Step Eight - We make a list of every person we harmed and seek to repair the damage with them all.

Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.” Luke 6:31-34

The Promise of Step Eight - Self-seeking will slip away.

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Welcome to the It Just Is podcast, I’m your host, Michael Smalley. We’ve reached Step Seven - Humility - We ask God to help us change and remove all our signature sins.

If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. 1 John 1:8-10

The Promise of Step Seven: We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in others.

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Willingness is the key to this step. A Gaelic proverb states, "Nothing is easy for the unwilling." If you are unwilling to face your signature sins, failures, and pride, then progress becomes impossibly difficult. Those willing to face their faults and ignore the desire to avoid the pain in doing so are more likely to succeed in change. When life is difficult, willingness is a stance we can take to make things better. Embrace the discomfort of being honest about yourself because it leads you to contentment.

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Welcome to the It Just Is podcast, I’m your host Michael Smalley. Step Five - We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another person the exact nature of our wrongs and signature sins.

Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again. James 5:16-18

The Promise of Step Five: No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.

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In Step Four of the recovery process, we are presented with a crucial task - to undertake a thorough and accurate analysis of our moral inventory, with a particular focus on identifying our signature sins. This process requires us to be fearless and honest with ourselves as we delve deep into our past behaviors, actions, and thoughts that may have caused harm to ourselves and others.

By identifying our signature sins, we are able to confront the root causes of our negative behaviors with clarity and understanding. This process can be difficult and uncomfortable, but the promise of Step Four is that we will achieve a sense of peace and liberation by facing our past with honesty and courage. So join me today as we explore the importance of Step Four in the recovery journey and learn how to embrace the challenge of analyzing our moral inventory with an open heart and mind.

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Step Three: Do I want to live or die? If I want to live, I will turn my will and life over to the care of God and surrender everything. If I want to die, I choose to stop here.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2

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Don't miss out on a special interview with my missionary friends who are living in Southern Lebanon. They share their testimony of faith and trust, which is something we could all use in these times. You can find out more about their music ministry and discipleship work and support them financially by visiting https://www.horizonsinternational.org/jeremy-and-zaheda-fletcher 

Hope has the power to uplift our spirits and fuel our drive for a better future. It is a beacon of light during challenging times, giving us the strength and determination to keep going. It inspires us to pursue our dreams, overcome obstacles, and imagine a better world. By bringing people together, instilling optimism, and motivating positive change, hope is a beautiful and essential part of the human experience. It reminds us that no matter the circumstances, there is always a possibility for something better.

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." - Desmond Tutu

Years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to spend a whole day with Desmond Tutu in downtown Houston. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I vividly recall his small stature and infectious laughter. During the day, we were seated next to each other at a large boardroom table, and I managed to make him laugh. He had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh!

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For years, I tried and failed, again and again, to overcome my obsession with overeating. All you needed to do was look at me, and there’d be no doubt eating too much plagued my life. Until I learned there was nothing I could do to stop overeating, I continued to suffer. I’d shown myself and the world I could not stop this signature sin in my life. Until I finally quit trying to overeat and handed this signature sin over to God, I remained stuck.

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Have you ever heard of the 90 in 90 challenge? You’d better, because I mentioned in yesterday’s podcast episode! It's a powerful tool that can transform your life if you're willing to put in the effort. I'm talking about overcoming your signature sin and finally breaking free from its grasp. Now, I know this might sound like a daunting task, but trust me when I say that it's worth it. So, if you're feeling a little hesitant about taking on this challenge, keep listening because I'm about to show you why it's so important to start your own recovery journey with a 90 in 90.

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