Joy for Today

Every believer has been given a directive from the Lord; go out and spread the good news of Jesus Christ. This commission is not reserved for the pastors or church leaders alone. Jesus does not promise that the task will be easy, and the need to trust in God's power and provision doesn't always sit well with our desire to plan ahead and know what is coming. But there is joy that awaits w...

We can often reduce the concept of "missions" to the sending and supporting of missionaries to various locations around the world. This is a wonderful part of being involved in missions through our churches, but we can also be guilty of transferring the responsibility of sharing the Gospel to the missionaries and pastors in our lives, rather than being personally involved. Jesus gives th...

Psalm 96 begins with a declaration to "sing unto the Lord," because He is great. Then in the last half of the Psalm, and because God is worthy, is the direction to let others know of God's greatness. This is a great directive for missions and missionary work, both at home and across the world. What part do you personally have in being involved in this mission? Join us this week as w...

What is the motivation for our involvement in getting the message of the Gospel out to our friends, neighbors, and those around the world? Guilt is a terrible motivator, and will fade over time. Instead, Scripture provides a better understanding of the glory of God as a much more compelling and lasting motivation for being involved in worldwide missions. Listen along with us as we discuss Psalm 96...

The Bible is very clear when it reveals the state of mankind apart from Christ; the outlook is completely bleak! However, even when we could do nothing to fix the problem and our eternal destination, Jesus Christ provided the only way possible for anyone to be forgiven of their sins and dwell forever with God. We should be so very grateful for the confidence that is available in Christ! Listen alo...

Hi all! This is just a quick notification that this week's episode will be available later this week! We didn't want you to be sooo disappointed and think something happened to Pastor Mike or myself. Thank you for listening along with us, and be on the lookout for episode 78 later this week! Send us Fan Mail

If you have ever been wronged by someone else, you share something with basically everyone else on the planet! But how do you respond when those wrongs occur? What thoughts or emotions spring up when you are offended or treated poorly? Jesus has the solution for these difficult parts of life, but it is not in trying harder to be better. Join us as we discuss Kingdom ethics for when we are mistreat...

What kind of character do your words display? Are you a person whom others can trust? The Bible says that out of the abundance of our hearts our mouths speak. So, what is in our hearts that is coming out as words when we interact with others? Listen along as we are confronted with these questions from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount! Send us Fan Mail

There are few realms of life that we need more grace to perform well than that of marriage. Marriage is more than a contract; it is a covenant commitment to another person for life. There are so many opinions and viewpoints regarding marriage in the world, even in our American society, and yet the believer must be looking toward and living for God's standard, not our own. Once again in His Se...

Jesus continues to correct the perspective of what true righteousness is as we progress through His Sermon on the Mount. It is not just the outward action that God states must be right, but also the desire and motivation of our hearts that is important. Sin often begins as a small desire, a brief temptation, but when that temptation is not dealt with and denied, it grows into sin and all of its co...

The righteousness that Jesus describes in the Sermon on the Mount is much higher than any human standard! In fact, in Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus helps us to understand that God is not just concerned with our outward actions being righteous and right, but that our heart also is motivated and directed by what is righteous and right. Specifically, Jesus begins this portion of His sermon with the matter o...

It is amazing how often the Bible contradicts and corrects our incorrect way of thinking! At the time of the Sermon on the Mount, people considered the "righteousness" of the religious leaders to be paramount. Jesus, however, stated that righteousness for salvation must exceed the Pharisees' adherence to the Law. Jesus also presents Himself as both the standard and the solution to t...

Every day is filled with decisions. Most of these are small choices we are faced with, but every so often we are confronted with larger decisions. Both the seemingly smaller decisions and the large ones are important as they help shape our lives and our walk with God. Although we might not know all the details, God regularly brings us to points of decision to follow Him. Listen along as we discuss...

How do you grow in your Christian walk? In Colossians 1, God provides some helpful measurement mark for believers to evaluate our progress! He also reminds us that we are not to be walking under our own strength, but through His. As we yield to the Lord, He produces growth in each of us. Listen along as we discuss a "worthy walk" on this week's episode! Send us Fan Mail

It is usually a blessing to hear that others are praying for us, and that is certainly the case as we read Paul's prayer requests for the people in Colossae. In opposition to some false teachers who were attempting to gain influence and following among these newer believers, God reassures them that they can be filled with every bit of what God wants them to know and understand His will for th...

The United States is definitely a nation that has experienced the blessings of the Lord! As we celebrated 250 years as a country, it has been easy to think about how often God has provided for our well-being. But even greater than our citizenship to America is the believer's citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Every good gift comes from Him, starting with life and salvation. Listen along as we...

Not only did Jesus say that Christians are the "salt of the earth," but also that we are "the light of the world." These two word pictures help us to see the responsibility we have in a dark and confused world. We are to reflect the character and truth of Jesus Christ! Join us as we discuss how we can reflect Christ to those around us. Send us Fan Mail

It is a sobering thought that God knows all about us, especially when the context is about our parenting! Our world desperately needs godly leadership, and that must begin in the home with our family. One of the most comforting names for God is "Heavenly Father," so listen along as we talk about our Father's desire for our spiritual walk and leadership. Send us Fan Mail

Did you know that Jesus calls His believers "the salt of the earth?" He uses that word picture to describe what our influence should be on the world around us. Instead of being conformed to the world, we are to allow the Gospel to change us and to influence everyone we come in contact with. Listen along as we discuss being "salty" as we live each day! Send us Fan Mail

We spend most of our lives attempting to avoid conflict and persecution. Yet the Bible promises that if we are living according to the truth of God's Word, persecution will come. Jesus was honest with His followers, but He also promises blessing and reward as we stand in truth for His sake! Listen along as we discuss what appears to be a paradox, but in reality is an aspect of Christian life...

You don't have to look far to find some kind of conflict ...sometimes you only have to look within yourself! We live in a world filled with fighting and warfare, and it has been going on since the Fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Yet Christ calls His children to be makers of peace instead of creators of conflict. Join us as we discuss what it means to be a "peacemaker!" Send us Fa...

Even the possibility of having a "pure heart" is amazing to think about! But this condition does not come through our efforts to do better; purity of heart comes only through a relationship with Christ! We should be asking ourselves, "Where or how is my focus? Is it on the Lord and my relationship with Him, or is it divided among all my other responsibilities?" Listen along as...

The Bible provides so much help to us to think clearly about our relationships and the priority we place on them as we go about life. In Mark 3, Jesus makes some statements about family that seem shocking at first, but that provide helpful perspective on how we view these relationships with others, particularly our family. Join us as we discuss the belonging provided in relationship with Christ! S...

Many are familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10. Jesus uses this event to get us to think about our personal involvement in the lives of others, and the decisions we make about how we might best help when a need presents itself. Are we looking for opportunities to show mercy to others around us, or do we see others as distractions and obstacles in our lives? Listen along as we...

We love mercy--at least when it is extended to us! We can sometimes struggle, though, extending mercy to other people, especially those who have hurt us in some way. But mercy is one of the clearest marks of a life changed by God. Mercy is more than a feeling; it is expressed through action. Listen along as we discuss the beatitude of mercy and how we can show it to others! Send us Fan Mail