The Third Option

Don't despise dirty feet. Following Jesus' example in John 13:1-17 can be difficult, but honor and humility, even when it is difficult is a beautiful picture of Jesus to a hurting world. Love is more powerful than shame or condemnation could ever be!

Prior to Jesus, the best of humankind lived in a good and evil duality. Jesus came to go beyond morality and to offer us abundant, zoe life. Listen to today's episode of "The Third Option" where Rick and Judi discuss why the good news is so much greater than what religion has to offer!

God has set something in motion, and nothing is going to stop it! The beautiful thing is we have the opportunity to join in and flow with it...AND it is ALWAYS for our good and for His glory.

We hear all the time that the world around us is quickly becoming more dark and evil, but data shows us that is simply not the case. Having the wrong perspective only leads to fear, anxiety, and a sense of hopelessness. When we see the world from God's perspective, through a lens of love, there is healing, and God's goodness is on full display!

We all encounter situations that are easy to look at though a temporary lens instead of an eternal one. We try and assess these situations in our own strength instead of acknowledging that God's presence and provision has been with us the whole time! You are not a victim of your circumstances - He has overcome the world!

We all know that people are complex beings, and yet we often look at what we see on the outside and judge others unjustly. God sees beyond what man seeing and instead looks at the heart. We look at the world through our own personal filters instead of seeing the beauty of God in others. Let's choose to look again, remove the mask, offer grace, and see the people around us as God sees them.

On the surface, the Bible looks like a book of knowledge about what's good and what's evil. People so often approach reading it through that lens, and it only leads to shame, condemnation, and self-righteousness. When you look through the "mask," you find that the Bible is a book of LIFE where you find the heart of God. Allow scripture to empower you to walk in the grace and love...

The Accuser often goes after our thoughts first, bringing condemnation and a lack of peace. The fear induced by the devil often can push us to act on our thoughts, resulting in a spiral of questioning ourselves and God. Choose to humble yourself, submit to the Truth, and look to Jesus. Listen for the voice of love that lives inside of you!

When we operate in the flesh, it's often out of self-protection. We fear losing ourselves. Or maybe we fear losing respect from others. Maybe we struggle with feeling dominated or rejected by others? Instead, kick fear to the curb and be inspired and motivated by the Spirit within you. Listen to today's episode where Rick and Judi address unmasking fear from the flesh.

Our world is constantly inducing fear through religion, politics, and culture. We are bombarded by fleshly things that stir up fear in our spirit, most of the times, without us even noticing it! When we choose to live in the sweet, secret, and sacred place with our Heavenly Father, fear is unmasked, and we aren't easily influenced by what is happening on the outside. "For God has not give...

What is fear? And how do you know if you are being influenced by it? Listen to this week's episode where Rick and Judi discuss the power of operating in the spiritual and being led by THE Shepherd when the world's system starts to influence our thoughts and emotions.

When a loved one dies, it produces an internal chaos, and we often can't see our way through to the other side of grief. It is our natural tendency to think that the future can't possibly be as good as the past. BUT GOD. When we know the goodness of God in an intimate way, we trust that He has good things in store for our future, even in the midst of processing loss.

How do you move forward in grief? WALK TOWARDS THE LIGHT. Trust God in the process as you heal and honor your loved one by moving forward and appreciating each and every day. Shed guilt and regret and lean into God's goodness in your life!

How can beautiful things come from deep grief? In waves of sorrow, there can be beauty because there is love in it. Walking through grief can help shift your priorities and show you what is really important, create more meaningful connections with people in your life, and heighten your awareness of God's goodness. Listen to this week's episode of "The Third Option" where Rick and...

Everyone experiences grief at some point in life, deep sorrow that is caused by loss of someone you love. BUT, that is not where out story stops. Even in the midst of grief, we have a supernatural comforter, and His name is Jesus. We are not alone, and we are not hopeless. Because of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, we have HOPE. Death does not have the final word! "Beloved broth...

Can you love a narcissist? Doing life in close proximity with difficult people can be, well, difficult. Listen to this week's episode of "The Third Option" where Rick and Judi discuss how to love others well, protect your heart from bitterness, and move forward in relationship when you've been hurt.

People pleasers often try to earn their worth by seeking validation from others, but recognizing that God is good and loves us can shift our focus to finding our worth in His unconditional love rather than external validation. Listen to this episode of The Third Option where Rick and Judi discuss people pleasing and what causes it.

Living in fullness is the point - it is why Jesus came and offered salvation to us. Allowing God to make you whole and choosing to live out of His supply changes everything...especially relationships. Fullness allows us to extend grace, forgive others, and experience a divine type of love and connection. He is our source, and in Him we have all that we need!

It can be difficult to love others at times, but when we live from a place of abundance and fullness because of our understanding of God's Kingdom, it becomes easier. Knowing about the Gospel and revelation of the Gospel are two different things - one is head knowledge and the other creates transformation from the inside out. Receive the Father's love for you and allow His love to shine th...

If the Gospel is so good, why does man often resist it? In the fourth and final episode in this podcast series, Rick and Judi discuss how pride, self-centeredness and wrong thinking lead to us resisting the goodness of God. We hope this episode helps renew your thinking and that you experience God's heart for you in greater measure today! 

This week, Rick and Judi dive into week three of our podcast series on the Gospel. As believers, our heart cry is to glorify God in all that we do, but what does that look like? It looks like abiding in His goodness and allowing the fruit of His Spirit to flow through us. As this happens, healing love is released into the world and the people around us see a glimpse of Heaven on Earth. They experi...

Listen to today's episode of the "The Third Option" where Rick and Judi discuss our part in the Gospel. What is it? It's simple...To BELIEVE. What we believe determines our reality, and when we step into a heavenly reality through our belief in Jesus, everything changes. 

What's so good about the Good News? It's through the gospel that we see how much God truly loved the world and His desire to reconcile the world to Himself. His heart was for there to be no separation between us and Himself and for us to experience the fullness of who He is. Because of what Christ did on the cross, we have full access to the Father and to everlasting LIFE!

Jesus came to reveal the heart of the Father. What is His heart? To be connected and in relationship with His children because that is where love happens. "Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all." -1 Corinthians 15:28

Filters comes from our brain having to interpret the world around us, and it often is loaded with personal bias. Seeing the truth is crucial, and it only happens when we invite Holy Spirit into the conversation. When we turn our hearts to the Lord, the veil is removed, and we can see clearly! What filters are clouding your vision? In this episode, Rick and Judi talk about how to walk with Jesus in...