November 12, 2025 • 18 mins
Summary
In this episode of Echoes Through Eternity, Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner explores the transformative power of saying 'no' and how it can lead to a more focused and fulfilling life. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one's priorities, setting boundaries, and creating rhythms of rest to guard against burnout and maintain spiritual health. Through practical steps and personal anecdotes, listeners are encouraged to embrace the strength found in discernment and the sacredness of their time.
Takeaways
A life of endless yes can unravel your calling.
No can unlock health, abundance, and a deeper joy.
Clarifying your God-given priorities is essential.
Your priorities aren't walls, they are pathways.
Saying no starts before the word even forms.
Every unchecked yes robs time from your true path.
Boundaries are sacred ground that protect relationships.
Your stop doing list is not loss; it is harvest.
Sabbath is not a suggestion; it is God's invitation to trust.
The quiet strength of no is a gift, not a chain.
Sound bites
"A life of endless yes can unravel your calling."
"Saying no starts before the word even forms."
"Boundaries are sacred ground."
Chapters
00:00 The Power of No
03:22 Finding Balance in Church Planting
05:50 Practical Steps to Saying No
08:08 The 24-Hour Rule for Discernment
10:44 Building a Stop Doing List
13:05 Setting Boundaries for Healthy Relationships
15:42 Creating Rhythms of Rest
17:53 NEWCHAPTER
17:58 ETE_Cover Art.mp4
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/echoes-through-eternity-with-dr-jeffery-skinner--5523198/support.
Echoes Through Eternity Guiding church planters and pastors to plant seeds of prayer, holiness, and courage that outlast a lifetime. contact drjefferydskinner@protonmail.com
In this episode of Echoes Through Eternity, Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner explores the transformative power of saying 'no' and how it can lead to a more focused and fulfilling life. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one's priorities, setting boundaries, and creating rhythms of rest to guard against burnout and maintain spiritual health. Through practical steps and personal anecdotes, listeners are encouraged to embrace the strength found in discernment and the sacredness of their time.
Takeaways
A life of endless yes can unravel your calling.
No can unlock health, abundance, and a deeper joy.
Clarifying your God-given priorities is essential.
Your priorities aren't walls, they are pathways.
Saying no starts before the word even forms.
Every unchecked yes robs time from your true path.
Boundaries are sacred ground that protect relationships.
Your stop doing list is not loss; it is harvest.
Sabbath is not a suggestion; it is God's invitation to trust.
The quiet strength of no is a gift, not a chain.
Sound bites
"A life of endless yes can unravel your calling."
"Saying no starts before the word even forms."
"Boundaries are sacred ground."
Chapters
00:00 The Power of No
03:22 Finding Balance in Church Planting
05:50 Practical Steps to Saying No
08:08 The 24-Hour Rule for Discernment
10:44 Building a Stop Doing List
13:05 Setting Boundaries for Healthy Relationships
15:42 Creating Rhythms of Rest
17:53 NEWCHAPTER
17:58 ETE_Cover Art.mp4
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/echoes-through-eternity-with-dr-jeffery-skinner--5523198/support.
Echoes Through Eternity Guiding church planters and pastors to plant seeds of prayer, holiness, and courage that outlast a lifetime. contact drjefferydskinner@protonmail.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Marcus Abrelius said, what we do in life echoes through eternity.
What is your life echoing through eternity? Welcome to Echoes
through Eternity with Doctor Jeffrey Skinner. Our mission is to inspire, engage,
and encourage leaders from across the globe to plant missional
churches and be servant leaders. So join us and hear
(00:22):
the stories of servant leaders reverberating lives as God echoes
them through eternity. Brought to you by Missional Church Planting
and Leadership Development and Dynamic Church Planning International.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Welcome Nechoes through Eternity. I am your host, Doctor Jeffrey D. Skinner.
Every moment, every story holds an echo of God's voice.
What's He saying in yours? Today? Today's episode is entitled
The Power of No. You have heard the call to
say yes. Say yes to every invitation, every chance to serve,
every door that crimes open. And it sounds noble and
(01:01):
feels right in the moment. But here's a quiet truth.
A life of endless yes can unravel your calling. It
scatters your focus, and it leaves you hollow. Today we
lean into the power of note. This simple word holds
the strength to guard your time, to shield your peace,
and to draw you draw your heart near to God.
(01:22):
James Claudia Tuture remind us that no can unlock health, undons,
and a deeper joy. Darry Neuhoff calls it the secret
to stewardship, the secret to stewarding your time, your energy,
your very life. A scripture it names this as wisdom itself.
In a culture that applauds the hustle that wears busyness
(01:44):
like a badge of courage, like a badge of honor,
no becomes our path to true balance. We will get
practical today. We're going to uncover steps to wield this
power with grace. Ask you to stick with me. So
let us begin. In church planting, balance is is extremely important.
In fact, we have twelve biblical principles that we follow
(02:04):
and one of them is the violence principle. And the
reason we have this is that we recognize that everything
is calling out to you. When you're planting a church.
Everything is new, everybody is excited, and we will pull
you here and there. But if you don't learn to
say no, you're going to burn out. And in fact,
(02:25):
that is the number one reason that a plant church
plant fails is because the planter he or she gets
so burned out that they give up. And that's why
I always tell those that I coach to make sure
you have a vision and a mission that are clear.
That vision and mission help you know what to say
yes to and what to say no to, because the
(02:48):
reality is is that when you have your vision and mission,
you're going to say no to a lot more than
what you say yes to. If you do not, you
will say yes to everything and burn out as a consequence.
So what are some practical steps of this one? Clarify
your God given priorities. This is kind of like the
mission statement for your life. You cannot say no to
(03:10):
your eyes until you know what your yes is, until
you know your purpose, what deserves your deepest energy, what
has God whispered as your anchor in this season? Take
a moment, grab a notebook, jot down your top three priorities.
Maybe it's your family, the quiet pull of your calling,
or the rhythm of your soul's rest with God, and
(03:30):
hold them close. Now stop the podcast, sit down and
write them out, and then come back. Now when a
new request lands, a new committee, an extra meeting, a
favor that Tugs asks this, does it line up with
these three? If the answer is no, let your no
flow from that truth kne you. Haf puts it plainly,
(03:53):
if you do not decide what matters most, the world
will choose for you. We call this ordering our loves,
God at the center, everything else in his place. I
remember a pastor friend wrestling with this. He said yes
to every church event until one day he looked up
and realized that his children had not shared a full
Saturday with him in the months. Guilt hit him hard,
(04:14):
but then clarity came. He drew a line, and on
Saturday mornings he spent that time with his family mourning, breakfast,
no exceptions that one boundary. It breathes life into his home.
The laughter returned, presence deepened, and the passion for his
ministry increased. We shared something from my debt, from my
(04:36):
own experience as as chaplain. This was back in Georgia.
I served several chicken plants and this actually was not
one that I was serving at the time, and there
was an accent and as a result of an accident,
there were several employees that were killing well. You can
imagine that it was chaos for the next few weeks,
there were families that were in crisis. There were grieving spouses.
(04:58):
Every room, every family was pulling am I sleeve. I
had people calling me at two or three o'clock in
the morning. One guy was calling has survivors guilt because
he was one that had to pull him out, and
in fact, he was pulling them out and he was
almost overcome himself, and the paramedics, the firefighters all had
(05:20):
to stop him and force him to stop, otherwise he
would have died too. So I was going through this
I've been doing I've been doing it for several months
because it was just such a big crisis. And I
reached out to my boss and explained what was going on,
and he said, Jeff, he said, to one thing you
have to remember of the chaplain is there is a God,
and you were not it. God is going to take
(05:42):
care of these people. There's other chaplains out there calling
the other Chaplain team members out there. You don't have
to do it all. And that day taught me a lesson.
But I just had to recognize that that I've got
to have balance. I'm not able to do it all,
and that no to the urgent open space for the
(06:02):
eternal that gave me balance. It wasn't abandonment, even though
I dealt with strugg I struggled with that for a while.
It wasn't. It was presence of the Lord, the kind
that echoes God's own heart. And so when you root
your no in priorities like these, it stops feeling like rejection.
It becomes faithfulness of quiet yes to what God has
(06:24):
already said yes to you, what to yes to in you.
So let that settle. Your priorities aren't walls, they are pathways.
Number Two, audit your time and energy. Now, let's look
at the hours you already give. Kaye Youwhoff talks about
the greens on those pockets of your day when your
mind hums with focus, when ideas flow clear and strong.
(06:45):
My wife uses a paper calendar still, and she has
every day marked in there. She color codes it. You
can do the same thing with an electronic calendar. I
like the electronic calendar. I like it on my phone regardless.
Pull up calendar, whether it's paper or electronic, and leave
at the week ahead and color it like this, or
come up with your own scheme if you want to
(07:07):
do that. But come up with the system. So green
for Carne you hoff. Green is his peak energy, yellow
is his steady middle, and red is for when he
just runs on fumes. You do the same thing. If
you don't want to use his system, create your own,
but create this three tiered system that helps you determine
(07:27):
when you're at your best. The green hours, you want
to guard them fiercely. They belong to your highest work,
your deepest prayers, because they belong to God. John Wesley
urged us to redeem the time, not squander it in
scattered motion, but invest it where fruit grows. Think of
this as stewardship. You would not hand over your wallet
to a stranger. Why hand your best hours to what
(07:50):
leaves you empty? Start small shift, one green slight this week,
Use it for what stirs your soul. Watch how know
to the lesser things, free space for the eternal and
calling it right for this short break. A simple rule
to turn those hasty yeses into moments of real discernment.
Stay with me. You know what we're right about hypernatural.
We have been naming what drains us, what deserves our no.
(08:14):
But no also opens doors to yes, to what truly restores,
and that is where hypernatural comes in for me. You
can find them at hypernaturalstyle dot com. These are not
just shirts. They are the finest men's pollos and button
ups that I've ever worn. There's soft as a whisper,
tough as the road. Men's Journal crowned them the best
(08:35):
men's pollow shirts of twenty four and get this, they
weave jade's stone and crab shells into the fabric that
cools your body three to five degrees with their hypercool
jade technology. It's breatheable, Eco smart ninety five percent biodegradable
zero polyester made better by nature, just as the name promises.
(08:55):
If you're tired of sending that ins that cling and overheat,
head to Hypernatural Style dot com. Use my code echos
for twenty percent off your first order. That's just for
you listeners of that coastory eternity. Again, that is Hypernaturalstyle
dot Com. Use the code echoes. Say yes to comfort
that lasts. Back to our next portion here Number three
(09:18):
establish a twenty four hour rule saying no starts before
the word even forms it begins in to pause next
time and ask comes your way, try this smile and
say I would love to pray that I pray on
that and check my calendar. Can I get back to
you in twenty four hours? That breadth of space it
(09:38):
breaks the rush. It also breaks the guilt to the moment,
and it helps you to examine whether or not this
is a passion, whether or not it's part of your call,
whether or not this is your mission if you're planning
a church here. But it invites wisdom as well. In
those hours, sift it through three questions, does this fit
my calling? Will it up wear me down? And? If
(10:02):
I lean yes, what no? Am I speaking something else
to here? Ignation Sainting Nation Discernment offers a gentle guide.
Sat Nation has called us to notice the stirrings in
our hearts. The quiet constellations that draw us towards God
like peace and prayer are a spark of joy and service,
(10:23):
and the desolations, those heavy downs, the restlessness that scatters
the soul. Sit with them. Journal what rises, ask the
spirit to reveal what God has aligned for his good pleasure.
Jesus modeled it this way. He slipped away to the
prey before the waiting choices. Solitude with the Father sharpened
(10:44):
his steps. Your twenty four hour rule is non delay
it is discernment, a prayerful know that honors the God
who times all things perfectly. Number four, build your stopped doing.
Most of us chase to do this like lifelines. But
here is the quieter power to stop doing. List James L.
Tusher warms that every unchecked jazz robs time from your
(11:08):
true path. Proon what no longer serves, make room for
what blooms. Jesus said it in John fifteen. Even branches
heavy with fruit basis years. Hetting back leads to more.
See it with your calendar. Name the three things to stop.
Maybe it's scrolling laid into the night, or volunteering where
your heart has checked out. This is something that you
(11:29):
need to recognize. Not everything is eternal. Yes, if you
say yes to leading a small group, you don't have
to lead that small group wherever. In fact, you should
be mentoring to someone to take your place. So after
a year or two, if your heart is no longer
in it, or if your if your gifts are better
use somewhere else, or your priorities of somewhere else, hand
(11:50):
that over to the person that you've been mentoring. We
hold on as leaders. Sometimes we hold on to too
much power. We have to be ready to give that
power away. Here's something else. If there's meetings, you know,
circle that they're just circling without landing. In other words,
that they have no real point. Ride them down and
release them. Fill that freedom. Your stop doing list is
(12:13):
not lost. Loss is harvest. Number five set boundaries that
protect relationships. Boundaries get a bad rap. Sometimes selfish people whisper,
but no. Boundaries are sacred ground. They guard what God traders,
your connections, your rest, your very spirit. Say no to
the late night call that steals tomorrow's dame. Protect that
(12:35):
family dinner table, your sabbath with at apology. You cannot
give from a well gone drive. Henri now and knew
this eight deepened his bones. He wrestled with a pool
to give without end, to love without limits, until it
threatened to hallow him out. In his wisdom, he wrote
that only when we set our own boundaries can we
truly honor those of others with respect and even gratitude.
(12:58):
Boundaries are not barriers to love. They shape it, make
it sustainable, like a river held by gentle banks. They
protect the inner sanctuary where God beats us. So we
return to community not empty, but Fullnae Brown carries this further,
showing how boundaries and vulnerability walk hand in hand. She says,
(13:18):
vulnerability minus boundaries, not vulnerability. True openness, the kind that
builds real connection. Ask us to risk exposure, Yes, but
only within lines we draw the courage saying yes. Saying
no feels raw at first, like stepping into the light
without armor. Yet it is that very bravery that lets
(13:41):
us show uphold without resentment, building in the without resentment,
building in the shadows. Boundaries do not show theirs out,
they invite them into the self. God is shaping practice
the graceful. No, I am so honored you thought of me,
But my plate is full right now. Thank you for understanding.
(14:01):
These words don't push away, They draw near what matters
and them love finds its shape. After this quick pause,
will come full circle to the rest that makes it
all possible. Those sacred rhythms that whisper God's trust, don't
miss it. Cozy Earth, Boundaries like these remind me how
rest weaves into every good rhythm. And in speaking of rest,
(14:23):
let me share what has deepened to sleep for Lisa
and me Cozy Earth at cozyearth dot com. And they
don't just sell sheets. They sell pajamas. They sell blankets,
and they are some of the soft blankets that you'll find,
some of the best sheets you'll find. They craft bamboo
sheets and pajamas that feel like a gentle embrace. Chris
Jenner swears by them for her knives, and Oprah has
(14:45):
named them to her Favorite Things list seven years running.
They're made from one hundred percent premium bamboo viscas. They
wake away moisture with something that Lisa loves because she
gets so hot in them all the night. You stay
cool and they soften with every Wi plus. They have
a one hundred night trial and a ten year warranty
and free shipping for over fifty dollars. Are you ready
(15:08):
to say no to a tossing and turning? Visit cozyearth
dot com and inter echoes for forty one percent off sitewide.
This is their best offer yet and it's not going
to last long, but it's exclusively made for you. Forty
one percent off leap well the restored hoesyearth dot Com
Number six dating rhythms of rest we close where it
(15:32):
all circles back rest about. This is not a suggestion.
It is God's invitation of trust. When he rested on
the seventh day, he was not weary, he was whole. Complete.
That's the number seven in the Bible that it means complete.
It it's not necessarily when we see numbers are not
necessarily descriptive. They're more symbolic. So you carve out twenty
(15:53):
four hours each week unplugged, breathe. Let it begin with
what what feeds your soul? A walk in the woods,
a slow meal with those you love, in the ingratitude
and the eyes lifted in that space you declare it,
God holds the world. When I step away noice driving
just to surrender. This rhythm of no does more than recharge,
(16:17):
it realigns it echoes eternity in the pause. So my
prayer for you as we close this out today is
that the Lord would grant you the quiet strength of
note and help you see the boundaries that you draw
as gifts, not chains. They would give you hearts that
were brave enough to protect what you have called good.
(16:38):
Next week, coming up, I will be joined by Jenna
and Raguel Garcia from the I Have a Message Foundation,
And then stay tuned as well, because coming up soon
we'll be having a conversation with Eddie and Lawrence Stewart,
a young couple planning a church in Jackson, Tennessee. They're
still in the early days. They're casting vision, building a
(16:59):
quarte and praying for direction and trusting God in the
waiting with their young family. But we often celebrate the
big success stories. But what I want you to hear
is what faithfulness looks like before the launch, when the
call is clear but the future is still unfolding. They're
scary days because often you sacrifice just as they have
(17:20):
a lot to get there. You're making yourself vulnerable and
sharing with the community and put yourself, putting yourself out
there in the community. You're hosting events not knowing if
anyone's going to show up. So join us as we
interview Adie Lauren Stewart with the Formed Church and Jackson, Tennessee. Well,
this is at GOUS three Attrainy with doctor Jeffrey D. Skinner. Again,
(17:41):
I ask you if if you've enjoyed this, shared this
with a friend of yours, hosted on your social media,
you know again till we meet again. We asked you
if you walk into power wise restraint, Peace be to
you und
Marcus Abrelius said, what we do in life echoes through eternity.
What is your life echoing through eternity? Welcome to Echoes
through Eternity with Doctor Jeffrey Skinner. Our mission is to inspire, engage,
and encourage leaders from across the globe to plant missional
churches and be servant leaders. So join us and hear
(00:22):
the stories of servant leaders reverberating lives as God echoes
them through eternity. Brought to you by Missional Church Planting
and Leadership Development and Dynamic Church Planning International.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Welcome Nechoes through Eternity. I am your host, Doctor Jeffrey D. Skinner.
Every moment, every story holds an echo of God's voice.
What's He saying in yours? Today? Today's episode is entitled
The Power of No. You have heard the call to
say yes. Say yes to every invitation, every chance to serve,
every door that crimes open. And it sounds noble and
(01:01):
feels right in the moment. But here's a quiet truth.
A life of endless yes can unravel your calling. It
scatters your focus, and it leaves you hollow. Today we
lean into the power of note. This simple word holds
the strength to guard your time, to shield your peace,
and to draw you draw your heart near to God.
(01:22):
James Claudia Tuture remind us that no can unlock health, undons,
and a deeper joy. Darry Neuhoff calls it the secret
to stewardship, the secret to stewarding your time, your energy,
your very life. A scripture it names this as wisdom itself.
In a culture that applauds the hustle that wears busyness
(01:44):
like a badge of courage, like a badge of honor,
no becomes our path to true balance. We will get
practical today. We're going to uncover steps to wield this
power with grace. Ask you to stick with me. So
let us begin. In church planting, balance is is extremely important.
In fact, we have twelve biblical principles that we follow
(02:04):
and one of them is the violence principle. And the
reason we have this is that we recognize that everything
is calling out to you. When you're planting a church.
Everything is new, everybody is excited, and we will pull
you here and there. But if you don't learn to
say no, you're going to burn out. And in fact,
(02:25):
that is the number one reason that a plant church
plant fails is because the planter he or she gets
so burned out that they give up. And that's why
I always tell those that I coach to make sure
you have a vision and a mission that are clear.
That vision and mission help you know what to say
yes to and what to say no to, because the
(02:48):
reality is is that when you have your vision and mission,
you're going to say no to a lot more than
what you say yes to. If you do not, you
will say yes to everything and burn out as a consequence.
So what are some practical steps of this one? Clarify
your God given priorities. This is kind of like the
mission statement for your life. You cannot say no to
(03:10):
your eyes until you know what your yes is, until
you know your purpose, what deserves your deepest energy, what
has God whispered as your anchor in this season? Take
a moment, grab a notebook, jot down your top three priorities.
Maybe it's your family, the quiet pull of your calling,
or the rhythm of your soul's rest with God, and
(03:30):
hold them close. Now stop the podcast, sit down and
write them out, and then come back. Now when a
new request lands, a new committee, an extra meeting, a
favor that Tugs asks this, does it line up with
these three? If the answer is no, let your no
flow from that truth kne you. Haf puts it plainly,
(03:53):
if you do not decide what matters most, the world
will choose for you. We call this ordering our loves,
God at the center, everything else in his place. I
remember a pastor friend wrestling with this. He said yes
to every church event until one day he looked up
and realized that his children had not shared a full
Saturday with him in the months. Guilt hit him hard,
(04:14):
but then clarity came. He drew a line, and on
Saturday mornings he spent that time with his family mourning, breakfast,
no exceptions that one boundary. It breathes life into his home.
The laughter returned, presence deepened, and the passion for his
ministry increased. We shared something from my debt, from my
(04:36):
own experience as as chaplain. This was back in Georgia.
I served several chicken plants and this actually was not
one that I was serving at the time, and there
was an accent and as a result of an accident,
there were several employees that were killing well. You can
imagine that it was chaos for the next few weeks,
there were families that were in crisis. There were grieving spouses.
(04:58):
Every room, every family was pulling am I sleeve. I
had people calling me at two or three o'clock in
the morning. One guy was calling has survivors guilt because
he was one that had to pull him out, and
in fact, he was pulling them out and he was
almost overcome himself, and the paramedics, the firefighters all had
(05:20):
to stop him and force him to stop, otherwise he
would have died too. So I was going through this
I've been doing I've been doing it for several months
because it was just such a big crisis. And I
reached out to my boss and explained what was going on,
and he said, Jeff, he said, to one thing you
have to remember of the chaplain is there is a God,
and you were not it. God is going to take
(05:42):
care of these people. There's other chaplains out there calling
the other Chaplain team members out there. You don't have
to do it all. And that day taught me a lesson.
But I just had to recognize that that I've got
to have balance. I'm not able to do it all,
and that no to the urgent open space for the
(06:02):
eternal that gave me balance. It wasn't abandonment, even though
I dealt with strugg I struggled with that for a while.
It wasn't. It was presence of the Lord, the kind
that echoes God's own heart. And so when you root
your no in priorities like these, it stops feeling like rejection.
It becomes faithfulness of quiet yes to what God has
(06:24):
already said yes to you, what to yes to in you.
So let that settle. Your priorities aren't walls, they are pathways.
Number Two, audit your time and energy. Now, let's look
at the hours you already give. Kaye Youwhoff talks about
the greens on those pockets of your day when your
mind hums with focus, when ideas flow clear and strong.
(06:45):
My wife uses a paper calendar still, and she has
every day marked in there. She color codes it. You
can do the same thing with an electronic calendar. I
like the electronic calendar. I like it on my phone regardless.
Pull up calendar, whether it's paper or electronic, and leave
at the week ahead and color it like this, or
come up with your own scheme if you want to
(07:07):
do that. But come up with the system. So green
for Carne you hoff. Green is his peak energy, yellow
is his steady middle, and red is for when he
just runs on fumes. You do the same thing. If
you don't want to use his system, create your own,
but create this three tiered system that helps you determine
(07:27):
when you're at your best. The green hours, you want
to guard them fiercely. They belong to your highest work,
your deepest prayers, because they belong to God. John Wesley
urged us to redeem the time, not squander it in
scattered motion, but invest it where fruit grows. Think of
this as stewardship. You would not hand over your wallet
to a stranger. Why hand your best hours to what
(07:50):
leaves you empty? Start small shift, one green slight this week,
Use it for what stirs your soul. Watch how know
to the lesser things, free space for the eternal and
calling it right for this short break. A simple rule
to turn those hasty yeses into moments of real discernment.
Stay with me. You know what we're right about hypernatural.
We have been naming what drains us, what deserves our no.
(08:14):
But no also opens doors to yes, to what truly restores,
and that is where hypernatural comes in for me. You
can find them at hypernaturalstyle dot com. These are not
just shirts. They are the finest men's pollos and button
ups that I've ever worn. There's soft as a whisper,
tough as the road. Men's Journal crowned them the best
(08:35):
men's pollow shirts of twenty four and get this, they
weave jade's stone and crab shells into the fabric that
cools your body three to five degrees with their hypercool
jade technology. It's breatheable, Eco smart ninety five percent biodegradable
zero polyester made better by nature, just as the name promises.
(08:55):
If you're tired of sending that ins that cling and overheat,
head to Hypernatural Style dot com. Use my code echos
for twenty percent off your first order. That's just for
you listeners of that coastory eternity. Again, that is Hypernaturalstyle
dot Com. Use the code echoes. Say yes to comfort
that lasts. Back to our next portion here Number three
(09:18):
establish a twenty four hour rule saying no starts before
the word even forms it begins in to pause next
time and ask comes your way, try this smile and
say I would love to pray that I pray on
that and check my calendar. Can I get back to
you in twenty four hours? That breadth of space it
(09:38):
breaks the rush. It also breaks the guilt to the moment,
and it helps you to examine whether or not this
is a passion, whether or not it's part of your call,
whether or not this is your mission if you're planning
a church here. But it invites wisdom as well. In
those hours, sift it through three questions, does this fit
my calling? Will it up wear me down? And? If
(10:02):
I lean yes, what no? Am I speaking something else
to here? Ignation Sainting Nation Discernment offers a gentle guide.
Sat Nation has called us to notice the stirrings in
our hearts. The quiet constellations that draw us towards God
like peace and prayer are a spark of joy and service,
(10:23):
and the desolations, those heavy downs, the restlessness that scatters
the soul. Sit with them. Journal what rises, ask the
spirit to reveal what God has aligned for his good pleasure.
Jesus modeled it this way. He slipped away to the
prey before the waiting choices. Solitude with the Father sharpened
(10:44):
his steps. Your twenty four hour rule is non delay
it is discernment, a prayerful know that honors the God
who times all things perfectly. Number four, build your stopped doing.
Most of us chase to do this like lifelines. But
here is the quieter power to stop doing. List James L.
Tusher warms that every unchecked jazz robs time from your
(11:08):
true path. Proon what no longer serves, make room for
what blooms. Jesus said it in John fifteen. Even branches
heavy with fruit basis years. Hetting back leads to more.
See it with your calendar. Name the three things to stop.
Maybe it's scrolling laid into the night, or volunteering where
your heart has checked out. This is something that you
(11:29):
need to recognize. Not everything is eternal. Yes, if you
say yes to leading a small group, you don't have
to lead that small group wherever. In fact, you should
be mentoring to someone to take your place. So after
a year or two, if your heart is no longer
in it, or if your if your gifts are better
use somewhere else, or your priorities of somewhere else, hand
(11:50):
that over to the person that you've been mentoring. We
hold on as leaders. Sometimes we hold on to too
much power. We have to be ready to give that
power away. Here's something else. If there's meetings, you know,
circle that they're just circling without landing. In other words,
that they have no real point. Ride them down and
release them. Fill that freedom. Your stop doing list is
(12:13):
not lost. Loss is harvest. Number five set boundaries that
protect relationships. Boundaries get a bad rap. Sometimes selfish people whisper,
but no. Boundaries are sacred ground. They guard what God traders,
your connections, your rest, your very spirit. Say no to
the late night call that steals tomorrow's dame. Protect that
(12:35):
family dinner table, your sabbath with at apology. You cannot
give from a well gone drive. Henri now and knew
this eight deepened his bones. He wrestled with a pool
to give without end, to love without limits, until it
threatened to hallow him out. In his wisdom, he wrote
that only when we set our own boundaries can we
truly honor those of others with respect and even gratitude.
(12:58):
Boundaries are not barriers to love. They shape it, make
it sustainable, like a river held by gentle banks. They
protect the inner sanctuary where God beats us. So we
return to community not empty, but Fullnae Brown carries this further,
showing how boundaries and vulnerability walk hand in hand. She says,
(13:18):
vulnerability minus boundaries, not vulnerability. True openness, the kind that
builds real connection. Ask us to risk exposure, Yes, but
only within lines we draw the courage saying yes. Saying
no feels raw at first, like stepping into the light
without armor. Yet it is that very bravery that lets
(13:41):
us show uphold without resentment, building in the without resentment,
building in the shadows. Boundaries do not show theirs out,
they invite them into the self. God is shaping practice
the graceful. No, I am so honored you thought of me,
But my plate is full right now. Thank you for understanding.
(14:01):
These words don't push away, They draw near what matters
and them love finds its shape. After this quick pause,
will come full circle to the rest that makes it
all possible. Those sacred rhythms that whisper God's trust, don't
miss it. Cozy Earth, Boundaries like these remind me how
rest weaves into every good rhythm. And in speaking of rest,
(14:23):
let me share what has deepened to sleep for Lisa
and me Cozy Earth at cozyearth dot com. And they
don't just sell sheets. They sell pajamas. They sell blankets,
and they are some of the soft blankets that you'll find,
some of the best sheets you'll find. They craft bamboo
sheets and pajamas that feel like a gentle embrace. Chris
Jenner swears by them for her knives, and Oprah has
(14:45):
named them to her Favorite Things list seven years running.
They're made from one hundred percent premium bamboo viscas. They
wake away moisture with something that Lisa loves because she
gets so hot in them all the night. You stay
cool and they soften with every Wi plus. They have
a one hundred night trial and a ten year warranty
and free shipping for over fifty dollars. Are you ready
(15:08):
to say no to a tossing and turning? Visit cozyearth
dot com and inter echoes for forty one percent off sitewide.
This is their best offer yet and it's not going
to last long, but it's exclusively made for you. Forty
one percent off leap well the restored hoesyearth dot Com
Number six dating rhythms of rest we close where it
(15:32):
all circles back rest about. This is not a suggestion.
It is God's invitation of trust. When he rested on
the seventh day, he was not weary, he was whole. Complete.
That's the number seven in the Bible that it means complete.
It it's not necessarily when we see numbers are not
necessarily descriptive. They're more symbolic. So you carve out twenty
(15:53):
four hours each week unplugged, breathe. Let it begin with
what what feeds your soul? A walk in the woods,
a slow meal with those you love, in the ingratitude
and the eyes lifted in that space you declare it,
God holds the world. When I step away noice driving
just to surrender. This rhythm of no does more than recharge,
(16:17):
it realigns it echoes eternity in the pause. So my
prayer for you as we close this out today is
that the Lord would grant you the quiet strength of
note and help you see the boundaries that you draw
as gifts, not chains. They would give you hearts that
were brave enough to protect what you have called good.
(16:38):
Next week, coming up, I will be joined by Jenna
and Raguel Garcia from the I Have a Message Foundation,
And then stay tuned as well, because coming up soon
we'll be having a conversation with Eddie and Lawrence Stewart,
a young couple planning a church in Jackson, Tennessee. They're
still in the early days. They're casting vision, building a
(16:59):
quarte and praying for direction and trusting God in the
waiting with their young family. But we often celebrate the
big success stories. But what I want you to hear
is what faithfulness looks like before the launch, when the
call is clear but the future is still unfolding. They're
scary days because often you sacrifice just as they have
(17:20):
a lot to get there. You're making yourself vulnerable and
sharing with the community and put yourself, putting yourself out
there in the community. You're hosting events not knowing if
anyone's going to show up. So join us as we
interview Adie Lauren Stewart with the Formed Church and Jackson, Tennessee. Well,
this is at GOUS three Attrainy with doctor Jeffrey D. Skinner. Again,
(17:41):
I ask you if if you've enjoyed this, shared this
with a friend of yours, hosted on your social media,
you know again till we meet again. We asked you
if you walk into power wise restraint, Peace be to
you und
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