“You just don’t understand why I’m right.” “I wish you would try to see this from my perspective.” “Why cant you let me have this one?” If you have ever found yourself thinking or saying any of these phrases, you may want to stay tuned. Then, at the end of today’s show bc I’m in California I’m going to share something with you that may make you never want to visit Disney ever ever ever again.
A recent study has revealed that people who are more socially connected generally lead healthier lives than those who are more isolated. This is all well and good, but the question we are going to raise today is, how do we become someone others want to get to know? Stay tuned to find out how. If you want to be the kind of person other people are attracted to, then you need to become that person for someone else. The trap we tend to fall into is we tend to isolate and close ourselves off out of a...
On today’s show we discuss one method that may cause you to look at the people you live with a little differently. It’s that time of the year pod cast listeners; cold and flue season is back with a vengeance and many are trying anything and everything to ease their aches and pains. From essential oils to detox diets, people are trying some crazy things to quickly rid themselves of their symptoms. On today’s show, we will discuss one method that may cause you to look at the people you live with a...
Today is a special day because I got to interview Seth and Melanie Studley! They have the Anatomy of Marriage Podcast that is a huge success! They share things you just don't normally hear from a couple, especially where one of them is a licensed marriage and family therapist! Don't miss out on this episode. It's a new take on couples therapy and relationship advice. “This is the podcast that we wish we could have had 9 years ago when our marriage was falling apart!” Seth & Melanie Studley...
Let’s talk about the social behind social media, what you think you know may surprise you, and what you don’t...well that’s what we’re gonna talk about today. Along with a new segment we are calling “A Completely Unrelated Distraction of the Day” where I will share with you fun, strange, inspirational and often times totally unbelievable news from around the world. Wait till you hear what a pizza delivery guy did for someone in hospice. Amy Morin, PsychologyToday.com wrote, "Throughout the last ...
Serving others is the greatest tool for influencing them and setting them up to change for the better. There is no greater act of love than to serve and what we’ve learned throughout this 28 day journey is that love transforms. So what kind of servant should you be? "We weren’t created to be warm, safe, and comfortable. You and I were made to be 'turned on'—to put our love to work, to apply our patience in difficult, trying situations..." (Ted Engstrom)
The benefits of being a disciple and discipleship are overwhelming! Joy, peace and happiness result from following Jesus Christ, together with the hope of being like him and with him in heaven. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 The heart of Jesu...
"So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God." Matthew 5:23-24 NLT In v23 Jesus is likely talking about someone you have legitimately offended. You probably did do something wrong and you need to go immediately and make it right. Jesus says there’s more to this commandment than simply not murd...
Jesus is demanding a radical kind of love, to forgive when they don’t deserve it. Peter’s question in v21 comes from the teaching in verses 15-20. One of the new things I learned here was that the typical rabbinic consensus was that you would need to forgive a brother three times. But Jesus radically challenges this idea. Not three but seven times seventy! "Jesus does more than forbid vengeance; he transposes a cry of revenge (see Gen. 4:15, 23–24) into a call for forgiveness. Whether he says “s...
"The picture of forgiveness in verse 38 is of a measuring jar in which the corn is pressed down so that it will hold more, shaken together so that every crack is filled, and poured over the top so that it overflows. Just as God has generously given to his own, so the disciple should give an overflowing amount to others." “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37
Imagine going to the doctor's office for a check-up. The doctor says to you, "You are a magnificent physical specimen. You have the body of an Olympian. You are to be congratulated." Later that day while climbing the stairs, your heart gives out. You find out later your arteries were so clogged that you were like one jelly doughnut away from the grim reaper. You go back to the doctor and say, "Why didn't you tell me?" The doctor says, "Well, I knew your body is in worse shape than the Pillsbury ...
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NLT). Peace is the birthright of every believer in all circumstances. It is found only in God and is maintained through having a close relationship with him. The point here is to find peace, rest in Jesus before ever trying to obey his commands. Otherwise law keeping becomes a terrible bondage. Many whom Jesus addresses are weary and burdened precisely because of their efforts...
Carl Lundquist in Silent Issues of the Church, writes: Henry Wingblade used to say that Christian personality is hidden deep inside us. It is unseen, like the soup carried in a tureen high over a waiter’s head. No one knows what’s inside—unless the waiter is bumped and he trips! Just so, people don’t know what’s inside us until we’ve been bumped. But if Christ is living inside, what spills out is the fruit of the Spirit. "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, bu...
Anyone who has lived or worked in a skyscraper knows tall buildings sway in the wind. There’s no danger; the engineers know it will happen, but the sway is uncomfortable for people inside. When engineers and architects designed Citicorp Center in New York, they decided to do something about it. At the top of the fifty-nine story building, they installed a machine called a tuned mass damper. The machine, writes Joe Morgenstern in New Yorker magazine, “was essentially a four-hundred-and-ten-ton bl...
Some of you are not going to like this one because it’s something you struggle with everyday. Personally this is finally something I don’t really struggle through a lot. I think my blessing is that I’ve gone through so many insane things that it has made it easier for me not to freak out about the future. However, let’s not bring up: self-discipline, thoughts, lying and a whole bunch more! The point is take a deep breath and trust Him. All of us are in the same boat dealing with the waves of thi...
The difficulties and struggles of your relationship are going to tempt you to give up. The evil one is going to flood your mind with thoughts like, “Does God even love me? This is never going to get better. I can’t keep doing this!” Never stop praying. Never stop believing. Never stop hoping in Jesus. Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 S...
For me this statement, isn’t just about prayer. Even though yesterday we talked about how important prayer is and how it should be the beginning, middle and end of everything we do. Jesus suffered. If you keep reading in Matthew 26:36 you can see how his best friends in life let him down. They just couldn’t stay awake. Jesus Christ’s life was characterised by suffering. There are two things you need to learn today, two things that can free you from suffering.
"That does not mean that one needs to be persistent because God is reluctant to give. The point of the parable is not that God, like the person in the house, must be persuaded to give. Just the opposite. One needs to be persistent because God longs to give good gifts to his children, and he is sure to answer." (Schreiner, T. R.) “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Luk...
“But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.” Matthew 5:39 Obeying the commands is a heart issue. If you don’t make it a heart issue, you’ll do your best to find a way around the commands of Jesus. We can’t ignore these demands by Jesus. Obedience is the fruit of loving Jesus. How does Jesus want you to love others? ?We are no longer under the rule of reciprocity! This is about freedom from hurt and unmet expectations. You actuall...
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12 In chapter 7:1-12 Jesus is addressing your attitude toward others and God, specifically being judgmental. There’s two types of judging: Hypocritica Healthy Once you get your own junk, how you approach others about theirs will be different, more compassionate and understanding. You know that God is the actual judge and you are merely trying to help out a fe...
Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” Luke 7:40-43 Those who real...
“No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.” John 14:18 In this statement Jesus is assuring his freaked out disciples during the last supper. For the Jews, they often compared a Rabbi to a father and if a disciple’s Rabbi died they would compare themselves to orphans. “A commitment to an ongoing relationship and to the attitude and behaviour demanded by it. It is evident in human relationships and also in the covenant relationship between God and his people.” (Martin Manser) God k...
“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:11 Remember how we’ve talked about one of the results of abiding in Jesus and obeying his commands is joy? The fruit of the true disciple is joy, and frankly, no matter what. Jesus wants you to treat others just like he treats you. It’s what shows people around you that you’re a true disciple of Jesus. The bible uses the word here for joy in two ways. It can either be in feeling or in acti...
"God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth." Matthew 5:3-5 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus starts with Eight Beatitudes or blessings for a specific type of person/attitude/character. For me, you can summarize Jesus’ promises recorded here as, how joyful are the ones who recognize they only need God! How does J...
Where individuals sat at an ancient Jewish table for a meal mattered. The seating arrangement was highly important. Jesus knew who was going to betray him, Judas, and yet he gave Judas the seat to his left! This was the seat reserved by the host for the person designated as most honored guest! How does Jesus want you to love others? Be a servant, lay down your life. My dad used to ask women in audience around the world, “How many of you ladies would have a problem submitting to a dead man?” Extr...
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 “Jesus teaches Nicodemus that God’s only motive is love. Jesus hasn’t been sent into the world to judge, punish and sentence to death. He has come to reveal the light and show the love of God. He longs that people should stop preferring darkness and clinging to shame.” (Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 510). Minn...
“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” Luke 12:32 “Little flock” refers to believers who belong to God’s kingdom and live under God’s loving care (vv. 22–31). This image recalls the Old Testament's depiction of God as a caring shepherd of His people (e.g., Psa 77:20; Jer 13:17; Mic 4:8). The true disciple is not afraid because of a sincere trust in God. The true disciple doesn’t draw their security from things, or people, or places b...
“If you love me, obey my commandments.” When he makes this statement, it was a big evening for Jesus. It’s his formal farewell to his disciples, his friends. And his friends are freaking out! They are scared. How does Jesus decide to comfort them? He promises the Holy Spirit - the great comforter. The one who would guide, teach, encourage, empower, and mediate on behalf of the believer. Ultimately he was giving them the comforting presence of himself - Jesus. The provision of Jesus that will bri...
Let His promises protect your relationship John 15:5 (Part 1 - the critical importance of intimacy with Jesus) “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” “What prompts Jesus to use this image? His figures (shepherd, bread, water, light) all came from ancient Jewish traditions. If Jesus left the Upper Room in 14:30, he may have stopped at the temple to teach and to pray. At the entrance of the H...
'Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”' John 8:31-32 The NT stresses the need for believers to remain in Christ. The reality of this close personal relationship with Jesus Christ is expressed in obedience to his word and is essential to effective discipleship. How do you abide in Jesus? Hold to his teaching (1 John 2:24) Obedience to him (John 15:10) Live lik...
