Hopefully you started to watch or listen to this because you find yourself in a really dark, deep moment of despair.

And you're thinking to yourself, how in the world am I going to get through this?

And someone comes and gives you a verse and it says, stand firm.

It's like, I stand.

I can't even roll over.

I'm so far on my back, face down, whatever you want to say.

I don't know what to do.

How am I going to do this?

Well, this episode is for you.

To stand firm in your faith is not a pull yourself up by your bootstrap moment.

It is definitely not for you to try harder.

And I can promise you by the end of this

episode, if you feel like you're on your last thread and your life's about to snap, this is for you.

Peter and Paul are talking to you because they want you to stand somewhere that has nothing

to do with you. You need to hear this, so stay tuned.

Ever read the Bible and walk away feeling like you're failing? No matter how hard you try,

you're never measuring up. That's not a motivation problem. That's a reading problem.

Most people have never been taught how to read the Bible the way Jesus taught it. So when they hear things like be perfect, deny yourself,

take up your cross. They assume it's all about trying harder. But what if that's not what Jesus was

doing at all? What if the law isn't meant to fix you, but to reveal your need for a savior? And what

if the gospel isn't advice? But an announcement of what Christ has already done for you.

That's the difference between law and gospel.

...