Ever felt the sting of doing everything “right” and still wondering why you feel hollow? We go there—through teenage anger and hospital nights, through platform-building and burnout, through the deceptive comfort of praise that fades when the room empties. What begins as a confession about craving approval turns into a journey toward a steadier love, anchored in Luke 15, where the Shepherd lifts, the Woman searches, and the Father runs before the apology is over.
We unpack how easy it is to stake identity on performance, titles, follower counts, or even ministry outcomes—and why that math always breaks your heart. The crowd’s cheers can flip to jeers; Jesus lived that contrast. Yet the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and sons reveal a God who doesn’t wait for us to tidy up. He moves first, carries our weight, and throws a feast where shame expected probation. We also sit with the older brother’s anger, the quiet entitlement that grows when love feels like wages, not gift. It’s a sober reminder that religious polish can hide a lost heart as easily as reckless living can.
From there we turn practical: how to surrender the scoreboard, return before burnout, and let calling become participation rather than performance. We talk about finding worth that is received, not achieved, and what changes when you live found—more patience with yourself, deeper presence with others, and a gentler, bolder witness in a world starving for belonging. If you’ve been hustling for love or hiding from grace, this conversation offers a way home, and a mission: join the search for those still wandering.
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