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It’s one thing to be apathetic towards people. We’re often indifferent to politics and social justice—trusting others to take care and do what’s right. As serious as apathy is, apathy towards God is even more critical. When we open our hearts to God He replaces apathy with passion... and that’s when our lives are changed.

When you feel overwhelmed by others this holiday season there are things you can do to find hope. Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory talk about how to quiet the chaos and find peace. They share what being overwhelmed by others feels like, how we can “pre-decide” and set boundaries before we interact with family, how to practice self-care, and how to deal with “crisis creators.” They also share how to determine if something is a “big deal” or a “deal breaker.” A final reminder is given that with God’s help you can find peace at the holidays and throughout the year.

I’ve never been surprised by God’s judgment, but I’m still stunned by his grace. God’s judgment has never been a problem for me. In fact, it always seems right. Lightning bolts on Sodom. Fire on Gomorrah. Good job, God! Egyptians swallowed in the Red Sea. They had it coming. Discipline is easy for me to swallow, logical to assimilate. But God’s grace? Anything but.

Examples? How much time do you have? Peter denied Christ before he preached Christ. Zacchaeus, the crook. The cleanest part of his life was the money he’d laundered, but Jesus still had time for him. The thief on the cross – hung-out to die one minute, heaven-bound and smiling the next.

Story after story. Surprise after surprise! Search the pages, read the stories. Find one person who came seeking a second chance and left with a stern lecture. Search. You won’t find it. 

Read more When God Whispers Your Name

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Episode 2.59

Almost everyone feels grateful—but not everyone practices thanksgiving.

In this episode, Zach and Michael unpack a distinction Scripture makes far more clearly than we often realize: gratitude is an inward posture; thanksgiving is an outward expression.

Drawing from both definitions and biblical insight, the discussion traces how gratitude acknowledges grace privately, while thanksgiving proclaims it publicly.

Hebrew thanksgiving, as Waltke notes, is not just saying “thank you”—it’s telling everyone what God has done (Psalm 100).

Listeners will explore:

– Why gratitude focuses on the gift, but thanksgiving exalts the Giver

– How gratitude fuels worship and thanksgiving completes it

– Why one without the other leads to either silence or showmanship

– How both together dismantle pride, calm anxiety, and deepen spiritual maturity

Through passages like Colossians 3, 1 Thessalonians 5, and Psalm 100, the episode reminds us that true worship is both felt and expressed — heart and mouth, reflection and declaration.

Takeaway:

Gratitude transforms perspective; thanksgiving transforms people.

When we learn to do both, we don’t just feel blessed — we become a blessing.

Thanksgiving is wearing your gratitude on the outside.

Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/oBWAgVGAvng

Merch here: https://take-2-podcast.printify.me/

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Find more Take 2 Theology content at http://www.take2theology.com

Find out the causes of adversity and how we should view it.

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To guard against deception, we need to know Scripture and apply it in daily life.

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