WEBVTT 00:04.351 --> 00:10.738 [SPEAKER_00]: In today's verse 15, we're going to continue our pursuit of stirring up our affections for God. 00:11.419 --> 00:15.864 [SPEAKER_00]: By looking at how God exchanges our burdens for His peace. 00:17.225 --> 00:21.690 [SPEAKER_00]: As a society, we are more continually stressed now than ever. 00:22.571 --> 00:24.894 [SPEAKER_00]: Stress has become our new normal. 00:25.835 --> 00:32.282 [SPEAKER_00]: But in God, we have the opportunity to live with a peace that surpasses our understanding. 00:32.262 --> 00:37.868 [SPEAKER_00]: May God guide us down His path to peace today as we make space for His presence. 00:38.829 --> 01:02.252 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15 podcast. 01:07.936 --> 01:24.679 [SPEAKER_00]: Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew chapter 11, verses 28 through 30, Scripture says, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 01:25.368 --> 01:35.418 [SPEAKER_00]: take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lonely and heart and you will find rest for your souls. 01:36.702 --> 01:40.272 [SPEAKER_00]: For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 01:44.403 --> 01:49.276 [SPEAKER_00]: Scripture describes a great exchange of our burdens for the peace of God. 01:50.779 --> 02:01.467 [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus said in Matthew 11 verses 28 through 30, come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 02:01.582 --> 02:11.150 [SPEAKER_00]: take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 02:12.211 --> 02:16.195 [SPEAKER_00]: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 02:18.977 --> 02:30.627 [SPEAKER_00]: You have a God who loves you so much that he offers to take your burdens off your own shoulders, place them on his, 02:32.648 --> 02:34.712 [SPEAKER_00]: Where does your life feel heavy? 02:34.752 --> 02:39.342 [SPEAKER_00]: Where do you feel buried under the burdens of the world? 02:41.085 --> 02:43.069 [SPEAKER_00]: God offers you his peace today. 02:43.109 --> 02:50.725 [SPEAKER_00]: If you will take some time to align yourself with him and yoke yourself to the teaching of Jesus. 02:52.797 --> 02:59.886 [SPEAKER_00]: In Matthew 11, Jesus presents us with an image of two animals, sharing the burden of work together. 02:59.946 --> 03:06.133 [SPEAKER_00]: The point Jesus is making here is in reference to coming under his teaching. 03:07.435 --> 03:17.607 [SPEAKER_00]: He asks us, take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. 03:19.527 --> 03:28.018 [SPEAKER_00]: He isn't asking us simply to cast our burdens on him, but also to humble ourselves and submit to his teaching. 03:29.499 --> 03:37.970 [SPEAKER_00]: If we are willing to come underneath him as our teacher, then we no longer carry the burden of figuring out life on our own. 03:39.412 --> 03:45.940 [SPEAKER_00]: And in freedom, we are able to live life under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. 03:47.523 --> 03:49.946 [SPEAKER_00]: Do you ever feel alone in what you're doing? 03:51.408 --> 03:59.658 [SPEAKER_00]: Do you ever feel like peace is an unobtainable goal blocked by layer upon layer of work you need to get through first? 04:01.460 --> 04:04.003 [SPEAKER_00]: God's plan is different than the world's plan. 04:05.345 --> 04:13.395 [SPEAKER_00]: The world says you can only have peace when you've completed the job, become the best, or gain the approval of man. 04:14.557 --> 04:25.754 [SPEAKER_00]: God tells you to stop working in your own strength, yoke yourself to his teaching, and rid yourself of all the stress and pressure of the world. 04:25.774 --> 04:35.328 [SPEAKER_00]: 1 Peter 5-7 says, cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. 04:37.471 --> 04:40.195 [SPEAKER_00]: You have a God who cares about you. 04:41.597 --> 04:43.720 [SPEAKER_00]: Your God is for you. 04:44.645 --> 04:53.660 [SPEAKER_00]: He knows, society tells you to work for and care about certain things, but he offers you the refuge of his peace instead. 04:55.443 --> 04:59.950 [SPEAKER_00]: You serve a God who doesn't want you to live even one day burdened. 05:01.593 --> 05:07.783 [SPEAKER_00]: Every day, you can wake up and choose to yoke yourself to your heavenly father and his word. 05:09.248 --> 05:19.159 [SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs 3 verses 5 and 6 says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. 05:20.381 --> 05:25.547 [SPEAKER_00]: In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths. 05:28.550 --> 05:35.678 [SPEAKER_00]: Align your mind with what He says about you, casting off every opinion other than His 05:36.974 --> 05:46.102 [SPEAKER_00]: Align your day with the leading of God's Spirit and receive the anointing and power he longs to bring into every situation. 05:48.164 --> 05:51.727 [SPEAKER_00]: God says, My Yoke is easy and my burden is light. 05:52.808 --> 06:06.981 [SPEAKER_00]: If you will choose God today over the way you've done things in the past, if you will choose to obey His Word, then you will find rest for your soul. 06:08.227 --> 06:11.792 [SPEAKER_00]: In what parts of your heart do you need God's peace and ease? 06:11.832 --> 06:17.820 [SPEAKER_00]: He's waiting right now to meet with you, to offer you his yield. 06:19.181 --> 06:22.726 [SPEAKER_00]: Let him take your burdens, fears, and stress. 06:24.428 --> 06:28.193 [SPEAKER_00]: Our fragile frame wasn't meant to bear such pressure. 06:29.540 --> 06:41.895 [SPEAKER_00]: Come underneath God's teaching today, align your thinking with His, and let the cares of the world fall off as you live in light of the teaching of Jesus. 07:05.180 --> 07:19.255 [SPEAKER_00]: As we begin, reflect on your life for a minute, in what areas do you need God's peace today? 07:20.737 --> 07:34.191 [SPEAKER_00]: It could be your mindset, your appearance, friends, family, work, anything that you feel burdened by. 07:47.367 --> 08:17.357 [SPEAKER_00]: And next, offer that area of your life to God, and ask Him for His opinion, 08:18.822 --> 08:22.346 [SPEAKER_00]: Listen to God, and let him tell you what he thinks about you. 08:23.947 --> 08:46.990 [SPEAKER_00]: You can even look up verses that reveal his teaching on the subject. 09:10.612 --> 09:18.721 [SPEAKER_00]: and last meditate on Scripture or what God spoke regarding the area in which you need peace. 09:20.363 --> 09:23.086 [SPEAKER_00]: Let His peace flood that area of your life. 09:24.727 --> 09:26.229 [SPEAKER_00]: Submit yourself to His Word. 09:27.450 --> 09:30.113 [SPEAKER_00]: Believe that He sees things truthfully. 09:31.174 --> 09:33.497 [SPEAKER_00]: Whatever God says goes, 09:34.810 --> 09:47.206 [SPEAKER_00]: Matthew 11, verses 28 through 30 says, come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 09:47.226 --> 09:58.240 [SPEAKER_00]: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lonely in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 09:59.402 --> 10:04.108 [SPEAKER_00]: From my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 10:45.112 --> 10:47.917 [SPEAKER_00]: Yoke yourself to the teaching of Jesus today. 10:49.219 --> 10:53.386 [SPEAKER_00]: Let His Word be your refuge in a world full of opinions. 10:54.829 --> 11:04.285 [SPEAKER_00]: Doing life yoke to God, being obedient to His Word is the best way to walk the path God lays out for us to abundant life. 11:05.463 --> 11:15.165 [SPEAKER_00]: Every day attacks will come your way, but every day God has provided the truth you need in His Word to fight those attacks. 11:16.669 --> 11:24.687 [SPEAKER_00]: Choose the Word of Jesus today, walk in obedience to it, and experience God's rest for your soul. 11:40.360 --> 11:43.243 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for listening to today's podcast. 11:43.263 --> 11:45.205 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with Verse 15. 11:46.306 --> 11:52.331 [SPEAKER_00]: Whenever you feel burdened today, take a few moments to exchange those burdens for God's peace. 11:53.573 --> 11:59.879 [SPEAKER_00]: Even 30 seconds of focused connection with God can make such a difference in living with this peace. 12:00.839 --> 12:05.084 [SPEAKER_00]: Don't settle for stress, no matter what seems normal around you. 12:05.864 --> 12:08.747 [SPEAKER_00]: God has more for you as his child. 12:08.727 --> 12:14.502 [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day today and may God bless you as you seek him.