In the final episode of her podcast’s 10th season, actor Candace Cameron Bure addressed topics such as guarding our hearts and following God’s truth, not our heart’s desires. The July 15 episode wraps up a season that was themed “Your Story Has a Villain.”
Bure was again joined by son Lev Bure and Jonathan Pokluda, lead pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church near Waco, Texas. The trio talked about temptations that Christians experience—including not wanting to attend church when your preferred pastor isn’t preaching that day.
“Don’t let your preferences rob you of paradise,” warned Pokluda. “You want more of God, not a person.” He cited consumerism as the biggest problem in the American church today. “We’re thinking about it like an entertainment sport,” Pokluda said of worship. “What’s in it for me? What can I get out of it?” Instead, he reminded listeners, “You are the church… [so] think, ‘What can I do for my church?’”
Through Spiritual Warfare, Satan Tries To Pull Us ‘Offsides’
It is crucial to follow the Bible’s advice about remaining “sober-minded,” said Pastor Jonathan Pokluda, because demons are always ready to pounce. Using a sports analogy, he said Satan keeps trying to pull Christians “offsides…to get you to lose your temper, to get you to lust, to get you to purchase something that you don’t need, to get you to really waste your life, to get you to be intoxicated, to try to…escape reality.”
Referencing Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, Pokluda spoke about “the importance of having the Word written on our heart so we’re ready to combat [Satan’s] lie with [God’s] truth.” He and the Bures talked about the value of fasting, denying yourself, and having accountability partners to rebuke fleshly desires. To anyone struggling with sinful urges that feel overwhelming, Pokluda emphasized that freedom is available through Jesus.
Surrounding ourselves with a “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) is another key defense against temptation. “The community aspect is going to be so important in that,” said Pokluda. “Find a church that teaches the Word. Join, become a member there, serve there, go all-in there.”
Guard Your Hearts Above All Else
Next, Pastor Jonathan Pokluda talked with Candace Cameron Bure and Lev Bure about Proverbs 4:23 and guarding our hearts “above all else.” That, said the pastor, means “more than you protect your money, more than you protect your car, more than your home security system, more than…you protect your jewelry, your valuables. More than you protect your life.”
Pokluda challenged the familiar saying, “The heart wants what it wants.” Instead, he said, “The heart wants what it’s fed…Your heart’s like a bloodhound, and it gets on a scent and it wants more of what it’s fed.”
The trio used the analogy of Netflix and TikTok algorithms, where if you watch one show or reel, you’ll keep receiving similar suggestions. “That’s how your heart works,” said Pokluda. “It’s going to feed you more of what you look for.” Pleasures of the flesh want to “pull you out of right relationship with God,” warned the pastor.
