WHOA That's Good Podcast - Do You Have a Past?
Episode Date: December 1, 2021Sadie celebrates her 100th episode of "WHOA That's Good" by announcing her new book, "Who Are You Following?" With her special, in-person guests, she speaks about pressing past your past, how to becom...e who you are when everyone knows who you used to be, and choosing a word to declare over your mistakes. The enemy tries to make you feel defined by your past mistakes, but the Word of God says differently. Sadie's new book, "Who Are You Following?," is available NOW! https://liveoriginal.com/books/who-are-you-following-2 — Buy Sadie's new book "Who Are You Following?" - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcript
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What's up fam, welcome back to the Woodette's Good Podcast.
I am so excited for today.
Today is extremely special and I know us every week, but this time it really is because
this is our 100th episode of the Woodette's Good Podcast and we are doing something very
special.
So if you saw on my Instagram, we did a giveaway, and we gave away for five people to come here
with a guest to be a part of this audience
for my podcast, and this is the coolest thing ever.
So I actually have friends in the room today,
make a little noise, make a little noise.
I have friends here from all over, we just met,
and this is just the coolest thing.
I just wanna say thank you everyone who's listened
to the podcast, this is amazing,
that this is our 100 episode
It has come so far since we started and I have enjoyed every part of the journey today
It's gonna be a little different. I'm not interviewing anyone. It's just me and my friends
And I'm actually gonna be sharing a message today from my new book
Who are you following that's coming out in February?
So this is kind of a book launch a hundred episodes. This is a good day, a day Lord has made.
We are easily rejoicing today.
And I'm just stoked.
I'm so sure this message is all,
it's one that has been on my heart for a while.
I've shared bits and pieces of it throughout the past years.
If you heard my passionate message,
does God love me?
This is kind of like a spin off of that
or even like, I kind of more thought
after I gave that message.
I was thinking about that. And this is in my new book. spin off of that or even like, I kind of more thoughts after I gave that message.
I was thinking about that and this is in my new book.
So as I was preparing for this, you know, obviously was thinking about all of you, but I was
also thinking about there are going to be girls in this room who I am able to share this
word with.
So I'm kind of going to be looking all over.
I'm going to be looking at my friends, but I invite you to join us in this conversation
because of anything, I think that this can be a breakthrough moment for every single person
listening. So my first question to you, literally everyone here and everyone
listening online is, do you have a past? Okay, I thought we'd all be in agreement
that we all have a past. You know the past, I'm gonna be like, how'd you get here?
That's gonna be weird. But I'm excited to know that we're all
on the same page here.
Okay, I have a little bit of a deeper question.
Do you have a past that you're not proud of?
Yeah, I'm proud of.
Okay, so now we're gonna a little bit more serious.
The tone has shifted.
And I think most everybody has a past
that you might not be proud of.
And that is why I wanted to write this chapter in this book.
A book is who are you following?
But I think a lot of times the thing that stops us from following God is who we used to be,
or who we used to be known as, or what we used to be a part of, or what we did,
that we think disqualifies us from following God.
So the reason I wrote this chapter of the book is because I met this girl. She was like beautiful girl. So sweet. Love her. And she had a bad pass. She made a
mistake in high school. And that mistake was made public. And then that was years ago. It was like
her freshman year of high school. Then she goes to college and she's trying to get in a sorority. And all of these sororities would not accept her because of the thing that
she did, like four years ago, that everybody knew about that resurface when she had this opportunity
to go to college. And I just thought, man, that is so sad. Like that she can't have this opportunity
to continue on into her future and something that she can't have this opportunity to, you know, continue on into her future
and something that she would love to do because of something she did that's not even a representation
of who she is.
Like, she's changed since then.
Like, that's not even hurt.
Like, it was so unfair.
And I think a lot of times, like, not just in this sorority world, we feel that in the church.
It's like, we can't be accepted into that because of who we used to be, what
we used to do, what we used to be a part of. And I think that that's a really hard thing.
And it's hard to get past your past. It's hard to press past your past and follow Jesus,
especially whenever it's public. I remember this is not even a bad thing to be noticed,
but this was just a funny thing. So my family had a TV show, Duck Dynasty. And everybody kind of knew me as the Duck Dynasty girl,
okay, because I really have like a big part
in the show always, I was just like the daughter, you know?
And so I would be in public and people would be like,
are you that duck girl?
And I'd be like, no, not the duck girl.
And people would be like, are you that girl from Duck Dynasty?
Are you the duck girl?
It was actually like so funny because it happened so much
that me and my friend Lani found this duck cat
one time, it was like a duck mask
and I literally put it on and walked through a store
and Lani was like, are you the Duk girl?
When Duk-Duk see it and I was like, yes, it's me.
But no, it was actually frustrating so much.
I was like, no, not the Duk girl.
People were like, are you really Robertson's daughter?
Are you Willie's daughter? Are you, you know, and I I was like no, not the duck girl. People are like, are you really Robertson's daughter? Are you Willie's daughter?
Are you, you know, and I'm like, no, like me?
Like, that's not who I am.
Like, that's a part of me.
That's something that I was a part of.
That's something I did.
That's not me, you know?
And I think that's a funny example,
but it's frustrating when that's like an example of something
that you're ashamed of.
You're embarrassed of.
I was like, weren't you that girl that used to party?
Like, aren't you that girl that did this?
Aren't you the girl that, like for me,
even that dated all those guys?
Or aren't you the girl that used to have panic attacks?
And you're like, yeah.
And then you started to be like,
well, actually, is that me?
Like, and so there's this tension of like,
who I was and who I actually wanna be.
And Christian and I have talked about this a lot.
Christian's here too.
Whereas you're watching at Point at Him because he's over there.
We have a little bit bigger audience here because some of my friends and my mom is here.
And we talk about this a lot because Christian used to be like so bound by his past
or stuck at his past because he had a wilder past and he came to the Lord,
but it was his tension of like, oh, but they all know me for that.
So how can I really embrace who I am?
And I think that that is such a strategic tactic of the enemy.
I mean seriously when you think about it,
you're like, well duh, he would make you want to feel stuck
because as long as the enemy can make you feel stuck
and who you were, he doesn't have to worry about
who you're going to become.
If he can make you feel like, no that is who you are.
No, no, you did do that.
And somebody can come at you and say, weren't you that person? And as long make you feel like, no, that is who you are. No, no, you did do that.
And he and somebody can come at you and say, weren't you that person? And as long as you
feel stuck, he doesn't have to worry about the world here in America. He doesn't have
to worry about the world seeing the power of the gospel. He doesn't have to worry about
someone going from dead to life. He doesn't worry about that. As long as you can, he can
make you feel like you are who you were, you are your mistakes, you're all these things
and you are stuck there.
So I wanna read a verse to you.
It's in room in six one.
Six one through four, sorry.
We're gonna read a couple verses today.
But I love this.
It says, what shall we say then?
Are we to continue to sin so that grace may abound?
By no means.
How can we who have died to sin still live in it?
Do you know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ were baptized into his death?
We were buried before him with baptism into death in order that just as Christ raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life.
So there is the power of the gospel, is that we have a hope of the newness of life that
there is a resurrection story for us.
And so I want us all today no matter what past you have, no matter what your background
is, no matter what you're known as or known for what you did to actually be able to step
into who you're going to become.
So here's my questions for us to ask ourselves. How do I become who I am
when everybody knows me for what who I was? That's like the question that I've
kind of proposed this day. And I think number one is that you have to know who
you are. You have to know it. And you have to know what God's word says about you.
Because if you don't know who you actually are and who you've become and what
the word says about you, then you will listen to the voice of the enemy.
As soon as someone comes up to you and reminds you of what you did, you would probably shrink
back and say, oh, you're right.
Feel so much shame.
Like, yeah, that was me, you know, if you don't know, actually, no, I am whole.
I am redeemed.
I am washed by the blood of God.
I am an ambassador of Christ.
I have become new.
That is the power of the gospel. If you're not rooted in that, then you're going to believe a blood of God. I am an ambassador of Christ. I have become, that is the power of the gospel.
If you're not rooted in that,
then you're gonna believe a lot of enemy.
You're gonna believe yourself.
You're gonna believe the people, what the people say
about you, you're gonna believe the comments
that people post on your Instagram.
And so I think what you have to do
is you have to have that weapon in your heart.
So when someone does come up and says something to you,
and reminds you of who you were,
or whenever the sorority drops to you,
or whenever you don't get the job for whatever reason, or
whenever you're not in the relationship, or whenever the enemy himself gets right into
the, you know, worst part of your brain and tells you that you have to say, actually,
no, that's not true.
That is who I was, but thank God for the power of the cross.
He sacrificed himself and then died and then resurrected, so I can live a new life.
And actually, I'm not that person anymore. I am brave. I'm bored. I'm redeemed. I'm whole.
I'm free. I am walking in love because I am loved. I am confident. Like, you got to speak
those things out for yourself because no one else is probably going to do that. You know, like,
I can do that right now for everyone here. I can say, like, you are whole. You're redeemed. You're
loved. You are a child of God. You're free. Like Like don't you see it but like unless you say it and you believe it
It's not you're gonna activate. It's not gonna change
The second thing is you actually have to commit your life to Jesus
You had to commit I mean that is a huge part of the book that I talk about is like committing
You're gonna follow God you gotta commit so many times we're like
Okay, I'm gonna raise my hand I believe in God, but I'm not gonna change anything about my life.
He's like, what did you actually believe in the gospel? Because like, the gospel that requires
a huge change, like a dead-to-life situation. Like, everything changes. Like, who are you
assuming? It's not who I am. And so you have to commit because you can't fully be who you're
gonna become when you're still living the life that you used to live and who I am. And so you have to commit because you can't fully be who you're going to become
when you're still living the life that you used to live and who you were. Like it would actually be
super weird if Paul, this Christian who wrote like all of these New Testament books with still
murder and Christians, you'd be like, uh, something I write about that. And I'm like, hold up. I see something off here.
Like the powerful thing about it is that he committed
and that he didn't turn back.
Is that he went and met with the disciples
despite the fact that they were scared of him,
literally scared of him, he pressed past all that.
If you think about all these people in the Bible,
so many people had to press past the past
to be who they were called to be and to actually step into what God was going to do.
Like theme up Moses.
Moses was like this, you know, super, it was actually kind of weird whenever you read the
story of Moses.
Like he was super intimidated, he was super nervous, he actually had a horrible speech impediment,
all these different things.
He also murdered someone, so that's, you know, not great.
But then like, he still led an entire
generation out of slavery because he walked with God in that moment. You think about Gideon,
he was like a very insecure person, like I'm the weakest of them all, he led an entire army,
okay? He got over his past and he moved forward. When you think about Paul. This is one of the best examples. He was literally murdering Christians
and then he became a Christian himself
and wrote half the New Testament, if not more than half.
And if you really think about this,
had these people not press pass the pass,
do you understand that our life would look different?
Like in 2021, thousands of years later,
our life would become completely different
if Paul never actually pressed past Saul.
Isn't that very interesting to think about?
Like what's your favorite brow versus?
Probably something Paul wrote.
Like I can do all these to guys straight me, Paul.
Like, what do you think about like,
there's no high or dead, no endocrine or demon,
nor past, nor present, nor nothing
that can separate me from the love of God.
Paul, he said that.
So this guy who literally used to kill Christians
to say, and there is nothing, there's no height nor death,
there's no, there's no past, there's no present,
there's no future that can separate me from the love of God.
But then why do you feel like you can be separate
from the love of God?
Why do you say, well, because I did this,
like, I mean, if anyone ever knew that,
I would be so disqualified from living this life. I forgot. Well, Paud didn't feel that way.
He could have definitely felt that way. I mean, think about Peter. Peter was this guy who,
I mean, I see so much about Selvin him. It makes me laugh. He's like, I'm so brave,
I'm so bold, except for a do I really believe all of them
falling in the water?
Like, you know, he's like, I've got to cut your ear off.
I don't even know the guy.
He's like so brave and so fearful at the same time.
And I see that myself.
Like, I can just go so hard
and then just get chicken over like the weirdest stuff.
But like, he was just so awesome.
And so Peter's a great example,
because Peter had to press past the past
and even denying Jesus
to then walk with God in the future but Peter was the rock that Jesus built the church on.
So even if Peter didn't press past the past, we wouldn't even have a church.
Like acts too like the whole thing like Peter led that moment.
And so you have to see that like we're impacted by people pressing past their past.
So you got to think about that in your own life.
What people am I going to reach whenever I finally get past who I used to be and actually
become who God has already redeemed and called me to be.
You know, like live the life that he's called you to be.
Don't let people, don't let your past hold you back.
We have to start living this way.
Like, don't I just, when I think about it, I'm'm like it's so just crazy because it's literally what the gospel is. Like if you'd
open the book and you read it, you're like, wait, why? Do I feel like I can't do something
because I'm a sinner, even though Christ died for me while I was a sinner and the
whores and he came down is because I am a sinner and then he resurrected so I can have
a new life. It's like, you see what I'm saying? Like, why do we get in our head? It's because the enemy is, he's smart.
He's good like that.
One thing I wanted to talk about was the life of Peter.
Because Peter's life, I talk about Peter's life a lot.
Y'all might have heard my message from Passion
and I love the story of Peter
because it's such a redemptive story.
And I do see a lot of myself in him, but one thing I love about life of Peter, because I such a redemptive story and I do see a lot of myself in him.
But one thing I love about life Peter because I kind of talked about like committing to God
is that once you commit, it's really hard to go back.
And I put it like this in the book.
Once you follow Jesus, it's hard to unfollow Jesus.
It's really easy to unfollow someone on Instagram.
You're like, eh, unfollow.
And trust me, like, it's so funny because people are like, oh, you're so many followers so what is so funny like if you look at my Instagram account and
and people have said to me like I'm scared like you know claim Jesus because I'm
gonna lose followers I'm like you might go look at my analytics I like gain like
6,000 followers a day and I'll lose like 5,000 every single day so I every single
day 5,000 people are like nope like you know what I'm saying like great I gain but
also like 5,000 people are like I don't, you know what I'm saying? Like, great, I gained, but also like 5,000 people
are like, I don't really like what you're saying.
So like, you know, it's easy to unfollow,
and we can do that.
We have the ability to ask, fine,
people don't like what you're saying to unfollow.
What Jesus is actually different.
It's actually really hard to unfollow
once you taste it and see the goodness of God.
Because once you've seen it,
and you try to go back to your old life,
it's no longer fulfilling.
And so what's happening is this like, we've seen it, you try to go back to your old life. It's no longer fulfilling. And so what's happening is it's like,
we've seen it, we wanna do it,
but then we actually are scared to commit
because what if people think this about us
and we try to go back and then we feel empty
because now we know this has no meaning,
but we're just doing it because this is what people say,
this is what we should do and this is what's cool
and this is what's trendy.
And it's like, but actually, this is not doing anything
for anybody and Peter actually tried to do that so the story of Peter and a nutshell
Peter was a fisherman Jesus shows up one day and it was like dropping net
follow me so this fisherman drops his net follows Jesus they become bros
literally like best like I know it's kind of funny term but like for real
bros like best friends, they did everything together.
You read the word, that is his person.
Okay, he was there for everything that Jesus went through
and really just stayed super close.
Well, at the end of Jesus's life, Jesus says,
like, you're gonna deny me four times
before the Rooster Crow is in Peter's,
like, how will never do that?
You were my writer-die, and then the next night
he denied him three times,
like, before the rooster crowed.
And the most insane settings, like,
there was a servant girl who was like,
aren't you the guy?
And he was like, nope, not me.
And then it was like, the guy,
it actually was the cousin of a guy's ear he cut off,
which is a Bible.
I love that they put that in there.
I'm like, that is so weird.
But then he was like, nope, not me.
So he like denies him all this time.
Then what is
Peter do after that? He goes back fishing because he's like, well, this is over. I'm aruing
that, you know? I think sometimes we do that. We get in this life of Jesus and we realize like,
oh, he messed up. So we go back to our past. Well, this isn't working out for me. It's
not going to go back. So I went back fishing and guess what? He was catching nothing. He's
coming up empty handed. And that's exactly how it happens for us. When to go back. So I went back fishing and guess what? He was catching nothing. He was coming up empty handed.
And that's exactly how it happens for us.
When we go back to our past, it's empty.
It's not fulfilling.
We don't get anything from that.
So he's sitting there and then Jesus shows up.
And Jesus, you know, gives a little advice like,
hey, cast you down on the other side.
Like you're looking on the wrong place, bro.
So he cast you down on the other side
and they come up with all these fish.
But what's amazing is when Peter,
when Jesus showed back up in Peter's life,
they didn't know it was Jesus at first
because Jesus looked different.
But then they realized it was Jesus.
And I have to think about myself in this scenario.
If I was back doing what I used to be doing
after having this insane, amazing relationship with Jesus,
and Jesus showed back up where I was at
and I realized it was Jesus.
What would you do?
Would you be a little scared?
I mean, I'm like, I just denied you.
Like, I would be a little scared.
I would feel like this is not good.
Like, I would probably hide.
You know, like this is not good.
And I think that's what we wanna do.
It's like when we feel like we've done something bad, we like hide. You know, like this is not good. And I think that's what we wanna do. It's like when we feel like we've done something bad,
we wanna hide.
Like we wanna hide our past.
We don't want anybody to know our past.
And I will say for those listening,
they all acknowledge us,
I think the church has made us feel it that way sometimes.
And not every church, I think the global,
sometimes the church and religion will make you feel
that you need to hide.
That's too far, that's too bad.
Like Jesus, no, you can't even be in proximity with Jesus.
But that's actually not how Jesus is.
And I know that because when I read the story of Peter
and Jesus, who, Peter knew Jesus more than anyone,
more any of us, he knew Jesus so much.
And Jesus knew Peter and went,
so Peter knew the character of Jesus in that moment.
And it was not his first reaction to hide.
Listen to actually what he did.
This is in John 21.
We're just gonna start literally,
we're just gonna read one verse.
John 21 verse 7.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, it is the Lord.
So they're outfishing and he realizes it is the Lord. Listen to what he does. When some of you
had heard of the Lord, he put out on his outer garment for he was stripped for work and he threw
himself into the sea. He did not hide in the boat. He threw himself into the sea. He got to Jesus
as fast as he could. Notice something. He did not hide
He threw himself and then he did not avoid breakfast because that's what we do
I'm just gonna avoid this conversation. It's so awkward. I hate confrontation. No, he's set there and he had breakfast as Jesus
And then Jesus redeemed the past moment. Jesus said, do you love me? Yes, you know, Lord
You know, I love you. Do you love yes, God? You know, I love you. Do you love, yes God, you know I love you.
Do you like, yes God, you know I love you.
It wasn't Peter begging Jesus,
do you love me God after I made a snake?
No, Jesus let, hey, do you love me?
Yeah, I love you.
Redemption.
And so what I'm trying to say to y'all,
as a matter of what your past is,
don't hide from Jesus.
That's the person you need to run to. That's the person you need to run to.
That's the person you need to throw yourself out of the boat
and get to.
Don't avoid confrontation.
Don't avoid church.
Don't avoid worship or prayer.
That's the person you need to talk to.
Like don't say, oh well, what if he finds out?
He already knows.
Like he already knows.
Like think about Peter's life.
He did Adam and a charcoal fire.
He's like Peter what should come sit on charcoal fire? W's life. He did Adam at a charcoal fire. He's like, Peter, why don't you come sit on a charcoal fire?
Wink wink.
He knows exactly what you did.
And he's still willing to sit with you
and make sure that you have the moment
to redeem it with him, because he's got to redeem it.
He needs you.
He's like, hey, come sit with me.
Like, let's talk.
Like, you're not your past.
I have such a good future for you.
And so, friends, no matter what you have done,
that is not defined who you are.
No matter what you have been through,
what your past is, what the enemy says that you are,
no matter how public your past was,
no matter if your past was posted,
it's in your tagged photos,
no matter if it was, you know, whatever is,
you're not stuck.
You don't have to hide. God knows. He
already died for you while you were at center. You have hope for a future. You know, when you think
about the gospel as a whole, that Jesus came down and he lived this perfect life. And then he took
on the way of our sin and died on the cross. That's a really, really sad story to think about that. That he just died on the cross for us.
But then the story gets really, really good when you're last, but he resurrected for us as well, so that we get to be with him and bring glory to the Father and be with the Holy Spirit. That story is so powerful.
And I want you to realize that your story
holds that miraculous power too,
but don't hide the past version,
because the reason why the story is so amazing
is that he was dead.
Like the reason why it was so shocking
that he showed up to all those people
is because three days before that, he was in the tomb. Like the reason why it was so shocking that he showed up to all those people. It's his three days before that he was in the tomb.
Like the reason why I was so shocking that Paul was preaching is because he was once saw persecuting. The reason why I was so shocking that Peter was known for his courage and his bravery
and the rocky butt shirt. It's because he was so, he wavered so much. Like the power and the beauty
of the story of the gospel is the miraculous side
of the change that happens. So when you say like, I don't want them to know how far I've
gone, like, oh, it's on person. Oh, they're going to know a change. Well, you shouldn't
change. That should be that should be a part of your story. It should be something to say.
Like, yeah, I actually did do that. And that is sad that it was that loss.
Or that that, or that that happened to me
and someone did that to me or that,
that I was such an abad place for me.
I'm like, man, it is sad.
That I used to be so jealous.
That I used to be so fearful.
That I used to be so looking for love in the wrong places.
That I wasn't just rooted in my name of God.
And that was shown to the world to see that. That is sad. But thank God that I wasn't just rooted in my name of God and that was shown to the world to see that that is sad but thank God that I met Jesus and that he made me feel so loved and that I know who I
am and that I can preach for and when I look at myself now and when I look at myself then and there's
two different people and praise God as how it should be. There's another verse I wanted to read to you all and then I want to end with a question.
But it's 2nd Corinthians verse chapter 5 verse 17 therefore if anyone is in Christ he is in new creation.
The oldest past away behold the new has come and that's it right there during Christ your new creation.
And that's it right there during Christ your new creation the old is passed away the new has come
So I want to ask you This question this is a question actually in my book and I thought this was fitting for it right now
What is the word that you've been declaring over your past today?
Why don't you think about it when you think about your past? What is the word that comes to your mind?
Is it failure?
Is it lost? Is it failure?
Is it lost?
Is it abused?
Dirty?
Sinful?
Week?
Um, jealous.
What is it?
What is that word that comes to mind for you?
And everyone out there, as you're listening to this, or as you're watching this video,
I just want you to take a second.
And I know maybe on a podcast, it might be weird to have a moment of silence, but I think
every now and then you need a silence yourself for the Lord.
I want you to actually think.
When I think about my past, does it still bring me shame?
And if it's bringing me shame, what is that word I've been declaring over it?
So we're going to give that a minute.
Just think.
Now I hope that you have that word in your heart.
And if you feel shame for thinking about that, I want to encourage you today because I
want you to change whatever that word is to another word.
And that's redeemed.
It's redeemed.
It's made new.
It's washed clean.
And that is, of course, if you are a believer in Christ. But if're gonna be Christians and we're gonna believe in Christ the only way we're gonna see the world change
Is if we truly change by the power of the gospel if we truly
Let go of how weighty that past is and step into the the newness of our new creation
And so I want to pray with y'all today past is and step into the the newness of our new creation.
And so I want to pray with y'all today. And then I'm going to leave this room open for comments.
We might post this in the podcast.
We might cut the rest of this out
because we're having a moment here.
And I hope that you are too.
I hope that you welcome your friends into this moment
because one thing about the past is, like I said,
as long as it's hidden, the enemy can make you feel
like you're stuck.
But the minute you speak it out,
and the minute someone else can come in with you,
or Jesus can come in you and say,
no, that's not who you are, you're a demon.
And when you believe that, that's when change happens.
So we're gonna pray, then we're gonna have conversation,
and we can decide where this goes.
God, I just thank you so much for God,
the power of the gospel.
I thank you God that we don't have to be who we were
because you called us to be someone new, God.
We don't have to live just entangled and burdened
and weighed down by the sin that we used to live in,
but we can actually live free and whole and redeemed.
But the blood of God, you just giving yourself as a sacrifice
for us, God.
God, I thank you that you do make us new.
God, I pray for just any sin that is just entangling someone's life right now that they
still haven't gotten past.
God, I pray that you break it off of them, break the chain, God, give them the conviction
and give them the courage and the strength to move on.
God, I pray that we would no longer let the world
say who we used to be, and the enemy say who we used to be,
and convinces that that's who we are.
But God would we be so rooted in the Word,
we believe so strongly the power of the gospel
that we would believe without a shadow of a doubt
that we have made new.
God, I pray that the world would see a difference
by the Christians living for who you've called
them to be, by the Christians living as if they're a new creation.
God, I pray that people would say, didn't you use to so that we can say yes before I met
Jesus, before Jesus made me new.
But now listen to the life that I have.
Listen to the life that I live.
God, I pray that we would preach and proclaim your gospel,
preach and proclaim your name, but God had prayed first and foremost that we would live
the gospel. God. I thank you so much for all that you're doing. For everyone listening,
God, if someone's never accepted Jesus into their heart,
it made me today. They're like, wow, like I have been living in shame. I have been living in
combination. I have been living a sinful life and I want something more. I want to
follow the uses I pray right now in their heart. God that they would surrender
their life to you. Confess their sin and give their life to you. God, I pray that
they would not just let this be a private moment, but they would call someone and
make their faith public. Lord, we thank you so much for what you're doing in
people's lives. What you're doing here in West Monroe today, and I just pray that this word would go out and just
change people from the inside out. We love you so much. It's in your name, you pray. Amen. Amen.
Anyone have any like comments or anything to talk through? And I know this is one of those moments
where it's like really hard to break the ice. But even if it's a random question, even if it's like how do you actually do this or that?
I just want to create space to talk to y'all, since y'all flew all the way here and got
to share a word.
Um, I think it's just crazy how you're talking about like how this message like who would
touch in.
Like this was for me, like I feel like I need to, I'm so crying. I think it's just crazy how you're talking about like how this message like who would touch in
Like this was for me like I feel like well, I need it. I'm so crying. Sorry. Okay. Oh, okay
It's okay. You can cry. You can cry. I
know that I'm a massive dad and
Sorry
And I feel like the Lord has been pushing me to share my story, but I did things in high school because I didn't have to email her.
I didn't have a father figure.
And I'm just still like today.
Like as I was sitting here, I like to think about how like you're so unworthy to be here.
Like you shouldn't be here because of all the things
that you have done.
This just really impacted me
and it was just really good to hear somebody say that.
Say that I am redeemed.
That was my old self.
This isn't me now.
No.
That's just, well, thank you for sharing that.
And I'm so glad that that was the word that I was able to share.
Because like that was for you. Like we had a ton of people
sitting in pictures and advice and we literally prayed like God
show us the five. And like you were one of them. And then I prayed God
told me out of all these chapters which one to share. And then I prayed, God, tell me out of all these chapters, which one to share.
And it was that one, you know? And so that was for you. And I do want you to know, like,
we all did stuff, you know? Like we all did stuff. And that's what the interview was,
like if they found this out, then like, then you would not be able to be here. And that's not true.
Even if we knew that, you'd still be the person to be here, you know, because that's not who you are. And like, definitely give yourself
grace because, you know, sometimes life isn't fair. You know, we have this choice that
happened is we don't have godly role models and you didn't know any better. And now you
do. And now you get to become this amazing person. And so I'm so glad you shared.
And I'm so glad you're here.
That's awesome.
It's awesome.
Yeah.
I think it like a one of the same lines
of what she was saying.
It's just like crazy.
Like that you said, you're doing it
because I feel like when you're stuck in so much shame,
like it just feels like redemption isn't an option.
And our stories are very different,
but I had a porn addiction for four and a half years.
And as a PK and a girl, especially,
that's not common, or not talked about in church.
And so almost like reverse of no one knew what was going on
So I felt like I was like living a lie
I was a Christian, but no I knew what was going on in my life
You know, like I'd change, but almost like I had to tell that part of my story
And it's like it reveals back to who I was
And they see me for who I am now, but like once they hear that part of my story
like I if I could just a lot of fear that that's who they will see me now
yeah as if like I've retrained something that I'm not
but like I know and I believe that the words like redeeming like yeah so confident in that yeah
I know what you have to say to like, what's almost like reverse, like no one knows.
Yeah.
Like why not put it out there?
Yeah.
Like oh, like, so you're weird, like you didn't.
Yeah.
Starting like, I can't believe that.
Yeah.
Like I feel like it shifts things like in a different direction.
Yeah.
And so I didn't know like what you would have to say to like, or I could feel like, yeah.
Sounds like the reverse.
Oh, I totally get that. like what you would have to say to that or I could move like, it sounds like the reverse.
Oh, I totally get that.
Well, first of all, I just wanna say to you,
you don't know how many girls say that to me.
Like, in our DM box, in person,
they always say to you, like, I have a poor addiction
and I feel like I can't tell anybody
because no girl talks about that.
People in the church don't talk about that.
And so, you are not alone.
You are with a lot, a lot, a lot of people.
And that is a huge tactic of the enemy.
And when you're young and you get exposed to something like that, it is addictive, you
know?
And that, so like, thank God you're free from that, and you have been reading about that.
But like, I think when you share that, people are going to say me too, too and then they're gonna be able to look at you how did you overcome that?
And I think one thing as far as like what people are gonna think about you is I don't think that you can truly like
you don't need to convince anyone that you changed just show them and that is hard because
convincing them might be faster it's like no I've changed done this in a moment. But like if you just show them and that's gonna be over time,
then that's gonna be like the true powerful thing.
You know, it would be like one thing if someone's like,
oh yeah, and that breakthrough for that,
I'm not gonna do that anymore.
But then you're like, okay, well, let's see it.
But then like if you just live it,
then people are like, wow, like she really is,
like she's on fire.
And when people see like you can confess something like that and it doesn't stop you
But it actually like launches you into your walk with Jesus and like your ministry because that's what that's what those moments do for us
Like the moment with Peter when he denied Christ three times and then God redeemed him three times then right after he started the church
Like it actually starts your ministry.
You know, and when I say ministry, I don't mean like your platform, I mean like your little
ministry, like on the ground with people, like helping people make disciples.
So like, this is a moment for you to actually start your ministry.
And that is by sharing, you know, you know, investing, sharing, that's your testimony.
It's part of it, you know, you know, confessing, sharing, that's your testimony. It's part of it, you know? And if people judge you, then people, people didn't like Jesus, you know? Like that's actually part of it, you know?
And you just have to know that, you know, that you know, doesn't matter what they say.
That's what Jesus says. And that's why I want to make the strong point of like,
people argue to talk, then we will try to come back again
And so like you have to know who you are and you have to be rude in the word because people are gonna say rude things
It's just kind of unfortunately part of it
But thanks for sharing that and I do think that you're on the start of an amazing ministry industry.