Cheer UP! Podcast
Cheer UP! Podcast
Journeying With The Disciples
DISCIPLES
Meet the disciples— a diverse group made perfect through faith! Join us to explore their stories and how they inspire us to embrace our unique paths today! What personality trait do you relate to most? 🎧
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Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast. I am your host, kara R Hunt, and with me, as always, is the beautiful and fabulous Sherri Swalwell. How are you today, sherri?
Speaker 2:Well, except for coughing, right then, I am doing great. But instead of talking about the weather, like we usually do, I want to talk about something that actually ties really really well into what we're talking about, or our topic of today. But you well, I want to talk about fiction books and not like not a big, huge discussion about them. But I know about you something you love legal fiction.
Speaker 1:Oh yes.
Speaker 2:And I recently read my first, like I had been wanting to read this author for a long time, and within the last couple of months I read this guy, robert Whitlow, and I read his book Double Amenity. And the reason I bring him up is one I know that you absolutely love legal fiction and it's not the legal fiction part that I want to talk about. It is. I love when writers talk about characters that love the Lord and have a super close relationship with God, and not just God, but the Holy Spirit with God, and not just God, but the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:And so there were these minor characters in this book Double Amenity by Robert Whitlow, if you are interested in checking it out and Clayton and Sarah, and they're married and Sarah just has this, she just has her heart or her hand. I guess that's the right phrase. I'm terrible at phrases and, trust me, coming into one of my other books, I'm going to write it into one of my characters because I know it so well, because I am like horrible with phrases, I get them wrong all the time.
Speaker 2:But that's a side note. But this Sarah, she has her fingerprints, or her finger, on the heart of God and she made this. Comment because Connor is the pastor of this church.
Speaker 1:comment because Connor is the pastor of this church.
Speaker 2:And so he had, god had given him a revelation and he had, he had tried to express it or tried to share it in a sermon, and he bombed because he didn't understand it enough himself before he tried to explain it to other people. And I kind of feel like that's the season I'm in right now that God is like downloading things to me and they need to let it marinate before I share it with others because it's going to bomb otherwise. But that's exactly what Sarah said to him, like she she's so blunt with her observations of him in a good, loving way, like in a Christlike way, but she's like the seed needs to have time to germinate before it is fertilized, or something like that. I tried to find it again, the exact phrase, and of course I couldn't. And I was like, okay, I, I can't remember exactly where it was in the book.
Speaker 2:Next time I'll have to mark it as I'm reading it. But it just really struck me. And then I think about, like Karen Kingsbury, she has a completely different style of writing and she does the exact same thing, though Her characters just really, really grab on to the heart of God. And then Dee Henderson, she writes, she has these really long, long books.
Speaker 1:Military type novels right yeah.
Speaker 2:Yep, but then she also yes, and so or FBI or things like that. One character, Anne, shows up in a bunch of her newer books?
Speaker 1:She hasn't, then she also yes, and so or?
Speaker 2:FBI or things like that. Anne shows up in a bunch of her newer books. She hasn't written in a long time, so, d, if you are ever listening to this podcast, please, please, please, write some more, because I absolutely love your writing and I've read them all and I will reread them because they're just so amazing. But anyway, she writes about this lady, anne, who has like this intense, super personal relationship with God, and so, as I'm reading these books, I'm like Jesus. That's who I want to be Like. I want to be just like these people. And the reason I bring that up.
Speaker 2:You're probably thinking okay, why are we talking about Robert Whitlow and all of these characters? Because that is kind of the way, like it's a great segue into talking about the disciples this week, because all of the disciples are just a hodgepodge of people and of personalities and of different characteristics, but yet they all have their finger on God's heart, or God has his finger on their heart, or however. It is that you're supposed to say it. What we're talking about today, and that is what I absolutely love. God loved us so much and he created all of us the way he did on purpose.
Speaker 2:Like there have been times, especially in the last couple of weeks where I have literally almost said to my husband, like why are you even married to me? Because it seems like all I do is annoy you. And that's not true. That's just my hormones talking. So don't think that he and I are headed on the brink of disaster or anything, because we're not. That was just I had to get rid of my hormone treatment or my supplement for a while because of my impending surgery. So I'm like, okay, I'm just going to be crying for a little bit. Um, my impending surgery. So I'm like, okay, I'm just going to be crying for a little bit, don't worry about it, I'll get regulated again soon. And um, so you know, all those stupid thoughts go through your head. So, trust me, he and I are fine.
Speaker 2:But but my point is is that, as I was even saying that out loud, I'm like, no, god made me the way he did and he made me perfectly the way that he did. Like I am perfect for Sherry, I'm not perfect for Kara, I'm not perfect for my husband or for my daughter or for whoever, I'm perfect for Sherry. And that is kind of like the introduction to the disciples today, because they are such a hodgepodge of personality traits and characteristics and all kinds of things, but yet their one common denominator is that they loved God enough to trust Him. They loved God enough to pursue Him, even though they didn't completely understand everything about Him. And I just I love that in fiction, but I love it even more in real life. So, before we dive into the disciples, what do you think of my little discovery right there?
Speaker 1:I actually you're getting me in trouble because you keep giving me books to add to my list and authors to add to my readers list. And I am an avid reader. For those of you who do not know, of course both of us are authors, but we're also avid readers of nonfiction and novels. And boy, I have heard of Robert Whitlow, but I don't think I've ever read any of his novels. Really, yeah, it is weird Because, like you said, he writes.
Speaker 1:Maybe I don't think I knew that he wrote legal novels. I think I thought he wrote something else. You know a different genre, so that could be it, but you're absolutely right, I love legal thrillers and I love political thrillers. You know a different genre, so that could be it, but you're absolutely right, I love legal thrillers and I love political thrillers, you know, and I mean I can just binge on those for like the whole entire summer and are any type of mystery, thriller, suspense type novels. But again, I like the Christian-based ones that have Christian characters in them that are able to overcome unimaginable odds and that have substance to them. You know that there's just not a legal plot or political plot, but then the whole overwhelming, unseen arch of the book is their faith and their relationship with God. So I can't wait to download or get one of his novels, to get one of his paperbacks since you mentioned it Because it sounds really, really good and I can say, and it ties right into the disciples and their characters.
Speaker 2:So you have to start with double amenity because I just totally fell in love. I'm sure I was supposed to fall in love with the main characters, Connor and Liz I think are the, and they were great, Don't get me wrong. But I just absolutely fell in love with Liz because she, oh she, just her faith, like she wore her faith on her sleeve, Like she was who, she was who she was, no matter where she was, whether she was at home, whether she was at church, whether she was out on the street, whatever. And she was such a minor character, Like she didn't show up that often but man, when she did, she delivered a peaceful but powerful punch and that is who I want to be and that goes right in.
Speaker 1:She walked it out, she walked her faith out in real life. She walked it out, yes, and that is who I want to be Like.
Speaker 2:I don't want anyone when I die. I don't want anyone to be like, well, okay, let's just say y'all gather at my funeral and you know, feel free to come or don't come, your choice. But if you're at my funeral I don't want like people to be talking and be like, huh, that's not the Sherry I knew, what, what? No, I want it to be absolutely. She was always spot on. The Sherry you knew is the Sherry I know. It's the Sherry you know her family knew. And it's the Sher whatever, whatever, like I. I just authenticity, genuine, own my mistakes and all like. That's who I want to be. But I want to be known as somebody who, regardless of what the world, you know, what came at her from the world, whatever you know she dealt with, she dealt with with a strength and a faith in God. And that's kind of how I feel, like the disciples are. So when I was looking up the disciples to talk about them today, I'm like, okay, so who exactly are they? So the Bible tells us that they were Peter, james, john, andrew, philip, judas Iscariot, matthew, thomas, another James. This one's the son of Alpheus Bartholomew, another Judas, judas Thaddeus this time. And Simon's Delicus. Now Peter later gets changed to Simon, if I'm remembering right. God changed his name. He called or maybe Simon Peter. He ended up calling him Simon Peter, and Peter means the rock. And so Jesus said that you are the one on whom I will build my church, or the rock is on whom I will build my church. But the thing that I love so much is that all of the disciples were so different. So Peter, james, john and Andrew they were all fishermen.
Speaker 2:Matthew was a tax collector. We talked about him when we talked about Matthew back in November and we talked about how people were not very, they didn't really like tax collectors, because tax collectors were kind of like. They were known to be dirty, they were known to do things illegally or on the side. They were known to cheat people, which I don't know. If Matthew was one of those types of tax collectors, he might've been an honest tax collector, but tax collectors in general got a bad rap and got a bad reputation or had a bad reputation.
Speaker 2:And then Judas, iscariot he's the one who ended up being the traitor. So for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Bible and unfamiliar with the disciples during the Last Supper, which was right before Jesus got arrested, which was right. So this happened on Maundy. Thursday was the Last Supper was right, so this happened on Monday. Thursday was the last supper, and during the last supper Jesus said the person that I share this bread with is going to betray me, and then, or that we both dip our bread into the oil or whatever it is we're sharing this thing. And then Judas Iscariot did it. Right then, and the Bible talks about how the disciples were confused with that, because they didn't realize that Jesus meant that Judas was going to betray him. Betray him meaning get him arrested and eventually he would hang on the cross. They thought that he was like cheating, because he was the treasure, he was the one that kept all their money, and so they thought that maybe he was just cheating jesus with the money they didn't, or betraying him with the money. They didn't realize that that he meant betray, betray, um, and so. So that is judas iscariot. He ended up going and hanging himself, and then um, one of the other disciples that I named ended up taking his place, so that there were always 12. But not only were there these 12 disciples that God or Jesus called personally, called himself, but there was an inner three within this 12 that Jesus was especially close with, and those were Peter, james and John. Now James and John, I believe, were brothers.
Speaker 2:And then Peter, he was the one that during the whole after Jesus got arrested, so during the whole weekend of his crucifixion, he said to Peter, right beforehand, right before the Last Supper and the celebration started, he said to Peter he said you will deny me three times before the rooster crows in the morning, so in less than 12 hours, six hours, whatever you will deny me. And Peter said absolutely not, lord, how in the heck do you even say that about me? I would never deny you, and sure enough, we should never argue with Jesus, tara, ever, because he is always right. And sure enough, before the rooster crowed that morning, peter had denied him three times.
Speaker 2:But instead of becoming bitter or instead of turning away, instead of living in that shame and that guilt and I can't believe I did this and he was right in that shame and that guilt, and I can't believe I did this and he was right, and you know, blah, blah, blah it turned out to be a turning point for Peter and Peter ended up isn't he the one that ended up preaching and having what everybody claims is like the first megachurch, that 3,000 people after the Holy Spirit or after, yeah, after the whole, so after Jesus rose from the dead and then he was with them for for 40 days and then he ascended up into heaven. Isn't Peter the one that was preaching the word and preaching the truth? And 3,000 people got saved in one day? Wasn't that Peter?
Speaker 1:I can't remember, but I think it was. So Peter ended up going to and I kind of think that has something to do with the Catholic foundations of the church too, but don't quote me on that everyone, because I haven't double-checked, but I think it was.
Speaker 2:So he ended up like there are so many truths that we can take from the disciples that they first off, they lived, walked and breathed with Jesus for three years during his ministry and yet even they still had questions and they had doubts. Jesus never got mad at them for their questions and their doubts. He walked with them through them and sometimes he said things like, oh, I don't understand why you have little faith, and he would shake his head. But he never punished them, he never belittled them, he never made them feel bad for their doubts. He understood, like he was God and he knew the truth. But he also knew that we were all human and he knew that the people that he had chosen to to walk with him were human and would make mistakes, and he was okay with that. Like he didn't, he doesn't leave us in our confusion. He doesn't leave us in our questioning. He doesn't leave us in our confusion. He doesn't leave us in our questioning. He doesn't leave us in our doubt. He rises us or helps us to rise to the next level, but he never shames us. He never makes us feel bad for what we don't know, and he, jesus, comes and takes us from where we are to where we need to be. He will never condemn us for our sins, but he will instead help us to change, to be the people that he originally created us to be. So he will show us the need that we have for a savior, and then he will help us. He won't leave us in the pig flop, he won't leave us in the dirt and the mire that we got ourselves in, but instead he will help us to heal, he will help us to grow and he will help us to change, to become more and more like Him, and that's through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:And of all the different stories about the disciples, of all the different events that happened in the Bible about the disciples, I thought which one do I want to talk about? Which one is my favorite? And my absolute favorite one comes from Luke five, and this is just kind of like I don't know. I've kind of taken this story on as like a promise from God. It's just, I don't know. It's just really, really personal to me, and what it is is.
Speaker 2:This is when Jesus called. It says the four fishermen called his disciples. So Jesus called the four fishermen that I talked about earlier Peter, james, john and Andrew. And so what happened is Jesus is walking down the beach and he sees these two boats. And what usually happened back then is that the fishermen would fish at night. And so the fishermen Peter, james, john and Andrew had been fishing all night long, and or at least, at least James, john and Peter were fishing all night long. And so Jesus said to them he said, well, I'm just going to go ahead and just read it, because it's not that long and that way I won't mess it up.
Speaker 2:So it was as the multitude pressed about him, so as a whole bunch of people were surrounding Jesus, basically to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Bethlehem and saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. So in other words, they had been out all night long. They were tired, they were cleaning up and getting ready to go to bed. Then he got into one of the boats which was Simon's and this is Simon Peter and asked him to put out a little from the land. So in other words, put your boat out just a little bit so that people can't crowd me, but that I can see the whole crowd and he sat down and he taught the multitude from the boat. When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon again Peter, launch out into the deep and let down your net for a catch. But Simon answered and said to him master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing. Nevertheless, at your word, I will let down the net. So, in other words, we had been fishing all night long. We're super, super tired, but you know what? If that's what you want us to do, that's what we're going to do.
Speaker 2:And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so they began to sink them. And they came and filled both the boats, so they began to sink. Think about that. I don't know how big their boats were back then, but both of the boats were sinking because of all of the fish that Jesus had allowed them to catch in the natural. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying depart from me, for I am a sinful man, o Lord. For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of the fish. So not only were James, john, peter and Andrew there, but the multitude that he had just got done preaching to were also there and witnessing the miracle. They were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken, but so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. So they were in the other boat and Jesus said to Simon do not be afraid, from now on you will catch men. So when they brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed him.
Speaker 2:And there's just so much truth to learn from that short 11 chapters in the Bible. So, first off, when Jesus calls us to do something, it's going to succeed. How do we know when it's Jesus talking to us and when it's not Jesus talking to us? Well, that I don't have an answer for, except pray about it, and the Holy Spirit will give you peace or not give you peace. And sometimes we just have to put our foot in the river, as we learned from Joshua way back in the Old Testament.
Speaker 2:Sometimes we just have to put our foot in the river and just try it out and say, okay, is this something that is biblical? Is this something that would please God if I did it, and if so, then sometimes we just got to put our foot in the river and see if it's exactly what God wants us to do. But other times he speaks very, very clearly to us and he lets us know this is what I want you to do, this is what you need to do, and I've had those instances in my life where God has been very clear and said I want you to volunteer to help in a position that hasn't even been advertised, and I felt really stupid doing it. I'm like, okay, he didn't even ask for any help, and yet I'm asking him if I can help. And, sure enough, when I did that, it was you have no idea the answer to prayer that you are, and that was because I didn't know, but God did know.
Speaker 2:And so when God is involved and when God is in charge, it's going to happen, it will succeed and it will be. It might not be well, it won't be in our timing, but it will definitely be in God's timing. So I want to encourage you about that part, and sometimes we can be working at something in our own strength all night long and be weary and tired, but as soon as Jesus gets involved, as soon as it is his timing, it all will come together. So there's another part that I want to encourage you with. And then miracles do still happen today. So there's so much that we can take from that one particular story and I just absolutely positively love that story.
Speaker 2:And Jesus not only took care of them in the natural, but his whole purpose was to win. He said today you fish for fish, but from now on you're going to be fishers of men, meaning I want you to be on my team, I want you to be one of my 12 disciples and we're going to go and preach the gospel and we're going to go share the truth with all the people who don't know it. So not only is God concerned, but he also took care of their physical needs. He took care of them by having them get the fish as well. So that's the other part that I just want to encourage people with, and that is that God takes care of our physical needs, and that is that God takes care of our physical needs, but he also will set things up so that we was part of the select 12 of Jesus, like for three years, and three years seems like such a short amount of time and they didn't think it was. They didn't even know at the time that it was only going to be for three years, three and a half years. They probably thought they had decades with him.
Speaker 2:So I guess that's the other thing that I want to encourage people with is we don't know how long we have. We don't know when Jesus is coming back. We don't and he does it that way on purpose need to make the most of all the situations that we are, all the opportunities that we're given, not to the point where we run ourselves ragged and we burn ourselves out, but to the point where we're listening to his voice, we're listening to what he wants us to do, and then we're doing that in the Holy Spirit's strength. We're asking for the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to fulfill the purpose that God has for us. So those are just kind of some of the thoughts that I had as I was studying and thinking about the 12 disciples. So what are your thoughts?
Speaker 1:Tara Well, a couple. But I think one of the things I want to touch on is one of the scriptures, a part of the scripture, the 11 verses that you were talking about, where the disciples are kind of going. We've toiled all night and we haven't gotten anything. And within what a span of a few minutes. They had so much when Jesus was involved, when Jesus got involved, they had so much that the boat almost sank right.
Speaker 1:And to me that is such a huge promise, sherri, because how many times have we done things for God and we're like Lord? We have just toiled and toiled, and toiled. We have toiled with our family, I have toiled with my career, I have toiled with this ministry, I have toiled with the things that you have placed in my hand and or the people. And it's all night, all season, all decade, most of my life. And you know, there's just been no progress made. And it's so easy to get hopeless right, to just be like it's never going to change, they're never going to change, the job is never going to change, the career is never going to change. I don't even know why I come out here every time. Try to get some fish, so to speak. You know, because nothing's going to change. But then when Jesus shows up on the scene, you know, all of a sudden, everything that you have toiled for comes to you in abundance and it comes fast. It didn't come in a week's time, that happened in one. As soon as they met Jesus, it was within a matter of minutes, and I just think that's something that the purpose one of the purposes, I believe, of Scripture is to say hey, god's got this, he's there with you. It may seem like you're toiling and you're seeing no results, but he's just saying hey, just wait a minute, just wait a minute, just wait a minute. When I get my hands on this and I bless you and I continue to show you the things that need to be done, you're going to be blessed beyond measure and I think that is just such an amazing promise to hold on to, because it's just knowing that, if we have Jesus on our side, that we're going to come out, that everything's going to work out okay. It may seem like we're toiling in vain, but Jesus is just probably just like just hold on, just have patience, it's all going to work out. In my timing it's going to work out and, trust me, it's going to work out better for you too, got better for you too.
Speaker 1:And the second thing is, you were talking more. Oh, it wants to flee me right now. What was it? Anyway, it'll come back to me because and I think it has something to do with another part of the scripture oh, I know what it was. Okay, you had mentioned how the disciples were only with him for three years maybe three and a half, and to me that is. And within those three years, walking with Jesus, being in a relationship with Jesus, he influenced, impacted their life so much that not only did they learn from him, learn his ways, listen to his teaching, sit at his feet, listen to his teaching, watch the miracles, help perform miracles, because, if I'm not mistaken, the same James and John that were his disciples were also called the sons of thunder. Am I right, sherry? Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:So, I think those, yes. So within that short period of time they saw miracles. They were able to perform miracles. The Sons of Thunder were ready to pull down like fire from heaven, you know, to like completely set a town ablaze, because they felt like that Jesus had been slighted in a way. And so it's like they performed miracles. They saw healings, they saw and witnessed so many things that just ramped, that just inspired them in their faith so much. Now we're just talking three and a half years, and to the point to where almost all of them were martyred for their faith.
Speaker 1:That's how far walking in a relationship, being in a relationship with Jesus, can do. And some of us have been walking with the Lord for a lot longer than three and a half years and we have seen, we have witnessed all of those things. So don't worry that your toiling is in vain. God has it all, he's got it all covered, all in his perfect timing. For some it takes longer, for others, excuse me for some it may take longer than others, but just, you're never going to go wrong by having a relationship and walking deeply with the Lord. You just can't.
Speaker 1:And we've all probably witnessed maybe, those Christians who were sinners last week and this week they're on fire for the Lord and it's like you've only been walking with Jesus for a week. But what they know, that you probably don't know, is the change that is in them, like it was so vast, it was so deep, it was so they were so gutted out from the person they were to the person that they is now something that they thought would never be able to happen, that now they just can't stop talking about Jesus. And so it only took that one encounter with him, that one introduction to him, that one sermon about him, them surrendering their life to him, that changed their lives forever. And that's exactly what happened to the disciples. So you can never go wrong walking with Jesus. That's all I wanted to add. I hope all that made sense, sherri.
Speaker 2:Oh, it did. And the only thing that I want to add to what you said and I didn't even think about this until you started talking was what would have happened if they had said, no. If you said, put it out, you know, cast out your thing on the other side, and if they said, no, we're tired, we're going home, we let you borrow our boat. Well, we really didn't have a choice, because you just kind of took our boat and we're done, we're going home, we'll come back next week. What would have happened?
Speaker 2:And I don't know about you, kara, but I do not want to miss any opportunity that God wants to give me and when we go to heaven and we talk to all the different disciples up there and we find out how they were martyred because that's the only thing that you could say to me, because I used to be a person of fear and I'll I'll admit I still have moments of fear that I have to fight, but, um, so I can I can see myself saying well, yeah, but they were all martyred for their faith and prime. And peter, he wouldn't even allow himself to be crucified in the same direction that Jesus was he got?
Speaker 2:crucified upside down because he's like I do not even have. I am not worthy to be crucified right side up like my Lord. I need to be crucified upside down because I'm not even worthy of his position, of his position. And so I can guarantee you, without having talked to any of them yet, that I can guarantee you, when we go up to heaven and we say, okay, so you have that chance, you had that opportunity to tell Jesus no and not let him or not obey him and let the things out, and maybe you wouldn't have been martyred then, but would you have changed it for the world. And I can guarantee you, without having ever talked to them, that they would say not on your life, it was the best thing that ever happened to us ever, and we would do it again in a heartbeat and being martyred.
Speaker 2:I'm not saying, trust me, I'm not saying that it's easy. I'm not saying that it's not painful. I'm not saying that it's easy. I'm not saying that it's not painful. I'm not saying that it's not horrific. I am saying all of those things that it is horrific and it is horrible and it breaks my heart for everybody who's persecuted for their faith or just murdered senselessly for no reason.
Speaker 2:But the pain of that, I believe again. I've never been tortured or persecuted, I'm still alive. But I believe that the pain for that that's temporary is nothing compared to the glory standing before our Heavenly Father saying do it again in a heartbeat, because I would never, ever, ever, reject you or deny you, betray you. That's the word that I'm trying to say. So that is the. That's the only other. I went off on a rabbit trail, but the only other thought that I had was what if they had said no and I'm so glad they didn't had said no, and I'm so glad they didn't? And I pray that when God gives me opportunities, that I never say no, that I always say yes and that I always obey, and that I always put my foot in the river and do whatever it is that he wants me to do, because who am I to know when that miracle is going to come? I don't Only God does.
Speaker 2:And they would have missed out on that amazing miracle if they had said no and I do not want to ever miss out on the miracle that God wants to give me because I'm too tired, or because I'm too occupied, or I'm too busy, too depressed and not full of hope just despair, right.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly, and so that's kind of what we want to leave you with. One, you are made perfectly the way that you are. God created you and knit you in your mother's womb. He had you thought up and decided upon in his own mind and in his own self long before you were ever, long before your parents were ever even remotely born themselves, let alone thinking about having children. So you are not a mistake. You are precious in your personality and your characteristic traits may be too much for some people, but they are not too much for God. You are absolutely perfect the way that you are made. Now, sometimes God needs to mold us and create us and and help us to be refined in some of our things, but that's between you and God. So you just know that you are perfectly made the way that you are.
Speaker 2:And second, I just want to encourage you that God is always with us, that when we bring him into the equation and we ask him to be in charge, then we have less of those. Not, it doesn't cancel out the long night of fishing with no results ever. We'll still have those moments. But we'll have less of those moments when they put God in charge from the get-go and we'll have more of those miracle moments of put it out on the other side or go home and take a nap today and we're going to fish fresh tomorrow. The more we listen to God's voice, the more miracle moments we'll have and the less long night with nothing moments. But you know what, even those long night moments, if you're kind of in a season of long night moments right now and you're just kind of getting discouraged, don't be discouraged. Instead, ask God what is it that you're trying to teach me from these long nights? Because sometimes God has to get us into the middle of quiet in order for us to really hear his voice and to make those pivot shifts that we need, that he needs us to make in order for the miracle to happen. So just be encouraged that you are. Nothing that happens in your life is a mistake. Nothing that happens in your life can't be used by God, but he will use it.
Speaker 2:Romans 8, 28 is one of my favorite verses. All things work for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose. If you are God's child, then he loves you and you are called according to his purpose, so that verse is fit for you. So, having said all that, that is just kind of a small, small, small introduction to the disciples. I encourage you to read the New Testament Matthew, mark, luke and John, the four gospels. They talk a lot about the disciples.
Speaker 2:And then my favorite book of the Bible, acts, talks again more about the disciples and it talks about the strength that they received from the power of the Holy Spirit and their boldness that they got because of it. And that goes back to what we started to talk about at the very beginning of the podcast today. And it's the power of the Holy Spirit that the authors are so eloquently able to write about, these fictional characters that exhibit the power of the Holy Spirit, and it just it awakens it enough in the reader or at least it did in me that I'm like I want what she's having, and the fun thing about it is that we can have it, that God gives it to us, and we can have it not in a fictional way, but we can have it in a real, genuine way, just like the disciples did, and it will change your life the way that it has changed my life, the way that it changed the disciples' lives. So, if you are well, actually, before I go into the verse and before I go into having you reach out to us, if you want the power of the Holy Spirit, you first need to get a relationship with God. And Romans 10, 9 tells us that when we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord, we will be saved.
Speaker 2:So I'm inviting you to pray that prayer with me, if that is what you want, if you want a genuine relationship with God, it starts with a prayer. It starts with asking him into your heart and surrendering your life to his, to him that he will be in charge. Does it mean that you'll get it right all the time? No, but he doesn't expect that His disciples weren't perfect, and he doesn't ask us to be perfect either. But if this is something that has been on your mind, if the Holy Spirit is drawing you to have this relationship with God, don't wait another day, don't wait another minute, but pray that prayer with me right now, so we will pray. Oh, heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus' name.
Speaker 2:I believe you died on the cross and that you rose again and you're seated on the throne. Jesus, forgive me for all that I have done wrong and I choose to forgive all others. Come into my life today and forever. I am yours In Jesus' name, amen. If you prayed that prayer with us right now, I just want to say welcome to the family and I am so, so happy for you because you have made the best decision that you could ever make in your life. If you did that, we encourage you to reach out to us at the cheeruppodcast at gmailcom and let us know that you made that decision. We want to celebrate that with you. We also encourage you to join a Bible believing church, and one of the things that God put on my heart was to start a membership to help people grow their relationship with God, to make their relationship with God a priority and something that is just a part of their everyday life. So if that's something that interests you and you want to know more about that, you can head over to Sherry Swalwell on my website and you can look at the Jesus in the Everyday Membership and find out what all that entails, and I'm encouraging you, or inviting you to come join that community If you are interested in seeing what Kara writes and also the other different things that she offers on her website, as well as audiobooks.
Speaker 2:So if you like to read fiction or listen to fiction, head over to KaraRHuntcom and you can find out all of her different fiction series, and she writes amazing books. Lydia, paper Dolls, Lydia is another one that she just has that fingerprint of God, the prayer. She is just such a prayer warrior in her prayer closet that you will be touched by that book. If you want to read about people who live out their faith, every single one of the characters in the Habakkuk series, the paper doll series, lives out their faith, but Lydia, her and Eve, they're probably my favorite when it comes to that. So I encourage you to check those books out.
Speaker 2:But you have to start with Paper Dolls because you have to be introduced to all the dolls and the baby dolls, the minor characters. It's just an amazing series. I truly feel like they're my friends and I'm not just saying that because Kara's my friend, but I have loved her. In fact, it's because of fiction and because of the way that she writes that she and I were actually introduced to each other. We talked about that on the podcast before, so if you're interested you can reach out to us at the email and we will be happy to share the story of how we came to know each other through fiction. But as our verse for the podcast says, in John 16, 33, jesus speaks these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace In the world. You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer.
Speaker 2:I have overcome the world. I absolutely love that he starts with a positive In me you will have peace.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's tribulation in the world, but be of good cheer, don't forget. Cheer up because I have overcome the world, and that is what we need. To remember that, regardless of all the bad things that twirl around us, be of good cheer because God has overcome the world. So that is what I want to leave you with this morning or this afternoon, whenever you're listening to us. So I'm encouraging you to be of good cheer today, have a great day, a wonderful week, and we will talk to you again next Wednesday. Thank you.
