The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus

077 – Where will you celebrate Easter this year? I invite you to spend it in "the garden" with Jesus. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus completely surrendered to God's will with that famous prayer: Not my will but Thine be done. And it was in another garden, near the place of his crucifixion, where he was buried. And of course it's in this second garden where he ro...

076 – The Bible says a lot about atonement. There are many theories about what the atonement really is. And one of the most popular ones has only been around since the 1500s. In this week's episode, I talk with Keith Giles about his new book, Jesus Unforsaken: Substituting Divine Wrath with Unrelenting Love. In it, Keith explores the history of various atonement theories and explains how they...

075 – Jesus said to Nicodemus "You must be born again." This is one of the most often quoted verses in the Bible. And rightly so! Jesus wanted Nicodemus, and all of us, to know who we are as children of God and where we come. It's about our discovering our spiritual origin, not about somehow getting back into your mother's womb and being born again literally, like Nicodemus tho...

074 – True worship is deeply spiritual This week's episode takes you on a journey back to Jacob's well when Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Imagine for a minute that you are there as one of Jesus's disciples and how you felt when you saw your Master talking to "that woman." But when you found out what they were talking about, you realized that J...

073 – How do you make important decisions? If you're like me, you make a list of all the pros and cons of all the possible choices. You go round and round trying to figure out what to do. You ask for advice from friends, family, and maybe even an advisor. But there are too many good options and there's no way to know which one is best. In this week's episode, I share several experie...

072 – According to the world's standards, Jesus was not a success. He left a good career as a carpenter to become an itinerant preacher. He did not have an important job, big salary, or fancy house. He did not find favor with the religious authorities.  A lot of people followed him for a while, but when he was executed like a common criminal, almost of them deserted him. But from another pers...

071 – Lent is not Biblical Then why do so many Christians celebrate it every year in preparing for Easter? I guess it's because they find meaning in the Lenten season through contemplation, prayer, fasting, and other activities. It  helps them feel closer to Christ and follow him more sincerely. But shouldn't we do that all year long? The first time Lent is ever mentioned in Christian hi...

070 – Do you have the mindset of Adam or the mindset of Christ? Paul talks about putting off the old self and putting on the new self in Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3. He makes it sound so simple. But it is not necessarily easy. He talks about his own challenges in Romans 7:15-25. He knows what is right and what he wants to do, but struggles to do it because of the tendency to sin. He cries out in...

069- Have you ever read the book of Proverbs for business advice? Recently a webinar speaker, Brian Dixon , mentioned that he read one chapter in the book or Proverbs every day and used the ideas to run his business based on what he learned there. The whole idea intrigued me and for the month of February, 2021, I will read one chapter each day to find Biblical business principles. Business lessons...

068 – Let's face it, humility is not the most thrilling topic to talk about. But without it, we can't really understand and follow Christ. In this week's episode, I talk about Why humility is important What it is and what it isn't (a lot of people get this wrong) Jesus was humble in his relationship to the Father, but he was bold in who he was You can be bold in fulfilling your...

067 – The first angel in the Bible appeared to Hagar Angels appear to lots of different people in lots of different situations throughout the Bible, but it recently dawned on me that the very first angel appeared to someone who was not exactly on the top of the social or religious status charts. Hagar was foreign. She was a slave, and obviously, she was female. Basically, she was at the bottom lay...

066 – The Law of the Harvest is at work in your life Have you ever planted a garden? When you plant carrots, you get carrots. It's not a mystery. It's the law of the harvest. The rules that govern the way a garden grows also apply to our spiritual life as well. Jesus often referred to seeds being planted and wheat being harvested.  In this week's episode, I talk about many of the la...

065 – Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15 Instead of the traditional New Year's resolutions, I invite you to join me in striving to obey Christ more earnestly in 2021. In this week's episode, I have included 21 specific commands that Jesus has given us. Some are to one person in particular. Others are to his followers in general. But they all apply to...

064 – Goodbye 2020 What a year it's been. We were all so full of hope and expectation last January, but things didn't turn out like we expected. But through all the struggles and losses of 2020, there is still much to be grateful for. Really? Yes, really. Thank you 2020 Yes, there were so many challenges this year, but as a result, there were so many lessons learned, so many opportunitie...

063 – There's so much more to Christmas than Jesus's birth I'm not talking about lots of goodies to eat and presents under the Christmas tree. A major part of the Christmas story is how people in the Bible respond to the birth of Jesus. In this episode I talk about how there were two main ways that these well-known and mostly loved characters in the Bible responded: Mary and Joseph...

062 – If it weren't for women, we wouldn't have Christmas Just think about it. Without Mary, Jesus would not have been born. But it's not just Mary who makes Christmas possible. Think of all the women you know who take to heart preparing for and celebrating Christmas. And I'm not just talking about all the holiday traditions. Think about how women have brought the spirit of Chr...

061 – What if you had lived at the time of Jesus? Have you ever thought of what it might be like if you had lived in Bible times and you found out about Jesus for the first time? This week we take a trip back in time to experience what it might have been like to hear Jesus preach and see him heal the sick people who came to him.  And imagine with me that because you become such a faithful follower...

060 – What would you say if an angel appeared to you? When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and commissioned him to lead the army against the Midianites, Gideon immediately peppered the angel with questions: If God is with us, why is He not protecting us from our enemies? If God could deliver our ancestors from Egyptian slavery, why can't He deliver us from the Midianites? Why would G...

059 – Have you ever thanked God for creating you? During the Thanksgiving season you probably like to think of all the things you're grateful for. You've probably even made a gratitude list at some point, thanking God for all the blessings in your life. But I have a sneaking suspicion that you have left off one of the most important items from that list – yourself! It seems rather odd to...

058 – Do you know someone who is a lost sheep? Trust the Shepherd to do his job. Nothing can stop Christ from finding and ministering to the lost sheep. In this week's episode, I talk about how to minister to the sheep God puts in your path. Many years ago I tried to help someone who was not not taking a very spiritual approach to life. He was struggling to just survive at times, but he didn&...

057 – The solution is simple. We need to love each other. Did you get caught up in the divisiveness in the United States before, during, and after the Presidential election last week? There were a lot of very strong emotions expressed from all quarters. But strong emotions never really solve the problems we face as a country. They only make things worse. In this week's episode, I talk about g...

056 – After the election, your prayers are more important than ever A lot of people I've talked to are troubled about how things might develop after the Presidential election in the United States, on November 3. Some people are worried civil war will break out. Some think there will be civil unrest and protests no matter who wins.  There is a concern of voter fraud and valid votes not being c...

055 – " Therefore encourage one another and build up one another." 1Thessalonians 5:11 Wow! It's been a year since The Bible Speaks to You Podcast was launched. And what a year it's been. This special anniversary edition is designed to build us all up. You'll hear from listeners around the world who have found comfort and correction, healing, spiritual growth, and a deeper...

054 – Have you ever wondered why God loves you so much? Many years ago I met a woman who just couldn't believe that God loved  her. She had made some pretty big life-mistakes and was absolutely sure God would never forgive her. I tried to comfort her, but to no avail.  In this week's episode, I explore the reason that God loves us, even though we have made serious mistakes in our lives a...

053 – Are you looking for companionship? Here's the story of how I met my wife! Some of the ideas in this episode can help you find, nurture, or repair a relationship. Last week was the 32nd anniversary of when my wife and I met. It's quite a story. And there was a special prayer that prepared me for that wonderful day when I first looked into my wife's eyes and knew she was the one...