Hi, my name is Pete Gazzara. I want to welcome you today to the Emotionally Healthy Leader

podcast, and today is a part two of six radical invitations from God for our politicized, polarized

world. Now, what we do and how we function in these days may seem insignificant. It's only a mustard seed, especially

in light of the massive headlines and the global issues at play with the United States elections

and all the fear and anxiety and anger that's running so high. But Jesus says that mustard seed is not

small and insignificant. It's actually incredibly

significant for what God's doing in the world. And so how we respond to God in these days is

incredibly important. Now, last week I started out by sharing a few things about my approach,

and that is that we've got to wrestle with the yeast that may be tainting our perspective.

And I just noted that Jesus said, beware of the yeast that of Pharisees, the Satucese and the Herodians.

And these are other teachings going around spiritually around his days, around the Jewish believers.

And the question there is, what yeast do we need to reject? That's

floating around the church today. And that's one of the themes I'm seeking to explore here in these

podcasts. And the second is that one of the church's main trials in every generation is which

savior will we choose.

And it's very tempting to choose a savior that is not the crucified, slow, patient, lover of enemies,

savior, Jesus on the cross, but rather to go the way of Barnabas, who was a brave nationalist

and unafraid to use force

in the realist. It's a great passage there in Matthew 27, but history tells us that God's

people have often chosen violent solutions and violent leaders against our pagan culture

to advance God's agenda, and rather than Jesus' weak, a crucified way.

And so these things are informing my approach.

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