When Jazzy, Mitchell's charming family cat, came back from the vet with a newfound affection, it sparked a hearty discussion between Mitchell and me about the unexpected blessings of pet ownership. We share giggles and insights into how our furry and feathery friends help shape the love and leadership in a bustling household. Roosters and all, join us as we weave tales of tenderness and the occasional mustache mishap with metal shavings—moments that remind us of the joy and spontaneity that animals bring to our lives.
Imagine a life where faith carries the promise of rewards beyond our earthly existence. That's the core of our heart-to-heart this episode, as we unpack the heavenly nuances of faith's rewards, drawing from Hebrews 11:6. From the impact of sharing the Gospel to the strength found in standing firm against persecution, we ponder the mystery and anticipation tied to the idea of receiving spiritual crowns. It's about seeking the divine with earnest hearts and the transformative purification through Jesus Christ that allows us to come closer to God.
The episode wouldn't be complete without acknowledging how Bible verses like Jeremiah 29:11-13 serve as lighthouses in life's storms, guiding us to safe harbors of hope and purpose. We reflect on the omnipresence of these sacred words, from church services with energetic children to yearbook quotes that promise God's plan is at work in our lives. Tune in as we express our gratitude for the shared moments with you, our listeners, and invite you to let the spirit of our conversation linger in your daily interactions. Subscribe for more episodes that promise to lift your spirits and inspire your heart.
Support our ministry
Check us out at purefaithliving.com
Contact us at purefaithliving.com/contact
Follow us on twitter @purefaithliving
Follow us on Facebook at Pure Faith Podcast
When Jazzy, Mitchell's charming family cat, came back from the vet with a newfound affection, it sparked a hearty discussion between Mitchell and me about the unexpected blessings of pet ownership. We share giggles and insights into how our furry and feathery friends help shape the love and leadership in a bustling household. Roosters and all, join us as we weave tales of tenderness and the occasional mustache mishap with metal shavings—moments that remind us of the joy and spontaneity that animals bring to our lives.
Imagine a life where faith carries the promise of rewards beyond our earthly existence. That's the core of our heart-to-heart this episode, as we unpack the heavenly nuances of faith's rewards, drawing from Hebrews 11:6. From the impact of sharing the Gospel to the strength found in standing firm against persecution, we ponder the mystery and anticipation tied to the idea of receiving spiritual crowns. It's about seeking the divine with earnest hearts and the transformative purification through Jesus Christ that allows us to come closer to God.
The episode wouldn't be complete without acknowledging how Bible verses like Jeremiah 29:11-13 serve as lighthouses in life's storms, guiding us to safe harbors of hope and purpose. We reflect on the omnipresence of these sacred words, from church services with energetic children to yearbook quotes that promise God's plan is at work in our lives. Tune in as we express our gratitude for the shared moments with you, our listeners, and invite you to let the spirit of our conversation linger in your daily interactions. Subscribe for more episodes that promise to lift your spirits and inspire your heart.
Support our ministry
Check us out at purefaithliving.com
Contact us at purefaithliving.com/contact
Follow us on twitter @purefaithliving
Follow us on Facebook at Pure Faith Podcast
Okay, let's try that again. Hello and welcome to another episode of Pure Face Podcast.
Speaker 2:Second one today.
Speaker 1:A podcast where we discuss all things Bible. I am your co-host, Michelle, and this is my chocolate milk drinking brother, Mitchell.
Speaker 2:That's me.
Speaker 1:Who is co -hosting today, or hosting today, and who is going to bring us a Bible study? Yay, alright. So we ask that you like this video, subscribe to our YouTube channel and don't forget to hit the notification icon to be notified when new episodes are released.
Speaker 2:So I got overeager and started before I was ready. I did.
Speaker 1:I started and he didn't hit the start button. We didn't pray, like it was just, and we're trying to get this early Check out. Yeah, one of those dynes? So yeah, whoa. So how are things Good, are they?
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 1:Fantastic.
Speaker 2:They're metal over me. Yes, I told him.
Speaker 1:I'm like you got metal shavings in your mustache on the side of your face, so if you see glitter while he's talking, that would be why.
Speaker 2:It is not divine anything.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:It's just aluminum shavings.
Speaker 1:Nice so.
Speaker 2:I don't have anything. I think it's safe to say that our cat is officially staying.
Speaker 1:Okay. So even after you took it to get it fixed, it came back.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:She actually became even more lovey-dovey after that.
Speaker 1:Oh, my With who.
Speaker 2:Anybody and everybody.
Speaker 1:Oh, just laying on the lap and wanting to be around everybody, yeah.
Speaker 2:She even laid on my lap the other night. She doesn't do that, so Well, good, jazzy. Jazzy.
Speaker 1:Here to stay, which is good. We actually I was just leaving the house and I was telling Mitchell that. I was telling Mitchell, I was telling Daniel about the upcoming things that were happening within our family and I said, well, I'll be here with dad. I got the dogs. He's like, well, you got the cat. And I'm like, what do you mean? I got the cat. I'm like I'll feed the cat and change the litter box. I'm like I don't pet the cat, I don't interact with the cat. The cat's just there. Like I'm not a cat person, but we've always had a cat.
Speaker 2:Daniel's a cat person, though.
Speaker 1:Daniel is such a cat person.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he is.
Speaker 1:Oh, he's real.
Speaker 2:I didn't realize that till Christmas.
Speaker 1:Oh, he's such a cat person.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Cats and all. It was like him and Wyatt were playing on the floor when he got home from track practice. So Wyatt's our new puppy that we got and I'm just like, oh my gosh, he's an animal loving cat. He really is, and he's got a big heart. So my heart's not that big obviously.
Speaker 2:Oh, you're kind of like the Grinch.
Speaker 1:I'm like the. I'm a pack leader. That's what I. I'm a pack leader. I put down the roles. You follow the rules. If you don't follow the rules, you're out. A pack leader, just how I am. My kids are like you're still mean to animals. I'm like well, first of all, I never grew up with an animal in my house.
Speaker 2:No, we didn't.
Speaker 1:And I don't. I'm not the one who wanted the animals in our house Y'all did. And who takes care of them? Me, Me.
Speaker 2:So but when our first Sounds like somebody's a little bitter about it.
Speaker 1:When our first cat passed away, though, I think I cried more than anybody, just because it was, it was devastating, it really was so whatever.
Speaker 2:I was thinking that yesterday morning. Um, that at this point, if Jazzy leaves, then it's going to be pretty devastating for the family, because now she's even like the boys have to sleep with the doors open now.
Speaker 1:Because Jazzy might come in or out.
Speaker 2:I mean Jazzy can go in and out when she wants. They can't, we can't lock her in the room because she'll start scratching at the floor and one out, yep, but if we keep the doors open, then she'll come and go as she pleases and yeah, I think she makes her rounds and sleeps with everybody at some point.
Speaker 1:So she works the night shift.
Speaker 2:Pretty much.
Speaker 1:Yep, that's the way our cat is. Works the night shift. She sleeps all day up all night yeah so. That's okay, that's good for them. They get the cat inside and they got the roosters outside.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they chase those too.
Speaker 1:Oh, what are the roosters names?
Speaker 2:I don't know I don't know.
Speaker 1:Zeke tried to tell me and I could not understand what he was saying.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I don't go by names.
Speaker 1:He was telling me all about it. I don't know. Well, of course he names them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do have names, because I remember him. The white one was out I don't know a couple nights ago and they were chasing it around the yard and he was yelling his name and I'm like, okay, what?
Speaker 1:are you saying that's what I'm?
Speaker 2:saying Whatever? Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1:They're funny, they are comical. I find Ephraim to be probably more honoree than what Eli ever was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and he has that look.
Speaker 1:He's got that. Look my intro song Sunday. He had bibs on. How many times did you grab him from the back of the bibs? I don't know if he's a bibs, oh my gosh. So and then he just gives that look Scrunched up eyebrows. Yep, okay, they're good kids.
Speaker 2:I'm ready to get started.
Speaker 1:I mean, you said you had this many notes.
Speaker 2:Yep, it's going to be an interesting evening.
Speaker 1:I didn't start a clock. Let me just go ahead and start a timer of I don't know 20 minutes.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Hold on, let me rehydrate.
Speaker 1:I'm going to just sit here because he, since he, has no notes. I have no notes, I don't even know who's supposed to be raining down, because at this point I don't even know what you're talking about.
Speaker 2:It might be something interesting. Maybe, I don't know what I'm going to say, but it might be interesting.
Speaker 1:It might be.
Speaker 2:All right, so let me, let me get situated here.
Speaker 1:Oh, there's that small amount. I don't know what you got.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a few, so we are still in Hebrews 11-6.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:We're finishing up this last portion of it as a refresher. Hebrews 11-6 reads. So we've already covered the majority of this and we spent a lot of time on this concept of drawing near to God, and we also cover the fact that we have to believe that he exists in order to be able to draw near to him. But what we need to cover yet is that he rewards those who seek him, and first it's covered, this concept of rewards. So if you have been watching everything that we release, then you would have seen is it two or, yeah, two or three episodes?
Speaker 1:ago.
Speaker 2:Then I talked about treasures in heaven and how different ways that you can acquire treasures in heaven and what it what treasures in heaven, actually means. And the basic concept of that is the fact that when you get to heaven, there are going to be rewards, and those rewards could be. There's different levels of rewards.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as I said, there's levels.
Speaker 2:We don't know what those rewards are going to be, what they're going to look like, how they're going to play out, but we know that you can either receive no reward or anywhere up to great rewards, and it's all based on how we live our lives. Yep, so I'm glad somebody was paying attention.
Speaker 1:I actually was. I actually was thinking, oh, I could probably say some of this because I was paying attention, but you know, I think it's because it hit me Like. You know we talked about it. You know you could just walk this earth and be faithful and know that Jesus died on a cross for us and not speak one word of it and not go out of your way to. You know, talk to people about it or you know whatever. Just walk a straight path and just know it and know that you're going to heaven.
Speaker 1:Yep, if you do that and you're getting level one and you're going to go to heaven and you're just going to live the rest of eternity in heaven.
Speaker 2:That would be what I would consider the base level Yep, and that would be I would consider no rewards except for the fact that you are going to heaven.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So as long as you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you have access to heaven. It's just. You may not receive any special rewards Right Whenever you get there, and but then if you go out and you're.
Speaker 1:Help spreading the good word of Jesus Christ. So we're doing anyhow, you know, then that's, that's another level.
Speaker 2:Yes, and you can help us spread that good news by sharing this video with others, this whole podcast, right, but that's true.
Speaker 1:So that's a different level of rewards when you get to heaven. Yes, you're going to get to heaven because you believe in Jesus, they done for our sins, and you spoke the word, the good word, and now you get to have rewards when you go into heaven.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:And then there's another step.
Speaker 2:And then if you start being persecuted. For you know proclaiming Jesus, for telling people about Jesus, and you start to get attacked physically, spiritually, emotionally, just whatever. And we talked about this whenever we talked about the Beatitudes.
Speaker 2:If you do get persecuted for Jesus, for the sake of Jesus, then that's going to up the reward even more, and then the ultimate reward would be if you are martyred for For Jesus, for Christianity. I Don't think we're going to have that here in the US, at least hopefully not any time soon, mm-hmm, but that is. That would probably be the ultimate reward right. Um, but then there's also other categories, because we're talking about rewards, because that's what this verse is talking about as rewards, but there's also crowns.
Speaker 2:Oh yes and there's several crowns that you could be awarded. I know there's a crown of righteousness, I think there's a crown of salvation. I don't remember what the rest of them are. I have not done the deep dive into this stuff yet. Um, it's something that is on my list of things to study.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Um, these rewards, these crowns, um, and all that type of stuff, um, but, as of right now, we just know they're there. We just know they're there. Yep, yeah, and they're. I know for sure that there's no specific Explanation of what the rewards are. Um, so everything that I know, or that I've heard, it's come from outside sources, not biblical sources, so it's not Biblically accurate, because we have nothing in the Bible that tells us. But I don't know where I was going with all that. But we're talking about rewards and so, yeah, yep, so if you were to watch that episode a couple weeks ago two, three weeks ago, I don't know when it was um, then we talked about those rewards as treasures in heaven and basically how to get them, which was Basically, like you said, how we live our lives. So it's doing those good deeds. It's doing um, doing good works, um, living your life according to the fruits of the spirit, mm-hmm, just being a good person, being a good person who's proclaiming the good news of jesus. Right, you're gonna already see rewards right.
Speaker 2:At some level and you'll probably end up getting some rounds. Yep, you will get good things. But here's the other thing that this verse says he rewards those who seek him.
Speaker 2:Okay so we've spent a lot of time on this concept of drawing near to god and the fact that we can't just go to god. We are Impure, we are corrupt, I mean, we just have original sin, and so we are not able to just go to god. But it's through jesus, through the blood of jesus, through his death on the cross, um, through his life, that we can be cleansed, by jesus To the point that we can approach god. So we approach god through jesus. Well, the thing about that is Well, the thing about is, even though we have access to God through Jesus, god's not just going to give us everything we want, no, so it's like going back to Like you were talking about whenever we're talking about rewards. At the base level, you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Okay, so now you have access to God. But if you don't do anything with that, if you don't Do anything for the kingdom, if you don't, if you don't seek God, then why would he do anything for you?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It'd be like a relationship. If you're in a relationship a marriage, friendship, any kind of relationship If you never talk to the person that you are friends with or married to, or dating or Whatever it is, yeah, whatever it is, what kind of relationship? Would that be right? You can't have a relationship without communication and you can't have communication without Going to that person, without seeking that person to converse with them right.
Speaker 2:What's the same thing with God? We need to have that communication. Our main form of communication is prayer, so if you spend time in prayer, then that is like spending time in conversation with God right the more you spend time communicating with God, then the better relationship you have and the more rewards you can then receive. But until you have that relationship relationship, you're just walking blind right.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's like you were saying like if you're somebody, just yes, I accept Jesus Christ, but then you get down to your basement and then never see the light of day. All right and never talk to any other person again. Well, You're doing anything for the kingdom right, you'll go to heaven. You'll go to heaven, but right. That's gonna be about it, right, so?
Speaker 1:and it, and you know, just even to, to have a relationship, also, you need to know that person. Whether you're married, friends, same thing with Jesus, same thing with God. You know, you find, you find that in the Bible, verse by verse. It doesn't need to be the whole Bible, but you you take a dive into the Bible and you you focus on his word. It helps you and your prayer in that relationship that you have as well.
Speaker 1:Yes and that can get get you another Reward when you go into heaven, just knowing his word, knowing you know what the Bible says.
Speaker 2:And we've said this in the past too the more you study the word mm-hmm, the more you grow in faith mm-hmm. That's kind of why we're here, is what we're in Hebrews to begin with yes, about faith yes so the more you study the word, more you get to know God gets to know Jesus. Like you're saying, your faith will grow. The more your faith grows, the more you understand. The more you understand, the more you want to learn right the more you learn, the more your faith grows.
Speaker 2:It's just an ongoing Bible. Yeah, it's a snowball effect. Yes so, and that's what you know, we are called to do, but then take that knowledge and also share it with others. Yeah, so that they can also.
Speaker 1:Right, whether it's communication in your church, whether it's communication, you know, when you're with friends and socializing. I mean, I think that for some reason, just Bible verses themselves they'll come out in church and the thing is is that it shows up everywhere. You know. Just like we were in church on Sunday and you know one of the church members was talking about an appointment and I said you know, he has a path for you and she has that on a bracelet that she has. I had that because I had a message to give to Daniel.
Speaker 2:It's actually Jeremiah 29.
Speaker 1:Jeremiah Wait, do you have this? Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:So I was thinking about trying to figure out how to segue into it.
Speaker 1:So, no, listen, Listen to this. No lie. This is crazy. We were in church on Sunday but prior to Sunday, last week I had, last Friday I had well, times are off. Anyhow, a week ago I had to send in a senior parent letter that they published in the yearbook Okay, Jeremiah 29.10. Is that what that is?
Speaker 2:Well, this is 11-13.
Speaker 1:11-13. For know that he has a plan for you, right, right.
Speaker 2:For I know the plans I have for you. Declares the Lord plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. So, this may not be the exact one that you're.
Speaker 1:So sorry but no, but in all honesty, as a senior, when you're graduating high school, you want your kid to know that there is a path that's already made for you, like I know that you are. I know that at this point you have no idea what the future holds. But you're not supposed to. He has a plan for you. We come to church on Sunday, someone has an appointment and I just say that you know what, but he's got a plan for you. So no matter how this appointment goes and your anxieties and your worries, it does not matter because he's got a path for you. And then we come in here and you got the same thing. And no lie, when we're in church I'm putting together a thing for a coach, the swim coach and Dawn. At church, one of our church members. She gave me the exact same thing to give to Coach Travis Really. So that's for me, two church members and you with this Bible verse today.
Speaker 2:I'm looking up to see what the NIV, because that's probably the one that most people are more familiar with.
Speaker 1:Probably.
Speaker 2:So NIV, verse 11, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. So that's the one that most people quote is the NIV, because it has that idea of you can relate to it really.
Speaker 1:I mean in all honesty some Bible versions. You can get lost in a lot of words when you keep it simple like that.
Speaker 2:And that's. I typically use the ESV because it is a better study Bible for doing more of a deeper dive study. But yeah, for quoting, it's not the best version, not at all For NIV.
Speaker 1:And this is in my letter to Daniel. In the yearbook I don't even I just put on there, just know that he has a plan for you. And then I just put Jeremiah 2911. And I don't even know if I put 1112. I don't even know what I put, but for when he looks at that and in the future he can go to that and he'll be able to read that verse or anybody else that looks at it, because really all students are going to get it. You have no idea who's going to look at that. I mean, that is a message that I'm putting out there in a publication that many of people are going to see and how many people might turn to that. That's me helping spread the good word of Jesus in a publication that, and they'll put it in there.
Speaker 2:And it could be that simple Just putting something like that out there.
Speaker 1:You know, I don't know if the name's on it or if it's anonymous. No, it says mom and dad. It's underneath his baby picture. But in all honesty, you know we talk about social media, how good and bad social media can be. But if you look at kids right now, your kids are too young, Be thankful. But you look at like, no, it doesn't have social media. But Elle has social media, Olivia has it, Daniel has it and I'm about 99% sure all three of them have a Bible verse that's connected to them either on Instagram or on their Snapchat name, Like there is a Bible verse that they quote-unquote live by and they have it out there.
Speaker 1:So anybody who likes their page or anybody that sees them sees that Bible verse, and any of them could just say I wonder what that is. Let me just look it up and you can Google it. It's not even that you have to have a Bible. Google the verse and they might be like hmm, so here's this person. They live by this verse. Maybe I should take a dive into it. It's true, I mean, really it's. There could be evil things out there, but there can be really good things out there too.
Speaker 2:But the reason I had that in my nose.
Speaker 1:What? Why did you have that Verse 12? Okay, because of verse 11.
Speaker 2:I put verse 11 in there because it's verse 11, but verse 12 and this is now the NIV. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. So this ties back to why Talk about it? It mentioned seeking here Mm-hmm, and that's what our verse from Hebrews 11 6 is saying. Yeah, no God will reward those who seek him. And here it's saying that if you seek him and you will find him, if you seek him with all your heart mm-hmm so.
Speaker 1:And that's another thing that I like to. I like to point out too the same message is found in so many different books in the Bible. So many different books, you can find that same message.
Speaker 2:That's one of the reasons why I Love the Bible the way I do. I mean, that's why I like to study it, that's why I like to spend time in it, because there are so many connections that, yeah, we don't realize. I mean that that is where and the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Speaker 1:You can find the same message over and over and over again.
Speaker 2:Yep, it's very true.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:How much time we got left we about minute 51 seconds so there's no point in going into Noah yet, so we can just stick here, just call it good.
Speaker 1:But Well, you did. You have a few more notes. I know you were gonna go to the Bible. I didn't know that you were doing this. That's again how crazy this is. He gives me no notes and Let me read my notes. How about you read your note? Oops, oh, shoot no for for you not having any notes. This actually went really well, because not only I felt like I was very involved tonight, yeah and I I considered, you know, canceling because we have an extra episode yeah in the bank.
Speaker 2:I'm like, yeah, I'm like I Don't actually need the notes. I hardly ever use the notes as long as I have the scripture in front of me, and then God and again, we pray before just to give us the words.
Speaker 1:And I, Again, I find it so many times how things can be connected, when, when people are not on the same level with things. You know, we talked about it in church when you gave your message about crowns and how the song that Beck up, that she chose for worship, you know what, right along with your message, and she had no idea what you were going to be giving your message on. Like the Lord speaks to us and we don't even realize it until we're sitting here right now. I get thrilled, I guess, so thrilled about it, and no idea it's the little things alive.
Speaker 2:I don't get as thrilled about it, right but you get through my other things.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I just, I just thought that was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know thrill. I don't know if I get thrilled about anything you know, not even ice cream like ice cream. There's a reason page and I work well together Me. Either one of us are extreme, anything it's yeah, no, no and I have a complete opposite.
Speaker 1:I get through over a lot of things and he's like seriously stop it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're both. We're both pretty even keel about things.
Speaker 1:Well, that's good.
Speaker 2:People say I'm laid back and then they meet Paige like oh, page is really laid back. Unless I make her mad, then she's not laid back just Today you have made a comment.
Speaker 1:She's in, you know she, when she comes to church and she's like I Just really like how your brother handles parenting those boys, like you're so laid back with them, like it's like who sent that Jess from church?
Speaker 2:So I work with yeah you know, she's got little ones.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you do, but, um, you know she's got little ones and it's just different to see, you know, to see how dad's handle things differently. Some can be on edge when their kid might be acting up in church, and then there's you. Yeah it's the whole church, though knows like it's coming up there. There they go.
Speaker 2:Like when I had to go running down the center aisle because After him just decided to take off.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, he did.
Speaker 2:I thought, he was doing a good thing. He had a handful of the envelopes yeah for the, for the tithing donations that he's won't come up here to put in the offering but they were all empty, weren't they? They were all empty. This is after beginning of church and at the end of church, like we were still doing the opening songs and he just Start.
Speaker 1:I thought he was gonna come up, on up with me to sing.
Speaker 2:I wasn't sure what was going on at that point, but yeah, then I was had, I was holding Eli, so I'm carrying Eli and I'm chasing after him and yeah, it was fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I said, it's just and the church just loves it because little ones are Are fantastic. They're even better when they're not yours.
Speaker 2:I guess, All right.
Speaker 1:So we thank you for joining us. Please leave a comment on this video or go to our contact page at purefaithlivingcom and leave us a message and, as always, if you like what you hear, then we ask that you, we ask that you share the show with others To help us to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Don't forget to subscribe and we will talk to you again next time.
Speaker 2:Have a blessed day everybody.