#62 - Pray When It's Real | James 5:16 | Pray Like It Matters

#80 | Spirit Led Men and Women | Romans 8:14 | The Great 8

As we close out this section of Romans 8, Paul gives us one of the clearest marks of genuine spiritual maturity: Spirit-led people are led by the Spirit. That sounds obvious, but it's often where the real battle begins. Many people want God's blessings, God's promises, God's peace, and God's favor. What they don't always want is God's leadership. Yet Romans 8:14 declares, "For all those led by God's Spirit are God's sons." The evidence of the Spirit's presence isn't perfection—it's direction.  The Holy Spirit doesn't simply comfort believers. He directs them. He convicts. He guides. He warns. He leads. And Spirit-filled people learn to respond to His leadership with surrender rather than resistance. In this episode, we unpack three powerful truths about Spirit-led living: 1. The Spirit Leads Clearly — God still directs His people through His Word, conviction, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit. Often the issue isn't a lack of guidance—it's a lack of obedience. 2. Maturity Responds Quickly — Spiritual maturity isn't measured by knowledge or appearance. It's measured by how quickly we respond when God speaks. 3. Surrender Produces Direction — The Spirit does not force His leadership. He leads yielded hearts. The more surrendered we become, the clearer His direction becomes. We'll also discuss why delayed obedience can be dangerous, how conviction protects us from compromise, and why the safest place in life is under the leadership of the Spirit of God. If you've been asking God for direction, wrestling with obedience, or struggling to surrender an area of your life, this episode will challenge you to stop merely asking God to bless your plans and start asking Him to lead your life. Because whatever leads you eventually directs you. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599435/fan_mail/new] Book Derek Griffon to Speak at your next event  https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite [https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite]

#79 | Kill Sin Before It Kills You | Romans 8:13 | The Great 8

Romans 8:13 is not a gentle suggestion. It's a battle cry. Paul doesn't tell believers to manage sin, tolerate sin, negotiate with sin, or coexist with sin. He says, "Put to death the deeds of the body." That's warfare language. Because Scripture understands something we often forget: sin is never harmless. It never stays contained. It never stops where it starts. If left unchecked, it spreads into every area of life, robbing us of peace, intimacy with God, spiritual sensitivity, and freedom.  Too many Christians want victory while continuing to tolerate compromise. They want intimacy with God while feeding the flesh. They want freedom while protecting the very things keeping them in bondage. But Paul reminds us that sin isn't something to play with. It's something to put to death. In this episode, we unpack three powerful truths about fighting sin: 1. Sin Always Wants More — Sin never stays satisfied. What starts as a small compromise eventually seeks greater control, greater influence, and greater territory. 2. Tolerated Sin Becomes Strongholds — Strongholds rarely begin dramatically. They are built through repeated compromises, ignored conviction, and delayed repentance. 3. The Spirit Empowers The Fight — Victory over sin isn't found in trying harder. It's found in depending on the Holy Spirit, who empowers believers to walk in freedom and holiness. We'll also discuss why compromise is so dangerous, how strongholds are formed, and what it looks like to wage Spirit-empowered warfare against the flesh. If you've been managing a sin that God is calling you to kill, this episode is for you. Because sin is not something to babysit. It's something to crucify. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599435/fan_mail/new] Book Derek Griffon to Speak at your next event  https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite [https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite]

#78 | You Don't Owe Your Flesh Anything | Romans 8:12 | The Great 8

One of the biggest lies believers believe is that they still owe their flesh obedience. That they have to give in to every craving. That they have to bow to every temptation. That sin still has authority over their lives. But Romans 8:12 shatters that lie with a powerful declaration: "We are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh." Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, ownership has changed. The flesh may still speak, but it no longer rules.  Too many Christians are living like freed prisoners who keep returning to their old cell. Jesus broke the chains, paid the debt, opened the prison door, and secured freedom. Yet many continue feeding the very things Christ died to free them from. Paul reminds us that while temptation still exists and the flesh still fights, believers are no longer enslaved to its demands. In this episode, we unpack three powerful truths about walking in freedom: 1. The Flesh Makes Empty Promises — Sin always overpromises and underdelivers. What begins as pleasure often ends in bondage. 2. Freedom Requires Starvation — Whatever you feed grows. Whatever you starve weakens. Victory comes when we stop feeding destructive cravings and start feeding our spirit. 3. You Don't Belong To Your Old Life — The cross didn't just forgive your sin. It changed ownership. You no longer belong to your past, your cravings, or your bondage—you belong to Jesus. We'll also discuss why freedom is different from the absence of temptation, how compromise gains influence, and why believers fight from victory instead of for it. If you've been battling the same temptation, revisiting old chains, or feeling trapped by old habits, this episode is a reminder that Jesus didn't simply pardon you. He liberated you. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599435/fan_mail/new] Book Derek Griffon to Speak at your next event  https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite [https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite]

#77 | Dead Things Come Alive | Romans 8:10-11 | The Great 8

The resurrection isn't just something we celebrate at Easter. It's the foundation of our faith and the source of our victory. In Romans 8:10–11, Paul makes a staggering declaration: the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead now lives inside every believer. Not symbolic power. Not motivational power. Resurrection power. The power that defeated death, conquered the grave, and rolled away the stone now dwells within the people of God.  Far too many Christians live defeated, discouraged, and spiritually drained as if Christianity is simply about trying harder and surviving another day. But Paul reminds us that believers aren't operating in their own strength. The Holy Spirit is actively working within us, bringing life to dead places, power to weak places, and hope to hopeless places. In this episode, we unpack three powerful truths about resurrection power: 1. Jesus Didn't Stay Dead — The resurrection changed everything. The empty tomb proves that sin was defeated, death was conquered, and Jesus reigns as King. 2. The Spirit Brings Life — God specializes in reviving dead things. Dead hope, dead passion, dead faith, and dead purpose are never beyond His reach. 3. Resurrection Power Lives In You — You are not fighting for victory. You are fighting from victory. The same Spirit that raised Jesus now strengthens, convicts, empowers, and transforms believers from the inside out. We'll also discuss why the resurrection is more than a historical event, how the Holy Spirit works in the life of believers today, and why no struggle, addiction, shame, or stronghold is greater than the power of God at work within you. If you've been feeling defeated, stuck, or spiritually exhausted, this episode will remind you of a truth the enemy hopes you forget: The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599435/fan_mail/new] Book Derek Griffon to Speak at your next event  https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite [https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite]

#76 | You Are Not Who You Were | Romans 8:9 | The Great 8

One of the greatest battles believers face isn't just the battle against sin—it's the battle over identity. Too many Christians have been saved by grace but are still living under old labels. They know Jesus forgave them, but they still identify with shame. They know God redeemed them, but they still see themselves through the lens of past failures, old addictions, broken seasons, and former mistakes. Romans 8:9 reminds us of a life-changing truth: "You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you." Something fundamentally changed the moment the Spirit of God moved into your life.  The enemy wants your history to become your identity. He wants you trapped by what you did, what happened to you, and who you used to be. But the Gospel declares that your past may be part of your story, yet it is no longer your identity. Jesus didn't simply improve your life—He gave you a new one. In this episode, we unpack three powerful truths about your identity in Christ: 1. The Spirit Changes Your Position — You are no longer spiritually dead, separated from God, or owned by sin. The Spirit moved in, and everything changed. 2. Old Labels Lose Their Authority — Shame, failure, addiction, insecurity, and regret may still speak, but they no longer have the final word over your life. 3. New Identity Produces New Direction — What you believe about yourself ultimately shapes how you live. When identity changes, direction changes. We'll also explore why salvation is more than behavior modification, how the Holy Spirit transforms our position before God, and why believers must stop identifying with the version of themselves that Jesus died to replace. If you've been struggling to move beyond your past, carrying old labels, or living under the weight of condemnation, this episode will remind you of one simple truth: You are not who you were. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599435/fan_mail/new] Book Derek Griffon to Speak at your next event  https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite [https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite]