1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is about feeling 3 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 1: annoyed at church. We'll return with the devotional after a 4 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: brief message from our sponsors. When you feel annoyed at Church? 5 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: Written and read by Kelly Blari. So if the sun 6 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: sets you free, you will be free, indeed, John eight 7 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: thirty six. I tried to close my eyes. That was 8 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: my best attempt to ignore the woman standing in front 9 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: of me. If I close my eyes, I won't have 10 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: to be bothered with her. That was my line of thinking. Anyway. 11 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: If I close my eyes, I can think about the 12 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: words in the song and the love for God in 13 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: my heart, not her. Yet, before long, I squint in 14 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: my eyes open to catch a glance. She was still 15 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: doing it. She was moving her body during worship. She 16 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: wasn't standing still. She wasn't being like everyone else. She 17 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: was swaying her body unlike the rest of the church. 18 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: She's distracting. She is one hundred percent distracting. She shouldn't 19 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: be allowed to do this. I was bothered in my heart, 20 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: perturbed in my mind, and critical with my words in 21 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: the car. I told my husband about it. Later though, 22 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,759 Speaker 1: at home, after praying about gathering a group of women 23 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: at my house to experience God's love and the truth 24 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: of this word, she came to mind, God, do you 25 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: want me to invite her? Indeed, I had a strong 26 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: impression on my heart that she is exactly who He 27 00:01:55,160 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: wanted me to invite anyone but her. Despite my hesitancy, 28 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: I obeyed. Once she was at my house, some of 29 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: the ladies began to open up about their stories. When 30 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: it was the dancing girl's turn, she shared, I used 31 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: to be a stripper. Then I found Jesus. He saved 32 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: me and rescued me out of that. Now, when I 33 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: moved during church worship, it is like He is redeeming 34 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: all the dance I did before. He is redeeming me 35 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: as he looks upon me in worship, I just know it. 36 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: My mouth wanted to drop. How could I have judged her? 37 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: God was doing something with her. How could I have 38 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: declared her a stumbling block? Her story was now healing 39 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: me of judgment. How could I have been such a Pharsee, 40 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: it was people like this that Jesus came to save 41 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: in love. I was someone in the wrong while I 42 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: was in a prison of judgment. She was experiencing the 43 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: freedom of Christ Jesus. So if the sun sets you free, 44 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: you'll be free indeed, John eight thirty six. Maybe she 45 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: knew something I different didn't. Maybe moving during worship is 46 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: part of experiencing freedom. Maybe moving breaks free a room 47 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: that may be conforming. Was she onto something during worship? 48 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: I started to sway a little, I started to raise 49 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: my hands. I started to break out of normal to 50 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: pursue God not only with all my heart, but with 51 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: all my body. And Wow, God met me in that place. 52 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: I felt his heart near me, I felt his grace 53 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: around me. Who knew? Intersecting faith in life? How might 54 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: God be calling you to break an worm? How might 55 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: he be encouraging you to worship Him with all your heart? 56 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: What would it look like to stop fearing what you 57 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: look like before man and to give Him more of 58 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: yourself in worship? How do you fear what others think 59 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: of you? The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life 60 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: Audio and Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, 61 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: please take a second to rate and review this podcast 62 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like 63 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: you can find the show for more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 64 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.