{"id":302213,"date":"2011-02-14T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-02-14T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/sweet-surrender\/"},"modified":"2011-02-14T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-02-14T17:00:00","slug":"sweet-surrender","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/sweet-surrender\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweet Surrender"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why is the Christian life so difficult?<\/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\/fl2011-02-14.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"26.31M","filesize_raw":"27586865","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[4299],"podcast_series":[7788],"cwp_profile":[3049],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-302213","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-faith","podcast_series-living-on-the-edge","cwp_profile-chip-ingram","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\/302213\/sweet-surrender","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/302213\/sweet-surrender","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=\"vs16WWRI2V\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/sweet-surrender\/\">Sweet Surrender<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/sweet-surrender\/embed\/#?secret=vs16WWRI2V\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Sweet Surrender&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"vs16WWRI2V\" 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 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picture the chips of my life: there is a stack that says \u201cfamily,\u201d a stack that says \u201chobbies\u201d, a stack that says \u201cmoney\u201d and \u201cdreams.\u201d\u00a0 You take all the chips; you push them to the middle of the table; and you say, \u201cGod, I\u2019m all-in.\u00a0 You deal.\u201d\u00a0 When Christians do that, God does supernatural, extraordinary things.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt usually gets worse before it gets better because there are things to clean up.\u00a0 You never know if you mean it until you actually do it.\u00a0 I believe the Lord will test us in that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Monday, February 14<sup>th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Our host is the President of FamilyLife Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine.\u00a0 What does sold out, all-in, committed discipleship look like?\u00a0 Does it look like your life?\u00a0 We\u2019re going to talk about that today.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWelcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>; thanks for joining us.\u00a0 I think our guest today wants to kick things up a notch.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you think?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think he does.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think he is a little dissatisfied with the state of Christianity.\u00a0 I mean, that\u2019s the sense I get from looking at what he has written here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I agree with you, Bob.\u00a0 If you were going to interview anybody in the world on the Christian life, who would you interview?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, anybody in the world\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 On the Christian life?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Living or dead?\u00a0 Or does he have to be living?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, it\u2019d be hard to interview him if he was dead.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I could ask him a lot of questions.\u00a0 We just wouldn\u2019t get very many answers.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, the answer is\u2014the answer is who we have in studio today.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m glad you answered that for me.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 I want you to know, Bob, I\u2019m very honored to be here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 He was about to name you.\u00a0 That voice is a familiar voice for a bunch of folks who listen to his sermons on the radio, <em>Living on the Edge<\/em>.\u00a0 The President and founder of that ministry, Chip Ingram.\u00a0 Chip, welcome back to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Great to be with you, Dennis; and it is also good to be with you, Bob.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Just to show that he is\u2014that he is forgiving and has a generous spirit.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 He is.\u00a0 He is.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 I don\u2019t have any anger issues at all.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Bob, why don\u2019t you share with our audience some of the titles you\u2019ve given him in previous times he\u2019s been on the broadcast?\u00a0 He\u2019s been invited back a number of times.\u00a0 He\u2019s only come a couple of times, though, because he\u2019s just had a hard time getting over it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 We did some interviews around a book that you wrote that was called <em>Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships;<\/em> something like that, right?\u00a0 We referred to you as Dr. Love, right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 I heard that from others later.\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>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Then, we also talked with you about anger.\u00a0 You\u2019d written a book on\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 <em>Overcoming Emotions That Destroy<\/em>.\u00a0 I know them better than you do.\u00a0 Don\u2019t feel bad about it.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You\u2019d written a book called <em>Overcoming Emotions That Destroy<\/em>.\u00a0 That\u2019s right.\u00a0 You got the title right.\u00a0 So, I called you Dr. Anger in that one. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid of what might happen out of this one.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m trying to think of what\u2014I think Dr. Edge.\u00a0 We\u2019ll just call you Dr. Edge for this one.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Dr. Edge the new title for Chip Ingram.\u00a0 Chip has been a pastor for more than twenty-five years.\u00a0 He is the Senior Pastor of Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California.\u00a0 He\u2019s written a book called <em>Living on the Edge: Dare to Experience True Spirituality<\/em>.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou really are kind of an edgy guy, and you like challenging people.\u00a0 So, I\u2019m going to ask you one of the questions you ask in your book.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Okay.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Why is the Christian life so challenging?\u00a0 Why is it so difficult?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 It is not difficult.\u00a0 It is impossible.\u00a0 It is impossible to live the Christian life.\u00a0 Only Jesus can live the Christian life.\u00a0 I think much of religion and much of what we see is people in their attempts to be nice, little, moral people trying to \u201clive the Christian life\u201d in a fallen world.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt is a supernatural life that demands a radical conversion and, then, allowing the Spirit of God to produce the life of Christ in us.\u00a0 That is what God left us on the planet to do is to walk with Him and be salt and light in this radical, loving, winsome way.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m going to ask you a hard question now.\u00a0 Do you think most Christians are doing it?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 No, they are not.\u00a0 I mean\u2014my heart is please don\u2019t hear\u2014I\u2019m not a big critic of the church.\u00a0 I love the church.\u00a0 I love pastors.\u00a0 But it is not anecdotal.\u00a0 The Barna Research, the Pew Research, the Gallup Research about one out of ten Christians\u2014when we would line up values, when we line up how they spend their money, when we line up integrity issues, when we line up fidelity to marriage, about one out of ten Christian\u2019s lifestyle is matching what the <em>Bible<\/em> would paint as a fully devoted follower of Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You just juxtaposed people who are trying to live nice, moral lives with those who are living the Christian life.\u00a0 Are you saying that Christians are failing at trying to live nice, moral lives?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 I think where they are failing in trying to live nice, moral lives\u2014I think even worse they think that if they could do that, that would be the Christian life.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 That is a big part of the problem is we\u2019ve got a very shaky definition of what it really means to be a Christian.\u00a0 The theme of our ministry is to help Christians live like Christians.\u00a0 If you said, \u201cWhat is <em>Living on the Edge<\/em> all about?\u201d\u00a0 Everything we do is to help Christians live like Christians.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou mentioned something as we were getting ready on the movie <em>The Blindside<\/em>.\u00a0 Sandra Bullock making mention of the actual lady who cared for that young, black man, who spent money and time, and opened their home, she was a Christian who lived like a Christian.\u00a0 Her comment, \u201cI finally met a Christian who walks the talk.\u201d\u00a0 This book is about how to walk the talk.\u00a0 It is obviously a pretty big passion of mine.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 It is a passion of ours because FamilyLife as an organization and <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> as a broadcast exist to equip men and women, husbands and wives, moms and dads, grandparents to have an encounter with Christ and to pass that on\u2014that living relationship with Him and His life being lived out through them to the next generation.\u00a0 If we fail in the Christian family, the church is not going to be\u2014well, it is not going to be effective.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 The church and the family must be in cooperation with each other producing these Christ followers like we\u2019re talking about here.\u00a0 Chip, the thing I like about what you\u2019ve done in this book, is you started with a passage that I don\u2019t hear being preached much today from pulpits, Romans 12:1-2.\u00a0 I want to read it because I don\u2019t think we read it often enough.\u00a0\u00a0 It was a passage that was used greatly in my life to call me out of trying to do it myself and to become a surrendered Christ follower.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tPaul writes in verse one, \u201cI appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.\u00a0 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.\u00a0 That by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, I know why you started there; but why don\u2019t you share with your listeners, why you start in Romans 12.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, I remember I was teaching a group of pastors in Nigeria, and we\u2019re talking about growing a high impact church.\u00a0 We were telling about the purpose of the church is to make disciples.\u00a0 I remember asking them, \u201cHow do you know when you\u2019ve made a disciple and how do you do it?\u201d\u00a0 There was this stare of \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0 It was one of those moments where I said\u2014we were doing these workbooks\u2014\u201cGuys, put your workbooks away.\u00a0 We\u2019re all pastors, right?\u00a0 Open to Romans 12 for just a minute.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI said, \u201cIf there was a great big server in Heaven and you logged on to heaven.com\/disciple, do you know God from Heaven would send down on your laptop computer?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBecause one guy on the right was barefooted and the guy on the left had a laptop, that\u2019s the world we live in.\u00a0 They all looked at me like, \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cIt would say becoming a Romans 12 Christian.\u201d\u00a0 After eleven chapters of grace, it\u2019s relational.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis, what I wanted them to see was it is relational, it is grace; but it is about your relationship with God, the world, yourself, believers and non-believers.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t begin\u2014this isn\u2019t how you become a Christian.\u00a0 This is we\u2019re in Christ, what does God want from me?\u00a0 I mean, just that question, what does God really want?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe doesn\u2019t want my attempts at morality or going to church or keeping rules.\u00a0 It may produce some things like that.\u00a0 God wants me.\u00a0 He wants me surrendered: all that I have and all that I am as a living sacrifice.\u00a0 24\/7 saying, \u201cGod, I\u2019m Yours.\u00a0 I want to live for You.\u00a0 I want to give You whatever You want.\u201d\u00a0 What He wants is my heart. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs we have taught this and as people have read this book and the feedback, I\u2019ve had people say I\u2019ve been a Christian twenty-two years, seven years, six months, I\u2019ve never heard or understood that the real action doesn\u2019t take place, the real power isn\u2019t experienced until I have this very sober and almost frightening time of entrusting my life and saying, \u201cGod, all that I am, all that I have I surrender it to you.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, the surrender point is the pivot point?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 It really is.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m glad that you mentioned that there are eleven chapters that come before Romans 12 because it is imperative that we understand that Romans 12 is a response to what God\u2019s done for us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Exactly.\u00a0 Big point.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 If not, you wind up in that moral self improvement kind of category.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just try to do this.\u00a0 I\u2019ll try to live this way, be at peace with all men, love without hypocrisy, and all of the things that Romans 12 talks about.\u00a0 That\u2019s got to come out of a life\u2014that\u2019s got to be a life response to what God\u2019s done for us.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019ve heard somebody describe it this way: it is the imperatives of the Christian life following the indicatives of the Christian life.\u00a0 You know what I\u2019m talking about?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Good summary.\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is who God says you are based on what Christ has done for you.\u00a0 Now, live like who you are.\u00a0 That is what you are calling us to.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 That is exactly right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Chip, I want to fight you for the soap box for a moment on the subject of surrender because I do think today that is a concept and a word that the church really needs to revisit.\u00a0 There was a leader of the church of one of the former Soviet states who said, \u201cThe problem with Christianity in America is that commitment means almost anything.\u201d\u00a0 He said, \u201cBut if you really want to be a Christ follower, if you really want to be a disciple,\u201d to your point\u2014\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> He said, \u201cThe word that must capture the Christian community in North America must be the word \u2018surrender,\u2019\u201d because we\u2019re not fully surrendered.\u00a0 We have these quasi-commitments and as result we live anemic Christian lives.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBill Bright was all about this.\u00a0 He was all about having individual Christians take a piece of paper and confess their sins: all the places they had taken control of their lives.\u00a0 He would challenge individuals to make a list of where they had failed God.\u00a0 Then, he would ask them to write 1John1:9 across it.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Wow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u201cIf we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.\u201d\u00a0 Then, he would say, \u201cNow you must take that forgiven sin and turn to God and surrender your life and ask Him to become your Lord, your Master.\u00a0 You become His slave.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat is really what happened in your life as a young man growing up.\u00a0 You had an encounter with Christ, but there came a time when you had to come to a point of complete surrender.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s where you experience both the joy and the power.\u00a0 Let\u2019s not down play this.\u00a0 We\u2019re people who want control.\u00a0 We\u2019re people who want God to help us on our terms and our way.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat gives it to me in perspective is God wants the same place in my heart that He has in the universe.\u00a0 Think about that: He is the center of all that there is and for Him not to have that reign.\u00a0 We actually pray that in the Lord\u2019s Prayer.\u00a0 Lord\u2014what do we pray?\u00a0 \u201cYour will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.\u201d\u00a0 We\u2019re saying we want His reign over us.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI trusted Christ.\u00a0 It was very genuine.\u00a0 I actually started reading the Bible, I grew spiritually, but I had two areas: basketball was one, and girls was the other.\u00a0 It was like God\u2014I sort of\u2014I didn\u2019t grow up in the Church and never read the Bible.\u00a0 I thought getting an eighty on a test was pretty good, and I thought I was doing eight out of ten Commandments.\u00a0 I thought the two or three that I didn\u2019t like weren\u2019t very reasonable anyway and no one else was keeping them.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I thought I\u2019m forgiven.\u00a0 I think I\u2019m going to Heaven because someone told me I should be.\u00a0 I hope I am.\u00a0 My theology was all messed up.\u00a0 What I found is God lovingly made me see and helped me see that, \u201cChip, you\u2019re going to be frustrated all the rest of your life, and I\u2019m not looking for your religious performance.\u00a0 It is not about keeping rules.\u00a0 It is not about attending religious activities.\u00a0 I want you.\u00a0 I paid for you.\u00a0 I love you.\u00a0 I want relationship with you.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAt the end of the day, basketball\u2014I said stuff like \u201cYou know I want to score twenty-five a game.\u201d When they interview me, \u201cIt\u2019s all because of Jesus\u201d and stuff like that.\u00a0 Girls and basketball were nothing more than idols because my ego was around how I performed and my identity, and girls were about my security.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGod said, \u201cAnytime you rely on anything or anyone other than Me, you\u2019ll be sorely disappointed.\u00a0 I love you so much, Chip, that I don\u2019t want you to trade Me in for something small.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI will tell you when I first understood the Lordship of Christ, what Romans 12:1 meant it was with fear and trembling.\u00a0 I wrestled\u2014I mean I wrestled for months over it.\u00a0 At the heart of it for me was I didn\u2019t believe God was good.\u00a0 I thought if I surrender\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 You know what?\u00a0 I\u2019m going to be single forever.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I can identify with that because girls were a big issue for me and my dating life.\u00a0 I can remember thinking if I give this to God, He may not give it back.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 It really does go to the point you are talking about, to the character of God.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t believe He was good and that He genuinely loved me and was concerned about my best interest, what was best for me.\u00a0\u00a0 So, I remember at the point where I came to this issue of surrender.\u00a0 I remember being nauseated.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Wow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Sick at my stomach.\u00a0 Thinking, \u201cMan, if I do this, this is going to cost me.\u201d\u00a0 The issue is that\u2019s exactly right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 And it will.\u00a0 Here is the deal:\u00a0 it costs you short term with long term gain.\u00a0 Or if you do it your way, there\u2019s some short term pleasure and really long term pain.\u00a0 I just have to tell people, \u201cIt was so traumatic for me.\u201d\u00a0 Now some people are thinking, \u201cYou know, don\u2019t tell me about your little college experiences. Grow up, buddy.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got real issues.\u201d\u00a0 But that\u2019s where I was at.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tEveryone, it may not be girls and basketball.\u00a0 It might be your career, your job, your geography.\u00a0 You can make your kids an idol, your mate an idol, your future and your success, your money.\u00a0 God says I want you to\u2014here\u2019s the picture I love.\u00a0 Played a little poker in the old days, and I only play for M&amp;M\u2019s now.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI still like to tune into a little Texas Hold \u2018Em.\u00a0 It never gets interesting until someone says \u201cI\u2019m all-in.\u201d\u00a0 Then, you deal the cards and the drama.\u00a0 I picture the chips of my life: there is a stack that says \u201cfamily,\u201d a stack that says \u201chobbies,\u201d a stack that says \u201cmoney\u201d and \u201cdreams.\u201d\u00a0 You take all the chips; you push them to the middle of the table; and you say, \u201cGod, I\u2019m all-in.\u00a0 You deal.\u201d\u00a0 When Christians do that, God does supernatural, extraordinary things.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt usually gets worse before it gets better because there are things to clean up.\u00a0 You never know if you really mean it; unless, you do it.\u00a0 It is one thing to say, \u201cI\u2019m really surrendered.\u201d\u00a0 You never know if you mean it until you actually do it.\u00a0 I believe the Lord will test us in that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 There are two words in Romans 12:1 that are actually almost contradictory; yet, it is the fulcrum of that verse where Paul says, \u201cI urge you to become living sacrifices.\u201d\u00a0 Now, anybody who lived in that culture knew that to be a sacrifice you weren\u2019t going to live anymore, right?\u00a0 So, what\u2019s Paul saying when he says, \u201cBe a living sacrifice?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, it is interesting, too, the tense of that verb, the offer or the offering.\u00a0 It is a point in time.\u00a0 You don\u2019t slide into this on a certain day at a certain time instead of bringing a goat or a cow that you killed that represents something that you have and you put that on the altar.\u00a0 He is saying I want your life: your eyes, your hands, your dreams, all that you are.\u00a0 Living as a sacrifice before Me to fulfill and do My will and My mission.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere is the part I wish people could hear and really know is that\u2014just what you hit on, Dennis\u2014is when you do that although it is hard, God\u2019s plan is way better for you than you ever want for yourself; but it is on My terms not yours.\u00a0 Surrender is the key.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 All of us have seen the movie <em>The Ten Commandments<\/em> where Charlton Heston comes down from the mountain with Ten Commandments, and the nation of Israel is having a big time party with the golden calf that they\u2019ve melted down from all their bracelets and earrings and everything.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe think, \u201cHow idiotic?\u00a0 Why would you want to trade the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the God of the Universe for an idol that\u2014it can\u2019t do anything?\u201d\u00a0 Yet, day in and day out that is what we can be tempted to do, is embrace our idols and surrender to them.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Rather than putting them aside and, then as Bob said, becoming that living sacrifice that Paul commanded us to become in Romans 12:1-2 and saying, \u201cYou know what God?\u00a0 You got me.\u00a0 I surrender.\u00a0 I am all-in.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I have to tell you a funny story here.\u00a0 A girl I talked to in college.\u00a0 She was really struggling because she didn\u2019t have a boyfriend.\u00a0 She really wanted a boyfriend.\u00a0 No guys were talking to her or asking her out. I remember the night we had a conversation.\u00a0 I said, \u201cYou know, you\u2019re just going to have to surrender that to the Lord.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to have to say, \u2018I give up this desire.\u00a0 Lord, I will do whatever.\u2019\u00a0 God is keeping this from you until you surrender.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I remember that night she prayed.\u00a0 About a month later, she came to me; and she said, \u201cYou know, thirty days ago I prayed that prayer; I still don\u2019t have a boyfriend.\u00a0 You know, I gave it up to God.\u00a0 You said, \u2018You know, God\u2019s not going to give me a boyfriend \u2018til I surrender.\u2019\u00a0 So, I surrendered.\u00a0 It has been thirty days, and I still don\u2019t have a boyfriend.\u201d\u00a0 The point was she hadn\u2019t really surrendered anything.\u00a0 She was trying to play a little game with God.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 We can\u2019t do that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 No, no.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 No.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Surrender means really saying, \u201cLord, I am all-in.\u00a0 I am dead to me.\u00a0 I\u2019m alive to You.\u00a0 It\u2019s Your agenda now, not my agenda.\u00a0 We\u2019ll go from here.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 The assignment for every listener: if you\u2019ve made that commitment, just refresh it.\u00a0 Just say, \u201cThank you, Lord, for bringing me to that point on such and such a date.\u201d\u00a0 To Chip\u2019s point, it does occur at a point in time; but to the vast majority who are listening to this broadcast, just a simple question: are you going to surrender?\u00a0 Will you do it right now?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 All-in.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 All-in.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chip:<\/strong>\u00a0 I will say, as we\u2019re watching thousands of people make that commitment, the greatest, deepest relationships ever experienced with Christ is taking that fearful step, trusting God\u2019s goodness, and saying, \u201cLord, I\u2019m all-in.\u201d\u00a0 His power and His grace begin to flood their lives.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I did that forty-two years ago.\u00a0 I shudder to think where I\u2019d be today and what my life would look like.\u00a0 That\u2019s when life came together.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s what you\u2019re trying to get to and point people to in writing the book, <em>Living on the Edge<\/em>.\u00a0 You\u2019re really calling people to authentic discipleship, to genuine followership.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think sadly we\u2019ve got a lot of people who are walking around today who are saying \u201cWell, I did this at church, or I did that, or I\u2019ve been in church for a long time.\u201d\u00a0 If they pulled back and did the kind of sober self assessment that you call them to, they would see that the veneer is pretty thin on their lives spiritually.\u00a0 This book will help them do that kind of appraisal.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve got copies of Chip\u2019s book, <em>Living on the Edge,<\/em> in our FamilyLife Today Resource Center.\u00a0 Subtitle is <em>Dare to Experience True Spirituality<\/em>.\u00a0 You may want to get a copy for yourself and a copy to pass along to someone else.\u00a0 Go to our website FamilyLifeToday.com for more information on how to order Chip Ingram\u2019s book, <em>Living on the Edge<\/em>.\u00a0 Again, our website is FamilyLifeToday.com.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOr call us toll free at 1-800-FL-Today, 1-800-358-6329.\u00a0 That\u2019s 1-800- F as in \u201cfamily,\u201d L as in \u201clife,\u201d and then the word TODAY.\u00a0 When you get in touch with us, we\u2019ll let you know how you can get a copy of Chip\u2019s book.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBy the way a couple of years ago, Chip was here and we had a chance to sit down and talk about a book he had written called <em>Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships<\/em>. Twelve ways to know you are really in love and how to say \u201cNo\u201d to a second rate relationship, to less than what God\u2019s calling you to.\u00a0 Primarily written for singles.\u00a0 When we shared this conversation on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>, we got a great response from all kinds of folks who got the CD\u2019s to pass along to others or to listen to again themselves.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, this week if you are able to help support the ministry of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> with a donation of any amount, we\u2019d love to send you the two CD set of that conversation with Chip Ingram.\u00a0 It is titled <em>Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships<\/em>.\u00a0 You can ask for a copy when you make a donation online at FamilyLifeToday.com or when you call 1800-FL-Today.\u00a0 We are listener supported; so, those donations are vital.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, our program could not continue on this station if it weren\u2019t for folks like you helping to support this ministry.\u00a0 Again, if you can make a donation this week online at FamilyLifeToday.com and you\u2019d like to receive the conversation with Chip Ingram, just type the word \u201cLOVE\u201d in the online key code box; and we\u2019ll be sure to send the CD\u2019s to you.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOr call 1-800-FL-TODAY, 1-800-358-6329.\u00a0 That\u2019s 1-800-F as in \u201cfamily,\u201d L as in \u201clife,\u201d and then the word \u201cTODAY.\u201d\u00a0 Make your donation over the phone and just ask for the CD\u2019s with Chip Ingram.\u00a0 We\u2019ll get them sent to you.\u00a0 We do appreciate your support of this ministry.\u00a0 We appreciate your partnership with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe want to encourage you to be back with us tomorrow.\u00a0 Chip Ingram is going to be here again.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to continue to talk about what it looks like to be an authentic follower of Jesus.\u00a0 I hope you can tune in for that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team.\u00a0 On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 \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.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today.\u00a0 Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you've 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?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t2011 Copyright \u00a9 FamilyLife. 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