He is in charge, He always has been and always will be. This will never change, and we can rest in His unchanging nature in the midst of an ever-changing world. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below The God Over Rulers By Emma Danzey Daniel 2:21 says, “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” It is no surprise that election years bring a new level of tension and worry. We begin to wonder “What will the next four years look like if…” A lot can happen in four years and a president or a governing politician in the Senate or the House can make ungodly decisions that negatively effect our nation. However, Daniel lived in a time with a worldly king whom he did not agree with or bow to, but He reminds us that God removes and sets up kings. Today as we take time to break down this powerful verse, may it bring peace into our hearts that God is still the King of kings and Lord of lords. “He changes times and seasons” “America looks different now than it used to.” “We are running away from God as a nation.” “America is truly becoming a post-Christian society.” These are all statements that you might be hearing or wrestling through yourself. However, we know that just like God changes the times and the seasons, our days will be different from the past just like the future will be different from our current generation’s lives. This can be scary and unsettling if we allow it to be, or we can remember that the Lord is working everything together towards His return. We are told many times that there will be great trials and tribulations, that there will be war, famine, and evil taking place globally. However, we can easily reject the idea and just want heaven on earth now, but this is not the Lord’s perfect plan. Things are going to get worse before they get better. I think about the large pile of laundry on the bed right now. It looks like a mountain of a mess, but I know that after I go deal with the laundry and put it away, my family will have such happiness in all of our things washed, dried and usable for the week ahead. We might be seeing a load of dirty laundry of sin piling up in our own nation, but this is not new to history. Many, if not all, have seen this in their lifetimes in one way or another. Sin has always been since the garden and it will always be until death or Jesus’ returns. As times and seasons literally change, may we remember who is still in charge no matter how big the mess appears.  “He removes kings and sets up kings;” This statement alone should bring us great peace. God is in control. No king or president reigns without our sovereign Lord allowing it. Not even a local mayor is elected without the Lord allowing it. You might say, “But what about dishonesty or padding votes?” “What if there are schemes of mankind behind the scenes?” The beauty is that even if sinful acts take place, nothing is a surprise to God and ultimately He can take sinful decisions of humanity and turn them around for the good of His believers and for His glory.  We could live in “What ifs” every day, we could worry for weeks and months about politics, but what good does that do? Satan wants to distract us from the real battle going on. Yes, it is important to be properly informed and to vote. However, we are Christ followers have an eternal mindset. This is significant because our decisions and our goals should be heavenly focused. If we become consumed by the fear, anger, and goals of elections, then we forget our main mission to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19-20)  The Devil wants us to be distracted from the real work of a disciple of Jesus and he is not above using politics to cause the church to miss the mission and the hope that we have in our King Jesus. He is in charge, He always has been and always will be. This will never change, and we can rest in His unchanging nature in the midst of an ever-changing world. “He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” We as voters and citizens need great wisdom and knowledge. God can lead us in our choices and our decisions. He is not beyond revealing His will with His Word. When we are confused or do not know what to do, let us not remain complacent, but let us search the Bible for our answers. His Word stands true forever. We can pray and ask His Spirit in us to lead us and help us to navigate conversations, the unknown fears we have, and pray through the sorrow over the sin of the world. Intersecting Faith & Life: How are you feeling about the upcoming elections? Do you have fear, anger, indifference, or even hope? Whatever you are experiencing, remember that our King of kings is in control, and He removes and establishes leaders. In an ever-changing world, we can rest in our unchanging God.  Further Reading: John 18:36 Hebrews 13:8 Revelation 17:14 Photo Credit:  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

His divine power, unleashed through our dependence upon and yielding to Him, provides everything we need to live as His called, chosen, and redeemed children.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below Divinely Empowered to Love People Well By Jennifer Slattery Bible Reading “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4, NIV). After one particularly discouraging family reunion during which my faults appeared to have greatly outnumbered my positive qualities, my therapist helped me regain a balanced perspective. She encouraged me to journal separately on each day of the vacation, prayerfully considering what I felt I did well and what I wish I’d done differently. This activity helped me to recognize ways in which I’d allowed my inner critic’s voice to speak louder than God’s gentle and empowering grace. This was important because focusing on my flaws only kept me stuck. Whereas reflecting upon all I had in Christ inspired me to soul-deep transformation. Yes, I have many areas within that need growth, but I also possess the power of God, working in and through me. As today’s passage states, He has given me everything I need to live as He desires and love my people well.  Peter, a leader in the first-century church, wrote the letter from which today’s passage comes while in Rome, knowing he would likely soon die. This was during the later years of Emperor Nero’s reign, a terrifying time for Christ-followers during which they experienced intense persecution. On top of this, the people to whom Peter wrote were also suffering from strife and dissention within their faith community—when they most needed one another’s support. Frightening and uncertain circumstances can cause us to behave in ugly ways. When our stress levels increase, our gentleness and self-control tend to decrease, when we rely solely on ourselves. But when, in the middle of chaos, we pause to connect with Christ, He fills our souls with strength, speaks words of truth, and reignites our hope. He reminds us of His precious promises, sprinkled throughout Scripture, such as His pledge to never leave us or forsake us, to work all things for our good, and to bring us a glorious future.  Intersecting Life & Faith: We cannot love like Jesus apart from Jesus. No amount of human effort will enable us to overcome our sinful tendencies and fear-based responses. Self-reliance only distances us from our Savior, the One who died to free us from everything that corrupts who He created us to be. His divine power, unleashed through our dependence upon and yielding to Him, provides everything we need to live as His called, chosen, and redeemed children. But notice, this godliness comes through our knowledge of Him, as well. As Chuck Swindoll from Insight for Living wrote, “Our knowledge of God through His Word is the first line of defense against the conflicts that threaten to tear us apart.” In the New Testament, we often see two different words translated as knowledge. One, eido, refers to assenting to, or coming to realize a fact, such as that the earth is round, or that two plus two equals four. The word used in today’s passage, however, epignósis in the original Greek, has the connotation of knowledge gained through personal experience, and often, in relationship. Therefore, the more we come to know Jesus, by drawing near to Him in times of trouble, allowing His gentle whisper to calm and nourish us, and grasping the unfathomable vastness of His love, the greater our godliness.  We come to know, with ever-deepening intimacy, the God who, in Exodus 33, equated His glory with His goodness.  As I consider all involved in “our knowledge of him,” as today’s passage states, I’m reminded of Romans 12:2, which tells me I am transformed by the “renewing of my mind.” This involves unlearning old, unhealthy patterns of behavior and learning to live in my new reality as a loved, empowered, and victorious child of God.  I love what Paul Tripp wrote: “… because of my relationship with Christ, I have been given a warrior Spirit that lives inside me.” That is far from a statement of defeat. To the contrary. Scripture assures us, in all things, our triggers and deeply-ingrained sins included, we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Rom. 8:37). I’m encouraged to know, the next family reunion, I will more consistently respond to my relatives, the most challenging included, like my Savior.  Further Reading: Galatians 5:13-25 Ezekiel 3:26-28 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 Photo Credit:  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you’re struggling to feel worthy enough to come to Jesus, what about today’s verses in Matthew 11:28-29 encourage you to put aside your shame and run to Him in prayer right now?  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below How to Come to Jesus By Sarah Frazer Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (ESV) Growing up in church, Jesus was a familiar name. I never remember a time when I didn’t know what the name of Jesus meant or who Jesus was. My heart is burdened to know that there are people in this world, even today, who don’t know the name of Jesus. Whether you have been reading the Bible for a long time or are new to the faith, Jesus is the central figure. Although we might love studying our Bible to see who Jesus is and what He is doing, we might wonder, what does that have to do with us today? Other than knowing about Jesus’ life and His teaching, what more is there?  Jesus is more than just a real Man who lived thousands of years ago. Jesus is more than the One who took our place and paid the penalty for our sins. Jesus is God and sits on the throne in heaven and intercedes for us. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and work today are all relevant to each of us.  Knowing about all of this in the Bible is vital to our Christian growth. Pursuing more and more the knowledge of Christ surpasses all that we could strive to do in our faith. Paul said it was something he wanted to do more than anything else in this world (Philippians 2:8-10). Is knowledge enough, though? Knowledge of Christ, although valuable, is not all that Jesus offers you and me.  More than knowledge, we have been invited to have a relationship with Jesus. God uses the analogy of a family throughout the Bible to compare our relationship with God, the Father, and Jesus, the Son. We are called brothers and “heirs” (Romans 8:16-17). We are related to Jesus as siblings. This type of relationship is more than just a knowledge of Someone.  One time, while on a short-term mission trip, a native girl found out we were from the United States. She asked us if we knew Michael Jordan. We all laughed. Of course, we knew who Michael Jordan was, but she was asking if we knew him in the sense of having a relationship with him. We explained to her that we knew of him, but we didn’t really know him.  Can the same be said of us and Jesus? Do we know about Jesus but not truly know Him? Even if you feel as if you have a relationship with Jesus, maybe something is keeping you from deeper intimacy with Christ. Let’s look to Matthew 11:28-30 to see how Jesus invites all of us to come to Him.  First, we come to Jesus with heavy burdens. You might imagine that you have to get rid of the things that are within you before you come to Jesus. Maybe you carry the guilt of past sins or the shame of choices that you have made. That burden does not disqualify you when you come to Jesus. Come as you are, knowing that the person you are now is not the end of the story.  Next, we come to Jesus, knowing we will never be the same. Come as you are is a common phrase in our world today, but the beautiful thing about Jesus is when we come to Jesus as we are, we don’t stay that way. When we come as we are, we acknowledge our past and our sinful hearts, but we also come willing to be someone different. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden…” But then in Matthew 11:29, He says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me….” We must also come to Jesus willing to change. We come to Jesus knowing that our old selves have been destroyed and our new hearts are now inside of us! (1 Corinthian 5:17) We are a new creation, and we come to Jesus so He can clean, heal, and make us beautiful.  Finally, Jesus says we can come to Him expectantly. In Matthew 11:28-30, we see one word repeated twice. That word is “rest.” We can expect that Jesus will accept us and that we will find rest. I don’t know about you, but the worries and stress of this world can overwhelm my heart. Coming to Jesus means we lay down our burdens, learn from Him, and expect rest.  Come to Jesus, friend. He is waiting and willing to accept you. His heart is already turned toward you. No amount of sin can keep us away from Him. If you are His child, through grace, you are saved (Ephesians 2:10), and through grace, you are already accepted as a child of God. Jesus is waiting to have a relationship with you. Come.  Intersecting Faith & Life: If you’re struggling to feel worthy enough to come to Jesus, what about today’s verses in Matthew 11:28-29 encourage you to put aside your shame and run to Him in prayer right now?  Further Reading: James 4:8 Jeremiah 29:13 Proverbs 8:17 Psalms 27:4 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Take a moment with me, pause, and consider what’s concerning you. What is troubling your heart and consuming the thoughts of your soul?  Now, give it to God. Surrender it. Release it.    SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Choosing God’s Peace Over Problems By Keri Eichberger Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27) This is a bit embarrassing to admit, but just when I thought my stress couldn’t get much worse, I recently became convinced I was pregnant. Listen, no disrespect to those currently praying for this incredible blessing (by the way, I’d love to join you in prayer), because born and unborn babies are absolute gifts. And if that were God’s will for me, I would surely find my way to embrace it with praise. But the honest truth is, “much worse,” was definitely what I felt in the face of that possibility last week. I mean, I’ll turn 45 next month and many days it seems I can hardly handle the five kids God gifted me. Plus, just before this possibility arose we’d unexpectedly found ourselves drowning in a huge financial hole. I was too tired, too old, too inadequate, too broke—so I thought. Not to mention, this was not part of my peaceful future plan. How in the world would I? I wondered.  I’ll tell you one thing I was convinced of—well two actually. One: What felt like a heavy inescapable pit last week, seemed super tolerable now, considering what I thought was literally  growing within. And two: I needed God‘s peace and relief big time, regardless.  I now know that I’m not actually pregnant—and if I were, we’d be having quite a different chat about the miracles of God and his divine ability to define medical odds (if you know what I mean). But when I was so sure, days upon days, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was going to be adding a sixth child via a geriatric pregnancy, I became consumed with all the taxing implications. Then laser soul-focused on the emotional and spiritual adjustments I needed to make to prepare if this was to be God’s plan. And here is where I landed in the midst of my worries, fears, and troubled heart. I have two choices every day—every moment really—in the face of the big unknowns of today and tomorrow. I can either allow the swirling scary thoughts to overwhelm me with worry and anxiety, like this started too. OR, I can hand them over to the One who actually has control of all the outcomes anyway. And here’s the kicker, only one of those choices can give me what I really want. Peace.  So, I chose peace. How about you? Is there something that doesn’t seem to be going quite as you had planned? And is it disrupting your peace? Do you feel troubled, fearful even? Oh boy was I feeling that big time when me and my apparently pre-menopausal hormones had to take consecutive days of pregnancy tests last week. The thing is, we can’t ultimately control a lick of what’s in store. And trust me, there’s going to be some tough stuff ahead, even if most of your plans do align with your hopes and expectations. But we can still have peace. And peace is most certainly part of God’s plan. Always. Better yet, we can have God’s peace. Which is so much better, infinitely more rich, than what the world will offer in a variety of fleeting fixes and temporary comforts. In John 14:27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you.” He has left it, deposited it, in us, as his followers. To freely tap into, at any time via our advocate, the Holy Spirit. Just like he left it in the disciples before he completed his earthly mission.  Friend, you and I have the Lord‘s peace. We just have to choose it. And I hope you’ll choose it too. Intersecting Faith and Life: Take a moment with me, pause, and consider what’s concerning you. What is troubling your heart and consuming the thoughts of your soul?  Now, give it to God. Surrender it. Release it.  In doing this you’re choosing more peace. And I know that’s what we both want. So, today, release and choose peace when you’re worried about what might happen. Release and choose God’s peace still when what you didn’t want does happen. Because sometimes his plans do look different than ours. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Because remember, his plan is always best. He knows and sees what you don’t. And no matter what, he has deposited in you, he always offers, and you can always have, his peace. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Seek to positively influence your spouses, children, and family's lives. You will not only help them and build them up, but it will also change your attitude and help you see life with gratitude and hope rather than despair and pessimism. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Use Your Tongue to Uplift Others “With the tongue, we praise our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse human beings who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” James 3:9-10 In our marriage, our routine is to ask each other how our days are when we come home at night. We talk about both the highs and lows of our day. Because my husband's a pastor, I often hear the good and the bad of church life. But as the months wore on, we quickly realized that we were talking more about life's lows than the highs.  Although we needed each other to talk to, the more we complained, the easier it became to complain. Soon, each day brought nothing but complaints. Finding the good in any situation we were involved in was difficult. One day, we prayed together and asked God to change our hearts regarding our view of our days. We chose to see the good and the positive in people and our situations rather than the bad. Although we needed each other to process through pain and analyze situations from various perspectives, it was not good for our spiritual life or marriage to constantly complain to each other about our work.  We asked God to change our perspectives and see life through a positive rather than a negative lens. It was not easy at first since we had gotten into such a bad habit of complaining. But the more we chose to see the positive each day rather than the negative, the easier it became. Within a month, we came home and emphasized the positive rather than the negative.  Studies show that the more we complain, our brains are rewired to think negative thoughts. When those thoughts go unchecked, they change our hearts. Once full of hope and optimism, our hearts are soon clouded with negativity and malice. We soon start to change how we see the people around us. Seeing the people we once saw as positive becomes more negative because of our critical spirits.  Hypercritical people are often hypocritical people. This is because we are to be Christ's examples. Yet, when we spend time complaining rather than looking at the positive side of things, we view our world with pessimism and despair rather than optimism and hope. Although it is essential to see our world in a good way, we must emphasize the positive things in life.  Our words carry weight. When you speak to the people around you, are you the first to give a critical word? Are you someone people know is safe because they know you will give them a word of encouragement?  Although it is essential to speak the truth plainly to people and to help people in their lives by pointing out their sins so they can be better people, we don't want to be people who are only known for what we are against rather than what we are for. We need to strike a good balance between how much we complain and how much we encourage.  If we complain more than we encourage, we tend to use our tongues for cursing rather than building up our brothers and sisters. If we tend to criticize too much, we will be tuned out because we will be seen as overly critical people who only speak negative words rather than positive ones.  If you find you are using your tongue to curse rather than build up, there's hope. For the next seven days, seek only to say positive things to people. When you feel tempted to give a negative word, change it into a positive. If you have difficulty with this, pray and ask God to help tame your tongue.  Seek to positively influence your spouses, children, and family's lives. You will not only help them and build them up, but it will also change your attitude and help you see life with gratitude and hope rather than despair and pessimism. Father, let us be people who choose to use our tongues for good rather than evil. Let us, God, not curse our brothers and sisters but build them up, saying what may benefit them. Please help us be people who reflect you by giving people the hope that's in you. Amen. Intersecting Faith and Life In what way are you using your tongue to curse others? What steps can you take today to help you change negative words into positive ones? Further Reading Ephesians 4:29 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Peace comes when we remember that we’re travelers, passing through, and therefore, today’s pain won’t last forever. And, we are heading toward a beautiful, joyful, certain and secure paradise where we will no longer experience pain, sickness, persecution or heartache. A place where we will live with God, completely whole, for all of eternity.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Hope in Hard Seasons By Jennifer Slattery Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:1-3 Imagine losing your job, many of your friends, maybe even experiencing rejection from your extended family. How might you feel, and how might your hardship and pain affect your faith? While I don’t know how I’d respond in such a situation, I do know how I reacted, decades ago, when a series of difficult events left my family and I in a three-year period of constant transition, loss, and uncertainty. Initially, I felt abandoned by God, not chosen and loved. But God used that dark season to deepen my faith and the bonds within our family.  That said, I’ve never experienced persecution like the Christ-followers addressed in 1 Peter. After turning to Christ for salvation, these mainly Gentile believers “suffer[ed] grief in all kinds of trials,” inflicted by their Greek and Jewish neighbors. If evaluating their standing from their circumstances alone, these precious men and women would not have felt chosen. Therefore, the opening of Peter’s letter must’ve felt like an assuring balm to their wounded souls.  “To God’s elect,” he wrote, “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God” (1 Peter 1a, 2a, NIV). How comforting to read the reminder of God’s perfect wisdom—of all things past, present, and future. He knew, before they even understood who Jesus was, precisely what they’d experience each day after they yielded their souls to Him. He chose them—not for destruction or defeat, but for victory and eternal joy.  In Christ, they’d received a living hope—a firm promise that no one and nothing could take away. They could know, with certainty, where they were heading and everything that awaited them when they arrived.    In the New International Version, quoted above, Peter refers to these men and women as exiles. The New American Standard Bible calls them aliens, and the New Living Translation refers to them as foreigners. The Greek word behind each of these translations indicates someone temporarily residing in an area that is not their permanent home.  Intersecting Life and Faith According to Scripture, this applies to all of us. This present world is not our home. We are, essentially, passing through—steadily progressing toward our eternal destination and the inheritance secured for us by the death and resurrection of Christ. Today’s passage reminds me of Christ’s words in Matthew 6:19-21, when He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” That doesn’t mean God doesn’t want us to enjoy nice things, invest in a 401K, or take relaxing vacations. But He does warn us of the danger of allowing those temporary pleasures to capture our heart. When that happens, the hardships we experience feel all the more painful because we’re less anchored in Christ and overly attached to the things we’ve lost.  Peace comes when we remember that we’re travelers, passing through, and therefore, today’s pain won’t last forever. And, we are heading toward a beautiful, joyful, certain and secure paradise where we will no longer experience pain, sickness, persecution or heartache. A place where we will live with God, completely whole, for all of eternity.  Because we are chosen and called to a hope-filled future, held secure by the God of hope. Additional Reading: Romans 8:18-39 Revelations 21:1-5 Articles: What Does the Bible Say About Rewards in Heaven? 10 Things All Christians Should Know About Heaven Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If your life feels too rushed and busy, how can you stop today and spend time just being still and listening to God’s voice? What are you waiting for God to do in your life? How can you hand that over to Him, trusting that He will do it in His timing and in His way?  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God Is Not in a Hurry  By Sarah Frazer Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;     fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,     over the man who carries out evil devices! Psalm 37:7 (ESV) My oldest daughter does not like to be in a hurry. Over the past few months, I’ve had to wake her up a little earlier than everyone else on school days. I sneak into her room, turn off her sound machine, and whisper, “Good morning.” She takes longer to get ready, and I understand the need for a slow morning. I don’t like to feel like I’m in a hurry.  My favorite time of the day is the morning. But when we get to sleep in and enjoy the morning without being rushed, those are my absolute favorite times. My life feels like I’m in a hurry most of the time. One thing I have tried to implement lately, taken from my daughter, is to stop rushing through my days.  There is something about waiting and being still that doesn’t seem productive. I struggle with the need to feel like I’m working all of the time. But if there is a pocket of time I’m learning the beauty of sitting still and just being there. No agenda, no job, no need to be productive.  As I study the Bible, I’ve seen over and over again that our God is not in a hurry.  In Psalm 37, we see David, the author, providing us with a blueprint for the life of the one who loves God. There are several command words in this chapter. Words like “Fret not, trust, delight, commit, and be still.” David is reminding us that, yes, our world is filled with rush, hurry, and evil, but God’s ways are different.  Our God is never in a hurry because He is always on time. When Paul, in Acts 16:6, wanted to go to Asia to spread the Gospel, God forbade it. It wasn’t that the Gospel wasn’t supposed to go to Asia. It would eventually. The call to go the opposite direction was a matter of timing. God led Paul and his companions to Macedonia instead.  God had a plan for you and me as well. As His children, can trust His plan.  We get impatient waiting for God to intervene, though, don’t we? We want to see our prayers answered in ways and in the timing we desire. Sometimes, God’s timing seems unnecessarily long. Psalm 37:7 reminds us to wait for God and be still.  David says why we should wait.  “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” Psalm 37:10-11 (ESV) The word meek here means “humble, poor, and needy.”  God calls His children to be humble. It is humbling to wait. The rich get served first in fancy restaurants, and those with power seem to move ahead of the line. The evil in this world feels like it is never punished, but according to God’s word we need only wait “a little while.”  In God’s kingdom, God controls the events and the timing. We can trust and commit our hearts to God because we know, like David, “{God} is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing” (Psalm 37:26). God is providing for each of us generously, we need only be His child and hold His hand.   We often get in a hurry because we want things right away or feel as if we have waited long enough. Our prayers feel like they are not even making a difference because we don’t see any change in our lives. This is when we trust.  like David did, in,  “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24 (ESV) God is a worthy provider and will not lead us astray. That also means that even though we might feel like we are waiting, we are still moving forward. Our mindsets can get stuck in this idea that we have to be busy and work hard. Although we do not neglect what God has entrusted us to do, we often mistake busyness with Christian duty.  Being productive is not one of the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:23-24. God does not ask us to just get things done. God is asking us to be still throughout our day, too. God asks us to trust Him. Remember that God is not in a hurry, and so He is asking us not to be either.  Intersecting Faith & Life: If your life feels too rushed and busy, how can you stop today and spend time just being still and listening to God’s voice? What are you waiting for God to do in your life? How can you hand that over to Him, trusting that He will do it in His timing and in His way?  Further Reading: Acts 16:6-10 John 11:1-6, 21-27 Galatians 6:9 Romans 12:12 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Is there a situation where you feel God doesn't care? Be patient during this time of affliction. Be faithful and bring God your prayers every day. Don't waste this time running away from him. Run toward him and see what God will do even amid great trials.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Be Faithful "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 After receiving a new medication from my doctor, she warned me of potential side effects. Nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss were the most common side effects. The first couple of weeks, I did fine. The side effects were minimal, and I was able to tolerate them.  But by month two, everything had changed. I quickly got to the point where I was sick every day and became afraid to leave my home. My stomach would change in an instant, and I could be in the middle of nowhere feeling incredibly nauseous and uncomfortable. This is far from the health I had hoped for.  I prayed and asked God to take the side effects away. But they got worse rather than better. Week after week, I would pray fervently for God to hear my prayers. But nothing. Finally, my doctor took me off the medicine and gave me a month to reset before discussing a new brand of medication.  While this seems small in the large scheme of life, this wasn't the first time I had experienced loss this past year. Sudden job changes, loss of relationships, and an unsteady income are all issues I was dealing with daily.  Having a health challenge on top of it was the last thing I wanted to hear. It felt as if God didn't care and that he wanted me to suffer. After another day of unwanted side effects, I went to the grocery store to get some groceries. I entered my car and banged my head on the rearview mirror, causing a bump on my head. That sent me over the edge.  I cried in my car in the grocery store parking lot for over an hour. I poured out my heart to God, asking him to help me since I couldn't take another thing. I'd been dealing with so much loss over the past year it wasn't easy to deal with yet another challenge. It felt as if no area of my life was going right.  I felt compelled to continue praying and placing my hope in God. Eventually, the side effects did wear off after a change in medication, and I could enjoy the following weeks. But going through that season of turmoil felt endless. Yet, God wanted me to be patient in that affliction. He wanted me to go to him daily, giving him my days, minutes, and hours.  In the same way, God wants us to bring our pain to him. He wants us to be patient when we are afflicted with many trials. He doesn't want us to give up hope. Instead, he wants to see us have hope during those trials. He wants us to persevere and trust that he has us in this season for a reason. God doesn't waste our pain. He wants us to endure every trial with patience, perseverance, and hope. When we do this, we become more like Christ than ever before. It is easy to love God when things are going well.  When things are not going well, and God feels absent or silent, we must trust him even when we can't see or feel him. He wants us to be faithful in praying to him and giving over our trials to him. When life feels endless, and we feel like there's no end to our trials, he wants us to pray to him, trusting that he will make way for our situation and turn it for his good.  Is there a situation where you feel God doesn't care? Be patient during this time of affliction. Be faithful and bring God your prayers every day. Don't waste this time running away from him. Run toward him and see what God will do even amid great trials.  Father, remind us that you are with us always. Please help us to be patient when we're afflicted with many trials. Help us to be faithful and give over our lives to you in prayer every day. Help us trust that you do everything for your good and that our pain is not wasted. Amen.  Intersecting Faith and Life What area of your life do you need to exercise patience during trial? Further Reading Romans 5:3-5  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we express the depths of our souls, unfiltered to God, we receive in return what we most need, the Lord Himself. He alone is our Provider, Sustainer, Protector, Healer, and ever-present help in times of trouble. The more we recognize all we have in Him, the more we’re able to say, “Father, it is well with my soul.” SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: When God Upsets Us written  by Jennifer Slattery.  I will stand at my watch    and station myself on the ramparts;I will look to see what he will say to me,    and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Habakkuk 2:1 Have you ever been in that place? Where you’ve launched your complaints, or maybe your questions, at God, and then stood, arms crossed, awaiting His reply?  I’ve been in a funk lately, and while I’ve still been reading my Bible every morning, spending time quieting my soul with praise music, and engaging with God through interactive journaling, the other day I stiff-armed God. I sensed Him drawing my attention to a wound I didn’t want to think about, let alone feel, as God was inviting me to do. And so, I shut Him out, closed my journal, and walked away.  This morning, I picked up my pen to journal, ruminating on a series of relational disappointments that, in many ways, led to my funk, and highlighted the wound God wanted to address. Internally I thought, “What do you have to say about all this, God?” And He met me in that place. Although He didn’t give me clarity on my immediate concerns, He pointed me to what I most needed in that moment—a reminder of His faithfulness and love.  In Habakkuk’s case, the Lord responded to his “complaint”, which happened to center on the seemingly unrestrained violence and injustice all around him, by assuring him that justice would indeed come and wicked nations, like Babylon, would eventually fall.  But that’s not what most strikes me about the interaction between God and Habakkuk. What most encourages me is that the prophet had the courage to lob a complaint at God in the first place—and that God not only allowed this, but responded to it.  If you grew up in a critical, authoritarian home where “children were to be seen, not heard” and where you weren’t allowed to express your emotions, let alone your “complaints”, you might expect God to respond the same way. You might, therefore, hide some of your most intense inner wrestling and doubts beneath a forced hallelujah. But while we must always remember God is holy, perfect, and worthy of all praise—whether we understand or agree with His actions, the book of Habakkuk assures me we can also come to Him authentically, unfiltered. I’m certain He’d much rather we do that than allow our doubts and spiritual struggles to distance us from Him.  Intersecting Life and Faith Here's a beautiful truth I see in numerous places in the Bible, the section we’ve been discussing included. When we bring everything, including our inner gunk, our pain, anger, and disappointments, to God, He uses that to open a conversation that, ultimately, leads us to deeper faith and intimacy with Him.  He brings us to a place where we can say, like Habakkuk did,  “Though the fig tree does not bud    and there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop fails    and the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the pen    and no cattle in the stalls,18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,    I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,    he enables me to tread on the heights (Hab. 3:17-19, NIV). Here’s what I find significant in his response. Through his conversation with God, Habakkuk learned that life was going to become difficult for him and his countrymen. The land would become desolate. The Babylonians would conquer Judah, plunder their cities and homes, and exile its people. But the prophet reached a place of contentment, not in his circumstances but instead, in His sovereign, soul-fortifying God.  Pause to reflect on the words in verse 19 for a moment. No matter how chaotic and out of control our circumstances seem, our God retains full control. He provides strength to the weary and beaten down, and enables us to walk as swiftly, as nimbly, as a deer that escapes a predator by darting up a steep and rocky mountainside. In other words, He might not remove the threat, or within the timeframe we hope. But when it comes, He will give us the strength to overcome and tread on the heights.  To phrase it another way, when we express the depths of our souls, unfiltered to God, we receive in return what we most need, the Lord Himself. He alone is our Provider, Sustainer, Protector, Healer, and ever-present help in times of trouble. The more we recognize all we have in Him, the more we’re able to say, “Father, it is well with my soul.” Additional Reading (biblical examples of wrestling with God): Habakkuk 1-3 Genesis 32:22-32 Psalm 22 Genesis 18:16-33 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you been affected by a difficulty recently? If so, how can you look up and redirect your eyes on where your help comes from? How can you help others who are going through trials right now and share the love of Jesus? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Look Up Toward The Mountains: Where Will My Help Come From?Written By: Emma Danzey Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” It was a normal Friday for the most part down the mountain in the foothills. We had a lot of rain and wind as to be expected when Hurricane Helene was coming through. After some gusty winds that gave whistles outside the windows, the storm passed. Little did I know, the true storm was just beginning up the mountains. Much of my small city lost power and large oak trees had fallen, but flooding was minimum. We began to hear reports and see pictures of the devastation in the mountains of North Carolina and surrounding areas. None of us were prepared for this, we did not see this coming.  Days went by when we tried to get ahold of loved ones in the areas hit hard to see if they were even alive. Many did not have ways to reach family and friends without power and service. Water had to be boiled (and still does in many places) and that was if families still had a house to have access to water. Survival mode set in, churches, organizations, and military stepped in. I have heard constant helicopters and airplanes at the local airport taking supplies and rescuing people in more remote places. It has sounded like I live in a time of war. As the death toll raises and the stories come out of how the mountain towns appear more like a Tsunami went through, they are living in a war torn land against the floods that overtook them. People are all asking, “Where will my help come from?”   “I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?” This Psalm originally caused us to look at the beauty and the glory of the mountains. Mountains draw our eyes upwards and cause us to see how small we are in comparison. They remind us that God is bigger than our sin, our struggles, and the issues of this world. However, as I reflect on this Psalm, I lift my eyes toward the mountains that have been devastated by a hurricane, I am reminded that in the glory and greatness and in the suffering and trials, we can be reminded where our help comes from. We are also invited to ask where it comes from.  The point is that we are looking to God. We engage with Him and question what He is doing in the disaster and the pain. We hold on to Him knowing that He has never let us go, even when everything around us appears to be crumbling. We cry out to Him in authenticity, but we keep our gaze on Jesus in the storm. “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” The answer comes to us, that our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. When we face unthinkable circumstances, when we feel small in life, or when we just want to understand Christ’s glory more, we remember to look up, that our help comes from Him always. He is the Maker of all things good. Heaven and earth are in His hands. When we are crying out to Him or feel overwhelmed at how great the need, but how little we can help, may we look to Him for help. When we forget to look up and want to look to anyone or anything else for help, may the Holy Spirit redirect our wayward hearts to look up to the mountains and to our Maker.  He offers perfect help. Not always in the ways that we would hope or imagine best, but He is trustworthy and has proven that He is and was and is to come. He is unchanging. He is Alpha and Omega. He is sovereign over all. He can work these hard things for good for those who love Him. He can take the gospel up the mountains to provide for physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of communities. He can work even in the most seemingly broken places. Where does our help come from? It comes from our Lord. Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you been affected by a difficulty recently? If so, how can you look up and redirect your eyes on where your help comes from? How can you help others who are going through trials right now and share the love of Jesus? Further Reading: Psalm 54:4 Isaiah 41:10 Romans 8:28 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Look around. Ask God what work he has for you today as part of his holy priesthood, and thank him for choosing you to be part of the most important team in history.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Making the Cut  by Deidre Braley  1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  At 6:00 PM we all poured out of our respective cars, running across the parking lot to meet at the agreed-upon door. There was a hint of smoke in the air, and the sweet decay of maples and oaks had already begun. I remember the way the cold air clung to my wet clothes—still damp from tryouts—as I ran too, with my eyes fixed on that door, that white piece of paper, that list that would determine whether I’d been chosen, whether I’d stood out, whether I would get to be part of something that meant something.  Girls who had gotten there first began to high five and congratulate each other. There was cheering and jostling and I tried to weave through them, knowing that if I could just get close enough I’d see my name in bold letters and I, too, would join my teammates in the celebration. People began to walk away, sweaty and relieved and laughing. I stayed in front of the door. The names were alphabetical—I knew I should see mine with the ‘Ds’—but it wasn’t there.  I hadn’t made the cut.  Is there anything more painful than not being chosen? Than wanting to belong—and being told no? Even now, as a fully grown adult, I can still remember every time I was left standing against the fence when the captains picked the teams, every time I stood outside a circle of girls whispering together at recess, and every time I longed for someone to see something special in me, but they didn’t.  These moments tend to become a part of us, to become strands in the fabric of our worldviews. When we experience rejection in our lives now, perhaps it hurts all the more because it brings us back to the day on the school bus when the popular kids talked about a party over the weekend—one we’d known nothing about. We remember thinking we’d see our name on that list after varsity soccer tryouts, and standing alone trying-hoping-wishing those bold letters would materialize, would prove we were worthy. We feel the painfully sharp spear of all the times that—in somebody’s eyes—we were not enough.  But there is evidence throughout the Bible that, despite all the rejections we may have experienced in our lives, we are chosen by God. I want to point out that this isn’t a half-hearted consolation prize (like when your sweet, well-meaning mom says, Well, I think you’re special). No, it’s a call to step onto the most important team doing the most important work with the most important Leader in the world: bringing glory to God, reveling in his love, and pouring light into every dark corner we find here.  1 Peter says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (2:9). Now, it can be difficult to accept words like chosen, royal, holy, or special as descriptors for ourselves when we’ve felt anything-but in our experiences with other people, but God isn’t a person, and as he reminds us in Isaiah, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:9).  And God’s way is to give willing, humble, and obedient people responsibility in his Kingdom—not to mention delightful intimacy with him. When we throw up our hands and say, “Pick me!” or, “Put me in, Coach!” his qualifier is not whether we are wearing popular clothes or can handle a ball well or even (heaven forbid) we were born on the right side of town.  It’s the posture of our hearts.  1 Peter reminds us that the living Stone—that is, Jesus—was also rejected by humans. But he was chosen and special in God’s eyes, and his impact on this world has been the greatest we’ve ever seen. We are also called living stones here—ones that are being put together to build a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, set apart and chosen by God (1 Peter 2:4-5).  Intersecting Faith & Life  If you are experiencing that painful feeling of not being chosen today—you’ve been passed over for a promotion, you interacted with someone who treated you poorly, or you feel exhausted from waiting for God to use you in what feels like a ‘big’ way—remember that you’ve already been enlisted. Look around. Ask God what work he has for you today as part of his holy priesthood, and thank him for choosing you to be part of the most important team in history.  Further Reading  1 Peter 2 Exodus 19: 1-6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We don’t need to be consumed by fear when we can ask God to fill us with courage. When we feel afraid or uncertain, we can turn to Jesus, who reassures us: “It is I. Don't be afraid.” .  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God is Greater than Ghosts By: Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer  “Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’” – Matthew 14:25-27, NIV In October, the days grow shorter, the nights longer, and the world around us pays attention to spiritual mysteries. During the Halloween season, many of us may find ourselves intrigued by ghost stories and other paranormal tales. People have told ghost stories throughout history, across many cultures. Ghosts spark our curiosity and entertain our imagination. As we approach Halloween, our society amplifies this fascination with a strong focus on ghosts and other scary mysteries. While these stories can be fascinating, they also stir up fear.  The Bible describes how Jesus’ disciples thought they saw a ghost walking on water. It looked like something inexplicable and terrifying. Their fear was understandable, given the extraordinary nature of the event and the darkness of the night. When they saw the mysterious figure walking on the water, their first reaction was to be afraid. But it turned out to be not bad news, but good news. It was their Savior, Jesus, who immediately reassured them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” When Jesus spoke to them, he cleared up the mystery and encouraged them to choose courage over fear.  This passage reminds us that when we face the unknown, our first instinct might be fear, but God calls us to focus on him instead. The world may be full of mysteries, but God makes himself known through mysteries. God is our loving Heavenly Father, our anchor in the storm, and the one who holds the answers to all our questions about life, death, and eternity.  As we move through the Halloween season, it’s easy to get caught up in the fun of ghost stories and the thrill of the unknown. But let’s not forget that our curiosity about the afterlife and other scary mysteries can be better directed toward God, the Creator of all things seen and unseen. While ghost stories may capture our imagination, they can’t offer the peace, security, and truth that God provides. So, rather than allowing fear to take hold of us, we can ask God to fill us with his courage and presence. When we feel afraid or uncertain, we can turn to Jesus, who reassures us just as he did the disciples, saying, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  When faced with the unknown, our first instinct might be fear, but God calls us to trust in him. The world may be filled with mysteries, but God is our constantly reliable Heavenly Father, our source of strength, and the one who holds the answers to all our questions.  So, let's remember that we can direct our curiosity about ghosts and other scary mysteries toward God, the Creator of all things. God will tell us the truth about the mysteries we encounter. While ghost stories may entertain us, our primary focus should be on God, not ghosts. The One who walked on water, who conquered death, and who promises to be with us always is far more powerful and important than any ghost story. This October, let’s allow our fascination with ghosts to draw us closer to God, who holds the keys to eternity and who promises to guide us through every fear with his perfect love. The thrill of discovering God’s wondrous work in our lives is much stronger than any excitement we can get from scary mysteries.  We don’t need to be consumed by fear when we can ask God to fill us with courage. When we feel afraid or uncertain, we can turn to Jesus, who reassures us: “It is I. Don't be afraid.”  Intersecting Faith and Life  As you consider the importance of overcoming fear when you face the unknown, reflect on these questions:  What fears of the unknown are you currently facing that you need to surrender to God? In what ways can you focus more on God’s presence and promises rather than on the fear of the unknown? How can you use this Halloween season as an opportunity to draw closer to God and share God’s peace with others? What practical steps can you take to remind yourself of God’s power when fear tries to creep in?  Further Reading  John 14:27 Isaiah 41:10 2 Timothy 1:7 Psalm 23:4 Philippians 4:6-7 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

With all the bills, relationships, and commitments here on Earth, we can naturally find ourselves distracted from what matters most. When that happens, we may find ourselves preoccupied with the world and forgetful of God. The solution is not to fill our heads with worldly things but instead, focus on the things above. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: In the World but Not of the World By Aaron D’Anthony Brown Bible Reading “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” (1 John 2:15-17) What The World Says Some people belittle the Christian faith by dumbing it down to a list of dos and don’ts. They find religion to be too restrictive and punitive. Funny how the world launches such a criticism of the faith when the world itself has a list of dos and don’ts.  Do be diverse, equitable, body-positive, and sex-positive. Don’t be against abortion, homosexuality, and transgenderism. If you aren’t strong in your convictions, then being name-called or challenged by the world in any way will more than likely be intimidating. You’ll be left with a fear of cancellation, being ostracized, or something worse. The truth is, much like our flesh is at war with the spirit, our faith is constantly at war with the world. That’s why in Scripture, we see time and time again how there is a contrast between God’s people and the surrounding cultures. God has called us to live in a certain way, and the world feels enmity toward that ideal. That’s always been true. And as always, the temptation we face as believers is neglecting what God wants and instead opting to fit in with the world. That’s normal. We’re sinful by nature and likewise, we each desire to be a part of a community. Sometimes, fellowship with the world just looks more appealing. However, we can’t call ourselves Christian and still live like those around us. We can’t choose to follow God only when convenient, in those moments when the world isn’t watching. Not if we’re a believer, because being a Christian means something specific. But how exactly do we ensure that we ascribe to God and not the world? How can we be in the world, but not of the world? To answer that, we turn to Scripture. Intersecting Faith & Life: Within Scripture, we find a multitude of ways to separate ourselves from the surrounding culture, but here are three we can implement in our lives today. Find the Right People The Bible talks about being unequally yoked, a principle we often apply to marriage, but one that relates to all of our relationships. When we decide to follow Christ, we are explicitly agreeing to become like Him. That applies to the way we talk, dress, act, and think. Certain people will not appreciate this growth and will want us to be more like them, less like Christ. This isn’t the right kind of company to keep. Ultimately, believers should not try to fit in with the culture, not if it calls for us to forfeit our values. Instead, choose to find a godly community that will not ask you to give up what’s good, but rather the things holding you back from God. Focus on Heaven With all the bills, relationships, and commitments here on Earth, we can naturally find ourselves distracted from what matters most. When that happens, we may find ourselves preoccupied with the world and forgetful of God. The solution is not to fill our heads with worldly things but instead, focus on the things above. Know Your Worth Another reason we find ourselves gravitating towards the world’s approval is that we falsely believe our worth comes from people. We tell ourselves that if we get married, then we’re worthy; if we have a ton of friends, then we’re worthy, and on and on. None of that is true. Our worth comes from God, and our worth has existed since He first created us. All of the relationships we have on this Earth will one day end, whether through conflict or death. The things we do for people and what they do for us will one day cease. What will never end is God’s love for His children. Remember that the next time you think the world has your best interest at heart. Further Reading: Romans 12:2 John 15:19 Deuteronomy 22:10 Psalm 27:10 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Next time you are surrounded by believers of various ages, take a moment to soak in the wisdom of those who have walked with Jesus longer and the zeal of those who are just now beginning their journeys with the Lord. Remember that He is forever and His glory and kingdom know no end.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: The God of Every GenerationWritten By: Emma Danzey Ephesians 3:21 says, “To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” I recently heard a pastor share that people often question if the Bible has been held together for generations. His response was, “If the Living God raised Himself from the dead, I believe He can keep a book together throughout the generations.” I laughed, it is so true. If God is who He says that He is and He reigns over all of the universe. He is more than capable to keep His Word together and use it in the lives of every generation. Today we are going to take a moment to celebrate His faithfulness and gospel that is still going into the world today. “To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus” Ultimately our lives are about the glory of Jesus. The church is truly just the people of God. We gather, serve, and love in His name to point to Him and celebrate the salvation that He brings to us. His glory is revealed in Christ Jesus. He is the Savior of the world. He is the only One worthy of our worship. There are no other gods but Him. Today and every day, it is good for us to pause and remember who our Savior is and always will be forever. In the most unstable and insecure times, we can be rooted and grounded in our confidence in Christ. “Throughout all generations” God is receiving glory throughout every generation. I don’t know if you have ever been tempted to believe something like: “The next generation is in trouble, I hope they don’t ruin God’s plan.” It can be easy to point out the sins and flaws in those younger who are coming next, however the truth is that the gospel is still moving and working in the lives of all people of all ages right now. Even in the most seemingly hopeless generations, Jesus gets His message out. We are invited to share the gospel with others, this includes those who came before us and those after us. Whether we believe those older will not listen or those younger will rebel, we are called to live by the Spirit and share the gospel regardless of our bias or doubts.  If you have young children, pray over them. If you have young people in your life, do not neglect sharing the gospel with them. The next generation needs to hear the truth of freedom in Jesus. Have you ever watched a relay race and a field day or a track and field event? The teammates each run a leg of the race, passing on the torch to the next runner. Someone is the final runner across the finish line, but it is team sport and a team victory. It is our role to run this race where God has intentionally placed us in His timeline. We are called to pass on the gospel to the next generation, not knowing when Jesus is returning and the final generation finishes the race for our victory as a whole in Christ.  “For ever and ever! Amen.” The kingdom of God has no end. His glory and His salvation is available to every generation. We can celebrate that He has welcomed so many before us and is still welcoming new family members today. You may not have a name that is known in history or ever accomplished anything in a spotlight yourself, however many of the ways that we glorify God are done in secret and in the mundane. Did you read the Bible as a family? Have you prayed with your child today? Did you care for an elderly and lonely widow? Did you give generously to the poor?  It is great to remember to look back on our lives or on the lives of others who came before us. We can see that handiwork of Christ always. Next time you are surrounded by believers of various ages, take a moment to soak in the wisdom of those who have walked with Jesus longer and the zeal of those who are just now beginning their journeys with the Lord. Remember that He is forever and His glory and kingdom know no end.  Intersecting Faith and Life: How are you giving glory to God in your current season of life? How are you making Jesus known to this generation?  Further Reading: Isaiah 42:8 Romans 11:36 Philippians 2:11 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do you display your faith?  What are the practical ways that you shine Jesus’ love in the world? Does the presence of Jesus inform the words you say, or how you treat the people around you? Is Jesus so important to you, that you will even change how you drive?  That may sound ridiculous, but these are the places where displaying our faith matters: this is what the intersection of faith and life is all about. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Displaying our Faith “Someone will say, ‘You have faith, I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (James 2:18) Let me tell you a story. One Christmas my wife gave me a license plate surround.  You know the kind. It’s a plastic cover that fits over your license plate. They usually have stickers or phrases on it. It’s a way to personalize your license plate without having a vanity plate. Well, I opened this present and found a license plate surround containing big white letters that read: “CLERGY”, A cross was on either side.  And I must admit, my first thought was “oh dear.” See, now, I can’t drive like a maniac. I can’t yell at people, blast my horn, or shake my fist whenever someone cuts me off. I can’t weave in and out of traffic or rush through yellow lights. Now, I am no longer an anonymous driver on the road. Now, everyone knows that I am a priest – and they will judge my driving based upon what they read on my license plate.  So, I sat there for a second, holding this present, wondering if I really wanted to have this gift. Did I really want to put this on my car and make my faith so public? That’s the point, isn’t it?  People should know that we follow Jesus. The presence of Jesus, our reliance upon his Spirit, our expressions of his love and care, these things should be visible in our lives. Which is why the exhortation from James is so important for us.  The Book of James challenges us to think about how our connection with Jesus is lived out in our lives.  James writes, what good is it brothers and siters if someone claims to have faith but no deeds?  In other words, what good is it if our relationship with Jesus is just a matter of religious phrases we say in special services? Can such a faith save us?  Show me faith, James says; display your faith by how you live.  We sometimes make an unfair distinction between faith and works. We are quick to quote Paul’s words in Ephesians 2 “We are saved by grace through faith, so that no-one can boast.” Paul seems to suggest that our deeds do not matter. We are saved by grace alone, as a gift from Jesus. So, to focus on righteous deeds (we think) is nothing but work-based righteousness. James, on the other hand, is perceived to be saying that it doesn’t matter what you believe, it is only our deeds that count towards salvation. If we are kind and generous, polite and affable, we can be spiritually confident. And so, we pit the words of Paul against the words of James. Both readings, when understood in such stark contrast, betray the truth of scripture. Paul and James must go together. Even for Paul, a faith that is not lived out is a faith that fails to be alive or transformative. This is why his letters are filled with a myriad of practical instructions for believers. On the other side, James’ whole point is that it is our faith in Jesus that is lived out in practical ways. James says, “I will show you my faith by what I do.” For James, it’s not some generic politeness that is lived out, it is the one’s relationship with our Lord. There simply must be a connection between our faith, and our life. Intersecting Faith and Life. Faith can’t just be something we say. It’s not enough to rest upon private thoughts and prayers in the comfort of our prayer closets. My old youth group leader used to always ask “if being a Christian was illegal is there enough evidence to convict you?” The love of Jesus, received in faith, is to transform our lives. We live it out, not to prove our love, or earn the Lord’s favor, but as a natural byproduct of a life-giving connection with Jesus.  Of course, we are never going to be perfect at this. There’s going to be hiccups along the way. If we read the book of James as advocating for some sort of perfect execution of moral or spiritual life, then all we are going to do is heap condemnation upon ourselves. None of us are perfect, and none of us will live out our faith perfectly every single moment of our lives. But the moments when we don’t live our faith perfectly never discount the heartfelt desire to do so. What is more, James reminds us that in the times of failure or flaw, we can rest in the promise that God’s mercy will always have the final word. How do you display your faith?  What are the practical ways that you shine Jesus’ love in the world? Does the presence of Jesus inform the words you say, or how you treat the people around you? Is Jesus so important to you, that you will even change how you drive?  That may sound ridiculous, but these are the places where displaying our faith matters: this is what the intersection of faith and life is all about. For further reading: James 2 “4 Simple and Authentic Ways to Share your Faith Today” on crosswalk.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you tend to be seasoned with grace and salt in your words with others or do you need help in this area? How can you be prayerful and Spirit-led in your discussions with unbelievers? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you up with peace as you share the love of Jesus with those who do not know Him.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Focus on God, Not on Fear By: Whitney Hopler “The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” – Psalm 27:1, NIV  Every October, elaborate Halloween decorations begin popping up in my neighborhood. Some of them are whimsical, but a lot of them are designed to look as scary as possible. One yard features a goblin that zips down from a tree to surprise people as they walk by on a sidewalk. One house has a battery-operated witch on the porch, constantly babbling threats in a creepy voice. Then there’s the place that features a gigantic skeleton towering over a house and glaring with red lights in its eyes at people passing by. It amazes me that so many people spend so much money on those decorations, and so much time setting them up, simply to scare people.  Our world often glorifies fear during October. From haunted house decorations to scary movies, people celebrate fear in all its forms as Halloween approaches. It can seem entertaining to seek out experiences that make us feel afraid. But all the spooky darkness around us in this fallen world isn’t worth our attention. As believers, our focus should not be on fear but on God. God’s light is much more powerful than any darkness we encounter.  The world may try to draw us into a mindset of fear, but Psalm 27:1 offers a powerful reminder that we don’t need to fear anything or anyone, because God is our stronghold. King David, who wrote those words while inspired by the Holy Spirit, was no stranger to scary situations. He faced real dangers from enemies who sought to harm him, yet his response was not to dwell on those fears but to declare his confidence in God’s protection. David declared: “The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?” This declaration is a call to shift our focus from the things that frighten us to the One who is greater than all our fears.  During October, when our fallen world encourages us to be entertained by fear, we have the opportunity to choose a different path. Instead of allowing fear to take root in our hearts, we can focus on the truth that God is our stronghold. That means we can trust our all-powerful God to give us strength in all situations and to protect us from all that scares us – including the evil that surrounds us. The darkness that casts scary shadows of doubt and worry around us can’t overpower the light of God’s presence in our lives.  Fear is a powerful emotion, but it’s not stronger than the power of God. When we allow fear to dominate our thoughts, it can paralyze us and keep us from living the thriving lives God wants us to live. However, when we focus on God, we remember that God is in control, that God is with us, and that God is for us. No matter what circumstances we face, we can be confident in the assurance the Bible gives us in Psalm 27:1. God is our light, guiding us through even the darkest circumstances. God is our salvation, delivering us from all that threatens to harm us.  During October – and every day of the year – consider how you can shift your focus away from fear and toward God. Instead of getting caught up in the culture of fear, spend time with God in prayer and meditation regularly. The more time you spend with God, the more God will dispel any fear that tries to take hold of your heart. Remember, the Lord is your light and your salvation, so you never need to be afraid!  Intersecting Faith and Life  As you consider the importance of focusing on God rather than on fear when you feel afraid, reflect on these questions:  What fears have been weighing on your heart lately? How can you bring them before God in prayer? How does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past help you trust God in the present? In what practical ways can you shift your focus from fear to God throughout your day? How does meditating on God’s Word help you fight fear? What does it mean to you personally that God is your “light” and your “salvation”? Further Reading Isaiah 41:10 2 Timothy 1:7 Philippians 4:6-7 John 14:27 Romans 8:38-39 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to develop love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In all of these attributes, we see God and His love. By developing each of these fruits, we will be able to reflect the Lord’s love to the world. No longer will we struggle with these spiritual fruits. Instead, through our actions, others will see the Lord and be more interested in learning about Him. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Crosswalk Devotionals: Developing the Fruits of the Spirit by Vivian Bricker “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).  When I first learned about the fruits of the Spirit, I was overwhelmed. Each of the fruits of the Spirit felt like a mountain to climb. While I reasoned I already had developed one or two, I actually didn’t have any. Thankfully at the time, I was in Bible college and I learned that the Holy Spirit is the One who develops the spiritual fruits in our lives. In other words, there is nothing we can do to develop these fruits by ourselves. Spiritual fruits are only developed by the work of the Spirit in our lives. However, this does not mean we are called to sit idle and do nothing. In addition to praying for the Holy Spirit to help us develop these spiritual fruits, we also need to apply what the Bible says into our lives and try our best to walk in accordance with the Lord. All of this is easier said than done, but ultimately, relying on the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to work through our lives is the best way to go.  Upon looking at the spiritual fruits, we are going to have to take it day-by-day. Let’s focus on one at a time and take things slowly. The fruits of the Spirit include love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When selecting a spiritual fruit, we need to look over which ones we are lacking the most in our lives. For example, if we are finding ourselves short on patience, we need to work on the spiritual fruit of forbearance.  Once we have identified the spiritual fruit we need the most right now, we need to go to the Holy Spirit in prayer. By asking Him to help us develop this spiritual fruit, it will acknowledge our dependence on Him. We might notice there will be more opportunities to develop forbearance, such as getting stopped at a traffic light or waiting a long time in a line at the grocery store. These small acts could be placed there by the Holy Spirit in order to help us start developing forbearance. Therefore, think about which spiritual fruit you need right now. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you develop this fruit and acknowledge your dependence on Him. He will be able to help you develop this fruit and maintain it. Maintenance of spiritual fruits is something that is often overlooked. It is not a one time thing but rather, a continuing process. Even though we might have developed a spiritual fruit, it does not mean it will stay. Spiritual fruits can fade away if we don’t maintain them. This means we have to continue to cultivate the spiritual fruits in our lives even after we think we have achieved them. Once again, it is important to remember that spiritual fruits are only accomplished by the Holy Spirit. It is His Work in our lives—not our own. Rather than trying to take the credit ourselves, we need to give all praise and thanks to Him. The Fruits of the Spirit The Apostle Paul tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the fruits of the Spirit. There is no law against these things as they are each holy and honorable. God wants us to cultivate each of these fruits in our lives and continue to maintain them. As we are focusing on the spiritual fruits, we need to be open to the Spirit’s leading. He might lead us to a specific spiritual fruit or place in a situation where we will be challenged to develop a spiritual fruit. It can be difficult to develop the fruits of the Spirit, but we must remember that the Holy Spirit is the One working through us. We need to allow this information to give us comfort and hope. It can also give us peace because all the weight does not fall on us.  Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to develop love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In all of these attributes, we see God and His love. By developing each of these fruits, we will be able to reflect the Lord’s love to the world. No longer will we struggle with these spiritual fruits. Instead, through our actions, others will see the Lord and be more interested in learning about Him. Challenge Questions: Which spiritual fruit do you need to develop? How might you depend on the Holy Spirit today to help you develop this fruit? Which fruit do you think will be the hardest to cultivate? Why?  What do you think your life will look like after you start developing the fruits of the Spirit? “Dear Holy Spirit, please help me to develop each of the spiritual fruits. I cannot develop any of these fruits without Your help. I acknowledge my dependence on You and I humbly ask for Your help today. I trust that You will help me develop each spiritual fruit. I praise You and I thank You, Amen.” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by trying to meet everyone’s needs? Take some time today and pray that the Lord will give you strength and encouragement as you joyfully serve Him and His people. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Serving Joyfully By: Laura Bailey  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,”  Matthew 11:28 NIV "Do you ever feel weary, like you are trying to solve the world’s problems, and it’s just too much?” I inquired of my friend over coffee one morning.  Smiling, she replied, “Sometimes, but I am sure you do because you feel everyone’s problem is yours.”    Earlier that month, I shared my ministry frustrations with my husband. I felt particularly disappointed after an event I helped host at the church, which, in my opinion, had flopped. Taking it personally, I shamefully informed the Lord, “I am exhausted from this, so it is someone else’s turn to step up to the plate because I am taking a break.” Little did I know that the next week, within days of each other, we would learn that two close friends of ours passed away.  To say that this sad news rocked my world was an understatement. I couldn’t help but wonder if I could have done more for them. I was reminded of the verse in  Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  I prayed, “Lord, I am burdened and weary and do not see a time when I can rest.  Please show me how I can rest in You and do Your work.”    I didn’t need a break from ministry and serving others; I needed a perspective shift.  Instead of seeing ministering as helpful or loving obedience to God, It was just another task on my spiritual to-do list.  I wanted to give up on people after there was no evidence of changes in their behavior or lifestyle, and this is precisely what our greatest enemy wants us to do and believe: that our actions for God are meaningless and useless.   Satan wants us to give up, to cease fighting for souls around us, and especially to stop encouraging other Believers in Christ.  Jesus called Satan the father of lies, one who seeks to devour us, to tear us down in mind, heart, and spirit, crippling all efforts to bring God glory.    True, we may never witness the lasting impressions a kind word, a note, or a meal leaves on people -- the smile directed to a woman in the grocery store who is in an abusive relationship, the money sent to a nearby family who struggles to pay bills or the hug given to a grieving parent.   In a world of instant gratification, we want to know right then and there that our actions have meaning and produce results.   I, indeed, am guilty of this.   One of the friends referenced above was a firm Believer, and I always knew what a blessing she was to others, but in days and weeks after her death, the stories of her never-ending compassion and love for others poured out.  On the surface, her acts of kindness appear to be small and simple; she probably had no idea of their effect, but no doubt, they had a vast, eternal impact on the lives she touched.  I remember distinctly the day she asked me to pray about her fostering a child.  Astonished, I exclaimed, “Are you crazy? Why would you, a young, single, small business owner with many things going on, want to take on that?”  She just smiled, “Because there is a child out there who needs my help, and I feel God calling me to do more.”   This sister in Christ was not living for herself or man’s approval but for God.  She put others first and her comfort second, a true testimony of Christ in her life. When I want to settle back to give someone else a go because I’m tired or discouraged, I will think about Christ’s love for me and my sorely missed friend, who, though weak and weary, faithfully lived this command. Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you ever feel overwhelmed by trying to meet everyone’s needs? Take some time today and pray that the Lord will give you strength and encouragement as you joyfully serve Him and His people. For Further Reading: Finding Joy in Thankless Work Colossians 3:23-24 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you tend to be seasoned with grace and salt in your words with others or do you need help in this area? How can you be prayerful and Spirit-led in your discussions with unbelievers? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you up with peace as you share the love of Jesus with those who do not know Him.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Full of Grace, Seasoned with SaltWritten By: Emma Danzey Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians is a beautiful letter in the Bible written by Paul while he was in prison to the church of Colossae. As he concludes his letter to the people, he makes a point to be devoted to prayer and make the most of every opportunity with outsiders. (unbelievers) His advice is found in verse 6. As we break it down today, may we do so remembering those around us on the outside of the kingdom of God.   “Let your Conversation be Always Full of Grace” First of all, the fact that a conversation is being had with unbelievers should remind us that we are to be in relationship and regularly around those who do not know Jesus. This is part of God’s plan for us to shine in the darkness of the world for Him. We are not just to walk past those who do not love Jesus, we are to converse with them, get to know them, ask them questions, and genuinely care about them.  I confess this can be a challenge in my own life. I do not always want to, “make time” for people who do not know Jesus. It can be awkward and it can feel like a lot of pouring out compared to others relationships in my life. However, this is the call of a believer to go and share the gospel. Jesus spent a significant amount of time with people who did not know God, so He could reveal Himself to them. We are called and commanded to go and make disciples just like He did. Paul teaches that we are to always be full of grace. This is huge because unbelievers will attack our faith in Christ, the world hates Jesus and His Word. However, as we live out grace in our conversations, it reveals the deep love that the Lord has for us and for them. We know that it is by grace we have been saved, so when we model that grace in our conversations with unbelievers, it gives them a view of the love of Jesus. No matter what they are saying to us, we can respond in ways that they do not deserve, grace is a gift from God that is significant in the witness of a follower of Christ. “Seasoned with Salt,” This is not the only time in the Bible when salt is mentioned in regard to the life of a Christian. Old Testament believers were to season their offerings to God with salt (Leviticus 2:13), King David had a covenant of salt with the Lord (2 Chronicles 13:5), we are told that we are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), and salt is referred to being at peace with others. (Mark 9:50) As we reflect on all of these purposes of salt, we can remember that salt adds flavor, it preserves, and it is part of an offering of worship to God. We can add spiritual conversation that causes unbelievers to crave more of Jesus. We can speak in ways that preserve relationships with those who do not have relationships with Jesus. We can worship the Lord by the ways we speak to the people that He has created in His image. “So that you May Know How to Answer Everyone” It is difficult to know how to answer questions of unbelievers sometimes, but God has given us clarity in how we can answer everyone. When we focus on being full of grace and seasoned with salt through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can have confidence in our responses. There is peace in knowing that this is only possible with the help of God. One of the fruits of the Spirit is peace. We can be people who know how to answer in peaceful ways even if the answers are challenging or different from the world’s.  Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you tend to be seasoned with grace and salt in your words with others or do you need help in this area? How can you be prayerful and Spirit-led in your discussions with unbelievers? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you up with peace as you share the love of Jesus with those who do not know Him.  Further Reading: Matthew 5:13 Mark 9:50 Ephesians 2:8 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In a fallen world that often emphasizes self-sufficiency and personal ambition, Proverbs 1:7 calls us to a different way of living. It invites us to begin with awe – a deep respect for God’s greatness, which motivates us to seek God’s wisdom for our decisions. This is the path to wisdom, which not only guides us but also transforms us for the better.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Wisdom Begins with Awe By: Whitney Hopler  “Wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” – Proverbs 1:7, CEB  Sitting in the sanctuary of the Washington National Cathedral, I enjoyed a powerful experience of sound and light. Majestic organ music reverberated off the cathedral’s stone walls so strongly that I could feel the vibrations. Sunlight streamed in through the colorful stained-glass windows around me. As the sound and light washed over me and directed my attention to God, I felt a sense of awe. Everything that had distracted me earlier – such as my to-do list and stories I’d read in the news that day – cleared out of my mind so I could focus on God. I learned more of God’s wisdom that day, as awe helped me pay attention to the Creator of all sound and light. Awe enlarged my perspective, giving me reverence for God and inspiring me to seek God’s wisdom.  In Proverbs 1:7, the Bible reveals that wisdom starts with fearing God. In our modern context, the word “fear” often has negative connotations. It usually refers to something scary. However, in the biblical sense, fearing God isn’t about being afraid of him. Instead, it’s about feeling awe for God. It’s recognizing that God is perfectly loving, holy, and powerful – and letting that inspire a deep sense of reverence for God in our souls. “The fear of the LORD” refers to being in awe of who God is. It means recognizing God’s greatness and seeking God’s guidance for our lives because we know that God truly knows what’s best for us.  This awe of God is the foundation of wisdom because it reorients our entire perspective. When we live in awe of God, we understand that God is the source of all truth and knowledge. We realize that our human understanding is limited, and we need God’s guidance to make the best decisions in life. This humility before God is where true wisdom begins. It leads us to practice discernment, which helps us learn which choices are truly the best ones to make day by day. The second part of Proverbs 1:7 contrasts the wise with those who are foolish: “but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Fools, according to the Bible, are people who reject God’s ways, believing they know better. They refuse to be taught, preferring their own ideas and desires over the wisdom that comes from God. In essence, they live without regard for God’s authority, and as a result, their lives are full of confusion and stress.  Seeking wisdom, on the other hand, is not just about intellectual knowledge. It’s about living in harmony with God’s will and purposes. When we fear the Lord, we begin to see life from God’s perspective. We start to value what God values and desire to live according to his ways. This kind of wisdom is practical, and comes from our relationships with God. We find the inspiration we need to seek wisdom by discovering and appreciating the wonder of God’s work in our lives. The more we experience God’s wonder and feel awe, the more inspired we become to grow closer to God and learn from his wisdom. We respect our Creator’s ultimate authority and recognize him as the source of all that is good and true. We trust God knows what’s best for us, even when we don’t fully understand his ways. This kind of trust requires us to let go of our pride and open ourselves up to God’s work in every part of our lives.  When we are in awe of the Lord, we welcome wisdom into our lives. This doesn’t mean we will never face challenges or make mistakes. But it does mean that our lives will be grounded in the truth of who God is. We will be guided by God’s wisdom, which will always lead us to what’s best.  In a fallen world that often emphasizes self-sufficiency and personal ambition, Proverbs 1:7 calls us to a different way of living. It invites us to begin with awe – a deep respect for God’s greatness, which motivates us to seek God’s wisdom for our decisions. This is the path to wisdom, which not only guides us but also transforms us for the better.  So, let’s embrace this reverent awe of the Lord every day. As we do, we will find that God’s wisdom is not only accessible but abundantly available to us!  Intersecting Faith and Life  As you consider how wisdom begins with awe, reflect on these questions:  When have you recently felt a deep sense of reverent awe for God? How did that experience inspire you to seek God’s wisdom?  In what ways does experiencing awe for God give you a fresh perspective so you can make important decisions with wisdom?  What practical steps can you take to experience more of God’s wonder and develop more awe for God?  Further Reading Proverbs 9:10 Psalm 111:10 James 1:5 Job 28:28 Ecclesiastes 12:13 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Rather than doubting God, we need to trust Him. The more we trust in Him, the greater our hearts will fill with Him hope and peace. Our incurable diagnosis might look intimidating, but it will not endure forever. One day, this illness will be healed and we will be freed from it in Heaven. All of this is only because of God. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Finding Hope in God after a Distressing Diagnosis By Vivian Bricker Bible Reading “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).  Recently, I have been in and out of doctor’s appointments nonstop. Due to persistent pain and flu-like symptoms, I went to the doctor to try to get help and later had to go to the hospital. With all the symptoms I’m having and the tests that have been run, my doctors have come to the conclusion that I have an incurable diagnosis. What I first thought was a virus turned out to be my body attacking itself in a faulty autoimmune response.  Sadly, this diagnosis will stay with me for the rest of my life as there is no cure. Thankfully there are medicines to alleviate pain and symptoms. Throughout the course of this illness and the long process of my diagnosis, I have had periods where my trust in God deepens as well as I have had times where I question His goodness. Sometimes we have to experience both of these things before we emerge on the other side.  At first, my walk with God suffered due to my intense symptoms. I felt as though God had left me to the wolves and my lot in life was to suffer. During an intense episode of symptoms, I thought I might die of the pain and I reasoned with myself that I was ready to go. There have also been times where I prayed for God just to take my life because I was in so much pain and I wanted the pain to just end.  As time has progressed, I have seen God in my pain. While He did not cause the pain, I know He is helping me through it. My symptoms have gotten better at times and this shows me God is working through the situation. Through continued prayers and petitions, I have acknowledged my dependence on Him. Even though He will not take me out of this situation, He will walk with me through this valley of death (Psalm 23).  Most of the time we think about how much an incurable diagnosis has taken from us, but I try to think about the things it has given me. The things it has given me is a renewed love for things I once enjoyed and the opportunity to appreciate the little things in life. My incurable diagnosis has filled my life with new changes and sometimes I am too tired to even get to talk walks—something I once used to enjoy.  However, on the days I feel good, these little blessings are all the greater. Being able to take an hour walk and feel good is a true blessing. I used to see exercise as a punishment to my body, but now I see it as a gift. Feeling good enough to go out for a walk, go for a hike, or run through a field are all gifts from the Lord. It is funny how we take these things for granted when we are feeling well, yet we crave them when we are ill. When we face an incurable diagnosis, we start being thankful for these little things and these mighty wonders. What might be an everyday task for someone could be a blessing in disguise for someone with an incurable diagnosis.  Each day is a gift, but sometimes our joy has to be taken away before we truly see its beauty.  Intersecting Faith & Life: The Apostle Paul tells us, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). As Paul says here, God is the God of all hope, and He will fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him. All of this will ensure our hearts overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Whenever our incurable diagnosis has us feeling down, we need to turn to God. He can fill us with hope as we trust in Him. It can be hard to trust God with hard things, such as an incurable diagnosis, but we need to trust Him with all things. Although God doesn’t normally heal people supernaturally in the present day, there is no reason to believe that He won’t help us go into remission and fight our illnesses. Rather than doubting God, we need to trust Him. The more we trust in Him, the greater our hearts will fill with Him hope and peace. Our incurable diagnosis might look intimidating, but it will not endure forever. One day, this illness will be healed and we will be freed from it in Heaven. All of this is only because of God. Challenge Questions: Is it hard for you to find hope in God during difficult times? Are you facing an incurable diagnosis? How might you find hope in Him today? Whether you have an incurable diagnosis or not, you can still take time to thank God for the little things. What might you thank Him for today? “Dear God, coping with this incurable diagnosis has been very hard. Looking ahead, I only see pain, tears, and bitterness. I’m giving all of these fears over to You. I don’t know what will happen to me, but I trust in You. Please heal me and give my soul lasting peace. In Your Son’s Name, I pray, Amen.”   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you want to be liked by people? Is it hard for you to say no or to speak truth? Do you want to be accepted by man more than you think upon how you are already accepted by God? What would it look like for you to dwell on the truth that God already accepts you and loves you? How can you remember this in the heat of hard situations and conversations?   SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How to Stop People Pleasing By Kelly Balarie “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10 NIV Praying in agreement, I said, “Oh, yes, I completely agree.”  Yet, a nudge hit my heart. Did I really agree with everything this person was praying? Certainly, I was saying yes but, absolutely, I was feeling a red-flag no on the inside. Something was not right. I ignored it and kept praying with the lady anyway…. More details of what this person wanted -- was said after prayer. Something still didn’t feel right. “Oh, ya, I see what you’re saying!” I replied to the person. But, did I? Was I really seeing the way they did or was I just pretending I did? I didn’t fully agree with everything being said. Yet, I was afraid to say this truth. I also wasn’t so sure this was the time nor the place to get into a whole detailed, long conversation as to why I thought differently. I didn’t want conflict; I wanted to keep peace. I like peace. I like people liking me too. Just let it go, Kelly.  So, I did. I let it go time and time again. Until the day came that this person made a decision that impacted me in a big way. Then, I flew off the handle at them. Why? Because I wasn’t sure I could trust their motives anymore. I wasn’t sure I could trust me anymore with them. Yet, they never knew all of this. For a long time, I hid my truth. So, they never knew I had a single issue with them until that very day came. Why? Because I was never honest. I wasn’t honest with them nor myself. I kept excusing, rationalizing, and negating away the hard conversation. In this, I lied. People pleasing and pandering to people is a form of dishonesty.  We may say, “Oh ya,” “That makes sense,” “Right,” and “I agree”, but do we really? We may nod our head, but what is God saying? It hurts to write this, because often people pleasers, like me, are so used to doing these things that it doesn’t seem wrong. It seems nice and kind.  How does God see this behavior? In Galatians 1:10, Paul says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”  This verse strikes home. We cannot rightly love God when we are pleasing people. There are mixed motives involved here. There are competing loyalties. There are divided interests. God wants all our heart. With this, my people pleasing heart is convicted. So, I go through the process that releases and changes everything. I say, “God, I am sorry. I am guilty of lying, hiding, excusing, and not serving you, first and foremost. Will you forgive me?” Then, I forgive myself and receive His grace. Moving forward, I remember: My job is to please God above pleasing man. I can pray and ask God for wisdom that He will supply for hard conversations. I want to keep my conscience clear, so truthfulness is of vital importance. God has ample grace that will empower me in honesty. He will empower you too!  Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you want to be liked by people? Is it hard for you to say no or to speak truth? Do you want to be accepted by man more than you think upon how you are already accepted by God? What would it look like for you to dwell on the truth that God already accepts you and loves you? How can you remember this in the heat of hard situations and conversations? Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; find encouragement by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, creator of the “Hear God’s Voice” podcast, is also a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly, a real cheerleader of faith, loves seeing the power of prayer in live action. She loves seeing the look on people’s faces when they realize –God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Shifting our family’s mindset from ownership to stewardship, from entitlement to gratitude, and promoting sacrifice and service will take consistency, commitment, and care. It is a process, but we are not alone. We partner with the Holy Spirit and prayerfully ask the Lord to guide and direct us as we seek to honor Him and all we say and do.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Shifting Our Family’s Mindset By: Laura Bailey “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV “Why can’t we go to an ice cream place after school? It’s been over a week since we’ve gone!” “Why can’t I buy those new shoes? I only have two pairs of sneakers; these are different!” “ Why does it matter that I left my new jacket at school? If something happens to it, we will just get a new one.” “Why can’t we get take-out? We never get to eat out!” Over the last month, my girls complained often about my husband and me not meeting their expectations. I was beyond frustrated at their lack of appreciation; it didn’t matter what we did for them, they were still ungrateful.  I shared my frustration with a group of mom friends the next day with nodding heads; many others shared similar stories. “We want to provide for our children, give them opportunities, and make their lives enjoyable and comfortable. But how do we do that while preventing a sense of entitlement and fostering genuine gratitude?” one mom asked the group. Even among the body of believers who strive to guard their hearts against excess consumerism and are dedicated to giving back to the Lord and sharing their wealth, the reality is that our resources are abundant for many. There’s nothing wrong with having a career that provides financial stability or providing our families with experiences and resources to make their lives easier and better. The problem is when our hearts and minds shift from stewardship to ownership. What is the difference between stewardship and ownership? Stewardship is when we are responsible for caring for something that belongs to someone else. Ownership is full possession; it is entirely ours to do what we wish. As Christians, we acknowledge that everything comes from God and are s simply stewards of His gifts ( John 3:27).  When we believe everything belongs to the Lord, it guides us as we decide how to spend our time and money. As stewards and not owners, we ask ourselves, “Is the best use of  God’s resources?” While Scripture is not against wealth, having nice things, or even living a comfortable life, it does admonish us to be on guard against storing earthly treasures (Matthew 6:19-21). It places the responsibility of caring for those in need on us (Proverbs 22:9). If we find that we are clinging tightly to financial security or personal comfort, if we lack an attitude of gratitude, then we have shifted from stewardship to ownership. Graciously, if we ask God to examine our hearts, He will help us as we move back towards His desires for our life ( Psalm 129:23-34).  Setting the Example Have you heard the term, “It’s not what’s taught but what’s caught?” Our children are impacted more by how we live our lives than by the mini-sermons, lessons, and general advice we share. We shouldn’t neglect to speak Truth over them, but all will be lost if we don’t “practice what we preach.” I often feel the tug to complain about making dinner at home when it would be so much easier to eat out and flop on the sofa afterward rather than having to make and clean up a meal. When I see the latest clothing trend I’d love to buy, I have to stop and think about whether it’s wise to purchase it. We must be hyper-aware that our children are always watching us; they are taking it all in, and as parents, we must not only be hearers of the Word but also doers (James 1:22-25).  Creating a Mindset of Gratitude When Paul writes to the Thessalonians, encouraging them to be thankful in all circumstances ( 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18), he is not ignoring the realities of life in a fallen world, yet reminding them that gratitude is a heart position. As believers, we can wake up daily with thanksgiving because we have the Gospel's good news. We were once in darkness, and now, through the gift of salvation, we can experience eternal life ( 1 Corinthians 5:17-21).  Shifting our family’s mindset from ownership to stewardship, from entitlement to gratitude, and promoting sacrifice and service will take consistency, commitment, and care. It is a process, but we are not alone. We partner with the Holy Spirit and prayerfully ask the Lord to guide and direct us as we seek to honor Him and all we say and do.  Intersecting Faith and Life:How can you teach your children to honor God with their resources? Today, read and study Scripture together, filling their hearts and minds with biblical Truths.  For Further Reading: An Attitude of Gratitude 5 Things to Do to Have an Attitude of Gratitude Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Let go of your concerns and place them in God’s hands. Trust that God will sustain you, and rest assured that God will be working for the best in every single one of the situations that concerns you. Then enjoy the freedom that brings you! When you’re no longer weighed down by worry, you can experience the well-being and growth God wants for you in every season.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Let Go for Your Well-Being By: Whitney Hopler “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” – Psalm 55:22, NIV When I walk around my neighborhood in the fall, I love to see colorful leaves falling from the trees to the ground. They let go gracefully and fly free through the air until they gently land. It reminds me that it’s important to let go of the concerns I carry myself. If all the cares I carry in my heart and mind were each an individual leaf, there would certainly be enough to fill a large tree. They would catch my attention by looking beautiful, but then it would be time for me to let them go by praying about them and trusting God to handle them. Holding onto my concerns would only lead them to decay, and it would also hold the tree back from thriving. Letting them go, however, would set God’s plans in motion so well-being and growth could happen. Fall leaves remind me that the only way to prepare well for the next season is to let go and trust God.  The Bible encourages us to cast our cares on God, assuring us that he will sustain us. God will faithfully support us in all situations, working out what’s best for every single one of our concerns. But first, we have to trust God to do so. Just as a tree releases its leaves to make way for new growth, we too must release our worries to God to keep growing spiritually.  Letting go can be difficult. Our human nature often clings to control, trying to manage every detail of our lives. We worry about the future, our loved ones, our health, and so many other concerns. These cares can become heavy – like a tree full of leaves – if we refuse to release them. They can weigh us down, preventing us from experiencing the peace and joy that God wants us to experience.  However, when we choose to let go and place our trust in God, we make room for God’s sustaining power to work in our lives. God promises that he will never let the righteous be shaken. This doesn’t mean we won’t face challenges. But it does mean that we have a firm foundation in God that cannot be moved. He will carry us gracefully through every kind of circumstances – even the most difficult times we face.  So, imagine what it would look like to truly let go of your cares. Picture yourself standing beneath a tree in the fall, with your hands full of colorful leaves that represent your worries. Then, one by one, you release them into the air and watch as the wind carries them away. As you let go, you begin to feel lighter, more at peace, and more in tune with God’s presence.  God’s invitation to cast your cares on him is not just a suggestion. It’s a promise that God will care for them faithfully and work out the very best in each situation. By letting go, you aren’t abandoning your responsibilities or ignoring your problems. Instead, you’re acknowledging that God is greater than any challenge you face. You’re trusting God to sustain you, to guide you, and to bring about the best outcome according to his perfect will.  Whenever you feel burdened by the concerns in your heart and mind, remember the lesson of the falling leaves. Let go of your concerns and place them in God’s hands. Trust that God will sustain you, and rest assured that God will be working for the best in every single one of the situations that concerns you. Then enjoy the freedom that brings you! When you’re no longer weighed down by worry, you can experience the well-being and growth God wants for you in every season.  Intersecting Faith and Life As you consider why it’s important for your well-being to let God handle your concerns, reflect on these questions:  What cares are you holding onto that you need to release to God? What steps can you take to practice letting go and trusting God more fully in your daily life? How have you experienced God’s sustaining power in your life when you’ve chosen to trust him? In what ways can you remind yourself of God’s promises when you’re tempted to hold onto your concerns?  Further Reading 1 Peter 5:7 Matthew 11:28-30 Proverbs 3:5-6 Psalm 62:8 Isaiah 41:10 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever had a craving that only a relationship with Jesus Christ can satisfy? How does it feel to know that God can and will fulfill your deepest longings?  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Taste of Eternity By Alexis A. Goring “For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven.”—Hebrews 13:14 TLB Did you know that it wasn’t God’s desire for humankind to taste death? We were supposed to live with Him forever in perfect harmony. Unfortunately, our First Parents (Adam and Eve) sinned and were banished from the Garden of Eden, which was a place beyond our wildest dreams. Their choice separated them from God. They no longer had direct access to Him and were not able to continue seeing Him face-to-face.  However, God did not abandon Adam and Eve. He kept prayer as an open line of communication and sent His angels to protect them from the evil one. He also gave them His grace and mercy and implemented the plan He had put in place for when humankind sinned. Many centuries after Adam and Eve died, God sent His Son (Jesus Christ) to make a way for us to be reconciled with God through the plan of salvation (John 3:16). Because of this plan, we have the hope and promise of enjoying eternity with our Lord and Savior when He returns to take us home to Heaven. But until then, we exist on this Earth that is suffering from all the effects of sin. The Bible says that God has things beyond our greatest imagination prepared for us in Heaven (1 Corinthians 2:9), and one day we will receive it all when we are reunited with Him! But until then, do you find yourself having a longing for eternity? The writer C.S. Lewis said, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” Lately, I’ve experienced this unsatiable craving for eternity spent in the presence of God. I’m eager to be in His Presence, meet His angels—especially the ones that were assigned to keep me safe—be reunited with loved ones who passed away, and be free from all the pain and suffering of life as we know it. The good news is that Jesus is coming again, so one day this will be possible for all who follow Him. But meanwhile, we are on a journey. Have you ever traveled somewhere for something you wanted so badly that you didn’t care how much time it took to get it? I remember when my physical therapist told me that she wants to drive two hours from Maryland to Delaware so that she can enjoy her favorite French fries. She lamented that she was craving those fries from a popular place on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk but didn’t have time to make the trip. She told me that it is worth the drive. I told her that whenever I travel to a far-away destination, I don’t eat certain foods. This is because I hear how delicious they taste and I don’t want to crave them when I return home, because I may never visit that place again. It would feel unbearable to want what I cannot have when it’s not available locally. My way of solving that potential problem is by not even tasting that food, no matter how mouthwatering delicious it might be. It would be hurtful to crave what I cannot satisfy without spending gas money or airfare. Lately, I have been thinking that our spiritual experience as believers in God is similar. When we are born again and follow Jesus earnestly, we get a taste of eternity, and we have a craving for the pure perfection of Heaven. We want to receive the promise of an immortal body and being reconciled with God in real time. We long for all that God has in store for us and the good news is that eventually that craving will be satisfied when we go home with Jesus. But until then, we need to live for Him and focus on the fact that one day He will fulfill this currently insatiable desire to completely experience His Kingdom.  Just like my PT was willing to make the long drive out of state to eat her favorite fries, our God sent His only Son (Jesus Christ) on the long journey from Heaven to Earth and guided Him through His life. His plan of salvation was completed so that we could be reunited with Him and restored to life before sin. Eventually, our taste for eternity will be fully satisfied. Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you ever had a craving that only a relationship with Jesus Christ can satisfy? How does it feel to know that God can and will fulfill your deepest longings?  Further Reading: John 5:24 John 17:3 Romans 6:23 1 Timothy 6:12 1 John 2:25 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What is grabbing your attention? Is it distraction due to the world or are you giving attention to Jesus? Where your attention is so is your devotion? What you give your heart to, has you. Consider your day. How can you carve out time for God? Time for connection? What on your calendar might you need to remove? How can you use spare moments to carve out times of intentional prayer or connectedness with The Lord? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: When Distraction Steals Your Devotion for God By Kelly Balarie “’Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’” – Matthew 11:28 NIV Scrolling is resting. That’s the lie I tell myself anyway, as I settle down with my phone for ten minutes. That’ll do the trick. Of course, we all know that ten minutes of scrolling easily turns to thirty.  The more I scroll, the more I see what people are upset with, what’s going wrong in the world, what looks like a perfect life for others and whatever else is mindless. Finally, hopping off the phone, am I better for it? Hardly. Did it eat up my time? Absolutely.  Do I know what is going on in the world? I think so. Am I more stressed? One-hundred percent. As the day goes on, life happens and I have to handle it all – bills, kids, a move, requests, need of others. Come evening, I seek rest again. A movie? That could do the trick. I watch the movie and head to bed. In bed, conviction hits me. What happened to my time with God today? What happened to my time with God all this week? I spent so much time scrolling on the phone and watching tv that my time with the Lord evaporated. My time in His Word was measly. My time in prayer was non-existent.  In my pursuit of seeking worldly rest, I missed it entirely. In fact, before I even came to this realization, in bed, I had to repent of watching the movie I watched and all those icky parts in it. The dialogues of offense at some church scandal gripped my mind.What the world suggests is rest is not rest at all; it is time to sit down and to cultivate inner turbulence that we will have to work out later. It may feel good in the moment but we will pay for it down the road.Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’” – Matthew 11:28 NIV Only when I come to Jesus do I come to know real rest. Only when I hear His words, are the words of my mind calmed by the Prince of Peace. Only when I step away to pray can I see His best way. Distraction is a delusion that doesn’t serve us. Yet, our focus on Jesus is devotion that can’t be stolen from us. It is only godly devotion that leads to inner recuperation of spirit, body and mind. The world slimes us with sin, pressure, and problems, while Jesus heals us because He is The Way, The Life and The Truth. I had to admit that I had, inadvertently, traveled far from God. Lying in bed, I realized that God was setting up my come-back! “Come to me…” Jesus said.He is always saying that. Are we listening? Come to me, you who are weary? Come to me, you who are numbing yourself in alcohol. Come to me, you who are immersing yourself in a busy schedule because you can’t handle how you feel. Come to me, you who are hiding behind your phone. Come to me, you who are pretending you have it all together. God still wants you, dear child of God. He wants you to come. This is your come-back party too. If you hear His voice, follow Him. If you feel worldly burdens, unload them on Him. If you are under too much pressure to survive, let Him take that load. He is inviting you to come to Him. Intersecting Faith & Life: What is grabbing your attention? Is it distraction due to the world or are you giving attention to Jesus? Where your attention is so is your devotion? What you give your heart to, has you. Consider your day. How can you carve out time for God? Time for connection? What on your calendar might you need to remove? How can you use spare moments to carve out times of intentional prayer or connectedness with The Lord? Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; find encouragement by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, creator of the “Hear God’s Voice” podcast, is also a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly, a real cheerleader of faith, loves seeing the power of prayer in live action. She loves seeing the look on people’s faces when they realize –God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Right now, will you pause and spend a few extra moments fueling your soul with the Lord? Friend, in him you will certainly find sufficient strength in his holy presence to face whatever he holds just ahead. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Finding the Strength to Do Hard Things  By Keri Eichberger  The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.  (Habakkuk 3:19) For the past eight years I’ve wondered here and there why God allowed me to work so hard to hit a goal, only to fall slightly short. I mean, I believe there is purpose in all things he calls us to, so I’m always looking for ways to learn from the lessons he scatters along my life. But it’s not always apparent to me. Not immediately anyway. I was in my mid-thirties and had never run the local mini marathon. I’d always wanted to when the time was right, and had been enjoying running. In fact, it had become quite therapeutic when my kids were young. My frazzled feet on the open road, pounding out the stress, noise, and chaos of those crazy years. So, in 2016 I finally signed up, chose a finish goal of two hours, and got to training. When race day came, I was prepared and appropriately conditioned to complete the 13.1 miles in under two hours (based on my trial run pace of nine minutes per mile). But, twelve miles in, a steady rain began to flood the streets and my shoes. My calves locked up, my pace slowed to a jogging crawl, and I collapsed over the finish line at two hours… and 20 seconds.  I missed my mark. It shouldn’t have mattered so much honestly. Which has definitely been one of my takeaways over the years. Along with the fact that I am not in control—God is. But out of seemingly nowhere this morning, I had a sort of revelation about the whole experience.  Fast-forward eight years, at the age of almost 45, I struggle to run a single mile under eleven minutes. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said to my running partner, and husband, Mike, “How in the world did I ever run thirteen miles at a nine minute pace when I can hardly run one now at such a turtle speed?” Then, we chuckle and chalk it up to our aging joints and tired bodies. But this morning, I gained clarity of the true source of my strength all those years ago that had allowed me to do this difficult thing. Something I know I never could’ve done on my own. It was God all along. Waking weary, and not sure I could finish my measly mile jog this morning, I felt prompted to dust off my old wired earbuds and search for the songs I’d saved back then that assisted my training runs. I pressed shuffle and within seconds I felt a familiar power surge from years ago as truths of God and lyrics of worship swept into my ears and threw my lungs and legs. Tears began to sting my eyes. I let the sunshine permeate the listless life within me and light up my soul with a renewed strength that felt inextinguishable. And I couldn’t stop at a mile. Fueled by God I kept running. Yes, it was him all along. Is there something you’ve been facing or considering that you’re not quite sure how you’ll manage or power through? Remember, God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. God powered me through my runs. He is the strength that is getting me through today. And when I wonder how I’ll do the next hard thing, I can remember that he is who will be my strength then. God is, was, and will be your strength too. So maybe all along my falling short was just to keep me on the lookout for what God wanted to teach me. Because I think many times we learn more in life when we don’t get the reward we wanted, when we have to wait, and when we fall a little short. Today I was assured once again that it is not me sustaining and strengthening the outputs of my life. God is. And when we are tapped into him, fueled up with his people, his word, his presence – reminders of his love and sovereign protection – we find his strength and power that can make anything he wills for our life possible. Intersecting Life and Faith: Right now, will you pause and spend a few extra moments fueling your soul with the Lord? Friend, in him you will certainly find sufficient strength in his holy presence to face whatever he holds just ahead. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When the enemy starts shooting his fiery darts at your heart and mind, reminding you of wounds from your past, or arranging circumstances to make you feel that you are defeated, don’t shrink from the attack. Don’t become a wounded one, who falls prey to his lies, accusations, and schemes. Instead, be a warrior. Know the truth of who you are and the power of Christ in you. Stand firm, clothed (abiding) in the character and identity of Jesus Christ.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Becoming Strong in Our Struggles  by Cindi McMenamin, Crosswalk Contributing Writer  Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11) Are you struggling through some wounds right now? What if you were to think about it as a season of strengthening rather than a season of struggle?  I was thinking the other day about how easily we can be wounded.  Hurtful comments from others, disappointment in relationships, or a circumstance that seems unfair can make us cower in feelings of weakness and failure. In addition to these common everyday wounds, there are serious wounds that may impact us as well—deep hurts from our childhood, abuse in any form, abandonment or betrayal from someone we trusted, the sudden or premature loss of a loved one, chronic pain, rejection, and more. But those wounds don’t have to define us or dictate our character or our future.  The Scriptures say our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against "the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).  That passage tells me two things: 1) Satan and the powers of darkness seek to wound and debilitate us, and 2) We are empowered to be warriors...not weaklings who remain wounded. Scripture exhorts us in Ephesians 6:10-11 to "be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power" and to "put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" (NIV).  Then as we're given details in how to put on those pieces of armor, we're told to take the shield of faith "with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (verse 16 NIV).  I started thinking about how many of us fall prey to the flaming arrows or "fiery darts" of the enemy because we believe his lies, like…  No one will ever really love you, so just face it   You are a pathetic example of a parent.   Your spouse doesn’t really love you; they’re just going through the motions. You call yourself a child of God? Just look at the way you behave!  You should be ashamed of all that is in your past.  Everyone knows what a fake and phony you are. Just give it up!  You can never live a life of meaning and purpose, so don't even try.  Those fiery darts pierce our hearts, they stab our minds, they condition our thinking. They convince us that God's words are lies and the Satan's words (which are sometimes our own thoughts or words spoken to us through other people) are true.  But Scripture tells us to put on the armor of God as a defense against these lies, accusations and fiery darts.  Intersecting Faith and Life:  For years, I wondered what the analogy meant and how to actually suit up in the armor of God. Then my husband, a pastor, explained it in a Bible study one evening. He pointed out that every piece of armor symbolizes Christ in some way. And therefore, putting on the armor of God is synonymous with clothing yourself in the character of Jesus Christ, or simply abiding in Him.  We are to fasten the belt of truth around our waist, which means to know at the core of our being that Jesus is the truth. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  We are to wear the breastplate of righteousness, meaning we are to cover our heart with Christ who is called "The Lord our Righteousness" in Jeremiah 23:6. We are to take up the shield of faith in order to extinguish those fiery darts from the enemy. Psalm 84:11 tells us "The Lord is a sun and shield..." and Christ is the object of our faith.   We are to put on the helmet of salvation by guarding our heads and minds with Christ because Acts 4:12 says "Salvation is found in no one else.”  We are to take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God—and John 1:14 tells us Jesus is the Word made flesh.  When the enemy starts shooting his fiery darts at your heart and mind, reminding you of wounds from your past, or arranging circumstances to make you feel that you are defeated, don’t shrink from the attack. Don’t become a wounded one, who falls prey to his lies, accusations, and schemes. Instead, be a warrior. Know the truth of who you are and the power of Christ in you. Stand firm, clothed (abiding) in the character and identity of Jesus Christ.  Suit up, my friend. Wield your sword like a warrior and tell the enemy to bring it on! You have all you need to be victorious in Him.  Lord, Jesus, thank You that You have already declared my victory when I fight in Your strength alone. Help me to clothe myself in Your character so I have all I need to overcome the enemy’s assault.   Further Reading: Galatians 5:22-23  For more on becoming a warrior woman, rather than a wounded one, see Cindi’s book, When a Woman Overcomes Life’s Hurts.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Has God spoken to you about something he wants you to do in your life? What steps can you take to obey him today?  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Be Quick to Hear and Obey “Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Acts 2:36-37 Every year, I participate in a writer's conference where they award the year's best books. This year, I didn't have any books eligible for this award. But I watched expectantly as the live-streamed event gave out the awards of which many of my friends were recipients. Upon hearing a good friend's title of her book being called out to win the prize for best children's fiction book, I had a moment with the Lord. I heard the book's title with my ears, but it was as if my soul had heard it, too. Suddenly, I had an idea. I called my friend a couple of days later. “What would you think if we did a devotional based on your picture book of the same title?” My friend thought about this for a while. After deciding she would not do any more devotional writing for a while, she put an idea like that out of her mind. But something stirred in her soul the same as in mine. “I like this idea,” she said. At the end of our phone call, we agreed to send an e-mail to the publisher of that book. We wanted to see if they were interested in the idea before we put the work into creating samples and writing a proposal. Within minutes of her writing an e-mail, the publisher got back and said they loved the idea. They wanted to see a proposal and samples. Within a week and a half, we worked to create five sample devotions and a proposal. Although nothing is guaranteed, the fact that the publishers loved the idea before we sent the proposal and that her previous book has done well in sales bode well for us when it comes to them giving a green light on this new project. While it may get rejected by the publisher, I am called by God to be obedient to whatever he calls me to do, no matter the outcome. If the book gets rejected, it’s not that I misheard God; it wasn’t meant for that purpose or in that timeframe.  When I began to feel that stirring in my soul when I heard that title, I could have ignored it. I could have justified it by saying I misheard God. I could have justified not wanting to do all the hard work by neglecting God's call. However, because of my obedience, the Lord gave us favor and worked on our behalf. Within a week, we were able to create a high-quality proposal that might come out in publication someday. I heard from the Lord and was careful to obey it. Peter had to obey God's word, too. Peter took a significant risk by proclaiming the gospel in the above passage. He told the people plainly who Jesus was and that they needed him for their salvation. Because of Peter's obedience, these words cut into the people's hearts. Their ears heard the words and allowed those words to pierce their souls. Because of the power of the word of God, many people were saved that day because of Peter's boldness in proclaiming the gospel. People were also saved because they were careful to obey it.  If I had not been obedient to what I heard and had neglected my part in proclaiming the gospel to all generations, my friend and I would not be able to partner in that way. Although I have yet to determine if the book will be published, I am proud that I can hear the Lord in that way, and when he calls me to do something, I'm quick to obey it.  Father, let us be quick to hear your word. When we read or hear the word of God, let us not only listen with our ears but also allow it to pierce our hearts. Allow the word of God to correct, encourage, and inspire us toward love and good deeds. Let us be people who hear your voice and quickly obey it. Amen. Intersecting Faith and Life Has God spoken to you about something he wants you to do in your life? What steps can you take to obey him today?  Further reading Proverbs 3:5-6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What feels so scary right now in your life? How can faith in God bring you courage? What do you need to do as a “next step” to push through the fear you hold?  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How Faith Is the Opposite of Fear  By Sarah Frazer “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.” Hebrews 11:23 (ESV) “Have courage every single day.” The plaque my mother had gifted me sat on the windowsill right in front of my kitchen sink. I looked at it every day and sometimes a tear would slide down my cheeks into the soapy water as I washed the dishes. I didn’t feel like having courage. Fear of the future and the unknown consumed my thoughts.  Going through a hard year with our family taught me many things, but one of the most powerful lessons I learned was that the opposite of fear wasn’t courage, but faith. Faith is where we find the courage to keep going. When I think about my own story, which includes adoption, I also think about the story of one of the great heroes of the Bible: Moses. Moses was adopted by the pharaoh’s daughter when he was a baby.  Moses is one of those men who will be always known for his amazing acts of bravery and courage. He faced the Pharaoh and miraculously led the people of Israel out of slavery from Egypt. He wrote the first five books of our Bible. Stories like the Red Sea parting, manna in the wilderness, and the Ten Commandments are accredited to Moses.  Those parts of his life, although amazing, are not what resonates these days in my heart. The part of Moses’ story I see in my own story isn’t about him, but his mother. The Bible says in Exodus 2:3, “When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank.”  Can you imagine how she felt when she gave her baby up? I think she felt afraid, but instead of being remembered for her fear, she is remembered for her faith. Hebrews 11:23 says, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.” In Exodus 6:20 we find out that her name was Jochebed. There have been times in my life where I’ve prayed: “God, I don’t know what you have planned for my life. This situation feels so hard, painful, and filled with grief. But I want to trust you. So I will try and trust you.”  In Exodus 2:1-10 we read her story. I can imagine, as she placed her baby in the basket, she didn’t feel brave. But she put him in there. The author of Hebrews said she was not afraid of the king’s command to kill all of the male children. Why? Because of her faith. Each day, she chose to keep her baby alive. She chose faith.  When we face each day, even when we feel afraid, we can step forward. One step at a time, we can take our fear by the hand and go confidently in faith. Each day, we have a choice to give in to fear or to step forward in faith. We can choose faith, too.  Maybe you are thinking that your faith is too small. You might think that the fear is too big, but it isn’t about our faith at all. It is all about Who we have our faith in. The Object of our faith is God, the all-powerful, all-loving God of the universe! Jochebed knew that God was bigger than all the fears. God was bigger than the Pharaoh. God was bigger than the river. God was bigger than the uncertain future. She had faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” When Jochebed comes to the river, she doesn’t cast away her son. Instead of tossing away her child-like garbage, she intentionally and deliberately surrenders him to it. The basket was prepared ahead of time, carefully constructed with tar and a tight weave. It would not leak or sink. Jochebed prepared a place for Moses to be safe. In a sense, she obeyed the king’s edict as she put her son in the river. Instead of throwing him away, she gave him over to God. She surrendered her plans for herself, her son, and the future. Faith allows us to give our plans to God.  Choosing to have faith in God means we hand our fears over to God and He will meet us right there. The opposite of fear is not courage, but faith. Even a small faith placed in a big God allows us to move forward. Have confidence in the things that are “unseen,” knowing that God is very real and present in your life.  Intersecting Faith & Life: What feels so scary right now in your life? How can faith in God bring you courage? What do you need to do as a “next step” to push through the fear you hold?  Further Reading: Isaiah 41:10 Psalm 27:1 John 14:27 Deuteronomy 31:6 Psalm 56:3-4 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Trust that he has abundance in store for tomorrow. Like Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Through the Hurt and Hard Times, Hold On to Him By Keri Eichberger  Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23) I was walking through what felt like the hardest financial hardship of my life. Yet in the midst, I noticed something sweet, and actually sort of surprising. It was how well I seemed to be handling the storm. I would have a brief emotional outburst at least daily, but then I’d move on and get to work reversing the setback or just keep treading in assurance of God‘s provision and goodness always with me. I felt the strength of the Lord keeping my head and eyes above the dark water. Until the heaviness hit me. And all of a sudden, the reality of the black shadows that had steam rolled into my life like a tsunami of storm clouds, paralyzed me with grief. Sadness overtook me. I felt alone, on an island, where no one could reach me, see me, or help me. The lyrics of Lauren Daigle’s “Hold On To Me” had been playing in the background of my soul for twelve days since the unexpected blow. And now I needed to grasp these words forefront, and more than ever. Beautiful reminders to hold on to the Lord through the very hard season and moments swelling in my midst. You might be walking pretty well through a hard time like I was for a bit too. And if so, you’ll need to hang onto this message for when weariness does come for you. But, if you can relate more to an overwhelm of heaviness, you may just need to know right now that you are not alone in the hurt you are carrying. You’re not, trust me. I’m with you.  But what we both really need to know more than that, is that our friend, Jesus, is with us too. Because even though there are hurting souls at every turn you take – yes everyone has something that weighs on them – no one is weathering your exact storm the exact way you are. No one totally gets it. But Jesus. He cries with you. Cries for you. Yes, he loves and adores you. And I need to remember how much he loves me too.  So, let’s hold on to him. In him we will find comfort. In him we will find peace. In him we will find our strength. In him we will be redeemed and find joy again. I know how long the days drag on when sadness sweeps over your spirit and seems to dim all the lights within. But I also know that God‘s mercies are new each day. Today, the Lord just wants you to feel and receive his love. And to trust that he has abundance in store for tomorrow. Like Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Intersecting Faith and Life: I understand how hard it is to hold on when you feel weakened by discouragement or despair. But, I hope today you will find encouragement in the truth of God‘s constant compassion and presence. And that you will hold on just a little tighter to him. Let’s release the pressure of feeling we have to pull our own selves up out of the pit and into the world of expectation. Let’s just hold on to him. And let him hold us. Friend, let him heal your heart today with his unconditional love. In time he will lift you up to where he wants to lead you. For now, just know you are absolutely never alone, and keep clinging to the good Lord who loves you.   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Are you struggling to feel forgiven?  Look to Jesus. It can be hard sometimes, to turn off the voice inside us that says we haven’t earned our forgiveness. After all, we live in a world that tries to rank and file everything, and everyone.  We live in a world of merit and earning, one that says, “what goes around comes around”, “you get what you deserve” But Jesus reminds us that God’s love isn’t based on worldly principles. Jesus offers us a vision of hope and grace. You need not question your forgiveness. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: What if I don’t feel forgiven? “If you O Lord kept a record of our sins, O Lord who could stand. But with you there is forgiveness, so you are to be feared.” (Psalm 130.3-4) Forgiveness is one of the benchmarks of Christian faith. The Christian life doesn’t make a whole lot of sense if we have a faulty or unbiblical understanding of forgiveness. Forgiveness is fundamental to our faith, and one of the prime characteristics of God’s nature. Yet according to a 2018 survey by the Barna Group – close to 40% of practicing Christians don’t believe they have ever felt forgiven.  There are two main reasons why someone might struggle to feel forgiven. First is they may have a faulty depiction of God. See, for a lot of people, even those who go to church, God is an angry cop in the sky who is out to catch us in our wrongs. Heaven contains a large filing cabinet containing our spiritual rap-sheet; if we step too far out of line, then the Lord will dole out some form of divine retribution. We may not even know we think that, until something unplanned or unwanted happens in our life, and our first thought is “is God punishing me?” Somewhere, there is a belief that mistakes and sins completely invalidate God’s love and grace.  But scripture speaks a better word. Psalm 130 verse 3 says, “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord who could stand.” You know, scripture depicts God keeping records of all sorts of things: God keeps the number of our days, God keeps a record of all our tears, God even records the number of hairs on our head; But God does not keep a record of our sins. There is no rap-sheet that we need to try to work our way out of. We do not live our lives under the peering eye of an angry cosmic enforcer. With the Lord there is forgiveness. Forgiveness means that God radically reaches out to us in love and grace.  Forgiveness means that when we come to God in faith, whatever spiritual burdens we carry, for whatever reason, are completely and eternally removed. This spiritual freedom isn’t because of anything we do, we don’t earn it or merit it, or work our way into forgiveness.  Forgiveness is free, held out to us, because that is who God is.  But if that is who God is, why don’t we all recognize this reality?  Well, the second obstacle to feeling forgiven is ourselves. Sometimes, we think that we aren’t worthy of that forgiveness. We make the record of our sins, and because that record is longer than we would like, we actively remove ourselves from the offer of forgiveness. We all know the adage; “Forgive and forget”, but because we can’t forget, we don’t feel forgiven. Not only does the scripture make clear that it is God’s fundamental character to forgive our sins, Psalm 130 also speaks about the totality of that forgiveness.  Psalm 130 concludes with ‘With the Lord there is unfailing love; and with the Lord, there is full redemption.”  The forgiveness of God, rooted in God’s mercy and grace, is unfailing and full. It covers every spot or sin in our lives.  And when our own hearts condemn us, we can remember that God is bigger than our hearts and will never revoke his love towards us. Intersecting faith and life The greatest examples of God’s radical and transforming forgiveness is Jesus on the cross. Jesus hung in front of the people who drove nails through his limbs, who spit upon him and mocked him.  It would have been easy for Jesus to utter a word of condemnation or vengeance. But instead, in the face of all the world’s cruelty, as the world’s sin crushed him, Jesus voiced nothing but loving forgiveness. “Father forgives them.”  In Jesus, fullness of forgiveness is always on display. Are you struggling to feel forgiven?  Look to Jesus. It can be hard sometimes, to turn off the voice inside us that says we haven’t earned our forgiveness. After all, we live in a world that tries to rank and file everything, and everyone.  We live in a world of merit and earning, one that says, “what goes around comes around”, “you get what you deserve” But Jesus reminds us that God’s love isn’t based on worldly principles. Jesus offers us a vision of hope and grace. You need not question your forgiveness. Like a Sentinel looking toward the horizon in the eager anticipation that the dawn will come just as it always does, you we can live your lives in assurance of God’s forgiveness, love, and redemption. Because all those things are held in the crucified hands of Jesus. Amen. For Further reading: Psalm 130 “What does the Bible say about forgiveness” on Crosswalk.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Is God’s “gift” to you a difficulty, a loss, a frustration, or untreatable pain? We don't typically see those circumstances as gifts. They are more like disappointments, aggravations, or perceived rejection. But they may be gifts, nonetheless, given to grow us to a new level spiritually, or prepare us for something better to come, or even to help us see something extraordinary about God that we couldn't see before.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: The Gift in God's “No" By Cindi McMenamin, Crosswalk Contributing Writer  “No good thing will He withhold from those that walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11 NASB) Have you ever asked God for something and He didn’t deliver?  I know what that is like. And it hurts. But I've learned through the years that God's "no" often ends up being a gift greater than what I had originally asked for.  Whether I was trying to get my first book published, trying to have a second child, or trying to pry open a door of opportunity, every time I received a "no" it turned out God was really saying "Wait—I have something far better than what you’ve asked for."  Yet all I could see in front of me at the time was a rejection letter, another month of what I thought was unanswered prayer, or another closed door. More waiting. More disappointment. Discouragement.  Hannah of the Old Testament knew that discouragement. She longed to have a baby. Yet we find twice in the first few lines of her story that the reason for Hannah's infertility was because “the Lord had closed her womb" (1 Samuel 1:5-6).  Ouch! I would feel so much better if that verse gave us a reason like: “because Hannah wasn’t emotionally prepared for a baby.” Or, “because having a child would have broken Hannah’s heart.” Or even, “because Hannah could not have survived the birth of the baby,” But that verse specifically tells us that the Lord was the One withholding from Hannah the one thing she wanted most in life. And it didn’t tell us why.  We'd like to think God is behind only the blessings we receive, and that He would never allow—or even arrange—difficulties to come our way. Yet that is one of the primary ways He awakens our need for Him and draws us closer to Himself.  Hannah became so desperate to have a son that she poured out her heart to God in prayer, promising to give her son back to God if He were to finally give her one. It was then, after Hannah came to that place of complete surrender, that we read God's gracious, yet timely response: "And the Lord remembered her. It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son…” (1 Samuel 1:19-20).   Hannah got her long-awaited son, but years later than she had anticipated. The no she had perceived from God earlier was really wait. And the wait turned out to be the best blessing of all. Hannah didn't have just any baby. She had a son named Samuel who became one of Israel's greatest prophets and priests. He not only anointed Israel's first two kings, but he helped turn the nation's heart back toward God.  Hannah simply asked God for a baby. But God wanted to give her—and her son—a legacy. Hannah had a dream. But God had for her a destiny. What Hannah earlier perceived as no was a gift in terms of God's timing. God wanted to give her so much more than she asked for. So, He waited and did it in His timing, not hers.   Intersecting Faith and Life  Scripture tells us in Job 42:2 that God can do "all things. No plan is impossible for [Him]” Scripture also tells us in James 1:17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (NIV). So, if every gift is from God, and you're praying for something that is not arriving, God is the One who, for some reason, is deciding to withhold that gift. And, I have learned through the years that some of God's best gifts to us are the very things He decides to withhold.  Is God’s “gift” to you a difficulty, a loss, a frustration, or untreatable pain? We don't typically see those circumstances as gifts. They are more like disappointments, aggravations, or perceived rejection. But they may be gifts, nonetheless, given to grow us to a new level spiritually, or prepare us for something better to come, or even to help us see something extraordinary about God that we couldn't see before.  If your idea of a good thing differs from God’s right now, can you trust the wisdom in His withholding and be assured that the all-knowing, all-loving God is much more capable of managing your life than you are?  God, thank You for the times You withhold Your blessings, out of a desire to bless me from another angle, or in a different way. Help me realize that the one thing I need the most—my one missing piece—is You.  Further Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-20 For more on God’s wisdom in His withholding, see Cindi’s book, When God Sees Your Tears.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The next time you feel triggered to store up food or supplies out of fear, panic, or worry, thank God for the daily bread He faithfully provides. Ask Him to calm your heart and mind in these situations and help you to turn daily to Him in faith, trusting His provision for your life.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Give Us This Day By Lynette Kittle “Give us today our daily bread”--Matthew 6:11 Y2K, COVID 2020, and end-of-the-world forecasts all invoke fearful, self-preservation, survivor thoughts, and feelings of needing to store up supplies in preparation of a coming, looming disaster. During the great toilet paper shortage of 2020, when store shelves, warehouses, and online shops were empty, people had to come up with creative replacements for it. From wet wipes to tissues to napkins, individuals found a way to make do. It was easy to get caught up in storing up more products than needed at the time just to be safe and prepared for the unexpected. But where does being prepared cross over to being fearful that leads to hoarding, greed, and selfishness? Jesus Addresses Hoarding In Luke 12:15-21, Jesus deals with this issue. “Then He said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions’”  “And He told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God’”  Receiving God’s Bread Daily During the Israelites 40 years in the wilderness, God taught them how to receive their daily bread, one day at a time, giving us, too, an example of how to receive His bread daily. Exodus 16:4 explains, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.” Like the Israelites, we may not recognize God’s provision at first glance. Exodus 16:15 describes their first reactions to the new bread. “When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.’” Exodus 16:31-32 describes what God’s heaven-sent bread looked like. “The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses said, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: “Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’” Don’t Worry, Have Faith! Rather than compulsively store up supplies, Jesus tells us to not worry about our lives, what we’ll eat, or what we’ll wear, because life is more than food and our bodies more than clothes (Luke 12:22-23). Jesus points out how birds don’t sow or reap and have no storeroom or barn, still, God meets their needs by feeding them. He tells us that we are much more valuable to God than them, assuring us that worrying doesn’t add a single hour to our day, so why even bother to spend any time worrying? (Luke 12:24-25). Rather, Jesus said, “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you—you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-28). As followers of Jesus, He tells us to not focus our hearts on what we’ll eat or drink, and most importantly, to not worry about them because our Father in Heaven knows what we need .Rather, God calls us to seek His kingdom first, and when we do, all these things will be provided for us (Luke 12:29-31). Intersecting Faith & Life:  The next time you feel triggered to store up food or supplies out of fear, panic, or worry, thank God for the daily bread He faithfully provides. Ask Him to calm your heart and mind in these situations and help you to turn daily to Him in faith, trusting His provision for your life.  Further Reading: Why Should We Pray for Our Daily Bread? https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/why-should-we-pray-for-our-daily-bread.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God uses visions, dreams, and words to give people vision, direction, and hope for the future. What word may God be giving you to help you in your future? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: A Prophetic Dream “In the last days, God says, I will pour my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17 “Can I talk to you?” Our daughter came to my husband and me one day and said she wanted to talk to us after church. Expecting the worst, we thought she would say something like she was walking away from God or having difficulty with someone in the church. Instead, she told us about a vision God had given her during worship in the church service. She said she felt the Lord gave her a vision of a camp where she used to work.  She believed God told her to "remember the camp.” She'd previously worked at this camp as a counselor in training. She had not returned the year before because she was busy working and getting her driver's license. She felt strongly that the Lord was calling her back to become a counselor and minister to the kids at the camp over the summer.  We were ecstatic. We were glad to hear that the Lord was working in her life and that he had a specific plan for her for service during the summer. She did return to the camp and came back completely transformed. Not only was she able to speak life into the kids of the camp, but she also felt the Lord spoke to her many times and used her powerfully to give morning devotions and lead worship.  Although she was excited about the camp two years prior, she decided not to return to camp the year before. This decision to not return made her less enthusiastic about serving there. She would never have gone back if it hadn't been for the Lord speaking to her. Because of his vision, she went back and was used powerfully by the Lord, who was able to transform her life. After that year, she bought commentaries, studied the Word, and even started a small group with others to teach them about the Word, too.  Although the above verse is given in the Book of Acts, it is a prophecy from the prophet Joel. Joel tells his prophecy to the people to encourage them that God will use younger and older people through dreams and prophetic words to impact people to believe in the Lord. The Acts Church was on fire and had manifestations of the miraculous gifts in people. People received the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues, and gave prophetic words.  It was so abnormal they appeared to unbelievers like they were drunk. People of this church were accused of being intoxicated at 9:00 AM. But Peter gets up and corrects them. He reminds them that it's only 9:00 AM and that they are not drunk but that this is fulfilling the prophet Joel's words to his people.  God uses prophetic words, visions, and dreams to instruct, comfort, and encourage his people. Not only are prophetic words a foretelling of the future, but they can also be a word that gives people hope and direction. These prophetic words encouraged Peter, and he used them as a word of instruction to those who had trouble believing that the people were not drunk but instead receiving the Holy Spirit. In the same way, God used the prophetic vision to encourage my daughter to return to her camp.  Because of this, her life was forever changed. Not only this, but she could change other people's lives forever, too. It has been two years since that vision, and she has returned to camp. Both times, she has come back excited about what the Lord has for her in the future. At the time of this writing, she plans on going to college to begin her career in ministry.  God uses visions, dreams, and words to give people vision, direction, and hope for the future. What word may God be giving you to help you in your future? God, let us take a moment to appreciate the profound way in which you communicate with us. Your words can pierce our hearts, provide correction, and offer encouragement when needed. Let us strive to listen and obey what we feel he is speaking to us. Amen.   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The way we thirst for God more is to spend more time with Him. The more we drink from the well that is His love and goodness, the more we want of it!  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Are You Thirsty for God? By Sarah Frazer O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;my soul thirsts for you;my flesh faints for you,as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 (ESV) When my children were little, they were always thirsty. No matter how many times I filled their sippy cups, they always needed more. On those hot summer days or after an intense workout, we’ve all experienced deep thirst. Every living thing needs water to survive, but do we recognize the thirst of our souls? I’m talking about the ache we feel when life is fine on the outside, but deep inside, without our souls, we feel empty.  The thirst we experience in our hearts is sometimes hard to recognize. There have been seasons in my life where I’ve been filled with so many activities, to-dos, and responsibilities that I don’t even recognize the thirst happening. My calendar fills up, and every week, I fill my days with good things like serving in church, caring for my family, and helping those in need.  Sometimes, my work for God takes away from my relationship with God. If we find ourselves too busy to spend time in prayer and reading His Word, we might be too busy to even notice the thirst we have in our souls. If those things, even the good activities, were taken away, would we feel satisfied?  The author of Psalm 63, David, understood that the true purpose in his life was to be filled with God. This psalm begins with this title: “A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” Most commentaries believe this is either before David became king, (1 Samuel 23:14) or during the time later in his life when his son, Absalom, took over the kingdom. David had to flee for a brief period of time. (2 Samuel 15) Either way, David felt a thirst we often overlook in our own lives.  Being in the wilderness, fearing for your life, isn’t something you and I face, but we have faced times in our lives when it seems as if everyone is against us, and we are all alone. Have you ever felt so alone that even God felt distant? I think David was feeling that when he wrote Psalm 63. The first verse reminds us that when we are all alone, we should not be seeking anything but God.  David says, “earnestly I seek you…” In the King James Version, this Hebrew word is translated as “early will I seek you…” He is trying to convey the idea of seeking God first before turning to other sources of help. David says that when we face a wilderness season, it is easy to fill our lives with things, people, or activities. Instead, what our hearts should seek is God Himself.  Psalm 63 goes on to describe the things about God that cause us to want to seek Him. Power and glory belong to God (Psalm 63:2), and God’s steadfast love (Psalm 63:3) is better than life itself. Anything in this world we would gain is better than God’s steadfast love. God has been his help and protection all of his life. (Psalm 63:7-8) All of these things, glory, love, and protection, give us reason to seek after God.  David did not write Psalm 63 when life was easy. At the end of this chapter, we see that there were people who were seeking his life. (Psalm 63:9) They were lying about him (Psalm 63:11), but because David was seeking God, they would not triumph over him. We might not have people out to kill us, but we do have an enemy who would like to see us destroyed. (Ephesians 6:12) One of the ways he likes to attach us is to keep us busy. We cannot let our lives rush past us without being filled with God.  I’ll admit sometimes, when I am facing a crisis or a period of deep sorrow and grief, the easy choice is to run to other things. Our world holds many distractions that keep us from seeing the thirst in our hearts. David recognized that the real thing his soul needed was God. There is a beautiful prayer by A. W. Tozer that says:  “O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still….” Do we long for God like that? I admit that I am not thirsty for God like I should be, but we can pray for our hearts to long for Him more. The more time and attention David spent with God, both in scripture reading and prayer, the more David longed for God. The same can be said of us. The way we thirst for God more is to spend more time with Him. The more we drink from the well that is His love and goodness, the more we want of it!  Intersecting Faith & Life: If your life feels too busy to hear from God, what can you remove that is unnecessary? How can you make room for God in your daily life?  Further Reading: 1 Chronicles 16:11 Hebrews 11:6 James 4:6 Psalm 9:10 Lamentations 3:25 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In what ways has pride gotten in the way of you embracing God’s generous grace in your life? How have you seen God use your weakness as a chance for him to display his power at work on your behalf? Is repentance a part of your daily life? Bring your failures to his feet and embrace the gracious power of forgiveness at work in your life today! SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Grace Upon Grace By: Amanda Idleman 2 Corinthians 12:9   But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. The more time you spend on Earth the more aware you become of your great need for grace. We need grace upon grace to love God and love others as the Bible calls us to do. The beautiful thing about God’s kingdom is that he sees our weaknesses as an opportunity to show his great love for us. His power is made perfect when I fail! He is there for me when I am in need, when I don’t have the right answer to the problem, and the list goes on.  As a biological, foster, and adoptive Mom I am learning to embrace grace in a whole new way. I am not enough for the task in front of me everyday. I am weak, I am impatient, I get tired, cranky, and I can’t always give my kids everything they need from me. I’ll be honest this reality that I am weak, that I need Jesus, and that he’s called me to a work that is more than I can handle on my own has left me feeling very discouraged. There are many days that I do not want to embrace grace. I just choose to wallow, feeling like a failure, and not trusting that God provides all that I need.  My journey has highlighted one reality that when I live with pride I can’t grasp onto the grace that is always available to me through Christ. My pride says I can figure this out all on my own. It says I don’t deserve to be forgiven when I mess up. It keeps God at arms length rather than choosing to really trust that he is as good and capable as he says He is!  Thankfully God’s Spirit is at work in me and he corrects my pride by gently showing me that the Bible invites me to participate in a beautiful exchange. Romans 6:14 reports, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” Grace is what covers our sins and we cannot be forgiven until we ask to be forgiven. We have to participate in the opportunity we have to receive grace. We must release our sin to Him and accept his promise of forgiveness.  In summary living a grace filled life starts with repentance. Many of us long-time-doing-good Christians forget that daily repentance is essential to our faith journey. I never outgrow my need for Jesus. As I mature in my faith what comes more clear is how dependent I am on his good gifts. How much my weakness is abundant and his grace makes something beautiful out of my brokenness.  As we embrace repentance that grace then leads us into a relationship with our Creator. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”God does not stop at just making right our wrongs he invites us near to his throne of grace the place we can find mercy and relationship with Him. It’s in the presence of the King that we find the fruits of the Spirit. We experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Then we through the power of the Holy Spirit can embody the character of God.  Grace upon grace is what we must cling to each day. When we realize this truth we can let go of some of the pressure we put on ourselves to ‘get things right.’ We can place that worry back onto Jesus and once again rely on his power to do what only he can do in our lives. I am so grateful for the great generosity of God at work in my life and your life everyday.  Intersecting Faith and Life  In what ways has pride gotten in the way of you embracing God’s generous grace in your life? How have you seen God use your weakness as a chance for him to display his power at work on your behalf? Is repentance a part of your daily life? Bring your failures to his feet and embrace the gracious power of forgiveness at work in your life today! Further Reading  Grace Upon Grace  What Grace Means This Is Amazing Grace  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

One reason fear is such a common theme in the Bible is that fear is so basic to the human experience. All the way from Adam hiding in the garden to the various things we hide from today. Yet, just as commonplace as the scary things seem to be, we can make finding godly confidence commonplace too.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Saying No to Fear and Yes to God By: Aaron D’Anthony Brown “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10 The Fear That Binds Us Have you ever wanted more for someone so much that you wish you could, through some superpower, control them and guide them toward something better? A better relationship, a better job, a better future. If that’s just me, then perhaps that’s my selfishness showing. Nonetheless, I do have a relative I care for dearly, one who didn’t go back to school in January because she said college wasn’t for her. Instead, she was going to work, but here she is, eight months later, doing nothing. She’s at home day in and day out. Why? She says social anxiety holds her back. Despite being young, capable, and very talented, a fear of the unknown holds her back from a job. And worse, from a future.  Whether she’s afraid of what people might say or do, I don’t know, but she doesn’t want me to criticize her. She doesn’t want criticism from anyone on the matter. I could easily look down on her behavior and the parents who enable it, and often I do, but her fear reminds me of what I encounter from others too. A fear I have experienced even within myself. For one reason or another, we all find fears to justify. We tell ourselves not to apply for certain opportunities. We decide not to have important conversations. We keep ourselves from making what would ultimately be beneficial decisions. The Bible mentions fear dozens of times from beginning to end. If you’re no stranger to Scripture, then you know that the Israelites often gave into this emotion. They thought God abandoned them, that they would succumb to their enemies, that the Lord would let them go hungry, and more. For each fear, they had what they felt were ostensibly valid reasons. Like them, we too find reasons to doubt God in our own lives. What’s crazy is that our reasons seem so real and logical to us. Yet, those who hear about the fear often disagree. The same applies when the roles are reversed. We hear someone tell us why they are afraid and we can’t help but think their perspective is limited, that they just aren’t taking into account the omnipotence of God. So, how exactly do we break free of the fear that binds us? Just as the Israelites provide an example of why we fear in the first place, we can also look at them and discover ways to break free from fear by finding confidence in God. Intersecting Faith & Life: If fear is slavery, then confidence in God brings us freedom. Here are three ways we can defeat our fears today. Defeat Fear through Prayer When we’re afraid, complaining and grumbling against God aren’t too difficult to manage. The Israelites did their fair share of complaining, too, which greatly displeased God. But let’s be honest, how often do we do the same? Instead of dwelling on the negative thoughts, we benefit ourselves and bring honor to God by choosing to pray instead. Submit yourself to Him. Seek His strength. And watch as the fear eventually fades away. Defeat Fear through Community When the Israelites constructed a golden calf to replace God, they were sinning as a community. When they chose to honor God through song, sacrifice, and ceremony, they were honoring God as a community. When we link up with other people, we can find ourselves doing bad things, worse than we would otherwise, but when we link up and our hearts and centered on God, the opposite is true. We honor Him and strive for more virtue than would be possible alone. Moreover, we find the motivation and accountability to overcome the fear that so easily ensnares us. Defeat Fear through Reminders One reason fear is such a common theme in the Bible is that fear is so basic to the human experience. All the way from Adam hiding in the garden to the various things we hide from today. Yet, just as commonplace as the scary things seem to be, we can make finding godly confidence commonplace too. We do that by giving ourselves reminders of God’s work in our lives. When the Israelites needed to be reminded of God, and when they wanted to pray, they could go to the tabernacle. We can view the church in a similar fashion, but we can also find for ourselves other reminders. Some people post Scriptures to their wall or mirror that help them overcome fears. Some people make a daily plan to read Scripture or journal The what is not as important as the why. Whatever you do, do it to ultimately say no to fear and yes to God. Further Reading: 2 Timothy 1:7 Psalm 34:4 Proverbs 29:25   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The King of Kings loved the world enough to perform demeaning tasks during His earthly ministry, serve a meal to impart spiritual truths, and ultimately sacrifice Himself. At the very least, can we not offer someone a cup of coffee or a glass of tea? Opened doors and shared meals will open hearts, lift burdens, and forge lasting friendships.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Trading Online for In-Person Relationships By: Laura Bailey  “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ "  Genesis 2:18 NIV I recently listened to a talk by Sherry Turkle called Connected, But Alone, which made me think: Why do we hide behind our phones, texting instead of calling? Why do we meet people at Starbucks or Panera Bread instead of inviting them to our house? Why do we freely share opinions through our Facebook statuses but can barely manage a face-to-face conversation for more than five minutes?   We are more connected than ever, but study after study shows that we are the loneliest generation. Why is this? People lack meaningful relationships, which they desperately need. People need a personal relationship with God for ultimate wholeness, but humans also need relationships, real connections, with other human beings. So if we know that God designed us to commune with others, especially to fellowship with other Believers, why do we neglect to open our hearts and homes to one another? Admittedly, I  suffer from the “Martha complex.”   When the hostess wants everything to be perfect for guests, she fails to enjoy the guests themselves.  Time after time, I’ve told myself that one day, when I have a bigger house, more excellent furniture, or even something as silly as a good-smelling hand soap (sadly, that is a true story, but for another day),  I will then invite more people over.   Images of homes in magazines make me feel like my house is not “up to par,” not quite “guest-ready,” which is just a lie Satan uses to prevent us from practicing hospitality, one of the best ways to show God’s love to the lost and broken world all around us.   For you, it may not be your home exactly; perhaps you are unsure about what to cook, or you fear no one will accept your invitation, or maybe you simply feel too tired to tidy up. But, friends, we have to stop making excuses because  God’s Word is replete with verses that command us to be hospitable. Being in sales for nine years, almost every day, I heard the mantra, “Relationships matter.”  It is vital to build trust and to connect with clients from the very first meeting.  One of the best ways to do this is by eating meals together.  My manager told us “to break bread”  with our clients. Often. That term reminded me of Jesus breaking loaves of bread with His hands to feed the thousands gathered around Him.  He understood the importance of feeding His followers both spiritually and physically.  His disciples wanted to send them away, but Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”  Matthew 14:16 Jesus wanted to show his disciples two truths: first, He was in control of the situation, and second, feeding the crowd under those extraordinary circumstances would make a lasting impression.  Reaching out to join someone for lunch or to invite someone into your home for a meal takes time, energy, and money. It’s much easier to order take-out, stream Netflix, and scroll through Facebook in your pajamas. Taking time to listen to others and be open with them reveals God's compassionate character. People see how much we care about them when we extend our arms to draw them close, ultimately demonstrating how much God values them and desires an intimate relationship with them.  Our enemy wants us to put off inviting that coworker to dinner or starting a Bible study in our homes because he knows that through the Holy Spirit working in us, lost souls will come to Jesus, and hurt hearts will be healed.    So, I encourage you to meet a friend for a cup of coffee, invite that new family at church over for lunch, or simply sit on your front porch (or back) with a neighbor, soaking in some rays and drinking iced tea while in good conversation.  You may miss a few updates, but the time spent in one-on-one fellowship is well spent and will make you forget all about your #fomo (fear of missing out). Intersecting Faith and Life: Think for a minute. The King of Kings loved the world enough to perform demeaning tasks during His earthly ministry, serve a meal to impart spiritual truths, and ultimately sacrifice Himself. At the very least, can we not offer someone a cup of coffee or a glass of tea? Opened doors and shared meals will open hearts, lift burdens, and forge lasting friendships. Who can you invite to feel the love of Christ today? For Further Reading: 6 Ways to Rethink Biblical Hospitality in a Busy World 1 Peter 4:7-11 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If we are to be able to complete the good works that God has already prepared for us, we have to first walk in the understanding that we are the direct product of God’s irrefutable goodness. The Great Creator designed us. There is no question that we are valuable.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Worth More Than a Picasso  By Deidre Braley  Ephesians 2:10: For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  I once bought a Picasso print at Ikea. It features a handful of his famous animal sketches—single lines formed into dogs, horses, flamingoes. I liked the print well enough, but it was the fact that Picasso had done it that made me want to buy it and hang it on my wall.  It’s interesting, yes? That the works of artists like Pablo Picasso are considered to be so inherently valuable—not for their content, necessarily, but rather for their creator. In truth, some of Picasso’s drawings are so simple they look like a child could have drawn them; I’m thinking now of such sketches as “Young Peasant Boy” and “Bull.” Still, they hang in museums and are universally applauded, pondered, and revered. At some point, Picasso became a household name; one with such indisputable merit that people would pay fortunes for his work. In fact, one of his paintings—“Femme à la montre”—even sold for $139 million at auction last year.  Just as anything that Picasso put his hand to is considered to have intrinsic worth, so it is with us—the workmanship of God. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork…” So it is of no consequence whether the world looks at us and deems us rich in color or interesting in subject matter or worthy of a bidding war. We have been created by the greatest artist in the entire universe, and because of this fact alone, we could be scribbled on a napkin and still be worth an entire fortune.  And not just that. We aren’t absent-minded doodles. The verse goes on to say that we are “...created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). We were formed with a purpose in mind. Long before this world could  examine and critique and experience us—long before we were put on display—God crafted us to carry out good works. He put us into the world to make it better. Our value is undeniable.  Intersecting Faith & Life  It’s one thing to say we are inherently valuable; it’s another thing altogether to believe it. Often, we become so inundated with feelings of shame, inadequacy, and fear that we can hardly convince ourselves that we could be considered anything akin to art.  At times like these, think back to Picasso. His art is considered valuable because it was his hand that created it—not necessarily because the content itself is perfect, stunning, or impressive. It is that way for us, too. We are God’s art, and whether we feel worthy of the acclaim or not, the fact is that we are a product of the outpouring of God’s mind, hand, and genius. It is indisputable: we are precious.  And if we are to be able to complete the good works that God has already prepared for us, we have to first walk in the understanding that we are the direct product of God’s irrefutable goodness. The Great Creator designed us. There is no question that we are valuable.  It is also helpful to remember this when it feels difficult to love others. When you must interact with someone who challenges you, try looking them in the eye and telling yourself, “This person is God’s handiwork. They (even they!) have good work set before them. God loves them and made them with a purpose in mind.” Watch to see how your attitude towards them softens. It is impossible to remain entirely bitter-angry-exasperated-critical when you recognize the Artist behind the creation in front of you.  Further Reading  Psalm 139 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

No matter what excuse we give ourselves, Jesus’ Great Commission includes His disciples today. You and I. As a pastor told me, where he sends us, He equips us. Choose to believe that. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Sharing the Gospel By Aaron D’Anthony Brown“But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear them or be intimidated, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” – 1 Peter 3:14-15 The Fear to Share I used to relish the fact that I didn’t even have to travel overseas to share the Gospel. That’s what a few different sermons taught me and I was grateful. In a way, I felt let off of the hook, but if I were to be honest about myself back then, I’d have to also admit that I didn’t want to share the Gospel at all. Not out of disrespect for my faith but because of a fear that sharing God’s Word would lead to problems. I grew up in a family who prayed together, but never talked about why we prayed. I’ve been around people who say that they are Christian but don’t read Scripture and are totally on board with non-Christian beliefs and values. In my mind, talking about what’s actually in the Gospel could only cause friction and who wants that? Perhaps knowing that Jesus may not want you to travel overseas gives you a sense of relief, too. But do you feel let off the hook entirely with sharing the Gospel? Hopefully not, but if so, know that Jesus’ Great Commission extends to all of His followers, including us. The same fears we have about going to a foreign land and talking about God are the same fears we feel right here at home. A fear of conflict. A fear of being ill-equipped. A fear of the unknown. The truth is we don’t know what will happen when we share and maybe we don’t know how best to share. Yet, what is just as true is that if we don’t share the Gospel at all, then the good that could have potentially occurred definitely will not. So, how exactly do we work through these fearful insecurities? Intersecting Faith & Life: Overcoming our fears isn’t easy, but the few steps we can take are simple. Know Why You Believe Ask yourself this question, “Why do I put my faith in God and His Word?” Chances are you have good reasons for believing. Some people come to the faith intellectually, others through family tradition, and some people simply have a life-changing encounter with the Holy Spirit. However you got to the faith, you have chosen to continue believing. Maybe you have witnessed God’s hand at work in your life or someone else’s. Maybe you experienced a miracle. Maybe you have been convicted by God’s presence. Whatever good the Christian faith has brought you, know that the same could happen for someone else if they got to know Christ. Know What to Share Once you understand the why behind your beliefs, then comes the question of what. If you had the opportunity, what exactly would you want somebody outside of the faith to know about God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit? Maybe you would share how much God loves them, or that the void they sense in their life could be tied to them lacking a relationship with Him. However, you choose to go about it, know that you can and should pray to God for discernment. He’ll give you direction. Get Uncomfortable One way or another, when sharing the gospel, you have to get uncomfortable. There’s no sugarcoating that reality. If you don’t already have the personality, that’s what’s bound to happen, especially if the Holy Spirit moves you to share with someone you know to be resistant or with someone you’re not close to. Whatever the case may be, realize that discomfort is normal and productive. Remember in Exodus when Moses was called by God and he felt ill-equipped because of his stutter and status? Or do you remember Paul being called to become an apostle after persecuting Christians? Imagine going from persecutor to disciple. Maybe you have a speech impediment or a background that makes you feel ashamed and unworthy. No matter what excuse we give ourselves, Jesus’ Great Commission includes His disciples today. You and I. As a pastor told me, where he sends us, He equips us. Choose to believe that. Further Reading (and Listening): Colossians 4:6 Matthew 28:18-20 “The Last Jesus” by Kirk Franklin Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Rather than looking to other people to encourage us today, let’s look to God by pursuing Him with our praise and worship, reading His word, and remembering His faithfulness.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: 3 Ways to Encourage Yourself Today By Lynette Kittle “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,  encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word”--2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Many people have been conditioned in our culture to start their day looking at their phones and social media first thing in the morning. Sadly, the majority of postings are usually more discouraging than encouraging. Others, start their mornings reading and listening to national and international news, where the woes and chaos of the world are front-and-center, headlining the pages. Both can leave us feeling discouraged before we even set foot on the floor or out the door. So what is the answer? Where do we turn to find encouragement to start our day? 1 Samuel 30:6 describes what David did when he needed encouragement. “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.” Unlike David, too many of us are looking to others, dependent on their words, hoping and counting on them to constantly encourage us. But when encouragement doesn’t come and we feel alone, discouraged, and maybe even desperate, not knowing where to turn or what to do, we can encourage ourselves. David understood in his darkest, deepest hours, he wasn’t alone because he relied on his relationship with the Lord, knowing “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1). 3 Ways to Encourage Yourself Reading through 1 & 2 Samuel and Psalms, we see how David knew how to encourage himself through focusing on his relationship with God. Through his life and words, we can learn to do the same. Following are three ways to encourage yourself today. Spend time praising and worshipping God. David’s heart longed after God, and he made time to spend with Him. In Psalm 42:2, he writes, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” David didn’t hold back when it came to expressing his love for God through worship. He is known for his over-the-top enthusiastic praise and worship of Him, 2 Samuel 6:14 describes. “Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might.” As Psalm 95:2 invites, “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.” Read the Bible. David spent time mediating on God’s word, as Psalm 119:15 describes, “I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.” God’s word is alive and able to cut right through discouraging thoughts and feelings in our lives in a way that brings life to us. As Hebrews 4:12 explains, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Even though others’ encouraging words may come few and far between, we can rely on God’s word to refresh, renew, and restore our lives when we take it in on a daily basis. Remember God’s goodness and faithfulness. Remembering God’s faithfulness and goodness stirs our hearts to be encouraged for today and the days ahead. Psalm 27:13 reminds, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”  David encouraged himself by remembering God’s goodness and faithfulness throughout the ages. “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago” (Psalm 77:11). Like David, during discouraging times, we can turn to the pages of the Bible to recall His mighty acts. As Psalm 119:90 reminds us, “Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures.” As well, like Psalm 77:12 expresses, “I will consider all Your works and meditate on all Your mighty deeds.” Intersecting Faith & Life: Rather than looking to other people to encourage us today, let’s look to God by pursuing Him with our praise and worship, reading His word, and remembering His faithfulness.  Further Reading: How to Give the Encouragement You Give Others to Yourself https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/how-to-give-the-encouragement-you-give-others-to-yourself.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you feel freedom and security to pray honestly and continuously in your prayers with God? What holds you back from pouring out your heart to Him or coming to Him again with the same request? How can you trust in Him even if the answer is no like it was for Jesus? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Pray Honestly and ContinuouslyWritten By: Emma Danzey Matthew 26:44 says, “So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.” Sometimes we might ask the question, “Am I allowed to pray what I really feel and think?” The truth is that God already knows our hearts and so there is no point in hiding what we are really going through from Him. However, we should recognize that our God does deserve respect and honor. We can trust Him. Jesus modeled prayer for us in multiple ways in Scripture. One particularly beautiful example is His prayers in the garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested.  “So he left them and went away once more" Jesus knew that he wanted the support of His friends, but He also realized that He needed to have intimacy and space as He prayed personally to the Father. Sometimes in life we need to pray with others, but other times we need to pray alone with our God and ask others to advocate and intercede on our behalf in their own times of prayer. There is still a communal aspect of prayer, but it is also very personal to Jesus and should be to us as well. Do you try to “Get away” and pray? This might look like waking up before the kids or talking to God after they go to sleep. You might have a war room in your closet. You could have a special route you like to walk and talk to God on. You may love to pray while you commute to work. Whatever that looks like for you, or you hope it looks like in the future, keep fighting for that time to be focused in prayer. “And prayed the third time” Jesus was no stranger to the concept found in Luke 18:1-8 with the persistent widow or the concept found in Matthew 7:7-8 to keep asking and seeking. Jesus was not ashamed or afraid to go back to God and pray a third time. He knew the value in continuous intercession. Notice that we can pray consistently for others, but sometimes, we do this over our own lives. This is not selfish, this is good to put on the armor of God, to pray for direction, and to submit ourselves under Christ’s authority while sharing our greatest desires and needs. “Saying the same thing" The Bible makes it clear that Jesus repeated the same prayer to the Father. He went before Him and made His request three times and it was always the same. Matthew 26:36b says, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  Why would Jesus, who knew His purpose and mission for coming to earth and knew that He had to die for our sins and would raise Himself back to life, pray this prayer? Do you also find it strange that He would be praying for the exact opposite of what He knew and had told His disciples was coming? Would that not be a waste of time? This makes us ponder our own prayers to God. Have you ever felt like what you were praying about was a waste of time? Or felt as if you were praying the same prayer over and over again? Did it seem like your words hit the ceiling instead of the ears of the Father in heaven?  I believe Jesus prayed this prayer to show us that even if our outcomes are not a “yes” from the Lord, that our time spent communicating our hearts to God are significant. Prayer bonds us to God, reaffirms our trust in Him, and allows us to have a place to share about our circumstances. Even if we feel like we keep going to the Lord with the same prayer requests and the same concerns, we can remember that Jesus did this. He did not shy away from telling His heart to His Father (and He knew the outcome). There is value in prayer.  Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you feel freedom and security to pray honestly and continuously in your prayers with God? What holds you back from pouring out your heart to Him or coming to Him again with the same request? How can you trust in Him even if the answer is no like it was for Jesus? Further Reading: Mark 26:36-56 Luke 22:39-53 John 18:1-12 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Taking regular breaks to focus on God’s presence is not a luxury. It’s a vital practice for your spiritual well-being. By taking breaks from your busyness, you can experience in that stillness that God is really with you right where you are!  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How Breaks from Your Busyness Can Help You Find God By: Whitney Hopler “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” – Psalm 46:10-11, NIV  In this fast-paced, constantly connected world, you can often find yourself engulfed in a whirlwind of tasks and distractions. Your schedule is packed, your to-do list is long, and finding time for rest can seem like an impossible luxury. Yet, in the middle of this busyness, God invites you to take regular breaks to focus on his presence with you. God urges you to “Be still, and know that I am God.” The command to “be still” is not just about physical rest. It’s also a call to mental and spiritual stillness. Being still involves creating moments in your day to pause, breathe, and shift your attention from your hectic schedule to notice God’s presence with you. This intentional stillness allows you to connect with God in ways that renew you spiritually.  When you’re busy, it’s easy to lose sight of God’s constant presence. Your mind can be preoccupied with the demands of work, family, and other responsibilities. However, taking regular breaks to be still before God helps you to refocus. It’s in these moments of quiet reflection that you can truly come to know and experience the reality of God’s closeness. Regardless of how busy or overwhelmed you may feel, God is always with you, ready to give you peace and guidance when you ask for it. Taking breaks to pay attention to God’s presence can transform your perspective – helping you to discover the wonder of God’s work in every situation.  So, imagine yourself pausing in the middle of a busy day to simply acknowledge God’s presence with you. This act of intentional focus can help you remember that you are not alone in your struggles and that God is actively involved in every part of your life. It’s a powerful reminder that God is not distant or disconnected, but intimately aware of your needs and concerns. In your moments of stillness, you can not only become more aware of God’s presence, but also of God’s protection and support. God is your fortress – your safe haven in stressful times. You can rely on God to be there for you, even in the middle of life’s chaos. Knowing that God is your fortress can give you the confidence to face your challenges with renewed courage and faith.  Here are some ways to incorporate breaks into your daily routine:  Schedule regular times throughout your day to pause and focus on God. These could be short breaks in the morning, midday, and evening. During your breaks, take time to thank God for his blessings and for being with you throughout your day.  Use everyday activities – such as a walk, a coffee break, or a commute – as opportunities to turn your attention toward God and enjoy God’s presence with you. Reflect on God’s promises and listen for his voice. Allow God’s presence to fill you with peace and guidance.  Spend a few minutes reading a Bible verse or a devotional, and then pray, asking the Holy Spirit to help you apply that wisdom to your life.  Taking regular breaks to focus on God’s presence is not a luxury. It’s a vital practice for your spiritual well-being. By taking breaks from your busyness, you can experience in that stillness that God is really with you right where you are!  Intersecting Faith and Life As you consider how breaks from your busyness can help you find God, reflect on these questions: How often do you take intentional breaks to focus on God during your day? What are some practical ways you can incorporate moments of stillness into your daily routine? How does recognizing God’s presence with you affect your approach to your daily responsibilities and challenges? What steps can you take to create a habit of pausing to enjoy God’s presence throughout your day? How does the assurance that God is your fortress give you confidence and peace when you’re busy?  Further Reading  Exodus 14:14 Isaiah 40:31 Matthew 11:28 Psalm 37:7 Philippians 4:6-7 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God loves you and He’s with you, staying by your side, and fighting this battle for you and with you! So, when life hits hard and the enemy’s attacks are relentless, go to God because He promises to be there for you. Remember, Jesus Christ has already defeated the devil and with Him, we will ultimately win! SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Holding On When You Want to Give Up By: Alexis A. Goring  “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” — 1 Timothy 6:12 NIV Life can be tough for everyone. Nobody has it completely easy. And if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ then you know that you’re also in a battle, because the devil doesn’t want you to have the eternal life that Jesus offers.  Often, the devil’s attacks are relentless. I know that we can become so worn down by the evil forces in this world that we feel like giving up. We might even allow ourselves to be attacked without fighting back. The Bible gives us weapons to use for this spiritual warfare and God hasn’t left us without help. But lately, I’ve realized that I haven’t been fighting as hard as I should. How often have I allowed the devil to beat me down while I stayed defenseless? It’s very easy to listen to negativity and throw yourself a pity party. But in recent years, God helped me realize that I am not defenseless; I can actively and effectively fight back!  We have the power that raised Christ from the dead inside of us (Romans 8:11).  Let’s exercise our authority as a Child of God and fight back with the Word of God! Ephesians 6:10-18 teaches us how to be prepared for this daily battle and to win with God on our side. It’s called putting on and activating the Armor of God: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Isn’t that a powerful promise to cling to? God has given us everything we need to defeat the enemy and to be victorious in Jesus Christ. I’ve learned to pray the Armor of God verses in the Bible at the start of every day. I’ve also learned some additional and practical steps to take to overcome attacks from the enemy.  Step One: Go to God. He is our Heavenly Father and stronger than Satan (our ultimate enemy). Read John 16:33.  Step Two: Ask Jesus Christ, our Savior, to pray for you. Read John 17:6-26. Step Three: Listen to Gospel music and worship God in song. Read 2 Chronicles 20:22. Step Four: Read the Bible and apply Scripture to overcome your struggle. Read 1 John 4:4. Step Five: Call a Bible-believing pastor, God-fearing friend, or Christ-following family member and ask them to pray for you. Read Ephesians 6:18. Step Six: Invest in Christian faith-based counseling services. Step Seven: Change your environment by going outdoors for a walk in nature.  One of my favorite Gospel music artists, Dr. Juanita Bynum, says sometimes you need to “praise your way through” dark times and spiritual attacks. Listen to her song “I Don’t Mind Waiting” for the encouragement your heart needs. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/_hEiGEfm2uE?si=q0oZLbIXGHxNqph6 Another song that illustrates my devotional points today is “Hold On, Don't Let Go” by Richard Smallwood & Vision. I encourage you to listen to it too. Here’s the link: (https://youtu.be/jmPhHNQGjK4?si=G6JBwslbssixvGu2) Remember: God loves you and He’s with you, staying by your side, and fighting this battle for you and with you! So, when life hits hard and the enemy’s attacks are relentless, go to God because He promises to be there for you. Remember, Jesus Christ has already defeated the devil and with Him, we will ultimately win! Intersecting Faith and Life: How does it feel to know that the Creator of the Universe fights for you and with you against attacks from the enemy?  Further Reading:  Proverbs 21:3 Psalm 119:160 1 Thessalonians 5:8 2 Corinthians 10:4 1 John 5:4 Also read:  “The Armor of God—What it Is and How to Use It” by Debbie McDaniel https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/praying-on-the-armor-of-god.html   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God used Joseph to execute integral parts of his much greater plan for humanity. And it was during the times of waiting and holding and longing for a change that he prepared Joseph to do the important work he had ahead. Joseph chose to do what he could, where he could, while he waited to see what God had for him next. He made good use of the time in between.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Working While We Wait  by Deidre Braley  Genesis 39:22-23: And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him.  I have been attached to my phone for the last ten days, refreshing my email at consistent intervals between all my daily tasks. Unload the dishwasher—check my email. Walk the dog—check my email. Kiss the kids goodnight—check my email. I’m in the querying process, which for a writer means the period of time when you send your heart and soul and life’s work into the world and then wait to see whether anyone cares or if you should go back to your day job.  When I left my career two years ago, I had my eyes set on one goal: to publish a book. I thought by now I’d be well on my way, would have something to show. But it turns out there have been a lot of slow-moving parts, like the gears on a clock moving at half-speed. How infuriating! I’ve been waiting for this email to let me know whether it’s time, finally time, to do the work I’ve been wanting to do for so long now.  This holding pattern is nothing compared to what Joseph experienced, though. The son of Israel (Jacob), Joseph was his father’s favorite. As if it wasn’t already enough that his dad had given him a beautifully colored cloak, Joseph also started having dreams that his brothers and family would one day bow down before him. Ouch. His brothers decided to kill him.  At the last minute, his brother Reuben stepped in with an alternate plan to try to spare his life—they’d just throw him in a pit and leave him. While Reuben was away, however, the brothers decided they might as well make some money from the whole ordeal, and sold Joseph to some Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt, instead.  This could read as an incredibly cruel and frustrating tale—one in which a promising young man’s life is needlessly upended. Being sold into slavery in a foreign land sounds like the kind of holding pattern you don’t escape from. But Scripture tells us otherwise. “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master,” Genesis 39:2 says. In fact, Joseph was so respected and things went so well under his care that his master, Potiphar, put him in charge of everything he had.  Later, when Potiphar’s wife wrongfully accuses Joseph of indecency, he is thrown into another holding pattern: this time, a jail cell. But just as he did after being sold to Potiphar, Joseph (with God’s help) finds favor with the keeper of the prison, who puts him in charge over everything there. And Genesis 39:23 tells us, “...whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.”  Joseph is the embodiment of the old adage, “Bloom where you are planted.” It’s probably safe to assume that Joseph didn’t want to be sold to an Egyptian master, and would have preferred to spend that time otherwise. And it’s probably even safer to suggest he didn’t want to spend years of his life in a jail cell for a crime he didn’t commit. But what stands out about Joseph’s story is the way he used the time that others may consider ‘wasted.’ Rather than mope and wallow or wait for it to be over so he could just get on with his life, Joseph walked closely with God and worked at whatever was put before him with integrity and wisdom. It was his time served in Potiphar’s house and the jail cell that prepared him (though somewhat unconventionally) to eventually serve Pharoah as governor of all the land of Egypt.  God used Joseph to execute integral parts of his much greater plan for humanity. And it was during the times of waiting and holding and longing for a change that he prepared Joseph to do the important work he had ahead. Joseph chose to do what he could, where he could, while he waited to see what God had for him next. He made good use of the time in between.  When we find ourselves in our own holding patterns, we can look at how God was with Joseph in the waiting and be encouraged. Yes, it might be taking longer than we’d like and no, we might not understand how it’s going to result in anything of value, but our job isn’t to worry about all that. Our job is to put our hand to what’s before us with integrity and to walk with God while we do it.  Whether we’re longing for career-changing news or freedom from existing commitments or just for something fresh and exciting to happen in our lives, today let’s take a page from Joseph’s book and assess what we can do with where we are right now, at this very point in our lives. We might be surprised to see how God can use that humble obedience.  Intersecting Faith & Life  What areas of your life feel like holding patterns (or jail cells!) right now? Consider bringing them before the Lord and asking him:  How can I use this time in a way that would be fruitful? What would it look like to walk with you and work with integrity in this area?● Will you please give me endurance to stay faithful in this season of waiting?● Would you give me a glimpse of how you might use this work as part of your granderplan for my life and the lives of others? Further Reading  To read through Joseph’s entire story, look into: ● Genesis 37-50 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Lord recognizes how much we long to please Him and how grieved we feel when we mess up. He sees our ongoing struggle against sin and the wounded places in our souls that cause us to react in fear and self-protection. And while He’s given us everything, in Christ and Scripture, to stand firm, whatever we face, He also understands how easily we become deceived.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God’s Unchanging Heart for His Profoundly Imperfect People By Jennifer Slattery The Lord is compassionate and gracious,   slow to anger, abounding in love (Psalm 103:8, NIV). Many of us have heard people talk about the Lord’s complete forgiveness and unconditional love but can expect Him to withhold both when we mess up. Most often, this stems from times in which others responded to our mistakes with some degree of emotional distance. I can relate. I struggled, for decades, to fully receive God’s grace, and sometimes still do. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I find today’s verse so beautiful.  Written by David, ancient Israel’s second king, Psalm 103:8 reiterates the way God revealed Himself to a man named Moses around four hundred years prior. This occurred shortly after the Lord’s newly liberated people rebelled against Him to worship idols. Following, God told Moses that He wouldn’t accompany him and the Hebrews into the new land He’d promised them. But then He appeared to relent and in Exodus 33:15 stated, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Perhaps confused, or simply wanting to experience more of the God with whom he’d already come to converse with as a friend (Ex. 33:11), Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” One could phrase this as, “Reveal the essence of who You are.” God did, declaring Himself compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness.  David likely knew how the Lord described Himself to Moses and how consistently He lived out those traits with the often faithless and rebellious Hebrew people. In today’s verse, He praised God for those same qualities. While Scripture doesn’t reveal David’s circumstances when he wrote Psalm 103, we do know from other passages that He landed in numerous situations that plunged him into despair and overwhelming fear. We also know that God faithfully cared for, protected, and defended David throughout His life. And, the Lord showed David grace when he failed as a father, a king, and chief commander over the Israelite army.     In other words, David hadn’t simply learned of the Lord’s love, mercy and compassion from Scripture. He’d experienced those same traits when he’d desperately needed them. Likely reflecting on who God was and all He’d done, David began his prose with a praise that arose from his inmost being, the deepest and truest part of him. He then recounted numerous blessings God provided—forgiveness for even the worst of sins, emotional and physical healing, restoration of seemingly hopeless lives, provision, vitality, justice for the oppressed, and guidance for those who find themselves wandering about in desert places. In verse 4, we read that the God who “redeems [our] life from the pit” also “crowns [us] with love and compassion.” One might phrase this as, “He rescued us in our weakest and most helpless state and enveloped us in grace.” When the devil tries to bury me in toxic shame, I’m reminded that God’s favor toward us stems from His goodness alone, and not from anything we have or haven’t done.  Because while He is the Almighty Creator of all that exists and the One who holds all authority in His powerful hands, that wasn’t how He most defined Himself to Moses, and therefore, to us. When we reflect upon who He is at His core, He doesn’t want us to think of His anger. Instead, He wants us to recognize, intellectually and from personal experience, that He is first and foremost a God of unfathomable love and grace. Expanding on this, David then drew an analogy between the Lord and caring parents (Psalm 103:13). Our heavenly Father views us with more tenderness than an attentive mother with an over-tired two-year-old and a patient dad with an emotionally dysregulated middle schooler. Because, as verse 14 states, “he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (NIV). In other words, He remains cognizant of our humanity.  The Lord recognizes how much we long to please Him and how grieved we feel when we mess up. He sees our ongoing struggle against sin and the wounded places in our souls that cause us to react in fear and self-protection. And while He’s given us everything, in Christ and Scripture, to stand firm, whatever we face, He also understands how easily we become deceived.  He has compassion for who we truly are, in all our weaknesses and sins, and responds to our greatest failures with mercy and forgiveness, rather than anger and condemnation. Living in that reality helps us rise again when we fall, with our gaze fixed not on our past nor our shame but on the Savior who proved every word of today’s verse true when He died on the cross to quite literally redeem our lives from the pit of hell (verse 4).         Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we are under attack, stuck in one of Satan’s strongholds, we can break free with the help of Jesus Christ! But, as we see in the following verses, it is vital that we continually guard our minds, bathing ourselves in truth to prevent and shut down spiritual strongholds before they overtake us.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Fighting Spiritual Strongholds By: Laura Bailey  “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV “I think I am stuck,” wincing as the words came out of my mouth, I waited to hear my husband’s response. “I’ll be up there in a minute,” he quickly replied.  As my husband pulled up in his truck, assessing the situation, I could tell by the expression on his face that it wasn’t good. After a few minutes of trying to get the car out of the mud, he said, " You are going to need a tow truck.” I knew he was trying to control his irritation, but the truth was, I deserved it. I knew I shouldn’t have gone down that road. For the last few months, my road has been under construction. The road was blocked off just a few hundred feet from my driveway, causing us to take a 10-minute detour whenever we wanted to leave the house. Countless times in the past few weeks, I have seen cars drive around the “ road closed” barriers, so I thought I could, too. Except on this particular day, I didn’t consider that it had been raining all morning, making the clay dirt turn into a thick, gooey paste. To prevent washout, the construction team placed a large pile of gravel at the end of the path, making it impossible to get through. And the thing is, as I slowly inched my way around the barriers, I knew this wasn’t a good idea. Still, ignoring the quiet voice in my thoughts that encouraged me to turn back, I trudged ahead.  At first, it wasn’t that bad, my tires quickly making their way through the mud, but when I saw the gravel barrier, I knew I was in trouble. That wasn’t the first time I’d taken that path; I’d cut through the closed-off road numerous times. Time after time, I sailed smoothly through the construction zone, avoiding the long detour; I knew it wasn’t the best decision, yet I still did it.  Sitting there waiting for my husband, berating myself for my poor choices, I thought about a sermon I’d once heard about sin. The preacher said, “We dabble in sin; satan dominates.” We often convince ourselves that our sin isn’t that bad, especially compared to others.  If they can do it, why can’t we?  We didn’t get caught last time, so it must be okay.  We try to rationalize our rebellion against God, knowing in our hearts that what we are doing is wrong. And that’s the thing about sin; typically, our little rebellion becomes more significant. The white lie morphs into a whopper. The occasional overspending leads to a snowball of debt. The innocent flirtation leads to an emotional affair. We have an enemy whose sole mission is to” kill, steal and destroy” ( John 10:10). He wants nothing more than to believe that we can control our sin, but instead, it often controls us. In our key verse, Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are fighting a spiritual battle. But they don’t fight with the flesh; they have divine power to demolish strongholds. A stronghold is a barrier; our enemy erects numerous strongholds to destroy biblical truth. As believers, we put on the armor of God, knowing that we don’t fight alone; we have the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are under attack, stuck in one of Satan’s strongholds, we can break free with the help of Jesus Christ! But, as we see in the following verses, it is vital that we continually guard our minds, bathing ourselves in truth to prevent and shut down spiritual strongholds before they overtake us.  Graciously, a sister in Christ and her husband came to my aid that day. They worked for almost an hour and nearly got stuck themselves to free my car. The Lord taught me numerous lessons that day. Sin can quickly overtake us, but when we call on the name of Jesus Christ, we have the power to fight the devil’s schemes. Our Heavenly Father also gives us the gift of the body of believers. We are meant to support, lift, and pull our brothers and sisters out of sin if needed.  The Lord granted me mercy that day; the situation could have been much worse. After a few days, I saw a car go around the barriers; as I quickly drove past, I prayed to the Lord for the lessons learned.  Intersecting Faith and Life: Thinking about this quotation, “We dabble in sin; satan dominates,” is there an area in your life where your sin started small but has begun to take over completely? Ask the Lord for forgiveness and the power to fight this attack. Take it further; reach out to your local church or godly friend to help you overcome this spiritual stronghold.  For Further Reading: Overcoming Strongholds 1 Corinthians 10:13 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When the songwriter Asaph was going through a lonely time of feeling abandoned by God, he wrote this in Psalm 77:6 as the beginning of his mental process to convince himself God was still with him: “I remembered my songs in the night” (NIV).  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God’s Comfort in His Songs  By Cindi McMenamin, Crosswalk Contributing Writer  The Lord your God is in your midst—a warrior bringing victory.  He will create calm with his love; he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 CEB My daughter, Dana, was in college when she experienced her first real heartache from a relationship breakup. I had just finished speaking for a retreat out of state when I received her phone call from my hotel room. How it hurt my heart to hear her cry and to be so far away from her and unable to hug her or wipe away her tears. Dana knew God was good and that He was close, but still her heart was broken. I prayed with her on the phone and then continued to pray for her throughout the night, waking every few hours and calling on the Lord to comfort her with His presence.  A couple nights later, after I was back home, she texted me from her college dorm room. She couldn’t sleep. Her heart was still hurting. In that moment, I remembered how music resonated with her like nothing else. Music had always been a huge part of her life and, at the time, she was studying to be a vocal performer. Music was often how she processed her thoughts. We all sense God’s presence in different ways. Perhaps she needed His songs. I texted her a few verses and told her to listen for her Heavenly Father singing over her.  Zephaniah 3:17 gives us a beautiful description in the Old Testament of how our warrior God, who fights for our hearts, will also tenderly comfort us in our time of need. The New English Translation reads: “The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.” The New King James version translates those “shouts for joy” (which sound like a battle triumph) as a sweet love song of God’s for His beloved: “He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” “God sings over you, Dana,” I texted. “Listen for His songs.” God not only sings over us, He puts songs in our hearts to deliver us. In Psalm 32:7 (NKJV) David sang, “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”  In the Contemporary English Version, that verse reads: “You are my hiding place! You protect me from trouble, and you put songs in my heart because you have saved me.”  In Job 35:10, we read God is the one who “provides us with songs in the night” (HCSB). Finally, I texted to my daughter Psalm 119:54: “No matter where I am, your teachings fill me with songs” (CEV) and Psalm 42:8: “The Lord will send His goodness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night.”  Dana texted back: “I like the verses about Him giving us songs.” And with His music close to her heart, she was able to sleep. Intersecting Faith and Life:  God sings over you too. He knows your broken heart, your disappointments, your feelings of loneliness when they strike. He is closer than a whisper on the nights you can’t sleep, on those days that drag on forever, and in the quiet when you feel forgotten and alone.  When the songwriter Asaph was going through a lonely time of feeling abandoned by God, he wrote this in Psalm 77:6 as the beginning of his mental process to convince himself God was still with him: “I remembered my songs in the night” (NIV).  Get quiet, my friend. Hush the questions going through your mind and listen. Listen for His song in the night, and His whisper of love through the breeze in the day. My prayer is that you will soon be declaring as the psalmist did: “You have helped me, and I sing happy songs in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 63:7 CEV). Lord, thank You for the gift of music that can comfort our souls. And thank You, too, for putting songs in our hearts—songs of comfort and songs of joy. On those days and nights when we need Your comforting presence, help us to sense You singing over us. And when those we love need Your songs, may You sing them clearly in their ears as well.   For Further Reading: Psalm 77 For more on God’s comfort and care, see Cindi’s devotional book, God’s Whispers to a Woman’s Heart.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Are there moments when your life feels small? Take note of any patterns. Do you feel less than great whenever you get together with that one friend who seems to have a glamorous, exciting life? Or do you feel discontentment bubbling whenever you spend time on social media? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: What to Remember When Your Life Feels Small by Deidre Braley  Matthew 18:1-4: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying,“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  Does your life ever feel small?  Mine sometimes does. Just last weekend, in fact, I had the unsettling experience of smallness at a country concert that was featuring a major artist. As the sun sank below the edge of the stadium, the crowd’s anticipation mounted. When the singer finally ran onto the stage, donning his guitar and saluting the audience, the stadium erupted. Girls clutched each other and screamed. Phone flashlights turned into constellations amongst the pulsing galaxy of people. Tens of thousands of lips moved in unison to sing the opening song together.  Submerged in this world of smoke and lights and adrenaline, I had the unsettling feeling of being small. A longing began to stir deep in my belly—something like an exhilarating hunger. I suddenly wondered what it would feel like to live in this alternate reality called fame.  Back at home, I knew that laundry was piled on our bedroom floor, that our toddlers would be wanting pancakes in the morning, and that the dishes would be nearly toppling in the kitchen sink. My line of work, in comparison to rocking and selling out this stadium, seemed so humdrum and un-noteworthy that I could hardly stand it.  As it turns out, this hunger I was feeling—this longing to know what greatness feels like—came about long before electric guitars and jumbotrons. The disciples felt it too. One day, they even asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1)  Jesus didn’t name a rockstar. He didn’t list off kings, or bible heroes, or professionals revered in their fields. Instead, he beckoned for a child to come and stand among them. “‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me…’” (Matthew 18:2-5).  Earthside, we perceive greatness as notoriety and wealth, power and fanfare. It involves being or having more than someone else. But in the kingdom of heaven? Greatness looks like humility, trust, and inclusion. Greatness looks like a child, turning to the Father for everything. If we align our life’s work to what the world deems ‘great,’ then our days will be filled with striving and discontentment. We’ll be ever subjected to the fickleness of humanity. But when we align ourselves with what Jesus values—when we humble our souls and trust in the only one that is truly great—we are able to bask in an eternal greatness that gives our souls rest and contentment.  So when we find ourselves caught in a pattern of discontentment, wondering when our time will come, or if anyone will ever notice us, or if our lives will ever possess that magnetic essence of greatness, let’s come back to that image of Jesus, pulling the child near and saying,“This. This is what greatness looks like in my kingdom.”  Intersecting Faith & Life  Are there moments when your life feels small? Take note of any patterns. Do you feel less than great whenever you get together with that one friend who seems to have a glamorous, exciting life? Or do you feel discontentment bubbling whenever you spend time on social media?  Once you are able to identify when, where, or what makes you feel “small,” you can develop strategies to help you fight the lie that greatness comes from what the world hails, like fame and wealth or power and position. These strategies could include:  Limiting how often you expose yourself to these people or situations.● Memorizing Scripture to pray over yourself when you’re feeling overcome withdiscontentment or inferiority. Surround yourself with others whose lives model humility and surrender to the Lord.● Finding solitude, then stopping to ask the Holy Spirit to reorient your priorities andremind you who are—and who he is. Further Reading  Mark 10:35-45 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus knows that on the inside, at the level of soul and spirit, we often hunger for something much deeper than physical bread. And that part of ourselves, that indescribable but ultimately recognizable part of who we are, can only be filled by a connection with the one who redeems us.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Finding The Bread of Life [Jesus said] “I am the bread of life, those who come to me will never be hungry, those who believe in me will never thirst.” (John 6:35) I once drove past a church with a large sign out front; you know the kind, the kind where you can type witty or inspiring messages for all to read. This church, however, chose a more aggressive tactic. One day the sign read “Jesus said ‘You either eat the bread of life or you’re toast!”  Wait….is that, really what Jesus said?  When Jesus calls himself the bread of life, was he setting up some divine criteria by which we get to judge who is right and wrong, in or out?  There is a big difference between holding out an invitation to all and voicing a criterion of condemnation. When Jesus calls himself the bread of life in John chapter 6, there is no hint of judgement. And even when he says, “unless you eat the flesh of the son of man you have no life in you”, Jesus is only reinforcing his gracious invitation to all.  Jesus invites the crowds around him to receive from him the life and the grace that he so freely offers. Jesus reaches out lovingly, not judgmentally. Of course, the crowds misunderstand what Jesus meant. They had previously been fed miraculously by five loaves and two fish, were hungry for more; they were hungry for miracles, and they were also physically hungry. Jesus knows this. Jesus says, “you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate and had your fill.”  Simply put, Jesus proved he could give the crowd dinner, and now they want breakfast. Give us more bread, they say, and they would be satisfied. See, they thought that Jesus could only provide physical bread, and physical nourishment. They were concerned with their appetite, their bodily satiation, and their earthly life. This happens a lot. In John 4 we read about the woman at the well, who believed that living water just meant and endless flowing stream. Before we move on, let’s stop here and ask a question: is that how we treat the bread of life? Do we reduce the works of Jesus to simple actions designed to prop up our earthly existence. Do we think that the  bread of life is given to us so that we can continue living our lives the way we want, pursuing what we want to pursue?   What Jesus does in this passage, what Jesus always does, is invite us to enter a deeper life. Yes, Jesus can provide for our physical needs, the feeding of the 5000 proved that – but Jesus offers us more than simply propping up our earthly life. In calling himself “the bread from heaven” Jesus was inviting the crowd to enter a deeper relationship with their Lord. Jesus wanted to them, and us, to find in him the life that truly is life. Because the life that Jesus talks about, the life that he holds out for us, isn’t the life of days and weeks, it is the life of spirit and soul. Jesus offers us true life in that part of us that can’t be satiated by physical things. It is life that is in touch with our desire for hope, for love, for joy, for peace, for forgiveness and redemption. If all those things could be filled by earthly nourishment – by the physical breads of existence, then the more you eat the happier we would be. But I think we all know that’s not the case.  Jesus knows that on the inside, at the level of soul and spirit, we often hunger for something much deeper than physical bread. And that part of ourselves, that indescribable but ultimately recognizable part of who we are, can only be filled by a connection with the one who redeems us. And so Jesus invites us to find in him everything our souls’ hunger for. Intersecting Faith and Life. The bread of God who comes down from heaven Jesus himself. The reason why the bread of life is eternal, the reason why we never hunger or thirst in the spiritual sense, isn’t because we have arrived at some heightened spiritual status, but because we are connected to the one who never leaves.  We know that no matter what we face, the life of Jesus surrounds us and carries us. Jesus offers a love-filled invitation to come to him.  Ask yourself: Is Jesus the bread of your life?  As you come to physical bread daily; do you come to Jesus on a regular basis?  Do you receive from him the life he offers? Do you engage with Jesus in a deep way, digesting his presence and his word at the deepest level of spirit?  If we want to receive life he offers, the point is we need to take him deep -to allow Jesus to transform us into his likeness. Because Jesus is the only person who can fill our spiritual hunger. He is real food and real drink. Yes, Jesus is the bread of life, and all who come to him will be satisfied. For further reading John 6:24-34 “Are you feasting on the bread of life?” on crosswalk.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

By actively pursuing God’s wonder and praising God when you find it, you can rise above your immediate concerns and experience God’s awesome presence. So, let praise raise your perspective, and enjoy how that changes your life for the better.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Let Praise Raise Your Perspective By: Whitney Hopler “He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” – Deuteronomy 10:21, NIV  Life in this fallen world often feels stressful. As you manage all your different responsibilities, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Your perspective can shrink down to the level of your to-do list. If that happens, though, you can miss the bigger picture of God’s work in your life. Deuteronomy 10:21 reminds you that praising God can help you see a higher perspective. Praise can transform your perspective and bring you closer to experiencing God’s awe-inspiring presence.  Praising God is much more than a religious duty. It's a powerful practice that shifts your focus from your problems to God’s greatness. When you actively praise God, your attention moves from your immediate circumstances to the wonderful ways God is working in your life. Praising God is an act of worship that directs you away from earthly concerns and toward heavenly truths. It reminds you that God is in control, and his plans are far greater than what you can humanly understand. When you praise God, you remind yourself of God’s past faithfulness and present power, which helps you trust God with your future.  Awe is a profound feeling of reverence and wonder inspired by something majestic. It can transform your outlook on life, filling you with a sense of peace and purpose. When you take time to praise God, you open your heart to experience more of God’s majestic love and power.  You can experience awe anytime you’re intentionally looking for God’s wonderful work around you. For example, consider a time when you stood in awe of God’s creation. Maybe you experienced a stunning sunset or enjoyed the intricate beauty of a flower. Those moments of wonder are reflections of God’s glory, because every part of creation teaches you something about your Creator. Another powerful way to feel awe is to reflect on some of the specific ways God has recently answered your prayers. You’ll find that God answered in the best ways and at the best times, doing more than you ever imagined when you first asked him to help you. Meditating on Bible passages that describe God’s wonderful qualities can also help you feel awe. Letting these truths sink into your heart helps you learn more about God and why he is worthy of your worship.  Whenever you feel awe, don’t hesitate to praise God for who he is and what he is doing in your life!  Starting your day with praise is a powerful way to set a positive tone. So, try to start each morning by thanking God for something you appreciate about him, or for something he has done recently. Throughout your day, take brief breaks to pause and praise God. You can do so however you like, such as by saying a silent prayer of thanks or singing a worship song. It’s possible to praise God on the go, as well – so go ahead and take a break for praise anytime and anywhere you feel inspired to do so. Keeping a praise journal can also be helpful. Regularly write down specific ways you see God working in your life. Over time, this journal will become a tangible record of God’s faithfulness. It can encourage you whenever you read it. Listening to worship music is another powerful way to infuse your day with praise. Let the lyrics of worship songs remind you of God’s awe-inspiring greatness. Allow the music to lift your mood and motivate you emotionally to praise God.  By actively pursuing God’s wonder and praising God when you find it, you can rise above your immediate concerns and experience God’s awesome presence. So, let praise raise your perspective, and enjoy how that changes your life for the better.  Intersecting Faith and Life  As you consider how praising God goes raises your perspective, reflect on these questions:  How has praising God in the past helped you gain a new perspective on a challenging situation? What is one situation you’re facing now that you could use a new perspective on? What is one way you’ve witnessed God’s wonderful work in your life recently that you can praise him for today? How can you plan to include more moments of praise in your daily routine?  Further Reading  Isaiah 25:1 Psalm 34:1 Psalm 150:6 Hebrews 13:15 Psalm 145:3 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The richer we are toward God, the more filled we become with all the things, like joy, peace, and soul-deep fulfillment, the foolish man thought he’d gain through storehouses of grain. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Flourishing Through Living Richly Toward God By Jennifer Slattery So is the man who stores up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:21, NASB) A few years ago, I endured a season so overwhelming, I temporarily lost hope things would get better. In my emotional gloom, I longed to quit all the activities through which I’d served Christ for nearly three decades. I wanted to find a job where I could show up, clock in and out, and perform tasks that didn’t require mental or emotional energy. But, I also strove to honor God, even in my pain, so I prayed.  He directed me to the passage surrounding today’s verse. Initially, I felt frustrated, assuming He was telling me to put on my “praise face” and return to serving Him. I’ve since discovered, while He does want me to share His love through my gifts, being rich toward God goes deeper than volunteering, giving, and speaking truth. It’s about allowing His Spirit to permeate our depths and letting Him direct our steps and mold our thoughts. In short, God invited me to make much of Him, trusting Him to show me what that looked like in each moment. Trusting that He knew what I needed in each moment. Like the man who stockpiled wealth, I’d fallen into the trap of thinking I’d experience joy, security and fulfillment through our culture’s definition of life.  Jesus told this parable in response to someone’s request for help with an inheritance dispute. We know from God’s interaction with two sisters in the Old Testament that He cares about fairness in these matters. We also know from numerous verses in Proverbs that He encourages us to make wise financial choices. Therefore, we can assume, Jesus was addressing another matter.  Perhaps the man prioritized the family estate over relationships. Regardless, seeing his heart, Jesus told a story about someone with more wealth than he knew what to do with. After some thought, the man said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus of grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry’” (Vs. 18-19, NIV).  Verse 20 states, “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” (NIV). Jesus concluded the story with, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (V. 21, NIV). In other words, the man’s wealth wasn’t the problem. His obsession with it, with himself, and his complete disregard for the Lord left him spiritually bankrupt and, apparently, alone. (Otherwise, I assume God would’ve stated, in verse 20, “Then your children will get what you have prepared for yourself.”)  The man stored up wealth, likely thinking this would bring him happiness, peace, security, and fulfillment. Then, he decided to mentally disengage and spend the rest of his days on a permanent vacation. He was deceived into believing he could find life in material things and momentary pleasure.  I’m reminded of the contrast Jesus described in John 10:10, when He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (NIV).  This tells me that whenever I move from Jesus and resist His guidance, I’m simultaneously moving toward increased dysfunction, spiritual depletion, and death. Death of relationships, of true and lasting peace and joy, of every good and perfect gift Christ died to give me, and eventually, an eternity spent separated from Him. The converse occurs as I grow closer to Him. Deepening our relationship through ongoing connection and trusting obedience, I experience “full” or as some translations phrase it, “abundant” life. In the original Greek, the word Jesus used has the connotation of something that has “excess all around,” is more than enough, and exceeds one’s expectations.  This is like when someone fills a glass with refreshing ice water on a hot day and keeps pouring, so the water overflows.  Intersecting Life and Faith The richer we are toward God, the more filled we become with all the things, like joy, peace, and soul-deep fulfillment, the foolish man thought he’d gain through storehouses of grain. When the devil says I’ll find happiness through an exotic vacation or expansive home, I’ll remember Jesus’ promise to give me a life that overflows. When I struggle to prioritize my relationship with God above my career or bank account, that demonstrates I don’t fully believe His promise or ability to fulfill it. I’ll then view this as an invitation to experience the Lord more deeply so I can indeed “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:18, NIV). I’ll recognize my faulty thinking as an opportunity for Him to remove my spiritual blinders so that I can see Him and life as they truly are.  That’s something Jesus loves to do. The One who died that we might live will lead us toward every spiritual blessing available through Him. That is our most precious inheritance.   Additional Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 John 10:1-18 Romans 8:31-39 1 Corinthians 2:9 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you aren’t usually a morning person, consider exploring the act of waking with the Spirit for one week. It might take a few days to get into the habit, so be patient. While Christian culture might portray a certain set of circumstances/materials as “essentials” for time with God (cue the coffee, candles, journal, and fancy pen), the truth is that the only thing that’s essential for time with God is a willingness to listen and be in his presence. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Walking (and Waking) in the Spirit  by Deidre Braley  Galatians 5:16-17: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  In the middle of the book of Romans, we find Paul making the world’s most relatable confession: “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (7:18-19).  Poor guy. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was a parent, crying after bedtime and wishing he hadn’t lost his temper again. That’s always my shortcoming, at least. Maybe you have your own—that sin that keeps creeping into your days, hard as you try to kick it. Often referred to as a besetting sin, it’s the specific kind of brokenness that you’re especially prone to falling into—the kind that, as Hebrews 12 puts it, “clings so closely” (v.1).  When the Holy Spirit comes to reside within us, we are thrown into a rather peculiar state: Our spirits desire the Kingdom of God, but our flesh desires the stuff of this world. And it’s as though the Spirit and the flesh are each holding onto one end of the same rope and then walking in opposite directions. The two want different things—and we are caught in the center of that tension.  Is it any wonder that James gives such an ardent warning when he says, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (4:4). We’re in the middle of a fleshly-spiritual battle. On any given day, the desires of the flesh could give a good hard tug on the rope and we’d go tumbling, once again, into the same brokenness Jesus came to free us from.  Intersecting Faith & Life  If there’s one thing I’ve discovered about this battle, it’s that my daily chances of walking with the Spirit are much better when I wake with the Spirit.  On the mornings when I oversleep, our children barge into the bedroom and bombard me with requests, complaints, and noise. When I get out of bed, I am my full-flesh self: under-caffeinated, combative, and short-fused. It’s not pretty. And unless I am able to reset and spend some intentional time with the Lord, my day progresses in that fashion. I give in to the desires of my flesh—and end the day feeling an awful lot like what Paul is talking about. On my better mornings—the ones where I set my alarm and rise before everyone else—I brew a pot of coffee and tiptoe onto the back porch. I wrap up in a king-sized blanket and listen to the birds and to the crickets and to God. I feel a supernatural peace settle below my sternum, as though I have stepped into the Spirit and the Spirit has stepped into me. And when the kids wake, I am able to sing and laugh and smile. As the day goes on, I am drawn back, over and over again, into the conversation with God that began before the day did. The difference is immense.  See, there is power in starting the day with God, inviting the the Spirit into every moment ahead of us. When we do this, we join the side of the Spirit in the tug of war that’s happening over our souls. We set ourselves up to walk by the Spirit for the day, rather than the flesh. James puts it this way: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8).  If you aren’t usually a morning person, consider exploring the act of waking with the Spirit for one week. It might take a few days to get into the habit, so be patient. While Christian culture might portray a certain set of circumstances/materials as “essentials” for time with God (cue the coffee, candles, journal, and fancy pen), the truth is that the only thing that’s essential for time with God is a willingness to listen and be in his presence. So just allow yourself to go into this practice of “waking with the Spirit” with an openness toward experiencing him—perfectly curated environment, optional.  At the end of the week, reflect on any changes you’ve noticed in your:  perspective  intimacy with God  mood  mental health  overall sense of wellbeing  ability to walk by the Spirit when temptations arise (especially in the area of any besetting sins)  If you’ve noticed positive change from the practice of waking in the Spirit, incorporate it into your daily routine for the next week, and then possibly the next. You might find, over time, that you’ve made a lifestyle change that significantly impacts the trajectory of your days.  Further Reading:  Romans 8:1-11 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Continue to submit to Him, follow Him, and love Him. Choose to refrain from leaning on your own understanding and start leaning on God. Through studying the Bible, you will start seeing things as God sees them as well as you will understand His will better.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Is God Calling Me to Switch Careers? By Vivian Bricker “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).  Many people have a good idea of what they want to be after college. College prepares us for the workforce and equips us with everything we need in order to get hired. However, sometimes later in life, we want to change our career. This could be due to a change in leadership at the company where we are working or simply losing interest in the career.  If you are finding yourself in a position where you feel God is calling you to switch careers, rest in the peace that this can happen. There are times when God calls us away from the field we are currently working in and wants us to move to a new career. If you feel God is leading you to switch careers, it would be wise to listen to His call.  God knows what is best for us and it is good to include Him in all of our decisions. Even if we might not understand God’s direction at the time, we can trust in His goodness. He will never lead us into a bad situation. If you are afraid of leaving your current job, leave space for this fear, but also allow yourself to think about the beautiful things God has in store for you.  If you are not sure God is calling you to change careers, go to Him in prayer. God hears and listens to every prayer. When you pray to Him, ask Him for His guidance and instructions. He will answer and make His paths known to you.  Be specific in your prayers and do not be afraid to pray big prayers. If you are specifically asking God about a career change, ask Him clearly. By praying to God, you will be acknowledging your dependence on Him. God is ultimately in control and the more we depend on Him, the safer and calmer we will feel. We can trust God because He is fully reliable, faithful, and trustworthy. Take your prayers to Him today and ask Him to reveal His plans for your life. Intersecting Faith & Life:  The best way to clearly understand God’s will and directions is by listening to Him through His Word. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  It is important for us to trust in God and lean on Him rather than our own understanding. In all our ways, we need to submit to Him and He will make our paths straight. These simple instructions from Proverbs 3:5-6 are applicable to us when we are looking for a change of career and feeling as though God is leading this desire. If we submit our ways to God and we follow His instructions, our paths will be made smooth.  Focus on this truth and allow it to give your heart joy. God is going to make His will known to you. Continue to submit to Him, follow Him, and love Him. Choose to refrain from leaning on your own understanding and start leaning on God. Through studying the Bible, you will start seeing things as God sees them as well as you will understand His will better.  In addition to seeking out God through prayer and Bible study, we also need to communicate and seek out confirmation from trusted believers in our life. Trusted believers will be able to help us in many ways. For one, they can pray for us and second, they can provide us with immeasurable advice, feedback, and suggestions. Schedule sometime this week to talk with a few trusted believers and listen to any thoughts they have about you changing careers. It is good to look for trusted believers who will actually tell you their thoughts. You don't need to be surrounded by advisers who will only tell you what you want to hear. This is not helpful and it can actually be extremely detrimental. Instead, choose to enlist help from trusted believers who will be discerning and thoughtful as they help you navigate this major life change.  Some trusted believers might also feel God is leading you into a new career path; whereas, others might tell you this is not where God is leading. In other words, some might confirm your career change and others might tell you this is not a good move. Take special note of their thoughts and ponder each of them thoughtfully. Avoid starting arguments if they disagree with you.  Instead of arguing, ask them why they feel as though God is not calling you to a new career. They could provide you with needed advice from the Bible or recently revealed answered prayers in their own life. Listen to them and value their opinions even if they might be different from your own. Take their advice thoughtfully and allow it to form your final opinion.  “Dear Jesus, please give me guidance as to which career I should switch to. I want to glorify You through my career change and ensure the call to change comes from You. Since I trust You with my salvation, I know I can also trust You with my career. Please give me direction, Lord. Amen.”  Challenge Questions: Is God calling me to a career change? If He is, where do I go from here? Is there anything holding me back from obeying God? Who is a trusted Christian I can ask for advice and clarity in this matter?  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ask God to open your eyes to the opportunities to serve and to give you the strength and wisdom to act on them. Pray earnestly for more laborers – including yourself – to be sent into God’s harvest. Your work will be worth it! SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Consumption or Contribution? By: Whitney Hopler “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” – Matthew 9:37-38, ESV  In our materialistic world, we are constantly bombarded with opportunities for consumption. It’s easy to spend our valuable time on activities that bring us temporary entertainment but little lasting value – from scrolling on social media and binge-watching TV shows to shopping or eating too much. While moments of rest and recreation are important, we must guard against allowing these activities to dominate our lives and distract us from our higher calling.  Jesus’ words in Matthew 9:37-38 remind us of the vast opportunities for meaningful work in God’s kingdom. The harvest is plentiful. There are countless ways we can make a positive difference in our communities, churches, and beyond. Yet, the laborers are few. Many people are caught up in consumption, missing the chance to contribute to God’s work.  Just as farmers work diligently to gather their crops during harvest season before the cold sets in, we too must diligently make good use of the opportunities God places before us to reap a spiritual harvest. We have a limited window of time to plant seeds of faith, hope, and love that can help people grow spiritually. God calls us to be laborers in his harvest. This means prioritizing the work God has prepared for us over excessive consumption. When we focus on contributing rather than consuming, we fulfill God’s purposes for our lives. We become instruments of God’s love, shining God’s light into the darkness of a world in need.  Consider how you spend your valuable time. Are you investing it in ways that contribute to God’s kingdom, or are you caught up in consumption? Are you using your God-given talents, or neglecting them? Seek God’s guidance to discern how he wants you to use your time – and what opportunities there are to use the distinctive talents God has given you. You may serve in your church, start a volunteer project in your community, mentor someone, or simply be present and available to those around you. Every small act of service contributes to the larger harvest. The harvest season is a time of hard work but also of great rewards and joy. As a laborer in God’s harvest, you are called to gather people into God’s kingdom and to help others grow in their faith. You can do so by sharing the Gospel and living a loving life that shows people the reality of God’s love in action. This work will not only fulfill you, but also will bring joy to your heart and to God’s heart.  Imagine a field ripe for harvest but left unattended because the laborers were distracted by lesser things. The crops would wither and spoil. It would be a tragic situation of valuable opportunities lost. Likewise, when if you allow yourself to be consumed by trivial pursuits, you miss the chance to make a lasting impact for God’s kingdom. Our world is in desperate need of hope, compassion, and truth. You can help people find those treasures when you choose to contribute rather than consume.  Remember that the call to be a laborer is not a burden but a privilege. God has uniquely equipped you with gifts and talents to make a difference. When you choose contribution over consumption, you step into a life of purpose and fulfillment. You become part of something much larger than yourself – God’s great plan of redemption and restoration.  As you see fields being harvested, let it be a visual reminder of the spiritual harvest around you. Ask God to open your eyes to the opportunities to serve and to give you the strength and wisdom to act on them. Pray earnestly for more laborers – including yourself – to be sent into God’s harvest. Your work will be worth it! Intersecting Faith and Life As you consider how much the world needs what you can contribute as one of God’s laborers, reflect on these questions:  How much time do you spend on entertainment and consumption each day compared to contributing to God’s kingdom? What specific talents and gifts has God given you that you can use to serve others? In what areas of your life do you feel God calling you to be a laborer in his harvest? How can you create a balanced schedule that allows for rest and recreation while also prioritizing meaningful contribution? What steps can you take today to shift from a mindset of consumption to one of contribution?  Further Reading Ephesians 2:10 Colossians 3:23-24 Galatians 6:9 1 Peter 4:10 Romans 12:11 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we live through the word of God, the way he intended us to live, for him.. through him. That is when we experience true joy, and can use that joy to spread the word to the world. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Are you taking time to listen well to others before responding? How can you respond more like Jesus? Are you quick to listen to the Holy Spirit or do you jump to respond in your flesh? Pray and ask God to help you live this out. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Who Are You Listening To?Written By: Emma Danzey James 1:19 says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Listening has never come naturally to me. I have grown tremendously in this skill and calling as a believer over the past couple of years especially. You can truly only build deeper friendships and invest in the next generation if you listen to them. When I was a young girl in school we would always take the dreaded end of the school year tests. I never thrived at reading comprehension since I was a slower reader and dealt with the insecurity with that. I also never performed well at the listening portion. Basically the fact that I am a professional Christian writer is only an act of God today. He can take the unlikely and use them for His glory alone. When the teacher would read the portions for us to listen and answer questions to afterwards, I would overthink, zone out and wonder what was the most important thing that I should have heard. I was so overly concerned with performing well that I missed the big picture and got hyper focused on often the wrong details. In life, we can easily do this in our walk with God. There are so many voices trying to speak into our lives and gain our attention that if we are not careful, we can turn our focus towards the wrong things and miss the voice of the Lord. Today as we break down James 1:19, may we remember that there are many opinions and thoughts in this world, but only one voice of God.  “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this” James begins this verse with an endearing message to his fellow believers. He calls them (and us today) brothers and sisters. His approach to the hard topic is kindness and humble care. He continues with the importance to take note of this. James wants his readers to know that what he is saying is important, so listen up! “Everyone should be quick to listen,” Everyone means all of us. James teaches us that by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we should be quick to listen. I normally do not hear the adjective quick with listen. I feel like listening would pair more naturally with a word like patience, stop what you are doing and listen, or slow down and listen. Quick to listen reminds us that in a moment’s notice when we want to provide a knee-jerk response, we need to quickly listen. We need to be fast at doing what is unnatural to us in order to live by the Spirit and not our flesh.  The Holy Spirit empowers us to do this and we need to pray to Him in moments when we need to hear what others are truly saying and also in times when God is speaking to us. We do not need to wait, but we need to have open ears and a fast response to hear our Lord just like a soldier would quickly listen to the instructions from His commanding general. Do we take the voice of the Spirit this seriously? We need to be on our guard and ready to hear Him, especially when we are trying to actively listen to others who need to hear the gospel. “Slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Where do we tend to go when we are not quick to listen? We speak too soon and often become angry. If we do not take the time to truly listen to others, we can be overly concerned with a response and an argument versus truly shepherding and caring for the other person’s heart. We see Jesus model this so many times with the Pharisees and religious leaders on this earth. He was quick to listen to them, even though often they were testing Him and questioning His authority.  He did speak back to them and respond, but He was always strategic and allowed them to question Him first. Then, sometimes he did become angry, however He was slow to anger. Jesus exhibited humility, kindness, compassion, and confidence in His Father’s will and kingdom. We too can live this out in being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Intersecting Faith and Life: Are you taking time to listen well to others before responding? How can you respond more like Jesus? Are you quick to listen to the Holy Spirit or do you jump to respond in your flesh? Pray and ask God to help you live this out. Further Reading: Proverbs 18:13 Matthew 26:41 Galatians 5:17 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

You may or may not go to church looking for God's presence. You may or may not feel like you need God to reveal God's self to you in some way, but God’s presence, and God’s power define the church. The church, amid all its flaws and humanness, is like a big neon sign from the God saying, “If you want to find me, you can find me here.” Even today, the church is the house of the Lord. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Longing for the Church “My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Psalm 84:2 When you were young, did you ever find yourself giddy with excitement when going somewhere? Maybe it was a theme park, maybe it was grandma’s house, maybe it was a long trip, but internally you were fueled with joy and excitement. Like a kid before Christmas, you couldn’t fall asleep - and if you did, you dreamt of what you would do when you got there.  Have you ever had that experience on your way to church? Every block you pass on your way makes your heart leap into your throat; you are filled with excitement. I am willing to be not many of us have had that experience. But this is exactly what Psalm 84 calls us to.           Psalm 84 centers around a pilgrimage to the Temple. For the psalmist, there was no greater thing than approaching the house of the Lord. The joy that is felt is not because the temple was beautifully adorned. The psalmist has a divine longing to be in the temple because the temple was the dwelling place of God - and to be in the temple I was to be in God's presence. What is more, to be in God's presence was to experience the wonder of God's divine activity.  Do we have a similar understanding when we step through the front doors of our local churches today? Or do we view the church only in human terms, as a place to sing religious songs, to hear scripture read, to touch base with faithful friends? If we view the church only through the lens of what we do, we might fail to recognize what God does in our midst. Because the church is the place where we gather to meet the God who created, redeemed, and sustains us. And God is present in the church. In many ways, contemporary society has lost an understanding of sacred space. Life with God has become so individualized, that we tend to downplay the importance of the church      as a place of God. A common quip is 'I don't need to go to the church, I can worship God as much on the golf course as anywhere.' And that's true, but do you? Yes, God is everywhere, even the psalmists understood that, but scripture always holds that there is something special about God’s house. Psalm 84 begins 'How lovely is your dwelling place, O God;' how perfect, how wonderful, how magnificent is the place where God sets God's glory. See, for the psalmist, if God's presence was in the temple in some magnificent,   unique, yet indescribable way – then there was no other place that he would rather be.  We come to church to be in God's presence and to open ourselves to divine activity. Because God is not just some passive observer. God never naps in church. God is always moving, always active. Whatever the denomination, whether you meet in a building with a spire or in someone’s home, whether the church is liturgical, charismatic, this is the nature of the church that we are invited to enjoy. Intersecting faith and life Psalm 84 declares that the Lord bestows favor and honor and does not withhold good things. Are you needing good things in your life, a good resolution, a good report, a healing? Are you needing a reinvigoration of life, or a sense of protection from whatever you may be going through?  It may sound odd, and it may sound countercultural, but have you tried going to church? After all, what is the church, if it is not the place where we gather to meet God's loving and grace-filled presence, and to receive good things from God’s hand.  Of course, understanding God's presence and activity doesn't mean that things will turn around in a moment. Psalm 84 isn't a poem of prosperity declaring that God will make you healthy, wealthy, and glad all your days. No, life with God is a journey. The psalmist says “Blessed are the ones whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.”  The ones who receive God's activity are those who long to move closer to God, even when the path is ruff and the hill is steep, and even in those times that you think that the journey isn't worth it. We are called to keep reaching out to God. Because rough times never discount God's presence or activity. And through the church, God always invites us to God’s self. You may or may not go to church looking for God's presence. You may or may not feel like you need God to reveal God's self to you in some way, but God’s presence, and God’s power define the church. The church, amid all its flaws and humanness, is like a big neon sign from the God saying, “If you want to find me, you can find me here.” Even today, the church is the house of the Lord. For Further Reading: Psalm 84 What is the church? On biblestudytools.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We can overcome the world and its struggles because Jesus already has. Rather than trying to take matters into our own hands, we need to trust in Him, allow Him to direct our steps, and apply His teachings into our lives. Whenever we feel without hope in our trouble or distress, we need to remember that the Lord has overcome the world and we can take heart in this promise.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Jesus Has Overcome the World By Vivian Bricker “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  If there is one thing I’m familiar with, it’s trouble. Growing up, I often found myself in the vice principal’s office for a myriad of reasons. Due to having a speech impediment when I was younger, I would often say things incorrectly, which would then be taken the wrong way. I was also notorious for coming up with different names for teachers and people at the school because I was never good with names. For example, instead of remembering Mr. Smith, Mr. Jones, or Mr. Hanks, I would make up a name for them, based on what they looked like, such as “turtle man,” “Mr. Giraffe,” and “the alien.” As one could imagine, the vice principal didn’t enjoy being called an alien. In addition to being sent to the vice principal’s office for mispronouncing words and referring to teachers by different names, I often had a hard time calming down if someone said something about my family. There was one specific girl who always tried to get me upset by saying something mean about my mom or my sister. One day, this girl made a very derogatory remark about my mother, to which I called her a few bad words that I had heard from my father. Yet again, this landed me in the vice principal’s office.  “Vivian, you’re a good student. Why are you always in my office?” This is what I was asked each time I was in the vice principal’s office. I explained the situation to him and while he understood why I was upset, he told me it was never right to say bad words or to call people mean names. He validated my feelings that what she did was wrong and he would talk to her about it, but that it didn’t make it right for me to be mean back. Rather than following after anger, he cautioned me to follow after peace.  I’m not sure if he knew how much his words affected me at 9-years-old, but it did change many of my future actions. When this girl would be mean to me, I would tell her that she was just mean. I didn’t go any further than that and I did my best to try to apply what the vice principal had told me. This girl was still mean to me, but I no longer fed into her cruelty. I chose to strive for peace. Intersecting Faith & Life: The Lord tells us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus tells us here that we will have trouble in this world, but we can take heart because He has overcome the world. Through the Lord, we can have peace. While we cannot fully obtain peace on our own, we can obtain peace through Jesus.  Troubles will abound in our life, but we can trust in the Lord. He has already overcome the world, therefore, there is nothing for us to fear. We might cause trouble or we might be the victim of trouble, but we can take heart because of the Lord. Due to living in a fallen world, sin is ever present and we will face many difficult times. We will hurt others and they will hurt us.  None of us want to hurt others, yet it is part of living in a sinful world. With this knowledge, we need to allow it to lead us to follow Jesus and strive for peace with all people. We can overcome the world and its struggles because Jesus already has. Rather than trying to take matters into our own hands, we need to trust in Him, allow Him to direct our steps, and apply His teachings into our lives. Whenever we feel without hope in our trouble or distress, we need to remember that the Lord has overcome the world and we can take heart in this promise.  Challenge Questions: What does taking heart look like in your life? Are there any troubles you are facing today? How can you bring them to Jesus today? When life feels overwhelming, remember that Jesus has overcome the world. How can you praise Him for this today? “Dear Jesus, You have overcome the world! I praise You and I thank You. Please help me to remember this when trouble is at my door. I have often caused trouble for others and others have caused trouble for me. Help me to follow after Your example and to strive after peace. In Your Name, I pray, Amen.” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When Joshua finally led the Israelites into the Promised Land, it was because of God’s powerful presence along the way. The new work you’re starting can also be successful when you trust God while you work. As you step out in faith, be encouraged that God is with you and will never leave nor forsake you. God’s presence is your strength, his promises are your hope, and his faithfulness is your assurance.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God Goes with You By: Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer  “Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’” – Deuteronomy 31:7-8, NIV  September is a month of new beginnings. As summer fades into fall, many of us are considering taking on new projects and responsibilities at work, church, or community organizations. These transitions can bring a mix of excitement and apprehension, as we think about the important work God is leading us to start doing.  In Deuteronomy 31:7-8, an older leader – Moses – addresses a younger leader – Joshua – in front of all Israel. Joshua is about to take on the monumental task of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. Moses encourages Joshua that God goes with him as he sets out to do what God is leading him to do.  Just as Joshua faced the challenging task of leading a nation into uncharted territory, you too might be stepping into something new and unknown right now. Whether you’re starting a new job or new project at work, beginning a new volunteer role, or moving forward with another kind of new opportunity, uncertainty about the future can be stressful. However, the Bible’s assurance that God goes before you can bring you the encouragement you need. God is not only aware of your future, but he is actively involved in orchestrating every detail of it. God’s presence is not limited by time or space. God is already in your tomorrow, preparing the way and setting the stage for your success. By the time you get there, God will still be there, and God will be with you every step of the way as you do your new work. When you remember that God goes before you and with you, it relieves your stress and gives you courage. Your journey may have unexpected twists and turns, but none of them catch God by surprise. God has already mapped out your path and equipped you with everything you need to navigate it well.  Moses’ encouragement to Joshua to “be strong and courageous” is a powerful reminder that your strength and courage come from your trust in God. You don’t need to worry about having what you need yourself. All you have to do is simply trust God. If you just trust God, you can be both strong and courageous. Joshua was stepping into Moses’ important yet challenging role, leading people to a vital destination while enduring complaints and rebellion. The task ahead was formidable. But Moses reminded Joshua that his confidence should be in the fact that God was going with them.  In your own life, you may face situations that seem beyond your capability. You might feel inadequate, unprepared, or afraid of failure. Yet, it’s precisely in those moments that God calls you to trust him more deeply. Your strength comes from recognizing that God is with you, empowering you to fulfill good purposes. Since God is with you, you can do whatever God is leading you to do – even if you feel afraid. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to move forward in faith despite fear, trusting that God will provide what you need every step of the way.  As you step out in faith, remember that you are part of a larger story. The new beginnings you face are part of God’s larger plan for your life. Your journey may include some challenges, but God’s faithfulness ensures that God’s purposes for you will prevail. God is with you with every step you take – guiding, protecting, and providing for you.  When Joshua finally led the Israelites into the Promised Land, it was because of God’s powerful presence along the way. The new work you’re starting can also be successful when you trust God while you work. As you step out in faith, be encouraged that God is with you and will never leave nor forsake you. God’s presence is your strength, his promises are your hope, and his faithfulness is your assurance.  Intersecting Faith and Life As you consider how God goes with you as you step out in faith to do what God is leading you to do, reflect on these questions:  What new beginnings are you facing right now? How can you remind yourself daily that God goes before you in your new journey? In what areas of your life do you need to trust God more deeply for courage and strength?  Further Reading  Joshua 1:9 Isaiah 41:10 Matthew 28:20 Psalm 32:8 Proverbs 3:5-6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The purpose of fostering a Christ-like community is to share the same love God has shown us. He called us to spread the Gospel and the only effective way to do that is through community. What we must remember is that our time on this Earth is limited and so many of us don’t realize just how limited.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How to Foster Christian Community By Aaron D’Anthony Brown“And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, CSB) How We Neglect Community A lot of us have thoughts on community. What it is, what it is not, but most of us don’t know how to create community. Not exactly. We do know how to start or at least keep a few relationships. Namely our friends, close relatives. Yet, hardly ever do we venture out from within those oh-so-comfortable bubbles. Perhaps, that is why our country is more divided than during the Civil War. Perhaps that is why loneliness, especially for men, is at an all-time high. The church isn’t exactly the same as the culture, not yet, but we certainly do imitate society. And on the subject of sticking to our comfort zones, being afraid to meet new people, and avoiding those who don’t think like us, we fall right in line with the nonbelievers around us. Thus, we diminish our ability to foster community. If we are to live up to Jesus’ example, then we must recognize that creating communities happens when we make relationships with people, those with similar values like our friends, those we are familiar with like family, but also those with much less common interests. Community as Jesus created was not just the people who thought exactly as He did. Jesus knew those who loved Him, but also those were rejected by society, even the people living deep in sin. Now, to be clear, Jesus was not friends with everyone. He was clear about what was sinful and what was virtuous, and Scripture admonishes us not to be unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14). What we ought to take away then was that Jesus created community with those who were not opposed to community with Him. To be in community is to be in relationship with others. Relationships that may be deep or simplistic, but they are all intentional. As Christians we have a tendency to get excited when talking about community in the abstract, but when the opportunity comes to talk to strangers, estranged family members, people with different beliefs than us, suddenly the idea of community becomes much more difficult. However, difficulty is no excuse for inaction.  Just as Jesus’ disciples learned how to interact with one another and carry on Jesus’ means of fostering community, we must do the same. Only after recognizing the ways in which we neglect community, we can then start finding ways to create it. Intersecting Faith & Life: If you genuinely want to foster community, but have not developed the skills needed to do so, then here are several practical steps you and I can take today to move in that direction. Start With Genuine Interest Many people spend more time talking about themselves as opposed to listening to another because of where their interest lies, in themselves. We can counteract this and form community by being curious about other people. Genuinely curious. Authenticity gives people a positive behavior to emulate and makes them feel more comfortable being around you. Asking Questions After curiosity comes questions, questions that help us get to know one another better. We don’t need to understand other people completely, but we should want to understand them enough. Enough to honor them and honor God, enough to make them feel like a part of the Body of Christ. Be sure to ask more than one question too. Listen to the information they provide and follow up based on the response. Listen to Understand Who can relate to the experience of sharing something personal only to be cut off by the very person who asked you the initial question? Some people listen to respond and not to understand. If we are genuinely curious about people, then we want to get to know them better. We already know our thoughts and values, but we don’t know the other person in the same detail. Look for Interaction Aside from asking questions and listening, you should aim to do stuff with people that offers other forms of engagement. Attend a social event where you will get a chance to interact with someone you know. Party games are another great way to get to know people with low stakes. Ask someone out for coffee or a walk or lunch, again, with the goal of community. Making People Feel Seen The purpose of fostering a Christ-like community is to share the same love God has shown us. He called us to spread the Gospel and the only effective way to do that is through community. What we must remember is that our time on this Earth is limited and so many of us don’t realize just how limited. Jesus described life as a “mist” (James 4:14). Redeeming the time we have well means loving God wholeheartedly. We can’t do that if we neglect community. Further Reading: Proverbs 27:17 Matthew 28:18-20 1 John 4:19 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Take a moment to analyze your life. Are there any areas you realize are out of control? Are there areas that you indulge in that have become idols in your life? It is easy to have these idols creep into our lives. With God, we always hope to push those idols aside and allow ourselves not to be mastered by anything.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: “Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV As a writer, I need specific technology and equipment, including my computer. One ordinary day, I was writing several article assignments, and suddenly, the computer screen went blank. Curiously clicking keys and starting and restarting the computer, I found it would only start up to shut down and restart repeatedly. The screen went blank at that moment, and I froze in fear. I had many thoughts: what if I couldn't get my files off my computer? What if I've lost everything? What if I can't get my laptop to work? I started feeling fearful, but that fear began to overtake me. Racing thoughts and overthinking situations sometimes get the best of me.  I talked it over with my husband, and he tried to reassure me that everything would be OK. He took the computer to the store, hoping to restore the files off my laptop. I had an extraordinary amount of peace. I had peace because even though I felt fear over what I had lost, I didn't want the fear to overtake me.  This feeling of peace was not usual for me. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I had every reason to be fearful. I was in the middle of a project when the computer screen went black. I wondered if my computer had backed up all my files. Without it, I would have lost two years' worth of articles, book proposals, and other important documents that I could never recover.  I prepared myself for the worst, thinking I had lost them all. But the computer store was able to get the computer started again, and when I checked my computer, all the files were there! I was so grateful. But I was still surprised at my unexplainable feeling of peace.  In this life, we will always encounter fear. Anxiety and fear are a natural part of life. But it's our reaction to it is what God honors. Even when I feel anxious, I don’t have to give in to that fear. I can do what I can to face my fears and experience life despite my fears.   When I run to God rather than run to my fear, God is glorified. In the above verse, we must understand that we have freedom in this life. We can do what we want because of Jesus’ death on the cross. However, we don't want anything to overtake us in life so much that we cannot worship God. Anything that takes over our thoughts, feelings, and actions more than it should become an idol in our lives.  This verse refers to gluttony and sexual immorality. We don't want to indulge in any sinful behavior that may overtake us in the end. For example, we can certainly eat and enjoy our food. In the same way, within the proper context, sex is made to be enjoyed. However, when it is distorted, with practices such as pornography, lust, or other behaviors, or if we find ourselves lusting over dessert, our flesh has taken over. We don't have God in the proper place.  When God is worshipped above all else, food and sex become behaviors that we can enjoy but don't overtake us. In this life, we hope that we cannot be mastered by anything. We can choose to do whatever we please. But when those things overtake our lives, they must be put in the proper perspective.  Take a moment to analyze your life. Are there any areas you realize are out of control? Are there areas that you indulge in that have become idols in your life? It is easy to have these idols creep into our lives. With God, we always hope to push those idols aside and allow ourselves not to be mastered by anything.  Father, help us not let simple behaviors overtake our thoughts, behaviors, or actions. Please help us know that you are to be first in every area of our lives. We always hope that even if everything seems out of control, you are a God who can heal and deliver us from sinful behaviors. Amen. Intersecting Faith and Life Do you struggle with fear? What steps can you take to trust God? What can you do to rid yourself of idols in your life? Further reading 2 Timothy 1:7 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Next time you wonder how a good God could allow such sorrowful moments and seasons, will you consider the beautiful blessings they also hold? Notice how those divine presents make you feel in the midst of the treacherous-at-times storms? If you look for him, look for them, you will find his continual blessings. Radiant touches of joy, heart swelling doses of love, generous infusions of peace, and invaluable portions of purpose. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: The Blessed Life With Jesus By Keri Eichberger Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. (Psalm 84:5) Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t know how they do it,” when referring to someone who doesn’t seem to place their faith in Jesus through difficult times, while they’re going through their own strenuous struggle? I have. And I’ve said it. Recently in fact. On multiple occasions.  I 100% don’t think I could have survived the rough patches of my life without the Lord to lean on. Like last month, staring out the window as the paramedic lifted my dad on a stretcher into an ambulance while my family was on vacation. The site left me paralyzed with vicious waves of knock-your-breath-out fear. Weakened by the moment, I collapsed in the chair in our rental house, and all I felt I had was the Lord's name to call on, to beg for peace, mercy, and a miracle. I’m pretty sure I would’ve stopped breathing without his almighty calming hand to hold. And then there were the many days that followed – the unknowns, ups and downs, sleepless nights of worry and what ifs after Dad’s sudden stroke – that then slowly became sprinkled with blessings as I began to sturdy my gaze on the Lord. Without Jesus, the chaos of my heart, head, and surroundings would’ve missed the strength supplied through those around me, along with the peaceful reminders that my cares were being cared for. And regardless of me. Blessings. I would’ve missed so many blessings without the rock solid foundation of our good God. The Bible says, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you.” Blessed. Yes, I’m learning more and more what it means to have a blessed life. I’m learning it doesn’t necessarily mean we will live in a state of constant comfort, contentment, and happiness. Because I’m learning and understanding that quite the opposite is actually true. That this world is really hard, and it hurts. The more and more we live it, in fact. Also true, and I’ve seen this time and again, that the compounding weights we weather have the capability to crush most people unless they have eyes that see Jesus. An awareness of blessings born with, and beaming through, the burdens, tragedies, and traumas. Reflect with me for a minute. Consider some hard things you have endured or are enduring right now. Can you tie any blessings at all to those difficulties? Maybe an unpleasant, unexpected detour opened a door to a bit of goodness that would otherwise never have been. Possibly a relationship was formed or strengthened through the trial? Perhaps stronger bonds of intimacy were created with the Lord as you clung closer to him? Or you offered or received acts of service that blessed someone or gave you the sweet gift of purpose? These blessings are truly the greatest gifts. They are gifts that the world could never dare to give. This is the blessed life with Jesus. When visiting the hospital recently over my dad’s five week stay, when trying to encourage him with the good shining through his hard season, I shared how I’ve grown closer to the Lord through this difficult storm. Which is priceless. And I’ll soon let him know, now that he’s just returned home, how I’ve grown in a closer relationship and connection to my mom too. Yet another precious and priceless gift from God. Yes, God warned us of the trouble and trials to be in our time on earth, but he most certainly promised the good here, too. Aww, thank you, Lord.  Intersecting Faith and Life: Next time you wonder how a good God could allow such sorrowful moments and seasons, will you consider the beautiful blessings they also hold? Notice how those divine presents make you feel in the midst of the treacherous-at-times storms? If you look for him, look for them, you will find his continual blessings. Radiant touches of joy, heart swelling doses of love, generous infusions of peace, and invaluable portions of purpose. God’s never failing faithfulness and always available abundance. The blessed life. Which only comes from a life lived close with him. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Lord sees everything we do! As believers, we don’t live for today; we have an eternal hope. For those of us alive in Christ, our eternal rewards are far greater than anything we can experience on this earth.   SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Finding Comfort in an Uncertain World By: Laura Bailey “Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.” Ephesians 6: 6 NIV Political tension has been high in the last few years, but recent events seem to indicate that people across parties are experiencing uncertainty and doubt in governing authorities. While it may be the first time we have experienced political unrest in our lifetime, the Bible is replete with examples of wicked leadership, divisiveness, and abuse of earthly authority.  Not one to overly concern myself with the happenings in our national capital in the past, recently, I  found myself gripped with fear and anxiety over the direction of leadership. When my heart begins to race, and I feel tempted to naw at my fingernails or grab the box of cookies, I’ve turned to the Scriptures for comfort. Specifically, I’ve meditated on Ephesians 6: 5-9 and the words of Paul on how we should submit to earthy authority. While this section of text speaks specifically to enslaved people, there is much we can apply to our lives today. Paul is telling enslaved people and servants the importance of obedience to the ones who are in charge of them: their masters. Paul shares three ways to obey: with respect and fear, sincerity of heart, and as if they were submitting to Jesus Christ. Paul is not advocating slavery or justifying the actions of those who enslave others, as  Paul often speaks against slavery and works to free those in bondage. Remember, Paul was held in chains and jailed numerous times, encouraging us, no matter the circumstance, to live for the glory of God. Paul never let his circumstances, the countless times he was beaten, unjustly accused, or imprisoned, dampen his enthusiasm for Christ and sharing God’s love.  Other texts often use the term “slave” or bondservant to describe one’s relationship with Christ. A bondservant always served with a heart’s desire to bring glory to God—not just when people were looking, not when it was advantageous for them, but when no one was around—because they knew they ultimately served the Lord. And the Lord sees everything we do! As believers, we don’t live for today; we have an eternal hope. For those of us alive in Christ, our eternal rewards are far greater than anything we can experience on this earth.    As we think about this today, those in positions of authority need to take extra care and think of how they treat those they lead. Leadership shouldn’t be taken lightly, and it’s crucial that if we find ourselves in a position of authority, we continue to ask the Lord to create a clean heart,  making our motives pure and our desires aligned with His will.  While on earth, we make distinctions between social classes, job titles, and economic backgrounds, God makes no distinction; we are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. God is the ultimate righteous judge and requires that we live a life worthy of the gospel in whatever our authority position (or lack thereof). Abuse of authority is not to be tolerated. Instead, this relationship ( like a husband-wife) should be marked by a mutual desire to honor the Lord.  I’ll be honest: this section can be hard to digest. They are, as I like to say, “ preach easy, live hard” kinds of messages. But, the key takeaway in these verses is that when we have the proper perspective, we understand that everything we do, the reason we were created, is to bring glory and honor to God. It is clinging to eternal hope in Christ that we can obey and submit to the earthly authority that the Lord places in our lives because we know that it is not human masters we serve but the Lord.  Intersecting Faith and Life: As we embark on the upcoming political season, let me encourage you to find a healthy balance of media consumption. While it is important to understand current events and how they will affect our lives, remember who has the ultimate authority over your life. Be sure to start each day in Scripture and prayer. Pray for those in authority; pray that the Lord will guide their decisions.  For Further Reading: Romans 13:1-6 As a Christian, How Involved Should I Be in Politics? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If we are fortunate enough to die of old age, perhaps we’ll be patiently or eagerly awaiting what is on the other side, but one thing we can do right now is have faith. God has not called us to live in fear of anything else but Him, and even that biblical fear is a reverential attitude towards the Lord. Loving, acknowledging, and trusting in His majesty.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Are You Afraid of Dying? By Aaron D’Anthony Brown“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2) The Greatest Fear I’ve been told that public speaking is a greater fear than death for most people. Perhaps that is true, but if you told someone they had to speak to a crowd or die at that very moment, my guess is that most people would stomach their discomfort and talk. They may fumble their way through the speech, but they would be alive. So many people enjoy being alive in the physical sense. But that enjoyment is fueled by a fear of what comes afterward. Does that describe you? Are you afraid of dying? I had a chat with a friend recently, and he spoke about his fear of death. Since he doesn’t believe in Christ or an afterlife, he talked about how after we die, we cease to exist. Imagine that. It’s true that most of us won’t go down in history books. The people we know and love will also eventually pass away. Any memory of us will fade. Ostensibly, we vanish into nothingness. This image of death is rather bleak, and I imagine that’s the case for anyone who doesn’t believe in something more. For them, this life is all there is. Once it’s gone, nothing awaits. However, the thoughts shared by my friend are not exactly unique. I know Christians who have been fearful of death. They avoid thinking about it as much as possible and focus on living life. Similarly, I, too, have, at different points in my existence, been afraid of death. However, God has not called us to live a life of fear. Not to death. In fact, God has given us reason not to fear death at all. Intersecting Faith & Life: Jesus conquered the grave. Perhaps the main reason believers should not fear death is the victory Jesus has claimed on our behalf. He died and was punished for our iniquities. The damnation that would have found us no longer will because of the sacrifice Christ made. If you believe in that sacrifice, then reaffirm your confidence that Christ has taken care of you. Death will find you, but Hell will not claim you. You are one of God’s children. Scripture talks about Heaven. I remember talking to my mechanic about his near-death experience. He told me that he actually did technically die, but was brought back. Before that happened, he spoke of a field that he was standing in. He said he had never felt so much peace and that he didn’t want to come back. That experience reassured him that Heaven is real. Now, I can’t advocate for believing in people who talk about coming back from the dead and recount experiences Of Heaven or Hell. Maybe some of them are telling the truth. What we can say with certainty, however, is that the Bible makes mention of Heaven a few times. We don’t get the full picture, but we definitely get hints. Jesus Himself talked about His father’s house having “many rooms.” He’s preparing a place for you and me. Maybe death will catch us by surprise, but not Jesus. God has not given you a spirit of fear. Whether you fear death, public speaking, or something else, God has not called us to live a life of fear. There’s a reason that Scripture tells us over and over again not to be afraid. Two reasons, actually. One, fear is a natural part of our sinful nature. It’s a consequence of not accepting what we can’t control or understand. The second reason is that God wants us to know that he is bigger than our fears. Any fear. We stop panicking when we start trusting. Fear the Lord, not death. If we are fortunate enough to die of old age, perhaps we’ll be patiently or eagerly awaiting what is on the other side, but one thing we can do right now is have faith. God has not called us to live in fear of anything else but Him, and even that biblical fear is a reverential attitude towards the Lord. Loving, acknowledging, and trusting in His majesty. When we do that, we realize that this life is meant to be enjoyed, but this enjoyment is but a fraction of what’s to come. Heaven is real, and it is so much greater than this life. Further Reading: Revelation 21:4 Isaiah 41:10 2 Timothy 1:7 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ponder your own sin in light of Jesus’ healing power in your life. How can you live a life of gratitude and kindness to love those who are most avoided or forgotten like Jesus did? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Jesus Goes to the Untouchable By: Emma Danzey Matthew 8:2-3 says, “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” When we think about how horrific leprosy was, this poor man must have been suffering in isolation and pain. I remember back to the time of COVID when there was so much concern and distancing from those with the illness. Although it was not their fault, they were carriers of something threatening to others. They not only suffered, but many suffered alone. Leprosy was the “COVID” of Biblical times. Although less prevalent in the US, this disease is still around today.  The American Academy Dermatology Association shares, “You may notice one or more of the following: Numbness in your hands or feet, fingers and thumbs curl (leaving you unable to straighten them), eye problems, eye sores, eventually blindness, and loss of a finger or toe.” This disease is very treatable today in the US, but was one of the worst diseases to catch in Biblical times. Everyone avoided you and lepers were often living in colonies on the outskirts of town. It was a challenging life. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’  This man knew that his only hope was Jesus. The Messiah who had come would be his only opportunity to be healed of this awful disease. I love how this man boldly approached Christ and knelt before Him. The way that he asked Jesus, calling Him by the name Lord showed that he had faith that Jesus was God. Then, in his humble posture, he made a humble statement, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” This man acknowledged that Jesus could heal him, but he trusted that if it was God’s will then it would happen.  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. The incredible moment led Jesus to the response of touching the untouchable and telling the man that he was willing. If anyone should have been “afraid” of unclean people, it should have been Jesus, God is perfectly holy and unholy cannot be in His presence. However, this is why Jesus came, to step into our messes and our sinful states. When we surrender and declare that Jesus is Lord, He reaches out and rescues us from our sins. We are all spiritual lepers, without hope and cure, but Christ came to heal us and to restore us.  “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” Jesus spoke the words to the man to be clean and this leper was no longer a leper anymore. His faith led him to freedom through Jesus. It was an immediate healing. When we accepted Jesus’ death and resurrection for our sins, we too have immediate healing from our sin. We are free.  After these verses, we have the joy of reading in verse 4, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’” Jesus was not ready for others to know about Him yet. His time had not come. However, Jesus tells the man to go to the priest and present the offering for the Old Testament to be restored to the community.  Jesus knew that this man was clean, but He still honored the law so that this man would be brought back and accepted into the town. Jesus restores us and then brings us into community with His church. We are called to be One in Christ with all believers. No matter how rough someone’s “sin disease” was before coming to Jesus, we are supposed to welcome them into the family of God.  Intersecting Faith and Life: Ponder your own sin in light of Jesus’ healing power in your life. How can you live a life of gratitude and kindness to love those who are most avoided or forgotten like Jesus did? Further Reading: Luke 15:7 Luke 19:10 Romans 1:15-17 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Take a moment and look at your life. Do you taste and see that God is good? Do you see dire circumstances or trials as punishment by God? Or do you see them as a redirection where God is moving you into areas where you can better serve him? Do you know God is good, or do you see trials as punishment? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Taste and See “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him (Psalm 34:8 NIV.)  Because of some bad blood work results during a doctor's visit, I was informed that I needed to take control of my diet. My doctor recommended an anti-inflammatory diet, which meant no soy, gluten, or dairy. I told my husband it's called the “no fun” diet. With this news, I had to switch my mindset from having whatever I wanted to more specific foods. This caused me to go to the grocery store and be more vigilant about looking at labels and seeing what ingredients my foods contain. At first, I was sad about the change, unable to eat what I wanted or have fun, and I gave up many of my favorite foods. I adjusted to this new lifestyle and reflected on why God might do it. Reflecting and praying, I realized something: I put my worship into my food.  There's nothing wrong with having things that you enjoy. Although there’s also nothing wrong with eating and enjoying food with friends while we are enjoying a fun activity, it becomes a problem when I would rather eat foods that I want and have fun that way than take charge of my health and make healthier choices so that I can live longer and serve the Lord. When I rebel and eat what I want out of convenience or preference, I make an idol out of food. At first, it felt like I was being punished, but I realized God was redirecting me to a healthier lifestyle to provide better service to him.  Instead of tasting and seeing that the Lord is good, I was too busy tasting foods and allowing that desire to rule my life rather than my desire to serve the Lord. God gives us glimpses of who he is. In heaven, we will know God in full. But for the present, we may not experience him thoroughly to understand his goodness. Other things in my life that thwart my attention from experiencing God entirely are food, shopping, watching TV, etc.  It hinders my ability to serve him wholeheartedly. My heart is divided between fleshly desires like eating and shopping and godly desires to serve him and see that he is good because the temporary fulfillment I find in eating and shopping fills the voids I feel when challenging circumstances cause me to become weary and tired.  I must fully yield my life to him to taste and see God's whole goodness. This does not mean I can’t have fun activities like shopping or eating, but I must stop when they consume my thoughts or actions. If I have indeed tasted the Lord’s goodness, I’ll be able to stop fun activities from overtaking my life. When other things consume my life, I’ve made an idol out of them. Experiencing the Lord’s whole goodness means I can squash idol worship more easily.  Take a moment and look at your life. Do you taste and see that God is good? Do you see dire circumstances or trials as punishment by God? Or do you see them as a redirection where God is moving you into areas where you can better serve him? Do you know God is good, or do you see trials as punishment? When our hearts are entirely devoted to him, we can taste and see that he is good. When our hearts are divided, we make idols in our lives that, when erected, become more difficult to knock down.  Anchor yourself to the word. Read and know God intimately through the pages of the bible. Read and hear his voice regularly. Experience him as if he were your friend. Walk in step with him daily.  Father, let us experience you fully. Let us taste and see that you are good. Let us see you in those moments that don't make sense for times when we feel like you are distant or punishing us. Let us know that you are always working things on our behalf. Your goodness extends every situation in our lives. Help us to see your goodness and experience that entirely in our lives. Amen.  Intersecting faith and culture In what ways do you feel you have not experienced God fully? Are there things in your life where you may have erected an idol?  How can you rid yourself of that idol today? Further reading 1 Corinthians 10:23 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Anything and everything we are given the ability to do, is a gift that we have the blessing to be a part of. But we should most certainly continue to call on God for direction, for what to start, and what to stop. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God Wants Us to Let Go and Let Him By Keri Eichberger Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalm 55:22) Bone tired. These were the first words that came to my mind this morning as I sank into my bedroom desk chair preparing to open my devotional and Bible. I quickly squeezed in fifteen minutes of prayer time to amp up my strength to face the day, then rushed off to begin knocking off my to-do list tasks. “Rush-rush” was the season of life I had found myself in. My family’s summer had made an abrupt sharp turn when my dad suffered a brain hemorrhage while we were vacationing and celebrating Mom and Dad‘s 50th wedding anniversary. Combine that with an already fully loaded three months with the kids off school, I was determined to step up my game, meet all predetermined needs, and fill-in any new additional gaps. For a few weeks, I sailed through the rough waters, seeming to settle each wave a bit as I passed through. In fact, as I reflect back, there were even a few bright rainbows amidst the storm. Reminders that God was the one doing the actual heavy lifting and that his blessings never ceased to pour out in various shapes and sizes, and at unexpected and most needed moments.   But, a day quickly came that became apparent I was trying too hard to do too much. When life felt flipped upside down and I, with great honor, pride, and purpose, jumped in to serve my parents, I didn’t acknowledge my need to make sufficient life-space by letting something else loose. And, like I said, God divinely allowed me extra strength to keep all the balls in the air. But as the scales tipped from doing all things in love that were coming at me, to trying to control my whole world, I started to collapse. It’s almost as if God absolutely wanted, in his perfect grace, to gift me the ability to briefly go above and beyond, but he also absolutely never meant for me to assume all control of anything. And so I suppose he was A-OK to allow me to tire to the point of reminding me of just that. God wants us to let go and let him. How does this resonate with you? Do you feel tired right now? Are you trying to keep way too many balls in the air too? Trying to cut through the crest of one giant wave after the next in the deep dark waters of your life? It’s very possible God also wants to remind you to let go a bit. And let him do what he is already doing. Carrying and caring for all things. I’m feeling a bit convicted as I write because after zipping around town this morning to and from appointments and obligations, then returning to my two six-year-olds, yet again, zoning out on devices, I decided to take immediate control of that sore site too. No more brain rotting on my watch. Nevermind the fact that I was exhausted. Nevermind the 100% truth that God is absolutely the one who will ultimately shape my littles’ little minds. Yes, he has control of them too. But neglecting this sovereign truth, and the better choice to release control to God and rest, I forewent the pause in order to squeeze into the only one and a half hours I had to get the girls a little exercise, vitamin D, and a brain cleanse.  So here I sit poolside while they splash and play device free. But hey, at least I decided to pick up my pen and a journal, which actually is quite therapeutic rest for me. So, I suppose in the best way I felt I could, I did work in and prioritize a sort of rest. But the point is this: I need to learn to pause. We all need to learn to pause. We need to let go when the overloads of life begin to wear us down. And remember God‘s already got all the things in his care. Anything and everything we are given the ability to do is a gift that we have the blessing to be a part of. But we should most certainly continue to call on God for direction, for what to start, and what to stop. Intersecting Faith and Life: Consider something with me today. If you’re feeling bone tired like I felt this morning, will you determine with the Lord what you need to let go of a bit? Will you release it and rest in the way that he is speaking to you to rest? Because, let us not forget, our loving Lord wants you to let go and let him. He will sustain you. Today and every day. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We can have confidence that our prayers aren’t falling flat or fading away into nothingness. Like Revelation 5:8 reveals, our prayers are preserved and still at work long after they are spoken. “And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer By Lynette Kittle “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”--Galatians 6:9 Each morning, my husband and I pray together for each other, family members, neighbors, friends, acquaintances, leaders, world issues, and more, depending on how God is leading us. While praying for some individuals and situations for years, at times, it can seem like we are just going through a list, day-after-day, year-after-year. Yet we keep at it, knowing God hears, listens, and answers prayer. As Psalm 66:19 assures us, “But God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.” Pushing Through the Hard Times in Prayer When prayers for someone or a situation seem to go on endlessly, the enemy often tries to discourage us from praying, urging us to give up and causing us to believe God isn’t going to answer or doesn’t want to answer our pleas.  As well, it seems like the more we pray for an individual or situation, the worse it gets, like it’s headed in a completely different direction than we’re praying for. During this time, it can seem like our efforts are in vain, yet we know that 1 Thessalonians 5:17 urges us to “Pray continually.” When praying seems hard at times, we can look to Daniel in the Bible, who knew how to keep pushing through difficult times of prayer. As Daniel 9:3 describes, “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” What’s Happening When Answers Aren’t Coming Through? Often, we don’t understand what’s holding up answers to our prayers or why we aren’t seeing God fulfill our requests. The book of Daniel offers insight into what may be keeping our answers at bay. Daniel had a troubling vision that led him to some serious praying, yet it seemed that with all his efforts, he wasn’t receiving an answer. Not understanding why he wasn’t receiving answers, God sent Gabriel to give Daniel insight and understanding (Daniel 9:22), saying, “As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision” (Daniel 9:23). Then, later on, seeking answers again after three weeks of mourning (Daniel 10:2-3), Daniel experienced another divine encounter. “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, His face like lightning, His eyes like flaming torches, His arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and His voice like the sound of a multitude” (Daniel 10:5-6). “He said, ‘Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.’ And when He said this to me, I stood up trembling. Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.  But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.’” (Daniel 10:12-14). Believing God Is At Work Through Our Prayers James 5:16, emphasizes the power of prayer, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” During times of pushing through prayer, Psalm 126:5 reminds us, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” In Luke 18:1, Jesus encouraged His disciples to always pray and not give up. Like Winston Churchill urged people on October 29, 1941, his words ring true, too, when it comes to feeling discouraged and doubtful in prayer: “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” The devil wants us to give up and stop believing that God hears and answers our prayers. But 1 John 5:15 urges us to hold on: “And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.” We can have confidence that our prayers aren’t falling flat or fading away into nothingness. Like Revelation 5:8 reveals, our prayers are preserved and still at work long after they are spoken. “And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” Intersecting Faith & Life:  Are you feeling worn down and weary praying? If so, ask God to strengthen you to keep praying and to never give up. Further Reading: 4 Ways to Pray About Anything https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-daily-bible-verse/4-ways-to-pray-about-anything-bible-study-minute-december-27-2017.html  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Honoring our Parents Well By: Laura Bailey “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV Paul’s gift of connecting orthodoxy( doctrine)  to orthopraxy ( how to apply) is one of the reasons I love the book of Ephesians. Paul informs his audience about what they believe and guides them to a deeper understanding of why that matters and how that should change how they live.  The first half of Ephesians is “informational training,” and the second half is “on-the-job training.” In chapter 6, Paul shares specific ways Christians should live, applying the truths he spoke about in previous chapters. Paul outlines how we can live like Christ's followers—specifically, in these verses, in our homes. We see a brief set of instructions for children in our key verses, Ephesians 6:1-3. It’s important to note that  Paul speaks to children who still live in the home and are under their parent’s authority. While the biblical principles Paul addresses, such as godly obedience, apply to children of all ages— in terms of submission and being under parental authority, these instructions aren’t directed towards the adult children/parental dynamic.  Growing up in church, I often heard that God desires children to obey their parents. These verses were usually used to encourage good behavior, focusing on a child's outward actions rather than the inward heart’s motivation—which is what Paul is addressing here.  Paul shares that children are to exhibit godly obedience, one that is not rooted in blind submission but in the heart’s desire to submit to the Lord and those whom the Lord places in authority over their lives. The family dynamic between parental authority and child submission is an allegory for the relationship we all should have with our Father in Heaven.  Why should children obey their parents? Because it’s the right thing to do! Paul drives home the point that children following their parents' instructions isn’t just a suggestion; it’s an expectation. Yes, there will be times, countless times, when it will be difficult to submit to their leadership. Parents often give instructions, guidelines, and rules that are difficult for children to digest; they want to know why, and it’s in our human nature to rebel against authority.  But Paul gave this command under the premise that parents love and protect their children and that children obey them until they live independently.  Paul then speaks about honoring our fathers and mothers, which refers to the 5th commandment (Exodus 20:12), which states, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you." The fifth commandment is the first one that comes with a promise—precisely when it was first given, the promise was to the children of Israel that they would live a long, blessed life in the promised land. However, in a broader application for us today, children who respect and honor their parents will likely have an easier time in life, as obeying our parents is the cornerstone of understanding submission to authority.   It’s important to note that honoring our parents doesn't guarantee that we will live to be 100 years old, be rich, or have a life of ease. Instead, the promise shows us that the Lord both commands and rewards us to respect those in authority over us. We will experience less conflict, division, and personal strife—and ultimately, we will experience our eternal reward in Heaven. Intersecting Faith and Life: Take some time and read through Ephesians chapter 6; if you can, read through the verses in different translations of the Bible. Have you ever noticed that “instructions for Christian households” come right before Paul encourages us to put on the armor of God? Why do you think this? How might a firm understanding of the first half of chapter 6 prepare us to receive Paul’s closing remarks? For Further Reading:Ephesians 6 3 Reasons for Tensions Between Adult Children and Parents Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If we follow our selfish ambition or conceit, it will lead to destruction—at breakneck speed. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches us that the road to life looks a lot more like walking, stopping, talking, and allowing ourselves to move at the speed of love. Just like vehicles have built-in governors to prevent them from driving at dangerous speeds, God gives us speed governors for our lives, too—the people we’ve been entrusted to love.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Love: The Ultimate Speed Governor  By Deidre Braley  Luke 8:45: And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?"  I am a get-it-done girl. I come by it honestly; efficiency and tenacity have been passed down through the women in my family tree, and my genes are wired in a way that makes me want to get the most things done in the least time possible.  So I often feel exasperated when I’m forced to slow down. The other day, my dog and I were out for a jog, and just as my favorite song came on and I hit my stride, he was hit by an irresistible smell from a passing bush. He came to a screeching halt—and I nearly popped my shoulder out of joint. Frustrated, I tried to drag him along, but he’s a stubborn little thing, and finally I gave up and let him sniff the bush, then the grass, then the clover. I thought to myself, It’s his walk too, I guess.  I haven’t adapted that easily to the interruptions of motherhood though. I wish I could say that I’m naturally the type of mother who enjoys baking with her toddlers, who welcomes the dawdling independence of a two-year-old dressing herself, or who’s content with long, sprawling days spent playing blocks and make-believe. But I am not.  In truth, as a dreamer and a doer, I’ve had more moments than I care to admit when I’ve thought, If only I could just do this on my own, it would be so much faster. I could get so much more done. When I catch myself putting projects over people, though, I remind myself of the interruptibility of Jesus.  In Luke 8, Jesus is on his way to Jairus’ house. His daughter is dying, and it’s urgent. But as he’s moving through the crowd and people are pressing in on him from every side, a woman who’s had an issue of bleeding for twelve years reaches out and touches the hem of his cloak. She senses that she’s been immediately healed, even without a face-to-face interaction with Jesus. Now, Jesus could have kept moving, could have left it at that. But instead, amidst the great haste and urgency of the crowd, he stops. Luke 8:45 recounts, “And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” He puts aside his agenda and stops to have a conversation with the woman in order to heal not only her body—but her spirit.  While he is stopped, someone comes from Jairus’ home to announce that his daughter has died. It seems, for a moment, that Jesus’ willingness to be interrupted has had fatal consequences. But then he goes to the little girl, raises her from death, completes his mission. From Jesus, we learn that loving others is the priority—even when that loving is inefficient, inconvenient, or downright untimely. Philipians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” It’s true that living this way slows us down, and that if we were only living for ourselves, we’d probably get a lot more done. But maybe that’s exactly why God gives us people to care for: in order to slow us down, limiting our propensity to run towards selfish pursuits, which is a road to disaster.  If we follow our selfish ambition or conceit, it will lead to destruction—at breakneck speed. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches us that the road to life looks a lot more like walking, stopping, talking, and allowing ourselves to move at the speed of love. Just like vehicles have built-in governors to prevent them from driving at dangerous speeds, God gives us speed governors for our lives, too—the people we’ve been entrusted to love.  Intersecting Faith & Life  Today, practice being interruptible. Remember: people are more important than projects or progress. This could like:  Talking with the person at the cash register ringing out your groceries.● Putting your phone in another room when you’re spending time with your children.● Looking your spouse in the eyes as they tell you about their day. Noticing people throughout your day (at work, in the coffee shop, on the bus) who looklike they could use a smile, a kind word, a listening ear—and giving that to them. Further Reading  Luke 8 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What would it look like for you to take it easy and to let go of your record of wrongs? Perhaps, take a second to repent and then receive God’s grace for you. He doesn’t look at you and see every mistake you’ve ever made; He looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus. He loves you and will continue to help you. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How to Move Forward when Sin Keeps Returning By Kelly Balarie “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” – Prov. 29:11 NIV I feel so angry at myself, and I can’t seem to let it go. Friends, I know, I know... God forgives me, so I need to forgive myself (in fact, I must forgive myself), but sometimes forgiving oneself is more easily said than done. The issue is -- I didn’t overlook an offense and, therefore, became explosive in my tone of voice. I unleashed it on one I love. The issue is that this wasn’t the first time this had happened either. It’s embarrassing to say that I have done it a couple times in the last few years. The issue is that I had resolved not to do this, ever, and I did it again. Oh, the frustration of it all… Have you ever given full vent to your offense? It’s so easy to do. In those moments where we’re wronged or a slighted, it’s easy to feel justified to be upset. The cause is righteous so, of course, we should stand up for it, with force. We know the action is right because we’re standing up for a person.  We’re standing up for God’s truth, so we have every right to not let the other person believe a lie.  The need to release offense and to stand up for something – can feel so right, yet it can be executed all wrong. That’s what I’m learning, anyway. For me? In those moments before I spoke, the words brewed inside, burning to be released. Finally, the second the other party provoked me – I hit a high-pressure point! Then, like a tea kettle screeching under the heat -- I gave full-vent to my anger. What pressures you to let loose your annoyance, anger or offense?“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” - Prov. 29:11 NIV Friends, I can’t help but be confronted with the thought: Two wrongs don’t make a right.  There is a way that seems right to a man but leads to death (see: Prov. 14:12). And there also a way that seems wrong to man but leads to calm in the end. In order to go the right way, we cannot permit feelings of flesh to hinder us from heeding God’s Word.   And, what do you do if, much like me, all the actions you thought were right have led up to a million repeated wrongs? How do you handle the face of all your mistakes? Here, Proverbs 29:11 comes to mind again, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” We are foolish to give vent to anger, even towards ourselves.  Wisdom embraces calm and extends itself the grace of Jesus. Letting go, we can choose to take it easy. Why? Because Jesus’ grace is always enough. Because Jesus’ grace is equipping, empowering and enabling. Because Jesus’ grace is alive and well.   This means, He will help us going forward. God is the Author and the Perfecter of our faith story and, best of all, our story is not over. God is still perfecting it. Here, we can take it easy on ourselves and let it go…God always has for us a fresh start in Christ Jesus. It’s time to let go… Intersecting Faith & Life: What would it look like for you to take it easy and to let go of your record of wrongs? Perhaps, take a second to repent and then receive God’s grace for you. He doesn’t look at you and see every mistake you’ve ever made; He looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus. He loves you and will continue to help you. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The more we yield to God’s Spirit within us, and courageously yield to His promptings, the more we experience the abundant, beyond expectations, deeply fulfilling life Christ promised. God still advances His plan. Our disobedience won’t thwart that. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Seizing God Moments, written by Jennifer Slattery “From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. “On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us” (Acts 16:12-15, NIV). When my daughter was young, my marriage and my life were a mess. My husband and I fought all the time. He held a demanding, high stress position with the railroad that often kept him away and left him exhausted when he was home. I was lonely and battling roots of shame that often caused me to react to challenges and conflict with defensiveness instead of love. We were in significant debt yet continued numbing our pain through shopping. As you can imagine, that didn’t help our relationship. At one point, things became so bad, my husband and I met with a divorce attorney, ready to end it all.  But then one day, while walking through our neighborhood with my daughter in her stroller, I encountered a woman who invited me to her church. She didn’t say much more than that.  I didn’t know her, had never seen her before, and never saw her since, but I did go to church the following Sunday.  That church, and the people there, changed my life, saved my marriage, and helped me learn an entirely new way of living. My daughter is now 26 and a precious woman of God. She and her husband lead a small group for young adults. Praise the Lord, they both have a lovely relationship with one another and me and my husband. And I wonder, where might she be, and how might her childhood have looked different, had that woman not responded to the God moment to invite me to church? And, if she’d reached out and I’d responded with hostility or disdain? While she might’ve felt a brief sting of rejection, I doubt she would’ve carried the heavy cloak of regret.  Thinking of today’s passage, and all that occurred after, provokes similar questions. Where might Lydia and her family have ended up, had she, those with her, and Paul not responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting on the Sabbath mentioned in Acts 16? In our culture where a decreasing number of Christ followers regularly attend church, I’m struck by the fact that Lydia and those women took time to meet at the river.  Let me explain the historical background. Regardless of how many God-following women occupied a city, the location needed at least ten Jewish men to form a public faith gathering. Therefore, we can reasonably assume, fewer than ten Jewish men lived in Philippi. In such cases, Jews customarily met at rivers to pray, hoping a traveling Rabbi would stop by to teach them. I don’t know how many women gathered at the river the day Paul arrived, but people would’ve considered their number insignificant. I imagine there were numerous Sabbath’s during which these women didn’t encounter a Rabbi. And on those occasions in which they did, how many Jewish leaders stopped to teach a group of women? From my perspective, this seems unlikely.  Did Lydia and her companions ever consider staying home? They certainly could’ve prayed there.  Yet, they were at the river, connecting with God, the day Paul, led by the Spirit, happened by. Because of this, they heard and responded to the gospel. But Lydia did more than that. She also invited Paul to her house, which scholars believe became the first Christ-following church in ancient Europe. But I’m also struck by Paul’s behavior, especially when one considers how people viewed women at this time. As I mentioned, although they considered ten Jewish men sufficient to form a synagogue, they found the number of Jewish women irrelevant. Therefore, one might expect Paul to pass them by. But he didn’t. Responding to the Holy Spirit, he seized the God moment, told them about Jesus, baptized these new believers, and accepted Lydia’s invitation to stay at her house. This became the Philippian church, which, as I mentioned in a previous devotional, became a major source of support for Paul.  Intersecting Life and Faith We all encounter numerous God moments each day; divine invitations we either accept or decline. We’ll never know the beauty we could’ve witnessed from those incidents we disregard or rationalize away. But the more we yield to God’s Spirit within us, and courageously yield to His promptings, the more we experience the abundant, beyond expectations, deeply fulfilling life Christ promised. God still advances His plan. Our disobedience won’t thwart that. It will, however, rob us of the joy of knowing God used us to impact a life.  Thankfully, when fear holds us hostage, we can ask God to embolden our faith and empower us to live for Him.  Further Reading: Ephesians 5:15-17 Isaiah 30:21 Acts 1:8 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Every night we have the choice, as our head lays down on our pillows. We can cry out to God and pour our hearts out to Him, giving Him our burdens. Or we can bottle it up and toss and turn. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: What If We Really Gave Our Burdens to God? By Sarah Frazer “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” - Psalm 55:22 (ESV) “Do you need help?” I asked the toddler struggling with the groceries. He grabbed the bag with spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, and ranch dressing.  “I got it!” was the confident reply. The next thing I knew, a jar of spaghetti sauce was rolling down the driveway. My son ran after it and caught it before it broke into pieces. The bag was too heavy, but the toddler insisted that it wasn’t. He needed to let me unload that burden for him.  What heaviness do you hold today that needs to be unloaded?  My toddler thought that he could carry it on his own, but that bag was too much. Often we face trials and burdens in our life that we think we can handle. In fact, we look at others and think they seem to be handling the same type of burdens just fine on their own. Only in our hearts we know that we can’t hold up on the weight of the heaviness. I wonder if some of us need to admit that we need help.  The world says, “You’ve got this!” and “You are enough.” This is not the way of the Bible. Our lives weren’t meant to be lived independently. That isn’t how God created us. As Christians we have something even better than doing life on our own. We have a God who is ready to carry our burdens for us.  The Bible talks a lot about what to do with our burdens. The word used in Psalm 55:22 for “cast” means “throwing away.” This can mean literally throwing something out like garbage or figuratively throwing something away from us to remove something from our presence. We are called to cast or throw out those things in our lives that weigh us down.  A burden can be anything in our hearts or minds that keeps us from living freely in Christ. It is a load or a task that requires effort. Throughout the Old and New Testament, God tells us what to do with our burdens.  Psalm 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” I love the word “daily.” It assumes that we have things weighing us down each day. You and I know what it is like to release something to God one day, but then the next day, we find ourselves worried and worn down from picking it back up again. God walks with us each day. He is there to help us each time we find ourselves weighed down.  In the New Testament, Jesus talks about burdens in Matthew 11:28-30. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We still might carry the weight of something, but sharing it with Jesus allows us to not bear the thing all by ourselves. Jesus calls us here in Matthew 11 to live a life dependent on Him.  1 Peter 5:6-7 says that we can cast our anxieties on him. Other translations change the word for anxieties to worries, fears, troubles, and cares. Those things that keep us awake at night or occupy our minds during the day are anxieties. Why can we bring them to God? Peter says it is because God cares for us. He loves us. Sometimes, we ask others around us to help carry our burdens, but they get tired, too. They have their own burdens to carry. God is never tired and nor does His love ever run out. We can always come to God and hand over our cares.  How do we do this? We pray. Prayer is our connection to God. He is always listening (Psalm 116:1), and He answers us (Psalm 116:2). As we pray, we tell God everything in our hearts. You might think, “But He already knows it.” Yes, but He knows that when we share those cares and hurts and burdens with Him, we are lighter.  Every night we have the choice, as our head lays down on our pillows. We can cry out to God and pour our hearts out to Him, giving Him our burdens. Or we can bottle it up and toss and turn. If I try to handle things on my own, I always end up failing. But if I rely on God, letting my burdens fall on His strong shoulders, I am able to rest each night.  Intersecting Faith & Life: What is the burden that you are carrying right now? Pray, asking God, to take this burden away or lighten the load. Know that God is in control and is working everything for our good (Romans 8:28). How is knowing God is in control and working all things out a comfort for you today?  Further Reading: Romans 8:28-29 Isaiah 41:13 Isaiah 40:11 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Psalm 18:6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Even though God is not the one tempting us, He allows us to be tempted, as we discover through the story of Job. It’s hard for us to fully understand why God would give permission for Job to experience such sorrow, loss, and hardship. But we do see through Job’s testimony, many truths about God are revealed, and He is glorified.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation By Lynette Kittle “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”-- James 4:7 In the 1960s and 1970s, comedian Flip Wilson created a character named Geraldine, who coined the phrase “The devil made me do it,” whenever she wanted to do anything wrong. His portrayal of human nature, to blame our sins on the devil, hit home and made people laugh at the truth of it. Although, like Geraldine, many of us also like to blame the devil for our sins, James 1:14 explains, “But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” Even though we try to push it off on the devil to take the fall for our misconduct, God calls us to take responsibility for it. Like James 1:15 describes, going from temptation to sin is a growing process within us. “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” If Evil Desires Lead to Temptation, How Was Jesus Able to Be Tempted? Unlike us, who have been born with sin residing within us, Jesus wasn’t led to temptation by an inward desire because He had no sin. Matthew 4:1 explains, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Although He was led by the Holy Spirit, God was not the one tempting Jesus. James 1:13 explains how, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” Jesus shows us how to submit to God by submitting to His word, as He did when tempted. Each time the devil tempted Him by distorting the truth about God, Jesus corrected him with the truth of God’s word. Who Tempts Us? Like 1 Peter 5:8 warns, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” As Job 2:2 describes, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.’”  Even though God is not the one tempting us, He allows us to be tempted, as we discover through the story of Job. It’s hard for us to fully understand why God would give permission for Job to experience such sorrow, loss, and hardship. But we do see through Job’s testimony, many truths about God are revealed, and He is glorified.  Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 3 Steps to Take It seems submitting to God is the difficult part of resisting the devil, because when we are willing to do so, the fleeing part comes easy. Following are three steps to take when facing temptations that will help us submit to God. Rely on the faithfulness of God. 1 Corinthians 10:13 encourages us that “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Don’t depend on your own strength. Some temptations may seem so strong and attractive, that it doesn’t seem humanly possible for us to resist them, which is true; if we try to depend on our own strength, we’ll surely fall into them. Like Proverbs 3:5 instructs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” We need to resist thinking that we can handle temptations on our own, because we cannot. Philippians 4:13 directs us where to turn for that strength. “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Believe that God will give you a way out. When God allows us to be tempted, He promises it doesn’t have the power to overtake us unless we let it, because He will provide a way out.  In times of temptation, we can believe what God has said and turn to Him, believing what He has assured us, that He will lead us out of temptation, like Jesus prayed, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). Intersecting Faith & Life:  If you’re facing temptations in your life this week, ask God to stop them from growing into sin and death, trusting Him to help you submit to Him through the three steps discussed. Further Reading: How to Overcome Temptation: 4 Ways https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/kelly-balarie/how-to-overcome-temptation-4-ways.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We try to satisfy the cravings we feel in so many ways, like food, social media, over-achievement, and television. But being attuned to—and in step with—the Father is often the true sustenance our bodies, brains, and souls are starving for.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Food of the Father  by Deidre Braley  John 4: 31-34:  Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."  But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."  Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”  On the day Jesus met the Samaritan woman by the well, his disciples eventually caught up with him and—right in the middle of his salvation business—they told him to stop and eat. “Meanwhile,” John 4:31 says, “his disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’”  They’re like Italian nonnas here, saying, “Eat, eat, I tell you!” They’re being practical, of course. They want to make sure Jesus’ needs are met. He’s likely done a lot of walking in the hot sun, and it could have been a long time since he’s last eaten. Like so many of us would, they’re thinking with their stomachs!  But I have always found Jesus’ response fascinating. He didn’t take their bread or grab a handful of grapes. Rather, “...he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about’” (John 4:32).  The disciples were confused. Where could it have come from? They all looked at each other, asking, “‘Could someone have brought him food?’” (John 4:33) What—and who—could be feeding Jesus?  As it turns out, the food Jesus was talking about wasn’t fish or figs, or anything else of that nature. “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34).  Scripture doesn’t tell us how the disciples responded, but I imagine them standing mid-bite with their jaws open, probably with crumbs stuck in their beards. A revolutionary thought, yes? That something so spiritual as obeying God’s will could satisfy a need so physical within Jesus’ body?  The disciples mistakenly believed that the food Jesus needed was the stuff of this earth, when really he was seeking the substance of Heaven—the food from the Father. How often do we have the same misunderstanding about what we need most? When we experience deep cravings within ourselves, or a hunger we cannot place, we have a habit of turning to the stuff of the world: chocolate cake, Instagram, overachieving at work, or marathon sessions of our favorite TV shows.  But afterward—once the sugar high has passed, the promotion has come, or the social media post stops getting likes—that craving is still there, insistent as ever. As C.S. Lewis famously said, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” Indeed. While it’s true that our bodies need fuel, this shared human hunger goes far beyond the necessity for food: it’s a void that can only be satisfied by being in touch with and obedient to the Father.  Intersecting Faith & Life:  We try to satisfy the cravings we feel in so many ways, like food, social media, over-achievement, and television. But being attuned to—and in step with—the Father is often the true sustenance our bodies, brains, and souls are starving for.  Today, take notice of your cravings, whether it’s the desire to go on social media, overindulge, overwork, or something else altogether. Ask yourself:  What prompted this craving? What is at the heart of this craving? How will my body-brain-soul feel after I indulge this craving? Now, pause and pray. Ask God:  Is this craving actually pointing me to a need I have in you? What do you want me to know today, God? What do you want me to do today? Will you please show me how to satisfy this desire in a way that is holy and pleasing toyou? Further Reading:  Psalm 37:4  Matthew 6:25-34 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

His grace is greater than our worst sins in the past and big enough to cover whatever sins we commit tomorrow. We know Him and have a Spirit-bound relationship with Him, again, through faith. And finally, through Christ and all we have in Him, we have the power and authority to resist the devil’s most relentless schemes.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Living With Assurance by Jennifer Slattery “I am writing to you, dear children,    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.13 I am writing to you, fathers,    because you know him who is from the beginning.I am writing to you, young men,    because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children,    because you know the Father.I write to you, fathers,    because you know him who is from the beginning.I write to you, young men,    because you are strong,    and the word of God lives in you,    and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:12-14, NIV). Early in my faith journey, I carried an underlying fear that perhaps I wasn’t really saved. This fear intensified when I went through a season of doubt. I worried that the very fact that I was questioning certain tenants of my faith, including the authority of Scripture, meant I didn’t truly belong to God and hadn’t actually yielded my life to Him. I wonder if you can relate. I have not yet met anyone who has completely yielded to Christ. We all have sinful behaviors that hinder our intimacy with Him, doubts we need Him to replace with truth, and fears that hinder our obedience.  Simply put, we are all in the process of transformation. And if we’re not anchored in God’s grace, our weaknesses, flaws, and the constant accusations from the devil can cause us to doubt our salvation.  This seems to be a challenge experienced by the people to whom John wrote the above passage. I understand why, considering the influence evil was trying to wield in their community. False teachers had risen among them and were spreading a counterfeit gospel known as Gnosticism. Among other things, these heretics claimed salvation through enlightenment rather than through faith in Christ. This, apparently, caused those who hadn’t received some “special knowledge” to doubt their salvation.  John wrote to them to counter this destructive teaching and to assure the first century Christ followers of their eternal security. Notice all the ways he affirmed them. First, he addressed them as “dear children”, an endearment that emphasized their standing in God’s family. Contrary to the Gnostics’ claims, these men and women weren’t outsiders. They were adopted sons and daughters (Romans 8:15), chosen by Christ (Eph. 1:4), and united by His blood. He also told them, clearly, that they’d received forgiveness not because of any exclusive “revelation” but “on account of His name.”  Next, John highlighted their relationship with Christ, stating that they “[knew] Him who is from the beginning.” Throughout this letter, John used two Greek words for “know.” One, eidó, refers to a factual, cognitive knowing, such as that the earth is round or plants grow from seeds. In 1 John 2:13, he used a different word, ginóskó, which refers to an understanding or recognition that comes through personal experience. Therefore, he emphasized that they knew Jesus personally. They hadn’t just learned about Him cognitively. They’d developed a relationship with Him.  Notice, also, John told them they’d overcome the evil one, the force driving the false teachers and the believers’ doubts and insecurities. The devil didn’t want those men and women to gain a sense of eternal security. He wanted them to live in fear. Understand, his tactics don’t change. While he doesn’t have the power to separate us from God, he can, and does terrorize us to keep us from experiencing the soul-deep peace gifted to us through Jesus’s death. When we understand evil’s strategy and our authority in Christ, we’re able to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16).  In verse 14, John told the Christ-followers they knew the Father, using the same phrasing as he did for their relationship with Christ. And he ended this poetic section stating that they were strong, filled with truth, and overcomers. Again, while the devil was harassing them and trying to defeat them, he was and always will be a defeated foe.  Intersecting Life and Faith Here’s what I find precious and beautiful. God preserved these words in Scripture so that you and I could live confident in our standing in Christ, secure in our salvation. When we begin to doubt those realities, may we speak the words in 1 John over ourselves, reminding ourselves that, because of our faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross, we are forgiven. His grace is greater than our worst sins in the past and big enough to cover whatever sins we commit tomorrow. We know Him and have a Spirit-bound relationship with Him, again, through faith. And finally, through Christ and all we have in Him, we have the power and authority to resist the devil’s most relentless schemes.  As we reflect on those truths, our confidence will increase, as will our peace. Further Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10 John 10:1-10 Ephesians 6:10-18 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When you know Jesus, it changes your life for the better. When you truly invite Jesus into your heart and have real conversations with Him, He renews your mind, strengthens your heart, and refreshes your soul. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Knowing Jesus By Alexis A. Goring “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”— John 17:3 NIV When I studied Journalism, one of the first rules I learned was when you refer to a person in a news story, you need to mention their first and last name for the first time. After that, you are to refer to them by their last name only. However, if you know the person personally then you may refer to them by their first name only (depending on the in-house style guide rules for the print publication).  One summer evening, I was reflecting on that lesson learned and realized a spiritual parallel: Jesus Christ wants us to know Him personally. He wants us to know Him and refer to Him on a first name basis. But this goes beyond writing rules. Jesus went to great lengths to save our souls. He desires to know us and for us to know Him intimately. He wants a closer walk with each of us because He loves us and, when you love someone, you want to know everything about them. You don’t refer to a loved one with a professional sounding last name. You may even have a fond nickname for that person that reflects their personality or shows what they mean to you. How does it feel to know that the Savior of the world wants to know us on those terms? What does it mean to know Jesus? I hear Christian influencers and musicians say to know Him is to love Him, and I agree that nothing else could be closer to the truth! When you know Jesus, it changes your life for the better. When you truly invite Jesus into your heart and have real conversations with Him, He renews your mind, strengthens your heart, and refreshes your soul. There is a deep joy that can only come through an intimate relationship with the Lord. And a relationship with Jesus doesn’t just change you, it changes the people around you. They start to notice a difference in you and want to know what happened. When you tell them about your love for God and invite them to read The Holy Bible, with the Holy Spirit’s help they can also get to know Jesus. They, too, can become on fire for Him. The process of observing a life changed by Jesus causes people to want to know Him as well, carrying on like a ripple effect. Before we know it, we see Him  changing the world for the better!  I got to know Jesus on a personal level when I was recovering from a health crisis at age 16. Despite growing up in a Christian home, I only knew a lot about Jesus. But when He came into my life and met me in the depths of a difficult time, His Light pushed back the darkness and His love for me—and all humankind—changed me from the inside out! He blessed me with this devotional writing ministry as if He, the Master Teacher, had enrolled me in His classroom. God helped me learn life lessons, then inspired the words for me to share in devotions that were exactly what I and my readers needed to hear! I fell in love with Jesus as my Lord and my love for Him propelled me to tell everyone about my Savior! I still feel called to do that today. Since my transformation from knowing about Christ to knowing Jesus on a first-name basis, people have commented on how the changes they saw in my life have inspired them to know Jesus too. This is what God wants: for us to make disciples and share His love, grace, and mercy with the world. He doesn’t want any of us to be lost. Jesus wants us to follow Him all the way to Heaven (John 3:16-17). “Knowing You, Jesus,” by Graham Kendrick is a song that also celebrates a close relationship with Christ. I encourage you to listen to it. (Note to the Editor: Would you please insert the YouTube link below to this song? https://youtu.be/pTTlSx6zXio?si=VRrrc6x0jLzdbCUh) Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you know Jesus? What difference in someone’s life have you seen after they started following Him? Further Reading: 1 Peter 2:9 2 Peter 3:18 John 1:1 John 8:12 1 John 2:3 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do we stand against these attacks? How do we stop being pulled into defeat, discouragement, and doubt? How do we continue to walk in the freedom Christ afforded us? Galatians 5:1 tells us that we must, “stand firm”.  This means that we keep standing no matter how hard Satan’s pulling. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Shutting Down Enemy Attacks Against You By Kelly Balarie “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Gal. 5:1 NIV Have you ever played a game of tug of war? In this game there are two groups of people pulling on each side of the rope.  One side pulls and the rope, along with the people, go left. The other side pulls and the rope, along with the rope-holders, go right. Whatever team has the stronger amounts of tugs, the one who gains the most ground, eventually wins. If they can pull the other team to their side, they are victorious.The enemy tries the same strategy with us.  He tries to pull us to his side and off the ground of God’s truth. The devil says to us, “You are a horrible person, why try?” He tugs at our heart left. He adds, “You can’t really believe that God will answer your prayer.” He tugs a little more and gains traction. He hits us again, saying, “Why go to church anymore? People only hurt you there.” The devil’s goal is to pull us off the ground of God’s truth so that we can be yoked to his lies. It is subtle.   “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Gal. 5:1 NIV God’s side offers us freedom, even for today. Satan’s side offers us slavery and burdens in life. How do we stand against these attacks? How do we stop being pulled into defeat, discouragement, and doubt? How do we continue to walk in the freedom Christ afforded us? Galatians 5:1 tells us that we must, “stand firm”.  This means that we keep standing no matter how hard Satan’s pulling. Practically, we can do these three things to continue to stand: Wait on the Lord. New life for Jesus looked a lot different on day 3 than it did on day 2. Sometimes, just giving it a day offers a fresh perspective, coupled with resurrection life power. Use Scripture as a weapon. Remember Jesus in the wilderness? He did not just listen to the enemy’s temptations, He defeated them with scriptural declarations. Memorize God’s Word and then speak it aloud over feelings of defeat or disillusionment. Pray. You are not powerless; you are powerful in prayer. Pray that the devil will get behind you and that God will strengthen you to stand. Intersecting Faith & Life: How do you feel attacked by the enemy? What is coming against you that you know is not from the Lord? What would it look like for you to stand? You know, if we stand through a storm, eventually the storm moves on. No storm lasts forever. Nature shows us this.  Likewise, what remains beyond the dark clouds is the sun. God is always there. He will never leave or forsake you, even if all you can see is gloom and doom. Don’t give up. Stand. Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; find encouragement by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, creator of the “Hear God’s Voice” podcast, is also a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly, a real cheerleader of faith, loves seeing the power of prayer in live action. She loves seeing the look on people’s faces when they realize –God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God calls us to be trustworthy messengers ourselves. Our words, actions, and commitments should reflect the reliability and integrity of Jesus. Whether it’s showing up on time, keeping promises, or standing by others in times of need, we can be a valuable source of refreshment to those around us. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How to Refresh People By: Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer  “A messenger you can trust is just as refreshing as cool water in summer.” – Proverbs 25:13, CEV  In many parts of the world this summer, people are dealing with intense and unrelenting heat waves. Cities are experiencing record-high temperatures, and the sweltering heat has brought discomfort and distress to countless people. It has been so hot lately that whenever I’m outside I find myself craving cool water. As soon as I get home, I pull out one of the cans of seltzer water our family has stored in our refrigerator. The moments when I drink my first sips of that cool water are wonderful! As I swallow the water, my whole body feels refreshed. The cool water brings me much-needed relief from the heat and revitalizes my energy. I’m so grateful for it that I often silently thank God as I’m drinking the water and feeling completely refreshed.  In Proverbs 25:13, the Bible says that a trustworthy messenger is just as refreshing as that cool water in the middle of a scorching summer. We crave trustworthy people in our lives like we crave cool water during summer. Both are vital to our well-being. Just as we cherish water during oppressive heat, we value people who keep their promises and follow through on their commitments. These people are reliable, dependable, and consistent. They offer stability in a broken world that can often be unpredictable and chaotic. Their presence can soothe and encourage us, offering us a sense of peace – much like a cool drink quenches our physical thirst.  Jesus is the ultimate trustworthy messenger. Throughout his earthly life and ministry, Jesus delivered God’s message of love and truth with complete faithfulness. Jesus then faithfully made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, in order to make our salvation possible. Jesus’ reliable trustworthiness is an important part of his mission. He gives hope to everyone who listens and believes. We can always count on Jesus to keep his promises. Jesus is the perfect role model of trustworthiness that we are called to emulate.  Consider the impact of reliable friends in our lives. These are people who keep their promises, showing up when they say they will, and following through. People like them become a valuable source of comfort and strength – people we can rely on in times of need. Their reliability builds trust and deepens relationships. These are the kind of people Proverbs 25:13 describes – those who refresh us as we deal with the heat of stressful situations.  God calls us to be trustworthy messengers ourselves. Our words, actions, and commitments should reflect the reliability and integrity of Jesus. Whether it’s showing up on time, keeping promises, or standing by others in times of need, we can be a valuable source of refreshment to those around us. Being trustworthy helps us honor God and bless our friends, family, and community. Trustworthiness not only strengthens our relationships with people, but also helps us reflect God’s holiness to the world. God is completely trustworthy. By being trustworthy ourselves, we bear witness to God’s faithfulness.  Imagine the impact we can have when we embody trustworthiness in our daily lives. Our relationships and communities can grow stronger and our testimonies can grow more powerful. In a fallen world where trust is often fragile, being a trustworthy person can shine God’s light in the darkness. So, let’s try our best to be as refreshing to others as cool water on a hot summer day, by reflecting the trustworthiness of our Savior.  Intersecting Faith and Life  As you consider how to refresh people by being trustworthy, reflect on these questions:  When was a time when someone’s trustworthiness brought you peace or relief. How did that experience impact you? How does the trustworthiness of Jesus influence your faith and daily life? Consider the areas of your life where you may have fallen short in being reliable or honest. What steps can you take to restore trust? How can you become a refreshing presence to others through your words and actions?  Further Reading Proverbs 11:13 Matthew 5:37 Luke 16:10 1 Corinthians 4:2 2 Timothy 2:2 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Praise God, our faith in Christ transforms us into new creations, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit that resides within us. This means we can learn, through practice and an ever-deepening relationship with and reliance upon Him, to love others with the same gentleness and mercy our Savior bestows upon us.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: The Healing Power of Curiosity by Jennifer Slattery “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19, NIV).  Looking back over my parenting, one of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t practice today’s verse more consistently. I spent way too much time talking and teaching, and often from a place of frustration, rather than pausing to listen with a desire to truly understand and hear my daughter’s heart. In a recent conversation, she shared an instance when my quick and faulty assumptions brought her pain. She’d recently received an eight-month coop position, which was like an internship, and was living in another state. This meant she was separated from her friends and faith community. She was also pursuing an engineering degree, and therefore, engaged in strenuous coursework. Plus, the company she interned with gave her, at age 19, responsibilities and leadership roles most people don’t receive until their mid-twenties or later.  In other words, she was buried by numerous and compounding challenges. That fall, I attended a leadership summit hosted by my church. Inspired by one of their speakers, I purchased her book, devoured it, and decided my daughter should read it, too. When she declined my invitation, I became irritated and assumed she simply didn’t want to put in the effort. It grieves me to say this, but in my frustration, I called her entitled. I spoke hurt into her already struggling heart. Had I approached her from a place of curiosity rather than judgment, I could’ve offered her the emotional support she needed. I also would’ve realized that she’d already been living the book’s message as best as she was able.  Sadly, my being quick to speak, quit to become irritated, and slow to listen hurt her and hindered true and open communication.  I wonder if James, Jesus’ half-brother and the author of the letter from which today’s verse comes, carried similar regrets. We know from the gospels that he often responded to the Lord with disdain. Prior to Jesus’ resurrection, did James ever truly hear Christ’s words or had he already decided to close his ears to the Lord’s message? Scripture doesn’t tell us how much truth, if any, sank into James’ soul prior to Jesus’ crucifixion. However, the Bible does reveal James’s dramatic transformation after the Lord’s resurrection. He came to not only accept Christ’s message but also to live it out, and in his letter to Jewish believers scattered throughout Rome, he urged them to do the same. In short, he was calling the men and women he led to more consistently love God and others. Whereas selfishness and pride motivates unfiltered, and often hurtful words, the love of Jesus, first received then given, evokes a curiosity and desire to understand.  “Everyone should be quick to listen,” he wrote, indicating an automatic response. For most of us, such behavior doesn’t come naturally. We tend to interact from a place of distraction, defensiveness, or judgment. Often, we’re more focused on how we want to respond than on the heart behind another person’s words. At least, this is what characterizes us prior to our conversion. Praise God, our faith in Christ transforms us into new creations, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit that resides within us. This means we can learn, through practice and an ever-deepening relationship with and reliance upon Him, to love others with the same gentleness and mercy our Savior bestows upon us.  James also encouraged us to slow our tongues. Such advice stands contrary to our social media culture and its constant pull to “use our voice.” My pride tells me I have the answers others need or the wisdom they lack, and I therefore must be the one to dispense such knowledge. But reality says that God has numerous ways to speak to peoples’ souls and that He’s big enough to do so. That doesn’t mean He’ll never call me to share truth, but today’s verse does encourage me to take time to seek God’s will before I do so.  In times of relational conflict, I also need to invite Him to search and cleanse my heart, addressing my anger with Him. I need His perspective on it, and when necessary, His healing for whatever’s driving it so that I’m speaking from a place of love rather than malice. I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:3-5 where He told us to first remove the plank in our eyes, those things that distort our vision, so that we can see clearly to remove the sawdust in someone else’s eye.  Intersecting Life and Faith Human anger, meaning anger that isn’t driven by a godly desire to protect others or pursue justice, is a huge vision distorter and “doesn’t produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20). When we remain connected with the Holy Spirit and relationally focused on whoever we’re talking to, however, we become beautiful reflections of Jesus and, often, life-giving conduits of His love. May that always be our driving goal, and in our pursuit of it, may we also remember that love is patient, gentle, humble and kind (1 Corinthians 13:4). Further Reading: Ephesians 5:15-17 Isaiah 30:21 Acts 1:8    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our souls benefit from daily practice of gratitude for the seemingly small to the wondrous and everything in between. We must remind ourselves that God is GREAT! He is able to do more than we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)!  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Remember the Wonders By: Amanda Idleman    1 Chronicles 16:12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, Have you found that as an adult your memory isn’t as good as it once was?  So many times a friend asks how my weekend was on Monday and it feels like every detail of what had just passed just fell out of my head! I joke that it’s because my brain is too full, new memories no longer stick as easily. The same is true of us as believers! How quickly do we forget the great things God has done for us and for those that we love? We proclaim to be people of faith but often behave in the same way as the faithless. We expect the worst forgetting that we have access to the power of God everyday to meet all our needs both big and small. The wandering Isrealites that God led out of captivity in Egypt with the help of his leader Moses had the same memory problem that we do. God showed up to redeem them, save them, provide for them, and guide them over and over again yet they consistently forgot, disobeyed, doubted, and reacted out of faithless fear. This pattern became such a problem that God sentenced them to life wandering the desert and only brought the next generation into the promised land (Deuteronomy 1:35). Are you stuck in the desert because of a lack of faith? Have you forgotten his wonders, miracles, and judgements? We are more like the doubting and forgetful Israelites than we often want to admit. We have to be intentional about taking note and giving God all the glory for what he has done for us! His miracles range from ones we take for granted like giving us breath in our lungs today from bending the rules of the universe to showing us his love. Our souls benefit from daily practice of gratitude for the seemingly small to the wondrous and everything in between. We must remind ourselves that God is GREAT! He is able to do more than we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)!  Living with gratitude creates in us a posture of expectation so when we have a need our automatic response is one of faith. We remember that God is the one who provides all we need. God honors our faith. He tells us that all it takes is the faith of a mustard seed to see anything that we need happen (Matthew 17:20). Faith is key to seeing God’s miracle working power unlocked in our lives.  Remembering what God has done to bring us to the place we are in the moment encourages our hearts when the going gets tough.  My husband and I have five kids and two of them have joined our family through foster care and adoption. Sometimes being parents of all these kids is hard. All five of them come with their own personalities, needs, and I can begin to doubt God’s good plan in placing us altogether on those very hard days.  But then I remember all that he has done! He did so many miracles to put our family together in such a special way. Remembering encourages my heart, reminding me that I am exactly where God wants me to be. The hardness of this role does not mean I’m in the wrong place. God placed me where I am on purpose with a purpose. Remembering his miracles reminds me I am just where he wants me to be.  Intersecting Faith and Life  Take time to remember all God has done for you. What miracles have you observed in your life? How have you seen his wonder at work around you?  Pause for gratitude. Write down what you are grateful for as a daily practice.  Repent of faithless living. How have you doubted God’s ability and goodness? Let him know you are sorry for not remembering how great a God he is!  Further Reading  Exodus 15:22-18:27  Does God Still Perform Miracles Today? Mini-Miracles Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God is big enough to handle it. We thank God for this. We thank God that He hears our prayer, and that He, in all His might and power, is handling what we cannot effectively handle on our own. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How to Defeat Worry By Kelly Balarie “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Phil. 4:6-7 NKJV I wanted my daughter’s birthday party to be perfect, but what if something went wrong? What if she didn’t like the bunk bed that we’d spent countless hours searching for? What if I spent too much money on it? What if it wasn’t stable when it arrived at the house?  I didn’t get her any bunk bed – I got her the super special one. The expensive one. I went above and beyond.  Now, there was pressure tied to this purchase. I will be upset if she doesn’t like it because of how much I have invested in this. I will be annoyed if we have to tear it down after all the assembly required.  Worrying wreaks havoc on joy. Worry is pressure. Worry is pressure because everything may go wrong. Worry is pressure to make things go a specific way. Worry is pressure to avoid the worst from happening. Worry is pressure that people respond how we want them to. Worry wrestles with the forces we cannot control. The worst part about worry is that it not only tear us up on the inside but it causes others to suffer the brunt of it as well. If my daughter doesn’t like this bed that I’ve invested so much into, I’ll feel annoyed at her. I’ll think she is ungrateful. Worrying wreaks havoc on joy. Where might we feel worried? Are we worried about work? A family member? A house issue? A future that looks dim?  And, what is the alternative to worry? “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Phil. 4:6-7 NKJV In this verse, God gives us a clear-cut way to defeat worry. Let’s break it down some. We first, tell ourselves, “I refuse to be anxious. I will not be anxious for anything.” In this, we decide and resolve that there is no thing worth us being anxious about. We draw a line in the sand. Further, we pray and ask God to handle the thing we need. As we pray, we rest our scary problem into his capable hands. By doing this, we fully release it. Just as you might catch a fish and release it back into the water, we release the burden entirely and let it float away from us. God is big enough to handle it. We thank God for this. We thank God that He hears our prayer, and that He, in all His might and power, is handling we cannot effectively handle on our own. Finally, because we recognize God’s bigness, we can receive His peace. He has this worry in His hands. He knows the best way. He will give us all we need to confront the issue. He has the equipping grace and will afford us what we need. He knows the end from the beginning. This brings peace. Intersecting Faith & Life: What do you tend to worry about? Worry is like a carousel of thoughts; the endless circling of a problem gets one nowhere. Just think: A carousel never travels any markable distance. It just runs circles around the center of the issue. How has worry ever helped you gain ground? How solved anything? What would it look like for you to put your worries into the hands of God. He created the whole world; don’t you think He can handle what you face today? Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; find encouragement by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, creator of the “Hear God’s Voice” podcast, is also a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly, a real cheerleader of faith, loves seeing the power of prayer in live action. She loves seeing the look on people’s faces when they realize –God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God’s supportive strength isn’t reserved only for Olympians. God makes it available to each of us, as well. Just as athletes face different outcomes at the Olympics, we also encounter a spectrum of experiences in our own lives.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God Will Strengthen You in All Situations By: Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer  “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13, NIV  As we watch the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, we see athletes from all around the world competing with impressive strength. The Olympic Games highlights some of the strongest people on our planet – athletes who have spent years working hard in training, to develop top skills in their sports. They’ve focused on strengthening themselves both physically and mentally to prepare for the pressure of intense competitions.  For some of these Olympic athletes, the Paris Games will lead to victory as they achieve their dreams of winning medals. They will celebrate moments of success, and so will their coaches, families, friends, and nations. Stories of their triumphs will be shared widely, inspiring people around the world.  For other athletes, these Olympics will lead to defeat as they lose competitions or even have to pull out of competing due to illness or injury. Athletes who don’t meet their goals – or who even suffer heartbreaking losses – may be profoundly disappointed from falling short after years of preparation. They may question their future in their sports, or even their own self-worth.  In Olympic moments of both victory and defeat, one truth remains constant: God’s love for each athlete is complete and unconditional. God’s love is not contingent on success or failure. It doesn’t require any medals won or records broken to earn. It can’t be lost like a sports competition can be. Instead, God loves all the athletes – both those who win, and those who lose – simply because of who they are. God sees beyond the outcomes of the competitions to the souls of each individual he has lovingly created. God cherishes them, supports them, and is ready to empower them with his unlimited strength to handle any situation well. Just like Phillipians 4:13 says, the athletes can do all things through God, who strengthens them. They can be strong in any type of circumstances – either good or bad – if they rely on God as their source of strength. For athletes who are victorious, God is there to bring them joy and to remind them that their worth is based on his love for them, not on their achievements. For athletes who face disappointment, God is there to offer encouragement and to remind them that their value is not diminished by a loss.  God’s supportive strength isn’t reserved only for Olympians. God makes it available to each of us, as well. Just as athletes face different outcomes at the Olympics, we also encounter a spectrum of experiences in our own lives. We sometimes win by achieving our goals and sometimes lose by missing out on what we want. Regardless of our circumstances, God’s promise remains true:  He is always there to strengthen us.  Phillipians 4:13 directs our attention to the limitless strength that God provides. Whether we are seeing our dreams come true or suffering through challenging situations, we can rely on God’s strength to see us through. The strength God gives us encompasses everything we need strength for – physical endurance, emotional resilience, mental fortitude, and spiritual sustenance. We can “do all things” – which means that we can handle any situation we encounter well – when we rely on God’s strength to help us do so. The more we connect with God’s presence with us in all circumstances, and the more we pray for God to help us when we need strength, the stronger we can become.  So, let Olympic athletes inspire you to seek strength from the ultimate source of strength: God himself. God’s strength will be there for you when your life is going well and you achieve your goals. It will also be there for you when you feel overwhelmed by stress or discouraged by disappointing situations. No matter what happens as you run the race of faith, God will empower you to handle it well.  Intersecting Faith and Life  As you consider how you can rely on God’s strength to help you in all situations, reflect on these questions:  What are some situations in your life where you need God’s strength the most? How have you experienced God’s strength in the past? Are there any areas in your life where you are trying to rely on your own strength rather than seeking God’s help? If so, how can you trust God more in those areas? How can you remind yourself to turn to God for strength during both the good times and the difficult times you encounter? What habits can you develop to stay connected to God’s strength on a daily basis?  Further Reading Isaiah 40:31 2 Corinthians 12:9 Psalm 46:1 Ephesians 6:10 Joshua 1:9 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

if you are stuck in a season of discouragement it’s time to start counting up the good. We bless the Lord when we make note of his goodness and beauty at work in our life. He doesn’t want us to forget to see his benefits.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Psalm 103:2  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, Life can get heavy. We each start our days with a “patience tank” and it seems that as the day goes on that tank gets depleted down to empty. Sometimes that tank can hit empty before seven am if you have demanding kids that wake up before the sun rises. Stress depletes our patience and joy. Over time if we don’t get a break from those patience draining days we can feel ourselves facing burnout and then our tank is underfilled before the day even begins. We just can’t catch up and find ourselves not being the people we want to be. Instead we see a frantic, angry, impatient, and very frustrated version of ourselves emerge so much more than we’d like. As I’ve been wading through this dynamic in my life as a Mom, I’ve found myself feeling very discouraged. When I review my day all I see are my failures. I am fixated on how I should have been kinder to my child, more diligent with another kid, or more loving in general. I’ve just been stuck on the idea that I’m not good enough for this life I’ve been given.  The other day I was once again taking a mental recap of what I should have done better as a parent when the Holy Spirit stopped me with his whisper voice. He told me to write down what I did okay as a Mom that day and maybe even just over this past year and a half since we’ve become a family of seven through foster care and adoption.  My list began with simple things like I woke up to take my kids to their swim meet, I made sure everyone had food for breakfast, I celebrated my kids wins with food and ice cream, and I made sure my younger kids were cared for on this busy day. These are things I mostly look over as a parent, the ways I serve and give everyday in my home. Instead I am constantly working on my life improvement plan but God wants me to stop and see that there is good in my days as a parent. He even can help me appreciate the hard growing moments that happen because they are part of us being a family.  This is not to overlook our need to apologize when we mess up and change our behavior when we are stuck. But the enemy-of-our-souls wants to bog us down in our not enoughness that we can’t see how we with God we are more than overcomers! Discouragement breeds hopelessness which halts our ability to live by faith.  So if you are stuck in a season of discouragement it’s time to start counting up the good. We bless the Lord when we make note of his goodness and beauty at work in our life. He doesn’t want us to forget to see his benefits.    Maybe parenthood isn’t your hard place but work is. Start to note the ways you are blessing your company, coworkers, and doing what you can to excel in your job. It could be that you are discouraged as a spouse or maybe as a daughter, son, friend, and the list goes on. The real truth is that we each offer value to the places we are because we are made in the image of God. While the struggle of life is real, his blessings that come through us are good.    Intersecting Faith and Life  Start a daily list of how you are doing okay in an area you have felt discouraged. I say okay because sometimes we are too discouraged to even use the word “good” . These things don’t need to be major wins but tiny ways that you showed up and served well. Give God glory for the blessings he has given you.  Next make a list of what has been weighing on you. Maybe it’s a lack of patience, depression, anxiety, a need for wisdom, or something else. Pray over this need and hand it to Jesus. Ask him to show him what tools you need and what steps to take but let go of the shame you’ve been carrying around. His grace is sufficient to cover our needs.  Further Reading  Count ‘Em By Brandon Lake  A Morning Prayer to Count Your Blessings - Your Daily Prayer - February 25 Counting Our Blessings Cultivates a Grateful Heart Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The love of God is not a response to how great we are, or how good we can be. The love of God is not a possession that we yield, or an accolade we merit. Love is the foundation of who God is. Love is the full identification of God’s being and it existed over us before any action or mistake in our lives. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Is God’s love true or real?  “This is love, not that we loved God, but God loved us and sent his only son into this world so that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:10) In his book, “Seeing is Believing”, theologian Greg Boyd makes a distinction between something that is true, and something that is real. To say something is true is to affirm something about it – to make some sort of declaration. Importantly, you can claim something to be true without having any personal interaction with it. For example, I know that the city of Paris is true, even though I have never been there. The fact is truth is an intellectual property more than a personal experience. But to say something is real, says Boyd, is to have a personal experience of it. We can talk about the truth of God’s love easily enough. We can pose questions about it, we can read books about it, we write essays and blogs about it; But love calls us deeper than just affirming the truth of God’s love as some intellectual assent to a theological doctrine. God’s desire is for us to experience the reality – the realness – of his love, and it is for that purpose that God sent Jesus into the world. See, the love of God is not a response to how great we are, or how good we can be. The love of God is not a possession that we yield, or an accolade we merit. Love is the foundation of who God is. Love is the full identification of God’s being and it existed over us before any action or mistake in our lives. True, we might deny it, and we might choose to live away from it, but because God’s love for us is real, we can do nothing to negate it. God’s love for us exists just as much as God exists.  In complete self-offering, God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Scripture reminds us of this not because it’s a nice thought, or a hope-filled idea, but because it is a reality that encompasses us. It is real for our lives! God’s love for you is real, and to know God is to know that love, deeply, intimate, profoundly.  God’s divine, magnificent, earth-shattering, radical, and unyielding love transforms us. It pushes aside all that bars our knowledge of Christ. It pushes aside fear of punishment, fear of not being good enough, fear of missing out or messing up; fear of being rejected. John writes that there is no fear in love because love’s only mission, God’s only mission, is to produce life. This means that the number one thing that God wants from you right now, is for you let Him love you.   Intersecting faith in Life. It can be easy to base our spiritual life on a faulty premise of earning. In this word of merit and deserve, we might think that doing loving things earns God’s love for us. Talk about loving others, even showing our faith, becomes rooted in some sort of ethic of deserve. If I do x, God will lovingly do y, we think. But that is not how God’s love works. “This is love”, writes John, not that we loved God, but God loved us and sent his only son into this world so that we might live through him.”  What if God’s doesn’t want you to try harder, or to study more. What if God isn’t setting up a long list of tasks through which you can prove your worth. What if God just wants to love you, as you are, in this moment. Now that can be scary. To be loved is to be vulnerable – and to be truly loved, is to accept that love even in your ugliest moments. But it is when we experience love in that place that we find healing and growth. So where do we start? We start by dropping our defenses and letting the love of God flow in.  God first loved us”, writes John (1John 4:10), which means our heavenly Father the active agent and we are the recipients. The question that we sit with is: do you want to experience the love of God? Do you want to know God’s love, not as a truth to ponder, but as something to feel, as a reality to be enfolded?   God’s desire for you is to have you experience the fullness of that love. And in an astounding act of grace, God has made receiving that love very simple. All you need to do is open yourself to accept the gift that is perpetually held out to you in the presence of Jesus. As you are right now, facing whatever it is you are facing and dealing with whatever it is your dealing with, dare to believe that Jesus stands with you, and offers you, his love. As surely as he is there, so is his love for you. Yes, the love of God is true, absolutely and eternally, but it is also so much more. It is real, and it is something you can experience, and live within. For further reading 1 John 4:7-12 “3 ways to experience More of God’s Love” on crosswalk.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Just as athletes train rigorously to compete at the highest levels, we are called to train ourselves in holiness. Spiritual training promises benefits not only for our current lives, but far beyond, for eternity!  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Train Yourself for a Holy Life By: Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer “Train yourself for a holy life! While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:7-8, CEB  During the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, we are captivated by the dedication and achievements of athletes from around the world. These champions have spent countless hours building their skills in 32 different sports. Their dedication to physical training is evident in their strength, agility, and endurance. Each competition showcases the extraordinary capabilities of the human body when trained to its peak performance. Olympic athletes show us the pinnacle of what people can achieve from physical training. Consider the graceful precision of a gymnast on a balance beam, the explosive speed of a sprint runner, the creative choreography of a breaker, or the power of a swimmer cutting through the water. These athletes have committed their lives to rigorous training regimens, strict schedules, and relentless practice. They sacrifice comfort and leisure to achieve excellence, driven by the desire to compete at the highest level and perhaps win the gold medal of their dreams.  Yet, as awe-inspiring as their physical accomplishments are, the Bible tells us that there’s something far more important. Even though physical training has some value, training in holy living holds even greater value.  Just as athletes train rigorously to compete at the highest levels, we are called to train ourselves in holiness. Spiritual training promises benefits not only for our current lives, but far beyond, for eternity! That’s because our bodies are only temporary but our souls live forever. The effort we put into growing more holy will bring us rewards that never end. It’s more than worthwhile to train for a holy life. However, we need to be committed to doing so. Spiritual training requires dedication, practice, and perseverance, just like physical training does. The inspiration we draw from watching Olympic athletes can fuel our desire to excel in our own lives. While we may not ever compete in the Olympic Games, we should prepare for something even greater – lives in heaven with our holy God. Here are some ways we can train ourselves for living holy lives:  Regular prayer and meditation: Just as athletes follow a strict training schedule, we should build prayer and meditation habits we enjoy, which will motivate us to stick to those habits every day. We can set aside specific times each day for prayer (talking with God) and meditation (listening to God), making these spiritual disciplines a non-negotiable part of our routine. One of the ways we can listen to God is by meditating on God’s Word, the Bible. When we internalize Bible verses, God will use those verses to guide our thoughts and actions so we can make the best decisions day by day.  Community friendships: Engaging with a community of believers gives us encouragement, accountability, and support that can help us grow spiritually. Just as athletes train with coaches and teammates, we can benefit from the guidance and companionship of our fellow Christians. We can build friendships with others in our church by attending worship services regularly, participating in a small group, and seeking out mentors who can help us grow. Self-discipline: Like athletes who resist unhealthy habits, we must exercise self-control to avoid sin and pursue righteousness. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us develop more self-control, so we can turn away from temptations that will lead us farther away from God and instead pursue activities that help us grow closer to God.  So, as we watch the dedication and discipline of Olympic athletes in action, let’s get inspired to excel in our walks with God! Imagine the spiritual endurance we can build, the strength of character we can develop, and the close relationships with God we can achieve when we commit to training ourselves in holiness. Just as Olympians keep their eyes on the prize, we should focus on the eternal reward that awaits us. The discipline and perseverance we cultivate in our spiritual lives will not only enrich our earthly lives now, but also prepare us for an eternity in heaven with God.  Intersecting Faith and Life As you consider how important it is to train well to live a holy life, reflect on these questions:  How does the discipline of Olympic athletes inspire you to be more disciplined in your spiritual life? In what ways can you incorporate daily spiritual training into your routine? What obstacles do you face in training for a holy life, and how can you overcome them? Who in your life can support and encourage you in your spiritual training? What specific steps can you take this week to grow in holiness?  Further Reading  1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Philippians 3:14 Hebrews 12:1 2 Timothy 2:5 James 1:12 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Just as our surroundings shift when a storm is coming, so too do our ordinary circumstances when the Lord comes onto the scene. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: A Change in Atmosphere  by Deidre Braley  When I was just a bare-footed wild child growing up on the edge of a great Maine wood, I would relish the hot, midsummer nights when the sky would turn dark and turbulent as a blackened eye and thunder would begin its war drum in the distance. On these evenings, my parents would bring my sister and I out onto our covered porch and we’d sit there, watching and waiting with half-held breath until hot electricity finally struck its purple zing across the sky.  I was no meteorologist, but even as a child I knew there was a powerful shift happening in the atmosphere. The whole world felt pregnant, magnetic, anticipatory. In the storm-filled air, my breath felt different. Familiar objects like our house, our chairs, the rusty blue swingset—they seemed novel in this light. Even my mother and father seemed changed. I felt as though anything  could and would happen, here in this familiar-but-foreign environment.  When I hear people talk about God as if he’s boring—as though he is just a set of hymns stuck in the back of a stubborn old church pew—I want to grab their hands, pull them outside, and tilt their chins to the electric excitement all around them, just like my parents did for me when a storm blew in. I want to say, “Look! Listen! Feel! Can you sense it—this palpable change in the air when the Holy Spirit comes into our midst?”  Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”  Just as our surroundings shift when a storm is coming, so too do our ordinary circumstances when the Lord comes onto the scene. Our problems look different when examined under his light. Our hanging heads can’t help but lift toward the timbre of his voice. Our raging, fearful hearts settle in the presence of his quietude.  This is the wonder of God: that wherever he is, anything and everything can happen. Even our most commonplace lives can become electric with possibility when they’re brought into the midst of our great Creator. And even our most troubling problems can take on new form when we let God remold them in his hands.  That is why it is so important to be intentional about entering into God’s presence each day. If we spend all of our time looking at our lives from a worldly perspective, we’ll quickly become disoriented, disengaged, or just completely discouraged. But when we spend time with the Lord, he doesn’t make us stand at the threshold of the throne room—he hurries us in and shows us the world from his perspective. Even if nothing on the outside seems changed after these encounters, the air inside our souls will have undergone a tangible, atmospheric shift—allowing us to experience the same old world in a whole new way.  Intersecting Faith & Life:  Does it feel difficult to feel God’s presence in your life right now—and to believe he hasthe power to change the atmosphere of any of your current circumstances? Read throughJob 38-39, and mark which examples of God’s might and omniscience are most strikingto you. When you begin to doubt if he can make a difference in your life, practice saying, “If God can [insert one of the examples you marked], then he can [make a specific change in your life]. It might sound something like this: “If God can ‘loosen Orion’s belt’ (Job 8:31), then he can also provide the money I’ll need to service my car this week.”  Being in nature is an incredible way to remember God’s power and awe-inspiringattributes. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Take a walk on the beach, lay on your back beneath the stars, or—better yet—pull up a chair and watch a storm. Bring your awareness to God, and praise him. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we think about someone becoming a disciple that means that the person accepts Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus did not say, rely on your pastor or the evangelist to share the gospel, He called you and me to go and make disciples of Jesus. A large reason why  church is not growing is because the enemy has caused the church as a whole to sit back and believe that the gospel is true but it is not our job to share. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan is Telling the ChurchWritten By: Emma Danzey Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Have you wondered why the church is not growing as rapidly as you hoped? Is it as shocking to you as it is to me that the church in America is not growing from conversion, but from church transfer? In 2015 Bonnie Kristian shared from Relevant Magazine, “So while the statistics about the American church are troubling, American Christianity is far from the only thing going. Consider: In 1900, Europe and North America housed 82 percent of Christians worldwide.• By 2010, just 38 percent of professed Christians lived on these two continents.• By 2050, that projected figure is a mere 27 percent.” She goes on to share how although the church is dying here, it is exploding in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This was almost 10 years ago, and today Emma Davis from Reach Right Studios shares, “Only 16% of churches in the US are experiencing growth or hyper expansion.” One of the sneakiest lies that Satan is telling the church is, “It is not my job to share the gospel.” Jesus’ last words to His disciples on earth was for them to go and make disciples of all nations and that He would be with them. This is still a command for every believer in Jesus today.  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” When we think about someone becoming a disciple that means that the person accepts Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus did not say, rely on your pastor or the evangelist to share the gospel, He called you and me to go and make disciples of Jesus. A large reason why  church is not growing is because the enemy has caused the church as a whole to sit back and believe that the gospel is true but it is not our job to share. We do not want to “step on toes,” we fear what others will think about us, we like staying in our Christian circles, or we just simply do not know how to share our faith because no one has ever taught us.    We are all coming from different backgrounds and experiences, but the Lord wants to use us as His vessels to share the hope of heaven with others. He has invited us into building His kingdom. The response of another person is not on us, but we are called to offer the gospel and trust the Holy Spirit to move. We leave the results up to Him. I was recently speaking with a 60-year-old friend and he shared that if he heard that the results were left to the Holy Spirit, he would have felt freer sharing his faith growing up. Unfortunately, he was taught that if a person did not accept Christ, then it was his fault. This caused him to feel defeated at ever even trying to share the gospel. He had a defeated mentality. The enemy so often uses this lie and redirects our eyes to the wrong thing, instead of resting in the work of the Spirit and relying on the living and active Word of God. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, We do not just share the good news of the gospel with others, we disciple them. Just like Jesus taught and walked alongside the disciples, we too are invited to walk alongside others on their faith journeys. We celebrate when they are baptized, we help them when trials come up, we pray with and for them, we study the Bible with them, we are in genuine relationship with them. No, we cannot do this with everyone we meet. However, this is why it is not just the pastor’s job, this is the role of the church. We are the body of Christ, we function best when everyone is involved and connected. We know that we serve the Triune God who is still working and still baptizing people. And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. We disciple and we teach others to grow in God’s Word and relationship with Him. We also model to them how to share their faith with others. Spiritual multiplication happens when believers in Jesus begin to disciple others and send them out to share the gospel. It is the great commission. It is our calling as believers in Christ to share Him with the world. This starts right in our communities, thinking about who is around us who needs Him. Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you ever been tempted to believe that sharing your faith was a pastor or evangelist’s job and not yours? Who is someone specific that you believe God has placed in your life who needs the gospel? Begin praying for this person and spend some time asking into their faith, then share the gospel with them in the power of the Holy Spirit. There are many wonderful resources out there to guide your conversation, such as God Tools.   Further Reading: Mark 16:15 Psalm 96:3 Ephesians 2:8-9 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Despite our differences, we share a common purpose: to seek God, reach out to him, and discover that God is right there with us.  From the beginning, God made all nations from one person. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God’s Global Family By: Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer  “From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be. God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn’t far from any of us, and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are. ‘We are his children,’ just as some of your poets have said.” – Acts 17:26-28, CEV  The Olympic flag, which displays 5 connected rings representing our planet’s inhabited continents, was designed to show how nations around the globe can come together in peace and friendship. The 5 different colors of the rings were planned so that athletes from every nation on earth could identify at least one color from his or her own nation’s flag. At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, athletes from more than 200 different nations worldwide are participating. The Olympic Games shine a powerful spotlight on the world’s nations. Watching the Olympics, we learn about both the diverse sports and the diverse national cultures represented there.  In Acts 17:26-28, the Bible points out that God has intentionally created and placed each nation and individual in their specific time and place on earth. The diversity we see around us is not accidental; it is a deliberate part of God’s design. The Bible also reveals that God’s plan for each of us is to search for him and find him. God is the loving Heavenly Father of a global family of humans. We’re all connected, by God’s design, and God wants to have close relationships with every one of us around the world. From the beginning, God made all nations from one person – Adam, the first human being – to show us our shared origin and interconnectedness. We are all a part of God’s global family. Each nation and each person makes a valuable contribution to our world. This diversity reflects the creativity and vastness of God’s nature.  Despite our differences, we share a common purpose: to seek God, reach out to him, and discover that God is right here with us. God’s proximity to us is a source of great comfort. He is not a distant deity, but a caring Father who empowers us to live, move, and be who we are. Our identity and existence are rooted in God. No matter where we are in the world, we have access to God’s love and guidance.  As God’s children, we are called to embrace our identity and live in a way that reflects God’s love and unity. We can honor this truth by recognizing the value in every person, regardless of their background. We can also celebrate the diversity of God’s creation while seeking to build bridges of understanding and compassion. By doing so, we fulfill our role as members of God’s global family, letting God’s love flow through us to a world that desperately needs it.  Let the Olympics inspire you to learn more about the different nations in our world, and the people who live there. Try food from different nations at ethnic restaurants. Listen to music from around the world. Watch documentaries about various countries. Talk with someone you know who is an immigrant and listen to his or her stories. If possible, plan to visit nations that especially interest you, so you can experience their distinctive cultures yourself. The more you learn about your global family, the more you can learn about the Heavenly Father we all share!  Intersecting Faith and Life As you consider how you’re a valuable part of God’s global family, reflect on these questions:  How does understanding that God made all nations from one person influence your view of humanity? What are some practical steps you can take to build bridges of understanding and compassion with people from different backgrounds? How can you celebrate and embrace the diversity of God’s creation in your community? How does knowing that God gives you the power to live, move, and be who you are impact your sense of identity and purpose? In what ways can you actively seek God and reach out to him in your daily life?  Further Reading Genesis 1:27 Psalm 139:13-14 John 17:21 Galatians 3:28 Ephesians 2:14 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Take some time alone with the Holy Spirit today. Tell him you want to feel his presence and spend time with him. Consider asking him some questions to get to know him better, like:  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Soul Brother  By Deidre Braley  I studied abroad in Spain for one semester of college. One weekend, my friends and I made a short, cheap trip to Barcelona, where we spent most of our time hunting for free sightings of Salvador Dalí’s work and staying in a crummy hostel. And while I remember very little about where we ate, what we saw, or even how we afforded to get there, I’ll never forget the way I felt when I met a fellow traveler one evening as we were leaving our room.  This person was from England, and with a group of friends who were also traveling for the weekend. By chance, we’d all happened to exit our rooms at the same time, and as we bumbled through the narrow hallway we introduced ourselves, talking about where we were from and feeling quite jovial that we could drop our subpar Spanish skills and simply communicate in English for a while.  Have you ever met a total stranger whom you feel an instant connection with, as though you’ve known them your whole life? This is how I felt with one of the members of this group. On the outside, it would appear we had nothing in common, except that we spoke the same language. But on the inside, I felt my soul coming alive with recognition. I had the rare sensation of being completely seen and known—as though this person and I were kindred spirits, or that maybe we’d been cut from the same cloth when God was spinning us into existence. By the end of the night, we were strolling down the streets of Barcelona arm-in-arm, talking conspiratorially about inside jokes only we seemed to understand.  I never saw that person again, but thinking about that night reminds me that there is another who we can have this kind of soul connection with: Jesus.  I often find myself daydreaming about what it will be like to meet Jesus for the first time. I wonder what he’ll look like and what he’ll smell like, what he’ll say and how he’ll smile. But if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that he will feel like a soul brother.  1 John 4:13 says, “This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.” See, when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we don’t have to spend the rest of our time earthside waiting to meet him. He puts his Spirit inside of us, enabling us to connect with him on the most intimate of levels.  “In Christ you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed,” Ephesians 1:13-14 reads. “The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.” In this way, we can hear, know, and commune with his Spirit even as we wait for the fulfillment of our inheritance and our redemption. I imagine that the time we spend with the Holy Spirit in this life will prepare us for that familiar feeling of reunion with Jesus in the next.  As we wait and long to meet Jesus face-to-face one day, we needn’t wonder what he’ll be like. Rather, we can turn to the Spirit that he’s placed inside us and begin getting to know him better today. And when we do finally open a door and bump into Jesus one day? Why, he won’t feel like a stranger. He’ll be a soul brother—and we’ll be linking arms and exchanging secrets in no time.  Intersecting Faith & Life:  Take some time alone with the Holy Spirit today. Tell him you want to feel his presence and spend time with him. Consider asking him some questions to get to know him better, like:  What makes you smile? What would you like me to know about you? What do you ask of me today? Then, allow yourself to sit in silence and solitude. Record any specific impressions you feel, any words you hear, or any pictures you see in your mind. As you grow in this practice, you will likely grow in your awareness of his presence—and also your ability to hear and understand him.  Further Reading:  Romans 8  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God is focused on relationship. We tend to be focused on activity. He is the One who tells us to "be still" (Psalm 46:10) and to come to Him and rest (Matthew 11:28). We are the ones who are striving to do more.   SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: What More Does God Want Me to Do?  by Cindi McMenamin  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”  (Matthew 22:37 NASB)  Do you ever feel burnt out with all that you’re doing for God? Perhaps your life revolves around ministry or maybe you just wonder sometimes if God’s pleased with you or if you should be doing more.  We live in a culture focused on doing to the point that busyness is our badge of success and multi-tasking in the church is what appears to others—and ourselves—as ultra-spiritual. But although a relationship with the living God produces a desire to obey Him and serve Him, that service results in joy and rest, not perpetual stress!  In my book, When Women Long for Rest, I point out that God would rather have us be with Him than do a bunch of things for Him. I see that in Jesus' response to a man who asked Him about the greatest of all the commandments. Jesus' answer was "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  God is focused on relationship. We tend to be focused on activity. He is the One who tells us to "be still" (Psalm 46:10) and to come to Him and rest (Matthew 11:28). We are the ones who are striving to do more.   Yet, as we spend time cultivating a love relationship with God, we will then know how to serve others and we will be able to discern His gentle voice saying, "This is what I have for you" or "Step in and help her with that." But it will never be at the expense of overlooking our primary responsibilities or feeling over-extended.  Jesus, after all, told His closest followers, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31), not "Let's try to cover even more territory today by working even harder!" Intersecting Faith and Life:  If you are caring for young children, or working full time, or someone who constantly has your hands full (and who doesn't these days?), let me remind you of these three principles when it comes to doing more for God:   Grow in your love for Him and the labor will follow—but in the way He wants, not in the way your guilt determines. As you sit at God’s feet, He will eventually call you to get up and serve Him. But if we aren't taking time to be still, open His Word, and listen for His voice and direction, how can we possibly know how and where we are to serve Him?  Look for where He is calling you to serve and go where He leads. This is difficult if you tend to be a people-pleaser. Yes, there are Sundays when you may need to help in the church nursery because someone didn't show up and you know it's the right thing to do. But in terms of regular service for the Lord, wait upon God, pray for timing and clarity and walk through the doors that He opens, don't try to pry them open yourself or walk through them out of guilt. Ministry isn't limited to Sundays. When we think of "doing something" for God, we tend to think of activity in the church building. While each of us in the body of Christ is to exercise our spiritual gifts in a way that uplifts and encourages the rest of the body, that implies connection with a local church where you can be your "part" in the functioning body of Christ. But that doesn't mean that ministry occurs only within a church setting.  Ministry happens anywhere that you are salt and light on this earth and wherever Christ is glorified through you. Your greatest ministry right now may be to support and encourage your spouse or to invest spiritually in the lives of your children. If you have a job outside the church but feel you need to do more inside the church, find that balance so you can still be used effectively no matter where you are. Followers of Christ tend to forget the amazing ministry they can have simply by living next to and working alongside non-believers and continuing to live as followers of Christ.  Remember, our works and activity for God are not something we do to earn God's favor. Jesus did enough to secure God's forgiveness and acceptance of us when He gave His perfect life in exchange for ours as a penalty for our sin. Our service, in light of what Christ did for us on the cross, is simply to show our love and obedience to Him. It's our way of saying "I've been freed from the yoke of sin and I have a new master now...it's the Lord Jesus." Serving Him from that mindset brings joy, not stress.  Serve Him out of inspiration, not obligation, and you may find that instead of feeling guilt for not doing enough, you are feeling so very privileged to do the little that you can.  Lord, show us today how to serve You wherever we are, as a way of saying we love You.  Further Reading: Psalm 62. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Is there a bible verse that keeps coming to mind? Are you unable to get it out of your head? Maybe God is putting it there for good reason. Pray and ask Him what He wants you to know. Here are 3 ways to know when God is talking to you. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: 3 Ways to Recognize When God is Talking to You By Kelly Balarie “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” – Psalm 19:1 NIV I walked with a friend. Struggling with a sickness that was incredibly hard, I sought just the right words to encourage her.  No words would suffice. What do you say when there is nothing to say? I’ve learned, listening is always more powerful than speaking when one is going through the wringer of life.  So, I asked her questions and then let her speak. I actively repeated what she spoke to let her know that I was hearing her heart. Eventually, the moment of awkward silence arrived where I had nothing left to ask. I needed to say something. God, help me?!! I looked towards my feet, pondering what to say. A leaf caught my attention. Amazingly, it was shaped like a heart.  I knew God wanted me to share His love for her. He gave me an answer to my inner unsaid pleading for just the right words!! “God loves you so much.” I told her.  A well-spoken word at just the right moment has the ability to break through to a person’s heart like nothing else. God reminded me of His heart for my friend through nature. This is one of the many ways that God speaks to us.  Scripture says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” – Psalm 19:1 NIV How else does God speak? The second way that God speaks is through the Word of God. To store His Words in our heart is to hear them sound in our mind when the going gets tough.  When my kids act up, sometimes I feel afraid. When fear comes at me a mile a minute because I have stored God’s Word in my mind, I often hear a bible verse pop in my head. His Word kills my fear. The third way God speaks to us is through people. Have you ever experienced a repeat situation time and time again? Maybe it feels like people are always telling you the same thing. Once, I had a women’s minister at a church tell me that I was intense. Again, a friend, I prayed with told me I also was intense. I started to feel a little upset about that. People don’t want to be around intense people. However, the more I considered their words, the more I realized that Jesus was intense too.  God was communicating to me, through people’s words that what people noted about me, was something He loved and created. How might God be trying to reach you? Intersecting Faith & Life: Is there a bible verse that keeps coming to mind? Are you unable to get it out of your head? Maybe God is putting it there for good reason. Pray and ask Him what He wants you to know. Do you keep running into a similar situation with people? What might God be trying to say to you through this? Do you ever sit and look at God’s creation? What can you surmise about God’s character and nature based on how He has created the world?  Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; find encouragement by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, creator of the “Hear God’s Voice” podcast, is also a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly, a real cheerleader of faith, loves seeing the power of prayer in live action. She loves seeing the look on people’s faces when they realize –God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God’s plans are already being carried out through our lives. As you are presently in this tough season of life, lean on God. Find support in Him and trust Him with your life. The plans He has for you will prevail and they will be glorious. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How Can I Take Comfort in God’s Plans for My Life? By Vivian Bricker  “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11 Due to living in a fallen world, we are always coming across problems. Problems with work, our relationships, and our health can leave us feeling worn out. It never feels as though we can get a break. Instead of being relieved once one problem is resolved, a hundred new problems replace it. Whenever we are feeling like this, we need to turn to the Lord and know that He has a beautiful plan for our lives.  There have been many times in my life where I don't feel like there is a purpose to the pain I am experiencing—there is only suffering. We are often taught that pain makes us stronger, when sometimes it can actually make us weaker. Every pain, every tear, and every heartache does not lead us to something greater. Instead, it can lead us to meet the end of the road.  Plans we previously had for our lives seem to be non-existent and we don't even know how we are going to make it to the end of the month. When these issues arise, we can find lasting hope and purpose in God. He has great plans for our life. Through the pain, we can see His will more clearly and we take joy in knowing that our suffering is never forgotten by Him.  Recently, I had an issue in my life that God worked through. I thought I was going to have to make a major life change; however, God kept me where I was. He placed me on level ground and told me I was right where He wanted me to be. From that day, I felt the assurance of the Lord. His plans for me would never be sabotaged by anything or anyone, including myself or this season of suffering.  His goodness and his love will ensure all of the plans He has for our lives will be accomplished. Some of them might not be completed in the ways we once thought; however, we can trust in His plans. We might be lacking direction or guidance, but God never does. He will direct and guide each of our steps.  In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord tells us He already knows the plans He has for us and that these plans will prosper us. They will not harm us in any way. Rather, these plans will give us hope and a future. Whenever we are unsure about the future, we need to rely on God’s plans for our lives.  Your present season of suffering will not endure forever because the Lord has beautiful plans for your future. This future will not harm you nor will it cause you problems. It will only give you hope and surround you with the Lord’s goodness. Choose to live out this truth today by walking confidently in Jesus’ promise.  The plans God has for our lives is far greater than anything we could ever imagine. If you are presently going through a season of suffering, rest in the truth that you will be brought out into a season of joy. Similar to how the physical seasons change, this season of life will change too. The suffering and pain you are experiencing now will not endure forever.  Intersecting Faith & Life: This season might last for a while, but you can continue to trust God. No matter what season of life we find ourselves in, we can know with confidence that God is working all things out for our good (Romans 8:28). It is not a pleasant season right now; however, God’s plans for your life are still being fulfilled. There is nothing we can do to mess up God’s plans for our lives nor is there any season of life that can separate us from His plans.  God’s plans are already being carried out through our lives. As you are presently in this tough season of life, lean on God. Find support in Him and trust Him with your life. The plans He has for you will prevail and they will be glorious. “Dear Jesus, I am going through a tough season right now. There only seems to be suffering at every corner. Please Lord, help me to have hope for the plans You have for my life. Bring my heart and mind to meditate on Your plans for my life rather than the tragedies I am currently going through. I know nothing can usurp Your plans for my life. I praise You, Amen.” During this present season of suffering, what has the Lord been teaching you?  God has many plans for your life. Does this bring you a sense of comfort? Why or why not?  How does knowing that God has plans for your life change your outlook during this present season of life?  Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Psalm 119:76 Romans 8:26-28 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you ever panic when circumstances look bleak, thinking that maybe God has forgotten you? Perhaps it’s an unexpected bill you have to pay or a deadline that takes you by surprise. Maybe it’s just something you’ve been praying for and you feel overlooked.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: When You Feel Forgotten   By Cindi McMenamin, Crosswalk Contributing Writer  “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 (NIV) Do you ever panic when circumstances look bleak, thinking that maybe God has forgotten you? Perhaps it’s an unexpected bill you have to pay or a deadline that takes you by surprise. Maybe it’s just something you’ve been praying for and you feel overlooked.  There are times I’ve started to feel forgotten. But looking back now, those are the times I’ve forgotten the God of Wonders and how He fights for those He loves.   I was reading in Exodus of God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt. As the Israelites were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army hotly pursuing them, it didn’t look good. God's people were afraid of annihilation by the Egyptians. Moses' instructions to them were simple: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14).   God then told Moses to raise his staff and divide the waters of the Red Sea so His people could cross through the middle of it. He also told Moses that the Egyptians would pursue them right through the middle of the sea, but God would "gain glory" through it. Moses didn't know exactly what that meant. He only knew that God expected him to take the next step, and trust Him in the face of threatening circumstances.  All night, the Israelites walked through the parted sea while God, as a pillar of fire, went between them and the pursuing Egyptians, keeping the Israelites a safe distance away, yet still lighting the path before them. Then, when all of the Israelites made it safely to the other side, God sent the Egyptians into confusion and covered them with the giant walls of water, drowning every last one of them.  The Israelites witnessed the spectacular hand of God delivering them from their enemies! Yet only three days later they came to a spring in the desert and grumbled against Moses (and God) because the water was bitter and they had nothing to drink. How quickly they had forgotten the God who rescued them. Couldn't the God who separated the waters also sweeten them? In spite of the Israelites’ grumbling, God sweetened the water for them to drink, and then He brought them to Elim – where Exodus 15:27 says “there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.” God gave them a Palm Springs luxury resort! Right there in the desert! Intersecting Faith and Life:  How quickly you and I can forget God's amazing works too. How quickly we start to grumble, forgetting He is the God who always comes through.   God has told us in his Word He will never leave us, nor will He ever forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). And in Isaiah 49:15, God said “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you” (ESV).  There is only one thing we are told that God ever forgets—and that is our sin. (Psalm 103:12 tells us “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (NIV). God doesn’t forget us, only our sin when we’ve confessed it to Him and accepted His forgiveness of it once and for all.  When you start to feel forgotten, remember that there is nothing that God forgets but your sin. And that means even when you’re messing up, He hasn’t forgotten or rejected you, He’s still working on what will bring you closer to His heart and back to where you need to be with Him.  Lord, help me to remember today that You are with me, You are for me, and You have a reason for why I’m here. I will trust that You have not forgotten me, and that You are the God who always comes through. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.    Further Reading: Isaiah 49:15-16 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What wrong beliefs, assumptions or lies may be under your response? How might it benefit you to keep no record of wrongs?  Perhaps, take a moment to pray that God would show you His heart for that person when the going gets tough. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”  – Proverbs 19:11 ESV I knew the person was baiting me into an argument. How was I supposed to stay calm, cool, and collected when they were attacking me like a bull in an arena?  “You need help!” “You have problems.” “Everyone is upset at you!” Ahh!! With statements like these flying in my face, how could I not defend myself? How could I not get riled up? Arrows were flying a mile a minute. I didn’t know what to think or what to do in the midst of this verbal onslaught. I remained cool under pressure for a time, thinking of the various times that Jesus was attacked, yet said nothing…until the point that my mouth unloaded. I told the person everything they did wrong. So much for grace! Despite every impulse of the Holy Spirit within me, telling me to hold my own, I, too, reacted in anger, rather than responding in love. The second the words were out of my mouth; I knew I’d come to regret them. And I did. Later, I rehashed every word spoken.  Proverbs 19:11 says, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”   How do we actually see this verse through when in the moment all we see is red? It’s not easy. But, I am rediscovering that one (almost) never fail way – is to take your time. Wisdom is not rushed. It is never pressured. It always patient and thoughtful. For me, this looks like not being baited by attacking words. While they may be coming at me like arrows in the night, I can respond by saying, “Thank you for sharing. I’d really like to take some time to process what you have to say. Can we come back together when we are both calm? Let me take two hours to think about this.”  During that time, I can pray, read God’s Word, and think through what was brought up. I can consider how Jesus acted. I can understand where their condemnation may be coming from. I can position my heart to be humble and kind.  Have you ever noticed how wise people are slow to speak? Wisdom doesn’t rush to conclusions and reactions.  We never have to be pressured to respond. Love sets boundaries so it remains love (and doesn’t end up turning into wrath). Intersecting Faith & Life: What triggers you to react rashly? How might Jesus call you to respond differently? What wrong beliefs, assumptions or lies may be under your response? How might it benefit you to keep no record of wrongs?  Perhaps, take a moment to pray that God would show you His heart for that person when the going gets tough. Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; find encouragement by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, creator of the “Hear God’s Voice” podcast, is also a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly, a real cheerleader of faith, loves seeing the power of prayer in live action. She loves seeing the look on people’s faces when they realize –God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The grace He extends to us will endure throughout all time and this is shown to us in how Gentiles are now part of the family of God. At one point only Israel was the family of God; however through Jesus’ grace all people can join the family of God.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9 From the moment we come to know Jesus, we are blessed. We are blessed because we now know the Savior of our souls, our Redeemer, and our greatest Friend. Although we are now just coming to know Him, He has loved us since before the beginning of time. When we were actively living in sin, He loved us (Romans 5:8). The love of Jesus is what enables us to live graceful lives.  While we ourselves might be lacking in extending grace in our lives, we know we never have to worry about this with the Lord. He is always extending grace to us in His actions. Even though we do not deserve His love and grace, Jesus still chooses to do this. Love is at the Lord’s core and there is nothing we can do to change this (Romans 8:37-39). From a biblical sense, grace is undeserved favor or unmerited favor. We did nothing to warrant Jesus’ love or favor. Rather, He simply chose to love us and He continues to do so every day. The grace He extends to us will endure throughout all time and this is shown to us in how Gentiles are now part of the family of God. At one point only Israel was the family of God; however through Jesus’ grace all people can join the family of God.  This is all because of God’s grace and His love. With this knowledge, we can live graceful lives. Rather than being fearful, doubtful, or even prideful, we can live lives of grace and love. God has given us grace, which is something we don't deserve. By all practical means, God could have eradicated the human race thousands of years ago because of our sin, but He didn't. Instead, He has chosen to give us chance after chance to come to Him.  The love of God is abounding and this is why He has not destroyed us. God’s love is what leads Him to give us grace because it is not by anything that we did. We cannot earn God’s grace just as we cannot earn our own salvation. If one was to say we could earn God’s grace, it would be implying that we somehow could win God’s favor and this is not true. We already have God’s favor because of who He is, not because of anything we have done or haven't done.  This is in line with our Bible passage of the day. The Apostle Paul tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Similar to as I was saying before, grace and salvation were given to us by God. It is by God’s grace that we have been saved and this is through faith. As soon as we place faith in Jesus and accept Him as our Savior, we are given salvation.  Grace overpowers our life and salvation becomes our new reality. As Paul goes on to tell us, this grace and salvation is not from ourselves. Rather, it is the gift of God. God’s grace and salvation are both gifts. We do not earn these things by our works in order that no one can boast. If God chose people based on their work, then it would give individuals a chance to boast about “how they earned salvation” or “earned God’s favor.” Neither of these things are biblical. Instead, they are rooted in pride. Salvation is a free gift given to us by the Lord Himself. We did not work towards this gift nor did we earn it. In the same way, grace was extended to us by Jesus out of His great love. When we look at these truths, we know we can step out into the day with a grateful heart. We have been given a graceful life and this is all because of the Lord.  May we all praise Him today and go to Him in prayer.  “Dear Jesus, I praise You for blessing me with a graceful life. Through Your love and grace, I have received salvation. None of this is due to my own work or efforts. Instead, it is done completely by You. Thank You, Lord, for Your wonderful gift of salvation and Your grace. Amen.” Intersecting Faith & Life: Are you currently living a graceful life? If not, how can you change this?  We cannot warrant God’s favor. Have you tried to do this in the past? If you have, how can you give up this practice?  Salvation is given freely by grace through faith. Have you accepted Jesus’ free gift of salvation yet? If not, do you think you might want to accept Him as your Savior today?  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Listen as we embark on a journey of spiritual intimacy and discovery, leaning into God's whisper with expectant hearts, and embracing His direction and peace in every aspect of our lives. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” - Psalm 46:1 (ESV) There is a moment in the classic book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis when two of the characters are faced with devastating circumstances. Lewis describes it by saying, “I hope no one who read this book has been quite as miserable as Susan and Lucy were that night; but if you have been - if you’ve been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you - you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness. You feel as if nothing was ever going to happen again.” When I read those words, I wept because I, too, had been like those characters. I’d suffered through nights of such intense sorrow that I’ve felt my heart would melt and my tears would drown me. In many cases, my tears ended up soaking my pillow to the point where I’d have to turn it over.  Whether you are a Christian or not, we’ve all experienced some type of suffering. If you and I would sit down together, across the table maybe, with cups of tea or coffee, we would share about the suffering each of us have faced. Our presence together provides a sense of shared grief that helps us.  Psalm 46 is a powerful psalm that speaks about suffering. What I love about this psalm is the answer to our suffering is God’s presence. The very first verse talks about God being near. It says that in all of our troubles, God is a “very present help.” (ESV) The word present means both time and space.  God, who lives outside of time, entered into it in the beginning of Genesis. “In the beginning, God…” Our mighty, awesome, transcendent God entered into time for us. That word present also means space. God is also physically, spiritually, and emotionally close to us. He is near us physically! The Bible references God being near to us several times. (Psalm 145:18, Psalm 34:18, Philippians 4:5-7, James 4:8) When we find ourselves suffering, we want God to come in and fix it. I know I’ve prayed for diseases to be cured, grief to be comforted, and miracles to take place in the hearts of the people I love. God sometimes answers yes, but sometimes God has a different plan than my plan. The hard truth is this: life is filled with suffering. Instead of focusing on how God doesn’t answer our prayers or how life doesn’t turn out the way we had planned, God invites us to a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. God draws closer to us in our suffering. He sits with us in our grief and sorrow.  Depression has been my companion for almost fifteen years. In this suffering, I have found a deeper intimacy with God than ever before. God has not answered my prayer to be free from sorrow and depression. Instead, He has given me something that is so much better: His presence. In Psalm 46:7 we read, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (EVS)  My suffering has revealed the true character of God, and it has become the thing that brings me the most joy in my life. In this verse, the psalmist says that God is a “Lord of Hosts.” This means He is in charge of angel armies. This God, who is all-powerful, is “with us.” According to this verse. He is close. God is also described to be the “God of Jacob.” This is a personal God who knows all about us. This God, who is deeply personal, is “our fortress.”  In this verse we see a personal God who is all-powerful. A powerful God who is incredibly personal. In God’s presence we find out who He really is. Over the years of suffering I’ve seen that we have a God who is both good and all sovereign. When suffering threatens our faith, causes us to doubt, may we run back to God and His presence. It is there we find truths to comfort out hearts.  If you find yourself with sorrow and suffering too hard to bear, run to God. He is a present, safe, and powerful God who is ready to comfort you. Find Him in the pages of the Bible.  Intersecting Faith & Life: When suffering threatens your faith in God, how does knowing God’s presence is always with you comfort your heart?  Further Reading: Philippians 4:5-7 Psalm 139:7-10 Isaiah 55:6 Psalm 145:18 Psalm 34:18 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God is love against love. The devil has no standing intersecting faith in life. Are we loving? Do we believe the best about others? Or do we assume the worst? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Listen as we embark on a journey of spiritual intimacy and discovery, leaning into God's whisper with expectant hearts, and embracing His direction and peace in every aspect of our lives. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It challenges us to examine our hearts and minds, striving to align our attitudes with the example set by Jesus Christ—a model of humility, love, and obedience that continues to inspire and empower believers worldwide. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Honor the wisdom, grace, and spiritual richness that accompany the journey of growing old in Christ, and discover the joy of embracing each moment as a cherished gift from our Heavenly Father. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Oh the richness of hope! Discover how it can transform our lives, uplift our spirits, and inspire us to live with confident expectation in God's unfailing goodness.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Examine your attitude towards government and politics through the lens of Scripture, striving to honor God in all aspects of life. Seeking to live out our calling as ambassadors of Christ in a world where God's sovereignty transcends all human authority. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Let us journey together towards a deeper understanding and experience of the rest that Jesus promises—a rest that refreshes, renews, and restores our weary hearts. In Jesus, we find not only forgiveness and salvation but also the rest our souls desperately need. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The timeless truth of God is his unshakeable character. Discover the peace and strength that come from anchoring our lives in Him, the Rock of our salvation. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The symbolism behind the "cord of three strands," which traditionally represents the strength of relationships. By embracing the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 4:12-15, we are inspired to cultivate stronger, more resilient connections that honor God and reflect His love in our lives. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Join us as we reflect on how trusting in God during our suffering can ultimately lead to greater spiritual growth, strengthened faith, and a deeper understanding of His unfailing love. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Monuments are often built to commemorate great acts or significant milestones, standing as visible signs of remembrance and honor. They are meant to remind us of the past and to inspire us in the future. We become living monuments to God's greatness. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Welcome to The Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you listening with us. Today's topic is how our lives can become monuments to God's redemptive work. We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. "Monuments To The Lord" written and read by Whitney Hopler. Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes first will grow in place of nettles. They will be a monument to the Lord a permanent reminder that will remain Amos 5:24 and E T. While walking through the Royal Botanical Garden, one of the world's largest gardens, I often stopped to stand in front of especially large trees that inspired me with all. The evergreen trees in particular filled my entire field of vision with green branches that spread out in all directions. Some of those evergreen trees were for trees, which also gave off refreshing sense, it was mesmerizing to experience the strength and beauty of those trees in the middle of a fallen world filled with challenges  Amos 5:24 points as to hope this verse reminds us that God's power to make powerful positive changes happen in our lives. The imagery of evergreens ensures replacing thorn bushes and nettles symbolizes a renewal that goes beyond just surface changes. It describes a deep, enduring transformation that God promises to his people. evergreen trees which stay green all year round, represent life that endures through all season. They're constant and unchanging. Just like God's faithful love for us. Fur trees, which are known for their strength and ability to withstand harsh conditions remind us of the resilience and strength we gain when we root our faith in God and trust God's promises. The Bible describes these trees as a monument to the Lord, serving as a lasting testament to God's grace and transformative power. Just as physical monuments stand as reminders of significant events or people, our lives can become living monuments to God's work within us. monuments are often built to commemorate great acts or significant milestones, standing as visible signs of remembrance and honor. They are meant to remind us of the past and to inspire us in the future. We become living monuments to God's greatness. When God works in our lives transforming us from within. Our lives become renewed by God's power so they can serve as enduring testimonies of God's mercy and love. The transformation from thorn bushes to evergreens and from nettles to furs reflects those dramatic changes God brings to us thorn bushes and nettles, which cause pain and symbolizes difficulty, are replaced by evergreens and furs, which are strong and beautiful.  When we allow God to replace the thorn bushes and nettles of our lives, our struggles, sins and pain with His Holiness, we become monuments of God's redemptive power. We add to the living monument of our lives every time we trust God, to help us overcome a challenge and experience God's peace. And every time we seek God's forgiveness and experience God's mercy and grace. This transformation is not just for our own benefit, it's also a powerful witness to others. People around us can see the changes God has made possible in our lives, and living monuments. We shine a powerful light in this dark world, inviting others to experience the wonder of God's work in their own lives. We become part of God's ongoing story of redemption, reflecting God's glory and drawing others to him. Our renewed lives become living monuments that point the people who know us toward God's powerful love.  So let's invite God to replace the thorn bushes and nettles in our lives with evergreens and first, let's trust in God's ability to bring about lasting positive change. When we do, we become monuments to the Lord, living testimonies of God's redemptive work inspiring others to seek God and experience His love themselves. Intersecting faith in life as you consider how your life can become monument to God's redemptive work. reflect on these questions. What are the thorn bushes and nettles in your life that need God's transformative touch? How have you experienced God's renewal and transformation in the past? In what ways can your life serve as a monument to the Lord reflecting powerful positive change from God? How can you encourage others to seek God's transformative power in their lives? Further reading Isaiah 43:19 Second Corinthians 5:17, Ezekiel 3626, Romans 12:2  Revelation 21:5 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The importance of humility in asking for wisdom, knowing that God generously grants it to those who earnestly seek Him. Discover the profound impact of seeking God's wisdom in our lives. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Welcome to The Crosswalk Devotional. We are so glad to have you listening on Michela Zurich. Today's topic is asked for wisdom. We'll be back after a word from our sponsor Ask For Wisdom, written and read by Michelle Lazurek If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5.  I prepared for my leadership presentation, for instance, my material, practice it well and got ready for the meetings that would happen before the presentation to go over the transitions. However, when I hopped on the Zoom, call this lesson organized, I found myself confused as to what I was looking at where the information was stored for the presentation. It was clear from the beginning that I was not on the same page as the rest of the team. I left the meeting embarrassed and not wanting to return to any future meetings, for fear of further embarrassment or shame. However, I didn't know how to express this feeling of confusion or even where to begin to get help. I had a friend who had been on the leadership team for longer than I had. She was more technologically savvy than I was, who would know the ins and outs to that technology and how it all worked. The new apps being introduced etc. As well my pride, picked up my phone and sent off to my friend and embarrassing texted said I need help. I explained her the situation told her I didn't feel like I knew what I was doing and what she'd be willing to give me a brief orientation to get me up to speed. I didn't know how she would react, and feared her judgment since as part of the team, I needed to know the basics of the technology to present information to the audience. She greeted me with a quick response. Of course, she replied, happy to help. I didn't know what I was doing. The next day she went through it all with me. She made it look so easy. Instead of having to navigate it by myself, learning how things worked, and having new concepts and ideas thrown at me. My friend helped me navigate through situation of what you needed clarity and navigated it with these. We all need wisdom in life. No isolated world, it's easy for us to believe that asking for help, instead of moving through situation in isolation will cause embarrassment. Everyone needs someone to help them from time to time. There's no shame in asking God or others for help. Same way I needed help with the orientation and all the technology. I had to humble myself and ask for wisdom. God gives us wisdom when we need it. God is an all knowing God who wants to guide and direct us. His Holy Spirit lives within us for a reason. Holy Spirit knows things we do not know. He wants to speak to us and reveal all things to us. That is part of God's yearning to be intimate with us. Who must be humbled to hear what he has to say and to follow that wisdom and ask for help when needed. And is so grateful to have a friend who knew more about the technology than I did. Because of her wisdom and a willingness to share that wisdom with me. I arrived at the next meeting way more prepared, more organized, and most importantly, abundantly at peace. Is there an area in life in which you need wisdom. So someone in your life you can ask to help with that wisdom, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a person that can help you in this area. We're always better together. God does not want us to be alone. We can seek the help of other brothers and sisters in Christ who are more knowledgeable on a subject than us. And not only is our situation better because we ask for help. We're also better people because we humbled ourselves and asked for help in the first place. Father, help us ask for wisdom. Thank you that you are not a wrathful God withholding help. Thank you we can go to any time we need you. Thank you, you are a God who's willing to be our help in ever present trouble. Allow us to pass on the same wisdom to others. You give us human intersecting faith in life. In what areas of your life do you need to seek the wisdom of God or others? What is your biggest challenge in asking for this help? Further reading? Proverbs 3:5-6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Whether you're facing decisions, challenges, or simply wrestling with the unknown, this episode invites you to embrace faith over doubt and find peace in trusting God's sovereignty and wisdom. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Welcome to The Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you listening with us. Today's topic is about our tendency to second guess God, as if we know better than he does. We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. Are you second guessing God? written and read by Cindy McMenamin. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways declares 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." Isaiah 55:8-9 Have you ever second guessed God by wondering if he really knew what he was doing? I remember when my husband applied for what seemed like the perfect job, at the perfect time with a perfect salary. But when my husband didn't get the job, we thought was so perfect in every way. I became discouraged and began to question God, I prayed. Why not? God, this was so perfect for us. We prayed about it, and we trusted you. Why did you not bless us with this? Yet God apparently knew what he was doing, even though we didn't. And now when we look back at what we thought was the perfect job at the perfect time, we can see that it wasn't perfect for him after all, and it wasn't the perfect time either. God knew what was coming and he had something better in mind. In Isaiah 55:5-8 God told his people that his thoughts were not like their thoughts. And neither were their ways like his. That's because he knows all things and we don't. But that passage also says his ways and thoughts are higher than ours, meaning better and encompassing eternal purposes. While we tend to look at just the temporary, in the next two verses, God told his people as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it produce and sprout, and providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So Will his word be which goes out of his mouth, it will not return to Him empty, without accomplishing what He desires, and without succeeding in the purpose for which he sent it.  That passage assures us that God not only knows what's best for us, but he has his eternal purposes at work, and what he allows, as well as what he presents. How often do you and I ask God, why now, it couldn't have come at a worse time? How often do we wonder why this? We were faithful? And we were hoping for the best? How many times do we say why me? As if I haven't been through enough already. We even sometimes offer God our list of reasons why we believe His timing, and his choice, are not in our best interest. And yet God continues to know what he's doing. We cannot second guess him. Sometimes he's protecting us from something we can't yet or might not ever see. Other times he is preparing something even better for us that we have yet to discover. And I believe at all times as long as we stay surrendered to Him. He is shaping our character and refining us through our circumstances, intersecting faith and life.  God has reasons far above our own because He is God and we are not. And we are asked to simply trust that there is an occasion for everything and a time for every activity under heaven, Ecclesiastes 3:1 And that means he didn't get the timing wrong in the slightest. We're also asked to trust that his work is perfect. And all His ways are just Deuteronomy 32:4, and that he's a God who never makes mistakes. And were to simply trust that he's a God who does not slumber or sleep according to Psalm 121:3-4 meaning nothing takes him by surprise. Can you trust God today instead of second guessing him? Can you live with the assurance that he loves you beyond comprehension? And that nothing takes him by surprise, and he won't let anything touch you that hasn't first pass through his loving hands. Make that your goal today in every circumstance that comes your way. Lord, God help us to trust you with disappointments, missed opportunities, and even when it seems like our world is turning upside down. You are in control and because you are loving and good, you wouldn't have things any other way. For further reading. See Isaiah 55:10-13 And Matthew 7:11. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Uncover the richness of spiritual communion and the transformative power of encountering God in the depths of our souls. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Welcome to The Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you listening with us. Today's topic is how God's deep love washes over us with power. We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. "Deep calls to deep" written and read by Whitney Hopler. "Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls. All your waves and breakers have swept over me." Psalm 42:7 NIV  There's something deeply powerful about experiencing a waterfall. I hiked to several waterfalls recently in the waterfall capital of the world, the Hamilton Ontario Canada area where more than 100 waterfalls flow down the long Niagara Escarpment, on their way to the majestic Niagara Falls. Every single one of the waterfalls experienced overwhelmed me with the power and beauty of its fast moving water. As I watched the water flow, I thought of the powerful creator who designed our planet Sobell. Water flows abundantly through nature, just as God's love flows through our lives with overwhelming power. Near the end of my trip, I stood beside Niagara Falls, and let the incredible sound of its roar sweep over me. And then I thank God for that experience. The Bible uses the imagery of powerful moving water, waterfalls, waves and breakers. And Psalm 42:7 to describe the mighty power of God's presence with us. These overwhelming forces symbolizes God's overwhelmingly strong love that envelops us when we notice God's presence. The phrase Deep calls to deep at the beginning of this verse helps us visualize the deep connection between us and God. The depth of God's presence is so strong that it reaches the depth of our souls. Imagine standing beside a roaring waterfall. The site is mesmerizing. The sound is deafening. When you feel the incredible power of the water as it cascades down relentlessly. That's how God's love operates in our lives. It's a wild force that can't be tamed. God's loving presence sweeps over us with power, washing away our fears, our doubts and our sin. God's love is like living water. Just as water is vital for our physical health. God's love is essential for our spiritual health. God's living water is the constant refreshing presence of God, we need to survive and thrive. The pressures and demands of our lives can sometimes feel like relentless waves crashing over us, threatening to pull us under. during hard times. It's easy to feel helpless and alone, as if we're drowning in a sea of troubles. But the Libyan water of God's love is stronger than any challenges we face. God's living water cleanses and revives us. Imagine the refreshing sensation of cool water in a hot day, washing away dirt and sweat, leaving us feeling renewed and invigorated. That's what God's love does for our souls. God's love penetrates our defenses and reaches into the deepest parts of our being where our deepest fears and desires live. Because out to the depths within us that yearning for God, those hidden places where we carry our pain, our hopes and our dreams. God's love speaks to those depths, reassuring us that we aren't alone, and that we're deeply value. It gives us the strength to face our challenges, not by removing them, but by transforming us from within, giving us the strength we need to persevere. God's love is a constant powerful presence. Just like the steady flow of a mighty waterfall. It doesn't ebb and flow with the changing tides of our circumstances, but remains reliable and trustworthy.As we surrender to God's love, we aren't overcome by the weights. Instead, we're lifted above them by all as we experience God's wonder. That all helps us transcend our circumstances by directing our attention to God. We're cleansed of our burdens and fears and we're revived with purpose and peace. This deep love caused us to a deeper relationship with God, where we allow God's love to flow through every aspect of our lives. Whenever we enjoy waterfalls and waves and God's creation Let's remember that God's deep loving presence calls out to the depths of our souls, inviting us into powerful relationships with our Creator. Intersecting safe and life. As you consider how God's deep and powerful love washes over you, reflect on these questions. And what ways have you experienced God's love as a powerful, overwhelming force in your life? How does the imagery of waterfalls waves and breakers help you understand the depth and strength of God's love? What areas of your life feel dry or barren? And how can you invite God's living water to refresh those places? What new habit can you develop to help you allow more of God's love to flow through your life? What steps can you take to trust God's love more fully, especially in challenging situation? Further reading John 4:14. Isaiah 43:2 Psalm 46:4 Revelation 22:1 , Ezekiel 47:9. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Explore the profound ways the Holy Spirit guides us believers in their faith journey. Delve into 5 transformative aspects of how the Spirit leads us, SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Welcome to The Crosswalk Devotional. We're so glad to have you listening. I'm Lynette Kittle. And today's topic is five ways the Holy Spirit leads us. We'll be right back after a brief message from our sponsor. "Five ways the Holy Spirit Leads Us" written and read by Lynette Kittle. "He tells them and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever." John 14:16.  How do we hear from God? For many we aren't expecting or waiting to hear from him, because we don't believe he will, or even wants to communicate directly with us. But Jesus who walked this world and personally spoke to the masses, tells us repeatedly that he is not leaving us alone, but sending us a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who will continue to lead us like he did with those who walked with him on earth. Jesus explained in John 14:26, "but the advocate the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Following are five ways the Holy Spirit leads us.  #1: God's Word. Foremost, the Holy Spirit talks to us through God's word, get it off and seems like it's the last place. Many Christians turn to hear his voice. Although the look for him to talk to them through a song or a passing billboard. Turning to his word seems like a last resort for them. Still, not only does the Holy Spirit speak through it, but he inspired it every word. 2 Timothy 3:16 explains how "all scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" as well. The Holy Spirit actively speaks to us now. Through it Hebrews 4:12 describes, "for the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing a soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  #2: His Voice, Hebrews 3:7 teaches that we can hear His voice, leading us saying "so as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear His voice," for most, this is an inward hearing of the Holy Spirit's voice, speaking to our hearts, but nevertheless he is speaking to us, teaching us and reminding us of everything Jesus told us. In John 16:13-14, Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. "But when he the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify Me, because it is from me, that he will receive what he will make known to you." As Romans 8:16 assures "the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." #3: Through Prayer. Prayer is not just praying to God, but also about letting the Holy Spirit lead us in how to pray. Romans 8:26 explains how,"in the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for. but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us to wordless groans." as well. Ephesians 6:18 urges us "and pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and request. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."  #4: Godly Counsel. The Holy Spirit leads us through Godly counsel, whether through trusted godly individuals we talked to who are led by Him, or by directly leading us. Psalm 16:7 describes how "I will praise the Lord who counsels me even at night, my hearts instructs me." Sometimes he speaks to us to other Christians. is an even at times through dreams while we're sleeping when he has our full and uninterrupted attention. #5 Nature. Many individuals have been led to God through observing and experiencing nature, seeing his handiwork in gaining understanding that there is a Creator who designed and formed at all. Romans 1:20 describes how, "For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Still, it's confusing to many believers, how and which person of the Triune God is leading them? The answer is all three in one. They're all three distinct person's yet unified in speaking to us. On Earth Jesus spoke with the father was speaking to him, John 14:31. And the Holy Spirit comes from the Father, speaking to us what Jesus said in John 15:26 Jesus explains, "when the advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me," intersecting faith and life. Ask God to help you see how the Holy Spirit is leading you to impress upon your heart when he is speaking to you, and to open your ears to hear his voice. Further reading a God who doesn't ever leave us. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover how Jesus transforms lives, reshaping thoughts and lifestyles. Explore the power of mercy and grace, a journey of encountering Jesus. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Welcome to The Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you listening. Today's topic is a transformed life. We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from one of our sponsors. "A Transformed Life" written and read by Emma Danzey.  First Timothy, 1:12-14 says, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, putting me into service even though I was previously a blasphemer, and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus." I think Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful, putting me into service. We all have a testimony. We all have different paths that God has called us to. Jesus has strengthened us just like he strengthened Paul to write Timothy about what the Lord had done in his own life. What is it that Christ has strengthened you to do in the past? What is he strengthening you for right now? The Lord believed that Paul was faithful and put him to service, or reproving to be faithful to God. No one is perfect, but are we willing to be used by him and molded into His image each day? To live a transformed life means that we are submitted to the work of the Holy Spirit, through prayer and reading scripture.  The Bible is living, active and powerful. It changes us when we read it, because we are receiving the word from God. Prayer changes us as we seek the Lord's will and bring her desires and concerns to him. He cares for us. Even though I was previously a blasphemer, and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. What were you before you came to Christ? Paul was a blasphemer, persecutor, and violent aggressor. These are not qualities I would initially jump at for someone to become an apostle in the church. However, this is what Jesus does. He takes those who were enslaved to sin and brings us into His kingdom purposes, changed by His Spirit in us. God receives glory for his transformative work. We receive new identities in Christ. Paul had a literal name change from Saul to Paul, Jesus changed his entire identity and brought him out of a life of hypocrisy. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. And Jesus showed great mercy to Paul because he acted foolishly before he knew Jesus. Do we show others this kind of mercy? Do we remember that others around us are not awakened by the work of the Holy Spirit yet? Do we give grace for them to be on a journey to discovering Jesus too?  Jesus remembered that saw later Paul was a sinner in need of Him, just like we need him and everyone else in the world needs him. His grace is described as abundant. We have more than enough in him. Perhaps you have recently become a follower of Jesus. Maybe you feel under qualified because of your past mistakes. Some of the most faithful and powerful use believers have come from some of the most horrific backgrounds of sin just like Paul, maybe you have worked very closely with Christ for a while and need a reminder of how sinful you truly are without the help of the Holy Spirit. Remember that he has washed you whiter than snow too. And be careful not to have a judgmental attitude towards the past sins of others. All have sinned and fall short of God's glory. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ.  We've become free by Jesus's sacrifice and resurrection. All of our sins are forgiven, intersecting faith in life. How does thinking about Paul's transformed life remind you that anything is possible with God to transform your own life? And what ways has Jesus changed you from a sinful thought pattern or lifestyle? Who can you share his transformative work with this week and tell of His great love and forgiveness for them and their life? Further reading Psalm 25:6, Ephesians 2:4-5, Ephesians 2:8-9. The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of lifeaudio and Salem media. If you liked what you heard today, please take a second to rate and review this podcast in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Reconciliation is key to healing relationships, rather than resorting to condemnation. God's love and grace provides a path to healing and restoration, challenging us to extend mercy and seek unity.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Welcome to the crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you listening with us. Today's topic is on how to pursue reconciliation above condemnation. You are going to learn today practical tips and the reason why you should not walk in condemnation. We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. Pursue Reconciliation, Not Condemnation written in read by Kelly Balarie for you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Matthew seven to discipling, a young student, I tried to make truth as plain as possible. I said, judgment is like a boomerang. When you launch it at someone you can expect it to hit them, and then to immediately return and hit you. Judgment always boomerangs back to the one who launched it. A wife speaks mean words to her husband. Before long the husband is saying mean words to her. A critic speaks loudly on social media condemning a church before long comments appear on his post accusing him. A judgmental comment is made about a lady at church. Next week after leaving church, the person that felt judged, now feels judged. Without realizing it, they figure people must be judging me the same way I am judging them. That's what people do after all.  Now, the reality of the situation is that judgment might not even be happening towards this person, but it is expected. Why? Because we expect people to treat us the same way we treat them. We assume judgment is happening because we ourselves are judgmental. The feeling of judgment is just as bad as the reality of it. judgment and condemnation are boomerangs that only serve to hit us in the face, for you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged Matthew 7:2. Ouch. Indeed, this truth hurts, but confronting it is less painful than the standard of judgment, we will experience on earth and in heaven. For if Jesus uses the same standard that we have used to judge others, when we meet Him in heaven, there is wisdom in repenting of all the judgment we have inflicted on Earth. Where have you walked in judgment? Have you judged your spouse, your children, your boss yourself? Have you from a point of self righteousness, put other people down in your mind? I know I've done many of these things.  Let's take a second and pray. Father, forgive us. We don't even realize sometimes what we're doing. Give us power to walk not with a heart of condemnation, but with a heart of reconciliation, by Your grace. Help us see the good in others. Before we point out the bad. Give us eyes to see hope rather than another person's demise. sound an alarm in us if we are ever to celebrate someone else's misfortune, in Jesus's name, Amen.  Intersecting faith and life. My husband I have a saying that comes up when we are arguing. When a finger is pointed and accusing word start flying. We say to the finger pointer. If you spot it, you got it. What does that mean? If my husband says that to me? It means that if I spot a character issue with him, I probably have it in me. How can I know this? I wouldn't be able to recognize it in him. If I wasn't already familiar with it. In Me. We see what we know. It is called projection. What issue that you are quick to see and others may be something that God wants to address with you. How might his word address that issue? How can you change? How might your actions inspire the other person to change to? The crosswalk devotional is a production of life audio and Salem media. If you liked what you heard today, please take a second to rate and review this podcast in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"If anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it. It is a sin for them." (James 4:17)  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Welcome to the crosswalk devotional. We're so glad to have you listening. I'm Lynette Kittle. And today's topic is, is it a sin to say or do nothing concerning evil in the world? We'll be right back after a brief message from our sponsor"Is it a sin to say or do nothing concerning evil in the world?" written and read by Lynette Kittle.  "If anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it. It is a sin for them." (James 4:17)  When it comes to the sin of omission, what does it mean? Is it even really a sin? No one wants to really talk or even think about the times they've stood by in a situation and said or did nothing, as well. Many don't really consider it to be a problem, to choose to stand by, as something sinful. But is it? Isaiah 1:17 urges us to learn to do right seek justice, defend the oppressed, take up the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Still, how many believers in Jesus Christ are sitting in their offices, churches and homes, not agreeing with what is taking place around them? Yet not saying or doing anything to address it? But rather staying quiet, letting things progress from worse to worse? Psalm 1912 Ask, but who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults? Do some believers just not care? Or is it maybe Christians just don't want to deal with the messiness of getting involved? If so? Is God Okay? With us opposing it on the inside of ourselves secretly? But not saying or doing anything to address it? Does he understand we just don't want to stir the pot cause conflict? Or put anyone on the spot? If we don't say or do anything, but we pray? Does that count as doing something?  Yes, it absolutely does count. James 5:16 reminds us that our prayers are powerful and effective. Still, along with praying at times, God calls us to get involved by saying or doing something following our biblical examples, where he called individuals to take action. Estar, a Jewish girl who really didn't want to get involved, needed encouragement from her uncle Mordecai to act. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place. But you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your oil position for such a time as this. Esther 4:14. Although reluctant to take action, when Esther did, God moved on her behalf in phenomenal ways, by removing a powerful person from position, replacing him with a godly person and saving an entire nation of people. Another example is Jesus. throughout the New Testament, we find Jesus constantly in prayer. Yet people often like to glide over his interaction with the money changers at the temple. But Scripture records his strong words and actions.  Matthew 21:12-13 describes how Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling dos. It is written and he said to them, My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers. Still, how do we know if God is calling us to step out and take action in various situations?  Proverbs 24:10-12 urges if you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength? rescue those being led away to death. Hold back those staggering towards slaughter. If you say but we knew nothing about that. This does not he who weighs the heart perceive it. Does not he who guards your life No it will he not repay everyone according to what they have done. Silence equals consent. The sin of omission historian and author William J. Feta writes, perhaps God is giving people a faith and opportunity to show what they really believe in their hearts through their words and actions. History is filled with accounts of people suffering, coercion, and persecution by godless, totalitarian governments. maligned smeared, cancelled and crushed in hopeless situations against insurmountable odds, writes Federer, but then stirred by the Spirit, little nobodies rise up small in their own eyes, but big in faith and courage, to speak truth to power, and to resist evil. When it comes to answering God's call in how, where and when to respond.    Psalm 26 to urges us to ask God to test me Lord and try me, examine my heart and my mind. Likewise, Second Corinthians 13:5 encourages us to examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Unless of course you fail the test. Intersecting faith in life, ask God if he is calling you to say or do something to address the evil occurring around you. If so, ask him to lead and guide you in taking action. Further reading are you committing a sin of omission, definition signs and omission. The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of lifeaudio and Salem media. If you liked what you heard today, please take a second to rate and review this podcast in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Choosing forgiveness aligns with God's heart and unlocks healing and freedom, both for ourselves and others. Listen in and uncover the transformative power of forgiveness and why it's essential for every follower of Christ. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcription Below: Welcome to the crosswalk, devotional work Glad to have you listening with us. Today's topic is on why unforgiveness is absolutely not an option. We will return with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. Why unforgiveness is not an option written and read by Kelly Balarie. Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times. Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but 77 times! Matthew 18:21-22.  I was furious at this person sitting on the couch, I knew there may as well have been a brick wall between us. I was angry, I felt unprotected and exposed. I didn't want to get hurt again. Fools do that. Sure. His words sounded apologetic, but could I trust them? He was saying one thing. But all my emotions wanted to believe another. Nodding, I pretended like everything was okay. At the same time, my mind circled back to a conversation I recently had with a friend. She explained how she didn't intend to send me a podcast to teach me a lesson, or to prove a point. She just wanted to know my opinion about it. I remember thinking, I have to trust her at her word. Otherwise, if I go by a feeling, I will not go about forgiving. I told her, friend, I know your heart. I immediately moved on from bitterness. What can I do the same thing with this man? Why couldn't I trust his heart? Why couldn't I take him at his word? I sat with that thought. After a time I came to the fact that Jesus doesn't tell me It's an option that I forgive. He doesn't tell me it might be a good idea that I forgive. Jesus tells me TO forgive.  Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sinned against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times. Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times. But 77 times.. Matthew 18:21,- 22. Man will fail us 77 times. And God calls us to forgive them 77 times, even when by our natural, we have no good reason as to why we should forgive them. Never once did Jesus say, we have to understand every reason why. He just tells us to forgive. To Love the Lord is to obey his commands. To give someone forgiveness is to offer them a fresh start. Jesus is though way, so certainly his truth leads the way to abundant life. This doesn't mean we abandoned reason or wisdom as we forgive. Certainly boundaries, and wise words are always needed. At the same time, the calling to forgive still stands to.  Who do you need to forgive today. How might God be preparing something new for you in that relationship? How might God be growing fruit in you? How might this growing of fruit in your life affect others? Friends, forgiveness is never merited hardly deserved, but it is always required. We forgive just as Jesus forgave us, intersecting faith and life. Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times. Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times But 77 times this indicates that man will hurt us many, many times. Not only will they hurt us, but they will verifiably sin against us. When we know that someone has not only hurt us, but they have blatantly sinned in our face, how will we handle it? Are we a person of grace or Venga? Do we continually blame and point fingers at the past or at the person? Or do we make way for an immediate and radical forgiveness? The crosswalk devotional is a production of life audio and Salem media. If you liked what you heard today, please take a second to rate and review this podcast in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio.com   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Whether in moments of joy or times of trial, learn how worship transforms hearts and draws us closer to the heart of God. Tune in as we explore the significance of singing to Him in spirit and truth, inviting His presence into our lives. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Welcome to the crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you listening with us. Today's topic is why singing is a powerful way to celebrate God's wonderful work in your life. We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. Sing To Him written and read by Whitney Hepler. Sing to him, sing praise to Him. Tell of all his wonderful acts. First Chronicles 16:9 NIV.I sometimes sing my prayers to God, and I also love to sing pray songs at home or in my car. Singing helps me focus on using the unique voice God has given me to connect with him. It's also an enjoyable way to express myself. When I want to celebrate something wonderful God has done I naturally feel like singing.Lately I've been singing the simple yet beautiful praise song. I love you, Lord by Lori Klein, acapella and spontaneously, whenever I want to thank God for something. That song begins, I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You, oh my soul rejoice. Lifting my voice to worship God by singing makes me feel personally connected to God and inspires me to rejoice that God's wonderful work in my life.There is something uniquely powerful about singing.It transcends the spoken words we use in regular conversations and often take for granted. Singing taps into a deep spiritual part of us. And first Chronicles 16:9. The Bible encourages us to sing praise to God to tell him his wonderful acts. Music has a way of embedding itself into our memories and emotions. That makes singing a powerful way to celebrate the wonderful ways God is working in our lives. singing praise to God is a form of worship, that not only honors God, but also reminds us of His goodness in power. Each of us has a unique voice, a distinct way of expressing ourselves. When we sing, we engage this God given gift in a personal and profound way. Our voices become instruments of praise that resonate with our individual experiences and emotions. This uniqueness reflects our personal journeys with God. So singing helps us to discover and use our unique voices to connect with God more deeply.When we feel joyful, songs of praise can amplify our joy, turning our rejoicing into an offering to God. When we feel sad, singing can lift our spirits and help us find comfort in God's presence. The act of singing praises to God can transform our perspective by shifting our focus of our circumstances to God's greatness. Singing can be a powerful tool for self expression and connection with God because it involves our whole selves, body, mind and spirit. The physical act of singing engages our breath, creating a sense of presence and grounding and our bodies. The mental focus required to remember lyrics and melodies sharpens our minds. Spiritually singing opens us up to the Holy Spirit, making room for a stronger connection between our spirits and God's Spirit. We never need to worry about how good our voices sound musically when we're singing to God. God's focus isn't on our music, talents, or on our skills. It's on us authentically expressing ourselves to Him. God listens with the love when we sing to him from our heart. When we lift our voices in song to God with simple and genuine praise, we can notice God's presence with us and feel God's love for us. The songs we sing in worship are not just musical pieces. They're declarations of God's wonderful character and acts. So as you think of God's wonderful work in your life, sing praises to Him, not just as a ritual, but as a heartfelt expression of your love and gratitude. Let your voice tell the story of God's amazing grace and unfailing love. Your unique God given voice is invaluable gift. When you use it to sing God's praises you celebrate not only his wonderful acts, but also the individual way God has created you to connect with him.intersecting saith and life as you consider how singing can help you celebrate God's wonderful work in your life, reflect on these questions. Can you recall a time when a worship song helped you feel closer to God or gave you strength during a difficult time?What are some of God's wonderful acts in your life that you can celebrate through singing?How can you incorporate singing into your daily devotional time?How does using your unique voice by singing strengthen your personal connection with God? Further reading Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16,  Psalm 95:1, Psalm 10:2, Psalm 150:6. The crosswalk devotional is a production of life audio and Salem media. If you liked what you heard today, please take a second to rate and review this podcast in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you can find the show.For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover how God's timeless existence brings hope, comfort, and reassurance in every season. Explore the profound implications of God's immortality and how understanding this truth strengthens our faith and transforms our perspective on life's challenges. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcripts below: Welcome to the crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you listening with us. Today's topic is about what to do when we experienced loss. Well, we tend with a devotional after a message from our sponsors God never dies by Alexis Goring. God is the only one who never dies. He lives in light so bright that men cannot go near it. No one has ever seen God or you can see him. My honor and power belongs to God forever. Amen. First Timothy, chapter six, verse 16. At one point or another in our life on Earth, we will experience loss. A woman's pet dog of more than a decade dies and leaves her heartbroken because they were so close. A divorce, his pet cat, with her solace to the trauma of her shattered heart died, leaving her more broken than ever. A wife whose husband passes away, and she feels like the one has been knocked out of her cells, because he wast her everything. A young man dumped by his girlfriend who he dreamed of marrying, feels depressed now than his hope for that special relationship is over. A child who loses their best friend who they thought would be their friend forever cries out of loneliness. These are all real life case scenarios about losing someone or something you love with all your heart. Such grief leaves a hole in our souls, because we spent much of our lives be filled and comforted by what is no longer hours. The severed ties are devastating. And we may struggle with how to cope with such profound disappointments. But again is is that there was one relationship that we all can have that will last for all eternity, of friendship with Jesus Christ. It never fails because he and his Heavenly Father God will live forever. God never dies. The Bible says in Deuteronomy chapter 31, verse eight, the Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you or forget you. Don't be afraid. Don't worry. We serve a great God who promises to never leave our side. And his promises are forever true. First Corinthians chapter one, verse nine. He loves humankind with all his heart, and He gave His Holy Spirit to comfort us when we are sad and grieving. I understand how it feels to experience loss. When I lost a friendship that I hoped would last forever. God helped me heal and realize that he is my forever friends. Were my wonderful compassionate and Christian faith filled grandparents died. God helped me remember that he'd ever dies. God will always care for me just like my maternal grandparents cared for our family members. When I lost a few jobs over the years that once brought a steady flow of good income. God showed me that he is Jehovah Jireh my provider. When I felt depressed, God showed me that he restores. He even sent me to our church whose theme song is God restores by dynamic praise. God gave healing and restoration to so many people through that churches ministry, and we have forever changed and closer to him because of it. There are since he wasted on life experiences may differ. We all have a God shaped hole in our soul that only God can fill. No person can complete us like he can. No amount of money and luxury can fill this hole. No drink or substance can permanently relieve the pain. Only God can. While you allow God to fill you up with his presence, while you ask him to give you a peace that passes all understanding Philippians chapter four, verse seven. God is ready and willing to be everything you need him more. He is just a prayer away. You don't always need to kneel to pray be inside of a church or in the presence of pastors and Christian leaders. Because God is literally everywhere. He hears you no matter where you are in this world. May His faithfulness encouraged your heart and inspire you to go to him for the healing you need after suffering loss. Intersecting faith in life when you're experienced Seeing a loss. Who do you turn to? How does it feel to know that God understands everything you're going through and is ready to help you further reading Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse three, Jeremiah 30, verse 17, Jeremiah 17 Verse 14, Isaiah chapter 40, verse 31, Mark chapter 11 Verse 24. The crosswalk devotional is a production of life audio and Salem media. If you liked what you heard today, please take a second to rate and review this podcast in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Explore how a single, transformative key can empower believers to overcome challenges and spiritual battles in their lives.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below Welcome to The Crosswalk Devotional. We are glad to have you listening with us. Today's topic is about the one key that can effectively trampled Satan. My friends, you're gonna want to hear about this one key. We'll return with this devotional right after a brief message from our sponsors.This one key can trample Satan, written in read by Kelly Balarie The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. "The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." Romans 16:20 Have you ever crushed in an ant under foot? I haven't done it lately, at least not intentionally. But as a kid, I was a pro at it. Maybe you were two. You could squash one of those buggers in a split second. Why? Because you were all three feet tall and the ant was minut and helpless squash. The thing was ruined before it even saw you coming. One day the God of all peace, the Lord Jesus will come and ultimately crush Satan. This will not be a light crushing it will be a damning and definitive crushing what it is all said and done. God is huge and Satan small God is absolute and Satan's attack only temporary. And what will God use to defeat satan? Peace. Just as God will use this weapon in the End Times, crushing Satan underfoot we have a clue in present times on how we can defeat satan. Peace. This is a powerful weapon to use. Lately, I've been using it a person close to me has been accusing and condemning me with their words continually is very hard not to act and to react in the same manner. Yet you cannot beat fear with fear nor can you extend grace to a condemning spirit with condemnation. All of this is a test of faith and trust in God for me. Many days I feel completely powerless and out of control. But when I remember the piece Jesus has left me. I can draw on that piece. It's there for me. I can choose to remember that an external circumstance has no power to take away the internal reality of peace that Jesus gave me. While the devil would love for me to respond in bitterness, anger, retaliation or fear, I don't have to bow down to his way. Instead, I can choose to keep my peace, to pause before speaking and to pray before opening my mouth. When I preserve my peace, I trampled the enemy's plan. Where's the devil stealing your peace? Where our external circumstances stealing Jesus's internal gift, a piece that crushes the enemy. Part of peace is forgiving ourselves for the ways we've walked and forgiving others for how they've wrongfully acted. Then we start with a blank slate. against peace the enemy has no offense. With peace, we have the greatest defense, intersecting faith and life. It is peace that guards our heart and mine in Christ Jesus. See Philippians four seven. We may not be prone to think of peace as a great defense, but it is. It not only guards our mind from worry and fear, but it keeps our heart from distress and defeat. What would it look like for you to walk in peace through your day? What tends to steal your peace? When can you begin to pray for the God of all peace to help you to keep your peace?The crosswalk devotional is a production of life audio and Salem media. If you liked what you heard today, please take a second Get to rate and review this podcast in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at life audio.com   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Through insightful reflections and biblical wisdom, uncover how embracing your God-given pace fosters deeper spiritual growth and fulfillment. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Explore how you can embody Christ-like compassion and grace to bring hope and healing to broken situations. Uncover practical steps to illuminate dark places with love, faith, and the unwavering light of God's truth. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A journey of inner transformation and liberation. Allow God to humble your heart so you can free your soul through His word.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Uncover the beauty and significance of recognizing God's loving guidance in every aspect of our journey and embracing God's direction in our lives.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Journey together in rediscovering the closeness and comfort found in God's enduring love, even in moments when we feel far from Him. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Examine how we can persevere in faith, trusting God's faithfulness amidst challenges and uncertainties. Discover how to lean on God's strength and continue the journey with confidence, knowing that He is faithful to bring His work in us to its glorious completion. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This simple yet profound act can bring peace, joy, and a renewed sense of purpose as we journey together in faith. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Whether you're seeking encouragement in your spiritual journey or looking for ways to strengthen your Christian identity, this episode offers guidance on how to boldly live out your faith and glorify God through your actions and words. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

it's about aligning our desires with God's will, trusting Him to guide our steps. Open your heart to God's dreams for your life. Embark on a journey of faith, hope, and purpose, anchored in the promises of a God who dreams big dreams for each of us. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our worth and significance are not defined by our roles, achievements, or positions in the world, but by our inherent value as beloved children of God. Reclaim your true identity and live with confidence, purpose, and joy in the knowledge of God's unconditional love. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Uncover the beauty and significance of finding thin places in the midst of our daily lives. This episode offers a blend of inspiration, contemplation, and practical guidance to help listeners deepen their spiritual practice and cultivate a deeper sense of connection with God in every moment. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus can guide our thoughts, actions, and decisions. Our lives can change when we seek out guidance. What would your life look like if you lived by "what would Jesus do"? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Find comfort in knowing that we are never alone—God's heavenly messengers surround us, ready to defend and uphold us in times of trouble.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Confront the tendency to allow our feelings to dictate our lives and instead turn our focus towards the sovereignty of God. Surrender our emotions to the lordship of God, finding peace, strength, and wisdom in His unwavering presence.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Each verse, story, and symbol serves as a testament to the Messiah's coming, offering glimpses of His character, mission, and sacrificial love.  we seek to encounter Jesus anew in the timeless wisdom of the Old Testament, deepening our faith and drawing closer to the heart of God. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Embrace the comforting truth that God is ever-present, offering His comforting presence in every moment of our lives through all times of joy, sorrow, uncertainty, and triumph.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Confront the insidious power of shame and discover how to overcome it through the transformative grace of God. Embrace the freedom and redemption that God offers to all who seek it. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When humanity despises or overlooks certain situations or individuals, God's redemptive love can transform them into sources of profound beauty and purpose. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Prayer is a deeply relational act—an opportunity to commune with God, grow in intimacy, and align our hearts with His divine will. Listen in on this devotional that talks the transformative power of relational prayer.  Discover how to cultivate a deeper, more meaningful connection with our Creator. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What is the profound concept of wholehearted devotion to God? What ways can you actually love God and give him our all? Explore some practical ways to deepen our relationship with God, surrendering every aspect of our being in an authentic expression of love and devotion. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It is our calling to spread the message of Christ's love and salvation to all corners of the earth. Embrace the mission to share God's transformative love and truth with everyone, everywhere. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There are distractions and uncertainty within the realm of social media. Listen to a way on how to navigate it with grace, authenticity, while having a faith perspective. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover how turning to God's Word and His steadfast promises can bring peace and assurance when you face your deepest fears. Seek to transform your anxiety into faith, finding hope and courage in the knowledge that God is always with you, even in your darkest times. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

These are four compelling reasons why you can remain steadfast and confident in God's promises, even when the world around you feels chaotic and unpredictable. Equipping you to navigate challenges with a firm and resilient faith. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Reflect on how we can actively seek to embody Christ's love and compassion in our daily lives. A biblical call to "Learn to Do What Is Good" (Isaiah 1:17) SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

From a powerful truth from scripture to help you find peace and balance amidst the busyness. This devotional can help you address the overwhelming chaos that often accompanies the summer season.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Trust in God's promises, even when they seem beyond our grasp. Trust as we uncover the beauty of faith that transcends sight, discovering the profound peace and strength that come from entrusting our lives to the loving hands of our unseen but ever-present God. Through passage and prayer we can see. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Prayer, discernment, and reliance on God's guidance can illuminate our path during challenging times. Seek God's wisdom to make sound decisions rooted in faith and trust. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God's abundant grace and provision can bring comfort and hope even in the midst of sorrow. God meets us in our grief, offering hope and restoration even in the darkest of times,  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Placing Him first can lead to greater peace, purpose, and fulfillment. Discover the joy of wholeheartedly following Christ and the abundant blessings that flow from making Him the center of our hearts and minds. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we allow His love to overflow into every aspect of our lives, we uncover the beauty of surrender and receptivity, inviting God to work miracles of grace within us. Enlighten yourself into the transformative power of positioning your heart to receive God's abundant grace. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Uncover how focusing on His infinite power and love can bring peace to our anxious hearts. Join Jennifer Slattery as you explore ways to strengthen your faith and find comfort in God's unchanging presence. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Explore what it truly means to live as God's beloved children and how embracing our identity in Christ transforms our daily lives, guiding our actions, choices, and relationships. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover how unwavering faith can sustain us through the most daunting challenges, reminding us that God's promises remain steadfast even when circumstances seem impossible. This devotional offers inspiration and encouragement to trust in God's plan and His infinite grace. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We all seek to understand how His love and grace can mend our deepest wounds, offering us peace and strength in our most challenging moments.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Through prayer, reflection, and practical application, you are invited to deepen your understanding of what it means to speak the truth in love and to allow this principle to shape relationships and interactions with others. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Through scripture, personal stories, and practical insights, we aim to inspire you to live each day in the light of His love and sacrifice, continually reminded of the grace and redemption that His death brings to us all. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the midst of life's most challenging moments, God's light shines brightest. By anchoring our faith in the unchanging promises of God and cultivating a spirit of resilience, we discover that hope is not merely a fleeting emotion but a steadfast anchor for the soul.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it's easy to feel like we're being pulled in countless directions. Responsibilities at work, commitments to family and friends, and personal ambitions can often leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. As we journey through life, may we hold fast to the truths of our faith, allowing them to guide and sustain us through every trial and triumph.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The transformative power of relationships in our spiritual journey uplift us along our path. We are constantly reminded of the truth, that we are not meant to walk this journey alone.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Drawing upon wisdom from scriptures, explore the profound truth that each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. By cultivating a heart of gratitude and focusing on our personal journey of growth and fulfillment, we can experience true freedom from the burden of comparison and step into the abundant life that awaits us through Jesus. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We recognize the importance of immersing ourselves in God's Word, yet we often find ourselves making excuses. Whether it's busyness, doubt, or a lack of understanding, these barriers can prevent us from experiencing the fullness of God's love and wisdom. It's time to break down barriers and embrace the abundant blessings waiting to be discovered within the pages of Scripture. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As believers, we are called to live purposefully, to align our lives with God's divine plan. Yet, amidst the chaos of daily life, it's easy to lose sight of this calling. Whether you're at a crossroads in your journey or simply seeking deeper meaning in your everyday life, this devotional offers a beacon of hope and guidance. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Are you a Christian woman who is tired of the same old answers to your body image and comparison struggles? Have you "tried everything," yet still feel like your body isn't enough or should be better? Do you know that "God looks at the heart" or "You're fearfully and wonderfully made" yet STILL feel like maybe God should have made your body better? If you answered yes to any of the above, then Compared to Who? A Biblical Approach to Body Image Issues is the show for you! Be sure to subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!  “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) - Mark 7:18 - 19 SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover how walking hand-in-hand with a fellow believer enriches our lives and strengthens our commitment to the gospel.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In a world often fraught with challenges and uncertainties, maintaining a positive outlook can feel like an uphill battle. Trust in God to help you find the way.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Journey up on a mountainside and explore the profound moments of solace and connection with God. Tune in to be inspired and uplifted as we embrace the serenity and perspective that comes from communing with God atop the summit. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Experience the transformative power of patience of waiting on God. Explore the beauty and challenges of trusting in God's timing.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover how to find strength in moments of doubt as we explore ways to bolster your faith when it wavers. Uplift your spirit and renew your confidence in your faith journey with today's devotional. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"It's the journey itself. The adventure we go on with Jesus day to day. We can make bucket list plans, but those goals are far less important." - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  "God is in control. He is not the God of panic but of peace. Not of chaos and confusion but of calm" - Cindi McMenamin SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover the peace, comfort, and guidance that await when we turn our hearts towards Him, inviting His presence to illuminate our lives with grace and purpose. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Can we live a peaceful life amidst the chaos? We know as Christians, any day we can be called home. What type of life will you lead while we are here? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Embrace the healing power of a cheerful heart. Laughter is a gift from God, designed to bring lightness to our spirits in this heavy world. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Each one of us has sin so deep that without a savior, sin taints our blood to the point to eternal death. Without Jesus all sin leads to the same destructive destination. - (Lynette Kittle) SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In a time of hopelessness, remember God is always with you, beside you and before you. - Keri Eichberger SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Imagine a seed. It starts out small and has the potential to grow. How does God relate our faith to a seed? To a mountain?  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

By definition "The Apple of my eye" is a person or thing that someone loves very much. An endearing term. How does it relate to us and God's word? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you been distracted from giving God all the attention he is worthy of receiving? - Annie Yorty SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"The life in the church isn't always what we think it will be. What do we do? Jesus gives us a way." - Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus spoke: "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand" (John 13:7).  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It is important to make sure we are walking in step with the Spirit. When we align ourselves with God will, there is nothing that will stop us. When we yield our lives to God, his plans become our plans. - Michelle Lazurek SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our mission is to further the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that more souls can encounter God and be saved in His kingdom. Remember this world is not our home, Heaven awaits. - Alexis A. Goring SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?               (Psalm 42:1-2) SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." - Ephesians 4:29 SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Death is the original price human kind has to pay for our sins. There is hope because of Jesus Christ. He paid the ultimate price for our sins. - Alexis A. Goring SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Never will I leave you, Never will I forsake you" - (Hebrews 13:5) SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Does God accept me? Deep down we want to know if we are acceptable in the eyes of God. We are not perfect, we all have battles we fight internally and questions we aways ask ourselves. Does God accept us regardless? The answer is YES. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"It is not fair that we are inconsistent talkers.  The reality and evidence of our need for a Savior becomes very clear just simply by opening our mouths. We bless, and we curse." - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"God understands how loving us first has the power to draw even the most reluctant sinner to his side. He knew too, that we wouldn't be able to love HIM on our own because of sins barrier within us" - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Maybe you found yourself overwhelmed with the heavy load of your life. Yet you long for relief and a lighter load. Which leads you to ask yourself: What stays? What goes? What matters?" - Keri Eichberger SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Jesus points out that prayer is not just a ritual where we try to convince God to give us something. But rather a authentic conversation with our all knowing and completely caring heavenly father. God knows our needs even before we articulate them." - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"He convicted my heart. Immediately, I knew I needed to stop running away from him and start running towards him. In that moment, I realized HE was the security and peace I was searching for" - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Even as believers in Christ, we are prone to fall into the temptations to make "gods" out of people places or things. But they all fail in comparison to Jesus." - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Only Jesus has the power to take the heaviness of sins away. Only Jesus can give us the freedom we need to live with joy. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What we do with our hands, our minds and our time has serious implications on our future. If idle hands keep us poor, then what great things could we achieve if we were consistently diligent? - Aaron Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The next time you are reminded of your shortcomings. Instead allowing shame to overwhelm you, use that moment as an opportunity to pause and praise the Lord for your new life in him. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God's word is said to be a lamp, or a light for us as we travel this life. - (Sarah Frazer)  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

For I will pour water on a thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your decedents. They will spring up like grass in the meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. - (Isaiah 44:3-4) SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When the circumstances are all that we see, let us be reminded to take a step back. Only then can we see the full picture. - (Aaron Brown)  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Adam and Eve must have been overwhelmed with Joy! Every part of the garden was like a treasure chest that they could open to find valuable gifts. Today, we still have access to the awe-inspiring plants and trees God originally created. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In society it is rare for people to bless each other. We are more known for what we are against, then what we are for. - Michelle Lazurek  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - (Philippians 4:6-7) SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have. For He has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you." - (Hebrews 13:5)   SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What do you do when life's tough circumstances occur? Do you ignore God and believe the lie that God is not being good to you? (- Michelle Lazurek) Pray, even when times are tough.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Your thoughts relate to how you feel. The more positive, the better mood you are in. God understands we are not perfect. But when you speak truth and positivity in your mind, your body and spirit follows. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"The power we have in Christ Jesus is incredible! But what does "In Christ" mean?"    (Meg Bucher) Listen today for an inspiring devotional about the power we can look to in our daily lives.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sometimes as a Christian, it can be confusing to understand common terms used in preaching, teaching and Christian content. - (Lynette Kittle) Gather and listen to get a better understanding of these three terms through this devotional.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we hear the word "Veil" we may think about a bride. This curtain was established in the times of Moses, it was intentionally placed to divide the Holy of Holies in the temple of God. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Eternity: What is it? Eternal life with Jesus starts the moment we ask Him into our lives. A reunion with God without sin or sadness.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Making the most of tomorrow is difficult when your stuck on yesterday. - Aaron Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever felt like everyone is watching you parent, not just on social media? The circle of judgment is real. Remember that God loves us despite ourselves, he knows we'll never get it completely right, but his love for us is unaffected.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The words we speak, along with the words spoken to us have the ability to cultivate healing within us. - Lynette Kittle  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts: Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

 When you're weak and weary, and your joy feels smothered, Talk to God about the weights you've been carrying, but also the goodness He's working within all.  Like the birds that never fail to raise their beautiful songs each day, the melodies you release will begin to fill your soul with smiles and refuel your strength. - Keri Eichberger SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Word of God is so powerful, and the more we study and meditate upon it, our foundation will be so strong in Christ, and we will continually know how to look to Him anytime stress and anxiety tries to overtake us. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God gives us His unconditional love, faithfulness, and presence whenever we ask. Give everything you have and watch as he gives you his faithfulness, sovereignty, love, and devotion in return.  - Michelle Lazurek SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Spring highlights the beauty of change.  It reminds me of how God, through His Holy Spirit, is constantly renewing us with the strength we need during each season of our lives.  - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Being tired isn't only a result of lack of sleep.  Sometimes we're simply tired of trying to be better, feel better, look better. We're just flat out tired.  Where is the strength we're desperate for? The Bible tells us that the Lord will supply all our needs and also repeats the truth that He is our strength.  - Keri Eichberger SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of someone else.  This phrase is used to support the importance of self care and me time, but this often becomes an ideology completely centered around self. If we wait until all areas of our life are perfectly overflowing. We will never experience the beauty of relying upon God's grace - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When life throws us a curveball like job loss, divorce, or other major life transition, it's easy to want to trade uncertainty for something familiar. But this is not the life God has for us. God does not want us to resort to uncertainty, but rather trust in God. Allow God's unconditional love to wash over us. -  Michelle Lazurek   SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"One willing to stand up and speak up is not inherently wrong, but we should ensure that our hearts motivations are pure and our words are meant to build up or encourage, not put down and discourage." - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the Earth." (Genesis 9:16) "The rainbow isn't just an image that we get to paint on nursery walls and put on the cover of children's Bibles. It's testimony to God's presence" - Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you want to hear exclusive interviews? Today’s episode is from the show "Crosswalk Talk.” It is a podcast dedicated to bringing you interviews with your favorite Christian celebrities and giving you behind the scenes stories and testimonies you won’t hear anywhere else. In this episode, Zach Williams talks about his addictions, family, and the will God gave him to overcome adversity to live the life he was meant to live. This is an honest heartwarming interview you will not want to miss.  To hear more, check out Crosswalk Talk on Spotify, Apple Podcast or your favorite listening app. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we are tempted to worry about our lives, may we consider the lilies. When we are tempted to labor and try to be in control, may we find the surrender to Christ a freeing exercise of growth in Him. We can rest in Him each day, knowing that He loves us greatly. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

You can enjoy a close connection with God that renews you from within when you develop a habit of prayerful breathing. So, embrace the gift of your breathing as a sacred way to connect with God anytime and anywhere! - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What a wonderful truth that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are God’s children and, therefore, co-heirs with Christ. God doesn’t just save his children from eternal suffering but gives us the same inheritance as His son! - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When you think about the marks of a Christian, there is one mark that should be present, which sometimes we can too easily gloss over. That mark is forgiveness. When we need forgiveness, it is amazing how we seek after it. Yet when we must give forgiveness, sometimes we can be a little slow on the draw. Have you ever wondered why that is? - Clarence L. Haynes Jr.SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you want to have a deeper faith, then waste your time with Jesus. Seek solitude with your Savior. Cultivate a habit where He is your focus, where you attend to His presence and His voice. - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Faith in God is something all believers have. When we ask for anything through Christ Jesus, it is our faith that drives the assurance that we will receive it. However, faith is not only the confidence that we will receive what we ask according to God’s divine will for our lives. It is also having confidence that God will provide all that we need and trusting Him no matter what the situation looks like. - Liz LampkinSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The magnitude of God’s wonders is truly awe-inspiring. The abundance of God’s countless blessings and the intricacy of God’s plans surpass our human understanding. Recognizing that sparks a desire to praise God. None can compare with our wonderful God! - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There have been times in my life when I felt the Lord calling me out of the boat and to walk toward him. After my miscarriage, it was to walk the waters of grief. Later, when I was pregnant again, it was to walk the waters of trust. Life is full of adventures, but not every adventure leads us in a straight path. Sometimes they lead us through ravines and along cliffs. The winds of uncertainty and fear and unknowns buffet us, and we lose sight of Jesus. - Jessica Van RoekelSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

To preach the Lordship of Jesus is to declare the constancy of his loving presence. It is to make known the truth that God is with us and that we are invited to live within Jesus’s love every single day of our lives. - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

​Do you feel overly concerned about a need you are facing? Maybe an unexpected car repair or a bill that needs to be paid soon. Take a moment to jot down three to five things that you are thankful for praising God for each thing, and then ask God to provide for your specific need. Trust Him and thank Him in advance for daily bread. - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we say “God is love,” we’re not just asserting that love is one of God’s attributes, like power or wisdom. Instead, we’re declaring that love defines God’s nature. It's the heart of who God is. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In a world overrun with words, let’s find a different way to love each other beyond our screens and devices. The power of an in-person smile, embrace, and live listening ear oozes of compassionate love. Christ-like love is self-sacrificing, humble, and willing. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We should open our hearts to allow God’s Spirit to reprioritize any part of our lives that is out of line with His best for us. Let’s commit ourselves to building a stockpile of heavenly treasures that will follow us into eternity. - Annie Yorty SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever wondered if God has forgotten you? Have you been crying out to him, and all you hear is silence? Have you been desperate to know where He was leading and what He was doing? - Christine Perry SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Scripture calls us to continue meeting together – to remain connected to a wider group of faith players who can encourage us, support us, lift us up when something goes wrong, and even give us pointers along the way. We are not meant to live our spiritual life alone. - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

While you may not call someone an enemy, I can be certain you can name some people in your life you don’t have warm, fuzzy feelings for. In all walks of life, you are going to encounter people that are hard to like and hard to root for. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Because matters and conditions of the heart run deep within us, God is the only one who can truly know the depth of our pain and brokenness. He is the only one who is equipped to repair it, too, and able to make it whole again. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Because sin exists in the world, so do sickness and brokenness, and no one is exempt from any of it. Although we have been redeemed and our eternal salvation is secure in Christ, as believers, we still are subject to suffering in this fallen world that we live in. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we consistently discipline our children, we teach them what it looks like to see our sin, repent, and repair our relationships when they are ruptured by sin. And God reminds us in our key passage not to give up when this happens. And while discipline isn't enjoyable, it is a necessary tool to help us see how we fall short of God's glorious standard. - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do you feel? Are there parts of your body that you’ve been neglecting? Make a plan to address any lingering health issues or take care of your basic needs. - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Bible tells us to keep a tight reign on our thought life, lest we follow it down rabbit holes which can leave us stuck in a moment we can’t get out of. Yet, we are not supposed to live thoughtlessly. Rumination, another word for overthinking, can be good or bad … or good and bad. - Meg Bucher  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Situations in life don’t change because you worry about them. They change because you pray about them. When worry is present, prayer is usually absent. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Although it hurts at a deep level to be rejected, and it’s not easy when faced with it to respond in the right way, with God’s help, we can respond with the love He gives to us to those who reject us. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The same grace that saved us is the very same grace that keeps us and molds us into the image of Christ, day by day. From the moment of your conversion, you became God’s work-in-progress, and the greatest news of all is that He doesn’t grow weary, stressed, or exhausted with you. - Emily Rose Massey  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What if frustration in our prayer life is a sign of our deepening faith, not the absence of it? What if our feelings of inability in prayer indicate the movement of the Spirit deep within? - Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do we balance the call to love our neighbor and be Kingdom bringers and justice pursuers while still guarding our hearts against the heaviness that can turn us off from being able to care well for the world around us? - Amanda Idleman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Denial is a tempting alternative to painful realities, but in choosing to ignore reality we stunt our growth. Everything we endure on this earth when we place our faith in God is meant to bring about good in our lives. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If God’s faithfulness were a reward for actions, then few would ever experience it. Because his faithfulness flows from his grace, it is available to everyone. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Next time you want to say “no” to an opportunity God has placed in your life because you are scared, remember that we have the power of the Holy Spirit working to bring God glory, and His purpose will prevail. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There is no step-by-step guide to having a successful and thriving marriage, but there are things we can implement to help strengthen it. Thankfully, when we make a commitment to put God first within the marriage, He gives us grace and wisdom for the journey together. The Holy Spirit truly does empower us to show the love of God, even to the most unlovable. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

​God is love, so the only way to really define and understand what love is, and how to do everything in love, requires looking at how God defines it. The following are seven ways. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We are to live day by day and not worry about the future. I’ve learned how key it is to focus on the present and ask God for His provision at the start of every new day. He always provides exactly what we need to make it through every 24 hours. - Alexis A. Goring SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We can wholeheartedly believe and trust for the healings we hope for and problems we seek solutions for. God knows what we need, and He is faithful. Peace-filled, positive thinking = thinking about God! - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The answers to life’s situations are first found in God’s presence. This should be the first place we run to. The presence of God does not mean situations change immediately. What it means is your ability to endure the situation does. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Compassion is one of those words we don’t hear all that much these days. Obvious when looking at how we treat those with differing views, especially those from the opposite political party. It’s also one of those words that has a deeper meaning than what immediately comes to mind. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We must be on our guard, know the Bible for ourselves, and live in the power of the Holy Spirit to share the gospel with a hurting culture. It is messy, challenging, and tiring. However, we are encouraged to contend for the faith. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

No matter if you are single or married, experiencing isolation and loneliness can often lead to depression that can be crippling. People in the world are looking to belong. In Christ, as His followers, we have the answer. - Emily Rose Massey  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed tells the story of several different seeds and how the environment they were planted in and the way they were cared for determined the progress of their growth. It’s a smart and accurate comparison to our current lives and the way in which we decide to water the Word of God in them daily.  - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Worry has a way of igniting a series of “what-ifs.” These thoughts trickle down from our heads to our hearts with a lit fuse ready to detonate an explosion of fear. Yet, sure-footed in God’s Truth, we can stomp out these sparks quickly and rest in His peace instead. - Megan Evans SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What are the sins, the guilts, or the shame that we have buried underneath the sands of our lives, that remain undealt with? What are the sins that we have hidden that cause us to live in fear? - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

With everything happening in our world today, does God really expect us not to be anxious? The short answer is yes. God tells us not to be anxious about anything. And he goes on to say when he expects this of us. - Anne Peterson SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Suffering is a reality for everyone on this earth, including believers. To deny that is to deny the reality of the fact that we live in a fallen world, and Christians are not exempt from the results of it. Remember, the apostles suffered greatly, and many of them died horrendous deaths as martyrs. But it was all for God’s glory and a part of His sovereign plan for their lives. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It is a beautiful truth to know that God places us in the right place at the right time, not only because He knows what we need, but because He wants us to find our way to Him. - Alexis A. Goring SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts: Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The darkest thought. The one that wants us to give up, stop trying and throw in the towel. The darkest thought will try to convince us we cannot live like this anymore. It will hold us hostage in sleep when we would normally wake and hostage awake when we would normally sleep. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How does God view the value of your work? Who could use God’s reassurance through you about the importance of their labor? - Annie Yorty SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The pressure David had been put under wasn’t just or fair. God rescued Him out of His love for Him. Much of the Psalm speaks of the unfairness David endured and tracks his process of handing justice over to God and forgiving his enemies. All of the glory went to God for David’s rescue. It’s a silly story, really, of the way David acted to escape trouble. But it shows us God’s ways are not our ways. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

​What does it mean to fish for people? We need not look any further than the example set by Jesus. Jesus’ interaction with Peter and Andrew, James and John, models what it means to fish for others - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever found yourself in need of an attitude adjustment? If so, be encouraged, as you’ve reached the most critical step in receiving one by knowing you’re in need of it. Realizing and recognizing there are wrong attitudes in your heart and mind is the breakthrough moment to a new attitude. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We each have an important purpose in this life. When the fog sets in, and we cannot see where we are going, Psalm 145 reminds us the Lord is near.  - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we are accustomed to proficiency, it can feel intimidating to be a beginner again. Yet, the Lord illuminated through Scripture many accounts of calling His people to new roles and responsibilities for the good of His people and His glory. That’s the context and backdrop leading up to today’s key verse. - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

May we strive to be people with arms and hearts open to receiving this great commissioning from the saints who have run their race and finished strong. And may we be faithful in looking for opportunities to pass the baton of faith when the time comes.  - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A mere look can send daggers through our hearts or send our hearts soaring on the heights. Words can crush our hopes and dreams or give them wings. The two combined can create feelings of inferiority or feelings of empowerment. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Unlike our human parenting goals, our Father’s plan for His children is dependence. He did not design us to grow up and walk without His support. He doesn’t intend for us to do life on our own until we run into trouble that’s overwhelming.  - Annie Yorty SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Waiting for help is excruciating. Running to God is no problem here. Maybe you can relate to the running and the exhaustive need for new strength this year. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Relationships, even among God’s children, are messy, and often, the more intimate the bond, the more likely we experience strife and discord. Peter understood that relationships are easily strained, especially marital relationships. Hence why he spent time encouraging and outlining how to live a godly life in our marriages, in the church, and among the world to the dispersed Christians he addressed in 1 Peter.  - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Are you willing to lovingly reach out to others this week? If so, ask God to help you love others like He loves you, by loving them first, sacrificially, and in their messiness. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The next time you find yourself struggling with anger, remember Jonah. Let him be an example of how not to respond. Jonah appreciated God’s compassion for himself, but he grew angry when God showed compassion to people he felt did not deserve it. God’s compassion extends to all.  - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Walking by faith means that sometimes we don’t see all the steps we need to take; instead, we only see the next one and then the next one. Serving God is an expression of our faith in him, and faith is an important key in believing that our service is not in vain. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Is there a situation or circumstance in your own life that has you wondering how God could ever work it all together for your good? If so, choose to trust Him today and let go of your fears and doubts, believing He will do what His Word promises He will do. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

​Are you reading God’s Word for yourself? If not, make a commitment to add it to your daily or weekly schedule. Look for and set aside times you can read it on your own. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today’s verses from the Gospel of Matthew remind us of the power of our efforts to call on the Name above all Names and the ability our faith in God has to move life’s mountains. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Why is it that we look for our spiritual comfort or healing in vain efforts or in human-bound work rather than the grace of God? Why do we find it so easy to turn to cheap knockoffs when it comes to our spiritual lives? Can false idols really satisfy? Do they ever free us from our sins or liberate us from the spiritual weights that we carry upon our shoulders? - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayerYour Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Freedom from rules, through Christ, releases the pressure of a burden we can never live up to. " - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Why do we sometimes become someone new for a time, usually someone better, only for the same old us to creep back into the picture? - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Often we as believers can lose sight of who is fighting us, too, causing us to start trying to wrestle on a human level. But God has called us to a higher form of defense on a spiritual level because that’s where the real scuffle is taking place. So how do we face struggles on spiritual levels from our human standpoint? - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Men and women often die needlessly difficult deaths, what makes Jesus' death on the cross meaningful? Why does Jesus matter?  - Amanda Idleman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever taken a moment to notice the beauty in the change of seasons? Think about it. With each season, there is something to appreciate and celebrate. - Liz Lampkin SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Above all, we must remember that every person is made in the image of God, and they deserve love and respect no matter their actions or words towards us. May the love and mercy that has been given to us from the Lord flow to the most difficult of people in our life.  - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The beautiful thing is that we all get a leading role in this epic chronicle that makes up God’s plan. Each and every person is created in his image. They have value, he has made them for a purpose, and their story matters. Your story matters!  - Amanda Idleman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

​Jesus is the One who gives us the strength and ability to remain content no matter what we are experiencing. True contentment is knowing that Jesus alone can satisfy our souls. When we search for fulfillment in things, people, or even our circumstances, we will always come up short. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We live in troubled times. The economy, the political landscape, and the polarizing of relationships between people make me think of the troubled waters from the old Simon and Garfunkel song, Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Our coping mechanisms show we’re looking for a way over these times that challenge our tranquility. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What if we woke up every morning remembering that God wants to use our everyday actions for significance? I encourage you to pause and consider those God placed in your life to draw you closer to Him. If possible, reach out to express your appreciation. Like Paul, pray for God to bless them. As you give thanks, commit to becoming an instrument of God that can change the life of the next person you meet. - Annie Yorty SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God doesn’t tell us to be grateful for all the bad circumstances that happen to us, but rather to be grateful in all circumstances. Not doing things God’s way results in us inevitably looking out to each new year with hopeful anticipation, as though the grass is greener on the other side. That could be the case, but maybe not. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Last year, I decided to ditch the resolutions for good and focus on a word or Scripture for the year. Setting goals and working towards improving oneself isn’t a bad thing. But, we mustn’t let our identity be rooted in what we achieved (or didn’t).  - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever felt forgotten by God, tempted to believe He has a short memory and doesn’t remember your cries and requests to Him. After all, He is the God of the universe, creator of all living things, why would we think He would remember us? - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus was compassionate to the people He met while He walked the earth. Particularly for His apostles and for those who followed and listened to His teachings and asked for healing.  - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

I have called this devotional “The Prerequisite to the Christian Life” because Jesus demonstrates that Peter needed to understand a fundamental truth about his relationship with Jesus Christ before further service. What is this prerequisite to service for Peter? What is the prerequisite for the Christian life for us? There are two. - Dr. Michael Milton SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Parenting is a life-time gig. One most of us are thrilled to embark on …until we’re not. Everyday does not scroll along like a perfectly filtered social media story. In the slumped over the counter and deep breathing moments, God has a supernatural supply of patience and grace to strengthen us. Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on our own bountiful mercy to parent our children.  - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever had times in your life when it seemed like God didn't hear you? It can seem pretty discouraging when we feel like our prayers aren’t being heard and we aren’t sensing God’s presence and interventions in difficult situations. Sadly, feeling unheard often leads people to feel unloved, forgotten, and of little value to God. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The song “Silent Night” stirs up pictures in our minds of a calm night, stars brightly twinkling in the sky, and a newborn baby sleeping. It talks of a mother who lovingly sits at the bedside of her newborn son and of shepherds that are watching nearby, having been led there by a star. - Gina Smith SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayerYour Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When you take time to look at the lyrics of today’s hymn and are able to see what these lyrics are saying, I believe that the truths found there can lift you out of any sense of loneliness or isolation and give you a birds-eye view of the life you have been gifted. - Gina Smith SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayerYour Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the hymn “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” we see lyrics to meditate on that can cause joy to rise up within your heart even when we are facing painful family relationships. - Gina Smith SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayerYour Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Christmas is a time for the faithful to gather around the manger and allow our hearts to fill, and burst, with joy when we remember why Christ came. The familiar Christmas hymn, "O Come, All Ye Faithful," draws us into the Christmas story found in Luke 2:8-16. - Gina Smith SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayerYour Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Christmas season can be a struggle because the stark realities of life don’t take a holiday break! But we can tune in to the beautiful Christmas hymns we sing yearly and be reminded that we can have JOY! There are days I do have to fight to find joy in the moment, but in the end, it is there. I just need to focus on the reason He came. And wearily rejoice that He was born. - Gina Smith SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayerYour Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The familiar elements of the story of Christ’s birth on earth are only a fraction of the majestic coordination of the events leading up to His first human cries on earth. The verse above tells us Jesus knew who He was and what His mission on earth consisted of. He also knew He would return to the Father. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayerYour Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In our world today, where countless people are rewriting God’s Word to say things He isn’t saying and to support causes that go against His will, we need to remember that God’s Word will never fail. Especially now with the changing times, individuals and groups are believing God’s Word needs a new spin on it and updating, a modernization to keep up with the changing times. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever heard of the man who carried Jesus' cross? Here in Luke 23, tucked away in verse 26 is the mention of a man who could easily get lost in the text; however, when we look at the significance of this moment, we will find ourselves in awe of what God is trying to tell us - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If there has ever been a time when we needed divine guidance on marriage, now is that time. Mercifully, the Bible is filled with God’s truth about this most essential institution. Consider the truth and life from the devotional thoughts in Ephesians 5:1, 22-33. Here the  Apostle Paul is applying the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to wives and husbands in marriage. Now this passage contains two admonitions: one for the wife and one for the husband. - Dr. Michael A. Milton SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today, we bring honor to God by living like Jesus, which also means finding ways to serve. Not just those close to us, but also those in need. Though our culture leans toward commercialism over faith, as believers we should do our part to remember the reason for the season. Now, let’s dive into some specific ways we can showcase cheerful servitude this Christmas. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The holiday season kicks off with a reminder to be thankful. Gratitude is a powerful mentality. When we force a smile onto our faces, it actually triggers positive thoughts in our minds! The world is a difficult place, but God is bigger. His faithfulness gives us strength. God loves us so much, He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to save us. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It’s easy to get caught up in all the various holiday events that take place during the Christmas season: running from place to place, shopping for gifts, attending holiday parties, and preparing festive meals. In the rush and excitement of it all, it’s easy to get caught up in it and take our eyes off the real focal point of Christmas, Jesus, our prefect gift from our loving, heavenly Father (John 3:16). - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We often consider the birth of Jesus from the perspective of looking back. For a moment, I want you to put yourself in the hearts and minds of the people who were alive during this time. When you do this, it will help you understand the reason for the hope and excitement surrounding Jesus’ birth.  - Clarence L. Haynes Jr.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We can’t lose God’s call on our lives. Each day, as we seek the Lord and obediently do the next right thing, we move closer to what He has for us. Even when we know early on what we are meant to do, the work of walking in the will of God continues until the day we arrive home to Him. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you know someone who is suffering this holiday season? If so, are you willing to walk alongside them? If not, there are plenty of organizations to help direct you in giving, praying, and volunteering to those who are afflicted and could use some encouragement, comfort, and support in their lives. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Joshua was about to take over for Moses, and God’s people were the most fickle to lead. Always rebelling and losing faith. The Lord faithfully encouraged him through Moses. The Lord is faithful to encourage us today, too. When life gets hard, and we find ourselves clinging …turn to the only One who can mend the cracks in our armor. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever been asked to lead a small group, teach Sunday School, or share a devotion but declined because you didn’t know what to share? If you haven’t already, write your testimony, incorporating some of your favorite scriptures and verses that share the gospel. Practice in front of a mirror, a spouse, or a trusted friend to build your confidence. - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When you base your merit on other people’s opinions, you set yourself up to struggle to receive God’s acceptance. But when you base your merit on God’s infinite love for you, you can take steps toward replacing the negative messages with God’s truth: you are the work of his hands—most notable and excellent. When you base your merit on other people’s opinions, you set yourself up to struggle to receive God’s acceptance. But when you base your merit on God’s infinite love for you, you can take steps toward replacing the negative messages with God’s truth: you are the work of his hands—most notable and excellent. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As the holidays roll around this year, we may be finding ourselves in places we didn’t ever dream of being, doing work we didn’t plan on or ever want to do, feeling down and discouraged at where life has led us. How many of us planned and imagined our lives going in a specific direction, then suddenly and unexpectedly, we experienced our lives taking an unplanned turn? - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

With sincere hearts, we can boldly come right into the presence of God. His sincerity sees us long before we turn to Him, and he delights when we genuinely come to Him. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do you spend the holidays with someone who rejected you? Once they were like family, and now, they’re your enemy. What if you’re at the same table? Or bump into each other in the buffet line? The sting of betrayal feels like a fire. - Jessica Van RoekelSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Many of us believe we deserve God’s forgiveness but with others, not so much. The truth is, none of us deserve His forgiveness, and there is no way we could possibly ever earn it or purchase it ourselves. None of us can attain God’s forgiveness on our own. It’s God's gift to us through Jesus. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Christmas Season has also been called the Season of Hope. Much deeper than the wishes circled in toy catalogs and commercialized in gift wrap, Hope is anchored in the faithfulness of God. - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Everyone faces days of trouble because trouble is part of our world. It serves several purposes. It’s an opportunity for our spiritual roots to go deeper as we choose to trust God with the unknowns that lie before us. The thing with troubles is that we don’t have a guaranteed outcome, and we like outcomes we can count on. In the end, victory is ours, but when the beginning seems long ago, the middle can seem unending. - Jessica Van RoekelSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you are stuck and feel unable to move forward in your life, focus on the one right next step you can take to move forward. Don’t let overanalysis of what “could be” or what “has been” paralyze you. Just take one tiny step forward at a time and see the Lord begin to move on your behalf. - Amanda IdlemanSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you find yourself ambushed by grief this week, rather than trying to stuff your feelings deep down within yourself, take a moment to experience them. As you do, turn to God, asking Him for His comfort and peace to help turn your sorrow into joy (Psalm 30:11). - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God promises a plan for us which is more than we can ask for or imagine. To walk the road home to Him requires us to push beyond our limits. Freedom from the fear which convinces us we can’t do hard things …impossible things, is possible. We can and will accomplish miraculous feats in Christ Jesus if we are willing to compete with the voice inside of us, which begs us to bail out and stay safe. - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Many individuals feel pressure at the start of a new year to start over. However, if failure to do so comes a few days, weeks, or months later, they feel defeated and like they have to wait another year to try again. Sadly New Year’s resolutions set individuals up for failure by causing them to think they only have one day each new year to start over. But the good news is God offers us the opportunity to start anew each and every day. - Lynette KittleSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Learning to listen is hard. We are by nature very offend-able. Though it may seem easiest to ghost someone out of our lives, the truth is they were put there on purpose. Cutting them out only robs us of the reason they were there in the first place. Instead of running from the inevitably difficulty that is relationships with other people … let’s aim to stay, and learn to listen. - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Paul is my favorite apostle in the Bible. Are you wondering what an apostle is? It means “person sent.” Paul was formerly known as Saul. He was a persecutor of Christians. He was on a mission to kill and destroy anyone who was a follower of Jesus because he believed that the message of Jesus was dangerous to Judaism. - Heidi VeghSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In John 8, we see the Pharisees (the religious rulers) once again trying to test Jesus. They always seemed to be after Him to stump Him and make Him look bad. Literally, He was the Christ, the One they and their people were waiting on, but His words and His answers were not what they imagined. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Adapting to different seasons can be challenging when it’s not what we expect it to be, just like in life where what occurs in times of our lives may seem very different from what we were expecting. The following are four ways to open our hearts to look positively toward seasons that haven’t brought us what we were hoping. - Lynette KittleSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Thanksgiving is the reason many of us are grateful for the month of November. Yet, while we may be preoccupied with stuffing our faces or talking to our kids about the Pilgrims and the Native Americans, we should strive to turn the feastful day into something representative of its name - a day where we express thanksgiving. - Aaron D'Anthony BrownSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Christ Jesus is the only One who can fill the gaps in our human hearts, which automatically ache for assurance, comfort, and companionship. Everything, and everyone, will fail to fulfill this desire in our lives because our hearts were created to crave Him. - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If faced with temptation this week, resist. However, if you fall into it, instead of pointing fingers and blaming the devil or those around you, go to God with a repentant heart. With a humble heart, turn toward Him for forgiveness and to strengthen you to overcome it the next time you’re tempted. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus uses many parables throughout His time recorded on earth. He compares His kingdom in Matthew 13 to a treasure hidden in a field that is purchased by a man with all he has and a merchant who finds one great pearl and sells all he has to buy it. In comparing this, He is essentially saying that when you discover the beautiful gift of salvation from Him, you will do whatever you can to be a part and invest in His Kingdom work. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God sees things. He sees our situations and He is always present in whatever happens. Our responsibility is to turn it all over to him. And what’s amazing is that he understands our frailties and whimsical worrying but shows loving provision for our needs when we are in trouble. - Christopher EyteSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Loneliness carries with it a familiar anguish, a longing that goes unquenched. Sometimes the sensation lasts so long, we doubt whether or not we will ever see change. But loneliness is a pattern, and every pattern has to end before starting again. - Aaron D'Anthony BrownSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The book of Hebrews is filled with beautiful verses proclaiming that Jesus is our great High Priest. He took on the cross for us, and He broke the barricade between us and God the Father. The sin that stood in between was defeated, and Jesus became the bridge between the Lord and us. As we break down these verses today, pray that Christ would reveal Himself more and more in your heart. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What spiritual gifts have you received to serve the Body of Christ? What might be holding you back from exercising your gifts for God’s glory? - Annie YortySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We matter greatly to the Lord, and so do your prayers. We can say our prayers out loud, think about them, write them, and even sing them. When we pray, we can rest in the promise that He hears us, has a plan for us, and will take care of us. - Megan EvansSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Hopelessness may be where you are today. If so, maybe God is using your struggle to shape you into a person who is more like Christ. You want to go from Point A to Z, but B, F, and P have some valuable lessons. No matter the reason, and no matter how hopeless we may feel, there is always hope. When those doubts sink in, and your bright skies begin to fade, remember these three ways to bring hope to the hopeless. - Aaron D'Anthony BrownSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What areas of life do we struggle to adopt change? Aging, sickness, and disease bring unwanted change into our lives. Unmet expectations of a new job or relationship can leave us disappointed. Even something as simple as a home renovation project gone wrong can fill us with regrets. We can spend too much time in the land of “If only. . .” - Jessica Van RoekelSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Is there rubble and brokenness around you somewhere in your life? The book of Nehemiah reminds us that the Lord redeems and rebuilds. We can often see destruction and discouragement in these moments; however, in God, we can always have hope that He can work things out for His glory. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In whatever you face, may you find your rest in God alone. May you uncover the presence of the Lord as your hope and your salvation. The Lord surrounds you. The Lord comforts you. The Lord secures your very life. - Rev. Kyle NormanSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This grace that says there is not one of us that gets our thoughts right helps to break the stigma around anxiety or depression. We need to be sharing the truth that God sees that our minds and bodies struggle. He is here for us on a journey that looks like prayer, self-care, medical care, and more. - Amanda IdlemanSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It is most important that we understand what God desires of His people. To walk wisely, we should recognize that time is a limited commodity. Everyone has a beginning time and an end (either by death or Christ’s second coming). God calls us to redeem that time. This means to examine the hours and days, and years the Lord has given us and ask ourselves, “Are we using time for all its worth?” - Dr. Michael A. MiltonSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What is in your heart that sometimes spills out? Is it gracious and healing or bitter and resentful? The different types of stress in our lives shakes the contents of our heart. There are days when we won’t extend a godly response and we can use the remorse we feel as an opportunity for God to do an amazing transformative work. - Jessica Van RoekelSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever gotten really difficult news and just needed a minute alone? Jesus had been told by his closest friends that his cousin John the Baptist had been killed. This was a rough day in the life of Christ. His family member, friend, and front runner had been beheaded in prison for his ministry. Although this did not come as a surprise to Jesus, He knew this day would come, what we read here reveals to us a lot about Christ’s heart and His perfect deity and humanity. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Imposter Syndrome is the voice of the enemy. It tells us that all manners of goodness or happiness are ill deserved in our lives. Imposter Syndrome tells us that if people knew us as we truly are, then we would not be loved or accepted. Imposter Syndrome wants us to believe that we are fundamentally unlovable or unredeemable, and that even God is perpetually disappointed in us. - Rev. Kyle NormanBut it’s all a lie.SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you ever compare your service for God’s Kingdom with others? Are there times when your joy in serving depends on praise or recognition? Ask the Lord to help you remember that we serve Him and His glory. - Laura BaileySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There are many ‘nobodies’ in the world today who live on the fringes of society. I remember a time when I was unemployed with post-traumatic stress, under the care of a psychologist, and I visited a local library every day. I went there to feel useful and soon noticed other vulnerable folks, just like me, searching for significance. - Christopher EyteSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How might you make your life of prayer known? What might it mean for others to know that you begin or end the day in prayer? - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The life of a fisherman has a lot of reliance and trust in God to provide. Much like farmers who rely on rain for crops, fishermen rely on the Lord to bring fish to their nets. When Jesus was calling Andrew, Peter, James, and John, they were all in their regular daily routine. It was just another night out on the sea trying to get some fish to sell. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Fulfilling God’s goals and plans for our lives is the greatest measure of success for each of us. Sometimes that takes us through times of adversity. But through it all, we can be strong and courageous and let go of our fear because God is with us. - Jessica Van RoekelSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

I recently finished a Bible study on the ten commandments; the author encouraged us to obey God's Word joyfully. As we moved through the various laws, each one convicting and challenging, I realized I often obey out of obligation instead of delight. My Christian walk had become a task list, just another thing, a benchmark of validation that at least I am better than ( or not as bad as) her. I began to wonder, am I capable of delightfully obeying God’s Word. - Laura BaileySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever believed that God’s presence and power were contingent on your knowledge, ability, or skill? Have you ever feared that, despite your best efforts, you will never be able to earn the fire of God’s presence? - Rev. Kyle NormanSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

I want my daughters to understand what really matters and to live pure and blameless lives. I do the best I can to articulate love into every area of their lives, but I know as surely as my days are numbered on this earth, my words fall short. - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

I can only imagine the thoughts running through the Samaritan’s mind. He had a choice to make, just like we do. Whenever we see someone hurting or in need, we choose to help them or turn and walk away. We must change the way we think. Why? Because choosing not to help the wounded ones who cross our paths each day contradicts everything Jesus teaches. - Mary Southerland SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We know how essential light is when we lose it. When the electricity goes out in your home, you scramble for the flashlight, lanterns, and candles; let's face it, we need light. In Ephesians 5, the Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of light to describe how believers should imitate our Lord Jesus. - Dr. Michael A. MiltonSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Messy moments and seasons of life when we have strayed can leave us wondering if God even wants to be around us anymore. Perhaps your heart has asked the question, “does God really want to talk to someone like me right now?” Though the shame of our sin may tell us no, God’s faithful love screams a victorious yes! So then, what does a Holy God do with sinful people like you and me? - Megan EvansSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Winning in this life is rooted in the hope we have through Christ Jesus, and the victory He has already won. There is no pressure on us to perform, achieve or goal set ourselves into an exhaustive state. Winning is doing the best we can with what He has given us, without worrying about what He’s given everyone else do to. - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The common perception of freedom is the practice of license and liberty from bondage. Freedom is assumed to be a life without rules, living for the moment and the self without accountability or constraint. Freedom means to live the way I want to live, free to choose for myself what is best or desired. This idea of freedom, however, is not actually freedom. - Seth ScottSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today’s verse is a piece of Zachariah’s Prophecy. The Father of John the Baptist, he knew the capability of the Light to shine the truth into life’s circumstances. Unable to understand how he and his wife, Elizabeth, could conceive a child at their age, Zachariah’s doubt cost him the ability to speak until the child was born. The first thing he spoke was to name his son, John, in obedience to the Lord. John the Baptist paved the way for our Lord, Christ Jesus! The Light was coming! - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Take time today and ask yourself, is God calling me into a deeper discipleship commitment? Perhaps you must first ask, have I had a personal encounter with Christ? If the answer is yes, are you prioritizing a relationship with the living God? And, lastly, are you walking in faithful obedience to what God has called us to do for Him and His Kingdom? - Laura BaileySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Offense is an easy habit to pick up. It’s one the world will applaud and help us to justify. When life is unfair, it’s okay to be righteously angry. But the pause we take before we put our emotions on display is important to God.  - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As a Christian parent, you can never have too many resources! Hear compelling segments from three fascinating LifeAudio shows hosted by Christian homeschooling moms and discover a new podcast you'll love!  Subscribe to the featured shows below & listen to more of their episodes! Empowering Homeschool Conversations with Peggy Ployhar: https://apple.co/3rStaIj / https://sptfy.com/P4uL  Real Refreshment with Rachael Carman: https://apple.co/400Tq00 / https://sptfy.com/P4uJ  Homeschooling Families with Leslie Nunnery: https://apple.co/45y46UT / https://sptfy.com/P4uK  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sin condemns people until they hear the gospel message and believe in the Lord Jesus. God called Andrea to speak His message of hope in Jesus to the people in Siberia. She’s not a member of some elite squad He chooses for this task. Indeed, God chooses every follower to participate. No excuses. - Annie YortySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Are our relationships meaningful? Don’t be too quick to answer. If our relationships are meaningful, why do we bestow the label of friend upon people who aren’t close to us? Why do we even have superficial conversations at church, a place where we are called to be vulnerable? - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Making good choices, unfortunately, doesn’t come naturally. It takes effort to steer our hearts toward what is good and right in the world. “Submit to one another,” Paul encouraged the Ephesians. But first, we must submit our lives to the One who created us. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God longs for us to set aside time in our lives to sit with Him and listen to His voice. He understands that life can become overwhelming with multiple things clamoring for our attention. It takes intentionality to shut off the noise to spend time with our creator. These are precious moments where He can meet us right where you are. - Heidi VeghSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our bodies are the most tangible forms of ourselves. We also are made up of a heart that feels, a soul that connects with our spiritual selves, and a mind that helps us reason. Our bodies are what we see, feel, hear, and process this world with. It is flesh that God formed from dust and breathed life into. Our bodies are profoundly significant. - Amanda IdlemanSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus consistently showed His disciples, and left an example for us today, of what it means to live in service of others and not just to be served. When we are welcomed in the name of Jesus and welcome others in the name of Jesus, we are living and loving the way He was instructing the disciples after He washed His feet. - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

One of the greatest ways in which the enemy works is to get us to be silent. If we are quiet in our faith, struggles, and lives, the Lord cannot use us. This is certainly not to say if someone is mute that, God cannot use them, for there are many ways to communicate the gospel. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God wants us to love each other in the same way that He loves – unconditionally. In fact, God wants us to love in such a way that the people around us will know we are fully devoted followers of Christ. I wonder what our relationships would look like if we did love the way Jesus loves us. - Mary SoutherlandSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Life can feel akin to being strapped into a rollercoaster going 90MPH, with no way to call for help or stop the ride if something goes wrong. In those moments, we call out to our God, who is faithful to save us. - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Remember that this life is a race today, especially if you're currently running the most challenging mile and feel unsure if you can keep going. Maybe you're not sprinting on this stretch like the people around you. That's okay, stay focused on Christ and keep putting one foot in front of the other. We can trust that as we make choices to sacrifice and persevere, our character and endurance have the opportunity to grow. - Laura BaileySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever covered your eyes to avoid a scary part of a movie? In the same way, we sometimes deliberately close our eyes to the inconvenient or painful realities that God reveals. Is there any spiritual reality you resist? Perhaps God is nudging you to see and respond to a difficult relationship with His compassion instead of censure. - Annie YortySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God saves us, and then God calls us to follow him. He calls us to be imitators of Christ and walk in his ways (Ephesians 5). To do so avoids the inevitability of crushing consequences of disobedience and leads to a life of joy. - Dr. Michael A. MiltonSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Copy-cat isn’t usually a kind term, but the reality of a copy-cat is complimentary. In this world, we have leaders and followers. We are all called to lead others to Christ Jesus as part of the Great Commission, but to do so, we follow in the footsteps of the Lord. We are literally called to be Christ Jesus copy-cats. - Meg BucherSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Let us as a church choose to be different today. May we each stand firmly, soberly, and righteously against temptation. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What happens when we don’t feel like giving thanks, especially during times of rising fuel prices, increasing mortgage rates, food shortages, job losses, and more? Amid unstable times, God asks us to focus on Him and His faithfulness, instead of our circumstances. - Lynette KittleSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As Christ-followers, it is vital that we are always prepared to share the hope that we have in Christ. This means that we are well equipped with knowing our God and His Word. By spending time with Him in prayer and in Scripture daily, we are strengthening our own faith and confidence in our relationship with Him and then able to communicate more effectively the hope that we have in Jesus. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sometimes the most profound experiences of God’s presence occur within the ordinary places of over lives. God comes amid the regular and routine, catching us unawares. This is no truer than in the story of Jacob. One of the high points of his life with God is when he dreams of a ladder upon which the angels of God ascend and descend. Rising from his dream Jacob exults the presence of the Lord saying, “Surely the Lord is in this place!” He dedicates the spot to the Lord, and calls the place Bethel, meaning “The House of God”. Bethel becomes a recurring place of divine encounter throughout the Scripture. - Rev. Kyle NormanSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Careless and complacent words may seem irrelevant, but our words matter to God, to others, and even to ourselves. Instead of spoilage, we have the choice to speak with healthy and delicious words that leave behind the aroma of Christ every single day. And when we do, we will not only speak life into others but ourselves too. - Megan EvansSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God knew the moment Adam ate the fruit, sin would enter the world, and nothing would ever be the same again. For this reason, it is crucial to understand the impact of sin and how it can impact your walk with the Lord. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Comparison leads to feelings of jealousy, discontentment, and ungratefulness. It can hold such a tight grip on our hearts that it ultimately shapes everything we do. - Laura BaileySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Has chatter of possible future food shortages caused you to feel anxious, stressed out, and worried? Are headlines causing you to store up staples, basic supplies, and favorite foods to help get you and your family through possible lean times? If so, it’s okay to create a storehouse but make sure it isn’t motivated by fear but led by God’s wisdom because “The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked" (Proverbs 10:3). - Lynette KittleSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How does thinking about Jesus’ sacrifice on a tree put you in awe of God’s redemptive plan from the Garden of Eden? In what ways is God calling you to die to your sin and live for Him? How can you celebrate the eternal healing that Jesus has given you by His wounds? - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

No walk matches the pathos and power of that footpath from Pilate’s kangaroo court to Golgotha. The Via Delarosa—the way of the cross—is the ultimate walk of love. This is the love we are to imitate: dying to self to live for God, and in doing so, knowing the fullness of joy in Christ. - Dr. Michael A. MiltonSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Consider times when the unexpected has happened in your life. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What kind of fruit are you producing in your life? If you’re not seeing the kind that comes from loving God more than the world, ask God to examine your heart. Ask Him to reveal the truth to you. - Lynette KittleSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Scriptures make it clear that believers in Christ are to be on our guard because the enemy is against God, so He too will attack the Father’s children. We are part of a spiritual battle that many days we wake up forgetting is going on. When our lives are consumed with the temporary, we forget the eternal. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Though God’s intense light glares painfully, exposure is the first step toward true healing. - Annie YortySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus is the Shepherd and we are the sheep. He says that He lays down His life for us. This is not because we deserved it, but because of His great love for us. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Whatever you are facing today, rest assured that you can release it to the Lord in prayer. No matter how trivial, we can present our requests to our Heavenly Father, who cares for us deeply. As we cast our anxieties on Him, let's sing praises and share our gratitude to the One who loves us beyond measure. - Laura BaileySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ultimately Jesus came to earth to die on the cross to glorify God and bring salvation to humanity. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Because Christians have no need to fear death, we have the opportunity to share with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers how they can live fear free, too, and pass from life to life. - Lynette KittleSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Temptation wears many faces and makes many promises, but they’re all the same. False. Jesus spoke the truth over the deceit Satan offered Him. And Satan fled. Job overcame his trial, as did Joseph. The same can be true for us if we don’t answer when temptation knocks. - Aaron D'Anthony BrownSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

For those who are in Christ Jesus, today and each day is a victory party. The devil has no hold on us, we have eternal life in Him. - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Contentment is not a static state of being. It's the active pursuit of the life God has just for YOU. It's being ready to be obedient to God’s guidance in every season. - Amanda Idleman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Your most significant legacy for your family, community, and this world is a heritage of faith in Jesus Christ. How are you building that legacy today? - Dr. Michael A. MiltonSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If we are to embrace each new day, we can’t get stuck on the troubles of yesterday or any worries about the future. Instead, we should use these practical steps to wake up in the morning and embrace what’s to come. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We don’t rejoice in God because of what he can do for us, we rejoice because of who he is. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Who hasn’t seen favoritism? Sadly, partiality is widespread not only out in the world but in many churches. Yet James 2:1-4 addresses it within the Church, revealing the sinfulness behind it. - Lynette KittleSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our momentary trials and hardships might be extremely painful and difficult, but we can get through knowing that the Lord is with us and we have eternal security in Heaven because of Jesus. We can each declare this in our own lives today, “I will trust and not be afraid.” - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The disciplined person recognizes how much they don’t know instead of celebrating how much they do. This type of person will always acquire more knowledge. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr.SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The LifeAudio Podcast Network is thrilled to announce that Hearing Jesus for Kids is now available on all podcasting apps!  Sometimes people think that the Bible is just for adults, but God actually wants kids to know about Him and encourages parents to raise faithful families. So, on Hearing Jesus for Kids, your children are going to be able to learn all about God’s big story and how he shows Himself to us through the Bible. Host & Children's Pastor Rachael Groll is excited to help your kids learn what the stories in the Bible mean so that they can learn how to live out their faith in everyday life! SUBSCRIBE NOW:  Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3sCuEXf   Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OSgW  Rachael Groll's Website: https://shehears.org  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A failing relationship, a difficult job, a wayward child. Any number of things can happen in life that leaves us questioning whether or not to give up. One of Paul’s most encouraging messages was, “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). - Aaron D'Anthony BrownSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Martha was distracted. In all fairness, Martha may have started her day off fine, excited Jesus would be coming. But somewhere along the line, Martha got distracted. What she would offer Jesus became bigger than him. - Anne PetersonSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our age is "A Secular Age" as the Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor put it. And it is becoming more so. How do we bear witness to Jesus Christ In a world like ours? - Dr. Michael A. MiltonSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There is great power in admitting we need help. Jesus loves it when we call out to him. - Jessica Van RoekelSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Others think they can’t ask God because of who they are or what they’ve done but asking God isn’t dependent on our failures or our accomplishments but rather on whom He is. - Lynette KittleSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Choosing to forgive does not diminish the pain you have experienced or justify the wrongdoing. Instead, it releases you from the burden of bitterness and resentment that comes with unforgiveness. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How is God appealing to you to be more unified in the body of Christ? What divisions are in your community of believers? How can you move towards being perfectly unified in mind and thought? - Emma DanzeySUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Was the last time you were strengthened by someone speaking the gospel to you in their own words? Ask the Lord to bring to mind someone you can encourage with, or perhaps share with for the first time, the simple gospel. - Sarah E. MartinSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The problem the Pharisees and teachers of the law had is they did not practice what they were teaching. Their righteousness was only superficial. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We all do it. We face something really difficult in our lives, and we ask, “Why?” Why is this happening now? Or why is this happening to me? It’s normal to ask this question, but the problem is, we seem to stay there. And when we are asking that question, peace alludes us. - Anne PetersonSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Are you willing to lay aside temporary differences to accomplish something of eternal value? How you answer that question tells you everything you need to know about what really matters to you." - Clarence L. Haynes Jr.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God tells us over and over in Scripture of His willingness and desire to heal us. - Lynette KittleSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

 How often do we ask the Lord, "What would You like me to do today?" - Christine Perry SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In Christ, we not only find forgiveness of our sins, but we find life eternal, life abundant.  - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How are you at bringing people together?  - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The word for godless chatter can also mean empty talk, empty disputing, or worthless babble.  - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We do not have to form a relationship with someone to share the gospel with them.  - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God, in a perfect and holy way, sees all our needs, even in our humanity and weaknesses.  - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What is the prize? Jesus, He is the One we are running to in faith. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How have you yielded the fruit of righteousness in your life?  - Emma Danzey  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Although many are tired, weary, and burdened, our restless world doesn’t offer us many opportunities to rest. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When you are treasuring the will of God, you will consider things based on if they will move your closer or further away from the place God wants you to be. - Clarence L. Haynes, Jr.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If someone says that he is a good person and has never sinned, that person is deceived. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Because life doesn’t end at the grave, as many believe, we can tell all who will hear that God sent His only Son to save us and how Jesus lived, died, and resurrected so that we can have eternal life. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Being a child of the heavenly Father means there is never a day when God does not delight in being with us. - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God uses the fires in our own lives to teach us to trust Him. - Annie Yorty SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Nearly nineteen centuries later, these stories are still impacting our hearts. One touch from Jesus has now affected millions, and he wants to do the same thing in our lives. - Rachael Adams SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God has called us to plant seeds and water seeds. He never told us to make the seed grow. That is his job. - Clarence L. Haynes, Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ask God to open your spiritual eyes to see the need of others. Be intentional to prioritize meeting those needs.  - Rachael Adams SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Christ purchased our life for a purpose and has made us His own.- Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In our lives, God can use people, sermons, devotions, music, or the Word of God to show us the status of our hearts. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Holding on to anxieties and worries doesn’t make the situation better, it simply makes you worse. - Clarence L. Haynes, Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

 The more you welcome God’s Spirit to flow through your life, the more your soul will be refreshed!  - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The suffering we face today is arduous, but as Paul said, our present-day problems are not worth comparing to the glory of God, which will be revealed. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God’s great love causes us to be on his mind, and longs for our return. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we pray to God in Jesus’ name, He doesn’t see our filthy, sinful nature. Instead, God sees us as made righteous, pure, precious, and redeemed by Jesus. He welcomes us with open arms. - Alexis A. Goring SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God's timing and process may not always align with your own desires and expectations. Yet, as you surrender to His loving guidance, you can find comfort and peace in knowing that He is leading you toward growth and greater blessings. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It can be challenging to be persistent in prayer, but it’s always worthwhile to do so!  - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A heart rooted in God’s love can know restoration even when life’s troubles overtake it. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Even in disagreements, we should continue to speak with a heart of love for others and not use profanity or offensive remarks that would hurt or cause pain. We should also be careful not to grumble or complain but to use our tongue to proclaim our thankfulness unto the Lord.  - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ask God to open your eyes to see him in the midst of your daily jobs and chores. No matter what work you do, pray God helps you realize your significant contribution.  - Rachael Adams SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The next time you find yourself entangled in the worries of life, give yourself the gift of a break with some flowers. Enjoy their vibrant colors, intricate designs, and delicate fragrances. Allow the beauty and simplicity of flowers to reignite your trust in God’s loving care. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Scripture reminds us that we are not ever truly alone and David understood that because he already had a deep relationship with the Lord. He knew where to turn to for support.  - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us

My prayer for my son is also my prayer for you, believer. Especially, if you have grown weary with slow growth. May you stick close to the Living Water Source, and bear much fruit for His glory. - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consider joining a small group through your church. Watch how God uses the group of believers to further his kingdom for his glory. - Rachael Adams SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forgiveness is a daily and ongoing choice. In life, there are times when things will surprise us, catching us off guard, with the purpose of stirring up unforgiveness in us. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love is more than just a feeling. It’s an action. When we choose to act in love toward others, we welcome God – the source of all love – to send his love flowing through our lives. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We never outgrow our need for God, and He longs to comfort and answer us and help us. - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God has the best time in mind to answer your prayers. Waiting for God’s answer in whatever situation you’re facing is well worth the time – not only because God will ultimately respond, but because he’ll change you in the process. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No matter what we gather or attain in reputation, none can outweigh the value God has already given us in this life.  - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bible is clear we are invited to serve God, but He does not need us to accomplish His purposes. - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For anyone who has ever felt guilty for something, how do we know if it’s the enemy of our souls pointing fingers at us or if it’s God, convicting us of sin? How can we tell the difference between the two? - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are forgiven! We are God's beloved children who receive His grace and mercy daily! This truth will echo into eternity as we see and experience His rich grace and love toward us forever.  - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we choose kindness, more of God’s love will flow through our lives, making it easier for us to open our hearts on a regular basis. We can intentionally spread kindness anytime and anywhere. That will bring glory to God and reflect God’s love to a world in need. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bible says to cast your cares on Jesus Christ because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Practice that until you make that your first response in trying situations. Don’t ruminate over your burdens and worry. Instead, trust God! He has you covered. - Alexis A. Goring SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God values all types of service; we must continually seek him and ask him to create a clean, humble servant’s heart in whatever we have been tasked to do. Nothing is Insignificant in God’s Kingdom; nothing is wasted; let us open our lives to be a vessel for God, for His glory and His honor. - Laura Bailey  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By looking for something that sparks awe in our souls during a wonder walk, we can move closer to God with every step!  - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a child of God, we may feel hopelessness in our hearts, but we must move beyond our feelings and remind our hearts of the great hope we have in Christ. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Often, we drift away from God through times of doubt, fear, and disappointments. But if we can refocus on God’s Word and desire to know him better, we renew a heart of worship.  - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bible is full of wisdom, stories, promises, and commands to help encourage us and guide us. Have you experienced it's magic? Perhaps it's time for you to read God's word! Join BFF's Tricia & Michelle as they read through the Bible chronologically on their show, Daily Bible Podcast. Every day, they sum up a passage and provide action steps ... in 15 minutes or less! All the info you need to START + the printable schedule + links to the Bible we use: dailybiblepodcast.net  Get SOCIAL with us: Instagram | Facebook | Join the Community  START LISTENING:  Episode 1: Apple Podcasts | SpotifySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our physical sense of smell can remind us of the importance of living lives that give off the spiritual aroma of Christ. So, let’s stay connected to God in prayer and do our best to live in ways that honor him.  - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Studying God’s Word and surrounding ourselves with other believers allows us to fully experience the spacious places He has for us in this life and eternity to come! - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The book of Proverbs brings much wisdom to believers, and the topic of pride is often highlighted. We see in Proverbs 16 what happens to those who walk in pride. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

​We all want leaders who get things done, but God is not just interested in the result; he is interested in how you get that result. Talent can get you to the position, but it is your character that will keep you there. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are not responsible for who turns to Christ in faith and forgiveness of sins and who doesn't. However, we are responsible for telling others why God sent His son into the world to die. It’s the message that everyone needs to hear, but it isn’t always the easiest to share. - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is impossible for man is possible with God. He lives in abundance. - Christine Perry SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we can make gratitude our first response, we keep hope alive because it turns our hearts from what we think we lack to what we have. And what we have is God’s presence, love, mercy, grace, peace, and joy. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God offers you pure, true, enduring, and complete love. He’s the one who will adore you no matter what happens to how you look. - Alexis A. Goring SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christianity is about intentional relationships.  - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The battle for our hearts is ongoing. Sin is sneaky, and before we know it, we are in an all-out war with sin. God is keenly aware of this fact.  - Amanda Idleman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With each season, there's something to appreciate and celebrate. - Liz Lampkin SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our legacies, not our resumes that matter most. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To look at Jesus is to look at God.  - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we think about what is good, we train our minds to notice more of what is good and lovely in life.  - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you feel downcast today, take a moment and praise God with your thoughts, attitudes, and words. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you give with the right heart, then it becomes something you want to do, not something you must do. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the world's harshness, gentleness is an asset, not a liability. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omny.fm/listener for privacy information.

Scripture tells us we are made in God’s image, but when do we look the most like Him? - LYnette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omny.fm/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While we can lose closeness with God, we never lose His love. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we love God the most, it doesn’t take away from everyone else but works within us to love others more rightly. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God has created a huge variety and abundance of food for us to grow, prepare, and eat however we like. Thanks to that, we can (and should) enjoy our food. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A stronger faith awaits those who learn from their trials. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many, tithing represents a total and complete trust in God and an acknowledgment of their dependence on him. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can purposely look to storing up heavenly treasures through our good works, generosity, and sharing what we have in the world with others. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God’s peace is like nothing else this world can offer; it is beyond all human logic or reasoning. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul’s words also remind us the biggest critic we face is ourselves. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can rest assured God knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what path will bring you the most joy and peace. - Alexis A. Goring SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God will meet us wherever we are when we communicate with him. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pride is the basis for much of our troubles, but ultimately, pride is foolish. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you feel battle-worn and tired of prayer, take heart, it happens to us all. - Christine Perry SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the moment of your conversion, you became God’s work-in-progress, and He will complete the work He began!  - Emiliy Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although some don’t understand the hatred when it comes, Jesus warned us, “Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you” (1 John 3:13). - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many will say that they knew God and even did "good works" in His name, cast out demons even. However, the Lord will tell them that He never knew them. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus said if you remain in me, you will bear much fruit. -Clarence L. Haynes, Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we face the constant temptation of mixing our yes and no, all in an effort not to offend, get along, and make peace. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even those who have confidence in Christ sometimes falter in fear. - Annie Yorty SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus shows us how the virtues of forgiveness, acceptance, and restoration change outcomes, not only in our offender’s life but also in our hearts. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are times when God wants us to battle differently. Has God ever asked you to wait patiently for Him to act? - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God’s power is enough to help you overcome any trouble you’ll ever face. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Let us rejoice in the truth that Jesus is forever our righteousness despite our shortcomings! - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hope is foundational to faith and love. It is more than a wish. It is a confident expectation rooted in God’s character, provision, and promise. - Jessican Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God is our hope (Romans 15:13)! He is the one we can anchor ourselves to. - Christine Perry SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can hope in Jesus because, unlike people, he doesn't change. - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God already had a plan for salvation before He created you, even though He knew you would sin and rebel. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Christians, we can express our sincerity in following Christ by dressing the part. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are called to carry one another’s burdens, but mostly importantly, we help them carry those burdens to Jesus, the One who strengthens us on our journey and promises true peace and rest.  - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What measuring stick are you using to define what it means to really love Jesus? - Clarence L. Haynes, Jr. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's release ourselves from the burden of perfection and pursue a deeper relationship with the One who sacrificed so much to make us right with Him. - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The enemy is preying on our human need for protection by giving us counterfeit walls of security that imprison us. - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can deepen our connection to God through worship and experience his love and grace more profoundly. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the storms, God shows us things about Himself that we couldn't learn any other way. Christine Perry SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's encourage each other as the early church believers did, with holy greetings and faith-filled messages. - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though they can feel extremely hard to resist, no temptation is too strong for us to overcome. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The opportunity for great joy lives in the belly of our burdens because joy exceeds the fleeting feelings of our emotions. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Motherhood is full. The only way we stay steady is by leaning on the One who has been our constant Rock! - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus emphasizes that He is a great and regular need in our lives. We will never be thirsty spiritually for anything else once we are satisfied in Him. -Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nothing can steal our joy, but we all know life on this Earth comes with its fair share of trials and hurts. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share how Jesus died and rose from the grave to give them everlasting wonderful life with Him with those who haven't looked ahead to plan for eternity. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In dying to our selfish ways, our lives bring glory to God. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Good Shepherd is with us. When surrounded by enemies dark and threatening, we are protected by the Lord’s presence. - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being different is a challenge today, but walking with God was never meant to be easy. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 It’s easy to lose our focus and end up missing the moments God wants us to experience fully. So, it’s important to intentionally “be here now” in our lives whenever we can. - Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lord invites us into His fullness of life, but we must be willing to seek Him in the desert. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we live in the great information age, we are bombarded with opportunities to fill our time and our minds with many things that can so easily replace our time of fellowship with the Lord. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No matter how great you believe yourself to be in communication, there’s always some way you can be better. - Aaron D-Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus alone can free us from hell’s claim. By accepting His sacrifice on our behalf, we acknowledge He is the only One who has the authority to save us. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mighty, all-powerful God who created the entire universe is the same God who draws oh so close to us in our brokenness and pain. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is no doubt waiting is hard to endure. But, God, in His mercy, will keep us busy in our waiting. - Christine Perry SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happiness is a temporary feeling, while joy is a lasting strength that can be cultivated. -Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus is with us in every season, joy, sorrow, and hardship. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We rejoice in Jesus being raised from the dead and set free from death’s grip because it means we are also set free! - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, examine the heart of your giving. - Annie Yorty SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Different quantities of sustaining grace are given to each believer in different circumstances in life. Come to God in humility and receive His great grace! - Emily Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We were made with a purpose that is much bigger than ourselves, to worship God and love others. - Amanda Idleman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we allow ourselves to cry, we can be confident God will be there to comfort us. -Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The concept that there are living dead is not just a far-fetched or made-up science fiction storyline but bears reality according to Scripture. -Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lifting our gaze upwards like Colossians 3 advises shifts our perspective, and we begin to see how God is fully enough. -Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Holy Spirit beautifully unites believers in addition to convicting and leading us to the truth (John 16:13). -Ashely Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Those moments in my life when God seemed gone have been the worst moments of my life. Yet, when I began to embrace the possibility of God’s providence in perceived silence, I grew in ways I would never have imagined. - Adam Mabry, author of When God Seems Gone  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The light we have in Jesus will always overcome darkness. -Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s never too late to turn away from the temporary satisfaction of this world and turn back to the Lord. -Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let’s make it a priority to cultivate long-lasting friendships we can physically connect with on our journey, not just those we network with on social media. - Emiily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growth hurts, but we can trust it is producing something good and beautiful in us that we wouldn’t experience otherwise. -Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus gives us the right to become children of God. He makes a way. He gives us new life. His birth plan is perfect. - Emma Danzey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s tempting to look across someone else’s life and wish we could have what they have. Jesus calls us to turn and look at him, drawing near to see the goodness he has for us in our lives as they are. -Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our faith is not just about what we believe, but how we put it into action as we walk through our lives. When we walk with God, our faith moves forward, and we’re blessed as a result. -Whitney Hopler SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Those who follow Christ, obey His commands, trust Him, and build their lives upon Him alone. Like a large rock, we know Christ is immovable. -Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our everyday lives, we cannot control every thought which enters our minds. But we should be aware of them, flicking out the ones meant to distract us from focusing on living a full life to the glory of God. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean to give God glory? God’s glory is the essence of His nature- we bring Him glory when we revel in His divine essence. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When choosing between retaliation or forgiveness, before getting emotional, take time to think through the different ways to react. Apply the gospel to each situation. -Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every day, we have the option of submitting to our own will. Yet, there is no fair comparison between what we can offer ourselves and what God can. - Aaron D’Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yielding to the Spirit means walking in the Spirit, following His lead over our own flesh. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a brokenness that pervades adult relationships. We are sinners, who then, sin. We are broken and therefore our relationships are broken too. -Aaron D’Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we feel disappointed with God’s response, we must cling to what we know about His character. Returning to what we know to be true will help settle our souls. - Becky Harling SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

​Think about your life. Do you show love just with speech, or do you also provide love in action? Next time an opportunity presents itself to help someone in need, push yourself to speak and show love. - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is a natural human emotion to have fear. And while fear is not from God, we will all have to deal with fear this side of heaven. In this special episode preview of Hearing Jesus, host Rachael Groll looks at the example of King David when he too was facing something difficult and the way he allowed his faith to speak louder than his fear.   DISCOVER MORE EPISODES OF HEARING JESUS: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3ZAhFkHSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3vXVKGO  LifeAudio: https://www.lifeaudio.com/hearing-jesus   CONNECT WITH HEARING JESUS HOST RACHAEL GROLL:Website: https://shehears.org  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/she_hears Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheHears.org  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God’s amazing animals serve as wonderful companions to both people and each other. They bring joy to us, along with beneficial qualities such as companionship, loyalty, comfort, protectiveness, and so much more. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Loving others is a concept we often hear about often on Sundays or discuss when we meet up for Bible study. The idea of loving others brings to mind how we serve. Family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, and everyone we come across is a receipt of how we serve if we love. - Aaron D'Anthony Brown SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The empowerment of a Christian’s life is not seeking after “mystical zap” experiences but through these ordinary means of grace from the Father. Normal means of grace builds contentment in our heart so that we are strengthened to endure all circumstances, whether we are brought low and are suffering or experiencing abundance in every area of our life.  - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aliens and UFO sightings are becoming more prominent in the mainstream news and media. Whereas in the past, these topics were considered living in science fiction, nowadays, the discussion is coming to the forefront of modern-day worries and considerations. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever faced an ultimatum where you knew that to answer according to your convictions meant you would stand alone? We stand at a crossroads and know a decision lies before us. Rejection is probable. - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

​With doing good or doing the work of the Lord, there is no such thing as quitting time. If you are doing what God has called you to do, then it requires you to stay in the fight and resist the urge you may face to want to quit, even more so when you are not seeing fruit from the work you are doing. - Clarence L. Haynes Jr.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all come to crossroads in our lives where we have to decide which road to take. - Lynette Kittle SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hurt, disappointment, insecurity, and grief lead to walls going up in our hearts. Only God is made of perfect love that we can trust with our whole hearts. Nonetheless, we need each other and can’t give up on the work of tearing down the walls and trying again to build safe, long-lasting, and close relationships.  - Amanda Idleman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are to be imitators not of the world but of Christ. After the Apostle Paul explains how the body of Christ is to be knit together and show Christ’s love and mercy toward one another, he echoes that sentiment as he encourages the church at Ephesus to imitate God. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A disciplined, sober, and optimistic mind creates a hope-filled spiritual mindset that allows you to experience the hope of God in the day-to-day grind of life.  - Jessica Van Roekel SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does your language, dress, entertainment, etc., reflect your heavenly citizenship? What area of your life may look more like the world? If Christ has saved you, He has given you the privilege of knowing Him and anticipating His full fellowship. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Burnout comes from false expectations of others. New life comes from a transfer of trust to Jesus. - Dr. Michael A. Milton SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although my church emphasizes discipleship, this privilege of making disciples isn’t just for one particular church, group of people, or the clerical elite. Christ has called all of His followers into a life of discipleship. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus is the Living Word of God. He’s already defeated death. There is no battle of the mind He cannot win. God’s Word is powerful.  - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mercy is at the heart of the gospel, and as Christ's followers, we should rejoice any time we are given opportunities to extend mercy and kindness to those who have sinned against us. - Emily Rose Massey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you think about the marks of a Christian, there is one mark that should be present, which sometimes we can too easily gloss over. That mark is forgiveness. When we need forgiveness, it is amazing how we seek after it. Yet when we must give forgiveness, sometimes we can be a little slow on the draw. Have you ever wondered why that is? - Clarence L. Haynes Jr.SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faith in God is something all believers have. When we ask for anything through Christ Jesus, it is our faith that drives the assurance that we will receive it. However, faith is not only the confidence that we will receive what we ask according to God’s divine will for our lives. It is also having confidence that God will provide all that we need and trusting Him no matter what the situation looks like. - Liz LampkinSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There have been times in my life when I felt the Lord calling me out of the boat and to walk toward him. After my miscarriage, it was to walk the waters of grief. Later, when I was pregnant again, it was to walk the waters of trust. Life is full of adventures, but not every adventure leads us in a straight path. Sometimes they lead us through ravines and along cliffs. The winds of uncertainty and fear and unknowns buffet us, and we lose sight of Jesus. - Jessica Van RoekelSUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To those feeling fearful-hearted, embrace the presence of the Lord. Allow his spirit to flow within you, and to carry you. The one who made the lame to leap, the deaf to hear, the mute to sing, and the dead to walk, has promised to breathe life, peace, and restoration upon you. - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

​Do you feel overly concerned about a need you are facing? Maybe an unexpected car repair or a bill that needs to be paid soon. Take a moment to jot down three to five things that you are thankful for praising God for each thing, and then ask God to provide for your specific need. Trust Him and thank Him in advance for daily bread.   - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I wish I were one of those people who could live off 5 hours of sleep and forgo eating for productivity, but I can’t. I am one unhappy camper when I push my body, neglect to get adequate rest, skip meals, or eat poorly and abandon my fitness routine. And guess who sufferers the most? The people around me. - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a world overrun with words, let’s find a different way to love each other beyond our screens and devices. The power of an in-person smile, embrace, and live listening ear oozes of compassionate love. Christ-like love is self-sacrificing, humble, and willing. - Meg Bucher SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered if God has forgotten you? Have you been crying out to him, and all you hear is silence? Have you been desperate to know where He was leading and what He was doing? - Christine Perry SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is much harder to pray and wait to see what the Lord would have us do. Or when we do, sometimes His solution for us feels too challenging or even impossible. This is when God puts our faith to the test.  - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

​Are you in a season of going through the spiritual motions? Do you continue to get up and read the Bible, check the prayer box, and do all the “right Christian things,” but know that you're doing them with the wrong heart motivation? Ask the Lord to soften your heart, to give you the desire to obey and live righteously out of gratitude, not simply an obligation. - Laura Bailey SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the early Christians, and for us, having a defined place where we meet with the living God is an essential part of our faith lives. Finding such holy ground is easier than it first may appear. - Rev. Kyle Norman SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we consistently discipline our children, we teach them what it looks like to see our sin, repent, and repair our relationships when they are ruptured by sin. And God reminds us in our key passage not to give up when this happens. And while discipline isn't enjoyable, it is a necessary tool to help us see how we fall short of God's glorious standard. - Ashley Moore SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.