: whatever way, that you're not experiencing God, or that you 270 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: desire Him to show up and you're just you're not 271 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: experiencing it. You feel that doubt and despair begin to 272 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 1: creep in. So you might choose this word this year 273 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: if you just know, you just know that for twenty 274 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: twenty six, you have to keep believing in the things 275 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: you cannot see. Maybe things are out of your control 276 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: this year. Maybe things are unknown this year. Maybe this 277 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: is a year of letting go, and in doing so, 278 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: you find yourself truly wondering if your foundation is secure. 279 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: And I want you to know that trust is about 280 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: reliance on someone. It's not on yourself, it's not on 281 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: something you can see. It's reliance on some one. And 282 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: that's someone that we trust is Jesus. But perhaps you 283 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: know that you're just like, Okay, the invitation is God 284 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: is inviting me to experience a deeper level of really 285 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: trusting him. I do think that this is an ongoing 286 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 1: work in all of our lives, that we're invited to 287 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: deeper levels of trust over and over again in our lives. 288 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: So there is nothing wrong with feeling like maybe this 289 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: has been a season of doubt for you, or a 290 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: season that feels dark, and you know that you want 291 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: to come into a new place where you feel settled, 292 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: where you feel rooted, where you feel strong in who 293 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: God is, not in who you are, but in who 294 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: God is. Is love for you, is faithfulness to you, 295 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: his continued merci see toward you, showing up for you, 296 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: day after day after day. The verse that I choose 297 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:09,919 Speaker 1: for this invitation is Psalm twenty verse seven. It says, 298 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: some trust in chariots and some in horses, that we 299 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:17,719 Speaker 1: trust in the name of the Lord, our God. And 300 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: the little context for this verse some trust in chariots 301 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 1: and some in horses. This would be trusting in the 302 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 1: best things that you could have. So this would be 303 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: looking out across perhaps a battleground, and being like the 304 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,679 Speaker 1: way you know if an army is ready for battle, 305 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: the way you know if they're like rich in their 306 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: ability to achieve this battle is in how many horses 307 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,199 Speaker 1: they have and in how many chariots they have. This 308 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 1: is not just foot soldiers. This is some wealth that 309 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: comes with this, that we've got reinforcements, that we've got 310 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:49,120 Speaker 1: things that we can trust will help us to win. 311 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: So obviously in twenty twenty six, we need to change 312 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 1: those words chariots and horses to whatever it is you're 313 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: trusted to believe in. Whatever it is the world says, hey, 314 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: if you have these things, you're going to be okay, 315 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: And we say, we know that people trust in those things, 316 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: But as believers and followers of the Most High God, 317 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 1: we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 318 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:15,360 Speaker 1: We don't need those outward things to show us where 319 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: our trust is. And so whatever those words are that 320 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: you might need to replace in that verse, that would 321 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:24,160 Speaker 1: be my encouragement to you to find and ask the question, Lord, 322 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: what is it that I'm tempted to place my trust in? 323 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: What is it that I keep looking to to place 324 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: my trust in? Is it relationships? Is it security? Is 325 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: it financial stability? Is it achievements? That what am I 326 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: tempted to call trust? When what you say is that 327 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: because I am a son or a daughter of the 328 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 1: Most High God. I trust in your name and your 329 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,959 Speaker 1: name alone psal I'm twenty verse seven, a great one, okay, 330 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: and your biblical character. If trust is your invitation, I 331 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: want to take you to the faith of the centurion, 332 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: which we find in the Gospels Jesus talks about. Obviously, 333 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: Jesus is moving around, he's healing people, he's healing the sick, 334 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: and he's teaching, and he's doing miracles, and all of 335 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: these things are happening all around him. And then we 336 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: have this engagement that he has with this centurion Matthew 337 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: chapter eight, verse five, and it says that Jesus was 338 00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 1: now in Capernaum and there's a centurion. This would be 339 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: a military official coming for help. And this military official says, 340 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: my servant is at home paralyzed, suffering terribly. And Jesus 341 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: says to the centurion, should I come and heal him? 342 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: Now we see this multiple places where people request Jesus 343 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: to come and heal someone, heal their daughter, heal their servant, 344 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:45,400 Speaker 1: heal someone, and the centurion shows something, shows a kind 345 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,680 Speaker 1: of trust that is outstanding, and he says, actually, Lord, 346 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: I don't deserve to have you come under my roof, 347 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 1: but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 348 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: And this is what the centurion says, I myself am 349 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: a man under authority with soldiers under me. So he 350 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 1: basically says, I myself am a boss, and I have 351 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 1: a boss. And I know that when I tell my 352 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: soldiers to go, they go and do, and that when 353 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: I tell one of them to come, he comes. And 354 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 1: I know that I listen to the orders that I'm given, 355 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:16,359 Speaker 1: and I say to my servant, do this, and he 356 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: does it. So he basically says, because I know how 357 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:21,919 Speaker 1: to trust authority, and I know what it's like to 358 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: have authority, and I know that you have all authority, 359 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 1: I know you don't have to come to my house 360 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: to heal my servant. And it says in verse ten. 361 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. There's not a 362 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: lot of times that Jesus is amazed by people, but 363 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 1: he is amazed by this centurion. And he says to 364 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,680 Speaker 1: those around him, truly, I tell you, I haven't found 365 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: anyone in Israel with such great faith. So this is 366 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: a guy outside of the faith. This is the guy 367 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 1: outside of Israel who's having his servant healed and Jesus says, 368 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: I say to that many will come from the East 369 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: and the West, and they'll take their places at the 370 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 1: feast of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven. 371 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside 372 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: into the darkness. He's basically saying, what is it like 373 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: to have faith? You can't trust in your lineage. That's 374 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 1: not what this is about. This is about trusting in 375 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, trusting and believing in him, having faith to 376 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,639 Speaker 1: believe in him. And then Jesus says to this centurion, 377 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: go let it be done just as you've believed it would, 378 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 1: And the servant was healed right at that moment. Incredible 379 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: story of deep trust and understanding in having a sure 380 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: foundation in a person. I want to close today with 381 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,600 Speaker 1: a quote from Jackie Hill Perry that I think really 382 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: applies here when we ask ourselves a question of trust, 383 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: and what she says is this, if God is holy, 384 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 1: then he can't sin. And if he can't sin, then 385 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: he can't sin against me, meaning he can never let 386 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,439 Speaker 1: you down. If he can't sin against me, shouldn't that 387 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: make him the most trustworthy being? There is your affirmation 388 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: of trusting. Is your invitation for thee is I choose 389 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: to live with a non anxious state of belief about 390 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: God's love and purposes. Again, that's I choose to live 391 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,399 Speaker 1: with a non anxious state of a belief about God's 392 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: love and purposes. Guys, what a year we have ahead 393 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,160 Speaker 1: of us. God is always moving, he is always working. 394 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,200 Speaker 1: He's always inviting us to know him, to trust him, 395 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,680 Speaker 1: to serve him. We get to do that together if 396 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 1: I can help you, If you want to reach out 397 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:28,439 Speaker 1: via email, you can reach me and you'll find that 398 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 1: in the show notes, or you can get the guide 399 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: that we provided for this year just to give you 400 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: a reflection, as well as some phone screen lock screens 401 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: that you can use to put that invitation right in 402 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 1: front of your face for the year. Would love to 403 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 1: give you that as well. You can find all that 404 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 1: in the show notes and I'll see you next week. 405 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: How to Study the Bible with Nicole Unis is a 406 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: production of Life Audio and Salem Media. If you like 407 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: what you heard today, please take a second to rate 408 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 1: and review the podcast in your favorite podcast app so 409 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: that more listeners like you can find the show for 410 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: more faith filled, inspirational podcasts. Visit us at liveaudio dot com.