Everyone wants to know their purpose in life. But some are content to approach life passively, waiting for a big sign. Today we discuss what scripture says about living with a purpose vs God’s sovereignty. We share ways we have seen intentional living and times of seemingly useless waiting as actually measures of God’s grace to us. We hope this encourages you to dig deep and draw out what purposes God has for you and to lean into them with all you’ve got! Show Notes -Discipline in one area begets discipline in more areas of your life. -Adaptability only takes you so far. There is greater profit in planning and living with purpose. Why set goals and have a purpose? - It prepares you for what may come and gives you something to aim toward as you move forward. [Proverbs 20:4-5] – “The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” -Yes, God is sovereign but man also has responsibility.   [Colossians 3:23-24] – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”   [Ephesians 2:10] – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”   [Psalm 90:12] - So teach us to number our days     that we may get a heart of wisdom.   [1 Corinthians 7:29-31] - This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.   Be encouraged - today is a chance to start living with purpose if you feel you haven’t been! If you feel like you aren’t using your giftings in this season of your life for whatever reason (going back to school, staying home with kids, health reasons) trust that this waiting time is not wasted time. Sometimes God gives us seasons like that for rest, refreshment, to work something out of us or work something into us so we are more effective in the future! Waiting is a great season to press into your relationship with God! What we are loving: Daniel - Flight Aware Heather - Soapbox products Follow us behind the scenes! Instagram @heathersletters @danielpritchie Facebook and Twitter @danielritchie www.danielritchie.org Be kind.

The culture at large has fed men the lie that “they are what they do.” It is in this lie where men can have their joy, their hope and their purpose stolen from them by a never-ending chase for more. Join us this week for us to talk about biblical manhood and the hope that comes from building your life on the One who holds your life in His hands.

1) The cultural perspective of manhood is broken.

- The world around us has built the picture of true manhood on two things:

1. a) What man does (job, hobby, success in all things)
2. b) What man has (house, truck, wife, $)

- A subjective moving target "identity" like that is something that creates a performance heavy view of my life.

- The lie in that sort of self-obsessed idolatry is that MY worth depends on MY work. It's a way of life that's doomed to fail.

- It is the reason you see men in mid-life crisis. They've worked decades to build a kingdom - that only disappoints.

2) We have to see what they world doesn't

[Colossians 2:6-7] - Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

- The only reason I have worth has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Who has made me, saved me and is working in me.

- We don't keep score like the world does, which is hard because we are looking to a lot of things we can't see.

[Matthew 7:24-25] -  “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

- We build our lives and our identity on His words. That gives us a firm foundation that won't crumble underneath us.

3) The identity of man is expressed in love

- The worldly picture of man does not involve love. It involves guns, grease and grit.

- The ultimate picture of manhood is expressed by the ultimate man in Jesus. All of that is seen in love:

1. a) Love of God - pursue Him at home & at church
2. b) Love your wife - the living picture of the gospel [Ephesians 5]
3. c) Love your kids - you're the picture of the Father
4. d) Love others - loving in such a counter cultural way gains gospel attention.

Loving

H – Home Revovations

D - Acts 29 in Guatemala

The phrase “follow your dreams” has been thrown around for years thought to inspire others to not settle in their life. But as with anything, the underlying messages sent can be damaging, shame-filled and leave us discontent and lacking trust in God.

Join us for an alternative conversation to #FollowYourDreams and biblical inspiration to dream with God! SHOW NOTES

The Problem with #FollowYourDreams: 1. It is a shame tactic. - Ephesians 3:20

2. We are not our own.

-We have died and our lives are hidden with Christ. Including our dreams. - Colossians 3:1-3 - 1 Peter 4:2 - 1 Corinthians 6:20

3. It is a comparison trap. - Look at the life of Joseph.

What We are Loving: Daniel- TGC Article Heather- Walmart Lightweight Sherpa Throw Blanket

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Daniel  www.danielritchie.org

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Heather Instagram 

Just last week we celebrated 13 years of marriage! Feeling generous and wanting to celebrate a little more we decided to bring you a BONUS episode this week. We are sharing our top 13 pieces of marriage advice we have learned the hard way or through good advice given to us. To make it even more fun, we are sharing all 13 in 13 minutes! Share with a spouse or married friend today!

Show Notes:

1. Communicate!! Expectations for everything from weekend plans, special days and holidays, to household responsibilities.

2. Plan for big stuff, savor the little simple stuff. Contentment.

3. Team mentality in everything! You are ONE now, so act like it. Serve the other well.

4. Never bad mouth one another to other people. Always build up your spouse publicly. Be each other's biggest cheerleader.

5. Don't try to change your spouse......but do push each other to grow! Set goals together, read books and articles together, listen to podcasts and talk about them, share biblical truth and your bible study with one another.

6. Dream big together!

7. Have sex. When you are happy, when you are grieving, when things feel wonky between you two, on a Tuesday. Sex is often the bridge back to each other.

8. Be on the same page financially and always be honest! Have regular budget check ins, communicate when changes might come up.

9. Stay unified no matter what, in all areas (parenting, ministry, career, friendships, money, etc.) Even if you have to pull away from other relationships, this relationship is the priority above all - even your children!!!

10. Have FUN!!! Be silly, competitions, date nights on the couch or out. Plan fun things to do and memories to make.

11. Get away. TOGETHER.

12. Get away. ALONE. ....time out with friends, time for them to go do whatever they want to do (hike, shop, read, yoga).

13. PRAY! Cover your spouse in prayer, pray for how you treat/approach them, pray for your struggles, hopes and dreams. Pray to be unified and love each other through all seasons.

Recommended Resources: - You and Me Forever by Francis and Lisa Chan - Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas - Mingling of Souls by Matt and Lauren Chandler - The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman - Becoming Us by Beth and Jeff McCord

What We Are Loving: Daniel - Pizza Combos Heather - Nut Thins crackers in Sriracha flavor.

Find Us Here:

Daniel  www.danielritchie.org

Twitter || Facebook ||Instagram 

Heather Instagram 

Find Us Here:

Daniel  www.danielritchie.org

Twitter || Facebook ||Instagram 

Heather Instagram 

We are always in the middle of something - answering an email, running one more errand, just to get one more thing checked off our list. And that spills over into our days off (if we even have one!) producing more stress, anxiety, and fractured relationships leading to burnout. But God didn’t intend for us to live this way. His way is freedom, margin, and cycles of work and rest. Listen as we discuss why rest is so deeply spiritual, and ways to make it happen! You will leave empowered to master your schedule and days off which lead to a fulfilled soul.

____

A. Why We Rest 1. Obedience 2. Trust + Surrender 3. This is God being the Good Shepherd to us. - Psalm 23

B. Mastering the Recharge 1. Protect the Day Off. - Maybe set up an email autoresponder and adding your office days/hours to email signature so others know why you don’t respond on that day. - Unexpected invitation on your sabbath? Do this: 1. Check in with your spouse/roommate FIRST before responding. 2. Does this invitation serve the greater good for us in this week or meet a high value for our family in this season? 3. What is our bandwidth? Do we have energy for another thing or will this add to the overwhelm, exhaustion and eventual burnout? 2. Know Thyself 3. Communicate, Respect and Serve One Another

Resources: Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung Margin by Richard A. Swenson, M.D. Loving: Daniel - 21 Servants of Sovereign Joy by John Piper Heather - The Lion King Find Us Here:

Daniel  www.danielritchie.org

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Heather Instagram 

Many of you have wondered how Daniel does things with no arms. From changing a diaper to drinking a soda. And some of you asked deeper questions about living differently. We compiled all the questions you asked us on social media and answered as many as possible in this episode. So, if you were ever curious about a life with two missing limbs, this will be very entertaining for you! We laughed a lot through this one, we hope you do as well!

-This week The Middle with Daniel and Heather Ritchie made the front page of New + Noteworthy on iTunes in the Religion and Spirituality category! THANKS to ALL of you for making that happen!!

- Keep sharing with friends, and be sure to leave a review and subscribe if you haven’t yet. That is what helps our podcast continue to grow and reach more people! We love bringing this show to you each week.

Heather is loving: New summer nail polish, “In Full Swing” by Essie.

Daniel is loving: The mountains of West Virginia after just taking our son, Teague with him there on a quick trip.

As always, you can find us here:

Daniel  www.danielritchie.org

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Heather Instagram 

Have a great week and be kind.

All of us are human and either have or will experience suffering in our life. So, we need to know how to handle that well. For your benefit, we are giving you the complete breakdown of our show with all points and scripture references to help you or someone else you know through their dark season.

If you like this show, share it with others and be sure to tag us! Even better, would you rate and review our show in iTunes? It significantly helps the show reach more people! Thank you! 1) Repeat God's promises to yourself  

• This is easier said than done, but the best thing we can do is to remind ourselves of the God we have entrusted our lives to. [Hebrews 12:1-2]
• This is a CHOICE. Believe God’s truth over what we feel in our time of pain. Believing our feelings leads down a dangerous path “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable--who can understand it?” - Jeremiah 17:9

[2 Corinthians 4:17-18] – “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

• We focus on Christ and His promises, understanding we are NOT alone in our pain!

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” -Romans 8:26-27 MSG     2) Sing in the victory and the pain

• The psalmist cries to God is good times and bad. He did not forget to worship God in His suffering. -Psalm 86 a song of lament.
• Worship and praise of God in your most trying times can become a battle cry for you! The song that gets stuck in your head should be one of victory and belief that Jesus is Better than anything else in this world.
• An act of surrender and trust. Believing before the victory comes that we have victory in Jesus and that He won't leave us where we are now.
• Acts 16 Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God in prison.

  3) Run to community   •       Our pain and suffering will drive us to isolate ourselves, which is one of the worst things we can do. Choose to have your brothers and sisters support you when you go through trials. [Galatians 6:2]   [Proverbs 17:17] – “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.”   [1 Corinthians 12:26] – “So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

• When you are weak, you need a friend whose faith you can stand on. A friend that will lower you to Jesus.
• Just one or two trusted people is all you need. BUT don't wear your friends out - know your boundaries. They are your friends, not your therapist.
• Seek out a good counselor as a part of your team!

  4) Choose daily to keep fighting   •Even when the pain doesn’t go away, we remind ourselves that God still has a plan for me, He is still working in me and He is going to finish what He has started in my life. [Philippians 1:6]   [Job 13:15a] – “Even if he kills me, I will hope in him.”

• Trust there's purpose in your pain.
• We cannot always see it in the moment of our pain, but God is with us and is working in our lives in the midst of our pain.

  [James 1:2-4] – “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”   5) Use your pain as a gospel opportunity  

• The people closest to you take a deeper notice of you when things fall apart. With the world watching, what am I showing them?

 [2 Corinthians 1:4-5] – “He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”

• God has people waiting in the wings that need to hear how you survived. To know they can too.

  Resources "Why Suffering?" by Ravi Zacharias "When I Don't Desire God" by John Piper “It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way” by Lysa TerKeurst "My Affliction for His Glory" by Daniel Ritchie To book Daniel to speak - Daniel speaks to communities large and small all around the country on this very topic. This week we are loving: Daniel - Cheerwine, the soda of the Carolinas as a sweet simple pleasure in the summertime. Heather - Voxer app. It allows her to stay connected to friends better than texting when phone calls are hard to coordinate. As always, you can find us here: Daniel  www.danielritchie.org Twitter || Facebook ||Instagram  Heather Instagram  Have a great week and be kind.

Everyone is Enneagram crazed right now. If you aren't totally sure about it all, I encourage you to listen today. We give the you the 30,000 foot view of what it is, the 9 types, and explain what in the world wings are and even share our VERY polar opposite numbers. We also share how we have used it personally and in our marriage, and how to keep this tool in its rightful place in submission to God's Word.  In addition, we give you our practical ways to use it to push you into deeper dependence on Christ and give more grace to those you are in community with. And of course, our favorite resources surrounding this topic!  If you like this show, share it with others and be sure to tag us! Even better, would you rate and review our show in iTunes? It significantly helps the show reach more people! Thank you! Resources 1. yourenneagramcoach.com - Beth Ann McCord's website, test, type descriptions and more. 2. The Enneacast Podcast with Jesse Eubanks and Sam Stevenson  ^^ Both of these resources approach the Enneagram with Gospel truth! 3. enneagraminstitute.com - Lots of great information on each type as well as a test.  This week we are loving: Daniel - Taking our family to Charlotte Knights baseball games. Heather - Hosting a ladies summer bible study that has been very fruitful. As always, you can find us here: Daniel  www.danielritchie.org Twitter || Facebook ||Instagram  Heather Instagram  Have a great week!

We love our country and the freedoms she represents and the grace God has shown the United States. However, problems arise when we confuse policies and political leaders as functional saviors in the place of Jesus' preeminence over all earthly kingdoms.  Join us for a conversation about how the American dream is antithetical to the Gospel, how to not read Scripture with an "American" lens on, and reminding ourselves we are citizens of heaven who reside in the United States. We leave you with some practical ways to keep yourself in check in this area and to encourage you to be the best citizen you can be here, representing the name of Jesus Christ.  Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Radical by David Platt
• American Gospel: Christ Alone documentary
• "Jesus Paid Taxes" sermon by Mark Dever
• 1 Peter 2:11

Raving about this week:

• Daniel loves his new humidor.
• Heather is grateful for entertaining a guest this week that two years ago welcomed her in their home in Southeast Asia.

Find us at: Daniel

• Twitter and Facebook @danielritchie
• Instagram @danielpritchie
• www.danielritchie.org

Heather

• Instagram @heathersletters