{"id":300429,"date":"2018-10-24T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-24T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/believe-god-not-the-deceiver\/"},"modified":"2024-10-07T22:41:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T02:41:36","slug":"believe-god-not-the-deceiver","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/believe-god-not-the-deceiver\/","title":{"rendered":"Believe God, Not the Deceiver"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who are you listening to? Dennis Rainey explains that all of life is one long process of asking and answering the question, &#8220;Who am I going to believe?&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-10-24.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:27:47","filesize":"25.44M","filesize_raw":"26674326","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[4599,4601,4584,4600,4602],"podcast_series":[],"cwp_profile":[3048],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-300429","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-believe-god","tag-doubt","tag-fear","tag-follow-god","tag-gods-promises","cwp_profile-dennis-rainey","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/300429\/believe-god-not-the-deceiver","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/300429\/believe-god-not-the-deceiver","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"kBwLWLkH8K\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/believe-god-not-the-deceiver\/\">Believe God, Not the Deceiver<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/believe-god-not-the-deceiver\/embed\/#?secret=kBwLWLkH8K\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Believe God, Not the Deceiver&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"kBwLWLkH8K\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Who are you listening to? Dennis Rainey explains that all of life is one long process of asking and answering the question, \"Who am I going to believe?\"","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-10-24.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Have you ever found yourself tripped up because you believed a lie? Dennis Rainey says there is a way for you to have that happen less often in your life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I think the question is\u2014for every single person, married couple, every parent\u2014is to answer the question: \u201cHow are you going to grow your faith for a lifetime? How are you going to nourish faith so that you don\u2019t move into disbelief?\u2014so that you don\u2019t get deceived and fall into sin?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Wednesday, October 24<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. So what exactly can we do to grow our faith \/ to stretch the faith muscle so that we are not deceived as often as we are today?\u00a0 We\u2019ll explore that subject today with Dennis Rainey today. Stay with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. You\u2019re getting a lot of interesting feedback from people who bought that little book\u2014I can call it a little book; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes; they\u2019re able to read it in a couple hours and have some real take-aways for their Christian faith.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is a book you wrote called <em>Choosing a Life That Matters<\/em>. It really is from a message you gave at a graduation for seminary students, years ago. There was a lot of resonance around that message; and you thought: \u201cI\u2019m just going to expand on these themes and have something\u2014that high school graduates, college graduates, people who are in the early phases of life, or people who are new to the faith\u2014can understand: \u2018These are kind of the anchor points for what life\u2019s supposed to look like.\u2019\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014or people who have been walking with Christ for decades and have kind of lost the essence of what it means to be a follower of Christ. I initially called the message, \u201cThe Seven Non-Negotiables<em>.\u201d <\/em>We changed it to <em>Choosing a Life That Matters: Seven Decisions You\u2019ll Never Regret.<\/em> \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOver the past several months, we\u2019ve talked about the first three: \u201cSeek God, Not Sin\u201d\u2014that\u2019s the first one. Of course, you think about seeking God\u2014you don\u2019t think about sin seeking you, but it is after you. The world, the flesh and the enemy are all out to seduce you away from seeking God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe second one is \u201cFear God, Not Men\u201d\u2014there are a lot of people who are more focused on pleasing men than pleasing God.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014more concerned about what their peers think than they are about what God thinks. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom \/ the beginning of knowledge and it does turn our hearts away from evil. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe third one is \u201cLove God, Not the World.\u201d I think all of life is one long process of determining: \u201cWhat are you going to love? What are you going to invest in? Where\u2019s your heart investing in the future?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, <strong>\u201c<\/strong>What are you going to love?\u201d\u2014but also: \u201cWhat are you going to believe? What\u2019s your life going to be anchored in? What\u2019s the truth you\u2019re going to base life on?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That\u2019s the fourth one we want to talk about today: \u201cBelieve God, Not the Deceiver.\u201d The bottom line on this one is: \u201cAll of life is one long process of asking and answering the question: \u2018Who am I going to believe?\u2019\u201d If you look at the Bible, the Bible begins with a conversation that Eve was having with the serpent. And he basically said, \u201cHas God said\u2026?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Eve, of course, doubted God \/ was deceived by the serpent; and the rest\u2014shall we say?\u2014is history. We\u2019ve been in a battle for belief, big time, ever since then. This one is one that Jesus spoke a great deal about in the New Testament. I love John, Chapter 7 and Chapter 8; because they really call out the essence of faith. Jesus basically says, you know: \u201cYou are of the devil, your father. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cYou believe the deceiver. He has no truth in him; he\u2019s been a liar since the beginning.\u201d He is speaking of this issue of: \u201cWho are you going to believe? Are you going to trust the devil? Are you going to believe his lies?\u201d or \u201cAre you going to embrace what God says in the Scriptures?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>It\u2019s interesting\u2014Jesus refers to Himself as the Truth\u2014that\u2019s one of the names He gives for Himself\u2014He says: \u201cI am The Way, the Truth, and the Life. Nobody come to the Father but by Me.\u201d He refers to Satan as the deceiver, the father of lies. There\u2019s a real clear juxtaposition, in Scripture, between truth and lies, and where truth is located and where falsehood is located.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes; I don\u2019t think we realize how the soul is a battlefield over: \u201cWho will you believe? Who are you going to trust with your life?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, think about Satan being the father of lies\u2014the thing about him, as a liar, is that his lies sound attractive; they sound plausible. He really dresses them up to make them very appealing.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, one of the things that I dealt with, as a young follower of Christ, was doubt. I think the enemy likes to sow seeds of doubt in our soul, because doubt that isn\u2019t dealt with turns into disbelief; and disbelief turns into confusion: \u201cWho are you going to trust? Who are you going to believe?\u201d If you don\u2019t believe the Bible, then, what will you believe? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd then, finally, as you move into confusion, that gives way to outright defiance, where you say\u2014like Adam and Eve did\u2014\u201cGod, You may have said this is wrong; we\u2019re going to go ahead and choose it and go our own way.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Think about where we are in the culture today, and think about where Christians are today\u2014there are a lot of people wrestling with the reliability of Scripture \/ the authority of Scripture. Culture is telling us: \u201cWe know better than Scripture. Scripture needs to be adjusted to be better understood in our day or to be better applied in our day.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tA lot of young people, coming up, thinking, \u201cMaybe my parents have had it wrong with their fundamentalist thinking about Scripture.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>A lot of young people today have a face to some to the issues\u2014they know a person, who is living a certain lifestyle that the Bible speaks clearly about as being wrong, and yet they\u2019re looking at that person\u2014they\u2019re going: \u201cHow can that person not be loved by God?\u201d The answer is: \u201cThey can be loved by God, but their lifestyle can be one of disobedience.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think the question is\u2014for every single person, married couple, every parent\u2014what you are attempting to build into the life of your children is to answer the question: \u201cHow are you going to grow your faith for a lifetime? How are you going to nourish faith so that you don\u2019t move into disbelief \/ so that you don\u2019t get deceived and fall into sin?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn this little book, <em>Choosing a Life That Matters<\/em>, I have several points that I make just about how you can grow your faith. The first one is be intentional about your Bible intake\u2014feed your faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. If you don\u2019t have a regular reminder of who God is \/ what the truth of Scripture is, you\u2019re not going to spot it in the culture, or with your friends, or even in your Christian community when you hear something that the Bible speaks clearly about that someone\u2019s not embracing at your church.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I think it\u2019s important here, too, as you read your Bible, to make sure that you are\u2014you\u2019re not just reading it, devotionally; but you\u2019re reading at a level that digs down deep and that you\u2019re reading and listening to the voices of those who have walked with Christ for years or in centuries past. In other words, we can\u2019t just read our Scripture in a vacuum today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think there a lot of people, who are coming to wrong conclusions about what the Bible teaches, because they\u2019re not hearing from saints who have gone before\u2014they\u2019re not hearing what pastors and Christian leaders are saying. They\u2019re just saying, \u201cWell, this sounds good to me,\u201d and \u201cI think this is the interpretation, and I\u2019ll just go with that.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Bob, I\u2019ll give you the supreme illustration of this, at least, in our lifetime. I had the privilege of going to Dr. Billy Graham\u2019s funeral. Each of his children spoke about his life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tEvery one of those children all spoke of both their daddy and their mom being a man and woman of the Book.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> How many times did we hear Billy Graham say, \u201cThe Bible says\u2026\u201d? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Well, that\u2019s what they said; right?\u2014they said: \u201cOne of the greatest illustrations of my dad was having that Bible open, and his finger pointed out to the crowd, going, \u2018But the Bible says\u2026\u2019 and he called people to believe God\u2019s Word.\u201d And they didn\u2019t just stop there, saying: \u201cDaddy preached that,\u201d\u2014they said: \u201cDaddy <em>practiced<\/em> that; he lived it.\u201d It wasn\u2019t just a matter of a devotional time; it was the source of his life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So we\u2019ve got to anchor ourselves in the fact that we\u2019re going to believe the Bible is true; and when the Bible and the culture clash, and even when you get punished for believing what the Bible says, you still have to hang onto the truth.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I\u2019ll just give the folks a few of Barbara\u2019s and my favorites of ways we\u2019ve studied the Scriptures or have allowed the Bible to soak into our souls and caused our faith to grow. One was a Bible study called <em>Experiencing God<\/em> by Henry Blackaby. A couple of other ways Barbara and I have practiced Bible intake is five chapters of Psalms and, also, one chapter of the Book of Proverbs a day. You do that\u2014over a period of 30 days\u2014you go all the way through the Psalms and the Proverbs. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnother way that I\u2019ve studied is reading through the Gospels, just asking the question\u2014not merely, intellectually: \u201cWhat would Jesus do?\u201d\u2014but watching what Jesus <em>did<\/em> and put yourself in the situation, where He dealt with religious people, who didn\u2019t have a relationship with God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJoin a Bible study group; a HomeBuilders Couples Series<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> that FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> has; <em>The Art of Marriage<\/em><em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/em>; our new parenting study that we have. Those are all ways where we can practically have an intake of the Scriptures and begin to apply it to real life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe last way that I think listeners have heard me talk about here, recently, is a Psalter\u2014just a book of the Psalms that has places for you to write your thoughts out in the margin \/ to the side about what you\u2019re learning and gleaning from the Scripture\u2014ways you are praying for yourself; observations you are making, interpretations, and application that you have to your life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>We\u2019ve got to start with studying the Scriptures; but as I\u2019ve heard you say, many times: \u201cIt can\u2019t end there.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>No; one of the great lessons I learned was from Dr. Howard Hendricks\u2014he said: \u201cThe body of Christ today suffers from a vitamin A deficiency. What every listener needs to think about\u2014when they go to church, when they read the Bible, when they listen to God through prayer\u2014is: \u201cHow are you going to apply this?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>That\u2019s the vitamin A.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That\u2019s the vitamin A. In fact, the entire conference\u2014the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u2014is built around helping couples \/ husbands and wives apply what they\u2019ve heard at the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> to their marriage, on the spot. Bob, I think one of the reasons the conference is so transformational is because we give people the truth; we explain to them what it means\u2014that\u2019s interpretation\u2014and then we give them the time and the questions to help them apply it on the spot. If that occurs, you\u2019re going to grow \/ \u2014your faith is going to grow, and you\u2019re going to want to know more of the Bible and how you can apply it for life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is instinctive for you\u2014I mean, I\u2019ve watched you. When you read the Bible, it\u2019s almost like you want to get right to the \u201cSo what?\u201d\u2014right to the application: \u201cHow do I live this out?\u201d If somebody doesn\u2019t go there, instinctively, is there a way that you\u2019d recommend you can cultivate application?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I think you can take Dr. Hendricks\u2019 very simple method of Bible study, which is \u201cObservation: \u2018What does the Bible say?\u2019\u201d\u2014just observing and reading. Then taking a step back and looking at the context of the passage and go, \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d\u2014\u201cWhat\u2019s the interpretation of that passage?\u201d There\u2019s where I think a lot of people, Bob, stop\u2014they stop one step short of moving to the next question, which is: \u201cHow can I apply this to my life today? What\u2019s the take-away?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think, on Sunday morning, one of the biggest problems is\u2014we have some great preaching\/great teaching\u2014but we don\u2019t give the average person in the church, who is listening to the message, an opportunity to reflect and to think about: \u201cHow are we going to apply this in our lives?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Here\u2019s part of the challenge with that\u2014and you know this\u2014if somebody says, \u201cOkay; here\u2019s the application for you...\u201d a lot of people will take that like that\u2019s the new law they\u2019re supposed to follow; and they\u2019ll think, \u201cOkay; I\u2019ve got to do this, and this, and this; and now, I heard at church, \u2018Here are the six steps\u2026\u2019 If I\u2019ll do this\u2026\u201d This whole area of application\u2014we\u2019ve got to be Spirit led and know what the application for us is\u2014how God would have us apply it in our life in our day.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And we\u2019ve got to pass that on to our kids. That\u2019s what it means to pass on our faith to our kids\u2014to help them learn to apply Scripture to the issues they are facing. Many times, we live as practical atheists. We don\u2019t apply our faith to our circumstances and take our obstacles to the Scriptures and ask God: \u201cHelp us; would You help us?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So do you do this, consciously, as you\u2019re reading a passage in the Bible? When you are done, do you stop and go, \u201cOkay; what\u2019s one thing I can do that would apply that passage to my life today?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I can just tell you\u2014recently, going through the Psalter\u2014as I go through a Psalm a day\u2014and really reflect on it \/ think about it: \u201cHow does this apply to my life today?\u201d\u2014yes! I\u2019m asking it on every one of those Psalms. Some of those Psalms are more practical than others for what I\u2019m facing today; but I think it\u2019s the discipline of asking the question, repeatedly, of the Scriptures and then being careful to listen to God for how He wants to apply it to your life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So, you read the Scriptures; you learn how to apply the Scriptures and come up with action points. Is that where it kind of ends?\u2014right there?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>No; I think there are all kinds of ways in the Christian life where you find ways to remember to believe God\u2014not the deceiver. One of the ways is to start a rock collection.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>A rock collection. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That\u2019s right. You look at the Old Testament\u2014many times, God did a powerful act on behalf of the nation of Israel or on behalf of the leader; and He called them to establish a memorial. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne time He actually had them gather stones out of the Jordan River and bring them back and form up a memorial so that: \u201cWhen your children and you were walking by that pile of stones, and say \u2018What are those stones there for, Daddy?\u2019 \u2018\u2026Mommy?\u2019 you can tell them: \u2018This is when God stopped the waters and brought the nation of Israel out of the wilderness into the Promised Land.\u2019\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think there are all kinds of memorials that God is creating for us, over our lifetimes\u2014if we don\u2019t collect some rocks\u2014write it down \/ write in a journal\u2014maybe, even, actually have a pile of rocks\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>There\u2019s a big rock out in front of our building, here, at FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>There is; and it says, \u201cDedicated by families who wanted to give God all the glory.\u201d And it\u2019s a rock that weighs a lot. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>It weighs a lot!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It weighs a lot! You\u2019re not going to move that rock without having a pretty good-sized piece of equipment. Well, the reason is\u2014I don\u2019t want it moved. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want it to be a reminder to anyone who comes into this building, here, at FamilyLife that this building\/this facility that has touched the world is here because God supplied the money through families, who didn\u2019t want the credit personally, but wanted God to get all the glory. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you think about it, Bob, the Lord\u2019s Supper, in a way, is a rock collection. Jesus said, \u201cAs oft as you drink this cup and eat this bread, you do this\u201d\u2014what?\u2014\u201cin remembrance of Me,\u201d\u2014what I have done for you. I think the reason for these rocks and the Lord\u2019s Supper\u2014those kinds of spiritual milestones\u2014is because we tend to suffer from spiritual amnesia. We forget what God has done; and we move into unbelief, where we get confused; we doubt God and, ultimately, we become defiant.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I know you and Barbara have found strength, and hope, and courage to walk by faith by looking at the lives of those who have gone before. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Barbara and I have had the privilege of knowing some of these personally: Bill and Vonette Bright, Dr. Howard Hendricks and his wife Jeanne\u2014powerful people, who lived lives\u201450\/60 years of marriage and family\u2014and who believed the Book and who lived lives based on that Book. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut there are also some peoples\u2019 lives that are written in books that are really worthy of being in your library. Before I came into the studio, I called Barbara and said, \u201cWhat are some of your favorites?\u201d because I have some of mine. She said, \u201cWell, I love the story of Brother Andrew that\u2019s called <em>God\u2019s Smuggler<\/em>.\u201d It\u2019s a story of a courageous, faithful warrior, who smuggled Bibles into countries, where it was illegal to bring a Bible. In doing so, risked his own life and possibly imprisonment. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere\u2019s the book about Corrie ten Boom, <em>The Hiding Place<\/em>\u2014that\u2019s one of Barbara\u2019s favorites. One of mine is <em>Loving God<\/em> by Chuck Colson. That book is filled with great stories of men and women, from other cultures, who lived lives of faith and who grew their faith over their lifetime. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd then, she reminded me of this\u2014she said, \u201cYou used to give away a lot of C.S. Lewis\u2019s books.\u201d And I thought, \u201cYes; she\u2019s right.\u201d <em>Mere Christianity<\/em>\u2014that\u2019s a <em>great<\/em> book that will cause your faith to grow. Another one that he wrote is called <em>The Screwtape Letters<\/em>\u2014this is about the deceiver.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It\u2019s a conversation that the devil was having with his comrades about how to deceive those of us who are trying to live by faith. And then, of course, the famous series that C. S. Lewis wrote is <em>The Chronicles of Narnia<\/em>. You may not think it\u2019s growing your faith as you read it, but it really does. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Ultimately, that\u2019s the issue\u2014if you are going to believe God and not the deceiver, that\u2019s an issue of faith.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It really is. In fact, I\u2019ll never forget a conversation I had with Dr. Bill Bright, President and founder of what was then Campus Crusade for Christ<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>. As a single man, I walked into his office. He wasn\u2019t there; and on the corner of his desk he had a little plaque that was on a piece wood\u2014it said, \u201cI\u2019m no grasshopper.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLater on, I ran into Dr. Bright; and I asked him about that. He said: \u201cThat\u2019s from Numbers 13. It\u2019s about the majority and the minority report. The majority said: \u2018There are giants in the land. We can\u2019t take it.\u2019 There was a minority report of two\u2014Joshua and Caleb\u2014who said, \u2018God will give them into our hands.\u2019 It\u2019s actually said that people actually chose to believe the majority report; and it says, \u2018and they became as grasshoppers before the giants in the land.\u2019\u201d Bill Bright said, \u201cYou know, I don\u2019t want to be a grasshopper. I don\u2019t want to look at circumstances and not be able to trust God.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI would just challenge the listeners\u2014whether single or married\u2014there\u2019s a great statement made by Martyn Lloyd Jones \/ it is one of my favorite quotes to share with single ladies\u2014and there happens to be two single young ladies; and one, whose engaged\u2014she\u2019s holding the ring up right now!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Is she single if she\u2019s engaged?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes; she\u2019s still\u2014she\u2019s still single; okay?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Technically, she\u2019s still single. Alright; although her fianc\u00e9 might go, \u201cNo; she\u2019s not single anymore!\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, here\u2019s my favorite quote to give single women\u2014as far as that goes\u2014single men. Martyn Lloyd Jones made this statement\u2014listen carefully; it\u2019s just a few words, but it is profound: \u201cFaith is the refusal to panic,\u201d\u2014they\u2019re nodding their heads\u2014\u201cFaith is the refusal to panic.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhy is that? If the object of your faith is the Lord God of the universe, there\u2019s no reason to panic. You\u2019re not a grasshopper; you are a person of faith. You don\u2019t have to be seduced into embracing the lies of the deceiver: \u201cBelieve God, Not the Deceiver.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes; this is something all of us face every day. And the choices we make determine how we think, how we act, and the direction\/the trajectory of our family\u2014the trajectory of our lives. It\u2019s not just this issue\u2014you address seven different issues that are key to <em>Choosing a Life that Matters<\/em>. That\u2019s the title of the book that you wrote that has been at the heart of what we\u2019re talking about here today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s a <em>great<\/em> book\u2014for parents to go through together with teenagers, for college students to read on their own, for anyone who is new in the faith\u2014to understand what\u2019s at the heart of living life by God\u2019s design; or for anyone, who has walked with Christ for years, and needs a fresh reminder of what\u2019s at the core of how we live out our faith. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve got copies of Dennis\u2019s book, <em>Choosing a Life That Matters<\/em>, in our <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> Resource Center. You can order it from us, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can call to order: 1-800-FL-TODAY is the number. Again, the title of the book is <em>Choosing a Life That Matters<\/em>. The website is FamilyLifeToday.com, or call 1-800-FL-TODAY to get your copy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019m thinking about\u2014down on the second floor, here in our headquarters of FamilyLife, where we\u2019ve got four banners that hang in the hallway that remind us of what FamilyLife is all about. The first banner is about you and your walk with God. The second is about the sacred nature of the marriage covenant; the third is about the roles God has called us to play in a marriage relationship; and the fourth is about how we pass on a legacy of spiritual vitality to the next generation.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere, at FamilyLife, all that we do has one or more of those four messages at the center. We appreciate those of you who share our convictions on these matters and who help make this radio program and all of the ministry of FamilyLife possible by supporting the work that we are doing. Every time you send a donation, you make it possible for more people, to more regularly, hear practical biblical help and hope on this radio program, on our website, through our events, and our resources. You make all of this possible by supporting the work of <em>FamilyLife Today.<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>\u00a0<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you are able to help with a donation right now, we\u2019d like to send you the FamilyLife 2019 calendar that\u2019s all about building togetherness in your family. It\u2019s our gift to you when you go online to donate at FamilyLifeToday.com or when you call 1-800-FL-TODAY to donate. Or you can mail your donation today to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at PO \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBox 7111Little Rock, AR; our zip code is 72223.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, tomorrow, we\u2019re going to talk about a movie that is coming to theatres this weekend\u2014a movie that\u2019s all about the impact that the battlefront can have on a marriage relationship. You\u2019re going to meet Darren and Heather Turner, whose story is at the center of a movie called <em>Indivisible.<\/em> And you\u2019ll meet the movie makers, David and Esther Evans. That all comes up tomorrow. I hope you can tune in for that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. A Cru<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> ministry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2018 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/300429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300429"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=300429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=300429"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=300429"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=300429"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=300429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}