Holy Ambition | Chip Ingram

I think we somehow been led to believe in the celebrity culture that you know there's people there so much more wonderful and they don't have our problems and there so much smarter and so much more holy you think those are rose-colored glasses where people live right now in their relationships with their struggles and their problems. God is really daring them to do.

Welcome Dr. Gary Chapman on the New York Times bestseller the love language today. Teaching CEO living on the head.

Ingram believes God has a purpose and a plan for your life bigger than understand if you need some help. Don't miss the conversation straight ahead is one of my favorite people on the planet in our featured resources chips book holy ambition attorney God shaped dreams into reality. Find out more at moodybooks.org click the radio icon. There movie books for Gary. I think if I would've asked you 3040 years ago, God had a purpose and bigger than you could stay. You would've agreed with that, but you would've had no idea. All that he was good workers are exactly right. I had plans of some things I felt God was going to do in my life and through my life. Some of those doors were closed rather strongly and are God directing in other areas, but yeah. Bottom line, I could never have dreamed God would bring into my life.

All the things he says and use me in the way that he has this old topic I think is a great topic.

I think your listeners are going to find it to be encouraging for them individually to keep open to what God might have for them.

Yeah, the whole idea of surrendering to the here and is will will let's talk with Chip Ingram about his teaching pastor and CEO it living on the edge pastor for more than 30 years sees the author of a lot of great books, including the one we talked about about a year ago. Yes, you really can't change our featured resource today is holy ambition turning God shaped dreams into reality. You can find out more Skoda Moody book's.org which it welcome back to Building Relationships. Thank you, Gary and all I can say is I'm really glad whatever plans you had for yourself that you ditch those in college because I will tell you "The 5 Love Languages" was a rescuer and in my marriage and I have stolen that material and as I became more humble. I give you all the credit later that to help so many couples in all of its variation.

So thank you my brother. It's been exciting to see how God is in transit to touch so many lives so far beyond my expectations. To be sure, but for those who aren't familiar with Chip Ingram who that would be to give us a flyover of your life.

What is what is God in your life over these years, you know, I grew up in a non-Christian home and my dad was a great athlete World War II but out of all that became an alcoholic and a fairly functional until near the end and then a real crisis in our family where he quit. But became a Christian. About two or three years later, and out of that produced. I think a pretty insecure driven, I gotta prove I'm okay and so I worked really hard and figured out how to eunuch to get good grades and get a basketball scholarship and try to find my identity in you know a pretty girl good grades and in sports and it just was a dead-end Gary and thank God for the Fellowship of Christian athletes icon achieved in all my tiny little dreams. Looking back by the time I graduated from high school and went to FCA camp and Saul the gospel was introduced to the New Testament, even though you not had some experience with church but it was a really negative experience, and then I went away to college and met a bricklayer trained by the navigators and was a slow grower and that eventually I really Saul in his life and that that's I really wanted to follow the Lord, and he began to surface a little bit of the teaching gift and we did college ministries and so I became a schoolteacher and a basketball coach and play basketball overseas with us in different team sharing Christ throughout the orienting South America and saw the world Gary and realized you'd guess you don't have to be much smarter than me were much more holy God's looking for just regular people and I just told him I do whatever he wanted me to do and came back home and little by little, was moved to go into full-time ministry pastor to a little church in Texas started with about 35 people for eight years and the Lord bless that and went to Santa Cruz and that was culture shock. You know super aggressive new age, but it's there that God kinda birthed the ministry and we ran out of room so a businessman, but the messages on the radio and for the rest was history. And like you I mean I I never dreamed any of that would happen but you know once some things got on the radio actually was moody and this book they were talking about holy ambition was the very first book I wrote and that was 20 some years ago when the chance to sort of redo it and share the stories of how God is taken that message in my life and so many others, has been a real joy do you mention the navigators had a tremendous impact in my life actually live in a navigator home my senior year in college. Went to the navigator summer training program that when I graduated from college so you know those associate with that organization have done a tremendous have had a tremendous impact on so many lives through the years because this dealing with the basic nitty-gritty of daily living life with God's encouraging to hear that you had contact with the navigators we have parallel stories. Then Gary because I actually went to a couple training programs and I lived in the garage apartment behind the bricklayer and because he did it with me. Then I had the two guys live in that apartment with me, but I will say as much as I've appreciated. I'm sure you as well know theological training. Having that experience with that bricklayer, who help me personally grow was probably the most influential thing that's ever happened in my Christian life where that's my dream for everybody to have some people in your life that help you grow in the nitty-gritty like you say. After all, Jesus did say go and make disciples decide to share the gospel to make disciples of a disciple is a follower of Jesus, and so real men.

Well, it's as interesting but now this new edition holy ambition. The introduction to this book is written by Ginny Allen was a New York Times best-selling author herself. This concept made a big impression on her. Can can you tell us that story.

It's a great story Gary. You know, for those not familiar with her.

She has a thing called the if gathering and I think the last time they met.

There was a million women and hundred and 40 countries and she's a great communicator and a passion for helping women and especially young moms really grown disciple other kids and and so I was at a pastors conference in my two daughter-in-law's to the three of them every time we got together. It was Jenny Allen Jenny Allen Jenny Allen and each of them lead sheets.

She has where all over the world. Actually, you know, someone will kinda host it in their area. So one daughter-in-law's doing Santa Cruz. The other San Jose Summit a pastors conference and she speaking and thinking I'm going to see if I can get a book signed for my daughter-in-law's. I'll be a hero when I get home and so I went over and talk with her and then she looked at me kind of funny. And she said you know my story well no not really, because we you came and she told me a story of how I met her husband when he was in seminary, and he came out and spent a couple days with me in but he said you know that series that you taught holy ambition and then it was a book but you know we we listen to the cassette tapes for hours and hours and she said I never felt like God could use an ordinary person like me and and if so how would it happen and she said my holy ambition turned into the if gathering and discipling women and I would never have dreamed and since that time we've had her on a radio program and we partnered in some events together and and so I said Jenny you know I would have never dreamed.

I'm so hundred to get to be a part of anything in your life, but that's the story of holy ambition.

Gary it's well it's really a study of Nehemiah that helps ordinary regular people discover and then deploy what I call the God sized idea or dream that he puts within them and unless we just misrepresent that doesn't mean you have to be famous or write a book or start a ministry. I mean, God has a place for each one of us that I think he whispers into her heart and this is following that pattern of how do you turn that, from an idea or an intention or desire into reality, but it's exciting when you see individuals respond to God in that manner and to see what God does through them yet. I shake my head. Gary is I think sometimes and I didn't grow up as a believer in my particular sort of branch of Christianity. And I don't mean it negatively at all.

It was sort of like it was very beautiful church and all the kinda the heroes, the disciples were all in stained glass and I had this impression that you know there were people there were just awesome and amazing and holy and didn't have struggles like me and they just God seemed really distant, like, and I guess he made the world but does he even know my name and as I opened the Bible for the first time. It was like the shock of ordinary people you know Rahab the prostitute and James and John have anger management issues and Peter's a big mouth and David commits adultery and Paul and in all that was just this realization that God uses ordinary people, even in the midst of our flaws, but there is a path to follow and I didn't know what that was until I opened the Bible and I think Nehemiah gives us just such a great picture of God's pathway when he wants to work in us first and then he has a purpose for all of us in discovering that and getting to be a part in accomplishing it is just I think it's like the greatest thing in the whole world other than just purely knowing Jesus discovering what he made you to do and getting to be a part of it is is better in all the money in the world is better in all the fame of the world is better because it's what we were made for today on Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman were talking with author and speaker Chip Ingram of living on the edge our featured resources. The book holy ambition, turning God shaped dreams into reality. Find out more at manybooks.org click the Moody radio icon when you go to Moody book's.org trip, usually in the book, and I'm quoting God is looking for people who are willing to live only age.

What is that mean I think the edges where where life happens. I think were all prone to want to be in a place of comfort and security. And I don't mean silly or crazy or irrational living on the edge or you have to you know hang one-handed half of cliffs, but I think there's this this moment where without faith it's impossible to please God and if there is no risk there is no faith, your faith is that absolute certainty of what I can't see. I think God is looking for people who would hear what is on his heart, and dare to believe that he could actually use them to accomplish something that's on his heart and usually it's something that honors God and meet some very real needs and in our hearts get dislocated on. We all heard or seen things that either make us really angry or make us really sad. I think that's looking for people who would say are you willing to move out of what's comfortable for you and are you willing to get out there on the edge where it feels risky and may be at times even a little bit dangerous uncomfortable for sure and I think that's when were positioned to be used by God and we see him show up because he's doing what we can't do on our own. Like a lot of us can identify with that. If you look back on your life and realizing things that God put on your heart and you thought I don't think I can do that. The reality is we can't do that right by ourselves exactly right. I I don't think if anyone of told you Gary you going to be an author and and then you get to counsel people and millions and millions of people are going to connect with God and with one another and see marriages healed. I think if he laid all that out in front of you. I think you probably would turn around go out of your talk about that is not me. But what happens is you take the baby steps, right and you take that risk and then to take the next one and you wake up a few decades later and you think while what an amazing thing. God is done. I think that's the story for everyone.

Gary I my heart is for you know all of us regular people. I think we somehow been led to believe in the celebrity culture that you know there's people that are so much more wonderful and they don't have our problems in there so much smarter and so much more holy and I think those are rose-colored glasses and I'm just so excited to partner with you to help people realize where people live right now in their relationships with their struggles and their problems. God is really preparing them to do a great work if I get that picture that reality in their mind.

Then there open to know when things come to their mind there open to the possibility well, maybe God could use me to do that and I think everything that happens is the moment that starts to get burst were just human. So we just run to while I'm in adequate. I don't have what it takes to me that would require in the moment we start thinking about all that with be needed to actually do it. I think most of what I call holy ambitions or dreams or ideas.

God give us that they die die right there and I never forget because of our mutual relationship with the navigators. One of the things that help me the most was memorizing Scripture and it took me a while to get going, but once I got going, I found there are just times were a verse would just pop off the page and I thought oh I really want to get a hold of that one and and second Chronicles 16 nine. I remember reading about this King Ace's life and is a judgment passage, but the prophet comes time and he says for that eyes at the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth, that he might strongly support those who are fully his those whose hearts are fully his and and a member reading that and thinking you know what would be like if God strongly supported you and remember thinking while his eyes are going all across the globe at this moment, up and down aisles and churches in over house. As you know you like, way bigger than a drone. He can see into every heart. Every person and he's just looking for an ordinary man or woman or student whose heart is fully his and that he promises all strongly support you. You give us whatever we need and that verse was really the one that birthed the holy ambition in my life to think well I can't do it, but if my heart was fully God's then he would support me and give me wisdom or staff for resources or opportunity and so that became sort of that. The anchor or the beginning of how the holy ambition my own life got birthed.

Amazing how God uses a particular verse or couple of verses in Scripture different junctures in our lives to really motivate us to move in his direction.

Yet, because I think when we get afraid which is normal is we just hang back or we think that's for someone else and I remember actually teaching at Moody founders week for the very first time and I was petrified.

I just what am I doing here. You know I'd been there is a is a young passenger and you know some of the people that had huge impact my like like Howard Hendricks and others in. I thought what am I doing here and Joe stole became a friend and like an older brother and he invited me to come in.

My wife said I never seen you so nervous in your life, and two or three paths founders weeks later.

A couple guys from Moody said hey would you like to have lunch and I said sure and I was dressed rock. Ashley and I to stop and get a hamburger or something in will pretty soon were going up to the hype. I forget what the name of the building is, but it's really really really tall and there's a restaurant up there and and that we set down and he said we really think that God's working in your life and that you should write a book and I remember thinking, I mean that same feeling. You gotta be kidding me. I could never write and and civil what would be about and I'll never forget. They said we found that the first book you should write out a be along the lines of what your life message I said all that's easy. I've been studying this guy. Nehemiah and God promising strongly support me and I think there six characteristics of knowing whether your heart is fully his. And if your heart is fully his will do whatever you need, and holy ambition got birthed out of that lunch with a couple guys from Moody in the publishing department is always interesting how God uses different people in different settings to stimulate the next move in our lives. But let's talk a bit about that word holy ambition, that's the name of the book. That's the heart of it, so sometimes people think of good Christians, especially ambition is being something negative you, you will become somebody what you mean by that term, holy ambition will I love the actual definition of ambition is a strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.

So like, in and of itself it it it's not a bad thing, but when you go down in the dictionary goes on to say that the next sort of part of the definition or another definition is the desire and determination to achieve success, fame, usually accompanied by power and wealth and I think selfish ambition, ego, a look at me how many likes do I have, how many followers do I have a laconic close do I wear what kind of car does do I drive how many letters are behind my name.

Where did my kids go to school did they make the traveling team into the Scripture is really clear in Philippians 2 that were do nothing from selfish ambition or I love that vainglory, like making yourself the hero, but the fact of the matter is Gary.

I don't think there's enough holy ambition people than with the same level of intensity and determination would say. There's so many needs in the world. I long to do something great for God and a and I struggled with that because God was putting some and I was in a tiny little church, but he was putting these really big dreams on my heart and remember going to a mentor who is the pastor of a large church in Dallas area at the time and in a kind of put his arm around me and said look Chip God really is looking for people that would be willing to dream some great dreams and he said, believe me, he can keep you humble. But let me encourage you.

Let me encourage you if if if those dreams are all about you if you're willing to step out and really fully surrender. Gotta show you and help bring good people in your life and I remember this dream that he put on my heart and that the church could really be different because my Christian experience or pseudo-Christian experience was so negative I was turned off from God. Christianity, the church, and if I had not met some genuine believers.

I think I would've just assumed what Christianity is a bunch of hypocrites. All they do is want your money. People say one thing they live another way, and as God put that dream on my heart a holy ambition got birthed.

I think the Lord is looking for men and women who would say you know what all these kids suffering in foster care in my community. That shouldn't happen you know all the all the people that are being trafficked in the sex trade. You know all the refugees that it can't speak the language and have nowhere to go and someone needs to love them all the all the kids that are struggling all the moms find themselves pregnant without a husband and wonder what to do. There's mammoth needs.

As I read the New Testament carried the early church seem to be ordinary regular people who would say we have to move in and help them the way Jesus does, and when that happens, God works. He strongly supports lives change, and it happens you know just little ripples at a time mean I think back to my life and I'm sure in yours.

That bricklayer was a high school educated actual Mason bricklayer hands were rough, but I watched him date his wife. I watched him raise his kids. He met with me in the mornings and taught me how to read the Scriptures and share my faith and what I knew was he wasn't very cool but there was something about his life that someday I wanted to be a Christian like Dave wanted to be a husband like Dave. I want to be a father like Dave and I saw his fault he didn't have it all together.

I just think that's that's how that's how it really works and my dream is that people would begin to ask what what is it that God would put on my heart. What's he already put on my heart it would make a real difference in the world and that sure seems like if there's ever a time. The world needs it. It's right now go Chip. What if there's somebody listening right now who Justin what you've said in the last 20 minutes or so there is this thing that is stirring inside of them and they been having this dream for a long time of I don't know a crisis pregnancy center or something through the church are teaching Sundays.

I don't know what it is what you say to that person who's who's mulling that over right now. They listen to you. What I would say to them is God whispers and bursts things in our minds and our hearts, we can't do everything, but there's some things that burden you that don't burden other people, and often it will come out of your pain or your woundedness, your family of origin may be of the trail. What I found what I would say to people is what is it that just makes you want to cry because it's it's just so painful to watch and it should be changed or what is it that makes you so angry because it's so wrong.

I would say you take that and you bring it before the Lord and say father I want to be a part of seeing that changed. I don't know what to do. I'm only one little person, but if you would show me what the next step is. I'll take whatever next baby step you show me and I will guarantee this, the God of heaven, so filled with love and mercy and compassion is a longing, leaning forward, if you will, to begin to show us what the next step is. And actually this book is really how to discover what that is on your heart. And then what are the steps that are that are there pretty consistent for all of us to turn back beginning thought that passion that concern into something that gets translated into real reality and helping people. Thanks for joining us today for Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the New York Times bestseller "The 5 Love Languages" you can find out more about your love language and simple ways to strengthen relationships@ 5lovelanguages.com you can listen to the stream or download the podcast right there, just got a five love languages.com trip before the boy you mentioned six key components in developing a life characterized by holy ambition to give us an overview of those six of love to Gary of the historic situation is this Nehemiah is the cupbearer Persia is the world Empire and Nehemiah is a Jew and as a cupbearer. Yes he taste the wine and the food so that if it's poison he.he's instead of the king, but it ended up being a person with huge influence and he had great leadership gift and it also allowed him to live in the lap of luxury.

I mean, he had influence in of fluency lived in a palace and in the story opens up with his brother coming back from Jerusalem.

And because of the sin and idolatry. I mean every agenda, every promise that you can think of in your mind about Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob. It looks like it's done. I mean if we were in a time machine and would just pop up into Jerusalem and this day it would be. I mean, the temple worship is not going well. The walls are broken down the gates are burned by fire.

I mean everything's a mess and a couple of others had gone back to try and restart things, but was very faltering in its hundreds of miles away. So he's in the lap of luxury. And here's the report and and this is a dislocated heart. His response to the evil in the world and the faltering of God's agenda. Was he sits down he cries he fasts and he prays another word so his body is in the capital of Persia Susa, but his heart is dislocated because God's agenda. So he uses his influence and affluence for the next four months. He goes through the second part of the process dislocated heart compels us out of our comfort zone. The next one is a broken spirit and rather than jumping in and saying hey I'm smart and I know the king and I can make this happen we get one of the greatest prayers in chapter 1, and all the Scripture and where he gets his high view of God an accurate view of himself and he repents of the sand and GE has this broken spirit where he goes. I'm totally adequate I can't do this. I'm one man. But then he comes out of it with this prayer that says but these are your people and your promises. And this is what you said that you would do and so God works deeply in us before he works significantly through us and after four months we find from that prayer that he ends up with a small group because he started praying alone.

And then it goes plural where praying and God moves them and he says Nehemiah you're going to be part of the answer.

So he goes in front of the king is a little bit history here but to go in front of the king sorted with a sad face. Everyone's job was to make the king happy so the option could have been execution. What are you doing, but he was a trusted person. So he takes his third one is radical step of faith. I mean he will risk his life for God's agenda and the king says yes. Okay. So he sends him to Jerusalem, and gives them money and Calvary at all the rest. And so you have a dislocated heart that leads to a broken spirit. He takes radical step of faith. And then he gets there and what you realize it's not all about the heart is that he looks at what's the damage of the wall and who the leaders knew the power players or the problems in the past, and he develops the strategic plan and it's it's amazing he didn't go to Harvard business school, but some of the best leadership, teaching, and all the Bibles right there about strategic planning and how it gets birthed and how you cast the vision after he does that. The people rise up and they say yes, let's build it and we see this miracle in 52 days Gary.

They rebuild the wall but what he does in chapter 3 as he helps every single person find their spot on the wall out of their vested interest in out of their gift some repair thing. Some built things and know what you see there is there's a personal commitment, and after that you see this revival happening amazing things start to happen, but this is the big warning the last one is a courageous soul because it only takes one to three chapters in Nehemiah to give us the first five characteristics and it takes three more chapters to tell us about a courageous soul because then there's external opposition. Then there's internal conflict within and there's a plot to assassinate him. And so what I tell people is gotta whisper in your heart, he'll give you the dislocated heart to meet a need then I'll take you the process of the broken spirit. When you humble yourself and then you'll end up taking at some point of radical step of faith to say whether it's geography or career or job or being willing to get in front of a group of people. What every and then you develop a plan and often he brings people in your life that are better that than you and then you make a personal commitment to help everyone find their role and then when you do that God really begins to work in Gary. I hate to say this but it almost always gets worse before it gets better, but then you get to reap the reward and and that's the journey he takes them on and if we would get in that time machine and go fast-forward past the time in Nehemiah by about 30 to 50 years. We see God re-ignites the plans and the promises that lead to Messiah because of regular ordinary guy. He was in the king wasn't a priest, he wasn't a prophet.

He was a businessman who had some leadership gifts was willing to leave the lap of luxury to make a difference in this world and I think that's a model for us, especially as Americans go about idea of a dislocated heart. What I'm hearing you say is it's that God put something on your heart. That's deep, deep concern for you, yes, it might not be for people around you but for you it's there and you're doing something that all of us are doing something they'll but it's something different it's it's a need that you see in you feel like God leading you to that need court of words that start in at the heart of a Christian because were also this actively involved in whatever it is we're doing now how does how does that dislocated heart happen in a person's life. You know I I think one is it starts by asking maybe a bigger question here you and I've lived longer than most people listening to us and I think something happened in the church. Along the way where Jesus became sort of the self-help guru to make our lives happy in our marriages wonderful our kids to turn out writer solve our singleness and help us be upwardly mobile and sort of a consumer estate concept and I think it starts when someone asked the question, not what can God do for me to make me happy. But when we asked the question, what's my purpose. Why am I here for someone like my wife, for example, came from a very challenging home and went through some horrendous things afterward. Her dislocated heart is always been for marginalized women.

I just can. I can't even tell you that the scores and scores of women that have sat around our table or needed a place to live for a while or she has mentored in it's not upfront. It's not famous of the second was her dislocated heart was for a children and to raise kids, since we both came from alcoholic families would be far far different. I think sometimes it comes out of our work.

There is a guy here in San Jose that went to this process and you know he was a DA and spent 2025 years putting young men in low income areas in jail for stealing and robbing and addictions in he went through this and he retired early in got a team of people together and dreamed a dream, and started a charter school at the junior high level to turn those kids lives around before they got into it. Another fellow who went through this process with us was just so burdened for orphans. Anisa, an Asian who came from Southeast Asia and is launched orphanages in in the Philippines and for other people. It's been the foster care system. We have a fellow that dreamed a dream and and realize that the statistics are astronomical, that once a person gets in the foster care system is its like 70 to 80% of all the people imprisoned were in foster care at one time, it doesn't mean it's it's bad or wrong. Some people have to be there, but the more that you can keep intact families and so he with a team of people developed ways to meet needs for families through the churches all across America to help kids and so that I think it just happens with the first question Lord, thank you for saving me now.

I'm uniquely made. I have a unique background.

I grew up in a unique home in this season of history in this country, or some other country. What do you want me to do. What if you put on my heart. What's that.

Ephesians 210 purpose that you saved me and prepared me for from the foundations of the earth as I think it's asking that question and then socializing it, you know, talking out loud and getting in touch with what does make you sad. What does make you angry and one of the things we we done with multiple groups is it we have this in a small group for Madden and then with some business people.

We have a thing called prime movers with they go through this for a few months, together processing talking praying and actually forming their team and coming up with their strategic plans.

As you spend so exciting to see people experience. This is what I was made for, and the joy I mean Jesus words given are to be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over back at your lap for I whatever measure we give it. It comes back to us and I think we pastor sometimes make the application year that quote lot as though it's a financial passage. It certainly may apply to finances but in context it's not a financial passage. It's a kingdom principal and that's our hearts desire. This book and I know with your ministry to help people learn to give their life away and in losing their life. They find this is Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the New York Times bestseller "The 5 Love Languages" Chip Ingram is our gas to the author of our featured resource holy ambition, turning God shaped dreams into reality. You can find out more at moodybooks.org again go to Moody book's.org trip as we begin this last segment. I hope our listeners, especially those who have are in the middle of the process of growing in their relationship with God but really have never got to the place where they're saying to God what you said earlier Lord what what what is on your heart promote life. You know my background you know where you know the time in which I live. You're opening yourself up when you come to God with that kind of prayer and God as you mentioned, God has something for every single one of us that's not the same thing. To be sure and to other people that might not be significant but to you. It is usually significant because God is put that on your heart to move about the broken heart thing.

The broken spirit when you really do get a vision there is that sensors they're not that the Lord I'm not capable of this, I can't do am deeply concerned, but I don't how to do this, but that's when you open up. That's where God can can give you what the next step is right. I think that's really that the key one of the things when we take groups through this as I have this handful little principles and one of them is God will never work through you significantly until he works deeply in you and I think the broken spirit. I mean even the apostle Paul in his words to is adequate. These things and you know the great enemy of the Christian life, and I think CS Lewis said it's the chief of all the sins.

It is pride and what you know whether it's Old Testament in Proverbs, or New Testament is there is something that God is adamantly opposed to a high percent of the time is pride and yet there's something else that 100% of the time when he sees it in the human heart.

When he sees it in the nation. He's drawn to it and it's a broken spirit thing is Psalm 34 you know, he says a broken spirit in the contrite heart of God. You will not despise and Psalm 51 were David is praying and he's blow. I mean he's blown it right, adultery, murder, you know, if burnt offerings would make me right with you.

God, I would this. This is I'm coming down with a broken and contrite heart and I think what God sees that he is so drawn and longs to to forgive and to fill it so often. I think especially what's happening now I hear from so many people. Where is God in and why is he allowing these things to happen, you know we so mixed sort of the American dream of when my life's going really well. God must really love me, and if if life is really really hard to God move when in reality, often it is in the kindness and the allowance of suffering and difficulty paying. That brings us to the end of ourselves. No one gets to the bottom. Usually on their own and whether it's an emotional or relational betrayal or a health or a cancer in gear. You and I you your little older than me, but I'm getting up there.

I been through most all those things now and I've I've cried out in tears.

Oh God, please don't let my wife died of cancer and by God's grace. He brought her through that blood lost loved ones we've been through horrendous times. We failed. We made big mistakes. It's in those times when I honestly felt like I I bring nothing to the table that I have sensed and experience the intimacy in the Kreis and the love of God that honestly I think positions us to help others. The most I think anyone who does have some age and some time walking with God can identify with what you're saying and when it's where and when we see the pain and the problem in all of that and realize it's beyond us. We don't have the ability to do that in the good news is we don't have to do it. We do have to open our hearts to let God do it through us then began God. This capable of doing everything he has in mind for us.

He can help us walk with us and accomplish and I want to make sure people don't hear that it is.

This is only sort of a spiritual personal internal journey is what what what happens is when he begins to speak to you then he says some things like an I know for myself and many others. It's like I want you to write the biggest check you've ever wrote in your life or I want you to relocate or I want you to change careers or no.

I want you to forgive your ex-spouse and and I think we let let's not pretend that God's assignment is going to be some easy assignment is one leader said you loved him and I just don't have any verses in the Bible where God says to someone, hey I got a really easy job for you. Are you gonna love it is leadership and stepping out.

It takes a radical step of faith.

And if you're not afraid at least to some degree, you're either in denial and being afraid it's not wrong, not acting because you're afraid that's what's wrong think we gotta a Christianity that has been developed more and more in the West that assumes that God's real desire is to make me healthy and happy and whole and life to go well for me all the time.

And of course in his goodness and his kindness. He does such great measure that but in a fallen world and with the mission that's not the Christian life, and I think many people were disillusioned.

Gary with God or the relationship with God because their expectations are not one there biblical I mean it. You know Peter would say you are highly esteemed when you suffer for doing what is right and Jesus would say, rejoice.

I mean, when you when you're persecuted for my sake and you know Paul said that here's a promise.

All those who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus you will be persecuted and I think we live in a day were not Christianity as it is on the margins. We just need to get used to words not to be cool.

We sure can be nothing but trip there's been an exciting conversation in a conversation that I hope our listeners are going to take to heart and take some steps here but the me ask you this. What impact does the concept of this book had in your own life and the lives of others that you are acquainted with what is your hope for those who read this book in my own life. Much of what we shared. Gary it was my holy ambition was that the church would be the church that Christians would live like Christians, and that the theme of discipleship as I say it that way has a birth living on the edge with started his radio ministry and then it was small group resources, and then we started training pastors and then the pandemic we started to mentor people online and we help some people in desperate straits and now God is discipling people literally all around the world on the ground, even as we speak in multiple countries in Africa and India, South America, Central America, I would've never dreamed. But it started with. I don't want anyone to grow up in a church for me. Christians where they would say if that's what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

I don't want any part of it.

I've never had the goal that we would be perfect or above you know better than others, but in the sense that we be real would be authentic that we would be loving that we be honest we be transparent and when we blow it we would just own it, people would actually see in us the person of Jesus. As a result of Kennebec holy ambition process, which was my very first book and really my life message. A lot of things just rolled out of that as I helped other people see there's then whole ministries and different partnerships. Lots of Jenny Allen's out there. Not not as many that are that famous and they don't need to be, but you know people that have launch ministries to autistic kids and people that have decided that you know we can be on the Board of Education and we can really help our schools thrive in the name of Jesus and so my hope and my dream is that someone would say.

I think I'm in ask God why I'm here and maybe get a couple people to ponder with me in go through the book and the other some questions at the end of the chapters and there's a journey and that many holy ambitions would get birthed and as a result, many people would get loved and that God would be glorified is certainly my hope is to listen to you and I hope that this new addition. People reach out if they didn't read the original edition if it did make the need to read it again depending on where they are in their journey, but I do believe that reading this book and reflecting upon these principles can lead many of our listeners to a life that's can be far more meaningful than they ever dreamed it would be so trip Thanksgiving with a civilian.

Thanks for taking time to call this new addition together. My prayers with God will use this in a positive way, the lives of many. Thanks so much. What encouraging, challenging a hopeful conversation with Chip Ingram today to find out more about future resource holy ambition go to Moody books.the radio I books.org holy next week are the instincts of man, toxic found out how to become the man God won't great conversation for Father's Day. We had.

And remember, you can find simple ways to strengthen related chipset five love languages.com.

Thank you to our team today and time Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman is a meeting radio ministry, Bible and thanks for listening