July 22, 2025 ⢠12 mins
đď¸ Podcast Show Notes
Episode Title:
The Danger of Drifting: How to Recognize It and Drop Anchor Before It's Too Late
Host:
Don Kelly | Faith to Freedom Lifestyle
đĽ Episode Summary:
Most Christian men donât deliberately walk away from Godâthey drift. Quietly. Slowly. Subtly. And before they realize it, theyâre spiritually disengaged, emotionally dry, and wondering how they got there. In this hard-hitting episode, Don Kelly unpacks the silent danger of spiritual drift, the warning signs you may be ignoring, and the powerful anchors you can drop to reconnect with Christ.
If youâve been feeling distant, unmotivated, or like youâre just going through the motionsâthis episode is your wake-up call. Itâs time to stop coasting, start fighting, and drop anchor.
đ§ What You'll Learn:
- Why spiritual drift is more dangerous than open rebellion
- 5 subtle warning signs you're drifting without realizing it
- How pressure, busyness, and unchecked sin quietly pull you away from God
- Four powerful spiritual anchors that will steady your soul
- The good news: Drift isnât finalâJesus is still pursuing you
đ Key Scriptures:
- Hebrews 2:1 â âWe must pay much closer attention⌠lest we drift away.â
- Hebrews 4:12 â The Word is living and active.
- Proverbs 27:17 â Iron sharpens iron.
- Hebrews 6:19 â âWe have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soulâŚâ
- 1 Peter 5:10 â After you have suffered⌠He will restore you.
âąď¸ Timestamps:
0:00 â Hook: You donât rebelâyou drift
 1:00 â The Subtle Slide: Recognizing drift early
 6:45 â Five Warning Signs of Spiritual Drift
 14:00 â How to Anchor Your Soul in Christ
 21:00 â Final Encouragement: Drift isnât your destiny
 23:00 â Call to Action & Resources
đŹ Quotes from Don Kelly:
âDrifting doesnât look dangerous at first. Thatâs what makes it so deadly.ââYou can be productive without being connected to your purpose.ââJesus isnât surprised by your distanceâHeâs ready to draw you close.â
đŁ Call to Action:
If youâre tired of feeling distant from God and ready to get back on missionâclick the links above and grab the tools that will help you drop anchor and move forward with clarity and confidence. This isnât about performanceâitâs about presence. Letâs rebuild from the quiet place.
- đ Resources & Links:
more about Faith To Freedom Lifestyle https://www.faithtofreedomlifestyle.com/mystory
đGet A 3 Day Life Changing Course here
https://tr.ee/3day-Getting-unstuck-course
đBook a Free 30 Minute Discovery Call
https://www.faithtofreedomlifestyle.com/calendar
đGet Your Free Ebook Here on GETTING UNSTUCK
https://tr.ee/Free-Ebook-Unstuck
đCheck out Our Blog Page
https://www.faithtofreedomlifestyle.com/blogs
or follow on [Facebook] or [Youtube]
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:01):
Hi, Don Kelly here, and welcome to this week's
episode entitled, The Danger ofDrifting.
Most men don't wake up one dayand say, I think I'll walk away
from God today.
But they drift, slowly, quietly,and dangerously.
And by the time they noticethey're miles from where they
started, the danger isn't inrebellion, it's in neglect.
(00:22):
The subtle shift away from God,one small compromise, one
skipped devotion, one quietexcuse at a time, and the worst
part?
It usually feels normal.
It feels justified.
It feels like you're just toobusy.
If you've been feeling distantfrom God, disconnected from your
passion, or like you're justgoing through the motions, today
(00:43):
we're tackling what might be theroot issue of spiritual drift.
Let's unpack what it looks like,how to recognize it, and how to
anchor your soul again inChrist.
SPEAKER_00 (00:55):
Hello and welcome to Faith to Freedom Lifestyle
Podcast, a show that empowersChristian men to lead a
lifestyle of freedom whilewalking out their faith.
Listen in as your host, DonKelly, shares mindsets, habits,
wisdom and disciplines that willhelp you experience the freedom
to lead with clarity, purposeand peace without sacrificing
(01:16):
your family, your faith or yourcalling.
Now join us as we hear from yourhost, Don Kelly.
SPEAKER_01 (01:30):
The subtle slide and recognizing the drift.
It comes slowly and we have tobe aware when we're drifting
away.
So here's some signs.
The scripture says in Hebrews 2,Therefore we must pay closer
attention to what we've heard,lest we drift away from it.
Drifting doesn't look dangerousat first.
(01:50):
That's what makes it so deadly.
It requires no effort, nodecision to revel.
Just a passive, gradual, andunintentional movement away from
the anchor of truth.
Picture a boat on calm water,untethered.
It doesn't need wind or waves tomove.
The current takes it slowly andsilently, and before long, it's
out of sight.
(02:11):
Spiritually, we drift when westop paying attention.
We stop intentionally leaninginto the gospel.
We treat our faith like acheckbox instead of a lifeline.
That's what the writer ofHebrews warns about.
He says, pay much closerattention, not just casual
listening, but selectiveapplication, but deep focused
(02:32):
attention.
Let me give it to you straight.
You can't be successful at work,respected in the church, or
admired by your peers and stillbe drifting in your soul.
Because drifting doesn't show upon your calendar in your
performance review.
It shows up when your passioncools.
when your convictions soften,when you're hungry for the word
(02:54):
gets replaced by another Netflixepisode.
It's not always open rebellion,it's quiet neglect.
You're spiritually present, butnot spiritually pursuing.
It often starts when we're underpressure.
You tell yourself, well, I'llget back to it later, or I'll
pray tomorrow, or I'll resetnext week.
(03:16):
But weeks become months, andsoon the fire you once had is
just a memory.
Drifting is the quiet killer ofdestiny.
And if we're not careful, we canspend years being productive
without being connected to thetrue purpose.
Now here's five warning signs Iwant to share with you that
you're drifting.
And let's bring it closer tohome.
(03:37):
How do you know you're drifting?
Let's unpack five warning signs.
Warning number one, a dullnesstowards God's word.
You used to crave scripture, nowit sits unopened for days, maybe
weeks.
Tell yourself you're busy, butthe truth is your appetite has
changed.
Hebrews 4.12 said the Word isliving and active, so when
(03:58):
you're not interested in it,when you're not interacting with
it, something inside starts todie.
You stop turning to it forguidance.
You start relying on feelingsinstead of truth.
Number two sign that you mightbe drifting is an increasingly
shallow prayer life.
Now, this is a big one, folks.
(04:18):
This, I believe, is a...
a great indicator of where youare with the Lord.
When was the last time you had adeep, raw conversation with God?
Now, I'm not talking about gracebefore dinner.
I mean crying out, listening,pressing in.
When you stop praying, you startdrifting.
When prayer becomes a lastresort instead of a first
(04:39):
response, you've lostconnection.
God hasn't moved.
We have.
And prayer is the only thingthat will bring us back.
Number three sign you might bedrifting is when we begin to
normalize sin.
What used to grieve you now getsrationalized.
Entertainment that used toconvict you now makes you
chuckle.
(05:01):
When you stop calling sin whatGod calls it, your moral compass
is drifting.
You no longer run from sin.
You redefine it.
You lower the standard.
That's the dangerous place tobe.
And God calls us to be holy, notjust better than the guy next to
us.
Number four sign that you mightbe drifting away is isolation
(05:23):
from godly relationships.
You pull away from your brothersin Christ and you say, I'm just
in a season, but in reality,you're avoiding accountability.
Proverbs 27 and 17 says, ironsharpens iron, but when you
drift, you hide.
You stop texting back, you stopattending, you stop confessing.
(05:43):
And the longer you'redisconnected, the more normal it
feels.
But isolation is always, alwaysthe enemy's playground.
Number five reason, youprioritize the temporary over
the eternal.
You start chasing career goals,comfort and convenience more
than you pursue God.
(06:05):
You're consumed by things thatwon't matter a hundred years
from now.
That's drift.
You're doing good things, butnot God things.
The urgent is robbing you of theeternal.
The tyranny of the urgent hasdethroned the priority of the
kingdom.
These signs aren't condemnation.
They're confirmation that God isstill speaking.
(06:26):
The question is, are youlistening?
We need to learn to anchor oursoul in Jesus Christ.
And here's the good news.
Drifting is reversible, but itrequires intention.
Now get that, I didn't sayattention, but intention.
It requires that Hebrews 2.1calls paying much closer
(06:47):
attention, and that meanswalking up to your current
direction and actively choosingchange course.
Now, here are four spiritualanchors you can drop right now.
Anchor yourself in the worddaily.
Don't wait for Sunday.
Don't wait for motivation.
Build a habit of Scripture.
(07:07):
Even if it's a verse, even ifit's five minutes, open the word
and let God speak.
Put it on your calendar.
Read it out loud.
Journal what he says.
Write it down.
Listen for his voice, not justinformation.
His word is your compass.
It's not your backup plan.
Number two way to be anchored inChrist is to cultivate
(07:29):
consistent, honest prayer.
Talk to God like your lifedepends on it because it truly
does.
Be honest and be vulnerable.
Tell him where you're weak.
Ask him to light a fire again.
Don't pray polished.
Pray personal.
Goal is connection, notperfection.
Prayer is your lifeline.
(07:50):
Even five honest minutes a daycan break the drift.
Number three way that we canreturn and anchor our soul in
Christ is get into a group.
Find you a mentor.
Call your closest Christianfriend and just be open with
them.
Tell them you need a mentor anda friend and accountability
(08:10):
partner, but don't isolate.
One of the greatest weapons ofthe enemy is disconnection.
Find a circle of men who willcall you back to truth.
Join a men's Bible study or asksomeone in your office for
coffee and prayer.
Faith to freedom lifestyle isbuilt on this principle.
Men sharpening men in grace andgrit.
(08:31):
You don't need an audience.
You need an anchor team.
Number four, reset your rhythmsaround Jesus.
Look at your calendar.
Look at your time.
Who gets your best hours?
Recalibrate your mornings andprioritize the Sabbath day and
choose rest.
Fight for peace and shut downsocial at night.
(08:54):
Wake up early to meet with God.
Rebuild from the quiet place.
Create sacred space in yourschedule that feeds your soul,
not just your ambition.
This is the heart of what we doat Faith to Freedom Lifestyle.
We help men like you buildrhythms and routines and a
renewed mindset to walk withclarity and to lead with purpose
(09:16):
and to live in freedom.
But just remember this, thedrift, as deadly as it is, it's
not final.
Let me leave you with somegospel truth.
Jesus is not intimidated by yourdrift.
He came to seek and to save thelost and the drifting.
He's not surprised by yourdistance.
He's ready to draw close to you.
(09:38):
The Bible says if we'll drawnigh unto him, he'll draw nigh
unto you in the book of James.
Peter drifted, but he deniedJesus three times.
Talk about shame.
But Jesus didn't abandon him.
He pursued him, restored him,and called him into leadership.
Now, that's the grace of ourLord.
Our grace doesn't just forgive.
(10:00):
It restores.
It rebuilds.
And that same grace is reachingfor you today.
Hebrews 16 and 9 declares wehave this as a sure and
steadfast anchor of the soul, ahope that enters into the inner
place behind the curtain.
Now that anchor that thatscripture is speaking of, it's
Christ.
(10:21):
And that hope is yours.
His faithfulness is yourfoundation.
His promise is your protection.
His presence will be youranchor.
You don't have to keep floating.
You don't have to fake strength.
You don't have to wonder how faryou've gone.
He's just one cry away.
Just stop, repent, and anchoragain.
(10:42):
The wind won't stop blowing, butthe anchor will hold.
Brother, if you've beencoasting, and if your heart has
drifted away, your passion hascooled, and your soul feels dry,
you don't have to stay there.
God is calling you back, notwith shame, but he's calling you
back with grace.
(11:02):
If you're ready to stop driftingand start walking in clarity,
purpose, and peace, I want youto do one thing.
Click the link in the shownotes.
You'll find tools and freeresources to help you reconnect
with God, rebuild your spiritualrhythms, and rediscover your
identity in Christ.
Now, this isn't hype.
It's about your heart.
(11:23):
It's about dropping anchorbefore you lose direction.
So check out these links.
You can look at our podcastdaily.
You can look into our blog post.
There's a Facebook page therefor Christian men.
But until next time, staygrounded in the Word, stay
connected to your brothers, andstay anchored in Jesus.
(11:44):
You're not alone.
You're not too far gone.
Now it's time to drop anchor.
SPEAKER_00 (11:55):
Thanks for joining Faith to Freedom Lifestyle
Podcast.
We wish you all the freedom andjoy in the world, and we look
forward to connecting with youagain soon.
Hi, Don Kelly here, and welcome to this week's
episode entitled, The Danger ofDrifting.
Most men don't wake up one dayand say, I think I'll walk away
from God today.
But they drift, slowly, quietly,and dangerously.
And by the time they noticethey're miles from where they
started, the danger isn't inrebellion, it's in neglect.
(00:22):
The subtle shift away from God,one small compromise, one
skipped devotion, one quietexcuse at a time, and the worst
part?
It usually feels normal.
It feels justified.
It feels like you're just toobusy.
If you've been feeling distantfrom God, disconnected from your
passion, or like you're justgoing through the motions, today
(00:43):
we're tackling what might be theroot issue of spiritual drift.
Let's unpack what it looks like,how to recognize it, and how to
anchor your soul again inChrist.
SPEAKER_00 (00:55):
Hello and welcome to Faith to Freedom Lifestyle
Podcast, a show that empowersChristian men to lead a
lifestyle of freedom whilewalking out their faith.
Listen in as your host, DonKelly, shares mindsets, habits,
wisdom and disciplines that willhelp you experience the freedom
to lead with clarity, purposeand peace without sacrificing
(01:16):
your family, your faith or yourcalling.
Now join us as we hear from yourhost, Don Kelly.
SPEAKER_01 (01:30):
The subtle slide and recognizing the drift.
It comes slowly and we have tobe aware when we're drifting
away.
So here's some signs.
The scripture says in Hebrews 2,Therefore we must pay closer
attention to what we've heard,lest we drift away from it.
Drifting doesn't look dangerousat first.
(01:50):
That's what makes it so deadly.
It requires no effort, nodecision to revel.
Just a passive, gradual, andunintentional movement away from
the anchor of truth.
Picture a boat on calm water,untethered.
It doesn't need wind or waves tomove.
The current takes it slowly andsilently, and before long, it's
out of sight.
(02:11):
Spiritually, we drift when westop paying attention.
We stop intentionally leaninginto the gospel.
We treat our faith like acheckbox instead of a lifeline.
That's what the writer ofHebrews warns about.
He says, pay much closerattention, not just casual
listening, but selectiveapplication, but deep focused
(02:32):
attention.
Let me give it to you straight.
You can't be successful at work,respected in the church, or
admired by your peers and stillbe drifting in your soul.
Because drifting doesn't show upon your calendar in your
performance review.
It shows up when your passioncools.
when your convictions soften,when you're hungry for the word
(02:54):
gets replaced by another Netflixepisode.
It's not always open rebellion,it's quiet neglect.
You're spiritually present, butnot spiritually pursuing.
It often starts when we're underpressure.
You tell yourself, well, I'llget back to it later, or I'll
pray tomorrow, or I'll resetnext week.
(03:16):
But weeks become months, andsoon the fire you once had is
just a memory.
Drifting is the quiet killer ofdestiny.
And if we're not careful, we canspend years being productive
without being connected to thetrue purpose.
Now here's five warning signs Iwant to share with you that
you're drifting.
And let's bring it closer tohome.
(03:37):
How do you know you're drifting?
Let's unpack five warning signs.
Warning number one, a dullnesstowards God's word.
You used to crave scripture, nowit sits unopened for days, maybe
weeks.
Tell yourself you're busy, butthe truth is your appetite has
changed.
Hebrews 4.12 said the Word isliving and active, so when
(03:58):
you're not interested in it,when you're not interacting with
it, something inside starts todie.
You stop turning to it forguidance.
You start relying on feelingsinstead of truth.
Number two sign that you mightbe drifting is an increasingly
shallow prayer life.
Now, this is a big one, folks.
(04:18):
This, I believe, is a...
a great indicator of where youare with the Lord.
When was the last time you had adeep, raw conversation with God?
Now, I'm not talking about gracebefore dinner.
I mean crying out, listening,pressing in.
When you stop praying, you startdrifting.
When prayer becomes a lastresort instead of a first
(04:39):
response, you've lostconnection.
God hasn't moved.
We have.
And prayer is the only thingthat will bring us back.
Number three sign you might bedrifting is when we begin to
normalize sin.
What used to grieve you now getsrationalized.
Entertainment that used toconvict you now makes you
chuckle.
(05:01):
When you stop calling sin whatGod calls it, your moral compass
is drifting.
You no longer run from sin.
You redefine it.
You lower the standard.
That's the dangerous place tobe.
And God calls us to be holy, notjust better than the guy next to
us.
Number four sign that you mightbe drifting away is isolation
(05:23):
from godly relationships.
You pull away from your brothersin Christ and you say, I'm just
in a season, but in reality,you're avoiding accountability.
Proverbs 27 and 17 says, ironsharpens iron, but when you
drift, you hide.
You stop texting back, you stopattending, you stop confessing.
(05:43):
And the longer you'redisconnected, the more normal it
feels.
But isolation is always, alwaysthe enemy's playground.
Number five reason, youprioritize the temporary over
the eternal.
You start chasing career goals,comfort and convenience more
than you pursue God.
(06:05):
You're consumed by things thatwon't matter a hundred years
from now.
That's drift.
You're doing good things, butnot God things.
The urgent is robbing you of theeternal.
The tyranny of the urgent hasdethroned the priority of the
kingdom.
These signs aren't condemnation.
They're confirmation that God isstill speaking.
(06:26):
The question is, are youlistening?
We need to learn to anchor oursoul in Jesus Christ.
And here's the good news.
Drifting is reversible, but itrequires intention.
Now get that, I didn't sayattention, but intention.
It requires that Hebrews 2.1calls paying much closer
(06:47):
attention, and that meanswalking up to your current
direction and actively choosingchange course.
Now, here are four spiritualanchors you can drop right now.
Anchor yourself in the worddaily.
Don't wait for Sunday.
Don't wait for motivation.
Build a habit of Scripture.
(07:07):
Even if it's a verse, even ifit's five minutes, open the word
and let God speak.
Put it on your calendar.
Read it out loud.
Journal what he says.
Write it down.
Listen for his voice, not justinformation.
His word is your compass.
It's not your backup plan.
Number two way to be anchored inChrist is to cultivate
(07:29):
consistent, honest prayer.
Talk to God like your lifedepends on it because it truly
does.
Be honest and be vulnerable.
Tell him where you're weak.
Ask him to light a fire again.
Don't pray polished.
Pray personal.
Goal is connection, notperfection.
Prayer is your lifeline.
(07:50):
Even five honest minutes a daycan break the drift.
Number three way that we canreturn and anchor our soul in
Christ is get into a group.
Find you a mentor.
Call your closest Christianfriend and just be open with
them.
Tell them you need a mentor anda friend and accountability
(08:10):
partner, but don't isolate.
One of the greatest weapons ofthe enemy is disconnection.
Find a circle of men who willcall you back to truth.
Join a men's Bible study or asksomeone in your office for
coffee and prayer.
Faith to freedom lifestyle isbuilt on this principle.
Men sharpening men in grace andgrit.
(08:31):
You don't need an audience.
You need an anchor team.
Number four, reset your rhythmsaround Jesus.
Look at your calendar.
Look at your time.
Who gets your best hours?
Recalibrate your mornings andprioritize the Sabbath day and
choose rest.
Fight for peace and shut downsocial at night.
(08:54):
Wake up early to meet with God.
Rebuild from the quiet place.
Create sacred space in yourschedule that feeds your soul,
not just your ambition.
This is the heart of what we doat Faith to Freedom Lifestyle.
We help men like you buildrhythms and routines and a
renewed mindset to walk withclarity and to lead with purpose
(09:16):
and to live in freedom.
But just remember this, thedrift, as deadly as it is, it's
not final.
Let me leave you with somegospel truth.
Jesus is not intimidated by yourdrift.
He came to seek and to save thelost and the drifting.
He's not surprised by yourdistance.
He's ready to draw close to you.
(09:38):
The Bible says if we'll drawnigh unto him, he'll draw nigh
unto you in the book of James.
Peter drifted, but he deniedJesus three times.
Talk about shame.
But Jesus didn't abandon him.
He pursued him, restored him,and called him into leadership.
Now, that's the grace of ourLord.
Our grace doesn't just forgive.
(10:00):
It restores.
It rebuilds.
And that same grace is reachingfor you today.
Hebrews 16 and 9 declares wehave this as a sure and
steadfast anchor of the soul, ahope that enters into the inner
place behind the curtain.
Now that anchor that thatscripture is speaking of, it's
Christ.
(10:21):
And that hope is yours.
His faithfulness is yourfoundation.
His promise is your protection.
His presence will be youranchor.
You don't have to keep floating.
You don't have to fake strength.
You don't have to wonder how faryou've gone.
He's just one cry away.
Just stop, repent, and anchoragain.
(10:42):
The wind won't stop blowing, butthe anchor will hold.
Brother, if you've beencoasting, and if your heart has
drifted away, your passion hascooled, and your soul feels dry,
you don't have to stay there.
God is calling you back, notwith shame, but he's calling you
back with grace.
(11:02):
If you're ready to stop driftingand start walking in clarity,
purpose, and peace, I want youto do one thing.
Click the link in the shownotes.
You'll find tools and freeresources to help you reconnect
with God, rebuild your spiritualrhythms, and rediscover your
identity in Christ.
Now, this isn't hype.
It's about your heart.
(11:23):
It's about dropping anchorbefore you lose direction.
So check out these links.
You can look at our podcastdaily.
You can look into our blog post.
There's a Facebook page therefor Christian men.
But until next time, staygrounded in the Word, stay
connected to your brothers, andstay anchored in Jesus.
(11:44):
You're not alone.
You're not too far gone.
Now it's time to drop anchor.
SPEAKER_00 (11:55):
Thanks for joining Faith to Freedom Lifestyle
Podcast.
We wish you all the freedom andjoy in the world, and we look
forward to connecting with youagain soon.
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