Deny Yourself Pleasure | Girls Gone Bible

Summary

Podcast Summary: Girls Gone Bible – "Deny Yourself Pleasure"

Episode Information:

• Title: Deny Yourself Pleasure
• Host/Author: Girls Gone Bible (Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma)
• Release Date: January 17, 2025

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1. Introduction and Personal Confessions ([00:46] - [08:11])

Angela and Arielle kick off the episode with lighthearted confessions, revealing personal struggles and vulnerabilities. They discuss the challenges of maintaining authenticity and the fear of judgment from others.

• Angela: "I have leggings on under this dress... It's all a mirage. It's all an illusion." (00:51)
• Arielle: "People pleasing FOMO. Can you pray for that? For me? Because I really do get FOMO." (02:00)

2. Addressing Past Choices and Transformation ([08:11] - [17:09])

Angela opens up about her past involvement in a horror film and the subsequent realization of its misalignment with her faith. She shares her journey of transformation through deeper faith and community, emphasizing the struggle to let go of former lifestyles.

• Angela: "I just want to tell you a little part of the story... Nothing’s going to leave you. That's how I thought I was begging Him to protect me." (11:30)
• Angela: "I will never be a part of anything that does not glorify God ever again." (16:50)
• Arielle: "I'm so incredibly proud of you... I love you so much." (17:09)

3. Emphasis on Holiness, Purity, and Grace ([17:09] - [19:50])

The hosts express gratitude for their supportive community, highlighting the importance of grace and non-judgmental relationships in their spiritual journey. They introduce GGB Plus, a platform for deeper, more intimate discussions.

• Angela: "Holiness and purity are our number one things. We care for nothing except being righteous, holy, and pure in God's eyes." (19:30)
• Arielle: "Seeing these stories puts a fire under us... we are so hungry to continue because we're like, okay, this is working." (10:27)

4. Main Topic: Denying Yourself Pleasure ([24:45] - [60:58])

Angela and Arielle delve into the heart of the episode, discussing the concept of denying oneself pleasure to pursue a more meaningful, God-centered life. They draw parallels between the teachings of Ecclesiastes and their personal experiences, emphasizing the emptiness of worldly pursuits without spiritual fulfillment.

• Arielle: "This is literally my story... I spent my life searching for love and peace and fulfillment." (30:40)
• Angela: "Sacrifice. Life is not about pleasure. It's about sacrifice." (39:06)
• Arielle: "There is nothing that you should truly desire more than Christ." (32:10)

5. Biblical Insights and Examples ([60:58] - [66:49])

The hosts reference Biblical figures who exemplified the choice to prioritize God over personal pleasure. They highlight Solomon's reflections in Ecclesiastes, Joseph's resistance to temptation, Paul's transformation, and Jesus' steadfastness against Satan's temptations.

• Angela: "Whatever the world tells me to do, what indulgence is, it's the little rebel in me." (60:55)
• Arielle: "Jesus is the perfect example of choosing the things of God over pleasure." (60:30)
• Angela: "Joseph refused Potiphar's wife, saying, how Then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God." (62:00)

6. Encouragement to Listeners ([66:49] - [69:38])

Angela and Arielle encourage listeners to choose spiritual fulfillment over fleeting pleasures, assuring them that sacrifice leads to true peace and purpose. They emphasize the importance of aligning one's heart with God and offer prayers for their community's spiritual growth.

• Angela: "May the Lord truly bless you and keep you. May Jesus make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. Shalom." (68:31)
• Arielle: "You are being your own God in your own life, just free of it all. When you are free of that, you live a life of peace." (57:12)

7. Conclusion and Call to Action ([69:38] - [67:21])

In their closing remarks, Angela and Arielle reiterate the significance of choosing God over personal desires. They invite listeners to pray for them and support their mission, emphasizing the transformative power of aligning one's life with spiritual principles.

• Angela: "Life is about sacrifice and obedience... God is going to train you how to distinguish these two things." (67:04)
• Arielle: "He will lead you into the path of where you're supposed to go, the purpose of where, of what you're supposed to do." (59:57)

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Notable Quotes:

• Angela: "Jesus, give me this. Jesus, give me that. I need to be successful. Jesus, I need to book this job..." (08:32)
• Arielle: "Man shall not live by bread alone. But every word that proceeds from the mouth of God..." (24:54)
• Angela: "He is a jealous God. He will not share His glory with idols." (41:31)

---

Final Thoughts:

"Deny Yourself Pleasure" is a profound exploration of the struggle between worldly desires and spiritual fulfillment. Angela and Arielle candidly share their journeys, supported by Biblical wisdom, urging listeners to seek a life grounded in faith, sacrifice, and genuine connection with God. This episode serves as both a personal testament and a guiding beacon for those striving to prioritize their spiritual well-being over transient pleasures.

Transcript

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[Ange]

I think I have to tell Gigi B. Gang the truth.

[Ari]

Oh, what is that?

[Ange]

I have leggings on under this dress. I look absolutely. I have big socks on like we are. It's all a mirage. It's all an illusion.

[Ari]

Really.

[Ange]

Look like this.

[Ari]

Like.

[Ange]

Wait, my dress isn't even zippered.

[Ari]

Oh, real nice.

[Ange]

Nice. Hey, Gigi.

[Ari]

What's up?

[Ange]

Happy New Year. I thought we were saying happy birthday to someone. I was like, oh, no, I forgot. All right, another confession. Ari has the vid.

[Ari]

What vid?

[Ange]

The vid, the COVID And I'm up in your grill like, you don't have Covid. I am risking it all to be close to my friend.

[Ari]

I'm here even when I got the COVID Tell me I ain't a real one.

[Ange]

You're a real one. I was sick all through. All over the holidays. This is our first. Yes.

[Ari]

The way you handle sickness, I've never seen anything like it.

[Ange]

I had Covid for like two months. I was at Pilates every day.

[Ari]

She has fomo. She can't. If some. Her friends are doing stuff and she's not there.

[Ange]

She's sick to her God's breaking it off of me. People pleasing fomo. Can you pray for that? For me? Because I really do get fomo. I can't stand it. I'll be on my deathbed. Like, I'm pulling up to the party. I have to. I gotta show up.

[Ari]

How was your holiday without me?

[Ange]

I know we were apart. Well, my holidays were beautiful. I was with my family. How were your holidays?

[Ari]

Really good. It's so funny how you, like, you go home and I'm like a grown woman and I turn into a complete degenerate child.

[Ange]

Degenerate. Did you know someone who, like, does drugs?

[Ari]

Yeah, I Was in the mean streets of Massachusetts. Negative 16 degrees out.

[Ange]

Oh, no.

[Ari]

I'm like, every morning, I'm like, dad, I need this. Help me. He's just so riches. But it was so nice. I actually really got some good time with my mom and dad. And I spent New Year's with my nan. We watched Cinderella. Is that demonic? Oh, God. I get so nervous to say I watch anything because I'm like, are they going to yell at me?

[Ange]

Cinderella, Demonic?

[Ari]

I don't know.

[Ange]

I don't know. Actually, I can't say, boo, there's a witch. And. I don't know, it might be. They do put witchcraft in the candy, so.

[Ari]

But, yeah.

[Ange]

I'm so sorry what I've done to you. I'm really so sorry. I've given you religious ocd. I just want us to be pure so bad. I'm driven us crazy. Yeah.

[Ari]

But, yeah, it was sad. I can't believe we weren't together for, like.

[Ange]

I can't. When are we gonna spend Christmas together next year?

[Ari]

Well, you're gonna be married.

[Ange]

No. Okay. You know what I can't wait to do?

[Ari]

What? Be with our husbands?

[Ange]

That, too. Oh, I can't wait. Yes. 100% together. I can't wait to take Ari to Albania.

[Ari]

Are we gonna. We can't dance on tables anymore. Obviously.

[Ange]

In Albania, you can dance on tables.

[Ari]

Okay, we can.

[Ange]

Because it's so wholesome. Well, we're with my mom. It's not like a crazy dance. It's like an Albanian dance. It's like oppa. You know what I mean? And so it's completely up to Come Albanian a hundred percent.

[Ari]

They will. Right? Should I go with it?

[Ange]

I don't know. Because they'll love you for you.

[Ari]

All right, so I'll go with. I'm from Boston. I'm Dutch and Italian.

[Ange]

Dutch and Italian. But ask them, say, would you let me be an Albanian? They'll die over you.

[Ari]

Okay, I'll say that. Would you let me be an Albanian?

[Ange]

Yeah.

[Ari]

And then I'll say, why is your.

[Ange]

Thing always coming at you?

[Ari]

Yeah. It's the devil. What's the word that I. Is it. Oh, what's. No.

[Ange]

Give me a word for Albanian word for Albanian.

[Ari]

What Albanian word?

[Ange]

I could say.

[Ari]

I'll give me one.

[Ange]

What?

[Ari]

Give me one now.

[Ange]

Oh, wait, You. Lord, say, tedu hashem.

[Ari]

Adu hashem.

[Ange]

Tedu hashem. Tedu hashem means, I love you so much. My sisters and brothers say, I love the accent. Say, yes.

[Ari]

I didn't sound Japanese. Right.

[Ange]

That was definitely Your Chinese tongue a little bit.

[Ari]

Okay.

[Ange]

This. I'm so sorry about Ari's Chinese tongues. They just come out.

[Ari]

I don't know what it is. Yeah, I don't know.

[Ange]

You know, I was. I was in Nashville the other day, and this guy who does missions in, like, you know, many different parts of the world. Do you know what he said? What do you understand? There's like a whole spiritual part, like life that we're not even. Like, we haven't even touched the surface yet. This man was gifted. 17 different tongues. Supernaturally, he.

[Ari]

Oh, gosh, you're gonna see me.

[Ange]

No, you're gonna see us. You know, I can't wait. You have no idea the plans that God has for us. You and I, when all of this is over, we're gonna be in other speaking countries and we're just gonna supernaturally be gifted. The language.

[Ari]

So every. Every single language has that language of tongues is what you're saying.

[Ange]

Well, so it's basically like they're given the language, like they can speak in the language.

[Ari]

So an American man who doesn't know any other language other is given the spirit by God of Japanese tongues.

[Ange]

Japanese tongue. Yeah, Just little Japanese language. Yes, baby. That is God.

[Ari]

Spanish tongues.

[Ange]

Yeah. Que pasa? Out of nowhere.

[Ari]

No, dos res.

[Ange]

Yes. Maybe you got it. I think God just gave it to you.

[Ari]

I think I have it.

[Ange]

Wow. I can't wait. You have no idea. You know what's funny about us are, is we couldn't have just taken the normal, like, cookie cutter Christian route, like going. Going to conferences. No, no. We had to get so weird. And we are, like, we want to see healings. We want to see demons delivered. Like, we want to see it all, but we also want to go to pilates and we also want to go eat branzino. So we're literally the charismatic valley girls.

[Ari]

Like, I actually love that. Are we valley girls, though? Are we down in dirty east coast girls? Because I don't think there's much valley in us, honey.

[Ange]

Oh, baby, I think we have a little bit of both. Yes. Down in dirty east coast valley.

[Ari]

We're real valley until you start honking at us.

[Ange]

Exactly.

[Ari]

You know what I mean?

[Ange]

Or start messing with our families 100%. But it's like we're literally with our oat milk latte and green juice on our way to pilates. But we're going to cast out a couple demons along the way.

[Ari]

Oh, I've become a Stanley girl. I forgot to tell you that.

[Ange]

Not sponsored.

[Ari]

Not sponsored and obsessed. So I It was so give me one. Yeah, I will. What color you want?

[Ange]

Not pink.

[Ari]

Okay.

[Ange]

I'm just not really a pink girl.

[Ari]

Maybe you have no idea. I. It's changed my life. Let's go now. Have had can drink water.

[Ange]

That's why you're glowing. All right, well, before we get into this episode, we might want to introduce ourselves. This is the hardest part of the whole episode.

[Ari]

Everybody says it's cringe. I'm just kidding. One person. It's like one person says something and you always think. You always take that.

[Ange]

That hurt me.

[Ari]

I know.

[Ange]

What did they say? People have no idea how it affected. What did they say?

[Ari]

The intro is cringe.

[Ange]

They probably mean us reading the Bible on the beach going o.

[Ari]

Look, look, book, look. I teach you the book.

[Ange]

Like you guys don't know how to read. Shut up.

[Ari]

Dresses. Ooh, sorry.

[Ange]

Anyways, we've got to stop self deprecating. So anyways, hi, I'm Ange. I'm Ari and this is girls Gone Bible. We are a faith based podcast where we talk about Jesus, the Bible, mental health, relationships. We love teaching from the Bible and we just love everything that has to do with Jesus. We love the things of God. He's changed our lives. He saved our lives. We were just a couple of lost, blind. I was stupid, I was foolish. I didn't know nothing very, very lost until Jesus legitimately saved our lives.

[Ari]

And we always say, come as you are, just don't stay that way.

[Ange]

Don't stay that way.

[Ari]

Don't.

[Ange]

Ouch.

[Ari]

And none of us are staying that way.

[Ange]

No.

[Ari]

We are all transforming week by week. Hallelujah. I feel the Holy Ghost.

[Ange]

Can I just say how many tests? I feel like we always see testimonies, but I've seen so many jes. GGB Gang testimonies recently. I see so many people laying down big sin in their lives. I see so many people getting sober, which is just so that.

[Ari]

That I.

[Ange]

So many people getting sober. So many people laying down alcohol and smoking weed and all the things that. We're going to talk about it today. We're going to talk about pleasure today. But I just like, I just want to say I'm so proud of you guys. This is so cool. Ari and I are so proud of you. We love seeing your messages. We love seeing you guys follow Jesus and like you're actually following Jesus. It's so crazy.

[Ari]

And just to let you know, seeing these stories puts a fire under us. And that's why we are so hungry to every single week because we're like, okay, this is working.

[Ange]

Yeah.

[Ari]

So, yeah, we're so proud of you guys.

[Ange]

I think before we get into today's episode, there's something we need to talk about really quickly. So. So, yeah, I have seen a few comments of people asking for us to address something. So I. I'm not gonna say the name of it because I really would rather not, like people look at it or look for it, but I was in a film that I filmed over three years ago that got released this past year, a couple months ago, and I've gotten a few messages about it and, you know, some comments on YouTube and people asking, like, why are you in a film that's like, it's a horror film. It's, you know, has like satanic symbols. It's like a young adult horror film. And this is obviously like our first time doing this, so we don't know sometimes, like, if you address something like this or what you say, like, it's in the past. But I think it was really important to address this specifically because since it was released this year, people think I filmed it this year. That is so not the case. Filmed this over three years ago. And yeah, I just. So this movie that I. That I was in, that I filmed, it's like, as I said, it's a young adult horror film. And I remember when I got this film, I thought I made it. It was my first big lead in a feature film. It was like, at the time, before knowing what I know now, like, the subject matter was really heavy and dark. And for some reason, I've always been cast in horror and dark and psychological thrillers, like, always on the dark side because that's kind of where you can like, really showcase your talent and stuff like that.

[Ari]

Yeah.

[Ange]

And so anyways, I get this film and I think that I made it. It's the best thing of my life. I thank Jesus up and down. I wrote a post thanking Jesus for it. Like, I just had. No, I just didn't know. I didn't know that this, like, you don't do things that don't glorify God. I don't. I didn't know that. You don't let yourself be involved in anything that's dark. Our min. Mission on earth is to bring heaven down and not to bring hell up. To not do things that are demonic or satanic or, you know, provocative or anything like that. So I just wanted to tell a little part of the. Of the. Of the story. So after starting Girls Gone Bible and I like, even after starting Girls Gone Bible. I still was holding on to my old life a little bit of being, like, I don't. Like, I don't even know what it means to fully, like, let my life go. Like, I. I was so scared. I didn't want to let go of acting. I didn't want to let go of. I just. I didn't know what that would be like. I didn't know what that meant for me. And so when I first started Girls Gone Bible, and I'm going deeper in my faith and deeper in my faith, and I get around really good Christian people, and I gain community, and I start getting plugged into a church. And my eyes are opening to the reality that, like, you. Like, you can't. Like, there's a standard that you have to live by, and holiness and purity and light is the standard. And so as I start having this realization, all that's on my mind all the time is this movie. And I'm like, oh, no.

[Ari]

Yeah.

[Ange]

I'm begging God every day, Please, Jesus, tank the film. Tank the film. Like, so often in entertainment, like, in film, things either don't get made or they flop. And, like, no one ever sees it. And so I'm just begging God, like, just don't let it even get made or just let it flop. Let it tank. Like, don't let anything come from it. Like, protect me. That's how I thought I was begging him to protect me in this way. And then one day I got a call that not only did the film get bought, but it got bought by Paramount. And, like, instantly, doom takes over my whole body, and I just feel God press in and be like, don't get anxious. I'm in it. I'm in it. I didn't leave you. I'm in it. Like, I'm in this with you. And then a little time goes by and I see the. Somebody tags me in the trailer, and, like, I see myself in it. And it's so crazy because usually, like, you don't have your past, like, in your face like that all the time. And it was just, like, as soon as I saw it, I obviously, like, got a little anxious right away because I'm looking at a girl who's not me anymore. I can't even recognize her. And it's, like, uncomfortable to see. And I just feel the delight of God, like, come over me completely. And I feel him pressing in and being like, look at what I've done. Look at what I've done. Look at what I've done. And I start bawling my eyes out, not because I'm ashamed, but because I feel the joy and the delight of God wash over me. And he's like, how are you going to be ashamed at your testimony? The testimony of what I've done, the testimony that I do, what I say I'm going to do, I said, in my word, I take you out of darkness and I bring you into the light. And I've done that. And, you know, I'm like, okay, God, but what about what people say? And he's like, when have I ever cared about what people say? And that's not to say say, because Ari and I are in a different position than other people. We are, like leaders in a sense, and we are responsible and accountable and held to a higher standard than, like, you know, someone who's not in ministry. But, yeah, I just. That is the truth of what went on with that. And I just want to say to anyone who, you know, felt like, disappointed or anything, I'm genuinely so sorry. I'm so sorry. It sucks. I. Anything that's going to discredit, like, yeah, I have to deal with the own. My own shame. But then I. It's like, so much bigger than that. I'm like, Jesus, I'm so sorry that my mistakes would ever discredit, like, the work that you're doing, the work that Ari's doing. So I'm really sorry. And you can guarantee I will never be a part of anything that does not glorify God ever again. That was years ago and. Sorry, it just came out. And, yeah, I am.

[Ari]

I don't know. I just love you. I'm so incredibly proud of you. It is so hard to see myself, but to get to see you in this transformation and the fact that you're even feeling this way about your past is just. I'm so sorry that you feel like this, and I'm just so proud of you. I love you so much.

[Ange]

Thank you. You're so cute. I love you so much. You really are the best person in the world.

[Ari]

So proper coming.

[Ange]

I love you so much. Yeah, it's. It's so.

[Ari]

I have nothing to be ashamed about. I told her that today. I got so.

[Ange]

She gets so worked up.

[Ari]

I get so worked up over it, you know, because it's so hard.

[Ange]

It's so hard.

[Ari]

It's so hard. You're so ignorant to things. Even sometimes when you're following Jesus, you're ignorant to things. And it's like, then one day you get hit in the face with the truth of it, and Then you have to deal with your past and you feel all this shame and God is just like, it's okay, you know, look at what I've done.

[Ange]

So I think it's just so interesting for us to have like a digital footprint of that's what it is.

[Ari]

I know. You know, I know I go through the same thing.

[Ange]

I know Even sometimes, like, I literally, I. I feel like I've gone through so many rounds of my Instagram of like taking stuff down and then I constantly am like, how did I not? I want to delete it all. Like, how did I, you know? So it's just, I just kind of. I just want you guys to know and I think that you know this by now. Like, holiness and purity are our number one things. We care for nothing except being righteous, holy and pure in God's eyes. And yeah, this is a testament to God, does what he says he's going to do. He changes you. He gives you a new heart, he gives you a new mind. He changes everything about you from the inside out. Even sometimes watching our, you know, clips from our first few episodes, like, we look different, our eyes are different, just everything about us is different. And it's like gut wrenching sometimes I'm like, oh, she still had so much, so far to go. Like, she still, like, she loved him so much, but she was holding on to this false sense of whatever, you know, and there's some things that still had to die even at the beginning of us starting this. So I just want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts, both of us, for the grace that you've given us.

[Ari]

You've given us so much grace, so much. You've never judged us. That's why what we have is special. Like no other thing, like no other podcast or I don't know what other podcasts have, but I know with this, it's just this family of no judgment and grace. And it's made us just feel so safe and so accepted. And that's why we can share with you our deepest, darkest insecurities in life because we trust you. And there's nothing better than having trust with a family. You guys just really are our family and we love you so much. Ggb. We are on the Girls Gone Bible Live tour. It is so exciting to be with you guys on person. Go to girlsgone bible.com tour to get your tickets. We cannot wait to be with you in person. So as you guys know, we have GGB plus. It is been one of the biggest blessings this year Starting GGB plus because it gives us a chance to really just go so intimate and deep with you guys. Talk about things that we typically can't really share on this platform. So it is just. It's so this is exactly what we wanted. We wanted something where we can really go deep and really talk about the nitty gritty stuff. So you can sign up@girlsgone bible.com plus.

[Ange]

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[Ari]

The meaning of life.

[Ange]

Get down. So today we're going to read from Ecclesiastes.

[Ari]

I think when I first started my faith, I was calling it like elastic easies.

[Ange]

Elastic easies. I love that. Let's talk a little bit about Solomon. So Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes almost 3,000 years ago, but his message is probably more relevant today than it even was then. Ecclesiastes is like. It's like a critical essay or an analysis of life's true meaning. Solomon was this guy who had all the wealth, all the intelligence, all of the power, all of the everything that you could possibly have as like a normal human. He acquired all of it it and gets to the end of his life and he writes this whole. This is like his sermon. And his entire message is everything is empty without God. And he doesn't realize that until the end. And so all of the entire book of Ecclesiastes sounds so pessimistic and so sad, but it's on purpose. He's trying to convey the message that this is what life is without God.

[Ari]

Which is most of our testimonies.

[Ange]

Tell them.

[Ari]

Yeah, that's all I got. It's most of our testimonies.

[Ange]

I know. I wrote down these words, empty, futile, which means useless, hollow, nothing. This sounds really sad and disappointing, but that is how most people experience life. Vain and so vain.

[Ari]

Yeah.

[Ange]

They are running around grasping for power, for pleasure, for purpose, for all of these things. And come up. Sure. Every single time. Because you can't find it in anything other than Sweet Jesus.

[Ari]

That's right. So we're on Ecclesiastes 1:1. Everything is meaningless, says the teacher. Completely meaningless. What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to description. No matter how much we see, we never are satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are never content. History merrily repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Some people say, here is something new, but actually it is old. Nothing is ever truly new. We don't remember what happened in the past. And in the future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

[Ange]

We're going to skip ahead. Ecclesiastes, chapter 2, verse 1. It says, the futility of pleasure. I said to myself, come on, let's try pleasure. Let's look for the good things in life. But I found that this too was meaningless. So I said, laughter is silly. What good does it to seek pleasure? After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. That is what is like. That is truly what it's like being in the world. You, whenever you try to be wise apart from God, you end up being foolish. In this way, I try to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. The only happiness that most people find during this brief life in this world is a type of happiness that is empty, fleeting, momentary, and does not bring true satisfaction. I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself. Listen, this is literally 3,000 years ago, and it's the same today. It is so crazy. I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds, flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines, which means an endless amount of intimate physical pleasure. I had everything a man could desire. So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me. And my wisdom never failed me. Me, anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. Which, by the way, is the opposite. Is that is in direct opposition to the message that Jesus teaches. Jesus says, deny yourself. Pick up your cross and follow me. Solomon said he denied himself no pleasure. Everything that he wanted, he could have. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I'd worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless, like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. Drop it. Drop the mic, Solomon. It's crazy. It's crazy. 3,000 years ago, how is it when somebody tells me that the Bible is outdated and it was written so long ago and times changed nobody, the word of the Lord stands forever. It's the same. Like, it applies even more today. It's so crazy.

[Ari]

I want you guys to understand that, and I want you to listen to me so closely. This is literally my story. Like, I. When I read this story, I said, wow, this is my testimony. This is. And sometimes we have no. We have no idea even what we're doing. We have. This is what we think life is. I am so unbelievably sick of it. Now that I'm on the other side of it, I need everybody to listen to us. I spent my life searching for love and peace and fulfillment. And I come to LA and I'm, like, going to the bone in this acting industry and trying to make something of myself and fighting for a career because I think once I'll get there, I'll finally have security and peace and love. And I think once I get to that relationship and I finally have that person, I will reach to the point of feeling secure and loved. And I will be once I get that house. And once I get. We're all sitting here creating vision boards and putting houses and cars and all these desires that we want and we're manifesting now, we're trying to manifest now, we're watching TED talks on how to manifest things and think in your mind. And we are living in deception. And that is why everybody is empty and depressed and they wake up and they're living, but they aren't truly alive. Because that is what the world is now. There is nothing that you should truly desire more than Christ. I'm saying that because I lived it and especially for the young people. I look back at my 20s and I'm like, it went in a blip. I am chasing these things that ended up making me feel so empty. And let me tell you something, I had it. I had the career, I had a relationship. I had it. And I had never felt so empty and depleted. And I'm like, man, I have this stuff. But why do I feel, this is why I preach about peace so much. Because I never, not for even a second, maybe a fleeting peace of the world when I was living in sin or when I had that fun relationship or I was going out, then I get home feeling in your stomach. You guys know I always preach about this. I never felt any peace. It was chaos 24 hours a day in my mind, just eating me alive everywhere in my body, my whole life. And I know so many of you guys feel that same way, but this is why. Because you think if you get to this place and you're going to get to that place and listen to me, and listen to me carefully, you are going to be so empty in your soul. The only thing that you should desire is Christ. It's the only thing that will ever fulfill, fill you.

[Ange]

You get to a point where it breaks your heart so badly that like you just can't, like you can't even be around it anymore. Like the priorities that people have. And this is like I am not even remotely judging by any means. I know how hard this walk is. I know what the world pushes on us. I know how difficult it is. So I am not coming from a place of condemnation, even slightly. And neither is Ari. We literally just want you guys to know that there's so much more that, so much more that God has for you than the things that you're chasing right now. And we are just, we pray for you guys every single day that your eyes would open to the truth of the reality of the world that we're living in. Because truly we live in a world of complete self indulgence. It's completely self centered. It's completely Centered around pleasure. And I'm here, and Ari is here to let you guys know that pleasure is not the meaning of life. It's not the meaning of life. The meaning of life is seeking Jesus, obeying God, pursuing the things of God, not pursuing the pleasures of life. Heard a pastor say that chasing pleasure is like chasing a beast. When you corner it, it turns around and it devours you. That's what pleasure does. That's what succumbing to the flesh does. Our flesh is. I want you guys to understand something. So, yes, yes, the devil is at work. Satan is at work trying to tempt you, trying to do this. But it's not just Satan. It's your flesh. Your flesh has desires and wants and needs. And all of our flesh is hardwired to go towards pleasure. We want pleasure. We want what feels good. That's why the Christian walk is completely geared toward and centered around crucifying the flesh. You know what I've been doing recently to overcome temptation? I swear I've done this. I. When I'm having moments where I like, I am so about self sacrifice right now. My word for 2025 is sacrifice. I want to sacrifice. The way is getting more narrow every day. It's more and more narrow in the things that we take with us. There are things that aren't even inherently evil, but because it's getting so small, there's so much that we can't take with us. And so I am learning to sacrifice everything. Everything that is not something of God. Everything and anything that does not lead me towards Jesus, I have to get rid of. That's people, that's things, that's movies, music, desires. That's everything. Everything. Ways of living, ways of dressing, ways of speaking. Everything has got to go. Because it's the little compromises and it's the little things that we do that inhibit us from reaching our full potential in Jesus, in our relationship with him. So I've been taking I metaphorically. I say, God, I'm taking my flesh. I'm taking it and I am nailing it to the cross. And I nail it and I say, kill it. Kill my flesh, Jesus, I don't want it. I am governed by the spirit of God. I am not governed by the desires of my flesh because my flesh is inherently sinful and it wants the things of this world. And the truth is that God has so much for all of us. He has so much he wants to show us. He want. Has so much he wants. Wants to speak to us, but he cannot get to Us. If we are choosing things of pleasure over the things of God, if we are prioritizing the things of the flesh, the things of the world, the things of pleasure over God, then we are at enmity against God. And he cannot speak to us, he can't answer our prayers, he can't do the things that, that he should be doing for us, that he wants to do for us. Because we have put a barricade between us saying, I'm choosing the things that feel good momentarily instead of the things of God. And this is what we're here, this is why we're so fired up. Because we know what it's like to choose sacrifice. We know what it's like to say, you know what? There is a massive Christian world out there that says you can, you'll get to heaven, you can have a relationship with Jesus. And we're not, none of us are perfect. And that's okay. God knows that. Yes, but also then you get to a place of maturity where you say, I am abandoning the things of the world. I am forsaking all others and I'm giving myself fully to you, God. Because all of us want power from God. If you don't want power from God, you're missing a major part of your faith. God, the Holy Spirit is here to empower us and release power. But God can't give you power if Jesus doesn't have the affections of your heart. You are robbing yourself of so much that God has for you. When Jesus doesn't have your heart, heart fully. Jesus, he's a jealous God. I was literally just in Deuteronomy this morning where he's talking about, he is a jealous God. And he. God will not share his glory with idols. He will not share his glory with anything. He wants you fully, he wants your heart, he wants your affection, he wants your desire. And the best, safest place that you can be is when you give yourself fully to God. And these little moments of denying yourself self pleasure. That's why fasting is one of the best things you can do. That's why waking up earlier than you normally would and sacrificing an hour of sleep to spend time in the ward, spend time abiding in the presence of God. Sacrifice. Life is not about pleasure. Life is about sacrifice.

[Ari]

And then you get pleasure when you sacrifice.

[Ange]

Amen.

[Ari]

That's why I love in verse, verse 14. He, he just, he goes on to say, God's purpose is that people should fear Him. And that is for me, that is when in you, that's when our faith really started, is when we began to fear Him. And that he says that all throughout the Bible, I pray that you will fear me. Because when you fear him, when you have that revelation of, oh my gosh, I want to live for you, I do. What have I been doing this whole time? I'm chasing all these things. I love you when you and you fear him by spending time with him. How can you respect someone you don't know? How can you fear someone you don't know? How can you fear someone you don't spend time with? And I'm not talking about, you know, a couple hours on Sundays. I'm not talking about, you know, 20 minutes in prayer or a couple of verses here and there. I'm talking about when I stopped making vision boards of these goals that I wanted. I'm so passionate about this because this was literally my life. And so when I really got to the place of, okay, who are you? And I, I started to really ask him, can you, can you show me who you are? Can you reveal yourself to me? Can. And he started to, to heal me through these scriptures. He started to, to like, change my whole mind. And, and he, he took me out of the pit through his Word. And I was like, he loved me through. Even, like when I, I was acting up in Girls Gone Bible from the beginning, and I'm like, I love you. How have I been acting this way? And so when, if you are someone who is still like your mind, and I understand because I was. Even when I started Girls Gone Bible, I was still chaotic, I was still chasing. I was still on, like, searching for things. But it wasn't until I had the revelation of, of I respect you, I love you, I want to live for you is when everything started changing. And the way to do that is instead of devoting your time to money and wealth, I talk about money because that is what society is all about now. It's about wealth. And when you devote your time to him, you don't care about anything else.

[Ange]

So true.

[Ari]

And that's when you're free. That's when that peace. I have lately been going through some things and, and do you understand what it's like to be going through hell but still be in peace in your mind? That's the gift that we get when we decide to lay everything down and devote ourselves to him. We get him, we get salvation, we get freedom, and we get eternity with Him. We're suffering right now here, like everything is such a blip. But we don't Think about on the other side of when we die.

[Ange]

Yeah. And so eternity is so much longer than this life that we're living right now.

[Ari]

And that is what. That's what we should be living for. We should be living for. How am I doing right now to get. How can I be the best person I can be to get a well done that when I am standing face to face with him, I am going to go to eternity with him?

[Ange]

Yeah. Honestly, ggb, I can't even begin to imagine all the money that we've all spent on skincare and beauty products over the years to battle issues like acne, damaged hair, eczema, change in hair color, rashes, etc. But I recently realized that I was completely overlooking the most fundamental step. The water I shower in. We all know how important it is to filter the water we drink, but why don't we think the same way about the water we shower in? Clean water is the first step to an effective beauty routine. And it's a step that I completely overlooked, looked, and I'm being so honest when I say that the Jolie shower head has legitimately changed my entire life. I will never be the same again, you guys. My hair grew exponentially after using the Jolie. And I can honestly tell how much less soft it is when I'm traveling and not using it. And I'm being serious. You will legitimately see a difference in your hair softness and texture. And not to mention, my skin is way more hydrated after using the Jolie. Jolie is a beauty wellness company that purifies the water we shower in for better skin, hair, and overall well being. Jolie's filtered shower head is best in class for removing chlorine and heavy metals. And it's the only lab tested and clinically trialed filtering shower head on the market. The Jolie is clinically proven to reduce hair shedding in 81% of people. It's lab tested to reduce hair frizziness by 40%. It's lab tested to maintain color retention, and it's lab tested to protect the hair's surface layer. Chlorine is added to our water system to disinfect it and kill bacteria. But chlorine is damaging to our hair, our skin, and it fundamentally causes issues. Jolie fixes this. The Jolie shower heads have a beautiful, sleek design, the perfect combination of form and function. Jolie still gives strong water pressure and it fits all showers. As the plumbing pipe size is universal, Jolie will give your best skin and hair guaranteed head to jolieskinco.comggb to try it out for yourself with free shipping. Shipping. And if you don't like it, you can return your Jolie for a full refund within 60 days, no questions asked. You guys will not regret getting the Jolie. I promise you that Typical children's vitamins are basically candy in disguise, filled with two teaspoons of sugar, unhealthy chemicals and other gummy additives Growing kids should just never eat. And that's why Haya created a superpower word chewable vitamin. While many children's vitamins are filled with 5 grams of sugar, which is known to contribute to a variety of health issues, Haya is made with zero sugar and zero gummy additives, yet it tastes great and is perfect for picky eaters. Haya fills in the most common gaps in modern children's diets to provide the full body nourishment our kids need with a yummy taste that they love. Formulated with the help of pediatricians and nutritional experts, Haya is pressed with a blend of 12 organic fruits and veggies. Then it's supercharged with 15 essential vitamins and minerals including vitamin D, B12, C, zinc, folate and many others to help support immune system energy, brain function, mood, concentration, teeth, bones and more. It's non gmo, vegan, dairy free, allergy free, gelatin free, nut free and everything else free of the things things that shouldn't be in our children's vitamins. Every single batch is third party tested for heavy metals and microbials in a qualified GMP compliant lab using scientifically validated testing methods so you know that the product is safe and nutritious. Haya is designed for kids two and up and sent straight to your door so parents have one less thing to worry about. My niece Sierra is obsessed with Haya. I've told you guys before, but they're the only vitamins that she'll take. She loves the taste and she loved decorating the bottle with the stickers that come in the first order. And are you tired of battling with your kids to eat their greens? Because Haya now has a Kids Daily Greens and Superfoods, a chocolate flavored greens powder designed specifically for kids. Packed with over 55 whole food ingredients to support brain power, development and digestion. You just have to scoop, shake and sip with milk or any non dairy beverage for a delicious and nutritious nutritious boost your kids will actually enjoy. And guys, we've worked out a special deal with Haya for their best selling children's vitamin. You can receive 50 off your first order to claim this deal, you must go to hiahealth.com ggb this deal is not available on their regular website. Go to h I y-a H-E-A-L-T-Com ggb and get your kids the full body nourishment they need to grow into a healthy adult. I'm really similar to Ari to where I have spent my whole life just begging God in prayer so selfishly. Every single one of my prayers were so unbelievably selfish. Jesus, give me this. Jesus, give me that. Jesus, I need to be successful. Jesus, I need to book this job, I need to make this money. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And God, I'll never forget when Socrates said to me, he goes, I called him and I was like, socrates, I need to book this job and you have to pray for me. And Socrates is like, you need to let God's will be done in your life. That's right, you need to pray. He's like, I don't even want you to pray for things for yourself anymore. I want you to just pray, God, what would you have for me today? That is when my entire life changed. And I just want you guys to know that like Ari said, we live in a world that is so money driven and so money hungry. And I'm not going to sit here and tell you that money and success and amazing things brings you no satisfaction whatsoever. Of course it does. Of course it brings a level of fulfillment. Of course it brings a level of confidence, but it is not sustainable. That's the point. It is. You reach a certain level of success or money or fame. Ask anybody who has accomplished anything in their lives that it's great for a moment and then it's not enough and then you're chasing the next thing and then you have to go high, higher, and then it has to be more. And I just want to speak from personal experience. We've clearly had success with Girls Gone Bible. It's been so special. It has given me a level of fulfillment that I, like, never thought that I would acquire in my life. It has given me purpose. It's, you know, made me feel like I know why I was put on the earth. And the more success that we've had said, the more I beg God to be close to me because the more success we have, I am telling you guys right now, the emptier it feels, the more eyes you have on you, the more insecure it makes you. And I beg Jesus, like Ari said, no Matter how much success I will ever have, nothing compares to those moments where God touches you. Nothing that I did in my day today that was successful or that was an accomplishment or an achievement, nothing compared the moment where I woke up, I get in the secret place and God immediately shows up. And I can tell I have no idols. I have nothing that's standing in between me and God right now. And he came immediately. That is success. Nothing comes close to a touch from God. That is all that matters. And there have been moments, moments in this time of, of doing Girls Gone Bible and of everything where I've been really tired. I've been, you know, I've never lost my first love. I love Jesus with everything that is in me. But there have been moments where I've been really tired. There have been moments where I've almost gotten to spiritual burnout. There have been moments where I was at capacity and there were moments where I felt like I couldn't get to. To him. And I can't tell you how many times every time that that has happened to me that I feel like because of the things he's given me, I can't get to him. And it's like this weird thing because the more blessing if it's felt sometimes like the, the more blessing that I've had almost the further I've gotten from him. And I yell and I scream and I say, take every bit of it away. I am not gonna have the blessings of God without having God. I don' if this is what it feels like to have everything, but to not have you. And having everything means literally nothing. And I'm in the most pain I've ever been. Bye. No, absolutely not. And I'm not. This is not false humility. This is not us being like. This is what the Bible says. This is the God honest truth. If tomorrow I am living in a cardboard box with no success ever for the rest of my life, but I have have the presence of God, the very presence of God that changed my entire life, that met me in my bedroom when I was 25 years old. If I don't have that, I don't want any of this. But if I have nothing else but I have the presence of God, I don't need anything else. And I'm good. I'm good.

[Ari]

It's true. And I love that you say that about. You have felt so empty because the same. And like people say, what does it feel like to be, you know, to be on stage and to all these things? And I said nothing compares to When I am in that room on my hands and knees and I feel him touch my heart, that is when I feel fulfilled. It's not. And it's the craziest thing because it's what I've wanted my whole life. I know, you know, I've dreamed of this. And I. And we say this because it's. It's the truth. We. We are living it right now. It's like there's nothing like when you are by yourself, just with him.

[Ange]

You know that you're maturing as a follower of Jesus when your passion for him is growing more than your desire for pleasure. Like, you know that when you start wanting, when you know, when you start to love obedience and you start to love sacrifice, that's when you know you're doing something right.

[Ari]

Yeah.

[Ange]

And it's okay if you're still in a time where you're still holding on to your life and you're still not there yet. It's okay. It is a journey. We didn't get there overnight, but I just. This. Our whole point in doing this is for you to know about the heart of God and the character of God and what he's really like and what he wants from you. And this is what he wants from you. You're going to get to a point, and I'm going to speak this over you guys. You're going to get to a point where you're going to love sacrifice so much that it's going to feel good to do the things that don't feel good as opposed to giving into the things that do feel good to the flesh and to the mind and the pride of life and the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh instead of giving into those things because that feels good. You're going to get to a point where sacrificial self sacrificing obedience is going to feel so good. Good. Because you're going to know and it's different. And it's a satisfaction that builds you up and it empowers you. Every time that I make. And there's so much that I wish I could talk about that I just can't talk about yet. But I've made some decisions in my life that have been so crazy, so hard. And I never thought that I'd get to this point. And do you know what it's like to get into, like, the secret place and look God in the face and be like, I never thought that I could do this. I never thought, never thought that I'd be this person I never thought that I'd get to this point, but I literally love you so much. And you, you, you. Because it's not out of my own love. I'm not. I'm not this person because I can love you enough to do it. Because you love me as much as you do. Your love has changed me. Your life has transformed me. It has washed me. It has clothed me in righteousness. So I have become this person who chooses, chooses sacrifice and things that are painful over the things that seemingly feel good. Because nothing feels better than looking God in the face and being like, I know you're nodding at me right now. I know you are. And that's why we told the story in the beginning about. With that in the film and everything, it's hard, and life is hard. And you might be in a situation where your past is so. So prevalent and so heavy in your life and you're feeling like, you know what? I don't even know if I can get to that point because I have so much shame. And I've chosen pleasure for so long. Right now, in this very moment, wherever you are, at whatever time you're watching, this now is the most beautiful moment for repentance and turning towards the things of God in a way, from pleasure. Right now is the best moment. It's never too late. You're never too far gone. He loves you so much, and he's been waiting for this very moment with you to say, here I am. Here you are. We're turning around and we're pursuing the things of God together because it's just so worth it.

[Ari]

And that's what we did. And, you know, some of us are struggling right now, and you're like, but I am struggling with money. But I need a job. But I need a career. But I am. I have been single for so many years, and it's. It's coming to the time of I need to meet someone. I know I have been there. I have been in the trenches of. Of being 30 and being like, I have nothing. What now? God literally stripped every single thing to. To. To, like, everything. He took it away and he took it away all at once. So I know what it feels like to feel like I have nothing to live for. I don't have a job, I don't have money. Like, I am struggling and that. I want to just let you know that that is the place that he gets to work sometimes. He allows the. These storms and these struggles to come into your life because it's the only way that you will Find him. That's the only way that he can get to your heart is through these storms of struggling with money, of struggling in your singleness. If he didn't do that with me, I would have never found him. I would have never. Like, it's so funny. I know I always talk about Job, but Job, at the end he said, I have heard about you, but now I see you with my eyes. When you go through these dark times and you learn how to suffer well, you see him with your face and you say, I want to live for you. That is why I feel for people that are struggling. Because I was. I mean, I was in the worst place of my life. I almost didn't make it, but it ended up being the greatest thing that ever happened to me because that is how I found Jesus. And that's what kept me hungry to stay dependent on him. And so.

[Ange]

Sweet Jesus.

[Ari]

So that is. Yeah. So just. I know it's hard. I know we all have been there. We all chase them. We've all been. We've all. We've all done it. We're all guilty of it. We want you guys to get to the place where you are free. Free of depression, free of anxiety, free of trying to live by your own will, free of trying to make a God out of money. And you're being your own God in your own life, just free of it all. When you are free of that, you live a life of peace. We are not supposed to be just barely hanging on in life. He called us higher. We are supposed to live for him. Do you know the freedom of not living for yourself? It's freedom. It's peace. Peace. I talk about peace. Because when you have peace, you know how to live well. You know how to suffer well. You know how to handle things. You know how to navigate life even when you're in a difficult time. And so when we start to put. Lay all that down and make him focus on him before all these other things, that's when life begins.

[Ange]

I love that so much. R. Like, seriously, I. I'm. You know, as you're talking, you know, it comes into my mind, I'm thinking, this moment right now, as weird as this might sound, like your destiny is connected to this moment. In this moment, if you receive the revelation of what it means to crucify your flesh, abandon your desire for pleasure and pursue the things of God, you can ask yourself in this moment, moment, like, do you want the things that are momentarily pleasurable or do you want your destiny? Because the two like you get To a point where if you really want to live like you want to live the life that God intended you to live and you want to get to a spiritual place like spiritual success, spiritual riches are the success of life. It is not how much pleasure, pleasure you can experience, but it's about how much spiritual gain you can acquire. And so you have to ask yourself, is this moment of pleasure more important than my spiritual destiny and my des. Life's destiny? Because every moment you have a choice, every moment that you forsake pleasure and you choose Jesus, I'm telling you something. There's something so significant for every little sacrament sacrifice that you make, every little moment of obedience, there's so much blessing and favor in God's goodness that follows. And that is what I'm here to tell you today, is that forsaking pleasure and choosing Jesus opens you up to the life that God intended for you to live.

[Ari]

And that's what happened in our lives. It's when, it's when we completely said, okay, I, we don't know, and we say this all the time, but we'll say it one more time. He will lead you into the path of where you're supposed to go, the purpose of where, of what you're supposed to do, who you're supposed to be with. But you have to lay it down and stop trying to be your own God and follow your own will because you're always going to end up and be in living in a disaster.

[Ange]

So good. It's so good. And you know what that reminds me of? Living in a disaster.

[Ari]

Yeah.

[Ange]

I have a couple of examples from scripture of people in the Bible, mighty people of God who decided I am choosing God over pleasure. This is my favorite episode we've ever done because this is our. I get a kick, I get, I, I, I, I, I love, I love this. I love this because for me personally, I love anything that the world says.

[Ari]

To do and then we do the opposite.

[Ange]

It's the little rebel in me. Me. It's the Peter in me. It's the little like my rebellious nature was always. It's so funny. He, whatever the enemy meant for evil, God truly uses for good. My rebellious nature growing up in my whole life got me into so much trouble. But then the second Jesus gets a hold of me, he says, I'm going to take your weakness and I'm going to fine tune it and I'm going to use it for your good in my glory. And like, whatever the world tells me to do, whatever the world says, this is good. Indulge, do what makes you happy. This is the way to life. Like, I saw the Golden Globes the other day and I'm just. I didn't watch it, but I'm. I saw that like, you know, on Instagram and I'm watching them with no judgment whatsoever. I pray for these people because I love them. They're God's children and I want them to be saved. But I'm looking at these people, it is so self glorifying, so self just. And, and okay. And I just want to say one thing really quick. Exactly. This episode is all about forsaking pleasure and pursuing God. That does not mean that life can't be fun or good or pleasurable in a sense. It's simply about what, what your idol is, what you're prioritizing and what matters to you and where your heart is. Where your heart is, that's what matters. It's the state of your heart. If I've learned anything in the last couple of months of my life, I've learned that it's all about the heart. It's not about what you do, what you say, where you go. It's about what's in your heart. And is it pure? Is your heart pure in this. This morning, after a lot of traveling, I went to, I booked a session to go to the sauna to decompress and take this time. It's like a luxury of life, for sure. I got to do this whole thing that was pleasure, like, that was like a luxury of life, that was pleasurable. But that is not my priority in life. Do you guys understand what I'm saying? You can enjoy nice things, you can go nice places, you can wear nice dresses, you can like. It's just about your heart. What has your affection, what has your attention. Who is on the throne of your heart. That's what matters. Who's on the throne? If Jesus isn't on the throne, we have a massive, massive problem. I think about Joseph. Joseph is a servant in Potiphar's house. We know this. Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph, tries to come on to him, tries to do all this stuff. Joseph flees and Ari And I always say, when temptation arises, you flee. And by the way, temptation will always arise. Temptation, even Jesus was tempted. And we'll get to that. Temptation will always arise. But it's about having the power and the maturity to flee from temptation when temptation arises. You pursue God's purposes always over power and pleasure. And so Joseph refused Potiphar's wife, saying, how Then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God And Paul, I love this so much. Paul had once been a Pharisee and he had a position of prestige and respect within the Jewish community. Like he was a very successful religious person. And he gave up everything to become a slave for Christ. He always says that. He always says, I am a slave for Christ. And he is so happy. And he's so happy. He went from having a very pleasurable, powerful life. And he said, I would rather follow God. And he always says that he considered everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. So spiritual riches again over earthly gain. It's more important for what is happening in us spiritually than what is happening in us earthly and in our material possessions and all of that stuff. And the last one really quick. Jesus Christ, the. The perfect example of choosing the things of God over pleasure. You guys know that Jesus is fasting for 40 days in the wilderness, and he's obviously very hungry. Satan knows that. He comes and he tempts him and he says, command this stone be turned to bread. And Jesus replies and Sat says, man shall. It is. It is written, man shall not live by bread alone. But every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, Jesus is tempted three times. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. All three ways he fights with scripture. And we know this, and I know you've heard this probably in a thousand sermons, that he fought him with scripture. But if Jesus fought with scripture, how much more should we be fighting with Scripture? Scripture, Satan always wants to come. His middle name is shortcuts. No, his first middle name is loser. His second middle name is shortcuts. Satan, Loser. Shortcuts. He loves shortcuts. But God loves the long road, the righteous road. That you don't just get things when you want them and how you want them. But Satan will always present power, pleasure and glory to you with a shortcut. But God says, pursue the things of me. Pursue what I'm asking you to do. Prioritize my purposes, my plans for your life over pleasure and power. Thank you Jesus for your word. This is not opinion. If we gave you our opinion, it would mean nothing. This is the word of God who has given us everything and taught us how to live.

[Ari]

We were chasing the things of the world, relationships, careers, thinking it is going to fulfill us. And it always left us aching and leaving us empty and searching. And now though we struggle and though we go through pain, we know how to handle it well. And we still have the peace of God that is within us, because we don't. We. We know the truth. Yeah, we know the truth. And the truth is not. In chasing these things that are fleeting, that aren't gonna last, that you can bring with you to eternity.

[Ange]

Sorry, I was thinking. I'm so sorry. He said we struggle more now. I was thinking to myself, I don't know, I struggled a lot when I was drinking. No, no, no, no, you're right. I just had a vision of me when I was drinking. I was like, she was struggling.

[Ari]

But the truth is. Me too. But the truth is, guys, it's sacrificial, but it's. And you think I have to give up all these things and it's not going to be fun. You guys have no idea what you' on. You're missing out on the fruit of life. I promise. I just love you guys and.

[Ange]

Yeah, we love you guys so much. And just wrap everything up. Life is about sacrifice and obedience. And if I can encourage you with anything, it's to every single moment. I pray right now that God would open your spiritual eyes to see when there's a fork in the road. And I pray over you guys right now. And I know that this is going to come up a lot in your life. So get ready for it, receive it. God is going to open your eyes to these moments of forks in the road in your life where you have an option to choose pleasure, pleasure, to choose your flesh, to choose the desires that your body and your mind and your pride wants. And then he's going to give you an option for sacrifice and obedience, and he's going to show you and he's going to train you how to distinguish these two things, because sometimes you don't even know. Sometimes things are. Are innocent. And you don't even know that you have an option for obedience. But God is going to open your eyes and he's going to do this for you, and he's going to train you. This is your. Your training season. I love you so much, Ari loves you so much. Can I just say one last thing? If you made it to the end, you're a real one. And I just want to ask you guys, would you be praying for us if you could be praying for us for the podcast, for. To. First of all, for.

[Ari]

Just.

[Ange]

For our own hearts, for our own minds, just protection over us and over the tour. Like, if you guys could intercede for us, that would mean the world. Like on days, if you see we have a tour day and we're like on tour that day, that weekend and if you could be interceding, if you could be praying for us, that would mean everything to us. Like literally. I'm asking you, I'm asking you as a friend if you could be praying for us, if you could be interceding for us. Cuz we need it. We need you. May the Lord truly bless you and keep you. May Jesus make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May he turn his face towards you and give you peace. Shalom.

[Ari]

Shalom.

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