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OVERVIEW:

My guest on episodes #34 and #35 of the Graceologie with Gwen Smith podcast is Andi Andrew. She's an author, speaker, podcaster and one of my new absolute favorite humans on the planet. We talk about our tendencies to wade in the shallow end of the pool of life... while JESUS invites to to swim in the deep. Our discussion is filled with tons of laughter, depth and compelling conversation that will help you in practical and Biblical ways to move beyond complacency into a vibrant, ALL-IN walk with JESUS.

OTHER THINGS MENTIONED:

SONG: I Could Sing of  Your Love Forever

SONG: Find Your Wings

The Bible Project

HIGHLIGHTS:

PARENTING NUGGET: Love hard and let go well.

"I had this dream... I woke up the next morning going, "God, do I need to intercede for my city? Is something going to happen?" And I felt the spirit of God saying, "No, this is the picture of the church today." We are so consumed with self, that there are dead bodies everywhere, we're taking pictures with the walking dead, forgetting to show them the goodness of God.

And He said, "When I have called a generation to grab the generations by the hand, hence my children to walk into the deepest, darkest places and share the good news of the Gospel.’’ So, I confronted my "fake", if you will, I started to go, "Gosh God, am I doing that? Am I living that? I don't want to be a person that goes and preaches at places, just to like, here’s my best message..."

Gwen: So what do you see as the difference between truly following Jesus and faking it?

Andi Andrews: I think it's a constant, I love this question because I think when you write a book like this, people are like, "Oh crap, does that mean that I am like one or the other? Plus, am I a faker? Is there any grace or mercy in this?" And I’m like, oh my gosh, 100%, that's the whole point. It’s that every day we get to wake up and every day we get to lay our lives before the Lord and go, God. That's why I love, I believe it’s the end of Psalm 139. Right?

Gwen: Yes, "Search me and know me."

Andi Andrews: "Search me and know me." and I’m like, every single day that's how we get to live. Is that, we get to go, search my heart, oh God, test me and know my anxious thought, see if there is any offensive way in me and then lead me in the way of everlasting. I think that's what I’m realizing is the way that we continue to walk in a genuine nature before God and one another is that we live surrendered lives. It's not easy because that means that we have to keep putting down what we thought was right, and picking up the resurrection life and what God says. He has a way, He has a truth, He has a life. He is those things, the way, the truth and the life.

And I think it's contrary to society that we live in today, and I think it's very easy to come into agreement with culture, rather than let the kingdom of God transform us and then bring kingdom culture to wherever we are. And that's a daily thing that we do. But we have to continue to repent with surrendered lives, keep a soft heart and then be obedient, like do the hard stuff that God is asking us to do, even when we don't want to."

Psalm 139: 23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

"We have to continue to repent, live surrendered lives, keep a soft heart and then be obedient. Do the hard stuff that God is asking us to do even when we don’t want to."

The Word of God is confronting.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life.

CS Lewis Quote:  “The present is the point of which time touches eternity.”

Love is sacrifice. Love came down and laid down His entire life so that we can live.

Love is a person. His name is Jesus. It is a tossed around word, but our God IS love. Love is out of context when we use it for our own devices and means.

God wants you to be whole more than happy. He continually wants us walking on a journey of being full of joy in Him.

John 15:9-14 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”

Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

The nominal Christianity that has seeped into Western Christianity is fake. It’s not just a thing we do on Sunday. It’s a radical encounter with God. An all in faith is a pursuit of holiness. It’s a refining fire.

Repentance has become a word we don’t want to talk about because we want to be happy and have ease.

It is all about you and it’s not all at the same time. Jesus died and gave everything for you, but then, at the same time, requires complete and total surrender.

Paul wasn’t judgemental about idol worship. He was deeply disturbed and was passionate about people knowing the truth and sharing the gospel with people.

Posting it versus living it… are you living your hashtags?

There was NO SMALL DISTURBANCE (Acts reference when Peter)

PRACTICAL

Healthy community. Be there for each other in the highs and lows. Have people in your life who don’t allow you to get away with things.

Do not isolate. Be with people who draw you out and will call you out in love. Keeping in mind that true community is messy.

We need to find our rhythm.

MATTHEW 11:28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Pay attention. Are you dancing to the rhythm of the song that was playing in the last season or do you look like the fool on the dance floor at the wedding who has no rhythm? The song changes. Dance to the new rhythm. Find your rhythm of grace.

Feed your soul. As women, we’re doers. We get it done. But we have to find a balance between the tensions of action and the rhythms of grace.