Sometimes our plans in life can be misdirected and net us emptiness. When we decide to live selfishly and aren’t open to where God is leading us, we effectively put God “in a box” by limiting ourselves from the vast potential for light and goodness He wants to bring to our lives. Each of our guests this week had life experiences that required them to let go of their ideas of what their lives were supposed to look like so that they could grow into the plans that God had for them. Jesse Bradley admits he never thought he'd ever be a pastor. His goals were professional sports, and he achieved that success. But when his body had an allergic reaction to some medication he was taking, he had to make a shift and found God transforming him for new pursuits and new passions. Tovares and Safa Grey have—in a very short time—helped many young people navigate the world of dating and relationships. They understand that many young people feel the pressure of being in a relationship. They feel the key to staying open to what will unfold in our lives is letting go so that we don't put God in a box. This place of compromise is a scary place—a mental battleground—but it holds tremendous potential for God’s goodness to manifest itself in our lives.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Nate Pyle

Upcoming interview: Tamera Mowry-Housley

PFR

Thank you to our sponsor, Samaritan’s Purse!

Jesse Bradley

Grace Community Church

University of Minnesota 

Golden Gophers 

Dartmouth College

C.S. Lewis

Psalm 63:8 NIV

Psalm 62:8 NIV

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Every Group

www.jessebradley.org 

Tovares and Safa Grey

Godly Dating 101

Proverbs 5 NIV

Ephesians 5:25 NIV

www.godlydating101.com

Interview Quotes:

“The inside story is the real story and the full story. And sometimes you're the only one who knows it and God knows the inside story as well. And the outside looked like success, but the inside for me, there was emptiness.” - Jesse Bradley

“Pain has been a big part of my transformation.” - Jesse Bradley

“You want a godly marriage, you want a healthy marriage. But there are some people who desire a marriage because everyone else on their timeline is married.” - Tovares Grey

“My advice to other young people who are dating today, don't limit God to your idea of who you think you should be with.” - Safa Grey

“[God's] concerned about every single aspect of our lives. He wants us to talk to Him. He wants us to have a relationship.” - Safa Grey

“At the end of the day, everything points back to God, and so we have to date with that intention in mind.” - Safa Grey

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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!

Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 

Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 

Jesus Listens: Stori