February 12, 2025 • 30 mins
Can our daily choices mirror the pivotal decision of Pilate regarding Jesus? Join us on Renewed Mindsets as we unlock the profound influence our actions have on accepting or rejecting Jesus in our lives. We promise you’ll understand the temptation of a sanitized faith, much like Thomas Jefferson's edited Bible, and the crucial need to embrace the full gospel – resurrection and all – for genuine transformation. Journey with us through the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus’s honest prayers and absolute surrender to God’s will become a beacon for us to follow, even when we find ourselves resisting His plans with childlike stubbornness.
Equipped with the wisdom of Acts 16:14, we delve into the intricate dance between the Holy Spirit and the Word of God in the transformative process of spiritual rebirth. Discover how the Spirit awakens our hearts, using the Word to initiate new life as we bring faith to others. Lydia's story illustrates the harmonious work of the Spirit and Word, urging us as believers to share the gospel, trusting that our words are powerful tools in God's hands. Step beyond your comfort zone and ponder Pilate's enduring question: What will you do with Jesus today?
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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.
Floodgate is available on Apple Music and iTunes.
Music used with permission.
Thank You. I Love You!
SEE YA!
Rick
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Coming up on Renewed Mindsets.
Imagine being faced with adecision that changes your life
forever.
Imagine how a death couldchange the lives of a whole
world, how it shattered the gripof sin and how His resurrection
offers freedom and an abundantlife.
If you've ever wondered aboutGod's grace, your purpose or
(00:23):
what it truly means to live free, this message is for you.
Let's grace your purpose orwhat it truly means to live free
, this message is for you.
Let's go, boys.
Hey, welcome to RenewedMindsets, where we study the
basics of the faith through thelens of our middle-aged
experiences.
I'm Rick.
Welcome to the show where Ihelp you, gen Xers and
(00:46):
Millennials, navigatespiritually through a world that
looks nothing like we expectedback, when cars were square and
mullets were totally awesome.
I am so glad you're here.
In Matthew 27, verses 21 and 22,we encounter an important
moment.
The Roman governor, pontiusPilate, asked the crowd which of
(01:09):
the two do you want me torelease to you?
And they replied Barabbas,barabbas.
Then Pilate follows up with aquestion that echoes through
time.
What, then, shall I do withJesus, who is called the Christ?
And the crowd shouts Crucifyhim.
Now, this scene is intense, butit poses a question for us as
(01:34):
well.
What will we do with Jesus?
Pilate faced that choice, andso do we.
Each day, we decide how we'regoing to respond to Jesus.
Will we accept him or, like thecrowd, will we reject him by
choosing our own way over his.
Now, when we talk aboutaccepting him or rejecting him,
(02:00):
we talk about what's actuallycalled crucifying the anointing.
It means choosing our own wayinstead of following the leading
of Jesus in our life.
How many times have we done ourown thing, putting aside what
God asks of us to do?
Sometimes it's as simple aschoosing convenience over
(02:22):
conviction.
Maybe God is nudging you tomake a tough decision or act in
faith, but it's easier to stayin your comfort zone.
It's like hearing God's voicebut responding with eh, not
today.
Think about the small dailydecisions where this plays out.
Have you ever ignored aprompting to forgive someone
(02:43):
because your pride got in theway?
Or maybe you felt called tohelp someone in need, but
busyness in your life became anexcuse.
It's in these moments that wehave to answer Pilate's question
what will you do with Jesustoday?
Thomas Jefferson we all know whohe is.
He's one of the foundingfathers of this country.
(03:09):
He edited the Bible if youdidn't know that.
And he did not like anythingsupernatural.
So when he edited the Bible hecut out all the supernatural
parts.
He just left the moralteachings.
His version of the Bible endswith Jesus being buried.
He leaves out the resurrectionentirely.
(03:29):
Can you imagine that it'stempting for us to follow a safe
version of Jesus that doesn'trequire much from us, where the
focus is on all the niceteachings, the Jesus is love,
right, and avoid all thedifficult calls to sacrifice and
change.
If you're following someonethat says it's all okay, jesus
(03:52):
is all about love, love is love.
Guess what You're wrong?
You're not going to spendeternity with Christ in heaven.
Paul in 1 Corinthians, 15, 17,and 18 says if Christ has not
been raised, then your faith isuseless and you're still guilty
of your sins.
In other words, without thefull power of the gospel the
(04:16):
full gospel including theresurrection there's no real
transformation.
Now look how Jesus prepared forhis crucifixion.
He didn't just rush into itwithout thought.
He spent time in a place calledGethsemane, which means oil
press.
It's a fitting image, becauseolives have to be crushed to
(04:38):
produce oil.
And Jesus was crushed in spiritas he wrestled with his coming
sacrifice.
Was crushed in spirit as hewrestled with his coming
sacrifice.
In Matthew 26, verse 36-39, wesee Jesus go to Gethsemane to
pray.
His prayer was raw and real.
It says my soul is exceedinglysorrowful, even to death.
(05:03):
Stay here and watch with me.
He asked God if there was anyother way, but he also
surrendered, not as I will, butas you will.
Sometimes we approach prayerwanting a quick fix or a feel
good moment.
But real prayer, like Jesus'sprayer at Gethsemane, is about
releasing our deepest emotionsand our fears, and even our
destiny, into God's hands.
(05:25):
It's about full surrender.
Jesus didn't get a way out, buthe got the strength to carry
out God's will.
Philippians, chapter 2, verse 5through 9, encourages us to have
the same mindset as Jesus.
Though he was God, he humbledhimself and he became a servant
(05:47):
and was obedient to the point ofdeath on a cross.
And because of that God exaltedhim above all others.
Think about that for a moment.
Jesus didn't cling to hisrights or his status.
He gave it all up for the sakeof God's mission.
And what does that mean for us?
It means that we too are calledto lay aside our pride and our
(06:12):
comfort and our will to followJesus, even when it's hard.
Now, let's be honest.
Sometimes obedience doesn'tcome easily and we can be a bit
like a child who doesn't want togo to bed.
You know how it is the kidpulls out every trick in the
book I need water, I have to goto the bathroom.
Just one more story, please.
(06:34):
The kid's just hoping to delaythe inevitable.
The funny part about it is thatwe, as parents, know exactly
what's happening, but we just goalong with it, being patient,
knowing that we can guide thechild towards what is best,
which is going to bed.
That's a lot like how God dealswith us.
(06:56):
We might resist, thinking thatwe can delay right.
We think we can delay his plansby making excuses or avoiding
hard steps that he's asking usto take, but God knows what's
best for us and he patientlywaits and he uses love and grace
to gently guide us in the rightdirection.
He doesn't force us, but hekeeps inviting us to trust him.
(07:21):
So what are you going to do withJesus?
So what are you going to dowith Jesus?
What will you do?
Will you keep resisting,holding back from the life that
he's called you to, or are yougoing to take a step of faith,
trusting that his way, even whenit stretches you, leads to
something greater than you canimagine.
It's your choice, but rememberGod's plan is always filled with
(07:47):
love and purpose.
The choice is yours, butremember Jesus is offering you
the greatest reward.
It's not just a crown in heavenor a seat at the banquet table.
It's the joy of walking withhim right now, even through the
tough times.
That's a reward worth running arace for.
(08:08):
Now let's just stop for a momentand think about what Jesus
endured for us.
His crucifixion wasn't a quickevent.
It was excruciatingly slow andpainful, both spiritually and
physically.
When Jesus cried out from thecross "'My God, my God, why have
(08:29):
you forsaken me', it was a cryof deep abandonment.
In that moment he bore theweight of the world's sin and
for the first time heexperienced the separation from
God that sin causes.
Jesus, who had always been onewith the Father, was now bearing
(08:49):
the full wrath of God for oursins.
And when he cried out it isfinished in John 19 30, that's a
victory shout.
Not I am finished, but it isfinished.
God's will up to that point wascompleted.
Jesus accomplished what he cameto do.
(09:11):
He bore our sins and he paidthe price in full and with his
final breath he surrendered hisspirit into his father's hands.
That's Luke 23, 46.
Imagine the scene at that momentof Jesus' death.
Darkness covered the land, theearth trembled and the strong
(09:36):
Roman soldiers were shaking infear.
It wasn't just an ordinarydeath.
Nature itself reacted to thegravity of that event.
This wasn't just a man dying,it was a son of God laying down
his life.
A medical description of thephysical toll that crucifixion
took on Jesus is sickening.
(09:58):
Crucifixion wasn't just aboutdying.
It was about dying very slowly,in the most painful way
possible.
Imagine the agony of hanging bynails, with shooting pain
traveling up through your armsand your back and your feet.
He had to push himself up justto take a breath.
(10:30):
It's chilling.
It was overwhelming.
The suffering that he endureduntil he allowed his body to die
.
It's chilling, isn't it?
It's more than we can fullywrap our minds around.
And we hear all of this in a fewwords in the Bible.
(10:51):
Everything that I just saidright now in the Bible is summed
up in.
And they crucified him.
But behind those words is anunimaginable sacrifice, a
sacrifice that he made for youand for me.
Now think of this.
(11:12):
Jesus endured all of this so wewouldn't have to.
He took the punishment for sinso that we could be forgiven.
He was forsaken so that wecould be accepted.
He died so that we might livehere.
(11:33):
Imagine you were a child, lostin the woods, feeling utterly
abandoned by yourself.
The night grows darker, thefear sinks deeper and just when
you think there's no way out,you see a familiar face, your
parent, who'd been searching foryou the whole time, and they're
(11:57):
there to take you safely home.
Jesus is like that parent.
He walked into the darkestplace, took the suffering that
we deserved so that he couldlead us back to the Father.
And we treat sin so lightly,but if you just reflect on what
(12:18):
Jesus went through, it'll moveyou.
It should move you.
It should remind you of thegreat love that he has for you
and the great lengths that hewent to to save you.
What will you do with this Jesus, the one who was crucified for
(12:41):
you?
Will you live for him in thelight of what he's done, or will
you go on living your life asif nothing has changed?
The truth is, everything haschanged, and that's the good
news.
We are free.
We're free from sin, free fromcondemnation, free to live in
(13:04):
the grace and love of Jesus, inobedience to him.
We don't have to earn our wayto God.
It's been finished.
We simply need to accept whatJesus has done for us and walk
in that freedom and share thisamazing love with others.
(13:25):
It's not just knowing the story, but it's about living in the
reality of what Christ has done.
You've got to tell the worldabout the one who gave
everything for you, jesus.
(13:47):
Jesus wasn't just a man.
He wasn't just one person amongmany who might have been able
to die for our sins.
Christ by himself alone hadsufficient worth to die in place
of every single person inhistory.
That's why he was the sacrifice.
His blood was powerful enoughto roll backward to cover the
(14:11):
sins of the very first sinner,adam, and forward to cover the
sins of the very last person whowill ever sin.
No other blood could do that.
Think about the sacrificesunder the law of Moses, the
blood of the bulls and the goatsthat had to be shed repeatedly,
year after year, because itcould never truly take away sin.
(14:35):
It only delayed God's judgment.
It was like putting a band-aidon a deep wound that needed
serious surgery.
But when Jesus died.
His blood didn't just coverover a sin for a little while.
His blood removed sin once andfor all.
The price for sin is high.
Sin has to be punished, there'sno way around it.
(14:58):
But the good news is, jesustook the punishment for us.
He was the final, ultimatesacrifice.
Now let me tell you one morestory to bring this home.
Picture a courtroom.
You're sitting in thedefendant's seat, guilty as
charged.
You've broken the law, andthere's no way around it.
(15:19):
You're waiting for the judge tohand down the sentence, which
is a lifetime in prison.
But then, just as the gavel'sabout to drop, someone steps
forward and says I'll take thepunishment for you, and the
judge looks at you and saysyou're free to go, your debt has
been paid.
That's what Jesus did for us.
(15:42):
He stepped in and took thepunishment that we deserved.
He didn't just cover our sinstemporarily, like the old
sacrifices did.
He erased them.
He paid the price in full.
So what do you do with that?
How do you respond to a love sogreat that Jesus gave his life
(16:02):
for you?
It's simple Really Trust him,follow him, which means do what
he said and did.
Trust him and you live ingratitude for what he's done.
Remember this Jesus didn't justdie to give you a better life.
(16:25):
He died to give you new life,abundant life, eternal life.
He took the weight of sin, thepunishment that we deserved, and
he offers us freedom.
The question is will you acceptit?
Will you let Jesus be Lord ofyour life and live in the
(16:47):
freedom that he's already paidfor?
Because Jesus Christ paid it.
All the debt is clear.
The punishment's been taken andthe victory is won.
Now we get to walk in thatfreedom.
We get to live in the light ofhis sacrifice, knowing that
we're loved and forgiven and setfree.
And that, my friends, is thegreatest news you'll ever hear.
(17:09):
So what will you do with thisJesus?
Will you trust him with yourlife?
Will you accept the gift ofgrace and live in the freedom
that he offers?
That's the question that he'sasking you today.
Let's not let this podcast endand that be it.
(17:30):
Let's not just hear this goodnews.
Let's let it transform us, letit transform you, because Jesus
didn't just die for the world.
He died for you and he'scalling you to live in the new
life he's given.
Let this day end with yourheart filled with gratitude and
(17:53):
your life, committed to the onewho gave everything for you, who
gave everything for you.
And now, deep Thoughts withRick Yuhas.
If you ever decide to get intoa wrestling match with God,
(18:15):
remember these two things One,he always wins, and two, we walk
away with a limp.
In a fast-paced world, withnoise and distractions, it can
be hard to find moments of peaceand clarity.
But what if you could startyour day with a moment of wisdom
(18:37):
and reflection, introducingWisdom for the Day, a short
daily podcast dedicated tosharing godly wisdom from the
book of Proverbs.
In just a few minutes each day,you can start your morning with
insights and guidance that willuplift and inspire you.
Imagine in just one year,you'll have learned the entire
(18:57):
book of Proverbs, giving you afoundation of wisdom to carry
with you for a lifetime.
So why not start your day theright way?
Subscribe to Wisdom for the Daynow and begin your journey
towards a life filled with godlywisdom, available at
wisdomforthedayorg and whereveryou get your podcasts.
Wisdom for the Day, because alittle wisdom goes a long way.
(19:26):
I love it when y'all send memessages.
I love it when you askquestions, and I got a good one
the other day from Derek inChicago.
He said how do the Holy Spiritand the Word of God work
together in the new birth?
That is such an important topic.
What a great question.
Let me break it down step bystep in a way that makes sense
(19:48):
and it shows how beautifullyGod's Spirit and His Word
collaborate in transforming us.
First, we have to remember whywe even need to be born again in
the first place.
By nature, we're spirituallydead.
The Bible makes it clear thatall of us, before we come to
faith, are separated from God.
Ephesians 2, verse 5 says Evenwhen we were dead in our
(20:13):
trespasses, god made us alivetogether with Christ.
Being spiritually dead meansthat we don't have the ability
to truly love or follow God onour own.
We can't see the glory andbeauty of Christ for who he
really is.
We're stuck in a state ofresistance to God.
We value the things of thisworld more than him.
(20:36):
Without a new birth, we remainin that state.
We're cut off from the lifethat God offers us.
That's why Jesus says in John 3, 3, that unless someone is born
again, they can't see thekingdom of God.
To be born again is to receivenew spiritual life, to have a
(20:59):
fresh start that transforms usfrom the inside out.
But how does this happen?
This is where the Holy Spiritsteps in.
Jesus describes the work of theHoly Spirit in John, chapter 3,
verses 6 through 8, saying thatthe new birth is the work of
the Spirit.
It's like the wind, movingpowerfully but mysteriously
(21:22):
right.
Just like we don't control thewind, we don't control the Holy
Spirit.
The Spirit is sovereign,meaning he works according to
God's will, not ours.
We don't cause our new birth.
We don't raise ourselves fromspiritual death.
It's a miracle that only theSpirit can bring about, giving
(21:44):
us new life when we had none.
So the first key part of thisprocess is that the Holy Spirit
is the one who awakens our heartto God.
It's a work of grace, and whenwe're born again, the first sign
of this new life is faith.
Imagine a newborn baby's firstcry.
When someone is born again,their first cry is faith in
(22:10):
Jesus.
Suddenly their eyes are openedand they see Jesus for who he
really is beautiful, loving andworthy of their trust.
His heart cries out.
I believe I need him.
He's my savior.
But here's where it gets reallyinteresting.
This faith doesn't just appearout of thin air.
(22:32):
It comes through hearing theword of God.
Romans 10, 17 says faith comesfrom hearing and hearing through
the word of God.
Romans 10, 17 says faith comesfrom hearing and hearing through
the Word of Christ.
The Word of God is the messageof the gospel, the good news of
what Jesus has done for us.
So while the Holy Spirit is theone who brings us to life, he
(22:53):
does it through the means ofGod's Word.
In other words, the Spirit andthe Word work together.
The Holy Spirit doesn't justrandomly make people alive
who've never heard the gospel.
Instead, he uses the gospel,the message of Jesus Christ, to
open people's hearts.
When we hear the Word of Godpreached, the Spirit is at work
(23:16):
in the background, opening oureyes and helping us to
understand and to believe.
Now let's look for an example ofthe story of Lydia in Acts
16.14.
Paul was preaching the gospeland it says the Lord opened her
heart to pay attention to whatwas being said by Paul.
You see both parts here Paulwas sharing the word and God was
(23:41):
working in Lydia's heart toreceive that word.
The Spirit and the word wereworking in harmony to bring her
faith.
So when we talk about the newbirth, we can't separate the
work of the Spirit from the roleof the Word.
The Spirit doesn't move withoutthe Word and the Word doesn't
have its full effect without theSpirit.
(24:02):
It's like these two arepartners in a process of
bringing people from spiritualdeath to life.
It's why, when people arereading the Bible to prove you
wrong because you hear aboutatheists that know the Word,
they know what is written, butthey don't have understanding.
(24:25):
They know what is written butthey don't have understanding.
That's the difference.
You can read words on a pieceof paper, but if you don't
understand the language or thecontext, you have no idea what
it means.
I could get a book on Chineseand eventually learn to recite
the words, but I don't know whatthey mean, right?
(24:46):
What does it mean for you?
Practically, it means that youas believers, or we as believers
, have an important role to playin the whole process.
We can't cause anybody to beborn again.
That's the work of the HolySpirit.
We can faithfully share theWord of God, though right it.
(25:09):
We can faithfully share theWord of God, though right.
We can speak the truth of thegospel, trusting that, as we do
that, the Holy Spirit will workthrough our words to bring
people to faith.
Romans 10.14 says how are theyto believe in him of whom
they've never heard?
And how are they to hearwithout someone preaching?
God has chosen to work throughthe preaching of his word.
This means that we have theprivilege and the responsibility
(25:33):
to share that word with others,knowing that this is through us
, sharing in that spirit, andthat's what brings people to
life.
So, to sum the whole thing up,the Holy Spirit is the one who
gives us new life in the newbirth, and he does this by
working through the Word of God.
The Word brings the message ofChrist and the Spirit opens our
(25:54):
hearts to receive that messageand together they accomplish the
miracle of new birth, giving usfaith and a new life in Christ.
And if you're feeling hesitantabout sharing your faith or
worried that you might not knowenough, remember this it's not
up to us to make people believe.
Our job is to share the word,and God's spirit will do the
(26:17):
rest.
And if you're wondering whetheryou're truly born again, ask
yourself this Do you see Christas beautiful?
Do you trust him as your savior?
If so, that's the work of thespirit in you.
Keep holding on to that faithand continue growing in the word
(26:40):
, trusting that the spirit willguide you every step of the way.
Well, that's all for thisweek's show.
You know the name of this showspeaks my hope for you.
It's taken from the words ofRomans, chapter 12, verse 2.
Do not be conformed to thisworld, but be transformed by the
(27:04):
renewal of your mind that, bytesting, you may discern what is
the will of God, what is goodand acceptable and perfect.
If you enjoyed what you heard,do me a favor, please, and tell
someone you know about it.
Send them a link in a text youknow.
(27:24):
You may even need to downloadit to their phone and show them
what a podcast is.
If it was valuable to you, itwill be to them.
Visit renewedmindsetscom tohear past episodes, read the
blog and check out the new merch.
And, as always, while you'rethere, send me a voicemail by
(27:45):
clicking the button at thebottom right corner of the main
page.
Tell me what you think aboutthis show.
I just might play it on afuture episode.
Until next week, I'm Rick.
I love you.
The intro and outro music forthe Renewed Mindsets podcast is
(28:10):
Are you Ready?
By Floodgate From the album Areyou Ready?
Copyright 2002, offbeatMinistries Incorporated.
Floodgate can be found on AppleMusic and iTunes Music used
with permission.
Coming up on Renewed Mindsets.
Imagine being faced with adecision that changes your life
forever.
Imagine how a death couldchange the lives of a whole
world, how it shattered the gripof sin and how His resurrection
offers freedom and an abundantlife.
If you've ever wondered aboutGod's grace, your purpose or
(00:23):
what it truly means to live free, this message is for you.
Let's grace your purpose orwhat it truly means to live free
, this message is for you.
Let's go, boys.
Hey, welcome to RenewedMindsets, where we study the
basics of the faith through thelens of our middle-aged
experiences.
I'm Rick.
Welcome to the show where Ihelp you, gen Xers and
(00:46):
Millennials, navigatespiritually through a world that
looks nothing like we expectedback, when cars were square and
mullets were totally awesome.
I am so glad you're here.
In Matthew 27, verses 21 and 22,we encounter an important
moment.
The Roman governor, pontiusPilate, asked the crowd which of
(01:09):
the two do you want me torelease to you?
And they replied Barabbas,barabbas.
Then Pilate follows up with aquestion that echoes through
time.
What, then, shall I do withJesus, who is called the Christ?
And the crowd shouts Crucifyhim.
Now, this scene is intense, butit poses a question for us as
(01:34):
well.
What will we do with Jesus?
Pilate faced that choice, andso do we.
Each day, we decide how we'regoing to respond to Jesus.
Will we accept him or, like thecrowd, will we reject him by
choosing our own way over his.
Now, when we talk aboutaccepting him or rejecting him,
(02:00):
we talk about what's actuallycalled crucifying the anointing.
It means choosing our own wayinstead of following the leading
of Jesus in our life.
How many times have we done ourown thing, putting aside what
God asks of us to do?
Sometimes it's as simple aschoosing convenience over
(02:22):
conviction.
Maybe God is nudging you tomake a tough decision or act in
faith, but it's easier to stayin your comfort zone.
It's like hearing God's voicebut responding with eh, not
today.
Think about the small dailydecisions where this plays out.
Have you ever ignored aprompting to forgive someone
(02:43):
because your pride got in theway?
Or maybe you felt called tohelp someone in need, but
busyness in your life became anexcuse.
It's in these moments that wehave to answer Pilate's question
what will you do with Jesustoday?
Thomas Jefferson we all know whohe is.
He's one of the foundingfathers of this country.
(03:09):
He edited the Bible if youdidn't know that.
And he did not like anythingsupernatural.
So when he edited the Bible hecut out all the supernatural
parts.
He just left the moralteachings.
His version of the Bible endswith Jesus being buried.
He leaves out the resurrectionentirely.
(03:29):
Can you imagine that it'stempting for us to follow a safe
version of Jesus that doesn'trequire much from us, where the
focus is on all the niceteachings, the Jesus is love,
right, and avoid all thedifficult calls to sacrifice and
change.
If you're following someonethat says it's all okay, jesus
(03:52):
is all about love, love is love.
Guess what You're wrong?
You're not going to spendeternity with Christ in heaven.
Paul in 1 Corinthians, 15, 17,and 18 says if Christ has not
been raised, then your faith isuseless and you're still guilty
of your sins.
In other words, without thefull power of the gospel the
(04:16):
full gospel including theresurrection there's no real
transformation.
Now look how Jesus prepared forhis crucifixion.
He didn't just rush into itwithout thought.
He spent time in a place calledGethsemane, which means oil
press.
It's a fitting image, becauseolives have to be crushed to
(04:38):
produce oil.
And Jesus was crushed in spiritas he wrestled with his coming
sacrifice.
Was crushed in spirit as hewrestled with his coming
sacrifice.
In Matthew 26, verse 36-39, wesee Jesus go to Gethsemane to
pray.
His prayer was raw and real.
It says my soul is exceedinglysorrowful, even to death.
(05:03):
Stay here and watch with me.
He asked God if there was anyother way, but he also
surrendered, not as I will, butas you will.
Sometimes we approach prayerwanting a quick fix or a feel
good moment.
But real prayer, like Jesus'sprayer at Gethsemane, is about
releasing our deepest emotionsand our fears, and even our
destiny, into God's hands.
(05:25):
It's about full surrender.
Jesus didn't get a way out, buthe got the strength to carry
out God's will.
Philippians, chapter 2, verse 5through 9, encourages us to have
the same mindset as Jesus.
Though he was God, he humbledhimself and he became a servant
(05:47):
and was obedient to the point ofdeath on a cross.
And because of that God exaltedhim above all others.
Think about that for a moment.
Jesus didn't cling to hisrights or his status.
He gave it all up for the sakeof God's mission.
And what does that mean for us?
It means that we too are calledto lay aside our pride and our
(06:12):
comfort and our will to followJesus, even when it's hard.
Now, let's be honest.
Sometimes obedience doesn'tcome easily and we can be a bit
like a child who doesn't want togo to bed.
You know how it is the kidpulls out every trick in the
book I need water, I have to goto the bathroom.
Just one more story, please.
(06:34):
The kid's just hoping to delaythe inevitable.
The funny part about it is thatwe, as parents, know exactly
what's happening, but we just goalong with it, being patient,
knowing that we can guide thechild towards what is best,
which is going to bed.
That's a lot like how God dealswith us.
(06:56):
We might resist, thinking thatwe can delay right.
We think we can delay his plansby making excuses or avoiding
hard steps that he's asking usto take, but God knows what's
best for us and he patientlywaits and he uses love and grace
to gently guide us in the rightdirection.
He doesn't force us, but hekeeps inviting us to trust him.
(07:21):
So what are you going to do withJesus?
So what are you going to dowith Jesus?
What will you do?
Will you keep resisting,holding back from the life that
he's called you to, or are yougoing to take a step of faith,
trusting that his way, even whenit stretches you, leads to
something greater than you canimagine.
It's your choice, but rememberGod's plan is always filled with
(07:47):
love and purpose.
The choice is yours, butremember Jesus is offering you
the greatest reward.
It's not just a crown in heavenor a seat at the banquet table.
It's the joy of walking withhim right now, even through the
tough times.
That's a reward worth running arace for.
(08:08):
Now let's just stop for a momentand think about what Jesus
endured for us.
His crucifixion wasn't a quickevent.
It was excruciatingly slow andpainful, both spiritually and
physically.
When Jesus cried out from thecross "'My God, my God, why have
(08:29):
you forsaken me', it was a cryof deep abandonment.
In that moment he bore theweight of the world's sin and
for the first time heexperienced the separation from
God that sin causes.
Jesus, who had always been onewith the Father, was now bearing
(08:49):
the full wrath of God for oursins.
And when he cried out it isfinished in John 19 30, that's a
victory shout.
Not I am finished, but it isfinished.
God's will up to that point wascompleted.
Jesus accomplished what he cameto do.
(09:11):
He bore our sins and he paidthe price in full and with his
final breath he surrendered hisspirit into his father's hands.
That's Luke 23, 46.
Imagine the scene at that momentof Jesus' death.
Darkness covered the land, theearth trembled and the strong
(09:36):
Roman soldiers were shaking infear.
It wasn't just an ordinarydeath.
Nature itself reacted to thegravity of that event.
This wasn't just a man dying,it was a son of God laying down
his life.
A medical description of thephysical toll that crucifixion
took on Jesus is sickening.
(09:58):
Crucifixion wasn't just aboutdying.
It was about dying very slowly,in the most painful way
possible.
Imagine the agony of hanging bynails, with shooting pain
traveling up through your armsand your back and your feet.
He had to push himself up justto take a breath.
(10:30):
It's chilling.
It was overwhelming.
The suffering that he endureduntil he allowed his body to die
.
It's chilling, isn't it?
It's more than we can fullywrap our minds around.
And we hear all of this in a fewwords in the Bible.
(10:51):
Everything that I just saidright now in the Bible is summed
up in.
And they crucified him.
But behind those words is anunimaginable sacrifice, a
sacrifice that he made for youand for me.
Now think of this.
(11:12):
Jesus endured all of this so wewouldn't have to.
He took the punishment for sinso that we could be forgiven.
He was forsaken so that wecould be accepted.
He died so that we might livehere.
(11:33):
Imagine you were a child, lostin the woods, feeling utterly
abandoned by yourself.
The night grows darker, thefear sinks deeper and just when
you think there's no way out,you see a familiar face, your
parent, who'd been searching foryou the whole time, and they're
(11:57):
there to take you safely home.
Jesus is like that parent.
He walked into the darkestplace, took the suffering that
we deserved so that he couldlead us back to the Father.
And we treat sin so lightly,but if you just reflect on what
(12:18):
Jesus went through, it'll moveyou.
It should move you.
It should remind you of thegreat love that he has for you
and the great lengths that hewent to to save you.
What will you do with this Jesus, the one who was crucified for
(12:41):
you?
Will you live for him in thelight of what he's done, or will
you go on living your life asif nothing has changed?
The truth is, everything haschanged, and that's the good
news.
We are free.
We're free from sin, free fromcondemnation, free to live in
(13:04):
the grace and love of Jesus, inobedience to him.
We don't have to earn our wayto God.
It's been finished.
We simply need to accept whatJesus has done for us and walk
in that freedom and share thisamazing love with others.
(13:25):
It's not just knowing the story, but it's about living in the
reality of what Christ has done.
You've got to tell the worldabout the one who gave
everything for you, jesus.
(13:47):
Jesus wasn't just a man.
He wasn't just one person amongmany who might have been able
to die for our sins.
Christ by himself alone hadsufficient worth to die in place
of every single person inhistory.
That's why he was the sacrifice.
His blood was powerful enoughto roll backward to cover the
(14:11):
sins of the very first sinner,adam, and forward to cover the
sins of the very last person whowill ever sin.
No other blood could do that.
Think about the sacrificesunder the law of Moses, the
blood of the bulls and the goatsthat had to be shed repeatedly,
year after year, because itcould never truly take away sin.
(14:35):
It only delayed God's judgment.
It was like putting a band-aidon a deep wound that needed
serious surgery.
But when Jesus died.
His blood didn't just coverover a sin for a little while.
His blood removed sin once andfor all.
The price for sin is high.
Sin has to be punished, there'sno way around it.
(14:58):
But the good news is, jesustook the punishment for us.
He was the final, ultimatesacrifice.
Now let me tell you one morestory to bring this home.
Picture a courtroom.
You're sitting in thedefendant's seat, guilty as
charged.
You've broken the law, andthere's no way around it.
(15:19):
You're waiting for the judge tohand down the sentence, which
is a lifetime in prison.
But then, just as the gavel'sabout to drop, someone steps
forward and says I'll take thepunishment for you, and the
judge looks at you and saysyou're free to go, your debt has
been paid.
That's what Jesus did for us.
(15:42):
He stepped in and took thepunishment that we deserved.
He didn't just cover our sinstemporarily, like the old
sacrifices did.
He erased them.
He paid the price in full.
So what do you do with that?
How do you respond to a love sogreat that Jesus gave his life
(16:02):
for you?
It's simple Really Trust him,follow him, which means do what
he said and did.
Trust him and you live ingratitude for what he's done.
Remember this Jesus didn't justdie to give you a better life.
(16:25):
He died to give you new life,abundant life, eternal life.
He took the weight of sin, thepunishment that we deserved, and
he offers us freedom.
The question is will you acceptit?
Will you let Jesus be Lord ofyour life and live in the
(16:47):
freedom that he's already paidfor?
Because Jesus Christ paid it.
All the debt is clear.
The punishment's been taken andthe victory is won.
Now we get to walk in thatfreedom.
We get to live in the light ofhis sacrifice, knowing that
we're loved and forgiven and setfree.
And that, my friends, is thegreatest news you'll ever hear.
(17:09):
So what will you do with thisJesus?
Will you trust him with yourlife?
Will you accept the gift ofgrace and live in the freedom
that he offers?
That's the question that he'sasking you today.
Let's not let this podcast endand that be it.
(17:30):
Let's not just hear this goodnews.
Let's let it transform us, letit transform you, because Jesus
didn't just die for the world.
He died for you and he'scalling you to live in the new
life he's given.
Let this day end with yourheart filled with gratitude and
(17:53):
your life, committed to the onewho gave everything for you, who
gave everything for you.
And now, deep Thoughts withRick Yuhas.
If you ever decide to get intoa wrestling match with God,
(18:15):
remember these two things One,he always wins, and two, we walk
away with a limp.
In a fast-paced world, withnoise and distractions, it can
be hard to find moments of peaceand clarity.
But what if you could startyour day with a moment of wisdom
(18:37):
and reflection, introducingWisdom for the Day, a short
daily podcast dedicated tosharing godly wisdom from the
book of Proverbs.
In just a few minutes each day,you can start your morning with
insights and guidance that willuplift and inspire you.
Imagine in just one year,you'll have learned the entire
(18:57):
book of Proverbs, giving you afoundation of wisdom to carry
with you for a lifetime.
So why not start your day theright way?
Subscribe to Wisdom for the Daynow and begin your journey
towards a life filled with godlywisdom, available at
wisdomforthedayorg and whereveryou get your podcasts.
Wisdom for the Day, because alittle wisdom goes a long way.
(19:26):
I love it when y'all send memessages.
I love it when you askquestions, and I got a good one
the other day from Derek inChicago.
He said how do the Holy Spiritand the Word of God work
together in the new birth?
That is such an important topic.
What a great question.
Let me break it down step bystep in a way that makes sense
(19:48):
and it shows how beautifullyGod's Spirit and His Word
collaborate in transforming us.
First, we have to remember whywe even need to be born again in
the first place.
By nature, we're spirituallydead.
The Bible makes it clear thatall of us, before we come to
faith, are separated from God.
Ephesians 2, verse 5 says Evenwhen we were dead in our
(20:13):
trespasses, god made us alivetogether with Christ.
Being spiritually dead meansthat we don't have the ability
to truly love or follow God onour own.
We can't see the glory andbeauty of Christ for who he
really is.
We're stuck in a state ofresistance to God.
We value the things of thisworld more than him.
(20:36):
Without a new birth, we remainin that state.
We're cut off from the lifethat God offers us.
That's why Jesus says in John 3, 3, that unless someone is born
again, they can't see thekingdom of God.
To be born again is to receivenew spiritual life, to have a
(20:59):
fresh start that transforms usfrom the inside out.
But how does this happen?
This is where the Holy Spiritsteps in.
Jesus describes the work of theHoly Spirit in John, chapter 3,
verses 6 through 8, saying thatthe new birth is the work of
the Spirit.
It's like the wind, movingpowerfully but mysteriously
(21:22):
right.
Just like we don't control thewind, we don't control the Holy
Spirit.
The Spirit is sovereign,meaning he works according to
God's will, not ours.
We don't cause our new birth.
We don't raise ourselves fromspiritual death.
It's a miracle that only theSpirit can bring about, giving
(21:44):
us new life when we had none.
So the first key part of thisprocess is that the Holy Spirit
is the one who awakens our heartto God.
It's a work of grace, and whenwe're born again, the first sign
of this new life is faith.
Imagine a newborn baby's firstcry.
When someone is born again,their first cry is faith in
(22:10):
Jesus.
Suddenly their eyes are openedand they see Jesus for who he
really is beautiful, loving andworthy of their trust.
His heart cries out.
I believe I need him.
He's my savior.
But here's where it gets reallyinteresting.
This faith doesn't just appearout of thin air.
(22:32):
It comes through hearing theword of God.
Romans 10, 17 says faith comesfrom hearing and hearing through
the word of God.
Romans 10, 17 says faith comesfrom hearing and hearing through
the Word of Christ.
The Word of God is the messageof the gospel, the good news of
what Jesus has done for us.
So while the Holy Spirit is theone who brings us to life, he
(22:53):
does it through the means ofGod's Word.
In other words, the Spirit andthe Word work together.
The Holy Spirit doesn't justrandomly make people alive
who've never heard the gospel.
Instead, he uses the gospel,the message of Jesus Christ, to
open people's hearts.
When we hear the Word of Godpreached, the Spirit is at work
(23:16):
in the background, opening oureyes and helping us to
understand and to believe.
Now let's look for an example ofthe story of Lydia in Acts
16.14.
Paul was preaching the gospeland it says the Lord opened her
heart to pay attention to whatwas being said by Paul.
You see both parts here Paulwas sharing the word and God was
(23:41):
working in Lydia's heart toreceive that word.
The Spirit and the word wereworking in harmony to bring her
faith.
So when we talk about the newbirth, we can't separate the
work of the Spirit from the roleof the Word.
The Spirit doesn't move withoutthe Word and the Word doesn't
have its full effect without theSpirit.
(24:02):
It's like these two arepartners in a process of
bringing people from spiritualdeath to life.
It's why, when people arereading the Bible to prove you
wrong because you hear aboutatheists that know the Word,
they know what is written, butthey don't have understanding.
(24:25):
They know what is written butthey don't have understanding.
That's the difference.
You can read words on a pieceof paper, but if you don't
understand the language or thecontext, you have no idea what
it means.
I could get a book on Chineseand eventually learn to recite
the words, but I don't know whatthey mean, right?
(24:46):
What does it mean for you?
Practically, it means that youas believers, or we as believers
, have an important role to playin the whole process.
We can't cause anybody to beborn again.
That's the work of the HolySpirit.
We can faithfully share theWord of God, though right it.
(25:09):
We can faithfully share theWord of God, though right.
We can speak the truth of thegospel, trusting that, as we do
that, the Holy Spirit will workthrough our words to bring
people to faith.
Romans 10.14 says how are theyto believe in him of whom
they've never heard?
And how are they to hearwithout someone preaching?
God has chosen to work throughthe preaching of his word.
This means that we have theprivilege and the responsibility
(25:33):
to share that word with others,knowing that this is through us
, sharing in that spirit, andthat's what brings people to
life.
So, to sum the whole thing up,the Holy Spirit is the one who
gives us new life in the newbirth, and he does this by
working through the Word of God.
The Word brings the message ofChrist and the Spirit opens our
(25:54):
hearts to receive that messageand together they accomplish the
miracle of new birth, giving usfaith and a new life in Christ.
And if you're feeling hesitantabout sharing your faith or
worried that you might not knowenough, remember this it's not
up to us to make people believe.
Our job is to share the word,and God's spirit will do the
(26:17):
rest.
And if you're wondering whetheryou're truly born again, ask
yourself this Do you see Christas beautiful?
Do you trust him as your savior?
If so, that's the work of thespirit in you.
Keep holding on to that faithand continue growing in the word
(26:40):
, trusting that the spirit willguide you every step of the way.
Well, that's all for thisweek's show.
You know the name of this showspeaks my hope for you.
It's taken from the words ofRomans, chapter 12, verse 2.
Do not be conformed to thisworld, but be transformed by the
(27:04):
renewal of your mind that, bytesting, you may discern what is
the will of God, what is goodand acceptable and perfect.
If you enjoyed what you heard,do me a favor, please, and tell
someone you know about it.
Send them a link in a text youknow.
(27:24):
You may even need to downloadit to their phone and show them
what a podcast is.
If it was valuable to you, itwill be to them.
Visit renewedmindsetscom tohear past episodes, read the
blog and check out the new merch.
And, as always, while you'rethere, send me a voicemail by
(27:45):
clicking the button at thebottom right corner of the main
page.
Tell me what you think aboutthis show.
I just might play it on afuture episode.
Until next week, I'm Rick.
I love you.
The intro and outro music forthe Renewed Mindsets podcast is
(28:10):
Are you Ready?
By Floodgate From the album Areyou Ready?
Copyright 2002, offbeatMinistries Incorporated.
Floodgate can be found on AppleMusic and iTunes Music used
with permission.
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