Run With Horses Podcast

Find all our episodes at rwh.podbean.com or www.runwithhorses.net Is it wrong? Thinking about gray areas in life. inspired by J. Oswald Sanders in A Spiritual Clinic Sanders gives six questions that help guide us as we consider our choices. Will it bring glory to God? Admittedly we don’t always know exactly how God will use our choices to glorify Himself, but if it is our intention to lift Him up and honor Him in all things it is much easier to eliminate some choices. Is it profitable? Not financially but eternally. Is there spiritual value in my actions? Am I considering how my choices will reflect on the cause of Christ, my Church or the Gospel? It is worth spending time meditating on where real value lies. Does it edify? Does this action build up the body of Christ? Is it part of my ongoing growth in Christlikeness? Does it make following Jesus easier or more difficult? Too often we don’t think through the ramifications until we are dealing with the consequences. Does it tend to enslave? This is a tricky one in today’s world! Advertising dollars are spent to influence you toward things you don’t need and often wouldn’t want if you really stopped to think about it. Social Media is intentionally designed to keep you engaged and paying attention so that advertising dollars will continue to flow. You are the product that Social Media sells to make money. Will it strengthen me against temptation? Our choices, if they are consistent, make it easier or harder to resist temptation. Am I preparing to resist and planning to follow Jesus or am I mindlessly wandering through life hoping I recognize the dangers before I am trapped? Put on the whole armor of God and be prepared to stand your ground! Is it characteristic of the world or of the Father? Some things are obvious. This is the kind of thing God loves. This is the kind of thing God hates. Others may take a little more effort to think through to recognize. These questions may clear up all of your doubts but Paul gives us a few principles in Romans 14 that also help when we think about doubtful things. Liberty of Judgement, Romans 14:1-2 - there are many choices to be made! one eats, one doesn’t. You may be a vegetarian and I love hamburgers hot off the grill. Most are not worth arguing about so be careful. Right of Personal Conviction, Romans 14:5 - as part of our many choices we need to make them based on personal conviction which has hopefully developed through careful study of God’ sWord and time in prayer along with conversation with the church family. You don’t live in a vacuum. Use the resources God gives you. Accountability to God Alone, Romans 14:4 - God is the final judge of our actions and choices. That should give some gravitas to our decision making! No Attitude of Judgement when others make different choices, Romans 14:10 - refer back one, God is the judge, not me or you. Leave that role to God and instead of judging, try to build up others, strengthen their faith and encourage a closer walk with God. If they are mistaken in their choices, a closer walk with Jesus can only help! Abstinence in the Interests of Others, Romans 14:21- be willing to give up your ‘rights’ for the sake of others. Not easy, but it is part of considering others better than yourself. Remember that whole humility thing Jesus taught? Abstinence from Things Doubtful, Romans 14:23 If you aren’t sure, leave it alone. Pursue the things you know God loves and grow in your ability to keep your focus on the clear things of God. These questions and principles are helpful to us, particularly when we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us as we think through our actions and choices in life. God works on our heart to draw us to Him, making our choices not legalistic and condemning, but a heartfelt song of praise in the form of a life of sacrificial worship to our Great God!

Find our past episodes on rwh.podbean.com How Do I Grow Spiritual Roots? Luke 8:4 And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: 5“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was21 trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 8But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Luke 8:13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. 1)Your foundation is important. Roots need good soil not concrete. -soil provides anchor, physical support for plant - light pots in wind -soil provides water retention, water dries up before roots can absorb it on concrete -soil holds nutrients, vital components for healthy growth Our Spiritual Life also requires a solid foundation. Where do you get your information about what is important in Life? How do you evaluate your words and actions? If you use the world's standard, you are trying to build a spiritual life on constantly shifting sand. Culture changes, opinions shift overnight. There is nothing solid to anchor to. God's Word provides truth to shape our worldview and guidance to direct our choices. God IS Truth. Being firmly committed to Him means never having to worry about the foundation failing to support your spiritual growth. 2) Farmers work the soil. Preparation for the growth of plants. - till, remove rocks and weeds - some weeds have deep roots, all must be removed so they don't come back quickly -farmers plan the year out according to the natural growth of the plants, best time and location for crops. Cleaning up a patch of ground to become a field takes hard work. Learning to use the Bible also takes effort. Time is required, but the benefits are eternal. Pulling out the deep roots of sin in your life is a never ending fight in this life. But it is work worth doing! Just as there is something satisfying about pulling out a weed, there is joy in seeing sin relinquish it's hold on you in one area of life. 3) Farmers plant the seed and then Trust God to make them grow. But, there is still work to do! - weeding - fertilizer - trellis when needed, support for future growth Getting started on your spiritual journey is just the beginning. Salvation is the start of a beautiful journey. Don't ever forget that the spiritual life is a process. Just as you must prep the soil and plant the seeds again year after year, spiritual growth is an ongoing work throughout your lifetime. 4) Remember, you don't Cause growth, but your choices support healthy growth or hinder healthy growth. God is at work! Know what He is purposing in you and get with the program! 5) Eventually, in the time God has determined for each crop, you harvest. There will be a harvest of righteousness. God has promised to complete His work. There is no need for discouragement or fear in the spiritual life. God will accomplish the work He started. He uses all of our life to move us toward the goal and we can be confident the once He has finished His work in us, we will be like Him!

Find our past episodes on rwh.podbean.com 3. Self-discipline has become a dirty word. Along with self-control, patience, endurance and many more concepts that are vital for a growing believer to develop. The life of a disciple is a life of change. We are invited by Jesus to follow Him and when we do we begin a journey of change through trials. Trials actually come whether you follow Jesus or not, the only question is whether you have surrendered them to God to use as vehicles for spiritual growth. Self-discipline is making the commitment to getting up in the morning and giving God first place, even when it costs you dearly. Surrendering your time to God, pursuing Him in your quiet time takes discipline and persistence. And it is worth it! How does self-control, self-discipline and the like relate to surrendering to the work of the Holy Spirit? 4. We like to do it ourselves. At heart most of us are loners when it comes to the spiritual life. We may love people and love being around people all the time, but we don't want them to see us as we really are, as we know ourselves to be. It feels safer to be alone on our journey, even though God lets us know it's not. We need the ministry of the church family. The church family needs our gifts to be all that it can be. There is no getting around it, as a follower of Jesus, you are on the journey with other people and we need each other. We do we resist so hard? What would make it easier for us?

Find all our podcast episodes at rwh.podbean.com Why is it so difficult to consistently follow Jesus? 1. We like the easy road. Creature comforts are comfortable! Do Hard Things is the name of a book, not the desire of most people. Alex and Brett Harris wrote the book, very few of us want to live the life. In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Why are trials necessary for our faith? 2. Our priorities are vague and shift over time. Many start out well, following Jesus, learning and growing; but something happens as life intrudes and pressure from others to conform overwhelm us. The culture around you is against Christ and it is overwhelming in the volume of mixed messages it sends. Any of them will lead you on a path away from Jesus and the enemy is happy with that. Why is it so difficult to clarify and keep Biblical priorities?