Notes from this week's podcast: Transformed Tuesday with Jeff Holland

This will be a reminder to us of how God can use everyday relationships, everyday encounters with other people that when we're honest and we self-reflect on ourselves -- how God can use those relationships to draw us closer to Him. God doesn't waste a thing.

That word [John 3:30] was a turning point for him -- how God called him to a position of humility and a deeper walk with God. Since then, God has taught him how to bring his thoughts under Christ's authority. He doesn't want to return to his old ways of living. 

When God does transform our lives, that's what He wants us to do -- give testimony because it's God Himself that did it. We just simply joined the work of God. 

How did God use [2 Corinthians 10:5] in your life and using it today to transform you?

Jeff: It's a daily struggle. I have to remind myself often. "You never have to explain what you don't say." (from a philosopher) 

Take control of that thought, give it the authority of Christ before it comes out of your mouth. 

Jo: You're in the Word because those Scriptures mean something to you, but you're using those words to direct your life everyday. 

Jeff: People will see Jeff Holland, but I want people to see that Jeff comes out of the Word of Christ -- that God leads me, He carries me. He takes me through everything that I'm going through. I can't do it. But by Him, it's victory. 

Jo: You've learned to trust God. 

Jeff: I trust God over anyone I know. 

Jo: You've got a relationship with Him. He's your Lord and Savior. You've got an ongoing relationship with God that when you hear God say something, you already have a desire to obey Him. 

Jeff: You have to "be still and know." It's hard to hear God's voice when you're busy. You have to find that time and place to talk to God. 

People ask: How do you know it's God? You'll know. 

Jo: Because you've yielded to Him. You don't want to miss God. 

Jeff: And it's so easy to do that because of the busyness of our days. There's plenty of time in the day. You've got to give God His time so that He can give you the day He wants you to have and be blessed by it. 

Jo: What does your prayer closet look like for you? 

Jeff: Mine is a little stool in my closet that has Scriptures on the wall and I don't leave until I go through every one of [the Scripture memory verses from church]. I'm actually hiding them in my heart. If it's not in you, it can't come out of you. 

I want God's Word to fill my heart so that when I speak, the Word of God comes out. 

Jo: Do you have a certain way that you approach that? 

Jeff: It's not easy. I'll take a line for three or four days. It's amazing how you hide them in your heart and you go about your everyday living that there will come a time that God will say: Tell them about that Scripture. 

His Word becomes part of your life like washing your face, brushing your teeth. 

Jo: Out of that obedience to hide that Word, in your heart, tell us about an opportunity that the Holy Spirit has reached in there and brought it forth and you've used that to walk in obedience. 

Jeff: I play golf a lot. I try to pray before we play. I find that these Scriptures are now coming to the forefront at the beginning of the round so that later someone may ask: what did you mean [by that Scripture]? 

Jo: God is using the Word but He's also using your obedience to memorize the Word to bring opportunities to witness for Christ. 

Jeff: It's so simple. It was hard before I started to do that. I didn't know what to say. God's Word is so powerful. 

Jo: How did it come about that you got comfortable to pray in public? 

Jeff: I was in the praise band at Maxwell Air Force Base, and I didn't know what to say. But I attended Bible Study Fellowship and through my church, and in His Vessel Ministries, got me to realize that talking to God is not complex. He taught me that talking Him is like talking to you. The first time I did, I prayed specifically. Also, pray expectantly -- act as though it's done. 

Jo: He's longing for us to talk to Him. Prayer is nothing more than inviting God to be involved in your life. 

Jeff: He is, whether you allow Him to or not. 

We think we need to come up with something new to talk to God. [He says]: Just talk to Me, tell  Me what I told you, what I taught you. And, I answered. 

Jo: I've often thought: Some disciples feel inhibited about praying out loud. Sometimes we put the attention more on us. Therefore, we don't want to pray. And, yet, when we pray all of our attention should be on God. 

Jeff: When you go to pray for someone, you remove yourself and immerse yourself in the Holy Spirit. 

It's exciting to do that. Now, praying publicly is one of my most favorite things to do. 

Jo: I can see that you do love it. It's been a transformation in your life. And, yet, God longs for us to encounter that. 

So often in the body of Christ, we don't want to pray. It's like an after thought. We plan ... and then we say: God, what do you think about it?

Jeff: We wonder why things don't work out and then we go pray about it when we could have done that at the beginning. There's a very small percentage of Christian married me that pray with their wives. (They may pray for their wives, but they don't pray with their wives.) I think we don't want to be vulnerable but always powerful. 

Jo: What does [the threefold cord] look like in your relationship with Denise?

Jeff: Tony Evans said: The men are their wives' Pastor. My wife should not have to go to any other man to get Christian advice.

Ultimately, it's me who needs to set the pace. I think a lot of men don't want to surrender especially in front of their wives and with their wives because they think it's a sign of weakness. But we know how humble Jesus was and Jesus wasn't weak. 

Be vulnerable to God. He'll reward you in ways you never imagined.

(Example of first couple of years of marriage between Jeff and Denise)

Jeff said: "Why are you trying to change me?" Denise said: Sweetheart, I am not your enemy. 

She wants me around with her forever. I died to myself to let God become greater. 

Jo: But that doesn't just happen, does it? You have to be intentional, knowing the Word, and living the Word, applying the Word. God brings that together, doesn't He?

Jeff: You asked what does an ordinary day look like: Gratitude, Devotion, Prayer. 

It's got to be a thing that you're doing constantly. 

Jo: God's given you this inner peace, inner joy, and you're just simply walking it out. But, you didn't create that for yourself. God obviously downloaded it in you, and now you're able to walk it out because the Holy Spirit is activating it through you. 

Jeff: The things that used to upset me don't upset me anymore. I know it didn't come from me because of the way I was before. Something had to change and that something was the Holy Spirit. 

Jo: God will do that for all of us. If you know there's a weakness, and you want to overcome that weakness because it doesn't bring glory to God, make it a matter of prayer and yield that to Father God, and God will overpower us with His Spirit, His grace, to obey Him so we reflect Him. If there's something we know we can't conquer, take it to God, give it to God. Let Him replace it with that peace, joy or whatever that He wants to exemplify through our lives.

Jeff: The more I listen, learn and hide Scripture in my heart, it just makes you want to realize that I can't go to a holy God living an unholy life. When you think like that and you know that, I don't want to have His wrath on me because I say that I'm going to follow God but my life doesn't reflect that I'm following God.

Jo: Sometimes we keep justifying our sin to God and we think it's ok. But yet God is waiting for us to agree with Him. He wants to give us the power to get that out of our lives so that we do live a holy life.

What are some of the other situations that transformed your life where you just leaned all-in to God?  

Jeff: When I met Denise, she told me, "I've been married to Jesus for seven years." So, I'm thinking that I don't have a chance. What I realized was that the things I had been doing and the kind of life that I was living before, that she wasn't going to tolerate it. As I was, God wasn't going to give her to me. That was the biggest turning point in my life that made me realize that something in my life had to change. 

Jo: There were some profound things that the Holy Spirit showed you (in the discipleship class). What are some things you would share with people that they would consider a discipleship journey -- to go deeper in their relationship, to get closer with God, so they can be more pleasing to God, but so that their lives would bring them a greater joy? 

Jeff: It's difficult to do it on your own. 

If you don't do something different, nothing is going to change. 

That prayer closet did it for me. When I go to my closet to pray, I know what I'm entering into. And that triggers my heart and mind: the more you get of God, the more you want. 

[My granddaughter saw God in me] and that draws me closer to God. [He] can make someone who doesn't know Him see that. 

Jo: You have a hunger for God. 

Jeff: Please take these classes. The spiritual gifts can help you mature in your Christian walk. 

Jo: In a discipleship journey, that's the opportunity to know how to encounter God through the power of prayer, how to know how God has divinely gifted us so that we do have something to offer and that's how we grow spiritually when we offer ourselves back to God. We all have something to offer, (and bring everyone to their seat at the table) because the Holy Spirit has provided a seat at the table for them. That's where you'll be fully satisfied. 

- Pray about that discipleship journey. - Set aside the time for it. 

What would you encourage them to do that if the Holy Spirit has spoken to them in a specific area that they need to take a step. How would you tell them to approach that so that they may obey what the Holy Spirit is telling them. 

Jeff: Be still and hear His voice -- you'll hear from Him. 

Jo: The Holy Spirit knows that this is your time. 

Scripture for further study: John 3:30, Psalm 34:8, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Psalm 119:10-11, Hebrews 4:12-13, Romans 8:26, 1 Peter 1:16, John 14:12