Deep Spirituality

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Quenching the Soul Thirst Mar 27, 2019

Show notes

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. [2] My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Psalm 42:1-2 NIV

Are you aware of your insecurities? The Bible describes insecurity as a "soul thirst," one that we try to quench with others' approval or our own achievements but that can never be fully satisfied without God. We all struggle with the need for security and feeling like we are good enough, and this is especially true for teenagers. Though it is easier to focus on the results of our insecurities - the things we do like drinking, drugs, getting attention, getting good grades or achieving - it is only once we acknowledge and take our insecurities to God that we truly become secure in who we are. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the effect our insecurities can have on our identity, our confidence, and our relationships with each other.

If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at podcast@deepspirituality.net

We Are All Searching For Our Identity Mar 22, 2019

Show notes

Join Russ Ewell and the team as they discuss how the moment we discover our identity with God we find we are able to build an intimate and personal relationships with God and others.

Psalm 37:3-6 NIV
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. [4] Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. [5] Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: [6] He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

In our search for identity, purpose and intimacy we have to go to a place some do not want to enter. We have to deal with the deep things in our hearts. Fear of rejection stops us from tackling these existential questions. We can have an innate worry of being love. That journey of discovering your identity and purpose can only be found in God. Because a true identity can never be taken away from you. At the end of the day, God is our anchor.

If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at podcast@deepspirituality.net

Notes from the Episode:

Psalm 30-39

Gideon - Judges 6-8

1 John ESV Journal Bible

Defeating Destructive Superficiality Mar 13, 2019

Show notes

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Galatians 5:13–15 NIV

When we develop insecure relationships with both God and people, we end up experiencing spiritual and emotional decline, which leads to intellectual contention within communities, causing us to bite, devour, and destroy each other. In order to overcome the destructive superficiality that corrodes our communities and relationships, we must make an effort to discover the answers to these three questions:

Who am I?
Why am I here?
Am I worthy of being loved?

Join Russ Ewell and others as they discuss how the moment we discover with God the answers to these questions is the moment we are able to built intimate and personal relationships with each other. This is how groups and organizations, especially churches, can be sustained and thrive.

If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at podcast@deepspirituality.net

An Introduction To Overcoming Our "Raging Insecurities" Mar 10, 2019

Show notes

Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.
1 Corinthians 8:1 NLT

When we are insecure, it can be easy to try to satisfy our desire to "feel important" by knowing all the right answers, getting people to like us, or achieving status and respect. Though these things may feel good in the moment, they can never fill the hole that only love can fill. When we don't deal with the insecurities that plague our hearts, we end up valuing people over God, behavior over heart, appearance over attachment, and performance over real relationships, leaving us feeling just as empty as before. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the necessity of addressing insecurity, and discover the security and confidence that come from an intimate relationship with God.

If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at podcast@deepspirituality.net

Episode Links

Insecurity: An Introduction

Netflix: How The Beatles Changed The World

John Lennon on The Dick Cavett Show (1971)

Netflix: Bruce Springsteen on Broadway

How To Become Passionate Feb 20, 2019

Show notes

Finding passion is a difficult thing. We can be hobbyist with things, but not true passion. Having it be a burning fire within you that leads you to your destiny.

Psalm 63:1-5 NIrV
God, you are my God. I seek you with all my heart. With all my strength I thirst for you in this dry desert where there isn’t any water. [2] I have seen you in the sacred tent. There I have seen your power and your glory. [3] Your love is better than life. So I will bring glory to you with my lips. [4] I will praise you as long as I live. I will call on your name when I lift up my hands in prayer. [5] I will be as satisfied as if I had eaten the best food there is. I will sing praise to you with my mouth.

This Psalmist considers God's love better than life. He gets his everything from God. Take the time to pray about your emotions to get your passion from God. If you don't, you suppress your emotion, and that is when you suppress your passion, so don't ignore what you need to pray about. You can't build anything without passionate people because those with passion believe it is their destiny to revolutionize whatever God has put on their heart to do. Until we believe it is our destiny we will never be passionate. If adversity stops you, then you are not passionate yet. So a daily renewal of your focus on your purpose will help you to become passionate.

Being Passionate, Not Just Committed Feb 13, 2019

Show notes

Being passionate, not just committed is something that is not examined by each and every Christian. We can settle with a committed heart but miss out on the passion for God that can change the world. Will you feed that passion?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIrV
In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don’t you? So run in a way that will get you the prize. [25] All who take part in the games train hard. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever. [26] So I do not run like someone who doesn’t run toward the finish line. I do not fight like a boxer who hits nothing but air. [27] No, I train my body and bring it under control. Then after I have preached to others, I myself will not break the rules. If I did break them, I would fail to win the prize.

Russ sits down with Ray, Nick and Mike to discuss where does passion come from. It comes from within us! It is a fire that burns regardless of circumstance. We can wait for things to excite us or inspire us, but we don't stoke the fire of passion from within. The first place to start is our personal relationship with God because our passion comes from God. When we take that time to reflect deeply we can grow to become passionate about God and our purpose. We need to be passionate about changing the world and the only way to do that is if every Christian has that deep passion within them.

Best Of The Best! Jan 23, 2019

Show notes

Here it is! Best of the Best. Today's episode is a special one! Mike, Amy and Nathan sit down to discuss and share the moments from the show so far that have really stood out to them and helped their personal walk with God.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 NIV

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

It can be easy to cruise through life and not set aside the time to reflect and share about what you've learned and how you're working to change and grow upon the lessons that have stood out to you. What has been your favorite lessons learned from the Deep Spirituality podcast so far? How have you listened, learned and taken action to better your relationship with God? We hope to continue to learn and that you, our audience, will learn with us along the way. Thank you for listening and continuing to support the show.

Heart Of A Fighter | Defeating Discouragement Jan 16, 2019

Show notes

In our final installment of the Defeating Discouragement Series; Russ, Brian and Stone talk about being able to fight spiritually. Leaning on Brian and Stone's lessons learn from their days as collegiate and nation judo and wrestling athletes they share stories of how they learned to fight on the mat and how that translates to everyone's walk with God.

Ephesians 6:10-12 Voice
Finally, brothers and sisters, draw your strength and might from God. [11] Put on the full armor of God to protect yourselves from the devil and his evil schemes. [12] We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places.

We are all in a spiritual fight. It can be easy to see the people around us we direct our emotions and efforts towards them but being spiritual in how we survey the spiritual battlefield we live in. It isn't about people, it is about demons and Satan attacking us. His going to try to tear down our faith with discouragements and lies. But when we choose God we choose to fight and not quit. We can increase our faith by drawing close to God, training everyday with Him, and dealing with our fear. Become a fighter and stop complaining about today, because it is getting you prepared for tomorrow.

Faith Not Fear | Defeating Discouragement Jan 09, 2019

Show notes

Overcoming fear is essential to defeating our discouragement. Russ sits down with Brian and Nick to discuss how we have to choose God to overcome our discouragement, and by choosing God we chose faith and not fear. What fear are you focused on? The fear of: shaming, hard things, failure, missing out, or change?

Philippians 3:13-14 NIV
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The tricky thing about fear is the more afraid we are the more self reliant we become. So if you are looking to yourself for the answers and not to God, take stock of your fear. Once you identify it you have to be specific, finding someone to share those fears with. All of us need to choose to have faith rather than being afraid.

New Life | Defeating Discouragement Jan 02, 2019

Show notes

In the third part of our Defeating Discouragement Series, Russ, Mike and Amy sit down to discuss how we need to take on the quitter in all of us. If we don't then we will persist in the pit of discouragement.

Philippians 3:12 NIV
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

The first place we can quit is emotionally. We go through the motions but leave the heart out. We choose the be interrupted or enjoy being interrupted so we don't have to focus on the heart. In our discouragement we can: break our devotion and focus on God, we can get overly emotional about stuff so we can quit, we distract ourselves by the easy stuff to do, and never get around to taking on the hard things, or focus on the past and the things we missed out on instead of thinking about what is going on in the present. There are so many avenues that lead to quitting and we can convince ourselves quitting the the only solution but there is a way out. We have to defeat the quitter in us all.

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