Pea Ridge Audio Podcast

Joy is defined as the emotion we feel as the result of something good in our lives, but we know that feelings are fleeting. Our emotions rise and fall all the time, mostly based on the circumstances of life. Is it possible to choose joy? It seems that Mary did, and we can follow her example.

The love of Christmas goes beyond the night that Christ was born in Bethlehem. Jesus demonstrated real love his entire life, punctuated with his sacrifice for us on the cross. If love is laying down our lives for others, we must ask the question: how well are we loving the people in our lives?

The hope of Christmas doesn't come in the form of improved circumstances. It comes in the form of a person: Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13)

Thankfulness does not come naturally to us. Though we have a new nature as followers of Jesus, we still battle with our old sin nature. As we choose to "put on" the character traits of Christ, we walk in love and peace. The end result is a heart of gratitude.

The letter of Revelation is a specific type of literature filled with vivid symbolic imagery that is connected to various Old Testament passages. While it can be difficult for us to understand, the author encourages us to read it and follow its instruction. We are reminded that God will one day vindicate His people and make all things new, and the hope that comes from this promise motivates us to...

A common theme in the New Testament letters is to love God and love others. In Philippians 2, Paul writes that this happens as we have the mind of Christ and walk in humility. This important character trait is infused into our hearts as we trust in God to give us the desire and power to obey Him.

Romans is commonly thought of as Paul's theological masterpiece, but the last five chapters instruct believers how to practically apply the doctrines he lays our in the first portion of the letter. In Romans 15, we see that Jesus is our example for how we are to live out our faith ... and it has much to do with how we live together with other people.

First century Jews wanted a messiah who would conquer the Roman Empire and set them free from foreign rule. However, Jesus came in humility and taught a message of service and sacrifice. Which Jesus are we following: the Jesus we selfishly want or the Jesus we see on the pages of Scripture?

Jonah was called by God to confront a foreign nation with their sin so they would repent and turn to the Lord. Rather than obey, Jonah went the opposite direction. He allowed his own opinion of that nation to cloud his calling. We must learn from this and lay down our opinions about people as we follow God's call to make disciples.

Into the barren landscape of a destroyed Jerusalem and its exiled inhabitants, God sent a prophet named Ezekiel. He had conveyed messages of warning before calamity struck, and then God gave to him a striking vision that would acknowledge Israel’s current state and also what lie ahead.

Biblical poetry uses the creativity, artistry and beauty of literature to convey powerful truths about the Lord and humanity. In Psalm 42, the author was inspired to use literary devices to convey a longing for God that was the result of a troubling time, and how he made the choice to trust in God rather than run from Him.

The history of Israel as seen in the Old Testament tells the story of the nation's rebellion against God, consequences of those choices, God's faithfulness to His people even in their sin and His provision for them to turn back to Him once again. Our story is much the same, though we live under a new covenant. Though these writings are ancient, we can still draw practical applications from them to...

Using the inductive method of Bible study, we walk through 1 Samuel 16 where we read about God choosing a new king for Israel. This method allows each of us to read, study and apply God's Word to our lives, and draw closer to our Heavenly Father.

The books of the law are filled with the themes of human rebellion, God's judgment of sin, His grace in providing redemption and fulfilling His promises. As we consider the original intent of these writings, we are then able to apply them to our lives in light of the new covenant of redemption through Jesus.

The Bible is a complex collection of writings that can be confusing if we don't know how to interact with it. Our new series is meant to help tackle that problem by providing teaching and resources that help us better understand God's Word ... and allow Him to transform us as we immerse ourselves in it over a lifetime.

God's Word is living and active, and has the power to fend off the enemy and transform our lives. Ask God to give you an overwhelming desire to abide in His Word.

Not all of us are born into a loving, supportive family environment. Not all of us experienced the joy of watching our parents live out their faith in Jesus. But regardless of our family environment, we all have opportunities to build loving, supportive communities of faith. This is why the church exists.

Jesus's encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well guides us to follow him in breaking down barriers we humans have created, and worshiping God in spirit and truth.

When asked to teach his disciples to pray, Jesus gave to them a model prayer that would help them as they communed with God. This prayer is known as "The Lord's Prayer" and we also can use it in our own times spent in prayer with our Heavenly Father.

As long as we keep our sin hidden from God and other believers, we are enslaved. But when we bring it out into the light of God through confession, we are SET FREE and healing begins.

God gives good gifts to us that work to renew our minds, and be transformed. It's up to us to use these to build our lives as we follow Jesus.

The book of Acts records how early followers of Jesus are empowered by the Holy Spirit, resulting in the spiritual and numerical growth of the church. The Spirit lives in believers today as well, so we must have faith that he will do the same work in us.

Kevin Phillips addresses the problem of refusing to forgive, which is a sin that leads to resentment and bitterness. He reminds us that Jesus has forgiven us, and this means we must forgive people who hurt us.

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." Do these words from Jesus mean we are never to judge another person? Brian Morrison answers this question and directs us to follow the example of our Savior.

As we immerse ourselves in God’s Word of truth, hope springs forth. We see how real our Lord is, and that helps us see how He is at work even now ... in ways we perhaps did not see before.