Let us at the Pivot podcast encourage YOU in this time leading up to Christmas!

This week, host Dee Stokes is here to share a gentle reminder amidst the Christmas chaos: Jesus came expressly for you and your congregation, illuminating the darkness. In the busyness, find a sacred pause to recharge, for you are instrumental in guiding others. As exhaustion looms, extend the invitation to encounter Jesus anew this season. Reflect on your personal connection with Him and navigate through your seasonal challenges. Embrace the light and share it, making this Christmas a profound spiritual journey for all.

SHOW NOTES:

Downloadable ebook "Spiritual Life Listening Tool" at https://faithlead.org/ebooks/spiritual-life-listening-tool/

Dee Stokes: Welcome to the Pivot podcast Advent version. I'm your host, Dr. Dee Stokes. This episode, friends, will be very different than our other episodes. This episode is all about you. I want to spend a few minutes encouraging you before you jump into the busiest time of the year. So here's your instruction. Get comfortable wherever you are. Let me give you a disclaimer. You might not want to be driving while listening to this episode, nor on your Peloton. I need your full attention to be on Jesus. So let's pause first. And let's take a deep breath. Breathe. Advent is a time of celebration, but for some, it is actually a time of mourning and lament. I bet some of you, as you lead, you mourn. And I bet you put your mourning, your lament and your pain on hold to minister to others. Well not today. Today is all about you, and it's all about you taking time out of your busy schedule to connect with God and be encouraged. I don't want you to think about what you've got coming up, the next sermon, the next teaching, the next worship service. I want you to focus, now. The Bible tells us to cast our cares on the Lord because he cares for us. Take a deep breath again. And whatever ill feelings you might have about anything, I want you to cast them on the Lord right now. He wants all of you. Your pain, your heartache, your joys and your lows. Breathe your way through it now. And cast those cares on God. I want you to take another moment to remember your own relationship with Jesus. How are you spending time with him during this season and outside of this season? We must focus on our own spiritual growth while also leading others to Jesus. Remember? For a moment. How sweet it is to trust in Jesus. Just to take him at his word. Just to rest upon his promise. Just to know. Thus saith the Lord. Now breathe again. Jesus. Jesus. Come on, keep breathing. How I trust him. How I've proved him over and over Jesus, Jesus. Precious Jesus. Oh, for grace to trust him more. For grace to trust him more. Come on, breathe your way through it. Focus on trusting Jesus. I have been living in Zephaniah 3:17 for a while now. And I want you to pray these words over yourself. Would you repeat after me? "Lord. You are with me." Oh, come on now. I can't hear you. I need you to say it really loud and really proud. And I don't care if you wake up the people in your house. I need you to scream this prayer. Don't keep it to yourself. Go outside if you need to. But come on, let's say it loud and proud. "Lord, you are with me. You, Lord, are my mighty Savior." Come on, say "you delight in me with gladness. Your love calms all my fears. You rejoice over me with singing. And not just with any songs, but with joyful songs." Take a moment. To hear the song that the Lord is singing over you. What is the song that God is singing over you, rejoicing over you right now? Do you believe it? Do you believe what you just prayed over yourself? Isn' t Advent about the first appearance of Jesus in human form? The incarnation arrives on the scene to bring good news to the poor, to set the captives free, to give sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the Lord's favor. And he has done that, and so much more. I want to challenge you. In this season to be the best worshiper and follower of Jesus before you are the best pastor or leader, I'm challenging you. Worship him in spirit and in truth. Before I pray over you, I will let you know that in the show notes, there is an instrument I would like you to download and take for yourself. In a later episode, there will be an explanation on how to do this assessment with those you lead. But right now, in leading yourself during this season, I would like you to take the Spiritual Life Listening Tool for you. Evaluate where you are with the Lord. Put away anything else and sit with it. Just you and him. Work on you in this season. We don't want to gain the whole world and lose our souls. Let's pray. Father, we give you glory now and we give you praise. We thank you for who you are and not just for what you do. We thank you for this Advent season. God, would you reveal yourself to us even greater in this season in Jesus' name? I thank you for everyone under the sound of my voice, that they will take an inventory of themselves during this season, that they would remove doubts, that they would cast their cares and their fears upon you, God, because you care for us, and that they would lay them at your feet and you would take care of them. We thank you for your angels who guard, guide and protect. We thank you for this Advent season as we remember what you did when you came to this earth, and what you continue to do from your throne room in heaven. So bless those who are listening. Anoint those who are listening. Keep those who are listening. And give them peace during this season of peace. In Jesus' name. Amen. Be encouraged and thank you for joining this episode of Pivot. Enjoy Advent.

Faith+Lead voiceover: The Pivot podcast is a production of Luther Seminary's Faith +Lead. Faith Lead is an ecosystem of theological resources and training designed to equip Christian disciples and leaders to follow God into a faithful future. Learn more at FaithLead. org.