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Discovering God's Love: From Religion To Relationship
Episode 41st May 2025 • Walking with God with Hanna Eyobed • SL Brown Foundation
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Welcome to another episode of Walking with God with Hanna Eyobed. In today’s conversation, Hanna is joined by her friend Mark as they dive deep into the transformative power of God’s love. Mark shares his personal journey—from growing up in a Catholic family and chasing dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, to experiencing a life-changing revelation of God’s love during a high school convention. Together, they explore the challenges of identity, the struggle to truly accept grace, and the unshakeable security found in being a child of God.

Suppose you’ve ever wrestled with feeling worthy of love or wondered how to pour out from a place of fullness instead of striving to earn affection. In that case, this episode offers wisdom, encouragement, and real-life stories to help you rest in the truth of God’s never-ending, unconditional love. Whether you’re new to faith or need a fresh reminder of your identity in Christ, you’ll find hope, honesty, and inspiration in this deeply authentic conversation.

Transcripts

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Hey, Mark.

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Thank you for having me. This is. This is very cool. Thank you.

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Well, anyways, I'm glad you're here. Thank you. I'm excited to talk

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about God's love today. I know that

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you get it. I get it. Yeah.

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So let's just start from the beginning. Like, what.

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What was it like receiving a revelation of God's love. And can

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you walk us through what that looked like for you in the beginning?

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Yeah, yeah, for sure. So kind of just

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like testimony time. Okay,

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wonderful. Well, kind of like you, I grew up in

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the church, except my dad

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was Catholic and my mom was, too, at that point when I

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was very little. So grew up going to

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mass every Sunday, prayers and stuff like

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that. But then I think there was a

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switch my freshman year of high school when

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I went to this conference. Ascension Convention. That's kind of a

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shameless plug there. I just went back last weekend as

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a chaperone with my church. So it was kind of like a full circle moment.

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Like, I remember being there as a student and then now

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as a chaperone, leading middle schoolers and high schoolers. So that was

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pretty cool. But during that convention, I felt like

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the Holy Spirit just, like, convicted me of the way I was

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living. And so I think that

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is when I truly got saved, if that makes sense. The

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rest of the year, some of. Your freshman year of. Freshman year of high school.

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High school got you freshman year of high school. And so then

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high school happens. There's a lot of

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distractions and friends get in the way

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and things like that. So I still believed in

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God, but. And I still had that conviction in my

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heart. I loved listening to worship music, I think. Worship

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music. Maverick City got me through a lot, but I wasn't

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really living, like, it fully until

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senior year of high school. Which is why you said just a little earlier than

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you. Just a bit. Just. Just a bit. I remember

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soccer season ended, and I was just like, what am I going to

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do? Because up until that point, like, I wanted to become a professional

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soccer player. Were you serious? Yes. Yes. I thought

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that was, like, my purpose in life was like, become that

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play fan. That's valid. The Panamanian national team, specifically,

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because I knew I wasn't gonna be good enough to make it into the US

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Or Columbia national team. That's where my mom's from. So there you

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go. I was like, if I'm gonna make any team, it's

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gonna be that one. Right? Right. But after that had ended and I

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had, like, no offers or anything, I was just kinda Like a bit

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lost and God met me there.

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I remember I did a little 30 day fast from

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social media for a month and I feel like that's when I

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didn't feel anything like supernatural at that moment. But

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I remember afterwards I just fell in love

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with God. He met me right where I was.

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And I remember I was opening up my Bible every single day

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and I was kind of just reading, like I would

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just like kind of open wherever and just read

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and read for a long time. And I didn't want to go to sleep because

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I'd do it at night mostly. And I. I just did not want to go

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to bed because I was just like, there's so many stories that I had

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read growing up and just to see

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them at a new perspective, I don't know. For like myself,

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I think was really powerful. And I

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don't know, I just. I fell in love with God and

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I think that's what started it

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all. Yeah. Two years ago. Not two and a half years

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ago. No. Yeah. Which is crazy because it feels like it's been

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so long but also so short at the same time. I don't know how to

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explain it. But yeah. Yeah, that was. That's

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kind of, that's kind of my story. I don't know. That's so wild. Yeah.

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You're saying that you fell in love with God, which is such a good way

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to put it. Yeah. I remember because we were in the

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same pre college program.

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Infamous information technology account.

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Mark. Literally you went up. Because I

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really. How did we even get to that point of you getting voted for our

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class speaker? I don't know. It had to be God. I don't know because. Because

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it was seeing you and like another really great speaker and I was like, okay,

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I guess we're choosing Mark. Yeah, I know. No, it's. Cause

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all my friends just wanted me to do it for some reason. I remember

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we voted. You're gonna talk about the speech, right? Got to.

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Yeah. And we were just sitting in

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class at our program and they're like,

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okay, we need a class speaker for graduation. And in my head I'm

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just like, yeah, I'm not doing this, like never. But all my

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friends started, Mark, Mark, Mark, you gotta do it. You gotta.

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I'm like, no. Somehow you were on the ballot. I was like, the Google dog.

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I was like, yes. And then I'm like, what am I doing here? And it's

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like, if they only vote for me, that's fine. But they were getting other people

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to vote for me too. I was like, what is going on? They were infiltrating.

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They were, they were. But it was so cool because my mom is. Has

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always been a very, very strong follower of Christ. And that day she's usually

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very, like, unimpressed with everyone that I like that she meets. No, I'm just

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kidding. But she's like, okay. Like, you know, but she's only

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ever very, like, passionate about godly things, which I get now.

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Yeah. And we had come and like, it was great. And like, I

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was going to graduate high school the next day. We came to like, our ITA

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graduation. I was like, let's do this. Mark speaking. I

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didn't think much of it. Yeah, you go up there.

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Speech aside, first thing he says is, I'd

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like to thank my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. And my mom's eyes just lit

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up. She was like, oh, my gosh, who is this kid? I was like, man,

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like, I actually don't even know. Like, this is great because you were so

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quiet before. Or maybe not quiet, but maybe I just didn't know you that well.

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Yeah, no, I was, I was. You were a bit quiet and then like that.

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Yeah, anyways, but. But just being so, so bold in

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your faith, I feel like it projected me into a direction.

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Cuz I was like, people are still doing this. Like, people still rock with Jesus

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Christ. Like, you know, and it was just not common. And I feel like there

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was some sort of. Like it was you and a couple of other people in

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Madison who just like, there was like a revival resurgence, however you

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want to put it. Of all these, like, kids who grew up in church that

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were just like, wait, that was actually so valid. I'm going to spin the

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block. Yeah. Like, let me go back. And then I was

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like. Because I had been. There had been like a tug on my heart too.

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And I was like, but I can't go full send. Like, I'm so, like,

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yeah, he can't forgive me. Like, you know, like the whole wallow.

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And we've all had that moment, you know, where it's like, this is a dark

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hour. Look at my sins. This is terrible. But it's like,

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he really died for us. He really loves us.

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So on that note, like, in what ways has knowing that you're

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fully loved by God changed how you move every day, like,

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since then, but even now, like, throughout your life? No, no. How

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do you move differently? Yeah.

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I think a big part of my testimony was identity. And

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yeah, I think it's so important to have that

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foundation. Like, I Was saying earlier with my testimony,

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like, I put like my purpose and everything in soccer. And

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once that was over, I was like, lost. And it's because I didn't

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put my foundation on my

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identity in Christ. And I think that's why I felt so lost and

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that's why my heart wanted something more.

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And so crew actually

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here, shout out crew.

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For evangelism, we use the kgp, the Knowing God firstly

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booklet. And one of the verses in there,

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most of them actually. I'm like, where are these? Like,

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it's so weird because it's like they're in a little pamphlet

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and they're just one liners usually. And it's like so direct.

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And I had never seen anything like that. But like, growing

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up, I mean, I went to a Christian school and stuff like that, so I

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knew a lot about the Bible, but. And I had probably heard those verses.

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I probably heard the gospel like thousands of times. Yeah. But like,

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really reading it for myself, I was like, I did

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not know this was in the Bible. Like, and

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specifically John 1:12. Okay, want to recite

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that? Yes. I always butcher the first part. So

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it says, for those who believed in him, to

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those. No, to those who received him, to those who believed in his name, he

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gave the right to become children of God. So,

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yeah, I'd been growing up my whole life being told, like, you're a

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child of God, you're a child of God, you're a child of God. But it

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wasn't until here, specifically freshman year in college,

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where I really took that as my identity and really

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like, okay, yeah, this is. I am actually a child of God.

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Because an analogy I really love is the analogy of

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like an earthly father and. Or earthly parents

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for that matter. And how there's nothing I can do

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to separate myself from my earthly parents.

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Like, I could do the worst thing, like, ever.

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And I would, like the fact that I'm a child of my parents wouldn't

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change. Like, that's a fact. And so the fact

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I can do that with God too, once I receive him in my heart,

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like, that just changed everything for me. And that's

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probably my favorite verse like ever now because it's

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so simple yet so like, I don't know,

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it's something about it I just love. And so

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having that identity as a child of God, like, I think that

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was really important for me because, yeah, like

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you said, it changed the way I lived my life. Like, I started seeing everything

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in a place of victory rather than like defeat. And

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so, yeah, because, I mean, throughout High school, I struggled a lot with, like,

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shame and insecurity about a lot of things.

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So, like, really having that shift in perspective and

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identity, I think was really important because now I wasn't, like.

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Like I said defeated, but, like. Yeah. In a place of victory. Because I'm

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already, you know, so high up in God's eyes. And that's the

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only thing that matters, really. And so I think

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that's what really, really helped me be more confident in

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myself. And. Well, not in myself, but, like, in

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God. But, like, that gives me a confidence in myself. Yeah.

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So I think that was really big. Yeah.

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And I'm glad you mentioned, like, Father, like,

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seeing God as a father and, like, the analogy of parents and children,

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because, like, there's also a verse in Romans that's, like, he has not given you

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a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption. So I think that that maybe

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can coincide with what you're saying about. No. Experiencing shame,

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guilt. Yeah. Or like, anything. Honestly, like, when you. Even as a Christian,

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you experience these things. But it's so, so different in comparison to when you're

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not in Christ. No, exactly. Because you're able to, like, hold on to something that

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has a foundation that's not moving. It doesn't change.

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Exactly. And whenever. Because that's the verse I think

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I'd think about. Yeah. If I had to answer this question. Because,

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like, for example, I was just on

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a retreat and I was getting prayed for, and, like, I

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love my parents. They're great. And when the woman who was

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praying for me, she was just, like, God is saying, like, you're about to detach

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from them and, like, fully enter into, like, his fatherhood

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over you. Spiritually speaking, of course. Like, my parents are always my

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parents, as you said. But, like. Yeah. Being fully

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adopted and fully loved, fully known, like,

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going to God as, like, my mom, as my dad, like, as my everything,

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and not having any room of, like, lacking intimacy with him, like,

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coming to him all the time as myself in

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freedom, with a spirit of adoption, with a spirit of joy.

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So I'm glad you mentioned that. I think that that's something that

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we need to hear all the time. I mean, he knows this fully.

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Exactly. Psalm 139, I think. Exactly. I think we're gonna get

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into that. But Psalm 139, it's so good.

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That's such a good psalm. It's so good.

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So, I mean, we're on this topic of love, of

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God's love. Yeah. And how would you describe

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God's love to someone who's never experienced it before.

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Oh, wow. Not to get deep. That. Yeah.

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How would I describe love? You know, I mean, you can even think about moments

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where you have had to describe love to someone who has. Like you. You're. You're

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an evangelist. Yeah. You know, so

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tell us a T. Yeah. Someone who hasn't

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experienced God's love. I think the

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fact that no matter what we're going

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through or no matter what we're feeling, like we said, there's something we can

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fall back on and something that doesn't change. And I think

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that's the most powerful thing for me because my feelings come and

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go. Like, I'm feeling happy one day or even the same day. Then I'm just.

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I'm feeling depressed, and I'm just like, what is going

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on? And. But there's always that fact that

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God loves me. And I think

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that's the biggest thing for me. Like, having that security

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and knowing that he loves me unconditionally. That

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there's nothing I can do for me

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to not. Like, there's nothing I can feel even. You know,

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because a lot of times I have different feelings towards God.

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No. Like, no matter what, it may be, like, confusion or doubt or

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anything, but, like, that still doesn't separate me from his

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love. I think It's Romans.

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Romans 38, 39. I think it's Romans 8, 38, 39.

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Yeah, that sounds right. Is that what you're talking about? That sounds right. But, like,

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nothing can separate. Nothing can separate us. Check it out. Yeah, from the love of

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God. Wait, what? So check it out. We need to lock in.

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I know, I know I can quote maybe where the verses are at in

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the Bible, but not exactly. Like. Like,

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we're gonna grow in there. Yeah. So it's a work in progress. It's a work

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in progress. But, yeah, just like the fact

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that, you know, neither life nor death, angels nor

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demons goes on, but, like, can separate

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us from God's love. So I think just having that

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security and that. That brings me peace. And I think

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that's how I describe it to others. The fact that, you know, some.

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Maybe I may not feel it every day, but. But I know it's there, and

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I know I can always fall back on it and have that security

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in God's love. And I think that's the most important

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thing because, I don't know,

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there's so many instances where people, humans, I mean, we

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all have sinned. We all fall short of the glory of God, so it's like

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none of us are perfect. And we all get let down by people in this

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life and people that may say they love us.

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So just knowing that God will never let us down in that way,

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no matter how we're feeling towards Him, I think that's what makes God's

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love so special and so, so true.

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Yeah. So do you feel like the biggest difference is that it's

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consistent, but also that it remains? I mean, that's the same thing.

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Sorry. It's, like, consistent. And it's like.

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Because it's consistent, it's not going to change. Yeah. And it, like, the

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same. What's the word? I mean, whenever I think about God's love,

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I think about Roman. I'm sorry. Not Romans. Hebrews 11. Because I think about, like,

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the people who did these things by faith. I literally mentioned this every single podcast

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episode. But I think it's so powerful.

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But, like, what are some words that you would use? Use. Use the word

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security and, like, constant.

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But, like, are there other words you would use if you had to practically describe

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it? Like, describe it. I know. There's that one song. Yeah.

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Reckless Love. Everyone hates that song. I'm like, wait,

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guys, it's so good, though. Cory Asbury is so fun. But reckless is a good

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word. Unreasonable is also a good word. This is like,

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unreasonable doesn't make sense. I don't know. Yeah. Kind of just thinking

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out loud here. But yeah, no, I think that's. That's

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a unreasonable. I've never heard it. I heard that, like, maybe a couple weeks ago,

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and I was like, that is so valid. Since it's not. It doesn't make any

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sense. That word has come to mind. Well, that idea has come to mind this

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past weekend. Oh, really? I think. Yeah. Easter.

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And just, like, how we don't deserve it, like, at all.

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I know you mentioned it in your little intro, and it's so

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valid. That is so true. Like,

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yeah, we don't deserve anything. And I think a big thing at

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church this weekend that my pastor talked about

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was how Jesus was thinking of me

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on that cross. Like, if it was only

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me in this whole entire world, like, he would still choose to die

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for me in that way. And that just.

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That hit me so hard. It's like, if I was the only person on Earth,

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like, bro. Yeah.

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So I think I would say security,

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peace, and

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never ending. I don't know. Never ending. I think

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peace is so big for me. Yeah. Just

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because I think. Yeah. That no matter what I'm going through, I

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can always have peace. Because I know he's there. I know he loves me,

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so. Yeah, I think those would be three words. That's

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real. Yeah. Yeah. And even just like. I mean,

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Hebrews 12. Three, like, literally just says, consider him. And I feel like

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there's so much power in that. And you're talking a lot about

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peace, which I think is like, okay. When I

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first watched the Passion of the Christ, I felt so. I mean, I was

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like, so much grief because I was like, wow, I'm actually seeing this

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man, like, die. Like, it's so. I mean, so talked

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about. Everyone, almost everyone, everywhere has heard that story,

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almost. But that, like, rocked

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me. And I was like. At first, I felt a little bit guilty, and then

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I was like, wait, let's. Let's read the scripture. What does it say? And it's

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like, for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. Yeah. I was

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like, wait, so, like, you're actually.

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You're joyful? Like, you're joyful? I don't. I don't know why. Like, it doesn't make

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any sense. And, like, in the film, you watched him, like,

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get, like, his hands, like, are nailed to the cross. And

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that's the moment where something, like,

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you would expect something terrible to come out of his mouth. You know what I

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mean? I mean, I know he's Jesus, but, like, when you watch that, you're like,

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he's still a human being. You know? You're literally. You're killing him right

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now. And I was watching that part crying, crashing out everything

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and the, like, in Aramaic, shout out to Mel

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Gibson, I'm so glad it's in Armaic. But, like, that's the director.

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And he was just like, father,

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forgive them. And, like, watching him say that with, like, agony in his voice

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because of the pain that they're causing him, but he's dying for them. It

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was just so much. It was so much. And I was like, wow. And

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the entire time, me and my friends were like, oh, my gosh, we hate these

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people. And I was like, I think I am these people. I am every. Exactly.

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I was like, Lord. But there was so much, like, I

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was. One thing that I, like, took from that was, like, after

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sitting with it, marinating on it, and, like, praying and, like,

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worshiping and everything. On a movie. Yeah. I was like, I have to sit because

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it's a very spiritual experience. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, man. And I was

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like, I need to forgive myself. I need to forgive everyone. Because, like,

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that. That's the part that stuck out for me the most. And I'm sure, like,

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if I watch it again, something else might stuck out, stick out to me. But

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I think that, like, there's something about, like.

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I think for me it might be just like wanting to be perfect,

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wanting to be good. Because, like, I feel like I don't deserve this love. I

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have to, like, work for it. I have to earn it. I have to fight

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for it. Yeah. But it's like, like you said, it's consistent,

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it's never ending, it's secure, it's constant, it's.

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He's doing it from a place of delight. Why do I keep trying to work

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for this? God can't love you more. Yeah. And it's like,

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well, it's like, that's so wild. So, like, how do you.

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For this is like a question I sit with all the time. But, like, how

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do you pour from a place of, like, not for something,

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but from something, like, from the love of God, not for

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the love of God. Does that make sense? I feel like there's a lot of,

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like. Especially because I know you're like, you're doing a lot of ministry. Yeah. You're

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working with like a youth group. You do crew. Yeah. Even just like

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evangelism stuff for funsies, you know, I mean, let's be real, you

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know. Yeah. And like, we all have our things or whatever, but, like,

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I can see like a. Like a kind of like a trend sometimes

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of people. We're doing this because, like, we want people to be

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saved, which is like. Right. Of course. But then at times it

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can get us to a point where we're like,

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let's just lock in, let's just lock in. Let's just do it. Then, like, the

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next thing, the next thing, the next thing. And I don't think that

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Jesus would have lived that way, per se, but he was. He was always

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emulating the gospel. Yeah. Even though he was at rest or he was

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praying or he was like, guys, I have to go, like, with my father.

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And stopping people on the street. Like, he was always very patient. He

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always had a lot of peace. Yeah. So, like, what would you say to that?

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I don't know. I think that's a really easy trap

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to fall into. Yeah, I agree. I mean, like you

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said, I've been. Yeah. I think since

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following Christ, I've been wanting to serve more

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any way that I can.

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Evangelism, crew, church, whatever it may

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be. I mean, going on mission as

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well, I think was really big for me. Last year I went to

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North Myrtle beach for a month. I went to

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Mexico for a Filter of Hope trip this year.

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And I think I grew a lot in there

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because I think with what you

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mentioned with, like, wanting to save other people, I think the biggest thing I could

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take away from those trips was that it's not me

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doing the saving, like, at all. It's all God.

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God is the one who softens hearts.

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And I think just laying that burden on

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him and not on me, because

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I'm nothing without him, you know? And I think

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that the reason I'm so passionate

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about love, especially at this season of my life, is because

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recently I've been tapping into that more. Like

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I said, doing all these things, it's so easy to,

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like, want the next thing or, like, focus on that, you

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know, and then we don't. It's like the cup, right? Yeah,

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it's like we're always empty. Yeah. We're pouring out from our cup. But then it's

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like, are we pouring into it? Like, are we? Yeah. So instead of, you know,

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pouring out of empty, empty cup, having that overflow, it's like cups

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around us. And I think I've been trying

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to. To go back to where it started. You know, a couple

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weeks ago, my pastor talked about. I didn't know this verse is in the Bible,

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like, at all because I have not read Revelation.

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It kind of, kind of scares me, low key,

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which I need to. I need to read it. I need to read it and.

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But I want to, like, fully understand. Well, no, I don't think. I think it's

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hard to fully understand it, but, like, have a

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good gist of what's going on, you know, for the most part.

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But I think it was like Revelation 2, like verse 1 through

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4, and it talked about, like, returning to your first love,

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which is Christ. And so I think that was like two or three

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::

weeks ago. And that's what really shifted my perspective recently.

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I'm like, I remember, like, how in

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love I was with him at the start and, like, how I was opening

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up my Bible because I wanted to learn more about him

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and I wanted to dive deeper and I wanted to continue to grow in that

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love. And it's not like I haven't

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experienced that throughout my walk with him,

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but, like, focusing on that. And so

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recently I've been trying to do that more and trying to just enjoy his presence

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and enjoy time with him, enjoy loving

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him. Yeah. Just in a way that, you

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know, makes me feel that more, I guess,

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because, I mean, Jesus talks about how, if you love me, keep my

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commands. Like, and I feel like, that's something

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as Christians, we try to do as best as we can. So

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apart from that, just showing that I love him with, like,

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the amount of time I spend with him. And I think because that I feel

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like that's the way we love other people here. We spend time

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with them. And so I kind of

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forgot what your original question was. Like, how do you just. Like.

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I mean, you kind of meant. You kind of answered the question a bit, but

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just like, how do you pour from a place of. Yeah, like, from. Not

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for. Yeah. I think it's just

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that verse again, reminding yourself of why you're doing

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everything in the first place. Like, why you want to serve others,

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why you want to. Yeah. Share the Gospel. Because of your

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love for God. Yeah. Because if it's

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coming from any other motive, then it won't

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work. So. Yeah, I think

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just making sure that's always

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a thing that's. There is that love for him.

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I guess. I agree. Yeah. I think that's. That's. That's so

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::

good. And I think. I think we try to over complicate it

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::

too much as people. As students,

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::

as people trying to, like, follow the Lord. And

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I have so from Colossians. I know Colossians.

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It says. I think I have it pulled up here.

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You have been made complete in Christ, who is head over every ruler and

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::

authority. And what. That's Colossians 2:10.

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I'm like, we're complete, you know, and we can, like, step

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::

out from that completeness. Like, step from that completeness. I

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mean. And one thing that I've been trying to do mainly this

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::

semester is, like, God told me, like, you

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::

read too. Like, not read too much Scripture, but, like, you read a lot and

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you forget a lot of what you're reading. And so, like,

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he's kind of like, made me read smaller. Like,

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smaller passages where it'd be like half a psalm or like a verse. Oh, wow.

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Just so I can sit longer. Yeah. And I think a lot of what you're

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saying is like, dwell in that place. Dwell in that place. I think I just

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::

think of even, like, John 15, abide in.

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In love. And I think it's just really simple. And even in, like, I'm

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sorry, I'm sitting on, like, a lot of Scripture, but in, like, First Corinthians

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::

1, it just talks about how the Gospel isn't eloquent.

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Like, don't use eloquent language. It's very simple. It's meant for the lowly. It's meant

457

::

for people who, like, everyone can understand it. It's simple.

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And if you believe, you'll be saying, like, it's such a simple gospel. And I

459

::

think that we over complicate it. That's so crazy because literally just this morning I

460

::

was getting ready to come here and my roommate, Ashton.

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::

Shout out. I don't know if he's gonna listen to this. Shout out. Ashton.

462

::

He's taking this stats class, and for one of his

463

::

projects or whatever he chose, he could choose what he wanted to study on.

464

::

And he studied on, like, how many, like, the percentage of, like,

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::

college students or like, people with higher education.

466

::

The percentage that believe in the afterlife or, like, you know,

467

::

a place after. After death. And he said that he

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::

was surprised by high. Like, about how high it

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::

is. Like, how high people don't believe. Yeah, the high

470

::

percentage. Yeah. And I was just. I didn't say it to him, but I was

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::

kind of thinking about it and I was just like, that kind of sucks

472

::

because then it's like people from the outside looking into

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::

Christianity, they're like, oh, like, if you have a brain, like, you won't

474

::

believe in something like that. Because look at all these people that, you

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::

know are very smart are going into higher

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::

education and don't believe in God or, you know,

477

::

the afterlife. And I think I was thinking about it. It's

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like, it's because the gospel is so simple.

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Like, think about it. Like, it doesn't really

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::

make sense. Like, going back to what we're saying, like, we don't deserve it. Like,

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::

yeah, God, the creator of the universe came down

482

::

and lived a perfect life and died for every single one of

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::

us. And all we have to do is accept him into

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::

our hearts. Yeah. And trust him with everything like

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::

that. It's so simple, it doesn't make sense. And like. Yeah.

486

::

And so that's for. It's for everyone. Like, Jesus's closest, closest

487

::

disciples were fishermen. Were chill

488

::

dudes for chill dudes. They weren't any, like, Pharisee or

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::

like, anyone that knew of the word. No, they were normal,

490

::

ordinary people. That's who God chose. And so it's

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::

so crazy that you bring that up because it's like God's gospel is for

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::

everyone. Like, it has no limits. And it's like, I'm not saying that you

493

::

can't be smart and like the gospel, because, I mean, the

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::

Bible talks about, like, my wisdom is not your wisdom. Like, he calls the

495

::

wisdom of humans, like, foolish compared to his.

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::

Probably a proverb or something. Definitely a proverb. I don't know. It's somewhere

497

::

in there. I'm so bad at this. But final question,

498

::

though. What would you say to someone who is maybe newer in

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::

the faith and is struggling with the love?

500

::

Like, struggling with finding the love of God or understanding or even receiving

501

::

it? What would you say to them? Yeah,

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::

I think I would say just keep going. Just keep. Keep pushing.

503

::

Because I think from what I'm realizing recently, it's,

504

::

like, for new believers, I think it's so important

505

::

to know God's love or to fully

506

::

grasp that love, if that makes sense. Like,

507

::

before anything else. Yeah. Like, I think when I started to fall

508

::

in love with God, I think it was like I was focusing on the gospels,

509

::

the letters of Paul, because of how much of. Like, I just wanted Jesus.

510

::

I just wanted to fall in love with Jesus. Just recently,

511

::

I've been trying to dip into the Old Testament, the prophets,

512

::

because I think it's harder to see God's love in those books.

513

::

But once you have that knowledge of everything and of God's love,

514

::

it's so easy to see it, you know, everywhere. And it all makes sense and

515

::

it all connects. But I think it's so important to first find

516

::

that, like, find what makes you love God more. Because he

517

::

already loves you. Yeah, like, Jesus loves you.

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::

Like, I didn't wear this, like, on purpose. I

519

::

was like, it fits so perfectly to today. But. But, like, I think,

520

::

yeah, I would say just keep pushing because he loves you. Yeah. And

521

::

he showed. He demonstrated that by dying on the cross 2,000 years

522

::

ago. That's the biggest act of love sacrifice

523

::

that anyone could ever do. So he did that for you already,

524

::

and that's a fact, and that won't change. And that's a firm

525

::

foundation. So like I said before, whether I feel

526

::

it or not, like, I know it's there, and I

527

::

think it's really important to find that. So, yeah,

528

::

just keep pushing, keep praying. I think God

529

::

wants everyone to be saved, and God wants everyone to come to a knowledge

530

::

of him. So I think that experiencing God's love is

531

::

probably the most important thing you can do as a new

532

::

believer to find that. Because everything else will fall into place

533

::

after that. Yes, just sit. Sit in it. Sit in it.

534

::

Meditate in it. Yeah, abide.

535

::

Abide in his love. Marinate.

536

::

Insert other word here. Anyways, Mark, thanks

537

::

for coming. We really appreciate it. Thank you for having me. Hope you have a

538

::

great rest of your day. Yeah. And yeah, bye. Thank you. Bye.

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