Here's a summary and discussion of my sermon "The Lord's Favor: A Holy Reset." Check out Johnny and Suzie breaking it down!

Welcome back to the Deep Dive.

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We're, uh, pushing forward with

our look at the sources on this

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whole season of the Lord's Favor.

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Mm-hmm.

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And this whole thing, it's really

grounded in those Jubilee principles.

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You know, that old biblical cycle

of like debt release, getting

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things back, fresh starts.

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Suzie: Right.

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And we've seen how Jesus is presented as

fulfilling that, uh, that ultimate promise

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proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor.

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Johnny: Exactly.

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And we've been talking about

this idea of a big life reset,

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rest, release, restoration.

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Suzie: We covered the sort of

vertical reset with God and

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the horizontal with people,

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Johnny: right?

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But today we're getting into what

the material calls the Holy Reset.

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Suzie: This one's different.

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It really asks you to unpack

a fundamental tension.

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Johnny: Okay?

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So what's the mission for

you, our listener today?

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It's really about

understanding this difference.

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The sources highlight.

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Pursuing happiness versus

well pursuing holiness.

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Suzie: And that's a big one.

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It kind of throws a lot of western

cultural thinking off balance, doesn't it?

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Johnny: Totally.

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And it's interesting how the

source material connects this

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like huge spiritual idea.

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Suzie: Yeah.

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Johnny: Right.

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Into a very specific American setting.

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Suzie: Yeah.

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It mentions this message

originally came up around

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Constitution Day, September 17th.

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Johnny: Hmm,

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Suzie: and it's kind of kicking

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250th anniversary of America.

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Johnny: So it links a spiritual

reset to a national identity moment.

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Suzie: And the anchor point

obviously is the Declaration of

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Independence, you know, life,

liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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Johnny: Okay, but let's pause on

that phrase, pursuit of happiness.

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What does that usually bring

to mind for people today?

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The sources suggest things like

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Suzie: money, success,

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Johnny: possessions.

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Definitely comfort, security, you

know, feeling good, having enough stuff

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Suzie: right.

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And the source material sort of implicitly

pushes back on that modern take.

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Historically, that idea, UD Ammonia was

maybe closer to like pursuing virtue.

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Flourishing,

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Johnny: living a good, solid

life based on character, maybe

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Suzie: something like that.

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So yeah, maybe the gap between that

older idea of happiness's virtue

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and holiness isn't quite as vast,

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Johnny: but the gap between

today's consumer version of

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happiness, just feeling good

and comfortable, and holiness.

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Yeah, that feels huge.

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Suzie: That's the contrast.

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The source really zeros in on the

need for this holy reset comes.

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Exactly because that modern focus

on me being happy and comfortable

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has pulled us off track from

what Jesus actually calls us to.

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Johnny: And this is where

things take a sharp turn, right?

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Yeah.

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Away from the cultural script, right?

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Jesus says, chase something else entirely.

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Suzie: Right?

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Not happiness.

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The call is to pursue holiness.

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Johnny: Okay.

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That's the core of the holy reset.

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Suzie: Holiness.

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Johnny: Yeah.

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And holiness.

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I mean, it sounds big, maybe

even a bit intimidating

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Suzie: for sure,

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Johnny: but the source

argues we have to define it.

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Especially when the word holy shows up.

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What?

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Over 900 times in the Bible?

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Yeah.

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Old in New Testament.

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Suzie: Wow.

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If God uses a word that much,

you figure it's pretty central.

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Johnny: It's definitely

not optional, you know?

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So we need a working definition.

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Suzie: So stripping away the

maybe heavy religious feel for

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a second, what's the core idea

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Johnny: at its heart?

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Holiness means to be set apart.

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Set apart,

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Suzie: yeah.

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Distinct set apart for God and

for God's specific purposes.

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Think sacred, righteous,

uh, belonging to God.

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Johnny: Okay, so less about just

being morally perfect and more

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about designation, like this

is reserved for a special use.

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Suzie: Exactly.

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Like, uh, the source uses analogies.

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Holy water isn't magic water, it's

water set apart for a sacred act.

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Or, you know, maybe separating

out the green Skittles because you

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want only green ones for something

specific, they're set apart.

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Got it.

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Johnny: That helps make it more

concrete and this whole idea of

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being set apart of redirection.

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Suzie: Mm-hmm.

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Johnny: The sources link this straight

to Jesus's most famous sermon.

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Suzie: The Sermon on the mount.

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Yeah.

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The material actually calls

it Jesus's reset sermon.

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Johnny: A reset sermon.

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Why?

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How does it reset things?

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Because lots of people just see it as

like a list of rules or nice ideas.

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Suzie: Well, it resets things

in three key ways for people

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who are part of God's kingdom.

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First values the beatitudes.

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Totally flip our ideas of who

is actually well off or blessed,

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Johnny: right?

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It's the poor in spirit, the meek.

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Suzie: Hmm.

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Not

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Johnny: the ones we usually think of.

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Suzie: Exactly.

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Second, it resets lifestyle.

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It makes it clear that following

God isn't just about looking

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religious on the outside.

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It's about what's happening

inside in the heart.

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Johnny: Okay.

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Values, lifestyle.

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What's a third

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Suzie: focus?

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Jesus basically says, stop letting

them worry about the basics.

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Food, drank clothes, even tomorrow.

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Run your life.

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Johnny: Don't be anxious.

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Suzie: Right?

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And that leads right into the

verse that sums it all up.

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Matthew 6.33.

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This is really the core instruction,

the call to pursue holiness.

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Johnny: Okay, what does it say again?

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Suzie: But above all, pursue his

kingdom and righteousness, and all these

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things will be given to you as well.

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Johnny: Above all.

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Pursue his kingdom and righteousness.

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That's the priority.

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Not comfort, not security first.

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Suzie: That's the reset.

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So why, why this massive

shift in priority?

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The source gives basically

three big reasons.

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Johnny: Okay?

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Reason one,

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Suzie: God himself is holy.

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Johnny: Right?

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You get those glimpses like in Isaiah, a

revelation of the throne room in heaven,

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Suzie: and what are the angels, the

heavenly beings constantly crying out

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Johnny: Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord Almighty.

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Suzie: Exactly.

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It's not just something

God does, it's who he is.

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It's his fundamental

nature, his character.

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It shapes everything he thinks.

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Does desires.

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Johnny: So pursuing holiness means

aligning with reality with the way

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things actually are at the deepest level.

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Suzie: Yeah.

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You could say that it's aligning with

the character of the creator, and

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reason two is where it gets really wild.

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Johnny: Okay?

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Suzie: God makes us holy.

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Johnny: Wait, he makes us holy.

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How does that work?

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Suzie: It's pretty radical theology.

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The idea is for anyone who follows

Jesus, God actively changes your status.

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It happens through Jesus.

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Through the Holy Spirit, the

source pointed to one Corinthians

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six point 11 using terms like

washed, sanctified, justified.

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Johnny: Okay.

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Those big theological words.

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Let's unpack those quickly.

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Sure.

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Suzie: Uh, justified basically

means declared not guilty.

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Your legal standing before

God changes, you're forgiven.

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Johnny: Okay.

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Suzie: Sanctified means

you're being set apart.

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Made holy.

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It's both a completed act

and an ongoing process.

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Johnny: So God gives us this new

status, this new identity, like holy

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is part of our spiritual DNA now.

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Suzie: Yeah, that's the idea.

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You're changed from just

creation to child of God, sharing

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in, in crisis, own holiness.

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Johnny: But okay, if God declares

this holy, if that's our new identity,

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why does it still feel so hard?

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Why do we still struggle?

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Doesn't that just make people complacent?

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Suzie: Uh, yeah.

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That's the tension and it

leads straight to reason three.

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God makes us holy in our standing,

but we are called to live holy.

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Johnny: Ah, okay.

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So the status is a gift, but

the living it out requires.

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Effort.

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Choice.

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Suzie: Exactly.

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We're empowered by the Holy Spirit,

but we have to choose to walk it out.

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It's working with God based on who

He's already made us living out

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the new identity, not the old one.

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Johnny: Okay, that makes sense.

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Status, then the call to live up to it.

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And the sources really draw a sharp

line between these two pursuits, right?

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Happiness versus holiness.

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What are the outcomes?

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Suzie: Yeah.

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It paints a really clear picture.

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If your main drive, your ultimate

goal is the pursuit of happiness.

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The source says it's

fundamentally self-centered,

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Johnny: focused on me.

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Suzie: Right, and that leads down a

path of like selfish ambition, envy,

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anger when you don't get what you want.

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Bitterness even towards God or other

people who get in the way of your comfort.

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Johnny: Because if my happiness is

the most important thing, anything

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blocking it becomes a problem.

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An obstacle.

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Suzie: Yeah.

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It can even lead to sin.

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You might start disregarding

others to get your own way.

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To secure your own comfort.

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Johnny: Okay, that's the happiness track.

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What about the other one?

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Suzie: The pursuit of holiness

being God-centered leads

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somewhere totally different.

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The results look like peace, real comfort,

not just circumstantial, compassion,

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forgiveness, perspective, resilience.

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Johnny: Things that are deeper than

just feeling good in the moment.

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Suzie: Exactly.

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It leads to actual transformation

becoming more like Jesus.

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It's about character change

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Johnny: and the source had that really

insightful, maybe even challenging

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point about marriage and family.

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Suzie: Oh yeah.

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That God designs things like marriage,

maybe even rising kids, not primarily

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to make us happy, but to make us holy.

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Johnny: Oof.

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That hits home for a lot of people, I bet,

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Suzie: right?

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Because those close relationships,

they act like mirrors, don't they?

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They show us our selfishness, our pride.

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Places we need to grow.

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Johnny: Yeah, they definitely

expose the rough edges.

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Suzie: So that friction, that

difficulty isn't necessarily

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a sign, something's wrong.

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The source suggests it's part of

the design, an opportunity for God

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to refine us, to make us holier.

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Johnny: That's a massive

perspective shift.

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Suzie: Yeah.

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Johnny: Okay.

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So if holiness is the.

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The main pursuit.

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How do we actually do that?

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How does it become practical?

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Suzie: Well, we go back to

that key verse, Matthew 6.33.

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Remember the first part above all,

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Johnny: priority one?

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Suzie: Exactly.

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It's not just one option among

many good things to chase.

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It's the top of the list, the main thing,

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Johnny: and the second word.

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Pursue.

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Suzie: Yeah, that's crucial.

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Pursue means action.

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It's intentional.

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You don't just accidentally achieve

holiness anymore than you accidentally

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get a PhD or run a marathon.

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Johnny: You have to work at it.

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The source gave some

examples of pursuit, right?

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Suzie: Yeah.

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Like pursuing a relationship.

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You call, you text, you make

time, you learn about them.

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Maybe you even made

playlists back in the day.

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Uhhuh.

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Yeah.

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Maybe a mix tape or cd.

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Or pursuing a career school.

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Internships, practice volunteering,

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Johnny: right?

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It takes deliberate effort.

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Planning, sacrifice.

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Applying that same intentionality

to holiness means things like

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Suzie: actually studying scripture, making

conscious choices about say what media

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you consume, how you spend your time

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Johnny: choosing the right thing,

even when it's inconvenient,

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fighting those spiritual battles,

and importantly, getting back up

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when you mess up because you will.

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Suzie: So it's an active,

ongoing commitment.

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What's the payoff?

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If it's not necessarily

happiness, what do we gain?

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Johnny: This is key.

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The source says the pursuit

of holiness leads to joy.

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Suzie: Joy, not just happiness.

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What's the difference?

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Johnny: Happiness is often

tied to circumstances, right?

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It's fleeting.

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Suzie: Yeah.

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Johnny: Good news comes.

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You're happy.

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Bad news comes.

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Happiness goes.

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Joy in this context is deeper.

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It's a state of being rooted in God that

can exist even with struggles or bad news.

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Suzie: So you could get a discouraging

call from the doctor, but still

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have an underlying joy because

your foundation is different.

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That's the idea.

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It's a present reality and an

eternal one that supersedes

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the temporary ups and downs.

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It's more resilient

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Johnny: and the ultimate anchor

for knowing we can be holy.

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The source links it to communion.

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Suzie: Yeah, communion serves

as that regular reminder.

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We remember that we are made

holy, not by our own efforts,

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but through Jesus's sacrifice.

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Hebrews 10 point 10 says It

made holy through the sacrifice.

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Once for all.

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Johnny: Wow.

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Okay.

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That brings it all together.

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Yeah.

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That's the holy reset.

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Jesus shifts.

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Our focus tells us what's really worth

chasing and holiness takes priority.

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Suzie: Yeah.

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Johnny: So for you listening, if you

wanna put this into practice, the

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source has suggested a couple of simple

concrete steps for this next week.

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Suzie: First one, make it a prayer focus.

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For the next, say seven or eight days.

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Just pray daily.

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God reset my pursuit to holiness.

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Ask for his help with this shift.

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Johnny: Okay.

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Daily prayer.

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And second,

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Suzie: pick one specific area.

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Just that one thing in your life

this week, maybe a relationship,

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how you handle your money, how you

use your free time and intentionally

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choose holiness over just what feels

easy or comfortable in that area.

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Johnny: One specific intentional choice.

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Suzie: Yeah.

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And maybe a final thought to leave

you with something to chew on.

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Okay.

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Think about the things in your

life right now that feel like

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major roadblocks to your happiness.

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You know, difficult situations,

maybe even difficult people.

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Johnny: We all have them,

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Suzie: right?

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What if you started to see those

not primarily as obstacles to your

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comfort, but potentially as God's

current tools, his pathways, to make

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you holier, to build resilience or

compassion or deeper trust in him?

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What specific challenge you're

facing could actually be God's

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way of refining you right now?