The following program
discusses sensitive issues.
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Parents are
cautioned that some material
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may be too candid
for younger children.
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Welcome to Pure Choices.
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I'm Wayne Blakely
from Coming Out Ministries.
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And today,
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I'm speaking with my
colleague Danielle Harrison.
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Hi, Danielle. Hi, Wayne.
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Thanks for being here today.
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Thank you.
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Hey, you know, after
hearing your testimony,
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I think that I'd like
to ask you some questions,
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some follow-up questions
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that are probably pivotal
in your experience today.
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As you've
experienced lasting victory
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over previous
things that have held you,
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sin that has held you,
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what do you think
has been the real change
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that brought about, you
know, this experience for you?
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You know, Wayne, I've
noticed when I look back
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and I've reviewed the changes
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that have taken
place in my life,
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it's become evident to me
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that the significant
changes really came as a result
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of a change of
perspective for me,
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and that change of perspective
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wasn't just general
change of perspective.
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I really had to
come to see things
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from God's perspective.
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So any time in my life
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where my mind was illuminated
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to God's
perspective on a certain topic,
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that was what really helped
to make the shift in my heart
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and mind to have a desire
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to want to walk
away from the direction
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that I had been going
and turn and start walking
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with God into a new direction.
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And as that was happening,
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you know, of course, I
have to make a surrender,
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you know, at that point,
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I have to be willing to
let go of the stronghold
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that I have had on these
things that I think complete me
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and fulfill me and give me
direction and purpose in life,
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be willing to let them
go and surrender them to God
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and trust specifically
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that he has something
better in store for me
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in exchange for those things
that I've been holding on to.
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And I think something that's
especially important to mention
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when I'm saying that, I
have to let those things go,
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I also have to
acknowledge the fact
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that I have not the power
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to be able to
let those things go.
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I don't have the power
to walk in a new direction
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because I am
married to my sorrow,
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I am married to my sin
as much as I don't want it,
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and even when I
see it for what it is,
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there is something that...
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there's just that weakness in me
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that does not
allow me to let go.
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And so as much as I
have to surrender that thing,
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I also have to just
cling to the promise
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in Philippians
2:13 where it says,
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"It is God that
worketh in you both to will
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and to do of his good pleasure."
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So it's a gift from Him to come
to the place where I want to do
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what pleases Him,
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and it's also a gift to
be able to do the things
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that please Him.
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Wow.
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You know, I'm thinking
about, back on my work history,
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and like my
colleagues, and co-workers,
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and whenever
somebody introduced change,
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it was like, "Oh, no," you know,
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and there was all kinds
of backtalk and resistance,
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and "We don't wanna do
that, it's not gonna be right.
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And it's gonna be
too hard to get used to."
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And so when change
comes into your life,
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it's a real interruption.
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Yeah.
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I'm wondering
how do your thoughts
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and feelings play into this.
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Sure.
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Well, thoughts and feelings are
probably the biggest challenge
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in moving away and
moving in that new direction.
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And I've had to realize that
I have to completely distrust
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my feelings and
even my thoughts.
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There are a lot of
thoughts that come into my mind
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and I know
they're not in harmony
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with the expressed will of God.
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I know they're not in harmony
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with the
direction that I want ahead.
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And so when that happens,
I have to deny that thought.
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You know, if it's against
the expressed will of God,
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we can know that
it's not inspired of God
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and that obviously
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it's inspired by
the spirit of Satan.
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And so I can say,
that's not my thought,
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I'm not going to
choose to own that thought,
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to dwell on that
thought, to accept that thought.
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I'm gonna say, "You
know, this is from the enemy
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and I refuse to..."
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That's hard to do
sometimes. It is. Yeah.
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It is really
hard, but when I've...
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I think that when
I've externalized it
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and I haven't owned
it as my own thought
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and just said, "No, this
is inspired by the enemy,"
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it's easier to push away
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because it's not something
I have to take ownership of.
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And so then, you know,
that helps me to realize
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that I can push that thing away
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and it's not something
that has to be personal to me
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and remain personal to me.
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I know that you've expressed
a couple of object lessons
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that demonstrate, you
know, surrender in Christ.
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I'm wondering if you
might share those with us.
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Sure.
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Well, I think the
first object lesson
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that became prominent to me
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even before I became a Christian
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was observing the transformation
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of the
metamorphosis of a butterfly.
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You know, it
being that lowly worm
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that creeps on the ground
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and then going into
this chrysalis phase
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and then becoming a butterfly.
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And, you know, when I
think about the chrysalis,
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that space where
it has to be still,
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it has to just be inactive there
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and it has to be
still and know who God is.
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And I think the first
part that really is important
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in that
caterpillar's metamorphosis
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is that it has to
submit to the change
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that God is gonna
bring forth in it.
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And it spins that
little tuft of silk
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and it anchors
itself to that tuft of silk
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and then it lays back.
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And I think that just
very clearly illustrates
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that surrender that
I was talking about.
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And then in the
place of stillness,
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God brings forth
that transformation
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and then it emerges as
this beautiful new creature
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because if any man be in Christ,
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he is a new creature.
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Old things are passed away
and all things have become new.
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So the
metamorphosis of the butterfly
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has been the
biggest thing for me.
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And as I started
working out on a farm
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and working with seeds
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and watching the
plants sprout and grow,
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the farmer came in and
he started talking to me
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about what was
happening with that seed
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and he was saying
that inside a seed
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it has a certain
amount of intrinsic energy,
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natural energy,
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that's contained
within that seed.
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And when water is
poured onto the seed,
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it activates that seed
to start using that energy
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to create the
first sprout, the root,
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the stem, and
the first two leaves,
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which are called the cotyledons.
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And so the cotyledons
come out above the soil
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and then the plant
begins to use photosynthesis
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to continue to grow.
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But up until that point,
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it uses up all of
the intrinsic energy
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with inside of that,
100% of that energy is used up
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to just create
that first sprout.
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And as he was
explaining that to me,
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I really saw a
spiritual application,
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here I am and, you know,
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kind of a new age
spiritual mindset.
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But I started to
realize, you know,
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it takes all of the
intrinsic energy within me
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to reach away from self,
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and as Christ started
to come into the picture
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and I started to
understand Christ,
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you know, it takes everything,
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dying to self completely
to reach away from self
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and to reach above the earth
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and to put my hands up
in that surrender position.
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But once my two
little cotyledons,
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if they were,
come above the soil,
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then I start to
receive all of the energy
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that I need from the
sunlight, the Son of God,
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to give me all of the
strength that I need to grow
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and continue to flourish
in the right direction, so...
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That's a great analogy. Amen.
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You know, when
you're in the process
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of making a change,
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and I make this
applicable to myself
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because a lot of change
has taking place in my life,
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but it's interesting
to talk to other people
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about what this is like
when you're breaking a habit
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or when this change comes about,
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your feelings are
intrinsic to the past,
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you know, and so you
got a feeling or an urge,
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let's say someone's been
previously has historically
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indulged in pornography,
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and so the adrenaline runs,
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the call for
embracing in the habit is there,
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your thoughts, your
feelings are all charged up.
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How do you deal with that? Sure.
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Well, you know, I think that
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just as much as we
have to make that surrender
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and make that commitment to God,
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when we come to see
from His perspective,
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the conviction comes in
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and we realize we
need to make that change,
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that surrender needs to happen
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not just that first time,
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it has to happen
again and again and again,
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every time that
trigger comes in.
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You know, whatever
it is that triggers you
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to want to turn
back to that thing
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that you've been addicted
to or you've been relying on,
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every time that trigger comes,
you have to turn back to God,
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turn back to His
promises and believe
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that you are a new creature
and set your mind back on God.
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So, you know, whether
it's an enticing idea,
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or a situation, or
some kind of an emotion,
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or maybe some sensory
input that comes into your mind,
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you know, whatever
it is that triggers you,
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you have to
recommit in your heart
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and repurpose
your life right then.
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You know, that
you're going to...
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That you're
gonna stay with Christ.
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Yeah. You know, that
you're gonna walk with Him.
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To me, I just thought about it,
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it must be kind of
like when you adopt a child,
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you don't first
think of it as the child
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because you
didn't give birth to it,
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but as you begin to spend more
and more time with that child
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and adapt them
to your environment,
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they belong to
you, it becomes natural,
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becomes yours.
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And so it's
kind of like the same
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when you're making a
new pattern in your life.
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At some point, the new
pattern becomes natural
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and you totally own it.
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What are the brain mechanics
like when this is going on?
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Sure.
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You know, I think
that this is something
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that was really profound for me
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that helped to really
establish me in victory.
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When I started to understand
the mechanics of the brain
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and how the mind really works,
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you know, the neural pathways
that are within our brains,
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these are the pathways
in which the neurons fire
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and that's how
habits are formed.
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This was supposed to be
a beneficial process for us
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as the neurons
would fire in this series
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and we could
create healthy habits,
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but of course,
just like anything else,
00:11:46.84\00:11:48.84
the enemy tries to come in
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and take what God has
intended for something good
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and for something beautiful
and use it to his advantage,
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and so the enemy has come in
and he's sown terrors, right?
00:11:57.85\00:12:01.22
And so we start
developing these bad habits.
00:12:01.25\00:12:04.95
And as they've
actually studied the way
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that the brain has worked,
00:12:09.32\00:12:11.16
they found that
these neural pathways,
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these neural processes,
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they work just the same
way that your muscles do.
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So if you go to the gym
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and you're
working out every time
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that you lift that weight,
00:12:23.37\00:12:25.14
every time that
you use that muscle,
00:12:25.17\00:12:27.28
it strengthens that muscle.
00:12:27.31\00:12:29.44
And it's just the same
way with your neural pathways.
00:12:29.48\00:12:32.01
This is how these
habits are formed.
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But just the way
that with exercise
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they are strengthened,
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the same is true in
the opposite direction.
00:12:40.22\00:12:43.76
So as you discontinue the
use of those neural pathways,
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as you're no longer using them,
00:12:47.23\00:12:49.00
then it's just like if
you stop going to the gym,
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you don't keep those
muscles that you've built up.
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Slowly your muscles
dwindle and, you know,
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especially if
someone is bedridden
00:12:58.41\00:12:59.84
or something we see
that to the extremely effect,
00:12:59.87\00:13:02.34
your muscles begin to atrophy
00:13:02.38\00:13:05.55
and eventually the
tissue starts to die away
00:13:05.58\00:13:07.78
if you're not using
those muscles at all.
00:13:07.82\00:13:10.29
And so this is what
happens with your brain.
00:13:10.32\00:13:13.69
If you discontinue
those old thought processes,
00:13:13.72\00:13:18.69
then those neural pathways
become weaker and weaker
00:13:18.73\00:13:21.70
until eventually the neurons,
00:13:21.73\00:13:23.93
those neurons
inside of your brain
00:13:23.97\00:13:25.53
eventually begin to
atrophy and they will die.
00:13:25.57\00:13:28.64
Your neural pathways
will die and pass away
00:13:28.67\00:13:31.47
and so as you're
practicing a new habit
00:13:31.51\00:13:33.48
instead of the old one,
00:13:33.51\00:13:35.38
then you're recreating
your brain in a sense,
00:13:35.41\00:13:39.05
you know, you're forming new
neural pathways in the brain.
00:13:39.08\00:13:42.45
So as I started to consider this
00:13:42.48\00:13:46.15
as it was in relation
00:13:46.19\00:13:47.86
to experiencing
victory in my life,
00:13:47.89\00:13:51.43
I really started to pair
this with some other knowledge
00:13:51.46\00:13:56.20
that I had gained
about how the brain works.
00:13:56.23\00:13:58.30
And that is that the
average craving that,
00:13:58.33\00:14:02.00
"I need this thing, I need this.
00:14:02.04\00:14:05.41
I want this,"
whether it is a cigarette
00:14:05.44\00:14:07.34
or it's some kind
of intimate encounter
00:14:07.38\00:14:10.85
or whatever it may be that,
00:14:10.88\00:14:12.81
that addictive drive,
00:14:12.85\00:14:14.18
that screaming
voice in your mind that,
00:14:14.22\00:14:16.05
"I need this right now."
00:14:16.08\00:14:18.05
On an average, lasts
about three and a half minutes.
00:14:18.09\00:14:21.36
So of course,
if it's an average,
00:14:21.39\00:14:23.09
that means that
sometimes it's shorter
00:14:23.12\00:14:24.86
and sometimes it's longer.
00:14:24.89\00:14:26.46
But on an average that "I
need this thing right now"
00:14:26.49\00:14:28.76
only lasts three
and a half minutes.
00:14:28.80\00:14:30.60
So then you have
the bit of information
00:14:30.63\00:14:34.04
that a new neural pathway,
00:14:34.07\00:14:36.07
a new habit is
formed within the brain
00:14:36.10\00:14:38.31
on an average of 45 days.
00:14:38.34\00:14:41.28
So as I'm putting
all of this information
00:14:41.31\00:14:43.45
together in my mind,
00:14:43.48\00:14:45.25
this was pivotal for me
00:14:45.28\00:14:47.05
because I don't
have the strength
00:14:47.08\00:14:50.69
to stop doing this
thing that I am so addicted to
00:14:50.72\00:14:55.32
that I try to walk away from
but I just keep coming back to,
00:14:55.36\00:14:58.79
I just keep falling
back into or whatever.
00:14:58.83\00:15:01.16
I don't have the
strength to step over that
00:15:01.20\00:15:03.83
and every time I try and I fail,
00:15:03.87\00:15:05.83
every time I try again and fail,
00:15:05.87\00:15:08.30
every time I
try harder and fail,
00:15:08.34\00:15:11.07
it's like this sin
that I'm trying to overcome
00:15:11.11\00:15:14.28
gets bigger, and
bigger, and bigger in my mind
00:15:14.31\00:15:17.31
until it's this mountain
that I can never summit,
00:15:17.35\00:15:20.92
I can never overcome,
00:15:20.95\00:15:22.38
and I'll never find
myself on the other side of.
00:15:22.42\00:15:24.79
But when I started
looking at all of this
00:15:24.82\00:15:26.96
and putting it all together
00:15:26.99\00:15:28.52
and contemplating
it and considering it,
00:15:28.56\00:15:31.66
I can't find myself on the
other side of that mountain
00:15:31.69\00:15:35.63
on my own, but I can determine
00:15:35.66\00:15:39.43
to spend the next
three and a half minutes
00:15:39.47\00:15:41.04
when that temptation comes
in with Jesus Christ my Savior.
00:15:41.07\00:15:43.67
Right.
00:15:43.71\00:15:45.04
Now I can turn to
Him, I can speak to Him,
00:15:45.07\00:15:47.58
I can focus my mind on
faith in His expressed word
00:15:47.61\00:15:52.81
as opposed to my feelings
or as opposed to, you know,
00:15:52.85\00:15:55.98
whatever the enemy is whispering
00:15:56.02\00:15:57.45
into my heart and mind.
00:15:57.49\00:15:59.15
And if I make the commitment
to turn back to my Christ
00:15:59.19\00:16:04.03
every time it comes
in the next 45 days,
00:16:04.06\00:16:07.93
then I will have
allowed a new neural pathway
00:16:07.96\00:16:12.03
to form in my brain.
00:16:12.07\00:16:13.40
I'm actually
allowing a physical change
00:16:13.44\00:16:16.50
to take place
inside of my brain.
00:16:16.54\00:16:18.01
And for me, that is
profound because, you know,
00:16:18.04\00:16:21.54
I can actually
wrap my mind around that
00:16:21.58\00:16:23.55
and it helps that mountain
00:16:23.58\00:16:25.31
that's been
cultivated in my mind
00:16:25.35\00:16:27.52
to come down into a molehill
00:16:27.55\00:16:28.98
that I can
actually step over that,
00:16:29.02\00:16:30.52
that I can
actually see happening.
00:16:30.55\00:16:33.46
Yeah.
00:16:33.49\00:16:34.82
And then that
combined with the faith
00:16:34.86\00:16:37.86
that God promises to provide us
00:16:37.89\00:16:41.66
and gives this
extra measures of faith,
00:16:41.70\00:16:44.47
you know, helps us
through that process.
00:16:44.50\00:16:47.27
Something we didn't talk a
lot about in our series here
00:16:47.30\00:16:51.77
but comes to mind
right now is God's grace.
00:16:51.81\00:16:56.81
And that if there is a fall
00:16:56.85\00:16:59.25
or we stumble
somewhere along the way,
00:16:59.28\00:17:02.82
Jesus doesn't just say to us,
00:17:02.85\00:17:04.42
"Oh, well, you failed
so you're out of here,
00:17:04.45\00:17:06.45
forget it."
00:17:06.49\00:17:07.82
Sometimes we've done that
in our church environments,
00:17:07.86\00:17:11.39
we don't believe that,
00:17:11.43\00:17:13.29
"Oh, well, he must not have been
00:17:13.33\00:17:14.66
strong enough to hold on."
00:17:14.70\00:17:16.03
And so that's really too bad
00:17:16.06\00:17:17.40
and we just kind of
let them go their way.
00:17:17.43\00:17:19.80
But God's grace is so
wonderful that He says,
00:17:19.83\00:17:22.64
you know, if you
seek forgiveness,
00:17:22.67\00:17:24.41
I promise you forgiveness,
00:17:24.44\00:17:25.97
and I'm right here to
tell you to get back up
00:17:26.01\00:17:28.78
and to move forward
00:17:28.81\00:17:30.51
and we can start
this process again.
00:17:30.55\00:17:32.38
Don't give up because I
haven't given up on you.
00:17:32.41\00:17:34.92
Amen.
00:17:34.95\00:17:36.42
Have you realized
in your experience
00:17:36.45\00:17:38.12
that there are certain
things that pull you back
00:17:38.15\00:17:42.02
or into desires
maybe of the past.
00:17:42.06\00:17:46.19
Sure. There definitely are.
00:17:46.23\00:17:48.96
There are certain things
00:17:49.00\00:17:50.67
that bring my mind
on to the wrong track.
00:17:50.70\00:17:55.20
And I think
that's one of the things
00:17:55.24\00:17:57.41
that I've
really had to practice,
00:17:57.44\00:18:00.08
and I'm still on
the journey of that,
00:18:00.11\00:18:01.81
it's a daily battle,
00:18:01.84\00:18:04.21
and it's something I'm
still really praying about.
00:18:04.25\00:18:06.85
I think it's a lifelong process.
00:18:06.88\00:18:08.52
Yeah, I'm familiar with it.
00:18:08.55\00:18:09.88
Yeah, of becoming
mindful of what's in my mind.
00:18:09.92\00:18:15.59
You know, I think
it's really easy for us
00:18:15.62\00:18:17.56
to just go through life
00:18:17.59\00:18:19.09
and allow ourselves
to let our minds run
00:18:19.13\00:18:22.56
wherever they want.
00:18:22.60\00:18:24.87
And my mind just goes
off into all of these,
00:18:24.90\00:18:28.67
you know, it
goes off on a tangent,
00:18:28.70\00:18:30.54
goes into a conversation,
00:18:30.57\00:18:31.91
a make-believe
conversation with someone
00:18:31.94\00:18:33.44
that it will never happen.
00:18:33.48\00:18:35.61
You know, I...
00:18:35.64\00:18:38.05
Something that
was really hard for me
00:18:38.08\00:18:39.91
was getting out of the habit
of singing the worldly songs
00:18:39.95\00:18:44.09
that had been in
my life from before,
00:18:44.12\00:18:46.86
you know, whenever I
was coming into the fold,
00:18:46.89\00:18:51.29
well, before I was
coming into the fold,
00:18:51.33\00:18:52.89
I was a walking jukebox.
00:18:52.93\00:18:54.46
Everything that
someone would say
00:18:54.50\00:18:56.20
or every experience
that I was in would prompt
00:18:56.23\00:18:58.80
a memory of a song
00:18:58.83\00:19:00.17
or a movie quote or something
00:19:00.20\00:19:01.64
and I was just
constantly rambling off words
00:19:01.67\00:19:04.01
that weren't my own,
00:19:04.04\00:19:05.37
so I had to become mindful
of where my thoughts were going.
00:19:05.41\00:19:08.81
And recently, the Lord showed me
00:19:08.84\00:19:10.45
this image of my mind
00:19:10.48\00:19:14.62
being like an untrained horse.
00:19:14.65\00:19:17.35
You know, an unbridled horse
that has never been trained
00:19:17.39\00:19:20.96
and has never been
ridden all of its life.
00:19:20.99\00:19:23.16
If you try to
get on a wild horse,
00:19:23.19\00:19:25.99
it's a pretty
intense experience.
00:19:26.03\00:19:29.83
And God was showing me
that I've never bridled my mind.
00:19:29.86\00:19:34.07
I've never allowed
Him to bridle my mind
00:19:34.10\00:19:36.84
and take the reins and
lead into a new direction.
00:19:36.87\00:19:39.44
And as I was thinking about
that that morning I just said,
00:19:39.47\00:19:43.11
"Okay, Lord, I don't know
00:19:43.14\00:19:44.88
how to take
control of my thoughts
00:19:44.91\00:19:46.35
that are so out of control."
00:19:46.38\00:19:48.72
And I just saw in my mind,
00:19:48.75\00:19:50.99
you know, turning
the reins over to God
00:19:51.02\00:19:53.29
and Him taking the reins
and allowing to redirect me
00:19:53.32\00:19:57.43
when I am turning to
the right or to the left
00:19:57.46\00:19:58.99
and get me back
onto the right path.
00:19:59.03\00:20:01.00
So, Danielle, why wouldn't
you just turn on the radio
00:20:01.03\00:20:03.57
like everybody else
00:20:03.60\00:20:04.93
and play it when
you're in the car
00:20:04.97\00:20:06.30
and roll down the road,
00:20:06.33\00:20:07.67
I mean, you go to church,
00:20:07.70\00:20:09.04
you know, and
you're studying the Bible
00:20:09.07\00:20:11.21
in the morning and stuff.
00:20:11.24\00:20:12.57
This is just music,
00:20:12.61\00:20:13.94
so why wouldn't
you just roll with it?
00:20:13.98\00:20:17.18
You know, Wayne, I've
just come to understand
00:20:17.21\00:20:20.45
how much music really
has an impact on the way
00:20:20.48\00:20:24.92
that I think, the way
that I view spirituality,
00:20:24.95\00:20:28.96
and life, and God,
and everything, you know.
00:20:28.99\00:20:32.93
And it's not only
the lyrics of the songs.
00:20:32.96\00:20:36.36
When I first started to
come into being a Christian,
00:20:36.40\00:20:39.23
I started to realize
the words of the songs
00:20:39.27\00:20:41.80
were not in
harmony with what I wanted,
00:20:41.84\00:20:44.71
but I started to
realize also that
00:20:44.74\00:20:46.37
there can be
elements of the music itself
00:20:46.41\00:20:50.71
that can excite me
into a certain mindset or,
00:20:50.75\00:20:56.69
you know, even
just be repetitive
00:20:56.72\00:20:58.32
and kind of put me into this
not really wanting to think,
00:20:58.35\00:21:01.66
almost hypnotized
kind of state of a mind.
00:21:01.69\00:21:03.79
It has a purpose and a design,
00:21:03.83\00:21:05.66
and I think the
people don't always recognize
00:21:05.69\00:21:08.33
what goes in the
planning of a song sometimes
00:21:08.36\00:21:11.13
because artists
sometimes have a motive at hand
00:21:11.17\00:21:14.70
that they want the audience
00:21:14.74\00:21:16.27
or the listener to
respond a certain way.
00:21:16.30\00:21:18.57
Mm-hm.
00:21:18.61\00:21:19.94
And I know in our ministry that
we've kind of adopted something
00:21:19.97\00:21:24.45
that where we hear somebody,
00:21:24.48\00:21:26.51
you know, starting
to react to something
00:21:26.55\00:21:28.82
that was part of our
past where we used to,
00:21:28.85\00:21:31.75
you know, dance
or even have sex,
00:21:31.79\00:21:36.06
you know, to
certain music or whatever,
00:21:36.09\00:21:38.19
we stop that person
00:21:38.23\00:21:40.36
because we realize they
got momentarily sidetracked
00:21:40.40\00:21:43.63
and we tell them that
00:21:43.67\00:21:45.07
I need to hear a
spiritual song out of you
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.87
that will glorify God
00:21:47.90\00:21:49.27
and that actually
gets us back on track.
00:21:49.30\00:21:50.77
Amen.
00:21:50.81\00:21:52.14
And it's kind of a fun
little game that we play,
00:21:52.17\00:21:53.51
but it has, you know,
00:21:53.54\00:21:54.88
very strong
spiritual implications.
00:21:54.91\00:21:57.68
Something that
I have recognized,
00:21:57.71\00:22:00.02
and it's taken me a
long time to recognize,
00:22:00.05\00:22:02.52
in fact, in the
Adventist faith denomination,
00:22:02.55\00:22:05.55
one of the strongholds
is the health message.
00:22:05.59\00:22:08.19
Mm-hm.
00:22:08.22\00:22:09.56
Today, the world
again has marketed
00:22:09.59\00:22:12.69
just like media does
for music, and for theories,
00:22:12.73\00:22:18.80
and thoughts,
00:22:18.83\00:22:20.17
they are after our
taste buds as well.
00:22:20.20\00:22:21.77
That's right.
00:22:21.80\00:22:23.14
And they have flooded us
00:22:23.17\00:22:25.81
with all kinds of what
we would call junk food
00:22:25.84\00:22:29.71
and even not junk food
00:22:29.74\00:22:32.15
but stuff that we've adapted to,
00:22:32.18\00:22:34.32
my personal favorite, cheese.
00:22:34.35\00:22:37.39
I have a great difficulty
in having given that up,
00:22:37.42\00:22:41.29
but recently I really
spent some time with God
00:22:41.32\00:22:44.33
and just let Him talk to me,
00:22:44.36\00:22:46.39
and I am convicted that
something has to change.
00:22:46.43\00:22:51.87
We hear from the writings
in Ellen White has told us
00:22:51.90\00:22:56.07
how our lower
passions are, they would be...
00:22:56.10\00:23:01.64
we would have
more control over them
00:23:01.68\00:23:03.58
if we had
control of our appetite.
00:23:03.61\00:23:05.31
Mm-hm.
00:23:05.35\00:23:06.68
And if we think back
to God's original plan
00:23:06.72\00:23:10.19
and design for food,
00:23:10.22\00:23:12.62
it didn't really involve
like high-powered flavors,
00:23:12.65\00:23:16.86
preservatives, chemicals,
00:23:16.89\00:23:20.16
heavy
intensified oils and sugars
00:23:20.20\00:23:23.37
and things, I mean, I
am seeing more and more
00:23:23.40\00:23:26.57
how that is a counterfeit
plan to God's original plan.
00:23:26.60\00:23:30.74
Can you tell me a
little bit about health?
00:23:30.77\00:23:33.38
Yeah.
00:23:33.41\00:23:34.74
Well, sure, you know, Wayne,
00:23:34.78\00:23:36.28
I think it is
interesting that you brought up
00:23:36.31\00:23:38.18
what you did
with the cheese thing
00:23:38.21\00:23:40.02
because there was actually
a recent scientific study
00:23:40.05\00:23:44.72
that was done that said
00:23:44.75\00:23:46.09
that cheese has an
addictive pull on the mind
00:23:46.12\00:23:52.16
and the brain actually,
00:23:52.19\00:23:54.23
cheese has the
same effect on the brain
00:23:54.26\00:23:56.67
as certain drugs do.
00:23:56.70\00:23:58.03
Wow.
00:23:58.07\00:23:59.40
When they've introduced
cheese into the system
00:23:59.43\00:24:02.57
and they've watched the way
that the brain has responded,
00:24:02.60\00:24:04.87
they've seen that it's the same
00:24:04.91\00:24:06.27
as when a person
is on hard drugs.
00:24:06.31\00:24:08.61
So, you know, I think that
00:24:08.64\00:24:10.35
there is a
certain weight of gravity
00:24:10.38\00:24:12.91
that's happening
inside of the brain
00:24:12.95\00:24:14.88
that we don't
necessarily consider.
00:24:14.92\00:24:16.25
Right.
00:24:16.28\00:24:17.62
There are other foods
that are also stimulating
00:24:17.65\00:24:20.09
as well as cheese,
flesh meats, vinegar, spices,
00:24:20.12\00:24:24.39
different things like
that, but as far as health goes,
00:24:24.43\00:24:27.50
I think that it
doesn't stop at diet.
00:24:27.53\00:24:31.20
Sometimes we just
don't even really consider
00:24:31.23\00:24:35.04
how much water we're
drinking throughout the day
00:24:35.07\00:24:37.04
and if our
brain is not hydrated,
00:24:37.07\00:24:40.84
it's not gonna fire as clearly
00:24:40.88\00:24:42.44
and really the
brain is the avenue
00:24:42.48\00:24:44.15
through which we are
communicating with God
00:24:44.18\00:24:45.78
and through the willpower,
00:24:45.81\00:24:48.45
you know, to turn to God
in those moments of temptation
00:24:48.48\00:24:51.99
instead of just
turning back to the sins
00:24:52.02\00:24:57.29
or giving in to
the temptations so,
00:24:57.33\00:25:00.76
you know, when I think diet
and water as well as exercise.
00:25:00.80\00:25:05.37
Yeah.
00:25:05.40\00:25:06.74
If we have these
components in our life
00:25:06.77\00:25:09.74
and we have these things,
then we have balanced hormones
00:25:09.77\00:25:15.58
and our stress levels come down
00:25:15.61\00:25:18.61
and it helps us to
really be focused on the Lord.
00:25:18.65\00:25:22.18
And I think also
an important thing
00:25:22.22\00:25:24.55
to express is temperance
00:25:24.59\00:25:26.79
because it's easy to go off
onto either side of the ditch,
00:25:26.82\00:25:32.39
you know, so we have to...
00:25:32.43\00:25:34.00
I know people who
have exercise addictions
00:25:34.03\00:25:36.56
or eating
disorders, where they're...
00:25:36.60\00:25:39.10
That aren't really healthy.
00:25:39.13\00:25:40.47
They become so restrictive
of their diet that they,
00:25:40.50\00:25:42.60
you know, that they're
not getting the nutrition
00:25:42.64\00:25:44.11
that they need.
00:25:44.14\00:25:45.47
So there is a balance of
temperance within all of it
00:25:45.51\00:25:47.91
and I think temperance is just
00:25:47.94\00:25:49.28
as much of an
important health component
00:25:49.31\00:25:51.61
to having
victory as anything else.
00:25:51.65\00:25:53.35
Mm-hm.
00:25:53.38\00:25:54.85
You say victory, Danielle.
00:25:54.88\00:25:57.35
Can you describe victory to me?
00:25:57.39\00:26:00.92
Well, you know, when
I think about victory,
00:26:00.96\00:26:04.33
I think about Proverbs 24:16,
00:26:04.36\00:26:07.63
and it says that the
just man falls seven times
00:26:07.66\00:26:12.20
and rises up again
00:26:12.23\00:26:13.67
while the wicked
falls into mischief.
00:26:13.70\00:26:16.24
And that shows me that
00:26:16.27\00:26:17.61
the difference between
the wicked and the righteous
00:26:17.64\00:26:20.41
was not whether or not they fell
00:26:20.44\00:26:22.24
because they both fell,
00:26:22.28\00:26:23.75
but the righteous
man rose up again,
00:26:23.78\00:26:26.21
and I think that's the
important thing is that
00:26:26.25\00:26:29.22
even if we fall, it might
be a discouraging experience,
00:26:29.25\00:26:36.09
but we don't have to stay there.
00:26:36.12\00:26:37.93
We don't have to stay
down, we can get back up,
00:26:37.96\00:26:40.26
and we can trust that
00:26:40.30\00:26:41.63
God's mercy is
sufficient in those times.
00:26:41.66\00:26:45.13
And just like a baby
who is learning how to walk,
00:26:45.17\00:26:48.50
at first, they fall
and they might fall a lot
00:26:48.54\00:26:52.17
as they're learning how to walk,
00:26:52.21\00:26:53.54
some children
fall more than others
00:26:53.58\00:26:55.08
as they're learning to walk,
00:26:55.11\00:26:56.44
but as we continue
to walk more and more,
00:26:56.48\00:26:59.78
it becomes more natural to us
and we fall down less and less.
00:26:59.81\00:27:04.12
And now as an adult,
I don't fall down much.
00:27:04.15\00:27:08.06
There are moments when I do.
00:27:08.09\00:27:09.42
I trip on something and I fall,
00:27:09.46\00:27:11.79
but, you know,
it's not something
00:27:11.83\00:27:14.73
that makes me want to give up.
00:27:14.76\00:27:17.17
It's a journey
that I can continue in
00:27:17.20\00:27:19.83
and I can walk in.
00:27:19.87\00:27:21.20
And this illustration of a child
00:27:21.24\00:27:22.67
has become more and more clear
00:27:22.70\00:27:24.54
and more and
more beautiful to me
00:27:24.57\00:27:25.91
as my niece has
come into the world.
00:27:25.94\00:27:28.74
You know, Hadassah was
only four and a half pounds only
00:27:28.78\00:27:30.65
when she was born,
00:27:30.68\00:27:32.01
she was tiny,
but she was perfect,
00:27:32.05\00:27:35.92
and then as she got
bigger, she learnt to crawl,
00:27:35.95\00:27:37.82
she learnt to walk, and
now she's riding her bike
00:27:37.85\00:27:40.56
and, you know,
Hadassah might not,
00:27:40.59\00:27:43.12
you know, she might make
mistakes every now and then,
00:27:43.16\00:27:45.76
but she is
making her best effort
00:27:45.79\00:27:47.20
where she is at, and
my Hadassah is perfect.
00:27:47.23\00:27:49.96
God's Word is a
balanced fuel for us.
00:27:50.00\00:27:53.17
Thank you so much for
joining us on Pure Choices,
00:27:53.20\00:27:56.60
and we wish you a
healthy and blessed life.
00:27:56.64\00:27:59.51
Thank you.
00:27:59.54\00:28:00.88