Showing the Grace of God

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Today on Renewed Mindsets, I explore how faith, wisdom and everyday life intersect.

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Join me as I uncover timeless truths and gain insight on how to live a life that truly reflects the heart of Jesus in every interaction and every decision that we make.

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Father God, I ask you for your guidance and wisdom as we talk about obedience, grace and the art of picking our battles wisely, all through the timeless example set by Jesus Christ.

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In a world that's filled with noise and conflict, we recognize how hard it can be to obey your will and extend grace to others.

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It requires discernment and humility.

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Amen, people, grab your coffee, get comfortable, because we're about to hear some truth.

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Let's go, boys.

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Hey, welcome to Renewed Mindsets, where we study the basics of the faith through the lens of our middle-aged experiences.

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I'm Rick.

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Welcome to the show where I help you, gen Xers and millennials, navigate spiritually through a world that looks nothing like we expected back, when cars were square and mullets were totally awesome.

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I am so glad you're here.

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Last week, I got a text from a friend of mine and said thank you for showing me grace.

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Now, this time, those words really stuck with me for several days.

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My friend was referring to something small, something that didn't require much effort from me.

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But did I really show him grace?

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Maybe, maybe not, because what does it truly mean to show grace to somebody else?

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We thank you so much for this bountiful harvest of dominoes, kfc and the always delicious Taco Bell.

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I just want to take time to say thank you for my family, my two beautiful, beautiful, handsome, striking sons.

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Okay, that's not the kind of grace I'm talking about, but shake and bake Grace is a word that we use a lot, but we struggle to define it.

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We celebrate it and we praise it, but I believe that a lot of times we just misunderstand it, especially when it comes to showing grace to others.

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I think what we mean when we say that we should show grace is that we should give people a pass, and these passes usually relate to things that have nothing to do with spirituality.

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I mean, we consider it grace when we allow somebody to see our messy house, but when it comes to applying grace to spiritual matters, we tend to believe that we should never assert ourselves, never stand up for truth, never call someone out for self-destructive behavior.

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It's difficult to reconcile grace and truth, even though those are exact characteristics that describe Jesus In John 1, 14,.

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So the Word became human and made His home among us.

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He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness, and we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.

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Our inability to reconcile grace and truth is pretty much due to our culture.

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I mean, our culture scoffs at the idea of holding somebody accountable or believing that love can be anything other than unconditional acceptance.

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Our understanding of grace is being infiltrated by culture and, as a result, its profound meaning and its transformative power are being stolen by the enemy.

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Grace is not a free pass that allows us to do whatever we want to under the guise of Christ.

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To do whatever we want to under the guise of Christ.

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Grace, the undeserved favor of God poured out through us with faith in Christ, is a powerful catalyst for change when it's received correctly, and it teaches us how to live.

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The gospel destroys the very motivation for sin.

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It completely eliminates the desire and our reason to live according to our own whims, and anybody who claims that the gospel encourages sin simply hasn't understood it yet or experienced its power.

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There's a distinction, there's a fine line between a free pass and grace.

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A free pass says I see your sin, but I won't acknowledge it, I'll pretend that it doesn't exist.

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We often mistake this for love, but in reality it's self-love, because by giving a free pass to somebody, we choose what's easier for ourselves.

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Instead of enduring the temporary discomfort of addressing a difficult subject with a friend, we should measure our acts of grace by how God extends grace to us.

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In his grace, god says I see your sin, the Holy Spirit convicts you specifically of your sin.

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I've provided a way for your specific sin to be dealt with through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

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You don't have to cover it up, you don't have to ignore it, you don't have to try to handle it on your own.

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Because of Christ, you have the opportunity to be free from your sin.

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Confess and repent and you'll be forgiven.

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I will help you change.

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Grace directly confronts sin and identifies it out of love.

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It's simple God loves us enough to rescue us from the pit of sin, to discipline us and to refine us, and to replace bondage and despair with joy.

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The love that God has for us is what makes grace so powerful.

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The favor of our God is bestowed upon us and it compels us to present ourselves as instruments of righteousness.

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Grace doesn't excuse us, but grace changes us.

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So what does it mean to show grace to somebody else Really?

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It means recognizing each other as new creations in Christ and acknowledge that the grace we received at salvation is constantly working in our lives.

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Philippians 1.6 says I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

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We are all a work in progress, but that doesn't equate to giving everybody a free pass.

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Being a work in progress means continually engaging with the gift that God has given us the ability to recognize sin and address it with gentleness and truth, and to remind our friends of the path of confession and repentance, to cheer them up as they're changing, and to do it while cultivating a deep and intimate relationship with them that's rooted in love for one another.

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Galatians 6, 1 and 2 describes the grace giver led by the Spirit.

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It says, brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you, who live by the Spirit, should restore that person gently, but watch yourselves, or you may also be tempted.

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Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

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That is what it means to show grace to one another.

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Showing grace this way doesn't enjoy pointing it out we shouldn't enjoy pointing out sin and it doesn't pride itself on being someone that tells the truth.

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Someone who practices grace according to Galatians and God's inspiration, is deeply invested in the spiritual well-being of someone else.

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They're aware of their own spiritual poverty without Christ, and we approach other people with humility and we approach them with a willingness to go that extra mile to make sure that they're healed.

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And, most importantly, a grace giver puts themselves in a position to receive the same truth and the same grace from friends that they're committed to giving.

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How many times have you robbed a friend of yours of their spiritual growth by giving them a free pass instead of extending grace?

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And how often, oh my gosh, I hate to even ask how often do we cheat ourselves by seeking a free pass rather than have someone tell us the truth and give us the grace that can call us to change?

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Romans 12, 6-8.

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In His grace, god has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.

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In his grace, god has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.

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Therefore, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with much faith, as God has given you.

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If your gift is serving others, serve them well.

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If you're a teacher, teach well.

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If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.

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If it's giving, give generously.

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If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.

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And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

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Sometimes we overlook the smallest details.

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In his grace, god has given us all different gifts to excel in.

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When I'm unable to see the fruit of his spirit or the spiritual gifts operating in my life, it usually means that I've strayed from grace.

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How are God's gifts working in your life right now?

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Are you in a rut?

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Do you feel stuck?

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If that's true, it might be a sign that his grace is no longer sufficient for you, that God's grace is no longer enough, and if that's the case, it's imperative that you and I right now address that core issue.

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What are you going to find there?

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The only foundation worthy of building our lives on is Jesus.

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1 Corinthians, 3, 10, and 11.

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It's in our human nature to add our personal touch to things.

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Religion often adds more rules and regulations.

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Like we can improve upon god's grace.

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Salvation is based on fully believing that god's grace is all we need to reach the kingdom of heaven and live with him forever.

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Having faith in god means believing that his grace is always sufficient, and when we try to earn God's favor through our actions, it should be to honor the gift that he gave us, recognizing that we can't earn it because any other foundation is going to crumble and fall.

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I'm in need of God's grace, and when I get God's grace, it makes me want to get out and use the gifts and talents that he gave me to help others.

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His grace is sufficient for my salvation, but the very fact that I have grace in my life because of God makes me want to get out and work for him.

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It's not salvation through works, people, it's salvation through grace.

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It's works through appreciation and love for God.

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God, grant me more grace today.

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Grace to overcome the sins that easily entangle me.

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Help me refine the message of my life so that others can see your love and your grace, jesus, in me.

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Grace is the message.

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Through grace we can overlook the sins and shortcoming of others to offer them God's love.

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Grace seals the path of repentance for genuine hearts.

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Grace seals the path of repentance for genuine hearts.

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Do you love Jesus?

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Do you love Jesus today?

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Thank him again for his amazing grace.

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Look for it in your life today.

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I'm encouraging you right now to ask the Lord for more grace so that we can be gracious to others and share the gospel as it spreads throughout the world.

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1 Corinthians, 15, 10,.

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But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me, and not without results, for I have worked harder than any other of the apostles.

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Yet it wasn't me but God who was working through me.

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By his grace, friends, let us truly show and receive grace.

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Welcome to a new segment that I like to call Pick a Hill.

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You know, like, is that the hill you want to die on?

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It's one where we'll check out a weird world of religious nitpicking.

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Come on in as we dive into the tiny details of faith, breaking down the stuff that seems big to some but might not mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of eternity.

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We'll check out things from arguments about the color of the curtains over the baptistry to the correct way to say some of those ancient names.

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We'll untangle the threads of religious nitpicking, thinking about what really matters when it comes to God's will for our lives.

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For the first topic, we're just going to go deep, deep, deep here.

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Now I'm going to be talking a lot about the South, but really this is really the whole country.

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But people in the South and the United States often have a unique perspective on certain aspects of life, including the importance of names and titles.

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Now, one important distinction is that many people in the South understand that there's a difference between a name and a title.

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They recognize that, while a name is a personal identifier, a title is a designation that carries significance and often implies certain responsibilities or roles, applies certain responsibilities or roles.

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Like my name is Rick and I hold various titles, such as Dad, host of this podcast, jedi, master.

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You know all the basic titles.

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These titles reflect the various roles and responsibilities that I have in my life Now.

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In the same way, the term El E-L is a title that means God in Hebrew.

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In biblical times, titles like El Baal referred to gods like Baal, who the Israelites turned to in worship alongside of Yahweh.

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In the context of religion, god, king and Lord are all titles that hold a significant meaning and while these titles are widely recognized and respected, it's essential to understand that our God, the Father's actual name is Yahweh.

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When God's word came in the flesh, like in his son, his name was Yeshua in Hebrew, also known as Jesus in the Greek or Jesus in English.

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It doesn't matter what language is spoken, because Jesus' name remains the same and he knows his name in all languages.

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The Israelites, even to this day, hold a great reverence for God's name Yahweh, to the point that they refrain from even writing or speaking it.

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They came up with the name Hashim or Hashem, meaning the name as a way to refer to him without directly uttering his holy name, and they only do that on specific occasions.

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So this demonstrates the immense power and holiness that's associated with God's name.

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In the new covenant it's proclaimed that only in the name of Jesus can demons be cast out, the sick be healed, the people be born again.

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So when somebody speaks the name of Jesus, demons tremble and angels are called into action.

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So using the name of Jesus without cause or frustration or anger can be seen as taking his name, his holy name, in vain.

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But instead individuals need to reserve the use of his name for significant purposes and reverence.

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Now, on the other hand, saying oh God is not really considered taking the Lord's name in vain.

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Oh, I'm going to get shot for that one.

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Many, many people cry out to God in times of need and they utter phrases like oh God, help me.

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The term oh God is often used by people from the South and elsewhere to express a plea for assistance or guidance from a higher power or from God.

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It's important to recognize that when people say oh God in such a context, they're not using it flippantly and they're not really being disrespectful.

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Now there may be some confusion in the world, in the United States, in the South, about the distinction between using O God or O Lord and potentially violating the commandment against taking the Lord's name in vain.

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But we need to understand that these phrases are essentially the same and their intentions and usage determine whether they're respectful or disrespectful, and it's all about the individual's heart and the intent behind the words they speak.

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Now, all throughout history, there have been many lords and kings, but Jesus Christ is considered as the Lord of all lords and the King of all kings.

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And in the same way, various gods have been mentioned, both biblically and throughout history, yet there's only one God Almighty, the ruler of all things and the creator of heaven and earth.

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The power lies in his name alone.

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So people in the South, people in the United States, people around the world, like many others, recognize the importance of names and titles and they understand that the power and sanctity of God's actual name, yahweh.

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In the new covenant, the name is Jesus.

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It has incredible power and using it flippantly or disrespectfully is considered taking his holy name in vain, especially if you add H in the middle of it.

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That is what's offensive.

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It's crucial to approach the name of Jesus with reverence and only use it with purpose and sincerity.

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And really, what it boils down to is what are you talking about?

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What are you saying?

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I mean, here in these last days, we're supposed to be speaking, we're supposed to be focused and speaking and trying to get people to hear the good news, hear the gospel, get people to accept Jesus Christ so that they can spend eternity in heaven with him and not burning in a lake of fire.

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And here we are overly focused on something that really doesn't matter.

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I mean, does it matter if you take the Lord's name in vain, absolutely?

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Are we supposed to be sitting here debating whether or not saying oh God is breaking a commandment?

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Because, let me tell you, there are so many things in this world right now that are a bit more important than an argument between two people on whether our saying oh God is going to break a commandment or not.

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It really just seems like a waste of time and effort, but that's kind of what the devil has us focused on.

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If we're focused on these kind of issues, then we're really not focused on the things that are important, which is getting people to believe and receive the Holy Spirit and be born again.

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Don't fall into the trap, people, just be respectful.

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That's what it boils down to Again.

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Don't fall into the trap, people, just be respectful.

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That's what it boils down to.

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Be respectful Join me next week as I discuss assigned seats and whether or not you should punch a guest in the mouth if they sit where you normally sit.

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Now, you know, I'm just kidding with y'all, this is just something fun.

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Hey, I hope you're enjoying these shows as much as I do, providing value in the way of conversations, interviews and content.

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So many of you have asked me how you can be a part of the show.

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Well, let me tell you.

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You can become a member of the Renewed Mindsets community.

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Just go to buymeacoffeecom slash renewedmindsets.

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How cool would it be to have your name heard around the world.

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This just helps me with podcast-related expenses, the websites and all the subscriptions, as well as supporting an alternative school option for the kids at my church.

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Look for the membership link in the show notes and have a great rest of your week.

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See ya Well.

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That's all for this week's show.

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You know, the name of this show speaks my hope for you.

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It's taken from the words of Romans, chapter 12, verse 2.

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Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

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If you enjoyed what you heard, do me a favor, please, and tell someone you know about it.

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Send them a link and a text.

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You know you may even need to download it to their phone and show them what a podcast is.

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If it was valuable to you, it will be to them.

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Visit renewedmindsetscom to hear past episodes, read the blog and check out the new merch.

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And, as always, while you're there, send me a voicemail by clicking the button at the bottom right corner of the main page.

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Tell me what you think about this show.

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I just might play it on a future episode.

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Until next week, I'm Rick.

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I love you.

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See ya.

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