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Beyond The Message is a weekly podcast that dives deeper into the weekend’s teaching. Released after each Sunday service, it offers thoughtful conversation, added insight, and practical reflection to help our community process and apply what they heard. Whether you're revisiting the message or catching up, this podcast is designed to help you go deeper throughout the week.
Foreign. Welcome to beyond the Message, the podcast where we take the weekly teaching at Christ Community Chapel and we bring it into your week. Each week, we sit down together as friends, and we talk a little bit, we reflect. We figure out how to live out what it is that we're learning. And if you didn't yet hear the message drop down, there's a link where you can watch it or listen to it and then come back and join in on this conversation. I'm, um, Stacy DiNardo, and I'm joined today by Jamie Hewitt, Jimmy Cozy, and Holly DiCandrew. Okay. We are coming off of. Just to be transparent here. 24 hours. Incredible. An incredible 24 hours of mayhem. Of mayhem. Of excitement. Light. The night was last night, and then we just wrapped up the second outdoor service. I'm a little sweaty. 20 minutes. Completely honest. Um, and so I thought it would be fun even just to take a minute to reflect on that. Is there anything that stands out that was really meaningful, um, or exciting from these last 24 hours? Uh, I got to have a conversation with a, ah, man this morning who is here for outdoor service. Yeah. And we just stood and looked out on a sea of people, and he was like, I was here last night, and I'm here this morning, and I look at it, and he's like, God is so good. He's like, this is so incredible. He's like, I. I struggle. And he said, use the term. I wrote it down because I wanted to remember it. He's like, I'm torn between balling and just doing jumping jacks, because I'm so excited. And so just thinking, like, yeah, sometimes when you're behind the scenes, you think about directing buses or a lot of that. But his experience was seeing the goodness of God. Yeah. More clearly through God, like, abundance and generosity and than a crowd, uh, of people worshiping God, uh, this morning. So that was incredible. Yeah, it was so cool. I talked to a lot of people, and I didn't know any of them, which is wild, because, y', all, I know a lot of people here. A lot of people, and I didn't know any of them. M. And so it just was so cool that God is drawing people here through a, uh, drone show, through our services, and they're showing up, and it is so cool to see him moving. Yeah. Uh, I did baptisms today, and one of the guys who got baptized, baptized spontaneously, was a kid that I had when I was leading our middle school ministry. Oh, that's incredible. We realized it in the same moment because I got to talk to him before to take him through like the spontaneous baptism interview. And then I was like, wait a minute, I had you. It was called Edge at that point. I had you in Edge. And he was like, how do you remember that? Aw, that's so cool. This is from like our little communication channel we had. But I just even know I saw a lot of notes like this, but one saying, hey, there's a first time family that are completely unchurched, and I'm walking them down to the field to give them directions. And just, it's incredible what God is doing and how God's drawn people here. But I will also add, um, last night was really cool because we did have the founding members that, uh, here with Jim and Barb College and just getting to see Legacy park for the first time. And it's pretty moving to like to now to see their names in there and to get the Message of Hebrews 12. 1. And what that communicates, um, and can give us confidence, thinking forward because of God's faithfulness and the beauty of what God can do with our small examples of faithfulness. Like those people mortgaged their home, like, put them on the note for this so that something like this could be here one day. Yeah. And they were reflecting. I, uh, had Jim College sharing with me that he was reflecting as they were walking down that path at like, when they were together 45 years ago, much younger in years, if I can say. And now watching them with maybe canes and different helps and people helping them walk down and the life that they lived in God's faithfulness. So just really incredible stuff. But okay, let's jump in though, to talk about a really great sermon, um, from Pastor Zach this week in Proverbs is this week five, maybe. I think four retired guys retired. Uh, whereas Proverbs 14:30. A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. So this, uh, conversation that we're going to have is around contentment, around envy. And Pastor Zach's points were stop listening to yourself. It was taken from a Martin Lloyd Joy Jones quote. So stop listening to yourself, start talking to yourself, and then give yourself something to say. And that's something to say is knowing that God loves you and that God has more for you. And, um, we'll press into that. But just the concept of envy, if we can do. Quick little snapshot. Are you. Do you feel like, was this pretty relatable to you or how did it hit you when you were first heard about, like, okay, we're talking about envy, Is that something you struggle with? Yeah. I don't know if I would typically jump to say I'm m envious, but I. I'm competitive. And when I really think about it, I think in a lot of ways there's. There's probably a parallel. Um, so I. I compare myself and want to compete. And that probably means, if I'm willing to be honest with myself, I struggle with envy more than maybe I'd like to think. But that's the thing about envy. It's sneaky. It doesn't just, like, announce itself. Some of us think we don't struggle with it. You know, hey, we'll get to that. I've got people. But it shows up as that competition, as frustration, as disappointment in the situation. And really, the roots of it are an envious root. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think I would not have either qualified myself as a person who struggles with envy. But I think as I've given him some thought, I think I do. I think, uh, you know, it shows up for me and just thinking about what could be as opposed to what is, like, what if I had chosen this career path? What if I had chosen this? What if I had chosen that? And I think that's another form of envy of, like, setting aside what God has already given me and provided and, you know, the calling that he's given and saying, well, I could have done xyz and that would have led to, you know, who knows what. Yeah, I wanted to ask that because I kind of like you, Jimmy. I think started by thinking like, oh, I don't really think I struggle with that. And then the more. Even hearing this message and looking at myself a little more closely, realized, oh, yeah, there's a lot of different pockets and areas of my life that it is sneaky. I think it's. If I examine well and go, okay, yes, that if only. If only or what if kind of questions bring that out even in the text, like the rotting of bones. You wouldn't see that until. Probably until it's too late. And so envy has a way of getting in and doing that. And I do think that our culture is designed to facilitate, uh, further envy, whether it's via, uh, the way people interact on social media or even the way people. The way we present ourselves, you know, for the most part, people present, at least in. At least where we live in the area we're in, present a pretty polished image. Yeah. Uh, almost to the point of, like, you wouldn't want to present a lack of polish And I think, uh, that leads to a lot of envy because it makes, it gives an unrealistic view of what somebody's life is actually like and what they are, uh, whatever their kids, their house, their, you know, their wealth. It makes it seem like they have something they don't actually have. So now that, now what you're actually envying is something that's a figment of your imagination, doesn't actually exist. Yeah, that was a lot there. But that's so true. I always kind of refer to as like, take off the mask. Like if we could all just, everybody would take off the mask, be actually honest about the hard things in their life instead of then trying to pretend there's something they're not and that probably growing that envious nature. So, um, okay, so maybe to jump in a question. What are signs that envy may be kind of rotting the deck before anyone else notices? I heard this morning when Zach was preaching about him kind of saying that you can almost like slide into it. Like it's not. It can be a progressive thing. And I think he said when the if only turns into only if. Or wait, or maybe I have that backwards. But, um, yeah, I don't know. Are there signs that you can point to or you can think about in your own life that is, are can be taught, like signs that we should be careful and be reflective or. Yeah, I mean, I think one of the earliest signs is when someone else's good news doesn't consistently feel like good news to you. Yeah, like, I wish that was my good news. Yeah, yeah. And you, it has, you have a hard time being happy for someone else. And. Yeah. And V, I think is a double edged sword because it does that. But then the back end of it, what it's doing in your heart, isn't it stealing your ability to be joyful in your circumstances? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I think it can show up in the way that I use time or the things that I'm looking at. Like, um, I'm a numbers person. So like, I like to look into like investing and that kind of thing. But I think one of the things that can happen is I can find myself comparing, you know, where we're at to all that in the name of like, well, I'm just trying to make good decisions. But with the money. Yeah. Looking out at what somebody else has and saying, man, if I had that right, then I'd feel more comfortable about my position in life and about our security or whatever the case may be. That's just envy. Saying yeah, what you, what you have is not enough Anguin. Comparison becomes the tool by which you evaluate your worth. Um, so a bit of what you were just describing is when my worth comes from where I stack up relative to somebody else. There's the somewhat well known quote from C.S. lewis that comparison is the thief of joy is because ultimately comparison, I think, leads to envy, which rots the bones from the inside. And so if you notice in yourself a tendency to compare, uh, that might be a sign. Yeah, I think that's, I think that's really good. I agree with that wholeheartedly. And I would also say I, um, would guess that if you, if I find myself or you find yourself comparing yourself to others and thinking, oh, actually I stack. Stack up pretty well. You are pre envy. You're, you're just. You're only not envious because you haven't run into the bigger fish that has. Right, right. What you don't have, then as soon as you do, you're going to say, wait a minute, I wish I had. Yeah. Yeah. And one practical way this shows up for me is like if I'm scrolling social media and at the end of it I feel, um, like more discontented or I put it down and I feel more unhappy with what's going on around me or I look around, I'm like, oh, I need to upgrade this room or I should go shopping. If those are the feelings, I leave and I put my phone down. I think that is envy from comparing to what's going on. That's what happens when I look at Holly's social media. No, you want ducks. No, you're, um, outstanding at all sorts of amazing creative projects. And so that is one of those things that I'll be like, okay, we're a little bit unhinged. Either way you look at it. Those are two sides of the same. Two sides. No, that's really good. I was just going to say to what Jimmy said, I think, and what we are talking about is if we buy into the pattern where we are finding our value and our worth relative to others, some days we win. That's right. That's right. And it feels good when you compare yourself to that person or. And you're like, I'm actually better. You win. Some days you lose. But I just think the reality is you are. When you buy into that system, eventually it's going to crush you because you can't. There's always a bigger all the time. Uh, you don't have. Yeah. Or it will change for you. Your bar Will just keep getting higher and higher, and then, yeah, yeah, somebody going to fall short. Was it Rockefeller who was asked the question, you know, don't you have enough money? Like, when is enough? Uh, and he was like, there's more. There's always more money to be made. And so, yes, I think one of the. If just to back up, too. One of the reasons I think I started thinking, oh, I don't really struggle with envy, is because I was. Maybe I think of envy with the financial aspect of things, but I just would add, I think where it hits me most can become in the form of relationships, can come in the form of other status or other hobbies or other things. Like, there are so many different, uh, areas of our life that we can again, compare. Well, man, I wish my relationship with my kids looked like that. Mom's relationship with her kids or marriage, of course, is another huge one. And so just to be reflective and think about, like, again, it takes on a lot of forms. Giftedness. That's something I've often been, I think, envious of other people's strengths and giftedness. Yeah. Pointing at Jimmy. Maybe that was subconscious. Yeah. Okay, I'm gonna read, um, uh, the first Peter passage that Pastor Zach referred to. Um, so again, that he had stopped listening to yourself start talking to yourself, but then giving yourself something to say. Um, and in that first Peter 1, 3, and 4 passage, it says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Um, so this passage is. Is like. It's overwhelming how good it is. But I think sometimes heaven can feel so far off. And Zach did talk about that. But how can we grow our own identity in knowing that God loves us and in having a hope that is, like, really rooted in that reality of heaven? Um, I loved his sailboat thing that he talked about as far as, like, okay, for the record, I don't think it takes a decade to learn to sail well, but he'd have time. He could have a lot of time. I think that was. He's in his. He's in his golf phase right now. Right. Golf era. So maybe the. That'll be a new era. But I don't know anything practical that you've experienced where you're going. This really helped me, or this is a way I can think and my identity can Be rooted in that hope in a deeper way. I mean, I think it has to start with, um, like, we have to preach the gospel to ourselves every day. And, you know, I grew up at the church, in the church my whole life, and so that can be something that I stopped doing where I'm like, oh, yeah, I know it, I know it. But I think that's when I drift. And so actually, I have a tattoo in my arm that says, I'm jealous. Um, that says. It just says grace. And it has coordinates on it that best guess as to where the cross is, that they're. They could not even be right. It doesn't matter. That's the point. It's. The point is that, like, I know that every day when I wake up, I need to go here. So I'm like, if I literally tattoo this on my arm and I see this every day, I can start here. Because I know that without a shadow of a doubt, when I do that, my day is better because everything gets filtered through the right lens. And when I don't do that, like, you know, it's like a carnival mirror. All of a sudden, everything is. Is wonky, and I don't even realize it's wonky. So I just think we got to start with the gospel every day, taking maybe like a. Hopefully, uh, it's the right turn. But, um, there is a reality that when you believe you deserve something, you don't feel as grateful for it. And so I think part of what we need to remind ourselves that's a part of the gospel is our need for rescue. And so during the sermon today, I was just thinking, there's a. It's called a catechism. It's questions and answers that are meant to teach, but the Heidelberg Catechism. And it starts off with this beautiful first question, uh, and response that says, what's your only joy and comfort in life? And roughly paraphrased, it'll say that I'm not my own. That in life and death, I've been bought body and soul by my faithful savior, Jesus Christ, who has paid fully for all of my sins, who has freed me, who keeps track of me so that not a hair can fall from my head without his knowing? And, uh, he makes me able to follow him. And then the second question says, how do you and I grow into the joy of this comfort? Uh, and the answer was surprising to me the first time I read it, because. So it says three things, and the first one is, you need to remember how great your sin and misery is. The second is that you remember that you've been set free. You've been rescued from that sin and misery. And the third is that you'd be grateful for that. And so I think part of this, like what we would say to ourselves maybe actually begins by remembering our need that we are not deserving of rescue in many ways, but yet Jesus has rescued us, showing us God's love for us. And I think if you really get that, you can't help but be grateful. Yeah. Uh, and I think gratitude is the thing that, uh, is the cure for envy. Yeah. Because if you recognize that, you have to end with, like, I am fully loved. Right. And so that means that if I am fully loved, God has the best for me. So it's a lie. If I had this, I would be happy. Well, that. And also you have to reckon with the fact that I bring nothing to the table that accomplishes anything meaningful for me in the eyes of God, that everything that I need, Jesus did for me and gives to me through no effort of my own. So I have no. I have no way to compare myself to others. Because no matter how well I think I may or may not stack up, the fact of the matter is none of us stack up. But through the blood of Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection, we do stack up. Romans 5:8 will say, God shows his love for us in this. That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. So remembering that allows us to tap into the depth of God's love for us. Yeah. And doesn't take away sometimes the hardness. Like, I think about folks that, like, their envy might be rooted in the fact that they have just wanted to be married their whole life, and they've not. They don't have a spouse. They wanted to have kids, and they can't. And. And it doesn't take away the heart. But there is a replacement and a mindset. I love the gratitude and all that. The quote that you. The catechism. Just because it can reorient even in the midst of all of those other feelings and all of those that can creep in. So, I mean, I do think it's this constant reset and just. And, you know, work in a way in our own hearts to kind of orient ourselves around God's goodness and his and all that he's done for us and that we do bring nothing to the table. So I think that's really important, though, because contentment isn't about pretending like everything's perfect. It's not about settling for less. Right. It's about bringing our true feelings to Jesus, putting them down before him and letting him. That's right. And reminding him, like, God is still faithful. Yeah. And it comes from remembering what is true. Right? That's right. And so even as I was saying through the things from that first catechism question, you know, that I'm not my own, but I have been bought. Like, remember, those are the things that maybe we need to tell ourselves. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Question for the week for us. Is there somebody that you can celebrate this week instead of comparing yourself to them? Um, or an area of your life that you need to be honest about your dissatisfaction and give it over to the Lord? So I'm not asking everyone to go and tell that one person or thing, but really, even for everybody listening, if we can think about that, man. What's one step? What's one person or an area of my life? What do you guys think? Is there a different place we should aim at or anything you've got on that, Holly? No, I'm putting you on. Well, I just. I think sometimes obedience comes before the feeling. So I think sometimes just being obedient of celebrating, uh, someone even though you don't feel it. But I was kind of wrestling with this question and thinking through, and my friend Laura kept coming to mind. And Laura is one of those people that celebrates everything with you, no matter what milestone you have, big or little. She's the first call, the first text, the first one to say, like, hey, I'm so happy for you. And I was like, like, what? What makes that different? It's like, well, Laura just oozes Jesus. Like, she is so confident in her identity and who Christ is, that. That is just what pours out of her. And so I think that's what it looks like when you truly get there. But sometimes to get there, you have to start with, like, okay, I'm just gonna obey, and I'm gonna ask the Lord to change my heart and see what he does from there. That's good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, man. I think, uh, this is going to be maybe a little blunt, but, like, I would say, stop checking your bank account balance. Um, I think that, for me is something that, like, uh, when I know I'm starting to get a little bit maybe sideways in the area of envy, it's like a symptom to be like, I'm just checking to see. It's like, nothing's changed. Nothing has changed in the last 25 minutes. Why are you. And if it did, what would matter? It's really not that important. But what are you going to do about it? You know, like, what do you. So I think, uh, I just think practically, like, you gotta find something to replace that with. Spend time in Scripture. Spend time in God's word. Remind yourself of who Jesus is, that he's given you everything you need. Um, that you don't. Even if you don't get one more thing that everything you have or everything you need, you already have. Yeah. And there's no doubt that social media scrolling is going to make this harder for you. So, Holly, you said it. Well, as far as the feeling that you have when you're getting off of there, but I mean, maybe that's not even the feeling you have, but it is not going to leave you feeling more full and replacing that some of that time, all of that time, if you can, with something else. Because it is so true. You're just. It is, it is mathematically geared to make you want to be. Compare yourself to the things that are your weaknesses and also make algorithms do that and also make you feel like you're right there. Yeah. And if you just did a little bit more, you'd be there. You can push back on that, like, unfollow people who are pushing you that way and choose that the people that show up on your feed are ones that make you feel good, point you to Jesus, encourage you, and get rid of the ones that don't. That's so good. That's so true. Yeah. I think maybe I, maybe this is just speaking to myself, identifying the areas that you do tend to be competitive, most competitive. And so, I mean, there are a lot that float into my mind. Uh, you know, one that feels a little bit relevant right now is, uh, I recently changed positions here at the church and so stepped out of a ministry, and I'm now leading a different ministry area. And there is a little part of me that I'd say, hands down, like, I want young adults to grow and thrive, just not as much. If it did with you, if it like doubled next week, I think part of me would be like, oh, what did I do? What does that say? And so I think we probably all have. That's something in our life that if it blew up, would sting a little bit and maybe just confess that. Yeah. Uh, begin there and then say, God, why would I not want the greatest good for that thing and those people and for you, God, really, that you'd be glorified through it. So, uh, whatever that might be, think through. Well, thank you guys for joining. It's been a great weekend. Incredible. Probably all going to go and get some rest, hopefully as we head out of this place. Thanks so much. If you are joining us, uh, for beyond the Message. So glad that you joined us. If before you leave, make sure you go ahead and like and subscribe so that next week you can get pinged with the next beyond the Message. And in the meantime, make sure you check out other resources we have on our app on our website so that you can grow right where you're at. And we'll see you next week.