By His Grace
Jonathan Ayala: The Transformative Power of Seed

Jonathan Ayala: The Transformative Power of Seed

Welcome to another episode of the By His Grace podcast. In today’s episode titled,”Jonathan Ayala: The Transformative Power of Seed” we have a special guest who shares a passion for the concept of planting seeds and what God does with them. Our guest, Jonathan Ayala  met the host through the Spark Media Facebook group and their connection was instant. Misty and Jonathan delve into the idea that Earth, our home, is not a place we should wish to escape from, but rather a place designed by God for us to fulfill our destinies. They discuss the significance of planting seeds, both physically and metaphorically, and the faith required to trust in the process. Join us as we explore the power of seeds and the transformative nature of faith on this insightful episode.

Jonathan shared his passion for understanding our purpose on Earth and the significance of being a seed. He emphasized how God created us uniquely for this world, with a destiny to fulfill that no other creature can achieve. Earth, Jonathan believes, is a place where God’s invisibility challenges us to walk by faith and listen to His voice. We are called to die to ourselves, letting go of our current identities, and embrace the identity God has designed for us. Just as in planting a physical seed, there is a process of faith, dying, and transformation that leads to fruitful results.

The conversation expanded to reflect on the importance of time and patience in the process of growth. Just like a seed takes time to sprout and bear fruit, our journey as Christians often involves a continuous sanctification process that takes time to mature. Our faith and trust in God’s promises play a significant role in this process, as faith enables us to partake in the divine nature even before we witness the fulfillment of those promises. It is through walking in faith, believing in what is unseen, that we experience internal transformation and find true pleasure in pleasing God.

Episode Summary

  • Introduction and Background of Jonathan.
  • The Concept of Being a Seed and Planting Seeds.
  • Influenced by a pastor’s teaching.
  • Previous belief in wanting to escape Earth.
  • Recognition that Earth was made by God for us.
  • Earth as a place of faith and invisibility of God.
  • Importance of planting seeds and dying to self.
  • Transformation and being born into God’s identity.
  • Analogy of planting physical seeds and having faith for their growth.
  • Reaping the Harvest and Divine Promises.
  • Receiving the blessings of promises before seeing them.
  • Transformation through faith even before manifestation.
  • Importance of internal transformation and walking by faith.
  • Comparison to Abraham’s faith and righteousness.
  • Temporality of Earth and greater value in being transformed by faith.
  • Pleasing God through walking in promises now.
  • Faith, Action, and Works– Faith as accounted for righteousness.
  • Faith requiring action and works.
  • Relation to the Bible study “The Struggle Is Real, but So is God”
  • Mention of Abraham as an example.
  • Purpose of faith and works complementing each other

Here are 3 key takeaways from our conversation:

We are designed for Earth: While many of us may have been taught to long for heaven and escape this earthly realm, it’s important to remember that God created us for a purpose here on Earth. He has given us a unique destiny to walk in, and Earth is the only place where seeds can be planted and bring forth abundant fruit.

Walking by faith: As we plant seeds, whether physically or spiritually, there is a process of faith and belief involved. We may not see the immediate results, but it is in this waiting period that our faith is strengthened and transformed. Ultimately, the real value lies in the internal transformation and the trust we place in God’s promises. 

Faith in action: Our faith requires action. It’s not enough to simply believe in God’s promises; we must also take steps and work towards them. Just like Abraham, who believed and stepped out in faith, we too are called to actively participate in the manifestation of God’s promises. Our faith and works go hand in hand.

I encourage you to check out the full episode of the “By His Grace” podcast to gain more insights into the power of seed planting and how it can impact our lives.

Jess Ronne: When Life is Hard, take the Manna for the Moment

Jess Ronne: When Life is Hard, take the Manna for the Moment

In this episode of By His Grace, I interview Jess Ronne. We discuss her amazing and inspiring journey from being a mom, becoming a widow, finding love again blending two families together and the journey with a special needs child in a blended family of eight. Life can throw hardships in your path, but sometimes some people seem to have trial after trial, Jess has experienced more than her share of trials and we go deeper on some of them. 

Key Takeaways 

  • Learning to accept the “Manna for the Moment” and not try to fix all the future problems and issues, but take what God gives you that day. One day at a time.
  • Remember the world does not always see into your life, letting it in can help enlighten others to the struggles of special needs children and families . 
  • If you can’t find what you need in life, sometimes you just have to build it yourself.

Resources 

Jess+TheMess
Jess’s Recipe Box
Coffee with Caregivers Podcast
The Lucas Project

Follow Jess on Social Media! 

Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to follow, so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring, and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Alicia Michelle: Vibrant Faith

Alicia Michelle: Vibrant Faith

In this episode of By His Grace, I interview Alicia Michelle. We discuss walking in faith over fear and trusting the Lord in every circumstance. We also talk about addressing the fear and seeing the Lord in the midst of it. This includes being rooted in God’s words,  recognizing negative thought patterns, and taking our thoughts captive. Alicia shares how brain priming helps to unwind negative thought patterns. Alicia struggled with overwhelm, negative thoughts, and “being enough” for most of her adult life until God radically transformed her heart after a life-threatening medical crisis.

Alicia is a certified NeuroCoach™, podcast host, author, and speaker. She’s also a wife and mom of four kids.

Key Takeaways 

  • “Our thoughts combined with our emotions, create a belief, that belief creates a decision, the decision Cretes an action, and action creates a result.”
  • The biggest thing is staying in God’s word.” 
  • “Every thought hast to take captive to his truth, not just what I feel is right. So if I’m not in line with God’s truth every day that I’m not even gonna know what to keep my thoughts in line with.”
  • “There is a big difference between feeling fear, and hearing God’s Spirit”
  • “We need to discern the difference”
  • “You have to have God’s word in you so that it can come out of you.” 
  • “It was a surrender to not my will, but your will.” 
  • “Let God lead us”
  • “Our life is a process of surrender, pray, and repeat.” 
  • “When everything is taken away from you, and you have the potential to lose your life, you make different choices moving forward.” 
  • “If I follow you and I’m obedient to you – then I’m successful and that’s enough.” 
  • “Right now, do what is next.” 
  • “God, how can I be more accepting of everything that you have given me and say amen to it?” 

Resources 

Follow Alicia on Social Media! 

Alicia’s Instagram

Vibrant Christian Living Facebook

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to follow, so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring, and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Blessings from Brokenness: Five Scriptures to Cling to in the Dark 

Blessings from Brokenness: Five Scriptures to Cling to in the Dark 

Blessings from Brokenness: Five Scriptures to Cling to in the Dark 

by Baylee Dunn

Many people love the summer time –  the sun is shining, children are laughing, and there are memories to be made. For me, summer brings with it joy and sorrow interwoven into one. It is as if the summer breeze brings a palpable heaviness.

Yet, there is so much joy to be found in that space.

I remember the date as if it were yesterday – July 20th, 2018. I laid still in bed unable to stop the spiral of thoughts from encircling in my mind. “Why can’t I just sleep?” I wondered. It had been sixteen days without it, and, unfortunately, I would soon discover the consequences of stress, sadness, and grief when coupled with such drastic sleep deprivation. For me, this cycle of sleeplessness, delusions, paranoia, and panic would ultimately lead to two psychiatric hospitalizations over the course of that summer, and an eventual diagnosis the next fall. “You have Bipolar Disorder with Psychotic Features,” are words that I will not soon forget. They are etched into my memory and with every breath I take, I carry them. That is my clinical diagnosis, but my identity lies deep within the scriptures. You see, I am not my diagnosis. I am a daughter of the king

That is my clinical diagnosis, but my identity lies deep within the scriptures. You see, I am not my diagnosis. I am a daughter of the king. -@Baylee Dunn Click To Tweet

Here are five scriptures that I clung to during this season.

I hope and pray that each one of them encourages you in your walk with the Lord. May you always know that whatever you face, you are never alone. May the Lord shine his light upon you today and every day! Friend, you are loved. 

Isaiah 26:3-4 “ 3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “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.”

Proverbs 31:25 “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 

Hey y’all, I am Baylee Dunn. I write on faith and the struggles that we face in life from a Biblical perspective. I am a college student, daughter, sister, friend, and lover of Chick Fil A.

Blessings From Brokenness

Blessings From Brokenness

So excited to welcome Baylee Dunn to By His Grace as an intern! I met Baylee through Hopewriter’s and instantly fell in love with her. She is a precious young woman with a huge heart for the Lord. If you don’t know Baylee, you should she is a ray of sunshine! Baylee is a college student who will be working with me as she pursues her dreams of one day writing a book.

Much Love, Misty

 

Kristen Welch: Faith in the Unknown

Kristen Welch: Faith in the Unknown

My guest this week on the By His Grace podcast is Kristen Welch the founder of Mercy House and Fair Trade Friday. Kristen is a wife, mom, author, and Jesus loving world changer. On this show, we talk about how God wrecked her in the best possible way when she went to Kenya in 2007, and how this changed not only her life, and the lives of her family, but the lives of women across the world. The core mission of Mercy House Global to provide maternity homes in Kenya, aid pregnant girls living in extreme poverty, and provide dignified work through Fair Trade Friday.

Kristen shares how her faith has been stretched in building a non-profit and walking through the unknown. God continues to call Kristen out into deeper waters through her work with displaced immigrants coming to Houston. Kristen’s surrendered heart, faith, and obedience to God’s call is inspiring.

We conclude this episode by discussing her latest book, Made to Move Mountains: How God Uses Our Dreams and Disasters to Accomplish the Impossible.  

Book description:

“Life is an incredible journey with ups and downs. We soar, struggle, scale and stumble, and often stand at the edge of cliffs, afraid to step into the unknown, unsure of where we will land. But instead of running away, we are called by God to stand firm, muster up what faith we can, and take a step. Because we were made to move mountains.

In this inspiring book, Kristen Welch calls you to step out in faith and climb the mountain in front of you–not because you are good enough or adequate or able, but because God makes a way where there is no way. With heartbreaking and hopeful personal stories, Scripture, and questions for contemplation, she draws you out of fear and into holy confidence, showing you that the mountain in your path was put there on purpose so that you could exercise–and grow–your faith.”

For more information about Kristen and the work she does visit her website, We are THAT family

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