Sharpened, Not Softened: Meeting This Moment (EP 365)

In extreme times, the Body of Christ can't afford to be passive and polite. Drawing from the latest Smart Edit newsletter, Brian Del Turco explores holy provocation—the biblical call to sharpen one another toward love and good deeds. Discover why speaking truth in love isn't optional, how Millennials and Gen Z are driving a Bible reading resurgence, the power of Micah 7:8's declaration over chaos ("When I fall, I will arise"), and the Japanese principle of Kaizen applied to spiritual growth. This isn't about being comfortable—it's about being sharpened, not softened, to meet this moment. Subscribe to the Smart Edit newsletter at jesussmart.com/smartedit for weekly kingdom insights.----------See the full episode transcript below.👉 Support the podcast (use the Smart Edit BMAC page): buymeacoffee.com/SmartEdit👉 Explore more episodes: JesusSmart.com/podcastIf this episode gave you a fresh perspective on Kingdom Living, share it with someone who needs encouragement.Be sure to follow the podcast—each episode is designed to help you think more clearly and pursue the kind of life only Jesus makes possible.Stay current via The Smart Edit newsletter—Elevate your faith. Live smart. Make an impact. Free. Weekly. 5 minutes to grow. Sign up at JesusSmart.com/smartedit.----------EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Sharpened, Not Softened: Meeting This MomentWelcome to the podcast. This is Brian Del Turco, Jesus Smart X, episode 365, and we have something a little different today. I'm pulling from the latest Smart Edit newsletter—a few elements that I produce.And if you're not subscribed yet, I really hope you will be. The Smart Edit exists to spark our development in Christ. It's not just content and ideas to consider, but truth and reality to live in. It's free, it's weekly, five minutes to grow, and you can subscribe at jesussmart.com/smartedit.Before we get to that, I want to mention something remarkable. According to Edison Research's Share of Ear Study, we have hit a historic tipping point. Americans now spend more of their spoken-word listening time with podcasts than with traditional talk radio. Podcasts are at roughly 40% of spoken-word audio time, and it edges out AM/FM talk radio at 39%. That's an inflection point.To give you a point of reference, back in 2015, AM/FM talk radio held 75% of spoken-word listening versus podcasting at only 10%. But by quarter four 2025, it flipped for the first time—39% radio, 40% podcasts. We're living in a podcasting revolution. I'm grateful you're part of it here with Jesus Smart X.If you missed last week's episode, episode 364, "Grease the Groove: Spiritual Strength Training for Extreme Times," go back and catch that. We explored how micro spiritual workouts throughout your day can build resilient, responsive faith and a strong spirit. I'm seeking to employ this protocol in my own days. There's edges that need attention in my life, and I've got to stop thinking that I need huge blocks of time to address this in prayer. This concept of greasing the groove, which comes from athletics, can be applied to anything.Holy Provocation: Sharpened for This TimeAs I mentioned, this episode is a little different. We're pulling from the newsletter, featuring some elements there. Here's the first element: Holy Provocation—Sharpened for This Time.The body of Christ was never really meant to be passive nor polite. Now, kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. There's no doubt about that. But you can be kind, discerning, resolute, and impactful at the same time.There's a couple verses in the New Testament which specifically address this—Hebrews 10:24-25. The kingdom calls us to provoke one another toward love and good deeds that we're meant to walk in. And this New Testament word for "provoke" carries the sense of stirring up, urging somebody on, exciting somebody toward action.Now, here's the question for me, for you: Are we open to being a kingdom provocateur? Or are we just going to ride the pews, be passive, be kind and polite, and not in a godly way agitate for change and transformation which meets this hour?It's not intentional offense, though I'm going to be honest—some may be offended because when they're challenged, what it is is a holy push toward leveling up. Did you happen to see the intensity of the gold medal hockey game, men's hockey game in the Olympics? The United States defeated Canada in overtime. You can be assured that those teammates do not coddle one another to experience that level of winning. They sharpen each other. Excellence was demanded because the winning mission required it.And there are edges in your life, in my life, that we need to win on, that we need to reconcile and bring for the kingdom. Maybe it's getting out of debt so we can be freed up with space and time to help facilitate our kingdom contribution. It could be anything though. Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another." There's a proverb which says that ...