PocketNeif Podcast

There's this story in Luke where Jesus miraculously knows what's about to happen. It's included in the account of Jesus' life, I believe, to build our faith in Jesus, God's Son, who knows what's coming and will be with us.

Two storms in less than a week and I'm thinking about the covering properties of snow. All the ugly is hidden. God talks about his power to forgive using snow as a mental picture of his work.

Just before Christmas (2024), I was reading John 1. What John wrote of God's Son coming into the world, inspired a song about Light shining the darkness and the Word becoming flesh so he could dwell among us. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on John 1 and the "live" recording of the song, "God Is With Us (Immanuel)". God is With Us (Immanuel) Verse 1: The heavens are shouting, the gift of the Son! The...

The beginning of a new anything is a great time to reflect on the past and get going on what's ahead. It's true in sports and in life and in faith.

I've seen two holiday films - "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and "Red One" - recently. The messages of the two are very different. "Red One" suggests a Christmas which can be lost. The "pageant" film pointed to the redemption which can come to even the worst of lost ones when they encounter Jesus.

Jesus humbled himself and became a man. (A baby first, of course!) With the celebration of his arrival on earth in human likeness, I thought I'd share (again) a couple of Christmas songs I wrote a year or two or three ago. My hope is that they will encourage worship!

How would you finish this sentence? "You can't have Christmas without..." I asked some middle schoolers to fill in this blank and got all kinds of answers. A few got the right answer. Did you?

Inspired by Tom Whitwell - I'll tell you about him - I offer you a list of things - some silly and some not - I learned this year. Since I didn't take notes throughout the year, some of these things might have been learned in another year. I just know I learned them fairly recently.

What do you as a believer need to do in order to gain wisdom? What can you do to double check what you want against what God wants?

What are you most thankful for today? I posed this question to a cafeteria full of middle school students the other day. How would you answer? See how your response compares with theirs.

"In the stars his handiwork I see..." Recent news about Voyager 1 set me to thinking about the greatness of our God and the vastness of what he's made and what he sustains.

Some days at the church there's a bunch of foot traffic - people sneaking in and sneaking out to do what God's given them to day. Today was one such day and all the activity got me to thinking about God's goodness in creating the church.

What a local barista said after I'd ordered in the drive-thru got me to thinking about what's most on point for me as a believer.

I've noticed a trend on social media which bothers me. People who love Jesus are misusing God's word to further their political agenda or demean the candidate they dislike. This bothers me greatly and I'll tell you why.

If you're looking for a direct political statement for or against a certain candidate during this (2024) election cycle, this is not the episode for you. If you want to gain a bit of godly perspective, perhaps this will be 4:00 well spent.

Wearing a sling right now is allowing my shoulder to heal after surgery. It's like trusting God's work to restore peace with him.

What do you do when your Bible reading time gets a bit chaotic? Do you have a plan for overcoming distractions?

What stuns you in the creation you see around you? What of what you can see stirs up praise? In what circumstances do you experience God's joy in what he has made?

In many cultures, there are ways to welcome a dignitary which include creating an archway for the VIP to enter through. Perhaps that's what the Psalmist is speaking of when, in Psalm 24, he calls upon the gates to open so the King of Glory may come in. Who Is This King of Glory (Psalm 24) Verse 1 Lift up your heads, you gates;     be lifted up, you ancient doors,     that the King of glory may...

Jesus tells a second parable in Luke 18. This one is about a prideful man and a penitent man who pray. One man receives what he needs. The other gets nothing.

I recently read a parable about persistent prayer in Luke 18. I think it will encourage you in your walk with Jesus.

Like a good pair of glasses which help you see better, seeing God can help you experience life with clearer vision, with focus and perspective.

Heroes are people who get things right. But do they get things right all the time? There's only one who is the perfect hero.

I know a few words in Spanish, but I do not understand it. When I found out I might have a kid on my team who knew no English, I was excited. Maybe I'd finally learn a bit of a new language. Then I heard a testimony of a man who didn't understand the Bible...and then he did. Listen and learn what changed so he could grasp what he was reading.

What if the west coast broke off of North America and fell into the sea? Would God still be your refuge? Psalm 46 begins with words of hope for those facing such terrifying circumstances. Though the Earth Give Way is my musical interpretation of the psalmist's words of hope. My hope is the music I've penned will encourage you in whatever difficult situations you find yourself.