← Christ With Coffee On Ice
Christ With Coffee On Ice
sexual purity, tattoos, secular entertainment Q+A episode
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Hey y'all ! Welcome to another Friday with CWCOI ! In this week's episode, our host, Ally Yost reads through submissions sent in by you guys! Ally shares what the Bible says about tattoos, sexual purity and secular entertainment. Please let us know if...
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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 here with you guys. If you are physically watching, you can see that our setup is a little bit more cash. We're sitting in my bedroom right now. We don't have our big, fancy studio today, and for that reason was that. Well, I was on a lot of vacations. Like, I was traveling a lot. And so with that, I didn't have a ton of time to record in the pod studio. So today we're in the bedroom. And you know what? That's fine with me, actually. I think it's a little bit more like, low pressure, especially for me. We have our coffee on Ice. Can you hear it? I made it from home, and it's not that bad. And we also have our Christ. Thank you, God. I need Jesus, guys, like, all the time. I don't know how you guys feel about him, but, like, I need him all the time. I need him to breathe air. I need him to live. But, yeah, guys, it is what it is, okay? I'm just a girl, and I'm trying my best, and I'm a girl, and I just. I'm just, you know, I'm just a girl. Okay, I have to tell you guys something funny. So me and my friend Christina, we have this bit that we do where we talk, like, Kourtney Kardashian, which I love her, actually. I hope one day I get to meet her. I love. I love her. And it's our favorite bit ever. Granted, we. We definitely are super dramatic, okay, about this, but we will just for probably way too long, we'll go on and on in this bit of, like, talking like. Like, Courtney K. And we'll be like, yeah, no, like, for real. It's, like, taken, I don't know, maybe weeks for me to actually sit down and just record for the podcast. And we'll just go like that. It's just. It's a bit, and it's kind of dumb. Why did I bring that up? Oh, because I almost did it right now, and I needed to let you guys in on that before you were like, whoa, where did that come from? But, yeah, so I'm just a girl, and I'm on this spinning rock called earth, and I'm trying my best, and I show up the best I can just being a girl on the spinning rock called Earth, and I just need Jesus. I just need him. And then occasionally also a cup of coffee, you know, And I just appreciate you Guys, for loving me regardless and giving me grace. Because this episode is giving. Homegirl is starting a podcast in her bedroom. And, you know, that's what's happening here. But if you're listening audibly, it doesn't really matter, I guess. Anyway, where am I? What's going on? Hey, what's the point of this episode, Ali? I don't know yet. Hey, one thing I know for sure, though, is that I love y'. All. Hey, I love you guys. And I want to tell you, too, that, like, this. This is me being a human being. But when I'm a human being, sometimes I doubt. Sometimes I doubt whether I'm good at what I do. Sometimes I doubt if I'm even doing the right thing. Sometimes I doubt if I'm in God's will. Sometimes I doubt. Fill in the freaking blank, okay? So sometimes I doubt. And lately it's been happening a lot, and it's kind of fun, and I feel like it's God literally speaking through y' all and using you guys as vessels. So just let me encourage you and say that, like, if you have been one of these people who have done this, God is using you. He's continuously using you, and he used you in this moment for me, because there have been moments that have been happening quite often of you guys coming up to me in real life and being like, hey, Ally, love your podcast. It's helped me in this way, shape and form. It's helped me in my walk with the Lord. It's helped me grow closer to Jesus. It helped me find Jesus. Okay, that one is a really hard one. Not hard, but it's like, that's, like, what an honor. And just sharing those things with me in real life and being like, your podcast blank, your podcast blank. And there's a lot of things that I take pride in, including this podcast, but I don't know why, but the podcast specifically. Sometimes I'm like, God, am I even. You know what I mean? Somebody's got to know what I mean without even, like, really finishing that sentence. You got to know what I mean. So that's what I mean. And so in those moments, I'm like, wow, God, you're really telling me that I actually am in your will and I am exactly where I need to be. And thank you for using these people. Thank you for touching these people. Thank you for showing me that, like, you are using me for such a time as this. And there's purpose in what I do. It's not that I doubt if there's purpose I just think sometimes we need a boost. You need a boost in, like, the. The things that you're doing, you know? So God is your cheerleader. He's your biggest cheerleader. If he's mine, he's yours, too, because he loves you just the same. You're. You're a son, and you are a daughter to him as much as I am, and he is your cheerleader. He wants to encourage you. And also, that is something that will never get old for God. It will never become old for the Lord to encourage you, even if it has to be, like, encouraging you in the same thing over and over again. He will never grow tired of that. And I don't know if that's like, a condition in our minds that just comes from people where, you know, sometimes people get annoyed with us, and sometimes we can feel like a burden to people, and sometimes if somebody has to remind us of the same thing over and over again, they're a little agitated. I get it, whatever. But that's just, like, not the heart of the father. And so I'm just grateful that he doesn't ever get tired of cheering us on and maybe even reminding us things over and over again and being like, hey, there is purpose in what you're doing. Hey, I want to encourage you in this, Al. Like, you're crushing it. And I love you, and I'm proud of you and I'm with you. So, yeah, I just wanted to honor you, you guys, in that and, like, just your obedience of even just simply coming up to me and being like, hey, Ali, your podcast, this, that, and the next. Yeah. Anyway, love you, appreciate you, and we're here today together. Thank you, Jesus. I got a couple tattoos. That's an update. I want to tell you guys about it. Should I show you? I want to take my sweater off. Hold on. I don't know if you can see it from here, but I got a tattoo on my arm. Katie, my editor, can you just zoom in? Do you see it? Do you see Jesus on my arm? So if you're listening, I didn't get his face on me. Maybe that's next. But right now, it's just his name. I got his name, Jesus, on my arm, and then I got a little hummingbird on my arm. Do you see her? And I named her Delilah. I don't know why. Okay. Can I tell you something kind of crazy? I need to tell you guys something kind of crazy. So I got Jesus his name on me. For obvious reasons, He's Lord of my life. I'm Obsessed with him. He's my number one fan. I'm his, and that's it. So I put him on my right arm because that's where he always is. He's on my right side. So I'm like, you know, like, we're just, like, touching shoulders, and we're like, he's bestie. He's my best friend in the whole wide world. And, yeah, I just wanted his name on me. I thought it was time. I haven't gotten tattoos in a really long time. Actually, let's talk about tattoos for a second, because I feel like that's a hot topic in Christianity. I haven't gotten any tattoos since I was saved. I got one little dinky tattoo on my wrist. It's a cross, and it's not really. It's, like, pretty much gone. I mean, it looks like I did it with a pencil. So I don't know if I really count that one. But all of my tattoos on me, I got before I was saved. And so fun. One is a whole zodiac sign. I have a bull. I mean, it's actually just a bull. Technically, I'm a Taurus, I guess, in zodiac language. And so that's probably the most worldly tattoo I have on my body. But what's so funny is, like, I actually don't even really want to get it removed, because I'm just like, nah, I'm just kind of like, whatever. Like, it's a part of my testimony. You know, it's kind of fun to, like, show people. Like, I was like, this is what I used to believe in, and now I believe in. And then I show them my arm that says Jesus on it. So, you know, it's all a part of the journey. It's all a part of our testimony. I don't feel shame, actually, for the tattoos that I got before I knew the Lord. Do I have a little regret? Yeah, I think there can be regret without shame. Can those two things? Yeah, I think that that's real. So no shame. Regret for sure, but I don't feel shame about it. So, anyway, that's a fun fact. But anyway, yeah, I haven't gotten any tattoos since being saved, so these are new for me. And what's fun is I did ask the Lord. So if any of you are on the bridge about getting tattoos, I think the best person you can ask is Abba Father. Just be like, hey, God, should I get this? And, yeah, the hummingbird. I will say, guys, I feel like I'm still kind of unraveling. What a Hummingbird means to me. Yeah, I don't know what it is. God has been highlighting them to me. It's actually kind of funny. This is just my personality, guys, is I love to be thoughtful, but I also don't love to be too thoughtful where now it's like we're just not doing the thing. So wherever that is, like spontaneity, but also thoughtfulness, somewhere in between. I love. I love being spontaneous, but not in an irresponsible way. I feel like the Lord has delivered me from, like, being spontaneous in an unhealthy way. I think there's healthy ways to be spontaneous and, like, fearless in just doing things. So the hummingbird wasn't spontaneous, but it was kind of last minute where I was, like, in between getting a dove or a hummingbird. And I thought up until like an hour before my tattoo, I was going to get a dove because it's giving Holy spirit. And I decided to get a hummingbird. I don't know why, but I felt it, like, so heavy. And I don't know if it was the Lord. I'm. I'm hoping it was because it's on my body forever now. But, yeah, I got a hummingbird. And I don't know why, but they've been so highlighted to me lately. And it feels spiritual. Like, not to over spiritualize everything, but, like, for real, it feels like it's from God. I don't know why. I feel like he's, like, wanting to minister to me somehow through hummingbirds. Tbd. Tbd about what it means. But, like, I'm looking at my guitar right now, and I'm realizing, like, I put all these cute stickers of, like, flowers and butterflies. Butterflies. And there's hummingbirds on my freaking guitar. I'm looking at it right now and I'm like. And there's hummingbirds that'll just be, like, in my backyard. I don't know. They've never stuck out to me before, really. Like, I've always known that hummingbirds exist. And I've seen them and I've been like, hello, goodbye. But as of lately, I'm just like, why are they anyway? So I got one on my arm. I feel like that's a story that's still unraveling between me and God. Cute little inside joke, maybe. And I named her Delilah. I don't know why, but her name is Delilah as well. There's a hummingbird outside my freaking window right now. I'm telling you, God is trying to tell. I don't know why, but it makes me want to cry. I don't know what he's doing. I don't know what that means. I don't know what that. It's right outside my window. Okay, so that's a life update. Thank you guys for listening to that. Now, tattoos being a hot topic in the Christian culture. I posted that I had gotten my Jesus tattoo on my arm. I haven't posted my hummingbird yet, but I posted about the Jesus on my arm and I was getting some dms, and a lot actually of people being like, are you allowed to get tattoos as a Christian? And I don't know if we've even talked about this on the podcast before, but my take on that, and I think that this is, like, this could really just be a conviction for anyone. I will say that I have been feeling more convicted about tattoos in the sense of, like, I don't think I'm going to be getting many more, if any more. I don't think I'm going to be getting that many more. I think now that I have Jesus's name on me, I'm like, I'm good. Like, I'm chilling. I don't know if I'm going to get any more. To be honest, the difference of how I feel about tattoos now versus before is before I was kind of just like, whatever about it. Like, kind of careless and silly goose. And I do feel God's like, hand of, like, this is okay, but, like, I don't want you to be covering yourself and especially, like, in an irresponsible way. So it's interesting. Like, my heart has changed about tattoos in the sense of, like, how many to get and, like, just covering my whole body. I just feel dad being like, chill. You know, this is my stance, this is my belief, and these are my convictions about tattoos. Do I believe that getting tattoos are sin? No. Hey, you don't have to agree with that. If you believe that, it's not something that God. Here's the thing, you don't need to get tattoos. You're not a loser if you don't. You don't need to. You don't need to. That's fine. But if you have tattoos, there's no shame or condemnation in those who are in Christ Jesus. So I'm not saying either one is bad. I'm actually just saying that I don't believe that it's a sin to get tattoos. And I think that the, you know, the verse that a lot of people like to quote is from Leviticus 19:28, which is you should shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead or any marks on yourselves. And so I think remembering that when we are taking pieces of scripture like this, there is a story, there's more to that scripture than just what it simply says. And sometimes I think that people can take verses out of the Bible and like, it's just so black and white where it's like just that verse without also dissecting and understanding like everything else surrounding that verse. And so in Leviticus, where it states that the Lord had said, you shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead or any marks on yourselves, God had forbidden the nation of Israel from making these marks on their body because it was what the surrounding pagan nations did to honor their idol gods. Jesus fulfilled the old covenant and took it out of the way. So with that being said, what I'm reading is that the reason that God had said this was because the nations, the pagan nations surrounding Israel were doing, marking their bodies and tattooing themselves in honor of their idols and other gods. And so when we read Leviticus 19:28 and it says, you shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, what God is saying is, do not mark your bodies with false idols and false gods. Don't mark your bodies and make gashes in your flesh for the dead. A k a every other God is an idol and they are dead. The one true living God is Jesus. I don't believe that what God was saying in this verse was that we can't get tattoos at all. Understanding the context of this verse, knowing the thing that God was emphasizing in this was not the tattooing, but it was the honoring of tattooing your bodies for other idols and gods. And so he's warning these people and saying, don't mark your bodies in the name of anyone else other than me. I don't believe that the emphasis of this is don't mark your bodies. He's just saying, don't mark your bodies for these false idols. And so with that being said, many Christians argue that this passage is specific to the Old Testament and doesn't apply to the New Covenant, AKA Jesus fulfilling the old covenant, creating the new covenant. Others believe that the core principle of not defiling one's body still applies. Some Christians also view their bodies as a temple of the Holy Spirit and question whether it is appropriate to decorate them with tattoos. I think that's fair. That goes back to the scripture that says that our bodies really are a temple and we are supposed to treat them that way as something that is holy. That does carry the holy Spirit. And so I really do actually understand that pov. And I think that that's why I also am hesitant to, like, really cover myself in a million tattoos in a way that maybe I probably would have before is because that's very true. Like, our bodies are a temple. And so I think, like, being wise with discernment of, honestly, what's appropriate and what's not. If you don't feel it's appropriate for you to get tattoos and you want to keep your clean of any of that stuff, I support that 100%. But if that also means that you're just being discerning and wise with the things that you do mark on your body, because it is a temple of God, and you're like, okay, does this honor the Lord? Heart posture, I think, is also really important where you're like, am I just doing this to, like, look cool? Am I getting these tattoos just because they're trendy? Am I getting these tattoos because it's going to make me more appealing to man, like, fear of man type beat, you know what I'm saying? So I think also that is something to consider as well, where you're like, what is my heart Heart posture in this and why am I doing it? I think that's also a really healthy way of honoring your body as a temple that holds the holy Spirit. And so I really think that it's like, to each their own. Like, we all have our own convictions of what, you know, we feel the Lord is saying is appropriate for us in our walk versus maybe something that could be different for other people. And as I'm making these statements right now about tattoos, know that we are talking about tattoos right now. So this POV is not something that we're going to apply to all things in our walk with the Lord, because there are non negotiables. There are things that we are simply supposed to just walk in with the Lord, like, purity. We're not going to be like, oh, well, I just don't feel convicted about that. Like, you know, sex before marriage. I don't feel convicted that that's like, my portion. I don't know. I just. I feel like God is telling me that I don't really need to do that. Like, that's not what we're saying. We're talking about tattoos right now. All right. We're talking about tattoos. Yeah. I think there are going to be things that might seem a little bit gray where I think it just really comes down to your personal conviction from God and discernment with him. Some Christians have found that their tattoos have opened up opportunities to share their faith with others, even prompting conversations about their beliefs. Love that pov. And I think that's very true. I think that tattoos can actually be used in an evangelistic way. I think even just having Jesus on my arm the way that it is, and it's so obvious and it's just right, there would be a really fun way to evangelize to people. As I'm out and about in life and I'm being kind and I'm walking like Jesus, and I may not be saying his name, but I'm radiating something called the Holy Spirit that people may not even. They don't know what it is, but they see it on me, and then they see Jesus's name on my arm. And I just think that, like, again, this could come down to, like, each their own. But I do believe God can use anything, including tattoos. And so I am excited for the way that the Lord will be using this one on my arm. So, anyway, that's my POV on tattoos. Would love to discuss further with you guys in the comment section or if anyone has any testimonies or just want to share their opinions on that. I think that would be really healthy. I think it's honestly healthy for us and as a family to just talk about these things. You know, we're not going to point fingers and condemn each other and say, you're wrong or you're going to hell because you got tattoos and you didn't. Whatever. Like, that is a big no, no. And I would never condone that. We need to be treating each other with love. But also, there's nothing better than healthy conversation within the church and within the family and just being willing to, like, hear each other in certain perspectives, you know. So now that that little tangent is out of the way, I actually think it's quite on brand for what we're doing in this episode, because today we're going to be doing a little bit more of a a Q A style episode. We've done a few of these before. They're really fun for me, where we're just gonna cover, like a couple topics and talk about it. These are topics that you guys have asked and said, hey, I want to hear this on the podcast. So that's what we're gonna do for the rest of this episode together is just kind of talking and touching on a few different things. And I'm excited to kind of dissect these things and talk through them with you guys. And also let me know if we like this kind of style episode with the Q A where we're touching on a couple things. They're kind of fun for me, so I hope that they're fun for you guys too. First things first is we have a question that says how to tell the difference when my flesh is speaking or when God really is speaking to me. There's also this thing for me whether it could be actually, like, three different things. It could be the enemy, it could be your flesh, or it could be the Lord. And so I actually want to kind of take that further. But I do believe enemy and flesh are going to fall under the same umbrella of, like, how do I discern that that's what that is? And then discerning God's voice, because ultimately, whether it's the devil or if it's your flesh, both are irrelevant. So the only one that's actually relevant is what God is saying. I think that if you can't back up whatever that thing is in your mind with scripture, then it's probably. I mean, it isn't the Lord, because God only speaks to us in truth. He is a truth teller. He cannot tell a lie. And so, I mean, that's the best way that I discern whether it's from the Lord or not is, yeah, if I can be like, okay, is this what God says about me? Is this what God says about my life? Is this what God says about his character? Like, if it can be backed up in what is said in the Bible, then there's a good chance that it is the Lord. Obviously, with these submissions, I don't have a ton of context as to what exactly you could be talking about when you're like, okay, how do I know if this is my flesh or if this is God? It could be like, dreams. Like, if you're like, hey, I really want to want to do this thing in my life, but is this just something I want, or is this actually what God wants? And to that pov, I really think that, like, any dream that you could have could really. I mean, I think the only reason we can dream is because the Lord first gives us those dreams. So I don't know if that's something that could. You could kind of question is, you're like, is this just what I want? Or is this what God would want? And I think what the best thing that we can really even do in that is, like, okay, God, I really want this thing, and I have this dream and I have these goals. And I really. I submit them to you. And, Lord, I just ask that these dreams and these goals and these things that I have for my life, like, will you just make it clear that it is something that you also back and you support and that you also want this for my life? And so I don't know if that's a pov. It could be about, like, your identity and who you are. And so, yeah, I do think that there's, like, a few different kind of avenues of what that could look like. But I also think that another way to know if it's God versus your flesh is that the thing doesn't make you. You feel anxious. It actually gives you a lot of peace. You may even feel hope on it. You may even feel excitement. I think that those are all really good things to feel with whatever it is that's going through your mind. But if it makes you anxious, if it makes you confused, if it makes you doubt, if it doesn't even really make you feel that good, it could absolutely be your flesh, or it could be the enemy. And because that's not who our dad is, and it's not how he speaks to us, he's never going to talk to us in a way that makes us anxious. Now, he may try to push us out of our comfort zone. That makes us feel a bit uncomfortable. And I don't think that that's. That's a bad thing. That's a father who just wants to encourage his children into bigger places and expanding ourselves and going further. So there are definitely some things that I've heard from God that have challenged me. They've challenged me, and they've encouraged me to do more and, like, get out of my comfort zone. And granted, I wouldn't say that's the most peaceful feeling, but it's funny, because in those times where I'm like, God, if this is you, like, give me a piece about it, and then a piece will follow it. And I'm like, okay. So the thing that's so cool about this is it's like. Like, the more that you walk with the Lord, the more you will, like, be able to discern whether it's God versus other things. And so that's also something that I've learned in my walk with the Lord is like, you're gonna know, and these things are gonna come to you so much more naturally as you walk with him longer. And you're gonna be like, okay, I know what the Lord sounds like, and this sounds like God. You know, that would be my feedback I don't know if that helps at all, but those are just things that I've learned as I've walked with the Lord of, like, how it makes me feel. And also, can I back that up in Scripture? Okay. Victoria wants us to talk about how much worldly movie series and music can really influence us. Okay. This is a topic that actually has been brewing in my heart for a few weeks now, and I've been hesitant to even bring it to the podcast or not. Because the thing is, y', all, and I'm just gonna be honest, this is just a fear of mine, is that if I say this, the thing is, is I. I don't ever want to encourage you guys to do something that would not influence you in a positive way or in a godly way. Like, in a way that's just like. Like honorable to the Lord. And so I guess my fear of saying something like this on the podcast is like, oh, I just don't want people to go so crazy with this that it's gone so far in the sense of, like, that it was never supposed to be that. And I'm going to talk about secular, like, worldly films and music. I'm going to use a testimony of what God has been walking me through with these things, because for the entirety of my journey with the Lord. And I want. I want all of us to come to this with, like, an open heart and an open mind and open ears, okay? And please take this for what it is, and. And we're not gonna, like, swing it to either extreme. Like, let's just stay really neutral with this and just, like, seek the spirit of God as we talk about this, okay? Because I also just don't want this to be an excuse for people to just run with worldly things. My journey with the Lord over the last two years and some change, I have been, like, in an incubator with Jesus. Like, I have hardly watched anything worldly. I have not consumed any secular music for the most part. Like, literally for two years now. The only kind of music I would listen to is worship. It still is my life. If I couldn't bring it to Jesus, like, bring it back to Jesus, I wanted nothing to do with it. So I kind of was in this, like, one extreme to the next of, like, being completely in the world before I knew the Lord. Consuming the world, being in the world, being of the world, literally, to then swinging all the way to this side, almost like I was, like, in rehab kind of. It kind of felt like a detox of, like. Like, all of what was in the world that had influenced me and molded me in a way. Like I was so worldly in a lot of ways to then swinging all the way to the other side and, and just striving for Godliness and just being sanctified in the spirit. And so with me going all the way over here, I wouldn't touch anything from the world. And honestly, I am so happy. I think that's the only reason that I was able to be expedited the way that I have been in these last couple of years, the growth that I've been able to have with only because I was just like in this bubble of just Jesus. And I'm grateful for it. I don't regret it at all. And I know that actually that was necessary for my walk. I've felt God hear me out, guys, hear me out. I've felt God convict me. Well, if anything, actually I feel that he's told me he trusts me now where I. I was way over here and now I'm way back over here and I feel him wanting to level me out and bring me somewhere in the middle. Because was this is what I feel he's told me. He says, ally, I trust you. You're mature enough in the spirit. You have good discernment. I don't believe that if you come in a place where it's a bit more middle ground, you're going to go way back to the world. I trust you now you're grown. You know, it's kind of like I went through that boot camp with the Lord and he's like, I trust you, you're mature. I say that because the Lord had shown me that I. I believe I've been operating in a bit of legalism, maybe a little bit of religion, maybe a little bit of fear that if I were to touch anything that was, quote, secular or worldly, like, my relationship would with God would be taken from me, or like he would be further away from me, or like, just really bad things would happen in my relationship with Jesus, which is the most precious thing in my life. And so I think there was a bit of fear too, where I was like, I can't watch movies like that. And it would be like movies that aren't bad. Like, I'm not watching horror films, but it's like movies that just weren't simply about Jesus, us. I'd be like, I can't watch that, you know, or like maybe music that wasn't necessarily Christian. I was like, I can't listen to that. And I. I felt the Lord kind of challenge me and be like, those things are not going to make you go back. So, like, you don't need to be afraid that all of a sudden you're gonna become this worldly person if you just listen to whatever and it's not going to take my love from you. There's that scripture that says that there is nothing in heaven or on earth that could ever get in between the Father's love for us. And so we don't bring up that scripture as an excuse to sin. We don't bring up that scripture as an excuse to just binge the world and then go to church on Sunday and binge the world and go to church on Sunday. So that's not what I'm saying, but I feel like he really wanted me to step out of, like, any kind of fear that I had when it came to those things. So what I'm saying to you guys is worldly movies and music can influence us. It can influence us in ways that we didn't realize it was influencing us. And so I think with what God is showing me is he's like, I trust you because you have discernment now. Where, like, you. If there are secular things that you're watching or, like, listening to, I trust you now. Ali, I've given you, like, you. You know, enough now. I've given you the wisdom to be able to discern whether that's actually fruitful and beneficial to your spirit or not. But I also felt God be like, I died for you so that you can enjoy life. Life. You can enjoy the things in this world in a way where we are discerning and we are being wise but not afraid of it. And I feel like I've been living a life where I've been just, like, in this bubble of, like, I don't want to leave my Christian bubble. But also there's so much more to experience. And that goes for music and movies. And my eyes have really been opened to the fact that there are people who are creating in the world who have no idea that the reason that they are able to create the way that they are is because of God. And it's cool because now that I've opened my heart to things that are, quote, secular, and again, use your discernment, guys. I actually have still been able to experience God through these things. Whether that person even realized they, like, they don't know. I have felt God and seen God and heard God in things that are not technically, quote, Christian. And I'm like, Jesus, these people don't even know it, but I'm like the ones that are creating this. Like a person that comes to my mind right now. Guys, this is going, like, to feel. Feels so out of left field. I know. A friend of mine was showing me Fred again. Do you guys know who Fred again is? I didn't. This man is so anointed, he doesn't even know it. He's incredible. Full body chills brought me to tears. I was like, I. I actually felt Jesus. Like, I felt the Holy Spirit in the things he was creating, in the music that he was making. He makes music. It's like. It's like electric music. I don't know what, what is it called? Edm, Kind of. Not really. I don't know. And I'm listening to this and there is a part of me that has always been afraid to listen to these things or to consume these things. Things. But I'm like, if I. If I had never allowed myself to receive what God was trying to show me, and I never allowed myself to just open my heart to these, these things, I wouldn't have experienced that. And there's so much beauty in the world in movies, in songs and these things where it's like, technically, no, these people don't even know Jesus. It's not about Jesus. But why do I feel the Holy Spirit? Because all of us, whether we know Jesus or not, are creating from a place that only could be given by God. Now we can be influenced. Like, there are things that have been created in the world that are. Are fully influenced by the demonic these people are creating. And yes, they're only able to create because of God, but their influence is demon. And so we're not consuming stuff like that, but it's the people who create that, like, maybe they don't know Jesus, but it's coming from a place of, like, love and a light that they're. They're trying to communicate. It reminds me so much of. Of BC Alley, to be honest. Like, what BC Alley was making on the Internet. Internet was technically secular content, but it was the fact that I was. I was creating from a place of. I didn't know Jesus yet, like, personally, but I was creating from a place of, like, wanting to love and give hope and like, encourage people in just humanity and like, human experience and life and grief and confusion and, like, it would not be fair for me version of ally now that I've been sanctified to look at that alley and say, well, I'm not going to consume that content because you're secular. Like there's just beauty in so much outside of the church. Okay? So I say that and I say please be responsible with what I'm trying to communicate to you guys and say, please use discernment. Don't just use that as a pass to just like indulge in the most worldly garbage. Like there's worldly junk food. And then I do believe that there is stuff that is made in the world that had, has substance. So anyway, I feel the Lord is like balancing me now granted, do I still mainly consume things that are about Jesus? Yes, because I love him and I need him. And I need him. I don't have this like fear anymore of like, oh, but if I listen to that, that's going to open doors and that's going to open and I don't want that. Like that's just living in a place of fear. And like, I don't know, I listen to music like from Fred again and I'm like, Jesus loves this. Like I know he does. It's just discernment. Y' all just stay discerning in the spirit and be like, hey God, can I watch this movie? You know, it's techn not about you, but it's a really beautiful story and I know that you could be in it, you know, and just like let him show you what's safe to consume from the world and what's not. But I don't think that the world is off limits. I think that there are things in the world that are low key holy that people don't even know they're creating is holy. Does that make sense? People may not agree with what I'm saying right now and that's okay, but that is just personally what God has been walking me through and I felt so convicted about it. Like, I don't want to operate in religion, I don't want to operate in fear, I don't want to operate in legalism. Like I want to be open to whatever God wants me to experience. So that's my take. But the reason why I'm there's so much emphasis on like discernment is because how influential. Yes. Films and music, they influence us in ways we may not realize. So always discerning with the spirit before we consume things because our eyes and ears are the window to our souls. And like these things can really pierce our souls and influence us in either good ways or bad ways. So I'm putting that out there for you guys to check. Just meditate on with the Lord. Take that as you will, but that is just a personal experience I've been walking through. And I think, honestly, that's just the stage God has me at now where it's. I've gotten to this level of spiritual maturity, there will always be growth. But that is a place that he's taken me where he's like, hey, we're going to level out now. And it's actually been really cool. Okay, one that is coming up a lot. And I'm going to. I'm just going to let the Spirit actually guide me in this. This might be the last one we talk about. It keeps coming up, but sexual purity as a Christian woman. Yeah, y', all, let's talk about it. Actually, let's talk about sexual purity as a woman of God. For a Christian woman, sexual purity means abstaining from sexual activity outside of marriage and being faithful to her spouse within marriage. It involves practicing self control, maintaining boundaries, and honoring God in all areas of life, especially relationships. Ultimately, sexual purity is about reflecting God's values and living a life that glorifies Him. Him. The Bible emphasizes the importance of sexual purity, particularly the principle of reserving sexual intimacy for marriage. Scripture encourages avoiding sexual immorality and practicing self control. Sexual purity is not just about physical actions, but also about purity of heart and mind. It involves guarding one's thoughts and desires as well as abstaining from sexual immorality. While sexual purity is a goal, it is important to remember that God offers forgiveness and grace for failures. God's love and mercy are available to those who seek Him. Even if a woman has made mistakes in the past, she can be restored to purity through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. God can transform lives and offer a fresh start. First, Thessalonians 4, 3, 5 says, it is God's will that you should be sanctified, that you should avoid sexual immorality, that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in a passionate lust like the heathen who do not know God how to remain sexually pure. As a Christian, some things that come up on Google right now is to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. Flee from lust, removing triggering points in your life. Romans 13:14 also states, Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its lusts. That one could really be about anything that your flesh will wants. But these are some questions that we should ask ourselves. Okay. When we're talking about sexual purity as a Christ follower. And this really could Go for both men and women is one of the biggest questions that I will ask myself. Because I'm human too, guys, okay? We're all. We're all in this together is one, does this honor God? And two, does this honor my future husband or future spouse, my future wife? And I think. I mean, that could go as far as, like, making out on the couch and getting a little handsy with somebody or even further than that. I think that this is just real. But, like, in Christian culture, I think that some people believe that anything is okay except sex. I don't believe that that's actually what scriptures say. Obviously, we are not supposed to have sex outside of marriage, but what it sounds like to me is any type of sexual intimacy with someone outside of marriage. Now, I'm not saying making out is necessarily like. Like sexual intimacy, but I do think making out can become very lustful. Can we all agree in that if you're sitting there and you're just mouths making out from, like, hours, you can't tell me lust hasn't creeped into the room? I don't know. Use your discernment with that, okay? Because again, we don't need. I use your discernment with that. And, yeah, I think, like, just remembering that as you're dating, like, that person is not your spouse. They are technically still your brother or your sister in Christ. Christ. And so knowing that and being like, does this honor my future spouse? If this person isn't. I think making sure that we are staying sexually pure and it honors the Lord is by asking those two questions. I think another question is, does this simply satisfy my flesh? Like, really taking a step back and being like, does this activity. This could be masturbation. You don't even have to have another person in the room. This could be something that you're doing on your own. But the question is, is with what I'm doing in this activity, what is the purpose? Is it simply just satisfying my flesh? And if that's the answer, if the answer is yeah, I think that's a good indicator to be like, yeah, this isn't it. We're not supposed to satisfy our flesh in any way. Actually, I heard Stephanie Gretzinger say this once before where she said, the enemy feeds on our flesh. The enemy loves to feed on our flesh. Our flesh is weak, y'. All. And so when we cave to our flesh, the enemy's like, you. Yeah. Like, that is what he feeds off of, is our flesh. And because our flesh is weak, we need to go feed on a better Flesh, which is the flesh of Christ, which is Jesus. That's why we drink his blood and we eat of his flesh because he is perfect. And we need to put that on. Like we need to put on this scripture that just said Romans 13:14, that says, Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. Put on the flesh of Christ, eat of the flesh of Christ. When we are tempted to, like, flesh out in our own so that the enemy can't, because he eats on ours, we need to eat on his. Does that make sense? Now, granted, this says God has grace. God has grace. Sexual purity is the goal, okay? It's important to remember that God offers forgiveness and grace for failures. There's grace. We're not always going to be perfect at this. I'm not. We all aren't. Our flesh fleshes out and we cave to it sometimes, okay? And it's not just sexual. It's binging, it's overeating. It's. You know, there's other things of the fl. We can feed the flesh in so many ways. Ways. This is just one way. It's the goal, right? There's grace, but pursuing as much Christ likeness and righteousness of Jesus, pursuing as much of that as we can. Let's say that you struggle even just with lustful thoughts. Maybe it hasn't even gotten to a place of like, physicalness, but you, like, want to so bad. Maybe even you're fantasizing. And there's. Especially if this is something you've done in the past and you know how it goes. Those you've had sex before and you're pursuing purity now, and there's flashbacks and there's memories and you're like, I, okay, stop. I hate that. Get out. Because pursuing purity, like sexual purity is also. I love that that was brought up here, that it's not just physical actions, but it's also about purity of heart and mind. There is this one verse I've needed to use when things come into my mind that just are not encouraging me. They don't feel pure. They don't feel holy. Okay? It could be lustful thoughts. It could be anything. But because we're talking about lust right now and sexual purity, I want you guys to speak this scripture. I had the most insane encounter with the Lord saying this scripture in my mind. I didn't even say it out loud. That's how powerful the word of God is. And that's how powerful the name of Jesus is. Okay? There were things that were going on in my mind and I didn't like it. And I was like, lord, in my head, I said this scripture. And all of a sudden, this piece. Like, everything I was feeling had gone away and this peace had washed over. And I didn't even speak it out loud. I had just spoken it in my head, and it shifted. I saw this vision of, like, really rocky water. And then it just was like. Like still. And there was a stillness that washed over me where I was like, that just worked. And I honestly, I'd never experienced anything so supernatural. It's Second Corinthians 10, 5. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. God. And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. What's crazy is, like, the version that I could only come up, like, I knew the gist of this. Like, I didn't know this scripture word for word. But what I had said in my mind was. I said, I take every unholy thought in my head captive. I take every nasty thought in my mind captive. I take these thoughts, these lustful thoughts, these anxious thoughts. I take these thoughts captive, captive. And I. I make them obedient to the feet of Christ. I submit them to the feet of Christ. I tell them to go answer to Jesus. Like, I take these thoughts captive. And I actually submit you to Jesus. And I. You can answer to him. That's what that scripture means, is, you go ahead. You. I make them obedient to Christ. Y' all go ahead and you bow. You bow to him. And it was like they were gone. I think reading scripture like, Scripture like that, that can combat those thoughts. Thoughts has helped me a lot. Yeah, I really think that pursuing sexual purity as a Christian, it's hard. And so I just, like, I want to validate anybody where it's like, if this has been a challenge for you, especially if you were once living in that life and now you are pursuing purity, it can be difficult. And I. I really just want you to know that there's so much grace for you. God gives you so much grace, and there's grace to give ourselves. And there really is no shame or condemnation in those. Those who are in Christ Jesus. And so if we fall short sometimes, that's okay. But I think that's also when we can just rejoice when we are weak, because that's where the Lord can. That's when God can be strong for us and he can be our strength. Hopefully that answers some questions. I don't know, maybe we could talk more about this in another episode. But those are some simple questions that I'll ask myself is, I'll be like, hey, what's the heart posture here? What's motivating me to do this? Is it because I just want to satisfy my flesh? What's motivating me in this? Is it lust? Is it just, like, that type of gratification? Does it honor God? Does this truly honor God? And does this honor my future spouse? I think that's the best way to discern, like, whether you're operating in a place of. Of, like, is this okay or not? You know, like, you're like, is this okay, God? Or is it not? It's not sex, but, like, is this okay? And I think, like, asking the Holy Spirit to hold you accountable, you know, and be like, God, I need you to, like, convict me. Like, please convict me, me. Because I'm still learning, and I want to understand, like, what this looks like. And I, I. And I want to be holy, and I want to be pure. I've had to ask the Spirit to hold me accountable a lot or even other people in my life. I will say, though, that failing can be a good thing. Like, falling short and making mistakes can be a good thing. Hear me out. I say this because it comes from experience, honestly, because I have obviously failed, even as a Christian. I've failed. I've failed the Lord. I've known better in situations. I've satisfied my flesh. I've done stupid things, and there's grace for it. But there's also fruit to failing, y'. All. And the fruit of failing is that God, he uses the things that were meant for evil for good. You know, he. Like, he loves to do that. He flips it. He's like, actually, I'm gonna use this for the better, and I'm gonna make something beautiful out of this. And he does that with our failures. And so I think, like, if we're talking about the topic of lust, let's say you fall into sin in a lustful way and you did something that you knew better of or you're just not proud of. The fruit of that is that you now know how to set better boundaries moving forward. Like, there are things that maybe we need to be humbled in where you're like, okay, you know what? I didn't think that was going to be as tempting as it was. And it was, and I did it. And so now I know. And so when we talk about boundary, I think that was one of the things that was said when we talk about boundary, setting let's say that you were hanging out with your boyfriend or girlfriend and it got a little hot, got a little steamy, things got a little too far. K. But we went into that situation thinking, no, there's no way I'm going to be fine. I have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of me. What do you mean? I'm going to be fine, I can handle that. And then you didn't and things got a little lusty. Sometimes we need to be humbled a bit. Okay, maybe we're not as strong as we thought we were, but now we know and we set those boundaries moving forward, right? So if there are things that are tempting for you, certain environments, whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever. To each our own, whatever that is for you, like if there are things that are tempting for you or like scenarios, environments, whatever, whatever, that make it more tempting for you to slip up, like, reflect on that and be like, okay, so what? Where did I go wrong? Okay, we're gonna reflect on this and I'm not gonna feel shame about it because I know you have grace for me and I've repented and I love you and you love me more and I, oh, thank you, Jesus. That these are the very things that you died on the cross for me about, right? Like Jesus knew you were gonna do that very thing and he died for that. Okay, so it's been covered by his blood. Thank you, God. But now it's like, okay, Lord, so let's reflect. What could I have done better? What could I have done better? What, what led to this moment where I had fallen to this thing? And so there's light to have been found in our failures because that's when we can reflect with the Lord and be like, okay, we're going to set better boundaries moving forward, Holy Spirit, and you're going to hold me accountable. And this is awesome. It says it in the Bible, we are supposed to confess to our brothers and sisters. So when I say, you know, I ask the Holy Spirit to hold me accountable and even also my community sometimes, because it's good to bring those confessions and those things to our brothers and sisters so that we can also have that support from our community of like, hey, I. I need to be held account accountable. Like I'm weak in this area and these things and I can be easily tempted and I'm not as strong as I thought I was, which is fine, thank you God, that I'm weak. So you can be strong for me, but I'm gonna need your Holy Spirit and I'm gonna need your Holy Spirit also operating through my community. Like, I need support. And so that's awesome. Now we know that, right? So, yeah, just don't be hard on yourself if it's been hard for you. I think that the Lord lets us fail so that we can learn from them and we can grow stronger from it, and we can just gain more wisdom. Wisdom from failing, from experiences, you know, from successes and failures. Like, there's things to be learned and for us to grow in both of those things. So, anyway, that would be my feedback with that. I feel like I just skimmed the surface of that topic. I feel like we could talk probably more about that, but I hope that it gave some people some clarity. And also, like, just invite Jesus in dating. Like, if this stuff is, like, hard for you, ask him. Ask him, and he'll help you. He'll help you, help you. Okay, guys, well, listen, we're gonna wrap up this episode. I love you so much. I feel like I just blabbed and we went every which way the whole time, but I love y'. All. I'm proud of you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for listening. Hey, can we do something really cool today, guys? Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Can we walk more like him, talk more like him, Pursue purity just like him? Yeah. I love you guys, and I'm grateful for you. I hope you guys have an incredible rest of your days until the next time we see each other. And I will see you 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. Subscribe to our patreon@www.patreon.com c backslash cwcoi. 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