Grace Filled Chatter

You exhausted, burdened, burnt out, tired and wondering where God is in the middle of your life? Yes that feeling, let's chat about it! We think there is more for us, more joy to discover, more of God's plan for us to unpack. Books discussed in this episode: When Strivings Cease: https://www.amazon.com/When-Strivings-Cease-Self-Improvement-Life-Transforming/dp/B0911WTFCJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33X74XQLX8OYN&keywords=when+strivings+cease+ruth+chou+simons&qid=1698356249&sprefix=when+strivings+%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-1 Freely and Lighly: https://www.amazon.com/Freely-Lightly-Gracious-Invitation-Confidence/dp/0736980377/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1698356277&sr=1-1

Why does our best worship moments seem spread far apart and distant when we feel the most in need of a good worship session? What if it has more to do with our sin and understanding of justification than we think??

As Savannah so very well put it in this episode, discouragement leaves us feeling like we're stuck in sinking sand that seems hopeless to escape! But what if our enemy wants that? What if they've led us to believe lies that make us feel stuck and God has the truth to set us free?! Let's chat about that! Sermon series at Fresh Life Church: https://youtu.be/N-IPiIPAK8M Return of the gods: https://www.amazon.com/The-Return-of-the-Gods/dp/B0BBNDBCJ3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3OGS4PEKNAXM7&keywords=return+of+the+gods+jonathan+cahn&qid=1690983685&sprefix=return+of+the+%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1

Ever get in on of those ruts when your life seems lackluster and your hope feels grim? As we've been journaling this summer and trying to note things we're grateful for, it's changed our feeling of joy and hope in daily life! Our circumstances didn't change, but our attitude about them did just because we took notice in our conversations with God, of the things He's blessed us with. If you've never tried a gratitude journal or even just a gratitude conversation with God on your drive to work, this episode is all about why we think you should try it! You never know how a small change could greatly impact your life until you try.

Our theme in this conversation is how to become brave, what bravery means and how God wants us to make brave moves! But we also talk about waiting until marriage, the power of sin, our inner voice, training our thoughts, and our personal struggles. A long and rich episode, we pray that this blesses you to see your little moments of bravery throughout the day as a bigger deal than you probably do. But we also want to encourage you that God is bigger than we tend to think and we are actually much less important than we tend to live. Books: https://www.amazon.com/Knowing-God-J-I-Packer-audiobook/dp/B004QIWIUC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SCCLNC580VEM&keywords=knowing+god&qid=1688138062&sprefix=knowing+go%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1

If the joy of the Lord is our strength, how do we really get that strength, enough to live through all of life's most difficult days? Where does true, lasting joy come from and how do we feel it? Let's chat about that! Books mentioned this episode: J.I. Packer "Knowing God" https://www.amazon.com/Knowing-God-J-I-Packer/dp/0830816518/ref=sxin_11_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.021cacdc-698c-497f-aed0-8965849c4c44%3Aamzn1.sym.021cacdc-698c-497f-aed0-8965849c4c44&crid=3J2TDA8D5B4LH&cv_ct_cx=knowing+God&keywords=knowing+God&pd_rd_i=0830816518&pd_rd_r=04d25c60-24b2-4aa1-b4d1-406b53c4aa0e&pd_rd_w=lu9N8&pd_rd_wg=HZn8H&pf_rd_p=021cacdc-698c-497f-aed0-8965849c4c44&pf_rd_r=YX20R9N9AEXTZ6NFMN2J&qid=1685984162&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=knowing+god%2Caps%2C105&sr=1-1-6caf8c80-d701-4184-90ff-f670949d61c2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzVVA5WVA4TkdIRU5NJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjY4NjQzMVVOQkxQV0c0OTgzUCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTg0NzEzMzNDSDRGS0ZXSlVaUSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3NlYXJjaF90aGVtYXRpYyZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= Eugene Peterson "A Long Walk in the Same Direction" https://www.amazon.com/Long-Obedience-Same-Direction-Discipleship/dp/B001P93GME/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1O1QFFCTOWXIE&keywords=a+long+walk+in+the+same+direction&qid=1685984186&s=books&sprefix=a+long+walk+in+the+same+direction%2Cstripbooks%2C86&sr=1-1 Nehemiah 8:8,9 Daniel Job

Going off some great advice from Lysa Terkeurst's book, Uninvited, we're talking about rejection. The pain in the aftermath of a rejection, our experience when we handled it well and when we let it break us, and how God's love for us can heal any hurt. Come chat with us about moving through rejections into a future that God has for each of us! Books mentioned: Uninvited https://www.amazon.com/Uninvited-Living-Loved-When-Lonely/dp/1400205875/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GDTZDR4UAJ8E&keywords=uninvited+lysa+terkeurst+book&qid=1684421243&sprefix=uninvit%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1 Boundaries https://www.amazon.com/Boundaries-Updated-Expanded-When-Control/dp/0310350239/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1684421263&sr=8-1 A Long Obedience in the Same Direction https://www.amazon.com/Long-Obedience-Same-Direction-Discipleship/dp/0830822771/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1684421278&sr=8-1

Do you ever feel like you're the last to get a dating relationship, the last to get engaged, the last to buy a nice house, the last to have a baby, the last to get a job you love....? On and on the list can go and oh the pity parties we can throw for ourselves! We've ben there, some days we're still there! So, let us love on you in this frustrating season, tell you of stories when we felt hopelessly last and how God redeemed that time in the dark and lonely places. 4 ways to address disappointment, frustration with your current season of life or jealousy of someone else's season in life: 1. If you find yourself unhappy because you’re coveting something of someone else’s life: Pray for them! In trying to think of things that they might need prayer for, you’ll realize that they are human too  2.  If you’re feeling frustrated because you’ve been seeking God and being obedient to His direction and you’re not where you hoped you’d be… hang in there! This season can be so hard, but I encourage you to take a few mins to look at what IS in your hands, thank God for those things and focus on what you have right now in today! Ask yourself, how can I invest in what I do have, what is in my hands right now? For the sake of your closest relationships, if you’re having a hard time celebrating with someone close to you because they got something you long for, pray! Celebration is something that the church is called to! We are to meet each other with celebration, sharing the joy of Christ, basking in His goodness, and we can’t do that if we let bitterness take over our hearts.  Sometimes it isn’t that God isn’t bringing something to us that we’d like but rather that people don’t invited us and we feel unwanted by people. Remember that you always have an open invitation from God, He always wants your company, wants to be part of your life and wants to engage with you! Loneliness and hurt from people can so easily distract us from God's love, but fight to not let it take over your heart! “You’ll only build as high as you dig deep. We live in a culture obsessed with the seen. But its the unseen that’s powerful - the unseen makes landmark buildings strong; the unseen stabilizes redwood forests; the unseen keeps a structure’s integrity intact. A strong foundation is vital for a structure’s ability to stand the test of time. Your walk with God is no different. Digging deep is the secret to unshakable faith.” -  John Bevere (cofounder of the message bible) https://www.amazon.com/Uninvited-Living-Loved-When-Lonely/dp/1400205875?ref_=ast_sto_dp

How does God being unchanging effect our lives? Let's dive deep into His Word and talk about it! Scriptures in today's episode: Rev. 22:13 James 1:17 Malachi 3:6 Hebrews 13:8 Jeremiah 10:10 Psalm 102:26-27 Exodus 3:14 Psalm 100:5 Books discussed: Last Supper on the Moon https://www.amazon.com/Last-Supper-Moon-Christs-Fantastic/dp/B0912MP55H/ref=sr_1_1?crid=13VWVA5GG53AZ&keywords=last+supper+on+the+moon+levi+lusko&qid=1682084731&sprefix=last+supper+on+the+moon%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-1

How do we be an active part of God's team? In involves waiting, not knowing the plan, practice using your spiritual gifts, working with other team members, understanding your part in the "Body of Christ", but mostly learning how to hear from the Holy Spirit! Join us for this discussion about living for the team over ourselves, hearing our spiritual gifts, and the things we've learned from mistakes in our past. Links: Don't Miss Out (the book on the Holy Spirit that we love!!) https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Miss-Out-Daring-Believe/dp/0764238221/ref=sr_1_4?crid=24LUUER05KDWR&keywords=jeannie+cunion&qid=1680114304&sprefix=Cunion%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-4 Spiritual Gift Survey https://gifts.churchgrowth.org/spiritual-gifts-survey/?id=901995

Hate trying new things? Do you limit where you'll let God lead your life because of fear? We do the same!! So, let's dive into what keeps us in our comfort zones, what keeps us living scared and break free so that we can live courageously! God has more for us... let's chat about it! 

Why is apologizing so difficult? Why do we often feel the need to get to a place where we no longer need to apologize? If God knows everything we've done, why do we need to confess our sins to Him? So many good questions are discussed in today's episode!! Confession and apologizing are so difficult to do and we so often try to give generic band-aid apologies to "save time" when really we're hurting our relationships by not diving into the depths of where we went wrong, where we chose to rebel from Gods instruction and where we chose to be flat out selfish! We're 100% preaching to ourselves here, but we hope you know you're not alone after listening to this episode.  Books discussed: Daily Grace Co. Lamentations study - https://thedailygraceco.com/products/between-grief-and-glory-a-study-on-the-book-of-lamentations?_pos=1&_sid=489e0235b&_ss=r Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby- https://www.lifeway.com/en/product-family/experiencing-god

What does fulfillment look like? How do we find it? How do we know we're worth something? If you've asked these questions, so have we and we're going to dive in deep into feeling fulfillment this week! Join our conversation about what it means to really know God and how that changes our outlook on everyday life!  Louie Giglio Prayer Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bf-OP6LOwM Lisa Harper's Devotional book: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Obsessively-Grateful-Genuinely-Devotional/dp/1433691957/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1GK2IZLAZG52E&keywords=Lisa+harper&qid=1675695271&sprefix=lisa+harper%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-3 Lisa Harper's Podcast is called, "Backporch Theology"

Do you ever feel dissatisfied with your life? Us too! The hard things = hard, those frustrating days when nothing seems to go your way = exhausting, and when you've prayed and prayed for a healing or a big breakthrough and see no fruit = discouraging! We're right there with you, but today we want to talk about one of Matt Chandler's statements from a well known beatitude: We can live satisfied even while being dissatisfied. Sound contradictory? We thought so too, but dive in with us to see what about living with dissatisfaction and disappointment can be satisfying!

Do you experience the same struggle with your confidence constantly going up and down depending on your day, finding value in things that crumble or never feeling fully sure of yourself? Us too! So, let's dive in together to see what God says about confidence, where we can find peace in the struggle and how our priorities line up with where we seek our own value!  Savannah's bible study:  https://thedailygraceco.com/products/philippians-study

All things Christmas trivia, our favorite gift ideas, favorite elements of the Christmas story and how we stay focused on God during all the business!  

All things fall, from our favorite parts about the season, a fall trivia game, and what about this season of change stirs our hearts for the Lord! Let's chat about it!  Links:  Gentle and Lowly: https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Lowly-Christ-Sinners-Sufferers/dp/1433566133/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2KLUTBYLFV8HE&keywords=gentle+and+lowly&qid=1666615637&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjk0IiwicXNhIjoiMS41MyIsInFzcCI6IjEuNTkifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=gentle+and+low%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-1

This conversation became such a deep chat about friendship! We talk about making promises, being true to our word, why trust matters in relationships, and how God's ability to be a friend inspires Christians to be faithful people. It was refreshing for us to dive into this part of the Sermon on the Mount and we pray that it encourages you as well!  Matthew 5:33-37 Links: Daily Grace, Sermon on the Mount bible study: https://thedailygraceco.com/products/sermon-on-the-mount-study?_pos=1&_sid=f9fb24279&_ss=r Gentle and Lowly: https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Lowly-Christ-Sinners-Sufferers/dp/1433566133/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2E8356TA3R4FA&keywords=gentle+and+lowly&qid=1665150941&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjkyIiwicXNhIjoiMS41MSIsInFzcCI6IjEuNTgifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=gentle+and+lowl%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1

What does is mean to commit adultery? Is being unfaithful to your spouse the only way to commit adultery? Does lusting after and desiring things that we don't have cause dissension in our hearts as adultery causes in a marriage? Let's chat about it!! Dive into Matthew 5:27-30 with us as we talk about being faithful of heart to God and keeping our first love our main life focus!  Sermon on the Mount Bible Study:  https://thedailygraceco.com/products/sermon-on-the-mount-study?_pos=1&_sid=a37235c2f&_ss=r

Is anger like murder? Can we control the thoughts and reactions we have to other people's choices? What does Jesus have to say about anger? Let's chat about it!  Join us in Matthew 5:21-26 The Daily Grace Co. Biblestudy we reference: https://thedailygraceco.com/products/sermon-on-the-mount-study?_pos=1&_sid=d36a841c0&_ss=r