followHIM - When have you found strength through Christ to do hard things? • followHIM Favorites • Oct 9 - Oct 15

Episode Date: October 5, 2023

Hank Smith and John Bytheway answer a question from this week's Come, Follow Me study.Please rate and review the podcast which makes it easier to find.Show Notes (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese): https://followhim.co/new-testament-episodes-41-52/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followhimpodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FollowHimOfficialChannelThanks to the followHIM team:Shannon Sorensen: Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesJamie Neilson: Social Media, Graphic DesignAnnabelle Sorensen: Creative Project ManagerWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish Transcripts"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com/products/let-zion-in-her-beauty-rise-piano

Hello, my friends. Welcome to Follow Him Favorites. My name is Hank Smith. I'm here with the fabulous John, by the way. Welcome, John. Thank you. John, we're going to have a good day. Follow Him Favorites. We're going to answer a single question from this week's lesson. We're in Philippians and Colossians today. Is that how you say it, John? Colossians and Colossians. I usually say both. And then I know that, you know, I've got them covered somehow. Yeah. You've covered all your bases. The question comes from Philippians chapter four, verse 13. And you probably know that verse is the youth theme for the church this year. The question is this, when have you found strength through Christ to do hard things? Because the verse says I can do all things

through Christ, which strengthens me. When I was a bishop, I used to have one of those little plastic flexible bracelets that had Philippians 4.13 on it, because sometimes I just didn't feel up to the task. That would help me think, well, Jesus told Peter he could walk on water. And if the Lord asks you and the Lord says, come, then you can do it. I think the world's self-help approach is I can do all things, period. But this is I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. There are some things that even the gospel asks us to do, which we're like, I just don't know if I can do that. Well, with Christ, you can.

That's what this is telling us. Yeah. I think I've seen in my life that when I think I can do all things, it's actually a pretty poor show. I usually say I can do all things on my own, and then I fall flat on my face. I'm grateful that Paul adds this. I can do all things through Christ, which strengthened me. I think in context too, John, we need to understand that Paul is saying, I can withstand trials. I don't know if he's saying, I could run a world record marathon or something, 100-yard dash. Yeah, I think he's saying, I can withstand the difficulties that I'm in. The previous verses are about the difficulties he's in. He said, I have learned wherever I am, I need to be content. And then he says, I can do that through Christ who strengthens me.

I've seen that in family and friends who have been able to just survive and even thrive in difficult, difficult trials. They attribute that to the power of the savior being with them yeah even some like the power to forgive you know i can't do that i can't do that on my own but perhaps with the savior and his power maybe i can do that that's where that verse really has some power and those kind of times real trials real, needing to move on from something difficult. Yeah. When it says, I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me, I think it's not just thinking about Jesus, but it's doing the things he has asked us to do.

So I can do all things because I read my scriptures, because Christ has asked me to. I can do all things because I attend the temple, because Christ has asked me to. It's just not this idea of, I put a picture up of Jesus,. I can do all things because I attend the temple because Christ has asked me to. It's just not this idea of, I put a picture up of Jesus, now I can do all things. It's, I can do all things through the commandments of Christ, which strengthen me.

Doing those things that allow the spirit to come into you, gives you a power beyond your own. Absolutely. We hope you'll join us on our full podcast. It's called Follow Him. You can get it wherever you get your podcasts. This week, we're with Sister Lori Denning,

and you will love what she does with this lesson. And then join us next week right here for another Follow Him Favorites.