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Bible + Discipleship

Stop Playing Church: Read the Gospels Until They Wreck You

3 Mins Read

Start Here: Read the Gospels Until They Wreck You

The world doesn’t need another church program. It doesn’t need another Christian conference, another worship playlist, or another “inspirational” sermon that makes us feel good for an hour.

What the world really needs is simple: we need to start reading our Bibles.

Not casually. Not a verse a day with a coffee cup on Instagram. I mean dig in. Start with the Gospels. Read an hour in the morning and an hour at night. When you finish John, start over. Then do it again. Every day. No exceptions.

Because here’s the truth: how can we expect to understand what Jesus is telling us to do if we don’t even know His words? Not skimming. Not cherry-picking the comfortable parts. But really knowing them on a deep level, until His voice is burned into our minds more than the voices of culture, politics, or even preachers.

Pep Talks Won’t Save Us

Church was never supposed to be a weekly pep talk.

Jesus didn’t bleed on a cross so we could gather once a week, clap for a band, nod at a sermon, and then go home to live exactly the way we did before. That’s is NOT discipleship.

Paul warned Timothy that people would “gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). That’s what happens when we treat church like a spiritual caffeine shot instead of a call to follow Christ with our whole lives.

Good People Still Go to Hell

Let’s be blunt: our goal shouldn’t be to be “good” people.

Being good won’t save you. Helping your neighbor won’t save you. Voting a certain way won’t save you. Only Jesus will. He is the only way (John 14:6).

Hell will be full of “good” people who thought their morality, charity, or religion would be enough. Heaven will be full of broken sinners who clung to Jesus, believed His words, and obeyed His call.

The Call Is Clear

So what should our goal be? To follow Him.

Not just admire Him. Not just sing about Him. Follow Him.

And if we’re serious about that, we have to open the Gospels and let His words wreck us, confront us, and reshape us. That’s where He lays it all out, what He values, what He commands, what He warns, and what He promises.

“If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). There’s no way around it. Love for Jesus is proven in obedience.

And we can’t obey what we don’t know.

Where to Begin

If you feel disillusioned with church culture, burned out on religious noise, or lost in the chaos of this world, start here:

  • Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
  • One hour in the morning, one hour at night.
  • When you finish John, start over.

Do this every day. No exceptions. Watch what happens when the voice of Jesus becomes louder than every other voice in your life.

Let’s Get to Work

Discipleship isn’t about feelings. It isn’t about looking spiritual. It isn’t about being good.

It’s about Jesus. About knowing Him, following Him, and obeying Him.

The Gospel is simple, but it’s not soft: If you love Him, do what He said. And He already told us exactly what that is.

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Bible + Discipleship

Satan’s Favorite Trick: Twisting the Good

4 Mins Read

Satan is not creative. He never has been. He doesn’t build, he doesn’t invent, he doesn’t breathe life. That’s God’s territory. What Satan does is take what God made good and twist it until we barely recognize it anymore. That’s his entire playbook.

Look at the world we live in.

  • Sex, designed for covenant and intimacy, twisted into lust, pornography, and exploitation.
  • Freedom, meant to set us free in Christ, twisted into addictions that enslave us.
  • Worship, created to glorify God, twisted into entertainment and emotional hype.
  • Truth, eternal and unshakable, twisted into “my truth” and “your truth.”

The enemy doesn’t need new ideas. He only needs to bend God’s design just far enough to confuse us.

Twisting From the Beginning

Genesis 3 is the blueprint. Satan didn’t come to Eve with a brand-new doctrine. He didn’t deny God outright. He just bent the truth.

“Did God really say…?”

That’s it. A question. A seed of doubt. Eve listened, Adam followed, and humanity fell. One twisted sentence wrecked everything.

Isaiah warned about this same pattern:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isaiah 5:20)

The fingerprints are always the same. Satan takes God’s words, God’s design, and God’s order, and he calls it something else. He blurs the lines until evil looks good and good looks evil.

Even when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he didn’t come up with something new. He quoted Scripture, twisted, out of context, bent just enough to look right. And Jesus exposed him every single time by answering with the full Word of God (Matthew 4).

Modern Twists We Swallow

Fast forward to today. Satan’s playbook hasn’t changed, but the stage has. He’s twisting things right under our noses:

  • Love → Lust: God designed sex as holy and powerful inside covenant. Satan twisted it into a billion-dollar industry that cheapens intimacy and wrecks families.
  • Identity → Confusion: God calls us image-bearers. Satan whispers lies until people can’t even recognize themselves anymore.
  • Church → Show: The church is meant to be the bride of Christ. Satan twists it into performance, celebrity culture, and business.
  • Freedom → Bondage: We chase “freedom” online, in substances, in self-expression — but most of what’s called freedom today looks a lot like chains.
  • Truth → Opinion: “Your truth, my truth.” A million versions of “truth” that cancel each other out. But Jesus said plainly, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

The lies always sound close enough to truth to pass. That’s the danger.

The Swastika: A Visual of Twisting

Want a picture of how complete this twisting can be? Look at the swastika.

For thousands of years it was carved into temples, painted on pottery, and used in cultures around the world as a symbol of blessing and life. In Sanskrit, svastika literally means “well-being.” It pointed to prosperity, to the sun, to cycles of life.

But now? Say “swastika” and no one thinks of blessing. They think of genocide, death, and hate.

That’s Satan’s trick in one image. He took what once stood for life and twisted it into a global symbol of destruction.

Twisting Isn’t Winning

Here’s the good news: Satan’s twisting isn’t the final word. He can’t create, and he can’t win.

The cross proves it. To the world it looked like defeat. Jesus beaten, humiliated, hanging on wood. Satan must have thought it was his ultimate victory.

But what looked twisted became the greatest victory in history. What looked broken became the plan of salvation. Satan thought he flipped the story. Jesus flipped it back and crushed him with it.

How to Spot the Twists

So how do you and I fight back? How do we recognize when good has been bent out of shape?

  1. Know the Word — Jesus answered every twisted half-truth with Scripture. If you don’t know the real thing, you’ll fall for the counterfeit. READ YOUR BIBLE! EVERY DAY!!
  2. Check the Fruit — Does it bring life or destruction? Peace or confusion? God’s design always produces life. Satan’s twists always kill something.
  3. Test the Source — Who benefits if you believe it? God’s truth glorifies Him. Satan’s lies glorify self.
  4. Stay Anchored — Don’t let culture, feelings, or opinions define reality. Anchor yourself in what God has already said.

Untwisting the Lies

So let me ask you: where have you been living under a twisted version of God’s truth?

  • Have you let love become lust?
  • Have you settled for religion instead of relationship?
  • Have you let “my truth” drown out the truth?

It’s time to name the lies for what they are. To stop swallowing what sounds almost true. To call evil “evil” again, and good “good.”

Because Satan twists. But Jesus untangles.

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Faith for the Fed-Up

God Wants Radical Change from Everyone Right Now

3 Mins Read

Let’s stop sugarcoating it: God is not calling us to “slight adjustments.” He’s not waiting for us to get a little more comfortable before we finally give Him the scraps of our time, attention, and obedience. He is calling for radical change — from me, from you, from everyone — right now.

We keep acting like we’ve got time to coast. Like tomorrow we’ll get serious about prayer. Next week we’ll open our Bibles more. Next month we’ll finally surrender that sin we’ve been hiding. But God doesn’t say, “When you’re ready.” He says, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

Comfort is killing us

The modern church loves to talk about balance, self-care, and making faith “fit into your lifestyle.” But Jesus didn’t die to fit into our lifestyle. He died to destroy our lifestyle of sin and replace it with a brand-new life.

Radical change means repentance. It means breaking cycles. It means canceling the compromise we’ve excused for far too long.

God is not passive

We treat God like He’s watching from a distance, politely waiting for us to figure it out. But the Spirit is convicting now. He is pressing on hearts now. The fire of revival starts in the places where people stop delaying obedience.

Jesus didn’t say, “Take up your cross when it’s convenient.” He said, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Daily. That’s radical. That’s uncomfortable. That’s immediate.

The time is now

Every one of us has something God is asking us to change right now. For some, it’s secret sin. For others, it’s shallow faith. For others still, it’s apathy — the dangerous belief that just “believing in God” is enough without actually following Him.

But God’s Word is clear: faith without works is dead (James 2:26).

If you’re breathing, He’s calling you to more. Not later. Not when life settles down. Not when you’ve got it all together. Now.

A call to wake up

What would happen if the church actually took this seriously? If we all dropped the excuses, tore down the idols, and lived like Jesus really is King? We’d see revival. We’d see lives transformed. We’d see the radical, undeniable move of God we keep praying for.

But it starts with you. And it starts with me. Today.

So here’s the real question: What is God asking you to change — right now?

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Anxiety + Overwhelm

When Ambition Fails, Fear of God Defines Purpose.

2 Mins Read

We live in a world obsessed with ambition. Bigger platforms. More followers. Louder voices. People act like purpose is about climbing the ladder and proving yourself.

But ambition can only take you so far. It burns out. It leaves you empty. It runs you in circles until you don’t even know why you started.

Purpose is not ambition-driven. It’s fear-of-God-driven.

That’s the part nobody wants to hear. Because “fear of God” doesn’t sound sexy. It doesn’t fit into a motivational Instagram quote. But it’s the truth. Scripture says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Without it, you’re just chasing smoke.

Fear of God isn’t about terror. It’s about reverence. Awe. Knowing He’s holy, and we’re not. It’s about realizing life is short, and eternity is real. And when you actually believe that, it changes everything.

Purpose stops being about your brand and becomes about His name.
Purpose stops being about your hustle and becomes about His Kingdom.
Purpose stops being about making noise and becomes about making disciples.

Ambition will fail you. God never will.

If you’re tired of grinding for a purpose that feels hollow, go back to the fear of the Lord. That’s where wisdom starts. That’s where clarity comes. That’s where you’ll finally stop asking, “What am I here for?” and start living it.

Because purpose was never about proving yourself. It was always about obeying Him.

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Bible + Discipleship

Worship Was Never About the Music

3 Mins Read

When most people hear the word “worship,” they think about songs, hands raised in church, or a band playing under stage lights. But here’s the truth: worship was never about music. It was never about location. And it was never about a setlist.

Worship is older than the temple. Older than the law. Older than the veil that used to hang in front of God’s presence.

Worship started in Eden.

Eden: Worship as Atmosphere

In the beginning, Adam didn’t “go to worship.” He lived in it. His obedience in caring for the garden was worship. His fellowship with God was worship. Walking with God in the cool of the day was worship.

There was no priest. No blood offering. No holy building. All of life was lived in God’s presence, and that was enough. Worship was the atmosphere.

The Fall: Worship Restricted

But then sin entered, and everything shifted.

Separation. Exile. Access blocked. The presence of God was no longer the air humanity breathed, it was guarded.

The Old Covenant set up priests, sacrifices, and the veil in the temple. Only one man, once a year, could enter the Most Holy Place. Worship became restricted, regulated, and location-based. It was a system built on distance.

The Cross: Worship Restored

Then Jesus came.

When He died, the veil in the temple tore from top to bottom. That wasn’t just a miracle for show, it was God’s declaration that separation was over. The way back to His presence was open.

Not through priests. Not through rituals. Not through animals on an altar.

Through Jesus alone.

Spirit and Truth

This is what Jesus meant in John 4 when He told the Samaritan woman, “The time is coming, and has now come, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.”

She wanted to know which mountain was the right place to worship. His answer? Wrong question.

  • In Spirit – Worship is no longer tied to a building or a mountain. If you believe in Christ, the Spirit lives in you. You are the temple now.
  • In Truth – Worship only happens through Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He’s the one who makes access possible.

Spirit and Truth isn’t a new worship style. It’s Eden restored. Worship is no longer about approaching God occasionally, it’s about living in His nearness continually.

So What Is Worship Now?

True worship isn’t about singing until you feel goosebumps. It’s about surrender.

It’s obedience when it costs. It’s truth when it’s unpopular. It’s devotion that points all glory to Him, not us.

Worship isn’t what happens when the band starts playing. Worship is what happens when you wake up, when you work, when you pray, when you forgive, when you keep going when no one sees. Worship is life lived as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).

The Bottom Line

The veil is gone. The Spirit is here. The Truth has made the way.

Stop thinking of worship as a moment in a service. Start living worship as the atmosphere of your life. Because that’s what Jesus died to restore, not a new playlist, but Eden itself.

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Faith for the Fed-Up

Stop Calling It a Season. Start Calling It Sin.

2 Mins Read

We’ve gotten so good at spiritual spin that we can excuse anything.
We’ll say “I’m in a rough season” when really we’re just refusing to obey.
We’ll call it “God’s testing me” when He’s already told us exactly what to do.

It’s not a test.
It’s a choice.

God’s commands do not turn into suggestions just because you are tired, hurt, or distracted. He does not water down holiness to match our willpower. If He has already spoken, the delay is not from Him; it is from you.

1. Seasons Are Real. Excuses Are Too.

Yes, there are genuine seasons of waiting, suffering, or pruning. But a lot of what we label as “season” is really disobedience in disguise. We drag our feet, pray for more signs, and keep telling ourselves we are just “not ready yet.” Translation? We want God’s blessing without giving up our sin.

2. Tests Have Answers. You Are Just Ignoring Them.

When God tests His people, it is to reveal faith and refine obedience. But when you already know the answer — what to confess, who to forgive, what to stop doing — and you still do not do it, that is not a test anymore. That is rebellion.

3. Obedience Is Instant or It Is Not Obedience.

Delayed obedience is disobedience. You do not get to schedule surrender for a more convenient time. Jesus did not say, “Follow me… when your calendar clears up.” He said, “Follow Me.” No conditions. No bargaining.

Stop excusing it. Start obeying.
God’s grace is big enough to cover your sin, but it is also strong enough to break it. Repent now, not later. Step into the freedom that only comes when you stop hiding behind spiritual language and start doing what He already told you to do.

“If you love Me, keep My commands.” – John 14:15

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Faith in the Fire

Get Off the Throne: You’re Not the Main Character

3 Mins Read

Everyone’s out here on a journey to “find themselves in Christ.”
Sounds cute. Sounds spiritual.
But let me be real with you.
If you’re still trying to find you, maybe you haven’t actually lost you yet.

And Jesus didn’t say, “Come discover yourself.”
He said, “Deny yourself.”
That’s not the same thing. Not even close.

The Throne Is Already Taken

You don’t get to invite Jesus into your life and then stay seated in the captain’s chair.
This isn’t a co-pilot situation.
It’s not “Jesus take the wheel” while you still hold the map, the gas, and the playlist.

If you’re still calling the shots…
Still filtering obedience through what feels good…
Still chasing peace on your terms…
Then you haven’t surrendered. You’ve just spiritualized control.

That’s not discipleship.
That’s a delayed dethroning.

Jesus is King. Not co-star. Not consultant. King.

Identity Isn’t Discovered. It’s Inherited.

People keep saying they’re “on a journey to discover who they are in Christ.”
But identity in Christ isn’t something you craft or chase.
It’s something you receive.

And you receive it when the old you dies.

You’re not uncovering some hidden masterpiece deep inside.
You’re laying your life down so He can build something new.

This isn’t a makeover. It’s a burial.
And it ends with resurrection.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17

You don’t get to keep the old and add a little Jesus to the side.
It’s a total surrender. Nothing less.

It’s Still Not About You

Let’s be honest.
If your walk with God is still centered around your wounds, your calling, your dreams, your need for affirmation…
Then it’s still centered around you.

Jesus didn’t die to boost your self-worth.
He died to give you new life.
But only after you lay yours down.

Want to talk identity?
Try this:

  • Slave of Christ (Romans 1:1)
  • Crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)
  • Dead to sin, alive to God (Romans 6:11)
  • Vessel for His glory (2 Timothy 2:21)

None of those titles scream main character energy.

Surrender Is the Shortcut

Real identity doesn’t come through months of introspection or journaling or soul searching.
It comes through crucifixion.

You lay your life down.
And He gives you a new one.

You’re not meant to find yourself.
You’re meant to lose yourself.
That’s where the Kingdom starts.

“Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Me.”
— Luke 9:23

If you’re still asking God to “show you who you are”…
Maybe it’s time to stop asking and start dying.

Get Off the Throne

You don’t need more affirmations.
You don’t need another feel-good devotional on identity.
You don’t need to figure yourself out.

You need to surrender.

Let Jesus be King.
Let Him rule.
Let Him tear down what needs tearing down.

And in the ashes of your surrendered self, you’ll finally become who He already said you are.

Not because you found it.
But because He gave it.

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Rewired Christianity

The Will War: When We’re Asking God to Follow Us

3 Mins Read

We say we want God’s will.

We pray for it.
We claim we’re chasing it.
We even post about it.

But if we’re honest, a lot of us are actually chasing a version of God’s will that fits our dreams, our timeline, and our comfort zone.

We treat God like a custom contractor:
“God, I need a house… a spouse… a job… a better income… and please throw in peace for my kids while You’re at it.”

And yet, Jesus taught us to pray differently:

“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

That’s not “your will redesigned to match my five-year plan.”
That’s full surrender.

He Already Has a Will for You

God doesn’t need to create a new plan just for me.
He already has one.

His will for my life isn’t floating out there in the future like a scavenger hunt prize.
Much of it is already revealed. Already written. Already available through His Word and His Spirit.

“He’s already set it out for all of us.”

But we keep showing up with our list, like:

  • God, I need a car
  • I need more money
  • I need a spouse
  • I need You to make this dream happen

And yet…

What if He’s Waiting on Us?

What if we’re down here begging for answers when He’s already told us what to do?

Things like:

  • Forgive that person
  • Serve someone else
  • Open your Bible
  • Walk in integrity
  • Stay when it’s hard
  • Follow when it’s scary

I am very guilty of this.

I want clarity for my next step, while ignoring the last one He already gave me.

The Problem with Our Will

Our will is often packed with things we want God to do for us.
Even the layout of our dream house.
Even the exact timing of our breakthrough.

We come to Him with a blueprint and say:

“Here, God. Bless this. Build this. Fund this.”

But we weren’t called to draft our own plans and ask God to sign off.
We were called to lay ourselves down and pick up His cross.

So What Do We Do?

We stop asking God to align with us.

Instead, we get up onto His plan.
We align ourselves with Him.

“What we need to do is align ourselves with God and not get derailed.”

That’s it.

And if we do that, we’ll realize:
His will was never hidden.
We were just too busy chasing our own.

Let’s Get Real

It’s time we stop praying for God to do our will.
And start praying for the courage to do His.

Because the Rock doesn’t move.
But we can.

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Rewired Christianity

Jesus Didn’t Die So You Could “Go to Church Anyway”

2 Mins Read

(He Came to Raise the Dead, Not Manage Their Behavior)

I saw one of those viral Facebook posts again.
You’ve probably seen it too, it starts with:

If you’re having sex before marriage, go to church anyway.
If you’re addicted… go to church anyway.
If you were drunk last night… go to church anyway.
If you aren’t sure what gender you prefer… go to church anyway.

Sounds compassionate, right?

But here’s the thing:

It’s not the Gospel. It’s religion in disguise.

Church Isn’t the Goal. Jesus Is.

You don’t need a moral rehab center.
You need a resurrection.

That post makes it sound like church is the place where your mess gets managed. But Jesus didn’t come to help you cope with sin. He came to kill it, bury it, and raise you up new.

Church isn’t a hospital for the broken.
It’s a home for the reborn.
A training ground for the called.
A launchpad for the sent.

The Problem with “Go Anyway” Christianity

Let’s be honest , it’s not a real invitation. It’s a backhanded way to say “you don’t belong… but we’ll tolerate you.”

“You’re disgusting… but we’ll smile and wave.”

“You’re confused… but don’t make us uncomfortable.”

“You’re lost… but sit in the back and be quiet.”

That’s not love.
That’s legalism in lipstick.

Jesus never said “Go to the synagogue anyway.”
He said, “Come to Me.”
All who are weary. All who are burdened. All who are stuck, addicted, or ashamed.

Not to be tolerated, but to be transformed.

Jesus Isn’t Soft. He’s the Rock.

He’s not shifting to fit your life.
He’s not impressed by church attendance if your soul is still dead inside.

Jesus is either:

  • Your Cornerstone — the one you build everything on.
  • Or your Stumbling Block — the one you keep tripping over trying to keep your pride.

You don’t need a pew.
You need a resurrection.

Real Church Doesn’t Coddle Sin. It Confronts It.

You can sit in church for years and still be in chains.
Religion will let you fake it.
Jesus will call you out of it.

So if you’re out there sleeping around, drinking to cope, stuck in addiction, confused about who you are, then please COME.
But don’t come for validation.
Come for TRANSFORMATION.

Don’t go to church anyway.
Come to Jesus. And don’t look back.

So if you’re tired of fake welcome mats and guilt-wrapped grace,
You’re not the problem.
You’re just awake.

And you’re not alone.

– Trish 💛

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Faith for the Fed-Up

The Rock Doesn’t Move. But Will You?

2 Mins Read

We keep asking God to meet us where we are.

But the truth is, He’s already there. He never moved.
The Rock is fixed, solid, immovable.
It’s us who need to decide how far we’re willing to move toward Him.

The Rock Doesn’t Move

“The Rock doesn’t move. You must decide how far you’ll move toward it.”

That one sentence says it all. God isn’t shifting. He’s not adjusting to fit your lifestyle, your preferences, or your version of truth.

Jesus isn’t a trend.
He’s not a phase.
He is Petra. The immovable foundation. The Cornerstone.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

– Hebrews 13:8

God isn’t playing hide and seek.
He’s not distant or detached.
He’s present, constant, and unshaken.
You don’t need to go searching for Him. You need to decide if you’re willing to move toward Him.

He won’t budge for comfort, culture, or convenience. And yet, He’s still available. Still waiting. Still faithful.
He is the only stable thing in a crumbling world.

Cornerstone or Stumbling Block

“A stumbling block if you resist. A cornerstone if you believe.”

You either build your life on the Rock, or you trip over Him trying to build something else. There is no neutral ground.

That’s not judgment. That’s reality.

Jesus doesn’t apologize for being the truth.
He doesn’t twist to accommodate you.
He invites you to be transformed or be confronted.

“Jesus was deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.” – Mark 3:5

He wasn’t mad. He was grieved.
Grieved because the Rock was right in front of them, and they refused to move.

Rock or Refuge

So what is He to you, really?

Here’s how it breaks down:

  • Rock = strength, permanence, stability, faithfulness
  • Refuge = safety, shelter, comfort, deliverance

He’s not either or. He’s both.

The Rock doesn’t just confront you.
He holds you. Covers you. Delivers you.

But here’s the truth: you don’t get to have Him as refuge until you surrender to Him as Rock.

You don’t need to find the Rock. You need to stop fighting it.

Let’s Be Real

We keep chasing soft things.
Things that won’t demand anything of us.
Things that can’t actually save us.

But softness doesn’t save.
The Rock does.

So no, the Rock doesn’t move.
The real question is:

Will you?

– Trish 💛

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