September 22, 2024 • 41 mins
Hey, hey! It's your girl Courage Molina back at it again with another episode of our podcast for courageous disciples. I'm so glad you're here with me today because I've got something super important to share. Did you know you were created for greatness? Yes, you! You weren't made to be mediocre; you were created to reign and achieve great things.
Today, we're diving into how personal growth and development for believers starts with faith. It's all about spending time in the word of God, understanding your identity, and realizing that God didn't make any junk. When you get that down in your soul, it becomes easier to seek help and grow.
Personal growth isn't just a trend—it's a necessity. And for us believers, it begins with faith. We study the Bible not just to memorize it but to apply it to our lives. The word of God gives us direction and shows us what's possible, shifting our perspectives and changing our habits. The Bible isn't just a book; it's a manual for living a life of greatness.
So, let's get practical. How does trusting God look in real life? Maybe it means staying out of your grown kids' business or tithing faithfully. It’s about applying what we learn from the word to every area of our lives. And guess what? You don’t have to do it alone. We need community, and that's why I invite you to join Courageous Disciples, a community where we support each other in our personal growth journeys.
Remember, growth is expected, not perfection. So, raise your hand, seek help, and let's grow together. You're not in this alone. Join Courageous Disciples today and let's walk this journey of faith and personal growth together.
If this episode spoke to you, don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review. I love y'all and can't wait to see you next week!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hey, hey, it's your girl Courage Molina back at this podcast.
This is a podcast for courageous disciples.
Welcome. Welcome back. I'm glad that you are here with me. I have something to tell you.
I don't know if you know this or not, so I just want to say it.
You were created for greatness.
(00:22):
I'll say it again. You were created for greatness.
Greatness and the sooner you get that down
in the depth of your soul in your mind that
you are not created to be mediocre you are not a mediocre creation
that God created you for something great
we were created to reign the minute that you get that down in the depth of your
(00:45):
soul the easier it becomes for you to raise your hand and say like hey I need
help right and so So I wanted to talk to you about achieving personal growth
through your faith, right?
So personal growth and development, I know it's all, I know it's like a fad, it's everywhere.
(01:05):
Self-help books and podcasts that talk to us about getting our life.
But for me, I really truly believe that personal growth and development for
the believer starts with faith.
It starts with time in the word because it's when you get in the word of God
that you really understand your identity,
who you are, and you understand God and who he is and that he doesn't make junk
(01:29):
and he did not make you for nothing.
Do you understand what I'm saying? You are a believer.
You are a courageous disciple. You have decided to accept God,
to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior and you're gonna follow him and you're
gonna make your life, you're gonna adjust your life to match his will and his way to be in alignment,
(01:50):
he created you for something great.
And the minute that you get that, you no longer have to worry about what somebody might think of you.
You don't have to worry about what people might say about you or how you're
going to look if people knew that you didn't know it all or your life wasn't
perfect or your situation wasn't perfect. So it really starts up.
(02:12):
Listen, I truly believe that your personal growth, I mean, your spiritual growth,
your spiritual maturity is personal, right?
So I really believe that your personal growth starts with your faith.
It is built in and through, you know, what you understand about what God says
about you and what God says about God.
(02:34):
So here's what I'm saying. The more time you spend in the word,
especially the way a courageous disciple does, right? Right.
We are not just studying so that we can have something memorized so that we
can say we studied our Bible.
No, we are studying to get to know God and for application.
We know that God is not giving us a revelation.
(02:54):
He's not helping us to interpret the word so that we can just interpret the
word is intended for application for our lives.
And so because we study it that way, it means that every time there's a revelation
in the word of God and I'm committing my life,
you know, every day of the week, five days out of the week, three days of the
(03:15):
week to studying the word of God, every time there's an interpretation,
I know that God is giving me direction. He's giving us insight.
There's a place that he wants us to apply that wisdom. Wisdom.
The more you apply that wisdom, don't you see how that leads to your personal growth?
It's changing your perspective. It's changing your attitude,
(03:38):
your behavior, your habits. It's going to change all of those things.
And so I always start with the foundation of being in the word and studying the word of God.
And it's because there's so much culture out here. There's a lot of culture. And I'm.
Culture is not bad. I'm not saying, you know, I'm not beefing with culture.
(03:59):
The issue is that sometimes we make culture the gospel, right?
Because we've always done it this way or our ancestors did it this way or my
family did it this way or my community or my society says that this is okay
or this is the way to handle a situation, then we do it that way.
But when you get into the word of God, it helps you to filter through all the
(04:24):
things that are culture, all the things that are preference.
All the things that are traditional and helps you get down to the truth of how God wants us to live.
And as you make those adjustments, that helps you to grow personally,
helps you to develop as a human being, not just like in the super churchy way,
but as a believer, it helps you to grow as a person.
(04:46):
When you're in the word of God, you can also see what's possible.
Not only does it tell you how to move and what to do, sometimes we don't even
know what to work towards because we don't know what's possible.
You mean to tell me it is possible to be going through a difficult situation
and be at peace and not feel chaos in my body,
(05:10):
not catastrophize my situation, not feel hopeless.
You mean to tell me I can suffer a loss
and experience grief and gratitude at the I don't even know that was something
I could do I didn't even know that was possible when you spend time in the word
studying the word of God seeking God it shows you what is possible what is possible
(05:35):
for the believer mentally.
What's possible for the believer emotionally? What's possible for the believer
spiritually and financially?
It's possible for me to hear God.
It's possible for you to hear God, for you to get a word from God every day,
all day long, anytime you need to.
(05:56):
It's possible for you to, you know, increase your finances, to build wealth.
It's possible for you to take your gifts and your talents and to serve God,
even if you haven't been called to a pulpit or Bible teacher,
pastor or whatever, you can still use your skills.
We don't know what is possible for the believer outside of spending time in the word of God.
(06:23):
And so when you start to spend serious time in the word of God,
you can begin to see what's possible.
How can I have a goal? How can you have a goal or want to grow or think that you're going to grow.
You don't even know it was possible. I listened to this book. It was by Trevor Noah.
(06:43):
It was called Born a Crime. That's the title of it, Born a Crime.
I listened to it on Audible. He's the one who reads it. It's a really good listen.
He's funny. Who knew he was as troubled as he was?
But I liked the book. It was a good book. But he talked about what his dreams
were growing up in South Africa, in the area that he grew up in and the way that he grew up.
(07:07):
He talks about what the dreams are of that community, the community that he came from.
He's like, the greatest dream that he had or that they can have was having a
house on the street that was named after a car with a driveway.
It wasn't even to have a car. Now, The light thing is that you're going to get a car. That ain't me.
(07:30):
But the dream, the best that he could think of to dream of was a small house with a driveway.
Why? Because they don't know what else is possible. You don't know what else
is possible. You haven't been exposed to anything.
That's why getting in your work and studying the word of God and having a Bible
reading plan, it exposes you to what is possible.
(07:55):
So now you can elevate your desires, your goal, your expectation even.
You can elevate your standard to meet the standard that Christ has set,
to meet the standard that God has set.
This is my new standard. These are my new expectations.
Now I can get my hope up. Now I can get my faith up because I've been reading
(08:17):
the Bible and I realized it is possible to see resurrection.
It is possible to see relationships reconciled. It's possible for forgiveness
to happen and for it to be complete forgiveness without any bitterness or resentment.
It's possible to heal from abuse and neglect and mistreatment.
It's actually possible for me to do these things.
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You don't even know what's possible. You're not working towards it.
Achieving personal growth is limited to what you believe to be possible.
You're not going to get any higher. You're not going to grow any further.
You're not going to develop.
(08:59):
You're not going to heal beyond what you believe to be be possible.
And when you are in the word, that faith just takes the limits off because we
have a limitless God and he's not struggling to find resources.
There isn't anything that's too hard for him. There isn't anything he can't
do in, through, and for your life.
(09:20):
The word of God tells us that he gave his son Jesus to die for us.
What other good thing he would keep complete healing from you.
He would keep peace from you.
So I don't, you know, I don't even know what I could have until I get in the word.
And as you get into it, it leads to practical steps.
(09:41):
I'm going to say this again, because I know it's possible for you to read the
Bible, for you to be reading the Bible, for you to be a Christian for years
and years, and for you to skip the application.
That is one One of the, in my experience personally and as a coach and Bible
teacher, it is my experience that it's one of the things that goes missing.
(10:01):
You go to church, sermon is good, you hallelujah, you shout and you cry and
you love it, but you just went for like, no, let me not say it like that.
You went because, you know, you want to be in the company of other believers
and you want to meet with God and you want to be a part of this corporate worship.
(10:22):
And because the Bible says to not forsake the, you know, the coming together
and fellowshipping like others do.
And so you're going there as one of your spiritual practices so that you can go. Right.
I love that. But attendance in church is not what transforms you.
It's why people can go to church for 20 years and not change.
(10:42):
And still be bitter and still be mean and still be resentful?
Because being in the church is not what does it. It is when you take what you
learned and you apply it.
And some of those things become more practical, not so super spiritual.
Maybe the word that you got was for you to trust God more. What does that look like practically?
(11:04):
What does trusting God, right? So you went to church and they got a great message
and the message was good.
And he just wanted to remind you, or she just wanted to remind you to trust
God. And you're like, yes, I'm gonna trust God.
I'm gonna trust and believe. Okay, what does that trust and believe look like on your part?
Because we are called to participate in this sanctification process.
(11:26):
We're called to participate. We are co-laborers with Christ.
So it's not just for us to sit back and be like, hallelujah and wait.
If I'm going to trust God, if you're going to trust God, that's the message
that you got. God? What does that look like practically?
Does trusting God mean staying out of your grown kids business and listening
(11:49):
and praying and not nagging and fussing? Is that what it looks like to trust God?
Does it look like not being manipulative emotionally when it comes to the people
in your life that you feel like they should appreciate you more?
What does trusting God look like? Does Does trusting God look like tithing in real life?
(12:09):
Does trusting God look like getting a budget or staying the course that he put
you on, not getting a job or getting a job, launching the business or holding
the business, launching the ministry,
starting the ministry or shut like, what does trusting God look like to you?
There is something practical about it.
And the more time you spend in the word, it really gives you permission because
(12:32):
what the word does a few things, right?
When I talk about faith, I mean, faith that God is who he says he is and he's
able to do what he says he can do.
That is solidified. It is affirmed. It is confirmed.
There's a reminder. It's doubled down, pressed down. Every time you get in the
word, you can see God being God.
(12:53):
Every time you get in the word, you can see God doing the impossible.
And so I say get into the word because what it does is it helps you to see that,
you know, it really, it gives you permission to go and get help.
It gives you permission to say, I don't know what I'm doing,
or I made a mistake, or I need some help in this area, or I'm not sure why,
(13:15):
because I know who I am and that doesn't change. age. I don't care what I know.
I don't care what you know. You've been chosen for something.
I don't care what area you need to grow in. You've been chosen for something.
And there are blessings, posts, assignments, anointing with your name on it.
And it doesn't matter who shows up first because God is only going to give it
to the person whose name is on.
So you can get to the finish line before me, but I'm not racing you. I got my own race to run.
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I'm not racing you. This is not a competition.
I don't need to compete. That's what you need to start saying.
You're not competing with anybody.
Nobody can get what God has for you. We say what God has for you,
he has for you, but we don't often act like it.
So we want to pretend like we know everything.
We want to act like we don't have any questions or like we have it all figured
(14:01):
out instead of saying, oh, I don't know.
How does that? I don't know. I know I'm supposed to do this,
but how am I supposed to do it? Well, I don't know. No.
So let me go get help. Let me raise my hand.
It gives you permission. The more time you spend in the word,
it gives you permission to say that you don't understand something that you
(14:22):
don't know what you're doing because you recognize by being in the word that
God did not choose perfect people who knew everything and who were at the height
of their careers or at the height of their family tree or hierarchy or whatever
in political power. He chose who he wanted to choose.
Right? And he did in and through their life, what he intended to do in and through
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their life, especially for those that gave way,
that gave in to him, that surrendered to him and said, okay,
God, even though I don't really know,
even though I'm going to look crazy, I'm going to go ahead and do it.
The more time he's spending the work, it really gives you permission to get
to know yourself because then you understand, you know, God loves you.
(15:07):
He's chosen you. and God knows everything about you.
He knows the good, he knows the bad, and he knows the ugly, and yet he chose you.
So why do you need to be embarrassed or ashamed or afraid to talk about your
shortcomings and your weaknesses?
Paul talks all the time about boasting in his weaknesses because it's in his
(15:28):
weaknesses that God has made strong.
We, even in the church, even as believers, us. We want to hide our weaknesses.
That's why I call us courageous disciples, because it certainly takes courage
in this day and age to have your flaws out there for the world to see,
to have your shortcomings out there for the world to see, to be exposed.
(15:51):
It takes a lot because everybody seems to be perfect, for lack of a better word. We know better.
We know better in our head, it, but somehow we're watching podcasts.
We're listening to it. We're looking at social media.
And even when people are being honest about how difficult things are or the
(16:13):
situation that they're in or what they had to overcome, somehow we still walk
away feeling like we have to be perfect. Well, let me tell you this.
You don't have to be perfect.
You don't have to be whatever you will be later.
You don't have to be that right now. You were created for greatness.
That's how I started off, right?
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And if you know that greatness is your portion and greatness is your destiny,
it means that wherever you're going, wherever God is taking you to,
you don't have everything you need.
Between like, there's some knowledge that you need.
There's some growth and maturity that you need. There may be some training.
(16:58):
There may be some stretching, some rebuking, some discipline,
something that you need in order to manage the gifts that are coming your way
that you don't have right now.
That is like, in my mind, that is logical.
And it is common sense that God has called me for greatness and that is my portion,
(17:19):
but I don't have it right in this moment.
I'm as good as I could be right now. Let me just tell you that. Okay.
I'm as good as I could be right now. You're as good as you can be right now,
but I know that God is not leaving me here.
He doesn't want me to not mature emotionally.
There is some emotional maturing I need to do. Some spiritual maturing I need to do.
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I may need to get better with my finances or with my communication,
something that is going to prepare me for where he's taking me. Right.
And when you know that, that God's not going to change his mind about you,
that his gifts and his calling is irrevocable.
He's not going to take those things back from you.
It gives you the freedom to be like, Hey, I might need a little help.
(18:03):
We might need to read a book. I might need a coach.
I'm going to get get into a class because God knows everything about you and he still chose you.
He knows exactly what you're struggling with right now. He knows exactly what
you've been through and the impact that it's had on you and what it makes difficult
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for you to do or understand or how it makes it difficult for you to show up. He knew all of that.
And yet he still picked you for such a time as it is.
Get in the word. Let's talk about the Bible for a little bit,
right? Let's get, let me just show you. I got a couple of cases I want to tell you about.
Are you ready? David and Bathsheba. so David
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was a king David is we talk about David
he is a man after God's own heart all these
things he was anointed appointed he was called
to be king he's David and Goliath you know he is all these great things that
David is but he also I don't know if you know this he also was the youngest
(19:08):
of his clan he was the youngest of his family so traditionally speaking and
according According to the culture at the time,
he's the least, he's like the last one to be picked.
Nobody even thought, nobody even considered that he might be the one that God
would choose as king. He was little.
He wasn't doing a whole lot. He only had a few little sheep he was out there protecting.
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They didn't even bother to call him in for dinner. When Samuel came to anoint
the next king, they was like, okay, are these all of Jesse's boys?
He was like, no, we got another one. He was like, okay, we're not going to eat
until that last one comes.
Eighth in line not the one
that tradition or culture or just
(19:53):
like honestly practical human sense
would consider and God says I don't look at what y'all look at I look at the
heart so there's the thing so I don't know who you are I don't know if you feel
like because of where you rank in your family or how you rank according to the
society that you live in or the culture that you're in.
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Maybe it's your gender that keeps you out. Maybe it's your age.
Maybe it's your education or lack thereof. Maybe it's your upbringing.
Maybe it's your finance, your credit score. I don't know what it is,
but it seems like you are the unlikely pick.
It doesn't mean that God hasn't chosen you, right? God has definitely chosen you.
Just like he chose David, who then went on to have sex with another man's wife.
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And then he went on to have that man killed to assuage his own guilt.
So you committed sin and then you killed me because of what you did to me.
That's crazy, David. That's crazy, King.
Guess what? God still chose him. Moses and the Egyptian.
Moses was born during a time where his life was in danger.
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He was raised, he was adopted for lack of a better word, right?
He had to be given up by his mother.
He grew up in a culture that was not his own, right?
He had to watch people that look like him be mistreated. And then one day he killed an Egyptian.
And he had a stuttering issue. And he was stuttering. Come on now.
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Yet God chose Moses. And he used Moses.
And there was something that, you know, there was an anointing on Moses' life.
Moses was created for greatness.
And then Rahab and the spies.
Prostitute. Not even a part of the Israelites. She, you know, part of something else.
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And she helped the spies and
was like hey we everybody's scared
of what's gonna happen truthfully but we would
like to be a part of whatever and guess what her name
is listed in the genealogy of jesus she's
in jesus ancestral line by name
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that's crazy right so
she was chosen that right there this is
what I'm saying about being in like this is what I'm saying about being
in the word if that does not give you permission to
say you don't know something to say I need to improve in an area I need help
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I need a coach I need a mentor like I don't know what does because this right
here is proof that you don't have to be perfect but that growth is expected David had had to grow.
Moses had to mature, right? Rahab had to make some different decisions.
She had to change up spiritually.
She had to mature spiritually, right?
There were some things. She had
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to come to a place where she recognized something and make some changes.
It is proof. All three of those examples that I gave you are proof that you're
not expected to be perfect, but growth is an expectation.
And if growth is an expectation, it means it's okay not to know something.
It's okay for you not to know something. It's okay for you to recognize that
(23:13):
you are emotionally immature.
Last year, I was in a program. Was it last year? It was 2024.
Actually, I think it was two years ago, maybe 2022.
I was in a program, and it was for ministry leaders, women in ministry leadership.
Leadership, and one of the modules that we had during this cohort had to do
(23:38):
with emotional maturity, and they gave us this quiz to take,
and so we took this quiz, and I'm like answering the questions on this quiz,
and let me tell you something.
I've taken personality quizzes and strength quizzes, and sometimes I can tell
where it's going, right?
I can see like, oh, this is it's going to be really good.
Or I can see, ooh, this is not going to be good results.
(24:03):
I can see all these results, they're not going to be that good,
right? I can tell by the questions and the answers.
With this particular one for emotional maturity, baby, I was click,
click, clicking, getting all these answers.
And I am thinking to myself as I'm taking this quiz, is
obviously these are the right answers
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like this is really the only option that's really
what I'm thinking these are the only option so they give you the results
and the results are given to you in like in terms of child development so an
emotional infant an emotional toddler an emotional adolescent teen young adult
right emotionally mature whatever do you know what I was Let me tell you,
(24:47):
I don't care if y'all judge me.
I was an emotional adolescent at my big age.
I was so shocked.
By this time, I had been in therapy a little bit, maybe for like a year or so.
And we had been working on my anxiety, right?
(25:10):
Because the pandemic did a number on my anxiety. It was already underneath anyway.
I just didn't realize it. And the pandemic and the shutdown really magnified
the anxiety that I had been dealing with.
And so that's really what we focused on in the beginning was like my anxiety
and my need for control. That's what leads to anxiety, all these things.
So we hadn't really talked about my emotional,
(25:33):
on my emotional whatever and so I must have had therapy near that time or maybe
right after or whatever and so I'm just sharing with her she's asking me how
my week went and I'm telling her,
and I told her what my score was
and how shocked I was she looked at me so puzzled she's like miscarriage.
(25:55):
Are you telling me that you are shocked by the result? I'm like, yes.
I am shocked by, what are you talking about? Yes, I'm shocked by the result.
Me, emotionally immature, like, absolutely not.
I'm one of the most emotionally, no, you're an emotional child, okay? Okay.
(26:17):
Therapists knew it. The Lord knew it. And I just thought, who knew?
I didn't have to hide that. I didn't have, I didn't need to feel shame or guilt.
I was definitely shocked.
And I thought, well, the Lord has shined a light on this.
That means it's time for me to address my emotional maturity.
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And it's something that I've been working on. Now I had a couple of little breakthroughs.
I don't know that I'm an emotional adult just yet, but I've had some breakthroughs in that.
And I share that to say, me needing to grow up emotionally, recognizing that,
doesn't mean that God hasn't called me to teach, to lead, to minister.
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That's not what it means. I don't mean that. It means it's time for me to grow up.
It's time for me to learn about what it takes to grow emotionally.
It's time for me to read some books. It's time for me to change maybe what our focus is in therapy.
It's time for me to get some tools and learn how to take control of my emotions
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and make decisions, not from a place of, you know, based on my feelings or whatever.
That's what it means. It doesn't mean that it's time for me to give up or for me to pretend.
And so it's something I shared. And the reason I shared it, it's because Because
it doesn't matter what other people know about you. Who cares? So I don't care.
I don't want you to care either because it doesn't change the call on my life.
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It doesn't change the call on your life. It does not draw up that anointing
that God has poured out on you.
It does not change the trajectory of your destiny.
It does not change the call or the assignment that God has for you.
It does not change how the Lord loves you. It does not change how God's going to move on your behalf.
Just because this thing is true about you, so what?
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The Bible shows us over and over and over again, you don't have to be perfect. Growth is expected.
Growth. So as I'm in the word, that's another thing.
The more time you spend in the word and you are reading the Bible, right?
It's not enough to read the Bible. We have to also allow the Bible to read us.
You have to let the Bible read you.
It's not enough for you to own your Bible. You need to let the Bible own you.
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And when you do that, it will show you exactly the areas that you need to grow
in and you can get the practical help. You can start making the adjustments.
You can start making the arrangements that you need to make and getting the
support and to help and whatever, courses, books, podcasts, sermons,
support groups that you need.
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The minute that you realize that you got stuck in a spot in grief that is turning
to resentment and bitterness, maybe you didn't know it before now.
It doesn't change the call in your life, but the minute that you get in the
word and you allow the word to seek your heart, to search your heart,
and it reveals that to you, you can say, oh, okay, maybe I need to read a book on grief.
(29:11):
Maybe I need to get some support with my grief because this person died 10 years ago, 12 years ago.
And I just read this thing in the word and it is revealing to me that the way
that I respond to things now is not a healthy or godly way.
So I might need to get some practical help with it.
This is how you achieve personal growth through your faith.
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It's not that the Bible does it all for you. It's not that the Holy Spirit does it all for you.
It is that you get confirmation Confirmation and understanding about one was
possible until you recognize that it doesn't change the call that God has on your life.
It doesn't rob you of your anointing to say that there's an area that you need
to grow. Growth is expected.
You're not born at the place that you need to be in order for you to take the
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position that God has created you for. It's the growth.
It's the personal growth and development.
You can see that in the model of discipleship.
He called Peter and them off the water and from the tax booth and all of that.
He didn't send them out the same day to preach. It required growth.
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We got to see Peter growing spiritually and emotionally because Peter was about that life.
He was like, oh, I bet ain't nobody coming to do that to you.
And Jesus was like, Satan, get thee behind me, right? He had to grow.
It didn't change that he was called. It didn't change the anointing and the
power that God gave them. It didn't change their assignment.
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But discipleship as a model for or spiritual growth is proof that there are
things you're not going to know.
And there's no shame in raising your hand to get help.
I remember like, it takes me back to the classroom and it is so crazy because
students would sit in the room. I'm asking that you have questions.
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You know, you have a question, but you're not raising your hand. What are you doing?
Oh, because these other ones, I grade these tests. Some of these other people
need to have their hand up too.
So don't worry about who don't have their hand up. Put your hand up,
because some of them need their hand up.
And I'm going to help you, and you're going to get the outcome that you want.
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It doesn't make any sense. You know you've been called for greatness.
Greatness is your portion.
You need help with something, raise your hand. Tell somebody,
hey, I really need to grow in this area. I need some help with my finance.
I need some help with organizing.
I'm really struggling going to stay on track. I'm really struggling with my time management.
I promise you, somebody has devoted their life to time management and they wrote 10 books on it.
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I promise you somebody has been called to teach you how to study the word of
God and they have tips and tricks and strategies and tools to make it easier
so that you can go deeper in the word of God.
I promise you it's somebody assignment to help you get your nutrition and fitness in order.
I promise you somebody has an eye for style and they can tell you how to get
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your style together because you need to be on a platform or whatever.
I assure you that somebody has been called, anointed, and appointed.
One of the things that God used to tell me, because I struggled within this
area. That's how I can tell you. I struggled in this area years ago.
And one of the things he said to me is, do you understand that somebody out
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there is as good at what they do as you are at what you do?
Just like I gifted you Courage Molina.
I want you to put your name there. Just like God gifted you in this area,
he gifted somebody else to the same level, if not better, in that area.
So I know this is my gift. Teaching Bible, Bible, I know that.
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Do you know what that means? That means that somebody has the same level of
gifting in organizing and time management as I do in teaching Bible.
So I don't want to learn from them. Yes, I do.
Somebody that can teach you how to get your house together
on a budget somebody can help you to forgive somebody that
can help you to let go to grow to heal
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to deal with your trauma there's somebody that is called to do it you've been
called to help people get their finances together somebody has been called to
help people get their frustration and they can help you do you understand what
i'm saying greatness is your portion and so it gives you permission i I really
believe that the more time you spend in the word,
the less you care about what you don't know.
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The more time I spend in the word, the easier it becomes to ask the question.
The more time you spend in the word, paying attention.
Look at these people that the Lord chose and did great things through.
I mean, you slept with somebody else's wife.
You slept with somebody that sounds cute.
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Even if you did, the Lord still used David. Do you see what I'm saying?
When you put your shortcomings next to some of this, I was like,
I really did nothing compared to these people.
So let me go ahead and get my hand up so I can get help because I know that
God expects for me to grow.
You can start to ignore what they might say.
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And truthfully, they're not saying nothing because they ain't thinking about
you. But if they are, it's because they're not focused on what they need to be doing.
You will care less, though. You'll care less than you do now about what people
are saying. And it is going to feel uncomfortable.
It can feel uncomfortable in the beginning. But here's another thing, too.
So more time you spend in your work, it leads you to community.
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I find that faith leads me to community. I look at the disciples.
I look at the children of Israel and how they all live together in these communities
of believers, even in Old Testament.
Investment they're living together with people who believe like them who trust god like them.
And so it kind of gives them the freedom to
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you know be vulnerable and all
that and so the more time you spend on the word the more it shows you that you
need to be in community you know and you need to get in one where people are
authentic and where people are vulnerable not just transparent transparency
it's like i can show you what i've been through vulnerable as i'm allowing to
get close so that you can see what I'm going through right now.
(35:33):
That's what you want. You want to get in a community like that.
Now, obviously, I'm going to invite you to join Courageous Disciples.
We are a community like that. We are heavy on Bible.
And we're heavy on Bible study tips and tricks and strategies and tools and resources.
But the way that we study within the community, it always leads to application.
(35:59):
Always leads to application, which takes us to some practical things where people
can and do share in the community.
We are listening to podcasts just as individuals because we're all studying the word of God.
And we realize we are getting these revelations that show us that there are
areas that we need to grow.
So now we are at individual seeking podcasts that can help us to become more
(36:24):
emotionally mature podcasts that can help us to forgive, to overcome trauma.
Now we're looking for podcasts that talks about boundaries and time management, those types of things.
And those are the things that we're sharing. We're reading books.
That our personal growth and development books, because we know we've been called
to greatness and we're okay with people seeing that journey along with us.
(36:47):
We're going to have conferences which are going to help us in our personal growth and development.
And so I want to invite you to join Courageous Disciples, the community.
I know you're Courageous Disciples if you're listening to this podcast.
It means that you have committed to really adjusting your entire life to God
and the way God says for us to live,
(37:08):
even in this day and age where it seems like, you know, being a believer is under attack.
And at the same time, being a believer or being a woman of faith is also like a fad too.
I don't even know how we're both at the same time and still somehow not genuine.
I don't even know how we get there.
But Courageous Disciples is a place where we are students of the word.
(37:32):
And so there are methods and guides and tips being shared and modules to support
you in studying the word of God,
being able to embrace what it says and what it was intentionally meant to say
to the original audience, and then applying that wisdom to your life right now.
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We are believers on the move.
Once we get a revelation, we are all about application because we understand that following Christ.
Requires us to do what the word says, right?
If I'm following Christ, it means that if you're following Christ,
that means that you believe what his word says.
And so you're going to do it. And what we do in courageous disciples is we're
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practically living out the word of God.
We are applying it to every area of our life, not just on Sundays,
not just in churchy spaces.
We are taking action, whether that's starting a business, ending a business,
starting a ministry, going on on a diet, getting that help.
Like we are taking action and we are making adjustment in our lives to our schedule,
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to our perspective, to our mindset, to our standards, to be in alignment with
the word of God. We are sisters.
We are like family. We are getting on FaceTime.
We are prayer partners, travel buddies, brunch buddies.
We are celebrating and mourning with one another. We are encouraging and challenging,
(38:59):
rebuking, correcting, and patting on the back, reminding each other and holding
each other accountable to our greatness.
And so go to CourageousDisciples.com and get more information and enroll today.
Don't wait, don't walk, run and get in it.
Especially if you are about, you know, achieving your personal growth and development
(39:26):
goals through the foundation of the word.
Really, Courageous Disciple is a place where all roads start,
stop, and are built on the road of the word. I speak English sometimes.
The word of God, right? If you think about the road to success,
it's paved with the word of God. So it's where we start.
(39:49):
It's how we go. It's how we know which way to go. It's our GPS.
It's all of those things in real life. It's not culture. It's not our feelings. It's not tradition.
It isn't our, it's not, you know, church.
It's not what's popular. It's none of those things. It's not even our own comfort.
You probably don't want to join now, but that's the truth. It's not even our
(40:10):
own comfort. It is what the word says.
Even when my flesh is bucking, even when our flesh is fleshing, okay?
Because the flesh be fleshing. Guess what? And courageous disciples,
the faith be faith in two of them. You feel me?
So I want to invite you. I'm going to always invite you to enroll in courageous disciples. Go there.
(40:31):
Sign up. don't wait, don't walk, run.
And it's open enrollment. You can enroll for $60 a month. That is $2 a day.
Come on in and get in this community.
You need us and we need you. So we'd love for you to be an official,
courageous disciple, a part of our community.
(40:53):
As always, I pray that this blessed you. If you liked it, like it.
Subscribe to the YouTube channel. If If you're watching it on YouTube,
make sure you download it. Make sure you give us a five-star rating.
If this episode spoke to you, even if you gave a rating and wrote a review on
a previous episode, write a rating and give a rating and write a review for this episode.
(41:14):
You can do that specifically in Apple Podcasts and on Spotify as well.
So if this episode really spoke to you, go ahead.
Let us know it. All right. um i think that's all that i need to say y'all i
love y'all and i'll see y'all next week.
Hey, hey, it's your girl Courage Molina back at this podcast.
This is a podcast for courageous disciples.
Welcome. Welcome back. I'm glad that you are here with me. I have something to tell you.
I don't know if you know this or not, so I just want to say it.
You were created for greatness.
(00:22):
I'll say it again. You were created for greatness.
Greatness and the sooner you get that down
in the depth of your soul in your mind that
you are not created to be mediocre you are not a mediocre creation
that God created you for something great
we were created to reign the minute that you get that down in the depth of your
(00:45):
soul the easier it becomes for you to raise your hand and say like hey I need
help right and so So I wanted to talk to you about achieving personal growth
through your faith, right?
So personal growth and development, I know it's all, I know it's like a fad, it's everywhere.
(01:05):
Self-help books and podcasts that talk to us about getting our life.
But for me, I really truly believe that personal growth and development for
the believer starts with faith.
It starts with time in the word because it's when you get in the word of God
that you really understand your identity,
who you are, and you understand God and who he is and that he doesn't make junk
(01:29):
and he did not make you for nothing.
Do you understand what I'm saying? You are a believer.
You are a courageous disciple. You have decided to accept God,
to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior and you're gonna follow him and you're
gonna make your life, you're gonna adjust your life to match his will and his way to be in alignment,
(01:50):
he created you for something great.
And the minute that you get that, you no longer have to worry about what somebody might think of you.
You don't have to worry about what people might say about you or how you're
going to look if people knew that you didn't know it all or your life wasn't
perfect or your situation wasn't perfect. So it really starts up.
(02:12):
Listen, I truly believe that your personal growth, I mean, your spiritual growth,
your spiritual maturity is personal, right?
So I really believe that your personal growth starts with your faith.
It is built in and through, you know, what you understand about what God says
about you and what God says about God.
(02:34):
So here's what I'm saying. The more time you spend in the word,
especially the way a courageous disciple does, right? Right.
We are not just studying so that we can have something memorized so that we
can say we studied our Bible.
No, we are studying to get to know God and for application.
We know that God is not giving us a revelation.
(02:54):
He's not helping us to interpret the word so that we can just interpret the
word is intended for application for our lives.
And so because we study it that way, it means that every time there's a revelation
in the word of God and I'm committing my life,
you know, every day of the week, five days out of the week, three days of the
(03:15):
week to studying the word of God, every time there's an interpretation,
I know that God is giving me direction. He's giving us insight.
There's a place that he wants us to apply that wisdom. Wisdom.
The more you apply that wisdom, don't you see how that leads to your personal growth?
It's changing your perspective. It's changing your attitude,
(03:38):
your behavior, your habits. It's going to change all of those things.
And so I always start with the foundation of being in the word and studying the word of God.
And it's because there's so much culture out here. There's a lot of culture. And I'm.
Culture is not bad. I'm not saying, you know, I'm not beefing with culture.
(03:59):
The issue is that sometimes we make culture the gospel, right?
Because we've always done it this way or our ancestors did it this way or my
family did it this way or my community or my society says that this is okay
or this is the way to handle a situation, then we do it that way.
But when you get into the word of God, it helps you to filter through all the
(04:24):
things that are culture, all the things that are preference.
All the things that are traditional and helps you get down to the truth of how God wants us to live.
And as you make those adjustments, that helps you to grow personally,
helps you to develop as a human being, not just like in the super churchy way,
but as a believer, it helps you to grow as a person.
(04:46):
When you're in the word of God, you can also see what's possible.
Not only does it tell you how to move and what to do, sometimes we don't even
know what to work towards because we don't know what's possible.
You mean to tell me it is possible to be going through a difficult situation
and be at peace and not feel chaos in my body,
(05:10):
not catastrophize my situation, not feel hopeless.
You mean to tell me I can suffer a loss
and experience grief and gratitude at the I don't even know that was something
I could do I didn't even know that was possible when you spend time in the word
studying the word of God seeking God it shows you what is possible what is possible
(05:35):
for the believer mentally.
What's possible for the believer emotionally? What's possible for the believer
spiritually and financially?
It's possible for me to hear God.
It's possible for you to hear God, for you to get a word from God every day,
all day long, anytime you need to.
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It's possible for you to, you know, increase your finances, to build wealth.
It's possible for you to take your gifts and your talents and to serve God,
even if you haven't been called to a pulpit or Bible teacher,
pastor or whatever, you can still use your skills.
We don't know what is possible for the believer outside of spending time in the word of God.
(06:23):
And so when you start to spend serious time in the word of God,
you can begin to see what's possible.
How can I have a goal? How can you have a goal or want to grow or think that you're going to grow.
You don't even know it was possible. I listened to this book. It was by Trevor Noah.
(06:43):
It was called Born a Crime. That's the title of it, Born a Crime.
I listened to it on Audible. He's the one who reads it. It's a really good listen.
He's funny. Who knew he was as troubled as he was?
But I liked the book. It was a good book. But he talked about what his dreams
were growing up in South Africa, in the area that he grew up in and the way that he grew up.
(07:07):
He talks about what the dreams are of that community, the community that he came from.
He's like, the greatest dream that he had or that they can have was having a
house on the street that was named after a car with a driveway.
It wasn't even to have a car. Now, The light thing is that you're going to get a car. That ain't me.
(07:30):
But the dream, the best that he could think of to dream of was a small house with a driveway.
Why? Because they don't know what else is possible. You don't know what else
is possible. You haven't been exposed to anything.
That's why getting in your work and studying the word of God and having a Bible
reading plan, it exposes you to what is possible.
(07:55):
So now you can elevate your desires, your goal, your expectation even.
You can elevate your standard to meet the standard that Christ has set,
to meet the standard that God has set.
This is my new standard. These are my new expectations.
Now I can get my hope up. Now I can get my faith up because I've been reading
(08:17):
the Bible and I realized it is possible to see resurrection.
It is possible to see relationships reconciled. It's possible for forgiveness
to happen and for it to be complete forgiveness without any bitterness or resentment.
It's possible to heal from abuse and neglect and mistreatment.
It's actually possible for me to do these things.
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You don't even know what's possible. You're not working towards it.
Achieving personal growth is limited to what you believe to be possible.
You're not going to get any higher. You're not going to grow any further.
You're not going to develop.
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You're not going to heal beyond what you believe to be be possible.
And when you are in the word, that faith just takes the limits off because we
have a limitless God and he's not struggling to find resources.
There isn't anything that's too hard for him. There isn't anything he can't
do in, through, and for your life.
(09:20):
The word of God tells us that he gave his son Jesus to die for us.
What other good thing he would keep complete healing from you.
He would keep peace from you.
So I don't, you know, I don't even know what I could have until I get in the word.
And as you get into it, it leads to practical steps.
(09:41):
I'm going to say this again, because I know it's possible for you to read the
Bible, for you to be reading the Bible, for you to be a Christian for years
and years, and for you to skip the application.
That is one One of the, in my experience personally and as a coach and Bible
teacher, it is my experience that it's one of the things that goes missing.
(10:01):
You go to church, sermon is good, you hallelujah, you shout and you cry and
you love it, but you just went for like, no, let me not say it like that.
You went because, you know, you want to be in the company of other believers
and you want to meet with God and you want to be a part of this corporate worship.
(10:22):
And because the Bible says to not forsake the, you know, the coming together
and fellowshipping like others do.
And so you're going there as one of your spiritual practices so that you can go. Right.
I love that. But attendance in church is not what transforms you.
It's why people can go to church for 20 years and not change.
(10:42):
And still be bitter and still be mean and still be resentful?
Because being in the church is not what does it. It is when you take what you
learned and you apply it.
And some of those things become more practical, not so super spiritual.
Maybe the word that you got was for you to trust God more. What does that look like practically?
(11:04):
What does trusting God, right? So you went to church and they got a great message
and the message was good.
And he just wanted to remind you, or she just wanted to remind you to trust
God. And you're like, yes, I'm gonna trust God.
I'm gonna trust and believe. Okay, what does that trust and believe look like on your part?
Because we are called to participate in this sanctification process.
(11:26):
We're called to participate. We are co-laborers with Christ.
So it's not just for us to sit back and be like, hallelujah and wait.
If I'm going to trust God, if you're going to trust God, that's the message
that you got. God? What does that look like practically?
Does trusting God mean staying out of your grown kids business and listening
(11:49):
and praying and not nagging and fussing? Is that what it looks like to trust God?
Does it look like not being manipulative emotionally when it comes to the people
in your life that you feel like they should appreciate you more?
What does trusting God look like? Does Does trusting God look like tithing in real life?
(12:09):
Does trusting God look like getting a budget or staying the course that he put
you on, not getting a job or getting a job, launching the business or holding
the business, launching the ministry,
starting the ministry or shut like, what does trusting God look like to you?
There is something practical about it.
And the more time you spend in the word, it really gives you permission because
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what the word does a few things, right?
When I talk about faith, I mean, faith that God is who he says he is and he's
able to do what he says he can do.
That is solidified. It is affirmed. It is confirmed.
There's a reminder. It's doubled down, pressed down. Every time you get in the
word, you can see God being God.
(12:53):
Every time you get in the word, you can see God doing the impossible.
And so I say get into the word because what it does is it helps you to see that,
you know, it really, it gives you permission to go and get help.
It gives you permission to say, I don't know what I'm doing,
or I made a mistake, or I need some help in this area, or I'm not sure why,
(13:15):
because I know who I am and that doesn't change. age. I don't care what I know.
I don't care what you know. You've been chosen for something.
I don't care what area you need to grow in. You've been chosen for something.
And there are blessings, posts, assignments, anointing with your name on it.
And it doesn't matter who shows up first because God is only going to give it
to the person whose name is on.
So you can get to the finish line before me, but I'm not racing you. I got my own race to run.
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I'm not racing you. This is not a competition.
I don't need to compete. That's what you need to start saying.
You're not competing with anybody.
Nobody can get what God has for you. We say what God has for you,
he has for you, but we don't often act like it.
So we want to pretend like we know everything.
We want to act like we don't have any questions or like we have it all figured
(14:01):
out instead of saying, oh, I don't know.
How does that? I don't know. I know I'm supposed to do this,
but how am I supposed to do it? Well, I don't know. No.
So let me go get help. Let me raise my hand.
It gives you permission. The more time you spend in the word,
it gives you permission to say that you don't understand something that you
(14:22):
don't know what you're doing because you recognize by being in the word that
God did not choose perfect people who knew everything and who were at the height
of their careers or at the height of their family tree or hierarchy or whatever
in political power. He chose who he wanted to choose.
Right? And he did in and through their life, what he intended to do in and through
(14:46):
their life, especially for those that gave way,
that gave in to him, that surrendered to him and said, okay,
God, even though I don't really know,
even though I'm going to look crazy, I'm going to go ahead and do it.
The more time he's spending the work, it really gives you permission to get
to know yourself because then you understand, you know, God loves you.
(15:07):
He's chosen you. and God knows everything about you.
He knows the good, he knows the bad, and he knows the ugly, and yet he chose you.
So why do you need to be embarrassed or ashamed or afraid to talk about your
shortcomings and your weaknesses?
Paul talks all the time about boasting in his weaknesses because it's in his
(15:28):
weaknesses that God has made strong.
We, even in the church, even as believers, us. We want to hide our weaknesses.
That's why I call us courageous disciples, because it certainly takes courage
in this day and age to have your flaws out there for the world to see,
to have your shortcomings out there for the world to see, to be exposed.
(15:51):
It takes a lot because everybody seems to be perfect, for lack of a better word. We know better.
We know better in our head, it, but somehow we're watching podcasts.
We're listening to it. We're looking at social media.
And even when people are being honest about how difficult things are or the
(16:13):
situation that they're in or what they had to overcome, somehow we still walk
away feeling like we have to be perfect. Well, let me tell you this.
You don't have to be perfect.
You don't have to be whatever you will be later.
You don't have to be that right now. You were created for greatness.
That's how I started off, right?
(16:34):
And if you know that greatness is your portion and greatness is your destiny,
it means that wherever you're going, wherever God is taking you to,
you don't have everything you need.
Between like, there's some knowledge that you need.
There's some growth and maturity that you need. There may be some training.
(16:58):
There may be some stretching, some rebuking, some discipline,
something that you need in order to manage the gifts that are coming your way
that you don't have right now.
That is like, in my mind, that is logical.
And it is common sense that God has called me for greatness and that is my portion,
(17:19):
but I don't have it right in this moment.
I'm as good as I could be right now. Let me just tell you that. Okay.
I'm as good as I could be right now. You're as good as you can be right now,
but I know that God is not leaving me here.
He doesn't want me to not mature emotionally.
There is some emotional maturing I need to do. Some spiritual maturing I need to do.
(17:40):
I may need to get better with my finances or with my communication,
something that is going to prepare me for where he's taking me. Right.
And when you know that, that God's not going to change his mind about you,
that his gifts and his calling is irrevocable.
He's not going to take those things back from you.
It gives you the freedom to be like, Hey, I might need a little help.
(18:03):
We might need to read a book. I might need a coach.
I'm going to get get into a class because God knows everything about you and he still chose you.
He knows exactly what you're struggling with right now. He knows exactly what
you've been through and the impact that it's had on you and what it makes difficult
(18:24):
for you to do or understand or how it makes it difficult for you to show up. He knew all of that.
And yet he still picked you for such a time as it is.
Get in the word. Let's talk about the Bible for a little bit,
right? Let's get, let me just show you. I got a couple of cases I want to tell you about.
Are you ready? David and Bathsheba. so David
(18:46):
was a king David is we talk about David
he is a man after God's own heart all these
things he was anointed appointed he was called
to be king he's David and Goliath you know he is all these great things that
David is but he also I don't know if you know this he also was the youngest
(19:08):
of his clan he was the youngest of his family so traditionally speaking and
according According to the culture at the time,
he's the least, he's like the last one to be picked.
Nobody even thought, nobody even considered that he might be the one that God
would choose as king. He was little.
He wasn't doing a whole lot. He only had a few little sheep he was out there protecting.
(19:31):
They didn't even bother to call him in for dinner. When Samuel came to anoint
the next king, they was like, okay, are these all of Jesse's boys?
He was like, no, we got another one. He was like, okay, we're not going to eat
until that last one comes.
Eighth in line not the one
that tradition or culture or just
(19:53):
like honestly practical human sense
would consider and God says I don't look at what y'all look at I look at the
heart so there's the thing so I don't know who you are I don't know if you feel
like because of where you rank in your family or how you rank according to the
society that you live in or the culture that you're in.
(20:14):
Maybe it's your gender that keeps you out. Maybe it's your age.
Maybe it's your education or lack thereof. Maybe it's your upbringing.
Maybe it's your finance, your credit score. I don't know what it is,
but it seems like you are the unlikely pick.
It doesn't mean that God hasn't chosen you, right? God has definitely chosen you.
Just like he chose David, who then went on to have sex with another man's wife.
(20:37):
And then he went on to have that man killed to assuage his own guilt.
So you committed sin and then you killed me because of what you did to me.
That's crazy, David. That's crazy, King.
Guess what? God still chose him. Moses and the Egyptian.
Moses was born during a time where his life was in danger.
(21:02):
He was raised, he was adopted for lack of a better word, right?
He had to be given up by his mother.
He grew up in a culture that was not his own, right?
He had to watch people that look like him be mistreated. And then one day he killed an Egyptian.
And he had a stuttering issue. And he was stuttering. Come on now.
(21:26):
Yet God chose Moses. And he used Moses.
And there was something that, you know, there was an anointing on Moses' life.
Moses was created for greatness.
And then Rahab and the spies.
Prostitute. Not even a part of the Israelites. She, you know, part of something else.
(21:47):
And she helped the spies and
was like hey we everybody's scared
of what's gonna happen truthfully but we would
like to be a part of whatever and guess what her name
is listed in the genealogy of jesus she's
in jesus ancestral line by name
(22:09):
that's crazy right so
she was chosen that right there this is
what I'm saying about being in like this is what I'm saying about being
in the word if that does not give you permission to
say you don't know something to say I need to improve in an area I need help
(22:29):
I need a coach I need a mentor like I don't know what does because this right
here is proof that you don't have to be perfect but that growth is expected David had had to grow.
Moses had to mature, right? Rahab had to make some different decisions.
She had to change up spiritually.
She had to mature spiritually, right?
There were some things. She had
(22:51):
to come to a place where she recognized something and make some changes.
It is proof. All three of those examples that I gave you are proof that you're
not expected to be perfect, but growth is an expectation.
And if growth is an expectation, it means it's okay not to know something.
It's okay for you not to know something. It's okay for you to recognize that
(23:13):
you are emotionally immature.
Last year, I was in a program. Was it last year? It was 2024.
Actually, I think it was two years ago, maybe 2022.
I was in a program, and it was for ministry leaders, women in ministry leadership.
Leadership, and one of the modules that we had during this cohort had to do
(23:38):
with emotional maturity, and they gave us this quiz to take,
and so we took this quiz, and I'm like answering the questions on this quiz,
and let me tell you something.
I've taken personality quizzes and strength quizzes, and sometimes I can tell
where it's going, right?
I can see like, oh, this is it's going to be really good.
Or I can see, ooh, this is not going to be good results.
(24:03):
I can see all these results, they're not going to be that good,
right? I can tell by the questions and the answers.
With this particular one for emotional maturity, baby, I was click,
click, clicking, getting all these answers.
And I am thinking to myself as I'm taking this quiz, is
obviously these are the right answers
(24:25):
like this is really the only option that's really
what I'm thinking these are the only option so they give you the results
and the results are given to you in like in terms of child development so an
emotional infant an emotional toddler an emotional adolescent teen young adult
right emotionally mature whatever do you know what I was Let me tell you,
(24:47):
I don't care if y'all judge me.
I was an emotional adolescent at my big age.
I was so shocked.
By this time, I had been in therapy a little bit, maybe for like a year or so.
And we had been working on my anxiety, right?
(25:10):
Because the pandemic did a number on my anxiety. It was already underneath anyway.
I just didn't realize it. And the pandemic and the shutdown really magnified
the anxiety that I had been dealing with.
And so that's really what we focused on in the beginning was like my anxiety
and my need for control. That's what leads to anxiety, all these things.
So we hadn't really talked about my emotional,
(25:33):
on my emotional whatever and so I must have had therapy near that time or maybe
right after or whatever and so I'm just sharing with her she's asking me how
my week went and I'm telling her,
and I told her what my score was
and how shocked I was she looked at me so puzzled she's like miscarriage.
(25:55):
Are you telling me that you are shocked by the result? I'm like, yes.
I am shocked by, what are you talking about? Yes, I'm shocked by the result.
Me, emotionally immature, like, absolutely not.
I'm one of the most emotionally, no, you're an emotional child, okay? Okay.
(26:17):
Therapists knew it. The Lord knew it. And I just thought, who knew?
I didn't have to hide that. I didn't have, I didn't need to feel shame or guilt.
I was definitely shocked.
And I thought, well, the Lord has shined a light on this.
That means it's time for me to address my emotional maturity.
(26:40):
And it's something that I've been working on. Now I had a couple of little breakthroughs.
I don't know that I'm an emotional adult just yet, but I've had some breakthroughs in that.
And I share that to say, me needing to grow up emotionally, recognizing that,
doesn't mean that God hasn't called me to teach, to lead, to minister.
(27:01):
That's not what it means. I don't mean that. It means it's time for me to grow up.
It's time for me to learn about what it takes to grow emotionally.
It's time for me to read some books. It's time for me to change maybe what our focus is in therapy.
It's time for me to get some tools and learn how to take control of my emotions
(27:22):
and make decisions, not from a place of, you know, based on my feelings or whatever.
That's what it means. It doesn't mean that it's time for me to give up or for me to pretend.
And so it's something I shared. And the reason I shared it, it's because Because
it doesn't matter what other people know about you. Who cares? So I don't care.
I don't want you to care either because it doesn't change the call on my life.
(27:46):
It doesn't change the call on your life. It does not draw up that anointing
that God has poured out on you.
It does not change the trajectory of your destiny.
It does not change the call or the assignment that God has for you.
It does not change how the Lord loves you. It does not change how God's going to move on your behalf.
Just because this thing is true about you, so what?
(28:08):
The Bible shows us over and over and over again, you don't have to be perfect. Growth is expected.
Growth. So as I'm in the word, that's another thing.
The more time you spend in the word and you are reading the Bible, right?
It's not enough to read the Bible. We have to also allow the Bible to read us.
You have to let the Bible read you.
It's not enough for you to own your Bible. You need to let the Bible own you.
(28:30):
And when you do that, it will show you exactly the areas that you need to grow
in and you can get the practical help. You can start making the adjustments.
You can start making the arrangements that you need to make and getting the
support and to help and whatever, courses, books, podcasts, sermons,
support groups that you need.
(28:51):
The minute that you realize that you got stuck in a spot in grief that is turning
to resentment and bitterness, maybe you didn't know it before now.
It doesn't change the call in your life, but the minute that you get in the
word and you allow the word to seek your heart, to search your heart,
and it reveals that to you, you can say, oh, okay, maybe I need to read a book on grief.
(29:11):
Maybe I need to get some support with my grief because this person died 10 years ago, 12 years ago.
And I just read this thing in the word and it is revealing to me that the way
that I respond to things now is not a healthy or godly way.
So I might need to get some practical help with it.
This is how you achieve personal growth through your faith.
(29:33):
It's not that the Bible does it all for you. It's not that the Holy Spirit does it all for you.
It is that you get confirmation Confirmation and understanding about one was
possible until you recognize that it doesn't change the call that God has on your life.
It doesn't rob you of your anointing to say that there's an area that you need
to grow. Growth is expected.
You're not born at the place that you need to be in order for you to take the
(29:57):
position that God has created you for. It's the growth.
It's the personal growth and development.
You can see that in the model of discipleship.
He called Peter and them off the water and from the tax booth and all of that.
He didn't send them out the same day to preach. It required growth.
(30:18):
We got to see Peter growing spiritually and emotionally because Peter was about that life.
He was like, oh, I bet ain't nobody coming to do that to you.
And Jesus was like, Satan, get thee behind me, right? He had to grow.
It didn't change that he was called. It didn't change the anointing and the
power that God gave them. It didn't change their assignment.
(30:42):
But discipleship as a model for or spiritual growth is proof that there are
things you're not going to know.
And there's no shame in raising your hand to get help.
I remember like, it takes me back to the classroom and it is so crazy because
students would sit in the room. I'm asking that you have questions.
(31:02):
You know, you have a question, but you're not raising your hand. What are you doing?
Oh, because these other ones, I grade these tests. Some of these other people
need to have their hand up too.
So don't worry about who don't have their hand up. Put your hand up,
because some of them need their hand up.
And I'm going to help you, and you're going to get the outcome that you want.
(31:22):
It doesn't make any sense. You know you've been called for greatness.
Greatness is your portion.
You need help with something, raise your hand. Tell somebody,
hey, I really need to grow in this area. I need some help with my finance.
I need some help with organizing.
I'm really struggling going to stay on track. I'm really struggling with my time management.
I promise you, somebody has devoted their life to time management and they wrote 10 books on it.
(31:46):
I promise you somebody has been called to teach you how to study the word of
God and they have tips and tricks and strategies and tools to make it easier
so that you can go deeper in the word of God.
I promise you it's somebody assignment to help you get your nutrition and fitness in order.
I promise you somebody has an eye for style and they can tell you how to get
(32:09):
your style together because you need to be on a platform or whatever.
I assure you that somebody has been called, anointed, and appointed.
One of the things that God used to tell me, because I struggled within this
area. That's how I can tell you. I struggled in this area years ago.
And one of the things he said to me is, do you understand that somebody out
(32:31):
there is as good at what they do as you are at what you do?
Just like I gifted you Courage Molina.
I want you to put your name there. Just like God gifted you in this area,
he gifted somebody else to the same level, if not better, in that area.
So I know this is my gift. Teaching Bible, Bible, I know that.
(32:56):
Do you know what that means? That means that somebody has the same level of
gifting in organizing and time management as I do in teaching Bible.
So I don't want to learn from them. Yes, I do.
Somebody that can teach you how to get your house together
on a budget somebody can help you to forgive somebody that
can help you to let go to grow to heal
(33:18):
to deal with your trauma there's somebody that is called to do it you've been
called to help people get their finances together somebody has been called to
help people get their frustration and they can help you do you understand what
i'm saying greatness is your portion and so it gives you permission i I really
believe that the more time you spend in the word,
the less you care about what you don't know.
(33:41):
The more time I spend in the word, the easier it becomes to ask the question.
The more time you spend in the word, paying attention.
Look at these people that the Lord chose and did great things through.
I mean, you slept with somebody else's wife.
You slept with somebody that sounds cute.
(34:06):
Even if you did, the Lord still used David. Do you see what I'm saying?
When you put your shortcomings next to some of this, I was like,
I really did nothing compared to these people.
So let me go ahead and get my hand up so I can get help because I know that
God expects for me to grow.
You can start to ignore what they might say.
(34:27):
And truthfully, they're not saying nothing because they ain't thinking about
you. But if they are, it's because they're not focused on what they need to be doing.
You will care less, though. You'll care less than you do now about what people
are saying. And it is going to feel uncomfortable.
It can feel uncomfortable in the beginning. But here's another thing, too.
So more time you spend in your work, it leads you to community.
(34:49):
I find that faith leads me to community. I look at the disciples.
I look at the children of Israel and how they all live together in these communities
of believers, even in Old Testament.
Investment they're living together with people who believe like them who trust god like them.
And so it kind of gives them the freedom to
(35:10):
you know be vulnerable and all
that and so the more time you spend on the word the more it shows you that you
need to be in community you know and you need to get in one where people are
authentic and where people are vulnerable not just transparent transparency
it's like i can show you what i've been through vulnerable as i'm allowing to
get close so that you can see what I'm going through right now.
(35:33):
That's what you want. You want to get in a community like that.
Now, obviously, I'm going to invite you to join Courageous Disciples.
We are a community like that. We are heavy on Bible.
And we're heavy on Bible study tips and tricks and strategies and tools and resources.
But the way that we study within the community, it always leads to application.
(35:59):
Always leads to application, which takes us to some practical things where people
can and do share in the community.
We are listening to podcasts just as individuals because we're all studying the word of God.
And we realize we are getting these revelations that show us that there are
areas that we need to grow.
So now we are at individual seeking podcasts that can help us to become more
(36:24):
emotionally mature podcasts that can help us to forgive, to overcome trauma.
Now we're looking for podcasts that talks about boundaries and time management, those types of things.
And those are the things that we're sharing. We're reading books.
That our personal growth and development books, because we know we've been called
to greatness and we're okay with people seeing that journey along with us.
(36:47):
We're going to have conferences which are going to help us in our personal growth and development.
And so I want to invite you to join Courageous Disciples, the community.
I know you're Courageous Disciples if you're listening to this podcast.
It means that you have committed to really adjusting your entire life to God
and the way God says for us to live,
(37:08):
even in this day and age where it seems like, you know, being a believer is under attack.
And at the same time, being a believer or being a woman of faith is also like a fad too.
I don't even know how we're both at the same time and still somehow not genuine.
I don't even know how we get there.
But Courageous Disciples is a place where we are students of the word.
(37:32):
And so there are methods and guides and tips being shared and modules to support
you in studying the word of God,
being able to embrace what it says and what it was intentionally meant to say
to the original audience, and then applying that wisdom to your life right now.
(37:53):
We are believers on the move.
Once we get a revelation, we are all about application because we understand that following Christ.
Requires us to do what the word says, right?
If I'm following Christ, it means that if you're following Christ,
that means that you believe what his word says.
And so you're going to do it. And what we do in courageous disciples is we're
(38:17):
practically living out the word of God.
We are applying it to every area of our life, not just on Sundays,
not just in churchy spaces.
We are taking action, whether that's starting a business, ending a business,
starting a ministry, going on on a diet, getting that help.
Like we are taking action and we are making adjustment in our lives to our schedule,
(38:39):
to our perspective, to our mindset, to our standards, to be in alignment with
the word of God. We are sisters.
We are like family. We are getting on FaceTime.
We are prayer partners, travel buddies, brunch buddies.
We are celebrating and mourning with one another. We are encouraging and challenging,
(38:59):
rebuking, correcting, and patting on the back, reminding each other and holding
each other accountable to our greatness.
And so go to CourageousDisciples.com and get more information and enroll today.
Don't wait, don't walk, run and get in it.
Especially if you are about, you know, achieving your personal growth and development
(39:26):
goals through the foundation of the word.
Really, Courageous Disciple is a place where all roads start,
stop, and are built on the road of the word. I speak English sometimes.
The word of God, right? If you think about the road to success,
it's paved with the word of God. So it's where we start.
(39:49):
It's how we go. It's how we know which way to go. It's our GPS.
It's all of those things in real life. It's not culture. It's not our feelings. It's not tradition.
It isn't our, it's not, you know, church.
It's not what's popular. It's none of those things. It's not even our own comfort.
You probably don't want to join now, but that's the truth. It's not even our
(40:10):
own comfort. It is what the word says.
Even when my flesh is bucking, even when our flesh is fleshing, okay?
Because the flesh be fleshing. Guess what? And courageous disciples,
the faith be faith in two of them. You feel me?
So I want to invite you. I'm going to always invite you to enroll in courageous disciples. Go there.
(40:31):
Sign up. don't wait, don't walk, run.
And it's open enrollment. You can enroll for $60 a month. That is $2 a day.
Come on in and get in this community.
You need us and we need you. So we'd love for you to be an official,
courageous disciple, a part of our community.
(40:53):
As always, I pray that this blessed you. If you liked it, like it.
Subscribe to the YouTube channel. If If you're watching it on YouTube,
make sure you download it. Make sure you give us a five-star rating.
If this episode spoke to you, even if you gave a rating and wrote a review on
a previous episode, write a rating and give a rating and write a review for this episode.
(41:14):
You can do that specifically in Apple Podcasts and on Spotify as well.
So if this episode really spoke to you, go ahead.
Let us know it. All right. um i think that's all that i need to say y'all i
love y'all and i'll see y'all next week.
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