Send us Fan Mail The hardest spiritual work is rarely the dramatic stuff. It’s the small, specific thing you already know you should do, but you keep putting off because it feels awkward, scary, or uncertain. We center this conversation on the Torah portion Ekev and its core word, “because,” using it as a lens for cause and effect in faith, obedience, and personal growth. Along the way, we get honest about the frustration of never feeling “done,” and why that friction can be a sign you’re being shaped, not punished. We connect Moses’ message in Deuteronomy to a humbling reminder: blessing is not because we are righteous or impressive. For Christians, the foundation is Jesus, not our works. That changes how we pray and what we chase. Instead of fixating on material outcomes, we talk about building a proper connection with God, trusting provision, and living the “shadow” idea from Psalm 121: as we act toward others, God responds toward us. If generosity and love feel blocked, it might not be a motivation problem, it might be a connection problem. Then we move into practical, memorable metaphors and habits: “milk and honey” as date honey and sunlight, divine light entering every thought and action, and how waiting before reacting can keep your life from getting darker. We also explore gratitude disciplines like blessing after you receive, Sabbath rest that refills your energy, and the practice of “100 blessings a day” to train mindfulness. Finally, we dig into discipleship, finding a teacher, going deeper than surface-level Bible reading, and using a heart translation plus other translations to uncover layered meaning. If this helped you name the one step you’ve been avoiding, listen through, share it with a friend, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next portion. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: what is the “because” God is putting in front of you this week? Resources https://soundcloud.com/immlutheran/sets https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/parashah.html#shalom https://www.youtube.com/@ImmanuelMacomb https://immlutheran.org/teaching/
