THIS IS THE LIFE PODCAST

DON’T LET FEAR CHOOSE FOR YOU Joshua 1:9 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” When we stand at a crossroads, fear often speaks first. It points out everything that could go wrong. It reminds us of past disappointments and whether we are really ready for the changes that lie...

“The Crossroads” is a reflective song about the choices that shape our lives. When the easy road and the right road part ways, it invites us to listen for God’s direction and take the next step in faith.

START THE DAY EMPTY Scripture: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 Each morning, before my feet touch the floor, I thank God for the gift of another day. I surrender my thoughts, my actions, and my will to Him. I don’t know everything the day will hold, but I want meet with the Lord before anything else has my attention. Then, as I rise, and before I read any Scripture or continue in p...

THE PORCH LIGHT Scripture: Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” When I began This Is The Life Podcast, I wanted to share what God was teaching me and perhaps encourage someone else along the way. I always pictured a conversation on the front porch: honest words, just a little room to breathe before the day...

DON’T FEAR THE SCARECROWS “There were they in great fear, where no fear was…” — Psalm 53:5 A scarecrow stands in a field wearing old clothes, with its arms stretched wide. From a distance, it looks like a person. The birds see it and turn away, afraid to come near the food in the field. Yet the scarecrow cannot move, speak, or chase them. Its power comes from what they believe it to be. Sometimes...

THE PROBLEM WITH SHADOWS Scripture: Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Have you ever been startled by a shadow? Perhaps you were walking through the house at night and, for a moment, something familiar looked frightening. Once you turned on the light, you realized there was not...

CLOTHES YOU NO LONGER NEED Scripture: John 11:43–44 “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.” Imagine standing outside that tomb. The stone has been rolled away, and Jesus calls a man who has been...

SEEING YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL Judges 6:12-14 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us...

WHEN THE SNOW FALLS Scripture: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” — Philippians 1:3 A Couple of years ago, I saw a background picture on an elderly man’s iPad. It was the view from his front door: a beautiful snowfall covering the yard in the morning time. His wife had passed away several years earlier, and I found myself wondering why he had chosen that picture for his background. Pe...

IT HAS BEEN THERE ALL THE TIME Exodus 4:1-2 1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. 2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. When God called Moses, Moses could see all the reasons he was unqualified for the task. God asked him a simple question: “Wh...

FRONT PORCH FRIDAY: DOES THE SMALL THING MATTER? Scripture: Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Today, I want to begin with a letter that may sound familiar to some of you: “Dear Eddie, I’ve been trying to do what God has placed in front of me. I check on my mother, pray for my family, and try to encourage people when I can. But...

THE LETTER WE ARE STILL READING Colossians 4:16 16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. Paul wrote to the believers in Colossae, but he knew the letter would not remain with them alone. He asked that it be read in another church as well. Words written for one group of people would s...

DIVINE APPOINTMENTS Acts 3:1-6 1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; 3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 4 And Peter, f...

THE QUIET WORK GOD IS DOING IN YOU Scripture: Mark 4:26–27 “So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.” When a seed is first planted, the ground looks much the same as it did before. Day after day, you may pass by and see no sign that anything is happening. Yet beneath...

There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” — John 6:9 Andrew had found a boy willing to share what he had. Five barley loaves and two small fish were something, but when Andrew looked at the crowd, they seemed hardly worth mentioning. He asked the question most of us would have asked: “What are they among so many?” Most of us know wh...

BUTTERFLIES AND BLUEBIRDS Scripture: Psalm 104:24 “O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.” My grandchildren have a way of slowing me down. We can be outside with no particular plan, and suddenly a butterfly becomes the most important thing in the world. They follow it through the yard, watching where it lands and hoping for a chance...

GOD IS NOT RUSHING YOU, Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” Have you ever felt as though you are always falling behind? Perhaps you thought you would have reached a certain goal by now, settled a difficult question, or become further along in your walk with God. You look at the calendar, then at your life, and wonder why things are taking so long. Som...

YOU CAN LOVE PEOPLE WITHOUT CARRYING THEM Galatians 6:2-5 2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Weight - load) 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. (Task - Service) A...

THE PRAYER YOU NEVER SPOKE Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Most of the time when we pray, we know exactly what we want to say to God. The words come easily, our thoughts are clear, and we can express what is in our hearts and...

WHEN GOD DOESN’T EXPLAIN HIMSELF Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Most of us feel more comfortable when we understand what is happening. We want to know why a door closed, why a prayer has not been answered, or...

FRONT PORCH FRIDAY: WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE? Philippians 1:3 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Paul said, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Some people leave us with memories that remain a part of us. Their words continue to guide us. Their prayers seem to still bear fruit and their example remains with us, even if they are no longer here. These thoughts are...

THE PEOPLE GOD PLACES ALONG THE WAY Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” As we journey through this life, God places different people along our way. Some walk beside us for many years. They become part of our story, share our memories, and remain with us through the changing seasons. Others enter our lives for only a short time, yet somehow leav...

LEARNING FROM YESTERDAY Yesterday may not have gone according to plan. Perhaps you became discouraged, lost your patience, made a poor decision, or simply failed to accomplish what you intended. But one difficult day does not have to determine the direction of the next one. God’s mercy meets us each morning with another opportunity, not necessarily to start our entire lives over, but to begin agai...

WHEN THE ENEMY INTERRUPTS YOUR PLANS 1 Corinthians 14:33 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Yesterday, we considered how God sometimes interrupts our plans to redirect our steps. But we must also understand that not every interruption comes from God. Sometimes the enemy tries to interrupt what God has placed before us to do. The enemy may not...

WHEN GOD INTERRUPTS YOUR PLANS Most of us begin our days with some kind of plan. We know where we need to go, what we hope to accomplish, and how we believe everything should unfold. There is nothing wrong with making plans. In fact, planning can be a sign of wisdom and responsibility. But we must always leave room for God to interrupt them. Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the L...