The metaphor of life as a road is a common one, and with good reason. We are in essence walking a path in life, from beginning to end. For each person, the journey is at different times joyous, grueling, and full of wonder. Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” This week we’re talking about Walking By Faith, something that humans find difficult to do when times get tough. Yet that is exactly the moment God uses to ignite our faith, and show us things we couldn’t have...
Jan 24, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 951
The Bible is famous for speaking in parables and metaphor. One of the most famous is found in one of Paul’s letters, in which he tells us the benefits of a life in Christ. The “Fruit of the Spirit” is a list of nine attributes that a person filled with the Holy Spirit will model for the world. It’s probably no coincidence that Paul starts with…Love. Galatians 5:22–23 says, “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and sel...
Jan 21, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 950
We “love” all sorts of things. We love a friend’s new hairdo. We love pistachio ice cream and travel to exotic places. Many times, the word itself loses all real meaning. It’s like homemade chicken soup without the chicken and without the soup. 1 John 3:16–18 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God ...
Jan 20, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 949
Having the “patience of Job” is a common saying, even if people don’t really know its origins. Job of course was the biblical character that suffered greatly before God restored him. But if you read the book of Job, it’s not at all clear that he really had much patience! Because being patient is really, really hard. 1 Corinthians 13:4–5: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily ange...
Jan 19, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 948
We’ve all known kindness. It might have been a Sunday school teacher, or maybe it was Mom listening to our bad day. But how often do you actually think about the importance of kindness? Is it an active part of your day? If not, you’re missing the point. 1 Corinthians 13:4–5 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” Real love compels us to...
Jan 18, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 947
During the summer in Oklahoma, the heat can be oppressive. When Martin Luther King, Jr. walked into Calvary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City in 1953, few knew who he was. The congregants just fanned themselves and tried not to think about sweating. The 24-year-old seminary grad preached and then left. He had been looking for a job, honestly, but no offer came. Years later, a deacon was asked how in the world they let MLK get away. He said, “He didn’t have enough gravy.” In other words, the future...
Jan 17, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 946
A positive in our culture today is that we can admit our shortcomings. In the past, it was sort of taboo to tell the world you were not exactly all together. Back in the day, a “hot mess” usually referred to an overturned pot on the stove. But today, the phrase “hot mess” has a whole new meaning. Our lives are often just a mess. Thank goodness the outcome is not dependent on us. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the ...
Jan 14, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 945
By some estimates, the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace” is performed over 10 million times a year around the world. Imagine not being able to hear this sweet song! Losing the ability to hear, or being born deaf, is unimaginable for many of us who have never experienced hearing loss, but there are some surprising upsides to being differently-abled in this way. Deaf people develop keener senses of observation, touch, taste, and smell to compensate for their loss of hearing. What the hearing world may ...
Jan 13, 2022•3 min•Season 1Ep. 944
Have you ever been really angry at someone, and had a tough time letting it go? Maybe a work colleague let you down, or got you in trouble with the boss. Maybe family drama is dragging you down, and there are unresolved hurt feelings. Maybe your spouse betrayed you, and you aren’t sure how to move past it. Unforgiveness in our lives is painful, and as believers, it can affect our prayer life, and even our relationship with the Lord. Mark 11:25 says, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anyth...
Jan 12, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 943
Do you ever worry you might not measure up? Sam was a fourth grader with a big problem: he left his homework at school, and he was so worried he’d be in trouble with the teacher, he could hardly stand to go to school the next day. In the car on the way to school, Sam’s mom explained the concept of grace, asking, “Sam, do you know about the idea of grace? Grace means even if we aren’t perfect, the people who care about us can choose to forgive us. I think your teacher will understand about your h...
Jan 11, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 942
“Mom — I broke something! I’m so sorry!” Benjamin had slipped on the wet bathroom floor and managed to take down the shower curtain and the curtain rod, in one fell swoop. His mom’s concern wasn’t the state of the shower curtain, but whether the broken something was an arm or leg. Thankfully, her son wasn’t hurt, and fixing the curtain was a lot easier than mending a broken bone. A reassuring hug from mom was all the boy needed to mend his hurt pride. None of us are perfect, whether we’re 8 year...
Jan 10, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 941
If you wonder what is the best way to share your faith and defend it in the modern world, it might help to look at past examples. In the Bible, the husband-and-wife team of Priscilla and Aquila shared Christ with Apollos, who would become a famous early evangelist. In colonial England, the abolitionist, William Wilberforce, shamed his own government into freeing slaves. Jude 1:3 says, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that...
Jan 07, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 940
We think of a “defender” as a muscular guy wearing a suit of armor. He raises his sword and takes swings at the enemy. A defender can be that guy. No question. But a defender of the faith is simply a person who loves Christ enough to share Him with others, and answer questions along the way. The truth is, a defender of the faith can be a serene grandmother, or a mild-mannered accountant. It could even be you! Our Defender of the Faith series focuses on what it means to stand up for your Christia...
Jan 06, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 939
Keeping things simple is usually the best path forward. For Christians, that means following Christ’s lead in everything. This includes sharing and standing for our faith. The Bible is full of examples of how Jesus did this. Occasionally he got mad, as when he threw out the moneychangers. Other times he just quietly sat and taught what His Father had shown Him. This is our model. When you share Christ with someone and that person believes, you have been given the privilege of watching the most i...
Jan 05, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 938
Defending the faith can sometimes be a subjective thing. As examples of extremes, we have seen the Crusades, and the modern form is perhaps an aggressive “pitch” to someone who isn’t a believer. The thing is, it’s great to be zealous for our faith, but let’s also be disciplined. We don’t want to alienate a person who might otherwise listen. To put it simply: an angry Christian is usually a lonely Christian. Jude 1:3 says, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salva...
Jan 04, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 937
In every generation, it falls to believers to spend some time in defending our worldview as Christians. Honestly, it’s not the nicest part of the gig, but it’s necessary. Usually, it involves simply explaining what your faith is all about. Followers of other religions do the same thing, but for us, we are sharing the person of Christ with those who don’t know Him. That makes it a big deal. Jude 1:3 says, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share....
Jan 03, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 936
In a world full of manmade gods and goddesses, the Creator God stands alone. He is a King of the first order, and everything was made by Him. His majesty and power are awesome. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Usually when people are in the presence of royalty, they get nervous. Kings and queens make us uneasy, and we obsess about how we approach them. Not so with our great God. Yes, He is all-powerful, and...
Dec 31, 2021•1 min•Season 1Ep. 935
Where are you today? I don’t mean on the way to work 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 descriptio...
Dec 30, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 934
When you think of ships, whether you’re thinking of the Titanic, pirate ships of yore, or trading vessels crossing the vast ocean to bring goods and services from one country to another, you probably picture them with an anchor — a heavy metal hook designed to catch on the ocean floor and keep a boat or ship in place. Wikipedia says this about anchors: There are two main types of anchors: temporary and permanent. A permanent anchor is called a mooring block and is not easily moved. A temporary a...
Dec 29, 2021•3 min•Season 1Ep. 933
Solomon was one of the most amazing men in all of history. The King of Israel, the son of the famous David, was so rich he got bored. In fact, some believe he was the wealthiest man of all time. In terms of money, he was the Jeff Bezos of his time. But the Bible tells us his story, and doesn’t spare any truth in doing it. Solomon accomplished great things, but at great spiritual cost. After a while, he discovered the secret to real success, and that is what we’re talking about today and all week...
Dec 28, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 932
From the time he was a young shepherd in the wilderness, David had a 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...
Dec 27, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 931
The Birth of Jesus as told in the book of Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1–20. In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary,...
Dec 24, 2021•3 min•Season 1Ep. 930
Over 200 years ago, “Silent Night” was first heard by villagers attending Christmas Eve mass in St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. Joseph Mohr, the young priest who wrote the lyrics, played the guitar and sang along with Franz Gruber, the choir director who had written the melody. How did this simple tune, with its quiet words of comfort, become a beloved hymn of peace throughout the world? An organ builder and repairman working at the church took a copy of the six-verse song to his home...
Dec 23, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 929
God gives us good gifts all the time. All through the year, not just at Christmas. One of the truly joyful gifts is the ability to be kind to others. It sounds simple and maybe to some even quaint, but there is power in choosing to be kind. Choosing to be kind. That’s one of our themes this week. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us to, “Always be joyful.” Paul uses this chapter to describe the heart of a Christian. We are also to “encourage the disheartened,” and “be patient with everyone.” Although t...
Dec 22, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 928
Phillips Brooks was the minister of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia and visited Bethlehem in December of 1865. When Pastor Brooks traveled to the Holy Land, the journey included a horseback ride from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Back then, it truly was a small village, far removed from the bustling city it would later become. By nightfall, he was in the field where, according to tradition, the shepherds heard the angelic announcement. Then he attended the Christmas Eve service at...
Dec 21, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 927
Jerry wasn’t very good at a lot of things. He was shy and his grades weren’t stellar. He was bullied at school. Then he was given a part in the Christmas play at church. No one ever gave Jerry a part, but his Sunday school teacher took God’s Word to heart and knew that if she could help this shy boy, it could change his life. She knew that Jerry was good with mechanical things, so she put him in charge of raising and spotlighting the famous Star of Bethlehem. The result of that defines our discu...
Dec 20, 2021•1 min•Season 1Ep. 926
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...
Dec 17, 2021•1 min•Season 1Ep. 925
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...
Dec 16, 2021•1 min•Season 1Ep. 924
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 wha...
Dec 15, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 923
We live in a broken world, and humanity is the most broken and imperfect of all God’s creation. The world has a permanent OUT OF ORDER sign on it, and as a result, most of us are looking for answers to our questions, and solutions to our problems, in all the wrong places. We place our trust in ourselves, in shallow standards of beauty, in money, and in our relationships with other people, hoping for meaning and completion we will never find in these sources. We are lost people, following false g...
Dec 14, 2021•2 min•Season 1Ep. 922
