Ep 100: Measured in Milestones

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What can celebrating our 100th 
episode teach us about pressing 

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on? 
Well, I got some thoughts on 

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that in just a SEC. 
Welcome to the show. 

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I'm Daniel Dalp, and this is for
your Sunday morning drive. 

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The short podcast with the goal 
of providing some motivation, 

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Dr. and encouragement on your 
way to worship and helping you 

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re center your mind on those 
spiritual things on a hectic 

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Sunday morning. 
Before we get started, I want to

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say a huge thank you. 
I wouldn't still be here doing 

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in this show 100 episodes later,
if it weren't for the support 

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and encouragement of the 
wonderful brothers and sisters 

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that listen. 
If you've been here since the 

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beginning or if you've joined us
somewhere along the way, thank 

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you. 
If you've rated and reviewed the

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podcast, taken the time to send 
me a note of encouragement, been

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a guest. 
If you've donated to help me 

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keep the lights on, or if you've
shared the show with a friend, 

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know that this episode is 
dedicated to you, and I pray 

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that in some small way I've been
able to encourage the Kingdom 

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Much more to say on that in the 
episode proper. 

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I think that'll take care of it.
So for the 100th time, let's get

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the show on the road. 
This is episode 100, measured in

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milestones. 
Let's go to church. 

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Are we there yet? 
Wow, we made it 100 of these 

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things. 
I can hardly believe it, to be 

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honest. 
And I'm proud of that milestone.

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I took some time this last week 
to look at some podcast stats, 

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and it looks like about 90% of 
podcasts quit after 10 episodes.

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So it feels like something to 
celebrate. 

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But I struggle with that, you 
know, amid impostor syndrome and

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the constant inner battle with 
doubt. 

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And then there's that fine line 
that sometimes we walk between 

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being proud of an accomplishment
or proud of something that we've

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done and being filled with 
sinful pride. 

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And amid all of that, I have to 
ask myself what accomplishments,

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what milestones, are truly 
worthy of celebration? 

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You know, I've been pondering 
that question a lot in the weeks

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leading up to this episode. 
And originally I was bouncing 

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back and forth between doing 
something grand and complex or 

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or even not celebrating it at 
all and releasing an episode. 

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Business as usual. 
But a good friend of mine 

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encouraged me and said it should
be celebrated. 

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So that's what I'm choosing to 
do. 

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Celebrate the milestone, but 
also not forgetting to celebrate

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what got us here. 
Because sometimes I think we 

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only find big accomplishments 
worthy of celebrating, but not 

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the everyday triumphs that are 
building blocks of those bigger 

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things. 
I don't want us to forget the 

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good in the small things. 
And I think this is especially 

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true when it comes to 
faithfulness to our Christian 

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walk. 
And I know this is going to 

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sound cliche. 
It might even sound cringe, but 

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it's true. 
When we only celebrate the 

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destination and not the journey,
we often only view those quote 

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big accomplishments as 
meaningful. 

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How this plays out spiritually 
is that we view certain times or

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certain seasons as spiritually 
significant to the exclusion of 

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others. 
For example, generally the two 

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most celebrated times in a 
Christian's life are their 

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baptism and their funeral. 
Have you ever thought about 

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that? 
The crowning achievements, 

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right? 
I get it. 

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The coming to and the going to 
Christ, the decision to put him 

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on and then finishing the good 
fight. 

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Those are good things. 
But if we are to only celebrate 

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those two moments, think of how 
much we're missing out on in 

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podcasting terms. 
It's not the 100 alone that is 

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significant, but everything from
1 to 99, the journey. 

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And think about the spiritual 
journey that baptism would have 

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never happened if there was 
never that very first moment 

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when we picked up the Bible and 
asked, what is this? 

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The victory of finishing the 
course and keeping the faith 

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didn't just happen. 
That race was filled with 

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adversity and finishing. 
It came about from the growth 

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that took place trial after 
trial and test after test. 

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I think Jesus frames this idea 
really well in Luke 923. 

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And he said to them all, if 
anyone wants to come after me, 

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he must deny himself, take up 
his cross daily and follow me. 

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Notice that daily you see, the 
Christian life is built on those

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ordinary days lived faithfully. 
Yes, maybe it's defined by the 

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destination, but it's proved in 
the journey. 

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And those daily milestones where
we pick up our cross and choose 

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Christ, Those are worthy of 
celebration, as small and 

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insignificant as they might seem
to us. 

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Those milestones aren't the 
whole Rd. but they are a marker 

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that reminds us of just how far 
we've come. 

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Because those small spiritual 
acts have a huge spiritual 

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influence. 
In the same way though, let's 

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not settle for the small 
victories because we can 

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celebrate the small wins without
getting comfortable in 

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mediocrity with keeping that the
norm. 

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Keep pushing forward. 
Philippians 313 through 15 puts 

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it this way. 
Brothers and sisters, I do not 

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regard myself as having taken 
hold of it yet. 

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But one thing I do, forgetting 
what lies behind and reaching 

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forward to what lies ahead, I 
press on towards the goal for 

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the prize of the upward call of 
God in Christ Jesus. 

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Celebrate progress, yes, but 
keep moving forward. 

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Recognize those good things in 
the moment, but let them spur 

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you on to greater things because
gratitude for what God has done 

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should fuel greater faith 
tomorrow, not keep us stuck in 

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today. 
So yes, I think we should 

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celebrate this milestone, and I 
hope we remember where we've 

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been. 
And I really hope this podcast 

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has helped you on your spiritual
journey. 

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Just a short reflection in the 
car, a verse that sticks with 

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you all day. 
Maybe a shift in mindset before 

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stepping into Word. 
These small moments can compound

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over time. 
In between the Are We There Yet 

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and the We're Here of life, 
there are thousands of little 

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moments of faith that can help 
move us along towards our 

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destination. 
Let me encourage you to 

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recognize them, but keep pushing
forward to better things. 

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Episode 100 is certainly a 
milestone worth celebrating, and

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Lord willing, the next 100 will 
be built the same way the first 

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hundred were one drive out of 
time. 

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Well, those are my thoughts for 
your Sunday morning drive. 

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Now it's time to hear yours. 
Our discussion questions for 

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this week are what are some 
small victories in faith that 

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you should celebrate this week? 
How have some of those small 

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things culminated into big 
moments of faith? 

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And why do we sometimes settle 
or get stuck in the small 

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moments instead of pushing 
ahead? 

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Hey, thanks for listening. 
I hope you have an excellent day

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of worship. 
Here's to 100 episodes and I got

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to tell you, this has been fun. 
Let's do 100 more and I'll see 

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you someday.