June 9, 2025 • 35 mins
Have you ever sensed that something vital is missing from our modern lives? Not chaos or obvious evil, but a subtle hollowing-out where the weight of right and wrong has been replaced by a kind of moral numbness. This episode of Compass Chronicles explores what C.S. Lewis prophetically called "men without chests" – people with brilliant minds and strong appetites, but lacking the heart where virtue resides.
We're living in a world that celebrates speed over compassion, entertainment over growth, and emotional gratification over being shaped by truth. The result? A dangerous imbalance where cleverness without compassion leads to manipulation, passion without principle creates chaos, and knowledge without virtue produces apathy. Through examples from Lord of the Rings, Fruits Basket, Big Hero 6, and other stories from fandom, we examine how this hollowing happens and what it means for our spiritual lives.
But this isn't just cultural criticism – it's an invitation to restoration. Drawing from Scripture and the example of Christ, we unpack how virtue is formed not through information alone but through worship, service, suffering, community, and beauty. We explore how slowing down in a rushed world, embracing sacred rhythms, and training our affections toward what is good can rebuild what's been lost. As we navigate life in a distracted age, we discover that the heart isn't educated by logic alone, but through longing that's shaped by the Spirit.
This episode calls you to something deeper than surface-level faith – to become someone whose heart burns with something real because you've been with Jesus. Whether you're feeling spiritually numb or simply longing for more substance in your walk with Christ, join us as we learn together how to rebuild virtue in a distracted world. Your journey toward a heart fully alive in Christ begins with a single step.
I would love to hear from you!
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!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 0 (00:00):
Hey there and welcome to the Compass Chronicles
podcast.
I'm your host, javier, and Ijust want to say how genuinely
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I'm really glad you pressedplay today.
This is the space where faithmeets fandom and where everyday
moments collide with eternaltruth.
Each episode, we dig intomeaningful stories, open up the
(00:21):
word of God and unpack thosegems from pop culture whether
it's movies, comics, anime,music or beyond that point us
towards something deeper andmore sacred.
So go ahead and grab yourfavorite drink, maybe something
to snack on, and settle in for abit, because here at the
Compass Chronicles, we're allabout sparking something in your
heart and stirring your soul.
Together, we're learning towalk in bold faith and deep
compassion, to live with courage, love like Jesus and stay
(00:42):
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And hey, if today's episodehits home for you, don't let it
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Pass it along to a friend, aloved one or someone who might
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(01:02):
Hit that subscribe button soyou never miss a moment of truth
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We'd love to hear from you,pray with you and help you find
a community that walks alongsideyou as your heart is rebuilt in
Christ.
Now let's dive in.
Today we're unpacking aquestion that feels more
important than ever.
(01:23):
What happened to virtue In aculture that often prioritizes
comfort, convenience andcynicism?
How do we stay rooted in what'sright?
How do we keep our moralcompass steady when truth feels
flexible and goodness getswritten off as old-fashioned?
And maybe the real heart of itis this how do we rebuild that
inner core where our valuesdon't just sit on a shelf but
actually shape how we live,where we don't just believe in
what's good, we love it and liveit out every day?
(01:43):
There's something quietly offabout the way modern life feels,
not always loud or chaotic, butmore like a nagging sense that
something important is missing.
It's not that people are moreevil than they used to be.
It's that many have stoppedfeeling the weight of right and
wrong altogether.
There's a kind of numbnessthat's crept in.
We live in a world thatcelebrates speed over compassion
, entertainment over growth andchasing feelings over being
shaped by truth, and that shiftis subtle but deeply shaping us.
(02:06):
When CS Lewis spoke of menwithout chests, he wasn't just
describing a loss of masculinity, he was addressing the
fragmentation of the human being.
The head is where logic andreason live.
The belly is where appetite anddesire dwell, but the heart is
the bridge, it's where trainedaffections reside.
The heart is the seat of virtue.
It's where you don't just knowsomething is right, you feel it
in your bones and choose it withyour life.
Lewis warned that moderneducation and culture were
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producing people withintellectual knowledge and
physical passion, but withoutmoral conviction.
And the danger of thatimbalance is that cleverness
without compassion leads tomanipulation, passion without
principle leads to chaos andknowledge without virtue leads
to apathy.
You know those people who canrattle off Bible verses, win
every theological debate ordominate a political discussion,
but seem to miss the mark onkindness, humility or
self-control.
(02:48):
It's not that they don't knowthe truth, they just haven't let
it shape their hearts.
The gospel isn't meant to stayup in our heads.
It's meant to change our wholeself's heart, soul and strength.
A great example of this kind ofhollowing out shows up in the
Lord of the Rings, throughSaruman.
He begins as someone full ofwisdom and purpose, a leader
meant to protect what's good,but somewhere along the way he
gets consumed by the desire forpower and control.
He starts chasing progress forits own sake and loses sight of
(03:10):
what truly matters.
He still talks like a wise man,using grand words, but the
heart behind it is gone.
The fire, the reverence, theclarity, it's all been replaced
by ambition and, honestly, thatfeels a lot like the world we're
in today.
We've got plenty of smart,capable people who are building
systems, launching movements andleading change, but without a
deep grounding in truth, virtueor humility.
The real danger isn't justmaking mistakes, it's building
(03:32):
entire frameworks without amoral compass.
When that kind of emptinessspreads, it doesn't just mislead
us, it can break us.
In Romans, chapter 1, verse 21,Paul writes For although they
knew God, they did not honor himas God or give thanks to him,
but they became futile in theirthinking and their foolish
hearts were darkened.
That's what Lewis was talkingabout Knowing what's good but
having no heart to honor it.
We see this in politics,education, entertainment and
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even sometimes in the churchPeople with brilliant minds and
powerful platforms but no heartand no seat of virtue.
Now, this episode isn't aboutbeing gloomy.
It's about waking up.
It's about looking at themirror honestly and asking have
I become one of the hollow andyes, that's a little nod to one
of my favorite animes titledBleach.
You also have to ask yourselfhave I settled for knowledge
over wisdom, for cleverness overkindness, and, if so, how do I
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rebuild what's been lost?
The first step is recognition.
We can't change what we won'tconfront, and so we look around
and we look within.
Where has our culture tradedsubstance for style?
Where have we been taught toadmire goodness but not pursue
it?
Where have we perhaps allowedourselves to drift into that
numb, unfeeling place?
We're living in a time wherethe surface gets all the
spotlight.
Social media helps us craft theperfect image.
(04:34):
News and trends keep usconstantly reacting instead of
reflecting.
And, let's be honest, successis too often measured by how
visible you are not by who youreally are.
But here's the question we haveto ask what good is it to gain
the whole world if in theprocess, you lose your soul?
The gospel calls us back tosomething deeper In Philippians,
chapter 4, verse 8,.
Paul says Finally, brothers,whatever is true, whatever is
honorable, whatever is just,whatever is pure, whatever is
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lovely, whatever is commendable,if there is any excellence, if
there is anything worthy ofpraise, think about these things
.
Knowing the truth isn't enough.
We've got to love it and morethan that, we've got to live it
out every day.
This journey we're on today isnot just about philosophy or
critique.
It's about restoration, aboutletting the spirit of Christ
fill the hollowness with virtue,with affection for truth, with
courage to stand and compassionto serve.
(05:17):
So if the first step isrecognizing the void, then the
next is understanding what wewere meant to have.
Lewis argued that real educationdoes not just inform.
It forms not only the mind butthe whole person.
And if we want to rediscovervirtue, we need to ask how the
heart is educated.
How are souls trained to lovewhat is good, true and beautiful
?
Let's start by getting real.
Virtue doesn't just happen onits own.
No one accidentally becomescourageous.
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You don't wake up one day fullof integrity without some effort
.
These qualities have to bebuilt, shaped and practiced,
like working out a muscle orlearning a song by heart.
They take repetition andintention until they become
second nature, until they becomepart of who we are.
That's really what Proverbschapter 22, verse 6, is getting
at when it says train up a childin the way he should go, even
when he is old.
He will not depart from it.
The way we shape the heartmatters.
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It's not just about rules.
It's about reaching the heart,not just giving information, but
offering inspiration.
Let's take an example from BigHero 6, a story that mixes
science, loss and heroism in away that speaks deeper than most
animated films.
Hero is not just a tech genius.
He is a teenager strugglingwith grief, identity and purpose
.
It is not Baymax's programmingor gadgets that shape him most.
It is his brother's legacy, thefriendships he builds and the
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emotional truth he uncoversthrough love and sacrifice.
Hero's journey to becoming ahero is about formation, not
just function.
His growth does not come fromraw intellect.
It comes from the heart.
That is the key.
Virtue is not simply about whatwe know.
It is about what we love.
Augustine, one of the greatchurch fathers, said that the
essence of virtue is rightlyordered love.
When our loves are out of order, when we love comfort more than
courage, success more thanservice or popularity more than
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purity, our lives reflect thatdisorder.
But when our loves are guidedby truth, rooted in Christ and
inspired by what is beautiful,our character starts to look
more like heaven.
The heart is not educated onlyby logic.
It is shaped through longing,and that means the training
ground for virtue is found inworship, in story, in service
and in suffering.
These are the places where westart to want what is good, not
just admire it from afar.
(07:06):
Think about worship.
It's not just singing songs.
It's about where we aim ourhearts.
Every time we worship, we'retraining ourselves to desire
what's holy, to cherish graceand to find joy in the Lord.
Worship gently reminds ourhearts where our love truly
belongs.
Then think of service.
It is one thing to talk abouthumility, but when you are
cleaning up after someone whonever says thank you or helping
a friend who never returns thefavor, that is when you begin to
(07:27):
learn what humility reallyfeels like.
The heart is formed in the actof showing up and giving anyway.
And we cannot ignore suffering,as much as we want to avoid it.
Suffering has a way of shapingthe soul like nothing else.
In Romans, chapter 5, verses 3through 5, paul writes we
rejoice in our sufferings,knowing that suffering produces
endurance, and enduranceproduces character, and
character produces hope.
And hope does not put us toshame.
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We do not grow by running frompain.
We grow by walking through itwith Christ.
And while we walk, our heartsare being formed.
Now let's talk about how modernculture often misses the mark
when it comes to shapingcharacter.
A lot of what we call moralformation today is either
shallow or handed off to others.
It is outsourced to media orboiled down to cute slogans.
You have probably heard thisone many times Just follow your
heart.
(08:07):
It sounds good, but what doesthat really mean?
Follow your heart where Toward?
What If your heart is notanchored to something solid like
truth, responsibility or grace?
It is not guidance, it is agamble.
It trains us to value feelingover formation.
Even in anime you can see thisstruggle.
So many stories lean on rawemotion but skip the process of
real growth.
Then you have something likeFruits Basket, a series that
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does things differently At thebeginning.
Characters like Kaio and Yukiare wrapped up in pride, fear
and emotional pain.
What starts to change them isnot a dramatic moment.
It is Toru, her kindness, herconsistency, her ability to love
without strings.
That is what begins to healthem.
It is slow, it is quiet, but itis real.
That is the kind oftransformation we need, one that
builds character and bringshealing.
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Scripture supports this kind offormation too.
Colossians, chapter 3, verse 12, says Put on then, as God's
chosen ones, holy and beloved,compassionate hearts, kindness,
humility, meekness and patience.
Notice how it begins with theheart.
These virtues are notdownloaded like apps.
They are formed as we walk withthe spirit, day by day, choice
by choice.
This is where parents, teachersand mentors play their most
sacred role not simply tocorrect bad behavior, but to
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awaken a love for what is good,to show virtue in a way that
draws people in.
You do not teach the heart bypreaching at it.
You teach the heart by livingwhat you believe.
You show a young person what itlooks like to forgive when it
is difficult to give withoutneeding recognition, to
apologize first, to stand firmwhen it would be easier to give
in.
Even in the world of gaming, youcan find surprising lessons in
empathy and virtue.
One beautiful example is thegame To the Moon.
(09:34):
It is not flashy oraction-packed.
It is a simple, story-drivenexperience about two doctors who
travel through a dying man'smemories to fulfill his last
wish.
As the story unfolds, itreveals layers of love, loss and
sacrifice.
There are no points for poweror speed.
What the game honors instead iscompassion, memory and deep
human connection.
It reminds us that some of themost powerful choices we make
are the ones rooted in grace.
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So how do we take all of thisand bring it into real life?
We start by immersing ourselvesin the things that shape what
we love Worship deeply, readmeaningful stories, make space
for silence.
Choose music that lifts yoursoul toward eternity.
Journal through your grief andyour healing.
Serve others where no one seesyou.
These small decisions shape theheart day by day, thought by
thought, moment by moment.
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And here is something youcannot forget you are not
walking this path alone.
The Holy Spirit is not justbeside you.
He is within you.
He is your guide, yourcomforter, your companion.
He is doing the quiet andtransformative work in you, even
when you do not see ithappening.
In 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18,.
It says that we all, withunveiled face beholding the
glory of the Lord, are beingtransformed into the same image
from one degree of glory toanother.
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This is not about strivingharder.
This is about abiding deeper.
The gospel does not simply callyou to live with virtue.
It empowers you to betransformed by Christ from the
inside out.
What the world needs right nowis not more clever arguments or
louder opinions.
It needs people with heartsthat have been shaped by Christ,
people who show courage withoutcruelty, compassion without
compromise, conviction withoutself-righteousness, people who
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walk with quiet strength becausethey have walked closely with
the Savior.
If you really want to numb theheart of a generation, you do
not need to throw darkness intheir faces.
Just keep them constantlyentertained, keep them endlessly
scrolling, keep them busy,distracted and comfortable.
That is all it takes to weardown a soul over time.
We live in an age of non-stopupdates, curated content and
instant gratification, and whilethese things are not all bad,
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they can become dangerous whenthey take us away from being
formed.
Cs Lewis reminded us that asociety of men without chests is
not an accident.
It is shaped by what itconsumes, what it values and
what it avoids.
We have become skilled atavoiding anything that asks us
to go deeper, especially when itfeels hard.
Formation takes time, itrequires discomfort, it needs
stillness, but our modern worldhates all three.
When we feel bored, we reachfor a device.
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When we are sad, we stream ashow.
When we are stressed, we scrollor shop or snack, and before we
even realize it, we havetrained ourselves to run from
the very moments that shape us.
Jesus did not do that.
In Matthew 4, verse 1, it saysThen Jesus was led up by the
Spirit into the wilderness to betempted by the devil.
That was not a place ofdistraction, it was a place of
clarity.
That is where his identity andhis integrity were tested and
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confirmed.
How often do we allow ourselvesto sit in a space like that To
wrestle with our calling, toconfront our thoughts, to wait
with God in the quiet?
The truth is, silence can feeluncomfortable.
Being still with our thoughtscan seem intimidating, so we
often fill the space with noiseand movement, but in doing so we
risk missing the gentle voiceof God that most often speaks in
the stillness.
Here is a great example from anunexpected place the animated
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film WALL-E.
It is quiet.
It moves slowly.
It tells a deep and emotionalstory with very little dialogue.
Wall-e is not a hero because heis flashy or strong.
He is a hero because he isfaithful, curious and full of
gentle love.
His transformation happensslowly, through silence, through
connection, through sacrifice.
That kind of formation mirrorswhat often happens in our
spiritual life Slow, steady,sacred.
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Now compare that to what we seein so much media today TikTok
videos that pass in seconds,influencers who focus more on
image than on truth, contentthat is all about laughs or
clicks rather than substance.
It moves quickly and rarelypauses, but growth does not
happen in that kind of pace.
Deep change requires time.
Our souls need space to beformed, not just filled.
This is not just a culturalissue, it is a spiritual one.
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In Galatians, chapter 5, verses22 and 23, paul gives us a list
of what the spirit produces inus Love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
These are not instant traits,they are not quick downloads.
They grow like fruit in agarden, slowly, with time, with
care.
But we live in a world thatrushes everything and when
something takes time it can feellike it is not worth it.
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That is exactly why we need toprotect these slower, more
sacred rhythms.
Even how we interact withscripture can reflect this
hurried mindset.
Instead of meditating on theword, we look for short verses
to post.
Instead of entering into deepprayer, we send up quick
requests like text to heaven.
And while none of that isnecessarily wrong, it does
reveal something we have becomeshaped more by distraction than
by devotion.
Technology plays a part too Oursmartphones, smart homes, even
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smart cars they all anticipateour needs and respond instantly.
Convenience has become king.
But here is the challenge whenconvenience becomes our highest
goal, conviction slowly fades,because virtue is rarely easy.
Forgiveness costs you something.
Telling the truth takes courage, patience can feel like
suffering, and you cannotmicrowave the fruit of the
spirit.
There is a beautiful film thatillustrates this in a quiet but
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profound way.
It is called Song of the Sea.
The story follows a young boyand his mute sister on a journey
through grief, healing andwonder.
What makes it powerful is notaction or fast pacing.
It is the slowness, the silence, the lingering beauty in every
frame.
The story unfolds gently, andthat gentleness allows the
message to settle deep.
That is what we need more ofsacred slowness, the kind that
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allows the heart to breathe whenyou sit with scripture instead
of skimming, when you praywithout rushing, when you show
up fully in a hard conversation,when you receive the Sabbath
not as a rule but as a gift.
These are the places where realformation happens not in the
rush, but in the rest.
James, chapter 1, verse 4, putsit this way and let
steadfastness have its fulleffect, that you may be perfect
and complete.
Lacking in nothing butsteadfastness does not grow in
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chaos.
It grows in consistency,through quiet, faithfulness,
through doing the next rightthing again and again, even when
no one sees it.
The enemy does not always tryto tempt you with obvious
rebellion.
Sometimes he just wants to keepyou distracted.
If he cannot make you turn awayfrom God, he will settle for
making you too busy to noticehim.
And that might be even moredangerous, because a distracted
believer is a vulnerable one,too tired to care, too rushed to
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listen, too numb to feel whatreally matters.
Here is the truth we all need tohear.
The world is forming us,whether we are intentional about
it or not.
Every scroll, every click,every conversation, every moment
, it is all shaping who we are.
So if we are not being formedby scripture, by the spirit, by
the people of God, then we arestill being formed Just in a
direction we never chose.
There is no spiritual autopilot.
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Every day you are being shaped.
The only question is, by what?
So how do we fight back againstthe emptiness that is creeping
into our souls?
Let's begin by slowing down onpurpose, not to escape life, but
to actually be present in it.
Choosing slowness in a worldthat runs non-stop is a quiet
way of saying I don't have tolive on autopilot.
Step away from the noise.
Take a walk without your phone,leave the headphones at home,
(16:00):
let yourself be fully present.
Pick one of the gospels andread it slowly, not as a task to
check off, but as a way toconnect with Jesus.
Write something out by hand.
Sit in silence for a fewminutes without any distractions
.
These aren't outdated or overlyspiritual habits.
They're simple, sacred rhythmsthat help us stay grounded when
everything around us feelsrushed.
Then lean into the moments thatno one sees.
A small, quiet, faithful acts.
Call the person you have beenmeaning to forgive, be the first
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to say I am sorry, get up earlyjust to pray, volunteer in a
place that does not hand outpraise.
These choices may seem small,but they are what shape the soul
.
They are the spiritual workoutsthat build real strength.
What we need is not more hustle, we need more depth.
We need people whose heartsburn with something real, not
because they are trendy, butbecause they have been with
Jesus.
People who live with conviction, not for applause, but out of
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obedience to Christ.
The gospel is not fast food, itis a feast.
It is not fast food.
It is a feast.
It is not consumed in a rush.
It is meant to nourish youslowly, deeply, over time.
So take a breath, slow yourpace, pay attention to what is
forming your soul.
Let your life be shaped bysomething more than noise and
distraction.
If we are going to talk aboutwhat it means to live with a
heart with affections trained bytruth, with a soul that beats
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in rhythm with what is good,then we have to look at the one
who lived it perfectly.
Jesus Christ did not just knowwhat was true, he loved it.
He did not just teach virtue,he embodied it.
In a world full of performance,he was authentic In a culture
full of pretense.
He was present.
He did not impress, hetransformed.
He did not manipulate.
He moved in love.
Jesus wept with those whogrieved.
He blessed the children, herebuked the proud, he flipped
the tables in the temple and hewalked toward the cross.
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When he could have walked away,his life was not fragmented.
It was whole, every momentguided by the love of the Father
and the love for others.
That is what a formed heartlooks like Not soft
sentimentality, not coldstoicism, but a steady,
spirit-filled life that holdsgrace and truth together.
Look at John 8, verses 3-11.
The woman caught in adultery isdragged into the public square.
The crowd is ready to throwstones.
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They want Jesus to make achoice.
If he shows mercy, they willaccuse him of ignoring the law.
If he opposes the law, theywill call him cruel.
But Jesus does not react.
He responds, he kneels, hewrites in the dust and then he
speaks.
Let him who is without sinamong you be the first to throw
a stone at her.
One by one, they walk away.
Then he turns to her and saysneither do I condemn you.
Go and from now on, sin no more.
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That is what virtue looks likeGrace and truth, justice and
mercy.
Not a compromise but a perfectbalance.
Not rules but righteousnesslived out with power and
compassion.
Jesus did not just preach aboutlove, he lived it in ways that
cost him something.
That is the mark of real virtue, not surface level kindness,
not-good empathy, but love thatleads to action even when it is
uncomfortable.
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He did the same with the richyoung ruler in Mark, chapter 10,
verses 17 through 22.
When the man asked what heneeded to do to inherit eternal
life, jesus reminded him of thecommandments.
The man said he had kept all ofthem, but Jesus saw deeper.
Verse 21 says and Jesus,looking at him, loved him and
said to him you lack one thing.
Go, sell all that you have andgive to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven.
And come, follow me.
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Do not miss that moment.
Jesus loved him and then toldhim the hard truth.
That is what real virtue does.
It confronts, it calls peoplehigher.
A heart that is formed byChrist does not shy away from
truth, but it always delivers itwith love.
Now think about the religiousleaders in Jesus' time.
They knew the scriptures, theyhad the traditions, they looked
apart, but their hearts were notin it.
In Matthew, chapter 23, verse27, jesus says Woe to you,
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scribes and Pharisees,hypocrites, for you are like
whitewashed tombs whichoutwardly appear beautiful but
within are full of dead people'sbones and all uncleanness.
That is the danger of externalfaith with no internal formation
, a life that looks holy on theoutside but is hollow at the
core.
This is not just their story.
It can be ours too.
We can know all the right words, go through the motions, attend
all the events, but if ourhearts are not being shaped by
the Spirit, we can become thevery thing Jesus came to change.
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So how did Jesus avoid thathollowness?
How did he remain full of truth, full of grace and perfectly
aligned with the will of God insuch a broken world?
The answer is communion,constant communion with the
Father.
In Mark, chapter 1, verse 35, weread and rising very early in
the morning, while it was stilldark, he departed and went out
to a desolate place and there heprayed.
Jesus made time to step away,to reconnect, to realign.
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If the Son of God needed thatrhythm, how much more do we?
We often talk about followingJesus in the big things Love
your neighbor, take up yourcross, preach the gospel.
But before we do any of that,we need to follow his way of
life, his way of slowing down,of praying alone, of seeking the
Father in silence.
That is where the heart isforged, not in the spotlight, in
the secret place.
Maybe you're thinking that allsounds good, but I'm not Jesus.
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I get distracted, I mess up, Ilose focus, and you know what,
of course you do, we all do this.
That's exactly why Jesus sentthe Holy Spirit, not just to
comfort us, but to shape us.
Romans, chapter 8, verse 29,says For those whom he foreknew,
he also predestined to beconformed to the image of his
Son.
That's what sanctification isall about.
It's not just about tryingharder or cleaning yourself up.
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It's about being transformedslowly and deeply into someone
who reflects Jesus more and moreover time.
And the beauty of the gospel isthat Jesus does not just show
us virtue, he gives it to us.
His heart becomes our heart.
His courage becomes our courage.
His love becomes our way oflife.
That is the power of the newcovenant Not rules carved in
stone, but love written onhearts of flesh.
Hebrews, chapter 8, verse 10,says I will put my laws into
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their minds and write them ontheir hearts, and I will be
their God and they shall be mypeople.
It's true, the world can feellike it's full of people who've
lost their heart, but we followa savior whose heart burns with
holy love.
And he's not just calling us tobelieve a set of ideas.
He's calling us to follow himwith everything we are, to let
him reshape our desires, tobecome the kind of people who
don't just know what's right butwho actually long for it, who
live it out because we love him,not out of duty but devotion.
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A heart like that doesn't getformed by effort alone.
It's the result of surrender,of staying close, of walking
with the one who walked thisroad before us and still walks
with us through his spirit.
And we don't grow in isolation.
That's not just a nice thought,it's a spiritual reality.
From the Garden of Eden to theearly church in Acts, god has
always formed his peopletogether, not apart.
If we want to rediscover truevirtue, we need both solitude
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and connection.
The heart may be shaped inquiet moments, but it's refined
in relationship.
Cs Lewis got this ina way thatfew do.
His friendship with JRR Tolkienand the rest of the Inklings
wasn't just about books orstories.
It was about shaping eachother's souls.
They pushed one another tothink deeply, live faithfully
and stay anchored in both truthand imagination.
Lewis once said that friendshipstarts when one person says to
another Wait, you too I thoughtI was the only one that kind of
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shared moment, that spark ofrecognition, is where real
spiritual formation begins, andit's the same for us.
You can read all the theologybooks you want or listen to
great sermons every week, but ifyou're not walking in real
community with other believers,you'll eventually hit a wall.
We all need people who speaktruth into our lives.
Who need people who speak truthinto our lives, who pray with
us, who see our blind spots andlove us enough to point them out
.
That's how growth reallyhappens.
Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 24and 25, says and let us consider
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how to stir up one another tolove and good works, not
neglecting to meet together, asis the habit of some, but
encouraging one another, and allthe more as you see the day
drawing near.
Community stirs us, it calls usout of apathy, it provokes love
, it provokes good works, itsharpens us in ways we cannot
sharpen ourselves.
Think about Proverbs, chapter27, verse 17.
Iron sharpens iron and one mansharpens another.
That sharpening is not alwayssmooth.
It creates sparks, it causesfriction, but that is how edges
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are formed, that is how virtueis shaped, not in comfort, in
commitment.
Let's look at a beautifulexample from a lesser known
animated series, rania theRobber's Daughter, based on the
novel by Astrid Lindgren.
Rania and Berk come from rivalclans, but their unlikely
friendship transforms not onlythemselves but their entire
families.
They sharpen each other notthrough competition or
performance, but through loyalty, honesty and the courage to
(23:20):
question the wrongs theyinherited.
Their relationship is built ontrust and through it they grow
into people of character.
Stories like that may seemsimple, but they remind us of
something powerful Virtue isformed through relationship.
Now take a moment and thinkabout your own life.
Who are the people who call youhigher, who ask the hard
questions?
Who refuses to let you settlefor shallow faith?
If you cannot name anyone, thatmight be part of the reason
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your heart feels tired or dry.
We were never meant to do thisalone.
Real community is not just anice addition to your life.
It is a tool of spiritualformation.
It trains our hearts by lettingus watch others live with
integrity, joy and sacrifice.
1 Corinthians 15, verse 33 saysDo not be deceived.
Bad company ruins good morals.
That is not just a warningabout peer pressure.
It is a truth about howformation works.
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The people you let closest toyou are either building your
heart or hollowing it out.
This is why the local churchmatters, not just as a building
but as a body, a place whereyoung and old, strong and
struggling, new and seasonedbelievers come together to
pursue Christ.
Not to pretend, but to growTogether.
In community, we confess sin, weforgive offenses, we carry
burdens, we serve, not becauseit is easy, but because it is
(24:24):
good.
This is how virtue becomes real.
Not is easy, but because it isgood.
This is how virtue becomes real, not just in theory, but in
relationships.
Galatians, chapter 6, verse 2,says bear one another's burdens
and so fulfill the law of Christ.
That is what community lookslike People carrying one another
with grace and truth, not froma distance, but shoulder to
shoulder.
Even in fandom we see thisreflected in powerful ways.
Think about the anime WolfChildren, a quiet and beautiful
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story about a mother raising twochildren who are part wolf,
part human.
It is not about big battles ordramatic twists.
It is about sacrifice, aboutlove, about teaching children
how to live in the tension oftwo identities.
It is about community andformation.
It shows us that the mostmeaningful shaping happens in
the ordinary, the relational,the deeply human moments.
We all live in that same kind ofin-between space between the
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kingdom of God and the culturearound us, and if we want to
build hearts that carry virtue,we need people beside us who
speak that kingdom truth intoour lives.
So how do you build that?
Start with intention.
Join a small group and if youcannot find one, start one.
Invite people into your lifewho make you want to pray more,
love better and live with deeperfaith.
Be vulnerable, ask foraccountability, offer it back,
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show up consistently, celebratethe small wins, mourn the losses
together.
Be the kind of friend whopoints others to Jesus with your
presence and your words.
You do not need dozens ofpeople, just a few faithful ones
, people who remind you who youare when the world tries to make
you forget.
Jesus never called anyone tofollow him in isolation.
He built a fellowship.
Even in his hardest moments hewas surrounded by people.
Some betrayed him, othersstrengthened him, but he never
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walked alone, and you do nothave to either.
The heart doesn't grow overnight.
It's shaped slowly throughevery quiet prayer, every small
act of kindness, every real andhonest conversation.
That's how character is formed,that's how virtue takes root.
Let's not settle for shallowfriendships when what we need
are deep relationships thatsharpen the soul.
Find your people, stay rootedin community and watch how God
uses those relationships toshape you into someone strong,
steady and fully alive in Christ.
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The human soul was never meantto live on doctrine alone.
Now hear me clearly.
Truth is essential.
But for truth to do its deepestwork it has to reach the heart
and more often than not it isbeauty that opens that door.
Beauty is not just something wedecorate with.
It is something that shapes us.
It forms what we love, it stirswhat we feel.
It calls us upward intosomething eternal.
In Philippians, chapter 4, verse8, paul tells us what to set
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our minds on Whatever is true,whatever is honorable, whatever
is just, whatever is pure,whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable.
That word lovely matters.
It is a reminder that holinessis not just right, it is
beautiful.
And when we let beauty trainour affections, the heart begins
to align with heaven.
Cs Lewis knew this.
He did not come to Christthrough cold logic.
He came through wonder, throughstory, through the ache of joy.
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What led him to Jesus was notjust argument, it was
imagination awakened by truth.
The arts have always played apart in rebuilding the heart.
They stir longing, they invitereflection.
They help us see thefingerprints of God in ways we
sometimes miss.
Poetry invites us to slow down,to pause, to really listen, not
just with our ears but with ourhearts.
It helps us feel things wemight otherwise rush past.
A poem like Love Women Three byGeorge Herbert isn't long, but
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in just a few lines it capturessomething deep and powerful at
the very heart of the gospel.
It's the voice of Christinviting us to sit at the table
of grace.
No shame, no earning, just lovethat says you're welcome here.
That kind of beauty forms us,it softens us, it draws us in.
Beautiful storytelling has a wayof shaping us from the inside
out.
Whether it's a moving scene ina film, a well-crafted novel or
even a quiet moment in a play,stories help form our
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imagination and ourunderstanding of truth.
They remind us that we're notalone in our questions or our
hope.
Visual art does the same.
A painting like Rembrandt'sReturn of the Prodigal Son
speaks volumes without a singleword.
The father's open arms, theson's posture of surrender, the
contrast of light and shadow.
It brings the parable to lifeand reminds us that grace meets
us exactly where we are.
It's like when a song hits anote that stops you in your
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tracks, not because it's loud orflashy, but because it stirs
something deep inside you.
You can't quite name it, but itfeels like longing, like a
memory of something good andtrue that you haven't fully
grasped yet.
It's not about escaping themoment, it's about being
reminded that we were made formore.
That kind of beauty doesn'tdistract at awakens or consider
the indie video game journey.
There is no dialogue, noinstructions, just a road figure
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traveling toward a distantlight.
Along the way you meet a silentcompanion.
You help each other withoutwords and when you reach the
summit, something inside youfeels awakened.
That is not just game design,that is formation.
It speaks to something deeperthat ache you feel when beauty
catches you off guard, thatsudden longing, that quiet sense
.
There's something beyond allthis.
It's not just emotion, it's areminder.
Cs Lewis once wrote that if wefind in ourselves a desire,
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nothing in this world cansatisfy.
The most likely explanation isthat we were made for another
world.
When beauty is rightly aimed,it doesn't just inspire us, it
points us home.
So how do we let beauty formour hearts?
First, choose wisely.
Not every aesthetic is sacred.
But when you find a piece ofmusic, a story, a film, a
painting that pulls you towardGod, linger with it.
Let it speak to you, let itsoften what is hardened, Let it
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stretch your vision.
Second, create.
Whether you write music, designshirts, paint, bake or garden,
do it with purpose.
Let your creativity reflectyour creator.
Do it not to impress but toinspire.
Let your work become a windowthrough which others can glimpse
God.
Third, build beauty into yourrhythms.
Light a candle during prayer,read scripture aloud, memorize a
psalm, listen to worship musicin your car, walk in nature and
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call it praise.
Use your senses to train yoursoul.
When the heart is surrounded bybeauty that reflects God, it
begins to long for Him.
We live in a world that isoften loud, fast and harsh, but
we follow a Savior who is gentleand lowly, a Savior who sees
what is lovely and calls itforth.
He took our ashes and gave usbeauty.
He endured the ugliness of sinto show us the wonder of grace.
If we want to rebuild ourhearts, we need to learn to love
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what is beautiful, not as theworld defines it, but as God
does, because when we surroundourselves with the kind of
beauty that reveals His nature.
We are slowly shaped into thepeople we were meant to be.
Beauty will not save you, butit will lead you to the one who
can.
We have covered a lot today,from Lewis' warning to Christ's
example, from distraction anddelay to depth and formation.
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But now the question comes toyou what will you do with all of
this?
It is one thing to think aboutvirtue, it is another to be
changed by it.
What the world needs right nowis not more thinkers, it needs
lovers of what is good, peoplewhose hearts are alive and
formed.
It starts with a decision.
Will you choose to becomesomeone who stirs others toward
holiness, not because you areloud, but because you are formed
, not because you are perfect,but because you are being shaped
by Christ?
2 Peter, chapter 1, verses 5through 8, says For this very
reason, make every effort tosupplement your faith with
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virtue, and virtue withknowledge, and knowledge with
self-control, and self-controlwith steadfastness, and
steadfastness with godliness,and godliness with brotherly
affection, and brotherlyaffection with love.
For if these qualities areyours and are increasing, they
keep you from being ineffectiveor unfruitful in the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That is not passive, that ispursuit, that is what it means
to build a heart with Christ.
So let's get practical.
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Look at your habits.
Are they forming you intosomeone who reflects Jesus?
Are you choosing depth overdistraction?
Are you reading, praying,worshiping in ways that train
your heart?
Look at your relationships.
Are you surrounded by peoplewho sharpen you, people who
speak life, people who ask thereal questions?
Look at your imagination.
What do you dream about?
What do you desire most in thequiet?
Is it comfort and ease, or isit purpose, holiness and
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eternity?
And then ask the spirit torebuild what has been hollowed.
Maybe you have been goingthrough the motions, maybe you
have chased the image withoutbeing formed in the likeness of
Christ.
The good news is this you arenot disqualified.
Our God rebuilds, he restores,he breathes life into dry bones
and gives flesh to stone hearts.
In Ezekiel, chapter 36, verse26, he says I will give you a
new heart and a new spirit.
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I will put within you.
That promise is still true as achurch, when it is healthy.
It is not a place ofperformance.
It is a community of virtue, aplace where broken people are
made whole, where shallow faithis deepened, where hollow hearts
are filled.
So be a person with a heart, aperson who lives what they
believe, a person whose lifepoints others to Jesus.
Be the kind of father who leadswith love and truth.
Be the kind of mother whocarries both grace and strength.
(31:59):
Be the kind of friend who tellsthe truth with tenderness.
Be the kind of artist who makesbeauty that awakens souls.
Be the kind of worker whochooses honesty when no one is
watching, because when thechurch is filled with hearts
like that, the world seessomething different, something
holy In an age of noise.
Be still In a world ofperformance.
Be real In a culture of apathy.
Be a soul on fire.
Let's not be men and womenwithout hearts.
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Let's be people of virtue.
If you have been listening andyou feel something stirring
inside, maybe you realize yourheart has grown numb.
Maybe you know the good buthave not loved it.
Maybe you have been living onthe surface when you were made
for something deeper.
I want you to know you are notbeyond restoration.
Jesus did not just come to saveyou from sin.
He came to make you new, togive you a new heart, a new
spirit, a new way to live.
You do not need to perform.
(32:41):
You do not need to fix yourself.
First, you need to surrender.
So right now, if you are readyto take that step whether it is
your first time trusting inChrist or you are returning
after a long season away Iinvite you to pray with me.
Lord Jesus, I know I have gonethrough the motions.
I have known what is good buthave not always loved it.
I have let distraction shape memore than your word.
But today I surrender.
I ask you to give me a newheart, one that loves what is
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holy and good and true.
I believe you died for my sinsand rose again, and I want to
walk with you fully alive, fullyformed.
Rebuild me from the inside out,shape my thoughts, my desires,
my actions, make me more likeyou In Jesus' name, amen.
If you just prayed that prayer,welcome home.
You have just taken the firststep toward becoming a person of
depth of virtue, of realChrist-shaped strength, and you
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are not walking this road alone.
We would love to come alongsideyou.
Reach out anytime atthecrossroadslt, at gmailcom.
We would love to pray with you,encourage you and help you find
community.
Thank you so much for joiningme on this journey through the
Compass Chronicles.
Until next time, stay grounded,stay growing and keep seeking
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the one who forms us from theinside out.
(34:13):
Grace and peace to you, you.
Hey there and welcome to the Compass Chronicles
podcast.
I'm your host, javier, and Ijust want to say how genuinely
honored I am that you'respending part of your day with
me, whether you're driving towork, heading to class, relaxing
at home or just looking forsomething real and uplifting to
plug into.
I'm really glad you pressedplay today.
This is the space where faithmeets fandom and where everyday
moments collide with eternaltruth.
Each episode, we dig intomeaningful stories, open up the
(00:21):
word of God and unpack thosegems from pop culture whether
it's movies, comics, anime,music or beyond that point us
towards something deeper andmore sacred.
So go ahead and grab yourfavorite drink, maybe something
to snack on, and settle in for abit, because here at the
Compass Chronicles, we're allabout sparking something in your
heart and stirring your soul.
Together, we're learning towalk in bold faith and deep
compassion, to live with courage, love like Jesus and stay
(00:42):
rooted in grace, no matter whatseason of life you're in.
And hey, if today's episodehits home for you, don't let it
stop there.
Pass it along to a friend, aloved one or someone who might
need the reminder that they weremade for more than just getting
by.
They were designed for purpose,built for endurance, called to
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Be sure to follow us on allyour favorite social platforms
and, of course, you can listento the Compass Chronicles
anywhere you enjoy podcasts.
(01:02):
Hit that subscribe button soyou never miss a moment of truth
, encouragement or a good ol'holy geek out.
If you're ever in need ofprayer, a little encouragement
or just want to reach out, youcan email us at thecrossroadsot
at gmailcom.
We'd love to hear from you,pray with you and help you find
a community that walks alongsideyou as your heart is rebuilt in
Christ.
Now let's dive in.
Today we're unpacking aquestion that feels more
important than ever.
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What happened to virtue In aculture that often prioritizes
comfort, convenience andcynicism?
How do we stay rooted in what'sright?
How do we keep our moralcompass steady when truth feels
flexible and goodness getswritten off as old-fashioned?
And maybe the real heart of itis this how do we rebuild that
inner core where our valuesdon't just sit on a shelf but
actually shape how we live,where we don't just believe in
what's good, we love it and liveit out every day?
(01:43):
There's something quietly offabout the way modern life feels,
not always loud or chaotic, butmore like a nagging sense that
something important is missing.
It's not that people are moreevil than they used to be.
It's that many have stoppedfeeling the weight of right and
wrong altogether.
There's a kind of numbnessthat's crept in.
We live in a world thatcelebrates speed over compassion
, entertainment over growth andchasing feelings over being
shaped by truth, and that shiftis subtle but deeply shaping us.
(02:06):
When CS Lewis spoke of menwithout chests, he wasn't just
describing a loss of masculinity, he was addressing the
fragmentation of the human being.
The head is where logic andreason live.
The belly is where appetite anddesire dwell, but the heart is
the bridge, it's where trainedaffections reside.
The heart is the seat of virtue.
It's where you don't just knowsomething is right, you feel it
in your bones and choose it withyour life.
Lewis warned that moderneducation and culture were
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producing people withintellectual knowledge and
physical passion, but withoutmoral conviction.
And the danger of thatimbalance is that cleverness
without compassion leads tomanipulation, passion without
principle leads to chaos andknowledge without virtue leads
to apathy.
You know those people who canrattle off Bible verses, win
every theological debate ordominate a political discussion,
but seem to miss the mark onkindness, humility or
self-control.
(02:48):
It's not that they don't knowthe truth, they just haven't let
it shape their hearts.
The gospel isn't meant to stayup in our heads.
It's meant to change our wholeself's heart, soul and strength.
A great example of this kind ofhollowing out shows up in the
Lord of the Rings, throughSaruman.
He begins as someone full ofwisdom and purpose, a leader
meant to protect what's good,but somewhere along the way he
gets consumed by the desire forpower and control.
He starts chasing progress forits own sake and loses sight of
(03:10):
what truly matters.
He still talks like a wise man,using grand words, but the
heart behind it is gone.
The fire, the reverence, theclarity, it's all been replaced
by ambition and, honestly, thatfeels a lot like the world we're
in today.
We've got plenty of smart,capable people who are building
systems, launching movements andleading change, but without a
deep grounding in truth, virtueor humility.
The real danger isn't justmaking mistakes, it's building
(03:32):
entire frameworks without amoral compass.
When that kind of emptinessspreads, it doesn't just mislead
us, it can break us.
In Romans, chapter 1, verse 21,Paul writes For although they
knew God, they did not honor himas God or give thanks to him,
but they became futile in theirthinking and their foolish
hearts were darkened.
That's what Lewis was talkingabout Knowing what's good but
having no heart to honor it.
We see this in politics,education, entertainment and
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even sometimes in the churchPeople with brilliant minds and
powerful platforms but no heartand no seat of virtue.
Now, this episode isn't aboutbeing gloomy.
It's about waking up.
It's about looking at themirror honestly and asking have
I become one of the hollow andyes, that's a little nod to one
of my favorite animes titledBleach.
You also have to ask yourselfhave I settled for knowledge
over wisdom, for cleverness overkindness, and, if so, how do I
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rebuild what's been lost?
The first step is recognition.
We can't change what we won'tconfront, and so we look around
and we look within.
Where has our culture tradedsubstance for style?
Where have we been taught toadmire goodness but not pursue
it?
Where have we perhaps allowedourselves to drift into that
numb, unfeeling place?
We're living in a time wherethe surface gets all the
spotlight.
Social media helps us craft theperfect image.
(04:34):
News and trends keep usconstantly reacting instead of
reflecting.
And, let's be honest, successis too often measured by how
visible you are not by who youreally are.
But here's the question we haveto ask what good is it to gain
the whole world if in theprocess, you lose your soul?
The gospel calls us back tosomething deeper In Philippians,
chapter 4, verse 8,.
Paul says Finally, brothers,whatever is true, whatever is
honorable, whatever is just,whatever is pure, whatever is
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lovely, whatever is commendable,if there is any excellence, if
there is anything worthy ofpraise, think about these things
.
Knowing the truth isn't enough.
We've got to love it and morethan that, we've got to live it
out every day.
This journey we're on today isnot just about philosophy or
critique.
It's about restoration, aboutletting the spirit of Christ
fill the hollowness with virtue,with affection for truth, with
courage to stand and compassionto serve.
(05:17):
So if the first step isrecognizing the void, then the
next is understanding what wewere meant to have.
Lewis argued that real educationdoes not just inform.
It forms not only the mind butthe whole person.
And if we want to rediscovervirtue, we need to ask how the
heart is educated.
How are souls trained to lovewhat is good, true and beautiful
?
Let's start by getting real.
Virtue doesn't just happen onits own.
No one accidentally becomescourageous.
(05:38):
You don't wake up one day fullof integrity without some effort
.
These qualities have to bebuilt, shaped and practiced,
like working out a muscle orlearning a song by heart.
They take repetition andintention until they become
second nature, until they becomepart of who we are.
That's really what Proverbschapter 22, verse 6, is getting
at when it says train up a childin the way he should go, even
when he is old.
He will not depart from it.
The way we shape the heartmatters.
(06:00):
It's not just about rules.
It's about reaching the heart,not just giving information, but
offering inspiration.
Let's take an example from BigHero 6, a story that mixes
science, loss and heroism in away that speaks deeper than most
animated films.
Hero is not just a tech genius.
He is a teenager strugglingwith grief, identity and purpose
.
It is not Baymax's programmingor gadgets that shape him most.
It is his brother's legacy, thefriendships he builds and the
(06:25):
emotional truth he uncoversthrough love and sacrifice.
Hero's journey to becoming ahero is about formation, not
just function.
His growth does not come fromraw intellect.
It comes from the heart.
That is the key.
Virtue is not simply about whatwe know.
It is about what we love.
Augustine, one of the greatchurch fathers, said that the
essence of virtue is rightlyordered love.
When our loves are out of order, when we love comfort more than
courage, success more thanservice or popularity more than
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purity, our lives reflect thatdisorder.
But when our loves are guidedby truth, rooted in Christ and
inspired by what is beautiful,our character starts to look
more like heaven.
The heart is not educated onlyby logic.
It is shaped through longing,and that means the training
ground for virtue is found inworship, in story, in service
and in suffering.
These are the places where westart to want what is good, not
just admire it from afar.
(07:06):
Think about worship.
It's not just singing songs.
It's about where we aim ourhearts.
Every time we worship, we'retraining ourselves to desire
what's holy, to cherish graceand to find joy in the Lord.
Worship gently reminds ourhearts where our love truly
belongs.
Then think of service.
It is one thing to talk abouthumility, but when you are
cleaning up after someone whonever says thank you or helping
a friend who never returns thefavor, that is when you begin to
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learn what humility reallyfeels like.
The heart is formed in the actof showing up and giving anyway.
And we cannot ignore suffering,as much as we want to avoid it.
Suffering has a way of shapingthe soul like nothing else.
In Romans, chapter 5, verses 3through 5, paul writes we
rejoice in our sufferings,knowing that suffering produces
endurance, and enduranceproduces character, and
character produces hope.
And hope does not put us toshame.
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We do not grow by running frompain.
We grow by walking through itwith Christ.
And while we walk, our heartsare being formed.
Now let's talk about how modernculture often misses the mark
when it comes to shapingcharacter.
A lot of what we call moralformation today is either
shallow or handed off to others.
It is outsourced to media orboiled down to cute slogans.
You have probably heard thisone many times Just follow your
heart.
(08:07):
It sounds good, but what doesthat really mean?
Follow your heart where Toward?
What If your heart is notanchored to something solid like
truth, responsibility or grace?
It is not guidance, it is agamble.
It trains us to value feelingover formation.
Even in anime you can see thisstruggle.
So many stories lean on rawemotion but skip the process of
real growth.
Then you have something likeFruits Basket, a series that
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does things differently At thebeginning.
Characters like Kaio and Yukiare wrapped up in pride, fear
and emotional pain.
What starts to change them isnot a dramatic moment.
It is Toru, her kindness, herconsistency, her ability to love
without strings.
That is what begins to healthem.
It is slow, it is quiet, but itis real.
That is the kind oftransformation we need, one that
builds character and bringshealing.
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Scripture supports this kind offormation too.
Colossians, chapter 3, verse 12, says Put on then, as God's
chosen ones, holy and beloved,compassionate hearts, kindness,
humility, meekness and patience.
Notice how it begins with theheart.
These virtues are notdownloaded like apps.
They are formed as we walk withthe spirit, day by day, choice
by choice.
This is where parents, teachersand mentors play their most
sacred role not simply tocorrect bad behavior, but to
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awaken a love for what is good,to show virtue in a way that
draws people in.
You do not teach the heart bypreaching at it.
You teach the heart by livingwhat you believe.
You show a young person what itlooks like to forgive when it
is difficult to give withoutneeding recognition, to
apologize first, to stand firmwhen it would be easier to give
in.
Even in the world of gaming, youcan find surprising lessons in
empathy and virtue.
One beautiful example is thegame To the Moon.
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It is not flashy oraction-packed.
It is a simple, story-drivenexperience about two doctors who
travel through a dying man'smemories to fulfill his last
wish.
As the story unfolds, itreveals layers of love, loss and
sacrifice.
There are no points for poweror speed.
What the game honors instead iscompassion, memory and deep
human connection.
It reminds us that some of themost powerful choices we make
are the ones rooted in grace.
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So how do we take all of thisand bring it into real life?
We start by immersing ourselvesin the things that shape what
we love Worship deeply, readmeaningful stories, make space
for silence.
Choose music that lifts yoursoul toward eternity.
Journal through your grief andyour healing.
Serve others where no one seesyou.
These small decisions shape theheart day by day, thought by
thought, moment by moment.
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And here is something youcannot forget you are not
walking this path alone.
The Holy Spirit is not justbeside you.
He is within you.
He is your guide, yourcomforter, your companion.
He is doing the quiet andtransformative work in you, even
when you do not see ithappening.
In 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18,.
It says that we all, withunveiled face beholding the
glory of the Lord, are beingtransformed into the same image
from one degree of glory toanother.
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This is not about strivingharder.
This is about abiding deeper.
The gospel does not simply callyou to live with virtue.
It empowers you to betransformed by Christ from the
inside out.
What the world needs right nowis not more clever arguments or
louder opinions.
It needs people with heartsthat have been shaped by Christ,
people who show courage withoutcruelty, compassion without
compromise, conviction withoutself-righteousness, people who
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walk with quiet strength becausethey have walked closely with
the Savior.
If you really want to numb theheart of a generation, you do
not need to throw darkness intheir faces.
Just keep them constantlyentertained, keep them endlessly
scrolling, keep them busy,distracted and comfortable.
That is all it takes to weardown a soul over time.
We live in an age of non-stopupdates, curated content and
instant gratification, and whilethese things are not all bad,
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they can become dangerous whenthey take us away from being
formed.
Cs Lewis reminded us that asociety of men without chests is
not an accident.
It is shaped by what itconsumes, what it values and
what it avoids.
We have become skilled atavoiding anything that asks us
to go deeper, especially when itfeels hard.
Formation takes time, itrequires discomfort, it needs
stillness, but our modern worldhates all three.
When we feel bored, we reachfor a device.
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When we are sad, we stream ashow.
When we are stressed, we scrollor shop or snack, and before we
even realize it, we havetrained ourselves to run from
the very moments that shape us.
Jesus did not do that.
In Matthew 4, verse 1, it saysThen Jesus was led up by the
Spirit into the wilderness to betempted by the devil.
That was not a place ofdistraction, it was a place of
clarity.
That is where his identity andhis integrity were tested and
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confirmed.
How often do we allow ourselvesto sit in a space like that To
wrestle with our calling, toconfront our thoughts, to wait
with God in the quiet?
The truth is, silence can feeluncomfortable.
Being still with our thoughtscan seem intimidating, so we
often fill the space with noiseand movement, but in doing so we
risk missing the gentle voiceof God that most often speaks in
the stillness.
Here is a great example from anunexpected place the animated
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film WALL-E.
It is quiet.
It moves slowly.
It tells a deep and emotionalstory with very little dialogue.
Wall-e is not a hero because heis flashy or strong.
He is a hero because he isfaithful, curious and full of
gentle love.
His transformation happensslowly, through silence, through
connection, through sacrifice.
That kind of formation mirrorswhat often happens in our
spiritual life Slow, steady,sacred.
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Now compare that to what we seein so much media today TikTok
videos that pass in seconds,influencers who focus more on
image than on truth, contentthat is all about laughs or
clicks rather than substance.
It moves quickly and rarelypauses, but growth does not
happen in that kind of pace.
Deep change requires time.
Our souls need space to beformed, not just filled.
This is not just a culturalissue, it is a spiritual one.
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In Galatians, chapter 5, verses22 and 23, paul gives us a list
of what the spirit produces inus Love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
These are not instant traits,they are not quick downloads.
They grow like fruit in agarden, slowly, with time, with
care.
But we live in a world thatrushes everything and when
something takes time it can feellike it is not worth it.
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That is exactly why we need toprotect these slower, more
sacred rhythms.
Even how we interact withscripture can reflect this
hurried mindset.
Instead of meditating on theword, we look for short verses
to post.
Instead of entering into deepprayer, we send up quick
requests like text to heaven.
And while none of that isnecessarily wrong, it does
reveal something we have becomeshaped more by distraction than
by devotion.
Technology plays a part too Oursmartphones, smart homes, even
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smart cars they all anticipateour needs and respond instantly.
Convenience has become king.
But here is the challenge whenconvenience becomes our highest
goal, conviction slowly fades,because virtue is rarely easy.
Forgiveness costs you something.
Telling the truth takes courage, patience can feel like
suffering, and you cannotmicrowave the fruit of the
spirit.
There is a beautiful film thatillustrates this in a quiet but
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profound way.
It is called Song of the Sea.
The story follows a young boyand his mute sister on a journey
through grief, healing andwonder.
What makes it powerful is notaction or fast pacing.
It is the slowness, the silence, the lingering beauty in every
frame.
The story unfolds gently, andthat gentleness allows the
message to settle deep.
That is what we need more ofsacred slowness, the kind that
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allows the heart to breathe whenyou sit with scripture instead
of skimming, when you praywithout rushing, when you show
up fully in a hard conversation,when you receive the Sabbath
not as a rule but as a gift.
These are the places where realformation happens not in the
rush, but in the rest.
James, chapter 1, verse 4, putsit this way and let
steadfastness have its fulleffect, that you may be perfect
and complete.
Lacking in nothing butsteadfastness does not grow in
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chaos.
It grows in consistency,through quiet, faithfulness,
through doing the next rightthing again and again, even when
no one sees it.
The enemy does not always tryto tempt you with obvious
rebellion.
Sometimes he just wants to keepyou distracted.
If he cannot make you turn awayfrom God, he will settle for
making you too busy to noticehim.
And that might be even moredangerous, because a distracted
believer is a vulnerable one,too tired to care, too rushed to
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listen, too numb to feel whatreally matters.
Here is the truth we all need tohear.
The world is forming us,whether we are intentional about
it or not.
Every scroll, every click,every conversation, every moment
, it is all shaping who we are.
So if we are not being formedby scripture, by the spirit, by
the people of God, then we arestill being formed Just in a
direction we never chose.
There is no spiritual autopilot.
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Every day you are being shaped.
The only question is, by what?
So how do we fight back againstthe emptiness that is creeping
into our souls?
Let's begin by slowing down onpurpose, not to escape life, but
to actually be present in it.
Choosing slowness in a worldthat runs non-stop is a quiet
way of saying I don't have tolive on autopilot.
Step away from the noise.
Take a walk without your phone,leave the headphones at home,
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let yourself be fully present.
Pick one of the gospels andread it slowly, not as a task to
check off, but as a way toconnect with Jesus.
Write something out by hand.
Sit in silence for a fewminutes without any distractions
.
These aren't outdated or overlyspiritual habits.
They're simple, sacred rhythmsthat help us stay grounded when
everything around us feelsrushed.
Then lean into the moments thatno one sees.
A small, quiet, faithful acts.
Call the person you have beenmeaning to forgive, be the first
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to say I am sorry, get up earlyjust to pray, volunteer in a
place that does not hand outpraise.
These choices may seem small,but they are what shape the soul
.
They are the spiritual workoutsthat build real strength.
What we need is not more hustle, we need more depth.
We need people whose heartsburn with something real, not
because they are trendy, butbecause they have been with
Jesus.
People who live with conviction, not for applause, but out of
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obedience to Christ.
The gospel is not fast food, itis a feast.
It is not fast food.
It is a feast.
It is not consumed in a rush.
It is meant to nourish youslowly, deeply, over time.
So take a breath, slow yourpace, pay attention to what is
forming your soul.
Let your life be shaped bysomething more than noise and
distraction.
If we are going to talk aboutwhat it means to live with a
heart with affections trained bytruth, with a soul that beats
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in rhythm with what is good,then we have to look at the one
who lived it perfectly.
Jesus Christ did not just knowwhat was true, he loved it.
He did not just teach virtue,he embodied it.
In a world full of performance,he was authentic In a culture
full of pretense.
He was present.
He did not impress, hetransformed.
He did not manipulate.
He moved in love.
Jesus wept with those whogrieved.
He blessed the children, herebuked the proud, he flipped
the tables in the temple and hewalked toward the cross.
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When he could have walked away,his life was not fragmented.
It was whole, every momentguided by the love of the Father
and the love for others.
That is what a formed heartlooks like Not soft
sentimentality, not coldstoicism, but a steady,
spirit-filled life that holdsgrace and truth together.
Look at John 8, verses 3-11.
The woman caught in adultery isdragged into the public square.
The crowd is ready to throwstones.
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They want Jesus to make achoice.
If he shows mercy, they willaccuse him of ignoring the law.
If he opposes the law, theywill call him cruel.
But Jesus does not react.
He responds, he kneels, hewrites in the dust and then he
speaks.
Let him who is without sinamong you be the first to throw
a stone at her.
One by one, they walk away.
Then he turns to her and saysneither do I condemn you.
Go and from now on, sin no more.
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That is what virtue looks likeGrace and truth, justice and
mercy.
Not a compromise but a perfectbalance.
Not rules but righteousnesslived out with power and
compassion.
Jesus did not just preach aboutlove, he lived it in ways that
cost him something.
That is the mark of real virtue, not surface level kindness,
not-good empathy, but love thatleads to action even when it is
uncomfortable.
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He did the same with the richyoung ruler in Mark, chapter 10,
verses 17 through 22.
When the man asked what heneeded to do to inherit eternal
life, jesus reminded him of thecommandments.
The man said he had kept all ofthem, but Jesus saw deeper.
Verse 21 says and Jesus,looking at him, loved him and
said to him you lack one thing.
Go, sell all that you have andgive to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven.
And come, follow me.
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Do not miss that moment.
Jesus loved him and then toldhim the hard truth.
That is what real virtue does.
It confronts, it calls peoplehigher.
A heart that is formed byChrist does not shy away from
truth, but it always delivers itwith love.
Now think about the religiousleaders in Jesus' time.
They knew the scriptures, theyhad the traditions, they looked
apart, but their hearts were notin it.
In Matthew, chapter 23, verse27, jesus says Woe to you,
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scribes and Pharisees,hypocrites, for you are like
whitewashed tombs whichoutwardly appear beautiful but
within are full of dead people'sbones and all uncleanness.
That is the danger of externalfaith with no internal formation
, a life that looks holy on theoutside but is hollow at the
core.
This is not just their story.
It can be ours too.
We can know all the right words, go through the motions, attend
all the events, but if ourhearts are not being shaped by
the Spirit, we can become thevery thing Jesus came to change.
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So how did Jesus avoid thathollowness?
How did he remain full of truth, full of grace and perfectly
aligned with the will of God insuch a broken world?
The answer is communion,constant communion with the
Father.
In Mark, chapter 1, verse 35, weread and rising very early in
the morning, while it was stilldark, he departed and went out
to a desolate place and there heprayed.
Jesus made time to step away,to reconnect, to realign.
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If the Son of God needed thatrhythm, how much more do we?
We often talk about followingJesus in the big things Love
your neighbor, take up yourcross, preach the gospel.
But before we do any of that,we need to follow his way of
life, his way of slowing down,of praying alone, of seeking the
Father in silence.
That is where the heart isforged, not in the spotlight, in
the secret place.
Maybe you're thinking that allsounds good, but I'm not Jesus.
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I get distracted, I mess up, Ilose focus, and you know what,
of course you do, we all do this.
That's exactly why Jesus sentthe Holy Spirit, not just to
comfort us, but to shape us.
Romans, chapter 8, verse 29,says For those whom he foreknew,
he also predestined to beconformed to the image of his
Son.
That's what sanctification isall about.
It's not just about tryingharder or cleaning yourself up.
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It's about being transformedslowly and deeply into someone
who reflects Jesus more and moreover time.
And the beauty of the gospel isthat Jesus does not just show
us virtue, he gives it to us.
His heart becomes our heart.
His courage becomes our courage.
His love becomes our way oflife.
That is the power of the newcovenant Not rules carved in
stone, but love written onhearts of flesh.
Hebrews, chapter 8, verse 10,says I will put my laws into
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their minds and write them ontheir hearts, and I will be
their God and they shall be mypeople.
It's true, the world can feellike it's full of people who've
lost their heart, but we followa savior whose heart burns with
holy love.
And he's not just calling us tobelieve a set of ideas.
He's calling us to follow himwith everything we are, to let
him reshape our desires, tobecome the kind of people who
don't just know what's right butwho actually long for it, who
live it out because we love him,not out of duty but devotion.
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A heart like that doesn't getformed by effort alone.
It's the result of surrender,of staying close, of walking
with the one who walked thisroad before us and still walks
with us through his spirit.
And we don't grow in isolation.
That's not just a nice thought,it's a spiritual reality.
From the Garden of Eden to theearly church in Acts, god has
always formed his peopletogether, not apart.
If we want to rediscover truevirtue, we need both solitude
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and connection.
The heart may be shaped inquiet moments, but it's refined
in relationship.
Cs Lewis got this ina way thatfew do.
His friendship with JRR Tolkienand the rest of the Inklings
wasn't just about books orstories.
It was about shaping eachother's souls.
They pushed one another tothink deeply, live faithfully
and stay anchored in both truthand imagination.
Lewis once said that friendshipstarts when one person says to
another Wait, you too I thoughtI was the only one that kind of
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shared moment, that spark ofrecognition, is where real
spiritual formation begins, andit's the same for us.
You can read all the theologybooks you want or listen to
great sermons every week, but ifyou're not walking in real
community with other believers,you'll eventually hit a wall.
We all need people who speaktruth into our lives.
Who need people who speak truthinto our lives, who pray with
us, who see our blind spots andlove us enough to point them out
.
That's how growth reallyhappens.
Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 24and 25, says and let us consider
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how to stir up one another tolove and good works, not
neglecting to meet together, asis the habit of some, but
encouraging one another, and allthe more as you see the day
drawing near.
Community stirs us, it calls usout of apathy, it provokes love
, it provokes good works, itsharpens us in ways we cannot
sharpen ourselves.
Think about Proverbs, chapter27, verse 17.
Iron sharpens iron and one mansharpens another.
That sharpening is not alwayssmooth.
It creates sparks, it causesfriction, but that is how edges
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are formed, that is how virtueis shaped, not in comfort, in
commitment.
Let's look at a beautifulexample from a lesser known
animated series, rania theRobber's Daughter, based on the
novel by Astrid Lindgren.
Rania and Berk come from rivalclans, but their unlikely
friendship transforms not onlythemselves but their entire
families.
They sharpen each other notthrough competition or
performance, but through loyalty, honesty and the courage to
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question the wrongs theyinherited.
Their relationship is built ontrust and through it they grow
into people of character.
Stories like that may seemsimple, but they remind us of
something powerful Virtue isformed through relationship.
Now take a moment and thinkabout your own life.
Who are the people who call youhigher, who ask the hard
questions?
Who refuses to let you settlefor shallow faith?
If you cannot name anyone, thatmight be part of the reason
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your heart feels tired or dry.
We were never meant to do thisalone.
Real community is not just anice addition to your life.
It is a tool of spiritualformation.
It trains our hearts by lettingus watch others live with
integrity, joy and sacrifice.
1 Corinthians 15, verse 33 saysDo not be deceived.
Bad company ruins good morals.
That is not just a warningabout peer pressure.
It is a truth about howformation works.
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The people you let closest toyou are either building your
heart or hollowing it out.
This is why the local churchmatters, not just as a building
but as a body, a place whereyoung and old, strong and
struggling, new and seasonedbelievers come together to
pursue Christ.
Not to pretend, but to growTogether.
In community, we confess sin, weforgive offenses, we carry
burdens, we serve, not becauseit is easy, but because it is
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good.
This is how virtue becomes real.
Not is easy, but because it isgood.
This is how virtue becomes real, not just in theory, but in
relationships.
Galatians, chapter 6, verse 2,says bear one another's burdens
and so fulfill the law of Christ.
That is what community lookslike People carrying one another
with grace and truth, not froma distance, but shoulder to
shoulder.
Even in fandom we see thisreflected in powerful ways.
Think about the anime WolfChildren, a quiet and beautiful
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story about a mother raising twochildren who are part wolf,
part human.
It is not about big battles ordramatic twists.
It is about sacrifice, aboutlove, about teaching children
how to live in the tension oftwo identities.
It is about community andformation.
It shows us that the mostmeaningful shaping happens in
the ordinary, the relational,the deeply human moments.
We all live in that same kind ofin-between space between the
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kingdom of God and the culturearound us, and if we want to
build hearts that carry virtue,we need people beside us who
speak that kingdom truth intoour lives.
So how do you build that?
Start with intention.
Join a small group and if youcannot find one, start one.
Invite people into your lifewho make you want to pray more,
love better and live with deeperfaith.
Be vulnerable, ask foraccountability, offer it back,
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show up consistently, celebratethe small wins, mourn the losses
together.
Be the kind of friend whopoints others to Jesus with your
presence and your words.
You do not need dozens ofpeople, just a few faithful ones
, people who remind you who youare when the world tries to make
you forget.
Jesus never called anyone tofollow him in isolation.
He built a fellowship.
Even in his hardest moments hewas surrounded by people.
Some betrayed him, othersstrengthened him, but he never
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walked alone, and you do nothave to either.
The heart doesn't grow overnight.
It's shaped slowly throughevery quiet prayer, every small
act of kindness, every real andhonest conversation.
That's how character is formed,that's how virtue takes root.
Let's not settle for shallowfriendships when what we need
are deep relationships thatsharpen the soul.
Find your people, stay rootedin community and watch how God
uses those relationships toshape you into someone strong,
steady and fully alive in Christ.
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The human soul was never meantto live on doctrine alone.
Now hear me clearly.
Truth is essential.
But for truth to do its deepestwork it has to reach the heart
and more often than not it isbeauty that opens that door.
Beauty is not just something wedecorate with.
It is something that shapes us.
It forms what we love, it stirswhat we feel.
It calls us upward intosomething eternal.
In Philippians, chapter 4, verse8, paul tells us what to set
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our minds on Whatever is true,whatever is honorable, whatever
is just, whatever is pure,whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable.
That word lovely matters.
It is a reminder that holinessis not just right, it is
beautiful.
And when we let beauty trainour affections, the heart begins
to align with heaven.
Cs Lewis knew this.
He did not come to Christthrough cold logic.
He came through wonder, throughstory, through the ache of joy.
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What led him to Jesus was notjust argument, it was
imagination awakened by truth.
The arts have always played apart in rebuilding the heart.
They stir longing, they invitereflection.
They help us see thefingerprints of God in ways we
sometimes miss.
Poetry invites us to slow down,to pause, to really listen, not
just with our ears but with ourhearts.
It helps us feel things wemight otherwise rush past.
A poem like Love Women Three byGeorge Herbert isn't long, but
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in just a few lines it capturessomething deep and powerful at
the very heart of the gospel.
It's the voice of Christinviting us to sit at the table
of grace.
No shame, no earning, just lovethat says you're welcome here.
That kind of beauty forms us,it softens us, it draws us in.
Beautiful storytelling has a wayof shaping us from the inside
out.
Whether it's a moving scene ina film, a well-crafted novel or
even a quiet moment in a play,stories help form our
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imagination and ourunderstanding of truth.
They remind us that we're notalone in our questions or our
hope.
Visual art does the same.
A painting like Rembrandt'sReturn of the Prodigal Son
speaks volumes without a singleword.
The father's open arms, theson's posture of surrender, the
contrast of light and shadow.
It brings the parable to lifeand reminds us that grace meets
us exactly where we are.
It's like when a song hits anote that stops you in your
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tracks, not because it's loud orflashy, but because it stirs
something deep inside you.
You can't quite name it, but itfeels like longing, like a
memory of something good andtrue that you haven't fully
grasped yet.
It's not about escaping themoment, it's about being
reminded that we were made formore.
That kind of beauty doesn'tdistract at awakens or consider
the indie video game journey.
There is no dialogue, noinstructions, just a road figure
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traveling toward a distantlight.
Along the way you meet a silentcompanion.
You help each other withoutwords and when you reach the
summit, something inside youfeels awakened.
That is not just game design,that is formation.
It speaks to something deeperthat ache you feel when beauty
catches you off guard, thatsudden longing, that quiet sense
.
There's something beyond allthis.
It's not just emotion, it's areminder.
Cs Lewis once wrote that if wefind in ourselves a desire,
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nothing in this world cansatisfy.
The most likely explanation isthat we were made for another
world.
When beauty is rightly aimed,it doesn't just inspire us, it
points us home.
So how do we let beauty formour hearts?
First, choose wisely.
Not every aesthetic is sacred.
But when you find a piece ofmusic, a story, a film, a
painting that pulls you towardGod, linger with it.
Let it speak to you, let itsoften what is hardened, Let it
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stretch your vision.
Second, create.
Whether you write music, designshirts, paint, bake or garden,
do it with purpose.
Let your creativity reflectyour creator.
Do it not to impress but toinspire.
Let your work become a windowthrough which others can glimpse
God.
Third, build beauty into yourrhythms.
Light a candle during prayer,read scripture aloud, memorize a
psalm, listen to worship musicin your car, walk in nature and
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call it praise.
Use your senses to train yoursoul.
When the heart is surrounded bybeauty that reflects God, it
begins to long for Him.
We live in a world that isoften loud, fast and harsh, but
we follow a Savior who is gentleand lowly, a Savior who sees
what is lovely and calls itforth.
He took our ashes and gave usbeauty.
He endured the ugliness of sinto show us the wonder of grace.
If we want to rebuild ourhearts, we need to learn to love
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what is beautiful, not as theworld defines it, but as God
does, because when we surroundourselves with the kind of
beauty that reveals His nature.
We are slowly shaped into thepeople we were meant to be.
Beauty will not save you, butit will lead you to the one who
can.
We have covered a lot today,from Lewis' warning to Christ's
example, from distraction anddelay to depth and formation.
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But now the question comes toyou what will you do with all of
this?
It is one thing to think aboutvirtue, it is another to be
changed by it.
What the world needs right nowis not more thinkers, it needs
lovers of what is good, peoplewhose hearts are alive and
formed.
It starts with a decision.
Will you choose to becomesomeone who stirs others toward
holiness, not because you areloud, but because you are formed
, not because you are perfect,but because you are being shaped
by Christ?
2 Peter, chapter 1, verses 5through 8, says For this very
reason, make every effort tosupplement your faith with
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virtue, and virtue withknowledge, and knowledge with
self-control, and self-controlwith steadfastness, and
steadfastness with godliness,and godliness with brotherly
affection, and brotherlyaffection with love.
For if these qualities areyours and are increasing, they
keep you from being ineffectiveor unfruitful in the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That is not passive, that ispursuit, that is what it means
to build a heart with Christ.
So let's get practical.
(30:54):
Look at your habits.
Are they forming you intosomeone who reflects Jesus?
Are you choosing depth overdistraction?
Are you reading, praying,worshiping in ways that train
your heart?
Look at your relationships.
Are you surrounded by peoplewho sharpen you, people who
speak life, people who ask thereal questions?
Look at your imagination.
What do you dream about?
What do you desire most in thequiet?
Is it comfort and ease, or isit purpose, holiness and
(31:16):
eternity?
And then ask the spirit torebuild what has been hollowed.
Maybe you have been goingthrough the motions, maybe you
have chased the image withoutbeing formed in the likeness of
Christ.
The good news is this you arenot disqualified.
Our God rebuilds, he restores,he breathes life into dry bones
and gives flesh to stone hearts.
In Ezekiel, chapter 36, verse26, he says I will give you a
new heart and a new spirit.
(31:36):
I will put within you.
That promise is still true as achurch, when it is healthy.
It is not a place ofperformance.
It is a community of virtue, aplace where broken people are
made whole, where shallow faithis deepened, where hollow hearts
are filled.
So be a person with a heart, aperson who lives what they
believe, a person whose lifepoints others to Jesus.
Be the kind of father who leadswith love and truth.
Be the kind of mother whocarries both grace and strength.
(31:59):
Be the kind of friend who tellsthe truth with tenderness.
Be the kind of artist who makesbeauty that awakens souls.
Be the kind of worker whochooses honesty when no one is
watching, because when thechurch is filled with hearts
like that, the world seessomething different, something
holy In an age of noise.
Be still In a world ofperformance.
Be real In a culture of apathy.
Be a soul on fire.
Let's not be men and womenwithout hearts.
(32:19):
Let's be people of virtue.
If you have been listening andyou feel something stirring
inside, maybe you realize yourheart has grown numb.
Maybe you know the good buthave not loved it.
Maybe you have been living onthe surface when you were made
for something deeper.
I want you to know you are notbeyond restoration.
Jesus did not just come to saveyou from sin.
He came to make you new, togive you a new heart, a new
spirit, a new way to live.
You do not need to perform.
(32:41):
You do not need to fix yourself.
First, you need to surrender.
So right now, if you are readyto take that step whether it is
your first time trusting inChrist or you are returning
after a long season away Iinvite you to pray with me.
Lord Jesus, I know I have gonethrough the motions.
I have known what is good buthave not always loved it.
I have let distraction shape memore than your word.
But today I surrender.
I ask you to give me a newheart, one that loves what is
(33:03):
holy and good and true.
I believe you died for my sinsand rose again, and I want to
walk with you fully alive, fullyformed.
Rebuild me from the inside out,shape my thoughts, my desires,
my actions, make me more likeyou In Jesus' name, amen.
If you just prayed that prayer,welcome home.
You have just taken the firststep toward becoming a person of
depth of virtue, of realChrist-shaped strength, and you
(33:25):
are not walking this road alone.
We would love to come alongsideyou.
Reach out anytime atthecrossroadslt, at gmailcom.
We would love to pray with you,encourage you and help you find
community.
Thank you so much for joiningme on this journey through the
Compass Chronicles.
Until next time, stay grounded,stay growing and keep seeking
(33:52):
the one who forms us from theinside out.
(34:13):
Grace and peace to you, you.
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