SheFindsTruth

Today's long awaited episode is an interview with L.L. Martin author of Positively Powerless: How a Forgotten Movement Undermined Christianity. I read this book and loved it and think it has a really important message we all need to pay attention to. Satan is very sneaky and this is definitely one of his angles. 

She isn't suggesting there is evil in a "positive attitude," but that the movement of New Thought has been watered down into Positive Thinking which looks and sounds good but is not consistent with God's Word. We touch on the role of this thinking in the prosperity gospel, success, self-concept, confession, sanctification, and community. The book is filled with great doctrine and practical application of Martin's ideas. Go buy it!

Link to book. 

During the show I reference this Issues Etc. episode. 

Martin's website. 

To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - [email protected].

Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com!

Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer

Last episode I interviewed counselor Amanda Hofbauer from Chicago, IL for advice about how to comfort our friends who are struggling with something. We talked about the not-helpful thing people say and what might be more useful to our neighbors. 

Today I look at the book of Job for direction on how to be a friend to someone who is going through something really terrible. There's a lot of what-not-to-do in this book, but help is revealed as well. 

Check out the first episode if you haven't already and let me know what you think about both of them!

To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - [email protected].

Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com!

Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer

"Some things in life cannot be fixed. They can only be carried." -Megan Divine

Today's show is about those uncomfortable conversations where we cannot fix the problems people are struggling with. I am honored to have Amanda Hofbauer, MA, AMFT as a guest on the show discussing the difficulties of these conversations. She is a licensed Couples and Family Therapist in Chicago who specializes in helping those who are dealing with grief, infertility, and trauma. You can find her online at Facebook.com/renewtogether and also on Psychology Today. Check out her links!

This whole conversation started when I saw a tweet from Donna Pyle (and here's her website) .....

Oh hello this is so true!! Such a problem. Maybe this week's podcast should just be about not having easy answers. https://t.co/mjtRWSrvkj

So this got us talking and that's what this podcast is about. How DO we respond without being insincere and generic?

This Buzzfeed link that Amanda found helps as well as our conversation which you should totally listen to right now. :)

To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - [email protected].

Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com!

Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer

First of all, there are some glitches in the technology here and there. I know about them and apologize. I think I was talking too fast for my computer. ;)

Been thinking about parenting and what it really is and how to prioritize parenting stuff with the rest of the world. I realized that sometimes I might be wishing away this time in which I'm parenting children and I really don't want to do that. But it's easy to slip into. 

So I looked up some verses on parenting and did some reflecting. Here's the links to the show. 

Psalm 127:3 - Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Jonathan Fisk

Boars in the Vineyard Episode

Ephesians 6:4- Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Deut 6:6-9 - And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Titus 2:7 - Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity..

Watch Me

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

But this at least all married people should know. They can do no better work and do nothing more valuable either for God, for Christendom, for all the world, for themselves, and for their children than to bring up their children well. In comparison with this one work, that married people should bring up their children properly, there is nothing at all in pilgrimages to Rome, Jerusalem, or Compostella [the home of a famous shrine in Spain], nothing at all in building churches, endowing masses, or whatever good works could be named. For bringing up their children properly is their shortest road to heaven. In fact, heaven itself could not be made nearer or achieved more easily than by doing this work. It is also their appointed work. Where parents are not conscientious about this, it is as if everything were the wrong way around, like fire that will not burn or water that is not wet. -From Martin Luther's, "A Sermon on the Estate of Marriage"

Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason… , takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says, "Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores… ?

What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight…

God, with all his angels and creatures is smiling-–not because the father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith. - Martin Luther

By Wisdom a House Is Built

Some thoughts on Lent, Easter, and suffering. Discovering holes in theology when you put limits on God's faithfulness. And my goals for the podcast and my women's ministry. 

What is prosperity theology? 

Why Lutheran? The Lutheran Knuckleheads article I wrote called Coming Up Short. 

Pastor Shields - follow him on Twitter!

Blog posts about suffering

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me - heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Phil 3:12-14

Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Romans 6:4

Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

Psalm 115:1

To continue the conversation, go to the facebook page or email me! - [email protected].

Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com!

Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer

In today's episode I answer questions I've been pondering since Episode 15 concerning fear and what the Bible says about it. 

Does it really say "Do not fear" in the Bible 365 times? What does the world think "perfect love" means? Why does Joseph Prince seem to have cornered the market on this? Do I really have to dissect I John to figure this out? 

These questions and more sorted through in episode 17. 

And here are the links:

Episode 15

9 Sins the Church Is Okay With

Psalm 56

NPR's story on close friends being close to us in times of trial

Psalm 54

Definitions of sustain

I John 4

Joseph Prince butchers Scripture

To continue the conversation, go to the facebook page or email me! - [email protected]

Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer

You want to EXPERIENCE God?

FEEL His presence?

FIND Him?

It's less about you or me finding Him. 

It's more about how He comes to us. 

The Means of Grace can be defined as "how the Holy Spirit works both faith and good works in our lives." (from Spirituality of the Cross by Gene Veith p44) The Means of Grace are the vehicle God uses to come to us in a very real, very physical way so we can experience Him - undoubtedly and without question. 

Baptism

Galatians 3:27

Galatians 2:20

Colossians 1:27

Lord's Supper

John 6:52-58

John 6:41-51

The Word

Romans 10:17

I Thesalonians 2:13

John 15:3

1 Peter 1:23

Article from Pastor Cooper on Christ IN us called Christ Dwells Within Us and We Should Be Talking About It

To continue the conversation, go to the facebook page or email me! - [email protected]

Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer

I'm so glad to be back! Had to skip last week because my brain was overloaded, but now things have improved. Praise the Lord. 

In today's podcast I explain how I think there is an internet culture directed at women that promotes a lot of false sin and (therefore) false guilt. Telling us we have these problems and offering up a bunch of solutions, the entire time the "problem" isn't really a problem and in the process we are overlooking actual sin that needs to be addressed. 

Take a listen and see if you can relate. Also, if you are of the male gender and you listen, I would love to know if you see a similar thing that happens among men. Or not. Anyway, this is outside of the Christian culture but it's also totally thriving within it. There are all sorts of Christians telling me how I need to have more faith so I can _____ (fill in the blank). 

All of this leads to the thing that actually started me on this rant in the first place which is this blog post called 9 Sins the Church is Okay With. Besides ending the title with a preposition, 

Awhile back I listed out some things I can do when I am feeling like a loser and just can't get it together. (I've decided I need to post these in my office. Or on my forehead.) But meanwhile, I did a podcast on them. The first part was episode 13 and I basically got through 1-2.5. This episode completes the list and I think it's a decent list. Among other things I discuss the idea that some things the world thinks ARE sins, possibly aren't.. as well as what some Bible verses DON'T mean. 

Includes:

God has a reason for you. We don't need a 5 year plan, we need to look around and see what needs to be done.

Romans 8:28-30

Freedom from sin means we can freely serve. 

Habakkuk 1:1-4

Lord Help me make this happen. 

Philippians 4:10-13

Isaiah 41:10

Bonus Step - Tell Satan to shove it. 

Philippians 4:4-8 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplicationwith thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

To continue the conversation, go to the facebook page or email me! - [email protected]

Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer

In an effort to be uplifting today instead of super heavy (it IS February after all; in the Midwest that means we are all struggling to go on with our lives because the sun hasn't shined in 3 months), I ran across this post I did awhile back called 10 Steps When You Feel Like a Loser. 

Turns out talking about these in detail only brought us through steps 1-3 and then I had to stop and start another episode. (I'm attempting to be consistent with the length of the episodes and keep them around 30 minutes or less.) Anyway, this episode covered thankfulness and confession. It also includes discussion about how "gratitude journals" are all the rage and they worry me. 

Solid Scripture in here. This episode includes the following:

I Thessalonians 5:18

Colossians 3:15-17

James 1:17

Philippians 4:6

In the segment on Confession I get far enough to reference Bo Giertz' book To Live with Christ which I can recommend enough. Also this bit from the LCMS and also Luther's Small Catechism. Check those out. 

Also I have a smidge of intermission music from Monty Python. :)

The next show will finish up our list. More Scripture, more of my rants and encouragement. See you then! 

To continue the conversation, go to the facebook page or email me! - [email protected]

Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer