Podcasts

“Those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalms 9:10 Having no one you can turn to in difficult and painful times leaves us fearful, full of dread, and doubting if anyone cares. That can include God and WHO He is. We have grown accustomed to seeing our support and needs to be met. Having to rely on faith in the unseen can really b...

“Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart.  But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Psalms 73:1-3 This is a typical example of how we establish our patterns of depression as we compare our circumstances with the ways of the world. Today, let’s investigate how these patterns...

“The Spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?” Proverbs 18:4 Depression can show up in many different symptoms and it may be hard to discover the root problem. Depression can lead to physical problems as the Scripture says a broken spirit dries up the bones. A general description is – Depression is the consequence of wrong responses to life events that remain...

“I in them, and you in Me; that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:23 Friendships made real are cemented in love. The sharing, the desire to be together, the willingness to sacrifice for others, and the same objectives with the same goals are all afforded us when we respond to the drawing of the Fathe...

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 Being a true friend that stays by your side can require some character development in the relationship. Sometimes words of correction are needed to remove blind spots in thinking. Sometimes special support is needed when your friend has made some wrong choices and is struggling...

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 As we build relationships, even from early childhood, we find that issues that draw us together are not always because of personality appeal. For a Christian, the hand of God is placing one another into positions that will further His plan for each life and how that plan will br...

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 When we choose to ignore the plain simple commands to obey, in love, what is taught in the Scriptures we grieve and can quench the Holy Spirit’s working in our lives. He will no longer support us in our poor choices but wants to restore us if we will REPENT and follow His leading. Confess in a...

“The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?” Proverbs 18:4 We probably do not give much thought that our spirit can be a tool for fighting sickness in the soul and body – an actual healing tool for getting well. With that same thought we are told when our spirits are broken, and torn apart, focusing on the overwhelming circumstances and losses may contribut...

Then He said to them ALL, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 On the surface, these words are not the most soothing to hear in wanting to grow as a Christian. We think we have a good standard of what our lives should look like, but the Lord knows the depths of hidden threats that will rob us of the best. Thank goodness w...

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 In that one sentence, Jeremiah gives us a mini-view of why we are here on earth at this appointed time and place. God told Jeremiah I am responsible for your very life for a special purpose, he was set apart. The path Jeremiah was to walk included times of tria...

“With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalms 119: 10-11 How do you hide God’s word in the heart? Romans 12 gives us a clue – Renew your mind in the mind of God – His word. Why is it important to renew our minds? Because only there can we find our purpose in life. Only in God’s wo...

“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18 In this upside-down world we are living in it can be difficult to give thanks. When our livelihood is threatened and our character trampled, finding the courage to give thanks is stifled by fear. When good is called evil and evil is called good, we seek to reason instead of resting in Him...

“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” James 1:2 Now, where is the logic and wisdom from rational thinking with this verse? Normally we avoid trials at all costs - not with all joy. We look for the quickest escape route to return to “normal.” We fail to reflect on the wisdom of the Word that tells us many times that the JOY of the Lord is your strength, which is exactly what you need...

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” 2 Corinthians 13:5 When we are fretful, full of anger, anxiety, withdrawn, isolated by choice, and no hunger for God’s Word, it is time to stop, examine and evaluate: Are the facts based on the Bible or my opinions of what I think is true? Are the facts being lived out, by faith, in trusting the Lord as my FINAL AUTHORITY,...

2 Peter 1:5-9 “Give all diligence add to your faith, virtue, to virtue knowledge and self-control.” This passage in Peter guides us on the right road for living by faith and signs to keep us on the main highway of Godly living. Somewhere, along the way, we can take a detour on the side path of emotions and feelings, thinking it would be a shortcut, and now are lost in finding our way back. Maybe y...

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” Colossians 2:6-7. As Christians, faith is the basis for our walk with the Lord. It is important that we evaluate what the foundation of our faith is in; facts of the scriptures or the feelings of our flesh. We can...

“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work He did for Israel.” Judges 2:10 Bridges connect us with where we have been and where we are going. This is true in the physical world, so it is true in the spiritual eternal world. Without bridges connecting the history of the past, we do not know how to learn fr...

“The days are coming when I will send a famine in the land, not of bread, nor thirst of water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11 Why would God want to make hearing the Word a famine? Perhaps we no longer desire TRUTH as spiritual food, or we only want “food” that satisfies, tastes good, and comforts us without nourishing and healing. Today, information alone is being called truth, b...

“But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 If we want to check our growth in Christian living through practical means, we can look at our personality, temperament, actions, and attitudes. Do they reflect in a mirror the image of who God says He is? Can a person say there is something different about us? Can the...

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 To labor and be heavy burdened are two descriptions of our conditions that most are facing in one area or another. This can be applied to the physical, emotional, and soul – influencing our spirits. Culture is telling us to have third-party encounters with one another through some device that offers opin...

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test Yourselves.” 1 Corinthians 13:5 We have an age-old problem – a portion of the Christian community lacks the discipline to look at our lives with discernment. We want to be given the Truth in ways that do not cause upset to our current way of thinking. If that be the case, then how do we “gear up” to grow in grace and knowledge? How do we...

“Exercise yourself toward godliness” 1 Timothy 4:7-10 Godliness can begin with physically taking care of the body through exercise. Our bodies are temporal temples and exercise does require discipline, training, being faithful, and even requires some sweat. Those same qualities are also needed in knowing and understanding the wisdom the Lord Jesus taught for living a life of godliness. Let’s compa...

“Judge not that you be not judged” Matthew 7:1 Word matter and the way you use them can change a whole conversation.  We can never “judge” the person for condemnation, that belongs to God alone. We are commanded to discern a person’s behavior, words, actions. We are exhorted to discern and deal with obvious sinful lifestyles. Today’s conversation will help decipher when to discern, but not Judge.

“Test all things; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 2:21   This mandate is in a list of requirements for being set apart to discern the current “teaching” of the day. They were to discern what was written and spoken was the truth or popular opinion, just words of men. We still battle that same problem today with volumes of information coming out each day to “better ourselves” but may not be...

“For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” 2 Peter 1:9 Life can start with wonderful words of wisdom and affirmation that the God we have trusted is giving us grace and peace. His divine power is drawing our hearts to be conformed to His  image. He supplies us with an outline of what is needed, step by step, in case...