August 7, 2025 • 61 mins
Have you ever felt caught between two worlds—trying to follow Jesus while being bombarded by cultural messages that pull you in the opposite direction? That tension sits at the heart of this inaugural episode of Kingdom Over Culture, where host Ashley Potter and her mother Shana Ruff dive deep into what it truly means to live as kingdom citizens in today's world.
Starting with the challenging words of 1 John 2:15-17—"Do not love the world or the things in the world"—this mother-daughter conversation unpacks the profound differences between God's kingdom values and the world's systems. They tackle head-on the three worldly temptations that constantly vie for our allegiance: desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. With refreshing honesty, Ashley shares her own struggles with self-control and trusting God's provision when it contradicts cultural definitions of success.
What sets this discussion apart is how practical it becomes. From parenting decisions to career choices, from community building to Scripture reading habits, Ashley and Shana explore what "exercising righteousness" looks like in everyday moments. They challenge listeners to consider whether they're merely adding God to their schedule or truly building their lives around His kingdom priorities. As Shana poignantly observes, "What we think is valuable, God thinks we should walk on"—a perspective-shifting statement that makes us reconsider everything we chase after.
Whether you're new to faith or have been walking with Christ for decades, this conversation offers both challenge and encouragement for the journey. You'll walk away with a fresh understanding of what it means to be "in the world but not of it" and practical wisdom for choosing God's kingdom over culture every single day. And don't miss the promise of part two, where they'll tackle the difficult but transformative topic of suffering in the Christian life.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:19):
What's up everybody.
Welcome to Kingdom Over Culture.
My name is Ashley and I am yourhost.
I'm so excited to launch thispodcast on today with a very,
very special guest that is verynear and dear to me.
But before we get started, Ijust want to introduce myself
and introduce this podcast toyou.
This is something that the Lordhas just really placed on my
heart to really pour into mygeneration, to talk about the
(00:42):
topic of what does it look liketo live in the kingdom of God,
in this culture, in this day andage?
So that's what we're going tobe talking about over the next
few weeks in every episode ofthis podcast.
So we're going to jump rightinto it.
I have here with me my mom,shanna Ruff.
Welcome, mom, hello.
Hello, I'm so glad to have youhere with me.
That was so good.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, you were really good at that.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Oh, you're so sweet, I love you.
Oh, my gosh, this is my mom inreal life.
I've known her for 33 years andshe's a discipling me from the
(01:29):
beginning, and so I reallyappreciate that.
Mom, just the time that youtook out to not only show me
what a godly woman looks like atchurch, but at home as well
yeah, yeah, so I honor you forthat.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I feel emotional right now.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I love you.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Oh, mommy, my baby is grown, doing her thing I love
it.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
I love it.
I love it.
We're going to jump right in.
Today.
We have a really great topic.
This is something that I havebeen teaching on in small groups
.
The few times I've taught fromthe stage, I teach from this
message.
This is something that the Lordhas placed on me and I think
that it is our.
It's going to be our staplescripture for this podcast and
(02:16):
it's 1 John.
Hold on.
So if you have your Bibles withyou, go ahead and pull it out.
We're going to turn to 1 John,the book number two, and we're
looking at 15 through 17.
And when I first read thisscripture I'm not going to lie I
felt some kind of way.
I was very confused, I was veryperplexed, but I was also
(02:39):
convicted and I wanted to knowmore.
And it simply says do not lovethe world or the things in the
world.
If anyone loves the world, thelove of the father is not in him
, For all that is in the worldthe desires of the flesh, the
desires of the eyes and thepride of life is not from the
(02:59):
father, but is from the world,and the world is passing away
along with his desires.
But whoever does the will ofGod abides forever, Mom.
What comes to mind when youhear that scripture, or hear
those scriptures?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It reminds me of the scriptures that says we are in
the world, right, we know thatwe're in this world, but it
warns us not to conform to thisworld.
Yeah, we know that we're inthis world, but it warns us not
to conform to this world.
And so what that means to me isthat, first of all, I need to
know where I came from.
Right, I need to understandwhere I come from, and my
(03:38):
husband always your dad, alwaysused this.
He always says this how do youview God, right?
So our perspective ofChristianity is rooted in how we
view God.
Commonly, for me, I view God asfather.
(03:59):
It's very easy for me to seehim as father, probably because
I had a good earthly father, soit's easy for me to recognize
God as father.
So if I look at God as fatherand the scripture tells me that
I was adopted into his family,then I need to understand the
(04:22):
dynamic of the family of God.
What does that mean?
What does my father do?
How does my father live?
How does my father move?
Because now, not only is myfather, is God my father, he is
God, he is ruler of everything.
So I am in this family.
(04:44):
That is foreign to me becausenow, remember, the scripture
says that we have to be bornagain.
So now I'm a new, I'm a part ofthis family.
I got to understand what itmeans.
What does that look like?
My father is seated on a throne, but I'm here on earth.
What does that look like?
(05:04):
My father is seated on a throne, but I'm here on earth.
What does that look like?
So the Bible also tells us thatthere's two kingdoms at the same
time, and so we are a part ofthe kingdom of heaven, the
kingdom of God, and there's akingdom that's here on earth.
And so which one should Ioperate as?
Because right now I'm just here, I'm occupying.
(05:25):
Jesus told a parable about aman who left, and he told his
servants to occupy while I amaway.
So what does that mean?
What does it look like for meto occupy until Christ comes
back?
And so he gives us a way tolive.
Not only gives us a way, hedeposits a part of himself into
(05:46):
us through the Holy Spirit.
Yes, that shows us how to liveand how to operate in this, in
this life.
It's so much to it, and I justlove this scripture because it
tells you, ok, what's in thisworld.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Right, what are the things to look out for?
What are those things?
Because it can be confusingwhen you read do not love the
world or the things in the world.
And then you have john 3, 16that says but god so loved the
world that he gave his onlybegotten son.
So I can see someone who is newin christ reading this or
hearing this right now andthey're like so, huh, god can
(06:24):
love the world, but I can't.
And I think that the second line, the second line and the second
, the verse after that, it givesyou context.
Not only does it say do notlove the world, it says or the
things of this world.
So it's letting you know, okay,what we're talking about.
We're not talking aboutcreation, we're not even talking
about the things that we'reexperiencing per se.
(06:45):
It's talking about the desireof the flesh, the desire of the
eyes and pride of life.
And I think that this scripture, in particular, is so relevant
for today, because everything isdesire of the flesh.
We're in this society where wewant more and more and more and
(07:05):
more and more, to where we'renever content.
I think I laughed and told youthe other day I went on a fast a
few weeks ago and I was just,you know, like, just trying to
really hear from the Lord andthe only thing I learned, the
only thing I the only revelationI received, is that my
self-control is at a all timelow.
I feed myself what I want, whenI want.
(07:25):
I do not withhold food.
I have a saying, and it'sterrible, but I've been saying
it for a very long time If I dietomorrow, at least I will have
eaten good every day of my life.
My Lord, you know, my mama fedme good, but then also, I don't
like to waste no meals.
If it don't taste good, I'lljust not eat.
I would rather just wait untilI can eat what I want.
And the Lord showed me you'respoiled.
(07:46):
That is the desire of the fleshand you do not deny yourself.
And I had to really sit withthat.
Like Lord, you are so right.
When I want Thai food, I'mgoing to spend every cent I have
because I want that Thai food,that restaurant that we always
go to, the Chinese one you knowI'm on a Chinese kick.
(08:08):
But getting that flesh undercontrol, like knowing this, is
what love of the world lookslike.
It looks like no self-control.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah.
I think, though, that when youlook at what it's saying in this
scripture and what John 3, 16,16 is saying, the word world is
different, right?
So in John 3, 16, god istalking about?
He is talking about his people.
He's talking to people of everynation, of every tongue, for
(08:38):
God so loved the people that arein the world that he gave his
only begotten son, right, right,that are in the world that he
gave his only begotten son,right, right.
So, then, when the scripturetalks about not loving the
things of the world, don't lovethe world in this scripture is
talking about world system, yesand so, and the things that are
possessed in the world.
So we are not to love them,yeah, yeah and so, yeah, a part
(09:30):
of the process of us walking out, because scripture talks about
us being imitators of Christ.
Right, there are some selfdenials.
That self denial that needs tocome with that, right, we can't
love everything.
We can't be a part ofeverything.
The scripture tells us thatJesus also was tempted right In
every way that he was tempted.
So, within this world system,we are tempted, right.
We are tempted to overindulgewhen the scripture tells us not
to.
We are tempted to desire thingsthat are against God.
Yeah, I've been in the OldTestament reading and frequently
(09:54):
you would see God put these,give the children of Israel
these rules, and as soon assomething happens or they get to
be close to another group ofpeople, they pick up their
culture Right, they startworshiping their gods and they
(10:17):
start sinning against God.
And so we cannot think thatwe're any different as soon as
we come into certain areas andnot to mean that you can't be
out with anybody, but because wesee Jesus always was out, he
was always out with a group ofpeople, but the Bible tells us
that he sinned, not Right.
He didn't change his character,he didn't change who he was.
(10:41):
But we have to be careful andthat we remember who we are,
that we listen to the HolySpirit when he's convicting us
or when he's trying to changecourse, so that we not don't be
susceptible to sin and sinning.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
That's the word.
That's the word that I reallywant to get to.
But before we get there, I wantto just look at verse 17,
because I think that, all in all, we operate.
One of the reasons why we clingto the things in this world is
because we don't have a eye forheaven.
We don't have a eye or a heartthat is set on what's after this
(11:25):
and 17,.
Verse 17 says the world ispassing away, along with its
desires, and I think that wejust have a mindset that this
world is so it's forever, andthat is such a lie.
I think that that is one ofthat's one of the biggest lies
that keeps us tangled and tiedto this world and to the, to the
(11:47):
systems of this world, becausewe don't.
We don't really act like webelieve that there's something
after this, like we live in aYOLO society.
You only live once, and weoperate in that, in that mindset
like, oh, I'm only going to,I'm only have today to do this
or only have this life to dothis, but God has promised us so
(12:11):
much more on the other side andso, as Christians, we really
should be operating inexpectation of our next.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
That's like you know, like when you go to college.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
You are expecting, like I'm doing this work because
I wanted to get a degree sothat I can have a better future.
There's a better future afterthis, and I think that
scriptures like this helps usand reminds us to set our eyes
on the prize that is that isbefore us, and it is a heavenly
prize, not a trip to Fiji, notyou know what.
(12:43):
We the beauty, even the thingsthat we can experience in this
world.
It is so great, but God has somuch greater, and I think that
this, this scripture, justreally really reminds us that
the things of this world are notforever.
Yeah, it's not, it's notforever, and that tells me that
(13:04):
it don't even matter that much,like we put so much weight on
the things that the culturetells us as we get to the bag,
get to this.
All of these things are soimportant to us as a culture,
but it's not important to God.
That's good.
Yeah, it really isn't.
Yeah, it really is.
And I mean, as you read FirstJohn over and over, he
(13:24):
emphasizes love people, love God, love people, love God, love
people.
And I believe that when we dothat, all the all, the extra, it
just it just falls off.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Yeah, yeah, that's good, that's good.
I think I like that scripturein Luke 19 that I was telling
you about that the master whowent away and he told his
servants to occupy until theycome.
Right, yeah, because then thequestion is then well, what,
(14:00):
what am I supposed to be doinguntil until he returns?
Like what, what does that looklike?
Well, that's why God gives eachone of us gifts and talents,
and so we already use those, andthat's how we occupy, we engage
in business, you know, we get ajob, we work, we meet people,
we love people, just like yousaid, and we love God.
I do think, though, for a lot ofbelievers, what trips us up is
(14:26):
temporary satisfaction.
We want that temporary fix,right and immediate.
We want it immediate.
We don't want to, like you said, we don't want to deny
ourselves, and in this world,right, we can see.
I can see you, I can touch you,I can taste food you, I can
(14:51):
touch you, I can taste food, Ican go and have a wonderful
night out, and I can experiencethat.
But sitting with God almostfeels uncomfortable if you don't
make it a part of life, and soI think that this world system
has been great at keeping usbusy so that our minds are not
(15:11):
on God.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
And giving us a false gratification.
Yeah, absolutely, Because Imean as many.
I love vacation.
You know you and dad took us onsome great vacations that I
still remember to this day.
Um, but even as an adult now, Imean I, I love to go on trips,
I love just doing all the things, Right.
(15:34):
But when you get back home, youback to reality, Right, and
it's like if we're alwayschasing a better feeling, when
do we take the time to say, hey,you know what this is tiring?
I know I got to a point in mywalk with the Lord when I was
just like God, this can't be it,Like this can't be what you
(15:59):
created me for.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
I would question then I would question what is a
better feeling?
And you know this just recently, in over past November, I had
to have a kidney transplant andone of the things that, if you
go through a period of suffering, that happens is that you have
(16:22):
a better perspective, because alot of things that we think feel
great are so temporal.
It's so temporal and I foundmyself focusing more on things
that were eternal than thethings that were temporary and,
um, but fixing my eyes on that,I question whether I really did
(16:49):
those things, like you said,really mattered.
The things that, um, I might,we might, we find gratifying
here on earth, um, are thosethings that are going to be
passed away, are going to passaway.
So where should I find my joyand my happiness?
(17:11):
Well, I should find that in him.
And if I don't have that, god,help me to love the things that
you love more than the thingsthat I have grown to love in
this world.
Yeah, help me to feel satisfied.
And what you have given me,assign me to do while I wait for
(17:36):
your return, yeah, help me tolove the things that you've
given me.
One of the passages scripturesays that, oh, that a wife
should love her own home.
She should love her own husband.
Help me to love what you'vegiven me.
So many times we compareourselves or compare our lives
(17:57):
with someone else, or we wish wehad more than what we have
Right, and God has given useverything.
He has already given it to us,so why don't I see it as
everything?
And so I find myself gettingdeeper and deeper in the word,
(18:22):
so that I am not loving thethings of the world, that I'm
loving what he loves.
What does my father think thatI should be doing?
What does my father tell methat I should love and what does
my father tell me that I shouldhate?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Yeah, oh, you know what, that you just kind of
brought me to a scripture and Ihope that I can find it.
Oh my gosh, it's so good, isthis it?
But there's, there's ascripture and I can't.
It's in first John.
(19:13):
I don't know if, even when I doget saved, when I give my life
to Jesus, there is still.
I still have to build up mystrength to be able to combat
certain things spiritually.
And I think that it can be.
Really it can just bringsomeone down when they enter
(19:33):
into Christ, or maybe they'vebeen walking with Christ for a
while and they feel like I'mcontinuously battling these same
things.
I'm going to church, I'mlistening to worship music, but
I think that many of us have notbeen taught how to really be
disciples, how to really walkout this thing and I love that
(19:54):
scripture oh, I want to find itso bad.
That says exerciserighteousness, because we can
exercise sinning and not eventhinking of think about it.
But how do we exerciserighteousness in our everyday
lives?
The other day, the girls werejust acting up and I really, you
(20:15):
know, my immediate thing is tomeet your energy, because you
getting on my nerves, you know,and I was reminded that I have
to exercise righteousness in myhome with my girls because, even
though I might not be talkingabout Jesus or I might not be
speaking scripture, they'relooking to me for spiritual
guidance and so my reactions andmy actions are discipling them
(20:41):
without mentioning a scripture.
And so I've just been workingon myself to like not meet their
energy and being able to havethose conversations and come to
them in a way that's more calmand not just flipping off in the
moment, because I'm likesometimes just like girl sit
down, but no, why, why, why isyou on the stairs crying what's
(21:04):
up, what's what's wrong?
Oh, you hit your pinky toe.
Let mommy come look at it,because you know, sometimes they
just want to be coddled,sometimes they just want to be
babied.
But exercising righteousness,even in the small things, how
would the Lord deal with me inthis?
And he's so kind and he's sopatient, and I think we can look
(21:24):
at the big things, like, oh,I'm not, I'm not doing these big
sins, or da, da, da, da, da.
Like God's looking at us forwhere we are.
He's not saying, oh, you betterthan him because you're not a
murderer.
No, what are the things thatyou're dealing with?
For me, gluttony dealing within your life?
What are the things that youhave to surrender in continuing
that walk of exercise andrighteousness?
(21:46):
Where I am, I think the flipside of it is just being First,
john 3, 14, 10.
Thank you guys.
You know what, and I had itright there First, john 3, 4
through 10.
You know, and I had it in mynotes.
We're going to read it.
Okay, everyone who makes apractice of sinning also
(22:12):
practices lawlessness.
Sin is lawlessness.
You know that he appeared inorder to take away sins and in
him there is no sin.
No one who abides in him keepson sinning.
My God today.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Correct and do we see when we don't respond like how
Christ responds even to ourchildren, as sinning?
Come on, yeah, you know.
I think that we have toquestion, right, do you put on
(22:51):
Christianity just when you goout the door?
No, this is supposed to be whoyou are.
You're supposed to beChristlike at all times.
It's nothing that you put onand you take off.
You know.
You hear people say, you know.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
I'm about to put it down.
I'm about to put it down.
Don't let it put you down, ohmy God, You'd be real sad that
day.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
I'm like what if Jesus comes?
Speaker 1 (23:16):
That's the kind of stuff I'm scared of.
A healthy fear of the Lord.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
And so yeah, like that's how I think I don't ever
want want.
This is who I am yeah this isnot just what I do, what I do
and so, even with my kids, mychildren like you, your brother,
your sisters, I remember thatand no matter how much you might
(23:46):
, I might not like what you'redoing, I am still God's child
and I'm still light.
Am I going to be light or am Igoing to be darkness?
I'm going to be light.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Yeah, and I can.
I mean, I can definitelytestify you and dad are not
perfect, but you're consistent.
You're consistent.
I've never seen a differentperson in the home that I've
seen outside.
And I feel like because of that, it kind of skewed my
(24:22):
perspective and perceptiongrowing up and made me a little
green to think that that's justhow people are.
Um, and now that I'm an adult,you know, you know I'm learning
more and more the ways of people, but I can also be really,
really grateful for theupbringing that I had.
(24:42):
Specifically when it comes toyour character, you guys were
consistent in God.
I knew any given night I wasgoing to wake up with oil in my
eye, or I'm going to wake up atthe crack of dawn and my daddy
is sitting there at that tablejust reading his word.
I mean consistency, and I sawthat Unfortunately, I know
(25:06):
that's not everyone's story andso I was able to see this is
what walking with God looks like, this is what living for Christ
looks like, and it shifted.
You know, sometimes thisstarted out with no pants and
you know, you know makeup andall that stuff, but then it
(25:27):
wasn't more about the outwardappearance but what it was
inside, and so I'm really,really, I'm really grateful just
to be able to have seen it.
But now, it's one thing to evensee it, but now having to
actually walk in it yourself, Ithink that sometimes people can
be like, oh well, you know, Ididn't see that growing up and
(25:49):
think that just because you sawit make it easy to do, that's
not the case.
You still have to allow theHoly Spirit.
That was the work of the HolySpirit, that wasn't y'all.
And so now me, I have to learnto yield to the Holy Spirit in
every single area of my life.
It's easy to dedicate thingslike my business or those things
(26:11):
that I dedicate to God leadingworship, those pockets of my
life where literally the HolySpirit dwells because I lean on
him so much.
But it's when I get to themoment or to the point where I
feel like, oh, I can handle this, I don't need, I don't need,
you know, god's help in thisarea, and not intentionally,
(26:31):
it's just in the way that, theway that I move and having to
course correct and say no, evenin this.
Ok, my daughter is about tosend me off.
Lord, holy Spirit leave mybabies alone, mama, please back
to the scripture, because youand your grandkids is something
else.
After that it says littlechildren, let no one deceive you
(26:52):
.
Whoever practices righteousnessis righteous.
Whoever practices, whoevermakes a practice of sinning is
of the devil.
Yeah, and I think that you knowpeople can get discouraged
reading something like this,like well, I'm never going to be
perfect, I'm never not going tosin, but the key word here is
(27:14):
practice, right.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Is that a part of your lifestyle?
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Is it?
Is it yeah?
Is it who you are?
Is?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
it what you're consistently doing.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Think about what practicing is.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Did you wake up trying to sin?
Right, you already plan to gosin tonight because it's Friday
night.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
It's like we make excuses.
It's when we make those excusesof, oh, this is the way I am,
or, oh, god don't really careabout that.
I think that my generation ingeneral has just skewed the word
of God so much so to fit our,our culture and, honestly, to
(27:56):
try to make us not feel badabout our sin.
Yeah, that we have created afalse gospel that speaks to you,
know your purpose and all thesethings, and it's like you can
walk in your purpose every dayof your life and never do it in
(28:17):
the name of the Lord.
Some of us don't have no choicebut to operate in our gift,
because it's the only thingwe're good at, but it doesn't
mean that I did it in his nameor for him or for him, um, and I
I'm.
I think that just it's really,really important, now more than
(28:38):
ever, that people honestly getinto the word of God for
themselves and not cling to theword of man so much.
Um, I actually have foundmyself in a season of
deconstruction of this is what Iwas raised under, or this is
what I learned about God, noteven through y'all, but just
(29:01):
y'all kept me in church.
So these might be certainthings that I picked up and now
I'm an adult and I'm reading thenew scripture and I'm like,
right it didn't say that.
It wasn't even talking aboutthat.
Um, and so now having to for me, being a church girl, having to
unlearn a lot of church thingsthat I've learned that are not
(29:23):
kingdom things I think I'm stillthere too, yeah, there's so
much in the time that you wereborn until now, things that were
instilled in you.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
And I think that we were talking about this the
other night in my small groupand we're talking about the
passage of scripture that wherePaul says Paul says, follow me
as I follow Christ, where Paulsays Paul says follow me as I
follow Christ, and the way thatin some, in a period of time,
and sometimes even today, wherepeople have gotten in trouble
(29:58):
with that following other people, but we miss the part as I
follow Christ, and this is whythey miss the part that says as
I follow Christ, because theynever learned how to follow
Christ and how what Christ didbecause they don't get in the
word for themselves, and so welike to blame the preacher.
(30:22):
But the Bible tells us to study,to show yourself yourself
approved unto God, and so weneed to take responsibility of
us learning the word of God andlearning God.
How does God act?
What is God's voice sound like?
What are the things that Godsays, what are the things that
(30:44):
he does?
And so then we are able todecipher what is truth and what
is a lie.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
And so we really need to take that responsibility on
for us to get into the word andto know for ourselves and not
get given to false, to falsedoctrine.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Yeah, there's.
There's a wave of Christianitythat's happening.
I don't know if you've noticedit on social media or anything,
but it's like it's almost trendyto be Christian, and which is
funny, because in other placesof the world Christians are
literally being martyred, buthere in the United States it's
(31:29):
big business.
It is big business and itworries me a little bit, because
there are so many voices outthere and literally you can pick
and choose.
Who makes me like?
Whose?
Whose word do I align with more?
(31:50):
You better read your Bible.
You better read your Bible.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Yeah, you better read your Bible, I don't I?
Um, I am at a point right nowwhereas I used to have a pastor
that says to eat the meat andspit out the bones, right, and
so that's how I take the word ofGod coming from someone else,
(32:18):
but the meat I go when I go intoGod's presence and I go in his
presence daily and read the word.
That's where I get most of mynutrition from.
Let me say that, say it thatway.
This is the where I get mynutrition from, and if I'm
waiting for somebody else tofeed me, then you're going to
(32:44):
always be left lacking.
But if I go into the wordmyself and I trust my father to
meet me, I trust the Holy Spiritto give me understanding and to
feed me, because the scripturesays that man should not live by
bread alone.
Yeah, but every word thatproceed out the mouth of God,
(33:05):
out of the mouth of God or outof the mouth of the preacher,
come on Out of the mouth of Godor out of the mouth of the
preacher.
Come on Out of the mouth of Godor out of the mouth of the
podcaster, right, right, rightOut of the mouth of God.
Or the little few second clip Isee on YouTube Out of the mouth
of God Right, and so we knowthat the word of God is his
written word.
So why are we going to be fedanywhere else Getting the word?
(33:28):
Why are we going to be fedanywhere else Getting the word?
When we go to churches, we talkabout coming in as a body.
It's normally for fellowship.
It's fellowship with oneanother, because we need those
moments Iron, sharp and iron aswell as outside of the church,
not just in a church building,because we are the church, but
(33:51):
we are the fellowship outside ofthe church.
So, yeah, you should be gettingyour nutrition from the word
itself.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
Yeah, yeah, I think that sometimes it can get.
It can be hard for people thatare just starting in the word.
You know, I'm currently writinga book and one of the things
that I'm writing on right now isthe struggle between everything
(34:25):
that I've known my entire life.
Now I found the Lord.
I'm at this intersection in mylife where I have everything
that I've experienced and theexperience I've had with him.
What would you say to theperson that is trying to figure
(34:49):
out how to move forward in thislife dedicated to Christ?
But it is still in Egypt, isstill so intertwined with
today's culture, the ways ofthis world, and they're trying
(35:11):
to figure out how to moveforward in Christ.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
I think that it's like in any family, right, you
going to be a part of your now apart of a new family Got to
start out small.
Of a new family, you got tostart out small.
I think one of the things thatis missing that God you can see
(35:42):
throughout scripture and how theword and things were supposed
to be passed on from generationto generation that God always
had this type of discipleship inmind.
I think it's important for newbabes to be discipled.
I think the problem is is thata lot of places don't offer that
anymore, and so babes get lostand it's unfortunate, and so
(36:08):
babes get lost and it'sunfortunate.
But I do think that God lovesus so much that he'll provide
someone to help them and to helpguide them along the way.
I've had many mentors in mylife who have helped me to
(36:31):
understand the word more, whowas good at giving me sound
wisdom, and I so appreciate that, and they were God sent, and so
I do feel like they need to.
Number one find a place to be,find a church, find a good Bible
(36:52):
teaching church where you cangrow, and, of course, for any
babe, they don't walk first,they crawl.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
So give yourself grace, because it can be so
daunting coming into especiallya church where there's a lot of
mature Christians that are goodand deep in their word, and
every time you have aconversation, people are just
spitting scriptures left andright and you're like I know God
(37:25):
created the world, I know John316.
That's it, that's all.
That's all I got, and so Ireally, I really like that, you
know, being able to giveyourself grace for where you are
, because everybody startedsomewhere.
I think for me it's reallyimportant that new believers
(37:49):
find community in otherbelievers.
I would say, even though I grewup in church and I had God
fearing parents, I experiencedGod for myself numerous times
throughout my childhood.
I have testimony on testimony,but I would say I started I feel
(38:12):
like I started to reallyexperience what it was like to
be a part of the body of Christwhen I joined a small group and
it, honestly, that took place inthose spaces was mind blowing
(38:35):
to me and, like you said, it waslike God created ways for us to
function as a body in his word,if we would just do what he
said.
I know that your small group ison Titus and being a Titus to
women is that?
That's what it is.
It's about generationaldiscipleship, generational
discipleship and it's it's soimplanted in the word of OK.
(38:59):
This is how, this is how weshould operate from generation
to generation, and this is howthe young women should be, and
this is how the old women, olderwomen, should be, and this is
what their relationship shouldlook like.
I think that I would encouragethat woman or young man who is
new to Christ to not be afraidto open yourself up to people,
(39:23):
to people that are older thanyou.
Don't feel like you just needto stick with people that are in
your age range, because, I mean, you can have great discussions
here, but you can gain wisdomhere.
And, just like you, I feel likethe Lord has been very gracious
to put women in my life inevery season of my life, even
(39:46):
when I wasn't, you know, withhim for real.
For real, I had a boss wholoved the Lord, and every day I
come to work, she's talking tome about the Lord and I'm like,
what is this Like, ma'am, what?
And so I think that just beingopen to people who may not look
like what you thought was goingto come, or come in the package
(40:10):
of what you thought was going tobe your disciple.
Your discipler, you know, inthis season it might be the old
lady that you see at the grocerystore.
You know that you that alwaysstrikes up a conversation with
you, or that person at work,that is always that Bible
thumper and you, like man, she'dbe getting on my nerves.
But now you done got saved andyou'd be kind of like she
(40:32):
telling the truth.
You know, being open to havingthose relationships, and I think
that the enemy has done such agood job at skewing the
perception of relationships andintimacy in relationships to for
our culture and for thisgeneration so badly to where we
(40:53):
are.
We would much prefer to beclosed off.
We would much prefer to be byourselves.
We don't really.
I mean, I see it all the timePeople love talking about how
they don't have community andhow they don't need anyone.
But, that is so opposite ofChrist in the way that God
created us to be in fellowshipand in community.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Yeah, and it's because we run away from
conflict.
Right, we don't know how toresolve conflict in the biblical
way, so we run away fromcommunity because we don't want
our feelings hurt.
And then, if our feelings hurt,because we are quick to lay
down our religion.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Right, right right.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
You know we might respond in the wrong way, and so
we are happy to not be incommunity, and what that does is
it stunts our growth, becauseGod grows, matures us in
community.
Yeah, and it's hard for mebecause I'm an introvert.
(42:02):
So I love being my by myself, Ilove quiet time, I love being
home just playing the music andmaybe washing the dishes or
doing whatever.
But even so much now, so muchso.
Now God is like pushing me outthere to, to, to make
friendships and to plan to bewith, with community, because
(42:28):
you won't ever mature.
It's like keeping a baby athome.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
No social skills, come on.
Don't know how to relate topeople Out of touch.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Yeah.
And then it keeps you in thatcycle of not knowing how to
handle offense, because ifyou've never put yourself in a
position to be offended, youdon't have to deal with it.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
Exercise and righteousness.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Exercise that righteousness.
Hey, that's that's it.
That is so it, and I think thatalso.
It's so funny how everythingcan go in these like right back
to this scripture of the desireof the flesh, the desire of the
lust of the eye.
One version says the lust ofthe eye is and the pride of life
(43:20):
.
Ma, you got your phone.
Can you pull up this scripturein the message version?
Just for the ones who are stilllike not 100% understanding
scripture or they need a littlebit more plain, I tell you what
I'm not a person that clings tothe message, but the message
version of this scripture ismind blowing.
(43:45):
It's really, really good.
I'm with you.
I'm first John, I'm first John2, 15 through 17.
And you know how to message.
They got that whole little.
You know blurb.
But if you could pull that up,I think that that will really
speak to someone.
That will really speak tosomeone, Because one of the
(44:06):
things it says in that scriptureis to not cling to the culture
without even thinking somethinglike that.
It's really, really good.
When you get it, say amen.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Amen, amen, amen.
Don't love the world's ways,don't love the world's goods.
Don't love the world's goods.
Love of the world squeezes outlove for the Father, my God,
practically everything that goeson in the world wanting your
own way, wanting everything foryourself, wanting to appear
(44:40):
important, has nothing to dowith the Father.
It just isolates you from him.
The world and all its wanting,wanting, wanting, is on the way
out.
But whoever does what god wantsis set for eternity.
That was 17 that was 17.
(45:05):
That was 17.
Man, that's so good.
Yeah, we just want more andmore, and more and more.
We can't ever get enough.
We're not satisfied, right, wedon't ever get satisfied.
We always want more.
Right, we don't ever getsatisfied, we always want more.
And I think I asked you thequestion the other day when is
(45:28):
when is more enough?
Right, when, when, what is thatplace where?
Speaker 1 (45:37):
it is enough for you.
Contentment is so anti-cultural.
Let me tell you something.
It almost sounds like a cussword, Like to be content Right
To today's culture.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
It makes you feel like you're settling.
People look at that word likeyou're settling.
But when is more enough?
And here's what happens withthat desire for more, right it's
.
It's almost like A two.
You could say two people, twopeople, two home, mother and
(46:17):
father, right?
Both parents are working, bothparents are working.
When is more enough?
And look who gets neglected,especially if you have children,
when both of you are out thehome, both of you are coming and
(46:38):
going, when do they become apriority?
Speaker 1 (46:43):
Right?
Speaker 2 (46:43):
No, no, because we're not good at prioritizing things
.
That should be to disciple,train them up in the way that
they should go, and where doesthat way, that is mean, the way
(47:12):
to follow God and that way offollowing God?
So when is the traininghappening?
Speaker 1 (47:17):
Right.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
And who is it happening by?
Because what do we do with them?
Right, we throw them in daycareor they're in school all day.
By the time you get home,you're too busy and tired to
truly disciple them.
Speaker 1 (47:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:38):
So we have to have in our mind what does it mean for
me and my house to follow God?
Speaker 1 (47:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
Because everybody can't be after the bag.
Speaker 1 (47:50):
Come on, you know, the Lord has really, really
dealt with me over the last fewyears.
I was working a job, my lastjob that I worked in.
I would say this often I'mnever leaving.
I'm going to work here until Ican't work no more.
It was an amazing job.
I was making amazing, like thebest money I've ever made in my
(48:12):
life.
I got, you know, bonuses everythree months.
It was, it was the best job.
I loved it.
Um, but I was working all thetime and when the Lord told me
it was time for me to let go ofthat job and like transition, I
(48:35):
shoot in every transition, theLord continues to transition me
and I'm like, what about themoney?
But what about the 401k?
What about you know thebenefits Lord like and I
remember this was probably 2020,2021, one of those and I was
(48:59):
doing makeup full time at thatpoint and but it gave me the
freedom to take my kids toschool every morning, to pick
them up from school.
We had devotion on the way toschool.
We were able to ease our wayinto our day.
I wasn't, you know, trying torush, get to work.
You know having to pay extrafor early care and all these
things.
(49:20):
And I remember I was getting soantsy with God.
I was just like it's followingyou really this hard, it's being
obedient to you really thishard.
And I remember like reallysaying in my heart, like God, if
something don't change, I'mgonna go get me a job.
And the Lord said to me I waslaying in my bed and I'm
(49:42):
literally having thisconversation and the Holy Spirit
said to me you really trust aman to deposit a check in your
account every two weeks, morethan you trust me to provide for
you?
Right, and I had to.
I that thing hit me like apunch to the stomach and I had
to repent and say God, I'm sorry, yeah, because whatever it is
(50:04):
that you do have for me, becauseit's from you, that means it's
good enough and it's my portion,yeah.
And I think that a lot of timeswe want more because we don't
want to steward what we have.
It's what we value, it's whatwe value.
Speaker 2 (50:22):
It's what we think is valuable.
God think we should walk on it.
Speaker 1 (50:32):
They said one more time what we think is valuable.
Speaker 2 (50:38):
God thinks we should walk on.
Speaker 1 (50:42):
And the things that we don't think, we don't hold as
valuable, are the things thatGod is trying to get us to like.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:48):
So that's why it is important for us to renew our
minds daily, daily.
We have to daily renew ourminds because what we think is
valuable and important yeah, goddoesn't.
He holds us valuable andimportant?
Speaker 1 (51:06):
Yeah, god doesn't.
He holds us valuable andimportant.
Yes, I love that.
To bring it back to what yousaid about John 3, 16, like, god
wasn't talking about the earththat he created or the world the
way that it was, he was talkingabout his people.
I sent my son to die for thepeople, because that is where my
heart is.
He created everything, but healso created.
(51:28):
He created a way for us to getto him, not for the animals, not
for the plants, not for thewater or the earth that he
created, but the humans that arein his likeness, the people
that he loves, not just that hewants to dwell with us.
Speaker 2 (51:45):
Yes, you know, when we're so busy going, if we are
honest, we think about him.
We are not thinking about him,but God wants to be the center
of everything that we're doing.
Speaker 1 (52:02):
Oh my gosh.
Yes, I remember, you know, whenthe Lord was telling me to
close my business and focus ondoing this podcast and my kids
and finishing writing a bookthat he'd been telling me to
write for the last five years, Iwas just, you know, like it
(52:22):
don't.
It's not, it's not making sense.
And why does my version ofsuccess have to look like this?
Every I literally had thisconversation with God.
Everybody get to do whateverthey want, but I said I want to
be obedient to you and I want myyes to you to mean something.
And now I'm just followingeverything that you say and it's
(52:43):
like God.
Why couldn't you lead me tosomething that would be a little
bit more financially stable?
You know something to where Ididn't have to.
Then you wouldn't trust him.
Trust you for everything.
Then you would For everything.
I remember the Lord told me itwas 2019.
I'm bringing you into atrusting season and it's so
(53:05):
funny because we, as churchpeople, we use that kind of like
season word for everything, butin our minds we think of.
In my mind, I'll say I thoughtyou know season, winter, summer.
This will be a few months.
I've been in the trustingseason since 2019.
And you will be in that seasonfor the rest of my life.
(53:26):
I was like God.
I didn't know I was going tohave to trust you for eats and
for sleep, I mean, for everysingle morsel of food I get.
Speaker 2 (53:34):
Yeah, that means you're choosing him.
Speaker 1 (53:37):
Every time you choose him, he wants us to choose him
that takes me to such a deeperthought that we'll talk about
offline.
But that is the other side ofsalvation.
It's the daily choosing.
Speaker 2 (53:56):
Choose them every day .
Speaker 1 (53:57):
And I think that I mean it brings me back to that
scripture of exercisingrighteousness in every choice,
at every situation.
We have a choice.
What are you going to choose?
Are you going to choose sin orare you going to choose
righteousness?
Are you going to choose yourflesh and your way and your own
thoughts, your own perceptions,or are you even going to sit
(54:19):
down and say, god, what do youwant me to do in this?
It's not everything doesn'ttake.
Oh, let me do a deep study inthe scripture to figure out.
What does the word say?
Please study the scripture.
But in the moment, god is soloving and kind that he says
that when you seek, you willfind.
When you knock, I will answer.
(54:39):
And we try to reserve thatseeking for the big things, but
it's in the small areas that welearn to trust him.
Speaker 2 (54:48):
Absolutely One of the things that I love is reading
about the children of Israel,because I think their lives back
then were so simple, right.
Pretty much they were sheepherders and goat herders, and so
(55:10):
they knew that daily what theirdaily routine pretty much would
look, would look like, and intoday's society, we have so much
(55:30):
to fill our days with that.
We have to pencil.
We pencil God in, right, I'mgoing to work you in God when I
can Right, sometime throughoutthis day I'm going to work you
in, but know God says you startwith me and then I'll show you
(56:03):
where Love that.
Like he, he, when he went toAbraham, he said Abraham, I'm
going to show you where to go.
Pretty much, just start walking.
Oh, abraham, pretty much, juststart walking.
And, um, most of us don't liveour days like that.
Yeah Right, I feel like I'mliving right now.
We don't, we don't live our dayslike that.
(56:24):
Yeah Right, I feel like I'mliving.
We don't, we don't live.
We don't live our days likethat.
You know we get these jobs andthey tell us when to wake up,
right Cause you know you gottabe to work by 8am.
So they tell you when, when,when to wake up, and when you go
there, they're going to tellyou what time you could take
your lunch and they're going totell you what time you get off
(56:46):
and you got to go pick up thekids and you have to go prepare
dinner and if your kids areinvolved in sports, you got to
go all to the sports meet.
By the time you get home now,you're going to watch the kids
and you're going to get to bedand get them in the bed, and
you're going to get to bed andget them in the bed by the time
you get ready to go to bed.
(57:07):
You're not thinking aboutpraying, you're not thinking
about doing anything.
What would happen if wereversed that?
What would even the system oftoday look like?
Would we even choose?
Speaker 1 (57:26):
jobs differently, I think.
I think in a sense people arealready doing that, but not for
that reason.
But that's what I'm saying,yeah, it would look.
Speaker 2 (57:41):
It would look, it really would look differently.
And I think that we are so busythat, unless we go through a
period of suffering, we don'tknow what trust looks like.
We don't know how to trust.
Speaker 1 (57:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (57:58):
So suffering comes.
There's a whole otherconversation, and now we have to
.
We have to fully trust God in away that we didn't know how to
before.
Speaker 1 (58:11):
So what I'm hearing is part two is going to be
suffering in the kingdom.
Yeah, Because you can,definitely.
I mean we can talk about it.
But you certainly have atestimony of coming out of a
(58:34):
period of what your suffragelooked like in kidney failure,
and just not only how you wereable to stand through that and
not come out bitter and not comeout, you know, in ways that you
(58:56):
think I love him more.
Speaker 2 (58:57):
Yeah, I think I believe I love him more and I
can truly say had I not gonethrough that, I don't think I
would have had this deeper levelof trust and love for God that
I do have today.
Speaker 1 (59:12):
Yeah, well, you know we're going to end right here
because we're going to have apart two with Mama.
We got to get more into thisconversation.
Thank you so much, mom, fordoing this with me on my very
first episode, and I'm reallyexcited about part two.
We have to finish thisconversation because I think
it's so necessary, especiallyfor new believers, to know how
(59:37):
to handle suffering in Christ,to not stand in disappointment,
or.
It doesn't mean that he is notwho he says he is, but it means
that he's getting something.
He's taking you to a deeperlevel.
So thank you so much, mom, forbeing here with me.
I love you so much.
Thanks, guys, for joining mefor this first episode of
Kingdom Over Culture podcast.
(59:58):
Once again, my name is AshleyPotter, I'm your host and I
can't wait to see you again nexttime.
What's up everybody.
Welcome to Kingdom Over Culture.
My name is Ashley and I am yourhost.
I'm so excited to launch thispodcast on today with a very,
very special guest that is verynear and dear to me.
But before we get started, Ijust want to introduce myself
and introduce this podcast toyou.
This is something that the Lordhas just really placed on my
heart to really pour into mygeneration, to talk about the
(00:42):
topic of what does it look liketo live in the kingdom of God,
in this culture, in this day andage?
So that's what we're going tobe talking about over the next
few weeks in every episode ofthis podcast.
So we're going to jump rightinto it.
I have here with me my mom,shanna Ruff.
Welcome, mom, hello.
Hello, I'm so glad to have youhere with me.
That was so good.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, you were really good at that.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Oh, you're so sweet, I love you.
Oh, my gosh, this is my mom inreal life.
I've known her for 33 years andshe's a discipling me from the
(01:29):
beginning, and so I reallyappreciate that.
Mom, just the time that youtook out to not only show me
what a godly woman looks like atchurch, but at home as well
yeah, yeah, so I honor you forthat.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I feel emotional right now.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I love you.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Oh, mommy, my baby is grown, doing her thing I love
it.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
I love it.
I love it.
We're going to jump right in.
Today.
We have a really great topic.
This is something that I havebeen teaching on in small groups
.
The few times I've taught fromthe stage, I teach from this
message.
This is something that the Lordhas placed on me and I think
that it is our.
It's going to be our staplescripture for this podcast and
(02:16):
it's 1 John.
Hold on.
So if you have your Bibles withyou, go ahead and pull it out.
We're going to turn to 1 John,the book number two, and we're
looking at 15 through 17.
And when I first read thisscripture I'm not going to lie I
felt some kind of way.
I was very confused, I was veryperplexed, but I was also
(02:39):
convicted and I wanted to knowmore.
And it simply says do not lovethe world or the things in the
world.
If anyone loves the world, thelove of the father is not in him
, For all that is in the worldthe desires of the flesh, the
desires of the eyes and thepride of life is not from the
(02:59):
father, but is from the world,and the world is passing away
along with his desires.
But whoever does the will ofGod abides forever, Mom.
What comes to mind when youhear that scripture, or hear
those scriptures?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It reminds me of the scriptures that says we are in
the world, right, we know thatwe're in this world, but it
warns us not to conform to thisworld.
Yeah, we know that we're inthis world, but it warns us not
to conform to this world.
And so what that means to me isthat, first of all, I need to
know where I came from.
Right, I need to understandwhere I come from, and my
(03:38):
husband always your dad, alwaysused this.
He always says this how do youview God, right?
So our perspective ofChristianity is rooted in how we
view God.
Commonly, for me, I view God asfather.
(03:59):
It's very easy for me to seehim as father, probably because
I had a good earthly father, soit's easy for me to recognize
God as father.
So if I look at God as fatherand the scripture tells me that
I was adopted into his family,then I need to understand the
(04:22):
dynamic of the family of God.
What does that mean?
What does my father do?
How does my father live?
How does my father move?
Because now, not only is myfather, is God my father, he is
God, he is ruler of everything.
So I am in this family.
(04:44):
That is foreign to me becausenow, remember, the scripture
says that we have to be bornagain.
So now I'm a new, I'm a part ofthis family.
I got to understand what itmeans.
What does that look like?
My father is seated on a throne, but I'm here on earth.
What does that look like?
(05:04):
My father is seated on a throne, but I'm here on earth.
What does that look like?
So the Bible also tells us thatthere's two kingdoms at the same
time, and so we are a part ofthe kingdom of heaven, the
kingdom of God, and there's akingdom that's here on earth.
And so which one should Ioperate as?
Because right now I'm just here, I'm occupying.
(05:25):
Jesus told a parable about aman who left, and he told his
servants to occupy while I amaway.
So what does that mean?
What does it look like for meto occupy until Christ comes
back?
And so he gives us a way tolive.
Not only gives us a way, hedeposits a part of himself into
(05:46):
us through the Holy Spirit.
Yes, that shows us how to liveand how to operate in this, in
this life.
It's so much to it, and I justlove this scripture because it
tells you, ok, what's in thisworld.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Right, what are the things to look out for?
What are those things?
Because it can be confusingwhen you read do not love the
world or the things in the world.
And then you have john 3, 16that says but god so loved the
world that he gave his onlybegotten son.
So I can see someone who is newin christ reading this or
hearing this right now andthey're like so, huh, god can
(06:24):
love the world, but I can't.
And I think that the second line, the second line and the second
, the verse after that, it givesyou context.
Not only does it say do notlove the world, it says or the
things of this world.
So it's letting you know, okay,what we're talking about.
We're not talking aboutcreation, we're not even talking
about the things that we'reexperiencing per se.
(06:45):
It's talking about the desireof the flesh, the desire of the
eyes and pride of life.
And I think that this scripture, in particular, is so relevant
for today, because everything isdesire of the flesh.
We're in this society where wewant more and more and more and
(07:05):
more and more, to where we'renever content.
I think I laughed and told youthe other day I went on a fast a
few weeks ago and I was just,you know, like, just trying to
really hear from the Lord andthe only thing I learned, the
only thing I the only revelationI received, is that my
self-control is at a all timelow.
I feed myself what I want, whenI want.
(07:25):
I do not withhold food.
I have a saying, and it'sterrible, but I've been saying
it for a very long time If I dietomorrow, at least I will have
eaten good every day of my life.
My Lord, you know, my mama fedme good, but then also, I don't
like to waste no meals.
If it don't taste good, I'lljust not eat.
I would rather just wait untilI can eat what I want.
And the Lord showed me you'respoiled.
(07:46):
That is the desire of the fleshand you do not deny yourself.
And I had to really sit withthat.
Like Lord, you are so right.
When I want Thai food, I'mgoing to spend every cent I have
because I want that Thai food,that restaurant that we always
go to, the Chinese one you knowI'm on a Chinese kick.
(08:08):
But getting that flesh undercontrol, like knowing this, is
what love of the world lookslike.
It looks like no self-control.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah.
I think, though, that when youlook at what it's saying in this
scripture and what John 3, 16,16 is saying, the word world is
different, right?
So in John 3, 16, god istalking about?
He is talking about his people.
He's talking to people of everynation, of every tongue, for
(08:38):
God so loved the people that arein the world that he gave his
only begotten son, right, right,that are in the world that he
gave his only begotten son,right, right.
So, then, when the scripturetalks about not loving the
things of the world, don't lovethe world in this scripture is
talking about world system, yesand so, and the things that are
possessed in the world.
So we are not to love them,yeah, yeah and so, yeah, a part
(09:30):
of the process of us walking out, because scripture talks about
us being imitators of Christ.
Right, there are some selfdenials.
That self denial that needs tocome with that, right, we can't
love everything.
We can't be a part ofeverything.
The scripture tells us thatJesus also was tempted right In
every way that he was tempted.
So, within this world system,we are tempted, right.
We are tempted to overindulgewhen the scripture tells us not
to.
We are tempted to desire thingsthat are against God.
Yeah, I've been in the OldTestament reading and frequently
(09:54):
you would see God put these,give the children of Israel
these rules, and as soon assomething happens or they get to
be close to another group ofpeople, they pick up their
culture Right, they startworshiping their gods and they
(10:17):
start sinning against God.
And so we cannot think thatwe're any different as soon as
we come into certain areas andnot to mean that you can't be
out with anybody, but because wesee Jesus always was out, he
was always out with a group ofpeople, but the Bible tells us
that he sinned, not Right.
He didn't change his character,he didn't change who he was.
(10:41):
But we have to be careful andthat we remember who we are,
that we listen to the HolySpirit when he's convicting us
or when he's trying to changecourse, so that we not don't be
susceptible to sin and sinning.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
That's the word.
That's the word that I reallywant to get to.
But before we get there, I wantto just look at verse 17,
because I think that, all in all, we operate.
One of the reasons why we clingto the things in this world is
because we don't have a eye forheaven.
We don't have a eye or a heartthat is set on what's after this
(11:25):
and 17,.
Verse 17 says the world ispassing away, along with its
desires, and I think that wejust have a mindset that this
world is so it's forever, andthat is such a lie.
I think that that is one ofthat's one of the biggest lies
that keeps us tangled and tiedto this world and to the, to the
(11:47):
systems of this world, becausewe don't.
We don't really act like webelieve that there's something
after this, like we live in aYOLO society.
You only live once, and weoperate in that, in that mindset
like, oh, I'm only going to,I'm only have today to do this
or only have this life to dothis, but God has promised us so
(12:11):
much more on the other side andso, as Christians, we really
should be operating inexpectation of our next.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
That's like you know, like when you go to college.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
You are expecting, like I'm doing this work because
I wanted to get a degree sothat I can have a better future.
There's a better future afterthis, and I think that
scriptures like this helps usand reminds us to set our eyes
on the prize that is that isbefore us, and it is a heavenly
prize, not a trip to Fiji, notyou know what.
(12:43):
We the beauty, even the thingsthat we can experience in this
world.
It is so great, but God has somuch greater, and I think that
this, this scripture, justreally really reminds us that
the things of this world are notforever.
Yeah, it's not, it's notforever, and that tells me that
(13:04):
it don't even matter that much,like we put so much weight on
the things that the culturetells us as we get to the bag,
get to this.
All of these things are soimportant to us as a culture,
but it's not important to God.
That's good.
Yeah, it really isn't.
Yeah, it really is.
And I mean, as you read FirstJohn over and over, he
(13:24):
emphasizes love people, love God, love people, love God, love
people.
And I believe that when we dothat, all the all, the extra, it
just it just falls off.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Yeah, yeah, that's good, that's good.
I think I like that scripturein Luke 19 that I was telling
you about that the master whowent away and he told his
servants to occupy until theycome.
Right, yeah, because then thequestion is then well, what,
(14:00):
what am I supposed to be doinguntil until he returns?
Like what, what does that looklike?
Well, that's why God gives eachone of us gifts and talents,
and so we already use those, andthat's how we occupy, we engage
in business, you know, we get ajob, we work, we meet people,
we love people, just like yousaid, and we love God.
I do think, though, for a lot ofbelievers, what trips us up is
(14:26):
temporary satisfaction.
We want that temporary fix,right and immediate.
We want it immediate.
We don't want to, like you said, we don't want to deny
ourselves, and in this world,right, we can see.
I can see you, I can touch you,I can taste food you, I can
(14:51):
touch you, I can taste food, Ican go and have a wonderful
night out, and I can experiencethat.
But sitting with God almostfeels uncomfortable if you don't
make it a part of life, and soI think that this world system
has been great at keeping usbusy so that our minds are not
(15:11):
on God.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
And giving us a false gratification.
Yeah, absolutely, Because Imean as many.
I love vacation.
You know you and dad took us onsome great vacations that I
still remember to this day.
Um, but even as an adult now, Imean I, I love to go on trips,
I love just doing all the things, Right.
(15:34):
But when you get back home, youback to reality, Right, and
it's like if we're alwayschasing a better feeling, when
do we take the time to say, hey,you know what this is tiring?
I know I got to a point in mywalk with the Lord when I was
just like God, this can't be it,Like this can't be what you
(15:59):
created me for.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
I would question then I would question what is a
better feeling?
And you know this just recently, in over past November, I had
to have a kidney transplant andone of the things that, if you
go through a period of suffering, that happens is that you have
(16:22):
a better perspective, because alot of things that we think feel
great are so temporal.
It's so temporal and I foundmyself focusing more on things
that were eternal than thethings that were temporary and,
um, but fixing my eyes on that,I question whether I really did
(16:49):
those things, like you said,really mattered.
The things that, um, I might,we might, we find gratifying
here on earth, um, are thosethings that are going to be
passed away, are going to passaway.
So where should I find my joyand my happiness?
(17:11):
Well, I should find that in him.
And if I don't have that, god,help me to love the things that
you love more than the thingsthat I have grown to love in
this world.
Yeah, help me to feel satisfied.
And what you have given me,assign me to do while I wait for
(17:36):
your return, yeah, help me tolove the things that you've
given me.
One of the passages scripturesays that, oh, that a wife
should love her own home.
She should love her own husband.
Help me to love what you'vegiven me.
So many times we compareourselves or compare our lives
(17:57):
with someone else, or we wish wehad more than what we have
Right, and God has given useverything.
He has already given it to us,so why don't I see it as
everything?
And so I find myself gettingdeeper and deeper in the word,
(18:22):
so that I am not loving thethings of the world, that I'm
loving what he loves.
What does my father think thatI should be doing?
What does my father tell methat I should love and what does
my father tell me that I shouldhate?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Yeah, oh, you know what, that you just kind of
brought me to a scripture and Ihope that I can find it.
Oh my gosh, it's so good, isthis it?
But there's, there's ascripture and I can't.
It's in first John.
(19:13):
I don't know if, even when I doget saved, when I give my life
to Jesus, there is still.
I still have to build up mystrength to be able to combat
certain things spiritually.
And I think that it can be.
Really it can just bringsomeone down when they enter
(19:33):
into Christ, or maybe they'vebeen walking with Christ for a
while and they feel like I'mcontinuously battling these same
things.
I'm going to church, I'mlistening to worship music, but
I think that many of us have notbeen taught how to really be
disciples, how to really walkout this thing and I love that
(19:54):
scripture oh, I want to find itso bad.
That says exerciserighteousness, because we can
exercise sinning and not eventhinking of think about it.
But how do we exerciserighteousness in our everyday
lives?
The other day, the girls werejust acting up and I really, you
(20:15):
know, my immediate thing is tomeet your energy, because you
getting on my nerves, you know,and I was reminded that I have
to exercise righteousness in myhome with my girls because, even
though I might not be talkingabout Jesus or I might not be
speaking scripture, they'relooking to me for spiritual
guidance and so my reactions andmy actions are discipling them
(20:41):
without mentioning a scripture.
And so I've just been workingon myself to like not meet their
energy and being able to havethose conversations and come to
them in a way that's more calmand not just flipping off in the
moment, because I'm likesometimes just like girl sit
down, but no, why, why, why isyou on the stairs crying what's
(21:04):
up, what's what's wrong?
Oh, you hit your pinky toe.
Let mommy come look at it,because you know, sometimes they
just want to be coddled,sometimes they just want to be
babied.
But exercising righteousness,even in the small things, how
would the Lord deal with me inthis?
And he's so kind and he's sopatient, and I think we can look
(21:24):
at the big things, like, oh,I'm not, I'm not doing these big
sins, or da, da, da, da, da.
Like God's looking at us forwhere we are.
He's not saying, oh, you betterthan him because you're not a
murderer.
No, what are the things thatyou're dealing with?
For me, gluttony dealing within your life?
What are the things that youhave to surrender in continuing
that walk of exercise andrighteousness?
(21:46):
Where I am, I think the flipside of it is just being First,
john 3, 14, 10.
Thank you guys.
You know what, and I had itright there First, john 3, 4
through 10.
You know, and I had it in mynotes.
We're going to read it.
Okay, everyone who makes apractice of sinning also
(22:12):
practices lawlessness.
Sin is lawlessness.
You know that he appeared inorder to take away sins and in
him there is no sin.
No one who abides in him keepson sinning.
My God today.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Correct and do we see when we don't respond like how
Christ responds even to ourchildren, as sinning?
Come on, yeah, you know.
I think that we have toquestion, right, do you put on
(22:51):
Christianity just when you goout the door?
No, this is supposed to be whoyou are.
You're supposed to beChristlike at all times.
It's nothing that you put onand you take off.
You know.
You hear people say, you know.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
I'm about to put it down.
I'm about to put it down.
Don't let it put you down, ohmy God, You'd be real sad that
day.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
I'm like what if Jesus comes?
Speaker 1 (23:16):
That's the kind of stuff I'm scared of.
A healthy fear of the Lord.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
And so yeah, like that's how I think I don't ever
want want.
This is who I am yeah this isnot just what I do, what I do
and so, even with my kids, mychildren like you, your brother,
your sisters, I remember thatand no matter how much you might
(23:46):
, I might not like what you'redoing, I am still God's child
and I'm still light.
Am I going to be light or am Igoing to be darkness?
I'm going to be light.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Yeah, and I can.
I mean, I can definitelytestify you and dad are not
perfect, but you're consistent.
You're consistent.
I've never seen a differentperson in the home that I've
seen outside.
And I feel like because of that, it kind of skewed my
(24:22):
perspective and perceptiongrowing up and made me a little
green to think that that's justhow people are.
Um, and now that I'm an adult,you know, you know I'm learning
more and more the ways of people, but I can also be really,
really grateful for theupbringing that I had.
(24:42):
Specifically when it comes toyour character, you guys were
consistent in God.
I knew any given night I wasgoing to wake up with oil in my
eye, or I'm going to wake up atthe crack of dawn and my daddy
is sitting there at that tablejust reading his word.
I mean consistency, and I sawthat Unfortunately, I know
(25:06):
that's not everyone's story andso I was able to see this is
what walking with God looks like, this is what living for Christ
looks like, and it shifted.
You know, sometimes thisstarted out with no pants and
you know, you know makeup andall that stuff, but then it
(25:27):
wasn't more about the outwardappearance but what it was
inside, and so I'm really,really, I'm really grateful just
to be able to have seen it.
But now, it's one thing to evensee it, but now having to
actually walk in it yourself, Ithink that sometimes people can
be like, oh well, you know, Ididn't see that growing up and
(25:49):
think that just because you sawit make it easy to do, that's
not the case.
You still have to allow theHoly Spirit.
That was the work of the HolySpirit, that wasn't y'all.
And so now me, I have to learnto yield to the Holy Spirit in
every single area of my life.
It's easy to dedicate thingslike my business or those things
(26:11):
that I dedicate to God leadingworship, those pockets of my
life where literally the HolySpirit dwells because I lean on
him so much.
But it's when I get to themoment or to the point where I
feel like, oh, I can handle this, I don't need, I don't need,
you know, god's help in thisarea, and not intentionally,
(26:31):
it's just in the way that, theway that I move and having to
course correct and say no, evenin this.
Ok, my daughter is about tosend me off.
Lord, holy Spirit leave mybabies alone, mama, please back
to the scripture, because youand your grandkids is something
else.
After that it says littlechildren, let no one deceive you
(26:52):
.
Whoever practices righteousnessis righteous.
Whoever practices, whoevermakes a practice of sinning is
of the devil.
Yeah, and I think that you knowpeople can get discouraged
reading something like this,like well, I'm never going to be
perfect, I'm never not going tosin, but the key word here is
(27:14):
practice, right.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Is that a part of your lifestyle?
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Is it?
Is it yeah?
Is it who you are?
Is?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
it what you're consistently doing.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Think about what practicing is.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Did you wake up trying to sin?
Right, you already plan to gosin tonight because it's Friday
night.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
It's like we make excuses.
It's when we make those excusesof, oh, this is the way I am,
or, oh, god don't really careabout that.
I think that my generation ingeneral has just skewed the word
of God so much so to fit our,our culture and, honestly, to
(27:56):
try to make us not feel badabout our sin.
Yeah, that we have created afalse gospel that speaks to you,
know your purpose and all thesethings, and it's like you can
walk in your purpose every dayof your life and never do it in
(28:17):
the name of the Lord.
Some of us don't have no choicebut to operate in our gift,
because it's the only thingwe're good at, but it doesn't
mean that I did it in his nameor for him or for him, um, and I
I'm.
I think that just it's really,really important, now more than
(28:38):
ever, that people honestly getinto the word of God for
themselves and not cling to theword of man so much.
Um, I actually have foundmyself in a season of
deconstruction of this is what Iwas raised under, or this is
what I learned about God, noteven through y'all, but just
(29:01):
y'all kept me in church.
So these might be certainthings that I picked up and now
I'm an adult and I'm reading thenew scripture and I'm like,
right it didn't say that.
It wasn't even talking aboutthat.
Um, and so now having to for me, being a church girl, having to
unlearn a lot of church thingsthat I've learned that are not
(29:23):
kingdom things I think I'm stillthere too, yeah, there's so
much in the time that you wereborn until now, things that were
instilled in you.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
And I think that we were talking about this the
other night in my small groupand we're talking about the
passage of scripture that wherePaul says Paul says, follow me
as I follow Christ, where Paulsays Paul says follow me as I
follow Christ, and the way thatin some, in a period of time,
and sometimes even today, wherepeople have gotten in trouble
(29:58):
with that following other people, but we miss the part as I
follow Christ, and this is whythey miss the part that says as
I follow Christ, because theynever learned how to follow
Christ and how what Christ didbecause they don't get in the
word for themselves, and so welike to blame the preacher.
(30:22):
But the Bible tells us to study,to show yourself yourself
approved unto God, and so weneed to take responsibility of
us learning the word of God andlearning God.
How does God act?
What is God's voice sound like?
What are the things that Godsays, what are the things that
(30:44):
he does?
And so then we are able todecipher what is truth and what
is a lie.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
And so we really need to take that responsibility on
for us to get into the word andto know for ourselves and not
get given to false, to falsedoctrine.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Yeah, there's.
There's a wave of Christianitythat's happening.
I don't know if you've noticedit on social media or anything,
but it's like it's almost trendyto be Christian, and which is
funny, because in other placesof the world Christians are
literally being martyred, buthere in the United States it's
(31:29):
big business.
It is big business and itworries me a little bit, because
there are so many voices outthere and literally you can pick
and choose.
Who makes me like?
Whose?
Whose word do I align with more?
(31:50):
You better read your Bible.
You better read your Bible.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Yeah, you better read your Bible, I don't I?
Um, I am at a point right nowwhereas I used to have a pastor
that says to eat the meat andspit out the bones, right, and
so that's how I take the word ofGod coming from someone else,
(32:18):
but the meat I go when I go intoGod's presence and I go in his
presence daily and read the word.
That's where I get most of mynutrition from.
Let me say that, say it thatway.
This is the where I get mynutrition from, and if I'm
waiting for somebody else tofeed me, then you're going to
(32:44):
always be left lacking.
But if I go into the wordmyself and I trust my father to
meet me, I trust the Holy Spiritto give me understanding and to
feed me, because the scripturesays that man should not live by
bread alone.
Yeah, but every word thatproceed out the mouth of God,
(33:05):
out of the mouth of God or outof the mouth of the preacher,
come on Out of the mouth of Godor out of the mouth of the
preacher.
Come on Out of the mouth of Godor out of the mouth of the
podcaster, right, right, rightOut of the mouth of God.
Or the little few second clip Isee on YouTube Out of the mouth
of God Right, and so we knowthat the word of God is his
written word.
So why are we going to be fedanywhere else Getting the word?
(33:28):
Why are we going to be fedanywhere else Getting the word?
When we go to churches, we talkabout coming in as a body.
It's normally for fellowship.
It's fellowship with oneanother, because we need those
moments Iron, sharp and iron aswell as outside of the church,
not just in a church building,because we are the church, but
(33:51):
we are the fellowship outside ofthe church.
So, yeah, you should be gettingyour nutrition from the word
itself.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
Yeah, yeah, I think that sometimes it can get.
It can be hard for people thatare just starting in the word.
You know, I'm currently writinga book and one of the things
that I'm writing on right now isthe struggle between everything
(34:25):
that I've known my entire life.
Now I found the Lord.
I'm at this intersection in mylife where I have everything
that I've experienced and theexperience I've had with him.
What would you say to theperson that is trying to figure
(34:49):
out how to move forward in thislife dedicated to Christ?
But it is still in Egypt, isstill so intertwined with
today's culture, the ways ofthis world, and they're trying
(35:11):
to figure out how to moveforward in Christ.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
I think that it's like in any family, right, you
going to be a part of your now apart of a new family Got to
start out small.
Of a new family, you got tostart out small.
I think one of the things thatis missing that God you can see
(35:42):
throughout scripture and how theword and things were supposed
to be passed on from generationto generation that God always
had this type of discipleship inmind.
I think it's important for newbabes to be discipled.
I think the problem is is thata lot of places don't offer that
anymore, and so babes get lostand it's unfortunate, and so
(36:08):
babes get lost and it'sunfortunate.
But I do think that God lovesus so much that he'll provide
someone to help them and to helpguide them along the way.
I've had many mentors in mylife who have helped me to
(36:31):
understand the word more, whowas good at giving me sound
wisdom, and I so appreciate that, and they were God sent, and so
I do feel like they need to.
Number one find a place to be,find a church, find a good Bible
(36:52):
teaching church where you cangrow, and, of course, for any
babe, they don't walk first,they crawl.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
So give yourself grace, because it can be so
daunting coming into especiallya church where there's a lot of
mature Christians that are goodand deep in their word, and
every time you have aconversation, people are just
spitting scriptures left andright and you're like I know God
(37:25):
created the world, I know John316.
That's it, that's all.
That's all I got, and so Ireally, I really like that, you
know, being able to giveyourself grace for where you are
, because everybody startedsomewhere.
I think for me it's reallyimportant that new believers
(37:49):
find community in otherbelievers.
I would say, even though I grewup in church and I had God
fearing parents, I experiencedGod for myself numerous times
throughout my childhood.
I have testimony on testimony,but I would say I started I feel
(38:12):
like I started to reallyexperience what it was like to
be a part of the body of Christwhen I joined a small group and
it, honestly, that took place inthose spaces was mind blowing
(38:35):
to me and, like you said, it waslike God created ways for us to
function as a body in his word,if we would just do what he
said.
I know that your small group ison Titus and being a Titus to
women is that?
That's what it is.
It's about generationaldiscipleship, generational
discipleship and it's it's soimplanted in the word of OK.
(38:59):
This is how, this is how weshould operate from generation
to generation, and this is howthe young women should be, and
this is how the old women, olderwomen, should be, and this is
what their relationship shouldlook like.
I think that I would encouragethat woman or young man who is
new to Christ to not be afraidto open yourself up to people,
(39:23):
to people that are older thanyou.
Don't feel like you just needto stick with people that are in
your age range, because, I mean, you can have great discussions
here, but you can gain wisdomhere.
And, just like you, I feel likethe Lord has been very gracious
to put women in my life inevery season of my life, even
(39:46):
when I wasn't, you know, withhim for real.
For real, I had a boss wholoved the Lord, and every day I
come to work, she's talking tome about the Lord and I'm like,
what is this Like, ma'am, what?
And so I think that just beingopen to people who may not look
like what you thought was goingto come, or come in the package
(40:10):
of what you thought was going tobe your disciple.
Your discipler, you know, inthis season it might be the old
lady that you see at the grocerystore.
You know that you that alwaysstrikes up a conversation with
you, or that person at work,that is always that Bible
thumper and you, like man, she'dbe getting on my nerves.
But now you done got saved andyou'd be kind of like she
(40:32):
telling the truth.
You know, being open to havingthose relationships, and I think
that the enemy has done such agood job at skewing the
perception of relationships andintimacy in relationships to for
our culture and for thisgeneration so badly to where we
(40:53):
are.
We would much prefer to beclosed off.
We would much prefer to be byourselves.
We don't really.
I mean, I see it all the timePeople love talking about how
they don't have community andhow they don't need anyone.
But, that is so opposite ofChrist in the way that God
created us to be in fellowshipand in community.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Yeah, and it's because we run away from
conflict.
Right, we don't know how toresolve conflict in the biblical
way, so we run away fromcommunity because we don't want
our feelings hurt.
And then, if our feelings hurt,because we are quick to lay
down our religion.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Right, right right.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
You know we might respond in the wrong way, and so
we are happy to not be incommunity, and what that does is
it stunts our growth, becauseGod grows, matures us in
community.
Yeah, and it's hard for mebecause I'm an introvert.
(42:02):
So I love being my by myself, Ilove quiet time, I love being
home just playing the music andmaybe washing the dishes or
doing whatever.
But even so much now, so muchso.
Now God is like pushing me outthere to, to, to make
friendships and to plan to bewith, with community, because
(42:28):
you won't ever mature.
It's like keeping a baby athome.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
No social skills, come on.
Don't know how to relate topeople Out of touch.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Yeah.
And then it keeps you in thatcycle of not knowing how to
handle offense, because ifyou've never put yourself in a
position to be offended, youdon't have to deal with it.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
Exercise and righteousness.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Exercise that righteousness.
Hey, that's that's it.
That is so it, and I think thatalso.
It's so funny how everythingcan go in these like right back
to this scripture of the desireof the flesh, the desire of the
lust of the eye.
One version says the lust ofthe eye is and the pride of life
(43:20):
.
Ma, you got your phone.
Can you pull up this scripturein the message version?
Just for the ones who are stilllike not 100% understanding
scripture or they need a littlebit more plain, I tell you what
I'm not a person that clings tothe message, but the message
version of this scripture ismind blowing.
(43:45):
It's really, really good.
I'm with you.
I'm first John, I'm first John2, 15 through 17.
And you know how to message.
They got that whole little.
You know blurb.
But if you could pull that up,I think that that will really
speak to someone.
That will really speak tosomeone, Because one of the
(44:06):
things it says in that scriptureis to not cling to the culture
without even thinking somethinglike that.
It's really, really good.
When you get it, say amen.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Amen, amen, amen.
Don't love the world's ways,don't love the world's goods.
Don't love the world's goods.
Love of the world squeezes outlove for the Father, my God,
practically everything that goeson in the world wanting your
own way, wanting everything foryourself, wanting to appear
(44:40):
important, has nothing to dowith the Father.
It just isolates you from him.
The world and all its wanting,wanting, wanting, is on the way
out.
But whoever does what god wantsis set for eternity.
That was 17 that was 17.
(45:05):
That was 17.
Man, that's so good.
Yeah, we just want more andmore, and more and more.
We can't ever get enough.
We're not satisfied, right, wedon't ever get satisfied.
We always want more.
Right, we don't ever getsatisfied, we always want more.
And I think I asked you thequestion the other day when is
(45:28):
when is more enough?
Right, when, when, what is thatplace where?
Speaker 1 (45:37):
it is enough for you.
Contentment is so anti-cultural.
Let me tell you something.
It almost sounds like a cussword, Like to be content Right
To today's culture.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
It makes you feel like you're settling.
People look at that word likeyou're settling.
But when is more enough?
And here's what happens withthat desire for more, right it's
.
It's almost like A two.
You could say two people, twopeople, two home, mother and
(46:17):
father, right?
Both parents are working, bothparents are working.
When is more enough?
And look who gets neglected,especially if you have children,
when both of you are out thehome, both of you are coming and
(46:38):
going, when do they become apriority?
Speaker 1 (46:43):
Right?
Speaker 2 (46:43):
No, no, because we're not good at prioritizing things
.
That should be to disciple,train them up in the way that
they should go, and where doesthat way, that is mean, the way
(47:12):
to follow God and that way offollowing God?
So when is the traininghappening?
Speaker 1 (47:17):
Right.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
And who is it happening by?
Because what do we do with them?
Right, we throw them in daycareor they're in school all day.
By the time you get home,you're too busy and tired to
truly disciple them.
Speaker 1 (47:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:38):
So we have to have in our mind what does it mean for
me and my house to follow God?
Speaker 1 (47:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
Because everybody can't be after the bag.
Speaker 1 (47:50):
Come on, you know, the Lord has really, really
dealt with me over the last fewyears.
I was working a job, my lastjob that I worked in.
I would say this often I'mnever leaving.
I'm going to work here until Ican't work no more.
It was an amazing job.
I was making amazing, like thebest money I've ever made in my
(48:12):
life.
I got, you know, bonuses everythree months.
It was, it was the best job.
I loved it.
Um, but I was working all thetime and when the Lord told me
it was time for me to let go ofthat job and like transition, I
(48:35):
shoot in every transition, theLord continues to transition me
and I'm like, what about themoney?
But what about the 401k?
What about you know thebenefits Lord like and I
remember this was probably 2020,2021, one of those and I was
(48:59):
doing makeup full time at thatpoint and but it gave me the
freedom to take my kids toschool every morning, to pick
them up from school.
We had devotion on the way toschool.
We were able to ease our wayinto our day.
I wasn't, you know, trying torush, get to work.
You know having to pay extrafor early care and all these
things.
(49:20):
And I remember I was getting soantsy with God.
I was just like it's followingyou really this hard, it's being
obedient to you really thishard.
And I remember like reallysaying in my heart, like God, if
something don't change, I'mgonna go get me a job.
And the Lord said to me I waslaying in my bed and I'm
(49:42):
literally having thisconversation and the Holy Spirit
said to me you really trust aman to deposit a check in your
account every two weeks, morethan you trust me to provide for
you?
Right, and I had to.
I that thing hit me like apunch to the stomach and I had
to repent and say God, I'm sorry, yeah, because whatever it is
(50:04):
that you do have for me, becauseit's from you, that means it's
good enough and it's my portion,yeah.
And I think that a lot of timeswe want more because we don't
want to steward what we have.
It's what we value, it's whatwe value.
Speaker 2 (50:22):
It's what we think is valuable.
God think we should walk on it.
Speaker 1 (50:32):
They said one more time what we think is valuable.
Speaker 2 (50:38):
God thinks we should walk on.
Speaker 1 (50:42):
And the things that we don't think, we don't hold as
valuable, are the things thatGod is trying to get us to like.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:48):
So that's why it is important for us to renew our
minds daily, daily.
We have to daily renew ourminds because what we think is
valuable and important yeah, goddoesn't.
He holds us valuable andimportant?
Speaker 1 (51:06):
Yeah, god doesn't.
He holds us valuable andimportant.
Yes, I love that.
To bring it back to what yousaid about John 3, 16, like, god
wasn't talking about the earththat he created or the world the
way that it was, he was talkingabout his people.
I sent my son to die for thepeople, because that is where my
heart is.
He created everything, but healso created.
(51:28):
He created a way for us to getto him, not for the animals, not
for the plants, not for thewater or the earth that he
created, but the humans that arein his likeness, the people
that he loves, not just that hewants to dwell with us.
Speaker 2 (51:45):
Yes, you know, when we're so busy going, if we are
honest, we think about him.
We are not thinking about him,but God wants to be the center
of everything that we're doing.
Speaker 1 (52:02):
Oh my gosh.
Yes, I remember, you know, whenthe Lord was telling me to
close my business and focus ondoing this podcast and my kids
and finishing writing a bookthat he'd been telling me to
write for the last five years, Iwas just, you know, like it
(52:22):
don't.
It's not, it's not making sense.
And why does my version ofsuccess have to look like this?
Every I literally had thisconversation with God.
Everybody get to do whateverthey want, but I said I want to
be obedient to you and I want myyes to you to mean something.
And now I'm just followingeverything that you say and it's
(52:43):
like God.
Why couldn't you lead me tosomething that would be a little
bit more financially stable?
You know something to where Ididn't have to.
Then you wouldn't trust him.
Trust you for everything.
Then you would For everything.
I remember the Lord told me itwas 2019.
I'm bringing you into atrusting season and it's so
(53:05):
funny because we, as churchpeople, we use that kind of like
season word for everything, butin our minds we think of.
In my mind, I'll say I thoughtyou know season, winter, summer.
This will be a few months.
I've been in the trustingseason since 2019.
And you will be in that seasonfor the rest of my life.
(53:26):
I was like God.
I didn't know I was going tohave to trust you for eats and
for sleep, I mean, for everysingle morsel of food I get.
Speaker 2 (53:34):
Yeah, that means you're choosing him.
Speaker 1 (53:37):
Every time you choose him, he wants us to choose him
that takes me to such a deeperthought that we'll talk about
offline.
But that is the other side ofsalvation.
It's the daily choosing.
Speaker 2 (53:56):
Choose them every day .
Speaker 1 (53:57):
And I think that I mean it brings me back to that
scripture of exercisingrighteousness in every choice,
at every situation.
We have a choice.
What are you going to choose?
Are you going to choose sin orare you going to choose
righteousness?
Are you going to choose yourflesh and your way and your own
thoughts, your own perceptions,or are you even going to sit
(54:19):
down and say, god, what do youwant me to do in this?
It's not everything doesn'ttake.
Oh, let me do a deep study inthe scripture to figure out.
What does the word say?
Please study the scripture.
But in the moment, god is soloving and kind that he says
that when you seek, you willfind.
When you knock, I will answer.
(54:39):
And we try to reserve thatseeking for the big things, but
it's in the small areas that welearn to trust him.
Speaker 2 (54:48):
Absolutely One of the things that I love is reading
about the children of Israel,because I think their lives back
then were so simple, right.
Pretty much they were sheepherders and goat herders, and so
(55:10):
they knew that daily what theirdaily routine pretty much would
look, would look like, and intoday's society, we have so much
(55:30):
to fill our days with that.
We have to pencil.
We pencil God in, right, I'mgoing to work you in God when I
can Right, sometime throughoutthis day I'm going to work you
in, but know God says you startwith me and then I'll show you
(56:03):
where Love that.
Like he, he, when he went toAbraham, he said Abraham, I'm
going to show you where to go.
Pretty much, just start walking.
Oh, abraham, pretty much, juststart walking.
And, um, most of us don't liveour days like that.
Yeah Right, I feel like I'mliving right now.
We don't, we don't live our dayslike that.
(56:24):
Yeah Right, I feel like I'mliving.
We don't, we don't live.
We don't live our days likethat.
You know we get these jobs andthey tell us when to wake up,
right Cause you know you gottabe to work by 8am.
So they tell you when, when,when to wake up, and when you go
there, they're going to tellyou what time you could take
your lunch and they're going totell you what time you get off
(56:46):
and you got to go pick up thekids and you have to go prepare
dinner and if your kids areinvolved in sports, you got to
go all to the sports meet.
By the time you get home now,you're going to watch the kids
and you're going to get to bedand get them in the bed, and
you're going to get to bed andget them in the bed by the time
you get ready to go to bed.
(57:07):
You're not thinking aboutpraying, you're not thinking
about doing anything.
What would happen if wereversed that?
What would even the system oftoday look like?
Would we even choose?
Speaker 1 (57:26):
jobs differently, I think.
I think in a sense people arealready doing that, but not for
that reason.
But that's what I'm saying,yeah, it would look.
Speaker 2 (57:41):
It would look, it really would look differently.
And I think that we are so busythat, unless we go through a
period of suffering, we don'tknow what trust looks like.
We don't know how to trust.
Speaker 1 (57:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (57:58):
So suffering comes.
There's a whole otherconversation, and now we have to
.
We have to fully trust God in away that we didn't know how to
before.
Speaker 1 (58:11):
So what I'm hearing is part two is going to be
suffering in the kingdom.
Yeah, Because you can,definitely.
I mean we can talk about it.
But you certainly have atestimony of coming out of a
(58:34):
period of what your suffragelooked like in kidney failure,
and just not only how you wereable to stand through that and
not come out bitter and not comeout, you know, in ways that you
(58:56):
think I love him more.
Speaker 2 (58:57):
Yeah, I think I believe I love him more and I
can truly say had I not gonethrough that, I don't think I
would have had this deeper levelof trust and love for God that
I do have today.
Speaker 1 (59:12):
Yeah, well, you know we're going to end right here
because we're going to have apart two with Mama.
We got to get more into thisconversation.
Thank you so much, mom, fordoing this with me on my very
first episode, and I'm reallyexcited about part two.
We have to finish thisconversation because I think
it's so necessary, especiallyfor new believers, to know how
(59:37):
to handle suffering in Christ,to not stand in disappointment,
or.
It doesn't mean that he is notwho he says he is, but it means
that he's getting something.
He's taking you to a deeperlevel.
So thank you so much, mom, forbeing here with me.
I love you so much.
Thanks, guys, for joining mefor this first episode of
Kingdom Over Culture podcast.
(59:58):
Once again, my name is AshleyPotter, I'm your host and I
can't wait to see you again nexttime.
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