BONUS: Obedience Thru Grace

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Ever scoffed at the idea of keeping a journal, brushing it off as mere child's play? I certainly did, until I realized the incredible way it could map my spiritual growth and capture the moments when God's hand gently steered my life. This heart-to-heart conversation delves into the unexpected richness journaling brings to personal reflection, chronicling triumphs, and the humbling recognition of answered prayers. It's a candid look at how this seemingly simple practice can become a cornerstone in our relationship with the Divine.

Obedience to the Almighty initially felt like an itchy sweater, constraining and uncomfortable. But what a transformation when I discovered it's less about limitations and more about guiding me to a life brimming with meaning! This episode isn't just my confession of wrestling with sin and stumbling on the path of righteousness; it's an affirmation of the peace and satisfaction that bloom from living in harmony with God's will. Join me as we explore the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit and the strength found in fellowship, on a journey of obedience that's both challenging and liberating.

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The Intro/Outro music is Are You Ready? by Floodgate. From the Album, Are You Ready? copyright 2002 OffBeat Ministries, Inc.
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Music used with permission.

Thank You. I Love You!

SEE YA!

Rick

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
I know some of y'all can't wait a week to hear from
me.
So I'm going to start preparingsome little short things to
just throw out during the week,just to give you something else
to listen to, something else tocontemplate, something else to
study.
Nothing big, nothing deepShould be fairly short.
I hope you enjoy it.

(00:28):
If you do, let me know Rick atRenewedMindsetscom or the
contact page atRenewedMindsetscom slash contact
.
Either way, I'd love to hearfrom you.
Enjoy.
See.
Ya, let's talk a little bitabout journaling, and it's

(00:51):
something we always heard aboutgrowing up.
I heard about it a lot and Ithought, man, it's just keeping
a diary Girls do that.
But man, I started journalingnot too long ago and it's so
good.
I love it.
It's so cool to be able to goback and look and see where you

(01:15):
were and what issues you weredealing with and see as you move
forward to the current timewhere God actually intervened,
where God answered prayers,where God changed your life.
It's all about obedience.

(01:40):
When I initially began to followJesus, the act of obeying him
felt like a heavy burden.
It was like putting on anuncomfortable, itchy wool
sweater.
A lot of times I choose topursue my own desires instead of
adhering to God's commands, andit's driven by a fear of
consequences that might come up.
But as I continued to walkalongside Jesus, I came to

(02:02):
understand that his request forobedience wasn't meant to hinder
me, but it was to guide metowards a fulfilling and
satisfying life.
In the book of John, jesus saysthat those who faithfully abide
by his commands genuinely lovehim.
That's John 14, 21.

(02:23):
Now, this statement is puzzling.
It was to me.
I mean, how could obedience bea demonstration of love?
Shouldn't love be about freedomand choice rather than rules
and restrictions?
But as I dove deeper into God'sWord and sought to understand
His heart, I started to seeobedience in a new light.

(02:48):
The Bible gives us generalinstructions on how to live a
righteous and God-honoring life,but there's instances where we
require specific guidance forthe unique circumstances that
we're in.
But thankfully, god doesn'tabandon us to navigate this on
our own.
He gives us the Holy Spirit,and that's a trustworthy guide

(03:10):
and a community of believers ourchurch who offer support
throughout our journey.
Seeking obedience can be a big,big task, especially when we're
faced with decisions that theBible doesn't really
specifically address, and thisis where the practice of
journaling has been very helpfulfor me.

(03:31):
I write about my thoughts andmy concerns and I seek God's
will in these little gray areas.
Some people refer to this ascreating a list of pros and cons
, but for me there's somethingthat's incredibly powerful by
putting my thoughts down onpaper and throughout this
process, god used my journalingto bring clarity and conviction

(03:52):
to my heart.
And after I prayed andjournaled about some kind of
specific decision, then I goseek counsel from one or two
trustworthy people in my life.
They're either friends thatI've had for years and years, or
a mentor or the pastor of thechurch, people who approach God

(04:13):
with sincerity, and I thinkabout their advice for a good
amount of time, whether it's 10minutes or an hour or a a week
or even a year, and during thatwaiting period I strive to be
open to the leading of the HolySpirit, and I trust that he will
grant me peace when my decisionaligns with God's will, and

(04:37):
it's at that point that I takeaction.
Now.
It's important to note herethat obedience to God's commands
can be very challenging and,despite my love for him and my
determination to obey, there'sdays when I just stumble and
deviate from his path.
I find myself tempted by sin,even though I'm well aware of my

(05:02):
regret.
This struggle is one that youcan relate to, but the book of
Galatians serves as a reminderfor us to walk in step with the
Holy Spirit, galatians 5.25.
Obedience may not become easierwith time, but it becomes
increasingly difficult to ignoreour trusted friend and Savior,

(05:23):
jesus.
Now, while obedience mayrequire sacrificing our own
desires, it also offers usfreedom and peace, and it
rewards us with a profound senseof satisfaction, knowing that
we walk in accordance with God'swill.
Now, as you go on this journeyof practicing obedience, you
need to pray hard for theguidance of the Holy Spirit.

(05:45):
The prophet Isaiah exclaimedthe Lord will continually guide
you, satisfy your needs in aparched land and strengthen your
bones.
That's Isaiah 58, 11.
So when I first began to followJesus, obedience was burdensome
and uncomfortable, but as youcontinue to walk alongside him,

(06:08):
you're going to come tounderstand that obedience is not
a hindrance but a guide towardsa more fulfilling and
satisfying life.
Jesus called us to love him.
By faithfully obeying hiscommands, and through the Holy
Spirit and a good, supportivecommunity of believers, you can
seek guidance in makingdifficult decisions.

(06:29):
And although that obediencemight not be easy.
It's going to lead you tofreedom and peace.
So, as you journey down thispath to obedience, just pray for
the guidance of the Holy Spiritand trust that God will
continually guide and strengthenyou.

(06:50):
Join me each week atrenewedmindsetscom or wherever
you listen to podcasts.
I'm Rick.
I love you, see ya.