Kairos Moments

Where are fear and doubt holding you back? Are you self-sabotaging the plans God has for you? God is inviting you to step out of that fear and to walk in faith toward His plans for you. It really is simple, but it isn't easy. It takes courage. Don't you want to leave the gray and dreary confining life of a fearful existence and step into the bright and exciting adventurous life God has planned?

J.J. Gutierrez talks about her KAIROS MOMENT that came when God used her 6-year-old daughter to speak truth to her. She could have easily dismissed it, especially coming from such a young girl. But she RECOGNIZED it as coming from God and RESPONDED to it. From that moment on, J.J. knew what she had to do. It CHANGED everything.

JJ Gutierrez is a corporate career woman turned homeschool mom, writer, speaker and soon to be podcaster. Married for 24 years with three girls...two adults daughters and 10-year-old Hope, the mastermind behind Chickening IN. JJ has a passion for seeing women grow in courage and faith, and often you can find her starting new small group ministries. Some groups include mother-daughter bible studies, workplace Bible studies, homeschool groups, and goal planning groups. JJ loves her German Shepherd- Bella and most days you'll find her sipping a glass of fresh brewed iced tea.

To connect with J.J.:

Website: http://www.chickeningin.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/chickening_in/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/chickeningin/

What do you do when fear is staring at you in the face? What is your go-to response when unimaginable tragedy strikes?

Tiffany Johnson shares her story of when she was attacked by a shark while she and her husband were vacationing in the Bahamas.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAYS

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

• What you put in comes out!
• Even though they (God's promises) may not be for us today, we don't know what we're going to face in the future.
• You always want to think you have a strong faith, but honestly, you don't know until it's tested.
• The times I spent with the Lord before the attack, cultivated this closeness with Him that sustained me when I needed it the most.

Tiffany has had the opportunity to share her testimony on many media outlets, including Animal Planet, CNN's Vital Signs, The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, The Today Show, Inside Edition and the 700 Club.

One man accused her of fabricating her story after seeing her picture the day she was released. She and her husband radiated the peace and joy of the Lord. He said the only reason why he even considered it a fake news story was because of the smiles on their faces. Tiffany was able to share with him the reason for her joy. She said, "The awesome thing about God's joy is that it is not dependent upon our circumstance. We can have joy despite the lowest of lows that we're in because that's what God's promises are to us."

PRACTICAL WAYS TO TRUST THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF DIFFICULTIES:

• Spend time communicating with God daily.
• Journal. We can look back and see God's faithfulness in answering our prayers.
• Be intentional with our relationship with God.
• Build a history with Him.
• As we begin to know God's character through reading His Word, we have to tear down any false ideas of God our experiences might have told us. When you are able to grasp more of the truth of Who He is, we can start to see ourselves as He sees us.

Our thoughts are extremely powerful! She shares how she's discovered this truth with the use of her new prosthetic.

CONNECTING WITH TIFFANY and BE AN OVERCOMER MINISTRIES:

Go to her website and then scroll to the bottom for social media platforms.

http://www.beanovercomerministries.com

We are changing to a bi-weekly format, and here's why:

Many of you have told me my podcasts are too short. It seems like we just get to the good stuff...and then it ends. That's a good problem to have. Am I right?!

Going to a bi-weekly format will allow me to dive deeper in my interviews and pull more from my guests and to create richer content for you.

This podcast is all about YOU!

Subscribe to Kairos Moments so you don't miss a single episode!

Which tree are you living in within your relationships?

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

• Sin-conscious
• ONLY looks at the actions of others (and not their heart)
• Seeks to EXPOSE sin and wrongdoing in others
• Speaks truth in harsh, judgmental way
• "My RIGHTS!"

The Tree of Life

• Love-conscious
• Looks at actions AND their intentions
• Seeks LOVE which covers over a multitude of sins
• Speaks truth in humility and love
• "Our RELATIONSHIP!"

"What do you do when you are unable to change the difficult situation you're in? Even if you can't change the circumstance, you are not a victim. Instead, you are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be victorious in the midst of your hard season." (Karen Harmon)

Karen's Kairos Moment: Karen's pastor CHALLENGED her to praise God FOR the hard season she was in. It felt like lip service, and it felt ridiculous to say out loud; however, the more she did, the more it took root and became her reality.

If we truly believe what Romans 8:28 says about all things working together for our good, then we can praise Him FOR the hardship and not just praise Him for the victory coming on the other side. God will use the situation as one of the steps to get you to the ultimate victory.

She began to declare, "God, I praise you for this hip fracture! I know at the end of this, it will be for Your glory and for my good. I may not see it now, but I know You have victory on the other side of this obedience."

QUOTE: "The chains started to break when I started to praise." (Karen)

Karen's perspective changed as she began to see who God is instead of focusing on her pain. She decided to do what she could instead of focusing on what she couldn't (mentoring, writing, etc).

So often, we want a quick fix or a checklist, but Karen says we put so much value in the final destination, but the beauty lies in the journey.

I despise the message, "You are enough." Because YOU'RE NOT, but He is MORE THAN ENOUGH. By aligning ourselves with that mantra, when we go through these hardships, we beat ourselves up. "If I'm enough, then why can't I do this? Why can't I conquer this?

QUOTE: "YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO! He was meant to do that IN you, FOR you, and THROUGH you."

Shift your focus from wanting to be enough to: "God, you are more than enough!"

What do you do when you are angry at, disillusioned with and disappointed in God? How do you handle that crisis of faith? Karen Harmon went through a major plot twist in her life, but she came out the other side singing His praises.

• You can feel all those feelings. He's strong enough to handle them. But once you release them to Him, you'll discover He really is good. He really is still for you and not against you.

"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living" (Psalm 27:13 NIV).

• You can't always find your way into His presence, especially when you are dealing with so many negative emotions. You need to surround yourself with people who will take you there when you can't find your way.

• Praise Him for the process of going through the hardship, not necessarily for the victory that's coming.

This Kairos Moment happened while I was recording the episode with Pete and Jordan Jones. It will set you free, friends! Step out (even if it's not perfect), and do what will bring God glory. Make Him famous!

Spending time with God is not just dumping our prayer requests onto Him. It is creating space for us to also listen to what He has to say. He wants to talk to us. Journaling is one way we can be intentional. Be expectant in your time with Him.

Words Surrounding Kairos Moments:

• Intentionality
• Focus
• Availability
• Expectancy
• Listening

Kairos Moments:

• are big "aha" moments and small whispers.
• create room for God to speak/move. God always wants some kind of transformation to occur.
• happen all throughout the day. They aren't confined to our timetable. Often God interrupts our day and what we have planned to speak to us.

Biggest Hindrances to Kairos Moments:

• Busyness
• Lack of focus.
• Not being fully present.
• Preconceived ideas.
• Unable to recognize them.

Benefits of Journaling:

• It helps us focus.
• It is a tool to share things God is showing us with other people.
• God is constantly calling us to REMEMBER. Journaling helps facilitate remembering His goodness.
• Our wandering minds are forced to engage with what we are writing.

If you are interested in purchasing the Daily Kairos Journal from Pete and Jordan, click here.

GUEST:

On today's episode, I talk to Joel Muddamalle. He is the Director of Theology for Proverbs 31 Ministries and is a PhD student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with an emphasis in theology.

Joel and I discuss God's original intent for Adam and Eve (and subsequently us) when He placed them in the Garden within the context of His Divine rest.

WE ALSO DISCUSSED:

• The tension and mystery of trusting in the finished work of Christ as wholly sufficient AND as a result of that, we work.
• "Biblical Theology" ... what it is and why everybody should want to study it.
• God's presence is rest!
• Rest and how it relates to our identity, our relationship with God, and our relationships with other people. (So freeing!)
• Progressive sanctification.
• The Gospel is like a river.
• Imago Dei: The image of God. It was not broken at the fall. What we need to discuss is the Status and Standard of the Imago Dei.

QUOTES:

"As we attempt to know God's Word, we will find it is knowing us." (Joel)

"As a result of the fact that God has done the finishing work, I can partner with Him in the work He's assigned to me unto His glory that will ultimately be for my good." (Joel)

"The Old Testament sets seeds for us to see come to fruition in the New Testament. Likewise, in the New Testament, we need to ask ourselves where are the echoes, allusions and development that has already been laid in the Old Testament." (Joel)

"The mysteries of God are wrapped up in the special needs of my son." (Julie)

CONNECT:

To connect with Joel on...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Muddamalle/.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muddamalle/

To join the discussion about Kairos Moments, go to...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/582220752595603/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kairosmomentspodcast/

Today I discuss 5 Ways to Discern Your Own Kairos Moments. Scriptures mentioned in today's episode:

• Galatians 5:25
• 1 Kings 19:11-13
• Psalm 27:13