Worth the Risk

Worth the Risk

Welcome to the Worth the Risk Podcast! Here we teach, encourage, and equip women to risk for Kingdom purposes! Join us each week as we explore the joy, identity, freedom, and courage found in Christ!

  1. Oct 21

    #71: What Does Abundance Really Look Like?

    GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN: If you suddenly had an unlimited amount of money, but you weren’t allowed to save or invest any of it, what’s the first completely unnecessary thing you’d buy? Down to the Root: This fall we’re talking about harvest—and when we think about a good harvest, we usually think about having more. Our culture tends to define abundance as: More money More possessions More opportunities More success More recognition More comfort None of those things are necessarily bad. But have we started believing that having more automatically means we’re living an abundant life? Main thought: Have we confused abundance with accumulation? QUESTION #1 What’s something you’ve chased or strived for because you thought it would make you feel successful, secure, or fulfilled? And when you got it—or didn’t get it—what did you learn? JOHN 10:10 NLT “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” Jesus tells us He came to give us a rich and satisfying life. But sometimes our definition of a “rich life” looks very different from His. What if abundance isn’t primarily about what we’re accumulating, but about the life we’re experiencing in Christ? THE DISCIPLES — LUKE 9:1–6 NLT Jesus sends the disciples out with power and authority over demons and diseases and tells them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and heal the sick. But then He tells them to take essentially nothing with them—no food, money, traveler’s bag, or change of clothes. They didn’t have much, but they had abundance. Think about what they DID have: They were walking with Jesus. They were proclaiming the Kingdom. They were watching people be healed. They were seeing people experience freedom. They were learning complete dependence on God. They were participating in things that mattered eternally. From the outside looking in, their lives might not have looked particularly “successful.” Which raises the question: If we looked at the disciples through our culture’s definition of success, would we have called their lives abundant? QUESTION #2 What does spiritual abundance look like in your life right now? Where can you see God producing a harvest that might not look impressive from the outside? Maybe it’s: Greater peace Contentment A deeper relationship with Jesus Obedience Generosity Your marriage growing Discipling your kids Serving someone Freedom from something you’ve struggled with Becoming more loving, patient, joyful, or self-controlled Maybe the harvest God is producing in this season isn’t something you can put on a résumé, post on Instagram, or measure with a dollar sign. MAKE A MOVE: This week, identify one place where you’ve been measuring abundance by the world’s scoreboard and intentionally invest in something eternal instead. Call the person God keeps putting on your heart. Give generously. Spend intentional time with your family. Open your Bible before your phone. Serve someone who can’t repay you. Share your faith. Choose contentment instead of comparison. And ask yourself: “What is God growing in me, and what am I investing in that will actually last?” Because maybe the greatest harvest of our lives won’t always be something the world can see.

  2. Oct 7

    #70: Fruit Takes Time

    Announcements This fall we’re walking through themes of patient growth, abundance, hospitality, and harvest. We’re going to have some amazing guests and just enjoy talking through one of the best seasons of all, fall! Girls Just Want to Have Fun We’re talking about fruit in the Christian life today, so let’s start light. Casey, what’s the superior fruit—hands down, no debate? And why should the rest of us agree with you? Down to the Root We all want spiritual maturity… and we want it yesterday. We want patience right now. We want deep relationships without the slow investment they require. We want fruit, but we forget that fruit takes time. It develops slowly, often quietly, and almost never on the schedule we prefer. Casey, what’s one fruit you see the Lord developing in you right now—or one you know still needs time to mature? Look at the growth cycle of a grapevine. It spends 10–11 months in preparation for only 1–2 months of visible fruit: •  Budburst •  Shoot and leaf growth •  Flowering and fruit set •  Fruit ripening •  Harvest •  Dormancy Most of the year the vine looks like nothing is happening. Yet the roots are deepening, the wood is strengthening, and the next season’s fruit is already being prepared. In John 15 Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Every healthy branch bears fruit. For years I assumed that meant constant, visible production—24/7, 365. But while the Lord is always at work in every season of our lives, the fruit the outside world can see often appears only after months of quiet dormancy, careful pruning, and unseen growth. Visible fruit takes time. Casey, tell us about a time you were longing to see a specific fruit in your life and it took far longer than you expected. (I’ll share too: I wanted deep friendships—and learned that real connection grows on the same slow timetable as a vineyard.) Make a Move This week, start a simple fruit journal. 1.  Name one spiritual fruit you long to see grow. 2.  Each week, note where you sense you are in the grapevine cycle: budding, shoot growth, flowering, ripening, harvest, or dormancy. 3.  Track honestly—without rushing the process. Remember the good news: the fruit doesn’t come from striving. It comes from abiding in Jesus and remaining in His love. He is always doing something, even when the branch still looks bare. Keep showing up. Keep staying connected. The harvest will come in its time.

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About

Welcome to the Worth the Risk Podcast! Here we teach, encourage, and equip women to risk for Kingdom purposes! Join us each week as we explore the joy, identity, freedom, and courage found in Christ!