Chapter 9 in Isaiah brings a promise of a future blessing in the Messiah, verse 6 is a famous verse “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;” this is the prophecy of Jesus Christ given nearly 700+ years before his birth. Today though we are going to read and reflect and meditate on the two verses prior and understand in a deeper and fuller way who Jesus is and what God has done for you. // Everything you need is here Included in that link is a list of resources and references I use in t...
Oct 19, 2022•9 min•Ep. 206
God’s commandments are simple to understand but we don’t follow them. I understand what I SHOULD do and WANT to do but I DONT always. Here’s a question that smacked me upside the head as I studied today’s passage…How patient is God with me? // Everything you need is here Included in that link is a list of resources and references I use in this podcast and can help you grow deeper in your faith as well. As always – ratings and reviews are massive! They really help others discover the podcast and ...
Oct 19, 2022•11 min•Ep. 205
Psalm 141 gives us a practical example to follow of how to respond to evil. It is a Psalm of dealing with liars, manipulators, schemers on the outside…but also our own hearts do the same thing to us. It’s incredibly practical for today. We have very real enemies plotting against us every day. Our own hearts deceive us, our feelings and emotions change all the time, we cannot and should not trust them to lead us.We need Psalms like this that point us toward the Lord because we need him to be our ...
Oct 14, 2022•11 min•Ep. 204
We are not comfortable with the idea of submission. I can’t tell you the amount of conversations I’ve had with close friends and family about it as it relates to the Bible. Some examples... “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority” “Submit yourselves, then, to God.” "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands (as you do to the Lord.) “not my will, but yours be done.” “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:” "let him deny himself and take up his c...
Oct 13, 2022•10 min•Ep. 203
What is your hope? What are you going to plead when you face your Maker and Judge in maybe twenty years — thirty, forty, five, or even three hours? What will your plea be when he says, “So, what right do you have as a sinner in my absolutely perfect presence in heaven?” What will your answer be? If you try to say, “I was as good as so-in-so,” that will not cut it. You might’ve been as good as this person. That’s not a help. “I volunteered and donated money.” “I got baptized.” That will not help....
Oct 11, 2022•10 min•Ep. 202
We are dropping into the narrative of Jesus’ earthly ministry on the way to Jerusalem. He had appointed 72 other disciples in addition to the twelve to travel ahead of him two-by-two into towns that he would be visiting. They were to carry out the mission of proclaiming the kingdom of God, not just in their words but in their actions. This was a life or death mission and it needed to be done quickly. They were going to face hostility like lambs among wolves Jesus said. They were to travel light ...
Oct 05, 2022•9 min•Ep. 201
I came across today’s verse in my personal prayer time. It was this verse that was combined with the directive to “give God whatever glory or adoration comes to mind.” It actually gave me trouble. I thought to myself and asked myself, “how do I actually do that?” How do I give God glory? How do I show Him that I adore Him? What should I actually say to Him right now? Then I thought about what I’d want to hear from my daughters (they’re 8 and 4 btw) I didn’t mean to interject my own ego into it b...
Oct 04, 2022•9 min•Ep. 200
Have you ever felt far from Jesus? If I asked you to close your eyes and imagine he is sitting right next to you, how would you feel? It’s normal to feel far from Him, I think that’s why Jesus’ final teaching showed us how to remain close to Him. It’s practical and easy to wrap our heads around and we will dive into that today. Think about what is going on in your life right now and your relationship with Him as we prepare to read our verse today: John 15:7 // Everything you need is here Include...
Sep 29, 2022•9 min•Ep. 199
There are constant thieves at your door every single day and night and they’re called unmet expectations - always ready to steal your happiness and contentment. All of us fill our lives with expectations, some good and some bad — what job we should get, what kind of spouse we’ll be married to, how that spouse will treat us, who our children will become. Our minds constantly fill in the blank slates of tomorrow with all sorts of expectations of what will happen to us. This is not wrong in itself ...
Sep 28, 2022•11 min•Ep. 198
Jesus Christ did not come into the world to assist you in meeting your desires. He came into the world to change your desires so that he is the main one. So many preachers, influencers and others try to meet you "right where you are" with your desires, desires that you share with every fallen human being in the world and they'll say: “Jesus came to meet that.” Well, he didn’t. He came to change those desires profoundly. // Everything you need is here Included in that link is a list of resources ...
Sep 27, 2022•10 min•Ep. 197
Each of us has our own wilderness. A place where you struggle, wander, try to figure out life with no clear answers, you face issues. You could be wrestling with relationships with friends, loved ones or family. Maybe you desperately want children and it isn’t happening foryou. Maybe it's not related to the home at all; it may be connected to your employment. With others its finances; you live continually under the gun of insufficient funds. It could be an ongoing health issue. Maybe it's a prob...
Sep 26, 2022•10 min•Ep. 196
Yes, the Bible really says that. I was surprised, too. // Everything you need is here Included in that link is a list of resources and references I use in this podcast and can help you grow deeper in your faith as well. As always – ratings and reviews are massive! They really help others discover the podcast and ultimately help us improve VERSED. Thanks in advance for that 😊 Love you all – keep making hope louder! John FOLLOW ME ON IG! @johnlawhon...
Sep 23, 2022•8 min•Ep. 195
I learned recently that whenever the New Testament talks about leadership, it never emphasizes the authority of the leader. It emphasizes the danger of their own leadership. Interesting right? It was encouraging to me because I was doubting my own abilities even as a man and a leader professionally and personally. Culture is telling me to be essentially to be a leader is to serve myself by either being super assertive, authoritative, to railroad others out of the way to get what I want. Man, I’m...
Sep 22, 2022•9 min•Ep. 194
Have you ever found yourself intentionally not praying or reading the Bible or going to church because you feel guilty? Or you don’t want to feel convicted? We generally handle guilt by avoiding dealing with it. And that goes back to day one in humanity. It all began in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and we’ve been using their faulty methods in an attempt to silence guilt ever since. // Everything you need is here Included in that link is a list of resources and references ...
Sep 21, 2022•9 min•Ep. 193
The world you could say is marked by warfare. Conflict and fighting all around us. We feel and see the effects of it, we try to numb the effects of it while also becoming numb to its existence in the first place. What is the root of it all? And what is the secret to a true happy life? I recently returned from a sabbatical to rest, recover from a difficult season of my life and to renew my mind and refresh my spirit. During that time, I took a course on the book of James where we read from today....
Sep 20, 2022•11 min•Ep. 192
It’s said in the Bible that David was a man after God’s own heart. Have you ever thought about what that looks like? We will certainly see one example today. David gives us the playbook on how we should respond when God says “no” to our plans. // Everything you need is here Included in that link is a list of resources and references I use in this podcast and can help you grow deeper in your faith as well. As always – ratings and reviews are massive! They really help others discover the podcast a...
Sep 19, 2022•9 min•Ep. 191
Over 2000 years ago, every moment before and every second since, Jesus was fighting back your depression, your fear, your pain, your worry. He was contending against hell…for you! I like the way Whitney Lowe from Scribble Devos puts it, "Jesus was grabbing evil by its throat, getting right up in its face and claiming YOU as His own." Jesus chose to entire darkness so that we didn’t have to stay there. Do you believe that Jesus is that that that rages when we can’t see or feel it? Is it possible ...
May 20, 2022•11 min•Ep. 190
When pain is crushing you, darkness feels like it is surrounding you, and you are overwhelmed by the things that need to be done that you simply don’t have the energy to accomplish… what should you do? Maybe you feel like, well God uses everything for good so I should be joyful knowing that truth. Do you feel like something is wrong with you because you can’t feel joyful? When your heart is breaking - don’t you just want to hide until you don’t feel this way anymore? Enter lament. Something I ha...
May 19, 2022•13 min•Ep. 189
Are you at the end of your strength? Is your life’s tank running on empty and everything you are trying to do to fill it up doesn’t seem to be working? Are you tired of trying? Do you want to quit? Are you frustrated, angry and overwhelmed, and sad all at the same time? I am. As I was looking for answers from God, exasperated with the weight and effort of simply standing still, He led me to Ephesians 3:20. // If you would like to dive deeper into this, or other verses in the Bible, if you have a...
May 18, 2022•10 min•Ep. 188
If you’re in the middle of a trying time in your life all you want is some peace. My peace is this imagined place of sitting back in a comfortable chair with my feet up. The tension in my core muscles and neck is released as I trust the chair to support me. I picture that I’m on this beautiful wrap-around porch as the warm breeze of spring blows through the open windows and the aroma of new blooms fills the air. I'm at rest. I’ve recently realized that what I’ve been describing is earthly peace....
May 16, 2022•9 min•Ep. 187
It’s incredibly easy to be discontent. Especially if you’ve experienced pain in your life. And how many of us have never experienced any pain? Right. It’s not this immature groaning from adolescence. It’s deep in our souls. Understanding what true contentment is can lead to true healing. If you’re wondering what is on the other side of this sadness, this loneliness, this anxiety, this longing for rest, this empty feeling, and the tears that come with it all? If you’re asking ‘why don’t I feel an...
Apr 20, 2022•10 min•Ep. 186
This is a mini-exploration of one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith. Having "Christ in us.” It calls out two seemingly absurd ideas: we contend for the faith and we do it with Christ’s energy. These two almost contradictory ideas come together. Having Christ in us doesn’t mean we stop working, sit back and relax. It also doesn’t mean we have to do it ALL either. We contend we claim, we hold, we affirm, we pronounce and declare our faith and we do it with Jesus’ energy and power. T...
Apr 19, 2022•12 min•Ep. 185
It’s easy to focus on the empty tomb, the angel, Jesus calming their fear. It’s the story of Jesus coming back to life! It’s easy to miss what prompted this group of women (none of the twelve disciples btw) to go to the tomb. Their teacher had been crucified. The One they’d followed was unfastened from a shameful cross and laid in a tomb; his body, lifeless. The Advocate who had protected Mary after she had broken an expensive jar of perfume. The Son, The Messiah who birthed him and raised him. ...
Apr 18, 2022•12 min•Ep. 184
The most natural thing in life is to have a troubled heart. It doesn’t take long to look around us and see that everyone everywhere is experiencing hurt and heartache. How do you deal with that? There are a lot of pathways that culture serves up. Everyone’s faith journey is in a different place, it's winding and complex. But God is God and THAT path remains, even when we’ve wandered off it for a time. There are more paths than ever before in today’s world—more options for spiritual “enlightenmen...
Mar 28, 2022•13 min•Ep. 183
Hey everyone - I’m not going to waste too much time today because we don’t need much setup. (I realize that I just inferred I waste time on other podcasts...oh well.) Here's the deal. You see how divided we are as people. You see how divided Christians are and feels like it's getting worse, doesn’t it? That’s right where the enemy wants us. Not just so we can’t accomplish things or fight more or hate each other more… it's for a much more powerful reason and we read about in Psalm 133. If you wou...
Mar 23, 2022•11 min•Ep. 182
Are you tired today? Are you sick of trying to do so much? If I can speak openly and share some of what’s in my personal journal from a few days ago... “I don’t feel like I have the energy to power through the things I don’t want to do. I’m overwhelmed. I’m fighting the urge to quit and do nothing. My capacity is not what it used to be. I’m sick of every day being a fight . I’m sick of all the effort it takes to just be “normal.” I’m drained.” If you’re there too, I hope you can find encourageme...
Mar 22, 2022•11 min•Ep. 181
I’m currently experiencing a struggle with the tension of loving others while also setting boundaries for myself. I’m taking relationship boundaries now. It’s hard for me to see at times that the two are not at odds. I’m learning that. I’m learning that boundaries are not only a positive for me but sometimes the most loving thing I can do! Boundaries, I’ve learned are really not about keeping others out as much as its about keeping myself in. My sense is that as Christians we have somehow adopte...
Mar 21, 2022•12 min•Ep. 180
What if you never experienced shame? Shame. Maybe the word has become a little too churchy. What about feeling inadequate? Embarrassed? Feeling like you always have to prove yourself? You're never enough? This overwhelming feeling that your mistakes ARE your identity. It's just who you are now. Imagine being free from that? Because we live in a broken world and every single one of us sin - that means every single one of us experiences shame. So what do we do with that? We take it back to the Gar...
Mar 17, 2022•11 min•Ep. 179
Why do you read the Bible? Some read it for help or intellectual stimulation, to understand God, seeking answers to life’s questions or maybe to read it like a novel and discover the story about Jesus. One thing that’s true is that we are told and encouraged to read it more. That’s incredibly intimidating and can be overwhelming in the midst of everything else we have going on. What do we do when we are overwhelmed? Nothing. The Bible may not answer all of our questions but it does give us direc...
Mar 16, 2022•10 min•Ep. 178
There is a reason the self-help industry rakes in billions of dollars. We are actually pretty self-aware. We KNOW we are broken, we KNOW there is something missing, we KNOW we fail to measure up. There is aching of “not enough” inside of us and we want to do whatever we can to become the “best version of ourselves.” - as fast as we can - with as minimal effort as possible. We are wired to desire transformation - that’s good! But we go off course in WHERE we look for help, healing, and this whole...
Mar 15, 2022•9 min•Ep. 177
