Living With Less Podcast

In this week's episode we're diving into why we must hold fast to God's truths and diving into truths that we must hold fast too.

• 2 Chron 20:17 - You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
• Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
• Isaiah 41: 13-14 - For I, the Lord your God,  hold your right hand;
  it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;  your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
• Isaiah 41:17-18 - and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
  and the dry land springs of water.
• Isaiah 41:20 - that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.
• Jeremiah 1:10 - See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
• Romans 17:15-25 - For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
• 2 Corin 5:20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
• Galatians 5:17-18 - For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
• Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
• Ephesians 5: 15-17 - Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
• Ephesians 6:11-18 - Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
• 1 Thess 5:5-28 - For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.  But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.  Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

I pray you find 1 of these 13 scriptures as encouragement and an equipping in your heart to hold fast to the goodness and the truth of God. 

Heavenly Father, 

It’s hard to put words together in times like these and because of that I’m so thankful you know our hearts. (Ps. 139:2) Lord, I pray that you quiet the anxious thoughts that take our eyes off of you, I pray that the heaviness that seems to be looming in our hearts all over the world and our country would turn to hopefulness in knowing these events did not blindside you. You know all, permit all, and have all authority. You make beauty from ashes. 

Jesus, I pray that you would cover the families who’ve been tragically affected by the pandemic of the Coronavirus, the flu strands that have hit hard this season, and tornados that devastated Nashville. May these people feel your all-consuming love wrap around them from head to toe and may they experience the love of Christ in a mighty way. 

We ask a covering of protection for all of those who are at high risk of this virus. I’m sure their hearts are filled with worry and uncertainty and I pray they sense your peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). 

Lord, may you cover all our homes with hedges of angels and may no plagues enter our dwelling places (Ps. 91:10). Give us hearts that willingly love like you and help us to serve our families from a cup overflowed by you while we all begin experiencing the call to stay at home.  

Lord, lastly I pray that your word would be the first thing we turn to when we begin to feel fearful about this situation and all the situations to follow. Help us to state the facts in these moments about who you are; Alpha, Omega, Beginning, End, Holy, Perfect, Just, and Kind. Then help us to state the facts about who you say we are; chosen, secure, precious, seen and handmade by You. May we all rest our weary hearts in your hands and always trust in what you are doing. 

In Jesus's name, amen. 

Verses from A Prayer for Protection in The Midst of Uncertainty:

Psalm 139:2 - You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.

Psalm 91:10-11 - no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1) Tell us about you! ( Family, church, where you live, ministry, job etc.)

My name is Emily Lauren Cardel, but I go by Elle! I am 26-years-old and live with my husband, Michael,  and our sweet lab-mix, Tucker, in a historic fixer-upper home in Shelbyville TN- which is about an hour outside of Nashville if you’re familiar. 

I graduated from Lipscomb University in May 2015 with a degree in theology. I spent several years in children’s ministry during college and actually graduated with a job as a children’s minister for a church in Birmingham, AL, where I worked for almost two years before my husband proposed and brought me back to sweet Tennessee. 

Now, I own my own business and am a certified wedding planner. I do this part time while I focus on pursuing the call to women’s ministry God has laid on my heart through my online women’s ministry, Daughter of Delight. 

2) Daughter of Delight is your ministry that is used to speak to the everyday woman, when did you feel God birth this in you and how did you begin walking out that calling? 

I really love this question because I honestly don’t share this story enough, so thank you for asking! God planted the idea of an online women’s ministry in my heart during my junior year of college. What’s funny is that I pulled a total Moses on Him. I literally thanked Him for considering me, but assured Him I was not the girl for the job...that there was someone else out there who was more qualified and less sin-filled than I. 

Thankfully, the Lord was patient and persistent with me. Over the course of the next month, the see He had planted continued to grow and the conviction to pursue an online women’s ministry continued to sit heavier and heavier in my heart. It honestly got to the point where it was all I could think about. 

But I was scared about what people would think and that I was only going to embarrass myself in sharing my voice.

However, one day  I found myself in a conversation with a friend and she asked me what my God-sized dreams were. It was in that moment that I connected the dots and realized there was no way I was going to be able to run an online women’s ministry on my own, but that was never God’s intent. He was inviting me to partner with Him in something beautiful. He would see His plan through, all He needed was my trust and obedience. 

It was in this conversation that I spoke the God-sized dream of running an online women’s ministry into existence. Up until this point, it had been back and forth battles in my head. It felt so good to let it out and I loved my friend’s response! When I told her, she said, “Well, what are you waiting for? You’ve got nothing to lose!”

And she was right. I had nothing to lose, but so much to gain! So I went back to my apartment on campus and was up until 2 AM writing down the logistics and brainstorming the name for this ministry. I even created the Instagram account for it. 

For the first 87  days, it was just me and God. As a full-time, 18 hours a semester college gal, I was showing up and writing devotionals- every single day- as the pen in His hands. It was AWESOME and I know I only pulled it off by the strength and power of His Spirit in me! 

But I also felt like there was something more for Daughter of Delight. I knew it wasn’t intended to be just me, so I prayed and prayed for God to share more of His vision and heart for this ministry with me. And on day 87, He did. He opened my eyes to the fact that Daughter of Delight would be a ministry that encourages and empowers women through sharing their voice through their gift of writing with the women who make up the Daughter ofDelight community in order to encourage, challenge and help women grow in their relationship with our Creator. 

And that’s where Daughter of Delight stands today. Every three months, I look for a team of women to write one devotional a day for 12-13 weeks (depending on how many weeks are in the quarter). It’s amazing to see what some of these women have gone on to do- some have published books, launched a successful blog of their own, or just walked away with a greater understanding of their purpose. And it’s also amazing to see the impact God is using these women to have on the thousands of women that make up our online community! He has been faithful from the get-go, and I’m just so grateful He used me to birth something so beautiful and special AND that I am still on this journey, five years later! 

3) When you find yourself in a season of hardship is there a particular verse you find yourself going back to that reminds you God delights in you!

Yes, absolutely! Zephaniah 3:17 is what inspired the name, Daughter of Delight, actually, and one I take great joy and comfort in. 

It says, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

This verse gives me a wonderful taste of the joy of the Lord. It reminds me of the bigger picture at hand and the eternal joys that await His children. God is glad because we are glad in Him, and when we sing for joy, He delights in us with singing. And it is only in Him we can experience this type of joy and gladness, hence the name, Daughter of Delight! 

4) Speaking of delight. This one small word holds so much meaning. Can you share with us what it means to you in reference to how God sees you.

Ah, yes. This small word is jam-packed with truth! This is how I see it:

What God delights in about us is that we delight in him. His Word not only tells us that He delights in us, but commands us to take delight in Him. Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord. So this tiny word of “delight” has a beautiful, life-giving two-fold meaning. When we truly take delight in God, He rejoices because our sight is more set on Him. Therefore, our joy is more complete in Him. So, when I choose to take delight in His ways over the selfish, sin-prone ways of my flesh, I become more complete in Him and in my identity as a daughter of the Most High King. I become His daughter of delight. 

5) I know you have lots of younger women who follow along with your devotions, what is it that you want them to walk away with more than anything. 

You know, it’s always been my prayer that God would use this ministry to  meet women where they’re at & to help fuel their fire to keep going- despite their circumstances.  I pray that women would be encouraged and challenged to step into God’s Word and pursue His heart all the more. 

There are a lot of people who think they are too ill-equipped to understand the Bible, but I want to push against this mindset and challenge women to step out of it. The Bible was not just made for preachers and teachers to share its truth. The Bible proves this! Look at all the people that couldn’t keep quiet about all the things Jesus did. AND, God used His Spirit to inspire and speak through everyday people like us to write His Word.

Rooting ourselves in God’s Word will help us understand why we believe what we believe and propel us all the more into the identity He has gifted us with as we continue to draw near to Him. 

6) Something that struck me about your ministry that inspired me is your sharing your space with other women who love God’s word. What made you desire to create room at the table God gave you too bless these other women. 

Oh, yes! I am a strong advocate for making sure people know there is room for them at the table to offer the gifts God has given them. I’m going to be completely honest with you...one of the reasons I was afraid to start an online women’s ministry was because I already knew of some out there and they were doing it what I thought as ten thousand times better than I could. The Lord really had to work on my heart and open my eyes to the truth that there really is room for everyone at the table- which is another reason why I love the vision He had for the heart of this ministry to make way for other women and their voices. 

There are over 8 billion people in the world. We need as many ministries and advocates for Christ as we can get- online and offline! 

7) I just really feel like the Lord wants me to ask you about waiting. How do you cling to Jesus in the midst of a wait and what truths would you point women to in these seasons?

Oof, what a great question! God has taught me so much about it throughout my Daughter of Delight journey. Truth be told, my desire is to be able to give Daughter of Delight my undivided attention. I really believe the Lord is calling me to do this full-time, but even after 5 years I’m just not there yet. So, there’s been a lot of waiting and frustration over the course of my Daughter of Delight journey. It really is a full-time job and I’m so ready to financially be able to let go of everything else so that I can be ALL IN. 

That being said, what I have learned about waiting is ultimately rooted in my being content in Christ. Christian contentment is completely contingent on the all-sufficient resources of Christ.

It’s not found in getting, doing or having. It's found in knowing Jesus. Read what Paul shares with us about it in Philippians 4:10-20.

God knows what He is doing. Even if we don’t, He does. The Creator of the Universe knows me more than I know myself. Because of this, I can rest assured my life is in not just good hands, but the BEST hands- even if I’m impatient with His timeline at times. And you know, when I take the time to look past my impatience and instead focus on the ways in which His sovereign hands are at work in my life, I see the blessings I am surrounded by. 

Even in the waiting, God is at work in us. It is not our place to doubt Him, but to trust Him. Trusting Him is the only way. 

8) The Living With Less podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this, what would you tell them and why!

I would ask them to make a list of the things they value and prioritize. Then, I would have them reflect and evaluate their list and ask them to decide what needs to be modified or completely removed in order to make room for Christ to reign in their heart.

For example, maybe some of us misplace our worth in people pleasing and therefore lose sight of who we truly are in Christ. Or, maybe we are so consumed with the speed of  this fast-paced life that we have come to the conclusion that we are too busy for God, but He knows our hearts. Maybe, we spend ridiculous amounts of time on our phone instead of showing up in God’s Word. 

Whatever it is, we have to make ourselves aware of the worldly treasures that have stolen our attention so that we can make room for God and allow Him to be our true treasure. He is the most invaluable treasure and the only treasure that will every satisfy!  

9) I know you’re also an event planner! What is your favorite part about being in the details of these days! 

This question just made me love my job all the more! The details are definitely my favorite part. Particularly with weddings, I love piecing the details together and then getting to take a step back when I’m done and watch how each detail tells a part of the wonderful love story God has written in the hearts of the couples I have the pleasure of working with. It is such a rewarding feeling! 

This week begins off the Month Of Missions Series! You'll be hearing from 4 wonderful organizations with missions that are fully committed to being the hands and feet of Jesus. Suzanne Mayernick is kicking off the series sharing the heart and mission behind Love One International. She also gives us a deeper dive into her own story of how God birthed Love One in her heart years before it began. 

Love One's Mission:

In 2007, Mike and Suzanne Mayernick flew to Uganda to bring their little girl, JosieLove, home from Uganda. When they arrived, the 15-pound shell of a 3 1/2-year-old who they came to adopt was raging with a 105 degree fever and at a routine medical exam, they found out that that she had malaria, tuberculosis, and was HIV positive.

After just a few months at home receiving the love, attention, and the medical care she needed, this once dying little girl blossomed into a healthy, thriving child. Watching JosieLove's transformation sparked a fire inside of Suzanne and she knew that she was called to help more children like her daughter...so she started Love+One.

Love+One International got its name from JosieLove and the plus sign represents the mission to support the HIV positive population.

A few of my favorite things Suzanne said in our conversation that I felt needed to be out there in written form: 

• "It’s been really cool to watch the lord move the way he does and I’ve been holding onto the kite string as it took off into the air."
• We saw what love and medical treatment could do for a child like her who could’ve died. My heart just continued to be broken for kids like her.
• I have no idea how it’s happened. It’s just God. The doors have just continued to open and I’ll obediently walk through them.
• When I look in these children’s eyes I see Jesus. It’s the only way on this earth I feel like I’m looking dead in the eyes of Jesus. I feel his presents more than ever before through these children.
• When we resettle these children it’s not love one, it’s the love of Jesus that is why we do what we do. We get to share the love of Christ through this sick kids.
• In the heartache and the hard He brought JOY everyday through these little children he’d given me to care for.
• The goal is to build a bigger facility so we can hold 50-100 children.
• “Submit to His will and I love living in that freedom.”

How to get involved!

• Follow on social media
• Pray for the children by name! 
• Pray for our goal: love one - to love that one child that is in our arms or in front of us at that moment. 
• Prayer for our staff.
• Donate - loveoneinternational.org

This week Chelsey shares about The Lord taking her on a journey to revealing the unwillingness that was buried in her heart. He showed her through her word that an unwilling heart leads to ungodliness and unfruitfulness. May this episode lead your heart to a place of seeing the attributes God calls us to and why we need the removal of those that are not from Him! 

Attributes of An Unwilling Heart:

• Unfruitfulness
• Ungodliness
• Sinful, fleshly desires
• Not seeking the truth

His Commands To Us:

• Willing hearts (1 Corinthians 2:14)
• Make disciples (Matthew 28:19)
• Send the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19) 

This week's scriptures:

• Romans 1:18-23 - 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
• Ephesians 5:11 - 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
• Ephesians 5:15-17 - 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
• 2 Timothy 2:16 - 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,
• Titus 2:12-15 - 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

This week's episode is diving deeper into 3 questions that are changing my faith and they all have to do with discernment. This theme is one that God is continuing to weave into all of my days. Reminding me that it's all about knowing Him better and making Him known. 

3 Verses in  the ESV: 

• Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
• Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• Hebrews 5:14 - But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

3 Questions That Are Changing My Faith:

• Is my life pleasing to The Lord?
• Do I discern the intentions of my thoughts and heart?
• Do I know good from evil? Wise from unwise?

Winner of Phylicia Masonheimer's Book:

• @alyssamtee

I pray take some time this week to sit with these verses and questions, my prayer is they help to steward your heart to a deeper relationship with Him. 

This week Chelsey sits down with Phylicia Masonheimer to talk about the importance of discernment. Phylicia shares her wisdom on what discernment is, how to know if we're growing in it spiritually, and most importantly why God desires it for us. You'll leave this episode challenged, equipped, and pointed to truths that will change your walk with The Lord.

What is discernment?

• Wisdom in action
• The Holy Spirit will give them the discernment they need as they expose themselves to The Word.
• 1 Corinthians 1:19
• Hebrews 5:14
• Hebrews 4:12
• Romans 12:2

Why we need to study God's word to grow in discernment:

• We cannot live the Christian life apart from Christ. You can only know Christ through His word and His spirit.
• You'll know if you're hearing from His spirit if you're in His word.
• We learn that just because things may resonate with us in the world it doesn't mean it's biblically true.
• If we say we're Christians we're saying we align with the teaching's of Jesus Christ and to be in alignment with them we have to know them.

How to make time for God's Word:

• We first need to realize that we've Americanized "quiet time" with The Lord. It will never be the "perfect setting" especially as seasons change in our lives.
• Try doing 3x a week deep study. On the other days read through the Psalms and read it back to The Lord.
• Just show up.
• We make time for what we care about.

Holy Spirit:

• In scripture is always accompanied by He when talked about.
• Power to dwell in us for a specific task - dwells in us for a specific task.
• Does NOT lead to disorders and disarray.
• It leads, teaches, and equips.
• It will NEVER lead you to sin and will NEVER contradict His word.

Conformation in His word and questions to ask when you're in prayer:

• If you're in His word and you know what The Word says you can trust Him to lead you.
• Does the principle match who God says He is?
• Would this action glorify God and bless others?
• Does this sanctify, grow, and mature me?

What would you tell someone who asked what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to becoming more like Christ?

• Living with less shallow distractions. They keep us from depth with God.
• We will stay in the shallow, confused, un-discerning state if we don't choose to lay down our Cross.

Connect with Phylicia:

• Website: phyliciamasonheimer.com 
• Instagram: @phyliciamasonheimer

This week's diving deeper episode is all about community. The call to it, the joy of, and at times the heartbreak it brings. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 gives us a very clear picture of why The Lord calls us to Godly relationship and what happens when we don't have it. 

Car Key Story:

• God gives us the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus for others. 
• This is how we as a church need to lead by example for others.

Fear & Rejection:

• These two words are what keep us away from going deeper with our relationships.
• These two words lie to our hearts and allow the enemy the take a mile.

"Come To Me":

• Jesus calls us to come to Him for rest - rest comes with having a community to love on you.
• It's an invitation to be able to walk alongside people who we can help and they can help us. It's a gift from Christ. 

Community:

• There is heartache and heartbreak within community but the beauty and blessings that come from it far outweigh the hard. 
• If you're in a church that continues to make getting into community difficult it may be time to ask The Lord is this where He wants you.
• The Lord may to calling you to be the one who speaks up in your congregation to share with leaders about that issues.

Live The Truth is an episode showing why we need to outwardly live the truth to those around us. Chelsey's heart was stewarded to a place in God's word because of a friend continuing to speak it. She wasn't speaking it directly to Chelsey but since God's word doesn't return in void (Isaiah 55:11) it was doing a new thing in her heart. The Lord used this powerful example to show why it is so important to live out His truth in our lives so we can steward others to Him.

What Happens When We Live The Truth

• Our hearts grow deeper in Christ.
• Peoples hearts begin to change around us.
• We steward people to The Lord and His word.
• It changes everything. 

Scripture References 

• Matthew 13:24-30 The Parable of the Weeds - 24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.
• Matthew 15:13 - 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.
• Luke 17:6 - 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
• Jude 1:12 - 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted;
• James 1:5 - 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Find People To Pray For You 

• Find a few women/men who can come alongside you in prayer when you're struggling. 
• Be in a community of believers who don't just encourage you but equip you to have a deeper faith and pursue a life that bears much fruit. 

This week we're diving deeper into the power of praying God's word and the call to be obedient even when He's fighting the battle for us. If you missed last weeks episode (55) with Wendy Blight it is one you'll want to be sure to tune into. 

2 Chron. 20:12,15,17

• 12- For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
• 15- Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
• 17- You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.
• The Lord calls us to be obedient even when He's fighting the battle for us. 

Matthew 15:13

• 13- He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.
• The Lord wants to eradicate everything in our lives that is not meant to be there. 

2 Corinthians 10:5

• We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
• The Lord gives us the opportunity to hand over the thoughts that are not from Him and we then allow Him to remove it from our lives. 
• This has to become a habit, not a one time thing. (This is a HUGE work in progress for me).