
Loading summary
Scott
Today we're going to continue our conversation about how grace is the basis of my maturing as a saint. Welcome to Living Influence, Bill. We've been talking about grace. Now we're right in the middle of talking about how grace is the basis for my maturing as a saint.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
In our last podcast, we were talking about beginning to believe who God says I am, the Christian life being defined by me beginning to believe who God says I am. And we were talking about how, as I do that, as I imagine God says I'm a saint.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
Says he's made me righteous.
Bill
Yeah.
Scott
He says he loves me. As I imagine that that might be true about me. It's in that area where I began to receive God's love.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
Because I began to come into an agreement with. With it, you know, And I. I remember when I first did it. I remember when I first began to take that step, and I. I said the words, I believe I'm worthy, which felt scandalous to me because, of course, I'm not worthy. It took Jesus dying on a cross. But. But the flip side to see that is Jesus declared that I was worthy because he went to the cross for me.
Bill
Right, right.
Scott
And that's. I think that's where we ended.
Bill
Because he made you worthy.
Scott
He made me worthy.
Bill
Exactly.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
That's beautiful.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
We spend a lot of time together, Scott, and trying to. I love your word. Trying to imagine.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
How do we experience grace and how do we help others experience grace? How do. How do we just alongside others to do this? And, and, and we were just talking last week about one of the great evidences that I am a saint is that I'm righteous. And, and Jesus said. And Paul said, and truly holy. And, And a lot of times when I'm teaching groups.
Scott
Yeah.
Bill
I'll have them do an exercise. I'll just mention it now, but I'll have them do an exercise where you take Ephesians chapter one and write down everything that God says is true about you.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
And. And in a group of four to six people, I'll say, now everybody gets a vote. How many of you think this is true? This is true. This is true. And they'll get somewhere between 1 and 4. They'll all agree, except when it comes to this word holy. And then all of a sudden you get 1.7, 2 or 3.9 or. But, but no, it's like, no, no, no. It's overwhelming. If I see myself as a sinner, I can't imagine that I'm Holy.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
But if I see myself as God sees me, he wants to remind me of something. Back to this theology of Jesus. He said, new commandment I give you, but he also said this, chapter 15. The Holy Spirit is coming and he will be in you.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Now, Jesus that day introduced a whole new theology about the Holy Spirit. A whole new theology?
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Until that moment, the Holy Spirit never indwelt anyone. The Holy Spirit only came upon humanity, never dwelt in humanity.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
How is it now that the day of Pentecost can become a reality? Because Calvary happened.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Because Calvary happened. Because Calvary happened. God in Christ took me, a sinner and made me a saint. Holy. So that Acts chapter two could happen. So that the Holy Spirit of God could come and dwell in humanity.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
What's the great evidence? I could just. I could just tell you because I do it. Okay. How many of you are Christians? How many of you believe the Holy Spirit said you're great? How many of you believe you're holy? Nobody. You missed the point. The Holy Spirit could not be in you if you are not holy. It's impossible.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
The great evidence of our holiness is the presence of the Spirit of God.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
In us.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
In Romans, chapter eight, Paul says, by the way, let me tell you something, dear Christian friends. Do you know if the Holy Spirit is not in you, you don't belong to Christ. Oh, wait, what? That's what he says.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
The Holy Spirit is in you is a great evidence that you belong to Christ.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
But the fact that the Holy Spirit who is in you is there at all is because of Christ.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
So again, do I measure my maturing on the basis of my behavior, or do I measure my maturing on the basis of who God says I am becoming?
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
That's a critical question. I don't know. We can answer it now, or two years of doing podcasts.
Scott
Right.
Bill
But I do know that I want to be able to be challenged with this reality. God, you love me. You're committed to my best. I pray a lot of short prayers. A short prayer just came to my mind. God, teach me to receive your best.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Teach me to receive your best.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Teach me to believe that my righteousness is totally dependent on the righteousness of Christ.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Teach me to believe that my holiness is not measured, because as a Christian.
Scott
I still sin in a practical way. It's like if I measure myself by my behavior or my shame, I will be looking like this. I work on this handle a bit, and it's like, oh, I need to work on this knee.
Bill
And then.
Scott
And, and we say it, but it's literally I'm examining everything I do.
Bill
Exactly.
Scott
And. And it. I become self centered. I'm centered on myself. My. Because this is how I'm measuring myself. I'm measuring myself by my behavior. And I'm trying to deal with the things I don't like about me. My shame. Things that have defined me. And if I begin to. And I love the word imagine. Imagine is to think about something that isn't.
Bill
Exactly.
Scott
And in Hebrews, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So what if I imagine that what God says is true about me?
Bill
Amen.
Scott
It takes my eyes off of me. And all of a sudden, all of a sudden, when I am no longer in this insecure state, trying to work on me, all of a sudden I can now be, oh, hi, Bill. Aware of you.
Bill
Exactly. So well said.
Scott
And now I can be me for you. And. And so different dynamics begin to happen.
Bill
Because he ain't who you used to be.
Scott
Because I ain't who I used to be. And it's not just we're going to imagine this. It's. It's actually what God did.
Bill
Exactly. Is he capable of doing it?
Sally
Is he?
Bill
Can I trust him with it?
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Can I live into it? You were just saying some words, Scott, that really blessed me. And that is back to my short prayers. But God, convince me that I'm lovable.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Here's a. Here's a truism. I will never like me until I'm convinced I'm lovable.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Shame will convince me that I am not worth knowing. I struggle with this a lot, Scott. This was. This was part of a great barrier and in my maturing.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Because I grew up believing a lie.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
That I didn't matter.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
That lie defined me. My teenage years were horrific.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Coming to Christ at 17 set a direction, a new direction for my life. But it didn't stop my view of me.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
I had to mature into this reality. God, God, if. If you say I'm lovable, then can I trust that's true? Will I let you love me? And will I let my friends, God, love me?
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
If I'm lovable, will I let people love me? You know, back to what we said last week. Jesus said, the world, because you love one another, sometimes I say in a teasing way to an audience, you know, most of you have spent your whole life being a lover, but you know what? You have to learn to become is a lovey. Right. If we're to love one another, which is harder sometimes.
Scott
Oh, it's to be the lovey.
Bill
You know why? Because when I'm the lover, guess who's in charge, right? In control. It's me.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Boy, Scott, you mean I gotta let you love me?
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Oh, no, wait, wait. This thing I do again. Come, but don't get too close.
Scott
Yeah.
Bill
Because. Because you know what, Scott? I believe that I wasn't valuable.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
I believe I didn't matter.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
I was scared to death. Gotta be known.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
I mean, it just petrified me. I was. I was a chameleon, Scott.
Scott
Yeah.
Bill
I lived my life living to imagine. Who do you want me to be?
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Because, God, I hate to say this. Truth, but it was my truth because I didn't like me.
Scott
And this is making me think about truth, you know, because God's truth is truth. And. And when it's used, even in part, it still works.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
And so one of the crazy things I did, because I felt like I was stuck in a box, and I started to discover things in the book of Galatians, and I just started reading leadership books and looking for truth. And then I would find something that, like, okay, this intuitively feels true. But if it's true, I had this belief, then how's it true biblically? And it's amazing how many of those things line up. So on this thing of do I believe who God says I am? My dad was an alcoholic. He left when I was in fifth grade. When I meet guys that had a really great dad who really loved them and was really present, they're different than me.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
And why are they different than me? Because somebody told them I love you, and they believed it.
Bill
Ah, Scott, such a great example.
Scott
So on a human level, the truth works.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
It makes a huge difference. But on a spiritual level, it makes all the difference.
Bill
Absolutely.
Scott
Life. It's amazing.
Bill
Scott, that is such a great example. I want to just pause there for a minute with you. Let's all of us pause and just think about what he just said. What if the spirit of God who is in me, what if I could pray? Another short bill prayer.
Sally
Ready? Yeah.
Bill
Spirit of God who is in me, teach me to trust you with me.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Spirit of God who is in me, teach me to trust you with me.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Oh, my gosh. Teach me to trust Jesus with me. I'm gonna get this. Teach me to trust God with me. Now watch this. Teach me to trust Scott with me.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
And the harder one, teach me to trust me, with me.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
That's where I struggle the most.
Scott
God, what do you mean by that?
Bill
I was so convinced that I was not trustworthy that I couldn't and shouldn't be trusted by me or anybody. One of the great transitions in my life, in my ministry life, was this dynamic that was taking place early in our ministry where together, we were experiencing each other's love and people began to trust me. Scott.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
And I went, who? Wait, hold it, Sally. Don't tell me. Don't say that to me, Dean, don't. Oh, I began to trust me. And, and it. The spirit of God challenged me. Challenged me. Bill, let them trust you. Because, Bill, I've made you trustworthy.
Sally
Wow.
Bill
Oh, my gosh. God, I. Right now that. I just got emotional.
Sally
Yeah.
Scott
Thinking about that because.
Bill
Because that has been part of the reality of my whole Christian life.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
This idea, I keep referring to it. By the grace of God, I am what I am. Here I am. Here I am.
Scott
I had the same experience at my business. Had a guy say, scott, I want to have my career here. I want to retire. And I'm like, oh, my gosh. I'm dealing with live ammunition here.
Bill
Well said. Well, I love that you are. I mean, yeah, we are. This grace is. I love that. I've never heard that before, really, Ever. We're dealing with live ammunition. Watch everybody. Something's going to go off here.
Scott
I could kill somebody.
Bill
Something's going to go off here in a minute. This isn't just a theory of doctrine.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
This is a reality of life. Yeah, it's a reality of life. As I'm sitting here thinking, I, I really wanted us to just spend a minute on, on this verse in Galatians. Maybe you could find it for us. Galatians 1:15. I, I, I'd like to kind of end this with, with our thinking through this a little bit.
Scott
I love Paul's boldness in this section. But when he who had set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his son to me in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I, I did not immediately consult with anyone, nor did I go to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me. But I went into Arabia, returned again to Damascus, he just went.
Bill
He went for it. He did. He acted upon it.
Scott
He acted. That's a great word.
Bill
As I see that example, I call it Paul's example. But I want to imagine with you and the people who are Looking at us, I want to imagine it's Paul's example. But is it ours? Do I believe, like Paul, that I have been set apart by God, chosen of God? I remind a lot of people that every choice of God comes with purpose. Every choice of God comes with purpose. And Paul's going to suggest that there are three reasons that he was set apart by God. And by the way, there are. He's using himself as an example of our reality. Yeah, My reality as a saint. Set apart by God so I could experience grace. Called by grace. That's what we've been talking about, Right? Called by grace, called set apart by God to experience grace. What is grace? Receiving God's best.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
And then he says, set apart by God to receive grace so that Christ could be known by me. Paul said Christ could be known by me. Listen, this process of maturing is a process of Christ being known by me. Jesus said to his disciples, follow me. Yeah, he's still saying it.
Sally
He is.
Bill
He's still saying it to me. Saying it to you. He's saying to us, follow me. Why would he want us to follow him? So he can reveal himself to us. The gospels are the stories of Jesus, the Son of God, revealing himself to his disciples.
Sally
Right.
Bill
For the benefit of transferring their lives so that they could do as Paul said, the purpose of God. For Paul, it was to preach to the Gentiles. But let's review that. Wait a minute. What is this grace? Paul says? I'm going to tell you something about this. Set apart by God to experience his grace so that Christ will be known to me.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Oh, gosh. I paused in my heart right now because it's hit me deeply so many times. Discipleship and spiritual formation is all about a strategy that doesn't include the revelation of Christ in me.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Now it has to begin with the revelation of Christ in me.
Sally
Yeah.
Scott
No, they. It's always.
Bill
Something I have to.
Scott
How do I cause this to happen more?
Bill
Exactly. How do I become more godly? Well, I want to give you a huge biblical secret here. You know, how you want to become more godly. Get to know Christ better. Just spend more time letting him be revealed to you. And, and then he says his purpose was to preach Christ to the Gentiles.
Sally
Right.
Bill
So I thought about reviewing that and I thought about what, what is mine? I, I believe I've been set apart by God. I, I know I'm experiencing God's grace. I know I'm getting a fuller understanding as much as I can to this amazing person. Called Jesus. And what I've learned over the many years that I've been a Christian is that Paul was to preach to the Gentiles. Mine is to come alongside people. I've been doing this for a long time. I kind of, so to speak, I talk about sitting on the other side of the table, people sitting on the side of the table. My friend Scott came to me one day. You just gave us the example of city. So I have this. What is God's purpose in me? To come alongside people. And I'll just use the outline we're talking about, but to come alongside people so they become convinced that they've been set apart by God.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
To come alongside people so that they can experience grace.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
A lot of people who come to see BE Scott are in trouble. That's why they're there. You gotta go see Bill and some crisis in their life.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
And they believe the resolution to the crisis is to work on the crisis. And I'll always say to them, good luck.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
The solution to the crisis is that you experience grace.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Because sometimes people miss the obvious. You know, Mr. Smith, you know that crisis that you're in, do you know you were a contributor to that crisis? Do you know you who actually made the crisis? You don't have the capacity to solve the crisis you made.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
And I'll say this to people as they come to see me. I'll say, let me ask you a couple questions. One of the questions I'll ask them is, do you really want somebody to help you? And though I know a couple of them have been bold enough to say, well, I wouldn't be here if I didn't want somebody to help me. Why wouldn't I? What are you talking about?
Scott
What a dumb question.
Bill
Oh, 45 minutes later, I'll ask another question. Are you willing somebody to help you, but not on your terms? And I say to a lot of people, I'll say to everybody, nobody can help you on your terms, not even God. It takes grace.
Scott
It's kind of true for unbelievers too, isn't it? It's.
Bill
It's a truism.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
It's a truism. So why do people come? What. What is it that God's called me to do? Come alongside people?
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
To. To help them as much as I know how.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
To follow Jesus and as much as I can.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
To help them move into the purposes of God for them.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
I. I am absolutely convinced that every one I meet who is a Christian has the purpose of God in them. I really believe that.
Sally
Yeah.
Bill
Share with us your story.
Scott
Yeah. So for mine, I do believe I was called by God.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
I remember when. When I got in that church with my. My late wife, and we were excited about God, and it was like, so, God, what do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go? Do you want me to go to Bible college?
Bill
Right.
Scott
You know, I was praying those questions and. And I felt God call me to. To business, to. No, I want you to. To. To get a career. I want you to really go for that.
Sally
And.
Scott
And I did. And it was consuming. And I mean, sometimes people will look at what I've done and they'll be very amazed.
Bill
Yeah.
Scott
And they'll think, wow, you've got a lot of courage to have done that. I don't know that I'd ever. And it's like. And they don't really know that, you know, that the first little step you took wasn't that amazingly courageous. But then. Then you got in so deep that if you stopped, the tiger was going to eat you. And so you just keep going, right. And learning about God. And I learned about grace in the middle of that journ. That guy saying he wanted to have a career at my company.
Bill
Right.
Scott
It undid me, I think, because my dad was an alcoholic. I couldn't imagine my sons, when they were 50, working for their dad. Some people do that, and they do it well, of course, you know, but I couldn't do it quite so. And some. A lot. A lot don't do it very well. I mean, the. The family dynamic of having a family business can be really, really difficult. So I started looking for my next. My company was going well. I had a great group of leaders, sons that are doing great in the business. And so when I went through that period of time where my late wife died of pancreatic cancer, I. It was also during COVID and I quit because I had to. I had to care for her. And I was emotionally. Iraq, and just. I don't know if I was emotionally wrecked. God was with us. It was a hard time. It was a hard time. And so I came out of that and we started getting together. And so I don't know that I'm still looking for my next, but I kind of looking for my next because God gave me this story of how this flourishing business got created and happened. And he gave me this passion for grace because it's changed my life so much.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
And so in my heart now is I want everyone to get to experience this message of grace.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
I want them to experience the freedom of grace.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
To then begin to experience the calling of God.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
And I think I have a passion that I'd like businessmen to be able to do that as well.
Bill
I agree.
Scott
You do, you know, and so.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
So we're in the beginning stages of that. Maybe further down the road.
Bill
What a great place to be.
Scott
But it's a. It's an incredible place. Place to be.
Bill
Amen. Thank you, Lord.
Sally
Yeah.
Scott
You guys have a statement that you coined a long time ago. Grace changes everything.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
It literally does.
Bill
Amen. Let's let it.
Scott
We want you guys to let it when. Let it change everything, because it's an amazing journey.
Bill
Amen.
Scott
Thanks for watching our podcast Today. We're going to continue this conversation on grace. We've got some more topics to talk about. We hope you join us.
Bill
Thank you.
Scott
Thank you for listening to the podcast. We're really glad that you're here. We'd love to know that you're here. And so if you could leave a comment, we would appreciate that. But more importantly, if you know someone that should listen to this or hear it, we would love for you to share it with them. Thanks again.
Podcast Summary: "Learning to Trust That You Are Lovable"
Living Influence with Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd
Episode: Learning to Trust That You Are Lovable
Release Date: July 17, 2025
In the episode titled “Learning to Trust That You Are Lovable,” co-hosts Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd delve deep into the transformative power of grace in the Christian journey. Building upon their ongoing conversation about grace and personal identity in Christ, they explore how embracing God's view of ourselves can significantly enhance our influence and relationships. This discussion is enriched with personal anecdotes, biblical insights, and practical exercises aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of one's worthiness and lovability through God's grace.
Scott begins the conversation by reiterating the importance of grace in his maturation as a saint. He emphasizes that believing who God says he is—the righteous and loved one—has been pivotal in receiving God's love:
Scott [00:23]: “We were talking about beginning to believe who God says I am, the Christian life being defined by me beginning to believe who God says I am.”
Bill echoes Scott’s sentiments, highlighting their joint efforts to help others experience grace:
Bill [01:00]: “We spend a lot of time together, Scott, and trying to... how do we experience grace and how do we help others experience grace?”
A significant portion of the episode focuses on the theological underpinnings of holiness and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Bill references Ephesians 1 and Romans 8 to illustrate how the presence of the Holy Spirit serves as evidence of one's holiness and belonging to Christ:
Bill [02:15]: “...an exercise where you take Ephesians chapter one and write down everything that God says is true about you.”
Bill [04:02]: “The Holy Spirit is in you is a great evidence that you belong to Christ.”
Scott further elaborates on how trusting in God's truth about oneself can shift the focus away from self-centered behaviors and shame:
Scott [06:18]: “...it's like I'm examining everything I do... if I begin to imagine that what God says is true about me... it takes my eyes off of me.”
Both hosts confront the pervasive issue of shame and the struggle to accept one's own worthiness. Bill shares his personal battle with believing he is lovable, a struggle rooted in a childhood shaped by the lie that he didn’t matter:
Bill [07:40]: “I will never like me until I'm convinced I'm lovable. Shame will convince me that I am not worth knowing.”
This candid admission paves the way for a heartfelt discussion on the necessity of trusting in God's affirmation of our lovability. They discuss the transformative impact of allowing others to love and trust them, moving from being "the lover" to "the lovey," where the focus shifts from controlling relationships to allowing love to flow freely.
Bill [09:51]: “God, convince me that I'm lovable... I was scared to death. Gotta be known.”
Scott shares his journey of grappling with his self-worth, influenced by his father's alcoholism and absence. He recounts how discovering biblical truths and seeking God's guidance led him to embrace his identity in Christ:
Scott [10:23]: “My dad was an alcoholic. He left when I was in fifth grade... because somebody told them I love you, and they believed it.”
Bill relates his own experiences, emphasizing the importance of trusting God and others with one's vulnerability:
Bill [12:07]: “I begin to trust me... because the spirit of God challenged me. Challenged me. Bill, let them trust you. Because, Bill, I've made you trustworthy.”
The conversation transitions to how grace is essential in navigating life's crises. Bill and Scott discuss their roles in helping others experience grace rather than solely focusing on solving problems:
Bill [19:03]: “The solution to the crisis is that you experience grace.”
Scott shares his experience with losing his wife and how grace became a cornerstone in rebuilding his life and business:
Scott [22:04]: “God was with us. It was a hard time... God gave me this passion for grace because it's changed my life so much.”
Drawing parallels with Apostle Paul's boldness in preaching to the Gentiles, both hosts reflect on their own callings to come alongside others and facilitate their experience of grace:
Scott [14:22]: “I want to imagine it's Paul's example. But is it ours? Do I believe, like Paul, that I have been set apart by God, chosen of God?”
Bill articulates his mission to help others experience grace and discover their God-given purposes:
Bill [18:59]: “To come alongside people so that they can experience grace.”
The episode concludes with actionable insights on how listeners can internalize and live out the truths discussed. Bill introduces interactive prayers to reinforce trust in God's love and one's own trustworthiness:
Bill [11:40]: “Spirit of God who is in me, teach me to trust you with me.”
Both hosts reiterate the transformative power of grace, encouraging listeners to let it change everything in their lives:
Scott [24:14]: “Grace changes everything. It literally does.”
“Learning to Trust That You Are Lovable” is a profound exploration of self-identity through the lens of divine grace. Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd eloquently discuss the necessity of embracing God's truth about our worthiness and lovability to enhance our personal influence and relationships. Through biblical teachings, personal testimonies, and practical exercises, they offer a roadmap for listeners to overcome shame, trust in God's love, and live out their God-given purposes with authenticity and grace.
Notable Quotes:
This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the episode, highlighting the critical discussions on grace, self-worth, and the transformative journey of trusting in God’s love. Whether you're a regular listener or new to the podcast, this episode offers valuable insights into living a life defined by divine grace and unconditional lovability.