Do you ever feel like life is a 24/7 chore? That it’s just hard work and very little joy, to the point that you can’t go on? Unfortunately, that’s a common theme for many — but as we explore our series this week, “Friend,” here’s a suggestion: Seek out a person who knows you and loves you. Someone you’ve clicked with, and you have the memories to prove it. In other words, a true friend. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Notice from...
Mar 07, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 981
Do you especially need the gift of peace right now? Is your life so busy, you can’t find time to take a breath? There is Good News for you: Jesus already knows. Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” When Jesus ascended to heaven, he told the apostles, “My peace I leave with you.” Because He lives, we know for sure that this peace is available to us anytime, anywhere. Even in the busy part of your life, when you think you’re going crazy, you can ...
Mar 04, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 980
Does your life feel out of control? Are you experiencing that common feeling of weaving down a busy highway, about to crash? It’s a metaphor for life that most internalize at some point. All of a sudden, what you were sure of isn’t there anymore. You might as well be behind the wheel of a fast car that’s heading into oncoming traffic. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” This isn’t some nice little bit of wisdom someone put on a greeting card. This ...
Mar 03, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 979
Life can be overwhelming sometimes, right? A huge wave of despair can come out of nowhere and push us toward disaster. Anita’s life was like that, growing up in Hong Kong where revolutionary movements brought violence and loss of hope. She couldn’t see how the pieces of her life could be put together. She would ask herself, “How do you make peace with a potential that is frustrated? Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ...
Mar 02, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 978
1 Peter 5:6–7 says, “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” These two short verses tell us several things: One - if we submit to God’s power by acknowledging we can’t solve our problems, He is strong enough to intervene and bring about the outcome we really want. Second, He does this in his own time, on His own timetable. Third, we are to leave our problems at His feet. There ...
Mar 01, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 977
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 will talk 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...
Feb 28, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 976
The book of Revelation scares some of us, and it’s a source of confusion and debate for others. But if we block out all the noise and read it for ourselves, we see it is nothing more or less than a beautiful description of our Jesus. It is an unveiling of the Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. He created the world we live in, He knew us long before we were born, and He is preparing an indescribable world for us to go to one day. Revelation 19:16 says, “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name wri...
Feb 25, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 975
It was March 30, 1981. In our nation’s capital, a new president smiled and waved. In the next instant, Secret Service agents are shoving him into a waiting car. Several shots have rung through the spring air. President Ronald Reagan had just stepped out from a hotel where he had spoken. No one knew whether the President would live or die. News anchors began the evening news with the uncertain details, but eventually, the word came down: the President had survived. Reagan, already 70 by the time ...
Feb 24, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 974
Steve had everything to live for. His wife was the ultimate companion and mother. His kids brought him joy. A satisfying career added to the richness of his life. Then a devastating diagnosis hit him like a baseball bat: cancer. The rarity of it added to the grim news. His doctor looked at him for a few seconds, then mentioned treatment options. Steve didn’t hear him. In our series this week, “He Lives,” the takeaway is that our great God has cleared a path for us. Revelation 19:16 says, “On his...
Feb 23, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 973
No one can ever say that life in this world isn’t rich and varied. We take the good with the bad because honestly, we have to. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. But through it all, we keep going because our King is up ahead encouraging us. On a dark day long ago, Jesus didn’t look like a King. His life was ebbing away on the cross. His followers were distraught as they looked on. Their whole world literally passing away. But thank God we know what happened soon after. There is darkness in ...
Feb 22, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 972
In the frigid Italian winter of 2017, the unthinkable happened for guests at a mountain hotel. An avalanche buried everyone under tons of snow, ice, and rock. The terror of those moments stretched into the hours following, when rescue efforts took on the ultimate sense of urgency. Amazingly, working through the night, rescuers began to hear voices under the rubble. In one spot, six people were shivering in an air pocket. Among them were a mother and her young son. One of the officials that raced...
Feb 21, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 971
We hope this week is a great one for you in your relationships. Like many people, you have a special someone in your life and you’ve gotten a gift from someone who loves you. At least a last-minute one! But part of truly loving and being healthy emotionally is looking at what God intends for human love. That provides an opportunity for you to share the love of Christ in a very real way. 1 Corinthians 13:4–5 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not prou...
Feb 18, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 970
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...
Feb 17, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 969
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 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 approachin...
Feb 16, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 968
Have you ever been hurt in a relationship? If you’ve been alive very long at all, the answer is an obvious “Yes!” Reality has shown us that love can be the most wonderful feeling ever…or it can be ugly and brutal. It can feel like your heart has been run over by a truck. We’re talking about Loving Like Jesus, and as usual, His Word unlocks the secrets of our hearts, and shows us the way to healing. 1 Corinthians 13:4–5 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it...
Feb 15, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 967
When it comes to love, the secular world has plenty to say. Turn on the television, radio, or explore the internet, and you’ll find advice on every type of relationship, from friendships to getting along with your parents, and of course – advice on romantic relationships. People are clamoring to figure love out…but what does the Bible say about love? 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...
Feb 14, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 966
In 1943, Winston Churchill wanted an invasion of Europe to defeat the Nazis, but the Americans weren't ready. They were ready one year later. And when the Germans on the French beaches saw thousands of ships coming through the mist one morning, they knew Franklin Roosevelt, the American president, had been right to wait. Now the allies were at full strength and aiming for victory. Timing saved civilization. It's like that in life sometimes, isn't it? For all of us. How many times have we been su...
Feb 11, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 965
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...
Feb 10, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 964
Gwen closed her eyes and didn’t dare to even breathe. Japanese troops were right outside her house, looking for her and other missionaries. It was World War 2, and American forces in the Philippines were nearby. Just when Gwen and her friends thought someone would throw open the trapdoor to their basement hiding place, loud voices began getting dimmer. The enemy troops were distracted, and left in a hurry! Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, ...
Feb 09, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 963
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...
Feb 08, 2022•3 min•Season 1Ep. 962
Who likes to wait for what we need or want? Basically, nobody. Of those nine elements that make up the Fruit of the Spirit, patience may be the hardest to find. Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” And patience is learned. Which makes it one of the sweetest fruits the Spirit gives us. Waiting for a “payoff” of some kind makes the end result that much more rewarding. Life teaches us that. A childless Hannah endured mocking and ridicule, but the ...
Feb 07, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 961
David, the giant-slaying boy who would eventually become king of Israel, is mentioned over 1,000 times in the Bible. The youngest of eight children, David grew to become a powerful king, and some say he was also the original pop star, penning most of the 150 psalms included in the Bible. These songs were the hymnbook for Old Testament Jews, and continue to inspire well-known musical works today, including Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” The 62nd Psalm was written by King David with a goal of remin...
Feb 04, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 960
Since before the world was created, God has had a master plan to deliver people from evil. He cared for us so much that He was willing to endure pain to redeem us. In Acts 14:20, we read about Jesus and the disciples preaching in a city called Derbe. It says that, “Jesus then was busy strengthening the souls of his disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God.” God wants us to know that the journey we are on end...
Feb 03, 2022•3 min•Season 1Ep. 959
Who are you, exactly, that God should know your name, or care to know your story? Have you ever wondered about the answer to that big question? In the great scheme of things, we sometimes feel like ants in an anthill: nameless drones, fetching and carrying, an unremarkable face among the masses. We are so much more than that to the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says simply, “Pray continually.” Written as a letter to early Christians by the Apostle Paul, this encouraging note doesn’t specify that th...
Feb 02, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 958
Have you ever known someone who inherited something of great value from an obscure relative? It happens. The will is read by an attorney and all of a sudden, the beneficiary goes from struggling to pay the rent to needing a financial planner. It can be an exciting time, even disorienting. The only downside to receiving a large inheritance is the knowledge that someday it will run out, or you die and can’t take it with you. That’s why the Bible’s revelations about eternal riches are so much more ...
Feb 01, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 957
Do you struggle to wonder what God’s will is for your life? Many of us do. Although it isn’t a quick answer, the best way to find God’s will for your life is to read His Word. The Bible will tell you the answer to that question. Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Actually, finding God’s will isn’t the hardest part. Deciding to follow His will is where we get tripped up. People need the skill and discipline of being persistent. Too often the impulse is to give up and...
Jan 31, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 956
The Bible is full of what we can call difficult stories. Some of them don’t make a lot of sense at first. Others seem contrary to what we think should happen. As we finish up our time this week by talking about Walking By Faith, one such story is breathtaking if we follow it through. It involves a father trusting God more than his own instincts. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” In Genesis, we read about Abraham being instructed by the Lord to offer his young son Isaa...
Jan 28, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 955
Are you angry at God today? Has something happened that has damaged your faith? If we live in the world long enough, it can happen to any of us. How you respond is really important. If you’ve listened previously, you know we are talking about how to live by faith. Having perseverance when we’re miserable is really, really hard. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re the only one. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” Listen to the words again: “For we live by faith, no...
Jan 27, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 954
There is a famous story in the book of John and it involves an act of amazing grace by Jesus. It changed one man’s life forever. As we discuss Walking By Faith this week, make sure these stories find their way deep into your memory. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” In our story, Jesus meets a man blind from birth. He tells His disciples that, incredibly, the man will be the catalyst for God’s glory to be displayed to all who know him. Jesus then puts mud on his eyes ...
Jan 26, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 953
The Bible contains a huge amount of wisdom for us. It’s the Word of God, after all. Usually, that wisdom is most valuable to us when we are living through tragedy. Those days and nights can be among the hardest we’ll ever have, because the pain seems to be too strong. Have you ever felt like that? Our topic this week has to do with walking by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” What does this mean? Well, Scripture tells us that true faith in God is “the evidence ...
Jan 25, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 952
