Life Over Coffee

It's easier to trust God when you're in control of things than when you're out of control and you're unsure what will happen next. Being in control provides you with a sense of security, confidence, and comfort, albeit it's man-made. The downside to this human-centered worldview is that it's misplaced faith. God calls us to trust Him, not our circumstances. He is the object of our faith, not preferred outcomes. Because of our loyalty to self-reliance, He may push us beyond our preferences and predictions to teach us to rely on Him.

Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/its-easier-to-trust-god-when-youre-in-control/

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Shows Main Idea – In this fifth lesson, Rick walks through how Scriptures teach us words that build up and forbid words that tear down. Knowing and practicing these words foster godly relationships. This seven-part series builds one upon the other, so watching them in order is best. We also recommend you watch the video to read the content, see all the animations, and download all the supplemental graphics. Afterward, you can listen to the audio while driving, walking, and going about your day. The audio will bring back the visuals, cementing this content into your mind, a process that will transform your mind and relationships.

Lesson 1: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-469-friendship-series-knowing-and-loving-god-1/

Lesson 2: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-470-friendship-series-trusting-gods-word-2/

Lesson 3: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-471-friendship-series-defining-godly-relationships-3/

Lesson 4: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-472-friendship-series-overcoming-mistrust-and-hurt-4/

Lesson 5: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-473-friendship-series-words-that-build-relationships-5/

Lesson 6: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-474-friendship-series-actions-that-build-relationships-6/

Lesson 7 https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-475-friendship-series-choosing-relationships-wisely-7/

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Dying to yourself is the hardest assignment God will ever give you. It is not a one-time altar call, not an emotional moment at a retreat, not a dramatic breaking point you pass through and never revisit. Death to self is a repeated act of surrender, a daily funeral for the autonomous version of you that still longs to run your life independently of God. The good news is that the Lord never commands what He does not also empower. The very God who calls you to die is the same God who works behind the scenes—incrementally, systematically, and purposefully—to dismantle every remaining vestige of self-reliance so that you learn to trust Him more deeply. This divine sabotage is not cruelty; it is mercy. When the Lord disrupts your self-sufficiency, He is rescuing you from the greatest threat to your sanctification, which is your own strength.

Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/god-is-incrementally-systematically-and-purposely-putting-you-to-death/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Shows Main Idea – In this fourth lesson, Rick talks about how we have all been hurt and have hurt others. Therefore true repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation are needed. This seven-part series builds one upon the other, so watching them in order is best. We also recommend you watch the video to read the content, see all the animations, and download all the supplemental graphics. Afterward, you can listen to the audio while driving, walking, and going about your day. The audio will bring back the visuals, cementing this content into your mind, a process that will transform your mind and relationships.

Lesson 1: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-469-friendship-series-knowing-and-loving-god-1/

Lesson 2: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-470-friendship-series-trusting-gods-word-2/

Lesson 3: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-471-friendship-series-defining-godly-relationships-3/

Lesson 4: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-472-friendship-series-overcoming-mistrust-and-hurt-4/

Lesson 5: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-473-friendship-series-words-that-build-relationships-5/

Lesson 6: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-474-friendship-series-actions-that-build-relationships-6/

Lesson 7 https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-475-friendship-series-choosing-relationships-wisely-7/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Striving for self-generated perfection is as futile as attempting to save ourselves because it perpetuates internal turmoil and frustrates our closest friends. Though God does not want us to live sloppy, haphazard lives, He does want us to know that perfection comes through our weaknesses—our inability to be perfect, not our strengths. The appeal of God’s Word is clear; if we’re going to boast, make it in our weaknesses, accompanied by His miraculous strength that operates in us.

Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/eight-reasons-perfection-does-not-glorify-god/

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If our aim is perfection, we have two options. We can strive to be perfect through our strengths or accept someone else’s perfection as ours. The first option is not tenable because we cannot live mistake-free, unless we lowered the high standard of perfection to meet its requirements, leaving us with the second option as a breath of fresh air. To have someone vouch for us by providing their perfection is grace unmerited and the privilege of every Christian.

Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/cheap-law-lowering-gods-standard-in-order-to-be-perfect/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Shows Main Idea – In this third lesson, Rick makes a case that as described and demonstrated in Scripture, strong godly relationships provide the plan and pathway to build well with others. This seven-part series builds one upon the other, so watching them in order is best. We also recommend you watch the video to read the content, see all the animations, and download all the supplemental graphics. Afterward, you can listen to the audio while driving, walking, and going about your day. The audio will bring back the visuals, cementing this content into your mind, a process that will transform your mind and relationships.

Lesson 1: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-469-friendship-series-knowing-and-loving-god-1/

Lesson 2: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-470-friendship-series-trusting-gods-word-2/

Lesson 3: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-471-friendship-series-defining-godly-relationships-3/

Lesson 4: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-472-friendship-series-overcoming-mistrust-and-hurt-4/

Lesson 5: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-473-friendship-series-words-that-build-relationships-5/

Lesson 6: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-474-friendship-series-actions-that-build-relationships-6/

Lesson 7 https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-475-friendship-series-choosing-relationships-wisely-7/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

An unguarded strength is a double weakness because we rarely guard our strengths because we think of them as good, not realizing that our abilities can entrap us, keeping us from relying on God. Let me illustrate my point with a counseling session with a mother and daughter. The child's strength was her intellect, propelling her to do well in school. The unguardedness of her skills created a darkness in the child's life that brought them to counseling. If we are not wise in stewarding our strengths, we can become blind, too.

Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/when-education-becomes-deadly-to-a-childs-soul/

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Boasting in your weakness is a strange juxtaposition of words. Typically, you don't connect boasting with weakness unless you mock someone about their inability to accomplish a feat. We call it bullying. But in God's economy, boasting is something every Christian should do as they think about being weak, vulnerable, and fragile because mature believers know that God will not compete with them. It can't be strength and strength but weakness and strength. We see this concept in the death of Christ, causing the disciples to struggle to wrap their minds around the counterintuitive gospel message.

Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/what-does-it-mean-to-boast-in-your-weaknesses/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Shows Main Idea – In this second lesson, Rick discusses that the sufficiency of Scripture means we can trust God's commands regarding relationships, whether others treat us right or not. This seven-part series builds one upon the other, so watching them in order is best. We also recommend you watch the video to read the content, see all the animations, and download all the supplemental graphics. Afterward, you can listen to the audio while driving, walking, and going about your day. The audio will bring back the visuals, cementing this content into your mind, a process that will transform your mind and relationships.

Lesson 1: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-469-friendship-series-knowing-and-loving-god-1/

Lesson 2: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-470-friendship-series-trusting-gods-word-2/

Lesson 3: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-471-friendship-series-defining-godly-relationships-3/

Lesson 4: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-472-friendship-series-overcoming-mistrust-and-hurt-4/

Lesson 5: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-473-friendship-series-words-that-build-relationships-5/

Lesson 6: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-474-friendship-series-actions-that-build-relationships-6/

Lesson 7 https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-475-friendship-series-choosing-relationships-wisely-7/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.