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Summary:

Michael Easley sits down with longtime friend and pastor Dr. Charles Boyd to explore what it means to truly abide in Christ. Charles shares how his understanding of the Christian life has changed through decades of ministry. He once approached spiritual growth through rules, discipline, information, and striving. Over time, he discovered that abiding is not about trying harder to produce spiritual fruit. Instead, the Christian life begins with staying connected to Christ. Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit, transforming us from the inside out.

Dr. Boyd explains what it means to “preach the gospel to yourself.” This means remembering who we are in Christ and what God has already accomplished for us. It means allowing Scripture to renew our minds rather than simply gathering more information. The conversation also explores slow Scripture reading, meditation, silence, solitude, prayer, and Spirit-guided reflection. Charles describes reading Scripture not only to understand it, but also to sit under it and let it read us.

Together, Michael and Charles discuss Galatians 2:20, union with Christ, legalism, grace, spiritual maturity, and the longing for our heavenly home. The abiding life is not passive. It is active dependence on Christ rather than dependence on ourselves. We do not obey to become loved. We obey because we are already loved.

Takeaways:

• The Christian life is not about trying harder to produce what only Christ can produce in us.
• Preaching the gospel to yourself means remembering who you are in Christ and what He has already done.
• Slow, meditative Scripture reading allows us to sit under God’s Word instead of simply gathering information.
• Abiding means staying connected to Christ and allowing His life to shape us from the inside out.
• God’s commands are not merely rules to follow but invitations into the life He has made possible for us.
• Spiritual maturity often means learning to surrender our anxiety, control, and expectations to God’s unfolding work.

ABOUT DR. CHARLES BOYD

Charlie was born in Mount Airy, NC, grew up in Florida and graduated from Florida State University. He then graduated with high honors from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology and also earned his Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to FG in 1996, Charlie pastored churches in GA, TX, and AR. He has authored two books, “Different Children, Different Needs” and “What God Has Always Wanted.” Charlie enjoys the beach, hiking, and fishing… basically any activity that carries him to the great outdoors. He and his wife, Karen, have three adult children: Chad, Kristi, and Callie, and eight grandchildren.

Links Mentioned:

The Abiding Life Primer by Dr. Charles Boyd

What God Has Always Wanted by Dr. Charles Boyd

Different Children Different Needs by Dr. Charles Boyd

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