Brunch N' Bible: "Not A Label, It's A Lifestyle" - Brunch N' Bible

Summary

Brunch N' Bible: "Not A Label, It's A Lifestyle" – Episode Summary

Podcast Information:

Title: Brunch N' Bible
Host/Author: Heaven Kore
Description: Brunch N' Bible fosters an open environment for women to hear the Word of God, navigate womanhood, and strengthen their faith through live podcast experiences.
Episode: "Not A Label, It's A Lifestyle"
Release Date: February 18, 2025

Introduction

The episode begins with a warm welcome from the hosts, setting the tone for an engaging discussion centered around living out one's faith authentically.

[00:00] Speaker A: "Welcome to Brunch and Bible, where we navigate womanhood through the Word. I'm your host, Heaven, and this is more than a podcast, it's a movement."

The Label vs. Lifestyle Debate

Heaven Kore introduces the core theme of the episode: distinguishing between identifying as a Christian as a mere label versus embodying Christianity as a transformative lifestyle.

[00:18] Speaker B: "Today's episode is all about what it truly means to live out our faith. So often being a Christian is reduced to a title, but God calls us to more. It's not just a name we claim, it's a way we live, love and walk daily."

Statistical Insight: 70% of Americans Identify as Christians

Heaven delves into surprising statistics, challenging the surface-level identification with Christianity.

[02:15] Heaven Kore: "If you know me or if you know a little bit about me, you know that I'm a bit of a nerd. So I looked up the statistic just to know how many Americans identify as Christians. And it will shock you to know that 70% of Americans identify as Christians."

She questions the validity of this statistic by considering the moral and societal state of the nation, suggesting that many may be using Christianity as a superficial label rather than a lived reality.

Biblical Foundations

Heaven references biblical scriptures to underline the essence of true Christian identity.

[04:32] Heaven Kore: "In Acts 11:26, the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch because of their Christlike behavior. Similarly, Acts 4:13 highlights how Peter and John were recognized for their boldness and association with Jesus."

She emphasizes that the original use of the term "Christian" was based on observable Christlike actions, not merely verbal declarations.

The Role of Tradition and Culture

A critical examination of how cultural and traditional practices can sometimes overshadow genuine spiritual transformation.

[06:45] Heaven Kore: "People often use tradition and culture to justify their actions, saying, 'That's just how we do things in our family or community.' But as Matthew 15:3 warns, 'Why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?'"

Heaven warns against clinging to cultural norms at the expense of personal spiritual growth and transformation.

Salvation vs. Transformation

Differentiating between the initial acceptance of salvation and the ongoing process of spiritual transformation.

[08:20] Heaven Kore: "Salvation is free and the easiest part of your journey with Christ is accepting Him because the work is already paid for. The hard part is the transformative work that He wants to do in our lives."

She challenges listeners to move beyond merely accepting salvation to actively allowing God to work within them, producing spiritual fruit.

Real-Life Examples and Observations

Heaven shares personal anecdotes illustrating the disparity between professed faith and lived-out Christianity.

[10:05] Heaven Kore: "I heard a group of ladies talking about how much they love Christ. But one of them said, 'I go to church only to listen to the worship. As soon as I hear the word, I'm gone because it's for the birds.'"

This example underscores the superficial engagement with faith, where outward expressions do not reflect inner transformation.

Heart Posture Over Lip Service

A poignant reminder that genuine Christianity is reflected in the heart rather than mere verbal expressions.

[11:30] Heaven Kore: "The Bible says that they honor me with their mouths, but their hearts are far away from me. Your mouth is not what makes your Christianity; your heart is what makes your Christianity."

She urges listeners to cultivate a heart posture that truly embraces Christ, moving beyond lip service to heartfelt devotion.

The Call to Action: Intimacy and Transformation

Encouraging listeners to deepen their relationship with God through vulnerability and surrender.

[12:45] Heaven Kore: "If you're wearing the label but seeking change, I want you to ask God to help you. Be vulnerable and real with Him. Allow Him to do the work in you and transform your life from the inside out."

Heaven emphasizes the importance of surrendering to God's transformative power to embody true Christianity.

Conclusion

Heaven wraps up the episode by reiterating the main message: Christianity should be a surrendered lifestyle, not just a demographic label.

[13:50] Heaven Kore: "Your walk with Christ is not a label, but it's a lifestyle. Allow God to do the work in you so that you can truly bear the name of Jesus."

She encourages listeners to reflect on their own faith journeys, ensuring that their actions align with their professed beliefs.

Key Takeaways:

Authentic Faith: Christianity should be lived out through daily actions and inner transformation, not merely identified as a title.
Cultural Influence: Traditions and cultural norms can sometimes impede genuine spiritual growth.
Heart Transformation: True Christianity is reflected in the heart's alignment with Christ, surpassing verbal declarations.
Call to Action: Listeners are urged to deepen their relationship with God, allowing Him to transform their lives authentically.

Notable Quotes:

"Christianity is not a label that you slap on. It's a lifestyle that you walk out." — Heaven Kore [02:50]
"Your mouth is not what makes your Christianity; your heart is what makes your Christianity." — Heaven Kore [11:30]
"Salvation is free... The hard part is the transformative work that He wants to do in our lives." — Heaven Kore [08:20]

This episode of Brunch N' Bible serves as a compelling call for women to evaluate the depth of their faith and to strive for a life that truly embodies Christian values and teachings.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Welcome to Brunch and Bible, where we navigate womanhood through the Word. I'm your host, Heaven, and this is more than a podcast, it's a movement. At Brunch and Bible, women gather, grow spiritually, embrace the complexities of life through word driven discussions and find practical applications for their own journeys.

B (0:18)

Today's episode is all about what it truly means to live out our faith. So often being a Christian is reduced to a title, but God calls us to more. It's not just a name we claim, it's a way we live, love and walk daily. Let's dive into what it means to embody our faith in every aspect of our lives. Grab your snack and let's get into it.

C (0:40)

Welcome to another episode of Brunch and Bible. I'm so glad you are joining me today. I just wanted to remind us of our theme for the year, which is becoming the real you walking with a real God. And we referenced the scripture, First Corinthians 15:10. And you can go back at that and look at it on your own time. But one reflection that I wanted to bring to us today is the fact that in your journey to becoming the woman God has called you to be, you need to understand that this thing called Christianity is not a label, it's a lifestyle. So I want us to think about this story, right? Let's say you are at a restaurant or you went to a fast food place and you're hungry, right? And you order a 10 piece nugget. You order, you order a 10 piece nugget and fries and you get the food and it says 10 piece nugget and fries. And when you open it up, it's a burger. I'm pretty sure that all of us at some point have been here and it's extremely frustrating and sometimes it's grieving, right? And so the Lord had me think about this actually a few years ago and prompted me to bring out this word. Now the Lord was saying that it grieves me when Christians bear the name Christianity as a label and not a lifestyle. He says Christianity is not a label that you slap on. It's a lifestyle that you walk out. I want to bring to us a particular statistic that shocked me. If you know me or if you know a little bit about me, you know that I'm a bit of a nerd. I'm a bit of a science y girl. And so I always like to look up things and research things, especially when it comes to, you know, preparing notes for sermons or speaking engagements or teaching or whatever the case may be. So I looked up the statistic just to know how many Americans identify as Christians. And it will shock you to know that 70% of Americans identify as Christians. Now, you and I both watching this, know that that number cannot be true. If 70% of Americans were truly saved, what would this nation be like? Let's actually think about it like that. Would we really be living in a nation of carnality and worldliness and sin if the majority of the population was truly Christian? So this stands to reason to me that a lot of people are using Christianity as a label and not actually living it out. And I want us to get into some scripture. The Bible says, right in Acts 11:26, that the disciples were first called Christians at a place called Antioch. Then we see before in Acts 4, verse 13, and it says something along that the people recognize Peter and John when they were walking in boldness. And the Acts that they were doing, they recognized that Peter and John had been with Jesus. So that stands to also reason that when they were called Christians in Antioch, it was because they were Christlike. And I want to bring a challenge to you all as listeners. Can people see that you have been with Jesus and your Christianity that you claim to walk in? Can people truly see that you are walking with a man called Jesus? You know, what's very interesting to me is a lot of the times people will now use things like tradition and culture and just their carnal flesh to say, well, that's just how I am. Well, that's just how we do things. You know, well, we're from an African house and an African house. This is how we do this. Or, I'm from a Spanish house, and this is how we do this. And we have now traded traditions in place of actual transformation in Christ. The Bible says in Matthew 15, verse 3, it says, why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? And oftentimes we cling to these things, like cultural norms and nuances, and we trade them for the transformative work that God actually wants to do in our lives. So we need to understand that Christianity is not an external certificate for an internal work that has not been done. Salvation, Right? We want to talk about salvation. Salvation is free. And I believe that as a woman, the easiest part of your journey with Christ is accepting him because the work is already paid for. The hard part and the part that we run away from is the transformative work that he wants to do in our lives. And a lot of the times we don't Want him to do this, and we run away from it because it requires sacrifice. It requires saying no to what you used to say yes to and saying yes to where you used to say no to. And a lot of the times, like I said, we don't allow God to do the work. And I want to challenge you today. Have you allowed God to do the work? Have you allowed him to be in you and actually change you from the inside out to the point that your walk is producing fruit? Ask yourself that question today. Is Christianity a label, free or a lifestyle? You know, there's a very funny story, right? I was somewhere. I won't say where I was, but I was in a place and I was listening to people talk about Christianity. And, you know, I'm a Christian, Obviously, I'm here right, by the grace of God. But when I'm in public spaces and people begin to talk about Christianity, I become very observant because I want to know what people have to say first before I chime in or do anything of that nature. And I hear these group of ladies talking about how much they love Christ. I love. I love God. I'm a Christian. You know, they're talking about these different things. And then one of them says, yeah, you know, but I go to church. But I only go to church to listen to the worship, though. Like, I go to church, as soon as I hear the worship, I'm gone. Because that word stuff is for the birds. I said, hey, you know, it tickled me. Because many, many, many people have this mentality that Christianity is a label and a sticker that they slap on their forehead. But how are you going to go to church to listen to the worship and not go there to be transformed by the very word who is Jesus Christ? You know, and so the Bible talks about how, you know, there's a scripture that says that they honor me with their mouths, right? But their hearts are far away from me. And I wanted to challenge us and just remind us that Christianity is not a thing of lip service, but it's your heart posture that matter. That's what stands to reason in that scripture. You know, he talks about the mouth and he talks about the heart. Your mouth is not what makes your Christianity. Your heart is what makes your Christianity. And my challenge to you is, have you postured your heart right so that Christ can dwell richly in you? What is your heart posture before the Lord? What is your heart posture before the things of God? Are the things of God important to you, right? Is what grieving God, grieving you Is what making God happy, making you happy? These are all questions we need to ask ourselves as we're assessing whether Christianity is a label in our lives or a lifestyle. So my challenge for you, right, is that this year in 2025, ladies, do not be a half baked Christian. Don't be a Christian who's wearing the label, but the contents thereof does not reflect Christianity, right? Christianity is not a demographic, it's a surrendered lifestyle. And as we live our lives for Christ, we understand what bearing the name of Jesus actually means. This year, allow God to actually do a work in you. Have you ever sat down and asked yourself, have I allowed God to do the work because he needs allowance? Because your free will and your flesh can block him from doing that which he's actually wanting to do in your life? We're talking about becoming right. It's a reoccurring theme. You must allow him in this year, allow him, give him the permission to do the work that he wants to do in your life. And I pray that as you do allow him in, as you allow him into your life, as you allow him to rip away those things that don't please him, to rip away those things that don't represent him and don't represent his name, he begins to fuel you with that which does represent his name. So I want us to reflect quickly after all that we've said today. Are you somebody who's wearing the label? Are you somebody who's living the lifestyle? And if you're the one who's wearing the label and you actually are seeking change and you actually want to live this year intentionally, I don't want you to worry. I want you to, in this moment, even now, just ask God to help you. Let him know exactly where you are in your walk. And this is where we become very intimate with God. And this is where we become very vulnerable and real with God and say, God, I've claimed your name, I've claimed who you are, but I have not allowed you actually in my life. I've not allowed you to change my appetite. I haven't allowed you to change the things that, that I know I'm not supposed to be into, but I'm still into. That is as simple as it is. And in this moment, I want you to do that. And I promise you, anybody who comes to the Lord, in their vulnerability, in their realness and their weakness, he locates them at that point. I want you, as we wrap up this episode, to remember in your journey of becoming, your walk with Christ is not a label, but it's a lifestyle. If this episode at any point blessed you, I want you to like, share, comment and subscribe. And God bless you as you do so. We will see you in the next episode. Have a nice one.