← Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt
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Madison Pruitt Trout
Stay True podcast is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. This is going to be your best year yet. If you make it all about Jesus. We want a full time God, but we have a part time faith. The reason that so many of us are unhappy is because of social media. And I'm just going to go there challenging myself in this next year that I want to challenge all of you guys in next year. Bring back the Sabbath. I don't know what that is for you, but there are some things that you need to lay down in order for God to take over. When we make God our first, everything else will take care of itself. This would be a year where you truly rest in God's presence. I've just been so convicted of it. Why do I want to be seen by other people? Only then will you be filled up. If you're first giving up all that has your heart. I still in my mind feel 19 and 20. Sometimes I'm like, am I about to be 30 years old? How are we living in 2026? How do I have a child? This is crazy. What's up guys? Welcome back to another episode of Stay True podcast. I'm your host, Madison Pruitt Trout, and it is 2026, a new year. Like, how many times are we going to mistakenly write down 2025 when we're making our little journal entries? Because I know that I'm gonna probably be doing that a lot. I can't believe it's a new year. 2026, it's so wild. Like, I laugh when I go back and watch the like Suite Life of Zach and Cody and like the shows on Disney Channel when they would throw out these years that seem so far away and we're like living them right now. How crazy is that? Like, I still in my mind feel 19 and 20. Sometimes I'm like, how am I about to be 30 years old? How are we living in 2026? How do I have a child? This is crazy. But you guys, it's a new year and I truly do just believe that this is going to be your best year yet. If you make it all about Jesus, if you fully surrender your everything to Jesus. And I am prayerful and hopeful that no matter what your 2025 looked like, whether all of Your dreams came true, or whether a lot of your dreams were unmet or a lot your prayers were unanswered, or maybe you had a bunch of goals and you didn't reach any of them, or maybe you reached all of your goals and 2025 was amazing. Wherever you're at coming into, into 2026, my hope and prayer is that this is gonna be your best year yet. And because it's your best year yet with Jesus, because it's the year where you grow more in love with Jesus, where you grow deeper in community, with Godly community, where it's a year where you fall more in love with the scriptures and you start study the Bible and you know the Bible. A year where you truly know the Bible better than you ever thought you could. Like, you have so many verses written on your heart and just like readily available on your. In your mind. And to share with other people that this would be a year where you share the gospel with a lot of people like you thought you never would before, that you, in the past, maybe you were like, really scared to share your faith with some of your friends or family members who don't know Jesus. Like, this is going to be the year I'm speaking it and believing it and praying it for you guys, that you have those bold conversations that you have those conversations that you've been really scared to have with that friend that maybe has been living in sin and has been stuck in the same, you know, worldly pattern. And this is gonna be the time where you are gonna have those conversations. This is gonna be the year where you share the gospel with the stranger who needs to hear about Jesus. This is gonna be the year where your prayer life, like, goes crazy. I mean, you just, like, you find your prayer closet, you find your intimate space with Jesus and you, like, are serious about it and you actually go deeper in your spiritual walk with Jesus. And so I'm excited to hear the testimonials that are gonna come out of this year and what God does in you before he ever does anything through you. I think we live in a time where we're so concerned with what God can give us and what God can do through us. And we just wanna do these big, big things for God. And all the while we feel exhausted, we feel confused, we feel conflicted, we feel hopeless, we feel stressed. We feel so many different feelings because we're so much more focused on the doing than the being. And so my prayer also is just that this would be a year where you truly rest in God'. You find the secret place, you sit alone with Jesus and you allow him to speak into you, who you are and your true identity and what he created you to do. And it's only from that place that you'll be able to find ultimate fulfillment and contentment. I really want to talk about, as we're starting a new year, we've had a lot of really great episodes and I'm really excited for this new year. We have an amazing lineup of some people coming up on the podcast where we're going to be definitely focusing on for this first month of the year, a lot of just how to dive deeper in your faith, how to dive deeper into the word of God and understanding the Word of God and studying the Bible and how to actually make this a year where you understand the Bible more and you memorize scripture and all of those things, as well as even just like, how to have a healthy lifestyle and, you know, take your physical health seriously and treat your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. And so we're gonna have a lot of really amazing guests coming up, and I'm so, so excited about that. Um, but this episode, as we've talked, you know, the last episode was with Dr. Henry Cloud. If you guys haven't listened to that one, I would encourage you to go and listen to that. Because we talked all about necessary endings, new beginnings, boundaries. We even talked a little bit on dating. I mean, we really hit a lot of different things. But the heart of that episode was what needs to end in 2025 in order for a new beginning to begin in 2026. What do you need to cut out of your life? What are those necessary endings for you in order to step into all that God has for you in this? And I still think that that applies to what we're talking about today. But we're gonna really be focusing on a lot of why we give God our first and why that's so important to give God our first and give God our best and how we can actually build for ourselves a year that is built on the foundation of Jesus and him being the center of everything that we do and giving him everything as well as I really wanna confront the idols and the things that so often keep us from doing that and the things that so often distract us or hinder us from being able to live a life sold out for Jesus, from being able to give God our first and best, from being able to walk out our true God given calling and purpose. And so we're gonna talk about that and then I'm even gonna share something pretty vulnerable with you guys about something that God has convicted me of recently that I am going to be implementing this year and that I'm gonna be leaving behind in 2025 and stepping into 2026 with just new eyes and a new vision for this year. And so, yeah, something I was thinking about as thinking through this year is Matthew 6:33. And I think this is, like, a beautiful verse. I always love choosing a verse and a word for the new year. But a verse that really has been heavy on my heart and thinking about this new year in 2026 is Matthew 6:33. And it says, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all of these things given to you, and thinking about that for you guys and in praying over that for me, for you is when we make God our first, everything else will take care of itself. And when God takes first place, everything else will take its rightful place. And I think so often we focus on the little rocks and the little things and the urgent things. And then we give God our leftovers and we wonder why we feel distant from Him. We wonder why our, you know, relationship with him feels off. We wonder why we feel all of these empty holes and all of these things in our own soul. Because we're running to other things to find rest or to find purpose, or to find comfort or to find love. And we're wondering why something feels off in our soul when all of those things are meant to be fulfilled by Jesus and our relationship with him. And so giving him our first, but also giving him our best. And if you think about it, it's like at the beginning of the year, at the beginning of the week, at the beginning of our day, like, those are our first, first fruits to God. And so the beginning of the year, like, this is a time where we can come before God and say, how do I give you my everything this year? Like, how can I give you this year and say, I am putting this at the altar. Like, this year belongs to you. My life belongs to you. My body belongs to you. My mind belongs to you. My relationship, my time, my talents, my treasure, it all belongs to you. And you actually put that at the altar. And you say, I'm seeking you first above all else. Like, you are my greatest priority. You are on the throne of my heart, not all of these other things. And then I just want you to come along and be a part of it, like, I am making you my everything and trusting that everything else will fall into its rightful place. And that's what I want our prayer and our attitude to be this year. And so what does it look like to give God the first of your year? Like, why don't you take some time, if you haven't already? Like, this podcast is coming out, I don't know, like, four or five days into the new year. But if you haven't already done this, like, taking some time to set aside this first month of the year and say, okay, what are some things that I wanna stop doing? What are some things I wanna start doing? How are me and God really? Like, where am I really at with the Lord? Because we can only ever be as free as we are honest. And so we have to have a moment of saying, where am I right now? Like, where am I in my prayer life? Where am I in my Bible reading? Where am I in godly community? Where am I in my time and how I spend my time? Where am I with my finances and resources? How do I steward those? Where am I with my. Where am I with my emotions? Where am I with my friendships and relationships? Like, have those moments to really gauge and get honest with yourself and to be like, okay, spiritually, man, I rate myself, like, a 7 out of 10, an 8 out of 10. Grant and I talked a lot about this in a previous episode, too, if you want to go and listen back to that. But that has been something that I love doing at the end of a year and the start of a new year to really gauge, like, where am I and where do I want to grow? Like, what are my hopes and my goals for this year? To be who God has called me to be. And so the start of your year, giving God that year and then thinking about it, like, man, God is getting the start of my week. Like, Sundays, if that's your Sabbath day. Like, Sundays are my Sabbath days. And so really taking time to prioritize on Sundays. Like, these are days that I'm giving to God and I'm prioritizing rest, and I'm prioritizing, like, not working. And I'm prioritizing time in the Word, and I'm prioritizing, you know, just like, sitting in God's presence. And I was even reading in Genesis 1 this morning, the creation story. And I love how six out of seven days God worked, but one day he kept holy and he rested. And that is something that I'm challenging myself in this next year and that I wanna challenge all of you guys in next year is to bring back the Sabbath, like, to really have a day out of the week that you are fully Sabbathing, where you are not working, where you were resting. And like true rest. I'm not talking about just like numbing out scrolling on social media. I'm not talking about just watching like 20 movies. I'm not just talking about like going and doing these like worldly things, looking for rest. Like true biblical rest. Like, what is it? Sure, take a nap in God's presence. You know what I mean? Like, take a nap, Lord, give me good dreams. I'm gonna take a nap. But also like, take some time to pray. Take some time to like read a book by someone that you look up to and their faith journey. Take some time to like go on a walk with a friend and have God honoring conversations. Take some time to journal and reflect and just like be grateful. And that is something that I want to encourage you guys to do at the beginning of the week. So we've talked about the beginning of the year, the beginning of the week, and then the beginning of the day. Like the start to every single day. Something I want to challenge you guys in, something I want to challenge myself in. If this is not something you have been doing in 2025, is starting your day in God's presence and in God's word. That means before you turn on your cell phone, that means before you check your email, you check your text message, you check Instagram, you check anything you are getting in God's presence, you are hitting your knees, you are worshiping God, thanking God, opening up the word of God. Because it sets the tone for the rest of our day. And I see that with all things, like, why do we give God our first fruits? Like, why do we go to God first? Because it sets the tone for everything else. We give God the first. We say, God, okay, at the beginning of the year, I'm giving this to you. I'm giving you this year. Because as we approach his throne and we say, hey, I want to give this to you, it's setting the tone for, like, this is how the rest of the year is gonna go. Like, I'm inviting you into the rest of the year. When we approach God at the beginning of the week and we say, God, I'm giving you this week, Like, I'm making you my priority. I'm seeking you first. I'm resting in your presence, it's setting the tone for the rest of the week. When we go to God, the first of the day and we say, God, I'm giving this day to you. I'm giving my body to You, I'm giving my time to you. It's setting the tone for the rest of the day. And so that's the importance of going to God. It's a biblical principle. The first fruits. You see it throughout the Old Testament, you see it throughout, even some in the new Testamen, that what we do with the first will always reveal what we trust the most, like who and what we trust the most. And so if we are. If you think about it, if you're turning first to Instagram or you're turning first to work, right when you wake up, it's really revealing, like what's on the throne of your heart and what you're relying on, or what you're trusting in the most, right? Or if you turn to the word of God, it's like, I'm going to you first. Lord, you are my love, you are my delight. You are my source of security. You are my source of comfort. You are my source of direction. You are my provision. And you're leaning on him rather than leaning on yourself, someone else, or something else. Hey, friends, it's Maddie. If you've read my new book, Dare to Be True, I would love to hear what you think. Your reviews mean so much to me. They help more people discover the message and the heart behind this book. So if this book has encouraged you, challenged you, or reminded you to live with bold faith and honesty, would you just take a minute to leave a review? It truly makes such a difference. And if you haven't gotten my new book yet, Dare to Be True, you can go and find it anywhere books are sold. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey and for daring to be true right alongside me. Stay True Merch drop. We got a new Stay True Merch collection, you guys. And this is my favorite collection yet. I am wearing the jersey from the Stay True Merch collection. And you guys, it is so amazing. It says Stay True on the front, stay free on the back. It's got John 8:32. It is the coolest jersey you've ever seen. But we have sweatshirts, we got T shirts. This is seriously my favorite collection yet. This is the perfect Christmas gift, birthday gift, New Year gift to yourself. You guys, you need to check out this new collection. I'm so excited about it. And you can go to staytruepodcast.com we'll also include the link to the exact merch landing page in the show notes. You guys gotta go and check it out. Let me know what you think. If you rep it, tag us. We Want to see it go and check it out, you guys. And so starting the year with that. And I'd also even just say, like, your finances, you know, it talks about the importance of tithing and giving God your first 10%. I think so often we treat God like an afterthought in all areas. Time, talent, treasure. And it's kind of like, oh, I'm just gonna go, like, spend the money I want to spend, and then maybe I'll give a little bit to God. Like, I don't like God. If I give you, you know, 10%, 15%, if I give 10% to the church and then 5% away nonprofit organizations, then what if I don't have enough for the rest of the month? And so often we live our life like that, and we want the control and we want the security by the world's standards. But the reality is, is that we're called to give God our first and best. And that is an act of faith. Even if we're like, I don't know how the rest of the month is gonna go. Maybe I. By looking at my, you know, bank statement, it doesn't look like I'm gonna have enough if I do that. Or maybe I'm a little nervous that I'm gonna be, like, not able to go get that coffee one day. And maybe you can't get the coffee that one day. And. But you make that sacrifice because you're saying, lord, I prioritize you. You are first and best, and I'm going to be obedient to your word. I want more of you this year. I want to look more like you. I want to know you more, and I want to do more for your kingdom and not build up for myself little kingdoms. And it talks about in Proverbs 3, like, honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of your crops. And it says, then your barns will be filled and your brims will be overflowing. And it's talking about, if you first give him your everything, he will provide your everything else. Like, only then will you be filled up if you're first giving up all that has your heart. You know what I mean? Like, only if you give God. Okay, this is all on my heart. Maybe it's like, I'm worried about finances. Maybe I'm, like, worried about my relationships. Maybe I'm worried about, like, my time today. I have a really busy day. Maybe I'm worried about my work. Maybe I'm worried about whatever it is. And you give God all of that only in his presence. Can you be truly filled up in the way in which you were made to be filled up? And it's in that. Then you will be able to pour into others and God can give you what it is that you're looking for. And so my tips would be, as we start this new year, goals for you guys is start your day in God's presence. Start your day in worship, in gratitude and prayer and thanksgiving. Start your day saying, God, I submit myself to you, body, soul, and spirit. I belong to you. I give you my all. I give you my everything. Which means having to remove some of the distractions. Maybe that means you buy an alarm clock on Amazon that isn't your phone sitting right next to your bed. Maybe that means that you leave your phone in your room plugged up and you don't touch it until after you've had your quiet time. I don't know what that looks like for you. I know for me, that's how I have to do it. I have to leave my phone plugged in. I know even if I unplug it, I'm gonna end up on it. And so I literally have to leave it plugged into the wall, and I do not touch it until after I have my quiet time. And so that's gonna be a continual goal for me headed into this new year. So starting your day in God's presence, number two, giving God your first and best of your time, talent and treasure. So giving God the first and best of your time, which again, means starting your day in his presence, Starting your week in his presence. The. Your. Your talent. Okay, what is it that are the gifts and the passions that he's put on your heart? Giving him your first and best of that. Okay, maybe I'm, like, really creative. Maybe I, you know, have a gift of taking photos. Okay, then serve your local church with that talent and give that to God. Like, use that in a way that you're giving that back to God. What is your treasure? Like, your finances, you know, tithing, 10%. Giving God your first and your best every month. And really reframing your mindset to where it's like, I'm giving God my first and best in all things, in all aspects of my life. And then three, Study and saturate yourself with the word of God. Study and saturate your life with the word of God. I cannot encourage you guys in this enough. I've talked about it so much on this podcast, just the importance of memorizing scripture, studying scripture, like, actually diving in. And so I would just encourage you, like, find a Bible plan, find a resource, find something that's going to challenge you in your Bible reading and hold you accountable. And maybe it's getting a few friends together and it's like, hey, let's go through, you know, the book of Philippians. Maybe it's like getting a few friends together and saying, let's go through the Book of Acts and let's find a commentary, let's find a Bible study, and let's dive into it together. Because I think so often if we're just relying on our own emotions and self, either we are emotional readers of the Word of God, where we just turn to, like, whatever serves us in this season of life, or we're inconsistent and some days we read the Word of God and some days we don't, or we're selfish and we just again, use the Word of God for what is going to give us what we need. And we're praying those things of, like, well, God, your Word said you're gonna give me this. And instead of actually studying the Word of God in full context and realizing that this is actually all about Jesus and it's not all about me. Like, I play a role, but I am the role. Like, I play a part, but I'm not the part. Like, I'm. I'm not the main character of this story. And it's so helpful having accountability to come alongside of you. My hope and heart is that this is the year where you fall more in love with the Word of God, where you have more of the Word of God written on your heart and memorized in your mind. And that has truly changed my life in so many ways. I don't even recognize myself. Two years ago, a year ago, because of how much scripture I've been memorizing. And in moments where, you know, I get triggered in some way, where I get anxious or, you know, someone offends me and I find myself getting angry or I start getting really stressed and overwhelmed about something. Scripture will be what starts coming to my mind instead of just reacting out of emotion or instead of just relying on someone else. And so that's why it's so beautiful to have that written on your heart. Because there's not always that moment where you're gonna have, like, your Bible app phone with you or the Bible physically with you. And so to have it written on your heart to where you can defeat those lies that pop up in your mind or those temptations that are coming all around you with the Scripture written on your heart, you Know, David says, I have stored up in my heart your word so that I might not sin against you. And I think that that really is gotta be our prayer. And our goal is that we store up the word of God in our heart and in our mind so that we can resist sin, so that we don't sin against God. And so having the Word written on our heart is so important. And then lastly, I talk about it all the time, but build community. Build godly community. Get plugged into a local church. Get plugged into a small group. Like, don't just, like, go to church. Like, actually join your local church. Become a member, serve your local church. Join a small group, Lead a small group. Like, actually get plugged in. It's so easy in today to do this whole ISO Christianity. Like, it's just me and God. Like, I don't really need a church. I don't really need. No. Like, that's not biblical. Like, the word of God talks about the importance of gathering. Like, don't. Don't stop gathering together. Like, gather together and encourage one another and worship the same God. Like, none of you should ever be in, need be in, be one mind serving one God. And just the importance. It talks about it all in the book of Acts. But that it's just so important that we're plugged into a local church, that you have people that see all of you, the good and the bad, and you have friends that care more about your soul than your feelings, and they're not afraid to call you out, to call you higher, to push you closer to Jesus so that you can resist sin and walk out. God's, God's purpose for your life. And so we've got to have that godly community, got to be plugged into a local church. I really now want to, like, move into just a moment of. I want this to be a year where we start off at the beginning of the year before we're like, here's my goal. Here are the things I'm gonna do. Like, here are all the. Like, like, let's just consecrate ourselves and consecrate our year before the Lord and just say, lord, this is yours. Like, I'm yours. I belong to you. I don't belong to myself. It's not about me, it's about you. And so, Lord, what is it in my life that you need to remove, that you need to reveal, that you need to expose that I don't need to continue carrying into this next year and really ask the Holy Spirit to search your Heart it talks about in Psalm 139, Search me, O God. You know, like, remove those offensive ways in me and lead me in the path of everlasting life. And so have. I want you to truly have this moment, and maybe it's even right now. Like, close your eyes, be face to face with Jesus if he were to ask you that question of what is it that you're so afraid of losing? What is it that's on the throne of your heart that isn't me? What is it that you need to let go of? What are the idols that need to be torn down? And I want you to, like, really ask yourself that question. And I want you to picture yourself right now in this moment as you're face to face with Jesus laying it down at his feet and saying, lord, you can have it, because you're worthy of it all. You're worthy of my, yes, my hopes and my dreams and my goals, but you're also worried you're worthy of. Of my worries and my fears and my unanswered prayers and my, like, you're worthy of it all. And I want you to just put it at his feet. And I want us to start this year with a consecration moment. Because I just believe in the power of, like, praying and fasting and saying, lord, I'm going to decrease because I want you to increase. Like, I want this to be a year so full of God, which means it's got to be not full of myself. Like, in order for this year to be all about Jesus, it can't be all about you. So, yes, make your goals, have your hopes, have your dreams. I've talked about that a lot in the last few episodes. I believe in that. I will set some goals for myself, too. But I want you to truly have this moment of consecration to say, lord, I'm going to pray and I'm going to fast, and I'm going to say, lord, I want more of you in this year, and I want it to be less about me. And so I want you to ask that question of, like, what do I need to stop doing and what do I need to start doing? Are there any idols in your life? Is there anything that would make you question God's goodness or sovereignty or love for you if it were to be taken away? Is there anything that you cling to so tightly that you're so afraid of letting go of? Because before God wants to give you something new or even do something in you, you must first lay something down. Lay it all down. Lay your life down because it talks about in scripture, you don't find your life when you look for your life. You find your life when you lose your life, when you lay your life down and you say, lord, you are my everything. And so I trust you with everything else. And so this is like your holy reset. This is your spiritual declutter. Like, this is your moment of getting real and honest and, like, letting the Holy Spirit do that work of, what are those things? What are those idols that have kept you distracted, that have kept you distant, that have hindered your ability to be fully intimate with Jesus, to be fully on fire for him to be bold in your faith, to be the friend? He's called you to be the daughter, he's called you to be the brother, he's called you to be the sister. The, like, whoever it is, like, that God has called you to be. Like, maybe there's something in your life that you've been holding onto. And here's the thing. Here's what's crazy about idols is that they're not always, like, sinful things. Like, I could have an idol on my heart that is my idol, could be my child, you know? And so it's not a sin that I love my child. It's not a sin that I have my child. But it becomes a sin when I make hosanna my everything instead of Jesus, when I run to her for security or comfort or identity, you know, before I'm running to Jesus and finding that in Jesus. And so we have to diagnose ourself first of, like, what is making me sick? What is keeping me stuck? What is the thing that is preventing me from living fully free or from being all God's called me to be? What is the thing that has that commands my heart? Because whatever commands your heart is going to control your life. It says in Matthew that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And so asking yourself, like, where is my treasure? I mean, I remember in 2018, the Lord convicted me of that because I was in a relationship with someone, and I idolized that relationship. And I idolized the idea of being married and getting married one day and becoming a wife and becoming a mom. Like, that was an idol of my heart. It was a lot of what I thought about it consumed me. And I knew if God took that from me that I would be angry, that I would question his goodness. And I remember having this moment where the Lord highlighted that verse in Matthew and where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And said, I need you to lay your treasure down, because your heart isn't full of me. It's full of this thing. Your heart isn't set on me. It's sat on this thing. And I just ran from it because I was like, no, no, no. Like, Lord, you can have anything else. Like, anything, Anything but that. Like, I don't want to give you that, you know, that person. And I had been dating for four years. I was so excited to step into that new season. We had already talked about engagement, and, I mean, we had already gone there in our minds. And so when the Lord asked me to lay that down, one, it didn't make any sense to me, but two, I just didn't want to. And when that was exposed and revealed to me that that was the idol on my heart, like, it was. It was really hard. And so I remember laying it down, and I thought I was gonna get to pick it back up, and I didn't get to pick it back up. And that was even harder because then it got picked up by somebody else, and I was like, well, dang it, now I'm single and he's dating some. Now I'm having to, like, do all this heart work and hard work with the Holy Spirit, revealing to me, wow, there's all of these things on the throne of your heart, and it's not me. And you really cared about what people thought about you, and you really cared about the status and, you know, having your. Your Mrs. Degree. Like, you really cared about, you know, hitting your goals of being married by this age you really cared about. And it was all these things that started getting exposed as I laid that down. But honestly, you guys, it was then when I laid that down, when I. When I. I found true contentment, rest, security, peace, hope. Because I finally let the Holy Spirit, I let the Lord be that for me. It no longer was reliant upon another person or reliant upon that circumstance going how I wanted it to go, or that. Or getting that answered prayer or getting that dream or getting that status or whatever, like, it just became Jesus.
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BetterHelp Sponsor Voice
This episode is sponsored by Better Help. The new year doesn't mean you need a new you. Maybe just a less burdened you. Therapy can help you recognize what's holding you back and give you an unbiased perspective to better understand your relationships, your motivations, and your emotions. Things like fear, pressure, perfection, or doubt can weigh on anyone, and having a space to explore them can make a big difference. BetterHelp makes it simple to get matched with a licensed therapist in the US.
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Madison Pruitt Trout
Who fits your needs.
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Their Therapist Match system uses a short questionnaire and over 12 years of experience to connect you with the right professional. And if it's not the right fit it you can switch anytime. With over 30,000 therapists and more than 5 million people served worldwide, BetterHelp has an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 from over 1.7 million live session reviews. Taking the step to work through what's weighing you down can give you clarity, help you understand yourself better, and create space for growth. This year, BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off@betterhelp.com StayTrue that's Better H E L P.com StayTrue.
- [31:13]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Stay True podcast is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliate potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. I'm not saying that that was like the easiest season in in the world, but it was. I look back now and I'm like, that was one of the most pivotal, fruitful seasons of my life. That was one of the most powerful seasons of my life where I learned what it looked like to truly abide. Where. Where I learned what it looked like to truly be dependent on the Lord. Where I learned what it looked like to truly make Jesus my everything, where I got hidden with him, where I tucked away with him. Like that was such an important season for me. And so idols are anything that we look to to find in something else that only God can give us. And so what is it that you are looking to or who you're looking to to try and find what only God can give you? What is it that has that grip on your heart? Because you know, God says, you shall have no other gods before me. There can be no other gods on your heart. It talks about in Matthew, like, you cannot serve both God and money. You cannot have two ma. And so you cannot serve both God and whatever that is that's on the throne of your heart, that isn't God. Like, you're going to be pulled. You're going to be tugged. You have to choose. And my hope and prayer is, is that as we choose God and as we make him our everything for this year, we actually see that everything else in our life actually becomes more meaningful, more beautiful, more intentional. Like I've seen That in my own life, like when I allow Jesus to be my everything, only from there can I actually love my husband and my child and my friends and my family the way that I'm called to, only from there will I actually be truly secure, will I actually be truly content, will I actually be truly at rest in my soul. Because I've turned to Jesus to find that and not to the world and not to social media and not to another person. And so often we're turning to those things and then we want God to come along and we're like, why do I not feel content? Why do I not feel secure? Why do I not feel peace? And so my hope is that we put God back on the throne of our hearts, we make him our everything, and then from there we find everything else. And so in 2018, that's what that was for me. But here, 2026, honestly for me, what that is, is social media. It's wanting to be relevant. It's caring about, looking important in the eyes of other people. And this is just me being super vulnerable with you guys. Like, I don't even think in my day to day I would have thought that or vocalized that, that. But I think so often you can tell what your hope is set on when certain expectations aren't met. You know what I mean? Like, if, if my hope is set on going viral on Instagram or getting followers on Instagram or getting certain people to comment on my Instagram or whatever it may be, or, you know, stay true, is Instagram doing really well, whatever it may be, then when those expectations aren't met, then I find myself in this, like, restless, frustrated, anxious space and wondering why I feel that way. And it's because I've set my hope on the wrong thing. It's because that I. I've put a little G God before God. I have these idols on my heart that aren't God. So for me, I am just really consecrating this before the Lord and I'm saying, lord, I'm giving you this desire to be relevant. Like, I'm giving you this, this little G God of validation. Like, that's, let's call it out for what it is. Like, social media so often is the little G God of validation. We just want to be validated. We just want to be seen. Or maybe it's the little G God of relevancy. Maybe it's the little G God of self glory and making it all about self and, and putting yourself in such a light of. Look at how amazing I am. Even though on the inside, most of us don't feel that amazing. And so often we can really mask it and make it seem like it's really, really great. But then on the inside, we feel this, like, wrestle of comparison. Jealousy, insecurity, discontentment, you know, exhaustion, stress. Like, so many things going on in our mind we don't know how to turn off. We feel so overstimulated, we feel so overwhelmed, we feel so defeated, we feel so discouraged, we feel so depressed, we feel so anxious. And that's what happens so often. But yet we don't take time to actually look at the root of it and, like, cut it out of our life. And so, so often we're picking at these. We're trying to treat, like, the fruits and then wondering why the fruits keep coming back. And it's because we gotta get to the root. Like, for me, if my struggle right now is my desire to be relevant or my desire to be validated by other people, and so often that's triggered with me being on social media, then I gotta cut that out. Like, I gotta cut that out of my life. Even if it's just for a time to consecrate it before Jesus. Give it to Jesus and say, lord, I want you to be my source of validation. I want to fight to be irrelevant, because that was never your goal in the first place. I want to live my life in a way where I am seeking to serve others and love others and wash feet and not looking to be served and not walking around with an entitled mindset of waiting for people to see me and compliment me and serve me. That's not how I wanna live my life. That's not who I wanna be. That's not who I wanna model for my. For my kids. That is something that I am really excited about in this year is, like, I am giving God my social media and I'm saying, lord, you can have it. I don't want it. You can have it. You can have all of it. And I want this year to be a year where the Holy Spirit just speaks into me and breathes into me, like, who I truly am and where I find my true validation and affirmation and acceptance and approval and assurance and security and all of those things in God's presence and in God's word. And so I'm really excited for that and I just want to encourage you. Like, I truly do think that for so many of us, the reason that so many of us are unhappy is because of social media. And I'm Just gonna go there. Like, I really do think that the reason that so many of us are unhappy and displeased with our life is because of social media. Like, if we were to just be going throughout our day to day life not seeing anything else, and we're only focused on living in the moment, the moment that we have right here, right now, not thinking about the moments other people are having, or not thinking about capturing moments just so we can post them and share them, but actually living in the moment. How different would our life be? I mean, I know for me, like getting on social media either becomes a distraction. I end up spending so much time on there, and I'm like, what was I even taking in? What was I even watching? Or it becomes a escape and a retreat for me. Like I run to that to numb out, to escape before I run to serving somebody or sitting in God's presence or studying God's word or it's, you know, a place where I want to, you know, strive and show people like how, how, how successful I am and look at me and look how important. I mean, these are the, like, these are the real raw things that I'm, I'm just being honest with you guys about, of, of the negative side of social media and what that's been for me. And I came off of the Bachelor in, let's see, 2019, and then it came out in 2020. And in 2020, my life changed dramatically. And it was overnight and it was instant. And I went from being a foster parent recruiter living in Alabama, having like 5,000 followers to all of the sudden, you know, having millions of followers, having all of these opinions about me, having all of these expectations of me, having all of these pressures, having all of these opportunities, having all of these now resources. And all of the sudden what I thought was really, really cool and I would have looked at other people's life and said, wow, that's awesome. Like, I wish I could have that. I wish I could get that. And then now stepping into that, or at that time stepping into that, I realized very quickly, like, this doesn't satisfy. I actually feel more anxious than I ever have. I actually feel kind of like spun around. Like I feel like a little, like spun out. Like I feel a little unraveled. Like I'm just kind of like, like my head is like bobbling around, like what's going on? And now I'm really concerned about what these people are saying, good or bad. And I'm, I'm now thinking about more than I should, you Know what I post and, and how many likes it gets and how many comments it gets. And now I'm like making money off of this and that's kind of cool. And so it's just like all of these different things that happened all at one time. And I stepped into that very quickly and it was very overnight for me. And then I just since that moment, like truly have not had a time where I've been off of it for a long period of time. Like I've done, I think 21 days of prayer and fasting here and there and taken a couple weeks off, a few weeks off here and there. But I really felt convicted from the Lord that I am supposed to take like a large amount of time. And I don't know if that's six months, I don't know if that's a year, I don't know what that is. But I'm just inviting you guys into that journey with me because I've just been so convicted of it. Like I'm like, why do I want to be seen by other people? Why do I want to be relevant? Why do I want to be seen as important? Why do I care if my, I have this many books sold? Why do I care if I have this many followers and this person has this many followers? Why do I care about those things? You know? And I think that even though I can get in a place where I have a moment of surrender, it's like as soon as I get back on it, I get sucked right back into it. And so for me, it has not been a life giving place. Even though it's still been an opportunity for me to minister to other people. It has not done a very good job ministering to me. And I have not felt, I've felt like I have been more discipled by the world in this area of my life than by the word of God in this area of my life. Like I truly feel like my mind has been more transformed by the pattern of this world than by the word of God in this area of my life. And so I am giving this to God and saying, lord, this will no longer be an idol of my heart. This will no longer take the place of your voice and your word and your truth and who I am and who I am to you and who you've wired me to be and what you've called me to do and what you see as greatness and what you see as important and what you see as leaving a legacy and making a difference and what you see as true purpose. Like, I want the Lord to totally deconstruct the worldly view I've had of those things. And I want him to build up in me a new, powerful, true, you know, view of what purpose is and what a life of impact is and how I am to live my life in view of that. And I just want to invite you guys into this journey of, yes, this is my vulnerable thing that I'm walking through and what I'm choosing to do, which I'm honestly really excited about. But also, I want to challenge you guys. Like, what is it that you need to lay down? What idol do you need to dethrone? What is your consecration moment right now? And maybe for you, it is social media. Maybe that is the thing for you. Because it's been a trigger of lust, because it's been a trigger of comparison, because it's been a trigger of depression and anxiety, because it's been a trigger of fomo, because it's been a trigger of. Of failure, because it's been a trigger of all these different things, of striving, of proving, of performing, of masking, of hiding, of secrecy, of looking good on the outside, but on the inside, struggling with all of these things. If that has been that for you, I truly would encourage you guys to take some time to get off of it, to take some time to let God breathe into you and speak to you, who you truly are in Christ, what God's word says about your identity and your calling, you know, and. And. And let the Lord speak into that, because again, you cannot serve two masters. And so often we're serve the world and God. So often we're trying to fit in in the world and fit in with God, and you just can't do both. And so what is it for you where you're tiptoeing the line or where you have that idol on your heart that you need to lay down, that you need to consecrate, that you need to give to God. And I really want to encourage you guys to start your year in that posture where it talks about in Romans 12:1, I give you. I am a living sacrifice, Lord, like I give you my body. I give you my life, body, soul, and spirit. I belong to you. My mind, okay, my mind has been filled with these lies and these intrusive thoughts. Okay? What triggers that? What causes that? What is that for me? Is it social media? Is it the shows that I'm watching? Is it the music I'm listening to? Is it the food that I'm eating? Like, asking Yourself that you know, is it the, is it the way you spend your money? Is it who you spend your time with, the people you're hanging out with? Like, really getting to the root? Like, okay, these are the thoughts that I'm having, these are the feelings that I'm feeling. But why? What's the root of it? And what's on the idol of my heart? What am I clinging to so tightly? Is it this relationship that I'm in that I know is not of God or from God? Is it this dating relationship that I'm trying to justify because maybe he wears a cross necklace and like he goes to church sometimes and like, he's kind of a good guy, but like he's not a man after God's own heart. And you know deep down in your own heart that that is not the man that God has called you to be with and to, and to partner with in this life. Maybe you're like flirting with sin instead of fleeing from it. And that sin in your life is like what you're watching on your computer or the books that you're reading, these steaming romance novels. Like, I don't know what that is for you, but there are some things that you need to lay down in order for God to take over. In order for this year to be truly all about Jesus. And in order for you to find true life in Jesus. It talks about in John 14:6. Jesus says, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. We don't find life apart from him. And that doesn't mean just a part of him, that doesn't mean just some of him. That means when he is our everything, that's where we find true life. Meaning, purpose, fulfillment, satisfaction, joy, peace, love, truth, all of it. Like he's gotta become our everything. And I just think so often, like, we want a full time God, but we have a part time family. Like we have all these other idols on our heart. We have all these other things on our heart. And we're like, but God, I really expect this of you. Like you said you're God. Here's your promises. Like, come on, stay true to your word. And he's like, but you're not even seeking me with all of your heart. Like you're not even making me your everything. And so I just, I want this to be a year where you don't have a part time faith. You don't have all these other little G gods on the throne of your heart. Like, this is a year where you are all in with Jesus. You're not lukewarm Christian. You're not cultural Christian, you're not convenient Christian, you're not selfish Christian. Like, that's not even Christian. You are a true Christian, which means you are a follower of Christ, which means you are submitted to Jesus Christ, which means that he is on the throne of your heart, that you live your life to please him, that you are fully submitted to him, that you obey his word, that you are willing to follow him, whatever the cost, whatever he asks of you. And a lot of the times the things that we have to lay down are the things that are really hard to lay down. I mean, if you're just like laying down, like, oh, I'm just not gonna drink coffee today. It's like, okay, like, come on, anybody can do anything for one day. Maybe, maybe the idol is coffee for you. And you need to lay it down for like six months to prove to yourself that you're not addicted to coffee. Like, that coffee isn't on the throne of your heart. Like, Stay True Podcast is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. I don't know what that is for you, but my encouragement to you is ask the Holy Spirit, what do I need to lay down? And I even want to just encourage you, like, fight to be irrelevant. Like, fight to be a true servant this year. Fight to not make it all about you in your own mind, in your own heart, in your relationships, with your money, with your time, with all of it. Fight to not make it about you. It is the biggest fight that we're gonna have on this earth. You know, I think so often we're like, yes, Jesus rescued me from sin. Yes, Jesus rescued me from Satan. And then we stop there. I'm like, the biggest rescue mission of all time is Jesus rescuing you from you. The biggest rescue mission of all time is Jesus rescuing me from me. Because me apart from him is messed up. Me apart from Jesus is sinful, selfish, prideful, like lustful, all kinds of things. I could sit here and name a million things. And so not only do I need Jesus to redeem and rescue my life from sin and from the grip that Satan has, but also from the grip that sin has on my life and my bent out desire towards it, like my desire to drift toward it. And so I need to be rescued from me, you need to be rescued from you. And the only way we're going to be full of Jesus is if we're emptied of our sins. And so let this be your consecration moment. Go to the altar, okay? And you know what happens at the altar? Something dies. Something dies at the altar. And so I'm going to encourage you to go to the altar. And this is your invitation, just like Jesus said. You want to follow me? Okay, Come and die. Like, that's the invitation to follow Jesus. And I just want to encourage you guys at the beginning of this year to step into that. Go to the altar. And at the altar, something dies, but also at the altar, there's resurrection power. And you no longer live like you used to live. But then you become a new creation, and you're alive in Christ, and it's the spirit that leads your life, and it's where true life is found. And so something has to die for something great to begin, for something new to begin, for something God to do. And so I just. That's my encouragement to you guys is fight to be irrelevant. Fight to die to yourself. Consecrate the things you need to consecrate. Search your heart. Ask God to search your heart and to expose and reveal what are the idols on your heart. And lay that at his feet. Lay that at his feet. And my prayer is that this is the year where you are freer, lighter, holier, and stronger than you have ever been. Stronger in your faith, stronger in your true identity, stronger in your purpose. And I think so often we look at the year and we're like, okay, I want to be more successful. I want to, like, grow in these numbers. I want to, like, you know, hit this goal. And I want to do. And I just. I want to kind of reframe that and be like, okay, maybe those things happen. I don't know. But those aren't our greatest goal. Our greatest goal is, like, David's goal, which is to dwell in the house of the Lord. That's our greatest priority. That's our greatest desire and delight, that is our greatest request, is to be in God's presence, to continually practice the presence of God, to not only be in God's presence, but then carry God's presence everywhere we go. I started this podcast talking about, this is gonna be the year where you have bold conversations, where you have breakthrough conversations, where you have, I pray, healing moments, things that you've been harboring or holding onto for so long that you have been desperate to get Free from. This is gonna be the year of true freedom for you. I pray that. I believe that you've been praying for good community and you've been feeling so lonely. I pray that this is the year of godly community. But you have to be willing to do what you like. You have to be willing to join a local church to put yourself in environments to find it, to join a local small group to, like, get in those environments and moments and put yourself out there in order to find all it is that you're hoping for and looking for. And so I want to pray over you guys. And yeah, and just, like, as I'm inviting you guys into this journey of what I'm giving up, like, would love to know what is it that you guys are giving up? Maybe if it is social media for you, you can't send us a DM. So maybe for you, that's like, comment on YouTube. Comment on our YouTube account and let us know, like, what is it that you're like, I'm done. Like, I'm laying this down. This is the idol I've been having on my heart. I've been caring, I've been clinging to, I've been holding onto. And, like, I feel right now the Holy Spirit spoke to me. This thing, like, I need to lay down, I need to leave it at the altar. And I want you to be honest. Maybe it's not something you're, like, gonna type out and leave a comment, but I would encourage you to confess it to a friend and to bring in accountability. You know, I don't have the strength on my own. Like, this is why I'm literally telling you guys and, like, my husband and my friends, like, if I were to just, like, in my own heart be like, oh, I'm just gonna, like, be off social media for the year, but I don't bring anybody else into it. Let me just tell you, a week later, I'm back on social media, okay? So, like, you gotta bring people into it. You gotta have people hold you accountable in those areas. And so instead of, like, having a list of a hundred goals and these, like, massive, massive goals for yourself that are, like, you becoming more important and successful and huge and this and that. Like, what if you just chose a few things and it's something that you are gonna stop doing and something you're giving up and maybe a couple areas that you want to grow in or that you want to be better at or that you want to pursue, and then you bring people into that where you say, will you hold me accountable in this one area that has been holding me hostage for too long. And then will you hold me accountable in these other two areas where I really feel from the Holy Spirit, I need to grow and I need to grow in my prayer life. I need to grow in my ability to share the gospel with other people. I need to grow in my godly community and I need to let go of probably of some friends that aren't really godly and aren't good for me. And I need to step into the godly community God has called me to. And so bring some, bring some people into that. Maybe not the friend you're about to leave behind, you know what I mean? But like bring some people into that so that you're not trying to like do these things by yourself because you will most likely fail and fall. And so you need those people, people to lock arms with. And I have high hopes for you guys and will be continually praying for you guys. And I would encourage you, if you do keep Instagram, I would put up some heavy boundaries around it. And so really check, like, who am I following? What content am I taking in? How much time am I spending on it? Does it trigger anything in my life? Does it cause me to stumble in any way? Is it a temptation struggle for me and be honest with yourself in that way? And maybe you can't delete it, or maybe you don't feel called from the Holy Spirit. That's between you and the Lord. Lord, you don't feel called to delete it. But I would encourage you to put some boundaries around it. I would encourage you to spend more time off of your phone and in real life. I would encourage you to spend more time connecting with people in person than connecting with people online, because that's not true connection. I would encourage you to be discipled by someone other than just an online podcast or sermon or person on social media, Christian influencer, and to find someone that can mentor you and disciple you in person. I would encourage you to disciple other people in person. Like, I just would encourage you to limit your time on social media. Follow the accounts that are life giving to you. Follow the things that are going to challenge you in your faith and encourage you in your faith and then maybe even dive deeper like getting on the broadcast channel and following the Bible plan that we've put together that I'm really excited about. Or if you feel led to get off social media, great. And we're gonna include the Bible plan in the show notes. And you can still maybe have like a few of your podcasts that you listen to that you know are gonna challenge you and grow in your family faith. I am so excited for. For even some more things that we're dreaming about and praying about for this year, for Stay True. And I want to know, like, how we can encourage you guys more on this podcast and how I can, you know, challenge you in your faith and pray for you and all of those things. So please, please, please let us know again, whether it's a comment on YouTube, whether it's a DM, even the email is on our Instagram. So, like, however you guys want to reach out, we want to hear from you. I want to know, like, how I can be praying for you and all the things, things. And not only am I going to be getting off social media, but something Grant I also have been praying through is just being more local and local living. Like, what does it look like to actually do life on life with people, to be super plugged into our community group and to have people locally that we're discipling? I think so much of my life over the last, you know, few years has been a lot of discipleship online, a lot of discipleship podcasting and social media and all of those things. And I'm not saying that that's always wrong. And I. I'm still gonna be podcasting and Stay True's Instagram will still be there. It's just gonna be my personal Instagram that I'm personally just getting off for a little bit and taking a break from. But this is just gonna be such a beautiful time, I think, for Grant and I to dive in more local and to. For me even, I think a lot of it is being more with Hosanna. Like, I just. I just really love being a mom. And, you know, Lord willing, like, I don't know, maybe this is a year where like, baby number two happen. Like, not happens. Well, I don't know, could happen, but, like, we get pregnant this year or, like, I don't know, like, I just. I so want the Lord to be able to move how he wants to move. And I think in the past, I've been so busy. Go, go, go travel this, that, this, that. And I just haven't had enough time to just like, sit and listen to God's voice and sit and just be like, lord, what are you breathing on? Like, what are you speaking to me? And I think we can have a lot of giftings and we can be good at a lot of things, and there even can be a lot of opportunity and A lot of possibility around us. But what are the. God has actually anointed us to do? Like, what do we have a grace for right now in this season? Because in previous seasons, like, I had the grace to travel all over and to be on social media and to do those things. But I think for this particular season of my life, the Lord is saying, I want to bring you back into the secret place. I want to tuck you away. I want to. I want you to be local. I want you to pour into, like, maybe Maddie right now, your greatest influence are those right in front of you. Like, maybe Maddie right now, like, you're. You're called to, like, disciple those girls that go to your church. You're called to, like, be a part of your local small group. You're called to. And again, I'm still gonna have Stay True podcast, and I pray that it does encourage you and disciple you. And. But I just. Yeah, I hope that's an encouragement to you guys, too. Of, like, I wanna be someone who not only, like, talks to talk, but, like, I live it out, I walk it out. And I don't wanna be someone who's just being discipled or discipling others online and watching sermons and watching podcasts and reading books and doing sermons and doing podcasts, like, and that being the form of discipleship, like, that's a part of it. But I also really, really believe in the power of, like, local discipleship with people. Jesus modeled that. Jesus showed that. And I think that that is how we're wired. And so, yeah, my encouragement is maybe for you, it's taking a break for social media. And also maybe for you, it's like, just getting more plugged into your local church and joining a small group and really taking local, like, taking local life more seriously and not just treating, you know, your social media or, like, I don't know, having people that live in other states as, like, your only form of accountability or friendship. Like, having people that live in the same city with you that you can meet up with, that you can go to coffee with, that can actually, like, do life on life with you in whatever season that you're in, I think is so important. And so just want to encourage you guys in that. And that's something that I know Grant and I are really, really excited and looking forward to, to just being more local. Okay. So now I just want to pray for you, and I just want to pray that this would be truly a moment where. Where you are emptied of yourself and filled with more of God and that this would just be the start. Like, this is like one of my biggest things is I don't want ever for there to just be a moment of conviction or an emotional high. Like, I always pray that if you feel convicted that it would lead to repentance, that it would lead to change. That if you feel an emotional moment of being tugged on your heart of okay, the Lord is asking this of me. The Lord is asking me to lay this down. The Lord is asking me me to. This is my next step of faith. Like, the Lord is asking me to get baptized. The Lord is asking me to become a member at a local church. The Lord is asking me to start this small group, whatever that next step is for you. Because we all have a next step. I don't care how old you are, I don't care how long you've been following Jesus. I don't care what your last name is. I don't care anything. We all have next steps, all of us. I have a next step, you have a next step. And so asking the Holy Spirit, like, what is that faithful next step for me? Like, what are you asking of me? And get really, really honest with yourself. And it's not just about this one time moment, but it's about actually bringing people into it and it being a continual transformation in your relationship with Jesus and having accountability come and be a part of that with you. And so freedom is not just a one time moment. Sure you may have like breakthrough, you may have this like, wow revelation, but it's an everyday decision. Like, I'm gonna choose every day to get in the word of God. I'm gonna choose every day to start my morning in the Bible and not on my phone. I'm gonna choose every day to, as soon as I have a lie that I'm believing or something that I did that I know was a sin, I'm gonna confess that to godly community so that it doesn't fester and it doesn't turn into another sin. Because sin will spread and pile up. And so I'm gonna confess that and catch it early. Those are things that we have to practice and do every single day. You never graduate from this message. You will be having to pursue that and choose that for the rest of your life as long as you're here, here on this planet. And so I'm going to pray for you and pray that this year is everything that God wants it to be for you. Lord Jesus, thank you so much for every single person under the sound of my voice, Lord, thank you that their Life has meaning. That their life has purpose. That you created them with intention. That they are fearfully and wonderfully made. That they are here 2026 for such a time as this, that you want to do something beautiful through their life. But more than anything, you want to be the most beautiful thing in their life. You want to be their everything. And so, Lord, I pray for every single person that has had other things on the throne of their heart that has not been you. That they have been more consumed with doing for you than just being with you. That they have been more consumed with what they can get from you than just being in your presence. Lord, for the little g gods that are on their heart, for the idols that are on their heart, I just pray right now they would be torn down. That we would tear down the idols. That we would tear down the lies. That we would tear down the little G gods of relevancy, the little G God of validation, the little G God of fear, of man, the little G God of people pleasing. The little G God of wanting to be loved by everybody and liked by everybody. The little G God of. Of satisfaction and. And love and lust from this world and all of those things, Lord, that we would just tear down those idols of comfort, of control, of whatever it may be, and that we would just put it at the altar. We would put it at your feet. And, Lord, that you would begin to fill our heart with more of you. That you would become our everything. That we would submit to you and say, you are lord of my life. Life. That we would submit our time to you this year. That we would submit our talents to you this year. That we would submit our treasures to you, our relationships to you, our money and resources, our dreams, our goals, all of it, Lord. And we would say, we submit to you, Lord Jesus. You are Lord. You are not just savior. You are Lord. And so, Lord, be the Lord of my life. And I pray right now that we would all just humble ourselves before you, that we would posture ourself in a place of saying, you are God. I am not. I was created for your pleasure and your purpose, not the other way around. And so, Lord, forgive me when I've made it all about me. And I just invite you guys to pray that right now to yourself or out loud or in your heart. Like, lord, forgive me for when I've made this all about me. Forgive me for the idols and the little g gods that have been on my heart. I don't want them there. I pray that you would search my heart and you would begin to remove those offensive things and me. Lead me into the path of everlasting life. Lead me into righteousness. Lead me into holiness. Teach me to fear you. Teach me to delight in you. Teach me your ways. Help me to fall in love with your word that I might not sin against you. And I pray Lord Jesus that this would be the best year yet for every single person watching or listening to this. That this would be a year where they draw closer to you. That this would be a year where. Where they're filled with more of your word, more of your spirit, more of your presence, Lord. That they would be carriers of your presence and go live their life on mission looking to serve others and wash feet and. And Lord, we know that was your mission to seek and save the lost. And so Lord, help us to have an eternal mindset and to go out living our life on mission to bring the good news to those who need it. In Jesus name, amen. Love you guys so much and 2026, it's going to be such a good year year. I'm so excited. I can't wait to hear what God does in your life this year. And all God does even through stay true. Like I said, we've been dreaming up some things and we're excited over here and if you even have any ideas, let us know because we want to hear. We want to know. Okay guys, as always, be sure to stay you and stay true. I love you.