stop believing in Jesus. (start following Him)

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: Christ With Coffee On Ice

Host: Ally Yost
Episode: "stop believing in Jesus. (start following Him)"
Date: December 5, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and vulnerable episode, Ally Yost challenges listeners to move beyond simply believing in Jesus to actively following Him. With her signature warmth, humor, and contagious enthusiasm, Ally intertwines personal testimony, scripture, and encouragement for anyone questioning their faith, feeling stuck, or seeking genuine hope. The episode centers on the transformative power of a real relationship with Christ, the difference it made in Ally’s own life, and practical encouragement for those curious, seeking, or returning to faith.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Connection and Setting the Tone

• Ally opens with her classic “Christ, Coffee on Ice” essentials—her Bible and iced coffee (01:31).
• She shares her relatable quirks, ADHD tendencies, and how they shape her podcasting style (“I can barely keep up with myself... I actually think it’s a miracle that I have a podcast.”) (08:20).
• She expresses her desire for authenticity: “Expect vulnerability, rawness, hope, and encouragement.”

2. On Christmas & Religious Traditions (03:51–05:04)

• Discusses the debate around the date of Jesus’s birth:

  “If we're gonna say it's December 25th, it's not that serious. Let's just celebrate his birth. Amen. Our Savior was born into the world. Let's celebrate it...” (04:17)

• Emphasizes celebrating Jesus every day, not just at Christmas.

3. Spontaneous Worship and Overflowing Joy

• Shares how filled she feels by the Holy Spirit and breaks out into song:

  singing “He saved me. He saved me. Now we will never leave his love.” (06:14)

• Ally highlights the transformative impact of God’s love and the joy she experiences from it.

4. On Testimonies—The Shift from Belief to Following (11:42–13:49)

• Ally discusses her past, where she “believed” in Jesus but wasn’t following Him:

  “It’s not that I never believed in Jesus... but I was not following Him. Like, I was not listening to what he had to say for my life. Because, honestly, I wasn’t asking.” (12:47)

• She explains the freedom of now yielding her plans to God and experiencing life as a “dance with God,” choosing His will freely.

5. The Importance of Remembering Life Before Christ (15:49–17:44)

• Encourages listeners to recall their life before encountering Jesus as a source of compassion and renewed zeal:

  “If it wasn’t for that, we could never testify. And also have compassion for people who do not know Jesus.” (16:33)

• Suggests honest prayers for God to remind us of “what He delivered us from,” to stir gratitude and a testimony.

6. The Difference Between Knowing About and Knowing Jesus (20:07–23:08)

• Ally addresses skepticism toward Christianity and underscores the necessity of encountering the Holy Spirit personally:

  “Again, I believed in Jesus, but I wasn’t following Him. I didn’t know him personally... I didn’t know the Holy Spirit intimately.” (20:42)

• Encourages giving Jesus “a real fair shot”—reading the Gospels, praying honestly, and being open-hearted.

7. Experiencing Christ's Love—An Invitation (25:43–26:15)

• Ally attempts to articulate the inexpressible depth of God’s love:

  “His love is something I can’t put words to. Like, I wish I could tell you guys words that would actually help you understand if it’s something you haven’t felt before... There are no words. You have to just experience it yourself, and I know you can.” (25:43)

8. Apology on Behalf of the Church & Affirmation of Value (26:15–29:35)

• She boldly offers love, affirmation, and a heartfelt apology on behalf of those wronged by others in or out of the church:

  “If other people have treated you otherwise, I am so sorry. Actually, I am sorry on their behalf. Like, if you’ve never received an I'm sorry from those people... I am so sorry. And you. You deserve that. I'm sorry. And you didn't deserve to be treated that way.” (26:33)

• Reiterates the unshakeable worth and love each person has in Christ:

  “I would bet my life on it that you are loved so deeply by Jesus.” (27:10)

9. Scriptural Anchors & Prayer for Listeners (31:04–35:27)

• Anchors her encouragement in 1 John 4:19 (“We love because He first loved us”) and Jeremiah 29:11.
• Prays over listeners for supernatural encounter, restoration, and confidence:

  “Jesus, I pray for my friend on the other end of this podcast...I actually pray for a supernatural encounter with your Holy Spirit right now.” (31:20)

• Emphasizes forgiveness, identity, and hope in Christ.

10. Practical Encouragement for New Believers (35:27–39:54)

• Advises seeking Jesus with childlike curiosity and without pressure of instant transformation:

  “Go into this like a child and just be curious... Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all else will follow.” (36:41)

• Encourages finding community, plugging into a local church, and seeking godly friendships as essential to growth:

  “There is something so powerful of watching people demonstrate what it actually means to walk with Jesus...Iron sharpening iron.” (39:54)

11. Final Challenge and Benediction (43:00–43:04)

• Ally offers a final challenge:

  “Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Can we walk more like Jesus, talk more like Him? Be more like Christ today?” (43:00)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Following vs. Believing:
  “The difference is that I follow Him, and I say, God, what do you want from my life? And then I say, yes... because you love that plan.” (13:49)

• On Sharing the Gospel:
  “There's actually nothing more rewarding than sharing the truth. And the truth has a capital T, but it also starts with a J. And it's Jesus.” (11:42)

• On Encountering God:
  “If you open your heart to Him fully, fully, you will encounter His love. You will encounter His spirit. You will.” (24:30)

• On Grace:
  “Thank you that we are not too damaged for you. Thank you Lord that you love us even in the messes we’ve created for ourselves.” (34:59)

---

Important Timestamps

• [01:31] Episode begins—Ally welcomes listeners and sets the tone.
• [03:51] Christmas, tradition, and keeping focus on Jesus.
• [06:14] Spontaneous worship—“He saved me.”
• [11:42] On sharing the gospel—joy of testimony.
• [13:49] Distinction between believing in and following Jesus.
• [16:33] The purpose of our past pain in testifying and compassion.
• [20:07] On encountering the Holy Spirit; difference between head-knowledge and relationship.
• [25:43] The indescribable, experiential love of God.
• [26:33] Apology for past hurts inflicted by the church/people.
• [31:04] Citing scripture, 1 John 4:19; prayer for the audience.
• [35:27] Advice for spiritual curiosity; seeking with childlike openness.
• [39:54] Importance of Christian community.
• [43:00] Charge to model Jesus; closing blessings.

---

Tone and Style

• Deeply personal, honest, and conversational
• Self-aware humor and gentle self-deprecation
• Encouraging, compassionate, and faith-filled
• Free-flowing with relatable tangents, worship, and practical advice

---

Final Thoughts

This episode is a warm, honest invitation to move beyond intellectual assent and into transformative relationship with Jesus. Ally’s approach is both challenging and deeply comforting, offering hope through personal testimony, grounded scriptural insight, and specific encouragements for next steps. For anyone wrestling with their faith, doubting their worth, or simply curious about Christ, this episode offers both a safe space and a galvanizing charge.

---

Transcript

[A]

Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.

[B]

Zoe, this thing weighs a ton. Drew Ski, Live with your legs, man.

[A]

Santa. Santa, did you get my letter?

[B]

He's talking to you britches. I'm not.

[A]

Of course he did.

[B]

Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list. And elf. I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T Mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?

[A]

I'm Mrs. Claus. Claus much younger sister. And AT T Mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch. So you can keep your old phone.

[B]

Or give it as a gift.

[A]

And the best part, you can make the switch to T mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.

[B]

Nice. My side of the tree is slipping. Kimber, the holidays are better. AT T Mobile, switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T mobile is available in U.S. cellular stores with sweeper. Monthly bill credits for well qualified customers, plus tax and $35 vice connection charge credit sentinel balance due to payout earlier. Cancel Finance agreement. 256 gates, $830. Eligible Ford in a new line, $100 plus a month plan with auto fees required. Check out 50 minutes or less per line. Visit t mobile.com AI agents are everywhere, Automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI [e-mail] that's R U V R I K.com hello, everybody.

[A]

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 today. Welcome, everybody. Welcome to another episode. Happy Friday. I am so excited to be here with you guys. I am excited because I am ready to see the way that the Lord shows up in this episode today. Can I get a hallelujah? Amen. Okay. I think I heard a few of them. Hallelujah. Amen. I am so ready to see the way that God moves in this episode today. I am ready for him to save lives. Yep. I'm ready for him to give people hope. I'm ready for him to reveal to people who their actual creator is, who they've been made for, who they've been created to be loved by. And yeah, it's going to Be a glorious day. It's going to be a really good day. But first and foremost, we are here. We have our Christ, obviously, we have our Jesus right here. To those of you who might just be listening, I am holding up my Bible. Saved my life. Literally saved my life. Word of God.

It says on the back of my Bible, he has planted eternity in the human heart.

Which is Ecclesiastes 3:11. I love that. This is my holy Bible. I got it from Hosanna Revival. I've talked enough about them. They're just the best. I actually haven't talked enough about them. But you guys still ask questions of what Bible. I use this one. I use this one. It is the NLT translation.

Yeah. It's beautiful. And if you guys ever want to shop Hosanna Revival, I have a code with them. It's Ali Yost, my first and last name.

So, word of God, we have our Christ, and we have our coffee on ice. I'm using my plastic tumbler today, you guys. It's been a while since I've used my plastic tumbler.

Little asmr. It looks dark today. My coffee. My coffee looks a little dark. I typically. I mean, my coffee usually looks like chocolate milk. Like, it's ridiculous. I put so much creamer in it. So. So much milk in it. It's like, where's the coffee? Alley. I don't know. I like it to be a lighter latte color. It's a little dark for me today, but that's okay.

Gorge. I used a. It's almost Christmas. No, it's not. Where are we in time right now? It. Christmas is in a few weeks. Yes, it is. I know it's in a few weeks. Thank you, God. Do you know what Christmas means, guys? It means that it's Jesus's birthday, which I know that there's arguments about, like, whether December 25th is actually Jesus's birthday or not. There's actually a lot of proof that maybe it's not actually his birthday. But you know what? Whatever. He was born on a day, wasn't he? And if we're gonna say it's December 25th, it's not that serious. Let's just celebrate his birth. Amen. Our Savior was born into the world. Let's celebrate it and hang all the Christmas lights about it. Okay, That's a whole nother topic. Because now I'm like, there's people who are like, no, it's a pagan holiday. I love Jesus and I love Christmas, okay? And if we're gonna say that all of this is his.

Christmas is his too. Okay? People may use it in a way that doesn't honor him, but that doesn't mean I. I'm gonna honor Jesus on Christmas, and I'm gonna honor him every day, and I'm gonna do it while also enjoying my Christmas tree. I'm not idolizing the Christmas tree. I'm not believing that the Christmas tree can answer my prayers. And.

Where did that come from? I don't know. Anyway, Merry Christmas. I don't know what day it is. Like, I don't know when this episode goes like, it's not Christmas yet.

What got me on that tangent? My coffee. I put a pumpkin oat milk with pumpkin in it. How did they do that? How did they make oat milk taste like pumpkin? I don't know. But it. It was giving two in one for me, where I was like, oh, I can do oat milk. And then I don't have to put a pumpkin creamer. It's like two in one, but without the creamer. It looks a little dark. It doesn't taste bad. It does have a hint of pumpkin for sure. But I could use a little more creamer.

Anyway. Okay.

Guys. I am so filled. Can I scream? Hold on, let me do it over here. Felt with the spirit of God today. I don't know what he did to me. I don't know what he did to me. He saved me. That's what he did. He saved me. He saved me. And I will never leave his love. I had to remember the words for a second.

Sing it with me. Everybody ready? He saved me. He saved me. Now we will never leave his love.

Cause I'm in love. I cannot remember what I was doing before I left. Oh, doing before I met you. I've been captivated.

By love that saved me. Cause I'm in love. I cannot remember what I was doing before. Why do I keep saying left? You devil, I rebuke you. I never left Jesus. Well, okay. There was a lot of my life I ignored him. But.

Before I met you, I've been captivated.

By love that saved me. Cause he saved me. He saved me. He saved me. Now I will never leave his love. Anyway. He saved me. Okay. What? Where did that come from? Guys, I'm gonna be honest. It was so funny. I was with a friend this morning. I went to coffee with her. She's the sweetest ever. Her name is Sammy. Shout out Sammy if you're listening to this. Love you, girl. Okay. I went to coffee with my friend Sammy today and I Can't tell stories. Like, I. Okay, no, I actually can't tell stories. Look what I just did. I interrupt myself. I, like, have, like a conversation with myself in my head. Like, I combat my. It is the most ridiculous thing. And I'm like, I think I'm unmedicated. Like, I just. I may have a little bit of adhd. Something.

I can't stop my brain, she just goes this way and that way and that way all at once. I'm probably actually just a genius. I think that's actually what it means, is I'm actually just a genius and my brain just goes at the speed of genius that my. My mouth can't keep up or something.

Or something like that. Or that's what I just need to tell myself so I can sleep peacefully at night. But, oh, my. I. I will start something. That's why I actually think it's a miracle that I have a podcast. How can people keep up with me? I don't know.

I truly don't know how you guys keep up with me because I can barely keep up with myself. I'm trying to tell her a story at brunch and I'm like, over here. And then I'm over here. That would stress a lot of people out, I fear. And so if you are here today listening to this episode. Well, if you're a first time listener, buckle up.

If you're not a first time listener, though, you're a real one. And it probably means that you're type B. There's no way type A people who are, like, black, like, they got their life. Listen, I respect type A. I do. Sometimes I wish I could channel a little bit of it because I am so not type A. It's like, I don't even think I could if I tried, like, order. I can't function in order. Why can I only function in chaos? Lord, do I need healing in that? Okay, I'll talk to you later. But, like, okay, I just forget why I start saying things. Yeah. You know.

You know what I mean. And if you came to this episode today expecting me to talk about Jesus, apparently I'm not, because I'm 10 minutes in.

Where's Jesus? Well, I sang. We wait. We worshiped. We worshiped for a little bit. He saved me. Okay, we don't need to do it again. Also, guys, another side tangent. That's so fun. Hopefully I can finish this thought. I. I will. Ready? I want to have a Christmas album one day. I do. I want to sing Christmas songs and then I want to Put them out into the world. So don't know when I'm going to do that. That is a dream I'd love to. To accomplish in my life with the help of jc, my Jesus Christ. He's going to help me with that. But I think that could be so fun. Like, what do you think? I don't know if I'm writing a Christmas song, but I'd love to do covers of Christmas songs, a short little Christmas EP or something fun. Okay. Anyway, guys, welcome to this episode. Now that we are almost, I don't know what, 15 minutes in. I'm really excited for today. Oh, I was just talking about how much the Lord filled me today, and I don't know why. And I said, oh, because he saved me. And then we started singing. But I feel so filled today because I don't know why. I don't know what I did different today, actually. I mean, I spent time with him this morning. That typically helps. That'll help. Because his mercies are new every morning, and so receiving those mercies feels incredible.

But I think he just baptized me in his spirit again today. I don't. Like, I genuinely. I don't know what I did. I didn't really do anything different today. I just feel good, and I feel like I've been in the glory of God all day. I've been able to see some of the best people today, and I don't. I don't. I mean, I've been, like, evangelizing a little bit lately. I've just been, like, speaking the truth of the gospel to people lately. And not that I'm not always doing that, but, you know, sometimes there's days where I'm like, wow, that was fun. Like, there's actually nothing more rewarding than sharing the truth.

And the truth has a capital T, but it also starts with a J. And it's Jesus. He's the truth. And it's so fun sharing the truth. It is so fun sharing Jesus with other people. And in a way that isn't shoving it down anyone's throat. But, like, what's so fun about sharing the truth of who Jesus is is that I have history without him. Like, I think that that's what really makes it so fun for me. Even though maybe there is a part of me that, like, envies people who have known him since the minute they were. Like, I hear people telling stories where, like, they literally experienced the love of God as a child, and I'm like, wow, that is so amazing. I wish I had that. But also like, me being able to talk about the goodness of God. Like, the fact that I have, like, a testimony behind that. That's why it says in Scripture that there's, like, nothing more powerful than the power of our testimonies. And we've talked about that on the podcast. But I love it because I can testify and say no. I can say this. And I know that he's real because I lived a life without him. For 27 years. I lived a life without actually abiding with Jesus. What does that mean? Yielding to him and what he says in Scripture and who he is and who he's called me to be. I actually am, like, choosing to follow him instead of just believe in Him. There was a difference. It's not that I never believed in Jesus. It's not that I never believed that he was true, but I was not following Him. Like, I was not listening to what he had to say for my life. Because, honestly, I wasn't asking. I wasn't asking. I made all the plans for my own life and then asked him to back it. Like, my whole life, I was like, I'm gonna do whatever feels right, because, duh, of course I'm gonna follow my feelings. What do you mean? That's my inner. Like, I trusted my feelings. I trusted myself more than God, and then I asked God to back me up.

So now the difference is that I follow him and I say, God, what do you want from my life? And then I say, yes, and then I say, okay, God, you're right. I love that plan because you love that plan. And what's so sweet is that it's like a dance with God, you know, where it's like. It's not just like an aye, aye, captain. I have no choice in my life anymore. I give up all my free will, which is impossible, by the way, because God gave us the gift of free will. So, like, it doesn't make sense for him to give us free will to then rip it away from us, but he gives us free will, free will to choose his will, which is like magic, by the way, like how it was always supposed to be, that in our free will, we choose the will of God because we trust that he knows way more than we do. And so that's the difference of who I used to be and now. But I love sharing the truth of who Jesus is because of how I know my life was before Him. And so I don't know if anyone else relates to that. I think that it also comes from remembering if you've lost that fire or that, like, zeal or that excitement of sharing Jesus with other people, because that's. That's real. Like, I think it is so real to get comfortable and to be like, yeah, Jesus is awesome. He's my bestie. And, like, forget the truth of what our lives looked like before knowing him. Or let's say you've known Jesus your whole life, but there was a season that you were so desperate, or maybe you felt really far away from. From him. Like, think back to a season where it felt very void of God. And it's like, not that he was actually ever void. He's. He's always present with us, but especially if you. If you once live. Lived a life without God and you've been walking with the Lord for. Let's say you've been walking with Jesus for 40 years.

I pray that my whole life I always have that zeal. But also, if you don't, I think that's a simple prayer of being like God, will you remind me of the pain and agony and confusion, lack of purpose, depression, anxiety? Like, the way that I wanted to literally not be here anymore. I wanted to die. Like, whatever that testimony is. Like, it's so. It's so interesting because it's like we could either look back at that and say, God, why did you ever let me go through that? Like, why didn't you come in and swoop me up sooner? Why did you let me go through all of that? I wish I never had to remember that. Like, there's so much, like, pain and shame and regret and, like, you honestly don't want to feel it again. But, y', all, if it wasn't for that, we could never testify. And also have compassion for people who do not know Jesus. Like, I think my compassion truly is rooted from a place of remembering. I wasn't walking with him. I wasn't following him. And so if you feel like you lack in that department of, like, having compassion for other people or. Or having that fire of, like, no, Jesus is literally everything. I think reading the word of God will ignite that fire in you is always the answer. But also a prayer of God, remind me, remind me. Actually give me a nightmare about my past so that I wake up praising you, thanking you for saving my life. I forgot how miserable it was. God. I forgot how tortured I was. God. I forgot how oppressed I was demonically oppressed. I was in misery. I had no purpose. Actually, yes, let me remember those things so that you wake up that morning on your face saying, God, I can't believe that you delivered me from that life.

And then trust me, you will have no problem testifying to the world about how good Jesus is. Like, sometimes we forget, okay, I don't know where that came from, but thank you God. Do thoughts like Did I really mean that prayer? Or what if God is disappointed in me? Replay over and over in your head? Or do you keep worrying that you aren't believing hard enough, that every unwanted thought might be blasphemy, or that you've somehow lost your salvation and no matter how many times you pray, read or repent, that anxiety just will not leave. Experiences like that can be religious ocd, but because OCD is so misunderstood, a lot of people don't even realize that it can latch into religious beliefs. Real OCD is nothing like the stereotypes of just wanting everything to be super organized. It's a serious and highly misunderstood condition where unwanted and distressing thoughts get stuck on repeat in your mind and you feel compelled to engage in certain behaviors to make them stop. The thing is, is that these behaviors only provide temporary relief, and trying to fight OCD thoughts just make them come back even stronger. And that's why OCD can be so debilitating. But there is hope. OCD is highly treatable with the right kind of specialized therapy. What works for OCD is ERP therapy or Exposure and Response Prevention. NOCD is the world's leading provider for OCD treatments. All of their licensed therapists truly understand OCD and specialize in ERP therapy. Therapy with no CD is 100% virt, covered by insurance for over 155 million Americans and includes support between sessions so you're never facing OCD alone. To learn more about starting OCD therapy with no CD, go to nocd.com and book a free call to learn more about how they can help you.

[B]

That's nocd.com AI agents are everywhere, automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails, and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI [e-mail] that's R U B R-I K.com.

[A]

And yeah, I just Jesus is it. He's it. He's everything. It's funny like I feel like a lot of people can have a lot of opinions about Jesus on what he can and cannot do who have never actually encountered him. And so that's that's my challenge to people who try to combat me. Like, oh, you just have a. Like, okay, that's just, like, your thing. And, like, that's just, like, your imaginary friend, or, like, that's your version of God that, like, gets you through things. But I'm like, no. Because the version of who God was in my head before I ever actually met him still wasn't doing enough.

Like, again, I believed in Jesus, but I wasn't following Him. I didn't know him personally. He was not my best friend. I didn't know the Holy Spirit intimately. What is the Holy Spirit? It is the Spirit of God that was left here on earth after Jesus died. Rose from the grave. He died and was brought back to life.

Went back to the Father, but left his Holy Spirit here. It is the Spirit of God that hovers with us today.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, the Trinity, God, all one God. It wasn't until I met the Spirit of God I got a little excited for a second. I had to come back. Hey. It wasn't until I met the Spirit of God until it all clicked for me and made sense. And so until you've met the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the true Spirit, Jesus Christ, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear anybody tell me that I have an imaginary friend that I've made up. And this is just the thing that works for me. No, because nothing else worked for me. And even my own, like.

Understanding of who God was before I actually truly met him. He met me. I met him. He found me. He chased me down. Did I actually understand that Jesus actually is the way truth and life. Another thing that I have been having conversations with people about in my life is not like, the. I think that the thing that's so important if you. If you haven't started a relationship with Jesus or haven't given him a chance or if you're skeptical or all those things, first off, I get it. Because, like, anything new is we're going to be skeptical, you know, especially if we have been let down before. It makes sense. I think there were parts of me that was still skeptical about who Jesus was before I really met him. And I would say, I think the reason why I was able to, like, actually encounter him for the first time in my life was because I actually was like, okay, like, but gave him my full okay. Like, my full yes. I'm gonna give you a chance. I'm gonna apply myself. I'm gonna read this Bible. I'm gonna Pray. I'm gonna educate myself and I'm gonna open my heart to the possibilities of who you are. And even if you just go to Jesus and you're like.

Okay, I don't even know if this is going to work. I don't even know. I don't even know what to expect, but I know that I'm desperate and I know that I need something that's bigger than myself. And so my heart is open. Like, I think, truly, you will encounter the spirit of God if you go to him with. With a complete open heart of being, like, I'm open to see who you are. And you really give him, like, a full yes. And what that means is, like, okay, I'm not gonna, like, dabble in a little bit of God stuff and then dabble in all these other things, like, give him a real fair shot. And read the Bible, read the New Testament, read the Gospels, read about Jesus. Encounter his love. Read the words that came out of his mouth. And I'm telling you that. I'm telling you, you will. It actually will be impossible for you to not encounter the. Now, I'm not saying you will encounter him or you will actually. I rebuke that. Yes, you will. I have faith for that. That you will actually encounter the spirit of God the minute you open your. Yes, you will. The minute you open your heart to him. How about that? Yeah, you will, because you were made for that. You were made to know Jesus, your soul, whether you believe it or not. Yet. That's okay. That's okay. I don't even know if I was fully sold. If you open your heart to him fully, fully, you will encounter his love. You will encounter his spirit. You will, because it's exact. It's the thing that you were made for. Like, I know that it seems so crazy and out there because it's like, well, I haven't seen. Like, how do we know? Like, I'm telling you, I know that this is what I was made for because I have never felt anything else like this in my life. And I don't think anything else will come close to it. Nothing has fulfilled me as much as it's. I've been. I've felt fulfilled knowing Jesus. Nothing has given me more purpose than being in relationship with Jesus and, like, knowing who I was created by and what I was created for, which is, by the way, the two most important commandments that God has given us as his children, which is to love God with all of our heart, mind and soul, and to love others as we love Ourselves. That's my job here on planet Earth. There's. My purpose is to love God with my entire being, like, every fiber in my body, which I can do because I've experienced his love. And his love is, like.

Sometimes I feel like I could just dissolve. His love is something I can't put words to. Like, I wish I could tell you guys words that would actually help you understand if it's something you haven't felt before. Apparently, this episode is about. Like, I'm just speaking to send this to your friend who need I. Okay, here we are. I don't know where we're going in this episode. I wish that I could pick words that would actively translate the love of God, but I can't.

I can't. There aren't. Okay. There are no words. You have to just experience it yourself, and I know you can. I have faith for you. I'd also actually really love to pray for you right now, if that'd be okay, that you will, because I know you will, because you were made for Him. Like, if you are living and breathing and you're listening to this, and you're a human being and you. And. And yes, you were. You're not excluded. You're not forgotten. He's obsessed with you. And I'm sorry if other people have told you otherwise or if other people have showed you in the ways that they've acted that you are not worthy of being obsessed over or being loved that deeply, but I'm telling you that you are. I'm telling you that you are. And I know that that's bold coming from, like, a stranger on the Internet. I know you don't know me, but I'm telling you that you are. I know. I know it. I could bet my life on that. You are so deeply loved by Jesus. I would. I would literally bet my life on it that you are loved so deeply by Jesus. And if other people have treated you otherwise, I am so sorry. Actually, I am sorry on their behalf. Like, if you've never received an I'm sorry from those people, if it was never acknowledged to you of how you were betrayed or left or how somebody's actions, or maybe they even said it to you, that you were not worthy of being loved so deeply, I am so sorry on that person's behalf. Like, if it's okay, I would love to step in for that person and say, I am so sorry. And you. You deserve that. I'm sorry. And you didn't deserve to be treated that way. You didn't deserve to be told that you aren't worthy of that kind of love. And I know that we have been made by God and we've been made in his image, but the ways that people have treated you poorly is not the character of God. It's not who God is. And I can say that because no one's told me to say that. No one's made me a puppet. Like, I could have kept on going the life that I was going before, which was not knowing any of that, to be honest. Not experiencing God's love, believing what people said about me, believing in the ways. Like. Like truly internalizing the way that people treated me and believing that because they could treat me that way, it's because that's who I am. Like, if this wasn't the truth right now, I would still be living that way. I would still be allowing people to tell me how lovable I am or how worthy I am. I am sitting here today telling you this because I am living proof that everything that I am saying is true about you, too. I. I would bet my life on it. And a lot of this is going to sound like such a mystery. And. And here's the thing. Here's the thing. I am sitting here as an active believer of Jesus. I would give my life for him. I have given my life for him. I have given up everything for him. My life is for Jesus. Why? Because I would give my life to somebody who has loved me as deeply as Jesus loves me, just as he gave his life for me first. I can only love because of how he loved me first. And. And that's just the truth. Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.

[B]

Zoe. This thing weighs a ton. Live with your legs, man.

[A]

Santa. Santa, did you get my letter?

[B]

He's talking to you, Bridges. I'm not.

[A]

Of course he did.

[B]

Right, Santa, you know my elf, Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list. And elf, I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T Mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?

[A]

I'm Mrs. Claus's much younger sister. And AT T Mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch. So you can keep your old phone.

[B]

Or give it as a gift.

[A]

And the best part, you can make the switch to T Mobile from your phone in just 15.

[B]

Guys, my side of the tree is slipping. Kimber, the holidays are better. AT T Mobile, switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T Mobile is available in US cellular stores with 24 monthly bill credits for well qualified customers plus tax and $35 vice connection charge credit and balance due to payout earlier. Cancel Finance Agreement 256 gigs $830 eligible board in a new line 100 plus a month plan with auto payments, taxes and fees required. Check out 15 minutes or less per line. Visit t mobile.com here for Lowe's early Black Friday deals. Perfect timing. Get up to 50% off select major appliances plus up to an ext 25% off when you bundle select appliances. Holiday lights going up soon. Select ladders are up to 50% off right now at Lowe's. Lowe's we help you save file through 1119. Selection varies by location. Select locations only while supplies last. See lowe's.com for more details.

[A]

Visit your nearby Lowe's on Colorado street in Kennewick.

It says in First John 4:19 we love because he first loved us, which is a passage from the New Testament and this verse highlights a central theme in Christian theology. The source of human love is the prior unconditional love that God has shown humanity. It suggests that our capacity to love others is a reflection of and a response to God's initial love for us. I would love to pray for you. I might just do it right now. Jesus, I pray for my friend on the other end of this podcast. God, I thank you for their curiosity to know you. I thank you that you have brought them to this episode for a reason, that it is not a coincidence that they are here right now. And so Lord, I actually pray for a supernatural encounter with your Holy Spirit right now. I pray that through the comfort of my voice, God, that your Holy Spirit is tangibly on my voice right now comforting them and letting them know that everything that has happened in their life, God, you were there the whole time. You have been with them through all of it. And it might be hard to understand how you would allow the things to happen that have happened. But God, I thank you that you were there with them and you are still with them today. That you are not done with them yet, you have not given up on them, that you love them so deeply. And so Jesus, I just bless them. I bless them in Jesus name. I pray for a restoration of.

Just their confidence in who they've been created to be. God, I pray for restoration of identity in Jesus name I proclaim the good the good good news of the gospel, God, that their sins have been forgiven by your blood, Jesus, that your blood covers all of it. Lord, I actually Pray that they give their life to you right now. That they say in Jesus name God I want to know you. I am done running away. I'm done running away from you. I'm done making my own decisions. I'm done living life without you. I don't want to do it alone anymore.

And so God I just pray for a repentive heart from them like that. They just go, God I am so sorry for doing life without you. I want to know you, I want to know you.

So Lord I pray God bless them, bless their life, bless the calling on their life. God I thank you that Jeremiah 29:11 was written for them. God I thank you that this Bible, the Bible and these verses that I say at them, they're not just verses and it's not just a Bible that's just like, like it is a personal story, it is a personal, it is personal between them and you like that scripture was written for them.

Jeremiah 29:11 that says that God has given them hope and a future. The Lord has given you hope and a future. That is the truth. And so Lord I thank you that they get to walk in that truth. And Lord I just ask that you are with them in every step of their life. God continue to show them the way. And Lord I lastly just pray a protection over them. God protect them from anything that is not of you, any thoughts that come through their mind like anything that is not of you. God will you please cancel it out in Jesus name I pray just the protection of God Lord, send angels around them and I just pray that from now on, from today, on this moment on, they will learn to know who you are. And then through that they will actually learn to know who they are and who they've truly been made to be.

Thank you Jesus, we love you God, we bless you Lord. Thank you for your compassion. Thank you for never giving up on us God, thank you that we are not too far gone. Thank you that we are not too damaged Lord, thank you that we are not damaged goods in your eyes. We are not too far gone, we are not too damaged for you. Thank you Lord that you love us even in the mess. Thank you God that you love us even in the messes we've created for ourselves.

And so I just pray all these things and I bless my friend on the other end in Jesus name. Amen. And here's the thing, this is the other thing I'm going to encourage you to do. If you're somebody who's like I don't know or you're like, yes, I want to give him a chance, but I don't know how. Don't take it too seriously. Like, I think the other thing is that when I went into this I was like so naive, kind of naive. I just like didn't know what to expect. I think I was just like, I just wanted hope. Like I, I just wanted relief from what I was feeling and the pain that I was feeling and the loneliness and just feeling so lost and purposeless. Like, I think I just wanted relief and everything else that I was trying that would, that I thought would give me relief would give me relief temporarily but like it wouldn't last. And so I think that was my motive obviously. But I didn't realize like all that, all the restoration and the healing and just like the love that I got to encounter. That alone is like, oh, I want nothing else in this world. But I think because of that kind of like I had lowish expectations. I think my expectations were like, I just wanted relief. And so because of that I went into it kind of like, yeah, just like open to anything and.

My expectations, like I wasn't putting a bunch of pressure on myself to be like, you know, supernaturally transformed and to have like this insane. I think I just went into it kind of like a child and I think that that's how you. I would really encourage you to do that. Like go into this like a child and just be curious. Like, I just think just going into this open hearted and just curious about who he could be is the best thing that you could do. And the rest will really follow. It's that scripture that says seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all else will follow. What does that mean? Just seek God. Seek God, like out of pure curiosity and be like, I want to learn more about you God, and I want to learn more about who you've created me to be. And I want to know what it means to actually have a relationship with you. Because I don't know. I don't know any. I don't know how that I don't know. But I want to know.

[B]

Tis the season for identity theft. This time of year most of us are checking off our holiday gift lists. But guess what? Identity thieves have lists too. And your personal information might be on them. Protect your identity with lifelock. Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points every second and alerts you to threats you could miss by yourself. Even if you keep an eye on your bank and credit card statements. If your identity is stolen, your own US based Restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed or your money back. And all plans are backed by the million dollar protection package. The last thing you want to do this holiday season is face drained accounts, fraudulent loans or other financial losses from identity theft all alone. Make this season about joy, not Identity theft. With LifeLock, save up to 40% your first year. Call 1-800-LIFELOCK and use promo code iHEART or go to lifelock.com iHEART for 40% off terms apply.

[A]

If you are seriously considering following Jesus after this episode. I don't make commission off of this. Like, it's not Like, I get. Like. Like, this isn't like an MLM type of thing, right? Like, I'm like, if you subscribe to Jesus, I get nothing from this other than fulfillment of purpose. Like, I just feel. I'm like, it gives me so much purpose to share the freedom that I've received through Christ with other people, and that in itself is my reward. Like, I don't. There is nothing. I have no. I have no motive here. There's, like, truly nothing in it for me other than just pleasing God and knowing that I did the right thing and sharing the truth of who he is and encouraging people to experience a love that is like, duh, like, why wouldn't I want other people to experience this love? It's radical, amazing, offensive, but beautiful and the best thing ever. But if you have given your life to Jesus, if you've decided at this point that you want to give your life to Jesus, hallelujah. Thank you the Lord. I'm so grateful that you're here. Thank you, Jesus.

But I will put some, maybe some resources and things that you could follow in the description or in the comments here on this episode. I can share links of, you know, Bibles, other podcast episodes that would help you of, like, okay, now what?

And, yeah, just other resources and things that I, I believe could help you. Also, please get plugged into a local church. I know that that's like the most cliche Christian sentence ever, but go to a local church and find really incredible people that you relate to and start surrounding yourself with people who believe in Jesus. Because that was the other thing that transformed my life, was that I got to watch and witness people live for Jesus. Because I think there's a difference between obviously walking alone with Jesus and, like, having that personal relationship with him, which is all great and amazing, but there is something so powerful of, like, watching people demonstrate what it actually means to walk with Jesus. And it's just really great to have examples in front of Us, I think obviously, like this podcast is a great. Sure, but it's still virtual. And I just think, and even if you are a Christian listening to this and you haven't prioritized community, I could not emphasize enough how important it is to be in community and to be around people who are like minded and love Jesus and like really, truly faithfully follow him. Like really actually follow Jesus. You know, you're gonna see things that people do in their life for Jesus and with Jesus and it's gonna make you go, whoa, I, I don't do that, but I really want to do that. There's a scripture in the Bible that says iron sharpening iron, which basically means that when we are iron hanging out with other people who are also iron, we only sharpen each other. Like, we only help each other more and like encourage each other to be more godly and to be more like Christ and to love Jesus more. So I would encourage you to do that too, is to just find community around you and if that's hard, pray about it. Like, like, truly, I believe that that is what God would, I mean, that's what he's made all of us for, is to love him, but then also love others. Right. Goes back to the first two important, most important commandments. And so you are meant for community and I believe that and I know that that's for you. And I'm gonna tell you, it's like one of the most healing things to be in a community of people who love like Jesus. Now they're not going to be perfect. That's a whole nother podcast episode. People are still broken and we are still flawed. But to experience the love of Jesus not only directly from him and through his spirit, but then through his spirit, through other people, it's so healing. It's so beautiful. So, yeah, anyway, I love you. I'm so proud of you. You're welcome to stick around if you want to continue to learn about Jesus with this podcast. I guess I spoke to the, to the new listeners, which is fun. You are welcome here. You are loved here. You are accepted here. Jesus adores you and loves you. And I hope that you know that this is a safe space and also, like, if anyone wants to chit chat in the comment section and love on each other and pray for each other, I will always encourage that too. Guys, I, I love seeing the way that you guys show up for each other in the comment section and just like within this community, it is beautiful and I couldn't be more proud, but I love you guys. Hey guys, can we actually do something really cool before we leave today? Can we do something cool today? Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Can we walk more like Jesus, talk more like him? Be more like Christ today?

Oh my gosh, I love Jesus. Thank you, God, for today. What a gift.

I love y'. All. I'll see you next Friday. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, enjoy your week, and I will see you next 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 at www.patreon.com backslash c backslash cwcoi I do also want to mention that there is a way to give to the podcast, so if you ever feel led to donate, it blesses me so much and it helps allow the podcast to keep running. You can donate to our PayPal at www.paypal.me CWCOI we appreciate y' all and we love you so, so much.

[B]

Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great. You love the host. You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn ads, go to Libsynads.com that's L I B S Y N ads.com today.