Hot Sauce Faith Living Boldly and Gracefully

Do you struggle with balancing passionate faith and gracious interactions? In this soul-stirring exploration, we examine what happens when boldness and gentleness walk hand-in-hand through life's complex terrain.

Think about your favorite hot sauce - vital for enhancing flavor but devastating when overused. Our faith operates similarly. When we pour on intensity without wisdom, we risk burning bridges rather than building them. Yet a flavorless, compromised belief fails to honor the truth we're called to uphold. The perfect balance exists in being "salt of the earth" – bold but measured, flavorful not forceful, compelling not compromising.

Through powerful stories from both Scripture and pop culture, we discover how Jesus embodied being "full of grace and truth" simultaneously. We explore how Sam Wilson's Captain America speech demonstrates standing firm on principles while maintaining respect, how Kubo's response to hatred shows that gentleness isn't weakness but a different kind of strength, and how real-life figures like Timothy Keller and Jackie Hill Perry navigated controversial topics with both theological clarity and profound compassion.

The most powerful moments come from everyday examples – the teacher who corrects with dignity, the friend who speaks truth without shame, and the quiet acts of faithfulness that transform lives without fanfare. Whether you lean toward bold proclamations or gentle interactions, you'll find practical wisdom for integrating these seemingly opposite virtues.

By the episode's end, you'll understand that we don't have to choose between conviction and compassion. Jesus never did. And when we follow His example – speaking truth wrapped in love – we offer the world something it desperately needs: faith with flavor, a witness that stands strong without crushing spirits, and a presence that reflects the heart of God in a divided world. Ready to live with both courage and kindness? Your journey begins here.

I would love to hear from you!

Support the show

For listeners looking to deepen their engagement with the topics discussed, visit our website or check out our devotionals and poetry on Amazon, with all proceeds supporting The New York School of The Bible at Calvary Baptist Church. Stay connected and enriched on your spiritual path with us!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 (00:00):
Hey there and welcome to the Compass Chronicles
podcast.
I'm your host, javier, and itmeans a lot that you've decided
to spend some time with me today, whether you're driving,
relaxing at home or just lookingfor something meaningful to
dive into.
Thanks for being here.
This podcast is where faith,fandom and real life come
together.
We talk about how the storieswe love whether for movies,
comics or music can actuallyreflect deeper truths from
scripture and shape how we liveevery day.

(00:21):
Each episode is a mix of honestconversation, thoughtful Bible
insight and those epic momentsfrom pop culture that somehow
shine a light on God's biggerstory.
It's all about learning how towalk with courage, love deeply
and stay grounded in grace.
So grab your favorite drink,get comfortable and let's
journey together through storiesthat inspire and challenge us.
Whether you're feeling lost,fired up or somewhere in between
, there's something here for you.

(00:41):
Let's step into this momentwith open hearts, ready to
explore what it really means tolive with purpose, passion and
faith that shows up in everypart of life.
Let's take a moment to praybefore we dive in.
Father, thank you for thisspace, this time and this
listener on the other side ofthe mic.
In a world full of noise.
Help us to find your stillsmall voice.
Teach us to embrace the quietkind of faith that doesn't need
to shout to be strong.
Open our hearts to hear whatyou're saying today and help us

(01:04):
walk away with peace, purposeand a deeper trust in you.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Let's begin with something weall know well.
We are talking about food.
Think about your favorite hotsauce.
Maybe it's sriracha, maybe it'sa classic bottle of Tabasco, or
maybe you're a fan of thatextra spicy Caribbean scotch
bonnet that makes your eyeswater just looking at it.
Now imagine putting that hotsauce on every single dish you
eat Breakfast cereal hot sauce,ice cream, hot sauce.

(01:27):
Eventually it stops tastinggood.
It overwhelms everything else.
The heat becomes the wholestory and the rest of the meal
gets lost.
That is the kind of image Iwant you to keep in your mind as
we dive into today's episode,because, when it comes to our
faith, some of us are pouring onthe heat with such intensity
that we're burning people out,including ourselves, and others
are afraid to use any flavor atall, thinking it's safer to stay
bland.
But Jesus did not call us toeither extreme.

(01:49):
He called us to be the salt ofthe earth, which means bold but
balanced, flavorful, notforceful, compelling not
compromising.
I want to start by bringing usinto a moment from the animated
film Big Hero 6.
The main character, hiro Hamada, is a young robotics genius who
experiences profound loss earlyin the story.
He's brilliant, passionate anddriven, but when grief hits him,
his passion turns intorecklessness.
He builds something dangerousout of pain, and it takes the

(02:11):
calm, caring influence of hisinflatable healthcare companion,
baymax, to help him channelthat fire into something
redemptive.
What makes Hiro powerful is notjust his intelligence or
creativity, but how he learns tobalance that passion with
compassion.
He still has fire, but now it'saimed toward healing, not
destruction.
In many ways, hero's journey isour journey.
We have moments when our faithis fueled by passion, by that
hot sauce, energy that wants tochange the world, speak truth

(02:33):
loudly and never back down.
But if that fire is nottempered by grace and guided by
love, we risk becoming what theApostle Paul warned about in 1
Corinthians 13, verse 1, wherehe says If I speak in the
tongues of men and of angels buthave not love, I am a noisy
gong or a clanging cymbal.
Let that sink in.
A clanging cymbal, just noise.
We might have conviction, wemight have the right words, we

(02:53):
might even win arguments, but iflove is missing, all people
hear is the crash of metalagainst metal.
Not harmony, not beauty, justnoise.
And that is where we set thestage for this conversation
learning how to live a life offaith that is bold like hot
sauce, but seasoned with grace,where our zeal does not
overpower our relationships andour convictions do not drown out
compassion.
To take it even deeper, let'slook at a foundational scripture

(03:14):
that helps us understand howfaith grows, with both flavor
and balance.
In 1 Peter 1, verse 6 throughverse 7, peter writes In this
you rejoice, though now, for alittle while, if necessary, you
have been gr.
Peter is not speaking about acomfortable, safe, predictable

(03:35):
faith.
He's describing a tested faith,a fiery faith, a faith that has
been through something.
But notice that the outcome ofthat testing is not bitterness
or burnout.
It's praise, glory, honor.
That is the flavor we arelooking for, not the spice of
self-righteousness or emptyshouting, but the deep warmth of
a seasoned life that has walkedthrough hardship and still
gives glory to god.
Let's bring this to a real lifemoment.

(03:55):
Picture a small town bakeryowned by a woman named lorraine.
She's in her 60s and she's beenbaking bread for most of her
life.
After her husband passed away,she kept the business running as
a way to stay connected to hercommunity.
During the pandemic, whencustomers couldn't come into the
store, she started giving awayloaves of bread on their
doorsteps.
No fanfare, no Instagram posts,just quiet, faithful giving.
A local reporter caught wind ofit and ran a story and suddenly

(04:17):
people were calling Lorraine ahero.
But when asked why she did it,lorraine simply said people were
hungry.
I have bread.
That's it.
That's a faith with flavor.
It did not need a platform orapplause.
It was tested by fire, grief,loneliness, uncertainty, but it
still produced goodness.
Lorraine's life is like Peter'swords made tangible.
Her kindness was not loud, butit was powerful.
That is the kind of hot saucefaith we are talking about today

(04:38):
.
Now let's pivot to anotherpiece of pop culture that might
seem unexpected but hits homeperfectly In the animated series
Kipo and the Age ofWonderbeasts.
Kipo is a teenage girlnavigating a post-apocalyptic
world filled with mutatedanimals and strange alliances.
What sets her apart is not herstrength or her ability to fight
, but her relentless kindness.
While others seek power orrevenge, kipo chooses to listen.
She chooses diplomacy.

(04:59):
She's bold in her optimism andit confuses the people around
her.
They don't understand howsomeone can be that hopeful in a
broken world.
But over time her kindnesschanges people.
Former enemies become allies,old rivalries give way to peace.
And in the final moments of theseries, it's not Kipo's ability
to fight that saves the world,it's her ability to forgive.
Think about that for a second.
We live in a culture thatcelebrates snark and quick

(05:20):
comebacks.
We clap for people who clapback.
But Kipo's story reminds usthat real strength sometimes
looks like patience, likeholding space for reconciliation
, like not watering down who youare but also not setting fire
to everyone around you.
That is what Jesus did over andover again.
He flipped tables when justicedemanded it, yes, but he also
knelt down to wash feet.
He spoke with authority, but healso wept at the tomb of his

(05:41):
friend.
He challenged religioushypocrisy, but he welcomed the
outcast.
His was a life of holy contrastfire and compassion, justice
and mercy.
As we move through this episode,we're going to unpack what it
means to live that way, to bepeople who do not back down from
what we believe, but who alsorefuse to forget that love is
the loudest testimony we canoffer.
It means showing up in ourschools, our workplaces, our
social media feeds and ourdinner tables with a faith that

(06:02):
is vibrant, courageous anddeeply human.
If we get this right, we becomethe kind of people who make
others curious about Jesus.
Not because we are always theloudest, but because we are the
most consistent.
Not because we have all theanswers, but because we are
willing to walk with peoplethrough their questions.
Not because we are perfect, butbecause we are honest about the
refining work God is doing inus For what it means to live a
bold and graceful faith.

(06:23):
In the upcoming section, we'lldive deeper into how scripture
shapes this way of life.
We'll explore additional Biblepassages, tie them to stories
that bring them to life and laya theological groundwork for
living a faith that's both boldand full of grace.
But for now, take a breath.
Maybe think about your own hotsauce moments, those times when
you went all in on faith andmaybe it got messy, or maybe you
stayed silent when you shouldhave spoken.
Either way, you are not alone.

(06:43):
God is not done with you.
In fact, he is just gettingstarted If we are going to talk
about a bold and graceful faith,one that has flavor, without
burning others out.
We need to go deeper than goodintentions.
We need roots, solid roots, andthe way we sink our roots deep
is through theology.
Not the kind of theology thatonly lives in seminary libraries
or academic papers, but thekind that breathes into our

(07:09):
lives, shaping the way we speak,the way we forgive, the way we
stand and the way we love.
What we believe about God willshape how we carry ourselves in
the world.
One of the clearest places tobegin is in the life of Jesus
himself.
The gospels do not give us atimid savior who played it safe,
nor do they give us a recklessfigure who alienated everyone
around him.
Instead, we see boldnesswrapped in love, truth delivered
through kindness, courage lacedwith compassion.
Let's go to the Gospel of John.
In John, chapter 1, verse 14,it says and the Word became
flesh and dwelt among us, and wehave seen His glory as of the

(07:31):
only Son from the Father, fullof grace and truth.
That final phrase full of graceand truth is key.
Jesus was not half grace andhalf truth.
He did not compromise one touphold the other.
He embodied both fully all thetime.
That is our motto.
Truth without grace can becomebrutal.
Grace without truth can becomeempty, but together that is
transformative.
Now this balance shows up inone of the most interesting

(07:51):
interactions in the Gospels.
In John, chapter 8, jesus isteaching at the temple when the
Pharisees bring a woman caughtin adultery and throw her in
front of him.
They want him to pronouncejudgment, hoping to trap him.
But instead of immediatelyresponding, jesus stoops down
and writes in the dust.
After a moment of silence, hesays let him, who is without sin
among you, be the first tothrow a stone at her.
One by one, the crowd disperses.
Jesus then looks at the womanand says woman, where are they?

(08:13):
Has no one condemned you?
She replies no one, lord.
And Jesus says neither do Icondemn you.
Go and from now on, sin no more.
This moment is full of tension.
Jesus does not excuse thewoman's sin, but he also does
not crush her under the weightof shame.
He offers grace withoutpretending sin does not matter.
He offers truth withoutforgetting that people are not
projects, they are souls.
That is what it means to livefull of grace and truth.

(08:34):
Now let's connect this tosomething you might not expect
in an episode from the seriesTed Lasso.
This show follows an Americanfootball coach who gets hired to
lead an English soccer teamdespite knowing almost nothing
about the sport.
Sounds like a recipe fordisaster, and in many ways it is
.
But what makes Ted Lasso standout is not his coaching
techniques.
It is his relentless kindness,his refusal to return insult for
insult, his strange blend ofoptimism and emotional depth.

(08:56):
He brings people together notby being the most knowledgeable
but by being the most present.
There is one moment inparticular where Ted confronts a
player who has been sabotagingthe team out of jealousy.
Rather than explode orembarrass him, ted invites the
player to dinner.
During that meal he shares partof his own story.
It is not a lecture, it is aconversation, and slowly the
player begins to break.
The walls, come down, changebegins.

(09:17):
That moment feels familiarbecause it mirrors how Jesus
often met people where they were, not with force but with
presence, not by demandingperfection, but by calling
people into wholeness.
We can be both bold and loving.
We can speak truth, but we donot have to throw stones.
In fact, we are specificallycalled not to.
Let's look again at Paul'steaching in Colossians.
In Colossians, chapter 4, verse6, it says Let your speech

(09:37):
always be gracious, seasonedwith salt, so that you may know
how you ought to answer eachperson.
That image season with saltconnects perfectly to what we
have been talking about.
Salt adds flavor, it preserves,it heals, but too much salt
ruins a dish.
The same is true with our wordsA hot sauce.
Faith is flavorful, yes, but itmust also be thoughtful.
Our boldness must be seasoned,not scorched.
One of the most compellingreal-life examples of boldness

(09:59):
wrapped in grace is the late DrTimothy Keller, the founding
pastor of Redeemer PresbyterianChurch in New York City.
If you have ever listened tohis sermons or read his books,
you know that Keller was notsomeone who chased the spotlight
or tried to impress with louddeclarations.
Instead, he modeled a kind offaith that was both
intellectually rich and deeplycompassionate, a rare balance in
today's culture.
Keller preached to a city knownfor its skepticism.
New York is a place where boldopinions fly fast and

(10:21):
Christianity is often viewedwith suspicion.
Yet is a place where boldopinions fly fast and
Christianity is often viewedwith suspicion.
Yet Keller never watered downthe gospel to make it more
palatable.
At the same time, he never usedhis platform to condemn or
shame people.
His messages were thoughtful,often addressing real
philosophical and emotionaldoubts, but they were always
filled with empathy and humility.
One particular example of thiswas how he handled questions
around faith and sexuality,often a polarizing and sensitive

(10:41):
topic In interviews and publicforums.
Keller never backed away fromScripture's teachings, but he
always framed his responsesaround the love and mercy of
Jesus.
He reminded listeners thatChristianity is not about moral
superiority.
It is about grace for sinners,all sinners.
That posture won him therespect of believers and
skeptics alike.
In a conversation withjournalist Nicholas Kristof of
the New York Times, keller wasasked whether someone could

(11:02):
truly be a Christian while stillquestioning certain parts of
the Bible.
Instead of dismissing thequestion, keller answered it
with both theological clarityand pastoral warmth.
He acknowledged the wrestling,pointed to the trustworthiness
of scripture and gentlyencouraged the questioner to
keep seeking Christ.
That is, colossians, chapter 4,verse 6, lived out in public.
Let your speech always begracious season with Saul, so
that you may know how you oughtto answer each person.

(11:22):
Keller's approach was not timid.
It was rooted, it was firm, butit was also tender.
He had a way of making you feelchallenged and comforted in the
same breath, and it was notbecause he had all the answers.
It was because he lived deeplyin the presence of Jesus.
You could hear it in how hespoke.
You could feel it in how heanswered hard questions without
arrogance or avoidance.
Even in his final years, as hebattled pancreatic cancer,

(11:42):
keller remained an example ofthis kind of faith in motion.
He continued to write, to speakand to pray for others.
He spoke openly about hissuffering but always circled
back to hope.
Not a vague optimism, but asolid confidence in the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That is what grace-filledboldness looks like.
Not grand gestures, nottheological posturing, Just a

(12:02):
steady, faithful witness thatholds truth in one hand and
mercy in the other.
That kind of witness takes timeto build.
It is not about perfection.
It is about being aligned withthe heart of Christ, and
Keller's life stands as atestimony to what it looks like
when someone leaves that out dayafter day.
In Philippians, chapter 2, verse3 through verse 5, paul writes
do nothing from selfish ambitionor conceit, but in humility,
count others more significantthan yourselves.
Let each of you look not onlyto his own interests but also to

(12:32):
the interests of others.
So when we think about livingout a faith that stands strong
and moves with tenderness, weare not just talking about a
personality trait.
We are talking about beingshaped into the likeness of
Christ.
That is the goal, not winningarguments, not shouting the
loudest, but becoming more likeJesus.
Now I know what some of youmight be thinking.
You might be wondering but whatif speaking gently makes people
think I do not really believewhat I say?

(12:53):
Or what if I lose respect bynot standing my ground
forcefully?
Those are real questions and wewill unpack them more in the
next section.
But for now, remember thisJesus never rushed, he never
scrambled to prove himself.
He stood in truth, but he alsoknelt in service and the world
noticed.
They still do.
Let's carry that picture withus as we keep moving forward.
Let's talk about somethingthat's probably crossed all our
minds at one point or anotherwhat if I am too much?

(13:16):
What if my boldness for Godcomes off as overbearing and,
instead of drawing people in, itdrives them away?
On the other side of thatquestion, maybe you have
wondered what if I am too quiet?
What if my grace looks likecompromise and I am not standing
up for what I believe?
These questions live right atthe heart of this episode.
They are the tension betweencourage and kindness, between
truth and tact, and, if we arehonest, we have all wrestled
with that tension.

(13:36):
Some of us grew up in churchenvironments that emphasize
boldness above all else.
Speak the truth, say it loud,stand firm, and those are good
things.
But sometimes truth wasdelivered without love, without
nuance and without listening.
That kind of boldness can feellike a wrecking ball.
Others of us were raised inspaces that emphasize kindness
and grace be patient, be gentle,build bridges and again, those
are good things.

(13:57):
But sometimes grace becamesilence and silence became
avoidance, and avoidance led toa watered-down faith that never
risked anything real.
So here is the big question howdo we tell the difference
between courage and callousness,between grace and avoidance,
between truth that sets free andtruth that wounds?
This is where the Bible bringsclarity.
In 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse24 through verse 26, paul writes
and the Lord's servant must notbe quarrelsome but kind to

(14:19):
everyone, able to teachpatiently, enduring evil,
correcting his opponents withgentleness, god may perhaps
grant them repentance.
Notice those words Notquarrelsome, kind, able to teach
, patient, gentle.
Paul is not telling Timothy toshrink back from truth.
He is telling him to carry thattruth with a heart that is not

(14:40):
looking for a fight, but forfreedom.
That is what sets Christiantruth telling apart.
We are not here to winarguments, we are here to win
hearts, and that changeseverything.
Another real-life example thatspeaks powerfully to the balance
of boldness and grace is thestory of Jackie Hill Perry.
Jackie is a writer, poet andspeaker whose testimony has
impacted thousands.
What makes her story socompelling is not just her
transformation, but the way herjourney was shaped by people who

(15:02):
chose to walk with her insteadof preach at her.
Before coming to faith inChrist, jackie identified as gay
and was living openly in thatlifestyle.
She had heard Christians talkabout sin before, but most of
what she heard sounded more likecondemnation than compassion.
It was easy to tune out voicesthat felt more like attacks than
invitations, but somethingshifted when she began reading
the Bible for herself.
She talks about how, in thoseearly days, it was not a loud,

(15:23):
aggressive sermon that changedher heart.
It was the quiet, persistenttruth of Scripture, and it was
the way certain Christiansaround her chose to live that
truth with humility and love.
They did not treat her like aproject.
They treated her like a personmade in the image of God.
That grace left space for theHoly Spirit to do what no
argument could.
In her book Gay Girl, good God,jackie tells the story of how
she wrestled with identity,faith and what it meant to

(15:44):
follow Jesus.
She describes the tension ofknowing the truth and not yet
wanting to surrender to it, andhow the kindness of God,
expressed through his people,eventually won her heart.
That is the grace we aretalking about Not soft or
passive, but steady, faithfulloving.
That is the kind of boldnessthat carries real power.
There is one moment she sharesthat stands out.
After she gave her life toChrist and started walking in

(16:04):
obedience, she began to tell herstory publicly.
Not everyone welcomed it.
Some Christians praised her,but others questioned her
sincerity.
Meanwhile, people from her pastaccused her of betrayal.
She stood in the middle of allthat tension, not with anger or
self-defense, but with clarityand compassion.
She once said in an interview Iknow what it is like to be
treated like an issue instead ofa soul, that to be treated like
an issue instead of a soul.
That is why I speak with grace,because I remember who I was

(16:25):
before Christ met me.
That posture echoes Colossians,chapter 4, verse 6.
Let your speech always begracious, seasoned with salt, so
that you may know how you oughtto answer each person.
Jackie does not shy away fromhard truths, but she also
refuses to weaponize them.
Her voice is firm but not harsh.
Her message is clear but notcold.
That is the kind of witnessthat draws people in instead of
pushing them away.
Jackie's story reminds us thatwe do not have to choose between

(16:47):
conviction and compassion.
Jesus never did.
He sat with sinners, healed thebroken and still spoke the
truth plainly.
And when we live like that,when we are willing to show up
with both courage and kindness,people notice.
They may not agree right away,but they will remember how they
were treated, and sometimes thatmemory becomes the doorway to
transformation.
This is exactly why the ApostlePaul wrote to Timothy in 2
Timothy, chapter 2, verses 24through 25.

(17:08):
And the Lord's servant must notbe quarrelsome but kind to
everyone, able to teachpatiently, enduring evil,
correcting his opponents withgentleness.
God may perhaps grant themrepentance leading to a
knowledge of the truth.
Notice how correction is noterased, but it is shaped by
gentleness.
That is the difference.
Truth still stands, but itstands with a steady hand, not a
clenched fist.
This is why we must bethoughtful about how we live and

(17:28):
speak.
It is not just about havinggood theology.
It is about having the heart ofJesus'.
Truth and grace, boldness andkindness side by side.
That is what changes people.
That is what brings the gospelto life.
Now let's pivot to a fandomreference that gets this balance
exactly right Sam Wilson in theFalcon and the Winter Soldier.
In the Marvel CinematicUniverse, sam becomes the new
Captain America, but he does notwear the shield the way Steve

(17:49):
Rogers did.
He brings something new to therole, something incredibly
relevant to what we are talkingabout today.
There is a scene toward the endof the series where Sam speaks
directly to world leaders whoare on the verge of making
policy decisions that woulddisplace thousands of people.
Instead of yelling, hechallenges them with dignity.
He says you have the power tochange the world, so do not let
fear be your guide.
He speaks truth.
He does not shy away from whatis right, but he also does not

(18:11):
dehumanize, he does not mock.
He appeals to the better angelsof their nature, and that scene
became one of the most sharedclips of the entire series.
Why?
Because it reminded people thatyou can stand firm and still be
respectful.
You can challenge systemswithout crushing souls.
Sam Wilson models what it lookslike to carry the shield with
conviction and compassion, andthat is our calling too.
In 1 Peter, chapter 3, verse 15.

(18:32):
Through verse 16, it says butin your hearts, honor Christ the
Lord as holy, always beingprepared to make a defense to
anyone who asks you for a reason, for the hope that is in you.
Yet do it with gentleness andrespect, having a good
conscience, so that when you areslandered, those who revile
your good behavior in Christ maythat verse holds both boldness
and grace.
In tension, be ready to give ananswer.
That is boldness.
Do it with gentleness andrespect.
That is grace.

(18:52):
Put them together and you get awitness that is both strong and
beautiful.
This also speaks to the way wehandle disagreements within the
church.
Let's face it sometimesChristians can be the hardest
people to talk to, especiallywhen we disagree on theology or
practice.
We can become defensive, evencombative.
But the goal of faith is not tocreate echo chambers.
It is to grow in unity, eventhrough tension.
I remember a small group meetingwhere two people got into a

(19:14):
disagreement about worshipstyles.
One preferred modern songs withdrums and electric guitars.
The other wanted hymns andquiet reverence, preferred
modern songs with drums andelectric guitars.
The other wanted hymns andquiet reverence.
It started off as a simplecomment but quickly turned into
frustration.
But instead of letting itspiral, the group leader stepped
in and said something I willnever forget.
She said maybe God is bigenough to be honored through
both.
That moment shifted the energyin the room, because it was not
about winning, it was aboutunderstanding.

(19:35):
It was not about defendingpreferences, but about
celebrating diversity withinunity.
That is hot sauce faith Knowingwhen to turn up the flavor and
when to let someone else bringtheir own.
There is one more passage I wantto bring in here, and it is
from the Old Testament, inProverbs, chapter 15, verse 1.
It says a soft answer turnsaway wrath, but a harsh word
stirs up anger.
That does not mean we shouldalways speak softly.
It means our words should bewise, timely and thoughtful.

(19:57):
Just like a skilled chef knowshow much spice to add, we must
learn how to bring truth in waysthat actually build bridges
instead of burning them.
Think about the character ofUncle Iroh in Avatar, the Last
Airbender.
He is not the loudest person inthe room, but when he speaks
people listen.
He mentors his nephew Zuko, notby shouting but by living.
He invites him to drink tea toreflect, to consider the
consequences of his choices.
He tells him hard truths, butwith warmth, and in the end,

(20:20):
zuko's transformation is notfueled by shame, it is fueled by
the love of someone who refusedto give up on him.
That is the kind of influencewe are called to have, bold
enough to speak truth, gentleenough to speak it with love.
And you know what?
That kind of faith is rare.
It is not flashy, it is notalways rewarded in the moment,
but it is powerful.
It can change people, it canrestore trust, it can open doors

(20:41):
that anger keeps locked.
So if you are listening todayand wondering whether your truth
telling is helpful or harmful,ask yourself these questions.
Does it make space for theother person to respond?
Does it point to healing, notjust to being right?
Does it reflect the tone ofJesus, not just the truth of
Jesus?
Because the truth is not justwhat we say, it is how we say it
.
And when truth and grace walkhand in hand, that is when
people see the heart of God.

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We will keep digging into thisidea in the next section, where
we talk about how to live thisout in everyday situations, at
work, at school, at home, evenonline, because this kind of
faith is not meant to stay insermons or podcasts.
It is meant to shape the way welive.
Let's take everything we havebeen exploring so far and walk
it into your Monday morning,because a bold and grace-filled
faith is not just something wecarry into the sanctuary on
Sunday.
It is something we live in thecarpool lane, in the office, in

(21:23):
coffee shops, in our textmessages and on the bus ride
home.
Living it out begins with smalldecisions.
Faith is not always a grandgesture.
Sometimes it is choosing not tofire back in anger, sometimes
it is choosing to show up whenit would be easier to stay
invisible, and sometimes it isdaring to speak when silence
would be more comfortable.
One story that beautifullyillustrates Steady, values-based
leadership without compromisinggrace comes from Erin Grewal,

(21:45):
the real-life teacher behind theFreedom Riders movement.
Erin taught at a high school inLong Beach, california, during
the mid-1990s, a place withsignificant racial tensions,
gang violence and low graduationrates.
She was a young teacher in adeeply divided classroom where
students carried more pain thanmost adults knew how to handle.
What made Erin's approachpowerful was that she never came

(22:05):
into the classroom swingingwith rules and punishments.
She also did not try to win herstudents with flashy speeches
or shallow affirmations.
Instead, she met them wherethey were, respectfully,
consistently and with firmcompassion.
She handed each student ajournal and invited them to
write their own story.
That simple act became thefoundation for trust.
One day, when a student made adeeply inappropriate drawing
mocking another student'sbackground, erin did not explode
in anger.
She used the moment to teach ahistory lesson on propaganda

(22:26):
during the Holocaust, connectingthe present offense to a larger
moral truth.
The result Her students werenot just reprimanded, they were
challenged to think and, moreimportantly, they were invited
to grow.
That is what boldness withgrace looks like.
It does not mean avoiding hardmoments.
It means stepping into themwith patience and moral clarity.
Over time, that class ofso-called unreachable students
graduated.
Many went on to college, someof the first in their family to

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do so, and their journals becamethe book the Freedom Writer's
Diary, later adapted into a film.
Erin grew well, lived out hervalues without preaching.
She corrected without shaming,and the lives of her students
changed because of it.
This kind of grace-filledconviction matters just as much
in workplace environments as itdoes in the classroom.
Think of someone like Dr FrancisCollins, former director of the
National Institutes of Health.
He is a committed Christian andone of the most respected

(23:09):
scientists of our time.
Throughout his career,especially during the COVID-19
pandemic, he found himself atthe intersection of science,
politics and faith.
In interviews and publicconversations, collins never
compromised his scientificintegrity, but he also never hid
his belief in Jesus Christ.
In fact, he often used grace ashis guiding principle in tense
professional settings.
When conversations got heated,he would respond with calm,
respectful insight, nevermocking, never defensive.

(23:31):
He brought truth into difficultconversations without letting
the tone slip into arrogance orcondescension.
He once said faith and scienceare both expressions of human
longing for truth.
That posture allowed him tostay credible with secular
colleagues while alsoencouraging fellow believers to
hold on to both conviction andkindness.
This is what it means to liveout Colossians, chapter 4, verse
6, in real time.
Let your speech always begracious, seasoned with salt, so

(23:52):
that you may know how you oughtto answer each person Not loud,
not self-righteous, but steady,firm, compassionate.
And it is not easy.
Whether in a classroom full ofhurting teenagers or a boardroom
full of conflicting opinions,holding that line takes prayer,
discernment and a deep trust inthe Holy Spirit.
But when we do, somethingpowerful happens.
People listen, they notice thedifference and sometimes, even

(24:13):
if they do not share our faith,they see the fruit of it.
Now let's connect this to acomic book character who
mastered this kind of quiet,consistent witness Clark Kent,
not Superman Clark.
We all know about Superman'sincredible powers, his bold
rescues, his ability to leaptall buildings in a single bound
, but what makes him trulycompelling is not the cape, it
is the way he lives when no oneis watching.
Clark Kent chooses to be kindwhen he could be arrogant.

(24:34):
He listens when he coulddominate.
He works in a newsroom not forattention but because he cares
about truth.
He holds back his power not outof weakness but out of wisdom,
and his small everyday choicesare what build trust with the
people around him.
You might never fly or stop atrain with your bare hands, but
every day you have theopportunity to live your faith
in a way that points people tosomething greater.
Bold faith does not always looklike a sermon.
Sometimes it looks like stayinglate to help a co-worker finish

(24:56):
their shift, or refusing tocheat on a timecard, or being
honest when nobody would havenoticed otherwise.
Let's look at Romans, chapter12, verse 9 through verse 10.
Paul writes Let love be genuine.
Abhor what is evil.
Hold fast to what is good.
Love one another with brotherlyaffection.
Abdu one another in showinghonor.
That is a to-do list for bold,grace-filled living.
Let your love be real.
Hate evil.

(25:17):
Cling to good.
Show honor, not once a year,not when people are watching
every day.
Now think about how this playsout in your family.
Maybe you have a relative whochallenges your faith, rolls
their eyes when you talk aboutchurch or throw subtle digs your
way during holidays.
A bold faith says I'm not goingto hide what I believe.
A grace-filled faith says I'mgoing to keep loving you even
when you do not get it.
Living that balance meansshowing up to the table without

(25:39):
trying to win a debate.
It means being being yourselffully, freely and gently.
There is power in presence, inbeing the one in the family who
listens well, who forgivesquickly, who shows up for
birthdays and milestones not outof obligation but out of love.
And when the hard moments comeand trust me they will you will
have credibility.
People will remember how youmade them feel.
That is where conversationsabout faith often begin not in

(26:00):
the heat of a debate, but in thequiet trust that builds over
time.
In Galatians, chapter 6, verse9, it says and let us not grow
weary of doing good, for in dueseason we will reap if we do not
give up.
That is a word for the onelistening right now who has been
trying to live out their faithat work or at school or in their
marriage, and feels likenothing is changing.
Keep going, keep loving, keepshowing up.
The harvest may not come inyour timeline, but it is coming.

(26:21):
God sees what no one else sees.
There is a real life examplethat always sticks with me, not
because it is flashy, butbecause it is faithful.
Albert Lexi was not a CEO or apastor.
He was a shoe shiner.
For over 30 years he workedoutside the Children's Hospital
of Pittsburgh shining shoes fora few dollars at a time.
But what made Albert's storypowerful was not just his work.
It was what he did with what heearned.
Albert donated every single tiphe ever received over $200,000

(26:44):
to the hospital's free care fund, which helps families who
cannot afford their children'smedical expenses.
Think about that.
Day in and day out for decades,albert showed up with his little
shoeshine box and gaveeverything he had to help others
.
He was never loud about hisfaith, but his life radiated it.
He walked with humility,generosity and quiet consistency
.
People who worked at thehospital remembered him not just
for his generosity but for hisjoy.

(27:05):
He remembered names.
He asked about people'sfamilies.
He treated everyone withdignity, from nurses to surgeons
to visitors.
One doctor said Albert remindedus what kindness looks like in
action.
That is what bold andgrace-filled faith looks like in
the real world.
It is not always about standingbehind a microphone or quoting
scripture on social media.
Sometimes it shows up in simplefaithfulness, in showing up, in

(27:25):
giving, in remembering names,in doing the small things with
great love.
Albert never asked forrecognition.
He did not set out to create amovement, but his witness
created ripple effectsthroughout an entire hospital
community, and that is whatLiving Colossians, chapter 4,
verse 6, can do.
Let your speech always begracious, seasoned with salt, so
that you may know how you oughtto answer each person.
He lived his values withoutpreaching them.

(27:45):
He led by example, not by powerbut by presence, and eventually
the world noticed when hepassed away.
National news outlets told hisstory, not because he was famous
, but because he was faithful.
That is the kind of witnessthat turns hearts.
That is what it looks like tobring flavor to a bland world,
not by being flashy, but bybeing real.
And that is what we are calledto.
Whether we are shining shoes,managing teams or mentoring

(28:06):
students, we all have theopportunity to reflect Jesus,
not just with our words, butwith our whole lives.
Now let's be clear this is noteasy.
You will have days when gracefeels like weakness and boldness
feels like risk.
But God is with you in everyawkward conversation, every
quiet decision, every bold standthat no one claps for.
He is forming something in youthat cannot be faked a life that
tastes like salt, not sugar, afaith that burns warm, not wild.

(28:27):
Living it out also meansknowing when to rest, because a
faith that is always on firewithout any fuel eventually
burns out.
So take care of your soul.
Spend time with God instillness, breathe Laugh, take a
walk without multitasking.
Breathe Laugh, take a walkwithout multitasking.
Bold faith is not allowed allthe time.
Sometimes it is silent andstrong, like the roots of a tree
beneath the surface.
In the next section, we aregoing to highlight a specific

(28:47):
fandom story that captures thisidea even more deeply, one that
shows how character development,even in fictional worlds, can
remind us of the realtransformation God is doing in
us.
But for now, remember this youdo not have to be famous to be
faithful.
You do not have to have aplatform to have purpose.
Your life, in all its ordinaryrhythms, is holy ground.
There is a powerful moment inthe Star Wars universe,
specifically in the seriescalled Andor, which takes place

(29:09):
before the events of the filmRogue One.
In the later episodes we meet acharacter named Kino Loy.
He is played by Andy Serkis,the same actor known for
bringing Gollum to life in theLord of the Rings films.
In this story, kino is not awarrior or a rebel.
Not at first.
He is a prisoner inside a harshand tightly controlled imperial
labor facility.
His only concern is survival.
He keeps his head down, hefollows orders, he tries to

(29:29):
finish his shifts withoutgetting into trouble, but
something shifts.
Over time, kino starts to seewhat is really happening.
He realizes the Empire has nointention of ever releasing the
prisoners, no matter how wellthey behave.
The system is designed to breakpeople, not rehabilitate them.
And that realization forcesKino to make a decision.
There is a moment when Kinostands up and speaks to the
other prisoners.
His voice trembles at first.

(29:49):
He does not see himself as aleader, but when the time comes
to act he rises to the occasion.
He steps into the spotlight,not because he wants to, but
because staying silent is nolonger an option.
What makes that sceneunforgettable is not just the
action.
It is the transformation.
Kino goes from passive to bold,from self-preserving to
sacrificial, and the entireprison uprising hinges on his
decision to speak.
That moment with Kino Loy inthe Andor series reminds me so

(30:11):
much of what happened withEsther in the Old Testament.
Esther was a young woman whofound herself in a position of
influence not by ambition but bycircumstance.
She was living in the PersianEmpire as a Jew, but no one in
the palace knew her background.
She had favor with the king,she had comfort and safety and
for a time, like Kino, she kepther head down.
But then the truth came tolight.
A plot was in motion to wipeout her people, and silence was

(30:32):
no longer an option.
Her cousin Mordecai sends her amessage that cuts to the core
In the book of Esther, chapter 4, verse 14,.
He says If you keep silent atthis time, relief and
deliverance will rise for theJews from another place, but you
and your father's house willperish.
And who knows whether you havenot come to the kingdom for such
a time as this.
That moment is Esther's turningpoint.
She could have stayedcomfortable, she could have
protected herself, but insteadshe risks everything.

(30:54):
She walks into the king's courtuninvited a move that could
have cost her life and shespeaks, she uses her voice, she
steps into the fire, not knowinghow it will end.
Only that it is right.
Kino's moment in Andor echoesthat same kind of courage.
He does not know what willhappen when he raises his voice.
He is not sure what comes next,but he knows that to remain
quiet in the face of evil is nolonger faithful.
And, like Esther, he findsstrength.

(31:14):
He did not know he had.
Both stories remind us thatboldness is often born in
unlikely people and it usuallycomes at a cost.
But when that courage is rootedin something greater than
ourselves, it can changeeverything.
Esther saves her people.
Kino sparks a prison uprisingand in both cases the act of
speaking becomes an act ofdeliverance.
Sometimes God calls us to speakup, not because we are ready,
but because someone needs hopeand we happen to be standing in

(31:35):
the gap.
Esther had no military training, kino had no rebellion in his
blood, but both became catalystsfor freedom.
So the next time you feel smallor unqualified to speak truth
in love, remember that history,both biblical and fictional, is
full of people who changed thestory by simply stepping forward
when it mattered most.
That same courage, that samesteady grace is something we see
in the life of Vivian Mabuni.
She is a speaker, author andcancer survivor who has been

(31:57):
faithfully leading in Christianministry for decades.
Vivian has often shared how shedid not grow up seeing Asian
American women represented inleadership roles within the
church.
She could have let that silencedefine her.
Instead, she chose to be bothfaithful and vocal, speaking up
with boldness, but alwaysanchored in humility and love.
In her book Open Hands WillingHeart, vivian talks about
surrendering her life to Christ,not just once, but daily.
That kind of faith does notscream, it does not need a

(32:19):
spotlight.
It leads by example.
Whether she is mentoring youngwomen, teaching at conferences
or sharing about her cancerjourney, vivian embodies what it
means to be grounded inscripture while still connecting
with real people.
What stands out most is how shetalks about boldness not as a
personality trait, but asobedience.
She once said in an interviewobedience often looks like small
steps, but when we take thosesteps, grace meets us there.

(32:39):
That is Colossians, chapter 4,verse 6, in motion.
Let your speech always begracious, seasoned with salt, so
that you may know how you oughtto answer each person.
Whether on a prison floor inAndor or a conference stage with
Vivian Mabuni, the message isthe same.
Courage does not need to beloud, grace does not mean
passive, and when the two cometogether they change atmospheres
.
We do not have to force ourfaith to be noticed.
We just have to live it withconsistency, because boldness

(33:02):
with grace leaves a mark and itopens hearts.
Let's go to Ephesians, chapter4, verse 32.
Be kind to one another,tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christforgave you.
That is what the villagers inKubo's story did for the moon
king.
That is what Reggie did for astudent who felt like a shadow.
That is what God invites us todo every single day.
Kino started out looking out forhimself.
His goal was to survive andstay out of trouble, but

(33:23):
something shifted in him when herealized that staying silent
meant allowing others to staytrapped in injustice.
In that moment, kindness lookedlike sacrifice.
It meant using his voice tohelp others find their freedom.
He chose to be tenderhearted ina place designed to strip
people of their humanity.
And then there was Esther.
She could have remained in herposition of safety and privilege
, but and then there is Esther.
She could have remained in herposition of safety and privilege
, but when her people were indanger, she stepped in.

(33:44):
She made herself vulnerable.
She approached the king withouta guarantee of favor.
Why?
Because love and justice calledher to do so.
She showed compassion not justby feeling something, but by
doing something.
Both Kino and Esther chose apath that reflected the heart of
Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 32.
They responded to injustice notwith rage or retreat, but with
courage wrapped in grace.
And that is exactly what Godinvites us into every single day
to forgive as we have beenforgiven, to act with kindness

(34:05):
when the world expectsindifference, and to step up
with a tender heart when itwould be easier to look away.
And that is what spiritualtransformation is like.
Real faith is not safe orsterile.
It is raw and real.
It invites us to confront ourdeepest wounds with the
confidence that we are not alone.
Just like Kubo has ancestorswho guide and protect him, we
are surrounded by a cloud ofwitnesses, those who have gone
before us cheering us on.
That is from Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 1, which says Therefore,

(34:28):
since we are surrounded by sogreat a cloud of witnesses, let
us also lay aside every weightand sin which clings so closely
and let us run with endurancethe race that is set before us.
You are not running this alone.
Your story is not unfolding inisolation, and every choice you
make to forgive, to speak truth,to stand firm or to extend
mercy is part of a larger divinenarrative.
So, whether you are in a seasonof building or breaking, of

(34:48):
healing or hoping, let Kubo'sstory remind you that gentleness
is not a lack of strength.
It is a different kind ofstrength, one that echoes the
heart of Jesus himself InMatthew 5, verse 5,.
Jesus says Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth.
That is not about weakness.
Meekness in the biblical senseis power under control.
It is the ability to fight, butthe willingness to love instead
.
That is what we see in Kubo,that is what we saw in Clark

(35:10):
Kent and that is what God isforming in us.
So the next time you wonder ifyour gentle voice matters in a
loud world, remember this story.
Remember that your shamisen,whatever it is, whether music,
art, words or presence, can bean instrument of grace, and
grace always leaves a mark evenif the world does not clap for
it.
Next, we will tie all of thistogether in a section that
recaps the key truths and helpsyou hold on to what matters most
as we move toward the close ofthis episode.

(35:31):
By now, we have walked througha vibrant journey.
We have talked about what itmeans to live with conviction
and compassion.
We have seen how scripturecalls us to both truth and
tenderness.
We have explored fandom storiesthat echo spiritual truths and
we have rooted everything inreal-life examples that feel
just like the world we live in.
But let us not rush this moment.
Let us pause, reflect and askthe deeper question what do I
carry forward from this?

(35:52):
Let us return to the foundationof it all.
2.
And what do I carry forwardfrom this?
Let us return to the foundationof it all.
2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 24through verse 26 reminds us and
the Lord's servant must not bequarrelsome but kind to everyone
, able to teach patiently and,during evil.
Correcting his opponents withgentleness, god may perhaps
grant them repentance leading toa knowledge of the truth, and
they may come to their sensesand escape from the snare of the
devil, after being captured byhim to do his will.
This scripture passage is notjust instruction, it is identity

(36:14):
.
It defines who we are called tobe Kind, patient, gentle,
truthful.
It tells us that our witness isnot about domination, it is
about invitation.
God may grant them repentance.
That is not ours to control.
Ours is to reflect Christ'sheart faithfully.
We also sat with 1 Peter,chapter 3, verse 15 through
verse 16.
But in your hearts, honorChrist, the Lord as holy, always
being prepared to make adefense to anyone who asks you

(36:36):
for a reason, for the hope thatis in you.
Yet do it with gentleness andrespect, having a good
conscience, so that when you areslandered, those who revile
your good behavior in Christ maybe put to shame.
Notice again the rhythm.
Honor Christ, be ready to speak, but do it with gentleness.
The world will see boldness.
The world will also watch ourtone, our posture and our
presence, and when those thingsalign, when boldness is rooted
in grace, it disarms cynicism,it catches people off guard in

(36:57):
the best way.
Let us not forget Proverbs,chapter 15, verse 1, which says
A soft answer turns away wrath,but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Think back to that break roomconversation or that family
gathering.
A soft answer does not mean aweak one, it means a wise one, a
word spoken with restraint,with prayer and with purpose.

(37:19):
We also held on to Galatians,chapter 6, verse 9.
And let us not grow weary ofdoing good, for in due season we
will reap if we do not give up.
That verse is a lifeline forthose walking the long road.
When grace feels unnoticed,when faith feels tiring, when
standing firm seems to yield nofruit, keep going.
The seed is in the ground.
God is faithful to bring theharvest.
And Hebrews, chapter 12, verse1, lifted our eyes beyond the
moment.
Therefore, since we aresurrounded by so great a cloud
of witnesses, let us also layaside every weight and sin which

(37:42):
clings so closely and let usrun with endurance the race that
is set before us.
You are not alone, you are notforgotten.
Your story is part of somethingeternal.
Then we turn to Matthew,chapter 5, verse 5, where Jesus
says Blessed are the meek, forthey shall inherit the earth.
That says blessed are the meek,for they shall inherit the
earth.
That promise is so easy tooverlook in a culture that
rewards volume, speed and flash.
But God values something deeper.
The inheritance of the meek isnot land or fame, it is peace,

(38:02):
it is legacy, it is joy.
Now let us revisit the coremetaphor from earlier, the idea
of hot sauce faith.
What we have been building thisentire time is not about being
fiery for the sake of it.
It is about flavor thatenhances, not overwhelms.
It is about flavor thatenhances, not overwhelms.
It is about heat that warms,not burns.
It is about standing for whatmatters, while never forgetting
who we are representing.
Hot sauce faith lives in peoplelike Vanessa, who speaks life

(38:22):
over students In Jerome.
Who mops floors with grace andends up shaping a company
culture In Reggie.
Who sees art as ministry, inyou, as you face your world with
open hands, strong convictionsand a heart full of hope.
And let us not overlook thepower of storytelling.
Remember Kubo and the TwoStrings, a film that showed us
how gentleness can be strongerthan vengeance, how remembrance
can restore identity, howstories heal, soften and invite

(38:43):
transformation.
Kubo Shamerson becomes morethan an instrument.
It becomes his voice, itbecomes his fight song, and
maybe that is what your faithcan become, to something
beautiful and bold andunmistakably true.
You might never lead arevolution, but you can speak
life to someone who is ready togive up.
You can tell a better storywith your words, your choices,
your silence and your grace.
One of the biggest takeawaysfrom this episode is that we are

(39:04):
not forced to choose betweenboldness and grace.
We are invited to integratethem.
That is the image of Christfull of truth, full of mercy,
strong enough to flip tables,gentle enough to weep beside
grieving friends.
In your daily life, thisintegration will take shape in
different ways.
You might be bold in aboardroom conversation where
ethics are being compromised.
You might be gracious in agroup chat when someone vents in
anger.

(39:24):
You might stand for truth onyour social media, but respond
to critics with calm and love.
Every context is an opportunity.
Every moment is a canvas.
You are not expected to get itperfect.
There will be days when yourwords fall short, when you speak
too soon or not soon enough,when grace feels hard and
boldness feels risky, but thatis part of the journey.
Growth comes through tension.
God refines us not in comfort,but in obedience, so take this

(39:46):
as a reminder.
You are not too much, you arenot too quiet, you are not
invisible.
Your faith has a voice, your,your faith has a voice, your
grace has weight, your life haspurpose.
Let me close this section with aquote from someone not often
mentioned in everyday Christianconversations Howard Thurman, a
theologian, philosopher andmentor to many leaders during
the civil rights movement.
He once said Do not ask whatthe world needs.
Ask what makes you come aliveand go do it, because what the

(40:10):
world needs is people who havecome alive.
That kind of alivenessspiritually, emotionally and
missionally is what a weary andfearful world is desperate to
see.
It is not about being loud forthe sake of noise.
It is not about forcing our wayinto every conversation.
It is about living with suchdeep love and conviction that
our presence becomes a light,not a spotlight that draws
attention to us, but a steadylamp that helps others find
their footing.
Thurman's words echo what theApostle Paul wrote again and

(40:31):
again Faith is not passive, itis not timid, but it is never
cruel either.
Real courage, the kind thatchanges lives, is always rooted
in love, and that kind ofcourage is what the church is
called to walk in, not tooverpower the world, but to
serve it, to heal it, to inviteit into something better.
That is the kind of believeryou are becoming, not one who
fights for applause, but one wholives with integrity.
Not one who hides to avoidoffense, but one who speaks with

(40:53):
wisdom, a follower of Jesus whotastes like salt, who burns
with grace, who carries bothcourage and compassion in every
step.
Let us take a deep breathtogether.
This walk of faith is not asprint.
It is not even a marathon.
It is more like a lifelong roadtrip, with winding paths,
unexpected turns and a guide whonever leaves your side.
Grace is not a destination wearrive at when we finally get
things right.
Grace is the fuel that keeps usmoving when we feel like giving

(41:15):
up.
There is a moment in everybeliever's life when we realize
that being bold is not justabout speaking up.
It is about continuing on.
It is about keeping your heartopen when it would be easier to
shut down.
It is about walking with yourhead high even after you have
stumbled.
And the only way we do thatwell is when grace becomes our
constant companion.
Let us go back to one of themost comforting and clarifying
verses in scripture Lamentations, chapter 3, verse 22 through

(41:36):
verse 23 says the steadfast loveof the Lord never ceases.
His mercies never come to anend.
They are new every morning.
Great is your faithfulness.
That is a verse we often hearduring difficult times, and
rightly so.
But have you ever let thatverse settle into your routine,
your rhythm, your real life?
His mercies are new everymorning.
That means on the days when youwake up weary and unsure, grace
is already waiting for you.
It means when you say the wrongthing or miss the moment to act

(41:57):
boldly, grace does not tallyyour failure.
It meets you with open handsand says let us try again.
And grace is not only what wereceive, it is what we give.
The more we understand thatGod's love is steady and new
every day, the more we canreflect that steadiness to
others.
Think about your daily walk.
Maybe you are a parent,balancing school drop-offs, work
deadlines and late-nightworries.
Or maybe you are a collegestudent trying to navigate faith

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in an environment where belieffeels like a foreign language.
Maybe you are in between jobsor starting over after a divorce
or caring for a loved one whois sick.
Wherever you are, grace ismoving in you.
One of the most powerfulexamples of this kind of motion
can be found in the story ofJoseph in the Old Testament.
His life was a swirl ofinjustice and delay, sold by his
brothers, falsely accused,forgotten in prison.
And yet, at every turn, josephremained faithful not perfect,

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not passive faithful.
And when the moment finallycame to confront the very people
who betrayed him, joseph didnot choose revenge, he chose
grace.
In Genesis, chapter 50, verse20, joseph says to his brothers
as for you, you meant evilagainst me, but God meant it for
good.
To bring it about that manypeople should be kept alive as
they are today.
That is grace in motion, notjust words, not just a theory,
but a living, breathing choice,to trust that God is working in

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the slow spaces, in theinjustice, in the waiting, in
the quiet.
And that is where many of usfind ourselves, not on stages,
not in spotlights, but in quietacts of obedience, small choices
, hidden faithfulness.
And that is where God loves tomeet us.
There's a scene in the animatedseries Steven Universe that
reflects this kind of quietstrength.
In the episode titled Lion 3Straight to Video, steven finds

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a video message from his latemother.
It is simple, it is heartfelt,it is full of love.
She does not give himinstructions or predictions.
She just offers words ofaffection, blessing and
encouragement.
That is what grace often feelslike.
It is not always about the bigshowy moments.
Sometimes it is just someonereminding you that you are loved
and you belong.
And in a world where everyoneis shouting to be seen, grace is
often found in the quiet voicethat tells you you are enough

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because God is with you.
Let us bring this into focuswith Romans, chapter 5, verse 1
through verse 5.
Therefore, since we have beenjustified by faith, we have
peace with God through our LordJesus Christ.
Through Him, we have alsoobtained access by faith into
this grace in which we stand andwe rejoice in hope of the glory
of God.
Not only that, but we rejoicein our sufferings, knowing that
suffering produces endurance,and endurance produces character
, and character produces hope.

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And hope does not put us toshame, because God's love has
been poured into our heartsthrough the Holy Spirit who has
been given to us.
That passage is a masterclassin how.

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Let me share a real life storyof a woman named Lorraine.
She runs a small food pantryout of her church basement in
South Carolina.
Every Thursday she opens thedoors to anyone who walks in.
No ID checks, no judgment, nopreaching, just groceries,
conversation and presents.
One day a man came in for thethird time that month.
He was disheveled, anxious andclearly struggling.
Lorraine handed him the samebag she gives everyone, but this
time she added something extra,a simple handwritten note.

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It said you matter, god seesyou.
Come back next week.
The man cried right there inthe hallway, not because of the
food, because someone saw himand said something kind.
That is grace in motion.
That is what it looks like whenfaith is not just spoken but
lived.
We often underestimate the powerof small acts A kind reply, a
patient response, a faithfulpresence.
These are not filler moments.

(45:20):
They are the building blocks ofa bold and gentle witness.
If you are walking through aslow season, take heart.
You are not behind, you arebeing formed.
If you are facing opposition,take courage.
You are not alone, you arebeing strengthened.
And if you are weary, rest inthis truth Grace is not running
out on you, it is running towardyou.
Here is a final word fromPhilippians, chapter 1, verse 6.
And I am sure of this that hewho began a good work in you

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will bring it to completion atthe day of Jesus Christ.
God does not start what he willnot finish.
He is not in a hurry.
He is invested in every part ofyour journey the highs, the
lows, the waiting, the wondering.
All of it is part of the storyhe is writing in you.
So take the next step, howeversmall, speak the truth with love
, offer kindness, even when itcosts, and when you fail which
we all do receive the mercy thatis new every morning and begin

(46:04):
again.
We are almost at the end of thisepisode.
In our final section, we aregoing to bring everything full
circle.
We will go back to our openingimagery, weave in the key
takeaways and leave you with achallenge to carry this forward.
Let us go back to the tablewhere we started this journey
that quiet moment in your mindwhen you imagine sitting down
with a friend, maybe over coffee, maybe over a late night snack,
just talking about life, faithand all the mess and beauty in

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between.
That is where we began and itis also where we end, not with
fireworks, but with an echo, asteady, holy reverberation that
reminds us we are part ofsomething bigger.
We open today's episode with animage of living faith, like a
hot sauce Not to burn, not tooverpower, but to enhance, to
awaken, to bring out the beautyof what already exists.
Just as a good sauce bringslife to a meal, your faith, when
lived with boldness and grace,brings life to your world.

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Not by shouting louder but byshowing up, not by forcing
change, but by being changeyourself and letting that change
ripple outward.
Remember the story of Kubostanding with his shamisen in
hand, facing a force that wantedto erase his memory, his
identity, his humanity.
He did not respond with a sword, he responded with a story.
That is the kind of couragethat lasts.
It is the kind of strength thatdoes not rely on volume or

(47:07):
bravado.
It relies on love, on purpose,on truth.
Remember Reggie and the studentwho found healing through
drawing.
That is real life, that is thegospel in motion Not standing
behind a pulpit, notbroadcasting from a stage, but
handing someone a pencil, makingroom for them to speak and
staying long enough to listen.

(47:29):
You might be wondering what thisall means for you.
Maybe you do not feel bold,maybe grace feels like something
for other people, people whoare more polished, more peaceful
, more confident.
But, friend, that is the beautyof grace it meets you where you
are.
It does not wait for you tolevel up.
It steps into your world andwhispers.
Let us walk this together.
And boldness does not alwayslook like what we think.
Sometimes boldness is saying nowhen everyone says yes.
Sometimes boldness is restingwhen culture demands hustle.
Sometimes it is speaking truthto someone you love, knowing it

(47:51):
might sting but doing it anyway,because love tells the truth
and grace, grace is what softensthat truth.
It is what gives your yes andyou know their weight.
Grace reminds you that yourvalue is not in what you produce
or how many people clap for youor how flawless your spiritual
track record looks.
Your value is in who made you,who called you, who walks with
you.
That means your voice matters,your story matters, your faith

(48:11):
journey full of hills andvalleys and everything in
between matters.
You do not need to be louder,you just need to be faithful.
You do not need to be famous,you just need to be present.
So here is what I want toencourage you to do next.
Just one thing, one bold step.
Maybe that step is sending anencouraging message to someone
who has been on your heart.
Maybe it is starting aconversation about faith with a
friend.
Maybe it is forgiving someonewho will never apologize.

(48:33):
Maybe it is finally beginningthe project God put on your
heart.
Even if you feel underqualified, do not wait until you feel
ready.
Boldness is not the absence offear.
It is moving forward with fearin hand, knowing that grace
walks beside you.
This is not about performance.
It is not about being the mostfiery, the most outspoken or the
most knowledgeable.
It is about being real, beingrooted, being available.

(48:53):
If this episode stirredsomething in you, I want to
invite you to share it, notbecause I want numbers, but
because I believe someone inyour circle needs to hear it.
Someone is wondering if theycan have both truth and love.
Someone is questioning if theycan be passionate without being
pushy.
Someone needs to know thattheir quiet faith still carries
weight.
So send this episode to afriend, mention it in a
conversation.
Let it be a spark, not just aresource.

(49:13):
Let it be a reminder thatboldness and grace are not
opposites.
They are partners.
And as you go into the rest ofyour week, remember this you are
not alone, you are not withoutdirection, you are not
overlooked.
You are part of somethingsacred, something strong,
something lasting.
You are part of a kingdom wheremeekness inherits the earth,
where mercy triumphs overjudgment, where the least become
the greatest.
You are the salt of the earth.

(49:34):
You are the light of the world.
You are a city on a hill.
You do not need to dim yourflame.
You just need to make sure itburns with love.
So be bold, be gracious, bereal.
Live the kind of faith thattastes like something.
Live the kind of faith thatstays with people long after you
leave the room.
Live the kind of faith thatbrings Jesus into focus, not
just through your words, butthrough your way.
This is your time.
Let your faith burn bright, letit burn steady and let it burn

(49:57):
with grace.
Before we close out today'sconversation, I want to speak to
those of you who might feellike you're stuck between who
you were and who you're meant tobe.
Maybe life has been heavy,maybe your faith has felt
distant, maybe you've beensearching for something real,
something steady, something true.
Here's the good news you're notalone and you're not too far

(50:19):
gone.
Jesus meets us exactly where weare and he walks with us from
there.
Whether you've never said yesto him or you've wandered and
want to come back, this momentis for you.
You don't need fancy words.
You don't need to fix yourselffirst.
You just need to open yourheart.
Jesus, I believe you are the sonof God.
I believe you died on the crossfor my sins and rose again so I
could have new life.
I turn from my old ways and askyou to be the Lord of my life.
Forgive me, heal me, lead me.
I give you my heart and Ichoose to follow you from this
day forward In your name Jesus,amen.
If you prayed that prayer,welcome to the family of God.

(50:39):
There's so much joy in heavenright now and a brand new
chapter in your story is justbeginning.
For free resources to help yougrow in your faith, visit
thecrosserscollectiveorg.
And if you'd like to connect,share your story or ask a
question, email us anytime atthecrossroadsodd at gmailcom.
If this episode resonated withyou, please share it with a
friend who needs to hear thatbold faith and gentle grace go
hand in hand.
And don't miss our upcomingepisodes.

(51:00):
Subscribe to the CompassChronicles podcast on your
favorite platform to stayinspired by faith, fandom and
life.
Until our next journey, keepyour roots deep in scripture,
your heart open and humble, andyour faith and fandom vibrant
and bold.
This is Javier signing offuntil the next episode of the
Compass Chronicles, faith,fandom and Life Podcast?

(51:21):
May grace and peace be with you.