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Hello, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Christ with Coffee on Ice. I am your host, Ali Yost. It is a joy and honor to be back with you guys on another Friday. Happy Friday, everybody. I hope that you guys have been having the best week ever. We are back. I am so excited. I can't wait to just get into this episode with you guys today. And obviously, as we always do, per protocol, we have our coffee on ice, but first and foremost, we have our Christ. I brought my little travel size journal with me today. Typically, you guys will see me with my big navy blue one, which I do love, but today I just felt the compact Bible. I actually do gravitate towards this one a lot more. It's just easier to carry around, obviously, and put in my hand. And I love it. I have the NLT translation for anyone that may be asking. And we'll be referring to some scripture throughout today's episode as well. So. So that is the translation that I read from. Also, both of my Bibles. I haven't mentioned this in a while. Are from a brand called Hosanna Revival, which is such an incredible company if you're a girly. They have the cutest Bibles and journals and all sorts of stuff actually. And so they're the best. They're so generous. They did send me this Bible and the other one that I own, my navy blue one is from them as well, which they also gifted to me. So I'm very grateful for their generosity. They have the sweetest hearts ever. I love their PR team. Like, truly the most kindest people. And I do have a code with them. So if you guys ever are interested in shopping their website for whatever reason, you are welcome to use it. I think it should save you anywhere from 10 to 15% off. And it's just my first and last name Alioost. So make sure to use that at checkout if you ever want to shop their website. And yeah, so I'm so excited. Also, haven't mentioned in a while our merch is still very much available. I know that I mentioned. Did I mention that I wanted to do like a little revamp for the spring? Well, it is now fall and that never happened. So we still have the OG merch up and available, including our coffee cups, which I love so much. Literally use them all the time. Yeah. It's fall, guys. Happy October. I'm like, okay, I'm officially in the October fall vibe. Okay. It took me a while, I think. Also, it's just hard in California because if you're not Living where you can really get all the seasons, like the east coast, where I'm born and raised and from, it's harder to kind of get in the mood of, like, fall and winter and all of those things, because we don't really get the same kind of seasons that you get on the East Coast. And so it's still fairly warm here. It is. But I am. I do have the bug. I have the fall bug. I have the itch now. And we also switched up our decor on the back shelf here. I don't know if anyone noticed. I don't know if you like it. It took me literally 20 minutes to try to figure out if I liked it or not. So if you don't, please don't tell me because I'll start crying. But I think it's. It's going to. It's cute. It's giving fall. Right? It feels festive. Also, the coffee of our choice today is a pumpkin spice latte, but it is still iced because I live in California, So hot would just make me hotter. But it's good. And I had to do decaf today because I technically already had cough. I don't like the decaf, actually. Ew. No, that's not good. That's okay. I had to get decaf because I already had a cup of coffee today. And with putting it in my cute little CWCOI cup, I spilled it all over my arm. So if you see stains on my. Please, guys, keep up with me today. Have actually just have patience with me today. I don't know what. I don't know what I'm on. It's the joy of the Lord, actually. That's what we're on. It's the Holy Spirit. Also, guys, hopefully you don't mind me giving you, like, a little life update. I don't know. Some of you guys enjoy this. Some of you guys are like, get on with Jesus content. Which, honestly, I want to be more like you because you're obviously very hungry for Jesus. Where you're like, that's why we're here. But you can fast forward. I just wanted to give a little life update. It shouldn't be long of. Just. Yeah, life has been kind of crazy lately, and so I just want to chat with my girls about it. So, yeah, I don't know. It's been. First off, I haven't even been in the studio, though, that frequently lately. You guys won't see the difference because we're still uploading weekly, which is great. And I was batching a lot last Month, but I feel a little rusty. I feel a little rusty coming in today. So hopefully this podcast. Holy Spirit, I will need to fully depend on you. Hopefully this podcast episode speaks well to you guys, regardless of whether ally. The vessel is rusty or not. More glory to God. Honestly, if. If it speaks to you. But, yeah, I am in the midst of a lot of change right now, and it's all really exciting change. A lot of them are stuff such answered prayers, and they are things that I am very, very excited about. I am moving, which is so exciting. Stressful, but fun. Like, moving is actually mostly exciting for me because I feel like it's just the best excuse to kind of just start over and, you know, get rid of all the things that I've collected over the last, like, year and a half of living in the house that I've been in. And so it's just a really fun time to just kind of like, purge all the things that I don't really need. I've really simple, simplified my life. The Holy Spirit's helped me with that, where he's like, hey, but do you actually ever use this? I'm like, well, no, but I feel. I think I will use it again. But the truth is, like, I haven't used it in the last year, so it's like, do I really need it? Probably not. So, yeah, it's fine. Actually. I like simplifying. Now, granted, do I still have a lot of clothes in my closet? Yeah. Do I still have probably too many shoes? Yes. But I had a lot more. And so I've gotten, like, rid of bags and bags of clothes and shoes and accessories and even just, like, products. Like, I just don't need so many skincare products. I don't need so many makeup products, which I think is a little bit easier for someone like me because brands, it's a blessing, and I'm grateful for it. And I really, honestly just end up donating a lot of the stuff that I don't need because it feels like a waste to throw anything away that isn't used. Of course. But it is a bit more tempting for me to hoard things when I have things being sent to me. And I'm like, well, wait, I don't know, maybe I'll want to use it. And then I, you know, months go by and I still haven't used the product. So very exciting stuff with moving. And I won't be living in the Los Angeles anymore. And so, yeah, you never really know when a season that you're in is going to quickly change. And honestly, it can happen in the matter of a moment. It can happen in the matter of a day, a month, a week. Like, things can change overnight for us sometimes, you know, where all of a sudden something happens or something shifts in our lives. And now it's not what it was even a week ago. So, if anything, I think a huge lesson in it too is to just be so, so grateful for the season that you're in, because you truly never know when that can change. And typically the Lord has us entering another season because it. And there is fruit in it. And a lot of it is such answered prayers for me. And so I'm really excited about it. And yeah, with that being said, it's been crazy though, because moving is exciting, but it's also a little stressful. And you know, I have my dogs too, so there's like a whole dynamic with that, with finding a place that's dog friendly. Anyway, this is all such a boring information that I'm sharing with you right now. I'm sorry, but that's just a little glimpse of what's been going on in my personal life. Lots and lots of pruning and refining. Let me tell you that though. God has really been doing a number on me in such a good way. Like, I honestly would go through it all over again. I don't think I'm quite out of it. But yeah, he has grown me so much through the process of it. He's revealed a lot of things in my heart that needed to go as well, just through change, you know, Like, I think that that's a normal thing is a lot of times things can kind of come up out of us that we're like, ooh, didn't know that was there. So, yeah, it's been such a beautiful season. I'm actually so grateful for it. What else is going on? I'm also is probably fun, exciting information that you guys would like more so than hearing about. My moving process is I am writing a book right now, which is so exciting. I don't have a date for you on when it'll actually be available for purchase, but I can confidently say that you guys will be able to get your hands on it within the next few months. The goal is by the spring, so we will see. But I'm still in the very early stages of finishing my manuscript, which is basically in book world. That is the. The first initial rough draft of the book. And so there probably will still be a bit of a process with editing and maybe taking things out or Adding things, you know, we're in the very beginning stages of it, but I figured it was worth sharing with you guys because that's another big thing that's been taking up a lot of my time. And I can confidently say that it is a book that I'm going to be really proud of. I'll say, too, guys, like, this has been in the works for the last year, but not because it's taken me a year to write, but because it took me about 10 months of procrastination where I honestly didn't try to write a whole lot yet. And I think that was just because I was so convinced that it was a cool opportunity and it was something that I knew that you guys would love. And at the time of signing, I was like, yeah, this is like such an incredible opportunity. Obviously it's from the Lord, and I still believe that, but I was doubting myself on whether I was actually capable of writing a book or not. I don't know. I just think I was letting the enemy kind of sneak in and tell me a bunch of lies, that I'm not smart enough, I'm not equipped enough, I'm not theologically sound enough to be writing a book about God and, you know, all those stupid things that he tries to fill my head with, like that I haven't been a Christian long enough. And it's just silliness, right? You know, it might not be the most profound writing that anyone has ever read in their lives, but that's not the goal of why I wrote it. The goal of why I wrote it was because I really just wanted to share with people the love of Jesus. And honestly, just my story, a lot of it is testimonial where, you know, each chapter we're touching on a certain topic, and then I back it up with a story from my life. And even chapter one is my entire testimony, like the detailest of details of my testimony of where I've come from and then how I encountered the Lord and who he's created me to be and how he changed my life and how, honestly, the love of God changed my life. And encountering his love for the first time changed my life. And so I'm really proud of it. A lot of tears. A lot of tears were shed over this book. And yeah, I'm just really. I'm really proud of it so far with what I've written, and I think you guys are really going to love it, so. So just be on the lookout. I don't know when that will actually be published. But I am very excited and it is coming soon. Yeah, I'm really excited about it. I think you guys are going to love it. So that's another really exciting thing that should be coming soon. But, yeah, so I don't know. Aside from all of that. Guys, let's just start talking about Jesus. I'm going to be honest, kind of a roadblock that I feel sometimes with this podcast is I'm like, geez, God, I feel like we've talked about so many different things. But also I do recognize that we have a lot of new listeners that might not be necessarily, necessarily going back to, like, a podcast episode that I did back in 2023 when we first started the podcast. And I think that's fair. I also believe that obviously the Lord has walked me through so much more since then. So even if we're kind of touching on similar topics or the same topics, I do believe that God has revealed to me, walked me through, and taught me so much more since 2023. And so anyway, I know that we've kind of touched on this topic before. I think we had titled it something along the lines of like, what do I do if my friends and family aren't believers? Or something like that. But I would to talk about, because I keep getting this question a lot from you guys. And I ran a poll a couple weeks ago of you guys asking, you know, kind of putting in some ideas and topics that we could do for the podcast, and a really popular one was how do I minister to the people around me who aren't believers? And so we have kind of touched on that topic. But I think this is worth another conversation and, and a little refresh because I think even with what's going on, you know, we touched on this a few episodes ago. We talked about what had happened to Charlie Kirk. I just think there's a lot of tension right now between people who do not believe and the church, you know, and I think that that is a very real question for the church is like, okay, so how do we love the people who do not agree or do not believe in what we believe? You know, that Jesus died for our sins, that he rose from the grave three days later, and that we now get to live in freedom through his sacrifice and through his blood, and also just being able to have access to his holy Spirit. And, you know, there are people who don't believe that, and that's okay. So whether it's a stranger or somebody that you love and door, we obviously don't want to be The Christians that are just forcing, you know, our beliefs down people's throats. But also there is a frustration of, like, knowing the truth and knowing what we were made for and being like, gosh. But I literally, like, I. I have the antidote for all of the pain and suffering that you are going through, because I know that. I know that, like, I may not be experiencing the exact things that you're experiencing in life, but I know someone who was able to deliver me and help me through the hardships, the pain, the suffering, the shame, the regret, the sick sin of my life, Right? I know somebody, the only person actually who could successfully deliver me from these things and give me true peace and joy, and that's Jesus. And so a lot of times as believers, it's like, it's so frustrating when, you know, so scales have been lifted from your eyes, right? Like, if there was a point in your life where you were blind and now you can see, all you want to do is tell the people who are blind how to receive their sight, you know, but you don't want to be somebody who's just, like, forcing it and throwing it in people's faces. And I think that's always been something for me is like, especially when I first discovered the power of Jesus and what his Holy Spirit was doing in me and in my life and how he was truly, like, renewing me, refreshing my mind, renewing my mind. I. It was all I was talking about. It was all I was talking about because I could not shut up about the goodness of God because I couldn't believe where he had taken me, honestly, even in such a short amount of time. And so, yeah, I think in the beginning, maybe I was a little intense about sharing the gospel and who Jesus is, but it really came from a good place. And I think it really comes down to discernment of, like, okay, Lord, how much should I be saying right now? And how much do you. Do you want me to be speaking on your goodness? And how much should I just hold back? Because I do believe that there are times that even Jesus, like, I think about Jesus sitting at these tables with, you know, these tax collectors and these criminals and, you know, these prostitutes, and we know the scriptures, most of us are familiar with the scriptures where Jesus would invite these people over for dinner, and then it was the Pharisees and the religious leaders who were like, how could you ever sit with people like this? And I think about how Jesus would sit with these people, and I don't. This is just Ally. Okay, I'm not saying that I've read this directly out of Scripture, because the thing is, is, like, Scripture has so much in it, and there's so much in it to process. But something that I've learned as I've read Scripture is to challenge myself to also partner with my imagination and inviting the Holy Spirit into that, too, because I think the Holy Spirit can help guide our imagination, too. But being like, all right, Holy Spirit, as I'm reading the Scripture, like, I want you to show me, like, a movie in my mind as I'm reading the Scripture, and even reading in between the lines of Scripture, where Scripture is pretty straightforward, you know, where it's like, Jesus sat with sinners, great. But there isn't a whole lot of, like, in between the lines, because if that were the case, the Bible would be a bajillion times thicker than it. I mean, it's already gigundous. But there's probably so many more details and so many more things that could have been written in this Bible about the conversations that Jesus had. And even just like. I mean, I'm sure there's pages and pages and pages that could have been written even in that one statement of Jesus sitting with sinners at the dinner table. You know, and it's like, I've been sitting so challenged to just sit and try to use my imagination to be like, okay, when Jesus was sitting with these sinners, what do I think that he did? Like, yes, he was breaking bread with them, and yes, he was eating with them, but what else do you think he was doing? And so, with using my imagination, I would imagine that Jesus listened to them and he'd ask them questions. I believe that Jesus was very, very observant. I believe that Jesus was quicker to listen for long periods of time than to talk at these people who were, you know, in the world, sinners, like, living unholy lives. Right. I just see him, like, sitting at the table and asking really, really just intentional questions to these people and letting them talk. I also see him looking at them with such love in a way that, like, pierced their souls, and it made them feel really safe. And I also see these people potentially even sharing more with Jesus, who was technically a stranger or somebody that they were just starting to get to know in that moment, sharing more with him than they, you know, maybe even the people closest to them or sharing things that they never thought that they would share. And I think that would be because of the kindness that was overflowing through Jesus's eyes and the way that he looked at Them and the way that he clung onto every word that they said. I believe that when Jesus would sit with these people, he would listen to everything that they said and was just so loving and intentional and kind. He would let them talk about their perspectives and their beliefs and even the ways that they live their lives and the things that they believed were okay. I think Jesus would sit there and just listen more than he would preach at people. Now, of course, I do believe that Jesus also brought a lot of truth to those tables, but I think that he, if I were to imagine, right we're going off my imagination right now, that he would discern with the Father on what he should be sharing and saying versus when he should listen. And so I think for me personally, with just talking to people who do not share the same faith as me, whether it's, you know, like I said, somebody that you don't know personally or it's a friend of mine, I've always stayed really discerning with the Lord. Even before. If I, like, know that I'm going to be hanging out with somebody, or if I'm going to be around a certain group of people and not every single person in that room is going to be a believer, the biggest thing I'll do is pray for discernment. I'll be like, lord, I pray that you give me the wisdom on how to navigate this and also to allow me to have the freedom to not put a bunch of pressure on myself to make sure that I say all the right things or that the gospel is completely known in that, in that moment, I think sometimes there could be a pressure to be like, okay, God, I'm going to be hanging out with a bunch of non believers tonight, so I better make sure to mention your name as much as I can, and I better make sure to give you all the glory. Every time I talk about my life and God, I just want to make sure that every single person knows of your goodness and your love. And I love, like, that is such a. You care so much. So first off, if that's, that's, if that's where you, you know, if, if you relate to that, I just want to validate you in that and say, okay, your heart is in an incredible place. And I don't think that that's wrong. And I'm not here to say that that's wrong. And I am also speaking from experience where I think when I first was navigating, being saved and being taken out of the world, still in it, but not of it anymore, it Felt like I didn't really know how to talk to the world anymore because my whole life was about Jesus. And so I'm like, okay, well, it's really hard for me to have any conversations without at least mentioning the name of Jesus one time. And, and it's not that that was a bad thing, but I think sometimes we can put a little too much pressure on ourselves. Like we are the sole thing that needs to make sure, like God, his spirit, like he can work in such mysterious ways. And so I think even with Jesus sitting at these tables, I don't believe that it was always the words that came out of his mouth. I think it was also in the actions of how he walked and how he operated and how he looked at people and how he listened to them. I think it's more than just the words that can come out of our mouths. I think it's even the underly tone in the way that we speak as well, where maybe we're not directly talking about the gospel or talking about Jesus, but for some reason when we're sitting down with that friend who doesn't believe in Jesus and they're, and they're venting to you and they're talking to you about the hardships of their life or, or the things that they're facing or the mental health things that they're struggling with. And instead of saying Jesus, you're giving them feedback or even maybe just being an ear to listen and validating them and being like, I am just here to, to come, like, however way I can be a comfort to you and you know, can I for you or whatever that looks like. But like, I think a lot of times it could even be in the, in the peace that we carry in our voice. God can do so much more with us as vessels than even just the words that come out of our mouths. And so I don't say that to excuse us ever talking about Jesus, because we need to be talking about Jesus. We need to be talking about his goodness and his faithfulness. And if we have the antidote to the pain and suffering that people are facing, we better tell them. But I just think sometimes we can put too much pressure on that aspect where we don't have faith that God can do more than just in the words that we speak. I think that he can use a lot in the way that we live our lives. One major thing that I have, I have learned in my walk with the Lord is that the way that I live my life was actually a lot louder than anything that I could have said about what Jesus was doing in my life. And I think a lot of times, us as people, we want to see the results before we commit. You know, we want the Yelp reviews. We want to know that this place, this restaurant has five stars before we go and experience it. Because God forbid we go and experience it. And it's not a five star experience. You know, like, we want to know what we're getting ourselves into. And so I think a lot of times that applies to the Lord. We do that, you know, where we're like, well, I don't know. I mean, this person says that Jesus, you know, is the way truth and life and yeah, I think that's all great for them and everything. And I think sometimes it's like a lot of people just want to see the proof in the pudding. They do. They want to observe. And I think a lot of times something physical in front of people can speak so much more volumes than anything that you could ever say. And so again, I'm not saying that to excuse preaching the gospel and talking about the goodness of God. And even as you're talking about your life and the things that are happening, like giving glory to God and being like, thank you, Jesus, for this breakthrough. Like, you know, I was struggling with this and now I have peace and like, it's supernatural. There's no other reason for me to have this peace other than through Jesus. You know, I've never received this kind of peace in my life before God. And so saying those things is to. Is fine, but it's been cool because just from my own experience, I actually have seen the impact of letting people witness what the Holy Spirit is doing in my life and what God is doing inside of me, rather than anything I could have ever said. Because I. The truth is, is like, I know who I was before I met Jesus and I know who I am now. And I. And I. I can only imagine even from the outside of people, I guess we're talking specifically to people who know me. I guess a stranger would never know that. But, you know, somebody who knows me and knows who I was, you know, four or five years ago versus who I am now, it is undeniable that I am a different person. And so I think that is worth a million words more than what I could ever say. Because I think again, that. That a testimony in itself. That's a testimony, you know, and God says that in scripture too. He says it's the power of our testimony. And so just letting the Lord kind of prepare that table in Front of people who don't believe the table of. Of your life transforming and changing. You're going to become, you probably already have, too, a better friend, a better stranger, a better mother, a better father, like a better daughter, a better sister, like whatever that looks like. But there is no doubt in my mind that you have allowed the Holy Spirit to transform you into just a better person. You know, and I know that I've become a lot more reliable. I know that I've become more faithful to the people around me. Not that I believe I was like the worst friend or the worst sister or the wor. Daughter, but I know I'm better now. I know I am. And so I think even in the ways that we can show up for people, denying our flesh, picking up our cross, that will speak volumes. That is preaching the gospel to people. Being a better. Whatever that is will speak volumes. And I think those are the things that are going to set you apart from any other person that that person could encounter and have a relationship with. There are times that my team. And this isn't me boasting in myself, this is me boast in my heavenly Father. Amen. This is not me again, glory to God. Like, I did not make any of these changes myself. These are changes of the Holy Spirit and what God has done in me. But you'll notice it too, where people who do not know Jesus, they're going to go, you're like my favorite client to work with my team, my management team, everyone actually is not a Christian, from what I understand. I actually have a couple really incredible girls who are Jewish. I'm obsessed with obsessed with my team. I need to tell you guys that, like, I'm obsessed with my girls. They're the best. They fight for me, they believe in me, they love me. I love them. I'm so grateful for my team. Even though they're not all Christians, I love them and they're the best. And anyway, it's so sweet because I get a lot of feedback from them. Sometimes where they're like, you know, don't tell anyone. Here I am telling the whole world. They're like, you're literally one of our favorites. Like, we just love working with you, Ali. And it's rare, actually, barely existent, to ever hear a client tell us how grateful they are for us. And I think, unfortunately, a lot of times people, especially if you don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you, act very entitled. There's a bit of a culture of entitlement and selfishness that's in the world that Jesus teaches us to deny, I think that's in our nature as people. Even I am not off limits to that. I'm sure I operated in a lot of that as well before I knew Jesus. And so, yeah, there's a lot of temptations of self righteousness and selfishness and ego and people feeling like they deserve. And so I think that that's what they're referring to is like, we've never really had clients acknowledge our hard work. You know, I think there's a lot of entitlement. It's like, of course you're supposed to be working this hard for me, it's your job. But the Holy Spirit has convicted me to genuinely let the people know around me who are working for me. Yes, like, yes, it's their job, but I have always felt a conviction to let people know that. I'm so grateful for their help and their, and their time because sure, they're getting paid to do it, but like, I'm still grateful. And I think also that that is just a really great way of loving people and seeing them. I think something that Jesus, the character of Jesus is, is, is to see people. And so even as, you know, I'm using my imagination to imagine Jesus having these conversations with people at dinner and encountering and having, you know, dialogue with people who he technically shouldn't be having dialogue with. I think the underlying message of even what I tried to describe was he was allowing them to be seen. He saw them even in all of their sin, even in all of their messiness, even in all of their mindset and the things that they believed in that were not true. He saw them anyway, regardless of that. And so that I believe is a huge characteristic of Jesus which is rooted in his love, his unconditional love. And so that is something that I, I have always made a priority. I'm not going to be perfect at it because I'm not Jesus, but it is a priority of mine is like truly seeing people and letting them know that they are seen in the things that they do. And I think that's all we actually need and want at the end of the day, like, whether you believe in Jesus or not, I think everyone just wants to feel seen. And I think that we all want a little bit of validation in the sense of like, hey, I work really hard and you know, not a lot of people recognize that or like even seen in a way of if somebody is hurting. You know, going back to the example I just used where if you had a close friend that was coming to you about some things that they were going through. And even if it was just you sitting there to listen to them, just as I would imagine Jesus would do the same thing and say, you know what? This isn't the time for me to say, here are the solutions. Jesus is the way, truth and life. You know, these are all the things that you're doing wrong in your life. You need to turn from these things. These are open doors in your life. You shouldn't be doing these things. Things. There's a time and place. Again, if there's a. If you feel a grace to do those things, Holy Spirit, activate, then. Then do those things. But I think even in that, it's like, I think somebody could just simply need to be seen. And so even the way that you look at them and you interact with them and you say, I'm here for you, you know, and you let the Holy Spirit just flow even tangibly, like on your voice. Yeah, I think that's a huge way that we can be set apart from the world. I think that's a huge way to minister to people and spread the gospel is the unconditional love of seeing people.
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This also speaks to this even with the needy and the people who are homeless or people who are poor, Jesus says in scripture that when you serve the people who are in need, you are actually also directly serving me and loving me. And so even seeing people like that, like the people who are typically overlooked to see them, you know, look them in the eye, I think that's the best way to love people. It's the best way to minister to the world. I also kind of want to touch back on what I was saying too, with, like, people wanting to kind of see the proof of in the pudding and how. I think that more times than not, it really speaks volumes to the way that we live our lives. The proof of our lives, the testimony of our lives versus anything we could ever preach at people. I think another thing about humanity and Just who we are as people is we want to feel like we have a choice and that we made that choice. Nobody wants to be forced into a situation. Nobody wants to be forced to do something that they don't want to do. And I think God knows this about us because he also gave us the freedom of choice. He gave us free will. And so with that, obviously there is a want that we have as people to have free will and to make our own choices. And so when it comes to choosing Jesus, I mean, people really have to just choose. It's nothing that we can convince people over. There is no convincing. Like, it's the proof of our lives, it's the testimony of our lives. I believe the only way people come to Christ is through the seeds that God plants. And eventually also it comes to a place where that person then feels like, and then they are choosing God. Because I think ultimately that's what the Lord wants too, is he wants us to genuinely choose Him. He doesn't ever want us to be shoved into a corner to believe. And so even when it comes to us believers, like, we are not called to pressure anyone or try to convince anybody why they should or have to, you know, believe in God, which, I mean, they should. And, you know, the passion is valid. But I think, yeah, it really has to start with love and not arguments. You know, people rarely are argued into faith. It's just not a thing. But they can be loved into it. And so I think even with everything that I've shared so far, those are really great ways to love people into faith, rather than arguing them into faith or forcing anybody or trying to convince them. I think it could be through our actions of loving people that actually leads them into faith. Some ways to do that is truly just through the fruits of the Spirit, which is to show kindness, patience, and genuine care. Again, I think that Jesus probably practiced so much of that at these tables as you're hearing, as he was probably hearing ideology and conversations and things that just were not, not correct. I'm sure that he still practiced kindness and had so much patience for those people and genuinely still cared for them. Like, genuinely cared, even in those conversations and through those times. I mean, imagine these people. I mean, they're not sanctified. So, like, who knows what kind of language they were using, whatever profanity at that time. Truly, like, use your imagination. Imagine how these people were speaking and talking to. Like, they probably weren't talking the most proper. And so for him to still reflect such kindness and patience and genuine care towards these People, I know that that's what he was doing. And so we're supposed to. We're supposed to be just like that, you know, and let your actions reflect the gospel before your words. Jesus said in John 13:35, by this, everyone will know you are my disciples if you love one another. I actually want to look that up in my Bible. That's a scripture that I literally thought of on the way here. Yeah, this is really good. I like this translation. Like I said, this is the NLT translation that I have. This is John 13:35. It says, your love one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. So it is in the way that we love each other in the church. Of course it is in the way that we decide to love others who do not agree or understand or believe in what we believe in, it is still in the way that we love one another that will set us apart. And that is how people will know that we are true disciples of Jesus, because it will be undeniable at just the kindness, you know, like we just spoke to the kindness and the patience and the genuine love that we have for people. There is nothing else in this world that can duplicate that, like the love of Jesus that operates through us. There's nothing else like it. And people won't even probably be able to put words to it unless they know you personally and they know that it's Jesus. But they won't even be. They'll be like, I don't understand that love. Like, I don't. I actually don't understand the joy that's radiating off of her. Like, I don't even know how she accessed that. But it will. It will plant seeds for people, and it will. It just will make them curious because we were all made for it. Like, the minute that their soul encounters the Holy Spirit and the Jesus that is just dripping off of you, it will make them curious. No matter what. Like, no matter what or no matter whether they know that it's Jesus or not, that is a seed that is planted. And I think something else that we really need to trust in with our Heavenly Father is that even if it means that you are just simply interacting with somebody without actually speaking his name, but you are overflowing with that kindness and patience and care, genuine care and love for that person. The way that you look at them. Guys, I know you know what I'm talking about. I know you do, because I know you're all filled with the Spirit. It will plant a seed, and. And you need to have faith. That the Lord will water that seed, that he knew that that seed was going to be planted before you ever knew that that seed was going to be planted. He knew that that interaction was going to happen before you did. He knew that he was going to use you in such a way in that moment before it ever happened. So trusting him, knowing that he has a plan, that that moment of that seed being planted was not for waste. And it's not actually our job to stick around and make sure. Oh, well, I just want to make sure that they know. And like, I, I got to make sure that I, I, that I water the plant and that I. And, and I have to stay here to make sure it at least sprouts. And if God wants to keep using you to plant seeds in the same person, so be it. Yes. Hallelujah. Thank you, God. Use me in that way, Jesus. But if you are just simply supposed to plant one single seed in a person, you're never going to see that person ever again. We have to have faith as believers that our Lord is so sovereign and he will send another disciple that person's way. He will send a sign. He will send a person, like, whatever that looks like. If God is after someone when he says he's going to leave the 99 for a 1, we're going to believe that, like, he will leave the 99 for the 1. He did that with me. And it was seeds that he had been planting in my life for 27 years. Truly, like, when I reflect on my life, I'm like, oh, God planted a seed back then when I was 5 years old, or God planted a seed even just throughout my family and my parents, like, talking about Jesus. There were seeds that God was planting, and I had no idea God had already been putting people in my path who were believers that I didn't even think twice about. My assistant, Katie, who's the one that edits these episodes, and she's just the best. She's been working for me for over three years now. She started working for me when I was fully, fully, fully, fully, fully in the world. She's always been a believer. She's a strong believer, believes in the Holy Spirit, is so dedicated to Jesus. And it's like, is that a coincidence? No, it's not. Like, God had been planting seeds and had a plan for my life from the very beginning. And so, granted, yes, it did take 27 years for me to wake up and turn around and go, oh, God, it's been you. It's always been you. But he had A plan. And so I think we just need to remember that God is so much bigger than us and so much bigger than what we could ever even understand and see in front of us. Like, he has so much more planned that we have not even seen yet. And so I think before we stress and we're like, but, God, I really, like, I want people to know of your glory. I want people to know of your goodness. He is obsessed with that. And he's like, girl or boy? My son, my daughter, I am in this with you. We. This is a partnership. And I am so grateful that you are so willing to be a vessel. Let's go. Let's go. Right? But also knowing that, like, even if it doesn't make total sense, like, he has such a plan. He has such a plan in small moments, in a multitude of moments, whether that's a family member of yours or it's a friend of yours, like, trusting him through the process, us knowing that he has a plan and continue to pray, too. I think the biggest thing, too, is, like, praying for the people that we love. If this is also a matter of people that you just have so much love for and you want them to be saved. God stores every single one of your prayers in his pocket, and he stores every tear that you shed for these people. You know, if this is, like, you just grieve for them every day, I get it. I really do. There are people in my life that I'm like, lord, I grieve for this person, person. But there's just so much power in our prayer, and there's so much power in the way that we live our lives. Just as John 13:35 says. And just as Jesus stated in that verse is like, they will know who I am. They will know that you are mine by the way that you love. That is the biggest call on our lives, is to love people the way that Jesus loves. Because that love, it just. You can't duplicate it. The love of the world doesn't come close to it. People will feel it. They will see it on you. Yeah, you'll notice it, too. Like, people will be like. Like, there's something about you that's fun. I love that one because I feel like it's a. It's a complete open door. You know, I'm sure if they're expressing curiosity where they're like, what is on you? I love your aura. I love your vibe. You know, especially living in a city like Los Angeles, I feel like that is a very common thing that people will say and it's something I'll get a lot because it's just different. The radiance that you get from Jesus is just different than any glow you could get anywhere else. That's my favorite because I'll be like, thank you so much. Can I, can I just, can I be honest? And then they'll be like, yeah, because they'll be like, they'll be like, I love your, Like, I love your vibe. Like, I love you, like, are radiating. Like, I love your aura. You just have this thing about you. And in that curiosity I'll be like, thank you. Can I, like, wait, can I tell you something? Can I tell you a secret? Can I tell you what it is? And they'll be like, yeah. I'll be like, it's literally Jesus. It's God. I'm obsessed with him. He has given me so much peace and joy in my life. Life. And it's Jesus. So I, I can't really take the credit, but thank you so much. There you go. Plant seed is planted. Seed is planted. And then, I don't know, they could either be like, oh, okay. Or they could be like, really? Wait, that's crazy. Like, so tell me. You just never know. Like, you never know. And so even moments like that are really fun for me where I can be like, well, I can't really take credit for that because honestly, it's just Jesus in me. Like, he has given me such a joy. Like, I've never, I've never been so joyful in my life since accepting him and having a relationship with him. So thank you for pointing that out. But I, I cannot take the credit for that. Like, it's all him. He's just the best. I'm, I'm obsessed with him. You might catch people off guard with that. Sometimes they get a little wide eyed and they're like, okay. But then sometimes they're like, oh, I love that, you know? Okay. Another note that I had was to listen first and speak second. I think we touched on that already. I do believe that Jesus did that all the time. I think he was quicker to listen than he was was to speak. Sharing our story, I think obviously sharing our testimony is like the most. Obviously there's the testimony of our life and the proof in the pudding that people can observe whether it's from afar or close up. But also sharing our story, I think a lot of times, especially if it is a stranger, people will think that you've just been like that your whole life. You know, I think that was an assumption I had About a lot of Christians is like, okay, there's no way that you weren't ever this version of yourself for your whole life. I think even I personally, actually, it's ironic for me now because I used to be that person, but now I actually. Actually we'll get feedback from people where they'll be like, I assumed you were like this your whole life. And I'm like, no, actually, it's only been like two years that I've been living my life like this. And so I think the power of our testimonies, like, telling people where we came from, I think that that's also where people can find real relatability. You know, I think that that's how we can still relate to the world, is if you are somebody who was once in the world and now you are faithfully walking with Jesus to not forget the power of our testimony. And sometimes we can really get numb to them, you know, where it's like, I mean, I know my story. I've told it a million times. Know, sometimes I've shared this. I'm like, I don't know if my story is all that groundbreaking, but I feel like that's a direct insult to God because he wrote it from start to finish. So actually let that convict all of us. What do you mean your story isn't important enough? What do you mean? It's not like all that trans. Like, yes, it is. And it's meant to be shared, every one of our testimonies. Okay, so maybe if it wasn't your specific story that you were a drug addict on the streets and then God radically saved you and he gave you housing and he got you sober, like, those stories exist. But just because your story doesn't look like that doesn't mean that it's not as impactful. People don't need to hear it because the fact. The truth of the matter is, like, some of the most, like, insane God testimonies and stories, not every single person will relate to that. Like, maybe your story needs to speak to people who did grow up in a lukewarm environment and didn't really know the Holy Spirit. And then you encountered the Holy Spirit for the first time, you know, in your sophomore year of college in your dorm room alone, and you're like, well, that's not like, I don't know. I mean, I. I kind of grew up really privileged, though. And I didn't grow up in a lot of, like, poverty or anything. And it wasn't like I was ever, like, hungry. Like, I had everything I Needed. I just, like, didn't know the spirit of God. That's an important testimony because there are plenty of people out there living that reality of growing up in a lukewarm environment. And maybe they had everything that they needed and their parents were able to provide everything that they needed, but they didn't know the spirit of God, and they still lacked a purpose, and they still had a void in their hearts even though they had everything they needed. Like, your story still matters for that reason, because there are people who are actively walking out in those stories right now. So I bind that lie in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. I plead the blood of Jesus over your mind. He's gonna keep you from telling your testimony any way he can. And so if I'm vouching to that. That I've even sometimes felt that about my own story, where I'm like. I mean, it's not like I struggled that bad. It's not like I was. I was like, you know, I. I wanted to take my life. I mean, I doubted a lot of my purpose. But he's gotten even in my head to try to convince me that my story isn't impactful enough or isn't important enough. And that's not. It's just not true. Because when I do tell it, people are, like, apparently so intrigued by it, and they think it's, like, the coolest thing ever. Because it is. Because any story God writes is the coolest thing ever, including your story. So I encourage you to share your testimony. It is interesting enough. It is good enough, because it was written by our creator of all things. And so, yeah, I think that that lie is also a direct insult to God, which is something that sounds like it would be written by the enemy because all he's trying to do is insult God to kill, steal, and destroy everything that he's created. Thank you, Lord, that you've already told us that you won. And so we fight from the victory. We don't fight for victory. God has already won, but he'll try all he can, man, you know, to insult God. And so, yeah, that's just not even true. Your story matters. And so, yeah, I think it's really important for us to share our stories for that reason, because that is the one thing that will also keep us relatable to people who are. Have a life that is void of God and void of the presence of God. Another thing that I think is really important for us to do as believers. Now, if you're a baby Christian, I see you. Hey, welcome. So Glad you're here. So proud of you. But if you're a baby Christian, you might not actually struggle with this as much because you're fairly new anyway. So I feel like when we first get into our faith, even the way that we talk about God is pretty simple because we don't know all the Christianese yet. We don't know all the big biblical words and the things that, you know, there's. There. There is kind of like a language in the Christian bubble, which is fine when you're talking to Christians, but when you're talking to people who do not know what it means to. To be sanctified, if you're talking to people who don't know what it means to be going through a pruning season, if you're talking to people who don't know what it means to go through the fire, there's just certain words and there's certain sayings in Christian culture, which is fine. I don't think that that's a bad thing because it's all, like, biblical. Like, the things that we're saying, we're referring to scripture. I mean, even, like, I remember this one time when I was, like, still walking. I probably was only walking with Jesus for a year, and I was in this group setting where a few of us were gathered in a living room. And I don't remember what we were talking about, but we're talking about the things that, like, are burdening our hearts right now in the world or something like that. And somebody had said the purity of the bride, like, that is what's really burdening me right now is just like, the purity of the bride. And at that time, I literally had no idea what that meant. I was like, purity of the bride. Like, are we talking about people who are getting like. Like brides who are getting married? Like, I didn't know. And. And again, now that I've been walking with the Lord and I've been exposed to so much, you know, Christian language, and as I've educated myself more on scri and the Bible, the bride is the church who is us. And the purity of the bride is us not having any compromise in our life. Like, purity as in choosing Jesus and only Jesus and that there isn't any compromise. And we're not also playing around with the world and we're not playing around with sin. Yeah, I just didn't know what that statement meant. So I remember thinking, like, wait. And so I think keeping it simple is really, really important when talking to people who do not know Jesus. Or even new Christians. Like, I still to this day try to stay so mindful knowing that a lot of us here probably are Christians and have been Christians for a while. But also I do know that a huge part of my listeners are people who are like just starting to get into their faith or they're just like, you know, or they're coming back to God or they're just starting to take him seriously for the first time or it's like they are so, so new. New. And so my biggest prayer is to like never get to a point where it's like we're talking and not even, you know, the most beginner, a beginner can grasp what we're saying. Like, I, I always think that it's important to keep it simple and to not overwhelm people with doctrine or like churchy language. I think that that is really, really important is to still talk to people like you would anyone else. Okay, another example that I'm going to use. Use because this is me. This is me. It had been a very long time since I had gone to any kind of like influencer event. Honestly, I just really haven't prioritized doing a whole lot of that stuff. The traffic sucks and a lot of them are typically in downtown la, which is like, ew. So yeah, I don't know, I just like haven't been going to as many events anyway. I went to this one Giorgio Armani event. Giorgio Armani Beauty. So it was makeup, so fun and exciting. I went by myself. And one fun piece of information is I was completely underdressed. They didn't send a dress code, so I didn't know, like, what, what are you thinking, Ali? It's Giorgio Armani, by the way. Okay, we're not going to like a, I don't know, like a Kosas event, you know, like this is like a luxury brand. Okay. So I show up in jeans and a button up. Everyone else is in like cocktail dresses, like ball gown type, like beautiful. So I was immediately sticking out as a sore thumb. Talk about being in the world, but not of it. I love looked completely out of place. But it's fine. I still spread the, spread the joy of Jesus. But I was talking to this girl and even like what I thought was the simplest language. She was not a believer. Also another influencer, super, super sweet, didn't know God at all. Like doesn't know Jesus. And I, I knew that and I thought even in the way that I was talking was pretty simple. But this was a huge learning lesson for me. Even in that moment where I was like, okay, no, I'm still talking a little too Christiane Knees. Because even saying the sentence of like. So she was asking me why I had moved back to la. Yeah, we were just talking about that because I told her I was living in Nashville and then I moved back to LA from already living in LA before I moved to Nashville. And she's like, oh, so you just, like, changed your mind? And I was like, well, not really. I was like, the Lord told me to go. And so I just went to somebody who doesn't even know who the Lord is. What are you talking about? What do you mean the Lord told you? I just think that there's a different way that I could have said that. She goes, the Lord, she. Please, Ally. Oh my gosh, she didn't even know what I was talking about when I said the Lord, okay? She goes, oh, like. Like for the. Like the lore, like for the plot, like for the story. And I was like, well, okay, yeah, no, the Lord. The Lord told me to go, girl. What? Okay, this is what I think. If some of you are like, how else would you have said that? Ali, thank you. I really appreciate that. But upon further reflection with God, I think that a way that can. I. I could have said that. That would have made more sense. Has been like, well, I'm actually like, really into my faith and I'm pretty, like, spiritual and I have a faith in Jesus. And so even, yeah, I could have even just been like, I'm just like, I'm very. I'm religious. Like, I have a lot of faith, I'm spiritual. And I just had this feeling like I had this knowing in me and I even heard it where I just. I felt I was supposed to go back to la. And even that, like, I think could have been a lot better to translate to her that obviously I have a faith that's rooted in go God. And I think that there could have even been an opportunity after that of, you know, she could have asked, I mean, like, oh, what. What do you. What religion do you practice? Or what. What do you. What's your faith like? You know, and then I could be like, oh, I. I have a faith in Jesus. Like, I wasn't. My life wasn't always like that. And I think just ever since knowing him and. And having a relationship with Jesus, I've been able to receive clarity when it comes to, you know, big decision making. And so it didn't really make sense to me, but I. I really believed that that's what he was telling me to do. And even that, I think it's just a lot more like, grab on to something like that and be like, okay. I guess that kind of like, makes like. So she had, like, a gut feeling. She had a knowing, which is true. Like, I did. And I think a lot of times people can hear from Jesus through a gut feeling. I mean, he gives us our intuition. Intuition is mentioned in scripture. I think it's in the book of Job where it says that God is the one who's given us intuition. He gives us gut feelings. And so even if you were like, yeah, I'm really spiritual, like, I have a relationship with God and I had a gut feeling that's still giving him the glory, while also it's very chu a doable for people to understand instead of saying, the Lord told me to go anyway, we've gone on a tangent with that, but keeping it simple. And then one more thing that I do want to just say before we opt out of this episode is, you know, we've talked. I've said this how many times now? The proof is in the pudding of our lives, the testimony of how we live our lives. But something that is very, very important, guys, when it comes to. Because people are observant, okay? People will observe the way that you live your lives. Granted, you're not going to be perfect again, like, we're going to be people. We're going to stumble, we're going to fall, we're going to make mistakes, stakes. If that wasn't the case, we wouldn't need Jesus every second of our lives. But I think it's really important as believers, too, to make sure that we are living consistent lives, though, because if people are watching us and we are representing Jesus, like, truly, if we are going to be vessels of the Holy Spirit and we are now labeling ourselves and saying, I am a disciple of Christ Jesus, we need to make sure that our lives are consistently looking that way. Yeah, we can't be living lives of compromise. We can't be living a life of, like, well, I'm going to be really good about walking with Jesus Jesus this week and then next week, dabbling into things that you're not supposed to be dabbling into. Living a life that honestly is confusing. You know, you. You don't want to confuse people where it's like, okay, well, one minute she says she lives by, like, Jesus, but the next minute I see her out partying, taking tequila shots and getting drunk at the clubs. That doesn't really make sense because I thought you know, like we have to live consistent lives to how the Lord has called us to live our lives. And so that is a discipline that we can only get from the, the Holy Spirit. And that is a conviction that we can only get through the Holy Spirit and also the Word of God. I think a way for us to make sure that we are living consistent lives is by staying rooted in the Word of God, staying rooted in Scripture. And I, I believe that that is where we will, we will continue to get conviction. The Holy Spirit will convict us through Scripture. And I think that that's how we're going to stay disciplined. You know, like I don't know how we could stay disciplined in our lives and make sure that we are living consistent lives lives if we are not rooting it in the Bible because we're called to have biblical lives and to live biblically. And so if we're going to live biblically, we have to know the Bible. If your life reflects peace, joy, forgiveness and hope, people will naturally become curious. Often they'll ask why you live differently. And then that's your opening, that's your opportunity. People have to express curiosity. I think more times than not to get to that point place of, of sharing your why I would love to close on this scripture in Isaiah. It's Isaiah 55:11 which reads it is the same with my word. I send it out and it always produces fruit. The seeds that God sends out will always produce fruit is what he's saying. Sometimes the best sharing is planting seeds. You may not see the fruit right away, but God promises His word will not return void. So I hope that this episode was helpful. Actually this was only the Holy Spirit, the fact that I said that I was so rusty and know we were kind of ping ponging around a little bit but I feel like we under we understood the overall message hopefully. But I really pray that if anything this really encouraged you guys, gave you some clarity, took some pressure off of you maybe and encouraged you to just love people and trust that in every way that the Lord is going to use you as a vessel for the kingdom of God. It is not going to return void that he has a plan. He has a plan on how he's planting seeds and to not be afraid to have people around you, like even friends and family like to not cut them out and to continue to love them as Jesus would love love them. And I think it all comes down to discerning with spirit too of, of how to do that and even what boundaries to set or whatever. But like to love the people around you and see that as an opportunity to minister to them and reflect the love of Jesus. So I'm so proud of you guys. Thank you for being here today. Hey guys, can we do something cool today? Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Very on theme with today's episode, but let's show somebody how cool Jesus is. Let's walk more like him, talk more like him, be more like him, and I will see you guys next time. Time. Bye. Are some of y' all still listening? Okay, if you're still here, that means you're a real one, which is why I'm about to share this with you. If you've already caught up on all the episodes so far and you don't want to wait until next Friday for a new one, I have really good news for you. Subscribe to our Patreon to get early access to the episodes every week, early access to merch launches or any other exciting news, and receive personalized encouraging messages or Bible verses from us. 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