99 problems and a day off ain't one. Today Pastor Mike and Corey mark episode 99 with a ripple that connects three things that rarely get put in the same sentence: desires, perseverance, and hope. Mike opens up about a sermon series he's launching today on the book of Romans, and lands on Romans 5:4-5 — perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Which means hope isn't a starting point. It's what you arrive at after you've kept showing up long enough that God has had time to form something in you. Corey ties it to the seventh step prayer — My Creator — and page 62's line that the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. That last part, he says, is probably the most important part. Also: Corey's Big Book notes may be coming to dailyripples.com soon. Stay tuned.

The stone for today: Desires are not wrong, but when they control me, they lead me away from what is good. Clarity comes when I see them honestly and bring them into balance.

Read today's full Daily Ripple at www.dailyripples.com — and we'd love to hear from you. Reach out any time at wave@dailyripples.com .

Daily Ripples is a daily devotional reflection connecting recovery principles with the life of faith. New episodes every day at dailyripples.com.

Progress doesn't require perfection. It requires showing up. Today Mike and Corey are back together — and Corey opens with something quietly honest: he hasn't kept a note card in his pocket all week, because things have been going pretty well. And that right there is the trap. When everything's bad, he's watching himself. When everything's good, he gets a little relaxed. Mike ties it to Philippians 1:6 — he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. Which means the harvest isn't actually your responsibility. Your job is to keep sowing. The completion is God's. And for anyone who tends toward manic control of outcomes — which, if you're listening to this podcast, might be you — that is genuinely good news.

The stone for today: Progress does not require perfection. It requires willingness. Growth happens when I keep showing up, even when change is slow.

Read today's full Daily Ripple at www.dailyripples.com — and we'd love to hear from you. Reach out any time at wave@dailyripples.com .

Daily Ripples is a daily devotional reflection connecting recovery principles with the life of faith. New episodes every day at dailyripples.com.

Resistance is a funny thing. It doesn't always look like defiance — sometimes it just looks like showing up with the wrong printout. Today Pastor Mike, Corey, and Kevin close out Kevin's first run on the podcast by digging into what it actually means to stop insisting on your own way. Mike traces it all the way back to March 13, 2013 — the day he stopped drinking — and how he never would have admitted he needed help if God hadn't worked through the people around him first. Kevin unpacks what the third step actually sounds like for guys who don't believe in God yet. And Corey lands on Proverbs 3:5 — trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. His own understanding, he admits, is all he's got so far. He hopes there's more. Also: Mike teased a post-pod Easter egg at the very start of this episode. He was not wrong. Stay tuned after the prayer.

The stone for today: Growth reaches a turning point when I stop insisting on my own way. Readiness begins when I admit that my best efforts are not enough.

Read today's full Daily Ripple at www.dailyripples.com — and we'd love to hear from you. Reach out any time at wave@dailyripples.com.

Daily Ripples is a daily devotional reflection connecting recovery principles with the life of faith. New episodes every day at dailyripples.com.