Blessing Or Idol

Send us a note!A piece of licorice shouldn’t feel like a spiritual crisis, but that’s the point. We start with a small, everyday choice and uncover a pattern most of us know too well: God gives good gifts to enjoy, yet our hearts can twist enjoyment into idolatry the moment we push past His boundaries. Pastor Carl talks candidly about the grace of God that sometimes restrains us and other times steps back, letting us sit with the hollow feeling that follows stubborn self-rule.From there we move into the big, weighty landscape of Isaiah 34 and Isaiah 35, where judgment and hope sit side by side. We talk about why Christians long for evil to end, not because we want people to suffer, but because sin destroys what is beautiful, good, and noble. Isaiah’s “day of vengeance” is sobering, and it should break our hearts, yet it also frames why repentance matters so much. When we pray for healing in our nation and our lives, we’re really praying that people turn to Jesus and find peace before judgment becomes the only way sin is removed.Then Isaiah turns the corner toward restoration: deserts blooming, weakness strengthened, fear confronted, and a highway of holiness where even the simple can walk without going astray. We talk about abiding in Christ, staying in the Word, and living with the quiet confidence that God restores creation and restores people. If you’re discouraged by the battle between good and evil, this message aims to steady your knees and lift your eyes.Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one “good gift” you’ve felt tempted to turn into an idol?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.