A farmer, perhaps more than most, knows something about faith. Harvest time captures much of our attention and all the good press, but the farmer’s careful planning, toil, and belief in the outcome are all necessary to reach that moment of glory. First, the farmer must decide what to plant in his fields. What do history and the Farmer’s Almanac say about likely weather patterns in a given year? What will various seeds cost right now? Is it a cyclical year for grasshoppers, or other pests? Soil i...
Jun 28, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 801
Solomon was king after his famous father, David, in ancient Israel. He also became insanely wealthy. According to the world’s standard, he had everything. Everything except peace later in life. In this way he was like a modern person, because truthfully, people’s natures never really change over time. It’s one of the things we have talked about this week. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what...
Jun 25, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 800
History tells us that God exists. Really, it does. And even if you aren’t interested in history, you might be interested in a few quick examples. At the battle of Gettysburg, when the United States was about to be ripped apart by civil war, General Lee’s attack plans were lost by an officer and found by Union soldiers. This helped turn the tide of the battle, and led to victory and reconciliation of the country later. For centuries, disease threatened all of Europe. The Black Death wiped out mil...
Jun 24, 2021•3 min•Season 1Ep. 799
Since the beginning of time, millions of people have denied the existence of God. They are called different names: unbelievers, atheists, maybe agnostic. Many of them have quite a bit to say about it, and have even become famous doing so. God also has something to say about it. A fascinating verse in the Bible speaks directly to this question of the existence of God, and it also speaks to our discussion this week. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also...
Jun 23, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 798
In an age of technology booms and information-sharing, it’s amazing how lonely we have become. Everything and everyone is connected, but does all that online connection ever leave you feeling disconnected in real life? Do you feel alone? If you do, you are listening at the right time this week as we are reminded that God’s timing is always perfect. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God ha...
Jun 22, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 797
Where are you at today? I don’t mean the freeway or your kitchen or a doctor’s office. I mean, is your life stable? Are you on the right road? Our topic this week is the perfect timing of God. You might be in an okay place, or you might be free falling. As usual, God’s Word speaks to this. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Wow. That is a description of...
Jun 21, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 796
We often hear that it’s harder to raise kids today than ever before. That isn’t true, of course. All eras down through history have been challenging. We live in a world scarred by sin, after all, and children grow up among all sorts of temptations. That’s why the role of a parent is something to take seriously, as a sacred duty. We’ve been discussing the best practical guide for living: the Bible. Nowhere is this truer than in its practical wisdom for raising successful children. Although we all...
Jun 18, 2021•3 min•Season 1Ep. 795
If you’ve been fortunate to hold a newborn, you know what it’s like to be thunderstruck by the delicate features. Everything in miniature. And then the eyes open. You’re in love. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” A baby is a blessing and gift from the Lord. All life is precious; it doesn’t matter if the parents are famous or completely obscure. In that warm bundle is a whole lifetime waiting to unfold. Will he be adventurous? Will she run the country? Man is capabl...
Jun 17, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 794
Picture what it would be like to lose everything in one fell swoop. Your house burns to the ground. The stock market plummets and all your money is gone. Worst of all, your children fall ill and die. Suddenly, you’ve lost not only your material possessions, but your family, too. When people refer to someone as having “the patience of Job,” they say that for a reason. Job was a man of immense wealth, the richest man in the region, and was the father of 7 sons and 3 daughters he loved dearly. He w...
Jun 16, 2021•3 min•Season 1Ep. 793
One of the things that mark a healthy society is the consistency between generations. In other words, adults who care about the future of their children will invest the time to make sure tomorrow is bright. God the Father is the ultimate parent, and we would do well to model His love for us. Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Passing the torch, or training up the next generation involves taking the time to do it prop...
Jun 15, 2021•1 min•Season 1Ep. 792
Moses was the father of two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, and he also served as a father figure to the entire Hebrew people as they escaped from slavery in Egypt. He loved his people, and helped discipline and provide for them on their 40-year journey to the Promised Land. Imagine leading a frustrated, tired, hungry group of travelers through the desert — without air conditioning or handheld electronics — for four decades! So many aspects of Moses’s life story seem larger-than-life, and he was inde...
Jun 14, 2021•3 min•Season 1Ep. 791
If you’ve ever been to a trade show, you know that products for the Christmas season are presented and pre-sold in July! Sort of like the Laurel & Hardy film in which they sold Christmas trees in summer! Hopefully, we have better marketing than the comedy duo, but there is one superb gift we can make people aware of year-round. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” If you’ve found faith in Jesus Chr...
Jun 11, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 790
Have you ever thought much about grace? We hear the word, but the concept itself might be a little elusive. That might be because it’s hard for humans to understand and embrace. Grace means simply that someone gives you something with no strings attached. Just for your good. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” The Bible tells a simple story, really. Mankind sinned and brought evil into the world. God ...
Jun 10, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 789
Our world has rich diversity. In nature, we see almost countless stunning animal species. We linger on pictures of beautiful landscapes. Even different cultures give us amazing experiences. There are also many different religions. Some of them offer a measure of peace. Some have reflections that can help us be better people. Today we’re talking about salvation, and that is one thing only Jesus offers. That is a harsh thing to say to some people, but if we are true to God’s Word, we affirm it. Ep...
Jun 09, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 788
Have you heard the name Sydney Carton? This character in Charles Dickens’s acclaimed novel “A Tale of Two Cities” has everything to do with sacrificial grace. Carton is a man during the French Revolution who has a chance to stand-in for a condemned man. In this way, the man will be free to go on and live his life. Carton takes the other man’s place, and is executed. It was common for Charles Dickens to write novels that reflect the Christian faith. Does Carton remind you of anyone? Ephesians 2:8...
Jun 08, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 787
People are goal-oriented. Even if you think you’re not, you really are. Maybe you don’t have a burning ambition to work in finance on Wall St., or you aren’t going to be a pro athlete any time soon. But you do want to earn a living for your family. Hey, you even want to get your chores finished before your favorite show comes on TV. Sometimes, this love of goals can trip us up when it comes to eternal matters. We think we can make our own way. It’s just hardwired in us to set goals and meet them...
Jun 07, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 786
Ah...wanderlust. There is nothing quite like ambling along in your car, on a bicycle, or on foot along an unfamiliar country lane. No agenda, no rush to arrive anywhere on time, just letting your wheels spin and enjoying the scenery. What are we really searching for, when we set off on a sunny day with no particular destination in mind? What are we hoping to find, when we leave behind maps and clocks and venture forth into the great wide open? Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and h...
Jun 04, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 785
From the time he was a young shepherd in the wilderness, David had deep relationship with God. He escaped enough dangerous situations to know that God was always with Him and was his deliverer. Psalm 91:1,2 says, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” This psalm is famous for its descriptive language. We can see a picture of this in our minds. And the specific th...
Jun 03, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 784
Trust issues. Lots and lots of people have trust issues. Someone has hurt you in the past. Maybe it’s been multiple times. This world can be a dangerous place. But stop and think about how much your damaged trust affects your relationships now. Is there a way out of this long, dark tunnel? John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” People who hurt others tend to continue their hurtful ways. Bottom line: that person m...
Jun 02, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 783
Humans tend to see the world from a me-me-me perspective: What can we get out of this situation? How can I benefit from this? It’s the same with being thankful. Not that we shouldn’t focus on all that God does for us. That’s important — even critical. But when you think about it, who should benefit most from our gratitude? The answer is: others. When we thank others and recognize the effort they took to do something for us, we should train ourselves to understand how it impacts them, not us. Tha...
Jun 01, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 782
Most of us feel a deep respect in our hearts for those who have sacrificed so that we can remain free. Loving those who have paid the ultimate price is just something we do as people. We pause to remember each year. Isaiah 56:5 says, “To them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.” God instituted the concept of maintaining memorials. He remembers, and so do we. Maybe you’ve ha...
May 31, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 781
From the very beginning, women around the world have served their countries on the front lines of war. In America, we know that the Land of the Free has hundreds of thousands of women manning their stations at home while Daddy fights a long way from home. In fact, winning World War 2 would have been dicey had we not had millions of women manning factories and offices. But many of us are unaware that women serve in front-line units. As of last year, 800 served in combat. By the fall of 2018, 18 h...
May 28, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 780
In May 1962, an intimidating figure delivered a final public speech at West Point Military Academy. Douglas MacArthur, who led America to victory in the Pacific during World War 2, addressed cadets. He told them simple truths, ones that define honor and glory. The hall was completely still as the old general spoke in hushed tones. Everyone heard him speak of the honorable soldier who must rely on “those divine attributes which his Maker gave when He created man in His own image.” Here was perhap...
May 27, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 779
Most countries relish their histories…famous eras and the glory of battle and all that. Americans love this beautiful land, as well. But the Bible tells us the true source of our blessings. It points us to the One who made all things possible. Psalm 115:1 tells us, “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” We are incredibly blessed in America for a lot of reasons. From sufficient food to freedom to make our own choices, we have so much. B...
May 26, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 778
One movie image is so powerful, if you’ve seen it you’ll never forget it. A pair of army boots leaves the ground as a helicopter takes the wearer airborne, away from the field of battle. This is a scene from “We Were Soldiers,” a film about America’s first battle of the Vietnam War. This happened in 1965, and tells the story of Col. Hal Moore and his men. Moore was the clear leader, and he had also served in Korea. He promised his men and their families before they left for that far-away country...
May 25, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 777
We owe them so much. Do you ever stop and think about the routine things you do every day? Buying detergent so that you can wash your family’s clothes. Fixing a couple of boards on your deck. We even grind through staff meetings at work. All this of course mixed with life, laughter, and love. But do you think about why you can do these things in a great and strong country? Primarily it’s because of the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers—those men and women who have defended the homeland since Col...
May 24, 2021•1 min•Season 1Ep. 776
An eagle screams near the summit at Masada, near the Dead Sea. Once Herod’s summer palace, it was later the scene of a terrible incident in which Jews chose suicide rather than enslavement to Rome. When Roman soldiers breached the defenses at the top, they were met by silence, the wind, and perhaps a lone eagle, watching. We are talking this week about your place on the winds of history. Where do you stand with God? Why are you here? Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew thei...
May 21, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 775
Are you a person that has walked away from your faith? Maybe you believed once, very much, but it faded over time. Maybe you accepted the promises of God for a little while, but then something else caught your eye. That’s not uncommon. Starting out on fire for God and then becoming weary is something many of us have dealt with. To use a flying analogy for our talk today, sometimes your flight of faith becomes grounded. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. The...
May 20, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 774
There’s a reason the Bible uses so many metaphors. The wisdom God has for us lends itself well to short narratives, and we learn much from stories. A famous passage from Isaiah we’ve been discussing this week uses a powerful mental image to convey deep truths from God. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” The sight of a majestic eagle, flying high above th...
May 19, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 773
If you’re like most people, the more chaotic life gets, the more you need a solution broken down in easy-to-understand concepts. We’ve been discussing what happens when people move away from God, and the consequences that impact us. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Besides the soothing beauty of the language, notice that God gives us several elements t...
May 18, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 772
