← Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt
Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt
The Lies Holding You Back (and How to Break Free)
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Welcome back to the first episode of the Dare to Be True Series on Stay True Podcast! Today, we’re diving into Madi’s brand new book, “Dare to Be True: Defeat the Lies That Bind You and Live Out the Truth That Frees You.” This conversation is...
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T Mobile 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. What is truth? That question stuck out to me so much when I was thinking about this book, because I believe that is a question that this generation is asking. It's not enough to just have faith, faith in what's true, but then we have to put our faith into action and we have to dare to live different. Isolation is the enemy's playground because that is where the real dangerous thoughts start coming in. Breaking free is impossible and we start believing that lie and it gets really dark and it gets really dangerous until we find the truth and we know that there is hope. We can't just know it in our heads and know it in our hearts, but our feet have to follow that. Only way we're going to be satisfied and the only way we're going to actually get the answer is when we turn to scripture and when we turn to God. It's not just about being aware of lies. It's not just about being aware of the enemy. It's also about a pursuit of the truth. It's also about a pursuit of godliness. I gotta get in the word of God. I gotta memorize scripture. I gotta know the Word better than I know lyrics to all these secular songs. Oftentimes we come before God and we're like, this problem is too big. This sin is too big. This lie is too big. I've done too many big horrible things. And God's like, I just want you to understand I'm bigger. What's up guys? Welcome back to another episode of Stay True Podcast. I'm your host, Madison Pruitt Trout, here with a solo episode Today, because why not? It's been a minute, and I feel like I used to do so many solo episodes and now it's few and far between because we have so many incredible guests. Like, so many incredible guests. And I'm really excited because we're gonna be talking about some really fun things today, but I'm also really excited because we have some really awesome guests coming up. And so you guys have got to come back and stay tuned because you're going to want to hear from some of these guests. I'm telling you, you're going to want to hear from them. I want to hear from them. I haven't interviewed them yet, and it's coming up here soon, and I'm really excited. So you guys got to come back. And I used to have this to where you could watch this on Spotify, but I don't anymore. So now if you want to watch this episode, go to YouTube, check out Stay True Podcast YouTube channel, because that is where you can watch the full video. Guys, how are you? I love you, I miss you. And I say it as if we have all been sitting in the room together and I haven't seen you in a couple weeks, but that's what I feel like sometimes. I really do. I pray before every single one of these podcast episodes. And my heart going into every recording is I want to feel like we're in a room together. I want to feel what you guys are feeling. I want to. I asked the Lord, I'm like, lord, lay on my heart. Like, how can I speak to them and speak through me, because I never want to come into these flippantly or casually or, I don't know, like, with ignorance. I really want to come in saying, lord, I'm breathing myself out and I am breathing you in. I don't know what everyone's going through and walking through, but you do. And so, Lord, lay on my heart what they need to hear. And so just know that you guys are continuously prayed over and whatever you are feeling facing, walking through, you're welcome here and you're loved. And I pray that when you listen to this podcast that you come as you are, but you don't leave as you are. That you leave challenge that you leave changed. And that is not because of Madison Pruitt Trout. That is because of the Lord. And I have nothing to give and nothing to offer apart from him, to be very honest with you. But I'm real excited about today's episode because we are going to be talking all about my new book, Dare to be true. And I actually posted about it recently on Instagram, and I was like, okay. It was a Q and a. I was like, what are you guys? Like, what questions do you have about my book? What do you want to know about the book? And one of the questions that I thought was, it was, like, a very good question, and it was very interesting to see. It was like, hey, should I read this book if it doesn't pertain to me? Like, do I need to read this book even if I'm not going through what the book is about? And my immediate, like, gut feeling and response was, we're all going through what this book is about. Because Dare to be True is all about how to defeat the lies that bind us and live out the truth that frees us. And every single one of us at some point in our life or currently right now are experiencing or are feeling some lies that are keeping us bound or have kept us bound. And the reality is, is that I personally wrote this book from that exact place of feeling bound and wanting to be free and asking the question, can I actually get free? Can I actually live free and experience the freedom that Christ says he offers me? Can I experience what it looks like to live in freedom every single day and not return back to that place of bondage and feeling bound and feeling weighed down? And I rem having that moment of looking at Grant with tears in my eyes. One day, I was about to go and preach a message on this very thing that would later end up becoming a book, Dare to be true. But I was about to go and preach a message, and it was all on truth and freedom. And I remember looking at Grant saying, I feel like a hypocrite. I don't know how I can go up there and talk about truth and freedom when I feel so bound. I feel so bound. I feel weighed down. I feel overwhelmed. I feel anxious. I don't feel free. I don't feel happy. I don't know. Is like, is this what God has called me to do? Is am I who God has called me to be? There's got to be more for my life. And I remember telling him that, and he prayed over me, and I ended up sharing the message that later ended up turning into Dare to be true. Really the heartbeat of dare to be true. And when I walked away from that message, I was like, the Lord allowed me to feel a lot of things that I believe that some of you guys are feeling. And I myself have felt them. And knowing there's got to be more for My life. There's got to be a freedom that only God can offer and that only God can give that I'm not yet experiencing. There's something I'm living with and coming into agreement with that is not of God or from God. And it's weighing me down and it's causing me to live in shame. It's causing me to feel purposeless. It's causing me to ask, like, there why? Why is. Is this all there is to life? Is there more for me, God? Do you have more for me? I knew that God had a greater purpose and vision for me. I knew that there a hope that I wasn't tapping into. I knew. I knew there was a joy that I wasn't experiencing. And I wrote this book from that place. And when Grant prayed over me in that moment and I ended up sharing the message and then came off stage and just God began to download more and more of this message into my heart. I was like, people have to hear. Like people need this message. And this is not a message of, you know, do these three practical steps and never experience a lie again. I wish that was the message. That's not the reality of. Because no matter who you are, no matter how you're raised, no matter what you look like, no matter what your background is, no matter if you've known Jesus your whole life or you're trying to figure out this whole Jesus thing, you're going to experience temptation, you're going to experience lies. You're going to have moments of feeling bound. You're going to have moments of saying, is it possible for me to break free? Is it possible for me to experience the freedom that God offers? Is that available to me? Or is that only available to her? Is that only for him because of what he was born into or because of what she is built like and what she has and what her personality is. And I just want to say that's not true. That is a lie. And freedom is available to every single person who is willing to receive it. True freedom. Freedom that lasts. Freedom that actually can break you free from the chains and the lies and the burdens that bind you and that break you and that make you feel like, I can't do this anymore. And so if you're asking like, can I break free? I want to say, yes, you can break free. Freedom is available for you. And I am so excited about this book. You can probably hear the passion in my. In my voice because I have never worked on something harder in my entire life. I actually have a. It's not the actual like what it's going to look like if you're watching this video. This is called the Advance Uncorrected Proofs. I don't even know what that means. It's an advanced copy. It's not what it actually is going to look like once the book is done. I don't have the actual book with me yet. Surprise. I have really exciting news. Stay True Podcast is going live. Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 8th at Rocket Town in Nashville, Tennessee. It is going to be an incredible night filled with worship, special guests and yes, a live recording of the Stay True Podcast right in the room with you. I have been wanting to do this for so long and I'm truly so excited to see how the Lord is going to move. This is more than just a podcast event. It is a night to gather to talk about God's truth, worship, be a part of something bigger than yourself and dive deep into conversations that matter. I cannot wait to see so many of your faces, meet you in person and experience this night together. So grab your friends, get your tickets with the link in my bio, and join me in Nashville on November 8th for Stay True Podcast Live. I'll see you guys. You say you'll never join the Navy, Never climb Mount Fuji on a port visit or break the sound barrier. Joining the Navy sounds crazy. Saying never actually is. Learn why@navy.com America's Navy forged by the sea there. But I'm so excited because this is a message that not only I wrote for myself, but that I've had to continuously go back to. Because the reality is is that you never graduate from not experiencing and hearing lies. You never graduate from never feeling bound. You never graduate from not experiencing the pressures and the temptations around you in this world. Scripture says we will have trouble in this world. We will be tempted. There is an enemy after our souls. There is an enemy after our intimacy. There is an enemy after our freedom. There is an enemy after our happiness and our joy as children of God. And so that is the reality is that we will experience that. But my hope and prayer is that there's not just a one time moment of getting free, but that we get to experience freedom every day and we get to learn how to actually stay free. Because that's what I was feeling was okay, I've accepted Jesus into my heart. I'm a Christian. I know that Jesus Christ has set me free from sin. I know that believing in him that I get to walk in freedom. And I knew those answers and I knew that reality, but yet my soul still felt so overwhelmed. My soul still felt so bound. And I was like, how come if I know that I am free in Christ, I still feel so bound? Like, what, what do I do with that? How do I wrestle with that? And the reality was I had, yes, accepted Jesus into my heart and I had gotten set free, free from sin and from those things that, yes, were, you know, that were separating me from God. But I still felt weighed down by different weights and different struggles and different thoughts and different lies. And I would have to ask the Lord, okay, so how can I stay free? Like, how do I not just experience a one time moment of freedom, but how can I actually walk in freedom every single day? And so in this book we talk all about how to confront the lies that keep us bound, how to find the truth that sets us free, but then how to actually stay free and walk out that truth that leads to a freer you every single day. And I have to go back to this message. And so I wanna say, this is not like me, writing from a place of like, hi, I figured it all out and I am free every day and life is perfect. I have to go back to this truth. I have to remind myself of the truth when I get hit with lies, when I start believing lies. And there's moments where I can't even get myself out of the lies by myself. I have to have community and people around me that will speak the truth over me. And we talk about that in this book. We talk all about community and how to find your people who will walk in truth alongside of you and help you stay free. And so we will talk about how to confront the lies. We'll talk about the truth that will set you free. And then we'll talk about what are practical things that will help you stay free. What are practical things that you and I can walk in in order to not return back to the bondage of our past? Galatians 5:1 says, it is for freedom that Christ has set you free. But do not return back to the bondage of your past. Do not return back to that yoke of slavery that once kept you bound. Don't go back to it, because sadly, that is our natural sinful state is. You know, it's like we get rescued, we get saved, but then our sinful nature is. We so easily are swayed back, and we so easily swing back to what Jesus has already died and set us free from. And so my hope is that you and I, though lies are going to come, though Temptation is going to happen, and yet we're. We're not going to be perfect. And Jesus doesn't expect you and me to be perfect. However, as we stay connected to him, as we stay intimate with him, as we stay in him, his word of truth, we are able to be aware of the enemy's lies. We are able to see the enemy's lies and then defeat it with the truth and ask His Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in order to stay free. And some of those things might sound very like general broad, confusing. I don't know, because I don't know where you're at in your faith journey. Maybe you have been walking with Jesus your whole life, but like, you have always been in this, like, religious camp. And there's just things that maybe your church or your family never really talked about with you. Maybe you, you are a Christian on the outside, but you struggle with secret sin that nobody has ever been brought into, that you have never shared with anyone. And those secrets are quite literally making you sick. Maybe for you, you know all of the things to do and maybe you're even doing it, but you feel really weighed down and you don't really have anything that has been giving you a sense of purpose and joy. And you know that there's more for your life, maybe for you, you don't know what's true and you're asking for what is truth? How do I know what's true? There's so many opinions out there, there's so many thoughts out there. There's so many religions out there. How do I know that God is truth? How do I know that God's word is true? How do I know that Jesus is real and true? How can I believe that and actually begin to live that? Wherever you're at in one of those scenarios, I just want you to know this book is for you. I just want you to know that this message is for you. And I'm really excited because we're going to be entering into this Dare to be True book series where I'm going to be interviewing different guests. And like I said early, a lot of incredible guests that I'm really excited for you to get to hear from. But we're going to be talking all about this idea of, like, truth and dare. And so not only are we going to talk truth, but we're going to dare to live true. Because it's not enough to just have faith in what's true, but then we have to put our faith into action and we have to dare to live different. It's not enough to just know the truth. We have to live the truth. We have to obey the truth. It says in God's word that don't just be hearers of the Word, be doers of the word. It talks all about in scripture. It's faith plus action. It without action, our faith is dead. It's meaningless. Our faith must have feet. And so we have to not only talk about what's true, we can't just know it in our heads and know it in our hearts, but our feet have to follow that. And so we're going to talk about the truth, but then we're going to talk practically of, okay, how do we dare to live this out? How can we dare to live different? And we're not going to be talking about everything in my book. We're going to likely just be talking about concepts and ideas and share stories and things like that. But the book is going to be really, really helpful for you to really dive in practically and, you know, backing it up with a lot of scripture of what this could look like for you. And so I am so excited. I cannot wait for you guys to end. The book is not out quite yet when this episode is coming out. Depending on when you're listening to it, I guess you could be listening to this episode like weeks later. And so maybe the book is out, but we will include the link of how you can pre order or order the book. And I'm so excited. I can't wait to hear what you guys think about it. But let me tell you guys a little story that I feel like ties into this message of the book really well, because I just, it's kind of what gave me the picture of how I wanted to really like, set this, this entire book up. So when Grant and I moved into our home in Waco, Texas, when we were living in Waco, it was my first time ever owning a home, Grant's first time ever owning a home. We both had lived in apartments before or with our parents. And so we just had never been in a situation where we had to be homeowners. And let me just tell you, they should make that a course in high school or college. They should have homeowning. Like, I don't even know what you would call that, but some kind of course, some kind of class, because it's not for the faint of heart. I mean, there are things that probably we should have known and that we didn't know and we probably should have asked more questions before we moved into this home but or just lives in an apartment Honestly. Stay True podcast is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. 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There was like mold in our shower. There were a lot of bug problems, like an ungodly amount of bugs in Waco, Texas. We also had like a huge field behind our house that they were like developing. So I think there was like extra bugs everywhere and there was that whole situation, situation. Then like our bathroom shower leaked everywhere we Were having drainage problems. There was just. There was lots of things going on. We found, like, brown recluse spiders in our garage. I'm like, oh, perfect. The kind that actually can kill you. Amazing. So there was a lot going on with our house, but the biggest problem was that there was a problem with our house that we couldn't figure out what the problem was. Every time we were in our house, we would feel all of these symptoms, like nausea, headaches, fatigue. I mean, just, you name it, we were feeling it, and we knew something was off, because as soon as we would leave our house, we would feel so much better. We would feel fine. Everything would go back to normal. But every time we would get into our house, we would feel so sick. And Grant was getting so frustrated because. Because he was experiencing a little more than me. Like, I was, like, mild headache, you know, like, maybe a little bit of nausea. He was experiencing, like, severe headaches. Very, very tired. Soup. Just super sick. And we could not figure out what was going on. And we were like, maybe it was the mold. We had a mold specialist come out, and it was like, the kind that can't really hurt you. And then they took care of it, and then the symptoms kept going. So we're like, okay, it's not the mold. We had all of these different specialists come over. We could not figure out what was going on with our house. We had, like, a water person come over, test our waters. Our water. Okay. Water was great. So we were like, what is going on with our house? And why is it that every single time we're home, we're feeling so sick, but every time we leave, we feel so much better? This is supposed to be, like, our safe haven. This is supposed to be where we can come and we can feel at peace and we can just relax. And so we could not figure out what's going on. So we would constantly, like, open the back door and get fresh air in, because we just felt like, okay, maybe it's just, like, something in the air. We don't know. And finally, our last resort was Grant was like, let's call the plumber. And I was like, the plumber? What do you think? We have some, you know, bad toilets. Like, I don't think that, you know, our plumbing is the reason for all of our, you know, problems right now. But sure, we've tried everything else. So I'll call the plumber. So he's at work. I call the plumber. Plumber comes over, and I just. Again, guys, I don't know, like, anything about House stuff. So I have, like, Grant on the speakerphone, and this guy's, like, talking to me, but his first thing was, okay, I'm gonna come in, and I don't, you know, a sewer issue or whatever. I'm going to, like, pull out my gas detector, whatever, to see if you have gas in your house. Okay. Like, wouldn't we know if we had gas in our house? But sure, like, that's great. Do it. So he has this little, like, gas leak detector, beeper thing, and he's, like, walking throughout our house and trying to see if there's a gas leak anywhere. I'm kind of just, like, anxiously following behind him. I have Grant on speakerphone, and I'm, like, updating him every two seconds. I'm like, okay, still nothing. Still nothing. Like, and finally he gets close to, like, in our living room, closer to our fireplace, and it starts going crazy. Like, the beeper things, like. And I was like, what does that mean? He was like, hey, did you turn your fireplace on? And we're like, yeah, we turn our fireplace on. He's like, yeah, but, like, when you aren't using it, do you turn it back off? And we're like, no, we just, like, use a little remote control that says, like, on, off, and we turn it on. We want to have it on. We turn it off. Going to have it off. And he was like, no, there's, like, a turn key on the side that you have to use this key, and you have to manually, like, turn it off when you're not using it anymore, or else gas is just going to fill your house. He was like, how long have you had this on? For, like, a couple days, you guys. We had it on for, like, three months. We had not turned it off since we moved into the house. It had been on for, like, three months straight. And I was like, no, it's been on for, like, a few months. Like, what's the problem? Are we okay? And he was like, oh, my gosh. No. You've had gas literally just filling your house. He was like, good thing you, like, haven't lit a candle. Your whole house could have blown up. I was like, I've lit, like, a hundred candles. Quite literally lit so many candles. And I'm just sitting there like, oh, my gosh. And I'm just like, okay, okay, okay. So he's like, do you want me to turn it off for you? I'm like, please, please turn it off. So he, like, turns it off. And, you know, we found out later that also our fireplace Outside, we had a little fireplace right outside was also left on. So even when we opened the doors, we were like, let's get some fresh air. And even when we open the doors, even that, like toxic gas fumes was getting inside too. So it was just a. It was a really bad situation. And I remember when the plumber left and I told Grant, he was like, oh, my gosh. Well, thank God, you know, we. We got it figured out and we turned it off and I started looking up on safari, like, gas leak, you know what that can lead to, you know, what are long term effects? And it was like brain damage, memory loss, death. I was like, perfect. Okay, well, it's a good thing we had the plumber over. And Grant and I laughed about it, thankfully then, because we were like, okay, at least we, like figured it out. And for sure we had a trauma. Like, we've not turned a fireplace on since then. We're like traumatized with fireplaces. But I walked away from that truly with. It was like the Lord spoke to me and through that situation because what was crazy was there was a gas leak happening in our house and it was leading to these symptoms of, you know, all of these things that were making us feel sick. Yet we couldn't see the gas because it was methane gas. You couldn't see the gas. You also couldn't smell the gas. So it was odorless. You couldn't see it, yet it was affecting us and slowly killing us. Hey, guys, can we just chat for a second? You all know how important it is to me to live with intention. From the content I consume to the people I surround myself with. I always want to make choices that align with my faith and my values. But honestly, it can be really hard to do that when it comes to the products we buy. It feels like to get high quality products, we're forced to compromise our values and support companies that don't support us. That's why I was so incredibly excited when I found out about Neeme Skincare. Neeme is such a breath of fresh air. They're a company that is proudly conservative owned and operated. And they've made it so simple. They've taken all the guesswork out of having clean, healthy skin care that truly delivers. Neeme offers simple, effective skin care routines that combat the effects of aging. But here's the most important part. Neeme is proudly American Christian owned and built on the timeless values of faith, family, and freedom. It feels so good to finally support a company that is unapologetic about what they believe. This Is skincare for those of us who want our choices to honor our values, this is skincare without compromise. So here's what I want you to do. Go to Nimi skincare.com that's N I M I skincare.com. stop compromising on your skincare with Neemi. You're not just getting incredible, glowing skin. You're partnering with a company you can truly feel good about supporting. And what I walked away from that was, there are times in our life and yet most often where we are living with things that are slowly killing us and we're just tolerating it and we're just living with it as if this is just life and this is just how life is. And there are things that are slowly killing us. But because maybe we can't see it so visibly or because we can't smell it, so obviously we're just living with it and it's slowly killing us. It's robbing us of the life that God has for us. And when I look at our world today, when there's so many cultural lies, not even talking like personal lies that we believe as human beings, but just as a culture, just as a world, the lies that the enemy has told, culture of this is what will make you happy. This is where you will find satisfaction. Just you do. You live. Live how you want to live. Whatever you think is true is true. Like, live your truth, do what you want to do. And there's so many lies like, you love who you want to love. You can do what you want to do. You can ch. If you don't like it, change it. If you don't like, you know, the way you look, change it. If you don't like your body, if you don't like your gender, change it. There's so many lies out there just talking culturally. And then you look at the lies that we're faced with personally and the lies that we so often believe when it comes to just in our minds, when it comes to our hearts, when it comes to our life. And if I were to ask you right now, what lie are you believing right now? I want you to, like, pause and actually think about that. What lie am I believing? What lie are you coming into agreement with that is keeping you bound? That is sucking the life out of you that's slowly killing you? What lie are you believing? Is it a cultural lie? Is it a personal lie? I want you to be so honest with yourself. And maybe it has to do with the way you look. Maybe it has to do with your season of life. You're not where you thought you would be. You're not in the job you thought you would be. You're not relationally where you thought you would be. Maybe it's something that someone's done to you that has created shame and lies that have come with that. That maybe it's just, you know, getting caught up in social media and in the things of today and, you know, thinking that you have to dress a certain way or look a certain way in order to be accepted or loved. Maybe it's, you know, getting caught up and making enough money to keep up or to. To find happiness. I don't know what your struggle is, what the lie is that you are believing, but I want you to identify it right now. Because only when you identify what it is that is slowly killing you will you be able to then begin to actually start approaching freedom. You have to identify what that lie is. And I talk more practically about that in my book. But even as I was writing my book, and even moments day to day now, I will come into agreement with lies. Like, no matter what you do, you will never be able to. You'll never be good enough. Like, no matter how hard you try, Maddie, you'll never be good enough. You'll never be like them. You know, they. They do it so much better. They have. They have more. They have a. They have a bigger voice. They have more influence. They are. They say things way better than you do or. And that has to do with purpose. Or maybe it's more in, like, the looks category. Maddie. Like, you. You are, you know, out of shape. You don't look good. Your face is breaking out. You're not pretty. You're not, like, you know, you're not as fit as you used to be. Your face isn't as clear as it used to be. Your hair doesn't look as good as it used. You know, you. You don't fit in. You're not. You're never gonna be known. Like, no one's gonna ever really know who you are, Maddie. Like, you're always gonna have to try, try, try, strive, strive, strive. Do so much for other people. And they're never gonna really know your heart. They're never gonna really know your soul. There are so many lies that I have believed of. Why did God make me this way? Why? Why? Why do I. So many moments where I felt so stuck in those lies. Or I'll have a moment of feeling so much better, and then I'll go right back to it and what I've Seen is. Is this, is. This is the cycle, that of how it starts and what it leads to. So, and I talk about this really in depth in. In my book, but it always starts with a lie. Okay? But it never stays a lie. We have the choice to either reject the lie or believe the lie. But if we choose to believe the lie, it goes from Satan's lies to sin. We give into sin. We give into temptation. We commit a sin. And that usually, not even usually always, if we don't deal with the sin and confront the lie, sin will then lead to shame. I'm here to tell you that Helix sleep mattresses are a game changer. I got my first Helix sleep mattress last week, and I was shocked when I first sat on it. I was blown away by how comfortable it was. What I love about Helix is that they don't do one size fits all. You take their sleep quiz, they match you with your perfect mattress based on your sleep style, and boom, you're set. It's like having a mattress made for you. I went through the process, and honestly, it was so fun and satisfying getting my perfect match. 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And we feel so, you know, we want to hide, we want to isolate, we want to run away. We want to numb. We feel so bad, feel bad about ourselves because of what was done to us or because of what we chose to do. You know, maybe we hate ourselves. There's like truly self hatred there. Or maybe we're embarrassed. Like we're. We're so embarrassed by who we are and by how we're. We're designed and made. Maybe it's our personality and we don't feel like we have a good enough personality. And because of that, we feel this shame. Maybe because of the sin choice that we made, we feel like we're damaged goods. And now we. We. We live in this shame. Maybe we're stuck in secret sin that we've not told anyone. And so we weight of this shame, whatever it is. That's usually the pattern is it starts with a lie that leads to a sin that leads to shame, and that ultimately leads to the last thing, which is separation from God. We feel this separation from God and separation from people. It leads to this division between us and our intimacy with God and our ability to connect with people. For me, when I believed a lie from Satan. Oh, Maddie, like, if you. If you look up porn, if you masturbate, if you go. If you push the boundaries with your boyfriend, if you do this, then you will feel a high. You will feel loved. You will feel accepted. You will. Whatever it is, that feeling that you're chasing, it'll lead to what you desire and what you want. And so then I would believe the lie. I would hold on to that lie that then would lead to sin. I would act on it. And then what would follow is not what was promised by the enemy, because he comes and he dangles his little fruit in front of us and says, hey, if you give into this, what will come is pleasure and power and purpose and all these things that you're longing for and looking for. Yet what follows is not that. What follows is. Is when you give in to that temptation and you sin, it leads to shame. And then I sit in this place, in this tension of attacking myself. Maddie, how could you do that? Maddie. No one could ever love you because of that. Maddie. Why? No. No girl struggles with that. Maddie, you. You say you're a Christian, yet you struggle with this. And you do this. You're not really a Christ. God could never love you. And then I sit in that place and I struggle with that shame and secret. And then. And then it leads to. Back to me sinning more, which then leads to. In this little cycle. And I feel like I can't get out of it. And like breaking free is impossible for me. And then it leads to a separation between me and God where I feel like I can't come into God's presence. I'm. I am. I am such a sinner. God does not want to be with me. Like, I am so dirty. I am so messed up. I am too unclean. I can't even get in God's presence. And I definitely. I can't tell God's people. Like. Like, I could never tell another Christian that that's what I struggle with. They. They don't. They. I'm addicted to that. They would judge me. Like, if I shared and confessed that, that I struggle with, that they wouldn't want to be my friend anymore. And so then we stay in this place of separating ourselves from God and from people. And isolation is the enemy's playground. The enemy loves to get us isolated. The enemy loves to get us separated. Because that is where the real dangerous thought thoughts start coming in. That is where the real dangerous lies start becoming our identity. That's where the real dangerous lies start becoming what we feel like is our reality. Like, we can't get out of it. We're stuck in it. Like, breaking free is impossible. And we start believing that lie and it gets really dark and it gets really dangerous until we find the truth and we know that there is hope and that there is a God who is so much greater, so much bigger, so much more powerful than what is trying to kill us, than what is trying to come against us, that what is trying to separate us from him. God is so much bigger. He is so much bigger than the lies that you face, than the sins that you've committed, than the things that you're up against right now in your hardest, lowest moments. He is so much bigger. And oftentimes we come before God and we're like, this problem is too big. This sin is too big. This lie is too big. I've done too many big, horrible things. And God's like, I just want you to understand, I'm bigger. I'm bigger. I'm bigger than that sin that you committed that makes you feel unworthy and unlovable. I am bigger than that lie that was spoken over you. I am bigger than your worst mistakes and your bad days. I am so much bigger. And I have so much more for you. I have so much more for you than a life of believing lies. I have so much more for you than a life of being lying stuck in sin. I have so much more for you than you feeling bound by shame. I have a life of freedom for you. That freedom is. Is. It's possible for you. It's possible to break free from sexual sin. It is possible to break free from the lies that make you feel like you are ugly, that make you feel like you have to starve yourself or throw up, to be good enough that make you feel like no matter how much you try, no one would ever want you or accept you. The lies that keep you bound. The sin that wants to take you out. The shame that keep you isolated and hidden. The Lord wants to break you free from. And that freedom is available to you. And here's what I love, friends, is that it's not just a one time moment. It's an every single day decision. And so I get to wake up every single day and I get to decide, okay, lies are going to come at you today, Maddie. Lies are going to come. They're going to come. You're going to feel like you're not a good mom. That lie is going to probably hit you today. You're going to have a moment of feeling like you're not a good wife. That's probably going to hit you today. You're going to have a moment of, of believing a lie that you're not pretty. That's probably going to hit you today. You're going to have a moment of not feeling good enough because you get on social media and you immediately start comparing yourself to other people. That's going to probably hit you. I get to choose when those lies come, what I do with them. I get to choose am I going to accept that lie or am I going to reject that lie? And then when I reject, I can't just leave it as a rejection. I can't just reject the lie, but I have to replace it with the truth. I have to say, okay, that's a lie. I identify. I look that lie in the face and I say, I see you, I hear you lie. Okay. Okay, Maddie, you don't feel pretty right now. Okay. All right. Well, some of that, like you may feel a little different right now. You're in postpartum. There are things that have changed. So I acknowledge that lie that you feel. I see those feelings there. I'm not invalidating those feelings, but I'm going to look that lie in the face and I'm going to say, no. But God's word says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And that charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting. But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised that that man looks at outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. And I'm going to begin to speak that truth over myself. And, and I'm going to remind myself, okay, Maddie, you. You feel like you're not a good mom. But, but, but why is it that you feel that? Is it. Is it just because you're trying to love and give and serve in your own strength? Like maybe that's why you feel that way. So I'm going to attack that lie and I'm going to replace it with the truth and remind myself of the truth. That when I'm weak, he's strong. Wrong. And I'm not supposed to love Hosanna. Out of Maddie's strength, I'm supposed to give Hosanna God's love. I'm supposed to let God's love be what overflows out of me to those around me. Because if I just stay in this cycle of striving, improving and straining and I'm going to end up exhausted and I'm going to end up empty. The only way I have anything good to give is if I stay attached to the source, which is Jesus. Us. I cannot wait to tell you guys about this coffee brand my husband Grant and I are absolutely hooked on. It's called Seven Weeks Coffee, and it has become quickly my favorite coffee. But it's not just about the taste. This coffee stands for something we deeply believe in. Seven Weeks Coffee is America's pro life coffee company on a mission to fund the Pro Life Movement 1 cup of coffee at a time. Why are they called Seven Weeks? Because at seven weeks, a baby is the size of a coffee bean and it's the same time a heartbeat is clearly detected on an ultrasound. As a mom, that just hits differently. They've built their entire business around saving lives by donating 10% of every sale to support pregnancy care centers and pro life organizations across the country. And get this, they have raised over $1 million for these centers and have saved thousands of lives. Now let me tell you about the coffee because I'm very picky about what I put into my body. The coffee is mold free, pesticide free, shade grown and low acid, and it's organically farmed. It truly checks all the boxes. So go to 7weekscoffee.com and save 15 off forever when you subscribe. Plus get a free gift with your order and exclusively for my listeners. Use code Stay True for an extra 10% off your first order. That's a 25% off total savings on your first order plus a free gift. Just use code Stay True at checkout. So join me every morning by drinking Seven Weeks Coffee and letting your coffee serve a greater purpose. Remember, your order will directly help support a network of over 1000 pro life organizations across the United States. That's what you have to do when the lies come is you have to look them in the eyes. You have to attack that lie head on, and you have to replace it with the truth. And so I am faced with that decision every day. I'm also faced with a decision of. It's not just about being aware of the lies. It's not just about being aware of the enemy. It's also about a pursuit of the truth. It's also about a pursuit of godliness. It's also about a pursuit of Jesus, us. So it's not just enough to say, okay, I. I know the enemy's going to come after me. There's all this spiritual warfare. There's all of these things that are trying to take me out. It's also, I gotta get in the presence of the Lord. I gotta get in the word of God. I gotta memorize scripture. I gotta know the Word better than I know lyrics to all these secular songs. I gotta know the word of God better than I know, like, what my husband's gonna say when he walks in the door. Like, I gotta know God more than I know myself, more than I know my husband, more than I know the people around me. I gotta know God's word. It's gotta be written on my heart. It can't just be on my phone. It can't just be in my 10 minutes of quiet time in the morning next to my cup of coffee. It's gotta be written on my heart. It's not just enough to resist the lies. It's also a running towards the truth. And so how do we tackle the lies that keep us bound, but then also run and chase after the truth that will keep us free, that will keep us walking in freedom every single day. And I, y', all, I am so excited to keep talking about this more because I just believe that there's so much here. And so in this book, we're going to be talking all about what keeps us free. We're going to be talking about people like, how to do life with. With godly community. We're gonna be talking about purity, like, how to break free from sin and shame that keep us stuck and enslaved and feeling like we're never gonna be able to break free. How can we walk in purity? And that purity is so much more than just just the things that we do. It's who we are. It's who we are to our core. We're going to be talking about purpose. Like, how do you live a life of purpose? We're going to be talking about influence, how can you be a leader? How can you dare to live different? How can you be someone that is set apart and that God can use in a big way for his kingdom? We're going to be addressing the lies. We're going to be talking about what is truth? You know, it talks about. In John 18, Pilate has this moment with Jesus where he looks at Jesus and he says, what is truth? And that question stuck out to me so much when I was thinking about this book, because I believe that is a question that this generation is asking, what is truth? What's true about God? What's true about eternity? What's true about me? What's true about the purpose God has for me? What's true about the people God has called me to do life with? What's true about the way that I'm wired and the way that I look and the family that I'm. What is is truth? And a lot of us are asking that question, and we don't even realize we're asking that question because a lot of times we're turning to culture's answers and to social media's answers to find the question that we're asking in our soul. When the only way we're going to be satisfied and the only way we're going to actually get the answer is when we turn to Scripture and when we turn to God. Because the one who formed you, the one who created you, is the only way who's going to be able to inform you of. Of who you're called to be and how you're called to live and how you can stay free and how you can experience not just freedom here, but freedom for all of eternity, how you can experience life abundant here, but also life abundant forevermore. That is, he is the only one, because it says in God's Word in Ecclesiastes he has put eternity on every man's heart. It says in God's Word in. In the Psalms that in the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy. You know, and it talks about all throughout Scripture that. That I'm memorizing right now, Psalm 16. And it talks about how those who chase after other gods, little G gods, they will suffer more and more. They will literally suffer more and more because they're chasing the answers. They're chasing these idols, they're chasing these little G gods. I'm trying to find, like. Like, let's. Let's make this 2025 lingo, okay? Those who chase after approval from people, those who chase after acceptance from social media Those who chase after success and money, those who chase after wanting to be famous, those who chase after desperately wanting to be loved from another human being. Those who chase after, like, whatever it is that you need to fill in the gap there. You will suffer more and more. You will not be satisfied. You will constantly be left hopeless and confused and unsatisfied and frustrated. But when you say, which is the next verse in Psalm 16? Lord, you alone are my portion in my cup you make my lot secure. You alone. Lord, give me what I'm looking for. When we find that, that's when we begin to tap into hope, freedom, purpose, joy, you name it. And so we're gonna have struggles in this life. Lies are gonna come. Temptation is going to come. But there is a promise that we can cling to. There are practical steps that even scripture provides us with that we can live true. That we can dare to be true. That we can dare to be different. The whole world, you guys. Oh, my gosh. It's so, like. Like, I just. I'm just going to speak so candidly. Okay. It's so easy to follow the world. Are you kidding? Like, it's so easy. You don't have to try it all. You just wake up and it's just like, go with the flow, you know, Conform to the world, conform to culture. Anybody can do that. It's so easy. It's so bl. Like, who we don't want to be that. You know, like, we are called to be set apart. We are called to look different. If we look like the world, then that means we are loving the world. If we look like the world, that means we are following the world. We are not called to look like the world. We're called to look like Jesus. We're called to live like Jesus. We're called to be countercultural. And so because of that, there are things that we have to do differently. We have to dare to live different, which means we're going to have to make some sacrifices and some choices and some decisions that are going to be against the grain, that are going to be against the flow of how everybody else is going. And that's not going to always be easy. Will you lose some friendships? Yes. Will you have moments of feeling lonely? Yes. Well, you have to give up some things that have been your crutch and things that you have gone to to escape and numb. Yes. Will you have to confront some scary things that you have been sweeping under the rug? Yes. Will you have to confess the thing that you said? I am never going to say this out loud, yes. And you know what's on the other side? Freedom. That's what's on the other side. And maybe you're like, so is it actually worth it? Yes. Yes, it's worth it. Because I was that person that was following culture. I was that person that was sweeping things under the rug. I was that person that was living in secret sin. I was that person that was saying, is there more? And the answer is, yes, there's more. And so in this series, we're gonna be talking about how can we break free from sin addictions? How can we break free from sin struggles? How can we actually break free from the lies that keep us bound? We're going to be talking about spiritual warfare. We're going to be talking about the enemy. We're going to be talking about Satan's tactics and how he is coming after you. We're going to be talking about the truth, about eternity. What? Who is God? How do I know he's the truth? How do I know that he is the way, the truth and the life? How can I actually believe that and trust that? We're going to be talking about how we can know if we're actually a Christian. We're going to be talking about, what does it mean to actually be a true believer? What does it mean to actually be a true disciple? And am I that, like, can I actually know that if I were to die today, that I'm going to heaven because I have an intimate, deep relationship with Jesus? We're going to be talking about how to not just get free, but how to stay free. And we're going to be practically talking about that through what it looks like to dive into living a life of purity and a life with community and how to live a life ultimately of influence and purpose and how to make a difference. Because the reality is, and the truth is, is that your freedom is not just for you. You were not given this gift of freedom by Jesus to just go and chill at your lake house and live up your best life. Your freedom is not for you. Your freedom is for other people. And so the freedom that you have experienced now you've been set free to go and set other people free. And so that's my hope, is that when you read this book, it's not just something for you to take and break off sin addictions and patterns and for you to take and experience the hope and the joy that you've been waiting for and the purpose that you've been waiting for. My hope is that you Read this book, you experience true freedom. You get free. You learn how to stay free, and then you bring other people into that journey. You bring other people alongside of you, and you say, hey, there is more for your life. And I experienced this, this Jesus that gave me true freedom. And now you get to experience this Jesus that can give you true freedom. It's available for you, and you begin to take out this message. You begin, as you dare to be true, you begin to take that message to other people and encourage them to dare to be true. And that is my challenge for you guys. I'm so excited for this series. And to talk more about this again in. Please check out the link to get this book. It's gonna be even easier as we're talking about this each week, as you're reading through, and you're able to kind of, like, have this own experience with the Lord yourself. Because I never want this podcast to be a. Like a supplement to your. Or a substitute, I guess I should say to your time with Jesus, like, this is supposed to be a supplement. It's supposed to be just an addition, not a substitute. And so this is not supposed to be something that you are. This is your. All your time with the Lord. Like, this is. Okay. Everything Maddie just said, like, that's great. No, like, now go take that. Sit with the Lord journal about it. Ask him questions, Ask him to reveal, what lie am I believing? What is keeping me bound right now? What shame is keeping me to isolate? That is making me isolate and making me hide myself? Ask yourself those questions, you know, and. And wrestle with that and sit with that. And I just want to say, going back to that story about the gas leak that Grant and I experienced, you know what would have been so crazy, you guys, is if the plumber would have come over, told me that we were having a gas leak, and then said, do you want me to turn this off? And I said, no, it's okay. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Because all I wanted to know was that there was a problem. All I wanted to know was I just need to identify what's going on. You guys would have thought I was crazy easy if that was the reality. If I looked at that plumber and I said, don't worry about turning it off. Like, we just wanted to know what the problem was. And now we'll just. It's okay. It's fine. No, because it still would have continued to kill us. And the reality is, is that it's not enough just to identify what the problem is now we have to do something about it. And so each week we're going to identify what the problems are, but then we're going to dare to do something about it. Because if you want something different for your life, then you have to do something different, different in your life. You have to dare to do something different. And I'm going to challenge you guys and I'm going to push you guys, but I'm also going to meet you with grace. Because life is hard and lies hurt and, and, and living in secrecy is scary to then bring people into the light. It is, it is so scary to have to confess that thing that you've been struggling with and sitting in. It's scary. And it's hard to deal with the things head on that have been keeping you bound and imprisoned. It is hard, but it's so, so worth it. And it says in Proverbs 14:12 that there is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. There is a way that appears to be right, and it's where, it's where everybody's going, it's the path everybody's taking, it's the life everybody's living that appears to be loving, it appears to be right, but it leads to death. And Jesus says in John 14:6, as he completely contradicts that and gives us the, the. The hope that we're all longing for, which is I am the way, the truth, and the life. And so I'm not just a way, I am the way. And I am not just a path. I am the path. And I lead to life, I leave to abundant life, I lead to freedom, and I am the truth that your soul is searching for and longing for. And so I just want you to know there are two, there are two routes you can take here. And my hope is that even if you've been in this camp of Proverbs 14:12 and you've been chasing after the things of the world, thinking it's going to satisfy, thinking it's going to bring you the truth your soul is longing for, thinking that your truth is good enough, truth, like thinking that you can manifest and do whatever you want to, to get this happy life that you've been longing for, yet you feel just, just as stuck, just as enslaved, just as hopeless, I want you to know that there is hope. And Jesus says, I am the way, I am the truth and I am the life. If you want to know what the way, and you've been asking what's, what is the way. What is. What is God's will for my life? Why am I here? What it he is the way. He is the answer to all of those questions. If you want to know what is truth? What is truth? What is truth? What is truth? Truth is person. Instead of asking, what is truth? We should say, who is truth? Because truth is Jesus Christ. He is the person. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And he is what leads to life and life to the fullest. And I want that for you guys. I want you to experience a life of abundance. I want you to experience a life of freedom. I want you to experience a life where there is hope and there is joy. And you're like, this is what I was made for. This is what I was made for. I was made to love God and love people. I was made to live in freedom and holiness and purity. I was made to make my life count and to live a life worthy of the calling God has given me. And so that is my prayer for you guys. I love you. And there's so much more about this message that I could share, and there's so much more that we will be talking about. So be sure to come back and check out this series because we're going to be having a lot of interesting and good questions that we're going to be answering. Like, you know, why. Why would God, if he is good, send people to hell? And why is there an eternity? Is there an eternity? What is truth? How do you know that it's true? Going to be talking about, how do I find truth for myself? Not just, like, this is my truth, but what is God's truth for me? Like, how can I apply this personally to my own life? We're going to be tackling all those things, and I'm so excited about it. Okay, guys, I am at the end of this episode, and I need to wrap it up, but I just want you to know that I love you. And I wrote this book and this message for you. And I. Actually, it's really sweet. I dedicated this book to Hosanna Rose. And when I was writing the. The dedication, I was crying because I was like, out of anything I've ever done, I want this to be a message that my daughter lives out. Like, I want this to be a call to courage and a call to conviction and a call to live true and to live out the truth in a world that is filled with lies and in a world that is bringing so much confusion and so many questions. And there is a life of truth that leads to freedom. And I want that for my daughter. I want that for myself, and I want that for every single one of you. And so that's my heart. And I love you guys. Let me know what you specifically would like to hear, who you would like to hear it from and who you want to see on this podcast. Like I said at the beginning, be sure to check out our YouTube, be sure to follow us on Instagram. And if you haven't rated this podcast, I would love if you would it. It actually gets the word out to more people when people rate this podcast. And so this has encouraged. If this podcast has encouraged you in any way, if it is. If it's encouraged your faith, if it has helped you in your faith journey and your relationship with the Lord or it's just lit a fire under you, whatever it is, please go rate it. It would be so. It would be so loving to me and I would feel so grateful. So as always, guys, be sure to stay you and stay true. I love you.