Happy New Year! Listen to this week's episode before you nail down your resolutions or buy that gym Membership.

In this episode of Mercycast, my friend Matt Popovits, author of the new book Junk Drawer Jesus, and I discuss the challenges of New Year's resolutions, the clutter in our spiritual lives, and the dangers of viewing work and personal happiness as central to our identity. We explore how to identify and discard spiritual junk that weighs us down, emphasizing the importance of grace and the finished work of Jesus in our lives. In this conversation, we investigate the themes of comfort, pain, spiritual clutter, and the essence of faith, discussing the importance of recognizing discomfort as a part of growth, the role of repentance in a believer's life, and the freedom found in Christ's love. The dialogue emphasizes that true fulfillment comes not from personal performance but from understanding and accepting God's grace.

Highlights and takeaways from the conversation:

• New Year's resolutions often lead to guilt and shame.
• Spiritual clutter can hinder our relationship with God.
• Identifying spiritual junk requires honest reflection.
• Work can become a functional savior, leading to burnout.
• Happiness should not be the ultimate goal of life.
• The true message of Christianity is about what is done, not what we do.
• Recognizing our spiritual hoarding is the first step to healing.
• Cultural influences can distort our understanding of faith.
• Personal fulfillment should not come from professional success.
• God's purpose for us is deeper than mere happiness. We often sacrifice growth for comfort.
• Pain can lead to a deeper understanding of our faith.
• Repentance is a continual process of turning back to Christ.
• Self-awareness is crucial in our spiritual journey.
• The goal is not spiritual purity but a relationship with Jesus.
• Confession allows us to acknowledge our struggles with God.
• We are free to pursue spiritual practices without guilt.
• Our worth is not based on our performance but on Christ's love.
• The essence of faith is resting in the finished work of Jesus.

You can find Matt’s book, Junk Drawer Jesus, here! Find more at makeitsimple.org.

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Email us at [email protected].For more conversations like this one, check out my book, Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking.

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