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

252 – Are you following Jesus for the wrong reason? Hey, it happens sometimes. Once in a while we get our priorities mixed up and our motives for following Jesus can get a little selfish. You just want a blessing or a healing or a new job or whatever. Is that so  bad? Well, there's nothing wrong with any of those things, but following Jesus just to get something is a bit self-focused. The rea...

251 – Are you sharing your faith in unusual ways? Have you ever been hesitant sharing your faith with someone who you thought probably wasn’t receptive or that you really didn’t even want to talk to? What would you do if God told you to go directly to that person and tell them about Jesus and the difference he had made in your life? Would you just automatically go at God’s command or would you try...

250 – How often do you have a conversation with someone who has a different faith than you do? I know some Christians who won't talk to anyone except people they agree with 100%. They live in a "safe" little bubble. But over the years, I have learned so much from people in other faiths. In fact, it always ends up strengthening my own faith when I talk to someone I don't agree w...

249 – What do you base your self-worth on? Have you ever met someone who seemed to be full of confidence , but when you got to know them, you realized they based their self-worth on things like how much money they have, where they went to school, what job they have, or where they're from? Or maybe how good looking they are or how many followers they have on Social Media? Unfortunately, when y...

248 – Have you ever heard someone talk about Jesus in a way that just didn’t quite fit with what was in the Bible? Or maybe you read a book or saw a movie or a play about Jesus that either fell short of capturing the true essence of Jesus or it kind of stretched the truth and over-exaggerated things? Recently in Season 4 of "The Chosen," there was a scene where Jesus made no effort to he...

247 – Have you ever felt like some folks are preaching man-made doctrines without even realizing it? Have you ever felt intimidated by people insisting their doctrines are correct? And then someone with a different doctrine insists they are right and the other person is wrong? How do we tell if a doctrine is man-made or a God-ordained truth? This week's episode jumps into this and give some b...

246 – Is your faith based on what someone told you you're supposed to believe or on your relationship with God? I've talked to several people lately who have recently realized they believe what they were taught without questioning it. They never really made their faith their own.  They have finally given themselves permission to ask questions, read the Bible for themselves, and focus on...

245 – What do you do when people or circumstances rob you of your joy? Have you ever been on top of the world and full of joy when something terrible happens, your joy  vanishes, and you feel like you're sinking into a pit of quicksand? Is there a way to hold onto your joy when a challenging situation comes up? That's what this week's episode is all about. The Bible talks a lot abou...

244 – Do you want to be a more effective dad, or know someone who does? This week I talk with Jared Haley and Chris Wilson about what it means to be a good dad, to nurture your kids and support their spiritual growth. Jared and Chris are both passionate about being good dads, spending quality time with their families, and guiding their kids spiritually as they grow up. But most important of all, l...

243 – What's the best way to experience spiritual restoration? Have you ever felt like you needed some spiritual restoration in your life? I sure have. The key word here is "restoration." It means that God is restoring us to the original condition of how He made us in His image and likeness. It's kind of like someone cleaning an old oil painting, removing all the dirt and varni...

242 – What is your priority at church, getting new members or taking care of the sheep you have? I used to think my church should focus only on reaching out to the community, sharing the gospel, and getting more people to come to church. But over the years I've realized it's equally important to nurture and care for the members we already have. This week's podcast episode t alks abo...

241 – Why should you read the Gospel of Thomas? Well, do you want to be closer to Christ? Then the Gospel of Thomas is for you. But you have to learn how to decode it. That's where Kieth Giles comes in. His book helps find the deeper meaning:  The Quantum Sayings of Jesus: Decoding the Lost Gospel of Thomas * This week I talk with Keith Giles about the Gospel of Thomas. Keith explains why thi...

240 – If Jesus was here today, would he get involved in politics? Do you think he would be a member of your political party? Would he take sides at all? Or would he take a different approach to solving the problems people are facing today? How would Jesus bring healing to the political divisions in today’s society? Would he go to Washington, D.C. and make a speech in congress? Would he meet with o...

239 – Have you ever felt far away from God? Maybe you've made some huge mistakes, or someone had done something that harmed you. But no matter what has happened in your life, God is always with you, even if you're not aware of it. This week's episode digs deep into this idea that God is always with us, no matter what.  Highlights this week: Psalm 139: Wherever you go, God is there M...

238 – Have you ever wondered if there's a way to really know God loves you? Does God's love ever seem far away? Or maybe you know theoretically that God loves you, but you just don't feel it? Maybe you've made bad life choices that makes it hard to imagine God still loves you. When I'm discouraged, it's been really helpful to remember that God sent Jesus because He lo...

237 – Is it possible to find healing from the effects of trauma and abuse? Have you or someone you know been in an abusive or traumatic situation or relationship? This episode is for you. Marina Carrier shares how she overcame the residual effects of being an unwanted child and sexual abuse at the age of nine. It was only through the power of the Holy Spirit, which brought her back to the church a...

236 – If the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to your church, what would he say? F irst, imagine if you had lived back in the days of the early Christian Church. Paul may have come to your church to preach. And you may have received a letter from him later with some helpful ideas, prayers, and reminders of what he told you when he was there. Of course, he might also rebuke you for a couple of things yo...

235 – What does it even mean to be filled with God's fullness? In his letter to the Ephesians, at the end of Chapter 3, Paul prays that the church members would know the love of Christ and be filled with all the fullness of God. But is that even possible? Most Christians I talk to think that's the sort of thing that happens after they die and go to heaven.  But Paul is praying for the Ep...

234 – Do you have a hard time forgiving yourself? Right. Join the club. It's not easy to forgive yourself. But it's something we need to do. And we can. This week I look at several Bible characters who, in one way or another, had to come to terms with the mistakes they made and their sins. The Bible doesn't tell us what these folks were thinking and if they ever forgave themselves o...

233 – Where are you looking for Jesus? A lot of people are looking for Jesus these days, the real Jesus. Unfortunately, a lot of people have become disillusioned by the difference between what they’re discovering about Jesus in the Bible and the way their churches have followed, or rather not followed, Jesus. This week's episode is about where to look for Jesus and where not look for him. The...

232 – Is anything keeping you from doing what God has called you to do? Do you have a strong sense of purpose in your life but it seems things keep getting in the way of you doing what God has called you to do? Or maybe you're still waiting to see what God wants you to do with your life. Sometimes, even when we know what God's will is for our lives, we haven't really pursued it beca...

231 – Do you notice when God is trying to get your attention? God talks to us in lots of ways. But how often do we notice? Take a minute to think of all the ways God tries to get your attention.  Sometimes it might be because you're doing something you shouldn't. Sometimes it's because you're not doing something you should. And sometimes it's because your doing exactly wha...

230 – Has God ever asked you to dance with Him? What does that even mean? When God asks you to dance, it's a metaphor for God asking you to participate in life and follow where He leads. Have you ever danced with someone who didn't know how to lead, or follow, depending on which role you were in? It can be confusing, awkward, and sometimes get pretty messy. Things can get pretty confusin...

229 – How often do you hear: "The blood of Jesus saves you from your sins," or something to that effect? The more I have pondered and prayed about all the Bible has to say about God's forgiveness of sins, Jesus's crucifixion, and more specifically, the blood of Jesus, I've come to the conclusion that there's more to forgiveness than just the fact that Jesus's blo...

228 – Did you ever realize how many women leaders there are in the New Testament? More than you probably realized. There are some I didn't even realize were women? Why haven't we been told about these amazing women who risked their lives to share the Gospel in the early Christian Church? This week I talk with Dr. Nijay Gupta about these women leaders in the early Christian church and how...