When fear takes control, God just crushes it. None of us are immune from feeling unsettled at times. Circumstances have a way of knocking us off balance. How we respond not only affects our lives, but those who are watching us. In the film “The Patriot,” a Colonial militia leader sees the British kidnap his son. Taking the two younger sons with him, they wait in ambush in the forest. One of the sons is rattled and crying, so the father puts his hands on the boy’s shoulders, looks him in the eyes...
Oct 16, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1406
Life is a process. We know that if we’ve lived very long at all. And this week, we’re talking about the process of trusting God. John 16:24 says, “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” Could Jesus meet our needs by just giving us something instantly? Of course. He made everything! And sometimes He does that; the miracles he performed that are recorded in the New Testament tell us that He often instantly met a person’s need...
Oct 13, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1405
Standing in the door of the plane, with a fierce wind whipping his whole body, Curtis wondered why he’d volunteered for the paratroopers. It was glamorous, they said. It’ll make a man out of you, they said. Shutting his eyes, Curtis prayed the most honest prayer of his life. He stretched out his hands and took a step... Lamentations 3:25–26 says, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Rolling on the gr...
Oct 12, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1404
As a believer, have you noticed that it’s often easier to stay in God’s will when you’re at home? At work, it can get a little dicey. It’s at work that people see us, and our decisions can have such impact. Not being in God’s will in that setting can be catastrophic. Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Terry Looper is the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company. Once, he was negotiating a sale and was at the finish line when he realized he hadn’t sought God’s will in t...
Oct 11, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1403
When the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened in 2011 in Arkansas, the vast sum of money spent on art caught some off-guard. One painting in particular, “Kindred Spirits,” was sold to Alice Walton for the museum for $35 million dollars! It’s a beautiful painting, for sure. Two men are standing on a bluff, overlooking a scene of mountains and a river. Some might have an issue with the price of the painting, but Walton felt the scene was priceless and wanted others to enjoy it. Ephesians ...
Oct 10, 2023•1 min•Season 1Ep. 1402
Would it surprise you to know that God has always been interested in you? Did you know He knew you before you were born? He has a vested interest in how your life turns out. Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” He isn’t some remote deity. God doesn’t pay attention only most of the time. He doesn’t form His plans here and there. He is there for us all the time. The question is, where are we? Before you were born, it was God’s will that you would have a relationship wit...
Oct 09, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1401
Sharing our faith should be exciting to us. It is exciting. When we consider the free grace God gave us through His Son, telling others about Jesus should be on our priority list every day. For whatever reason, many find it very awkward to talk to others about Jesus. We can talk about just about anything else, though. That’s why it’s crucial that we look at sharing the gospel as an intentional thing we do. Intentionality is a great way to overcome our hesitancy, and let’s be honest, sometimes fe...
Oct 06, 2023•4 min•Season 1Ep. 1400
Keeping things simple is usually the best path forward. For Christians, that means following Christ’s lead in everything. This includes sharing and standing up 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 mos...
Oct 05, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1399
Think of what Jesus was asking of His followers. He had just risen from the dead. That doesn’t happen every day. His ministry had been destroyed, so they thought. He wasn’t coming back. But then He did. Only days after being killed on a brutal Roman cross, Jesus was standing in front of His friends, looking very much alive. And He was telling them their futures were dicey. Mark 16:15 says, “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” Jerusalem at the time was...
Oct 04, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1398
Table salt today is so common, it becomes another thing we take for granted. You go to the store, pick a cylinder or jar of salt off the shelf, and then go home. You don’t even think about it. Now, consider that 1,000 and more years ago, if a person wanted to use salt on his dinner, this required some prior work. A lot of work! The Romans boiled seawater in huge, lead-lined pans. So valuable was salt in the Roman Empire, it was used as currency! Mainly, it was used as a critical food preservativ...
Oct 03, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1397
Do you ever feel that you aren’t suited for sharing your faith in Christ? Maybe you’re not comfortable around people. Maybe you’ve encountered some who are hostile to faith. If so, then we are speaking to you about sharing your light in a dark world. Philippians 2:15 says, “Shine...like the stars in the sky.” Have you seen the movie, “The Ten Commandments?” It’s doubtful the real Moses looked and talked like Charlton Heston. And do we really think God looks for His witnesses among people who hav...
Oct 02, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1396
John MacArthur once wrote a book called “Our Sufficiency in Christ.” In it, he revealed the path to finding true peace and contentment. And he says, “There’s a single word that encompasses all the riches we find in Christ—grace.” What a magnificent word it is. It’s used more than 150 times in the New Testament to speak of divine favor, bestowed on undeserving people. It is the means by which we receive every physical and spiritual benefit. People the world over search all their lives for peace. ...
Sep 29, 2023•4 min•Season 1Ep. 1395
As we continue in our series on finding contentment, today’s message is really about taking the long view. The human attention span is short. Like really, really short. Between the World Wars, Winston Churchill warned Europe that Hitler was a threat to the continent at least. But people ignored him. And then when the Nazis turned violent, the people turned to Churchill as their prime minister. Having led the country through another costly war to preserve freedom, Churchill was defeated for re-el...
Sep 28, 2023•4 min•Season 1Ep. 1394
The big question for today is, can we find contentment in things? Have you ever listened to a very successful person complain about the fact that his wealth doesn’t make him happy, how the success of life has left him or her empty? Of course, you have. We've all heard stories like that. But, pay attention to that because it’s really important. Watch people roll their eyes when they hear those stories. Why do they do that? Because they’re thinking, “Yeah, just give me some of that emptiness. I’d ...
Sep 27, 2023•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1393
Today, our big question is, can we find contentment in relationships? How many times has this scene been repeated? A guy sees a girl he can’t live without. He thinks she will bring him happiness, and for a while, that’s how it plays out. But then one day he’s melancholy just like he used to be. Or how about the woman who believes marriage will fulfill her heart’s desires, but then over time, her husband isn’t so perfect? You see the common denominator in these two scenarios. Partners aren’t the ...
Sep 26, 2023•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1392
The diversity of life on this planet is astonishing, good, bad, beautiful, painful. Our world is a place of blessing and it’s also a struggle for a lot of people. Each of us has a whole batch of issues to deal with every day, ranging from physical challenges to emotional needs. And a fascinating element in all this is how we see contentment. What is it? Where is it found? Is it lasting? Matthew 6:32–33 says, “For the pagans run after all these things and your Heavenly Father knows that you need ...
Sep 25, 2023•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1391
You know, someone may have tried to convince you at some point in your life that we’re alone in the cold void of the universe, but that has never been true. It’s especially false for the believer who understands what God has done for all people everywhere. He, the Creator of the universe, formed us long ago, and His Word tells us clearly that He never takes a second off in His pursuit of us. Consider this: If you’re stuck in a bad relationship, you won’t find your way into the light until you’re...
Sep 22, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1390
Today, we continue our series on healthy relationships, and we’re talking about managing difficult relationships. There’s a wonderful scene in the classic film to kill a Mockingbird, when the attorney Atticus Finch is confronted by the father of a girl who has accused a black man of rape. The father, enraged, walks up to Finch—played perfectly by Gregory Peck. He spits in Finch’s face as the attorneys’ children watch. You can see the anger in Finch’s face, but he slowly and calmly maintains his ...
Sep 21, 2023•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1389
One of the richest gifts God has given us is healthy relationships. A marriage in balance, friends who mutually respect each other, and most of all a strong “God connection” can be the ticket to a healthy, whole life. The full life that Jesus spoke about! Hebrews 10:24–25 says, “And let us consider how to spur one another to love and to good works. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but let us exhort one another, especially as you see the Day appro...
Sep 20, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1388
God’s Word shares powerful wisdom for dealing with harmful relationships. A damaged marriage, child-parent relationship, or friendship gone bad can cause us to spiral downward. Everything is affected. Work, sleep, even our prayer life. When a relationship sours, it’s important to remember we bear responsibility for doing everything possible to nurture healthy relationships. Our prayer life and resolve can go a long way toward repairing the damage. When King David’s advisor, Nathan, saw what sin ...
Sep 19, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1387
God created humans with a spirit, soul, and body. And in order for each aspect of our being to function in harmony, our relationships should also be in harmony. From the beginning, God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, talking with them and nurturing a personal relationship with them. In fact, throughout the scriptures, God built foundational relationships, whether it was with the reluctant leader Moses or Hannah, the woman who wanted to be a mother more than anything. Ephesians 4:2–3 says...
Sep 18, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1386
Bill was a very successful businessman for a lot of years. About 10 years ahead of retirement, he decided to entrust a lot of money to the investment wizardry of Bernie Madoff. And when Madoff’s Ponzi scheme imploded, Bill joined many others who now had to wonder where their money went. And he thought of suicide. For fully two years, he struggled to get out of bed. He felt sapped of energy every waking moment. Then, on a park bench one afternoon, he met Mildred, who shared the Good News of Jesus...
Sep 15, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1385
Sandy was facing some really tough choices. Her daughter needed a life-saving treatment. The girl’s father was out of the picture, and she faced this moment without support. Even the doctors didn’t seem overly optimistic. So this embattled mom did what moms do. She prayed. She told God she didn’t have the strength to see this thing through. No bright light appeared, and things didn’t get better instantly or even the next day, but God healed her little girl. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all th...
Sep 14, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1384
Quitting is something our culture really frowns upon. We’re all taught not to be a quitter, but honestly, it’s one of the easiest things in the short term any of us can do. Quitting is seductive, and taking the easy way out just feels right sometimes. Well—fight that impulse. Too many outcomes are riding on your willingness to hang tough. Luke 18:1 says, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Few people remember Coretta Scott King and...
Sep 13, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1383
Are you having a bad day? Feeling exhausted? Ready to throw in the towel? Have you considered telling God that? Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Sometimes all things means conquering a mountain, but sometimes it means putting one foot in front of the other when you just aren’t feeling it. When Paul wrote those words 2,000 years ago, he was writing on the other side of a life filled with trials. This preacher had spent several years being hunted, ...
Sep 12, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1382
The prophet Isaiah lived during a difficult period for the ancient Israelites. Turning away from faith in God and under the control of corrupt kings, the nation entered a period of darkness. They needed hope more than anything. In our discussion this week, we’re talking about this human condition. Today, we are really no different from people in ancient times: We all need a relationship with our Creator. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on ...
Sep 11, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1381
Early in the 2008 college football season, Florida was stunned at home by Ole Miss, losing 31 to 30. Tim Tebow, the Florida quarterback who had already had great success, was now faced with rising from the ashes. In a moment of weakness and humiliation, he told the world that his team would not lose again in that situation. People sat up and took notice, mostly because Tim Tebow was an outspoken Christian. More than a few people rolled their eyes. Not many thought the promise would hold since Fl...
Sep 08, 2023•1 min•Season 1Ep. 1380
Kelly had felt alone for years. Since childhood, in fact. At 26, she didn’t like it anymore and she decided to do something about it. Not a naturally outgoing person, Kelly began volunteering in a local women’s shelter. She learned quickly to listen to other people’s problems she had herself never experienced, and she found that helping someone else made her feel better—physically and emotionally. Within a year, she decided to make a change, finish her degree, and become a counselor. She realize...
Sep 07, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1379
Of all the human emotions, fear is perhaps the most paralyzing. And there are what we call internal and external fears. While many people stress about relationships, depression, and self-doubt, there are also big issues affecting the world: natural disasters, political upheaval, wars, are just a few of the things that create fear. Sometimes it can feel like everything is unraveling, but our field guide for finding our way through life, the Bible, has much to say about fear. In fact, dozens of ve...
Sep 06, 2023•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1378
Have you ever talked to someone who doubted the existence of God? Someone who says God couldn’t have created everything in our world? Watch that same someone stare in wonder at a mountain range like the Rockies, the delicate bloom of a flower, or a sunset on a beach in Greece. It’s pretty hard to deny God in such a moment. In fact, all throughout scripture, we’re told that God’s majesty is seen in our natural surroundings. He made everything. Literally, all matter. He created the conditions for ...
Sep 05, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1377
