S11.06 | Knowledge Isn’t Power – Action Is
We live in an age of endless learning—but are we actually living what we know?
In this episode of Affirming Truths, Christian Mental Health Coach Carla Arges explores why knowing God’s Word isn’t enough to produce transformation. It’s not the truth you know that changes your life—it’s the truth you act on.
If you feel stuck despite reading Scripture, listening to sermons, and doing “all the right things,” this episode will help you break through. Learn how to partner with God by taking courageous, faith-filled steps and move from head knowledge to heart transformation.
Did you know that Carla is a Christian Mental Health coach?
See if working with her is what you need in your current season.
Book a discovery call today!
Knowledge Isn’t Power – Action Is
Affirming Truths Podcast – Season 11, Episode 6
It’s easy to assume that spiritual growth comes from reading the Bible, listening to sermons, or attending Christian events. And while those things matter—they’re not the full picture.
Transformation doesn’t come from consuming truth. It comes from applying it.
In this episode, Carla Arges challenges the lie that “knowing more” is the goal and gently calls Christian women into deeper obedience. Drawing from James 1:22 and Philippians 2:13, she shares why action is essential to spiritual and emotional healing—and how to take small, faithful steps that lead to lasting change.
If you’ve been stuck in cycles of learning but not living, this episode is your loving push forward.
💡 3 Key Takeaways from This Episode
✅ Knowing truth doesn’t transform you—living it does.
You can know Bible verses, trauma tools, and healing frameworks, but nothing will change unless you put them into practice. One small step of obedience unlocks transformation.
✅ Fear and perfectionism can keep you stuck in knowledge mode.
Sometimes we avoid action because we’re afraid to fail, afraid it won’t work, or afraid we’re not enough. But God isn’t asking for perfect performance—just faithful partnership.
✅ God empowers your action.
You’re not doing this alone. Philippians 2:13 reminds us that God is at work in you, both to will and to act according to His purpose. He gives the strength—you bring the yes.
📖 Scriptures Referenced:
James 1:22 – “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Philippians 2:13 – “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
🔗 Want to Go Deeper?
If this episode stirred something in you, don’t stop here. Inside Rooted & Resilient, you’ll learn how to take everything you’ve been learning—and finally live it out with support, structure, and Christ-centered guidance.
💻 Learn more and enroll at: carlaarges.podia.com/rooted-resilient
Connect With Carla:
Foundations to Healing—-> https://www.carlaarges.com/foundations-of-healing
Inquire about 1:1 coaching ---> Book a FREE Discovery call
Come hangout on IG with me @carlaarges
Check out the blog
Resources:
5 Steps to Building Resiliency
Affirming Truths Facebook Community
5 Tips for Overcoming a Negative Body Image
Who You Say I Am Biblical Affirmation Cards
TRANSCRIPT
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Carla Arges: Hey, friends, it's Carla, and I am so excited that you are joining me here.
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Carla Arges: Today, I really appreciate.
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Carla Arges: Everyone that listens to affirming truths.
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Carla Arges: And really pray that it blesses you. And today's episode is no exception. I hope that in the challenge I'm going to present to you.
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Carla Arges: You will find blessing, and more than that, you will find.
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Carla Arges: A way to implement it, to transform in your life.
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Carla Arges: From maybe fear filled to faith-filled.
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Carla Arges: So I don't know. You guys have probably heard this expression before. Knowledge is power.
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Carla Arges: Knowledge is power. We've heard that a lot, but.
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Carla Arges: I want to challenge that today.
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Carla Arges: I want us to really understand that transformation, that power doesn't come from just knowing truth.
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Carla Arges: But from living truth.
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Carla Arges: Right, I mean, we look at the enemy. He knows truth.
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Carla Arges: But how does he live? What does he do? Does he implement God's word.
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Carla Arges: Does he implement the truth.
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Carla Arges: No, and so that can easily be us, too, like we are surrounded by information and guys. Information isn't a bad thing.
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Carla Arges: Um, I'm so appreciative that you guys listen to my podcast. That you read my devotions and all of that. But we are surrounded by information.
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Carla Arges: Podcasts, devotionals, reels.
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Carla Arges: Youtube. And if we're honest.
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Carla Arges: Many of us are full of knowledge.
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Carla Arges: And yet still suck.
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Carla Arges: Full of knowledge, and yet still unhealed.
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Carla Arges: Full of knowledge, and yet still not walking boldly in their identity in Christ.
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Carla Arges: Why? Because knowledge alone doesn't lead to transformation.
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Carla Arges: Action does.
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Carla Arges: Action does, and there are so many of us, and this used to be me, too, like.
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Carla Arges: 99% of the things I talk about on this podcast are things that I once lived in.
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Carla Arges: Seasons where I was once stuck in right.
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Carla Arges: We are in this culture of learning, but not living. We read Scripture, we listen to teaching, but we don't apply it.
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Carla Arges: We get stuck in this cycle of being a learner.
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Carla Arges: Right. And there's lots of things that we hear that are sound good. Being a lifelong learner sounds good.
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Carla Arges: But we are not meant to be passive.
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Carla Arges: James. 1, 22 says, but be doers of the word, and not hearers, only deceiving yourselves.
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Carla Arges: What's the deception? The deception is that if I hear the word I'm transformed by it. The deception is, if I hear the word, then I am walking in obedience.
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Carla Arges: The deception is, if I hear the word.
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Carla Arges: Therefore God's going to bless me, and we are called not to be hearers, but to be doers of the Word.
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Carla Arges: Listen. Knowing God's word is foundational.
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Carla Arges: But it's obedience that produces fruit.
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Carla Arges: Like you saw.
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Carla Arges: The enemy in the wilderness with Jesus.
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Carla Arges: There he sometimes quoted Scripture to Jesus out of context. He knew the word enough to twist it.
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Carla Arges: But does he have fruit? No, because there's no obedience.
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Carla Arges: What is obedience? It is action.
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Carla Arges: Knowing God's word is foundational. Yes.
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Carla Arges: We want it to be so deeply rooted in our spirit, so that the holy.
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Carla Arges: Spirit can use it to correct and comfort and guide. However, in all of those things.
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Carla Arges: Action is necessary, it is obedience that produces fruit. It is.
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Carla Arges: Implementing what we learn that brings about change.
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Carla Arges: That brings about transformation that brings about growth.
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Carla Arges: But we get stuck.
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Carla Arges: And guys, there are so many reasons why we get stuck right. This is not an episode to shame, of course not.
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Carla Arges: There are valid reasons why we get stuck, while why? Why we accumulate information and don't do anything.
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Carla Arges: I mean for some of us. We're afraid of failure.
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Carla Arges: What happens if I try this new thing.
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Carla Arges: And it doesn't work.
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Carla Arges: Right? Because we have.
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Carla Arges: Deemed failure as death.
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Carla Arges: Rather than the necessary stepping stones of growth, which is what they are.
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Carla Arges: Some of the reasons why we say stuck and don't take action is because we're perfectionists, and we got to wait till the timing is just so, and the weather is just so, and everybody in my life is just so.
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Carla Arges: Before it can do anything.
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Carla Arges: Maybe for you. You're in freeze mode.
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Carla Arges: That trauma response.
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Carla Arges: Where taking action seems really scary and unsafe.
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Carla Arges: Because even when we don't like where we are in our pain.
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Carla Arges: It's familiar.
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Carla Arges: And the unfamiliar can feel unsafe in a showy freeze.
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Carla Arges: And for some of it it is really spiritual resistance.
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Carla Arges: Our flesh does not want to obey.
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Carla Arges: Our flesh wants to keep doing what it wants.
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Carla Arges: So there's so many reasons why we can be stuck.
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Carla Arges: I know for one of my clients.
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Carla Arges: We're working through some childhood trauma.
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Carla Arges: And I could sense. There was resistance in her.
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Carla Arges: For some of the things that we needed to do.
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Carla Arges: To have that breakthrough.
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Carla Arges: And I called that out that I saw that that there's this resistance.
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Carla Arges: And then having conversation.
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Carla Arges: She was resistant. Why? Because she was afraid.
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Carla Arges: Of what healing might look like.
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Carla Arges: And of course that might sound completely crazy because we're here to heal. Why would we be afraid of it?
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Carla Arges: It's because when actually, the rubber meets the road and we have to do the healing, there comes the fear of the unknown.
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Carla Arges: What will it look like if I'm healed.
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Carla Arges: What will I have to give up? What do I have to change about myself? And that can feel overwhelming, especially when we think we have to do it on our own.
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Carla Arges: Where the truth is, we don't have to do it on our own, and we shouldn't do it on our own. We should do it in partnership.
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Carla Arges: With the Holy Spirit.
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Carla Arges: And as we talk through this resistance.
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Carla Arges: And we ended up doing one of the things I wanted to do with her.
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Carla Arges: On some inner child work.
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Carla Arges: Wow! There was some breakthrough.
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Carla Arges: Some Aha! Moments, some connections that she hadn't made before.
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Carla Arges: They're now going to change how she makes some decisions.
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Carla Arges: And isn't that what really changes our life? Those individual decision changes, behavior changes that we make.
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Carla Arges: Listen when I began to do the hard things in my life.
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Carla Arges: Coming from trauma, coming from a dysfunctional family.
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Carla Arges: Having to be the caretaker of my parents. Now, when there is.
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Carla Arges: Such a history of dysfunction and hurt.
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Carla Arges: But when I began to do the hard things and face what healing and change meant.
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Carla Arges: Setting boundaries.
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Carla Arges: Rewriting my core beliefs.
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Carla Arges: Renewing my mind daily. My clients know that I beat them over the head with this. This has to be daily.
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Carla Arges: That's when transformation happened.
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Carla Arges: It happened in the action.
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Carla Arges: It happened, in the obedience.
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Carla Arges: Because guess what? Setting boundaries.
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Carla Arges: Does align to God's Word. He is the creator of boundaries. Before the fall.
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Carla Arges: Rewriting our core beliefs, renewing our mind daily.
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Carla Arges: That is obedience. We're called to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, to take thoughts captive.
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Carla Arges: Resting to get that nervous system reset that we need.
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Carla Arges: That's obedience. We're called to rest.
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Carla Arges: In fact, God knew we'd be so stubborn about resting. He actually made it one of the 10 Commandments.
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Carla Arges: This is obedience. The steps that we take in healing.
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Carla Arges: Is obedience, and they're met.
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Carla Arges: With comfort and restoration.
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Carla Arges: They're met with courage and strength.
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Carla Arges: So how do we move from knowing to doing? I'm going to give you 3 tips.
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Carla Arges: 3 tips to move from knowing.
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Carla Arges: To doing. The 1st one is.
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Carla Arges: Start small and stay consistent.
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Carla Arges: You want to know why all these New Year's resolutions fail half the time.
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Carla Arges: Is because they don't start small.
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Carla Arges: You know, like the health, the health, New Year's resolutions. I'm going to start working out and eating better.
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Carla Arges: And drinking more water and getting more sleep and and and and and we're trying to change everything all at once, and that is never.
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Carla Arges: Successful. But if we start small.
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Carla Arges: And stay consistent.
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Carla Arges: That's where we build momentum towards change.
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Carla Arges: Right. One verse applied in our life is better than 10 chapters memorized and never lived out.
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Carla Arges: Obedience doesn't need to be dramatic. It just needs to be faithful.
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Carla Arges: It just needs to be faithful.
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Carla Arges: What is one small thing you can start doing today.
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Carla Arges: Maybe it's I'm going to start renewing my mind.
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Carla Arges: By speaking one consistent truth over myself every day for 30 days.
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Carla Arges: Right, and so too.
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Carla Arges: What did I just do? I created a plan for implementation. I started small.
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Carla Arges: Renewing my mind from one lie.
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Carla Arges: And then you create an implementation plan.
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Carla Arges: I'm going to speak one truth.
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Carla Arges: Out loud daily to myself for 30 days.
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Carla Arges: When I finish brushing my teeth in the morning.
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Carla Arges: Right. Stacking it to another. Habit is a great way to stay consistent.
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Carla Arges: And 3. We partner with God for courage and strength.
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Carla Arges: In Philippians 2, 13, we read, for it is God who works in you, in us.
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Carla Arges: To will, and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
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Carla Arges: God gives us the strength God equips us. What is he looking for? He's looking for our yes.
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Carla Arges: He's looking for our surrender. He's looking for us to say. I will go.
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Carla Arges: Where you lead. I will go where you send me. I will go.
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Carla Arges: Those are action steps.
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Carla Arges: He's not looking to be.
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Carla Arges: You to say. I will read that.
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Carla Arges: No, he's looking for you to.
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Carla Arges: Right. He works in you to will, to want to do it.
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Carla Arges: And to act in order to fulfill it.
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Carla Arges: So it's not all on you.
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Carla Arges: The obedience, the surrender, the submission.
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Carla Arges: The determination, the self-discipline, and even there the Holy Spirit will help you. Right like. That's the fruit of the spirit.
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Carla Arges: Is on you, and then God comes in.
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Carla Arges: And bolsters you up.
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Carla Arges: And carries you along the way.
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Carla Arges: How beautiful is that.
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Carla Arges: So I want to ask you today.
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Carla Arges: What is a truth that you have heard recently that you haven't acted on.
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Carla Arges: Maybe it's advice that you've heard from one of my podcast. Episodes or in my emails.
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Carla Arges: Or maybe it's something that you read online.
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Carla Arges: Maybe it's something you heard in a sermon.
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Carla Arges: What is one truth that you have heard recently that you haven't acted on.
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Carla Arges: And then the second question I want you to reflect on is, what is one simple step.
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Carla Arges: I can take today to live it out.
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Carla Arges: Right? What is one simple step I can take today.
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Carla Arges: To live it out right.
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Carla Arges: This is one of the great things about coaching.
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Carla Arges: Because coaching.
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Carla Arges: Not only.
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Carla Arges: Gives you knowledge and helps, you find insight and awareness.
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Carla Arges: Coaching, and like.
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Carla Arges: Therapy actually has you act.
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Carla Arges: There's action plans with coaching.
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Carla Arges: Um, I'm so excited about rooted and resilient. That's my 12 week group coaching program. Starting September 16.th
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Carla Arges: Because we're going to be turning knowledge into transformation. If you're the Christian woman that knows Scripture, but is still overcome by anxiety.
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Carla Arges: You want to be here. If you're the mom that is pregnant.
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Carla Arges: Praying to be that gentle, loving parent, but then snaps at our kids and.
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Carla Arges: Goes to the bathroom to cry in shame.
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Carla Arges: This is for you. If you're a woman who has.
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Carla Arges: Been taking in listening to the podcast reading the bugs and still feeling like your healing isn't clicking.
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Carla Arges: You need to be in this group program. There's only 12 spots and 4 are already taken.
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Carla Arges: But I want to invite you to learn more and enroll.
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Carla Arges: At the link in the show notes.
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Carla Arges: Because this is where a transformation happens when you partner with someone, when you have accountability.
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Carla Arges: When you have accountability, it makes so much difference when you're doing something in community, and you're all working towards a goal together.
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Carla Arges: It makes such a difference.
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Carla Arges: And so my affirming truth for you today is, I will be a doer of the word, not just a hearer.
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Carla Arges: I trust God to help me walk in obedience.
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Carla Arges: And we're going back to James 1, 22, but be doers of the word, and not hearers, only deceiving yourselves.
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Carla Arges: What truth have you heard recently.
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Carla Arges: That you haven't acted on. And what is one simple step you can take today.
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Carla Arges: To live it out.
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Carla Arges: I would love to hear from you.
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Carla Arges: On what those things are, and how you're living them out.
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Carla Arges: To cheer you on, pray over you.
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Carla Arges: And be.
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Carla Arges: Your cheerleader.
00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:50.000
Carla Arges: And your coach.
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Carla Arges: I hope you have a blessed week. Guys.