One Bible verse completely ended my lukewarm faith. I know that sounds wild, but it’s true — this verse flipped everything for me and showed me what it really means to know and love God. In this episode of The Disciples Journal, I share the exact verse, why it hit me so hard, and the practical steps I took to move from half-hearted faith to fully devoted to Christ. If you’ve ever struggled with feeling distant from God or just “going through the motions,” this message is for you.
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17:38
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17:38
This Bible Verse Will Change How You See God Forever
I’m starting a new series called Darin’s Diary. Every Monday, I’ll be sharing something real that I’m learning about God as I dig into His Word for myself. This isn’t secondhand from pastors, mentors, or books — it’s me opening up my Bible, wrestling with what it says, and sharing how it’s changing my walk with Him.
In this first episode, I’m talking about a verse that completely reshaped the way I see God: John 1:14 — “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Growing up, I thought I understood God’s love, but when I read this verse in its original context, it hit me in a whole new way. For the first audience — both Jews and Gentiles — this was shocking. Unlike the distant gods of the Greco-Roman world, Jesus stepped down, put on flesh, and lived among us. That changes everything.
This episode is all about rediscovering God’s love in a fresh way — the kind that makes you fall in love with Him all over again. My hope is that as you watch, you’ll see that God isn’t distant, He’s close, and He cares about every detail of your life.
Let me know in the comments what stood out to you most, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes of Darin’s Diary.
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8:23
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8:23
The Invisible Sin That Destroys Your Intimacy with God
The biggest thing blocking your intimacy with God isn’t what you think. For years, I believed distance from Him was only about my sin. But what I discovered is that sin doesn’t just separate—it distorts how we see God. I used to think He was ashamed of me, angry, or unwilling to welcome me back. That false view of God kept me away even more than the sin itself.
In this episode, I share a pivotal moment from Passion 2022 where confession and hearing God’s truth spoken over me completely changed the way I saw Him. We’ll look at how sin clouds our vision of God, how holiness clears it, and why renewing your mind with His Word is the only way to see Him as He truly is—merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
This isn’t just theology—it’s deeply personal. Because the way you see God will always determine how you interact with Him.
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17:20
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17:20
How I Went From Lukewarm to On Fire for God
If you’ve ever felt like you’ve drifted from God, like that fire you once had for Him has faded, this one’s for you. I know what it’s like to think you’re too far gone, to believe you have to “fix yourself” before you can come back to Him. That was me—stuck in shame, projecting my own feelings about myself onto God, convinced He had distanced Himself from me. But Exodus 34:6 completely shifted my view of Him. This is the first time in the Bible God describes Himself, and what He says will wreck every lie you’ve believed about how He sees you. In this episode, we’ll walk through the context of that verse, what it meant to the original audience, and why it still changes everything for us today. My prayer is that by the end, you’ll see Him more clearly and come back to Him with your head held high, knowing He still loves you, still chooses you, and is still faithful—no matter what.
Want to go deeper and walk with God every day? Join me on After God’s Heart—a daily devotional podcast designed to help you know who He really is and ignite your passion for Him again.
You can try it free for 7 days:
https://aftergodsheart.carrd.co/
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25:57
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25:57
How I Built my Confidence As A Christian (Self Worth Through God)
I didn’t realize how much of my confidence was wrapped up in how people saw me… until God started stripping that away.
In this episode, I’m talking about where our confidence really comes from — and what happens when you try to build your identity on things that shift. Your job. Your relationship. Your reputation. Even your emotions.
We walk through Matthew 16 and how Peter’s revelation of who Jesus is led to Jesus revealing who Peter was. And that’s the moment everything changes.
If you’ve ever wrestled with insecurity, people-pleasing, or feeling like you’ve lost yourself — I think this one will really speak to you.
Finding who you are starts with finding Him.
And if you want to go deeper in the Word daily, check out my devotional podcast After God’s Heart. We walk through Scripture every morning together. You can try it free for 7 days using the link below:
https://patreon.com/aftergodsheart
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The Disciples Journal documents the everyday life of following Jesus, offering practical steps, insights, and encouragement to help you get closer to God. Join host Darin Starks as he shares personal stories, the experiences of others, and gospel-driven perspectives from the Bible, providing the guidance you need to walk with Jesus in your everyday life and stay focused on Him.
New Zealand