May 12, 2025 • 44 mins
Welcome to Season 3 of the Well Grounded Podcast: All Things Good. Join hosts Diane and Leigh Ann along with special guest Erin Warren as they discuss the goodness of God. This episode offers a refreshing perspective for anyone navigating life's hardest seasons. No matter the challenges you may be facing, God is good all the time and all the time God is good. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and relax as we dive into the Word to understand God's goodness.
____________
Latte Moment Recipe: Caramel Macchiato
For deeper study, read and journal about the following Scriptures:
- Romans 8:28 - Season Three Verse
- Acts 18:1-4 - where we see Priscilla and Aquilla were expelled from Rome under Emperor Claudius and their relationship with Paul
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 - For this is the will of God for us: Our sanctification
- Genesis 1-3 - broken creation
- John 14-16 - what the Holy Spirit does for us
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 - For this is the will of God for us: Our sanctification
- Genesis 1-3 - broken creation
- John 14-16 - what the Holy Spirit does for us
- Revelation 21:1-6 - Suffering has an expiration date
- Deuteronomy 31:6 - God will never leave you
Bible search and study tools - http://blueletterbible.org
Bible Hub - https://biblehub.com
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wellgroundedpodcast
____________
About our guest - Erin Warren
Erin H. Warren is passionate about equipping and encouraging women to discover God's truths for themselves. She is the author of Feasting on Truth: Savor the Life-giving Word of God, leads and teaches Bible study through her ministry Feasting on Truth, and has published several Bible studies. She and her husband, Kris, have three littles (who aren't so little anymore), and they live in Central Florida. She loves a house full of people and a table full of food and hopes tacos never go out of style. You can find more information about Feasting on Truth on her website: FeastingOnTruth.com. You can also connect with her on Instagram: @erinhwarren and @feastingontruth and YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/erinhwarren.
____________
Subscribe, rate, and review us on your favorite listening platform to be a part of our community and help others discover the joy of living a well-grounded life:
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Erin (00:00):
I always encourage us that we should ask how are you going
to use this, not why?
So when my son was diagnosed, Ihad walked through some things
years before with my husband,and so I had been rooted enough
in him to go.
Okay, god, I know you'vepromised that you are with me,
that you will never leave me,forsake me, and you have gone
before me.
I said so don't let me miss you, let me see where you are, let
(00:23):
me see where you you're workingand I don't want to waste this
yeah and so I think, ultimatelyit's really hard and we grieve.
I mean, goodness, there are daysI just cry yes, and there are
days where I'm exhausted and Ihave nothing left yeah, you know
right.
So I'm not.
Leigh Ann (00:38):
I don't want you to think I'm some spiritual oh,
lord, thank you for this, allthe time, thank you for this,
thank you for this trial.
Erin (00:47):
Constantly turning my mind back to where are you God?
Where are you working?
How are you?
Leigh Ann (00:53):
changing me?
How are you growing?
Diane (00:56):
me.
Erin (00:56):
And ultimately, that's what the good of Romans 8, 28 is
that he refines us.
You know we didn't have time totalk about that, but you know
he refines us, he makes us morelike him, because those trials
remove impurities from us rightRight.
They make us a more purefollower of.
Diane (01:13):
Jesus, welcome.
Welcome to the Well-GroundedPodcast.
I am Diane and I am Leanne, andwe are two lifelong friends
doing life over coffee andconversations.
And today we are so excitedbecause we are revealing our
(01:34):
season three.
But more than that we have beendoing this podcast for one year
.
I can't believe it.
I cannot believe that, I cannotjust think about it Happy
anniversary.
It is so fun, it is just such anexciting benchmark really, and
all the thoughts and the dreamsand the prayers and the things
(01:55):
that we just took so much timeto just cultivate and think
about how we wanted WellGrounded to, you know, kind of
grow and develop, and just to behere, sitting here for a year
from now is just kind of likeone of those goose bumpy moments
.
Leigh Ann (02:08):
I know, I know Well all the times we were talking
about it like we should, wewould have these conversations
that would always end up with weshould have a podcast.
Diane (02:16):
You know it's always like this is a lot more than one
coffee.
We're real good at talking toeach other.
This is right in our lane, herewe're going right in, so that
was that was great that was yes,we are.
Leigh Ann (02:27):
we are at season three.
So we did our first season waskind of get to know us.
Yes, our second season wassisterhood and motherhood.
What is season three about?
Diane Season?
Diane (02:37):
three, if you can see, is about all things good.
We are so excited to introducethis theme to you today, and
this is going to be a seasonthrough the summer going into
the fall, and we're just talkingabout Romans 828 and how, in
life, god shows his goodness tous in so many ways.
We see it in creation, we seeit in so many different
(03:01):
opportunities in our life,whether it's through our
children, our family, ourfriendships.
Now, that doesn't mean we don'thave hard times, right, there
is suffering, there is thingsthat happen, right, that causes
hardship, but in that, god isgood, right, and so we really
prayed about this.
We had a retreat over thisseason, we have done so many fun
(03:23):
things and here we are, we'reexcited.
Leigh Ann (03:26):
I still have to say, my favorite piece of this is is
putting the content together,and it is us going to dinner Our
content.
Diane always says to the waiterwe're going to be here a while.
Diane (03:39):
They always look like big guys, Like okay, why do you
have?
Leigh Ann (03:42):
iPads and Bibles out ladies.
But we just move into arestaurant and sort of plan out
and get that done.
Diane (03:48):
I think the last one was a good two plus hours.
Leigh Ann (03:50):
Oh, yes, yes, I don't know if we could have had any
more tacos, more guacamoles,more guacamoles.
Yes, for sure, it was good, forsure, but yeah.
Diane (04:11):
It was good, and that was a phrase that my son's school
said at every chapel that theyhad, and it resonated with me
and I use that as a hashtagalmost on you know a good
portion of my posts.
That I do because it's true.
I mean, when you boil it down,it's true.
He is good all the time and allthe time he is good, and so I'm
(04:31):
excited for this season.
Leigh Ann (04:32):
Yes, and we, we know that who God is doesn't change
he's the same yesterday todayand forever, forever.
And.
But this life has that, hasthose challenges that you were
talking about, has those thingsthat we face and so kind of
making that distinction is a biggoal of ours today.
And we are um gonna have somereally silly things we're doing
(04:56):
this summer.
Yes, we're going to have someof those teary moments that we
always have.
We've just, we're just gettingreally in that head space of
looking for what God is at workdoing.
Cause he is working.
Yes, and we see that in that,romans eight verse two.
Diane (05:15):
So we want to pull all that together, but to get that
started, yes, and what's reallyneat, too, is that, in all those
those things he is workingbehind the scenes in our lives
in so many different ways,whether it's with people that he
brings into our lives and as wecultivated, who do we want to
have on this um, this pot, thisseason, right?
Who do we want to share thiswith and and for our listeners?
(05:39):
You know, what do we feel willencourage you the most right um,
I just, you know, want to say ashout out to our listeners
right now.
We are so thankful for you allthese months.
For 12 months, we've done 25episodes.
We were just so excited that youhave been on this journey with
you and if you are new, we're soexcited as well.
Um, we're well, we want towelcome you and just um,
(06:01):
encourage you to find us andjust like, subscribe and share
all those things that when youfind us on we're.
On Instagram, you can find usat Well Grounded Podcast, and
you can look us up on YouTube,apple, spotify and really
anywhere, yes, anywhere, yes,yes, that you find podcasts.
Leigh Ann (06:17):
Yes, I think it's great YouTube.
The YouTube option is is fun tobe able to, to be here with us
um and see it.
But I know, before we weredoing a podcast, I was an audio
only podcast listener.
It was always going to be inthe car driving somewhere and
doing that so.
Diane (06:33):
so just um we we video has stretched us a little bit.
I kept trying to resist.
I was like, do we have to dovideo?
Leigh Ann (06:40):
How about?
Diane (06:41):
audio.
We love audio.
Leigh Ann (06:46):
But we have enjoyed it, we have had fun with with it
.
Diane (06:47):
so even if you're not regularly doing that every once
in a while like, yeah, check inand watch a youtube every once
in a while, especially if you'renew come and see the new set,
because we've changed everythingfor this season we've got
bright colors, we have neonsigns, we have all sorts of
things.
So check us out on youtube forsure.
Yes, but before we get going onthis season, we've got to pause
and think about our lattemoment.
(07:08):
For those of you who are new tous, latte moment is something
that we pause in every episode,and we think about a fun coffee
drink you are up in your gamefor season three.
Leigh Ann (07:19):
This is this I'm getting photos y'all during the
day update.
Yes, there's things on thestove, there are things being
there.
Diane (07:28):
The cafe, the coffee corner and diane's kitchen is
going up and on through thisit's gorgeous, I have to shout
out to my sister-in-law she gaveme a new frother, so this is a
big deal because I can frothlike anything now it's not just
one thing.
It's like I can froth multiplethings, so today's drink.
Tell me what I'm drinkingcaramel macchiato, and it is
(07:48):
homemade.
I feel really good about this,so it is good.
So you've got very simpleingredients here you have
caramel, you have vanilla syrup,whatever you want to use,
whether it's a vanilla, um, youknow, you can use all sorts of
different ones.
Then you do a milk froth and itcan be any milk.
It can be a healthy milk, itcan be a whole milk.
(08:09):
I used half and half because Iwanted to really go big, or go
home today and then you pour inyour espresso which personally,
just a hint, I use decaf becauseI didn't want to be up all
night and then you put thecaramel on top.
Now, so cute.
When you do the drink, you guys, you put this, you put the
(08:29):
froth in and then you pour theespresso or your coffee over it
and it marks the froth andthat's what makes a macchiato
okay, it is an italian word formarked.
Look at us, I feel very fancytoday, so okay, that is
excellent.
Leigh Ann (08:45):
Here we want to clink , want to clink, clink, clink,
and we have a guest.
You can't see who it is yet,but I'm just gonna clink with
her.
Yes, we have a guest over hereand this is actually this
educational macchiato.
Teaching you something is agreat segue because we have
invited a precious friend, butalso just a cherished, beloved
(09:07):
Bible teacher that is here withus today, and I am so excited to
introduce Erin Warren to youguys.
Erin (09:15):
So glad to have you here.
Thank you for joining us onCaramel Macchiato Night.
Listen, I'm telling you thefrothed half and half and half.
Diane (09:24):
I mean it's go big or go home.
I mean game changer.
I don't say the recipe, becausewe will post it in our show
notes says to use like wholemilk or even two percent and I'm
like, yeah, no.
Erin (09:41):
I can't do that.
I have to use like the realthing.
I love it.
This is delicious, it'sdelicious.
This is delicious, excellent,excellent so we welcome thank
you.
Leigh Ann (09:48):
Thank you for having me so fun.
We are starting season threewith this very special guest.
Yes, because, um, we wanted tokind of lay a foundation on this
.
Romans 8, um, specifically,yeah, that 27 and 28 verses 27,
28 but to kind of give you somecontext with that and to to kind
(10:08):
of approach the idea of whatdoes some of these things mean,
cause people quote, we have likethese best quoted verses, but I
have heard some people use itone way and some people use it
another way in that situation.
So what we're going to do issort of unpack that tonight or
in this episode and want to makesure that, um, we give you time
(10:29):
for that, but I do have to,like, tell everybody how special
you are and what you mean to usbecause this is erin, and erin
actually discipled my daughter,charlotte, in high school, and
with a group of them, how manywere they like?
Diane (10:43):
seven, five, six, seven, eight something like that,
depending on who, depending onthe year, how busy they were
with after school.
Leigh Ann (10:49):
Yes, so um, but yes, it was just such a uh, an
investment in charlotte's life,who is now in ministry full-time
ministry is married.
Did you give her permission?
Diane (11:01):
for that.
By the way, you did not.
I'm fine.
She was your babysitter.
Erin (11:04):
She babysat for my little munchkins, who are not little
munchkins.
They're not munchkins anymore.
She grew up.
Leigh Ann (11:12):
They're growing up.
It's just wild.
But I just wanted to say one ofthe reasons when we were
talking about this at ourplanning delicious Mexican
dinner, which I'm a little upset.
Diane (11:23):
I should have been invited, because when guacamole
it was just at a coffee shop.
But you know, next time, nexttime, next time guacamole
Jermaine came up at the dinner,the planning day, and when we
were saying like who?
Leigh Ann (11:34):
who can we um not just trust I'm not trying to be
dramatic with that, but but whocan we?
Who can we invite to carefullyand specifically?
And I, I would say sometimes,um, I have heard you teach on
something that I felt like, oh,I know what she's going to say.
Right, I know I can, I knowthis or I've been taught this,
(11:56):
but there's a surgical, reallyneat um way that you can unpack
things for us.
And I still, there was an imageyou shared in a chapel one time
and there was an image of likea suitcase, of like carrying
something around.
I don't know if you rememberthis, uh, the connection, but I
still think of that when I'm inthat situation, and that was
seven years ago, I don't knowsix or seven years ago.
(12:18):
So that that's a gift that God'sgiven you, and we're so
grateful that you're willing tokind of share it with us.
Diane (12:28):
But um tell us a little bit.
Leigh Ann (12:29):
I know we're, we want to jump into everything and we
want to do that.
But tell us a little bit, um,should we do it at the end, or
do you want her to go ahead andkind of tell us where people can
find out more about her kind ofthing?
Diane (12:36):
Well, I think, as as she feels led to do that, but I
would love to know a little bitmore, just personally, and your
story and and things.
Our listeners always appreciatethat.
Erin (12:46):
Well, I'm Erin Warren and um.
I am a central Florida native.
I am a rare one.
Diane (12:52):
I've lived here my whole life and never moved, even went
to college here.
Erin (12:55):
Um so, um, and just very fortunate Um, my husband, uh,
chris, and I met in the singlesclass at church oh, love it,
love it this summer, so not longafter, we will celebrate 20
years which is just crazy.
I can remember getting marriedand thinking, oh my goodness,
someday it's gonna be like 20years and now I'm here, you
(13:17):
blinked, you blinked, yeah, umwe have three kids um.
We have a 15 year old son who'sa freshman.
We have a 12, almost actually,by the time this episode comes
out, she'll be 13.
Okay 13-year-old daughter who isin sixth grade, and we have a.
I can't keep track because theykeep changing yeah they're
(13:37):
changing 11.
No, he's 10.
Leigh Ann (13:39):
You can round it off Almost 11.
Yes, 10-year-old son who's infourth grade Double digits.
Erin (13:45):
I know no, he's almost 11.
Diane (13:52):
When I know he's almost 11.
When the baby hits those,milestones.
Erin (13:54):
I was like I don't know how we got here, um and so yeah,
so that's kind of um, ourfamily, we.
I was telling Liam before westarted.
I am the what is it?
The conductor?
I am the conductor of the hotmess express.
Diane (14:06):
We just, you know, like.
Erin (14:08):
I love the chaos of our life.
It is hard and it's exhaustingbut it has been so fun.
You know I know y'all have seenit, but it's so fun to watch
your kids grow into who they are, who God created them to be.
And just to find their nichesand their friends, and it has
just been such a joy.
Diane (14:28):
Yeah, when you see those aha moments of like when
everything clicks and things,and you're just like yes you
know, that's just such ablessing to be able to see that
and you know we can attest we'vetold it to some of our guests
that have younger kids andthings is that you know you will
miss it when they're off anddoing their things, when they
(14:50):
take those steps to college oreven beyond, and you do miss
that.
Leigh Ann (14:52):
So cherish the chaos the hot mess express.
I love that and uh, I thinkthat's great for three, cause
you have three, I have three,diana's four that everything at
three was like she needed aparade permit to go places and
you also for other things sheused to say when we were little,
was you?
We can't just like, blend inlike yeah, oh, they're, oh
goodness they're here.
Yeah, like it's like they'rehere, that's so true well, and
(15:14):
on top of that.
Erin (15:15):
I know you can't tell because, like we, are a very
tall family so.
I'm I'm 5, 11, but my 15 yearold is 6, 4 and still going and
so, like I know, his littlebrother is probably going to be
on that track.
I joke with my daughter, likewe're in the running to see
who's going to be the shortestin this family, so you know it's
um we, no, we don't get to walkinto anywhere.
Leigh Ann (15:36):
We're not blending in , blending in oh they're here,
that's awesome.
But in the best way that justbrings up that, uh, that
standard.
Diane (15:55):
So, hey guys, we're here so well.
We just love that you're a partof today's episode as we launch
things into season three, andso let's get right to it.
Erin (15:59):
Yes, yes, start sharing with us about Romans 828 and how
you know that God is is justworking in our lives.
Yeah, I'm super passionateabout applying scripture in
context.
Um, so, as Leanne kind ofmentioned, I'm a Bible teacher.
You know, my story is reallyrooted in growing up in 90s
Christian culture.
That was very much a.
You become a Christian, you getthe good, you know things you
(16:22):
put on your happy face, younever have problems, we've got
the joy of the Lord, everythingis fine.
And you know it was almost adecade ago.
My husband got sick and endedup in the hospital and diagnosed
with an autoimmune disease andall of a sudden I'm going wait a
second, what happened to thisis going to be wrapped up with a
(16:45):
neat little bow and you knowthat piece of our life has moved
on Like this is something we'regoing to be dealing with
forever, and so, um, that reallykind of set me on a.
Okay, god, I think I'vemisunderstood some things about
you, and it's when I reallystarted digging into his word
for myself.
I wanted to know what he reallypromised me, because in my head
.
Diane (17:04):
I was going.
Erin (17:05):
Oh well, I think you've promised me, Romans 8, 28, that
all things are going to work forgood because I love you and
we're serving you and we'redoing these things for you, god,
and it was kind of this um agood life by works.
So it's like we knew salvation.
I know salvation is by faithalone.
There is nothing I can do toearn my salvation.
But then sometimes on the flipside, we we slip into this good
(17:28):
life by works where we think ifwe do these things for God, then
nothing bad is going to happen.
Diane (17:33):
You're working some kind of deal out Right, and it's
really the exact opposite, rightyeah.
Erin (17:40):
I came to find out that he does not promise us wealth and
health and good things.
In fact it's quite the opposite.
You know, john 16, 33 says inthis world you will have trouble
.
Um, and there's so much hope inthat verse.
I'll come to it in just a minute, but it really um, it really
became a passion of mine, notonly to study God's word and
(18:03):
teach God's word, but to helpother women learn how to stay at
God's word for themselves.
Cause I just was noticing, youknow, I I didn't no one ever
said here's how to read God'sword and a lot of the things
that were out there in this kindof it's the fancy word for it's
inductive, but it just meansstudying the Bible first and
foremost for yourself.
(18:25):
Um, you know, when I startedlooking at inductive stuff, it
was like super overwhelming.
Diane (18:30):
There's like all these colored pens and you circle this
and square that and do this, orit's just a blank page that
says observe, interpret andapply, and you're going yeah, I
don't know what to do with that.
Leigh Ann (18:42):
So that's kind of the research so that we can enjoy
it.
We're getting the 101 for sureso that we can enjoy it.
Erin (18:53):
We're getting the one-on-one for sure.
So, um, really, I for me, oneof the gifts that came out of
COVID was that I startedteaching, um, bible study online
and I was like I'll just, I'lljust make a book and they can
buy it and that's kind of howI'll fund what I'm doing.
I wasn't working anymore, I hadjust left my ministry job right
before and um and stuff, andthen it just kept going.
(19:13):
And so in the um.
You know, after a couple ofmonths it was like all right,
god, I think we're doingsomething here.
So I started officiallylaunched um my ministry called
feasting on truth, and so I haveseveral Bible studies, but one
of them is on Romans, and so Ireally appreciate it.
So we have, by his grace, forhis glory, so this is an
(19:37):
inductive.
Leigh Ann (19:39):
It is workbook style.
Erin (19:40):
Great, great.
It's a lot of empty space, butit just kind of guides you.
Diane (19:45):
So I call it flexible structure, so it's going to help
you walk through it.
Erin (19:48):
It's not going to just leave you to it, but it's also
going to leave space for you inthe Holy Spirit to really study.
There's no commentary in it andall that.
But when I teach Bible study, Ialways, always, always, always
start with context, because wehave to remember that the Bible
was written for us, but not tous, but not to us.
(20:11):
And so we need to answer somequestions, first and foremost to
really help us kind ofunderstand and unpack what's
going on.
And so we ask questions likewho wrote this book?
Well, paul wrote Romans right.
It's his longest letter.
He wrote over half the NewTestament, but this is his
longest letter.
It's considered one of the mostcomprehensive explanations of
the gospel and one of thereasons for that is because of
(20:35):
what was going on in history.
So he wrote this probably inthe early to mid, maybe as late
as 57, AD 57.
So about 10 years earlier.
Emperor Claudius is emperor inRome and he expels all the Jews
out of Rome, and you canactually read about it in Acts.
It's in Acts, chapter 18.
(20:57):
In the very first four verses,Priscilla and Aquila, who we
taught show up.
Diane (21:03):
They're big people in the New Testament right.
Erin (21:05):
They were expelled from Rome, and so it was.
That is where Paul connectswith them, he spends time with
them, so it's very likely thathe he had never visited the
church in Rome when he wrotethis but, that.
So after emperor Claudius dies,the Jews come back and it is a
mostly Gentile church, and therewere some ethnic clashes that
(21:28):
were going on within the church.
Oh wow, and there were someethnic clashes that were going
on within the church.
And so Paul writes to reset thefoundation, to say we are all
common in sin and common insalvation.
And so that is kind of theunderlying context, which
totally makes sense when youread it now, because you can see
him.
(21:55):
This is why he lays out thefoundation of the gospel that
it's by faith, it's not by birth.
Yeah, right, that these.
This is what it looks like whenyou are living your life
without Christ.
Here is what it looks like whenyou're living your life with
Christ.
And so, really, that's kind ofwhat's going on in the
background of of Romans, um, andso not only do we have to look,
um, at historical context, butwe also want to kind of look at
scriptural context.
So anytime we're going to jumpinto a verse and we're going to
(22:16):
quote a verse, we need tounderstand the context of what's
going on around it.
And so Romans has four sections.
The first section is chaptersone through four, and it talks
about God's righteousness versusour need for a savior.
And it's that idea, what I said.
We're common in sin, like weall sin and we're all saved the
(22:38):
same way, so we are all commonin our salvation.
Leigh Ann (22:41):
There's not different paths, to get there Right.
Erin (22:44):
And then Romans five through eight is what our lives
look like because of ChristRight, and so when we're jumping
into Romans eight, we arejumping in at like this climax
point in the book.
I mean, when you read Romanseight can you can just feel
yourself like coming up withthis energy right.
Diane (23:03):
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Erin (23:07):
We're more than conquerors .
We can do this.
No, we can separate us.
Yes, jesus, yes, we're morethan conquerors.
We can do this, no one canseparate us.
So but that builds up in thosefirst, in those chapters ahead
of it, true Romans, nine through11, which get a little squishy.
There's a lot of debate butreally ultimately, at the core,
they're about the fulfillment ofold Testament prophecy, that
Jesus is the fulfillment of theOld Testament.
(23:30):
And then Romans 12 through 16is practical advice.
This is why you always have tobe so careful when you jump into
.
Romans 12, 13, 14, 16 is reallya kind of a closing greeting,
but when you jump in, there'sall these do this, do that, do
this.
But it's never meant to beseparated from the beginning
because, and he does this withall of his letters.
(23:52):
If you look, Ephesians samething starts with the doctrine
and it ends with the to do'sOkay, and so the reason is
because all of it we have isrooted in who Jesus is.
Diane (24:02):
Right.
Erin (24:03):
And then what the Holy spirit does for us, and so, um,
that's kind of what's going onin the background of.
Diane (24:10):
Romans.
I love it, love it, oh mygoodness.
Leigh Ann (24:13):
So really put together, and we want to just
encourage you, if you didn'talready run, and pause this and
go get a pen to take some notes.
This is a.
This is a watch twice or listentwice, kind of thing which is
great, because we we do wantthis to be a launching off for
people to go study deeper, to goread the whole chapter to go
read the whole book of friendsand dive into that and get.
(24:36):
Aaron's book to do it.
But anyway, um, I also wantedto just pause us and have you
define good define some of theseterms in this because we we are
going to admit right now thatthroughout this season we're
going to use the very human fun.
Some of our episodes are justfun.
(24:57):
Good, very lowercase g, good inour society, in our terminology
, but where biblically are westanding when we talk about
goodness and when we talk aboutsomething being good?
Erin (25:11):
I think this is, or lot of the confusion of this verse
comes in, is because, um, again,we need to remember the Bible
written for us but not to us.
It was originally written in adifferent language, right, and
so there are words in English.
You know, we do our best andthat's why, you know, typically
I recommend having two or threegood translations of scripture
(25:34):
to kind of cross between,because they are all going to
fill in gaps kind of fromdifferent angles.
Leigh Ann (25:39):
It's also fun to do that.
It's actually a fun experimentto do that, to say I'm going to
look this up in several and getthe most comprehensive
understanding that I can, andand so in the Romans was
originally written in Greek um.
Erin (25:54):
Old Testament Hebrew, new Testament, greek and so um.
We need to really understandwhat that word meant.
Um.
I think a lot of the confusioncomes, so I love looking up
words on the dictionary.
Diane (26:05):
I'm a word girl, just in case you haven't figured that
out yet You're in good company.
Leigh Ann (26:10):
You're in good company, I know, I know.
Erin (26:11):
Yes, um.
So I love to look up words inthe English dictionary to kind
of help give some frameworkCause.
A lot of times you get someadditional context that you're
like.
I kind of know whatcompassionate means, but when
you look it up, it adds a layerof understanding.
Um, so I looked up the wordgood in the dictionary and there
are 33.
Diane (26:31):
English definitions.
That surprises me, that's crazy33.
Erin (26:35):
So, of course, we're going to be confused about what
goodness means, and so this isone of those instances where we
really need to lean on theoriginal language.
And man, it is such anincredible time to be a student
of God's word, because all ofthis is available right online.
Yeah, and you know it used tobe 20 years ago.
You had to.
I mean, the book is theStrong's Concordance that you
(26:55):
would have to look stuff up.
I mean it's 2000 pages orsomething ridiculous and it's
teeny tiny, my father-in-law'sstudy.
Leigh Ann (27:02):
You know the books in the offices and the studies or
the pastor's office.
Right, go borrow the book fromchurch.
Yes, yes, so um, but you'reright, like everything now is
kind of at our fingertips whichis such an amazing opportunity
for us to just go deeper intothat.
Diane (27:16):
It is.
Erin (27:17):
And a lot of them I use.
Um.
Blueletterbibleorg is a goodone.
Biblehubcom is good.
Um biblehubcom just startedadding context um biblical usage
and historical context noteswithin there, so you can better
understand.
So the word good in Greek meansbeneficial, virtuous, but here's
(27:40):
the thing it's related to moraland ethical virtues, not to
circumstances, and so when ittalks about our good and this is
where we get confused, becausewe'll go well my husband getting
diagnosed isn't good, and partof my story that continues on is
that my son was diagnosed withan even more serious medical
(28:02):
condition almost three years ago, and nothing about this is yeah
.
And so what does God's goodnesslook like?
And it's because God is good,no matter what.
Diane (28:14):
Yeah.
Erin (28:15):
So one of the things I get really on my soapbox about is
when something really goodhappens in your life, like you
get the job promotion or you're,you get the scholarship or you
get the thing that you've beenpraying for, we go, oh God is
good.
But you know what God wouldhave been good even if you
didn't.
You know, when we get thehealing, God is good.
When we don't get the healing,God is good.
(28:37):
And so being able to understandhis goodness and what he is
working toward in his goodnessis about who we are.
Diane (28:46):
I like what you said, just to pause for just a minute,
that his goodness is not tiedto circumstances, and that is
that's really like to me like anepiphany you know, like that's
something that a lot of peoplewill say, like you just said
about oh, we get something andthen he is good, but it's really
not tied to those circumstances.
Erin (29:07):
That's really valuable Right it is and it's hard too,
because we want it to be True.
Leigh Ann (29:12):
Well, and, and I will say, if you've ever said that
and you're feeling a little like, oh why am I, you know?
Erin (29:20):
I said it all the time until I was in a situation Also.
Leigh Ann (29:25):
I think the neat part to unpack this is we want to
honor God Like at our core.
We want to give God praise.
We want to worship him in allthings.
The challenge that we'rebringing up with this is the
worship and the praise when wedidn't get the answers we asked
(29:45):
for.
No, it's true, it's.
The other side is right on.
Erin (29:50):
Right, I mean the, because that's supposed to be our
posture, whatever thecircumstance, and there is, and
this is why every Bible studyhas a list of characteristics of
God and names of God, and everyweek of homework you are
pulling those out.
Um, and part of it is because Ireally believe that in the ten
commandments when it says do notmisuse the name of the lord
(30:11):
your god or do not use it invain yeah, um that a lot of that
is related to how we representhis character and when we
attribute falsely his characteryeah, then we're misusing his
name.
Wow and so um.
For me it just became reallyserious.
There are attributes hisgenerosity, his sovereignty
right those things that wepraise, so we can praise and
(30:33):
worship in the good stuff.
We just want to make sure,because I think for me what was
hard was what does that say tothe person who lost their
husband to cancer, when you sayGod is good because he healed
your husband?
Sure and so helping recognizethat God is good because he
healed your husband, sure, youknow, and and so helping uh
recognize that God is good nomatter what.
Diane (30:54):
There's a disconnect there.
Well, I will just say a littledisclaimer right now, but this
resonates tremendously with mebecause when my mom passed away
which you haven't shared.
On this you know there was alot of tough times and when she
was laying there on hospice shewould say, how God was good and
(31:19):
I, there was no Right.
It was so sincere, yeah, yeah,to the last day, right.
Leigh Ann (31:27):
And to someone that wasn't.
It wasn't tied to how healthyshe was or how strong she was.
Diane (31:32):
It was tied to him and the caregivers that would come
in and care for her literallywould say to me it is so
different being here and sheresonated that and a lot of
people never saw that side of mymom.
Yeah, and she got really boldin really the closer she was to
heaven.
Leigh Ann (31:52):
Yeah, yeah, so what?
Diane (31:54):
you're saying just really resonates with me and things,
and I just you know, like yousaid, like when it's really easy
to say it, when things aregoing great, but when you're in
that trial and in that toughtime you know.
And so by knowing that andknowing that I call it like a
spiritual depth that it was veryeasy for me to be beyond the
(32:16):
grave with her, because I knowhow she was, I know what she saw
and how she felt.
Yeah, that's good.
Erin (32:22):
There's a great children's book that I just recently was
introduced to um by someone inmy Bible study.
Um, it's good.
There's a great children's bookthat I just recently was
introduced to um by someone inmy Bible study, um, it's written
by a minister, a pastor in theUK, but he um had a toddler son
and um his wife gave birth to astillborn baby late term.
And um, and it was kind of thebook he wrote for how to help
(32:45):
explain to his son that.
God is still good and it'scalled.
The moon is always round, ohwow.
And there's a catechism thatgoes with it of what shape is
the moon tonight, but what shapeis the moon Always?
Diane (32:56):
The moon is always round.
Erin (32:57):
Yeah.
Why is the moon?
What does that tell us?
Diane (33:00):
God is always good and we may not always see his goodness
.
I have goosebumps that tell usGod is always good and we may
not always see his goodness, Ihave goosebumps.
Erin (33:12):
Yeah, I love that Um.
Diane (33:12):
We may not always see his goodness Um, but we can trust
that his goodness is there Umand so I ended up.
Erin (33:15):
I actually um bought a uh an art print of the phases of
the moon and hung it in my son'sbedroom.
And we do that at night,especially as he struggles
through his um, his diagnosisand his stuff.
Diane (33:29):
That he has to deal with every day.
Erin (33:30):
It's like but why do we know he's good?
Because of good Friday.
Yeah, right, yeah, and so youknow, ultimately, all of it is a
reminder that he is good.
Yeah, and sometimes in ourfinite minds and in our broken
world.
I mean his.
This world is broken and wehave to come to peace with that
(33:52):
and understand this is not theway it was meant to be.
Leigh Ann (33:55):
That was going to be.
My next question, too, was canyou put in context for us um
God's creation and design for it?
And then, the battle of thisworld is not against flesh and
blood and it's it's.
Sometimes it's we feel likewe're battling the diagnosis or
(34:17):
we're battling the um, the, theperson who's not doing what we
need them to do relationallylike you know that, that um,
there's it's, it's just notgoing the way we want it to
right.
We want it to, but also thateven I think even on a more like
that we think we need it to tobe okay, you know.
(34:41):
And it's like where, where doesthat categorize?
How do we break that down intoany kind of human understanding?
Erin (34:48):
Do you know?
Diane (34:49):
what I mean Like cause it's.
Leigh Ann (34:51):
It is a.
It is a hard thing to grasp andI love the idea of how would we
explain this to a child to ourour child, our grandchild, um
that understanding when they'veonly got this much life
experience to draw on.
But but also just to continue,I don't want to interrupt you,
but I was going to say but justshare with us a little bit about
(35:14):
the CS Lewis, uh, the paradigm.
Diane (35:18):
You know where?
Leigh Ann (35:18):
he's like we have.
The reason we know what good isas humans is because we know
the opposite of that.
Yeah, Anyway, that's just kindof I didn't want to jump into
that.
Erin (35:31):
We see from creation in Genesis 1 and 2, everything is
good Right.
Diane (35:36):
Yeah.
Erin (35:36):
That is the word our English Bibles use.
Right, he saw it and it wasgood.
Diane (35:40):
And it was good Right.
Erin (35:45):
And then when we turn the page to Genesis 3 and Satan
enters the garden and he says toEve did God actually say?
This is why I'm so passionateabout how we root people in
truth because that is that's thesame question he asked Right,
but ultimately what?
He got her.
What he was planting in her wasthe idea that God was holding
out on her.
Leigh Ann (36:04):
Right.
Erin (36:05):
Right and that there was something better that.
Diane (36:09):
God wasn't giving her Right.
Erin (36:11):
And, ultimately, that's what they chose.
They chose to believe that Godwas holding out on them.
And so we see them do that, andthen sin enters the world, and
that is the context of Romans 8.
When we come back to Romans 8,it talks about creation is
groaning, longing for.
(36:31):
That is why I believe we havenatural disasters and hurricanes
and earthquakes.
It's because creation is notwhat it was meant to be.
Diane (36:40):
It is no longer good, it is broken and it is crying out
longing for redemption.
Erin (36:46):
Then we ourselves groan because we know that this is not
what we were created for, thatultimately, we were created for
heaven, these things are notmatching up, right.
But, goodness, the beauty of itis that the Holy Spirit groans
as well.
And that is the context of thetheme verse for this year is
(37:06):
that the Holy Spirit is groaningin words we cannot describe
praying for us according to thewill of God, and so, even in the
brokenness of our lives, evenwhen we don't know what to pray,
we know that the Holy Spirit isinterceding on our behalf.
Diane (37:22):
And.
Erin (37:22):
I love the word sin in Greek literally means to miss
the mark and the word intercedewhich we find here in Romans
eight.
So what the spirit is doingliterally means to hit the mark,
that he is hitting the mark onour behalf and interceding for
us, and so, no, this world isn'tgood.
But the the brokenness, thepain, the in this world isn't
(37:43):
good, but the brokenness, thepain in this world, you will
have trouble.
But he finishes that in John 16, 33,.
But take heart.
Leigh Ann (37:51):
I have overcome the world and he starts it with.
Erin (37:53):
I've told you these things so that in me you may have
peace.
Peace and knowing that thevictory is sure that we have
that in Romans 8 as well.
Like we are more thanconquerors.
This is not a buzzer beater.
Diane (38:06):
This is not.
Erin (38:07):
March madness.
This is not.
It could be anyone's game Like.
The victory is done, it'ssealed.
Satan's days are numbered.
His power is limited and Jesusis coming back, and so we should
be looking toward eternity andour brokenness and remembering
that, though the days here feellong and hard and broken,
ultimately for those who believethey are a blink of the eye
(38:29):
Right.
Leigh Ann (38:29):
Yeah, right, that eternity.
That word, that word just keptcoming up.
Um, that when one of the manyprivileges that we have as
believers is to get a biggerperspective?
is to get that eternal view, itstill feels like a slice
compared to what God is is umimparting with us and giving us,
(38:51):
but but we are able to to seehim um, you know, working on it.
I had a recent example of of apastor shared that he was
praying with two families withthe same diagnosis.
Both the mothers in these twofamilies had a cancer diagnosis.
One is he preached the funeraland one he was there when she
(39:14):
rang the bell for celebrating anearthly healing and he said
they were both healed and thatthat is really the heart, like
that was.
The most vivid example that Ican think of is is um.
That's something that I heardgrowing up was heaven is healing
.
And that is not that's not achurchy concept right now.
(39:35):
You know what I mean.
Like honestly, and I don't wantthat.
I would cry out to God ifthat's what was asked of me or
said we're going to do this.
Diane (39:46):
Do you know what I mean?
Leigh Ann (39:48):
Like honestly, and that's a push and pull that we
have as believers in this world.
It's a tension that we have tolive in.
Right, this is not our home,yeah, so ultimately, just kind
of to wrap up, I love that.
Erin (40:00):
I always encourage us that we should ask how are you going
to use this, not why?
So when my son was diagnosed, Ihad walked through some things
years before with my husband,and so I had been rooted enough
in him to go.
Okay, god, I know you'vepromised that you are with me,
that you will never leave me,forsake me, and you have gone
before me.
I said so don't let me miss you,let me see where you are, let
(40:23):
me see where you're working, andI don't want to waste this.
And so I think, ultimately,it's really hard and we grieve.
I mean, goodness, there aredays I just cry and there are
days where I'm exhausted and Ihave nothing left, you know.
So I'm not.
I don't want you to think I'msome spiritual, perfect all the
time.
Leigh Ann (40:43):
Thank you for this trial, laura, at all times, but
constantly turning my mind backto where are you, God?
Erin (40:51):
Where are you working?
How are you changing me?
How are you?
Leigh Ann (40:53):
growing me and not wasting it.
Erin (40:57):
And ultimately, that's what the good of Romans 8, 28 is
that he refines us.
We didn't have time to talkabout that, but he refines us,
you know we didn't have time totalk about that.
But you know he refines us, hemakes us more like him because
those trials remove impuritiesfrom us Right Right.
They make us a more purefollower of Jesus, they make us
more holy, and so, like lettingthat change us, letting that
(41:19):
pour out into you, can be realand you can.
You know, talk about how hardit is, but also, I mean, this is
Psalms, right.
Diane (41:28):
Every.
Erin (41:28):
Psalm of David crying out, crying out but God is good.
Diane (41:32):
I'm going to praise you.
I love you.
Your love endures forever, youknow.
And so, always holding thattension, I love it.
Well, it's so much informationand I love it and you know we
have our show notes, and so someof these verses that you talked
about the links, we'redefinitely going to put those in
our show notes so that ourlisteners can go back and and,
(41:52):
like Leanne said, this isdefinitely one of those that
you're going to probably hit onrepeat.
Leigh Ann (41:56):
Yeah, watch and listen more than once.
Yeah, take those notesSometimes when it's something
you haven't maybe heardpresented in that way before, to
absorb it.
I know for me I'm like I'mgoing to need to hear it pray
and then listen again and comeback again.
So, but it's, it's so, so, um,I could tell like there's such
(42:20):
an anointed circle to this andum, and it's really special.
Diane (42:25):
I mean just to get a glimpse into our world a little
bit, that you know, when weprayed and we sat and just in
the presence of God, to just saywhere God do you want to use us
for this next season?
Um, it was a resounding pointto this verse's amazing and I
mean listen, there's a lot ofverses out there and when?
(42:48):
So god just refined us right tothis to this spot and we, you
know it was like this andabsolutely and we want him to
use that too.
Yeah, yeah, so we're excitedabout that, and with every
episode we always do leave withour theme verse so we're gonna
do that tonight.
Leigh Ann (43:04):
I don't think we read the whole thing.
No, we didn't.
No, we didn't.
Do you want to?
I was going to say do you wantto have Erin read it?
Diane (43:10):
Or do you want to Sure?
If you have it open and ready,you can go ahead and read Romans
8, 28 for us.
Erin (43:16):
Just 28?
Diane (43:17):
Or do you want 27 too?
Erin (43:28):
Just go um this one.
I need my glasses.
I'm not alone now, and we knowthat, for those who love god,
all things work together forgood for those who are called
according to his purpose andthere you go, amen.
Leigh Ann (43:35):
So season three.
Diane (43:38):
It's the closing of the episode one of season yes, yes,
be refreshed, be encouraged andstay well grounded.
I always encourage us that we should ask how are you going
to use this, not why?
So when my son was diagnosed, Ihad walked through some things
years before with my husband,and so I had been rooted enough
in him to go.
Okay, god, I know you'vepromised that you are with me,
that you will never leave me,forsake me, and you have gone
before me.
I said so don't let me miss you, let me see where you are, let
(00:23):
me see where you you're workingand I don't want to waste this
yeah and so I think, ultimatelyit's really hard and we grieve.
I mean, goodness, there are daysI just cry yes, and there are
days where I'm exhausted and Ihave nothing left yeah, you know
right.
So I'm not.
Leigh Ann (00:38):
I don't want you to think I'm some spiritual oh,
lord, thank you for this, allthe time, thank you for this,
thank you for this trial.
Erin (00:47):
Constantly turning my mind back to where are you God?
Where are you working?
How are you?
Leigh Ann (00:53):
changing me?
How are you growing?
Diane (00:56):
me.
Erin (00:56):
And ultimately, that's what the good of Romans 8, 28 is
that he refines us.
You know we didn't have time totalk about that, but you know
he refines us, he makes us morelike him, because those trials
remove impurities from us rightRight.
They make us a more purefollower of.
Diane (01:13):
Jesus, welcome.
Welcome to the Well-GroundedPodcast.
I am Diane and I am Leanne, andwe are two lifelong friends
doing life over coffee andconversations.
And today we are so excitedbecause we are revealing our
(01:34):
season three.
But more than that we have beendoing this podcast for one year
.
I can't believe it.
I cannot believe that, I cannotjust think about it Happy
anniversary.
It is so fun, it is just such anexciting benchmark really, and
all the thoughts and the dreamsand the prayers and the things
(01:55):
that we just took so much timeto just cultivate and think
about how we wanted WellGrounded to, you know, kind of
grow and develop, and just to behere, sitting here for a year
from now is just kind of likeone of those goose bumpy moments
.
Leigh Ann (02:08):
I know, I know Well all the times we were talking
about it like we should, wewould have these conversations
that would always end up with weshould have a podcast.
Diane (02:16):
You know it's always like this is a lot more than one
coffee.
We're real good at talking toeach other.
This is right in our lane, herewe're going right in, so that
was that was great that was yes,we are.
Leigh Ann (02:27):
we are at season three.
So we did our first season waskind of get to know us.
Yes, our second season wassisterhood and motherhood.
What is season three about?
Diane Season?
Diane (02:37):
three, if you can see, is about all things good.
We are so excited to introducethis theme to you today, and
this is going to be a seasonthrough the summer going into
the fall, and we're just talkingabout Romans 828 and how, in
life, god shows his goodness tous in so many ways.
We see it in creation, we seeit in so many different
(03:01):
opportunities in our life,whether it's through our
children, our family, ourfriendships.
Now, that doesn't mean we don'thave hard times, right, there
is suffering, there is thingsthat happen, right, that causes
hardship, but in that, god isgood, right, and so we really
prayed about this.
We had a retreat over thisseason, we have done so many fun
(03:23):
things and here we are, we'reexcited.
Leigh Ann (03:26):
I still have to say, my favorite piece of this is is
putting the content together,and it is us going to dinner Our
content.
Diane always says to the waiterwe're going to be here a while.
Diane (03:39):
They always look like big guys, Like okay, why do you
have?
Leigh Ann (03:42):
iPads and Bibles out ladies.
But we just move into arestaurant and sort of plan out
and get that done.
Diane (03:48):
I think the last one was a good two plus hours.
Leigh Ann (03:50):
Oh, yes, yes, I don't know if we could have had any
more tacos, more guacamoles,more guacamoles.
Yes, for sure, it was good, forsure, but yeah.
Diane (04:11):
It was good, and that was a phrase that my son's school
said at every chapel that theyhad, and it resonated with me
and I use that as a hashtagalmost on you know a good
portion of my posts.
That I do because it's true.
I mean, when you boil it down,it's true.
He is good all the time and allthe time he is good, and so I'm
(04:31):
excited for this season.
Leigh Ann (04:32):
Yes, and we, we know that who God is doesn't change
he's the same yesterday todayand forever, forever.
And.
But this life has that, hasthose challenges that you were
talking about, has those thingsthat we face and so kind of
making that distinction is a biggoal of ours today.
And we are um gonna have somereally silly things we're doing
(04:56):
this summer.
Yes, we're going to have someof those teary moments that we
always have.
We've just, we're just gettingreally in that head space of
looking for what God is at workdoing.
Cause he is working.
Yes, and we see that in that,romans eight verse two.
Diane (05:15):
So we want to pull all that together, but to get that
started, yes, and what's reallyneat, too, is that, in all those
those things he is workingbehind the scenes in our lives
in so many different ways,whether it's with people that he
brings into our lives and as wecultivated, who do we want to
have on this um, this pot, thisseason, right?
Who do we want to share thiswith and and for our listeners?
(05:39):
You know, what do we feel willencourage you the most right um,
I just, you know, want to say ashout out to our listeners
right now.
We are so thankful for you allthese months.
For 12 months, we've done 25episodes.
We were just so excited that youhave been on this journey with
you and if you are new, we're soexcited as well.
Um, we're well, we want towelcome you and just um,
(06:01):
encourage you to find us andjust like, subscribe and share
all those things that when youfind us on we're.
On Instagram, you can find usat Well Grounded Podcast, and
you can look us up on YouTube,apple, spotify and really
anywhere, yes, anywhere, yes,yes, that you find podcasts.
Leigh Ann (06:17):
Yes, I think it's great YouTube.
The YouTube option is is fun tobe able to, to be here with us
um and see it.
But I know, before we weredoing a podcast, I was an audio
only podcast listener.
It was always going to be inthe car driving somewhere and
doing that so.
Diane (06:33):
so just um we we video has stretched us a little bit.
I kept trying to resist.
I was like, do we have to dovideo?
Leigh Ann (06:40):
How about?
Diane (06:41):
audio.
We love audio.
Leigh Ann (06:46):
But we have enjoyed it, we have had fun with with it
.
Diane (06:47):
so even if you're not regularly doing that every once
in a while like, yeah, check inand watch a youtube every once
in a while, especially if you'renew come and see the new set,
because we've changed everythingfor this season we've got
bright colors, we have neonsigns, we have all sorts of
things.
So check us out on youtube forsure.
Yes, but before we get going onthis season, we've got to pause
and think about our lattemoment.
(07:08):
For those of you who are new tous, latte moment is something
that we pause in every episode,and we think about a fun coffee
drink you are up in your gamefor season three.
Leigh Ann (07:19):
This is this I'm getting photos y'all during the
day update.
Yes, there's things on thestove, there are things being
there.
Diane (07:28):
The cafe, the coffee corner and diane's kitchen is
going up and on through thisit's gorgeous, I have to shout
out to my sister-in-law she gaveme a new frother, so this is a
big deal because I can frothlike anything now it's not just
one thing.
It's like I can froth multiplethings, so today's drink.
Tell me what I'm drinkingcaramel macchiato, and it is
(07:48):
homemade.
I feel really good about this,so it is good.
So you've got very simpleingredients here you have
caramel, you have vanilla syrup,whatever you want to use,
whether it's a vanilla, um, youknow, you can use all sorts of
different ones.
Then you do a milk froth and itcan be any milk.
It can be a healthy milk, itcan be a whole milk.
(08:09):
I used half and half because Iwanted to really go big, or go
home today and then you pour inyour espresso which personally,
just a hint, I use decaf becauseI didn't want to be up all
night and then you put thecaramel on top.
Now, so cute.
When you do the drink, you guys, you put this, you put the
(08:29):
froth in and then you pour theespresso or your coffee over it
and it marks the froth andthat's what makes a macchiato
okay, it is an italian word formarked.
Look at us, I feel very fancytoday, so okay, that is
excellent.
Leigh Ann (08:45):
Here we want to clink , want to clink, clink, clink,
and we have a guest.
You can't see who it is yet,but I'm just gonna clink with
her.
Yes, we have a guest over hereand this is actually this
educational macchiato.
Teaching you something is agreat segue because we have
invited a precious friend, butalso just a cherished, beloved
(09:07):
Bible teacher that is here withus today, and I am so excited to
introduce Erin Warren to youguys.
Erin (09:15):
So glad to have you here.
Thank you for joining us onCaramel Macchiato Night.
Listen, I'm telling you thefrothed half and half and half.
Diane (09:24):
I mean it's go big or go home.
I mean game changer.
I don't say the recipe, becausewe will post it in our show
notes says to use like wholemilk or even two percent and I'm
like, yeah, no.
Erin (09:41):
I can't do that.
I have to use like the realthing.
I love it.
This is delicious, it'sdelicious.
This is delicious, excellent,excellent so we welcome thank
you.
Leigh Ann (09:48):
Thank you for having me so fun.
We are starting season threewith this very special guest.
Yes, because, um, we wanted tokind of lay a foundation on this
.
Romans 8, um, specifically,yeah, that 27 and 28 verses 27,
28 but to kind of give you somecontext with that and to to kind
(10:08):
of approach the idea of whatdoes some of these things mean,
cause people quote, we have likethese best quoted verses, but I
have heard some people use itone way and some people use it
another way in that situation.
So what we're going to do issort of unpack that tonight or
in this episode and want to makesure that, um, we give you time
(10:29):
for that, but I do have to,like, tell everybody how special
you are and what you mean to usbecause this is erin, and erin
actually discipled my daughter,charlotte, in high school, and
with a group of them, how manywere they like?
Diane (10:43):
seven, five, six, seven, eight something like that,
depending on who, depending onthe year, how busy they were
with after school.
Leigh Ann (10:49):
Yes, so um, but yes, it was just such a uh, an
investment in charlotte's life,who is now in ministry full-time
ministry is married.
Did you give her permission?
Diane (11:01):
for that.
By the way, you did not.
I'm fine.
She was your babysitter.
Erin (11:04):
She babysat for my little munchkins, who are not little
munchkins.
They're not munchkins anymore.
She grew up.
Leigh Ann (11:12):
They're growing up.
It's just wild.
But I just wanted to say one ofthe reasons when we were
talking about this at ourplanning delicious Mexican
dinner, which I'm a little upset.
Diane (11:23):
I should have been invited, because when guacamole
it was just at a coffee shop.
But you know, next time, nexttime, next time guacamole
Jermaine came up at the dinner,the planning day, and when we
were saying like who?
Leigh Ann (11:34):
who can we um not just trust I'm not trying to be
dramatic with that, but but whocan we?
Who can we invite to carefullyand specifically?
And I, I would say sometimes,um, I have heard you teach on
something that I felt like, oh,I know what she's going to say.
Right, I know I can, I knowthis or I've been taught this,
(11:56):
but there's a surgical, reallyneat um way that you can unpack
things for us.
And I still, there was an imageyou shared in a chapel one time
and there was an image of likea suitcase, of like carrying
something around.
I don't know if you rememberthis, uh, the connection, but I
still think of that when I'm inthat situation, and that was
seven years ago, I don't knowsix or seven years ago.
(12:18):
So that that's a gift that God'sgiven you, and we're so
grateful that you're willing tokind of share it with us.
Diane (12:28):
But um tell us a little bit.
Leigh Ann (12:29):
I know we're, we want to jump into everything and we
want to do that.
But tell us a little bit, um,should we do it at the end, or
do you want her to go ahead andkind of tell us where people can
find out more about her kind ofthing?
Diane (12:36):
Well, I think, as as she feels led to do that, but I
would love to know a little bitmore, just personally, and your
story and and things.
Our listeners always appreciatethat.
Erin (12:46):
Well, I'm Erin Warren and um.
I am a central Florida native.
I am a rare one.
Diane (12:52):
I've lived here my whole life and never moved, even went
to college here.
Erin (12:55):
Um so, um, and just very fortunate Um, my husband, uh,
chris, and I met in the singlesclass at church oh, love it,
love it this summer, so not longafter, we will celebrate 20
years which is just crazy.
I can remember getting marriedand thinking, oh my goodness,
someday it's gonna be like 20years and now I'm here, you
(13:17):
blinked, you blinked, yeah, umwe have three kids um.
We have a 15 year old son who'sa freshman.
We have a 12, almost actually,by the time this episode comes
out, she'll be 13.
Okay 13-year-old daughter who isin sixth grade, and we have a.
I can't keep track because theykeep changing yeah they're
(13:37):
changing 11.
No, he's 10.
Leigh Ann (13:39):
You can round it off Almost 11.
Yes, 10-year-old son who's infourth grade Double digits.
Erin (13:45):
I know no, he's almost 11.
Diane (13:52):
When I know he's almost 11.
When the baby hits those,milestones.
Erin (13:54):
I was like I don't know how we got here, um and so yeah,
so that's kind of um, ourfamily, we.
I was telling Liam before westarted.
I am the what is it?
The conductor?
I am the conductor of the hotmess express.
Diane (14:06):
We just, you know, like.
Erin (14:08):
I love the chaos of our life.
It is hard and it's exhaustingbut it has been so fun.
You know I know y'all have seenit, but it's so fun to watch
your kids grow into who they are, who God created them to be.
And just to find their nichesand their friends, and it has
just been such a joy.
Diane (14:28):
Yeah, when you see those aha moments of like when
everything clicks and things,and you're just like yes you
know, that's just such ablessing to be able to see that
and you know we can attest we'vetold it to some of our guests
that have younger kids andthings is that you know you will
miss it when they're off anddoing their things, when they
(14:50):
take those steps to college oreven beyond, and you do miss
that.
Leigh Ann (14:52):
So cherish the chaos the hot mess express.
I love that and uh, I thinkthat's great for three, cause
you have three, I have three,diana's four that everything at
three was like she needed aparade permit to go places and
you also for other things sheused to say when we were little,
was you?
We can't just like, blend inlike yeah, oh, they're, oh
goodness they're here.
Yeah, like it's like they'rehere, that's so true well, and
(15:14):
on top of that.
Erin (15:15):
I know you can't tell because, like we, are a very
tall family so.
I'm I'm 5, 11, but my 15 yearold is 6, 4 and still going and
so, like I know, his littlebrother is probably going to be
on that track.
I joke with my daughter, likewe're in the running to see
who's going to be the shortestin this family, so you know it's
um we, no, we don't get to walkinto anywhere.
Leigh Ann (15:36):
We're not blending in , blending in oh they're here,
that's awesome.
But in the best way that justbrings up that, uh, that
standard.
Diane (15:55):
So, hey guys, we're here so well.
We just love that you're a partof today's episode as we launch
things into season three, andso let's get right to it.
Erin (15:59):
Yes, yes, start sharing with us about Romans 828 and how
you know that God is is justworking in our lives.
Yeah, I'm super passionateabout applying scripture in
context.
Um, so, as Leanne kind ofmentioned, I'm a Bible teacher.
You know, my story is reallyrooted in growing up in 90s
Christian culture.
That was very much a.
You become a Christian, you getthe good, you know things you
(16:22):
put on your happy face, younever have problems, we've got
the joy of the Lord, everythingis fine.
And you know it was almost adecade ago.
My husband got sick and endedup in the hospital and diagnosed
with an autoimmune disease andall of a sudden I'm going wait a
second, what happened to thisis going to be wrapped up with a
(16:45):
neat little bow and you knowthat piece of our life has moved
on Like this is something we'regoing to be dealing with
forever, and so, um, that reallykind of set me on a.
Okay, god, I think I'vemisunderstood some things about
you, and it's when I reallystarted digging into his word
for myself.
I wanted to know what he reallypromised me, because in my head
.
Diane (17:04):
I was going.
Erin (17:05):
Oh well, I think you've promised me, Romans 8, 28, that
all things are going to work forgood because I love you and
we're serving you and we'redoing these things for you, god,
and it was kind of this um agood life by works.
So it's like we knew salvation.
I know salvation is by faithalone.
There is nothing I can do toearn my salvation.
But then sometimes on the flipside, we we slip into this good
(17:28):
life by works where we think ifwe do these things for God, then
nothing bad is going to happen.
Diane (17:33):
You're working some kind of deal out Right, and it's
really the exact opposite, rightyeah.
Erin (17:40):
I came to find out that he does not promise us wealth and
health and good things.
In fact it's quite the opposite.
You know, john 16, 33 says inthis world you will have trouble
.
Um, and there's so much hope inthat verse.
I'll come to it in just a minute, but it really um, it really
became a passion of mine, notonly to study God's word and
(18:03):
teach God's word, but to helpother women learn how to stay at
God's word for themselves.
Cause I just was noticing, youknow, I I didn't no one ever
said here's how to read God'sword and a lot of the things
that were out there in this kindof it's the fancy word for it's
inductive, but it just meansstudying the Bible first and
foremost for yourself.
(18:25):
Um, you know, when I startedlooking at inductive stuff, it
was like super overwhelming.
Diane (18:30):
There's like all these colored pens and you circle this
and square that and do this, orit's just a blank page that
says observe, interpret andapply, and you're going yeah, I
don't know what to do with that.
Leigh Ann (18:42):
So that's kind of the research so that we can enjoy
it.
We're getting the 101 for sureso that we can enjoy it.
Erin (18:53):
We're getting the one-on-one for sure.
So, um, really, I for me, oneof the gifts that came out of
COVID was that I startedteaching, um, bible study online
and I was like I'll just, I'lljust make a book and they can
buy it and that's kind of howI'll fund what I'm doing.
I wasn't working anymore, I hadjust left my ministry job right
before and um and stuff, andthen it just kept going.
(19:13):
And so in the um.
You know, after a couple ofmonths it was like all right,
god, I think we're doingsomething here.
So I started officiallylaunched um my ministry called
feasting on truth, and so I haveseveral Bible studies, but one
of them is on Romans, and so Ireally appreciate it.
So we have, by his grace, forhis glory, so this is an
(19:37):
inductive.
Leigh Ann (19:39):
It is workbook style.
Erin (19:40):
Great, great.
It's a lot of empty space, butit just kind of guides you.
Diane (19:45):
So I call it flexible structure, so it's going to help
you walk through it.
Erin (19:48):
It's not going to just leave you to it, but it's also
going to leave space for you inthe Holy Spirit to really study.
There's no commentary in it andall that.
But when I teach Bible study, Ialways, always, always, always
start with context, because wehave to remember that the Bible
was written for us, but not tous, but not to us.
(20:11):
And so we need to answer somequestions, first and foremost to
really help us kind ofunderstand and unpack what's
going on.
And so we ask questions likewho wrote this book?
Well, paul wrote Romans right.
It's his longest letter.
He wrote over half the NewTestament, but this is his
longest letter.
It's considered one of the mostcomprehensive explanations of
the gospel and one of thereasons for that is because of
(20:35):
what was going on in history.
So he wrote this probably inthe early to mid, maybe as late
as 57, AD 57.
So about 10 years earlier.
Emperor Claudius is emperor inRome and he expels all the Jews
out of Rome, and you canactually read about it in Acts.
It's in Acts, chapter 18.
(20:57):
In the very first four verses,Priscilla and Aquila, who we
taught show up.
Diane (21:03):
They're big people in the New Testament right.
Erin (21:05):
They were expelled from Rome, and so it was.
That is where Paul connectswith them, he spends time with
them, so it's very likely thathe he had never visited the
church in Rome when he wrotethis but, that.
So after emperor Claudius dies,the Jews come back and it is a
mostly Gentile church, and therewere some ethnic clashes that
(21:28):
were going on within the church.
Oh wow, and there were someethnic clashes that were going
on within the church.
And so Paul writes to reset thefoundation, to say we are all
common in sin and common insalvation.
And so that is kind of theunderlying context, which
totally makes sense when youread it now, because you can see
him.
(21:55):
This is why he lays out thefoundation of the gospel that
it's by faith, it's not by birth.
Yeah, right, that these.
This is what it looks like whenyou are living your life
without Christ.
Here is what it looks like whenyou're living your life with
Christ.
And so, really, that's kind ofwhat's going on in the
background of of Romans, um, andso not only do we have to look,
um, at historical context, butwe also want to kind of look at
scriptural context.
So anytime we're going to jumpinto a verse and we're going to
(22:16):
quote a verse, we need tounderstand the context of what's
going on around it.
And so Romans has four sections.
The first section is chaptersone through four, and it talks
about God's righteousness versusour need for a savior.
And it's that idea, what I said.
We're common in sin, like weall sin and we're all saved the
(22:38):
same way, so we are all commonin our salvation.
Leigh Ann (22:41):
There's not different paths, to get there Right.
Erin (22:44):
And then Romans five through eight is what our lives
look like because of ChristRight, and so when we're jumping
into Romans eight, we arejumping in at like this climax
point in the book.
I mean, when you read Romanseight can you can just feel
yourself like coming up withthis energy right.
Diane (23:03):
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Erin (23:07):
We're more than conquerors .
We can do this.
No, we can separate us.
Yes, jesus, yes, we're morethan conquerors.
We can do this, no one canseparate us.
So but that builds up in thosefirst, in those chapters ahead
of it, true Romans, nine through11, which get a little squishy.
There's a lot of debate butreally ultimately, at the core,
they're about the fulfillment ofold Testament prophecy, that
Jesus is the fulfillment of theOld Testament.
(23:30):
And then Romans 12 through 16is practical advice.
This is why you always have tobe so careful when you jump into
.
Romans 12, 13, 14, 16 is reallya kind of a closing greeting,
but when you jump in, there'sall these do this, do that, do
this.
But it's never meant to beseparated from the beginning
because, and he does this withall of his letters.
(23:52):
If you look, Ephesians samething starts with the doctrine
and it ends with the to do'sOkay, and so the reason is
because all of it we have isrooted in who Jesus is.
Diane (24:02):
Right.
Erin (24:03):
And then what the Holy spirit does for us, and so, um,
that's kind of what's going onin the background of.
Diane (24:10):
Romans.
I love it, love it, oh mygoodness.
Leigh Ann (24:13):
So really put together, and we want to just
encourage you, if you didn'talready run, and pause this and
go get a pen to take some notes.
This is a.
This is a watch twice or listentwice, kind of thing which is
great, because we we do wantthis to be a launching off for
people to go study deeper, to goread the whole chapter to go
read the whole book of friendsand dive into that and get.
(24:36):
Aaron's book to do it.
But anyway, um, I also wantedto just pause us and have you
define good define some of theseterms in this because we we are
going to admit right now thatthroughout this season we're
going to use the very human fun.
Some of our episodes are justfun.
(24:57):
Good, very lowercase g, good inour society, in our terminology
, but where biblically are westanding when we talk about
goodness and when we talk aboutsomething being good?
Erin (25:11):
I think this is, or lot of the confusion of this verse
comes in, is because, um, again,we need to remember the Bible
written for us but not to us.
It was originally written in adifferent language, right, and
so there are words in English.
You know, we do our best andthat's why, you know, typically
I recommend having two or threegood translations of scripture
(25:34):
to kind of cross between,because they are all going to
fill in gaps kind of fromdifferent angles.
Leigh Ann (25:39):
It's also fun to do that.
It's actually a fun experimentto do that, to say I'm going to
look this up in several and getthe most comprehensive
understanding that I can, andand so in the Romans was
originally written in Greek um.
Erin (25:54):
Old Testament Hebrew, new Testament, greek and so um.
We need to really understandwhat that word meant.
Um.
I think a lot of the confusioncomes, so I love looking up
words on the dictionary.
Diane (26:05):
I'm a word girl, just in case you haven't figured that
out yet You're in good company.
Leigh Ann (26:10):
You're in good company, I know, I know.
Erin (26:11):
Yes, um.
So I love to look up words inthe English dictionary to kind
of help give some frameworkCause.
A lot of times you get someadditional context that you're
like.
I kind of know whatcompassionate means, but when
you look it up, it adds a layerof understanding.
Um, so I looked up the wordgood in the dictionary and there
are 33.
Diane (26:31):
English definitions.
That surprises me, that's crazy33.
Erin (26:35):
So, of course, we're going to be confused about what
goodness means, and so this isone of those instances where we
really need to lean on theoriginal language.
And man, it is such anincredible time to be a student
of God's word, because all ofthis is available right online.
Yeah, and you know it used tobe 20 years ago.
You had to.
I mean, the book is theStrong's Concordance that you
(26:55):
would have to look stuff up.
I mean it's 2000 pages orsomething ridiculous and it's
teeny tiny, my father-in-law'sstudy.
Leigh Ann (27:02):
You know the books in the offices and the studies or
the pastor's office.
Right, go borrow the book fromchurch.
Yes, yes, so um, but you'reright, like everything now is
kind of at our fingertips whichis such an amazing opportunity
for us to just go deeper intothat.
Diane (27:16):
It is.
Erin (27:17):
And a lot of them I use.
Um.
Blueletterbibleorg is a goodone.
Biblehubcom is good.
Um biblehubcom just startedadding context um biblical usage
and historical context noteswithin there, so you can better
understand.
So the word good in Greek meansbeneficial, virtuous, but here's
(27:40):
the thing it's related to moraland ethical virtues, not to
circumstances, and so when ittalks about our good and this is
where we get confused, becausewe'll go well my husband getting
diagnosed isn't good, and partof my story that continues on is
that my son was diagnosed withan even more serious medical
(28:02):
condition almost three years ago, and nothing about this is yeah
.
And so what does God's goodnesslook like?
And it's because God is good,no matter what.
Diane (28:14):
Yeah.
Erin (28:15):
So one of the things I get really on my soapbox about is
when something really goodhappens in your life, like you
get the job promotion or you're,you get the scholarship or you
get the thing that you've beenpraying for, we go, oh God is
good.
But you know what God wouldhave been good even if you
didn't.
You know, when we get thehealing, God is good.
When we don't get the healing,God is good.
(28:37):
And so being able to understandhis goodness and what he is
working toward in his goodnessis about who we are.
Diane (28:46):
I like what you said, just to pause for just a minute,
that his goodness is not tiedto circumstances, and that is
that's really like to me like anepiphany you know, like that's
something that a lot of peoplewill say, like you just said
about oh, we get something andthen he is good, but it's really
not tied to those circumstances.
Erin (29:07):
That's really valuable Right it is and it's hard too,
because we want it to be True.
Leigh Ann (29:12):
Well, and, and I will say, if you've ever said that
and you're feeling a little like, oh why am I, you know?
Erin (29:20):
I said it all the time until I was in a situation Also.
Leigh Ann (29:25):
I think the neat part to unpack this is we want to
honor God Like at our core.
We want to give God praise.
We want to worship him in allthings.
The challenge that we'rebringing up with this is the
worship and the praise when wedidn't get the answers we asked
(29:45):
for.
No, it's true, it's.
The other side is right on.
Erin (29:50):
Right, I mean the, because that's supposed to be our
posture, whatever thecircumstance, and there is, and
this is why every Bible studyhas a list of characteristics of
God and names of God, and everyweek of homework you are
pulling those out.
Um, and part of it is because Ireally believe that in the ten
commandments when it says do notmisuse the name of the lord
(30:11):
your god or do not use it invain yeah, um that a lot of that
is related to how we representhis character and when we
attribute falsely his characteryeah, then we're misusing his
name.
Wow and so um.
For me it just became reallyserious.
There are attributes hisgenerosity, his sovereignty
right those things that wepraise, so we can praise and
(30:33):
worship in the good stuff.
We just want to make sure,because I think for me what was
hard was what does that say tothe person who lost their
husband to cancer, when you sayGod is good because he healed
your husband?
Sure and so helping recognizethat God is good because he
healed your husband, sure, youknow, and and so helping uh
recognize that God is good nomatter what.
Diane (30:54):
There's a disconnect there.
Well, I will just say a littledisclaimer right now, but this
resonates tremendously with mebecause when my mom passed away
which you haven't shared.
On this you know there was alot of tough times and when she
was laying there on hospice shewould say, how God was good and
(31:19):
I, there was no Right.
It was so sincere, yeah, yeah,to the last day, right.
Leigh Ann (31:27):
And to someone that wasn't.
It wasn't tied to how healthyshe was or how strong she was.
Diane (31:32):
It was tied to him and the caregivers that would come
in and care for her literallywould say to me it is so
different being here and sheresonated that and a lot of
people never saw that side of mymom.
Yeah, and she got really boldin really the closer she was to
heaven.
Leigh Ann (31:52):
Yeah, yeah, so what?
Diane (31:54):
you're saying just really resonates with me and things,
and I just you know, like yousaid, like when it's really easy
to say it, when things aregoing great, but when you're in
that trial and in that toughtime you know.
And so by knowing that andknowing that I call it like a
spiritual depth that it was veryeasy for me to be beyond the
(32:16):
grave with her, because I knowhow she was, I know what she saw
and how she felt.
Yeah, that's good.
Erin (32:22):
There's a great children's book that I just recently was
introduced to um by someone inmy Bible study.
Um, it's good.
There's a great children's bookthat I just recently was
introduced to um by someone inmy Bible study, um, it's written
by a minister, a pastor in theUK, but he um had a toddler son
and um his wife gave birth to astillborn baby late term.
And um, and it was kind of thebook he wrote for how to help
(32:45):
explain to his son that.
God is still good and it'scalled.
The moon is always round, ohwow.
And there's a catechism thatgoes with it of what shape is
the moon tonight, but what shapeis the moon Always?
Diane (32:56):
The moon is always round.
Erin (32:57):
Yeah.
Why is the moon?
What does that tell us?
Diane (33:00):
God is always good and we may not always see his goodness
.
I have goosebumps that tell usGod is always good and we may
not always see his goodness, Ihave goosebumps.
Erin (33:12):
Yeah, I love that Um.
Diane (33:12):
We may not always see his goodness Um, but we can trust
that his goodness is there Umand so I ended up.
Erin (33:15):
I actually um bought a uh an art print of the phases of
the moon and hung it in my son'sbedroom.
And we do that at night,especially as he struggles
through his um, his diagnosisand his stuff.
Diane (33:29):
That he has to deal with every day.
Erin (33:30):
It's like but why do we know he's good?
Because of good Friday.
Yeah, right, yeah, and so youknow, ultimately, all of it is a
reminder that he is good.
Yeah, and sometimes in ourfinite minds and in our broken
world.
I mean his.
This world is broken and wehave to come to peace with that
(33:52):
and understand this is not theway it was meant to be.
Leigh Ann (33:55):
That was going to be.
My next question, too, was canyou put in context for us um
God's creation and design for it?
And then, the battle of thisworld is not against flesh and
blood and it's it's.
Sometimes it's we feel likewe're battling the diagnosis or
(34:17):
we're battling the um, the, theperson who's not doing what we
need them to do relationallylike you know that, that um,
there's it's, it's just notgoing the way we want it to
right.
We want it to, but also thateven I think even on a more like
that we think we need it to tobe okay, you know.
(34:41):
And it's like where, where doesthat categorize?
How do we break that down intoany kind of human understanding?
Erin (34:48):
Do you know?
Diane (34:49):
what I mean Like cause it's.
Leigh Ann (34:51):
It is a.
It is a hard thing to grasp andI love the idea of how would we
explain this to a child to ourour child, our grandchild, um
that understanding when they'veonly got this much life
experience to draw on.
But but also just to continue,I don't want to interrupt you,
but I was going to say but justshare with us a little bit about
(35:14):
the CS Lewis, uh, the paradigm.
Diane (35:18):
You know where?
Leigh Ann (35:18):
he's like we have.
The reason we know what good isas humans is because we know
the opposite of that.
Yeah, Anyway, that's just kindof I didn't want to jump into
that.
Erin (35:31):
We see from creation in Genesis 1 and 2, everything is
good Right.
Diane (35:36):
Yeah.
Erin (35:36):
That is the word our English Bibles use.
Right, he saw it and it wasgood.
Diane (35:40):
And it was good Right.
Erin (35:45):
And then when we turn the page to Genesis 3 and Satan
enters the garden and he says toEve did God actually say?
This is why I'm so passionateabout how we root people in
truth because that is that's thesame question he asked Right,
but ultimately what?
He got her.
What he was planting in her wasthe idea that God was holding
out on her.
Leigh Ann (36:04):
Right.
Erin (36:05):
Right and that there was something better that.
Diane (36:09):
God wasn't giving her Right.
Erin (36:11):
And, ultimately, that's what they chose.
They chose to believe that Godwas holding out on them.
And so we see them do that, andthen sin enters the world, and
that is the context of Romans 8.
When we come back to Romans 8,it talks about creation is
groaning, longing for.
(36:31):
That is why I believe we havenatural disasters and hurricanes
and earthquakes.
It's because creation is notwhat it was meant to be.
Diane (36:40):
It is no longer good, it is broken and it is crying out
longing for redemption.
Erin (36:46):
Then we ourselves groan because we know that this is not
what we were created for, thatultimately, we were created for
heaven, these things are notmatching up, right.
But, goodness, the beauty of itis that the Holy Spirit groans
as well.
And that is the context of thetheme verse for this year is
(37:06):
that the Holy Spirit is groaningin words we cannot describe
praying for us according to thewill of God, and so, even in the
brokenness of our lives, evenwhen we don't know what to pray,
we know that the Holy Spirit isinterceding on our behalf.
Diane (37:22):
And.
Erin (37:22):
I love the word sin in Greek literally means to miss
the mark and the word intercedewhich we find here in Romans
eight.
So what the spirit is doingliterally means to hit the mark,
that he is hitting the mark onour behalf and interceding for
us, and so, no, this world isn'tgood.
But the the brokenness, thepain, the in this world isn't
(37:43):
good, but the brokenness, thepain in this world, you will
have trouble.
But he finishes that in John 16, 33,.
But take heart.
Leigh Ann (37:51):
I have overcome the world and he starts it with.
Erin (37:53):
I've told you these things so that in me you may have
peace.
Peace and knowing that thevictory is sure that we have
that in Romans 8 as well.
Like we are more thanconquerors.
This is not a buzzer beater.
Diane (38:06):
This is not.
Erin (38:07):
March madness.
This is not.
It could be anyone's game Like.
The victory is done, it'ssealed.
Satan's days are numbered.
His power is limited and Jesusis coming back, and so we should
be looking toward eternity andour brokenness and remembering
that, though the days here feellong and hard and broken,
ultimately for those who believethey are a blink of the eye
(38:29):
Right.
Leigh Ann (38:29):
Yeah, right, that eternity.
That word, that word just keptcoming up.
Um, that when one of the manyprivileges that we have as
believers is to get a biggerperspective?
is to get that eternal view, itstill feels like a slice
compared to what God is is umimparting with us and giving us,
(38:51):
but but we are able to to seehim um, you know, working on it.
I had a recent example of of apastor shared that he was
praying with two families withthe same diagnosis.
Both the mothers in these twofamilies had a cancer diagnosis.
One is he preached the funeraland one he was there when she
(39:14):
rang the bell for celebrating anearthly healing and he said
they were both healed and thatthat is really the heart, like
that was.
The most vivid example that Ican think of is is um.
That's something that I heardgrowing up was heaven is healing
.
And that is not that's not achurchy concept right now.
(39:35):
You know what I mean.
Like honestly, and I don't wantthat.
I would cry out to God ifthat's what was asked of me or
said we're going to do this.
Diane (39:46):
Do you know what I mean?
Leigh Ann (39:48):
Like honestly, and that's a push and pull that we
have as believers in this world.
It's a tension that we have tolive in.
Right, this is not our home,yeah, so ultimately, just kind
of to wrap up, I love that.
Erin (40:00):
I always encourage us that we should ask how are you going
to use this, not why?
So when my son was diagnosed, Ihad walked through some things
years before with my husband,and so I had been rooted enough
in him to go.
Okay, god, I know you'vepromised that you are with me,
that you will never leave me,forsake me, and you have gone
before me.
I said so don't let me miss you,let me see where you are, let
(40:23):
me see where you're working, andI don't want to waste this.
And so I think, ultimately,it's really hard and we grieve.
I mean, goodness, there aredays I just cry and there are
days where I'm exhausted and Ihave nothing left, you know.
So I'm not.
I don't want you to think I'msome spiritual, perfect all the
time.
Leigh Ann (40:43):
Thank you for this trial, laura, at all times, but
constantly turning my mind backto where are you, God?
Erin (40:51):
Where are you working?
How are you changing me?
How are you?
Leigh Ann (40:53):
growing me and not wasting it.
Erin (40:57):
And ultimately, that's what the good of Romans 8, 28 is
that he refines us.
We didn't have time to talkabout that, but he refines us,
you know we didn't have time totalk about that.
But you know he refines us, hemakes us more like him because
those trials remove impuritiesfrom us Right Right.
They make us a more purefollower of Jesus, they make us
more holy, and so, like lettingthat change us, letting that
(41:19):
pour out into you, can be realand you can.
You know, talk about how hardit is, but also, I mean, this is
Psalms, right.
Diane (41:28):
Every.
Erin (41:28):
Psalm of David crying out, crying out but God is good.
Diane (41:32):
I'm going to praise you.
I love you.
Your love endures forever, youknow.
And so, always holding thattension, I love it.
Well, it's so much informationand I love it and you know we
have our show notes, and so someof these verses that you talked
about the links, we'redefinitely going to put those in
our show notes so that ourlisteners can go back and and,
(41:52):
like Leanne said, this isdefinitely one of those that
you're going to probably hit onrepeat.
Leigh Ann (41:56):
Yeah, watch and listen more than once.
Yeah, take those notesSometimes when it's something
you haven't maybe heardpresented in that way before, to
absorb it.
I know for me I'm like I'mgoing to need to hear it pray
and then listen again and comeback again.
So, but it's, it's so, so, um,I could tell like there's such
(42:20):
an anointed circle to this andum, and it's really special.
Diane (42:25):
I mean just to get a glimpse into our world a little
bit, that you know, when weprayed and we sat and just in
the presence of God, to just saywhere God do you want to use us
for this next season?
Um, it was a resounding pointto this verse's amazing and I
mean listen, there's a lot ofverses out there and when?
(42:48):
So god just refined us right tothis to this spot and we, you
know it was like this andabsolutely and we want him to
use that too.
Yeah, yeah, so we're excitedabout that, and with every
episode we always do leave withour theme verse so we're gonna
do that tonight.
Leigh Ann (43:04):
I don't think we read the whole thing.
No, we didn't.
No, we didn't.
Do you want to?
I was going to say do you wantto have Erin read it?
Diane (43:10):
Or do you want to Sure?
If you have it open and ready,you can go ahead and read Romans
8, 28 for us.
Erin (43:16):
Just 28?
Diane (43:17):
Or do you want 27 too?
Erin (43:28):
Just go um this one.
I need my glasses.
I'm not alone now, and we knowthat, for those who love god,
all things work together forgood for those who are called
according to his purpose andthere you go, amen.
Leigh Ann (43:35):
So season three.
Diane (43:38):
It's the closing of the episode one of season yes, yes,
be refreshed, be encouraged andstay well grounded.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.