WEBVTT - Action Changes Outcome 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:04.360 Coming to you from the Morning Star Mission sponsored studio. 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:08.120 This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:00:08.720 --> 0:00:11.719 Give him praise this morning. It's Carl and crew helping 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:16.400 you take your next step with Jesus. Most nerve wracking 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:22.480 thing in my life right up there. Top five. Absolutely 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:24.800 gut wrenching. Nerve wracking. 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:26.880 Okay. Oh my goodness I know right? 0:00:27.400 --> 0:00:36.040 I'm at Mariner's Church in Southern California preaching. I have 0:00:36.040 --> 0:00:44.200 no notes. Ah. And I'm scrambling to they're there in 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:47.239 the green room. It's a big old church there in 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:51.479 the green room. And I thought, don't go get em. 0:00:51.640 --> 0:00:53.960 Just get up there. You got it on your heart. 0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:58.960 And I got up there and everything got jumbled. And 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:03.030 I'm crying out to God. I have my opening illustration 0:01:03.030 --> 0:01:06.950 and I'm crying out to God, and I'm like, this 0:01:07.870 --> 0:01:11.670 is horrible. And I get into the first point and 0:01:11.670 --> 0:01:15.510 I totally botch it, and it's totally different than anything 0:01:15.510 --> 0:01:16.390 on the screen. 0:01:16.830 --> 0:01:19.550 And I'm in awe because he had slides. Yeah. 0:01:20.030 --> 0:01:23.870 And the central passage of Scripture that I go to 0:01:24.350 --> 0:01:30.230 has nothing to do with my outline. Nothing. And I 0:01:30.270 --> 0:01:34.990 am dying in a pile, and then I wake up. 0:01:35.230 --> 0:01:38.589 Oh, are. You can't do that. That was good. 0:01:38.630 --> 0:01:39.709 It happened to me. 0:01:39.750 --> 0:01:40.270 What? 0:01:41.550 --> 0:01:46.990 There is nothing more stressful nor relieving than waking up 0:01:46.990 --> 0:01:47.990 from a dream. 0:01:48.030 --> 0:01:48.270 Yes. 0:01:48.310 --> 0:01:51.150 My goodness that you can't get yourself out of. 0:01:51.430 --> 0:01:52.110 Yes. 0:01:52.630 --> 0:01:53.910 You know what I'm saying? 0:01:53.950 --> 0:01:57.389 Yes. Mine are usually related to. Not my job here. 0:01:57.390 --> 0:02:00.020 But back in the day, one of my one of 0:02:00.020 --> 0:02:03.500 my first real adult jobs was working in a television newsroom. 0:02:03.780 --> 0:02:09.460 And television newsrooms are really high stress places. Everybody's on 0:02:09.460 --> 0:02:12.019 a deadline. You're trying to work on a story for 0:02:12.020 --> 0:02:15.179 the five or the six or the 10:00 newscast. And 0:02:15.180 --> 0:02:18.900 so I have this reoccurring dream that I am not 0:02:18.900 --> 0:02:22.060 going to make my deadline for my story. And I'm like, 0:02:22.060 --> 0:02:24.340 running through the newsroom back in the day when you 0:02:24.380 --> 0:02:27.020 actually had a physical tape. And then I wake up, 0:02:27.060 --> 0:02:30.420 like out of breath, like it's been 15 years. The 0:02:30.419 --> 0:02:33.340 newscast is over. Everything is okay. 0:02:33.380 --> 0:02:35.540 I'm in a new place. I'm in a new time, 0:02:35.540 --> 0:02:39.380 and everything's fine. Stress is going to come at us 0:02:39.380 --> 0:02:41.500 sometimes in the middle of the night. You might have 0:02:41.500 --> 0:02:43.380 one on your heart right now going. Oh, you can't 0:02:43.380 --> 0:02:46.060 believe what I dreamed last night. And I'm so glad 0:02:46.060 --> 0:02:48.180 when I woke up, it didn't happen. 0:02:48.220 --> 0:02:50.980 Or I've got something I'm facing that I wish were 0:02:50.980 --> 0:02:53.500 just a nightmare. That I could wake up from what. 0:02:53.500 --> 0:02:54.180 I was thinking. 0:02:54.220 --> 0:02:57.540 That's the point. Because some stuff comes at us and 0:02:57.540 --> 0:03:00.100 comes at us as fast. Hang on. We got a 0:03:00.139 --> 0:03:03.020 treat for you. Because if you felt any stress in 0:03:03.020 --> 0:03:06.540 your life, we got a man with a plan. 0:03:06.740 --> 0:03:09.459 She was trying to earn her way to God, but 0:03:09.460 --> 0:03:12.940 God showed her she didn't have to. Ali is in 0:03:12.940 --> 0:03:16.300 the crew. It's Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:03:16.660 --> 0:03:21.780 So, Ali, uh, what stresses you out other than me? No. 0:03:21.820 --> 0:03:22.340 You can't. 0:03:22.380 --> 0:03:24.860 Oh, I know I should. I should back this whole 0:03:24.860 --> 0:03:27.299 train up here for a second. I just set myself up. 0:03:27.300 --> 0:03:28.540 But what stresses you out? 0:03:28.580 --> 0:03:33.420 Oh, what stresses me out? Um, sometimes feeling overextended, like 0:03:33.460 --> 0:03:36.780 there's so many things to get done in a day. 0:03:36.900 --> 0:03:41.220 And it feels like I can sometimes never quite catch up. 0:03:41.420 --> 0:03:44.900 How about traffic? When radio starts in a half an hour. 0:03:45.260 --> 0:03:48.500 Traffic stresses me out. I have a 15 year old 0:03:48.500 --> 0:03:49.940 who's learning how to drive. 0:03:49.980 --> 0:03:51.140 Oh, that's all you got? 0:03:51.180 --> 0:03:54.340 In downtown Chicago. And so sitting in the passenger seat 0:03:54.380 --> 0:03:58.890 really stresses me out as I'm trying to help her 0:03:58.930 --> 0:04:00.690 learn how to drive. What about you? 0:04:01.610 --> 0:04:05.810 Oh, what stresses me out? I think, um, because I'm 0:04:05.810 --> 0:04:07.970 a leader, I get stressed out when I feel like 0:04:07.970 --> 0:04:12.570 there's key slots in any organization that aren't filled rightly. 0:04:13.010 --> 0:04:16.050 That's an indicator right there that that starts to bump 0:04:16.050 --> 0:04:20.130 my cup a little bit. Doctor Charles Stone, what stresses 0:04:20.130 --> 0:04:23.010 you out? You're an expert on stress. What stresses you out? 0:04:23.170 --> 0:04:27.010 Well, actually, I just got stressed when Ali shared about 0:04:27.050 --> 0:04:29.850 teaching her kids to drive. It took me back to 0:04:29.890 --> 0:04:33.770 those early days, right? And I am really stressed now. 0:04:33.770 --> 0:04:34.770 Thank you. Ali. 0:04:35.650 --> 0:04:38.610 Doctor Charles Stone, our guest right now, you have spent 0:04:38.730 --> 0:04:42.930 an extensive amount of time studying this. You studied more 0:04:42.930 --> 0:04:48.130 than 400 ministry leaders. You consulted more than 500 research studies, 0:04:48.130 --> 0:04:51.970 articles and books on stress resilience. Tell us why this 0:04:51.970 --> 0:04:55.890 topic became such a passion project for you. 0:04:55.930 --> 0:04:58.360 Well, yeah, it actually started on a vacation. My wife 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:01.000 and I were on a vacation where they have buffets everywhere. 0:05:01.000 --> 0:05:03.800 I love buffets, so it was just great. But there 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:07.000 was a problem. Wi-Fi was everywhere, and it was just 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:09.520 prior to when Covid hit. And I told my wife 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:11.720 I was serving in a church in Canada at the time. 0:05:11.720 --> 0:05:14.000 They're going to shut us down. Sure, as the world 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:16.480 we got back, we were shut down for months, and 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:19.120 I had to realize that I was now going to 0:05:19.120 --> 0:05:21.359 have to lead a church of a thousand through a 0:05:21.360 --> 0:05:25.200 tiny pinhole camera on my computer. About that time, I 0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:29.480 was diagnosed with prediabetes. And listen, I eat my vegetables 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:33.520 and exercise. I was diagnosed with an AFib. That's when 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:36.120 your heart flutters, when it shouldn't. And I was diagnosed 0:05:36.120 --> 0:05:39.880 with cancer. And the irony was I was doing a 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:44.840 research dissertation PhD project on, you guessed it, stress. So 0:05:44.839 --> 0:05:47.839 I became the lab rat. Uh, along with that. So 0:05:47.880 --> 0:05:52.680 out of those experiences, I began to write, and I 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:54.560 delve into this whole thing of stress. 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:58.630 Yeah. The interesting thing about stress is there is a 0:05:58.630 --> 0:06:03.310 good stress and it's called you stress and you stress 0:06:03.350 --> 0:06:07.669 is a type of stress that's motivating. Short term, performance enhancing. 0:06:07.710 --> 0:06:11.030 Emotionally positive. I've been studying this a little bit lately, 0:06:11.029 --> 0:06:13.190 so it's great that we're having you on here today. 0:06:13.589 --> 0:06:17.270 I mean, God created us with emotion. So some stress 0:06:17.310 --> 0:06:20.789 actually activates us to move in directions that can really 0:06:20.790 --> 0:06:24.950 give God glory. But the vast majority of stress is 0:06:25.270 --> 0:06:28.510 not good. I mean, this is why being anxious for nothing, 0:06:28.510 --> 0:06:30.270 and I think a lot of people look at their 0:06:30.270 --> 0:06:33.750 stress and they think that they're disobedient or bad children 0:06:33.790 --> 0:06:35.430 of God. What do you say, pastor? 0:06:35.710 --> 0:06:38.510 Well, stress actually comes in two flavors. You mentioned one. 0:06:38.550 --> 0:06:41.630 You stress. It's also called acute stress. And then there's 0:06:41.670 --> 0:06:44.830 a chronic stress. Now you stress or acute stress is 0:06:44.830 --> 0:06:47.469 like when I was preparing for our time on the radio, 0:06:47.510 --> 0:06:49.190 I was making sure, do I have the right thing 0:06:49.230 --> 0:06:52.470 plugged in or the knobs and everything just right? So 0:06:52.670 --> 0:06:55.110 my stress raised a bit, but it calmed down when 0:06:55.110 --> 0:06:58.660 I kind of got everything together. Chronic stress is when 0:06:58.660 --> 0:07:02.420 that stress event out there is there, and we don't 0:07:02.420 --> 0:07:05.940 respond in a healthy way. Therefore, many days are beyond 0:07:05.940 --> 0:07:09.620 and when that happens. Oh boy. It affects our brains. 0:07:09.620 --> 0:07:12.620 It affects our bodies, our relationships, our walk with God. 0:07:12.620 --> 0:07:15.940 But you made a great point. Just because you feel 0:07:15.940 --> 0:07:18.660 this stress response, because there is a stress event we 0:07:18.660 --> 0:07:22.060 have no control over, then the stress response is how 0:07:22.100 --> 0:07:25.580 God wired us to respond to that. Just because we 0:07:25.580 --> 0:07:30.340 have some of these natural, immediate responses to stress events 0:07:30.340 --> 0:07:32.300 does not mean we're less of a Christian. It's the 0:07:32.300 --> 0:07:37.420 way God designed us to respond to demands and threatening situations. 0:07:37.460 --> 0:07:39.100 The stress is something that as soon as you say 0:07:39.100 --> 0:07:42.620 that word, I think every person listening has an idea 0:07:42.620 --> 0:07:45.020 of what that means in their own life. But as 0:07:45.020 --> 0:07:49.500 you walking through your own personal, stressful life experiences and 0:07:49.940 --> 0:07:52.860 just kind of surveying so many different ministry leaders, what 0:07:52.860 --> 0:07:55.780 did you find that was sort of a common thread 0:07:55.780 --> 0:07:56.700 through all of it. 0:07:56.940 --> 0:07:59.900 Well, studying a lot of these ministers, it was interesting 0:07:59.900 --> 0:08:05.580 that during Covid, like over 40% of pastors felt like 0:08:05.580 --> 0:08:09.340 leaving the ministry because of stress. And of course, that 0:08:09.340 --> 0:08:12.020 was the height of Covid. Now we're past Covid, but 0:08:12.020 --> 0:08:16.740 still over a third of pastors are thinking about quitting 0:08:16.740 --> 0:08:20.300 the ministry. So stress is real in the ministry. It's 0:08:20.300 --> 0:08:22.700 really everywhere. I live in southern Mississippi and this is 0:08:22.700 --> 0:08:26.500 like high pollen season. There's like a yellow coating over everything. 0:08:26.740 --> 0:08:30.100 Stress is like that. It is like everywhere. Here's a 0:08:30.100 --> 0:08:33.260 simple definition. Stress is the way God designed us. It 0:08:33.260 --> 0:08:38.140 is our natural response to real or perceived threats or demands. 0:08:38.220 --> 0:08:40.300 Let me give you an example. You go camping, you're 0:08:40.300 --> 0:08:42.940 in a tent and you hear some movement outside and 0:08:42.940 --> 0:08:45.500 your mind goes like, oh no, it's a grizzly. He's 0:08:45.500 --> 0:08:47.300 going to eat me up. So you don't sleep at 0:08:47.300 --> 0:08:49.180 all that night. But in the morning when the sun 0:08:49.179 --> 0:08:52.140 comes up, you peek out and you realize, oh, that 0:08:52.140 --> 0:08:54.689 wasn't a bear. That was a raccoon eating those Cheetos 0:08:54.690 --> 0:08:58.170 I left on the table. So this stress response happens 0:08:58.170 --> 0:09:02.370 whether it's real, a real bear, or whether it's perceived 0:09:02.370 --> 0:09:03.449 just a raccoon. 0:09:04.170 --> 0:09:06.290 Yeah, I love this. This is really good. Doctor Gerald 0:09:06.290 --> 0:09:08.610 Stone is our guest right now, and we're going to 0:09:08.610 --> 0:09:10.570 have a link for you in just a moment. It's 0:09:10.610 --> 0:09:13.929 a self-test, actually. Subtle signs of stress. Four of them 0:09:13.929 --> 0:09:16.609 in your life. He's written a blog on it and 0:09:16.809 --> 0:09:19.890 also written how to get relief from this. You know, 0:09:19.929 --> 0:09:24.770 you look at Philippians four and Paul's writing from prison 0:09:25.170 --> 0:09:29.290 and he says, don't be anxious about anything. But in 0:09:29.290 --> 0:09:33.770 everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests 0:09:33.809 --> 0:09:37.090 be made known to God. And the peace of God, 0:09:37.090 --> 0:09:41.850 which surpasses all understanding, will guard. My dad used to 0:09:41.850 --> 0:09:44.450 highlight garrison is a stronger word there that should be 0:09:44.450 --> 0:09:48.170 used your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. How 0:09:48.170 --> 0:09:50.570 does that move from being just a verse to a 0:09:50.570 --> 0:09:52.170 lived experience? Doctor? 0:09:52.210 --> 0:09:54.280 You know, I think the apostle Paul was like the 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:58.600 original neuroscientist. It's amazing how neuroscience and sciences are catching 0:09:58.600 --> 0:10:01.400 up with what the Bible said. The apostle Paul innately 0:10:01.400 --> 0:10:04.120 understood some of these struggles that we had. In fact, 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:06.160 he even said a couple of times that he was 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:12.480 feeling anxious. So there's this thing of the biochemical, the hormones, the, uh, 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:15.360 the molecules that course through our body and brain when 0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:18.760 we experience a stressful situation. But one of the things 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:23.520 that believers have that is so powerful now there's God 0:10:23.559 --> 0:10:26.760 expects us to cooperate. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling 0:10:26.760 --> 0:10:27.200 in us. 0:10:27.240 --> 0:10:27.800 Amen. 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:31.360 The Holy Spirit gives us power. The Holy Spirit gives 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:34.640 us wisdom. Now, again, it's a cooperative effort. Holy Spirit's 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:37.079 a gentleman. He's not going to push his way in. 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:40.480 So we have this power source to be able to 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:45.679 act wisely, behave wisely, to be able to think appropriately. 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:49.120 Think Philippians four eight, but also how to be able 0:10:49.120 --> 0:10:51.520 to deal with this tension like, okay, I feel anxious, 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:53.870 I'm trusting the Lord, but I still feel anxious. You know, 0:10:53.910 --> 0:10:57.670 a lot of that is simply your body. These chemicals 0:10:57.670 --> 0:10:59.750 that create these feelings. Does it mean you're less of 0:10:59.750 --> 0:11:02.230 a Christian? Does it mean you have less faith? But 0:11:02.230 --> 0:11:04.310 the Holy Spirit is the one that empowers us to 0:11:04.350 --> 0:11:07.310 be able to respond well to stress events. 0:11:07.309 --> 0:11:10.950 So coming up, let's get practical. What are some habits 0:11:11.309 --> 0:11:14.309 guided by the Holy Spirit that can help us respond 0:11:14.309 --> 0:11:17.790 and stress less, more with our guest, Doctor Charles Stone, 0:11:17.790 --> 0:11:18.430 coming up. 0:11:19.070 --> 0:11:22.110 He was sharing the gospel on the radio and then 0:11:22.110 --> 0:11:26.430 he got saved. Young thunders in the crew. It's Karl 0:11:26.429 --> 0:11:28.189 and crew on Moody Radio. 0:11:28.630 --> 0:11:30.470 Do you have any stress in your life? 0:11:31.710 --> 0:11:33.550 No, I'm stress free over here. 0:11:34.110 --> 0:11:37.709 I think every single person would answer definitively yes. I've 0:11:37.710 --> 0:11:40.390 got some stress in my life. Is it a chronic 0:11:40.429 --> 0:11:44.069 issue for you? Are you stressed out? More than not. 0:11:44.110 --> 0:11:47.230 Doctor Charles Stone, our guest right now, give us some 0:11:47.230 --> 0:11:50.550 of these habits that you've outlined in this book that 0:11:50.550 --> 0:11:54.460 can really help us as believers, guided by the Holy Spirit. 0:11:54.460 --> 0:11:55.619 Stress less. 0:11:56.140 --> 0:11:59.300 Yeah, I actually, in my research came up with nine 0:11:59.300 --> 0:12:02.340 practices that I included in the book Stress Less and 0:12:02.340 --> 0:12:04.660 one of the easiest ones. In fact, the first practice 0:12:04.700 --> 0:12:08.339 is what I call seize and breathe. You know, you 0:12:08.340 --> 0:12:11.420 look at Scripture and you see breath throughout Genesis. God 0:12:11.460 --> 0:12:14.780 breathed into Adam. He became a living being. Jesus in 0:12:14.780 --> 0:12:17.700 the New Testament, he breathed on that early church. The 0:12:17.700 --> 0:12:21.780 Holy Spirit came. There's a very interesting neuroscience insight. And 0:12:21.780 --> 0:12:26.740 here it is. Deep breathing activates a particular nerve that 0:12:26.740 --> 0:12:30.460 actually slows our heart rate and dampens the stress response. 0:12:30.460 --> 0:12:32.540 And here's a practical way to do that. It's called 0:12:32.540 --> 0:12:34.780 the sniff breath. You know, we breathe in. We breathe out. 0:12:34.780 --> 0:12:36.980 We breathe in, we breathe out. But as you breathe in, 0:12:36.980 --> 0:12:40.780 just imagine breathing in and then taking one more sniff 0:12:40.780 --> 0:12:44.500 of breath and then slowly breathe out through your nose 0:12:44.540 --> 0:12:48.060 and making that outbreath a little longer than the time 0:12:48.059 --> 0:12:50.459 it took you to breathe in. Do this two or 0:12:50.540 --> 0:12:54.020 3 or 4 times, and it's amazing how it calms 0:12:54.020 --> 0:12:57.540 the stress response. And I have an acronym called stop 0:12:57.700 --> 0:13:00.220 to help you remember when you're in stress situation. S 0:13:00.220 --> 0:13:03.900 stands for stop. T stands for take a breath. O 0:13:03.900 --> 0:13:05.980 stands for observe. You know what's going on in my mind. 0:13:05.980 --> 0:13:08.820 What's really going on here? P stands for pray. Lord, 0:13:08.820 --> 0:13:11.540 I need your help here. And the second P added 0:13:11.540 --> 0:13:15.619 an extra P means proceed. So stop. But the breath 0:13:15.820 --> 0:13:18.579 is just something that is a very powerful tool you 0:13:18.580 --> 0:13:21.339 can take anywhere. And it's very effective in dealing with stress. 0:13:21.420 --> 0:13:23.380 It's so funny that you mentioned this because my son, 0:13:23.380 --> 0:13:26.100 who's got a startup in Miami, he was about two 0:13:26.100 --> 0:13:29.020 months ago. He said, dad, I found the best thing. 0:13:29.260 --> 0:13:32.380 I'm not breathing rightly when I'm feeling stressed and you're 0:13:32.380 --> 0:13:35.660 spiking it. He said, yeah, long, deep breath in, longer exhale. 0:13:35.700 --> 0:13:37.540 Really good stuff. We're going to have a lot of 0:13:37.540 --> 0:13:40.540 hits on this because you know better than us. It's 0:13:40.540 --> 0:13:41.660 everywhere right now. 0:13:41.700 --> 0:13:44.220 Oh, you know, this week the stock market it is 0:13:44.220 --> 0:13:47.660 making everybody unsettled. So appropriate topic. 0:13:47.700 --> 0:13:50.449 Yeah. All right. Let's get a couple more. Another couple 0:13:50.490 --> 0:13:54.490 habits from the word and brain science that builds resilience 0:13:54.490 --> 0:13:57.449 and reduces this stress anxiety. What do you say? 0:13:57.450 --> 0:13:59.450 One of the other ones that is just really, really 0:13:59.450 --> 0:14:02.290 helpful is something I call grow gratitude. You know, we 0:14:02.290 --> 0:14:03.929 see that often in the New Testament. There were to 0:14:03.929 --> 0:14:08.210 be grateful. Well, again, scientists have learned that when we 0:14:08.210 --> 0:14:12.570 are grateful, it releases these positive brain chemicals. That helps 0:14:12.570 --> 0:14:15.610 dampen the stress response. And here's a little practical thing 0:14:15.890 --> 0:14:19.610 anybody can do. It's called three good things before you 0:14:19.650 --> 0:14:21.210 wake up and you wake up in the morning before 0:14:21.210 --> 0:14:23.490 you put your feet on the floor. Think of three 0:14:23.490 --> 0:14:26.690 things you're grateful for. Could be small. Could be large. 0:14:27.050 --> 0:14:30.530 Even better if you diary write those three things in 0:14:30.530 --> 0:14:32.850 your diary. Even better, do the same thing before you 0:14:32.850 --> 0:14:36.050 go to bed. The very fact that we think of 0:14:36.050 --> 0:14:39.490 those three things and we focus on them with gratitude, 0:14:39.490 --> 0:14:43.250 it actually sets our day up to think on those 0:14:43.250 --> 0:14:45.770 things that the Scripture tells us to think about. So 0:14:45.770 --> 0:14:49.120 grow gratitude. That is an easy one and a really 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:49.880 effective one. 0:14:49.920 --> 0:14:51.960 Okay, give us one more. We've got time for one more. 0:14:52.000 --> 0:14:54.080 Doctor Charles Stone, our guest. Right now. 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:58.440 The last practice is Sleep Smart. More and more scientists 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:01.800 are finding out the importance of sleep. If someone says 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:04.640 in peace, I will lie down in sleep. And over 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:07.320 a third of Americans at any point in time are 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:11.800 struggling with sleep. A couple of simple things to do 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:14.480 to sleep better is make sure the room you're in 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:17.320 is cool. Mid 60s. I know my wife and I 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:19.960 disagree on that. She has a heating blanket that keeps 0:15:19.960 --> 0:15:25.920 her warm, but so we worked that out mid 60s. Secondly, 0:15:26.080 --> 0:15:29.080 reduce the amount of blue light through screens that you 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:33.720 have at night. Because blue light actually dampens the hormone melatonin. 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:35.840 That is the all called to our body. Time to 0:15:35.840 --> 0:15:38.080 go to bed. So we need to get our noses 0:15:38.080 --> 0:15:41.320 out of the iPads and iPhones before we go to bed. 0:15:41.320 --> 0:15:43.600 So sleep smart is a big one. 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:45.640 I got to tell you, doc, it's really funny you 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:49.190 mentioned this blue light thing I've grown so convicted about 0:15:49.190 --> 0:15:52.230 it that I got a pair. You guys are going 0:15:52.270 --> 0:15:53.670 to crack up at me. You ought to see the 0:15:53.670 --> 0:15:55.790 picture I sent. I'm going to send my team a 0:15:55.790 --> 0:15:59.430 picture of this. But I have these glasses over glasses 0:15:59.430 --> 0:16:02.550 that block 99.5% of blue light. And I put them 0:16:02.550 --> 0:16:04.030 on every night at 7 p.m.. 0:16:04.070 --> 0:16:06.350 You get an A plus. For that I have those, 0:16:06.350 --> 0:16:07.630 you get an A plus. 0:16:07.670 --> 0:16:12.350 Well, it's helping because we were not designed our circadian rhythm. 0:16:12.350 --> 0:16:14.990 God did not design us to have these screens in 0:16:14.990 --> 0:16:17.150 front of our mug until we try to turn in. 0:16:17.150 --> 0:16:18.390 So good stuff. 0:16:18.430 --> 0:16:21.990 Doctor Charles Stone, last question for you. After going through 0:16:21.990 --> 0:16:24.510 all this writing the book, you mentioned some of your 0:16:24.670 --> 0:16:28.110 health challenges that you've gone through. Can you say that 0:16:28.110 --> 0:16:31.230 you do stress less? Maybe. That's a tough question. 0:16:31.270 --> 0:16:32.630 That's a fair question. 0:16:32.670 --> 0:16:33.790 Does this work? 0:16:33.830 --> 0:16:37.830 It really does. Absolutely. I'm more chill now. Does that 0:16:37.830 --> 0:16:40.790 mean that when some stress event comes up, it's big 0:16:40.790 --> 0:16:43.150 or a surprise? I don't feel those things and I'm 0:16:43.150 --> 0:16:46.430 still in process. But for me, I've learned that stress 0:16:46.430 --> 0:16:49.540 does not have to define me. It can define me. 0:16:49.900 --> 0:16:53.220 And that there is hope that I, your listeners, can 0:16:53.220 --> 0:16:57.180 absolutely manage the effects of the stress response with some practical, 0:16:57.220 --> 0:17:02.980 biblically based, science supported practices. So. So yeah, it really 0:17:02.980 --> 0:17:03.860 is effective. 0:17:04.100 --> 0:17:06.220 Doctor Charles Stone has been with us. And we've got 0:17:06.220 --> 0:17:09.340 two things for you in one link that we're going 0:17:09.380 --> 0:17:11.899 to send you. One of them is for subtle signs 0:17:11.900 --> 0:17:14.939 that you're stressed I loved it, they're simple and profoundly 0:17:14.940 --> 0:17:17.859 spot on. And then also a link to his book, 0:17:17.859 --> 0:17:21.140 Stress Less nine Habits from the Bible and Brain Science 0:17:21.140 --> 0:17:24.340 to Build Resilience and Reduce Anxiety. I got a hunch 0:17:24.340 --> 0:17:27.379 we got some links going out here, like cordwood today. 0:17:27.980 --> 0:17:31.060 For our guest, Doctor Charles Stone. Just text Stone to 0:17:31.100 --> 0:17:38.340 800 555 7898. Text stone to (800) 555-7898. 0:17:38.700 --> 0:17:43.300 She's a choreographer extraordinaire and everything is Greek to her. 0:17:43.740 --> 0:17:47.500 Super dei is in the crew. It's Carl and crew. 0:17:47.540 --> 0:17:48.699 On Moody Radio. 0:17:49.260 --> 0:17:51.060 God is on the move and he wants to work 0:17:51.060 --> 0:17:54.500 through you. Action changes outcome. How do we know that 0:17:54.500 --> 0:17:56.780 to be true? Young thunder, come on, let's go. 0:17:56.859 --> 0:17:58.460 We know that to be true because we see it 0:17:58.460 --> 0:18:00.300 in the book of Esther. You know, we've been talking 0:18:00.300 --> 0:18:03.020 about Esther all week, and the culmination of the story 0:18:03.020 --> 0:18:07.140 comes at the end, where she is going to try 0:18:07.140 --> 0:18:09.980 to save her people group. Haman, the right hand man 0:18:09.980 --> 0:18:12.460 of the king of the Persian Empire, says, I'm going 0:18:12.500 --> 0:18:14.659 to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire. It 0:18:14.660 --> 0:18:17.060 would have been a lot of Jews. The first Holocaust 0:18:17.060 --> 0:18:19.900 is how we've been describing it all week. And and 0:18:19.900 --> 0:18:21.540 he says, I'm going after all of them. And he 0:18:21.540 --> 0:18:23.060 would have been able to do it. There was a 0:18:23.060 --> 0:18:24.900 law that was going to go out that would have 0:18:24.900 --> 0:18:28.700 made this happen. Esther said, you know, I might die 0:18:28.740 --> 0:18:31.100 going before the king unauthorized, but I'm going to go 0:18:31.100 --> 0:18:33.540 before the King unauthorized, because I feel like it's what 0:18:33.580 --> 0:18:37.020 God's calling me to do. She goes, the king spares her, 0:18:37.060 --> 0:18:39.940 hears her, and she tells him everything that's going on. 0:18:39.940 --> 0:18:42.700 And he's furious because she's a Jewish woman. So she 0:18:42.700 --> 0:18:46.450 would be included in that and because of her faithfulness. 0:18:46.450 --> 0:18:50.169 Standing in faith, he kills Haman, the man who was 0:18:50.170 --> 0:18:53.210 in control of of it all. And the the Jewish 0:18:53.210 --> 0:18:54.170 people are spared. 0:18:54.410 --> 0:18:58.090 Yeah. Esther nine one is the payoff verse. You're right. Ali. 0:18:58.490 --> 0:19:02.490 Absolutely. Esther nine one says this now in the 12th month, 0:19:02.490 --> 0:19:04.690 which is the month of Adar, on the 13th day 0:19:04.690 --> 0:19:06.850 of the same, when the king's command and edict were 0:19:06.850 --> 0:19:09.210 about to be carried out on the very day when 0:19:09.210 --> 0:19:11.650 the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery 0:19:11.650 --> 0:19:14.770 over them, the reverse occurred. The Jews gained mastery over 0:19:14.770 --> 0:19:15.970 those who hated them. 0:19:16.730 --> 0:19:20.970 Powerful. You know what's wild about faith is it flies 0:19:20.970 --> 0:19:26.850 in the face of conventional wisdom every time. Yeah, right. 0:19:26.850 --> 0:19:27.890 That's why it's called faith. 0:19:27.930 --> 0:19:30.170 That's why it's called faith. I mean, there's so many 0:19:30.170 --> 0:19:34.290 layers to faith. But at the end. And by the way, here, 0:19:34.330 --> 0:19:36.729 let me give you a definition for faith. It's a 0:19:36.730 --> 0:19:42.330 confident trust, loyal commitment, an obedient response to God on 0:19:42.369 --> 0:19:45.480 who he is and what he has promised, even when 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:48.320 those promises are not yet seen or fulfilled. We know 0:19:48.320 --> 0:19:51.760 from the back end of Hebrews 11 that those that 0:19:51.760 --> 0:19:54.920 were sawn in two, those that were mocked, scorned, stoned, 0:19:55.480 --> 0:19:59.679 they did not see the promise fulfilled, but they did. 0:20:00.640 --> 0:20:05.480 In fact, the writer of Hebrews clearly says that we 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:08.840 are here in essence because of their act of faith. 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:12.199 Yes, their faith is commended, not necessarily the outcome of 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:12.960 their faith. 0:20:14.560 --> 0:20:19.840 So action changes outcome, and our commitment here is to 0:20:19.840 --> 0:20:23.359 help you take your next step with Jesus. So I'm 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:25.960 asking you to light it up this morning. Let's go. 0:20:26.600 --> 0:20:29.000 What step of faith is God asking you to take? 0:20:29.000 --> 0:20:31.960 We don't need the outcome. You don't know it. But 0:20:31.960 --> 0:20:34.360 God's calling you to take a step of faith. And 0:20:34.359 --> 0:20:36.919 it's for his glory and for the good of others, 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:40.400 because that's the established premise that we find all through 0:20:40.400 --> 0:20:42.840 the Hall of Fame of faith. You go to Hebrews 0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:46.710 11 by faith, Moses by faith, Abraham by faith. The 0:20:46.750 --> 0:20:50.190 seas parted by faith. And the list goes on and on. 0:20:50.190 --> 0:20:51.870 And what do you see? God's glory and the good 0:20:51.869 --> 0:20:52.390 of others. 0:20:52.430 --> 0:20:54.750 I actually love this. I don't think I noticed this before. 0:20:54.750 --> 0:20:57.270 I just looked at Hebrews 11. The first person they 0:20:57.270 --> 0:21:01.830 mention is Abel. It said by faith Abel brought God 0:21:01.830 --> 0:21:03.790 a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was 0:21:03.790 --> 0:21:06.310 commended as righteous. When God spoke well of his offerings, 0:21:06.310 --> 0:21:08.950 and by faith Abel still speaks, even though he's dead. 0:21:10.070 --> 0:21:13.870 Abel died because Cain was jealous of him before for 0:21:14.150 --> 0:21:18.270 being righteous before God and he died. He didn't get 0:21:18.270 --> 0:21:21.710 to live forward, but his faith still speaks even though 0:21:21.710 --> 0:21:22.430 he's dead. 0:21:22.790 --> 0:21:26.630 Okay. That's huge. I I've read that. I've preached it, 0:21:26.630 --> 0:21:29.630 but slow down and give that to us again. We 0:21:29.630 --> 0:21:31.350 all need. That is epic. 0:21:31.390 --> 0:21:34.750 Absolutely. This is the first person mentioned in the Hall 0:21:34.750 --> 0:21:37.629 of Fame of Faith. It says by faith Abel brought 0:21:37.630 --> 0:21:40.709 God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he 0:21:40.710 --> 0:21:44.070 was commended as righteous when God spoke well of his offerings, 0:21:44.070 --> 0:21:48.310 and by faith Abel still speaks even though he is dead. 0:21:48.550 --> 0:21:53.629 Boom! That doesn't fire you up. You got wet wood. 0:21:54.670 --> 0:21:58.910 Come on. No doubt. Okay, so he died at the 0:21:58.950 --> 0:22:00.949 hands of his bitter brother. 0:22:01.510 --> 0:22:02.230 And yet. 0:22:03.630 --> 0:22:11.350 And yet his testimony speaks today. Yeah. Whoo! What step 0:22:11.350 --> 0:22:16.670 of faith is God asking you to take? 800 555 78. 98. 0:22:16.670 --> 0:22:18.710 Come on, let's go. Boom! Crew, this is your show. 0:22:18.750 --> 0:22:23.030 Here we go. Light em up. 800 555 78. 98. 0:22:23.030 --> 0:22:24.229 Anything on your heart, Ali? 0:22:24.510 --> 0:22:27.190 You know, I like that you mentioned that. That, like, 0:22:27.230 --> 0:22:30.710 our faith speaks and faith outlasts. 0:22:30.750 --> 0:22:31.150 Yeah. 0:22:31.310 --> 0:22:33.590 Our time here on earth. 0:22:33.750 --> 0:22:35.230 It's got longer legs, man. 0:22:35.270 --> 0:22:35.990 I love that. 0:22:36.030 --> 0:22:40.190 Whoo! If you are fired up about the word of God, 0:22:40.190 --> 0:22:41.350 you got to get. Check your. 0:22:41.350 --> 0:22:41.949 Pulse. 0:22:41.990 --> 0:22:42.740 No doubt. 0:22:42.780 --> 0:22:43.660 Check your pulse. 0:22:43.660 --> 0:22:49.420 800 555 7898. What step of faith is God asking 0:22:49.420 --> 0:22:55.139 you to take today? What is it? 800 555 7898 0:22:55.180 --> 0:22:57.100 it's glory to God and good of others. 0:22:57.380 --> 0:23:00.100 You can take him out of Alaska, but you can't 0:23:00.140 --> 0:23:03.980 take Alaska out of him. Carl is in the crew. 0:23:04.180 --> 0:23:06.780 It's Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:23:06.940 --> 0:23:09.820 Okay, it's Carl and crew. Never cease to be amazed 0:23:09.820 --> 0:23:12.020 what God's doing around us. Even in the small stuff. 0:23:12.060 --> 0:23:13.980 You know, steps of faith are crazy. Let me give 0:23:13.980 --> 0:23:15.860 you a simple one. This is going to sound nutso, 0:23:15.859 --> 0:23:18.140 but this is how I want you to understand faith. 0:23:18.380 --> 0:23:21.619 A lot of times we think faith is I'm going 0:23:21.619 --> 0:23:27.900 to go witness on 42 blocks today by faith. Well, 0:23:27.940 --> 0:23:33.020 maybe walk around Chicago, cover all 42 blocks. Every person 0:23:33.020 --> 0:23:38.180 you see is going to hear the gospel. The better chance. 0:23:38.180 --> 0:23:41.540 That's presumption. You might have heard from God, but faith 0:23:41.690 --> 0:23:45.010 is usually taking those opportunities God gives us. I mean, 0:23:45.050 --> 0:23:48.570 first Corinthians 16 nine Paul was delayed in going to 0:23:48.609 --> 0:23:52.609 see Corinth because wide door for effective work had opened 0:23:52.609 --> 0:23:55.970 to him. That's an interesting subplot of that passage. Verse 0:23:55.970 --> 0:24:00.250 nine A wide door for effective work has opened to me. 0:24:00.410 --> 0:24:02.330 That's what you're looking for. And then you walk through them. 0:24:02.369 --> 0:24:06.090 So what did he do? He stuck on in Ephesus because. Whoa, 0:24:06.369 --> 0:24:09.810 big old opportunity was open to me. Sometimes faith is 0:24:09.810 --> 0:24:11.609 just the stuff that God shows you in the simple 0:24:11.609 --> 0:24:15.010 little moments of life. I was deeply convicted by God. 0:24:15.010 --> 0:24:17.650 I've got to do resistance training, and I've been really 0:24:17.650 --> 0:24:21.649 faithful to it. And it's not because I want to 0:24:21.650 --> 0:24:25.890 be Hercules. Those days are gone. Even skinny kids like 0:24:25.890 --> 0:24:28.410 me can have those dreams. But those days are gone. 0:24:28.410 --> 0:24:30.690 I just want to be fit. And I don't want 0:24:30.690 --> 0:24:34.370 my bones falling in on me here. You know, I just. 0:24:34.850 --> 0:24:36.689 And so resistance training is huge. 0:24:36.730 --> 0:24:37.530 Trying to be healthy. 0:24:37.690 --> 0:24:43.200 Muscle retention and bone health. It's really important in cardiovascular, 0:24:43.200 --> 0:24:44.879 by the way. You can get a pretty good cardio 0:24:44.920 --> 0:24:47.560 workout if you keep moving through your sets. So yesterday 0:24:47.560 --> 0:24:50.000 was leg day and I didn't want to go every 0:24:50.040 --> 0:24:51.600 you ever woke up in the morning and the last 0:24:51.600 --> 0:24:52.959 thing you want to do is work out. 0:24:53.000 --> 0:24:53.480 Ah yes. 0:24:53.480 --> 0:24:55.000 Yeah about every time I go to work out. 0:24:55.119 --> 0:24:55.479 Yeah. 0:24:55.800 --> 0:24:57.000 So I want to do this. 0:24:57.040 --> 0:24:57.520 I'm like. 0:24:57.520 --> 0:24:59.760 God, I can't do this. So God got me to 0:24:59.800 --> 0:25:02.080 the gym. I went over to the squat rack, did 0:25:02.080 --> 0:25:06.560 my squats, pulled off four sets, pretty heavy weight for me, 0:25:06.760 --> 0:25:10.359 and did four sets of five, 4 or 5 reps 0:25:10.400 --> 0:25:14.239 per set. And it's awesome. And then I have to 0:25:14.240 --> 0:25:16.119 go to the leg press machine, and I'm looking at 0:25:16.160 --> 0:25:18.639 that thing, and that thing's mocking me like, you can't 0:25:18.640 --> 0:25:20.920 do this. And I'm like, yeah, you're right. I'm heading 0:25:20.920 --> 0:25:22.480 out of here. I started digging. 0:25:23.000 --> 0:25:23.560 I'm kind of. 0:25:23.600 --> 0:25:26.560 Turning. And then I prayed. I said, God, I gotta 0:25:26.560 --> 0:25:29.880 have energy. I mean, the music playing in the gym 0:25:29.880 --> 0:25:32.560 was so lousy. It was some thrash metal thing. I 0:25:32.560 --> 0:25:34.879 couldn't even understand the guy. And I'm like, that's reason 0:25:34.880 --> 0:25:36.680 enough to get out of here. And God's like, get 0:25:36.720 --> 0:25:39.320 on the press. So by an act of faith, I 0:25:39.320 --> 0:25:41.990 went over to the leg press and it's got a 0:25:41.990 --> 0:25:46.510 bunch of 40, several £45 plates, a couple on each side. 0:25:46.710 --> 0:25:48.510 I'm like, all right, I'm going to try to do this. 0:25:48.990 --> 0:25:52.270 And for some reason, man, God honored that step of faith. 0:25:52.270 --> 0:25:55.390 And I pulled ripped off that set and ripped off 0:25:55.390 --> 0:25:58.430 another set. And then I loaded a couple more £45 0:25:58.430 --> 0:26:02.310 plates on there. Don't don't cheer for me, Argentina. I mean, 0:26:02.310 --> 0:26:05.910 it wasn't anything too notable. It looks great, but it's 0:26:05.910 --> 0:26:09.109 a 45 degree incline, so it's not like you're pressing 0:26:09.109 --> 0:26:11.750 the world. Not like I'm doing Atlas thing or anything. 0:26:12.230 --> 0:26:15.270 But I got done with those sets and I'm like, yes, 0:26:15.270 --> 0:26:17.030 I did it. And I walked home and I told 0:26:17.030 --> 0:26:18.949 my bride, I said, God gave me the grace to 0:26:18.990 --> 0:26:24.270 do it, man. But action changes outcomes and there can 0:26:24.270 --> 0:26:27.109 be some immediacy of of gratitude in your heart because 0:26:27.109 --> 0:26:29.709 you're like, God got me to do that. Isn't that cool? 0:26:29.910 --> 0:26:32.910 Yes. And I love that because that's a small thing. 0:26:32.910 --> 0:26:35.470 But you know that it's a step of obedience to 0:26:35.510 --> 0:26:38.670 continue to take care of your health and your body. 0:26:39.109 --> 0:26:42.350 And when you don't feel like doing it, what do 0:26:42.350 --> 0:26:44.190 you go to? Well, it's a step of faith to 0:26:44.230 --> 0:26:47.270 continue to be obedient when you don't feel like it. 0:26:47.710 --> 0:26:50.030 Yeah. And then God proved to me. Isn't that cool 0:26:50.030 --> 0:26:54.270 about steps of faith? Oftentimes at the back end, God says, see, 0:26:54.310 --> 0:26:55.430 I told you I had you. 0:26:55.470 --> 0:26:56.830 Yeah. Yep. 0:26:56.950 --> 0:26:58.390 Told you I had you on this thing. 0:26:58.430 --> 0:27:01.550 And you always get that feeling after you're done. Whether 0:27:01.550 --> 0:27:03.949 it's stepping out to share the gospel with someone or 0:27:03.950 --> 0:27:07.389 you get asked to share your testimony and there's some, oh, 0:27:07.430 --> 0:27:08.990 I don't know if I can do this. And then 0:27:08.990 --> 0:27:12.630 afterwards you feel that sense, like, God, you had me. 0:27:12.869 --> 0:27:13.670 Thank you. 0:27:14.350 --> 0:27:19.990 It's so cool. Mhm. Come on in here from Illinois. 0:27:21.950 --> 0:27:26.350 Hi. Good morning. So I'm going to say that God 0:27:26.350 --> 0:27:31.910 is actually telling me through listening the third time for 0:27:31.910 --> 0:27:35.109 those members of Spirit of God. God is asking me 0:27:35.109 --> 0:27:39.380 to share the gospel and use every Opportunity to share 0:27:39.380 --> 0:27:40.180 the gospel. 0:27:40.900 --> 0:27:43.140 I love that, and you know what I love about that? 0:27:44.619 --> 0:27:50.260 Is that you're talking about God granting you opportunities. That's 0:27:50.260 --> 0:27:54.460 exactly what we find in first Corinthians 16 nine. A 0:27:54.460 --> 0:27:57.500 wide door for effective work and opportunity. It opened to me, 0:27:57.500 --> 0:27:59.300 and so I'm going to stay on here. Resolve that. 0:27:59.300 --> 0:28:01.179 That is awesome. Stay on the horn. You're getting a 0:28:01.180 --> 0:28:04.659 prize pack to fuel that step of faith, sister. Come on. 0:28:05.500 --> 0:28:09.139 See you there. How sweet is that? What step of 0:28:09.140 --> 0:28:14.260 faith is God asking you to take today? Lalita, thanks 0:28:14.260 --> 0:28:16.859 for holding on. First time caller in Wisconsin. What's God 0:28:16.859 --> 0:28:17.580 saying to you? 0:28:19.020 --> 0:28:23.140 He's saying to trust. Trust him and trust his process 0:28:23.140 --> 0:28:28.619 that he has put me in with with my addiction. 0:28:28.859 --> 0:28:32.379 Like I'm afraid that I'm alone and I'm going to 0:28:32.380 --> 0:28:36.060 have to go through all this emotional pain alone. 0:28:37.020 --> 0:28:37.850 What are you addicted. 0:28:37.850 --> 0:28:38.130 To. 0:28:38.170 --> 0:28:39.770 Girl? What are you addicted to? 0:28:41.050 --> 0:28:47.290 Drugs and alcohol and food and. And emotional pain and stress. 0:28:48.810 --> 0:28:50.450 Okay, I want to. I'm going to pray for you 0:28:50.450 --> 0:28:52.330 here in a minute, Lolita. But I want to talk 0:28:52.330 --> 0:28:55.330 to you as. As a friend and as a pastor. Okay. 0:28:55.370 --> 0:28:57.570 I want I want you to hear my heart here. 0:28:57.610 --> 0:29:01.210 Number one, you're up against something that is common to 0:29:01.450 --> 0:29:05.810 all men and women. There are. There's the constant temptation 0:29:05.810 --> 0:29:08.330 to take the bait of Satan and to get that 0:29:08.330 --> 0:29:10.730 God shaped void filled up with a bunch of trash 0:29:10.770 --> 0:29:13.690 that's just hurting you, right? You get that, right, Lolita? 0:29:14.290 --> 0:29:14.810 Yeah. 0:29:14.970 --> 0:29:20.130 Okay, so here's what I want you to know, sister. You. 0:29:20.170 --> 0:29:23.570 There's no power in you to get victory here. It's 0:29:23.570 --> 0:29:32.610 only in God. And. The power of God's grace is 0:29:32.610 --> 0:29:36.250 unmerited favor. God is looking with favor upon you, Lolita. 0:29:36.250 --> 0:29:40.080 He's looking with favor on you. And Grace is not 0:29:40.080 --> 0:29:48.560 only unlimited favor, it's unlimited power. God has all the 0:29:48.560 --> 0:29:52.400 juice you need to get you free. What this is 0:29:52.400 --> 0:29:56.360 going to require of you. The only part you play 0:29:56.360 --> 0:30:00.640 in this is absolute humble, broken submission to God. I 0:30:00.640 --> 0:30:02.640 know you're there. Otherwise, why in the world would you 0:30:02.640 --> 0:30:05.520 call into a radio show? And I'm proud of you 0:30:05.520 --> 0:30:10.080 for that. I'm proud of you. Humble submission to God. 0:30:10.520 --> 0:30:16.320 Proximity to Jesus. Number two, this is abiding in Christ. 0:30:16.840 --> 0:30:18.800 And I'm going to be bold with you right now, sister. 0:30:18.800 --> 0:30:20.880 And I need you to listen to me. I need 0:30:20.880 --> 0:30:25.280 to be really clear on this one. I need you 0:30:25.280 --> 0:30:29.040 to separate yourselves from any fools, mockers, or scoffers. Here's 0:30:29.040 --> 0:30:32.080 what that means. It means that people that you've had 0:30:32.080 --> 0:30:37.310 around your life who are absolutely Counterproductive to where God 0:30:37.310 --> 0:30:39.510 wants to take you. Do you hear me, Lolita? 0:30:40.790 --> 0:30:41.230 Yes. 0:30:41.470 --> 0:30:44.070 And what this is going to require you doing is 0:30:44.070 --> 0:30:46.470 not going scorched earth on these people. But you're going 0:30:46.510 --> 0:30:51.630 to have to separate yourself from these folks, and it's 0:30:51.630 --> 0:30:54.110 going to be a discipline of the soul to do this. 0:30:54.110 --> 0:30:56.350 But you can do this. I'm going to give you 0:30:56.350 --> 0:30:59.350 something else. You've got to get into a community of faith, 0:30:59.350 --> 0:31:01.830 and you've got to let some people shoulder this burden 0:31:01.830 --> 0:31:05.270 with you. There are some lovely people that want to, 0:31:05.310 --> 0:31:09.430 in your church, shoulder this with you. All right, sister, 0:31:10.110 --> 0:31:11.830 and we're going to pray for you in just a moment. 0:31:11.830 --> 0:31:13.430 We're going to get a slew of folks. We're going 0:31:13.470 --> 0:31:16.070 to get thousands of people, tens of thousands all around 0:31:16.070 --> 0:31:18.830 the United States and Canada and the world beyond. Praying 0:31:18.830 --> 0:31:21.070 for you in just a moment. But I that's I 0:31:21.110 --> 0:31:24.270 need you to hear that. Okay, father, in the name 0:31:24.270 --> 0:31:26.550 of Jesus, we thank you for Lolita. Thank you for 0:31:26.550 --> 0:31:28.990 this step of faith that you're calling her to today. 0:31:28.990 --> 0:31:33.830 God bless her. I'm asking you to shower her God 0:31:34.270 --> 0:31:39.790 with your presence and power. Show her that your grace 0:31:39.830 --> 0:31:47.830 is enough. And by your power flexed through her life. 0:31:47.830 --> 0:31:50.510 As she abides in you. As she finds others to 0:31:50.550 --> 0:31:55.190 bear those burdens. As she separates herself from fools, scoffers, 0:31:55.190 --> 0:32:00.270 and mockers. God, give her one little victory today. Give 0:32:00.270 --> 0:32:02.790 her one little victory today and build on it tomorrow. 0:32:03.110 --> 0:32:06.630 God grateful for Lolita's step of faith today. What an 0:32:06.630 --> 0:32:13.430 awesome inspiration. And we give you thanks in Jesus name. Amen. Lolita, 0:32:13.430 --> 0:32:15.990 I want to tell you I'm going to send you something. 0:32:16.910 --> 0:32:19.030 I'm going to send you my new book, Killing Sin. 0:32:19.710 --> 0:32:21.350 And I'm going to. So what I need you to 0:32:21.350 --> 0:32:23.910 do is stay on the horn here. Okay, sister. And 0:32:23.910 --> 0:32:24.590 I want you to. 0:32:24.630 --> 0:32:25.070 Give. 0:32:25.230 --> 0:32:29.070 Give your snail mail address to Savannah. She's going to 0:32:29.070 --> 0:32:31.709 get it from you. And I'm. I'm going to I'm 0:32:31.710 --> 0:32:35.020 going to send you my my new book, Killing Sin, 0:32:35.020 --> 0:32:40.060 and we're going to get it out to you. Pretty cool. Lolita, 0:32:41.380 --> 0:32:43.460 what a great step of faith. Right, Ali? 0:32:43.500 --> 0:32:46.180 Yeah. You know, sometimes a step of faith is a 0:32:46.180 --> 0:32:49.380 step out of something that, you know, is is not 0:32:49.380 --> 0:32:50.300 good for you. 0:32:50.580 --> 0:32:51.020 Yeah. 0:32:51.420 --> 0:32:54.100 And that's. That takes a lot of courage. 0:32:54.140 --> 0:32:57.820 Oh. Come on. The kind of courage it took for 0:32:57.820 --> 0:32:59.979 her to get on the phone and even call in here. 0:33:00.740 --> 0:33:07.780 That's so commendable. I'm so proud of you, Lolita. And 0:33:07.780 --> 0:33:14.740 there's a lot more lolitas out there. Step in to 0:33:14.860 --> 0:33:19.980 a relationship with Jesus today. That's brutally honest. Step away 0:33:19.980 --> 0:33:26.740 from earthly relationships that are dragging you down. Tap God's 0:33:26.740 --> 0:33:31.340 grace through humility and proximity to Jesus, and God will 0:33:31.340 --> 0:33:34.460 get the victory. Way to go, Lolita!