Heart of the Matter – Show 4 533

Live from Salt Lake City, Utah, this is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. where we do all we can to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. I’m Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion., your host.

Show 4 533
Two Wheelbarrows
January 24th 2017

A Movie Recommendation

Saw a movie the other day which was recommended to me by an actual and accomplished filmmaker, Richard Dutcher. It was the latest by Martin Scorsese and is titled, “Silence.” I enjoyed it because it dealt well with topics we cover on the show – devotion, dogma, church authority, suffering for Christ, and really what it means to have Him in the heart versus outward conformity. It is getting nothing from heinous Hollywood (because it is focused on Jesus) so I recommend it even more to all who are willing to take the time and money to see it as a means to both support the director and inspire themselves. Silence by Martin Scorsese.

And now let’s take a minute and talk about raising Christian kids.

Raising Christian Kids

(Run If I had Kids Today HERE please)

I personally think it is really important to instill in children biblical principles through stories and tales. In my estimation this is superior to sitting them down and telling them that they “can’t do this, that “they must do that,” and God isn’t happy with them when they go against Him” – the reason is because they are not ready to apply that to their lives from the heart in a proper way and so it often just creates fear, shame and guilt.

What justification do I have for saying this? Years of watching dogmatic Bible thumping Christians (and BOM thumping Mormons) literally drive their children into the arms of the world through this failing approach. So while they are young I think it's important to teach them biblical principles about pride, and humility, money, sex, sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace., mean-spiritedness, and God through stories that they can appreciate and understand.

The Wheelbarrow Story

I was blessed with three daughters. And being “a bad boy from the crib” I knew the perils to their virtue from day one. So I took a biblical principle – taken from Proverbs 31:10 (which says)

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies”

And I combined them into an illustration I would tell them at the dinner table, when we were on a date, or when they were falling asleep at night. It went something like this:

“Do you know what you are worth in this world? You are worth a wheelbarrow full of diamonds. You know what a wheelbarrow is, don’t you? (and I’d explain them and then say)

“So your life is like God has given you a wheelbarrow full of diamonds to walk around with. It is piled high – I mean it’s a huge pile of gorgeous sparkling priceless diamonds. And guess what?”

They look at me, eyes big, “What?”

“Most people, especially boys, want you to share those diamonds with them – in fact many want to TAKE them from YOU!”

You can see the wheels turn.

“See, when boys are young, and even sometimes when they are old, they love, love love to steal girls' diamonds. And do you know how they do it?”

“No.”

“Lots of ways! They are tricky tricky. They tell you they love you – something that is really nice to hear but it usually isn’t true. Or they put rocks in your path that get you to trip and spill them. Or they tell you to look one way and then they steal them when you are not watching. They are very tricky. And here’s the deal – they will take and take and take those diamonds until they are all gone.”

“They will?”

“They will. And the sad thing is when boys are young, once the diamonds are all gone, they move on to get another girl's diamonds!”

“So . . . you have to be smart. And not just with boys but with girls too. There are some girls who love to see other girls lose their diamonds – so they try and get you to do things that will cause a spill like putting things in the way so you will trip and fall. Good friends will always warn you about the things that will make you fall but bad friends hope (and will even help) you trip and spill your diamonds all over the street.”

And then wrap it up and say something like: So here’s the deal – be smaaaaaaaart.

The Principle of Preservation

Keep your diamonds – all of them – in the wheelbarrow. Don’t let anyone fool you or trick you or lie to you so you will give them up. The more you have when the time is right, the more happy you will be with yourself, and your life. And then one day you just may choose to give them to another. And we’ll talk about that later.

So that’s what I’d do if I had kids today – I’d tell them stories that teach biblical principles. And we’ll share some more of these stories in the year to come.

And with that, how about a Moment From the Word!

Many people are under the notion that afterlife punishment is in the control of Satan and his mocking laughing demons for ever and ever and ever. The notion shapes the way they read scripture.

Everlasting Destruction

For example, in 2nd Thessalonians chapter one we read:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulationA real historical event fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a future apocalyptic crisis. More to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

In these passages Paul is affirming to the Saints in his day that the trials to which they have been subjected would be revenged, and God would “recompense tribulation to them that troubled them.” He then gives them a time frame when this would be, saying in verse 7-8:

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

From this, we see that those who were troubled with them would see the recompense tribulation fall upon those who tried and tested them, “when the Lord Jesus would be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God nor obey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In verse eight we are first introduced to something the Lord would bring with Him “to take the vengeance and recompense those that troubled them . . . flaming fire.”

Judgment by Fire

And then speaking of those who would be punished we come to verse nine which is read and used as evidence that afterlife punishment is eternal, saying:

“Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

But let’s examine this passage with a little more deliberation. First some context and support. These passages are all about what will happen to the enemies of the Saints when Jesus returns. The theme is that fire will wipe them out. This is consistent with other passages relative to the Return of the Lord to the earth with fire and vengeance. For instance –

2nd Thessalonians 2:8 says:

“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”

And Hebrews 10:27 says:

“But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

Also,

2nd Peter 3:7 says . . . “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

So we can agree that “the fire and light of the Lord” will bring judgment upon the ungodly. Where is the fire coming from? From the presence of the Lord. Is the Lord eternal? He is everlasting to everlasting (and listen) therefore the fire He gives off is everlasting. It is everlasting fire. Its effects are everlasting as what it consumes does NOT come back. And so we read (relative to those who would be punished at His coming):

“Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

Did you catch it?

“Who (the wicked persecutors) shall be punished (not obliterated or wiped out of existence but punished) with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

Understanding Our Journey with God

I suggest it is saying that “the wicked will be punished with God’s destruction which is the RESULT of His presence and it can’t help but exude from the glory of His power.” Rethink as you read the scripture – set aside the traditions of religion and really try and see what God is saying through His word to you by the Spirit.

I was prepared to move into Part four of “No longer hacking at the branches of a problem but striking at the root” when something popped in strongly to the brain and heart and said – share this – people need to hear it. So here goes – and keeping with a theme already introduced tonight let’s call it – two wheelbarrows.

When we begin to walk with the Lord, having been received of Him by faith and blessed with His Spirit, we have at this point (in all probability) come to understand (at least in part) that He has taken our sin and we have been forgiven. Many people lose track of this fact but for the sake of this illustration let’s assume that the individual realizes this. We might liken God taking our sin (through His only begotten Son) to our having a wheelbarrow and God having a wheelbarrow before knowing Him and it looking like this:

ON BOARD

So when we first come to Christ we take the sin of our lives and hand it over to Him – who removes it from our load and puts it on His.

Embracing a Deeper Relationship

At this point many people believe that Jesus has done His Part, we have done ours and life is now to be lived as Christian people. But in my estimation God wants more of “our load, our cares, our burdens, and our lives.” For me this was really really hard to believe in my life. And I believed firmly that I had to manage everything, take control of it, make decisions and make the way. And He allowed me to do it. When I did I had what seemed like some successes but I also had some failures. Big ones. See, as we walked together I would want to do this or I would feel like doing that and instead of resting in Him and trusting in Him I would act. There is a fine line relative to this because it’s sometimes difficult to know how to live, how to rely on Him, how to let Him lead.

Over the course of many years I have learned a few things: First, transfer more of the load to Him. How much of it? All of it. Every single item in your wheelbarrow. It is not easy because most of the time we are not even aware of how to do this, let alone to do it. It takes time and trials and failures and successes to learn how to do this on a minute to minute basis, but it become more clear as we attempt it. And the clarity seems to come as we: Desire in our hearts for Him to take part in everything we do. Commit to trusting Him – and then doing it. Repeatedly turning the load over and over to Him again and again. And to recognize His hand in all things. It also helps to ask Him to be present in your day to day lives, to start the day off inviting Him in, and remembering throughout the day that He is Lord and King of your life.

Building Faith and Trust

Secondly, understand that the ability to give everything over to Him is based on faith and trust. Faith is one thing – trust is another. Faith says I believe and understand your promises, trust says I will apply them. It’s almost as if faith is in the head and heart but trust is in the hands. Faith says, “I really do believe you can be trusted, trust proves it. Trust in the Lord comes by and through the presence of great faith. Faith is strengthened and increased through a study of the Word and the application of it in our lives. This is typically a long slow process by it does come as we choose to let Him in our lives. And it is a choice. Day to day, minute to minute.

Third, expect tests and challenges to your decision to place your faith and trust in Him. Perhaps an example of how He works might help.

Trust and Patience in God's Timing

The righteous desire of your heart is, tell the Lord. He created you and gave you your make-up and skills and ways and those that are not carnally based He wants to make happen on your account. So let’s say that you desire to own a big cattle ranch where you can employ wayward teens as a means to help them. That is the goal – a big cattle ranch for wayward teens. Now seek and serve and place the contents of your wheelbarrow in His care and command. Typically, He will have you engage in all manner of things – perhaps even over the course of decades – and you may wonder, “Will the Lord truly grant the righteous desires of my heart?” Years will pass. He may have to you move to a city, far away from any ranch land. Wait on Him.

He may allow you to consider going into debt to buy some land and build your ranch on your own. Don’t do it. Wait on Him. This is the key – He will make all the righteous desires of your heart happen if and when you allow Him to – and when you are ready. Don’t get ahead of Him and don’t lag too far behind. But trust Him to open all doors along the way and He will. Trust this.

Navigating Trials and Temptations

Unfortunately, it is in this waiting “vetting” period that most people fail in, and fall from, trusting Him. And He will test and try you in nearly every area in your life, asking all the while – “Do you trust me to handle/fix/deal with your Job. Relationships. Children. Problems. Bills. Future. Marriage. Sin. Injustices experienced.

All of it.

Fourth, expect Him to lead you, and then to make it seem like it could have been a mistake. Recently I was told by God to invest in a certain stock for the long term for our retirement. Something I have not yet done and am in my mid-fifties. How did He tell me? He wouldn’t let it leave my mind for weeks on end. So for the first real time in our lives, we took some money and bought the stock. And it fell. When it fell I wondered if I should have trusted Him. Then it went up – and of course, then I knew that He was behind it. Then it fell again. You get what I’m saying?

Faith Through Uncertainty

If we trust in God we trust in Him – rise OR fall – we trust that God is working all things out for our good. So we sit back and rejoice in His command of the wheelbarrow, knowing, trusting, believing, and relaxing in His ability to deliver what He has promised. Finally, and this point is made at every step of the way, be patient, and wait on Him FULLY trusting that He will bring about an expected end.

In EVERY area of my life, after having gone through some real desperate and deserted moments of apparent loss and failure, He has come through with all of the EXACT RIGHTEOUS DESIRES of my heart. Every one of them. But where I would have tried to take a direct path, a shorter course to achieve my wants and needs (and have attempted them in the past and failed over and over again) He has come through – in spades – and without exception. Let me offer up some proofs:

• Our family was active in the LDS faith. I wanted truth, discovered it, and walked from the faith trusting that God would take care of my wife and children. It took years, but as I committed to Him and His will, ways, and work He has brought all of my family NOT just out of Mormonism but into the most genuine relationship with Him – far, far, far beyond my expectations of where He would bring us. At one point I wanted (I wanted, I wanted) my family to just be attending members of a Christian church. But God knew a far better way was out there – and He wanted us to have it (which we do).

Faith and Personal Transformation

quite trying. Nevertheless, trusting in Him and His ways (and not the ways of Man) He has blessed us beyond abundantly – He has brought our family directly into His family – without religion!

I entered marriage a very defective man – in part due to my nurture and experiences in life and in part due to my genetics. Bottom-line I was a womanizer. Have been since kindergarten. Still am in my flesh. It is the thorn in my side. Not just sex nor affairs but having as many relationships with women as I could manage. I was nothing against my wife, it is a brutal character flaw from which few recover when it begins at such a young age. I could spend hours on the why’s and how’s this is irrelevant – it is the sin of my person. There came a time, once I came to faith, where both Mary and I individually (and without any agreement between ourselves) to let God have this. Mary put her burden in His wheelbarrow and I put mine in too. In time, over time, and after trials and errors and failures and falling, God – not Man nor Man’s threats – God – brought me to a place where I chose, and had the strength to choose, Him and His ways, and the lives and hearts of others over my own. It is anything but natural to me. But by and through Him I made the choice – take note of this phrase – I made the choice, by and through His ways and strength.

A Creative Ministry Journey

I have always wanted – dreamed, longed for, hoped – to get to a place where I could spend my days creating and putting everything in my head and heart to paper (or other expressions). In 2005, after sojourning through decades of great difficulty (in both accumulating knowledge and moving jobs, being fired, quitting, working graveyard and night shift work) I entered school as a forty-four year old man. In my second year of this school I was invited to do my own television program (creativity in the realms of the LORD) and the rest is history. Today I am in the very place I dreamed of being but had absolutely no prospects of being able to achieve – because along the way I was able to look to Him and trust in His will and ways. I now spend my days writing, teaching, speaking, creating shows, presenting sermons, writing books and then as the icing on the cake, God has enabled me to work in a medium untouched by most other artists with my daughter Delaney.

Family Endeavors

So I am working in a very creative ministry with all three of my daughters and my wife. We have a church, a studio and a workshop. None of it came about by my drive but was presented by His.

My wife has longed to work in the medical field of some sort. She has zero experience in it. She tried to keep our family in California (an exercise of her will) by trying to find ANY sort of job there and was shut down. So she bit the bullet and moved to Utah. She landed two jobs immediately and has had more work than she could imagine.

Then she had a tooth go bad and while in the dentist’s office the subject of work came up and before she knew it the dentist offered her a position as a dental assistant! They are training her and she is learning a trade of great value. He is so, so worthy of all of our trust! But the path is long and fraught with trials and tests.

Trusting His Provisions

I have always had personal trouble accepting Jesus words in Matthew 6 where He says:

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what

Trust and Provision

"Ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Learning to Trust God

In the end, this perhaps was the overall greatest obstacles to my learning to trust God with everything. And I mean everything. Along the way there have been times where I have chosen to rely on men and their wealth, on women and their comforts, on connections to powerful and influential people, to strategies aimed at raising money, at image, playing the game of corporate business or religion – you name it, in the cause of trying to keep “food on the table” and a roof over our heads I have justified every thing under the sun to help us along – the whole time keeping things squarely in my wheelbarrow. In the end I simply did NOT believe that God would make ends meet, keep us viable and alive, and grant all the desires of my heart.

But I was wrong.

And in coming to see, at least to the limited extent that I presently do, that we cannot ever go wrong in trusting God too much, I believe that there is absolutely no reason on earth to fear, worry, or trust in the arm of the flesh when God is at work. The end result of all of this – besides God granting me at this point in my life ALL of my righteous heart-felt desires – is freedom and liberty.

• From fear
• From manipulations of man
• From things not working out

When you place all that is in your wheelbarrow – everything in your life – all of it and then wait and watch Him work, stepping through the doors He opens, you will not only be blessed beyond your imagination, you will be free – because the truth always sets us free.

A Journey to Freedom

So when we first come to Christ we take the sin of our lives and hand it over to Him – who removes it from our load and puts it on His. At this point many people believe that Jesus has done His Part, we have done ours and life is now to be lived. But in my estimation God wants more of “our load, our cares, our burdens, and our lives.”

For me this was really really hard to believe in my life. And I believed firmly that I had to manage everything, take control of it, make decisions and make the way. And He allowed me to do it. When I did I had what seemed like some successes but I also had some failures. Big ones.

See, as we walked together I would want to do this or I would feel like doing that and instead of resting in Him and trusting in Him I would act. There is a fine line relative to this because it’s sometimes difficult to know how to live, how to rely on Him, how to let Him lead.

Over the course of many years I have learned a few things:

First, transfer

Embracing Faith and Trust

More of the load to Him. How much of it? All of it. Every single item in your wheelbarrow. It is not easy because most of the time we are not even aware of how to do this, let alone to do it. It takes time and trials and failures and successes to learn how to do this on a minute to minute basis, but it becomes more clear as we attempt it. And the clarity seems to come as we:

Desire in our hearts for Him to take part in everything we do. Commit to trusting Him – and then doing it. Repeatedly turning the load over and over to Him again and again. And to recognize His hand in all things. It also helps to ask Him to be present in your day to day lives, to start the day off inviting Him in, and remembering throughout the day that He is Lord and King of your life.

Faith and Trust in Practice

Secondly, understand that the ability to give everything over to Him is based on faith and trust. Faith is one thing – trust is another. Faith says I believe and understand your promises, trust says I will apply them. It’s almost as if faith is in the head and heart but trust is in the hands. Faith says, “I really do believe you can be trusted." Trust proves it. Trust in the Lord comes by and through the presence of great faith.

Faith is strengthened and increased through a study of the Word and the application of it in our lives. This is typically a long, slow process but it does come as we choose to let Him in our lives. And it is a choice. Day to day, minute to minute.

Facing Challenges with Faith

Third, expect tests and challenges to your decision to place your faith and trust in Him. Perhaps an example of how He works might help. Whatever the righteous desire of your heart is, tell the Lord. He created you and gave you your make-up and skills and ways and those that are not carnally based He wants to make happen on your account.

So let’s say that you desire to own a big cattle ranch where you can employ wayward teens as a means to help them. That is the goal – a big cattle ranch for wayward teens. Now seek and serve and place the contents of your wheelbarrow in His care and command. Typically, He will have you engage in all manner of things -perhaps even over the course of decades – and you may wonder, “Will the Lord truly grant the righteous desires of my heart?” Years will pass. He may have to you move to a city, far away from any ranch land. Wait on Him. He may allow you to consider going into debt to buy some land and build your ranch on your own. Don’t do it. Wait on Him. This is the key – He will make all the righteous desires of your heart happen if and when you allow Him to – and when you are ready. Don’t get ahead of Him and don’t lag too far behind. But trust Him to open all doors along the way and He will. Trust this.

Unfortunately, it is in this waiting “vetting” period that most people fail in, and fall from, trusting Him. And He will test and try you in nearly every area in your life, asking all the while – “Do you trust me to handle/fix/deal with your Job. Relationships. Children. Problems. Bills. Future. Marriage. Sin. Injustices experienced. All of it.

Fourth, expect Him to lead you, and then to make it seem like it could have been a mistake. Recently I was told by God to invest in a certain stock for the long term for our retirement. Something I have not yet done and am in my mid-fifties. How did He tell me? He wouldn’t let it leave my mind for weeks on end. So for the first real time in our lives we took some money and bought the stock. And it fell. When it fell I wondered if I should have trusted Him. Then it went up – and of course then I knew that He was behind it.

Trusting in God's Plan

Then it fell again. You get what I’m saying?

If we trust in God we trust in Him – rise OR fall – we trust that God is working all things out for our good. So we sit back and rejoice in His command of the wheelbarrow, knowing, trusting, believing and relaxing in His ability to deliver what He has promised. Finally, and this point is made at every step of the way, be patient, and wait on Him FULLY trusting that He will bring about an expected end. In EVERY area of my life, after having gone through some real desperate and deserted moments of apparent loss and failure, He has come through with all of the EXACT RIGHTEOUS DESIRES of my heart. Every one of them.

But where I would have tried to take a direct path, a shorter course to achieve my wants and needs (and have attempted them in the past and failed over and over again) He has come through – in spades – and without exception.

Life Examples of Patience and Trust

Let me offer up some examples:

Our family was active in the LDS faith. I wanted truth, discovered it, and walked from the faith trusting that God would take care of my wife and children. It took years, but as I committed to Him and His will, ways and work He has brought all of my family NOT just out of Mormonism but into the most genuine relationship with Him – far, far, far beyond my expectations of where He would bring us. At one point I wanted (I wanted, I wanted) my family to just be attending members of a Christian church. But God knew a far better way was out there – and He wanted us to have it (which we do). But the road to getting there was quite trying. Nevertheless, trusting in Him and His ways (and not the ways of Man) He has blessed us beyond abundantly – He has brought our family directly into His family – without religion!

Secondly, I entered marriage a very defective man – in part due to my nurture and experiences in life and in part due to my genetics. Bottom-line I was a womanizer. Have been since kindergarten. Still am in my flesh. It is the thorn in my side. Not just sex or torrid affairs but having as many relationships with women as I could manage – in part because I feel very disconnected from this world. It was nothing against my wife, it was and is a brutal character flaw from which few recover when it begins at such a young age. I could spend hours on the why’s and how’s of this but they are unimportant here – it is the sin of my person.

There came a time, once I came to faith, where both Mary and I individually (and without any agreement between ourselves) to let God have this. Mary put her burden in His wheelbarrow and I put mine in too. In time, over time, and after trials and errors and failures and falling, God – not Man nor Man’s threats – God – brought me to a place where I chose, and had the strength to choose, Him and His ways, and the lives and hearts of others over my own. It is anything but natural to me. But by and through Him I made the choice – take note of this phrase – I made the choice, by and through His ways and strength.

The Journey to Fulfillment and Creativity

I have always wanted – dreamed, longed for, hoped – to get to a place where I could spend my days creating and putting everything in my head and heart to paper (or other expressions). In 2005, after sojourning through decades of great difficulty (in both accumulating knowledge and moving jobs, being fired, quitting, working graveyard and night shift work) I entered school as a forty-four year old man. In my second year of this school I was invited to do my own television program (creativity in the realms of the LORD) and the rest is history. Today I am in the very place I dreamed of being but had absolutely no prospects of being able to achieve – because along the way I was able to look to Him and trust in His will and ways. I now spend my days writing, teaching, speaking,

Faith and Trust in Divine Guidance

Creating shows, presenting sermons, writing books and then as the icing on the cake, God has enabled me to work in a medium untouched by most other artists with my daughter Delaney. So I am working in a very creative ministry with all three of my daughters and my wife. We have a church, a studio and a workshop. None of it came about by my drive but was presented by His.

My wife has longed to work in the medical field of some sort. She has zero experience in it. She tried to keep our family in California (an exercise of her will) by trying to find ANY sort of job there and was shut down. So she bit the bullet and moved to Utah. She landed two jobs immediately and has had more work than she could imagine. Then she had a tooth go bad and while in the dentist’s office the subject of work came up and before she knew it the dentist offered her a position as a dental assistant! They are training her and she is learning a trade of great value. He is so, so worthy of all of our trust! But the path is long and fraught with trials and tests.

Challenges of Trusting Fully

I have always had personal trouble accepting Jesus' words in Matthew 6 where He says:

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

In the end, this perhaps was the overall greatest obstacles to my learning to trust God with everything. And I mean everything.

Along the way, there have been times where I have chosen to rely on men and their wealth, on women and their comforts, on connections to powerful and influential people, to strategies aimed at raising money, at image, at controlling everyone around me, and playing the game of corporate business or religion – you name it, all in the cause of trying to keep “food on the table” and a roof over our heads. I have justified everything under the sun to help us along – the whole time keeping things squarely in my wheelbarrow.

Realization and Freedom

In the end, I simply did NOT believe that God would make ends meet, keep us viable and alive, and grant all the desires of my heart. But I was wrong. And in coming to see, at least to the limited extent that I presently do, that we cannot ever go wrong in trusting God too much, I believe that there is absolutely no reason on earth to fear, worry, or trust in the arm of the flesh when God is at work.

The end result of all of this – besides God granting me at this point in my life ALL of my righteous heart-felt desires – even down to the place I live – there is a freedom and liberty that cannot be manufactured. A freedom from:

• fear
• From manipulations of man

Embracing Faith and Freedom

When you place all that is in your wheelbarrow – everything in your life – all of it – in His – and then wait and watch Him work, stepping through the doors He opens, you will not only be blessed beyond your imagination, you will be free – because the truth always sets us free.

Community Engagement

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Emails

From: Hannah Edwards
Subject: Nature of God as an artist in relationship
Message Body:

Hi guys- ty for ur show I've watched every episode and it has helped me share Jesus and his heart with my lds neighbor's who long to know our savior in truth. I know you don't usually watch recommendations, but this echoes many things I've heard you say from your heart about the nature of our Heavenly Father and includes more in depth illustration on how God desires relationship above all else- and shatters that whole divine/permisive will subject that so many struggle with. Please consider checking it out. You can find it on YouTube as: Wm. Paul Young-(Session11)-Forgotten Gospel Conference 2016, Denver, CO
P.s. I ordered the "in his words" cd's for Christmas and they have been such a blessing to my family! It's awesome to hear my 13 and 12year olds singing scripture with me in our car. Bless you brother, your show, and family in Jesus' Name!

Discerning Beliefs and Truth

Shawn,

This is Jay Ball. I have a friend that would like to be on your show. I believe your listeners would be amazed to hear the story of one who has left the Mormon church, not because he has discovered that Joseph Smith is a false prophet and the Book of Mormon is false, but in fact the opposite.

Brian has outlined his reasons for having his name removed from the church records for reasons he lists in the letter he submitted, which can be found on his blog here:
http://www.cachevalleybaptisms.org/about-us

Of particular interest to your audience, I believe, is that Brian chooses to believe that Joseph Smith tells the truth, where the LDS church would have its members believe that Joseph was a two faced liar who professed one thing in public, but practiced something else entirely in private (yes, we are talking about polygamy). Brian also believes that in the Book of Mormon, Christ teaches that the latter day church will fall into apostasy (3 Ne 16:10) and that Mormon and Moroni likewise have a very pessimistic view of the latter day saint church (see Mormon 8:35-38, Ether 12:35-38), where the LDS church would have its members believe that they are in possession of the fullness of the gospel that will never be taken from the church and that they are led by a prophet that can never lead its members astray.

He's published a book that follows up on Joseph Smith's Lectures on Faith, titled Lectures of Repentance that has relevance to all Christians.

I encourage you to contact Brian for more information. His contact information is:

From: Joshua Casey
Subject: Voting
Message Body:

Hi Shawn: Hope this finds you well. You may recall I visited the show a couple of times from Boston. Anyway, it's somewhat after the fact, but I'm interested to know your Biblical take on whether we're, as Christians, called upon to vote. Any insight on this is greatly appreciated. And I thank you for your time.
Joshua Casey