1 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,440 S1: Is this all there is? Have you ever asked that question? 2 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:15,560 S1: Do you feel today less than what you ought to feel, 3 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,759 S1: or that life is less than what it ought to be? 4 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,400 S1: Do you feel like there's something off? You signed up 5 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,360 S1: for something, and it's not what you've received. You want 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,480 S1: the abundance that Jesus talked about, but somehow life has 7 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,680 S1: taken all the dance out of your abundance. Today at 8 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,839 S1: the Radio Backyard Fence, author and Bible teacher Elizabeth Woodson 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,680 S1: says what you are desiring is good. You want wholeness. 10 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,959 S1: You want well-being where you sense deep meaning and purpose 11 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,960 S1: to your life. You want delight. That's what God created 12 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,839 S1: us to experience. But there's a problem. And the problem 13 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,560 S1: is the culture that we're baked in presents false gospels 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,600 S1: that we have to identify and actively resist. How do 15 00:00:59,710 --> 00:01:01,870 S1: we do that? That's what we're going to talk about. 16 00:01:01,870 --> 00:01:04,110 S1: Straight ahead on Chris Fabry live the program from the 17 00:01:04,110 --> 00:01:06,590 S1: heart or the heart to the heart. And we thank 18 00:01:06,630 --> 00:01:09,509 S1: our team behind the scenes. Ryan McConaughey doing all things technical. 19 00:01:09,550 --> 00:01:12,910 S1: Trish is our producer. Lisa is helping out as well. 20 00:01:12,910 --> 00:01:15,229 S1: Josh will be answering your calls if you want to. 21 00:01:15,550 --> 00:01:17,990 S1: At any point, call us and thank you for your 22 00:01:17,990 --> 00:01:20,510 S1: support of this program. I just saw Thomas gave a 23 00:01:20,550 --> 00:01:23,950 S1: gift this morning. Thomas, thank you for your generosity and 24 00:01:23,950 --> 00:01:27,429 S1: keeping this conversation going. Let me encourage you to invest 25 00:01:27,430 --> 00:01:30,589 S1: in the program like Thomas has done, not only for 26 00:01:30,590 --> 00:01:32,550 S1: what it might do in your own life, but what 27 00:01:32,550 --> 00:01:35,309 S1: it might do for someone that you know and care 28 00:01:35,310 --> 00:01:38,429 S1: about who hears a program or somebody you don't even know. 29 00:01:38,790 --> 00:01:41,149 S1: This month I've chosen the new book by Gary and 30 00:01:41,150 --> 00:01:44,030 S1: the parrots. No, they're not a 60s folk group. It's 31 00:01:44,030 --> 00:01:47,990 S1: Doctor Gary Chapman and doctors Les and Leslie Parrott. The 32 00:01:47,990 --> 00:01:50,550 S1: parents are going to join me, uh, next week, and 33 00:01:50,550 --> 00:01:52,470 S1: I'm going to have fun with that. But they have 34 00:01:52,470 --> 00:01:55,830 S1: written together the love language that matters most, and they 35 00:01:55,870 --> 00:01:58,669 S1: are helping you take the next step in this love 36 00:01:58,670 --> 00:02:02,790 S1: language revolution. They dig down to the dialects of the 37 00:02:02,790 --> 00:02:06,110 S1: five languages, and how to help you connect on a 38 00:02:06,110 --> 00:02:08,870 S1: deep level. Would love to send you a copy call 39 00:02:08,870 --> 00:02:13,829 S1: with a gift 86695 Fabri. Most people don't call though 40 00:02:13,870 --> 00:02:17,510 S1: they they give online which is great. Chris Fabry live. 41 00:02:18,990 --> 00:02:21,150 S1: And I'll say it again, if you've never given or 42 00:02:21,150 --> 00:02:23,269 S1: it's been a while, click through today. It'll be really 43 00:02:23,270 --> 00:02:25,790 S1: encouraging to hear from you. I want to send you 44 00:02:25,790 --> 00:02:29,670 S1: that book The Love Language That Matters Most. Chris Fabry 45 00:02:29,710 --> 00:02:35,270 S1: live last name is F a b r y Chris Fabry, Livorno. 46 00:02:35,990 --> 00:02:40,269 S1: And thank you for your generosity here in February. Elizabeth 47 00:02:40,270 --> 00:02:42,869 S1: Woodson is a Bible teacher and author, host of the 48 00:02:42,870 --> 00:02:46,870 S1: Starting Place podcast, graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary with a 49 00:02:46,870 --> 00:02:51,270 S1: master's in Christian Education. She's written several books, Live Free 50 00:02:51,310 --> 00:02:55,350 S1: From Beginning to Forever and Embrace Your Life How to 51 00:02:55,350 --> 00:02:57,580 S1: Find Joy When You're when the life you have is 52 00:02:57,580 --> 00:03:00,339 S1: not the life you'd hoped for. Her latest is our 53 00:03:00,340 --> 00:03:05,100 S1: featured resource today. Habits of resistance seven ways you're being 54 00:03:05,139 --> 00:03:11,220 S1: formed by culture and gospel practices to help you push back. 55 00:03:11,340 --> 00:03:13,380 S1: You can find it at the website. Click through today's 56 00:03:13,380 --> 00:03:18,980 S1: information right there. Chris. Elizabeth Woodson, welcome back. How you 57 00:03:18,980 --> 00:03:19,660 S1: doing today? 58 00:03:20,139 --> 00:03:22,540 S2: I'm doing great, Chris. It's great to be back. 59 00:03:23,139 --> 00:03:26,500 S1: I love your dedication. You write to those whose hearts 60 00:03:26,500 --> 00:03:30,859 S1: ache for more in life and in their walk with God, 61 00:03:31,100 --> 00:03:34,299 S1: but are unsure of where to find it. That hits 62 00:03:34,300 --> 00:03:35,540 S1: the target, doesn't it? 63 00:03:36,460 --> 00:03:38,740 S2: It does. You know, I think sometimes we can't put 64 00:03:38,740 --> 00:03:42,140 S2: words to what we are experiencing or maybe the questions 65 00:03:42,140 --> 00:03:44,220 S2: we have about our faith, but we just long for 66 00:03:44,220 --> 00:03:46,220 S2: something more than what we have. And so that's part 67 00:03:46,220 --> 00:03:48,380 S2: of my journey. And so I wanted to be able 68 00:03:48,380 --> 00:03:51,460 S2: to just share some love through that dedication to people 69 00:03:51,460 --> 00:03:52,779 S2: who are in the same space. 70 00:03:52,780 --> 00:03:56,460 S1: It feels like you are writing to either your younger 71 00:03:56,460 --> 00:04:01,540 S1: self or to millennials, Gen Z or younger. Is that true? 72 00:04:02,140 --> 00:04:05,940 S2: I am, I just think that the book is. I 73 00:04:05,980 --> 00:04:08,140 S2: try to comment on some of the ways that we 74 00:04:08,180 --> 00:04:11,460 S2: were being formed by tools that might be more normative 75 00:04:11,460 --> 00:04:14,900 S2: to that generation. So, Chris, I still remember when Facebook, 76 00:04:14,940 --> 00:04:17,620 S2: you had to be in college and my college wasn't 77 00:04:17,620 --> 00:04:19,300 S2: on the list. Right. So there is this point in 78 00:04:19,300 --> 00:04:22,620 S2: my life where social media wasn't a thing, but for 79 00:04:23,220 --> 00:04:26,420 S2: my generation and below and younger, that's kind of where 80 00:04:26,420 --> 00:04:28,060 S2: a lot of people live. I know it's all of us, 81 00:04:28,060 --> 00:04:30,900 S2: but I think specifically that generation. And so I wanted 82 00:04:30,900 --> 00:04:33,660 S2: to write to them some words of encouragement about what 83 00:04:33,660 --> 00:04:35,900 S2: I wish I knew when I was their age. 84 00:04:35,940 --> 00:04:38,419 S1: Yes. And it's very it's going to be very helpful 85 00:04:38,420 --> 00:04:41,380 S1: for that generation. But I'll tell you what. Somebody in 86 00:04:41,380 --> 00:04:44,580 S1: my generation who's a little further down the trail, it 87 00:04:44,580 --> 00:04:47,300 S1: is helpful to see these things as well, because I 88 00:04:47,339 --> 00:04:49,380 S1: have been baked in in a lot of ways, and 89 00:04:49,380 --> 00:04:52,779 S1: that's probably going to come out here in our conversation today. 90 00:04:52,779 --> 00:04:56,130 S1: But tell me what millennials, Gen Z younger, what are 91 00:04:56,130 --> 00:04:58,729 S1: they up against today that you weren't up against a 92 00:04:58,730 --> 00:04:59,650 S1: few years ago? 93 00:05:00,570 --> 00:05:03,490 S2: You know, I think it is this presenting question. Uh, 94 00:05:03,490 --> 00:05:05,610 S2: and you gave it, I think, in your introduction of 95 00:05:05,650 --> 00:05:08,130 S2: and I just want a good life. I want wholeness, 96 00:05:08,130 --> 00:05:12,250 S2: I want well-being, I want joy, I want happiness. And 97 00:05:12,290 --> 00:05:16,289 S2: the answers for that question seem to be readily available 98 00:05:16,330 --> 00:05:17,969 S2: on the place that they hang out a lot, which 99 00:05:17,970 --> 00:05:20,650 S2: is social media. And so as they scroll through posts, 100 00:05:20,650 --> 00:05:22,650 S2: which tells them, you know, things that they need to 101 00:05:22,690 --> 00:05:25,930 S2: buy will lead to joy or tell them to protect 102 00:05:25,930 --> 00:05:28,330 S2: their peace. You know, cut people off if that friend 103 00:05:28,330 --> 00:05:30,650 S2: is not being who they need to be, there are 104 00:05:30,650 --> 00:05:33,730 S2: easily accessible answers to the things that they're looking for. 105 00:05:33,730 --> 00:05:35,890 S2: But the thing is, those answers may or may not 106 00:05:35,890 --> 00:05:38,690 S2: align with the way of Jesus. And so if they 107 00:05:38,690 --> 00:05:40,290 S2: don't align with the way of Jesus, then they're actually 108 00:05:40,290 --> 00:05:42,770 S2: not going to get to the destination that they promise. 109 00:05:42,770 --> 00:05:44,530 S2: And that's what I try to highlight in the book. 110 00:05:45,089 --> 00:05:50,849 S1: And everything is microwaveable. Everything is fast. You can do it. 111 00:05:50,850 --> 00:05:53,640 S1: Here are the ten steps or the three steps, or 112 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,880 S1: this is the life hack that you use to get 113 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,960 S1: from where you are to where you want to be. 114 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,640 S1: And God is in the you know, he's not in 115 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:08,040 S1: the life hack business. He is in the transformation business. 116 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,960 S1: And that can take some time, can't it? 117 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:15,120 S2: It does. It take. The Lord uses so many different 118 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:18,440 S2: people and experiences to get us to be better versions 119 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,880 S2: of ourselves, which really are, uh, looking more like Christ. 120 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:25,520 S2: And the immediacy sometimes is easy because like, oh, it'll 121 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,200 S2: happen overnight. And then to be in a place where 122 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,159 S2: maybe it takes some months and some years to really 123 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,640 S2: see the transformation. I believe a lot of the really 124 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,320 S2: good angered work happens there that we might not be 125 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,520 S2: we not we might not stay as tethered to that transformation. 126 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,200 S2: If it happens immediately. The good work happens over a 127 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:43,200 S2: long period of time. 128 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,800 S1: Bingo. You have a metaphor in here. The the the 129 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:50,640 S1: book that you read as a kid that had, uh, 130 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:55,720 S1: two endings to the story. Tell that. Tell that story. 131 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,960 S2: Um, yes. So as a kid, just a voracious reader, 132 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:05,719 S2: and there was this, um, uh, book series called Choose 133 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,120 S2: Your Own Adventure. And so they, you know, you would 134 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:11,520 S2: be asked to turn to a specific page and it 135 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:13,760 S2: would take you to kind of another part of the story. 136 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,720 S2: And sometimes that part of the story, you died. So 137 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,880 S2: like I would look at both page options and then 138 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,040 S2: make my choice. Um, but it really was you got 139 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,960 S2: to choose which path you were going to take on 140 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:25,920 S2: whatever adventure the book was about, and it could have 141 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,520 S2: been something in a safari or a treasure hunt. But 142 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,120 S2: it was an adventure. And so what I think for 143 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,440 S2: us as Christians, in some sense, how I would categorize 144 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,760 S2: how we're living now is we all wake up looking 145 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,000 S2: for an adventure. We wake up looking for, and how 146 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,560 S2: can I find that thing I long for today? And 147 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,080 S2: there are two different options that are being presented to us, 148 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,320 S2: and what I believe is many of us are choosing 149 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,440 S2: the wrong door. A door that looks like the way 150 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:49,920 S2: of Jesus, a door that looks like it's going to 151 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,350 S2: get us to a destination of wholeness, but in fact 152 00:07:52,350 --> 00:07:55,510 S2: is a counterfeit or false gospel that is not pointing 153 00:07:55,510 --> 00:07:57,470 S2: us to what we know to be true in Christ. 154 00:07:57,910 --> 00:08:02,470 S1: And that's what we really long for. We don't really 155 00:08:02,470 --> 00:08:07,070 S1: long for the quick fix or the the quick happiness 156 00:08:07,070 --> 00:08:10,750 S1: or distractions that take us away from, you know, that 157 00:08:10,790 --> 00:08:14,670 S1: kind of soothe and salve the longing that we have. 158 00:08:14,710 --> 00:08:18,910 S1: The longing is good, and God has an answer for that. 159 00:08:19,270 --> 00:08:22,190 S1: But it takes some work in order to push back 160 00:08:22,190 --> 00:08:25,390 S1: on those things that you're talking about. Elizabeth Woodson is 161 00:08:25,430 --> 00:08:27,790 S1: with us today. I want her to tell some stories 162 00:08:27,790 --> 00:08:31,550 S1: today from her own life, and especially as we head 163 00:08:31,590 --> 00:08:35,790 S1: toward Valentine's Day. Elizabeth is single, and she has dealt 164 00:08:35,790 --> 00:08:38,030 S1: with some of the ways that the culture is kind 165 00:08:38,030 --> 00:08:41,710 S1: of baked singles these days into, well, you got to 166 00:08:41,710 --> 00:08:44,870 S1: have somebody else and in order to be happy. So 167 00:08:44,870 --> 00:08:46,870 S1: we're going to talk about that and a whole lot more. 168 00:08:47,230 --> 00:08:51,190 S1: The book is Habits of Resistance seven Ways You're being 169 00:08:51,190 --> 00:08:56,030 S1: formed by Culture and Gospel Practices to help you Push back. 170 00:08:56,309 --> 00:09:01,350 S1: It's our featured resource at Chris Faber. If you resonate 171 00:09:01,350 --> 00:09:03,710 S1: with any of these, we'd love to hear from you today. 172 00:09:03,710 --> 00:09:22,230 S1: Here's the number (877) 548-3675. More straight ahead. Elizabeth Woodson has 173 00:09:22,230 --> 00:09:26,470 S1: put together a really good book titled Habits of Resistance 174 00:09:26,910 --> 00:09:31,189 S1: Seven Ways You're Being Formed by Culture and Gospel Practices 175 00:09:31,190 --> 00:09:35,150 S1: to help you push back. So featured resource at Chris Paul. 176 00:09:36,110 --> 00:09:41,309 S1: Chris and I love the way this is put together. Uh, 177 00:09:41,790 --> 00:09:45,670 S1: the different chapters you see the the a better piece 178 00:09:45,710 --> 00:09:48,780 S1: let's say is chapter one. And then there's a habit 179 00:09:48,780 --> 00:09:51,980 S1: of resistance that comes after that, a kind of a 180 00:09:52,020 --> 00:09:56,420 S1: gospel pushback. There's a better identity, a better love. We're 181 00:09:56,420 --> 00:09:59,620 S1: going to talk about that a better justice, a better joy, 182 00:09:59,660 --> 00:10:03,740 S1: a better hope, a better gospel. And these are some 183 00:10:03,740 --> 00:10:06,220 S1: of the ways that the culture is telling you, hey, 184 00:10:06,260 --> 00:10:10,420 S1: follow this trail. This will lead you to real peace. 185 00:10:10,700 --> 00:10:16,059 S1: But it doesn't. So of these seven that I just listed, Elizabeth, 186 00:10:16,059 --> 00:10:18,740 S1: which one have you struggled with most in your life? 187 00:10:19,860 --> 00:10:23,460 S2: I probably have struggled with trying to find peace through control. 188 00:10:23,980 --> 00:10:26,060 S2: I tend to be. I would say that I'm a 189 00:10:26,059 --> 00:10:30,020 S2: pretty resourceful person, and so I'm good at making a plan. Chris. 190 00:10:30,059 --> 00:10:33,699 S2: And over the years I have found myself to resort 191 00:10:33,700 --> 00:10:36,260 S2: to before I pray, before I spend time with God, 192 00:10:36,260 --> 00:10:38,500 S2: before I go to the word, before I'm in community, 193 00:10:38,580 --> 00:10:39,820 S2: then I'm just going to try to figure out how 194 00:10:39,820 --> 00:10:43,380 S2: to fix my situation on my own. And sometimes I 195 00:10:43,380 --> 00:10:45,300 S2: just hit a wall and realize that the peace I'm 196 00:10:45,300 --> 00:10:48,290 S2: trying to gain. I can't on my own because I'm 197 00:10:48,290 --> 00:10:50,570 S2: really not in control as much as I think I am. 198 00:10:51,970 --> 00:10:56,050 S1: So the self-sufficiency and boy, we have been baked in 199 00:10:56,090 --> 00:10:58,370 S1: that in this culture, haven't we? 200 00:10:59,050 --> 00:11:02,690 S2: Oh, yes. Um, you know, I think just of all 201 00:11:02,690 --> 00:11:05,290 S2: the things again, the, the lens through which I talk 202 00:11:05,330 --> 00:11:07,490 S2: about in the book is social media, like where we 203 00:11:07,530 --> 00:11:10,530 S2: hang out and what we're told to rely on of 204 00:11:10,530 --> 00:11:13,890 S2: our own strengths or our own ingenuity or all of these, 205 00:11:13,929 --> 00:11:16,610 S2: like five tips to do this or a master class 206 00:11:16,610 --> 00:11:18,930 S2: you can take on this. And so it's kind of 207 00:11:18,970 --> 00:11:22,370 S2: baked in of just if you just work harder than 208 00:11:22,370 --> 00:11:25,170 S2: you can reach the goal you want to. And sadly 209 00:11:25,570 --> 00:11:27,090 S2: that we can work as hard as we want to 210 00:11:27,130 --> 00:11:30,250 S2: and still not have the results that we desire or 211 00:11:30,570 --> 00:11:32,929 S2: have the control we desire. But all we see put 212 00:11:32,929 --> 00:11:35,850 S2: in front of us is just try harder, harder, harder 213 00:11:35,850 --> 00:11:37,209 S2: and you'll get to where you want to be. 214 00:11:38,210 --> 00:11:42,010 S1: You say the false gospel of self empowerment promises that 215 00:11:42,010 --> 00:11:47,209 S1: we can control our lives and thereby attain our own peace, 216 00:11:47,730 --> 00:11:50,449 S1: a belief that assumes that on our own we can 217 00:11:50,450 --> 00:11:53,410 S1: see well enough to navigate through the world. But the 218 00:11:53,410 --> 00:11:56,810 S1: inescapable reality is that our control and our vision is 219 00:11:56,809 --> 00:12:00,130 S1: limited because we are limited. And this takes me back to, 220 00:12:00,170 --> 00:12:01,810 S1: I think it was in this chapter that you told 221 00:12:01,809 --> 00:12:05,290 S1: the story about the Uber driver that your car wouldn't 222 00:12:05,290 --> 00:12:07,130 S1: start and you were headed to Bible study and you 223 00:12:07,170 --> 00:12:10,329 S1: were on time. You know, that's a good thing. Um, 224 00:12:10,690 --> 00:12:14,250 S1: but the Uber driver got, you know, picked you up 225 00:12:14,250 --> 00:12:17,370 S1: and it was very clear that he was buying into 226 00:12:17,410 --> 00:12:18,569 S1: some of this. Right? 227 00:12:19,370 --> 00:12:21,970 S2: Yeah. I mean, we're just having this conversation and he 228 00:12:22,130 --> 00:12:26,250 S2: is really chatty. He's also really positive. And sometimes I'm 229 00:12:26,250 --> 00:12:28,770 S2: just curious. And so I'll ask questions is right in 230 00:12:28,770 --> 00:12:32,650 S2: the car. And as he started to unpack his belief system, 231 00:12:32,850 --> 00:12:35,329 S2: it just became really clear that he believed that his 232 00:12:35,330 --> 00:12:36,810 S2: life was going to be okay as long as he 233 00:12:36,809 --> 00:12:38,810 S2: was just positive, as long as he just had positive 234 00:12:38,809 --> 00:12:42,050 S2: thoughts that would emit some type of energy to him, 235 00:12:42,210 --> 00:12:46,920 S2: and that would make everything okay. And as convincing as 236 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:49,160 S2: it sounded, just living in the world, I knew that 237 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:52,360 S2: that would not hold up as much as he thought 238 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:53,920 S2: it would, that there are just some things, no matter 239 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,560 S2: how hard we try, uh, that don't go our way. 240 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,040 S2: So the question is, what do we do in those situations? 241 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,800 S1: The this is also the chapter where you talked about 242 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,360 S1: the word manifest and how it was the number one 243 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,120 S1: word in a few years ago because people looked it 244 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:12,559 S1: up so many times, searched for it. What is manifest 245 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:13,880 S1: and why is that important? 246 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:19,320 S2: Manifest is is kind of new age spiritual practices kind 247 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:21,760 S2: of falls into that category. I think it finds its 248 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:26,840 S2: roots in the power of positive thinking. And it just 249 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:30,679 S2: has some particular, you know, categories of this is what 250 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:32,199 S2: it looks like. And so the first one is that 251 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,280 S2: you need to visualize your desires, right? Visualize whatever you're 252 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:40,400 S2: wanting to manifest into your life. Uh, you ask the 253 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,440 S2: universe or a high power right? So sometimes it can 254 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,520 S2: be found in Christian spaces and sometimes it's not. Um, 255 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,679 S2: and then you start working towards your goal and co-creating 256 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:51,760 S2: with the universe or your higher power. Right. So you're 257 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:55,000 S2: taking steps towards what you're wanting to accomplish. And you 258 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,760 S2: attract your desires by cultivating positivity. You're using affirmations or 259 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,320 S2: practicing gratitude. And so when it comes to manifesting this 260 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:07,920 S2: idea that I can just buy power positive thinking, aligning 261 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,800 S2: myself with some higher power, I can accomplish that which 262 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,880 S2: I desire. It sounds really good, but the reality is, 263 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:16,559 S2: it doesn't take into consideration the fact that we're limited. 264 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,080 S2: It doesn't take into the fact of consideration. Um, the 265 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:21,640 S2: pieces of information or the things that we cannot control, 266 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,040 S2: no matter how hard we try. And what I found 267 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,520 S2: is sometimes the people who are putting forth these ideas 268 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:31,120 S2: of manifesting aren't always as honest about some of the 269 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,240 S2: things that are advantages that they might have, that you 270 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,800 S2: can't replicate simply by hard work. Uh, that is incomplete, 271 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,910 S2: because it doesn't recognize that we're limited in our ability 272 00:14:40,910 --> 00:14:43,910 S2: to produce certain outcomes. We do the best we can, 273 00:14:43,950 --> 00:14:46,870 S2: but we need God, and that's what manifesting leaves out. 274 00:14:47,390 --> 00:14:50,430 S1: Which comes back to the control thing. If I can control, 275 00:14:50,470 --> 00:14:55,110 S1: I would much rather be in control than be at 276 00:14:55,110 --> 00:14:59,990 S1: the whim of someone else, or even some other higher power. 277 00:15:00,030 --> 00:15:02,350 S1: You know that. I don't know if I can trust 278 00:15:02,350 --> 00:15:07,310 S1: or not. But if that higher power really is the caring, 279 00:15:07,350 --> 00:15:12,390 S1: loving God of Scriptures, the scriptures, then there's something to that. 280 00:15:12,390 --> 00:15:15,670 S1: There's something to that kind of surrender. So the resistance 281 00:15:15,670 --> 00:15:19,190 S1: practice that you have, if control is, is something that 282 00:15:19,190 --> 00:15:22,550 S1: you're dealing with, is prayer. Talk about that. 283 00:15:23,470 --> 00:15:26,950 S2: I think prayer puts us in this posture of surrender, right? Prayer, 284 00:15:27,470 --> 00:15:29,710 S2: this communication that we have with God, this two way 285 00:15:29,750 --> 00:15:33,110 S2: communication that we're invited into. He's the one that invites 286 00:15:33,110 --> 00:15:35,510 S2: us to be able to speak with him. And so 287 00:15:35,510 --> 00:15:38,750 S2: what it reminds us of is, Lord, I need you. Right. 288 00:15:38,790 --> 00:15:41,500 S2: And so as we are saying the things that are 289 00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:44,260 S2: hard about life or we are presenting before him the 290 00:15:44,260 --> 00:15:47,260 S2: needs that we have, right, or even just words of gratitude, 291 00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:50,540 S2: I think we're able to see that, oh, my ability 292 00:15:50,540 --> 00:15:53,900 S2: to navigate through this world is not dependent just upon me. 293 00:15:54,260 --> 00:15:56,940 S2: And so it is this kind of muscle memory, I think, 294 00:15:56,940 --> 00:15:58,980 S2: with all of the habits, it's this, this thing that 295 00:15:58,980 --> 00:16:02,060 S2: I do that starts to remind me of something that 296 00:16:02,060 --> 00:16:04,700 S2: starts to become the thing I grab for whenever a 297 00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:08,220 S2: particular situation pops up in our lives. And so prayer 298 00:16:08,260 --> 00:16:10,340 S2: is a posture of, Lord, I need you. Would you 299 00:16:10,340 --> 00:16:12,580 S2: show up? Would you be who you are? And then 300 00:16:12,580 --> 00:16:15,620 S2: we get to see him answer our prayers. And that's 301 00:16:15,620 --> 00:16:18,460 S2: another affirmation of how powerful prayer is for us. 302 00:16:19,220 --> 00:16:23,700 S1: But what if what if you try to use prayer 303 00:16:23,940 --> 00:16:28,380 S1: as control? In other words, uh, God, if you don't 304 00:16:28,380 --> 00:16:31,060 S1: do this, then I don't know if I can believe 305 00:16:31,060 --> 00:16:34,180 S1: in you. You know, you you set limits to him, 306 00:16:34,180 --> 00:16:38,020 S1: or you have to heal my, uh, my friend or 307 00:16:38,020 --> 00:16:42,420 S1: my spouse or whomever it is. Uh, prayer can also 308 00:16:42,460 --> 00:16:45,900 S1: lead you to believing that you control God. 309 00:16:47,140 --> 00:16:51,180 S2: That that's really true. That we pray our prayers, that 310 00:16:51,540 --> 00:16:53,620 S2: we want the Lord to do a particular thing. And 311 00:16:53,620 --> 00:16:55,700 S2: I just want to kind of humanize that. It's just 312 00:16:55,700 --> 00:16:57,340 S2: hard when he doesn't show up in the way that 313 00:16:57,340 --> 00:17:00,620 S2: we have hoped for. Uh, and so, you know, I 314 00:17:00,620 --> 00:17:04,540 S2: think about the words of Jesus, um, and, you know, 315 00:17:04,580 --> 00:17:07,260 S2: the Lord's Prayer and our father, who art in heaven, 316 00:17:07,260 --> 00:17:10,220 S2: hallowed be thy name. Thy will be done. Thy kingdom come. 317 00:17:10,420 --> 00:17:12,660 S2: And so there's this aspect of prayer where we also 318 00:17:12,660 --> 00:17:15,540 S2: get to align ourselves with what God is doing. Right. 319 00:17:15,540 --> 00:17:18,020 S2: There is this aspect, and this is a hard place, 320 00:17:18,300 --> 00:17:21,700 S2: that the posture of surrender says, Lord, whatever you want 321 00:17:21,700 --> 00:17:24,940 S2: to do is what I will align myself with. And 322 00:17:24,940 --> 00:17:27,380 S2: I trust that because you're good, because we get to 323 00:17:27,420 --> 00:17:30,300 S2: as we read through Scripture, we see God's character. We 324 00:17:30,300 --> 00:17:33,220 S2: see his faithfulness. We see his goodness that your goodness 325 00:17:33,220 --> 00:17:35,219 S2: will still touch my life, that even if I'm in 326 00:17:35,220 --> 00:17:37,970 S2: this situation and I'd rather be delivered from it. I 327 00:17:37,970 --> 00:17:40,370 S2: believe that your power will still sustain me, that God 328 00:17:40,369 --> 00:17:43,290 S2: does not abandon his people. But as we see models 329 00:17:43,290 --> 00:17:46,210 S2: of prayer, specifically how Jesus models prayer for us that 330 00:17:46,210 --> 00:17:48,449 S2: we see, oh, prayers and just me asking for what 331 00:17:48,450 --> 00:17:53,250 S2: I want. Prayers. Ultimately surrendering those desires to the Lord 332 00:17:53,250 --> 00:17:55,090 S2: and believing that he will do what's best. 333 00:17:55,570 --> 00:17:58,290 S1: And receiving the good thing that he has for us 334 00:17:58,290 --> 00:18:01,690 S1: that I didn't know I needed over my ones. Right? 335 00:18:02,369 --> 00:18:05,210 S1: That's the hard thing. So? So really, what you're what 336 00:18:05,210 --> 00:18:08,290 S1: you're doing is you're helping whatever the age of the 337 00:18:08,290 --> 00:18:10,970 S1: person is, but especially those who are younger, who are 338 00:18:11,290 --> 00:18:15,609 S1: being bombarded with all of this. You're helping deconstruct the 339 00:18:15,609 --> 00:18:20,850 S1: stories that our culture is telling them, and learning to 340 00:18:20,890 --> 00:18:24,570 S1: live in the story of the Bible, which you go, 341 00:18:24,890 --> 00:18:28,050 S1: Genesis is your favorite place to go. Why is that? 342 00:18:29,090 --> 00:18:31,530 S2: I think we just learned so much when we see 343 00:18:31,850 --> 00:18:35,250 S2: what the world was designed to be like. And so 344 00:18:35,250 --> 00:18:37,850 S2: we see the environment that God created for us to 345 00:18:37,890 --> 00:18:40,890 S2: live in before sin enters into the world. And as 346 00:18:40,890 --> 00:18:42,770 S2: you read through the story, and I invite people to 347 00:18:42,770 --> 00:18:44,970 S2: do with fresh eyes to look at stories that maybe 348 00:18:45,010 --> 00:18:47,690 S2: are super familiar, that we read it with a freshness 349 00:18:47,730 --> 00:18:50,970 S2: is to see, oh, the piece I wanted, the love 350 00:18:50,970 --> 00:18:53,770 S2: I want, the hope, I want all of that was 351 00:18:53,770 --> 00:18:56,010 S2: present in what God designed for me to have, because 352 00:18:56,050 --> 00:18:58,650 S2: ultimately he's the one that created it in the first place. 353 00:18:58,650 --> 00:19:00,409 S2: And so that's why I love Genesis, because it reminds 354 00:19:00,410 --> 00:19:03,090 S2: me of what's supposed to be, and also points to 355 00:19:03,130 --> 00:19:05,330 S2: what will be when Christ returns. 356 00:19:05,770 --> 00:19:10,530 S1: Yeah. And and what isn't because of our own actions 357 00:19:10,530 --> 00:19:14,490 S1: and and reactions and the shame. You talk about that. 358 00:19:14,530 --> 00:19:17,050 S1: I really like the place where you talk about the 359 00:19:17,369 --> 00:19:20,730 S1: that the man and the woman were naked and unashamed. 360 00:19:20,730 --> 00:19:23,570 S1: And then as soon as their eyes were opened, shame 361 00:19:23,570 --> 00:19:27,530 S1: came in. That's huge for today's culture isn't it? 362 00:19:27,570 --> 00:19:27,970 S3: Mhm. 363 00:19:28,450 --> 00:19:33,090 S2: Yeah. That you see humans, Adam and Eve, man and woman, 364 00:19:33,130 --> 00:19:36,520 S2: were created to live in a reality where I think 365 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:37,880 S2: it's hard for us to think about a world with 366 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,879 S2: no shame, that the most intimate part of yourself can 367 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,560 S2: be open and connected to other people in a way 368 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:48,159 S2: where you're just fully seen and loved and accepted. I 369 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,480 S2: think about the pieces of our life where we're broken, 370 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,760 S2: or we feel awkward or insecure, and sometimes it's because 371 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,520 S2: people have shamed us for those things. But the scriptures 372 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,840 S2: show us, oh no, that was never supposed to be 373 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:03,240 S2: the way things were. And you see this immediate change happen. 374 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:05,480 S2: I also find it interesting is that the scriptures even 375 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:08,280 S2: mentioned that for us, and it's an immediate change that 376 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:09,800 S2: happens because of sin. 377 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:13,800 S1: The other word that we have to get in here 378 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,680 S1: and at some point we will. And you go through 379 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,800 S1: it in the book is the word shalom because that's what, 380 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:24,160 S1: you know, control. It does not bring the shalom of God, 381 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:24,720 S1: does it? 382 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:30,080 S2: Now that shalom only comes when we are connected with 383 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:32,830 S2: and in living in alignment with God, living in the 384 00:20:32,830 --> 00:20:35,910 S2: way of Jesus. And so we can try to find 385 00:20:35,950 --> 00:20:37,870 S2: counterfeits for it. And I think that's what we see, 386 00:20:37,910 --> 00:20:40,430 S2: that all of it points to this idea of wholeness 387 00:20:40,470 --> 00:20:43,550 S2: is is flourishing, it's delight. It's the world as it 388 00:20:43,550 --> 00:20:46,430 S2: should be without any of the brokenness in it. And 389 00:20:46,430 --> 00:20:49,470 S2: that only comes from God. And to me, that's just 390 00:20:49,470 --> 00:20:52,910 S2: so beautiful that that's what he desires to give us. 391 00:20:53,190 --> 00:20:56,310 S2: But also to me is that longing I have really 392 00:20:56,310 --> 00:20:58,590 S2: should point me back to him. Um, so even though 393 00:20:58,590 --> 00:21:00,669 S2: I'm out here looking for it, it's like, oh, it 394 00:21:00,670 --> 00:21:02,990 S2: only comes from God because he's the one that created 395 00:21:02,990 --> 00:21:04,190 S2: it in the first place. 396 00:21:04,230 --> 00:21:04,750 S3: Yes. 397 00:21:05,190 --> 00:21:10,750 S1: So there's a certain amount of, um, self introspection that 398 00:21:10,750 --> 00:21:12,790 S1: you need to do in order to be able to 399 00:21:12,830 --> 00:21:15,710 S1: see this or because when you're, you know, the frog 400 00:21:15,710 --> 00:21:17,750 S1: in the kettle, if you're in the kettle and the 401 00:21:17,790 --> 00:21:21,790 S1: and the water, the temperature is rising, you don't realize 402 00:21:21,790 --> 00:21:25,870 S1: that until it's too late. And so that's what you're 403 00:21:25,869 --> 00:21:30,190 S1: talking about, to help those who are being baked in 404 00:21:30,190 --> 00:21:33,710 S1: this culture to see. Oh, yeah. Control, I can see 405 00:21:33,830 --> 00:21:37,869 S1: what's going on in my life. There's another one about identity. 406 00:21:37,869 --> 00:21:40,790 S1: And let me read this paragraph. Uh, I'm a black 407 00:21:40,790 --> 00:21:44,629 S1: woman who grew up in predominantly white environments. Up until 408 00:21:44,670 --> 00:21:46,950 S1: middle school, I was one of a handful of non-white 409 00:21:46,950 --> 00:21:50,189 S1: students in my school. I attended a college where out 410 00:21:50,190 --> 00:21:53,670 S1: of approximately 2000 students, fewer than a hundred were black. 411 00:21:54,070 --> 00:21:57,630 S1: My experience as a minority has been complicated, with both 412 00:21:57,630 --> 00:22:04,149 S1: beautiful and painful memories filling my mental scrapbook. And there 413 00:22:04,150 --> 00:22:09,630 S1: you talk about your identity tank. So open this identity, 414 00:22:09,869 --> 00:22:12,030 S1: which is huge in the culture, isn't it? 415 00:22:12,830 --> 00:22:15,310 S2: It is. You know, I think it's we have questions 416 00:22:15,670 --> 00:22:18,710 S2: about why. Why are we valuable? Uh, who are we? 417 00:22:18,750 --> 00:22:21,950 S2: What's our purpose? Where do we belong? You know, the 418 00:22:21,950 --> 00:22:24,510 S2: communities to which we feel a connection to all of 419 00:22:24,510 --> 00:22:29,030 S2: these things. And again, that we have opportunities. And what 420 00:22:29,030 --> 00:22:31,780 S2: I want folks to see is there are always readily 421 00:22:31,780 --> 00:22:34,460 S2: available opportunities for us to find the answers to these things. 422 00:22:34,460 --> 00:22:36,419 S2: People will tell you what you're valuable for. They may 423 00:22:36,420 --> 00:22:38,500 S2: not tell you the true thing, that they'll tell you 424 00:22:38,500 --> 00:22:41,419 S2: you're valuable because of what you produce. They're valuable because 425 00:22:41,420 --> 00:22:43,860 S2: of what you create. You're valuable of how you look 426 00:22:44,180 --> 00:22:46,940 S2: or where you live or your education. And so they 427 00:22:46,940 --> 00:22:50,060 S2: treat you accordingly. Um, and so what we need to 428 00:22:50,060 --> 00:22:53,660 S2: realize is, oh, my starting place for what my value 429 00:22:53,660 --> 00:22:56,060 S2: and identity is, is that I'm made in the image 430 00:22:56,060 --> 00:22:58,500 S2: of God. But will we go there? Is that the 431 00:22:58,500 --> 00:23:00,180 S2: first place we're going to look? And so I just 432 00:23:00,180 --> 00:23:02,820 S2: think the, the power of being in a place and 433 00:23:02,820 --> 00:23:06,420 S2: longing to find value and belonging, um, even the loneliness 434 00:23:06,420 --> 00:23:09,220 S2: epidemic that we're having in our country is that people 435 00:23:09,220 --> 00:23:12,140 S2: just want community and want to be known and loved. 436 00:23:12,420 --> 00:23:14,820 S2: And I think all of that's connected to the search 437 00:23:14,820 --> 00:23:17,060 S2: for who they are and a place to live out 438 00:23:17,060 --> 00:23:18,020 S2: their identity. 439 00:23:18,420 --> 00:23:19,100 S4: And to be. 440 00:23:19,100 --> 00:23:22,220 S1: Seen for who you are and not who you are 441 00:23:22,220 --> 00:23:25,060 S1: perceived to be. That happened when you were in elementary school. 442 00:23:25,060 --> 00:23:29,410 S1: You're playing with a friend of yours and she was white, 443 00:23:29,410 --> 00:23:31,570 S1: I believe. And you went down the street to play 444 00:23:31,570 --> 00:23:34,770 S1: with some of her friends, and the other friends kind 445 00:23:34,770 --> 00:23:38,010 S1: of rejected you because of your skin color, right? 446 00:23:38,770 --> 00:23:42,450 S2: They did. And it's just this idea that I was different. 447 00:23:42,450 --> 00:23:46,050 S2: And because of that difference, they valued me less, did 448 00:23:46,050 --> 00:23:49,330 S2: not want to be in community with me, maybe had 449 00:23:49,330 --> 00:23:51,609 S2: ideas about who I was as a black woman or 450 00:23:51,609 --> 00:23:55,170 S2: a black person that were not accurate. Uh, but they 451 00:23:55,210 --> 00:23:58,690 S2: had internalized and maybe levels of bias that they had 452 00:23:58,690 --> 00:24:03,050 S2: had even as children. And so I felt that because ultimately, 453 00:24:03,050 --> 00:24:05,409 S2: as a kid, I didn't have all this complex language 454 00:24:05,410 --> 00:24:07,610 S2: to know what was happening. As an adult, I can 455 00:24:08,010 --> 00:24:10,209 S2: see that a little better. But what I did see 456 00:24:10,250 --> 00:24:12,850 S2: was the rejection. And we don't want to hang out 457 00:24:12,850 --> 00:24:15,450 S2: with you because you're different than us. And the rejection 458 00:24:15,450 --> 00:24:18,170 S2: and maybe even a little shame for being different. Right. 459 00:24:18,210 --> 00:24:20,810 S2: I didn't know then that what they were saying maybe 460 00:24:20,810 --> 00:24:23,530 S2: wasn't the best thing. Um, but it was that. Oh, 461 00:24:23,530 --> 00:24:26,170 S2: I don't belong here. And that feeling is what stuck 462 00:24:26,170 --> 00:24:26,810 S2: with me. 463 00:24:26,970 --> 00:24:27,410 S3: Yeah. 464 00:24:27,970 --> 00:24:33,970 S1: So the antidote, then identity. Through achieving success or getting 465 00:24:34,010 --> 00:24:37,010 S1: to a certain level, you can base your identity on that. 466 00:24:37,330 --> 00:24:40,610 S1: The the spiritual antidote to that is what. 467 00:24:41,730 --> 00:24:47,170 S2: The spiritual antidote is, the Christian community. And so that 468 00:24:47,170 --> 00:24:50,690 S2: we are the family of God, and we get to 469 00:24:50,730 --> 00:24:54,130 S2: be together in a community where everybody belongs. I think 470 00:24:54,130 --> 00:24:56,130 S2: of it as this big table, and we get to 471 00:24:56,170 --> 00:24:59,010 S2: feast together on the truths of the Word of God. 472 00:24:59,010 --> 00:25:03,210 S2: And I think of it in also acts 242 through 47, 473 00:25:03,250 --> 00:25:06,570 S2: this communal reality. So I have, like my aunties and 474 00:25:06,570 --> 00:25:09,290 S2: my uncles, brothers and sisters, really is the language we 475 00:25:09,290 --> 00:25:11,810 S2: see in Scripture that's used to describe Christians the most. 476 00:25:11,810 --> 00:25:15,090 S2: That is family language, and even of how Jesus talks 477 00:25:15,090 --> 00:25:19,410 S2: about believers in Scripture that they are his family, those 478 00:25:19,410 --> 00:25:22,969 S2: who are followers of his. And when I show up 479 00:25:22,970 --> 00:25:25,290 S2: every Sunday, Chris and I show up in this place 480 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,800 S2: and the world on the job. Or maybe in my community, 481 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,160 S2: or even maybe in my biological family. Things are really hard, 482 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:34,119 S2: but I show up to church and it's great. That's 483 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:37,200 S2: such a beautiful place for me to learn what means 484 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:38,800 S2: for my identity to be in Christ. 485 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,360 S1: Elizabeth Woodson is with us today. We're talking about the 486 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:46,960 S1: Habits of resistance, seven ways you're being formed by culture 487 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:50,040 S1: and gospel practices to help you push back. Find out 488 00:25:50,040 --> 00:26:06,320 S1: more at Chris. We're talking about the cultural lives that 489 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:10,440 S1: we've been told and the gospel truth to counteract that. 490 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:14,720 S1: Habits of resistance is a new book by Elizabeth Woodson. 491 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:19,720 S1: It's our featured resource at Chris favorite author, Chris Fabry Live. 492 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,280 S1: And there are seven cultural lies that she goes through. 493 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,879 S1: And then the seven Habits of Resistance. We've talked about 494 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:33,119 S1: two of those so far. Peace. You get peace through control. 495 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:38,040 S1: The antidote to that is prayer and surrender. Identity comes 496 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:42,000 S1: through your achievement, through success, by becoming who you think 497 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:45,640 S1: you want to be. And the antidote to that is 498 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:50,800 S1: the spiritual family gathering. I really wanted Elizabeth to talk 499 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,520 S1: about this third one, though, and it is the chapter 500 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:58,560 S1: on love. And she says the cultural lie is love 501 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:03,399 S1: through selfishness. And I want you to frame this with 502 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:07,000 S1: some of your own experiences, especially with Valentine's Day coming up. 503 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,719 S1: And I think a lot of singles are are listening 504 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:12,560 S1: who say, you know, if I don't have somebody, I'm 505 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:14,760 S1: told by the culture, at least I feel by the 506 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:18,159 S1: culture or even the church. If I don't have somebody, 507 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:22,910 S1: then I'm less than. So take me into that love chapter. 508 00:27:23,990 --> 00:27:27,629 S2: Yeah, I think it's. It's a desire that we all have, uh, 509 00:27:27,630 --> 00:27:32,110 S2: to be known and to to know others really deeply. Um, 510 00:27:32,190 --> 00:27:34,710 S2: and for many, it is that desire for romantic love, 511 00:27:34,750 --> 00:27:37,149 S2: a companion, a partner to be able to build a 512 00:27:37,150 --> 00:27:40,310 S2: family with. And if you have been in church spaces 513 00:27:40,310 --> 00:27:42,750 S2: for any amount of time, it sometimes is even the 514 00:27:42,750 --> 00:27:45,670 S2: lens through which you see the road to success in 515 00:27:45,670 --> 00:27:47,550 S2: air quotes on the road of faith is that, oh, 516 00:27:47,590 --> 00:27:50,350 S2: I need to get married and have kids and have 517 00:27:50,350 --> 00:27:52,550 S2: this family. And so there's this fantasy that's put in 518 00:27:52,550 --> 00:27:54,909 S2: front of us, I think, of the Jerry Maguire, I 519 00:27:54,910 --> 00:27:57,990 S2: think of Jerry Maguire. You complete me. Um, it's the 520 00:27:57,990 --> 00:28:00,350 S2: idea that, oh, I need this other person in order 521 00:28:00,350 --> 00:28:02,949 S2: to really have a good life, all rooted in a 522 00:28:02,950 --> 00:28:05,670 S2: desire for love, which is a really good desire. And 523 00:28:05,670 --> 00:28:09,470 S2: so kind of, you see how people are navigating their 524 00:28:10,869 --> 00:28:13,950 S2: process of finding a romantic partner. And I think even 525 00:28:13,950 --> 00:28:16,830 S2: some of the experiences that I have had, right, trying 526 00:28:16,830 --> 00:28:19,350 S2: to navigate what does dating look like and how do 527 00:28:19,350 --> 00:28:22,580 S2: I deal with when somebody ghosts me? right when you 528 00:28:22,619 --> 00:28:25,340 S2: might not measure up to what they want in a 529 00:28:25,380 --> 00:28:28,300 S2: particular partner or wife. Specifically for me as a woman. 530 00:28:28,580 --> 00:28:31,100 S2: And so I think it can be really hard. But 531 00:28:31,140 --> 00:28:34,220 S2: what what I have found that the culture points our 532 00:28:34,220 --> 00:28:37,740 S2: eyes to is what that other person can give us. 533 00:28:38,140 --> 00:28:40,420 S2: They're always looking for who they are and what attributes 534 00:28:40,420 --> 00:28:42,420 S2: they have and what they can give us, and maybe 535 00:28:42,420 --> 00:28:45,100 S2: not as much attention on what we have to give. 536 00:28:45,140 --> 00:28:47,580 S2: Because I think the love we see in the culture 537 00:28:47,820 --> 00:28:49,540 S2: is a little bit different than the love we see 538 00:28:49,580 --> 00:28:51,420 S2: described for us in the scriptures. 539 00:28:51,820 --> 00:28:55,860 S1: And that is being shaped as well by the the 540 00:28:55,900 --> 00:28:59,380 S1: social media culture that we live in. Because if you 541 00:28:59,380 --> 00:29:02,420 S1: can curate, you know what you ate for dinner last 542 00:29:02,420 --> 00:29:05,140 S1: night and show a picture of that, you can also 543 00:29:05,140 --> 00:29:09,820 S1: present this idea of, here is my wonderful life with my, 544 00:29:10,060 --> 00:29:14,100 S1: you know, with my best friend and the person who 545 00:29:14,100 --> 00:29:17,260 S1: completed me. ET cetera. ET cetera. When? That might not 546 00:29:17,260 --> 00:29:21,340 S1: be a 24 hours a day. That might not be true. 547 00:29:22,220 --> 00:29:25,660 S2: No. Like people don't. People post highlights. They don't post 548 00:29:25,660 --> 00:29:29,780 S2: the arguments. They don't post. You know, the, uh, you know, 549 00:29:29,820 --> 00:29:32,260 S2: everybody looks okay when they're in church, but they've argued 550 00:29:32,260 --> 00:29:34,820 S2: all the way to church or when you just hit 551 00:29:34,820 --> 00:29:37,500 S2: difficult life circumstances. Right? So when a spouse might lose 552 00:29:37,500 --> 00:29:39,740 S2: their job or they might be struggling with mental illness 553 00:29:39,740 --> 00:29:41,860 S2: and they're not able to show up in the marriage 554 00:29:41,860 --> 00:29:44,300 S2: in a way where everybody's carrying their own weight. Like 555 00:29:44,340 --> 00:29:47,820 S2: there's these things that happen that don't get posted to 556 00:29:47,860 --> 00:29:51,780 S2: social media. And so we've been grown to believe. We've 557 00:29:51,820 --> 00:29:54,459 S2: grown to believe that marriage is a fantasy, that it's perfect. 558 00:29:54,460 --> 00:29:57,940 S2: It's happily ever after, when in reality, your life will 559 00:29:57,940 --> 00:30:02,100 S2: not necessarily be easier because you have a spouse. There's 560 00:30:02,100 --> 00:30:04,219 S2: just as much goodness available for you as there are 561 00:30:04,260 --> 00:30:06,380 S2: as in singleness. But sometimes we can be led to 562 00:30:06,420 --> 00:30:08,940 S2: believe that, oh, if I can get married, that my 563 00:30:08,940 --> 00:30:11,580 S2: life will be better. If I have this other person now, 564 00:30:11,580 --> 00:30:13,500 S2: I'll have this perfect life that I've longed for. 565 00:30:14,260 --> 00:30:18,620 S1: Which is the the outcome. And it gets back to control. 566 00:30:18,690 --> 00:30:20,810 S1: I think all of these get back to control in 567 00:30:20,810 --> 00:30:23,970 S1: some way or other, some shape or form. Um, and 568 00:30:23,970 --> 00:30:27,210 S1: there's a section where you talk about follow your heart. 569 00:30:27,210 --> 00:30:29,810 S1: That's what the culture will tell you. Follow your heart. 570 00:30:29,850 --> 00:30:30,890 S1: What's wrong with that? 571 00:30:32,130 --> 00:30:34,890 S2: Yeah. Following our heart doesn't always lead us to the 572 00:30:34,890 --> 00:30:38,810 S2: right places. I think maybe even you, Chris, in early 573 00:30:38,810 --> 00:30:40,730 S2: years of your life that you've seen kind of where 574 00:30:40,730 --> 00:30:43,930 S2: our emotions can lead us. And so following your heart 575 00:30:43,930 --> 00:30:46,290 S2: can lead you to be in a relationship with someone 576 00:30:46,290 --> 00:30:49,410 S2: who is really exciting, but is actually a not a 577 00:30:49,410 --> 00:30:53,090 S2: really good person for you. Um, and so what we 578 00:30:53,090 --> 00:30:56,650 S2: need is something outside of just what we desire to do. 579 00:30:56,810 --> 00:30:59,890 S2: Like we need a standard. We need a guide to 580 00:30:59,930 --> 00:31:04,290 S2: help us see what really are good qualities to for 581 00:31:04,330 --> 00:31:07,650 S2: a relationship both in us and the other person. And again, 582 00:31:07,650 --> 00:31:10,850 S2: you just see that love is not what we can get. 583 00:31:10,890 --> 00:31:13,690 S2: That's not what we see in Scripture. Love is about service. 584 00:31:13,730 --> 00:31:17,610 S2: Love is about giving, not just receiving. And so I think. 585 00:31:19,450 --> 00:31:20,690 S5: So you think the scriptures paint. 586 00:31:20,690 --> 00:31:21,210 S2: That for us? 587 00:31:21,210 --> 00:31:21,490 S5: Yeah. 588 00:31:21,530 --> 00:31:24,970 S1: Yeah. I took a breath there. I'm sorry, but I 589 00:31:25,250 --> 00:31:27,810 S1: had a thought. I got to jump in here. There 590 00:31:27,810 --> 00:31:30,970 S1: could be somebody listening who says, it sounds like Elizabeth saying, 591 00:31:30,970 --> 00:31:34,450 S1: give up. Don't, don't, uh, you know, don't don't go 592 00:31:34,450 --> 00:31:37,810 S1: for the gusto. Don't, don't have a a great, you know, 593 00:31:37,850 --> 00:31:41,170 S1: a love who completes you that you got to settle. 594 00:31:41,170 --> 00:31:43,010 S1: If you're going to be a Christian, you've got to 595 00:31:43,010 --> 00:31:45,970 S1: settle for second best. What do you say to that person? 596 00:31:46,370 --> 00:31:49,850 S2: Yeah. No, I, I think this is a tension is 597 00:31:49,850 --> 00:31:52,690 S2: not a great word, but I'll still use it. Is 598 00:31:52,690 --> 00:31:54,850 S2: that your emotions are real. The Lord gave it, gave 599 00:31:54,850 --> 00:31:56,850 S2: them to us like they're really beautiful. And I think 600 00:31:56,850 --> 00:31:59,210 S2: there can be a lot of beauty and excitement in 601 00:31:59,210 --> 00:32:02,170 S2: marriage and in love. Uh, things that still bring me 602 00:32:02,170 --> 00:32:04,930 S2: to tears when I see certain couples. I hear their story. 603 00:32:05,250 --> 00:32:07,770 S2: But I also know that's not the only part of 604 00:32:07,770 --> 00:32:11,330 S2: the story. Right? So when it comes to hoping for 605 00:32:11,330 --> 00:32:14,450 S2: what God can do, am I in a place where 606 00:32:14,450 --> 00:32:18,000 S2: I recognize that marriage is going to bring me happiness, 607 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:19,880 S2: but it's also going to form me into the image 608 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,320 S2: of Christ. It's also going to put me in places 609 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,120 S2: where it might be some difficult circumstances, and so can 610 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,880 S2: I have my eyes towards a person who's able to 611 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:29,920 S2: do that, but am I able to be that type 612 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:31,840 S2: of person? Yes. You know, so I think that also 613 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:33,920 S2: is a lens of where am I and what I'm 614 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:37,120 S2: able to produce and provide to have a flourishing relationship 615 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:38,400 S2: if the Lord brings that my way. 616 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,280 S1: I can't tell you how many times I've heard that 617 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:45,440 S1: from all generations, even those who are now retired. I 618 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:47,880 S1: want to be happy. You know, I don't think God 619 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:50,120 S1: would want me to be in an unhappy marriage. And 620 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,120 S1: so I'm going to go find somebody who will make 621 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:56,440 S1: me happy. And that is what the culture is telling 622 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,600 S1: you about love, that it's all about you. It's all 623 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:02,960 S1: about your happiness. And I'm not saying to stay in 624 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:07,200 S1: an abusive marriage or, you know, to to to take 625 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:11,960 S1: that abuse without some response, but the, the happiness quotient. 626 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:14,280 S1: That's why I think some people are going to be 627 00:33:15,350 --> 00:33:19,950 S1: disappointed in your antidote to what the culture tells us 628 00:33:19,950 --> 00:33:24,350 S1: about love. What is what is God's way to a 629 00:33:24,390 --> 00:33:25,390 S1: better love? 630 00:33:26,310 --> 00:33:29,710 S2: I think a better love is the road to service that. 631 00:33:30,070 --> 00:33:33,470 S2: As Christians, we believe that Jesus displays for us. He 632 00:33:33,510 --> 00:33:37,110 S2: exemplifies what love looks like and love is self-sacrificial. And 633 00:33:37,110 --> 00:33:38,830 S2: so I do think there was a lot of joy 634 00:33:38,830 --> 00:33:41,510 S2: in the relationships that Jesus had with the disciples and 635 00:33:41,510 --> 00:33:43,830 S2: the people that he met along the way. But his 636 00:33:43,830 --> 00:33:46,030 S2: love wasn't just an emotion. It wasn't just a good 637 00:33:46,030 --> 00:33:48,390 S2: feeling that he had. Yes, I believe that was true 638 00:33:48,390 --> 00:33:51,630 S2: of our Savior, but I also believe he displayed this 639 00:33:51,630 --> 00:33:55,710 S2: self-sacrificial presence that ultimately allows us to be an eternity. 640 00:33:55,830 --> 00:33:58,230 S2: But we see through that service that, oh, there's something 641 00:33:58,270 --> 00:34:02,190 S2: of depth, there's connection, there's commitment. There are all these 642 00:34:02,190 --> 00:34:05,270 S2: deep anchor things that get produced when it's not just 643 00:34:05,270 --> 00:34:07,390 S2: about me receiving, but I show up in a place 644 00:34:07,390 --> 00:34:09,030 S2: where I'm able to serve and give. 645 00:34:10,070 --> 00:34:14,030 S1: But that's going to sound like to somebody who's single 646 00:34:14,030 --> 00:34:17,270 S1: and not dating or coming up to Valentine's Day. Oh, 647 00:34:17,350 --> 00:34:20,190 S1: you want me to? To volunteer at a soup kitchen 648 00:34:20,190 --> 00:34:24,189 S1: or busy myself with something else rather than have this 649 00:34:24,190 --> 00:34:26,790 S1: desire in my heart? I don't think that's what you're saying. 650 00:34:27,550 --> 00:34:29,989 S2: No. I think sometimes people feel like they have to 651 00:34:29,989 --> 00:34:31,989 S2: choose one or the other, and we don't. Two things 652 00:34:31,989 --> 00:34:34,190 S2: can be true at the same time. You can deeply 653 00:34:34,190 --> 00:34:37,190 S2: desire marriage and have a beautiful life without it. You 654 00:34:37,190 --> 00:34:39,549 S2: can desire to want to be in a relationship and 655 00:34:39,550 --> 00:34:43,630 S2: be actively dating and also trying to practice service. So 656 00:34:43,630 --> 00:34:45,629 S2: when you get into the relationship, which you will need 657 00:34:45,630 --> 00:34:47,589 S2: to serve, that it's not going to be something new 658 00:34:47,590 --> 00:34:49,270 S2: for you, that it's a way of life that you're 659 00:34:49,270 --> 00:34:50,070 S2: accustomed to. 660 00:34:50,390 --> 00:34:50,989 S5: Yes. 661 00:34:51,030 --> 00:34:54,989 S1: And that will then open you up. Who knows? The 662 00:34:54,989 --> 00:34:58,910 S1: service that you render may put you in the path 663 00:34:58,910 --> 00:35:01,830 S1: of somebody else who's doing the same thing. I think 664 00:35:01,870 --> 00:35:04,870 S1: Tony Evans said that, you know, run toward Jesus and 665 00:35:04,870 --> 00:35:08,270 S1: look around. And if there's anybody following you side by 666 00:35:08,270 --> 00:35:10,830 S1: side with you, maybe that person is a candidate. 667 00:35:12,300 --> 00:35:13,819 S2: A lot of times you find them in the place 668 00:35:13,820 --> 00:35:16,180 S2: where you were doing what you love, to find someone 669 00:35:16,180 --> 00:35:18,300 S2: else who loves those same things too. 670 00:35:18,540 --> 00:35:19,020 S5: Yes. 671 00:35:19,540 --> 00:35:21,819 S1: I want to get to one more of these, at 672 00:35:21,860 --> 00:35:25,860 S1: least before we end the program today, because there is 673 00:35:26,340 --> 00:35:30,940 S1: the conversations that we have online or the conversations where 674 00:35:31,060 --> 00:35:33,899 S1: people get canceled. I want to talk about that because 675 00:35:33,940 --> 00:35:36,779 S1: Elizabeth has a chapter that I think is really appropriate. 676 00:35:36,780 --> 00:35:41,060 S1: Elizabeth Woodson is our guest. Habits of resistance is our 677 00:35:41,060 --> 00:35:46,340 S1: featured resource, subtitled seven Ways You're Being Formed by Culture 678 00:35:46,620 --> 00:35:49,939 S1: and Gospel Practices to help you Push Back. You'll find 679 00:35:49,940 --> 00:35:54,660 S1: it at Chris favorite. Our final segment is coming up 680 00:35:54,660 --> 00:36:10,140 S1: straight ahead here on Moody Radio. Tomorrow Becky Harling is 681 00:36:10,140 --> 00:36:11,819 S1: back and we are going to talk about one of 682 00:36:11,820 --> 00:36:15,739 S1: the offshoots of what Elizabeth Woodson has written here, and 683 00:36:15,739 --> 00:36:20,300 S1: that is friendship. How do you find a friend? Choose 684 00:36:20,300 --> 00:36:22,859 S1: a friend, be a friend. I think part of it 685 00:36:22,860 --> 00:36:26,260 S1: is in the answer to that last is you become 686 00:36:26,260 --> 00:36:29,700 S1: the friend that you need to somebody else and you'll 687 00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:33,180 S1: find a friend. Um, but but what about when you 688 00:36:33,180 --> 00:36:36,700 S1: need to end a friendship? Well, what about if the 689 00:36:36,700 --> 00:36:39,100 S1: friendship is one sided? We're going to talk about all 690 00:36:39,140 --> 00:36:41,180 S1: of that and more tomorrow right here at the Radio 691 00:36:41,180 --> 00:36:44,500 S1: Backyard fence. Hope you'll join us. Elizabeth Woodson has joined 692 00:36:44,500 --> 00:36:47,860 S1: us today. And if you go to Chris. Org click 693 00:36:47,860 --> 00:36:51,500 S1: through today's information. You'll see the excellent book Habits of 694 00:36:51,500 --> 00:36:55,740 S1: Resistance seven Ways You're Being Formed by Culture and Gospel 695 00:36:55,739 --> 00:36:59,700 S1: Practices to help you push back. Early on in the 696 00:36:59,700 --> 00:37:03,900 S1: book you write this, there are numerous examples. Uh, one 697 00:37:03,900 --> 00:37:08,420 S1: worth noting. The conversations we participate in these can easily 698 00:37:08,420 --> 00:37:12,250 S1: serve as indicators for our spiritual health, especially if we 699 00:37:12,250 --> 00:37:15,730 S1: pay attention to how we show up online. When I 700 00:37:15,730 --> 00:37:19,050 S1: consider some of what I've heard and seen on online, 701 00:37:19,330 --> 00:37:22,530 S1: I think the spiritual aroma many of us are giving 702 00:37:22,530 --> 00:37:28,210 S1: off is that of anger, discontentment, and fear. And you 703 00:37:28,210 --> 00:37:32,410 S1: see this in the political sphere. But it's it's not 704 00:37:32,410 --> 00:37:35,570 S1: just there, you say. It seems like it's getting harder 705 00:37:35,570 --> 00:37:40,049 S1: and harder for Christians to honor those they disagree with, 706 00:37:40,410 --> 00:37:43,210 S1: or to put it in the Bible's terms, to slander 707 00:37:43,250 --> 00:37:47,090 S1: no one, to avoid fighting and to be kind, always 708 00:37:47,090 --> 00:37:52,890 S1: showing gentleness to all people. So if that is the 709 00:37:52,890 --> 00:37:56,609 S1: the nerve that is touching somebody's heart, how do you 710 00:37:56,610 --> 00:37:58,330 S1: get away from that? 711 00:38:00,450 --> 00:38:02,129 S2: I want to just say, log off, but you can't 712 00:38:02,130 --> 00:38:06,850 S2: do that. We live in the spaces. Yeah, I, I 713 00:38:06,890 --> 00:38:09,120 S2: think what I want to invite people to do is 714 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:13,480 S2: just to pause. Um, because sometimes our response to what 715 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:15,960 S2: we see, it raises something up in us. Like we 716 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:18,760 S2: feel this really strong emotion. And so our first response 717 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:20,920 S2: is just to say what's on our mind. Really to 718 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:24,640 S2: speak out of the flesh and spiritual maturity would have 719 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,640 S2: us pause and consider that this person is made in 720 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:30,480 S2: the image of God, which means even if I disagree 721 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:32,600 S2: with them, that I still have to give them honor 722 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:35,760 S2: and respect, because how I treat them is a reflection 723 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:40,319 S2: of their creator. And many times what the algorithms or 724 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:44,640 S2: the internet discounts on is. This immediate reaction wants to 725 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:46,960 S2: stir us up. And so that as we're typing, we're 726 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:50,200 S2: not thinking, we're not pausing, we're not praying, we're just responding. 727 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:51,960 S2: And I think we just need to slow down a 728 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:52,480 S2: little bit. 729 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:57,000 S1: I so agree with you, and especially about the stir 730 00:38:57,040 --> 00:38:59,959 S1: up thing, because it's it's like when I look on 731 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:05,320 S1: even at the, the news stories on news, uh, not 732 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:09,439 S1: channels but on websites, the news stories are written and 733 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:11,560 S1: headlines are written in such a way to get me 734 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:15,160 S1: to click. And more often than not, it's because somebody 735 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:19,080 S1: said something in a hearing in Washington or some coach 736 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:22,279 S1: threw a chair across. You know, it's anger. It's like, oh, 737 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,040 S1: I want to see that because I don't know why. 738 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,239 S1: I just I'm attracted to it. So I have to 739 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:30,719 S1: look really hard at myself as I. Why are you 740 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:34,400 S1: clicking on this? Why why is this interesting to you? 741 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,560 S1: That takes a little bit of self-awareness, doesn't it? 742 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:41,040 S2: It does. Because even I mean, I had to do 743 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:43,879 S2: this earlier today. I was like, why am I just anxious? Well, 744 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:45,520 S2: it's like because you clicked on that post. And that 745 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:47,200 S2: post led to this post, and this post led to 746 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:49,000 S2: this post. And maybe if you hadn't been on the 747 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:51,080 S2: internet altogether, you would have been fine. But it just 748 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:54,520 S2: was what led what information was presented before me. A 749 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:58,160 S2: lot of times what we read we can't control, we 750 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:00,600 S2: can't really bring change to in a direct way because 751 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:04,720 S2: it's not connected to us. Uh, all of the headlines 752 00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:07,430 S2: just want a response out of us. And it says like, 753 00:40:07,469 --> 00:40:09,790 S2: how can I be prayerful about this thing and know 754 00:40:09,790 --> 00:40:11,469 S2: what's for me and what's not for me? And all 755 00:40:11,469 --> 00:40:14,830 S2: that requires this slowing down and considering. But it is. 756 00:40:14,830 --> 00:40:17,390 S2: It's really difficult to do sometimes, Chris, because we're just 757 00:40:17,390 --> 00:40:18,550 S2: drawn in by the headline. 758 00:40:18,830 --> 00:40:19,270 S5: Yeah. 759 00:40:19,910 --> 00:40:22,750 S1: Well, and we're drawn in by this sense of justice. 760 00:40:22,750 --> 00:40:26,189 S1: There's chapter four is a better justice. And you say, 761 00:40:26,190 --> 00:40:31,390 S1: we love vengeance. We have cancel culture here today because of, 762 00:40:31,430 --> 00:40:34,390 S1: you know, if you say something that I don't like 763 00:40:34,430 --> 00:40:37,590 S1: or that this group over here doesn't like, then you're out. 764 00:40:37,630 --> 00:40:40,750 S1: You know, we don't need you anymore. And I think 765 00:40:40,750 --> 00:40:45,270 S1: what this leads to for me is seeing that very thing. 766 00:40:45,310 --> 00:40:47,870 S1: I'll have a see a friend who posts something. It's 767 00:40:47,870 --> 00:40:50,629 S1: like I never knew that about my friend, that he 768 00:40:50,630 --> 00:40:53,470 S1: or she believes this about the politics of the day, 769 00:40:53,510 --> 00:40:56,469 S1: or whatever the situation is, or about the thing that's 770 00:40:56,469 --> 00:40:59,350 S1: happening in Florida or Minnesota or wherever it's happening. I 771 00:40:59,350 --> 00:41:03,830 S1: didn't know he or she believed that. And so it 772 00:41:03,870 --> 00:41:08,670 S1: colors my my view of them. And, um, what I've 773 00:41:08,710 --> 00:41:12,350 S1: what I've tried to do more often than not is, 774 00:41:12,510 --> 00:41:16,350 S1: like you say, not respond to this and say to myself, 775 00:41:16,350 --> 00:41:19,510 S1: there's an A.W. Tozer quote that I've it's been coming 776 00:41:19,510 --> 00:41:23,230 S1: back to me about stepping out of the world's parade. 777 00:41:23,590 --> 00:41:26,029 S1: And I'll just say to myself as I look at 778 00:41:26,070 --> 00:41:30,589 S1: whatever the thing is online, it's not my parade. I 779 00:41:30,630 --> 00:41:33,390 S1: don't have to I don't have to respond here. This 780 00:41:33,390 --> 00:41:35,270 S1: is not a parade that I need to get in. 781 00:41:35,590 --> 00:41:37,629 S1: And then and then the shame will come in. Well, 782 00:41:37,630 --> 00:41:41,069 S1: you don't care about things. You know you're. And that 783 00:41:41,070 --> 00:41:44,589 S1: justice nerve gets touched again. Talk a little bit about 784 00:41:44,590 --> 00:41:45,950 S1: the justice nerve. 785 00:41:46,989 --> 00:41:51,150 S2: Yeah. I think justice is is a part of our humanity, right? 786 00:41:51,150 --> 00:41:53,390 S2: It's a part of our divine design that if someone 787 00:41:53,390 --> 00:41:56,270 S2: does something wrong, if there's something within us that rises 788 00:41:56,270 --> 00:41:58,469 S2: up where we want to right that wrong, and it 789 00:41:58,469 --> 00:42:00,790 S2: could just be that someone says something that we think 790 00:42:00,790 --> 00:42:04,580 S2: isn't right and we want to write whatever that they 791 00:42:04,580 --> 00:42:07,460 S2: have said that we think is wrong. And what I 792 00:42:07,460 --> 00:42:10,859 S2: think happens a lot is that we can forget the 793 00:42:10,860 --> 00:42:14,580 S2: redemption and grace that are baked into the gospel, right? 794 00:42:14,580 --> 00:42:16,860 S2: That we are people who believe in second chances. We 795 00:42:16,900 --> 00:42:19,020 S2: are people who believe in grace. That goes to folks 796 00:42:19,020 --> 00:42:21,500 S2: who do not deserve it. And all of that gets 797 00:42:21,540 --> 00:42:25,380 S2: wiped away when we're online. The online space does not 798 00:42:25,420 --> 00:42:28,259 S2: leave room for nuance. It doesn't leave room for conversation. 799 00:42:28,260 --> 00:42:31,140 S2: So before we would have these conversations in our living rooms, 800 00:42:31,340 --> 00:42:33,060 S2: or you might have them in the foyer after church 801 00:42:33,060 --> 00:42:34,980 S2: and there was space for to go back and forth, 802 00:42:34,980 --> 00:42:37,660 S2: but we can't do that. Um, and so, you know, 803 00:42:37,700 --> 00:42:40,060 S2: I think it is that we would consider what is 804 00:42:40,060 --> 00:42:42,980 S2: true about God. And how am I reflecting that in 805 00:42:42,980 --> 00:42:45,819 S2: my response to what I feel is unjust? God believes 806 00:42:45,820 --> 00:42:48,460 S2: in justice, but he does it in a certain way. 807 00:42:48,660 --> 00:42:49,180 S5: Yes. 808 00:42:49,180 --> 00:42:53,219 S1: And we can leave room for him to enact that justice. 809 00:42:53,260 --> 00:42:55,180 S1: I can, and that's part of the surrender that you 810 00:42:55,180 --> 00:42:57,700 S1: start with the control. If I am in control, then 811 00:42:57,700 --> 00:42:59,500 S1: I've got to get justice. You know, I got to 812 00:42:59,500 --> 00:43:02,770 S1: have my vengeance. But if God's in control, I can 813 00:43:02,770 --> 00:43:06,530 S1: get out of his way and allow him to work. Uh, 814 00:43:06,850 --> 00:43:10,450 S1: and do what he does best, which is not what 815 00:43:10,450 --> 00:43:10,930 S1: I do. 816 00:43:11,610 --> 00:43:11,970 S5: Uh. 817 00:43:12,770 --> 00:43:14,689 S1: Elizabeth, this is a really good book, and I wanted 818 00:43:14,690 --> 00:43:17,770 S1: to get to the chapter today. A better hope because 819 00:43:18,050 --> 00:43:23,969 S1: it deals with, uh, avoiding pain, with escapism. And in this, 820 00:43:24,250 --> 00:43:27,930 S1: it's this desire to feel good and to have comfort. 821 00:43:27,930 --> 00:43:30,450 S1: And I find that there is a gospel that's out 822 00:43:30,450 --> 00:43:33,610 S1: there that says to us that you can have this 823 00:43:33,810 --> 00:43:35,930 S1: on your own. You don't have to. You can have 824 00:43:35,930 --> 00:43:38,210 S1: your best life now, and you don't have to go 825 00:43:38,210 --> 00:43:42,170 S1: through any hardship. Uh, and all you got to do is, 826 00:43:42,210 --> 00:43:46,370 S1: you know, one, two, three. Escape. Ignore your problems, be distracted, 827 00:43:46,370 --> 00:43:50,169 S1: deny them. Um, and that's not. That's not a way 828 00:43:50,170 --> 00:43:52,569 S1: to draw near to the heart of God. And I'll 829 00:43:52,570 --> 00:43:55,250 S1: just leave it right there. That's the chapter six A 830 00:43:55,250 --> 00:43:59,930 S1: better Hope. What do you hope people do when they 831 00:43:59,930 --> 00:44:03,090 S1: read your book, especially those who are younger than you 832 00:44:03,410 --> 00:44:06,810 S1: in that younger generations. What what do you hope they 833 00:44:07,090 --> 00:44:08,530 S1: how do you hope they respond? 834 00:44:09,570 --> 00:44:12,569 S2: Well, I hope they just see what they long for 835 00:44:12,610 --> 00:44:15,529 S2: is actually possible. That what I'm saying, what I'm not 836 00:44:15,530 --> 00:44:17,850 S2: saying is these beautiful things of love, hope, peace, all 837 00:44:17,850 --> 00:44:20,690 S2: those things aren't possible. They are, uh, but they are 838 00:44:20,690 --> 00:44:23,730 S2: possible through Jesus. And so what I want them to 839 00:44:23,730 --> 00:44:26,210 S2: do is to come back home, in some sense, to 840 00:44:26,250 --> 00:44:28,850 S2: come back to the way of Jesus and see what 841 00:44:28,850 --> 00:44:32,330 S2: you long for. He created, and he has a solution for. 842 00:44:32,370 --> 00:44:34,050 S2: But we have to do it through him. 843 00:44:35,730 --> 00:44:39,850 S1: And he is faithful, and he's powerful enough to do 844 00:44:40,730 --> 00:44:43,450 S1: the dirty little secret. The enemy doesn't want you to 845 00:44:43,489 --> 00:44:47,930 S1: believe and to know that God's way is best. His. 846 00:44:48,250 --> 00:44:51,090 S1: You know he. He wants to provide you with those 847 00:44:51,090 --> 00:44:55,810 S1: green pastures and that quiet, still waters. But we think 848 00:44:55,810 --> 00:44:57,690 S1: we can do it on our own, don't we? 849 00:44:58,480 --> 00:45:02,040 S2: We do. We do. But it ultimately comes through Christ. 850 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:02,760 S5: Yeah. 851 00:45:03,680 --> 00:45:06,160 S1: Well, Elizabeth, you've done a good job here again today 852 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:09,960 S1: of explaining this, and I will encourage any listener who 853 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:12,680 S1: has a younger person in their life, or if you 854 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:16,560 S1: are Gen Z, millennial or younger than that, this is 855 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:19,120 S1: a great book. But it's not just for that age 856 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:22,360 S1: group either. Uh, people in my age group need to 857 00:45:22,400 --> 00:45:24,640 S1: read it as well. We have it linked at Chris 858 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:29,279 S1: Fabry lives. It's titled Habits of Resistance seven Ways You're 859 00:45:29,280 --> 00:45:33,720 S1: Being Formed by Culture and Gospel Practices to help You 860 00:45:33,719 --> 00:45:37,760 S1: Push Back, by Elizabeth Woodson. Are you working on anything 861 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:38,960 S1: right now, Elizabeth? 862 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:41,759 S2: I am, I'm working on a new Bible study on 863 00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:42,719 S2: the book of Jonah. 864 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:45,280 S1: On on Jeremiah. Did you say. 865 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:46,560 S2: Jonah? 866 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:50,560 S1: Oh, Jonah on Jonah. Excellent. Okay, come back and let's 867 00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:51,960 S1: talk about it. Okay, friend. 868 00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:53,120 S2: All right. 869 00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:58,640 S1: That's Elizabeth Woodson, Bible teacher, author host of the Starting 870 00:45:58,640 --> 00:46:01,919 S1: Place podcast. You can find out more about that at 871 00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:08,680 S1: Chris and our featured resource again. Habits of resistance seven 872 00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:11,719 S1: ways You're being formed by Culture and Gospel Practices to 873 00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:15,839 S1: help you push back again, click through today's information at. 874 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:21,080 S1: Chris Fabry lives. We got a program about friendship tomorrow. 875 00:46:21,120 --> 00:46:26,520 S1: Loneliness is a, you know, epidemic proportions out there these days. 876 00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:29,000 S1: And maybe that's where you are. And you say, I 877 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:31,879 S1: don't have a friend. I want you to hear from 878 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:36,879 S1: Becky Harling tomorrow. We'll answer some really hard questions here 879 00:46:36,880 --> 00:46:39,400 S1: at the back fence, and I hope you'll join us then. 880 00:46:39,640 --> 00:46:42,359 S1: Chris Fabry Live is a production of Moody Radio, a 881 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:45,680 S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute. Online at Chris.