The American Soul
The American Soul
Seeking God's Approval in a World Obsessed with Validation
The American Soul Podcast explores the vital importance of prioritizing God and family in our daily lives while finding our ultimate validation in God's approval rather than human commendation.
• Scripture from 2 Corinthians 10:18 reminds us that self-commendation means little compared to God's approval
• Examining what we make time for reveals our true priorities—do we prioritize God and our spouses?
• Medal of Honor recipient Wallace A. Beckwith exemplifies courage and service at just 19 years old
• Abigail Adams' 1775 letter showcases unwavering trust in God despite facing war, separation, and potential loss
• Harvard's 1646 founding principle centered on knowing Jesus Christ—a stark contrast to modern education
• America's greatness stems from our relationship with God, not our own merit or achievements
• We must return to placing God at the center of education, relationships, and national identity
God bless you and your families, God bless your marriages, God bless America, and God bless your nation wherever you are around the world.
The American Soul Podcast
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe
Hey folks, this is Jesse Cope, back with another episode of the American Soul Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well, wherever y'all are, whatever part of the day you're in. Sure do appreciate you giving me a little bit of your time and attention. I will try and use it wisely. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast with others, tell others about it. Thank you so much Y'all. Help it to spread. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you Incredibly grateful for your prayers Need them, want them. And for those of y'all who are joining us on the other podcast listening to Countryside, the Book of the Wise. I'm glad you're over there too, so appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Father, thank you for today. Thank you for you, father, and your Son Jesus Christ, and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of sins through the merit of your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive us when we forget you, father. Forgive us when we imagine, in the vanity of our own hearts and minds, that we have done all of this, that we are somehow so great and wonderful that we don done all of this, that we are somehow so great and wonderful that we don't need you. Have pity on us, have mercy, have patience, father. Help us to truly repent of our sins and to turn back to you wholeheartedly, to love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, to love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to be truly grateful, father, for the blessings that you've bestowed on us. Be with those who are hurting, those who are alone around the world. Be with those who are suffering for the sake of the name of your Son, jesus Christ. Comfort them. Help us to offer whatever comfort we can. Thank you for the time to record this podcast. Thank you to the people that listen to it. Please be with them. Be with their families, guide them, bless them. Bless the marriages of those who are married, guide those who have children in raising them to know you and your son, jesus Christ. And please help us to turn our nation here in America back to you, father and your son, jesus Christ, and the nations of all those around the world who are listening in different parts of the world, the same for their nation, father, to help them to turn to you and your Son. And please bring us home to you one day, father, in your timing and God. My words here in your Son's name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:Have you? What have you made time for today? Have you made time for God and Jesus Christ? Have you made time to read the Bible, to pray, to listen, to talk to him? Are you really seeking his will? And have you made time for your spouse, if you're married, are they your top priority? Are you waking up each day and going how can I please them? How can I serve them? How can I love them, respect them? How can I serve them? How can I love them, respect them? Are you really trying to fulfill your God-given roles and responsibilities as a husband or a wife and, if not, folks? You need to answer the question. You need to be honest enough with yourself to answer the question. Why Is it because you just didn't know that you needed to, or do you just really not care that much about God or yourselves? Do you care more about your phone and social media, etc. Etc.
Speaker 1:Second, current ends, chapter 10, verses 1 through 18. Now I, paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ, though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. Well, I am begging you now so that when I come, I won't have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives. We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use god's mighty weapons not worldly weapons to knock down the strongholds of human reason and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing god. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ, and after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.
Speaker 1:Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord, but our authority builds you up, it doesn't tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority. I'm not trying to frighten you by my letters, for some say Paul's letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak and his speeches are worthless. Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away. Oh, don't worry, we wouldn't dare say that we are as wonderful as those other men who tell you how important they are, but they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement how ignorant.
Speaker 1:We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you as if we had never visited you, for we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the good news of Christ. Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. Then we will be able to go and preach the good news in other places, far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else's territory. As the scriptures say, if you want to boast, boast only about the Lord. When people commend themselves, it doesn't count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.
Speaker 1:Psalm 52, verses 1-9. A psalm of David. Regarding the time, doeg the Edomite said to Saul David has gone to see Amalek. Why do you boast about your crimes? Great warrior? Do you realize God's justice continues forever? All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor. You're an expert at telling lies. You love evil more than good and lies more than truth. You love to destroy others with your words. You liar, but God will strike you down once and for all. He will pull you from your home and uproot you from the land of the living. The righteous will see it and be amazed. They will laugh and say Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness. But I am like an olive tree thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God's unfailing love. I will praise you forever, o God, for what you have done. Proverbs 22, verses 26 through 27. Don't agree to guarantee another person's debt or put up security for someone else. If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you. You go back to 2 Corinthians 10, verse 18.
Speaker 1:When people commend themselves, it doesn't count for much.
Speaker 1:The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.
Speaker 1:That's a lot like to me. John Quincy Adams' quote about. Duty is ours, results are God's. It's hard for us as humans, right? We want to be. Most of us want to be liked, we want to be looked upon favorably Pretty much everybody in some form or fashion. Sometimes not in a very good way, maybe often but we want others to think well of us. But what really matters is what God thinks of us folks. That's what we need to remember each day. That's what I need to remember, I need to focus on, I need to remember that what other people think of me doesn't matter much, but what God thinks of me matters a great deal. It matters eternally. That's what's going to matter forever.
Speaker 1:And the other thing here just kind of smacks. You know, if somebody tells you, well, I'm not usually like this, how often is that not usually the truth? Right, they really are like that. When people say, well, I, you know, I'm just an honest guy, an honest person, if you run into somebody that often commends themselves, you have to wonder if they have to keep commending themselves. And this is true for us folks. If we have to keep telling people how great we are, are we really that great? All right, medal of Honor recipient for today, wallace A Beckwith, private US Civil War Fox Company, 21st Connecticut Infantry US Army.
Speaker 1:December 13th, 21st Connecticut Infantry US Army. December 13, 1862, fredericksburg, virginia. Gallantly responded to a call for volunteers to man a battery. Served with great heroism until the termination of the engagement. Accredited to New London, new London County, connecticut, not awarded. Posthumously Presented February 15, 1897. Born February 28, 1843, new London, new London County, connecticut. Died November 22, 1929, waterford, connecticut. Buried Jordan Cemetery. Waterford, connecticut, united States, states.
Speaker 1:This is another one of those men that saw, fought in the Civil War and lived all the way through the First World War and probably saw enough to realize that the Second World War was coming. I mean, that's impressive. And was less than 20, it looks like born in 43. So he was 19,. Give or take when he won the Medal of Honor. Wallace A Beckwith Just another name we need to remember folks Abigail Adams, september 16th 1775.
Speaker 1:1775. I set myself down to write with a heart depressed with the melancholy scenes around me. My letter will be only a bill of mortality, though thanks be to the being who restraineth the pestilence that it has not yet proved mortal to any of our family, though we live in daily expectation that Paddy will not continue many hours. And unto him who mounts the whirlwind and directs the storm, I will cheerfully leave the ordering of my lot and whether adverse or prosperous days should be my future portion, I will trust in his right hand to lead me safely through. Trust in his right hand to lead me safely through and after a short rotation of events, fix me in a state immutable and happy. Adieu. I need not say how sincerely I am your affectionate Abigail Adams Suffering through the loss of loved ones, a war around them, her husband not there.
Speaker 1:I think this was maybe a child that they were worried about losing. They did lose one or two children, and what is she still saying? And unto him who mounts the whirlwind and directs the storm, I will cheerfully lead the ordering of my lot and whether averse or prosperous day should be my future portion, I will trust in his right hand to lead me safely through and after a short rotation of events, fix me in a state immutable and happy. Do we trust God? That much Do I Do I trust God. Whether I have a job or lose a job, whether I have my children or lose my children, Whether I have my spouse or lose my spouse, whether I have love or not. Do I trust God and know that one day he will fix me, because of his son, jesus Christ, in a state of happiness forever? Joy, peace, comfort, love. Happiness forever, joy, peace, comfort, love. Is that what I'm looking for, because it hasn't been for a huge chunk of my life, folks, is that what we're focused on each day? You see this letter from Abigail to her husband and look at the end too. It's a great. I've said this before. It's a great love story. Folks, I need not say how sincerely I am your affectionate Abigail Adams. Do we trust God? Do we focus on God? If we're married, do we love our spouse? Do we make sure that they know? It's a big deal, folks, huge.
Speaker 1:A little quote here to end the day from Harvard University back in 1646, under their rules and precepts, which we've talked about often on the podcast, anytime a student entered that university, they agreed, signed. I don't know how they agreed to it, orally, or probably signed it. One of the rules and precepts that the main end of his life and studies was to know Jesus Christ. Right, based out of John 17, 3, and this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Harvard at that time acknowledged that the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning was to know Jesus Christ. How far we have fallen in our system of education, folks. How desperately we need to get back to God and Jesus Christ at the center of our education. That's what made us great folks was our relationship with God and Jesus Christ, not our own wonderfulness.
Speaker 1:I appreciate y'all joining me. Hope y'all are getting something out of it, hope you're able to share it with others, talk about it and, if you get a chance, and join us on the other podcast where we're reading, through Countryside, the Book of the Wise. Hope you're enjoying that too, and if you get a chance, you can order that book from a lot of different places online bookstores, barnes, noble, amazon, et cetera, et cetera. So, et cetera, et cetera. So God bless y'all. God bless your families, god bless your marriages. God bless America. God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world. We'll talk to y'all again real soon. Looking forward to it.