guard your heart

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1:03It's fall in Jeep country, and during the driving to fall sales event, get a great deal on four-by-fours that refuse to be contained, like Jeep Wrangler, confidence built into every drive with the most awarded SUV ever, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and freedom that can't be denied, with the open-air freedom in Jeep Gladiator. After 85 years, it's no surprise that Jeep became America's SUV brand. Get a great deal during the Jeep driving to fall sales event. Jeep is one more awards over its lifetime than any other SUV brand, Jeep and the Jeep Grille Registered Trademarks of FCAUS LLC. Hello everybody. Welcome to another episode of Christ with Coffee and Ice. I am your host Alioast. It is a joy and honor to be here with you guys today. Happy Friday everybody. We made it to the end of the week. And I'm just going to be honest. Okay, here's the thing. I'm always going to give you guys a little bit of a life update, typically. I feel like most episodes we do that. And I'm just going to, we're going to do a little chit-chatting. And I say that as a disclaimer because I've seen some people who are like, oh my gosh,

2:04get on with it. The intro is too long. And here's my thing. I'm catching up with my friends. Okay. I'm hanging out with my friends right now. If you're not a friend and you're just here for the message, that's fine. I love you. You actually are still my friend. That's okay. But I'm here to hang out with my friends. Okay. And that honestly is the vibe today. That's all I actually can do. That's all I have the capacity for is hanging out with my friends today because you guys. Everything's fine. I'm fine. No, I'm not. I need Jesus so bad. Can I be so real and unfiltered right now? Cool. Thanks. I have had the most emotional. Twenty, what not? No, we're probably reaching 36 hours now. 36 hours of my life. For what? For what? Maybe I can blame it on my cycle. Because I'm about to get my period any minute now.

3:06Sorry for the boys that might be listening, but you know, you're going to need to know that those exist because there's women in your life. Right. Okay. So I'm like, I could blame it on that. I could try to find answers in that. I could just blame it on the fact that I'm just a girl. I'm just a girl and I just feel a lot. Okay. And then there's the bigger things too where it's like there's just things that are in me that are on healed that I need healing in. Okay. Fine. Jesus. But oh my gosh. I have been so unbelievably triggered. With no warning, no heads up had no idea that that was the last or the next couple of days I was going to be having. Like sometimes I just wish there was a heads up, you know, where maybe like I don't know. Jesus could just put like a like a blaring neon flashing sign in my window when I wake up that morning that says, be ready. You're going to be very emotional and trigger today. Oops. But I'm still here for you and I love you. Okay. It's going to have to be over a span of a few windows because that's kind of long. But like I had no idea.

4:08Okay. I had no idea that I was going to wake up yesterday being an absolute nut case. I have been a basket case and I really do believe in speaking life over ourselves. But sometimes I just got to laugh it off guys. I just sometimes I got to make a joke. I got to laugh at myself. Otherwise I will keep crying. I don't actually believe those things about myself, but I was kind of acting like it. I don't think I am a basket case, but I was being one. You know what I mean? I don't even know what a basket case is. I think I heard my mom say that a few times growing up anyway. Bless the people nearest to me in the last 36 hours. That's all I'm saying because I have been an absolute nut case. You want to hear about this this morning, especially this morning. Especially this morning. I'm emo. As you will. I'm emo. I'm crying about something this morning. It's 8 a.m. By the way, cool. Cool. I've been awake for a whopping 15 minutes. It's 8 a.m.

5:08I'm crying. I got triggered. I'm emotional about something. I can't calm down also. Immediately booked a therapy session. This was a reminder to me actually that I needed to book a new appointment with my therapist. After all of this. So after this, that's exactly what I did. And then I wrote in the notes, hey, I need help regulating my emotions because I go absolutely insane. And the train just goes and I don't know how to stop it. And I go code black. Black. As in I freaking black out. And I don't know how to. I don't know how to make my emotions. Just shut up. Or just like simmer down. You know, it's like now the pot is completely boiling. The water's going everywhere. It's burned my foot. Because it's spilling up. Like I'm just like that's those are my emotions sometimes. And I can't make them stop. I just like I get carried away in them. So that's what was happening to me this morning. And I thought, you know, yesterday was the last of it.

6:09Apparently not. I still had more in me. So I'm bawling my eyes on crying. And I'm I decide to go for a drive. What? First mistake. So I open my garage and I am crying while driving. I'm already like borderline hysterical. That is not the time to be getting that is never the time to be getting behind the wheel of a car. Okay. So I pull out of my garage and I'm pulling out probably too fast. And I'm not looking in my rear view mirror. And so of course all of a sudden I hit something. And it's my neighbor's car parked in their driveway right across from me. Not bothering anybody. Not harming anyone. Sweetest couple ever. Probably around my age. They're awesome. And I just hit their car. I was already crying. You know what I did? I got out of the car. And I said, I think I even cussed you guys. Which is so sad. Because I've been working so hard.

7:09I used to have such a sailor's mouth y'all like, oh my gosh. There was a version of me before I met Jesus where I. I had a sailor's mouth. Okay. I grew up with a father who was in the military who was also a police officer who was awesome. But he. And he was in the Navy. So he has a sailor's mouth. Okay. I take after my father that way or at least I used to. So anyway. I think I probably said the D word. Okay. I said, D yet. I'm crying. Don't cut, guys. And I'm knocking on their door and I'm already hysterically crying. And I'm like, cool. This is how they're going to see me. We, I don't know them that well. We had a few interactions. But I'm like, this isn't how I really want them to see me. They don't answer the door. So I call the wife. And she's like, hey, Ali. And I'm like, hey, I just hit your car. And I'm crying. I'm literally like, oh, hysterically crying. And I'm like, I'm so sorry. You have to hear me like this. I was already emotional, which I probably shouldn't have been driving anyway.

8:10But I pulled out of my driveway too fast. And she's like, Ali, it's okay. I'm like, I hurt your car. I was like, I'll pay for anything. I'm so sorry. I really actually, I didn't do any damage. There was just a little plastic piece on like their bumper that fell off. But like, actually, no other dammit. It was a miracle. No other damage was made. Because I, I low key was zooming out of my driveway. And she's like, Ali, it's totally okay. Just like, get better. You're fine. Like, it's okay. She was so, so, so kind. And I was like, okay, yeah, thanks. And then of course, now I'm like embarrassed. Because I'm like, cry. Oh, anyway, it was fine. I sent her a picture and she was like, oh my gosh, Ali, that's like literally so doable. I'm still going to get them a bottle. They're out of town. By the way, I missed that part. They're out of town, which is why they didn't answer their front door. And they're not going to be back for like another week. And so I've already decided in my mind that I'm going to get them a gift card. A very nice gift card for them to go and get dinner somewhere. And also a bottle of wine. Or maybe I get two bottles.

9:11I'll get them white and red just in case they like either. Okay. Anyway, hysterical. And in my hysterics, I hit my neighbor's car. Okay. Anyway, so it's just a miracle that I'm here with you guys today. Thank you for being here. I really hope that this episode is fruitful. I have no idea what God has planned today. But I do know one thing. Well, I know two things. One thing is God is good. I heard some of you, some people said all the time, if he ain't, then you lie in in the rain, in the sun. God is good all the time. That's force-free. That's our brother. I really want to take communion. We haven't done this in forever. And here's my thing. I have to take communion more than just that church. Otherwise, I think I would die. Today is a day where I actually genuinely need the body and the blood of Jesus.

10:12I am so imperfect. I am so far from perfection. I am so far from being like Jesus, and I need him for that reason. I need Jesus. I need Jesus. Today was a day and yesterday, where it's like we can look at all the things that are going wrong in our day, or we can look at all the ways that we really are messing up. I've messed up. I've been messing up the last couple days. I've let my emotions get the best of me. I haven't been my best self. I have honestly, yes, blacked out. And I'm like, what am I even, what reality am I living in right now? You know? And it's like we could focus on all of that, or we could just focus on the fact that we have Jesus in the midst of that, and thank you, God, that we have him. Like, I actually just need Jesus. And it's in the moments where I'm struggling the most, where I feel the weakest, where I feel the most vulnerable, where I feel the most unstable, that I am so grateful for Jesus. Like, I just think it's so easy to take for granted his goodness when things are good.

11:16Jesus is actually so much sweeter to me in the midst of me, honestly, feeling and being a little unhinged. It's actually in those moments that he's the sweetest. So I'd love for us to take communion. And if you guys don't have the elements with you, or you don't have them on hand at home, that's totally okay. We can all still just pray together. But yeah, I just, I really need his body and his blood. You could even go get some bread and some juice if you've got that in your kitchen. Or yeah, I can just, I can pray for all of us. But Jesus, I first want to thank you so much for your patience. Thank you for how loyal you are, God. I thank you that we never actually have to be afraid that you are going to get sick of us or our emotions. And you're never going to get tired of having to repeat yourself. Lord, I thank you that you are not somebody who can be compared to humans.

12:16You know, like maybe us humans were capable of doing that to each other. And our patience runs thin with one another when we're struggling. But God, I thank you that your patience never runs out for us. Yeah, I thank you for your loyalty. I thank you for how faithful you are and how everlasting you are. And Jesus, I thank you for the sacrifice that you made on the cross for all of us. God, it is days like this that I am so grateful for what you did for me. And my brothers and sisters who are listening on the other side who are also in their own struggles. And maybe not handling it the best. God, I thank you that you cover all of our sins, all of our mistakes, all of our shame to like even afterwards. There's such a feeling of shame, of not acting like ourselves and being bummed at our behavior. And so Lord, I thank you that you even covered that on the cross. Or we honor you. And so we take this bread now in honor of what you did.

13:19And Jesus, we just repent of our sins and we thank you for covering every single one. And Jesus, we thank you for the power of the blood. Jesus, thank you for your blood. It is so precious and it covers us and it renews our minds and it protects us. God, thank you that your blood speaks a powerful word. And so Lord, we just pray for a washing of your blood, a washing of your spirit, Lord, a renewal of our minds. God, that every lie, we are just rebuke it now in the name of Jesus. And we ask for you to replace those lies with the truth, God, of who you say we are, the truth of your word, and the truth of your blood, Jesus. We thank you, we honor you, God. Thank you for your sacrifice. Amen. Thank you, Jesus. All right, guys, let's get into it.

14:20I think we're just going to read scripture. I need the word of God. I don't know about you guys, but I need it desperately. So we're going to read some scripture today. I'm very excited for that. First and foremost, we do have our Christ. Yay! We have our Christ! We have our Bible, which is living and breathing and alive. If anything's going to renew our minds, it's going to be the blood of Christ paired with also his word. So we're going to read some truth today. Okay? If there's been any lies that you guys have been believing, I just pray. My deepest prayer for you in this episode is that the Lord reminds you of the truth. Okay? Because lies can be really sneaky, but they can also really put us in bondage. And they can have us living in a world that's not actually happening. And so I pray for reality today and grounding. Jesus, bring us back down to earth today, please. So we do have our Christ. Okay? This is my O Santa revival Bible. You guys are always asking where I get my Bible from, so I have to share that every time.

15:21Because this is also one of my favorites. This is in the butter yellow color. I'm still not off of it. I love it. It's so pretty. And the translation that I will be reading for you guys is the new living translation. So I read NLT. And if you guys are interested in ever shopping, Hosanna revival, my code is always available. They are so kind for that, by the way. Like it is so sweet that they have allowed this code to live on as long as it has. And let you guys use it. And so my code is allios. It's just my first and last name. And so you can always save it. Check out using that on Hosanna Revivals website. They have beautiful Bibles, journals, planners, like a very cutesy, very gorgeous. And yeah, every piece is so intentional, which I love. And they're just gorge. So we have our Christ. We're going to be reading that today. And we do have our coffee on ice. Have you guys noticed? Okay, these are our glass tumblers, by the way. If you'd like to match with me, they are available on our website. And we have Jesus on the other side. He's perfect.

16:21He's so perfect. Have you guys noticed I haven't been drinking my coffees in the last few episodes? Can I be honest? Okay. I haven't been drinking them because by the time I've been recording lately, I'm like borderline at the end of my day. And I'm already caffeinated. And so I can't drink any more coffee. Otherwise, I just simply wouldn't go to bed. So today is another one of those days where unfortunately, it's just been a prop, which stinks because we used to actually drink it and have fun. I know. We'll get back to it. I got to start recording earlier in my days. I think that's what it is. But I'm like, there's no chance I'm going to be drinking coffee right now. I won't go to bed. So what we do, we do have our coffee on ice. So I hope you guys are joining me in that. Okay. Okay, let's read the Bible. What should we read? Good question. You know, I'm stuck between two things right now. We can read the Psalms, but we also haven't done that. We just did that not too long ago. We can read the Psalms or we can read the Proverbs. But like Proverbs is, Psalms, I feel like, is so reassuring.

17:25Like, the Psalms really make me feel super seen. Like, I'm not so crazy for having highs and lows in my feels. But and the Proverbs is like, over-convicting. But there's so much truth in it. And I'm just like, maybe we do Proverbs because we just did the Psalms. IDK. Okay. Now, see, I'm, yeah, we're going to read the Proverbs. Here at Christ with coffee on ice, we obviously talk a lot about purpose here. About finding the path God has set for us. And when it comes to education, that path should lead to a future that matters. That's why when I heard about Grand Canyon University, I was so impressed because they are a private, nonprofit Christian University in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona that believes education shouldn't be a privilege, but an affordable path forward for everyone. GCU is grounded in Christian truth. They are working to empower the next generation to lead with integrity and serve with purpose. And they make it accessible. Did you know GCU has kept tuition at the same rate on its traditional campus for 17 years?

18:29Plus, in 2025 alone, they awarded over $404 million in institutional scholarships. Whether you're looking for a degree on campus or online, find your purpose at GCU. Private Christian affordable nonprofit. Visit gcu.edu to learn more. You know that feeling when you're juggling like five things at once in your phone rings and you just let it go? And unfortunately, that call would have been your best customer. That's why today's episode is brought to you by Quo, spelled Q-U-O. The business phone system built so you never miss an opportunity. Think about the last time you called a business and nobody picked up. What did you do? You called the next one. Your customers do the exact same thing. And that's why Quo is going to be a lifesaver for you if you are a business owner. All your calls, texts, and voice mails live in one place, so anyone on your team can pick up a conversation, see the full history and respond fast. Quo is the number one rated business phone system on G2, trusted by over 90,000 businesses who rely on it to stay reachable and look professional every day.

19:29Set up in minutes on any device. Keep your existing number and add teammates as you grow. No IT, no hassle. Quo's built in AI agent actually handles after hour calls, answers questions, and even books appointments so you never miss a lead even when your team is offline. Money is on the line. Always say hello with Quo. I quote for free plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to quote.com slash coffee on ice. That's q-u-o.com slash coffee on ice. Hey, let's have fun guys. Okay, we're starting at the top of Proverbs. So if you have your Bibles with you, please read along with me. I think that that would be awesome. We should be reading this together. If you're in a situation though where you can't be reading from your Bible, that's okay. I understand. I'll still read to you. That's fine. So, okay Proverbs 1. You ready? The purpose of Proverbs. These are the Proverbs of Solomon David's son, King of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline to help them understand the insights of the wise.

20:30Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These Proverbs will give insight to the simple knowledge and discernment to the young. That's us guys. Hey, that's us. Okay. Let the wise listen to these Proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these Proverbs and parables. The words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don't neglect your mother's instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck. My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them. They may say, come and join us. Let's hide and kill someone. Just for fun, let's ambush the innocent. Let's swallow them alive like the grave. Let's swallow them whole like those who go down to the pit of death.

21:31Think of the great things we'll get. We'll fill our houses with all the stuff we take. Come, throw in your lot with us. We'll all share the loot. My child, don't go along with them. Stay far away from their paths. They rush to commit evil deeds. They hurry to commit murder. If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away. Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand and riches an honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths and her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her. Happier those who hold her tightly. By wisdom, the Lord founded the earth. By understanding he created the heavens. By his knowledge, the deep foundations of the earth burst forth and the dew settles beneath the night sky.

22:35My child, don't lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them. For they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear. You will lie down and sleep soundly. You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked. For the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. Do not withhold good from those who deserve it. When it's in your power to help them. You can help your neighbor now. Don't say come back tomorrow. Then I'll help you. Don't plot harm against your neighbor. For those who live nearby, trust you. Don't pick a fight without reason when no one has done you harm. Don't envy violent people or copy their ways. Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord. But he offers his friendship to the godly. The Lord curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright. The Lord mocks the mockers, but is gracious to the humble.

23:38The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame. My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment. I am giving you good guidance. Don't turn away from my instructions. For I too was once my father's son, tenderly loved as my mother's only child. My father taught me. Take my words to heart. Follow my commands and you will live. Get wisdom. Develop good judgment. Don't forget my words or turn away from them. Don't turn your back on wisdom for she will protect you. Love her and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do. And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her and she will honor you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head. She will present to you with a beautiful crown. My child, listen to me and do as I say. And you will have a long good life. I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths.

24:39When you walk, you won't be held back. When you run, you won't stumble. Take hold of my instructions. Don't let them go. Guard them for they are the key to life. Don't do as the wicked do and don't follow the path of evil doers. Don't even think about it. Don't go that way. Turn away and keep moving. For evil people can't sleep until they've done their evil deed for the day. They can't rest until they've caused someone to stumble. They eat the food of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no way. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart for they bring life to those who find them and healing to their whole body.

25:39Guard your heart above all else for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk. Stay away from corrupt speech. I did repent for saying the D word when I hit my neighbor's car. I did. Okay. Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet. Stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked. Keep your feet from following evil. My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Listen carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show discernment and your lips will express what you've learned. For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end, she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double edged sword. Her feet go down to death, and her steps lead straight to the grave. For she cares nothing about the path to life.

26:39She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn't realize it. So now my son's listen to me. Never stray away from what I am about to say. Stay away from her. Don't go near the door of her house. If you do, you will lose your honor, and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved. Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor. In the end, you will grow in anguish when disease consumes your body. You will say, how I hated discipline. If only I had not ignored all the warnings. Oh, why didn't I listen to my teachers? Why didn't I pay attention to my instructors? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace. Drink water from your own well. Share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers.

27:41Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Why be captivated by my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman? For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. An evil man is held captive by his own sins. They are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control. He will be lost because of his great foolishness. My child, if you have put up security for a friend's debt, or agreed to guarantee a debt of a stranger, if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and you are caught by what you said, follow my advice and save yourself. For you have placed yourself at your friend's mercy. Now swallow your pride. Go and beg to have your name erased. Don't put it off, do it now. Don't rest until you do.

28:43Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net. Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy bones. You lazy bones. Learn from their ways and become wise. Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you lazy bones. How long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber. A little folding of the hands to rest. Then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit. Scarcity will attack you, like an armed robber. What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. They are perverted hearts plot evil and they constantly stir up trouble. But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. There are six things the Lord hates. No, seven things he detests.

29:47Hottie eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who soes discord in a family. My son, obey your father's commands and don't neglect your mother's instruction. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you. For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light. Their corrective discipline is the way to life. It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman. Don't lust for her beauty. Don't let her quaglances seduce you. For a prostitute will bring you to poverty. But sleeping with another man's wife will cost you your life. Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?

30:47Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? So it is with the man who sleeps with another man's wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished. Excuses might be fond for a thief who steals because he is starving. But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole. Even if he has to sell everything in his house. But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool. For he destroys himself. He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased. For the woman's jealous husband will be furious. And he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size. Follow my advice, my son. Always treasure my commands. Obey my commands and live. Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Love wisdom like a sister.

31:47Make insight a beloved member of your family. Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman. From listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman. While I was at the window of my house looking through the curtain, I saw some naive young men. And one in particular who lacked common sense. He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman strolling down the path by her house. It was twilight in the evening as deep darkness fell. The woman approached him, seductively dressed in sly of heart. She was the brash rebellious type. Never content to stay at home. She is often in the streets and markets soliciting at every corner. She threw her arms around him and kissed him. And with a brazen look she said, I don't know if I said brazen, brazen. Okay. I've just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows. You know the one I was looking for. I came out to find you and here you are. My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. I've perfumed my bed with mur,

32:48allos and cinnamon. Come, let's drink our fill of love until morning. Let's enjoy each other's caresses for my husband is not home. He's away on a long trip. He is taken a wallet full of money with him and won't return until later this month. So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life. So listen to me, my sons, pay attention to my words. Don't let your hearts stray away toward her. Don't wander down her wayward path, for she has been the ruin of many. Many men have been her victims. Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death. What if my friends secretly hate me? Something bad will happen if I don't do this. Does God really still love me after what I've done? Do you ever have thoughts like these?

33:48I'm talking about unwanted thoughts that play on loop in your mind over and over. Thoughts like that can be signs of OCD, but because OCD is so misunderstood, a lot of people don't even know that it can show up that way. And the thing is these behaviors only provide short term relief. The unwanted thoughts, fears, and doubts always come back, and that's why OCD can be so debilitating. But there is good news, because OCD is highly treatable with a specific kind of therapy called ERP, or exposure and response prevention. ERP helps you learn how to confront your fears without engaging in the behaviors that keep you stuck. That's why I want to tell you guys about no CD. So no CD is actually the world's leading provider of OCD treatment. All of their licensed therapists truly understand OCD and specialize in ERP therapy. They understand how OCD can attach to all different parts of your life, and they approach treatment with a deep respect for your background and beliefs. Therapy with no CD is 100% virtual, covered by insurance for over 100% for over 138 million Americans, and includes support between sessions. So you're never facing OCD alone. To learn more about starting OCD therapy with no CD,

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36:51because that's the last thing we just talked about, but I do feel like there's a lot going on here that could really relate to having the wisdom when it comes to just all of our lives. And it doesn't have to be like, you know, taking at face value of this situation, I think it could absolutely be symbolic and we could interpret it in ways that would be really fruitful towards our lives. And so anyway, I think right at the beginning of Proverbs, it was obvious that we were being set up for wisdom, right? And I think that this also works almost like a sustained opening lesson from a father to a child. You know, like that's a lot of the verbiage that's happening right now in these first few chapters of Proverbs. Like, here is what wisdom looks like, here is what foolishness looks like, and your choices are forming the kind of person you will be. So it is the skill of seeing life from God's perspective and then ordering your choices accordingly.

37:51Proverbs repeatedly connects wisdom with the fear of the Lord, taking on seriously enough that who he is changes how you actually live. And I think one of my favorite pieces of Scripture actually is right at the beginning of Proverbs 1. It was Proverbs 1 verse 7, where it says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And I love that because I really believe that the only way that we could ever grow in knowledge is at the beginning of fear of the Lord and what is fear of the Lord. It's recognizing who he is, that he is wisdom, right? He is the one to learn from. Fear of the Lord is like, I respect you God and I want to literally be just like you. I want to learn from you. It's putting him priority number one. Like fear of the Lord is just recognizing all of who God is and recognizing who you are and being like, all right, God, you're the guy, you're my guy. I recognize your power, I recognize your wisdom. And it's where that starts, that we actually get to gain real true knowledge.

38:51Because there's a lot of things in the world that claim to be knowledge that just are not because true wisdom and true knowledge comes from God. And so that verse in itself obviously is establishing the foundation for the rest of the book of Proverbs. Solomon is essentially saying you cannot understand life properly while leaving God out of it. Like there is no true knowledge or wisdom without God. Fear of the Lord doesn't primarily mean being terrified of God. It carries the idea of reverence, awe, submission, and recognition of his authority. Wisdom begins when I stop assuming my perspective is automatically correct and allow God to tell me what is true. What does he say? And so then when we move on from verses eight to nineteen, I think a lot of that is talking about being careful who influences you. So in these verses, it's clear that a father is actually warning his son about people enticing him towards sin. The principle extends beyond the specific crime described.

39:51The people around you can normalize things that should never become normal to you. And I think it's important to notice the progression in this example because it starts with an invitation, then participation, and then that leads to destruction. So sin rarely introduces itself by saying this will eventually destroy you. It usually presents itself as something desirable, profitable, exciting, and more important. Exciting, justified, or harmless. Because remember in those verses, we can fill our homes with anything we want. There's things about it that are profitable, exciting, desirable. And so there is also an important distinction here is that Scripture does not teach Christians to avoid everyone who sins. Jesus obviously certainly didn't, but Proverbs repeatedly warns against allowing foolish people to become formative influences in your life. Then once we move on to Proverbs 2, chapter 2, this is a chapter that I think was so clearly about wisdom.

40:55Wisdom actually has to be pursued. So if there's a lot of words in this chapter like, if you accept my words, if you call out for insight, if you seek it like silver, right? I think all of those things are showing that there is a participation, there is a seeking, there is a pursuit in gaining wisdom. It's not something that's just going to be dumped in our brains. That's not something we can just pray for. It has to be something that you are actively pursuing with the Lord. And so there's effort involved. And I think that that's what Proverbs 2 is showing us, right? Wisdom doesn't usually develop accidentally, or just like on his own, you seek, you receive, you treasure, you listen, you ask, search, and discern. But then verse 6 balances this so beautifully, right? Because then it's not that we just want to be striving the whole time, but it's in that pursuit it says, for the Lord gives wisdom. So biblical wisdom involves both our pursuit and God's provision. It's a partnership, right? We pursue him, but ultimately wisdom comes from him.

41:58Wisdom protects you, a repeated phrase that we heard a lot, as we've been reading so far, is that wisdom will save you, especially chapter 2 was saying, not necessarily by removing every difficult circumstance, obviously, but by helping you recognize roads you shouldn't walk down in the first place. And that's actually one of Proverbs' biggest themes. Is that wisdom often protects you before you need rescuing. Sometimes God's protection looks dramatic. Other times it looks like discernment, saying don't go there, don't trust that. Don't say that, don't make that decision yet. And then moving on to Proverbs 3, I think the major theme in this chapter, as we read it, was trust God more than your own interpretation. So this contains one of the most famous passages in Proverbs ever. I'm sure a lot of us have already heard it. It's trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. I quote that Proverbs.

43:00I quoted it to myself after my little mentee bee the last couple days, is lean not on your own understanding. And in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. So the phrase lean not on your own understanding doesn't mean don't think. Because obviously I think especially in Proverbs, it means don't make your own perception the final authority. Like don't make whatever it is that you're understanding or coming to the conclusions of. Be the last say if you haven't heard God have the last say. You know what I mean? There will be moments where your mind says or you say to yourself, this is how I feel. This is what makes sense to me. This is what I want. But those things immediately conflict with this is what God says. Okay. So again, that was me the last couple of days. Just everything that was happening in my mind, I actually probably was leaning on my own understanding a little bit too much. Because I wasn't reminding myself like,

44:01but this is what God says. My mind was just fogged up with those things. Well, this is how I feel. And this is what makes sense to me in this moment. And that's why that happened. And that's why I'm feeling this way. And it's like, or we slow down and we say, okay, but what does God say? Does that align with what God says about your life? Or your situation or how you're even how you're feeling? Wisdom says, God gets the final word. That is true wisdom. We never have the final word. Our feelings don't have the final word. Our circumstances don't have the final word. It is always God who's going to have the final word. That is where true wisdom is. And then another verse that I loved in chapter three, this was in verses 11 through 12, is do not despise the Lord's discipline. And I think that will just naturally change how we interpret correction from God. I don't think that, and especially in Proverbs, it's not encouraging us to take discipline from God

45:01as a moment to get really hard on ourselves or to feel like he doesn't love us anymore or to feel like he's really disappointed in us or to feel shame. I think that there's a perspective to have that's completely opposite to that. And I think, yeah, we can instinctively interpret God's know his conviction, maybe his exposure, you know, if there's things in your heart like ways that you're like, oh, wow, I, you're right, God. Like he points something out in you and you're like not obsessed with that. And then you feel really exposed and vulnerable because of it, you know, or even his redirection. But like none of those things should actually be interpreted as rejection, but sometimes that that's in our instinct where that's just kind of where we go. And what's really beautiful is Solomon is saying the opposite here in the Proverbs. Correction can be evidence of relationship actually. God loves us too much to affirm everything that is destroying us. Right? And so it's actually in God's love that he corrects us and he disciplines us because he wouldn't be a good father

46:02if he affirmed everything we were doing, especially if they were harming us. Right? Or if there were things that were leading us in the wrong direction, or if we were making idols of things that were putting things on pedestals that should have never been there, like that's not a good dad. And then moving on to Proverbs chapter four, this chapter was a lot about guarding your heart. And so this chapter emphasizes something really important, which is that wisdom must become personal. You cannot live forever on someone else's convictions. Parents can teach wisdom, pastors can teach wisdom, podcasts can teach wisdom, but eventually you do have to choose it. Like there has to be an emotional attachment to that. It has to be something that actually gets embedded into your heart and into your mind and into your soul. Proverbs four, twenty three said, above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it. And so I do think that the statement like guard your heart

47:02is something used to mean don't let anyone hurt you, but that statement might be a little too narrow. I think that there could be more to that. And biblically the heart represents the inner person. So that is going to be your desires, your thoughts, your motivations, your affections, will. So guarding your heart actually, biblically, it's not just about protecting your heart and guarding your heart from people hurting you. It just means paying attention to what is shaping your inner world because eventually your inner world becomes your outer life. Whatever flows from you is coming from your heart. Something that matters is what are you repeatedly consuming? What do you repeatedly believe matters? Who do you repeatedly listen to matters? What desires you repeatedly feed matters? And notice the verses immediately afterward discuss your mouth, eyes and feet. So it starts with heart and then it goes to speech

48:02and then focus and then direction. So there's almost a progression what fills you eventually directs you. So it starts with your heart and whatever is in your heart is then where you go. That's the direction that you go. That's where your hands and your feet and your eyes and your mouth it all follows what's in your heart. Which is why I think that the statement sometimes like follow your heart can really be dangerous because if your heart isn't filled with the wisdom of God, if your heart isn't filled with the fruit of the Spirit, if your heart isn't filled with the things of Jesus, your heart will direct your footsteps and the way that you pursue life and move forward. It really does start with the heart and sometimes the heart isn't trustworthy because there are other things that can sneak in there. Like our own human desires and sin and it's actually like my deepest prayer

49:03for all of us that God continues to just renew our hearts and like get whatever gunk could be in there out of it. Like I pray that our hearts continue to be a reflection, a pure reflection of Jesus because if that's the case, the things that will flow from us, the way that we walk in life, the things that we do with our hands, the things that come out of our mouths, it will just be Jesus. Now Proverbs 5 got a little funny, huh? We started to talk about sexual stuff. Okay, desire. Okay. The immediate context here, okay, is sexual temptation and adultery. Solomon doesn't pretend temptation isn't attractive. Right? So I think that that's what Solomon is obviously exposing right now is that anything that is tempting, any temptation is attractive, okay? And that's actually really important to acknowledge because otherwise like if there be nothing tempting about it,

50:03if it wasn't attractive to us. The warning isn't sin will never look appealing, it's don't confuse appealing with good. The forbidden woman is described as having lips that drip honey. In other words, destructive choices often initially taste sweet but Solomon says eventually they become bitter. That pattern appears throughout scripture. Immediate pleasure, right? So it's really sweet, it's fun, it's exciting, it feels good. Whatever that temptation is, it has immediate pleasure but then it leads to delayed consequence. And so what true wisdom actually asks in the face of temptation is where does this road eventually lead? Verses. What do I want right now? And typically that is where we stumble the most is when we are looking too much at what we want right now. And we don't take the time, we don't have the patience, right? We don't have the self control or simply we just don't have the tools we don't have the wisdom to stop and say,

51:05actually, where does this road eventually lead me? Where could this take me? Especially if it's something that you've already participated in before, if you have this one particular sin or this one particular temptation that you know you've fallen into before and you know the answer, that's a great time to ask a question. Where does this road eventually lead? And you know the answer because you knew what it felt like on the other side. You knew what that delayed consequence felt like after the initial pleasure. And so even in that, I think it's a great opportunity to say, oh, but where does this road lead? Because I know actually, I know exactly where it leads. And I know how I feel and I feel so shameful. And it doesn't actually give me the thing that I'm seeking for. It just gives me immediate pleasure. It's not fruitful long term. And something that Solomon doesn't do in this chapter is he doesn't present sexuality itself as dirty. Which like, whoa, that's like a whole topic that I feel like the church could talk about

52:07because I do feel like there can be some like weird underlying shame. This is giving like a sex ed episode. I feel like it could be an entire thing. I don't know if I'm the one that's like equipped for that kind of topic. But I do know that I don't know even being a woman like some like sexual like all of that. Sometimes there's this like shame to all of it. Like you just, you feel dirty for having any kind of, like you know, but whatever God created that. And so Solomon isn't saying that sexuality in itself is dirty. And later in the chapter, then we actually read that he does celebrate that. But it's with intimacy within a marriage, right? With your wife. He's like, yeah. Do that with your wife. Just not outside of marriage and don't do what somebody else's wife. Okay. So it's not that the desire is the issue.

53:08Okay. It's desire detached from God's design. T so T so again, there is no shame for having a sex drive. Sorry, I guess we're in freaking sex ed right now. But there's no shame for that part. Like God created that part, right? Like he, he, that's what he made us to do. So it's not that that is the actual issue. That's not the thing that's dirty. That's not the thing that's sinful. It's the second that we've taken that desire. And we've detached it from what God created it for, which is covenant, marriage, between two people who love each other, right? And so that was, that was the original design of what sex was supposed to be for. And so the minute we detach that from what it was actually made for is when, it's dirty, it's not okay. Okay, Proverbs 6. Proverbs 6, a lot of it was just wisdom showing up in ordinary life, right?

54:13So I love this chapter because suddenly Proverbs gets incredibly practical. And we love that. We love practicality. We love being able to take, you know, this kind of wisdom from the Lord and integrate it into just like also our ordinary everyday lives. And so, you know, we were called lazy bones, but yeah, I mean into normal things, like money, work, laziness, relationships, dishonesty, sexual temptation, conflict, it reminds us that spirituality isn't limited to spiritual activities. It's also in our everyday life. Verses 6 through 11, consider the ant, remove that part. So Solomon is actually essentially saying, look at an ant and learn something. Go find an ant pile and learn from them. The ant works without needing someone constantly forcing it. It's a lesson in self-governance, which is so interesting. Maturity means increasingly being able to do what is necessary,

55:14even when nobody is watching, praising, reminding, or pressuring you. So I think it's just discipline, right? Doing it even when somebody isn't watching, or praising you for doing it, or having to remind you, right? Now, chapter 6 verses 16 through 19, these were the seven things God hates. Sorry, can I confess something? The first thing that came to my mind when I read seven things. The seven things I hate about you! The Miley Cyrus song from when we were all in like literally middle school. Anyway. Okay, not the seven things that Miley Cyrus hates, seven things that God hates, which is pride, lying, harming innocent people, plotting evil, eagerly pursuing wrongdoing, false testimony, aka being a big, stinky liar, creating division. Notice how many involve how we treat other people, though. I like that.

56:14A lot of them are about how we treat others. So biblical holiness isn't merely avoiding obvious personal sins. God cares deeply about whether we're arrogant, deceptive, divisive, manipulative, or destructive toward others. And the last one, one who stirs up conflict among brothers is especially sobering, because creating unnecessary division among people matters to God. God has a heart for people, and especially the way that we treat others. And so it seems like the things that God hates the most is not only the sin in our own lives, that hurts us, like us hurting us, but then how we can actually sin against other people and hurt them. And to be honest, I think that they probably play pretty hand in hand, because the ways that we sin to harm ourselves probably would naturally also harm the people around us, whether you realize it at the moment or not. Yeah, it's no good for anybody.

57:15It's no good for yourself, and it's especially no good for other people. And so God's heart is for loving others well, and not being deceptive, manipulative, liars, all of those things. So now, Proverbs 7, which was the last chapter we just read, this chapter is talking a lot about how temptation is actually easier to resist early. So chapter 7 gives almost a cinematic picture of someone being seduced into adultery. So this was the story of the woman across the street. And so the young man isn't portrayed as waking up and deciding, today, I'd like to destroy my entire life. That's not what the guy is described to have had the intentions for that day. He gradually gets closer to something he should have stayed far away from. Goes near her corner, then conversation happens, then persuasion, then rationalization, then action. And finally, consequence.

58:17One of the most useful principles here is wisdom doesn't merely ask how close can I get to sin without technically sinning? Wisdom. Wisdom asks, if I know where this road leads, why am I walking toward it? Guys, sometimes the wisest response to temptation isn't greater willpower. Like getting the most willpower you can have to resist it. It's actually greater distance. Like that's wisdom is keeping distance versus like inching your way closer and like being like, no, I'll just have the strength. It's like, no, just literally stay as far away from it. If you know that that very thing is a temptation for you, if you know that that very thing is going to lead you down a path that is not good and is just going to destroy your life, probably stay far away. That's what this chapter in Proverbs is telling us. And I do think that these few chapters are really powerful, especially powerful,

59:18when read together as we did today because Solomon keeps presenting two roads. In all of these chapters, he presents to us that there is a way of wisdom and the way of foolishness. I think that that's made very clear in these chapters and usually the difference begins long before the dramatic consequence. It begins with, who am I listening to? What am I allowing to influence me? What desires am I feeling? Am I teachable? Am I accept correction? Am I trusting God or am I merely trusting perception? Where will this decision eventually take me? Right. And maybe I think maybe the biggest takeaway is that wisdom thinks beyond the moment. That's the major, major takeaway is true wisdom acknowledges that there is a moment after this moment. Because foolishness says, what do I want right now? And it's like, that's the only thing that matters is in the moment. That's being a fool. And I have been a fool.

1:00:20I've been a fool. Have you guys? Cool. That's why we need Jesus. That's why we need communion. That's why we need a spirit. Dang it. But it's true. Being a fool is like, no, this is what I need right now. It's like, okay, wisdom says, hold on. Let's acknowledge that there's going to be a moment after that though. And there's a future after that moment. Like your life doesn't just end like that. There's going to be more after that. And so when we think about the more after that is this going to be fruitful for that? Or you think it's actually just going to make that really messy? And it's not actually going to give you the thing that you want long term. Is that just going to satisfy you right now? That alone applies to every aspect of our life. Think about it. That absolutely applies to relationships, friendships, sex, money, work, anger, social media, the voices that we listen to. Oh my gosh, the voices I've been listening to the last couple of days. And even our own emotions.

1:01:20Proverbs. Oh, Jesus, thank you for Proverbs like seriously. Oh my gosh. Proverbs is teaching us not simply to become people who know what God says, but people whose instincts. Like our initial instincts are gradually being trained by God so that we become better at recognizing what is true, good, dangerous, and worth pursuing. And that's why Proverbs 1 verse 7 comes first. Started it out really well. It said wisdom ultimately begins with God. That was awesome. Proverbs you rock. God you rock. How fruitful was that? I loved that. Anyway guys, I think that that's where we're going to end. But I kind of loved that. And I'm almost like, do we just keep reading Proverbs question mark? Okay, I'm going to pray about it because I loved that. I learned so much. Hallelujah. Guys, I love you. I love you. I'm so proud of you.

1:02:20And I'm proud of the ones that were taking notes. I could feel it. There were some of you guys that were taking notes highlighting, writing things down. I'm so proud of you all. Guys, happy Friday. I hope you have the best weekend ever. I hope it is so sweet. I hope you get to surround yourself with people that you love, whether that's friends or family. I hope you watch your favorite movie. I hope you eat your favorite snack. I hope that you sit on the couch with your best friend who is a dog. Oh my gosh, I hope that you cuddle your baby. I hope that you hug your husband. I hope that you hug your wife for the boys that are listening. Oh my gosh, I hope you get to kiss somebody on the cheek. I hope you get to hold somebody's hand. I hope you get to hug someone. I really hope you get to have gelato or ice cream. And an iced coffee. Have a couple of those over the weekend. I love you guys. I'll see you on Wednesday. Before we go, actually, could we do something really cool today? Could we show somebody how cool Jesus is? That'd be so nice. Let's show somebody how cool Jesus is. Let's walk more like him. Talk more like him. Be more like Jesus today.

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