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We left putting a fence in this week to the professionals, on account of how rocky and hard our ground is. However, I thought I could manage putting in some bushes. On my last one, I went to lift up and *snap* my shovel split into two pieces. I had gotten underneath an unyielding massive rock, and it was not going to budge. Well...Jesus warns that our hearts can be like this. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, our hard hearts are unyielding. We don't allow God's Word to cut us deep or mold us, but we resist his will. As a result, our faith is shallow, and we cannot bear fruit. What condition is our heart in? 

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I am an old soul. I listen to old music, watch old movies & old shows. There is so much more wholesome content than what is frequently put out today in looking to times past. One of my favorite shows is the Andy Griffith show, and one particular episode made it's way around social media this week. It's where Opie is convinced by a traveling vagabond to skip school an steal. When Andy contronts the man, he thinks Opie should be able to decide for himself how to live. Andy informs him that's not how it works with children, they need taught better from someone who knows the dangers of the world and difference between right and wrong. Well...we are God's children, and often we act just like Opie. We think we know what's best, and we end up getting ourselves into all kinds of trouble. We need to learn to wait & trust in the Lord, because they things he instructs us in are truly in our best interest & for our good. 

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What would you do for a Klondike bar? It's such a great slogan, isn't it? Some of the funniest or craziest things have been done all in the name of being given a free Klondike bar in return. "I would hug a cactus" or "I would walk around Times Square like a monkey", and things like this. They've even made a game out of it, which I'm dying to play. Well...I have a different question. What would I do for eternal life? Throughout Jesus' ministry, he continues to ask hard questions, calling for us to decide, "would I do this for Jesus?" Would we be persecuted? Love our enemy? Give up our things? Deny ourselves? These are questions that we have to answer - and so I ask you - what would you do for eternal life? 

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This is a very special episode, but a difficult one. Last episode, I opened up about the state of depression I've found myself in, and the different things we were doing to try and get me back on track. After much counseling, among other things that need to change, I learned that I needed to do some pruning in my life to help me better manage my time. So going forward, we will have some changes to this podcast - tune in the for the special announcement. Oh, and tune in the for our very first guest as well, none other than Dr. Kenny Embry of the Balancing the Christian Life podcast! This is one you really don't want to miss. 

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It's been a struggle recently for me. I've just not been myself for several weeks. I have all the symptoms of depresssion but not a ton of answers as to why, just a few. Thankfully, as much as I've tried to just deal with it on my own, others have not let me. My wife, for starters, has stepped in to get me back on track. Secondly, some of my closest brothers here that noticed something was off, and are helping to get me back on track. Well...iron sharpens iron. That implies that sometimes, we all grow dull. But to get back to our true form, we can't do it alone. We need the help of others, and that's how God designed it. Don't keep others are arm's length. Let people in close, especially a spouse or a friend that sticks closer than family. 

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What is the most valuable thing you possess? I think there is a good argument to be made that it is your time. We all have the same amount of time, yet feel we can't get enough and that we need more. But maybe the problem isn't that we need more time, maybe it's how we are choosing to spend it. Well...God is very interested in how we choose to spend our time. We must learn how valuable it is, and use it wisely and not foolishly. We also must make sure that the things we spend our time doing align with the will of God, and not just our own. 

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The value of real estate is so drastically different depending on where you are looking. Today a news article was shared with me about a man in his 80's who bought a home in Pasedena, CA 40 years ago for $155,000. It listed this week for $1.3 million. It sold for $2.5 million cash. How? Why would anyone pay this cost for a 3/1 1900 square foot home? Location. Well...what is it that makes our heavenly home so valuable? Is it actual streets of gold or pearly gates? I believe it has to do with one thing more than any other: location. What makes heaven worth any cost is our eternal proximity to Jesus - God will dwell with his people. 

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Today is a special day, because it is Jackie Robinson Day. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball on April 15th, 1947. Depsite much oppression and hardship, through his example and willingness to press on, he paved the way for black atheletes to compete side by side with white men, as it always should have been. To honor him, today all players in the MLB wear his number 42. What was once divided is now brought together, as barriers were broken. Well...Jesus Christ has also broken down walls of hostility. Through his willingness to suffer, he brought Jews & Gentiles together and made them one in the kingdom of God. Where there once was hostility now is only unity and peace because of the cross of Christ. 

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Dandelions: the bane of my existence. I just finished mowing the grass on Monday, and I have 3-6 inch stems already growing all over my yard as of today! It can be maddening - you cut something down, only to have it pop right back up again. It seems no matter what you do, there is no getting rid of it. Well...temptation is much the same way. It can be maddening, you overcome a temptation one day, only to have Satan right back up in your face the next. How do we overcome? We've got to cut it back down through the power of Jesus & the Word. Temptation will always be there, it's how we choose to respond to it that matters. 

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We had our 16 week ultrasound appointment today where we find out the gender of the baby. We are so excited to announce we are having another little baby girl! In just 5 months from now, Finley Grace Sipe will be joining this world. While it's been a very challenging pregnancy, and the next 5 months will be hard as well, we both know it will be worth it the day that we get to hold her. Well...Jesus encouraged his disciples in the same way, even using labor & delivery as an illustration. Discipleship is hard, and the challenges we face in this world certainly are a great struggle. But we will forget all about them when one day we see Jesus face to face. No matter what we face in this life, it will one day all be worth it. 

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