We are the One: Christianity and Mental Health with Travis Reinold

Does our attitude about knowledge keep us from extending grace to others? Sometimes, the more ya know, the less ya flow and the less ya flow the less ya grow, don't ya know.

In this podcast, I'm joined again by my wife, Stefani, as we discuss the tremendous impact shame has on our daily lives. But while shame may hold us back, we believe in 2nd chances. And millionth chances! For everyone! Because we serve a God of limitless grace.

Thank your for listening to the We Are The 1 Podcast! In this episode, through the Biblical account of Joseph, we discuss the difference between our dreams and God's dreams, our work and God's work, and trying more versus trusting.

Performing therapy is like performing open heart surgery!  It's messy and we can unintentionally cause harm if we're not properly trained.  Please listen to my wife, a board certified psychiatrist, and I discuss the important role therapy can play in our lives while urging local churches to proceed with caution.   

Grace is so simple, but religion makes things so hard. Please listen to me as we talk about real problems and real struggles that are affecting real people. And we show how simple and easy it is to go to heaven.

1. The first reference of tithing is Genesis 14: 18-20 with Abraham.
   • Abraham defeats four kings in battle and gives a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek.
   • Abraham's gift to Melchizedek was customary during the ancient world.Paying tribute and respect to someone in authority.
   • It was also customary in the ancient world to pay a tribute to the landowner if you were the farmer. Genesis 47:26 – Joseph made a law where a fifth of one's crops went to the Pharaoh
   • Abraham's tithe was not mandatory.
   • Abraham's tithe is a one-time thing; he doesn't continue to tithe every year.

1. The second reference of tithing is Genesis 28:20-22 with Jacob.
   • God did not command Jacob to tithe. Nor did God say, if you tithe I will bless you. It was completely voluntary. It was Jacob's act of gratitude and worship.
   • We're missing a lot of details in the Bible.Who did Jacob give his tithe to?

1. In the Mosaic Law, there are three mandatory tithes for the nation of Israel.

• Israel was a theocracy where God was the President and the Law was the Constitution. In other words, the church and the government were the same thing.
• The first tithe was for the bureaucracy of the theocracy so the Sons of Levi could accomplish their priestly duties; Numbers 18:21-23
• The second tithe was for a national celebration of God's grace. This tithe and celebration included alcohol; Deuteronomy 14:22-24.
• The third tithe was for the poor and destitute of the land, "the alien, the orphan, and the widow"; Deuteronomy 14:28-29.
• If you add up all of the tithes it comes out to a 23 1/3 % annual tax rate for everyone in the Nation of Israel.
• Tithes were for everyone in Israel, believers and unbelievers.
• There were non-mandatory, freewill offerings on top of tithes; Exodus 25:1-2, Leviticus 22:28-33, Leviticus 23:38; Leviticus 27:30; Leviticus 27:30-31; Numbers 15:3; Deuteronomy 12:6; Ezra 1:4; Ezra 3:5

1. We often take Malachi 3:10 out of context to pressure people into giving money.
   • The Book of Malachi occurs after the Jews return to the land and rebuild the temple following the Babylonian captivity
   • As Israel re-establishes itself as a nation, God reminds them of their duties to pay their tithes. And that He will bless them if they're obedient; Malachi 3:10
   • The storehouse refers to the temple, or House of God. Israel didn't have a national bank. So, they stored their assets in the temple and kept a guard.
   • This is analogous to the President reminding us to pay our taxes.

1. As Christians today, we're not under the Mosaic Law, so tithing is not mandatory.
   • Tithing only mentioned in the New Testament in reference to the Pharisees who disregarded the love of God; Luke 11:42, 18:12.
   • The Bible teaches different time periods, or dispensations, with different household rules.
     • In the Church, or Age of Grace, all believers (Jew and Gentile) receive the Holy Spirit; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 4:30, John 7:39
   • We're under grace not the law; Romans 6:14.
   • Christ abolished the entire law; Romans 10:4
   • There isn't one verse in the New Testament that mandates tithing or giving.

1. Major Takeaways
   • Avoid black and white rules (i.e. tithing) that don't exist in the Bible.
   • Acknowledge that everyone's at a different place on a different road.
   • Love one another, through the power of Christ in us, especially when it comes to a potentially huge stumbling block like money.
   • Recognize that motivation through fear is not love; 1 John 4:18.
   • Trust the work of the Holy Spirit, who resides in all believers. The fruits of the Spirit are "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control against such things there is no law" Galatians 5:22-23
   • Avoid making a show out of giving; Matthew 6:2-4
   • Recognize that attitude is most important when giving; 2 Corinthians 9:7
   • Take away attached strings when giving.

Please tune in as Stefani and I talk about our personal stories and struggles surrounding money. We identify the powerful emotions we all have regarding money and how our insecurities surrounding money can greatly influence major life decisions. We also discuss why churches must delicately approach money issues in order to reduce shame and guilt.

We welcome back my wife, Stefani, a Psychiatrist and Mental Health Expert to help us discuss food and the Bible. Stefani shares her personal story surround food and eating disorders and shares lessons learned from years of counseling patients with eating disorders and food/body image issues.

We also go over what the Bible really has to say about fasting from the grace perspective.

1. There is no Biblical mandate to fast.

a. Biblical context: people didn't have modern day kitchen appliances, processed foods, and a grocery store near every neighborhood. So, food preparation took a lot of time.

b. In Biblical accounts of fasting, people fasted when something very serious or tragic happened.

c. Fasting in the Bible is descriptive, not prescriptive.

d. Fasting, in its true Biblical meaning, is taking time from normal, everyday things and using that time for prayer and Bible study.

e. We shouldn't make a show out of fasting. Matthew 6:16.

f. We shouldn't turn fasting into mysticism.

2. Every time we add to the Bible, we subtract out someone else who can't measure up.

a. Give great consideration and thoughtfulness to the weaknesses of others.

b. When we project our insecurities onto others, we can become a stumbling block. Matthew 18:5-6

3. Place greater emphasis on what we spiritually eat rather than on what we physically eat.

a. Matthew 4:1– Rely on the Spirit.

b. The Word of God is the Bible. Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:16

c. If fasting causes us to think more about food and less about God, then we've missed the concept of fasting.

d. It's our thoughts that make us who we are. Proverbs 23:7.

Listen to me as I share someone else's story and my own personal story struggling with what I look like. Here are the major takeaways:

1. God cares about the REAL you and the REAL you is what goes on inside.

a. God doesn't judge you by your Facebook Profile. 1 Samuel 16:7

b. You can look the part but lack the heart! Matthew 23:28 and Colossians 3:12

c. The REAL transformation isn't a before and after photo. It's the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

2. There aren't any black and white rules for what you should look like.

a. The context of "Your body is a temple" is Corinthian believers visiting the temple prostitute. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

b. The context of "women adorn themselves with proper clothing" is women going to church with gold-braided hair like expensive prostitutes of that day. 1 Timothy 2:9

c. We have the Holy Spirit to help us with grey areas. God's given us guiding principles, so we must avoid coming up with our own rules. And, even worse, projecting our rules onto other people.

3. You don't have to look like anyone else. Just be yourself!

a. The Bible is filled with people who looked and dressed a thousand different ways. Your size, shape, color, and style of dress doesn't matter.

b. God uses ALL different types of people.

4. God chase the appearance of a slave rather than a King.

1. His mission was the cross not the crown. Isaiah 53:2

5. No matter what you look like, God says you're beautiful!

1. You become beautiful when you trust in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ because you possess God's perfect righteousness! 2 Corinthians 5:21

Have you ever made a bad investment in your life? Did you ever think that your investment was a sure thing? That you'd never lose money. Then, all of a sudden, something happened, and you watched your hard-earned money disappear from your bank account?

If you have, you're not alone. We've all made mistakes, and we've all made bad investments. So, there's no guilt and shame on the We Are The 1 podcast. Trust me, I've made a million and one mistakes. I've bet on the wrong company, the wrong team, and the wrong horse. And in my twenties, I was a sucker for the poker boom. The boom that, for many people, turned into a bust. With ADHD, I'm prone to impulsive and addictive behavior. So, let's just say that poker wasn't my best investment in life.