Jesus is Real Radio with Daniel Fusco

What do you do when God delays in answering you? It would be a typical human response to jump into action…to try and force things to play out how we want. But, the problem is not with God’s timing, it’s with ours. As we’ll hear in today’s teaching from Pastor Daniel, Abram experiences a delay from God…and his choice of whether or not to wait will affect what he hears from the Father.

God loves a cheerful giver. Even if you tithe, if you give…maybe in your heart you’d rather have stuff instead. That’s not a cheerful giver…it’s selfishness. As Pastor Daniel explains in part of this message from Genesis, when our actions don’t reflect our hearts there’s a disconnect. God gave His Son in love, and today we’ll hear how Abram makes a choice that reflected His heart towards God.

When you consider the broad view of your life, there is really very little that you control beyond the choices you make. In today’s teaching, Pastor Daniel follows Abram as he prepares to recover his nephew lot, who has been taken captive. Abram is just a man, but his total faith in God will dramatically affect what he is able to achieve. For us, with God, everything is brought under control.

It’s a hard thing, to own up to our mistakes. Our hearts want to make excuses for our transgressions against God, when what we should be doing is backtracking to the start of our relationship with Him. As we’ll hear in Pastor Daniel’s teaching today, when Abram recognizes his sin, he physically goes back to the place where God spoke with him. In repentance, he reconnected with his Father.

When God’s Word says something to you…you can come up with all kinds of excuses about why you can’t, why it wouldn’t work… As Pastor Daniel guides us through Abram’s life, we’ll hear how God takes seemingly impossible situations and creates nations from an imperfect person. Imagine what He can do through you. All you have to do is say yes, and obey.

When you’re in the midst of a deep valley, joy seems far away. God’s Word tells us that He protects us, but grief and hardship can be crushing. Today, Pastor Daniel explains how the Father’s intention for us goes far beyond just protection. He wants to fill us with His joy. So, even though we can count on life to take us through tough times, we can be comforted, knowing joy will come.

No matter the changing fads, political or social climate of the day, Jesus always intrigues people. He stands out. Jesus accomplished the work of His Father like no other, with everything He is. Pastor Daniel will explain why this man changed the world…and how His purpose persists, even in dark times.

The Spirit’s overflow guides us to the truth. That’s what Pastor Daniel will explore as he takes us through this teaching from the book of John. Through the Word, through His voice, we are convicted of our sin and guided through every day. He wants to change us, and we always have room to grow. It’s the greatest gift, to be ushered into life eternal by the Almighty God.

If you asked a handful of people for a one-word answer to the world’s ills…most would probably say “love.” But, love can play out in many different ways. As Pastor Daniel takes a look at what the book of John says about God’s love, we’ll find that only the kind of love shown by Jesus can be held up as an example of true love. It’s self-sacrificial...and believers are called to show it.

As Pastor Daniel reminds us today, even betrayal by Judas couldn’t derail the prerogative of Jesus. Our failures aren’t going to mess up the will of God, but we can do so much more for Him when we embrace our roles as peacemakers in the world. The hope, peace and happiness becomes manifest in our lives through Him. Then, the reality of who Jesus is will reach others.

Most young kids, when asked to pick out a present for someone else, choose something that they would want for themselves. That’s just where they’re at…self-focused. As Pastor Daniel teaches today, we’ll consider the areas in our lives where we still choose what we want, even when we know the Father has instructed us differently. We need the Spirit to help us grow up from our selfishness.

Everyone has those seasons in life & when you want to give up, let go, throw up your hands and just cry for a little help. If you feel like you can't do it all, it's because You're not meant to. In this teaching, Pastor Daniel explains the need for the Holy Spirit, who is meant to come alongside you and be that help. In a culture where everyone wants to proclaim their own truth, there us only One.

It’s easy to love abstractly, to shout into the wind, “I love everybody!” It’s a feel-good love…love from a distance. Loving the way Jesus does requires truth-telling, which is not always comfortable, and sacrifice, which is not always comfortable. But loving in the way Jesus would is the only way to witness to the truth of who He is. Even when you’re rejected, even when it’s painful…love in His n...

Jesus gave Judas a number of opportunities to get off his path towards destruction. To repent, to change direction. God gives us those chances all the time. Pastor Daniel will challenge you today to examine whether you have the qualities of a betraying heart, and encourage you to take that pause God gives you…to step away from the duplicitous pattern you’ve created and take hold of Him.

Most people desire intimacy, and protection, and love. Jesus offers all those things, yet many will seek it apart from Him even as it leads to self-destruction. Today, Pastor Daniel examines the path of Judas and his betraying heart. No one except Jesus had an inkling that Judas was the betrayer, because he was great at looking, speaking and acting like an apostle…but his heart was divided.

Picture being dropped into a country that you’ve never been to, with no knowledge of the language and having no guides. It would be a panicked struggle. Life can feel that way. As we’ll hear Pastor Daniel explain, that’s why we need a map. God’s wisdom is available to us if we ponder and seek it. The Father can take all of our messy understanding and put it in order.

“I’ll truly be happy if…(fill in the blank)” Each of us has had this thought at one time or another, but as believers, we should cast that attitude aside. Thinking that there is something we’re lacking and we should go get it, means we don’t trust in God’s provision. Pastor Daniel will take us through the reasons why we need to obey God’s Word, and how trusting Him leads to a truly happy ending.

Imagine you’re throwing a dinner party, and the day of…you just feel tired. It’s not until the doorbell rings that you jump up and rush to prepare everything. You’d have very little to offer your guests. Today, Pastor Daniel begins the conclusion of Ecclesiastes, where you’ll be challenged to consider how you’re living…are you putting off cultivating your relationship with God?

People don’t often use the word “persevere” when talking about doing thing that are easy. You don’t need perseverance to finish that donut, or take a nap. Perseverance is for things that are hard, which is how you’ll hear the word used in today’s message. When you stop pursuing excellence in your life, persevering in your work for the Lord…you don’t progress.

In whatever we set out to do…there’s always risk. No matter how much prepare, there is only so much we can control. Today, Pastor Daniel will explain why even following God isn’t without risk…but a life without Him is much more so. Following our own way hasn’t produced the life we planned, right? Operating on God’s program won’t be bump free…but the long-term reward is worth it.

Imagine you’re enjoying a walk through a beautiful forest on a sunny day…and suddenly, you’re hit in the face with a horrible, familiar smell. Skunk. That unmistakable odor overpowers your senses, and you can’t pay attention to any of the beauty around you. Our sin can taint all the good in our lives in the same way. When that sin becomes the thing you focus on…the beauty drops away.

It’s our tendency, all of us, to be drawn to the charismatic leaders, the one with all the answers we’ve been craving. But, words that sound good don’t always contain wisdom. Today, we’ll be reminded that we’re susceptible to circumstance and have very little control over anything outside ourselves. That’s why we must be discerning, looking for God’s wisdom.

Death is mysterious, perhaps even frightening for some…but for everyone, it’s a certainty. It should be a huge measure of comfort that, when you’re in the family of God, you’re in His hands. No one can snatch you out of them. Today, Pastor Daniel will take us through Ecclesiastes nine, which is rife with help for the difficult parts of living with the burden of humanity…and also full of hope.

Imagine how many times you’ve deliberately gone over the speed limit, or cut corners about something your boss asked you to do. You didn’t get caught…but our indifference to authority here on earth doesn’t go unnoticed by God. Most of us don’t even consider those things as we go through this life…which is all the more reason Jesus’ sacrifice is so precious.

When a person in authority is challenging you, what is your instinctual response? For many of us, it’s to stiffen and stand our ground. If it’s not an issue of compromising our morals…it may just be an issue of submission. But, if we can’t humble ourselves in small situations…how can we submit to our Father? Pastor Daniel will show us how human authority is training for us to bow to God.