The Pure Worship Podcast

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Hey, I don't know how you grew up, but I didn't grow up understanding the power of my voice to BRING LIFE in the supernatural. I was turned off by the abuse of this principle by the "name it, claim it" camp, and I allowed this to stifle a very good thing. In this podcast, we discuss the power of keeping yourself moving in the right direction by using your mouth to agree OUT LOUD with the things God has said, with His promises AND His principles. It seems every day that someone new walks away from Christianity, and you gotta wonder what we can do to keep ourselves from letting this happen to us and those we love! If you're concerned, like me, you simply MUST listen to this conversation. The principles we outline here will help keep you running in the right direction, no matter what craziness is happening around you. 

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Have you ever considered the fact that the beautiful symbols of Christianity—the cross, communion, and other sacraments—can turn into a HUGE stumbling block toward real, vibrant relationship with God? Seems like we—along with the Israelites—are often dead set on finding something we can see, feel, or touch to engage with, instead of being content to connect relationally with our invisible God. Many of us even worship our emotions or our church experiences rather than attempt to take the time to learn to actually BE WITH the person of God. One on one. Granted, it is fairly difficult to wrap our minds around HOW to engage with the Being who spoke life into existence, and it is much easier to attempt to walk in close fellowship with religious activities. And so, in this podcast, we've determined to expose the unintentional golden calves that can easily "stand in" for true relationship with God. **Don't forget, you can join our family in providing clean water for those who don't have any by giving toward our 10K run here: https://celebrationmn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/stl-fundraiser-deyos

So many times, we find ourselves needing to UNLEARN things we’ve previously learned about God, that is, especially if we're hoping to approach Him with the FREEDOM He desires. Unfortunately, we end up making up our own rules and procedures, often because of our own insecurities and failings. All the while, God has already done everything that is necessary to break down the barriers between us, to wash away our shortcomings, to tear away the veil, to make a way!!! And he simply invites us to accept his invitation to come to Him. In this week's podcast, Josh and Jeff explain what it means to come boldly before the throne of God, dispelling the notion that shame should keep you from coming or that coming boldly equates to coming with arrogance. Let's go!

Also, please join Jeff and his family by giving TODAY as the run a special 10k this Saturday, November 16, to raise money to build water wells for people who don't have clean water, ultimately opening the door for them to hear the Gospel. You can contribute here: https://celebrationmn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/stl-fundraiser-deyos

There’s much that can be said about hunger and thirst, but it might surprise you to hear us say that they aren’t actually bad! In fact, would you believe us if we told you that hunger and thirst are an enormous blessing from God?? Yep, in today’s podcast Josh and I are going to debunk a myth about these two concepts as well as encourage you to refresh yourself spiritually by drinking deeply and continually from the rivers of God's living water. Many of us walk around dry and cracked, literally dying of thirst, completely void of spiritual water in their lives – spending vast amounts of time drinking from the wells of this world, only to find ourselves spiritually parched. Psalm 63:1 declares, “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.” The only difference between us and the psalmist is that many of us don’t recognize our own depravity. Join us today to learn more.

Please help me celebrate my 50th birthday (today, Nov. 5) by giving to support my family's efforts to raise money to build water wells for needy families as we run a 10k on Sat Nov. 16. My goal is to raise $2,500 for my birthday, but any amount helps! Please partner with us by giving here: https://celebrationmn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/stl-fundraiser-deyos

ALSO, if you would like to help Josh's friends feed the hungry, please, please reach out to them at JesusFood.org.

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Oh, I hope God doesn’t come back just yet; I’m really looking forward to that 10 day Bahamas trip next summer.” Or, “I really hope Jesus doesn’t return in the next 30 days; I just can’t wait to get that new iPhone!” There's something not quite right when we're more excited about this earth than we are about Heaven. We know Paul said to live is Christ and to die is gain. So he clearly had the perspective that moving on from this earth is a big time promotion. So why all the fuss? Is it the unknowns, or is it something deeper? In this podcast, Josh and I are going to take a closer look at the most amazing thing about Heaven. Spoiler; it's not the golden streets! By the way, if you would like to get a copy of Jeff's book, Awakening Pure Worship, you can visit www.jeffdeyo.com or purchase one on Amazon. If you have any questions about today's or any other episode, feel free to comment on the app or email us here: [email protected]. Thanks!

No doubt, you’ve heard us talk about the importance of fostering a REAL relationship with God. No doubt you know that Josh and I believe the Bible reveals this endeavor to be the most important thing we can do in life. No doubt, you can expect us to continue to press the issue in different ways again and again—especially since most of us are still making excuses, all the while spending our most precious resource—our time—in much less worthwhile ways. In this episode, we take a look at the touching and inspiring lyrics from a brand new song from NCU, entitled "Come Away with Me." You've just got to hear it! The lyrics are inspired by Song of Songs chapter 2, and even if you didn't grow up reading the book that causes middle school boys to get red in the face, you need to get ahold of this concept. Enjoy!

Also make sure you take check out the NEW video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fGN51uiPVo

Finally, join the Deyo family by supporting us as we run a 10k on Saturday Nov 16 to raise money to build fresh water wells for people who have no access to clean water, with the hope of opening the door for them to hear the Gospel. Donate here: https://celebrationmn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/stl-fundraiser-deyos

The enemy of our souls is hard at work to destroy the image of our heavenly Father. He realizes if he can distort that image, our connection with the “God as Father” metaphor will likely derail our ability to walk closely with our Creator based on toxic issues we’ve had with our earthly fathers. Why would we find any enthusiasm about embracing the #1 most important purpose of our lives—to come to the Father in relationship—if we’ve already embraced a sour image of Him? If the enemy is allowed to take this away, He is essentially taking everything away! Our only hope is to renew our minds on the truth—the truth that our God is the foundational embodiment of what a loving father SHOULD be, rather than an extension of the bad examples of other poor fathers and leaders we’ve had in our lives. Tune in today to refresh your heart toward your Father in heaven.

WATER WELLS: Don't forget to join the Deyo's by giving to Speed the Light through their home church, Celebration Church, as they run a 10k this Sunday, October 20 to raise money to provide clean water for those who have none. Here is the link https://celebrationmn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/stl-fundraiser-deyos Thank you!

Hey we're baaaaaaack! And we're wondering, is it possible? Can we really live life with the idea that spending one day with God is infinitely better than spending 1,000 days doing the thing on the earth we love most? If we're honest, it can be hard to imagine. But what if we could change our perspective so this type of thing sounded less like a fairy tale and more like a clear and obvious fact? A fact we were compelled to live out in everyday life? We'll put fresh eyes on a couple of familiar scriptures as well as take a look at one of Cory Asbury's lesser known songs that you're going to love! If this peaks your interest, join Josh and me as we crack silly "dad" jokes while discussing the beauty of being a door keeper for Jesus. We'll also give you some ideas on how to flip the script on your attitude toward God.

There’s an insane amount of misunderstanding concerning God’s laws and guidelines. It’s wild. We have no real concern with the many regulations that weave their way back and forth through the fabric of our society, yet we are often extremely irritated by God's laws even while embracing the rules of the road, the movie theater, and the courtroom. Question is; why all the hypocrisy? Why the frustration? Why all the hostility? What if we’re completely misinterpreting God’s guidelines? What if the foundation of God’s commands is not power or control, but LOVE? What if—just like the majority of our laws worldwide—goodness and kindness are the soul force behind every word of God’s directives? What if, like sports, God's laws are meant to help us fully comprehend the game of life, as well as to better understand his most misunderstood commands, even one as controversial as sexual orientation. Well, this is exactly what we’re going to talk about on today’s podcast. Why? Because it’s high time we begin seeing God’s guidelines as the LOVE LINES they are.

Do you know what you carry? Or better said, WHO you carry? On the inside? Do we really understand the power we have to shift spiritual atmospheres? That we actually bring the presence of a supernatural world with us everywhere we go? To work, to school, to the grocery store? The question is: does the Christ living in you make any difference—to those around you? Or is He hidden so none can see? I mean, when we walk into a room, do things change? Do people take notice? Does the darkness tremble? It's true. We, as believers, have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living inside of us. Truthfully, when darkness has crept in and all hope is lost, you should be able to show up and BOOM the light of Christ floods the room, bringing joy, peace, and life in place of gloom, fear, and death! This is what you were REBORN for! So let's talk about this crazy idea of shifting spiritual atmospheres so we can realize it's not as crazy as it seems.