Sweat was pouring off Peter as he moved to protect Jesus. As Roman soldiers held the one who had been labeled a heretic, Peter drew a sword and cut off a soldier’s ear. And he was stunned when Jesus told him to put the sword away. You see Jesus knew infinitely more than Peter, or anyone else. He knew the end from the beginning, and He knew He had an agenda to see through to the end, and Peter couldn’t see that. And impulsively He moved to change the facts on the ground. And that’s so typical of ...
Jan 20, 2025•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1736
There’s a reason the Bible uses so many metaphors. The wisdom God has for us lends itself well to short narratives, as 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 the...
Jan 17, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1735
Does the future scare you? If it does, that’s understandable, from a human standpoint. After all, so much is unknown. And yet, God gave us His Word as a guidebook. The Bible tells us certain specific things that can bring us great comfort. Colossians 1:17 says, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” For the most part, we know the past. We are navigating through the present. But the Word tells us that Jesus is standing there at the end, bringing all things to their proper...
Jan 16, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1734
Part of God’s unchanging nature is that He is sovereign and does things His way. In Isaiah 55, we read that God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. In other words, He’s infinitely more powerful than we are, especially when it comes to perspective. We read in the Old Testament that sometimes other nations mocked the Israelites when they were exiled from their homeland. Really, they were mocking God because it was said that maybe He couldn’t keep His promises after all....
Jan 15, 2025•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1733
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...
Jan 14, 2025•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1732
Truth makes an appearance in the Bible right at the start, and it sets the stage for everything that comes after it. The opening scene, if you will, takes place in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve have been placed there in a perfect setting. No worries. Every need is taken care of. It’s hard to imagine that kind of harmony now, but it once existed…briefly. We’re told that a once beautiful being, Lucifer, had become corrupted through his own pride. The angel had become jealous of God, and he held...
Jan 13, 2025•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1731
We look for things and stuff to make us happy, don’t we? Especially in the United States, where we are blessed with abundance, people from all walks of life look for more and more. That can bring us to an empty place. Spiritually and emotionally…we begin to look in the wrong places. But as we’ve discussed this week, that spark of joy we look for can be found only in Jesus. Everything else is, yes, clutter. John 16:24 says, “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will r...
Jan 10, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1730
As humans, we tend to have a problem asking for help. I think we can chalk that up to our proud hearts. Often, when we are really up against it, that’s when we resist seeking help. Jesus does away with all that. Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Ask yourself: is my pride keeping me from asking for help? If so, mull that over. And then, take a step toward the Lord and ask for what you need. God opens doors when we ask...
Jan 09, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1729
It’s interesting to watch the outcomes of people who refuse to give in to fear. Many years ago, while America was going through a severe economic depression and a world war, President Roosevelt told Americans that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Those listening over the radio said later that they felt a great sense of relief just from his words! Psalm 23:4 tells us, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod an...
Jan 08, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1728
Today, just stop and consider that we’re talking one-on-one. We’re just talking over coffee. Go with me here. You seem like something is really getting to you. Are you about to give up on something important? If so, please listen—just for a couple of minutes. Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Let’s think boldly for a second. Whatever your problem is, God can fix it. He can. The Bible is full of these fixes, and so i...
Jan 07, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1727
Humans were built for language and communication. It’s one of the bits of creative genius God used when He formed His highest creation. And apart from regular communication, whether it’s the written word or verbal, we have a great gift from a loving God: prayer. Prayer is an intensely personal way to communicate with our Creator, the One who knows everything about us. Jeremiah 29:12 says, “Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you.” All through scripture, we see t...
Jan 06, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1726
Year-end stuff is upon us. That includes those infamous New Year’s resolutions. And as it happens, the Bible has things to say about how we lean into the near future. Matthew 5:37 says, “Let what you say simply be yes or no. Anything more than this comes from evil.” How many times have we pledged to do something and then followed through? Follow-through is important. Whether it’s weight loss, repairing relationships, or embarking on a new career, it’s time to actually do what we say we’re going ...
Jan 03, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1725
Jesus has great compassion for everyone. Especially for those society considers unlovable or worth nothing. One day he stopped by a well and had a conversation with a woman who had been married five times. When He spoke to her, He knew she was now living with another man. Yet Jesus spoke to her in a way that let her know He valued her as a person. He told her that people could drink the water from that well, but again they would eventually be thirsty. He said to her that the water He gives is a ...
Jan 02, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1724
Happy New Year! New Year’s stuff is beneficial in several things. We make resolutions and we might even stick to some of them. But it’s what God does that really matters. He’s in the renewal business—making broken things whole again, especially people. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he’s a new creation. The old has passed away and behold the new has come.” It’s great for us when this involves repaired relationships or even a career boost. Yet this vital truth matter...
Jan 01, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1723
Have you ever experienced a power outage? You pull out your favorite flashlight, only to discover the batteries are dead. Bummer, am I right? How about light bulbs? For some reason, they all seem to go at the same time, leaving you in the shadows and looking for that flashlight—you know, the one with the dead batteries! Light bulbs burn out, tires go flat, umbrellas turn inside out on a windy day, and batteries die. Many of the things we use on a frequent basis are designed to be temporary—and s...
Dec 31, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1722
No one is immune from burnout. It comes in our jobs, friendships, and even our church life. Sometimes even our hobbies become dry and tedious! But in Scripture, God gives us hope for the future. John 7:38 says, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Jesus is telling us that in Him alone is true life. He is always pointing us to the future, to a time when that dry creek bed will be filled forever. In Revelation 22, He showed John a rive...
Dec 30, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1721
Well, the gifts have been opened, the wrapping paper taken to the landfill. Leftovers are in the fridge, and maybe you’re feeling a little blue, a little depressed. Christmas is over, or is it? 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” In the West, we tend to have a letdown when the excitement and rush of Christmas is over, as if at midnight on December 25th, we’re ready to go into emotional hibernation. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Whether it’s something as ...
Dec 27, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1720
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. Mostly they remembered the first hot food they’d had in six weeks! The steam...
Dec 26, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1719
This is the day of days. While the exact day is unknown, what we do know is that 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ came to earth as a child to rescue us from sin. Christmas is a date on the calendar that literally quickens our hearts. Everyone understands the significance of it. It’s why hateful people behave differently for at least 24 hours. Isaiah 9:6 says, “For to us, a child is born. To us, a son is given. And the government will be on His shoulders, and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mi...
Dec 25, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1718
Well hey—Merry Christmas Eve to you as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We’d like to share the Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2, verses 4–20. And just a note, we’ve made some minor edits for length purposes in this excerpt from the King James version of the story. “Joseph went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, to be taxed, along with his wife Mary, who was great with child...
Dec 24, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1717
Every December 25th, around the world, happenings are quite different and diverse, place to place. Celebrating Christmas is unique to each culture, but the meaning of it all we share. In Norway, Christmas Eve is the main event with bells ringing at five in the evening, followed by family dinners. In Mexico, Christmas begins on December 16th and on the ninth evening, Christmas Eve, children walk to the local church to place a figure of the Christ child in a manger. Like nature, God put wonderful ...
Dec 23, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1716
What was Jesus’ name? Most of us assume that if Jesus had a driver’s license, his listed name would have been “Jesus Christ.” That’s kind of funny, but as usual, our human perceptions can’t define Him and box Him in. The Bible tells us that Jesus has many names, each a shining facet of Who He is. He is called the Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the end. The Lamb of God. Elsewhere He is referred to as the Prince of Peace. Romans 10:13 says, “For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will...
Dec 20, 2024•1 min•Season 1Ep. 1715
In general, humans as a species have a fair amount of self-awareness. And if we’re honest, we all know our weak points. Those places where character is lacking a bit. One of our biggest weaknesses is that we just want stuff. Bigger house, more expensive car—that kind of thing. In those moments, we’re missing out on a big prize. Our focus is wrong. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” The Bible—the Word of God it...
Dec 19, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1714
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 a lot of folks 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 straight 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 g...
Dec 18, 2024•1 min•Season 1Ep. 1713
Have you ever tried to follow God in a half-hearted way? You know what that means. You like the idea of God, but His perfect will for our lives can also feel very restrictive. That’s the moment that we walk along the highway of life completely alone. Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Notice the precise language in these beautiful verses. We are to trust Him with a...
Dec 17, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1712
In our humanness, we struggle at times to achieve peace. World War 1 ended 100 years ago, and all sides joined together as a League of Nations to make that conflict the “War to end all wars.” And then World War 2 happened. Our history is littered with noble attempts to make things right, but only God can bring peace to nations, and to individuals. He has promised both! One day, He will make everything new, forever. While we wait for that great day, He also grants us peace in our daily lives. 2 T...
Dec 16, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1711
202 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 whole world? An organ builder and repairman working at the church took a copy of the six-verse song to his hom...
Dec 13, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1710
Jesus is always our standard. Moments after He picked the 12 disciples, Jesus was standing at the base of a mountain, teaching the people. He told them many things, but one thing really stands out: He told them how to treat each other. Jesus had a way with stories. Narrative was the way He told people what He wanted them to remember. And it was then that Jesus used an image of the good gifts God gives to those that love Him. The book of Luke tells the story. Jesus looked at His followers and sai...
Dec 12, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1709
Love is the essence of God. We know that. At the same time, we can say that there are different kinds of love; we’re talking about that this week. Love for family. Love for our fellow humans. Love for nature. But we can think of what is called agape love as “big-tent love.” Agape is an ancient Greek word meaning “Love of God for people, and of people for God.” 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. An...
Dec 11, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1708
How many of us would feed a hungry stranger with the last crust of bread left in the house? The prophet Elijah received a prophecy that the land would suffer a years-long drought, and this message from God had come to pass. The Lord sent him to a ravine east of the Jordan River where He sent ravens with bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and Elijah could drink from a brook, but eventually, the brook ran dry because there was no rain in the land. The Lord commanded Elijah, “Go at o...
Dec 10, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1707
