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, 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 preservative. M...
Aug 22, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1101
How many different colors can you name? There are seven colors in the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. As it turns out, the human eye is capable of discerning color to an incredible degree. According to laboratory tests, humans are capable of detecting a total of 10 million colors. That's a pretty big box of crayons. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." I...
Aug 19, 2022•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1100
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 gets 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 the ...
Aug 18, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1099
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....
Aug 17, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 1098
It's been said that in the Fruit of the Spirit list, all of them collectively practically define the nature of Christ. Even David the shepherd knew his Messiah was coming. Remember what he said about his loving God? He said, "Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." We instinctively know what goodness is. It's a kind touch, a gentle word, a gift that was unexpected. Micah 6:8 says, "He has told you, oh man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do ...
Aug 16, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1097
Have you ever wondered what your place in this world is? Of course, you have. That’s the human experience. Alone with our thoughts, we wonder who we even are, and what we are meant to do. It’s a mysterious journey, but the fog lifts and the way becomes clear when we get to know King Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." You were made for something! You were made to do things fo...
Aug 15, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1096
At an address in Columbus Ohio in 1900, former slave Booker T. Washington kept the room spellbound. This man, who had built Tuskegee Institute to lift blacks out of economic bondage, was revered around the world. But he said something that surprised more than a few in the audience. He said that one of his main priorities for the Institute was hiring more Bible teachers! Washington, who had been forced to work in an evil system, once felt powerless. Yes, an American president legally freed the sl...
Aug 12, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1095
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...
Aug 11, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1094
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...
Aug 10, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1093
Have you ever been in such a dark place that you wondered if God cares about you, or even exists? Maybe it’s all some cosmic joke, right? We’ve all been there. Humans doubt. We doubt ourselves, we doubt product labels, we doubt our kids. We question everything. But the worst one is trying to figure out where God is in the middle of great difficulties. Sometimes the world is just flat-out mean, and it seems like it’s an entity that’s trying to break you in half. That is the very moment God’s anci...
Aug 09, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1092
It's almost universally believed that tech guru, Steve Jobs, floated into mega success with Apple, the company he co-founded with Steve Wozniak. Job’s first go around with Apple didn't end well — in 1985, he was forced out. His next effort wasn't a home run either, yet Job puts his head down like a fullback and plowed ahead. Next up for him was founding Pixar and finally, more than a decade after his humiliating exit from Apple, Jobs returned there as CEO and revolutionized the way people intera...
Aug 08, 2022•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1091
As we wrap up our series on precious jewels, it is kind of fun to spotlight one last gemstone. One that isn’t immediately beautiful or desired. But it is the rarest! Discovered in east Asia by British mineralogist Arthur Pain, the so-called “Painite” gemstone can be found in several colors, and the various hues seen as light hits them give an uncommon view. Incredibly, only 25 such stones exist today, and the value per gram works out to $9,000! Despite the fact that many people have never heard ...
Aug 05, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1090
In its natural state, the jaw-dropping gem known as emerald often resembles an ancient barrel-shaped decree from a king. It tells us things nothing else can. Today, the glittering green stone stops an onlooker. It takes our breath away. When set against a backdrop of shimmering gold, it is something that transfixes us. The calming color of an emerald actually gives the eyes a rest after working for a while. In fact, some think looking at emeralds relieves eye strain, a sparkling, homeopathic rem...
Aug 04, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1089
We don’t have direct evidence, of course. The Bible doesn’t tell us this exactly… But tradition says that the Ten Commandments were carved from a solid slab of sapphire. It’s a beautiful thought, isn’t it? The rich blue of the sapphire gemstone reminds us of royalty, and the regal King Jesus. It fits! Proverbs 31:10 says, “She is far more precious than jewels.” When a woman admires a sapphire necklace, or turns her hand in order to catch the light on that beautiful blue sapphire ring, she is pre...
Aug 03, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1088
Diamonds. The very word calls to mind something so beautiful and rare, people everywhere immediately form a sharp mental image. Who hasn’t dreamed of handfuls of these sparkling, valuable gemstones running through their hands? Nothing speaks of high value more than a diamond solitaire. Such a piece of jewelry signals to the world that a couple considers their relationship to be both priceless and eternal. Proverbs 31:10 says, “She is far more precious than jewels.” Yes, this is it. A Proverbs 31...
Aug 02, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1087
Everyone loves the beauty of nature’s gems. The greens, blues, and reds of natural gemstones have set apart jewelry since the beginning of time. These precious jewels are relatively rare, and desired by people from all walks of life. None more than the ruby. The second hardest gemstone, rubies have always been striking for their deep reds that flash in the light. They have been used in the crowns of monarchs for centuries, and for the rings and necklaces we can find in jewelry stores today. Jewe...
Aug 01, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1086
If we're honest and open to the truth, miracles have always been a part of our world. In the beginning, God made a dazzling world full of diversity—beautiful animals, gorgeous sunsets, streams of water. He also made us to enjoy it all, and to keep it for Him. But just like the entrance of sin into our world, which marred the original beauty, we sometimes get weighed down with worry and cares of life. We look up one day and the drudgery of our days overwhelms us. The supernatural seems far away. ...
Jul 29, 2022•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1085
When Hurricane Katrina rolled through, the spinning white satellite image on TV screens actually looked evil. For residents of New Orleans, waiting for that hurricane that's exactly what it felt like. Thousands of people were affected by the brutal storm that poured in from the Gulf. In many ways, the city still hasn't recovered. But in the chaos, God was there. For more than 20 years, water pump operator Rufus Burkhalter and Bobby Brown had worked at pumping station number 6 along the 17th Stre...
Jul 28, 2022•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1084
In the Tom Hanks film “Castaway,” the main character, “Chuck,” finds himself in the ultimate terrifying situation. Chuck’s plane goes down in the ocean, and he finds himself stranded on a very deserted island. Years pass. Chuck’s family and friends long ago gave up on him, and why not? No one could have known he was sitting on a remote pile of sand in the Pacific Ocean. He learns to survive, but then reflects on the future. What happens if he gets sick? What happens if he’s injured? Staying put ...
Jul 27, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1083
Hurricane Dorian caused a lot of anxiety and destruction. Many of us worried about the East coast of our own country, but the Bahamas were hit really hard, with the storm basically stationary for many hours. Residents there hunkered down and sought higher ground, wondering when the onslaught would end, and the storm would pass. The physical damage left by the lengthy storm was devastating. When the winds of life blow fiercely, rain pours down, and the water rises, it is tempting to give in to pa...
Jul 26, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1082
Have you ever gotten tired of treading water? Martha is a 20-something-old lifeguard in Los Angeles. Besides dealing with deck chairs purposely thrown into the water and parents asking her to babysit poolside, she's noticed another aspect of the job that really tugs at your heart. "Kids pretend to drown in the pool so that I will pay attention to them." Wow. Think about that. At a young age, humans need to be nurtured and cared for. They want to be loved. So a young lifeguard becomes their emoti...
Jul 25, 2022•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1081
Isn’t it fascinating that a secular definition of the word blessed is “made holy; consecrated.” It seems the whole world really knows, even deep down, that blessings are from God. Psalm 107:1 says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." The psalm tells us several things at once. Meditate on each one. We are to give thanks. He is good. His love for us is eternal. That’s quite a good God. Whatever our Creator blesses us with is holy. Unblemished. Our blessings come fr...
Jul 22, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1080
How would you feel, if you suddenly lost the gifts so many of us take for granted, such as vision, hearing, or the ability to walk? Fanny Crosby was struck blind at just 6 weeks of age, but God had a plan for her. She was raised by her mother and grandmother after her father’s death when she was about 6 months old, and although she grew up poor, she was blessed to attend an excellent school for the blind in New York state, near where the family lived. Fanny enrolled at the New York Institution f...
Jul 21, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1079
This may be hard to visualize as we’re right in the middle of Summer, but during Christmas of 1944, American soldiers were dug in against the Germans. The dark, frozen Belgian forest added to the bleak atmosphere. Morale was low, ammo was low, and food supplies were low. But just when things looked the worst, General Patton’s Third Army showed up almost out of nowhere. The men who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and survived remembered many things about that strangest of Christmas holidays. Mo...
Jul 20, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1078
In the spring of 2014 Daniel and Colleen Jaquith, American missionaries to the Philippines, were awakened suddenly by the sounds of gunfire and shouts. Before they could react a gunman appeared in their bedroom doorway, and he was holding a gun to the head of their pastor. Demanding money, the intruder was distracted when their pastor suggested he look in another part of the room for money. This gave the pastor just enough time to overpower him. This whole time, the Jaquiths were on their knees ...
Jul 19, 2022•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1077
The area surrounding Ein Gedi, near the Dead Sea, is bleak. Desert scenes and HOT temps! It isn’t a place you’d go just for fun. It really wasn’t fun when David was hiding from King Saul. The guy who whipped a rock at Goliath’s head was already a legend among the people. Saul couldn’t stand that, and so he did what power-hungry leaders do: he decided to eliminate the competition. David hid from the King’s henchmen for a long time, eventually settling south of Jerusalem, in a bleak place. Sitting...
Jul 18, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1076
Honestly, sometimes as Christians, we think things are going to be easy. After all, when Jesus saves you, it doesn’t get any better than that! The joy we feel is genuine, and lasting. But that doesn’t mean we escape this world. Bad things can and do happen. This week we’re talking about having enough grit to get to the glory. Romans 5:3–4 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” P...
Jul 15, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1075
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: "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 ground wr...
Jul 14, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1074
Whenever we have to overcome an obstacle in our lives, we are thinking about a million different things. Our minds race. We might even be aware that our Creator is there to help. But have you ever considered that even when life gets tough, you can still have joy? Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Sheila Walsh has said that what got her through a bout of depression was the knowledge that God the Father loved her and wanted the best for her. Today, ...
Jul 13, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 1073
We all screw up. We all fail in some way. We fall short of goals, or get embarrassed in some kind of career implosion or other events. It’s easy then to feel like we’ll never win again. That is not how God sees you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Hope and a future. That’s what’s ahead, not depression and failure. The Bible is full of stories of people God would not all...
Jul 12, 2022•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1072
