Israel & Rachel Campbell "SOUP" Podcast
Join us for an exciting Season 2 of our podcast, which garnered over 7000 downloads last year! Your hosts, Rachel and Israel Campbell, are back to take you on an incredible journey. In this podcast, we invite you into the ongoing dialogues about life, love, parenting, relationships, spirituality, and whatever else sparks our interest!
Our motivation for creating this podcast remains unchanged: we believe that discipleship should encompass more than just a classroom experience; it should be a way of life. Drawing inspiration from Jesus' interactions with his disciples, we see that it was far from a traditional classroom setup. Instead, it was a continuous exchange of teachings and discussions encompassing all facets of life.
Imagine savoring a delicious bowl of soup – that's what our podcast is like. We're here to engage in honest and unfiltered conversations, covering a wide spectrum of topics. And now, we invite you to share this podcast with your friends, family members, or coworkers, just as you'd share a great meal. Just like Jesus and his disciples, we're here to explore the richness of life together!
So, come join us for another season of candid conversations as we dive into a little bit of everything – from the profound to the lighthearted!
Israel & Rachel Campbell "SOUP" Podcast
Season 2 | Episode 3 "What's the best that can happen" Adventurous Living: The Power of Faith and Positivity
Are you tired of always expecting the worst? Isn't it time we flipped the switch and started asking, "What's the best that could happen?" Join us on this transformative journey and learn how to make decisions fueled by faith, trust in God's plan, and the power of positive declarations. We'll be sharing inspiring personal stories and exploring what it means to live with a spirit of expectancy, knowing that God is guiding our path.
We'll also examine the power of positive declarations, how speaking God's word over our lives can effect significant changes. Drawing on the wisdom of Philippians 4:6, we'll discuss how to acknowledge our pain and needs, allowing God to step in during our most anxious moments. Learn to view yourself and your current situation through the lens of God's future promise and understand the importance of declaring God's word over your life.
Lastly, we'll explore the power of encouragement, prayer, and acceptance. By taking a closer look at the biblical figure of Barnabas, the Encourager, we'll discuss how to uplift not only ourselves but also those around us. Discover how to serve God's kingdom and spread the good news to those struggling. Understand how prayer and speaking God's word can bring about the best possible outcomes and restore identities. Join us and let's shift our perspective together.
Yeah, and so back.
Speaker 2:You told me to start, but then you were the divine in her.
Speaker 1:Oh, I thought you were like saying start with the winner. You're going through the broadcast.
Speaker 2:You start.
Speaker 1:Hello, you start Go ahead. Okay, we need a director for this show. Restart it, you go.
Speaker 2:Okay. So if I was going to start, I was going to go like this Welcome back to episode three, where we're going to be talking about the phrase that we want to get into all of our heads, and it is what is the best that could happen. That needs music to it.
Speaker 1:What is the?
Speaker 2:best that could happen. We live in a world that constantly is thinking about the future, saying what's the worst thing that could happen. I don't know if my kids should go to the movies. What? If there's a bad person, what's the worst that could happen? What are the plane crashes? And so we don't chase life because we're thinking about the worst case scenario and we just want to say maybe God wants you to begin to say what's the best that could happen?
Speaker 1:That is so good Like really making decisions could be life changing, if this begin to be your motto.
Speaker 1:Now insurance agents don't want you to think like that. Adjusters don't want you to think like that. You know, because it's the, that some people are just naturally consistently always thinking what is the worst that can happen. But as Christ followers, we really should be, because of knowing what eternity is. Oh my goodness, we don't have to make decisions based in fear, but we get to make decisions based in faith. So I think that that is a great mantra. I think it's a great way of living. But how do we begin to do that if we're not doing it intuitively now?
Speaker 1:I think, something that helps me and you do, that is because we've lost loved ones early and because of that, so you think we have to lose, like if you're, if you don't have that, you have to go lose somebody to get it Just go ahead.
Speaker 2:I think really sometimes it's important to say really, the worst thing happening is that I'm with the Lord.
Speaker 2:And I think some people can be paralyzed by that, but I think eternity is a lot closer in our hearts. Since we have loved ones so close in our hearts and also in eternity, it makes you live with a different perspective. I don't know about you, but I want to fulfill my days to the best possible, knowing that people that we loved had dreams when they died. You know, there are people that we love that wanted to keep living and God called them home. And we are not promised tomorrow, and I used to.
Speaker 2:I remember the first time you said let's go overseas, to Australia, and I'm like, no thanks, we've got little kids. I don't want to be on a plane for 14 hours. I used to be afraid of airplanes, even small ones, you know, like a one hour flight, and I had to get over that and allow God to literally deliver me of this debilitating fear. Can you imagine if I was so afraid of flying? We never have done all of the things that we've got To do in our life, and though the life that God has given us partly is because we have come to him and allowed him to break negativity and fear and worry off of us and begin to say you know, if God's for me what's the best that could happen.
Speaker 1:Well, and it's that old story and I think we said it or heard that old story when we were moving to LA, because everybody was kind of like, huh, why would you move to LA? There's this, there's this, there's this, and it's that old saying. I think there's a story back in, like the 1800s were like, or 1700s, or were they sent a missionary or, I'm sorry, shoe salesmen to Africa and Two of them, and the first ones like telegram to back get me home, nobody here wear shoes. And another one telegraphed it said send me a shipment of everything we have because no one here wears shoes.
Speaker 1:And it's kind of that mentality of in life we really do get to choose what is the worst that can happen. Or, in this episode, no, really reframing our mind what is the best that can happen and Really begin to live this adventurous Dreams. And it doesn't mean that we're dumb, it doesn't mean that we are our throw caution to the wind, but it does mean, when it comes to God's dreams and God's calls, come on, what is the best that can happen. And actually New Testament theology Would say that because Paul Goes to these cities and until the spirit of God said no, he would just go okay, what's the best that can happen? We'll go launch another church over here. We'll go launch another church over here, and so it's being led by the Holy Spirit, but with action, instead of twiddling your thumbs and getting by it. So I love that. So do you have a couple things?
Speaker 2:I do Action and expectation. What are you? How much can you trust God to catch you when you fall? And Israel and I have made some really dumb decisions. We've done some things that weren't the wisest in our 20s and early 30s. Now we're very wise. We do only the wise and smart things to do so. But we have lived a life where we laugh at some things because, wow, god came through when we messed up.
Speaker 2:Yeah and so the thing is, sometimes we're paralyzed because we're afraid of making the wrong decision, and a prayer that we started praying was God will you make it impossible for us to make the wrong decision so we can passionately and expectantly chase after you, knowing that you're going to shut doors and you're gonna direct our path, because our hearts are pure and we Want what you want. So I think that's just a really good way to live, and it is in the natural of maybe a little more Irresponsible sometimes, but, oh my gosh, the laughs, the adventures and the fruit of what God has done we are, yes, has been pretty Extravagant yeah, and we wouldn't have had the stories or the fun or the relationships had we, because we were in Seattle with all of our family.
Speaker 1:At one time, young, we had Phoebe, just you and me. All of our family was in the Seattle area and we got a prophetic word. Harold Woodson gave us a prophetic word when we were youth pastors that the Holy Spirit would not allow us to make a mistake, and that was kind of that reference to Paul, is it? The Holy Spirit wouldn't allow him to go to the wrong place and we just lived that way of like, okay, and so we went on an adventure, on an adventure to Florida where we would not have, we would have known what a multicultural church was unless we would have gone there. And then we took that to North Carolina and and actually got to be a part of the making of a multicultural church, which then, I think, propelled us even to LA and now it's. You know, some people see our church are like how did you guys get so this or that? But it was the the Holy Spirit wouldn't allow us. And so every adventure we have taken has been what's the best that can happen and I love that.
Speaker 1:I, you know, I was just on a podcast last Saturday and not to name drop not to name drop, and it was a gospel Street podcast, and so he usually Interviews like ex-gang members, people that have that are have been in prison. And then it was me, white Israel. It was awesome, but he asked about just me, how do you stay so positive? And he was just kind of saying that and I was like I don't know, I don't know, and it made me actually think about like well, why would I be positive? And I think I do kind of look at things Positive. I am an eternal optimist sometimes, and I think it even bugs you, rachel, because it might be something that really needs to be deal, dealt with and I'm like Don't talk negative, let's go positive. And, and so I I just kind of thought about what does that do? And so a couple of the things that I Again it goes with how do I change our thinking? What is the best that can happen would be one thing is you have to be able to reframe your yesterday and so and that's a, that's a. That's a hard thing to do, but we can.
Speaker 1:We live in such a society that looks at yesterday and becomes even greater victims instead of reframing it to become greater victors and and and so, like we, there's. There's nobody that I know that does not have a hard past. I have never yet met a person where their life was just so easy. Wow, it's always a story, but it is. How do you Reframe that? Is it reframed to us? This made me better. You know the hurts, the loss of life, the moments that we didn't do well in. Like, we look back and I think we've worked really well at reframing that that, yeah, it was difficult, but it taught me this. Yeah, it was difficult, but God sustained us. Yeah, that was devastating, that that relationship just dissolved, but man, god used it for a moment and I'm so thankful for that moment and now it's positioned me for the future. And so I would say, if you want to start having that mantra of mantra, mantra, which one is it?
Speaker 2:I like mantra, it sounds well read.
Speaker 1:Mantra is what is the best that can happen? Start reframing what happened to you yesterday. Stop being the victim. Start reframing it. That it's actually what has caused you to be a victor or an overcomer today.
Speaker 2:So that's mine. I love that so much. It's so important because the enemy will come in and magnify all of the dirt. But you know, people of God, Can we?
Speaker 1:stop there just for a second. Sorry, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but this makes up for all the times you've interrupted me Never. But isn't that kind of part of the problem with society now is like an even Christian counseling or counseling. We love it, we're believers in it, but a lot of times they try to go back to those things and then they get fixated. Stay there, that's your name.
Speaker 2:now that's your identity yeah. And I think it's really really, really important to go back to things. But I know that there's an art with God.
Speaker 2:I believe that there's an art to going past, going into your past, seeing the dirt and then allowing God to also show you the gold, because there's always gold in that dirt, there is always gold in that dirt and you're either going to get dirty and stay dirty and make your last name dirty or you're going to go wow, I am a miracle and God in the midst of the things that tried to ruin me. Actually, he established me and he anointed my head with oil in the presence of the enemy that tried to take me out, and he uses that on my life now. But have you ever heard somebody give a testimony and you're like I think that you still need to find gold. There's some gold in there, because it's just a lot of dirt and you feel a little dirty after hearing it. But then you hear somebody else's story and you just like, you feel God, you see God, you smell God all over it and it feeds your faith, and so I love that.
Speaker 2:Israel, david Campbell, philippians 4-4-6, is just what I want to just read and you can break it down. But I want to read this because I think that this is how you begin to stop saying what's the worst that could happen, be paralyzed by fear, anxiety and worry, and you begin to look forward to the good things God has in. Philippians 4-4-6 says rejoice in the Lord always, not during the good stuff, but God. Right now we're having some medical issues with our daughter Chloe. They're kind of scary because the doctors can't find what's going on.
Speaker 2:We are rejoicing for what is coming in her life. We know there'll be answers, but we also know that God is framing and forming her story in the midst of it. Rejoice in the Lord always and again, not once, but do it over and over and over. I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. That means the Lord is always working. Verse 6 says be anxious for nothing, but in everything, even the anxious moments, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. To me that just means You're. You're acknowledging the need, you're acknowledging the pain.
Speaker 1:But you're not ignoring it to God?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you're allowing the God who is redemptive to take part in even that moment. I love that so much and let the peace of God, which surpasses your understanding, guard your heart and guard your mind in Christ Jesus. And I just want to say that that scripture is important. If you're going to be a person who sees golden dirt, who lives through bad moments, seeing the goodness of God, this scripture is what we need to memorize and I just wrote this down. As we walk in faith, we have to see ourselves and our current situations in the light of the future promise of God, and I wrote that down in one of my morning Bible studies and I just pulled it out for this one because I think Sometimes it's so easy to be overwhelmed by bad news, overwhelmed by feeling under the weight of the world, and begin to be anxious, begin to let worry rule in your life, and we've got to see even our moments of chaos in the light of the future promises of God.
Speaker 1:I love that and I'm, paul says, and again I say rejoice. He knows we needed it twice and it is, you know, process of this things. What is the best that can happen is gonna probably gonna take a process for you to shift, or us to shift our mind when it comes to things. And so Paul's saying Rejoice, and then, guess what, rejoice again, and we don't just rejoice when it's good. I love that. I wrote for me. I was raised I know for a period of time you were raised this way to Rachel but my family was raised in a Faith environment. On what you say is so important and I think when I was younger I kind of even mocked it because it was kind of like my mom would always be like is that your confession?
Speaker 2:And so I would say I'm kind of tired today. Is that your confession?
Speaker 1:It was drilled into me is that your confession, and I would kind of mock it. But when I'm starting to think about how come you're so positive or how come you live in a way that says what is the best that can happen, it actually, I think, has a lot to do with what comes out of our mouth. And so I remember being in like high school and at my Christian school, and it was like we, we don't have retreats, we have advances. We don't say we're retreating. That I was like that's overkill.
Speaker 1:But I think it's always stayed with me that what you know, the power that life and death are held in the power of the tongue, and those who love it are gonna eat the fruits of that. And so I just think declaring God's word will begin to cause you to believe what's the best that can happen versus what's the worst that can happen. And so just learning to be a person that Really declares God's word over situations and I mean that could probably be a whole nother podcast on how to do that, what is the practical, how do you do that is, or how do you declare God's word so many different things but I feel like it's just really important to Start declaring things, you know, declaring it over your wife declare, I mean, we declare it over our.
Speaker 2:Is that why you always tell me how beautiful I am? I how much energy I have know that speaking those things that aren't as though they are no, I am not.
Speaker 1:I am only a Beholder of beauty, and so when I find the gold, no, honestly, you're really good at that.
Speaker 2:You do that over our kids, you do that over our city, you do that over our church really well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we just there's power in it and there's some people are like I'm not just positive thinking, that's the word of God. Yeah, the Bible says that Jeremiah says I'm too young and God says do not say that. And so it's not a matter of positivity, it's a matter of God does not want us to declare Negative things. He wants us to speak things by faith and we're coming into agreement with either or.
Speaker 1:Exactly what are your words? Coming into agreement with the worst that can happen, or the best that can happen? And you know, and the world is trying to grab a hold of that, and Christians aren't, they're like, and you know all of these things. Well, the actually that's Christianity. Christianity, yeah, it's declaring God's word, like you said, declaring those things that aren't as though they are, and there is power in declaring God's word. So I saw you looking at your notes.
Speaker 2:Would you know what? This Easter, one week before Easter, I heard the Holy Spirit Challenge me not to speak bad about any other ministries, pastors any kind, anything that's kingdom. And it was in a season. I was like, yeah, of course I'm not gonna do that. Holy Spirit, yes, I will, for one week up until Easter, not speak bad about anything that pastors are doing, that churches, like whatever right. He wasn't asking me not to not speak bad about non-christians. I felt the direction of God to not speak one negative thing about anybody else. That's a believer and can I just tell you it was so tested that week.
Speaker 2:I remember there were some things that had happened and it made me so frustrated and my flesh Wanted to talk about it and be like that is wrong and, you know, have righteous indignation and and righteous judgment and all these things. And the Holy Spirit was on Me that week like, listen, you are praying for the lost, but the lost need a safe place and you talking about the kingdom and you turning on each other is Not a safe place for a non-believer to land. Can I trust you? It's like guys, it was the hardest week and I felt so convicted by the end of it Whoa how much in my godliness I was talking bad about other believers that probably were doing some things that maybe weren't great, maybe, and I really got convicted because, as much as we needed to declare those things that they are and not talk about negative, we also don't need to be judgmental and self-righteous and have a religious spirit, and that is what I had, and I'm telling you my family. We need to know what generational things are, you know, like a stronghold in our families. My family has always had a stronghold of spiritual pride and Probably a lot of families who are second and third Christians have that.
Speaker 2:But I, I've been working really hard. I'm not been perfect and I'm telling you the world is not helping right now, but I just have been just like just Disciplining my mouth, yeah, and giving it to God like I don't need an opinion on this. No one needs my opinion. That's destructive and divisive, you know. And so what's the best thing that can happen in the kingdom of God if we stop being so stinking religious and judgmental?
Speaker 2:Hello what could, what could God do? And our kids? You know, it's so easy to go. Well, this kid's lazy, this one of my kids lazy, this one of my kids has no direction, this one my kids has this and, and it's easy, anyone can see those things. But people of God begin to pull out gold and and go. You know, they might seem lazy but really they are very highly creative and we need to help push them into that. And they're a creative genius and don't. They're maybe bored with life right now, or this person's bossy, but really they're Administrative. Yeah, god's called and equipped them. We need to begin to frame the world, the people in our world, our own situations, and not such a self-righteous, religious, super spiritual way judgey, judging things and breathing life onto the people around us, our churches, our own lives, all those things.
Speaker 1:I love that. Was that your point, or were you just? Oh, that was your testimony.
Speaker 2:Time I.
Speaker 1:Remember that week too, because it would you know, with social media or something, and I can remember you're like kid, did you? And then you were like quiet, did I? Did I what? You're like nothing. What are you wanting to talk about? Like why won't you talk about it? You're like nope, I'm not gonna say it. And we're like what is it? Like we were like concerned, like we should know it. You're like no, the Holy Spirit told me not to. And then we're like, oh Well, the Holy Spirit needs to tell us to stop trying to listen to for bad stuff.
Speaker 2:If we talk negatively. Itching ears want to know right, like we all feed off of it, and so we just have to change her diet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I would have never put you and I, as, like you, know, people that work, because we don't go then out and like no, we're not like that kind of it. But I did but yeah, you start like okay, if I compared myself to my friends, I'm great.
Speaker 2:I don't talk about. I'm always sitting there like, oh my gosh. But to God standard I wasn't doing a good job, and I think that that's not something that we do all the time. We're really careful because we've been talked about yeah but um still that spirit, that religious spirit is so toxic. And it creeps in as righteousness and makes me on a puke.
Speaker 1:I love it. Okay, so what is the best that can happen? Going back to trying to grab a hold of that framework mantra whatever you want to call it temporary tattoo but one of the things that I wrote was Encourage somebody else what the best can happen. So part of I know for me, one of my secret codes, superpowers is I love to encourage other people, and I don't think that I was probably good at it in the beginning. I don't think I've always been good at that, but it's almost like somewhere the Holy Spirit taught me this and now it is. I Do it often and I want to even do it more is if I'm starting to Get what's the worst that can happen. I want to speak over somebody else, what the best can happen and so that would could be a pastor, where I know is going through something and I'm going through something, but instead of focusing on what I'm going through, I focus on faith for that person, and then what's crazy is it's kind of one of our ministries is those that refresh. Others are often refreshed, and so how do you get that that?
Speaker 1:What is the best that can happen? Train yourself to be in an encourager to those around you, encourage your boss, and you're doing a great job. I love working with you, encouraging your kids when they're in knucklehead and finding that one thing, that man they are doing so good at, and encourage them. Encouraging your mother-in-law, encouraging a neighbor oh, your yard always looks so good. But just learning to be an encourager and the Bible actually says that Barnabas was known as the Encourager, and so it's a biblical thing for us to learn how to encourage one another unto good works. And so how do we get that?
Speaker 1:What is the best that can happen? Become a professional In courage, or, and I think that, like, if I and I'm not going anywhere, I don't have a resume. But if I was to have a resume and they were to say what are, what would be, your good qualities? I think I could list of some bad qualities, but one that I think I'm getting better at and I keep on pushing towards is learning how to be an encourager, and People need that, but I don't just do it for them. It actually has a benefit, it helps me.
Speaker 2:Gosh, and I think that, um, one of the most genuinely and authentic things we can do to lift our own spirits and begin to see the future in a good way is always by pouring into somebody else and seeing somebody else and and being useful in God's kingdom, like allowing him to use us to help someone else. I Think about like Sometimes we're good at encouraging people that are doing awesome, because then we have good things to say, but what about encouraging the people that are doing really bad and they're super lonely and they're just not doing well and they're on the outside looking in? I really believe that God honors us Finding ways to encourage those kind of people.
Speaker 2:I was at a birthday party last Saturday I'm gonna shout out the name Alyssa Garcia. It was her birthday and it was around a table of a bunch of very successful women in the industry here in LA and Alyssa's been very Instrumental in all of their lives and they were going around the table about Alyssa and they were just saying what Alyssa has been to them and every one of them said you're here when I need you. You're consistent in my life, you're always positive, you always make me feel like I can do it. That's what. That's the greatest compliment right and.
Speaker 2:I'm like that's my friend, that's who I need to be hanging around because Alyssa gets it and shout out to you Alyssa, she's a church member and way more than that to us, family. Yeah, but Alyssa, that really ministered to me is that's the kind. That's what I want to be spoken about me when I'm not around. Is that when Rachel's around, I feel better about myself, I'm more confident? Not, I feel insecure. When Rachel's around, no, I want people to go. I feel empowered when Rachel's around because she believes in my future.
Speaker 2:Okay, so here's a scripture verse, philippians 4-8, and we all know this one, but it goes with this how do we live a life? What's the best that can happen is by this. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever's just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are, have a good report if there's any virtue and if there's any praise. Meditate on these things. And I just want to talk about this word, good report.
Speaker 2:In the Greek, the word good report is a combination word, and it means you, which is EU, and it means well Like you, then FIM, and it means a saying so. When you put those two words together, a good report means to speak well of. Wow, I love that that's in Philippians, because we need to be people that can be guaranteed you can rely on. Israel and Rachel are going to speak well of me when I'm not around. Wow, I want people to trust that their name is safe on my lips when they're not there. I want to be the kind of person that is speaking a good report about churches, about even our world, about our Leaders, about political season. Can we give a good report through the eyes of the promises of God are going to be fulfilled in our future and we do not have to respond with negative fear and I mean, if we're gonna live in a, what is the best that can happen?
Speaker 1:I mean, I'm all about knowing. You know, I'm always watching the news. I want to know what's happening in our world, but it is not my main diet and you know the way to reverse that. What is the worst that can happen? Just keep Fox News on all day, just keep CNN on all day, and he will not be like what's the best that can happen. You will be like oh my gosh the worst is happening.
Speaker 2:I already happen in your come stingy.
Speaker 1:Yes, we're becoming. You know, lock up, make sure you dig a tunnel and you know all of that kind of stuff, and we just can't live that way. You can't live out what is the best that can happen. If you do that and you can't, I don't, I don't. I think the word that I, like Rachel, is to limit it. It's not, we're not. I'm gonna be Amish and you know just very our heads.
Speaker 1:It's no, I'm gonna limit the amount of that toxic you know thing, but I still want to be aware, but I just it's not gonna be my main staple of diet, so awesome and can I just add at the end of this as Christians, we do not need to be afraid of sinners, we do not need to be afraid of woke people.
Speaker 2:I keep hearing it. It's like you know what? What did Jesus come to do? To seek and save the lost. And so even when we're looking at the scariest, most heart-hearted sinner that we know that's messed up in their ideology mix, messed up in their sexuality. What's the best that could happen? The best that could happen is that they get healed, that they get planted in the house of the Lord, that they become a child of God and their identities become restored and they, like Saul to Paul, they have this moment where the shackles fall off of their eyes, they recognize the love of God that abolishes fear and confusion and all of a sudden, we begin to do what God's called us to do to spread the good news to the least of these, to the ones messed up. Can we?
Speaker 2:do that what's the best thing that could happen?
Speaker 1:What's the best thing that can happen. Love you guys. We'll see you next week.
