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Episode 31 - Is this verse for me? Or for you?
22 Plays11 days ago
In this episode of Pray & See, Bryan Brookes shares a compelling verse about God's purpose for you each day. He shares a pivotal verse in Isaiah 50 describing how God wants to speak to you so you can also be a lifeline to a weary person. Learn how to consider people you run into each day - at the coffee shop, school, in your neighborhood - and to wonder if your time with God could benefit them.
Email pray@coyfc.org with topic ideas, or to link up with a prayer team!
Pray & See is a ministry of Central Ohio Youth for Christ. Podcast Link - https://open.spotify.com/show/3yZLOjUt6Hu0XxuwLavLZv
- Central Ohio Youth for Christ: http://www.coyfc.org
- Gracehaven: http://www.gracehavenohio.org
- WellSpring Counseling: http://www.wellspringcolumbus.org
- Equip Skills Center: https://www.equipskillscenter.org/
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Transcript
Introduction to Pray and See Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to the Pray and See Podcast. I'm Brian Brooks, your host. I'm glad to connect with you to share how God moves through prayer in our Youth for Christ ministries and some things I've seen in my own life.
00:00:15
Speaker
The God who created everything, who knows everything about you and still loves you, wants to give you a life of peace with Him and real meaning and purpose. Today we're going to look at one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible, and it's about purpose. What I'm going to share with you has really changed how I view connecting with God and other people. It's that God speaks to you, but it's not just for
Connecting with God for Peace and Purpose
00:00:37
Speaker
you. It's so you can also be a lifeline to a weary friend.
00:00:41
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If you're just joining us, the podcast is here to open our eyes to see how God is moving and see who he is. I share stories because they bring truths about God to life.
00:00:52
Speaker
They tell us following God isn't a formula. It's not about sending thoughts to an impersonal force. God shows up and does things that are personal because He is personal.
00:01:03
Speaker
It all starts with John 1, 12. which says to all who believed in him, in Jesus, and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. If you're not sure what you think about God, please investigate and read the Bible.
Trusting Jesus and Embracing God's Mission
00:01:19
Speaker
But it's not enough to listen to the ideas that God gives us a choice of do we want to put our personal trust in Jesus, in his life, his death on the cross, him raising from the dead on our behalf, to have that count for us.
00:01:37
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That's how we can have a relationship with God and join Him on His mission of love and forgiveness from wherever we are. So let's pray and see what God does.
00:01:47
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Pray along with me. God, you say we can find true life when we follow you and love the people around us. There's so many weary people, maybe even us.
00:01:59
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Would you give us something from the Bible and some encouragement that we can also share and give away to others? Amen.
Equipped by God's Words to Help Others
00:02:08
Speaker
Well, if you've read the Bible, maybe you've asked yourself this question.
00:02:12
Speaker
Is this verse for me or is it for someone else? Today, we're going to look at a short passage in Isaiah where the answer to that question is yes and yes. But first, I want to share with you a story about my friend Mary and Jasmine.
00:02:27
Speaker
Every week, we do a staff prayer call at Central Ohio Youth for Christ. And recently on the call, I shared something I've been reading from the Psalms about how Psalm 1 talks about what a blessed life from God is. But a later Psalm, 112, says,
00:02:45
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double clicks and zooms in on what blessing from God looks like in the flow of real life. I'd been encouraged by what I read and I shared it with our team on the call.
00:02:58
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Mary was on the call and listened in and later she connected with Jasmine, a girl she had mentored for several years. Jasmine asked Mary, in your life when you encounter trouble, how do you actually have peace with God?
00:03:11
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How do you have peace in your life? What does it actually look like? Well, Mary was ready to share from Psalm 1 and Psalm 112. God speaks to you so you can also be a lifeline to a weary friend. What we read in the Bible, it's not just about us, but it's also for other people.
00:03:34
Speaker
Listening to God's Word isn't just for our own spiritual journey and growth. God equips us with words of comfort and wisdom that our weary friends need to hear.
Living a Lifestyle of Listening to God
00:03:45
Speaker
Let's turn to Isaiah.
00:03:46
Speaker
Isaiah is a book in the Old Testament and Isaiah writes about God's ultimate rescue plan for all of humanity, including us. The plan is to send a person who suffers on our behalf and will reign as king because he is God and And this king will save people from death and from all of the brokenness in the world and in us. Isaiah is a great book, but this verse we're reading today is something really special.
00:04:14
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It says, This verse says, Well, this is servant in Isaiah that's talking here. And the servant's talking about himself, but he's also talking about lifestyle.
00:04:32
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to you so you can also be a lifeline to a weary friend well this is the servant in isaiah that's talking here and a servant's talking about himself but he's also talking about a lifestyle he says the sovereign lord has given me his words of wisdom or some translations say the tongue of disciples. This is God has given him things to say to other people.
00:04:55
Speaker
God teaches him during his time with God so he can be ready to respond to people. He says what God gives him so is a word that sustains or a word to comfort the weary. And comfort is to console and to encourage. And the weary person is someone who is fainting, crumbling,
00:05:17
Speaker
under the burden of life's demands. You know, let's be honest. When we look around our schools, at our jobs, friends, our family, we're surrounded by weary people, people who were carrying weights they were never meant to carry. Who is that person that you're gonna run into today?
00:05:36
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This verse doesn't say who that person is. This is where the adventure starts. You can ask God, God, who is the weary person? you're gonna send my way today. Then pay attention and he's gonna show you.
00:05:51
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Well, this verse also says it's only those who hear the word that are able to share it with others. And this is a regular thing. Morning by morning shows up in here.
00:06:01
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God wakes up this servant. This is a lifestyle of hearing from God in the morning and listening. And the reality is we can't give away what we haven't received from God.
Engaging with the Podcast Community
00:06:13
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Tuning into God morning by morning changes how we show up for the people around us. And what you read in the Bible is never just for you. God uses it to comfort you and speak to you, but at the same time prepares you to comfort someone else.
00:06:31
Speaker
He wants you to use your voice to help your friends carry their heaviest burdens. How do we know what to say to them? We get it from God. We can read the Bible or listen to God's word and ask him, God, is this for me?
00:06:44
Speaker
Or is this for someone else? And the answer is probably yes and yes. God speaks to you, so you can also be a lifeline to a weary friend. Here's my challenge for you today.
00:06:56
Speaker
Spend a few minutes reading the Bible and ask God for an opportunity to use it talking to someone else. Years ago, a Bible teacher told me, if you want to remember something you read in the Bible, ask God to give you an opportunity to use it in conversation with someone else.
00:07:18
Speaker
Well, the next time you open your Bible or hear God's voice speaking to your heart, remember Isaiah 50. Go on the adventure with God. And whatever's going on in your life, whatever you're doing, ask him to show you who the weary person is today that needs what you just read.
00:07:39
Speaker
Trust that God will answer and guide you to that person and pay attention. Pray and see what God does. If you do this and God makes a connection, tell me about it.
00:07:50
Speaker
I want to read it. Send an email to pray at COIFC.org. I've shared stories with you. Now I'd love to hear yours. Well, thanks for listening and praying. And you can help us grow subscribers by liking and subscribing in your favorite podcast app. And you can find us on your favorite socials by searching Central Ohio Youth for Christ. We'll see you next time on the Pray and See podcast.