Devotionals from Dad

Love to hear from and know who is listening My younger listeners you won't remember the TV show Hee-Haw. It aired from 1969 to 1993. Gloom, despair and agony on me was a reoccurring skit on the show. Four moonshiners, typically Grandpa Jones, Gordie Tapp, Roy Clark, and Archie Campbell, would sing about their troubles with women, and the song went like this: Gloom, despair, and agony on me. Deep, dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. Gloom, despair, and agony on me! I feel confident that many of us have gone through seasons in our life when it felt like your misfortune would have no end. Jesus told the disciples to “be of good cheer” just as they were about to face the darkest, most troubling time of their lives. He would soon be leaving them and He knew that severe persecution, suffering, and the possibility of death awaited each of them. John 16:33 ESV I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.I once heard it said that if your bible is tattered and held together by duct tape then your life is likely in pretty good shape. Don't take this wrong I am not trying to brag, but my bible was given to me by my mother more than 30 years ago. It is a study bible, in the Living Bible translation. I have a nice leather cover over on it, but if you remove the cover you will see that the binding is being held together by duct tape. The inside cover has five questions written in it that you should ask a someone you are trying to witness to and underneath that are the verses to the Romans Road complete with the page numbers. Although the pages of my bible are torn and tattered I wouldn't trade it for a million dollars. Look at you bible. Is it covered with duct tape or has it sat in the same place on a book shelf for so long that if you moved it you would see the dust imprint from where it was. All that being said Jesus told us that there would be times of tribulation in our lives. In the letter to the Hebrews, the author writes to a group of believers who were weary and worn from suffering. They were experiencing persecution for their faith.Hebrews 12: 3-4 ESV Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.Though we don’t often face the same levels of suffering that the early church faced, we do find ourselves worn by life in a fallen world. We find ourselves battling the same temptations and sins, wondering if we’ll ever conquer them. We experience rejection from family, friends, and co-workers for our faith. We grow weary from standing for truth in an increasingly post-truth world. We are worn from illnesses, caring for loved ones, watching a loved one lose the battle with cancer or any number of other issues. So if your life seems to be in shambles take out your bible and dig into God's word. Spend so much time in your bible that you begin to wear it out, even if that means holding it together with duct tape. John 15: 10-11 ESV If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. To grasp the significance of John 15:10 and 11, we must set our eyes on Jesus, who is the embodiment of joyful, loving obedience. In the face of fierce opposition, Jesus found joy in fulfilling the will of His Father. Obedience stems from love and is the one and only source of true joy.Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Every month my credit card company send me a statement that shows what I have purchased and what I owe. With this statement comes a report of my credibility and my credit score. My credit score is calculated by and includes all the actions and details of the things I did financially during that past 30 days. My financial choices may have either had a positive or a negative impact on my credit score. My credit score is a measure of how much I can be trusted, believed in, and deemed reliable, financially speaking. It is a worthiness of trust and belief. If there was such a thing as a “Christian Credit Score” would you have positive or negative score? As Christians, life choices act as a witness, either drawing others to Christ or creating barriers to the gospel. John 13:34-35 ESV A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. When we choose to give our lives completely to the Lord and invite His Holy Spirit to fill our hearts, we become one with Christ. He gives us a little bit of heaven down here. The way we live will affect those around us. Our desire should be to live so that others will desire to know the Lord as well.We may have made some wrong choices in the past, and today are living with the consequences of those choices. But we serve a God of second chances. As we confess our failures, the Lord forgives and restores our relationship with Him. He can take the broken pieces of our lives and put them back together again, producing something beautiful. It is never too late to make a new choice. If you find yourself on the wrong road because of choices you have made in the past, stop, turn around, find the right direction in the Word of God, and walk in the way that the Lord leads.2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. My difficult question to you is this, How do you improve your “Christian Credit Score?” Small, consistent daily decisions, like kindness, patience in traffic, or integrity in business, create a positive ripple effect, often motivating others to re-evaluate their own actions and faith. By choosing to act with love, forgiveness, and generosity, we become the more like Christ.  But what does this look like  what are some ways I can love, forgive and be generous? Well you can start by attentively listening to those around you. Rather than planning your response, just stop and listen with your heart and your ears. Another action you can take is to stop your so called busy day and give to the person standing on the street, holding the cardboard sign, without judging them. Choices in relationships and daily life provide a visible example for others, often leading them to seek a similar foundation of faith. Matthew 5:16 ESV In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Now more than ever, others need to see Jesus in us. Not the Jesus the media portrays. Not the Jesus that others have created in their minds. But the Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus of the cross. The Jesus who lives in our hearts and loves without reason!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I have blue jeans that I wear that I have owned for many years. They are the most comfortable clothing I have, but they no longer resemble what they did they day I bought them. The knees are worn through. They have been patched, where I have snagged them. They are no longer the bright blue they were when I bought them. Over the years they have been transformed by daily life and use,.. oh but they  are so comfortable! I could replace them with a new pair a jeans but then I would have to start the process all over, transforming them into the comfortable jeans I love and by the time that process is complete they are nearly ready to be replaced again. Time transforms everything. My body is not the same as it was when I was younger. I have grown gray hair. I have lost hair. My skin has become wrinkled. I have aches and pains that I never could have imagined I would ever have, when I was a young man. Time transforms everything. When I am planting my garden in the spring. I open a packet of seeds. The seeds inside of the packet look nothing like the plant they will become. They must be put into the soil and die before they can become useful to me. John 12:24 ESV Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Being a tent maker by trade, Paul considered the tent a fitting analogy for the temporary nature of our current earthly, mortal bodies. The human body is temporal, weak, and prone to decay, much like the simple, temporary structures Paul made with his hands. Tents serve a purpose, but they are not meant to be permanent dwelling places. By contrast, our future heavenly bodies will be permanent, beautiful, and glorious. They are our “forever home” that will never show signs of weakness or decay. They will be made for us by God himself, not by human hands. 2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. As we age, our bodies and our minds change. Just like my favorite pair of jeans that I have grown to love, they wear out. Our bodies and those of our loved ones get weak and our minds grow forgetful and eventually they are completely worn out. Just like my garden seeds, our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later.1 Corinthians 15: 40-44 ESV There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. As Christians, we need not fear death or the destruction of our bodies. No matter what happens to these mortal tents we live in now, we will inherit imperishable, glorified bodies. The house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I have grown up in church and I have heard many people pray, in many different ways. I can tell you that I pray differently when I am asked to do so in a public setting, than I do in private. When I am in a public with my co-workers some of which I know have faith in God and some I am pretty confident don't, and I am asked to bless a meal, I pray differently than I do when I am asked to pray in church with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Finally, when I am in the privacy of my home I pray much differently. I would even say that depending upon my state of mind, if I am struggling emotionally with the trials and tribulations of life and my heart is in distress, then my prayers are totally different than they are when God is blessing me and everything in life is well. So my difficult question to you today is this, is there a correct way to pray? Is there a wrong way to pray?Matthew 26: 36-39 ESV Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” and taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”Praying correctly means engaging in honest, heart-felt conversation with God rather than using perfect words. When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane he fell on his face and poured our his heart. Prayer does not require special formal language or a specific posture; you can pray silently, aloud, sitting, or kneeling. The goal is to build a relationship with God. I have known people that when they have been asked to pray in church, they suddenly begin speaking in the King James dialect. This has always left me wondering, why their prayer suddenly sounded more like a sermon from an 70's Evangelist then the person I know. The prayer of the Pharisee, found in Luke chapter 18 verses11 and 12, is a self centered monologue rather than a humble petition to God. Standing in the temple, he boasts of his moral superiority saying I am not like other people and points out his religious achievements of fasting twice weekly and tithing. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, he beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner! So what is the proper way to pray? There is an acrostic formed from the word pray that will help you remember how to pray. P is for Praise. Start by praising God for who He is and thanking Him for what He has done. R is for Repent. Honestly share where you have fallen short and ask for forgiveness. A is for Ask. Express your needs, concerns, and desires for yourself and others. Y is for Yield. Align your will with God, trusting His wisdom and timing.1 John 5: 14-15 ESV And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.Far too often, prayer is viewed as a magic formula. Some believe that if we do not say exactly the right things, or pray in the right position, God will not hear and answer our prayer. This is completely un-biblical. God does not answer our prayers based on when we pray, where we are, what position our body is in, or in what we words we use. The proper way to pray is to pour out our hearts to God, being honest and open with God. He already knows us better than we know ourselves. God is more interested in the content of our hearts tSupport the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I frequently say that we live in a microwave society. We all want our wishes and desires to be answered just like we warm up the left overs in the microwave, 30 seconds and ding, our desires are answered. I suppose we could also call today the now generation. When pain comes we want relief now! When wrong occurs we want justice now! When disease and sickness comes we want complete healing now! From fast food, to fast relief, we seek drive through window solutions to the wide range of painful experiences in our lives. Society today has been raised on 30 second commercials and 30 minutes sitcoms. We want our lives problems to be packaged in small neatly wrapped boxes. Often we as believers in Jesus Christ we find ourselves like Jacob in Genesis wrestling in the dark with and overpowering source.  Genesis 32: 24-26 ESV And Jacob was left alone. And man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” So often in this now generation we misinterpret God’s patience as His absence. We want God to act on our timeline and according to our ways. I know it is hard to imagine, but maybe, just maybe our perspective is out of alignment. We read into God's postponement of judgment, a cancellation of judgment. When God doesn't heal our loved ones in a week or two or even a month or two, then God must be out of touch, He is just simply absent! When I say these things I must admit that I am really preaching to myself. Often my prayer to God is “Grant me patients God and give it to me now!” Unfortunately, God does not set his time by my clock. God does not take his cues from my requests. Oh, how I wish God would align his clock with mine, well at least most of the time anyways. Sometimes later on I say, Oh Praise God, you gave me a no answer 3 months ago, I wanted you to act so swiftly, but now I see that your no answers was really in my best interest. It is in those moments when I thank God that he didn't listen to my fervent prayers and hopes for things to work out the way I wanted them to. Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither 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. Sometimes life seems overwhelming. We want our difficulties cured right now. We want answers now! We want healing now! Just as grapes must be pressed to create wine, or olives crushed for oil, intense pressure is God's method for bringing out the best in you. When the weight feels unfair and you are being squeezed from every side, you are in a season of transformation rather than destruction. When life feels overwhelming, remember that, like grapes, you are not being crushed to be destroyed, but to release the sweetness within. Pressure is not punishment; it is preparation. Your trial is transforming you into something useful and beautiful that couldn't emerge without the pressure.James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Fix your eyes on the moment you will see Jesus face-to-face. Endure persecution and affliction with courage. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening As winter comes to an end and spring begins I find myself looking forward to planting my garden. I will watch the forecast and think I sure hope we have past the last frost of the year. Once the garden is growing and the spring showers and storms begin I watch the weather and say I sure hope that there isn't any hail in that thunderstorm forecast for this afternoon. On those days when I have to take my wife to her doctor in the city I will say to her, I sure hope there isn't very much traffic on our way to the doctors office. Each one of these are hopes that are based upon my own personal preferences, on my own personal desires. As a faithful Christian our hope is different from that of the world. 1 Peter 1:3 CSB Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.We often use the word hope as wishful thinking. If you have ever had a loved one that is suffering with cancer you may have said, I sure hope the doctor's treatment is successful and that they can be cancer free. We have a desire for something to go a certain way with no real guarantee that it will. But the hope that Scripture offers is something far greater. As believers, our hope is alive. It’s grounded in the unshakable reality of Jesus Christ, who defeated death and rose from the grave. Hope in Jesus Christ is not a mere wish for a better tomorrow; it is a "living hope" anchored in the resurrection. Unlike worldly optimism, which depends on changing circumstances, biblical hope is a firm assurance based on God’s unchanging character. Romans 15:13 CSB Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.When life feels overwhelming and darkness seems to linger, as faithful Christians our hope acts as an anchor for the soul. We can navigate difficult times by shifting our perspective from temporary circumstances to eternal promises. A Christian’s hope isn’t dependent on what might happen in the future. It’s a steady anchor in what’s already been done. Peter reminds us that our hope isn’t based on changing circumstances but on a past, unchanging truth: Jesus is risen. And the same God who raised Him from the dead is at work in our lives. Because of God’s great mercy, we are born again into this living hope.Philippians 3:10 ESV That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.If we look at life only through our current circumstances, we’ll find ourselves constantly chasing temporary hopes - hoping things will improve, hoping this season will pass, hoping our situation will change. But that kind of hope drains us, leaving us on a roller-coaster of emotions. A Christian’s hope isn’t dependent on what might happen in the future. It’s a steady anchor in what’s already been done. Jesus didn’t just die for our sins; He conquered death, rising in victory. And with His resurrected life, He offers us the same hope, the same assurance of life beyond death. We too are only passing through this world. Our present struggles, trials, and even victories aren’t our final destination. Biblical hope, however, lifts our eyes to the eternal, to the certainty that Christ holds all things in His hands. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I have been blessed beyond measure to have had a Christian family. Not only have both my parents placed there faith in God, I had Christian grandparents on both my mother and father's side of the family. Additionally all of my many Aunts and Uncles were Christians that professed faith in God and that lived the Christian lifestyle as well. One of the fondest memories of my childhood was standing in a circle with my cousins, aunts and uncles, my parents and grandparents all of us holding each others hand so tightly that sometimes it was a bit painful and then together reciting the “Lords Prayer” before a meal. On my fathers side of the family I had 24 first cousins and that was before any of us got married. Of those 24 cousins I have 5 that either actively preach the word, serve as a deacon in their church congregation, have been a missionary or serve in some other office of the church. I am sure I have many more cousins that serve in some other function that is more behind the scenes. Many of my family members have passed away and are already walking the golden streets of heaven. Our relationships on earth mean more to us than anything else. I love my dad and mom; I love my brother and sister and their family; I love my wife, my daughters, their husbands, and my grandchildren. These relationships are more valuable to me than any other single thing in this world apart from my relationship with Christ. I never want to lose these bonds of love. It doesn’t matter if I lose everything else on earth, I don’t want to lose those dearest to me. I want to be where they are, and I want them to be where I am and so did Jesus.John 14:3 ESV And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. Many people say that the first thing they want to do when they arrive in heaven is see all their friends and loved ones who have passed on before them. That will indeed be a joy filled moment as we have a heavenly reunion, but will finding our loved ones in heaven be the first thing on our mind when we pass through the pearly gates? Ultimately, it is difficult to say the greatest joy of Heaven will be. In my humble opinion, the greatest joy in heaven will be seeing God face to face and knowing God completely.1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. In heaven we will experience the perfect, sinless love for God and for one another, entirely free from jealousy, envy, or competition. In heaven we will also have perfected bodies, free of pain and disease. Also our knowledge of God will increase forever, meaning our love and joy in Him will continue to grow, making every moment better than the last. 2 Peter 3:18 ESV But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. All though I am looking forward to my heavenly reunion, I believe the greatest joy of heaven will be, being in the presence of God, the eternal expansion of our knowledge of God, and the ever-increasing love, joy, and delight that we will experience in God and in one another. Heaven is not like the steady, placid state of a mountain lake where barely a ripple disturbs the tranquility of its water. Heaven is more like the surging, swelling waves of the ocean!..... And with that I say Come Lord Jesus Come!!!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening According to Merriam-Webster dictionary success is defined as getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame. According to a Gallup News poll Americans with a lower household income tend to report a lower rate of success than those with a higher household income. It could be said that money is the root of a majority of the problems in our homes and families. The devil's plan is to keep families in financial bondage. For many people money is a god. Credit is another god that promises us things that God has not necessarily supplied. You may think that money can buy you almost anything. Well besides happiness there is one that money can't buy you and that is poverty you need credit cards to attain that.1 Timothy 6: 5-10 ESV and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. The corporate minds of marketing have done a master full job of using advertising to create in us needs and desires, so that we will go out and buy things. Most Americans want something new, bigger, better and more shiny. The Apple company is so successful at doing this that many people think that having the newest I-Phone is a necessity, somehow the company has convinced many people that a new I-Phone is a need, that you have worked hard and that you deserve this new electronic device when in reality it is only a want. First Timothy 6 verse 8 tells us that we really only have 2 needs, food and clothes. If you are depending upon worldly possessions for your contentment and happiness you will never find any peace.Ecclesiastes 5:10 ESV He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. Imagine this, you have been ship wrecked in the middle of the ocean and your on a raft surrounded by sea water. You have ran out of drinking water, yet your surrounded by water. So you think that maybe just a little drink of saltwater would be better than no water at all, but if you drink saltwater it just makes you thirstier. That is the way money and material possessions are, it is like trying to satisfy your thirst with salt water. To many people try to measure their success by the number things they own or by the size of their bank account. I am sure you have heard this saying before, “He who dies with the most toys wins!” Sooner or later we are all going to die and they are gonna have your funeral. If Jesus doesn't return first, we are all going to die! Now imagine your funeral. Here you lie in your casket. Everybody is lined up and coming by to have a final look at you. What do you want the people  at your funeral to say about you? Do you want them to say, “Well he really did spend long hours at work, he really was a good business manager, he really knew how to invest his money.” Is that what you want people to say about you? What do you want your children, your grand children your wife or husband to say about you. What are you leaving behind in the hearts and lives of your children and grandchildren. Job 1:21 ESV And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Jesus was about to make his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He and the 12 disciples were were at Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions, Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, The Master needs them! He will send them with you. The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on the donkey, and Jesus rode the donkey. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Matthew 21: 1-3 CSB When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, telling them, Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. The bible is filled with stories of people that gave up their worldly possessions in order to glorify Jesus. Mary took a pound of costly, pure nard perfume, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The perfume was worth over 300 denarii, representing a typical laborer's wages for an entire year. John chapter 6 verses 1 thru 15, tells of a young boy who offered his small meal of five barley loaves and two fish to Jesus. Jesus multiplied this meager offering to feed over 5,000 hungry people, leaving twelve baskets of leftovers. Jesus observed a poor widow putting two small copper coins, worth only a few cents, into the temple treasury, noting she gave more than the wealthy because she gave all she had, while they gave from their surplus. Luke 21: 1-4 CSB He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins. Truly I tell you, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on. There are several things that the story of the widow’s mite teaches us. First, God sees what man overlooks. The big gifts in the temple were noticed by everyone; that’s probably what the disciples were watching. But Jesus saw what no one else did, He saw the humble gift of a poor widow. This was the gift that Jesus thought worthy of comment, this was the gift that the disciples needed to be aware of. The other gifts in the treasury that day made a lot of noise as they jingled into the receptacles, but the widow’s mites were heard in heaven. Giving in faith is an act of trust, that God is our ultimate provider, not our bank account. It is easy to trust God when the bank account is full. But what happens when resources are tight? Giving in faith isn't about giving from abundance; it is about giving out of trust, when things look scarce. It is a declaration that our security comes from God, not from money. We don’t know the details of this particular widow’s future, but we can be certain that she was provided for. In the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we see how God uses the simple, the humble, and the available to accomplish something divine. At first glance, it’s just transportation, Jesus needs a ride. But this donkey is loaded with meaning. In that culture, a donkey symbolized humility and peace, not power. It wasn’t majestic, like a warhorse. It was common, overlooked and lowly. Yet it’s exactly what Jesus chose. So what is the donkey in your life that God has asked you to untie, to let go of? Your career, your dreams, your past, surely it is not your bank account? When we surrender everything, God does the miraculous. One man’s yes, made his Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening A solid house foundation provides essential structural support by evenly distributing the weight of the home, which includes dead loads, such as the walls and roof and live loads, the occupants and furniture, to the soil beneath. It prevents uneven settling, sinking, or collapse, while acting as a barrier against moisture, pests, and natural disasters like floods or earthquakes. Once the foundation is complete it is covered up and forgotten about and as long as it is correctly constructed you don't even give it a second thought. Without a solid foundation, homes suffer from cracked walls, uneven or sloping floors, doors and windows that stick or won't close, and long-term, costly, and sometimes dangerous structural damage. A solid foundation in a church is built on Jesus Christ, acting as the cornerstone for all teachings, beliefs, and actions. It represents an unshakable spiritual base, built upon biblical truth, obedience to God's word, and, ensures stability against life's challenges. Matthew 7:24-25 ESV Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. No one else can live the life you’re building and you can’t live the life anyone else is building; but we’re all building. The question is, are you doing it wisely? The answer depends on whether you’re building your life on a solid foundation. Jesus illustrated this point by describing two builders, one wise and the other foolish. The difference between the two isn’t about their intellect but their understanding. While the first man wisely built on rock, the second man foolishly built on sand.Matthew 7:26-27 ESV And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.While the first man wisely built on rock, the second man foolishly built on sand. You see wisdom isn’t knowledge, it’s recognizing what to do with what you know. The foolish man just wanted to get his house up. He didn’t consider the unstable nature of his foundation and his house couldn’t withstand the wind and the rain. The wise man went to the expense of digging down before building up. He put in sweat equity and it paid off! Here’s the point, our lives can look similar on the outside yet have a crucial difference below the surface. You can even claim faith and attend church regularly, and still be a foolish builder. We each choose whether to base our lives on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, or on the shifting sands of personal preference and cultural acceptance. Building your life on a solid foundation requires sweat equity. It requires following Christ in complete obedience. James 1:22-25 CSB But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works, this person will be blessed in what he does. So, what are you doing with what you know about God and His Word? Has He brought to mind an area of your life that’s not in total submission to Him? It’s foolish to ignore it, because at some point a storm will come and test your foundation. Going along with culture might be easier, but it’s sSupport the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening When I was young I spent many a Saturday morning in front of the television set watching cartoons. Some of my favorites were the Road Runner and the Coyote, Speedy Gonzales, Marvin the Martian, The Tasmanian Devil, Elmer Fud, Yosemite Sam, Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig. The Looney Tunes cartoons got their start in 1937. The Iconic cartoons had a signature ending. Porky Pig would pop out of a drum stuttering “Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks!” How many times do you find yourself with a similar ending to your prayers? I do my best when I am praying by starting off giving God a list of all the big things in my life that I am thankful for. Then I shift my prayers to asking God to heal all those I love. Usually I end my prayer by asking God to forgive me when I fail him and to make me a better servant. Finally, just like the character Porky Pig, only without the stutter I end my pray with a hearty Amen, or a That's All God! If, Amen, means, the end or that's all, what am I saying to the minister when I shout out Amen in the middle of his sermon. Am I calling for an end to the preaching? What does the bible say about the word Amen?1 Peter 4:11 ESV Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. The Hebrew word translated amen means truly or so be it. Nearly half of the Old Testament uses of amen are found in the book of Deuteronomy. In each case, the people are responding to curses pronounced by God on various sins. Each pronouncement is followed by the words “and all the people shall say Amen” These are found in Deuteronomy 27 verses 15 thru 26. This indicates that the people applauded the righteous sentence handed down by their holy God, responding, So let it be.Deuteronomy 27: 15 ESV Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’ Most of the New Testament writers use amen at the end of their epistles. The apostle John uses it at the end of his gospel, two of his three letters, and the book of Revelation, where it appears nine times. Amen in Hebrew means so be it, truly, or certainly, serving as a declaration of agreement, affirmation, and faith at the end of prayers, signifying, yes I believe it or let it be so. 1 John 5:14 ESV And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. When Christians say amen at the end of our prayers, we are following the model of the apostles, asking God to, please let it be as we have prayed. So when we say amen at the end of our prayers is means a lot more than just, that's all God. By saying amen at the end of our prayer we are asking God to let it be so and we are saying that we fervently believe that God is capable of answering all our prayers we are saying let it be so! Don't forget this fact all prayers should be prayed according to the will of God. Then when we say amen, we can be confident that God will respond and grant our requests. Can I have an Amen to that!!!1 Peter 5:11 ESV To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Many last will and testaments during the 19th century began with this quote, “Knowing the uncertainties of life and the certainty of death….” The certainty of death has been a human constant since the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Yet in the twenty-first century, death often seems a taboo subject. Even the word “death” has become infrequent in our speech. In an effort to avoid the difficult topic of death people have come up with many phrases to use in place of saying my loved on has died. Some will say their loved one has passed away, they have gone home or gone on to a better place, they are at rest or at peace, they have left us, departed or are no longer with us. The most common terms used in place or saying someone has died is to say that have passed away or kicked the bucket. The truth is while most of us say we are comfortable talking about dying and death, the reality is that many of us are not making any preparations as it feels a long way off or something that will cause unnecessary and difficult emotions, both for us and the people around us. The truth of the matter is this, the scriptures tell us that death is an appointment you have to keep.Hebrews 9:27 ESV And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.We all have this one thing in common, death. It doesn't matter if your as smart as Albert Einstein or your not so smart, like me. It doesn't matter if as rich as John D. Rockefeller or your a homeless person living on the street. It doesn't matter if your the Pope or your Charles Manson. Physical death is an absolute certainty for all of humanity. Death is the great equalizer!Ecclesiastes 9: 2-3 ESV It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is, as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.All people share this same destiny. Ultimately, our lives and the appointed day we will die are in God’s hands, so we must appreciate life and make the most of it while we still have breath. In Ecclesiastes Solomon says, if your still living there is hope, “for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” Ecclesiastes 9: 4-5 ESV But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.The key to grasping the meaning these verses is understanding their cultural context. In ancient times, dogs were not cute and cuddly pets. Instead, they were looked down on with contempt and considered unclean, revolting scavengers. Conversely, lions were esteemed as regal, valiant, powerful hunters, the king of beasts who ruled and roared at the top of the food chain, while dogs crouched and groveled at the bottom. Since death is the great equalizer, it is foolish to spend our days in meaningless pursuit of things like power, fortune, and notoriety. Death diminishes the majestic lion to a position below that of the living dog. God gives us one life, one priceless opportunity to know Him and receive His gift of salvation. If you never think about death and your eternal fate, you will miss the chance to spend eternity with Him. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening The “I love Lucy” show aired from 1951 to 1957. Lucy and Ricky Ricardo slept in separate beds on the show to comply with 1950's television censorship codes, which considered it indecent to show a married couple sharing a bed. While they occasionally appeared in twin beds pushed together, network standards forced them apart to adhere to conservative moral standards. Television producers and networks in the 50's followed strict guidelines, which deemed it poor taste to show a man and woman in the same bed. Flash forward 75 years to 2026 and tune into a soap opera around lunch time and within minutes you will see men and woman in sexual explicit scenes. According to a recent Gallup poll, 54% of Americans say the state of moral values in the country is poor, a record low. The study is based on more than 12 million surveys administered to people around the world between 1949 and 2021, argues that people have felt this way for at least 70 years. Genesis 1:27 ESV So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Man was created in God's image and part of that image is to reflect the moral image of God. The way we know difference between right and wrong is our knowledge of God’s law. Without the 10 Commandments, the world would descend into chaos, characterized by rampant murder, theft, and a lack of respect for authority. Scripture tells us that in the end times people will turn away from God, which will result in perilous times.2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. When society abandons biblical principles, it loses its moral compass. Many people don't even remember the 10 commandments. Walk up to a stranger on the street and ask them to name the 10 commandments and what they come up with is vastly different. The will get some correct, like don't kill, don't steal and don't commit adultery, however after that they’ll have rules about being true to yourself and don’t judge anyone. The Bible also says that God wrote His law on our hearts, so even if you can't quote the 10 commandments you really have no excuse.Romans 2:15 ESV They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. A generation or two ago, homosexuality, divorce, and adultery were not accepted, even considered sinful. Nowadays, both homosexuality and divorce are considered normal. Without God's law we are left to follow the whims of society which tend to change frequently, which is what happened to the Israelites a couple generations after conquering the promised land.Judges 17:6 ESV In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. The people abandoned God, and within two generations they were doing what was evil in the sight of God.Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I must begin by saying that this devotional is written to myself as much or more than it is to those who may hear it. I have always thought that if I have a question, a quandary, an uncertainty, or a difficult dilemma that I am struggling with, I bet someone else is facing a similar problem. Here is my hearts cry, my difficult question, does the devil focus his attention more on me when I am being faithful, than he does when I am not? Over the last 5 to 6 years I have grown considerably in my walk with Christ. Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot of growth to do and I am far from a saint, but I am a much more devoted and faithful person now than I was say 10 or even 20 years ago. Yet life just doesn't seem to be getting any easier. As I look back on those days when I wasn't following God's will for my life at times it seems like I had less difficulties and trials. It is my belief that when you step boldly into your God-given purpose, the enemy takes notice. Satan hates nothing more than when you stand with Jesus waging spiritual warfare against the darkness of this world. In Revelations the bible says that Satan brings charges against God's people both night and day.Revelation 12:10 ESV And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. When you step boldly into your God-given purpose, the enemy takes notice. Satan hates nothing more than those who stand with Jesus waging spiritual warfare. On the other hand if you don't focus your attentions and passions on growing spiritually you pose little or no threat to Satan. He is God's enemy and therefore the enemy of Christians as well. When you focus your life on Jesus Christ you draw the attention of the enemy. Satan will target your relationships, your faith, your finances, even your sense of self-worth. If you ignore your weaknesses or refuse to examine your heart, you give him a foothold.Ephesians 4:27 ESV And give no opportunity to the devil. The Bible calls us to examine ourselves, to test our faith, and to make our calling and election sure. In 2nd Corinthians 13:5 scripture tells us to examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. So let's take a look at ourselves! Many times we wake up and the first thing we do is what? Check our phones! Our first thoughts are not with God, it’s with the world. Do you think it’s any wonder that many believers are then overwhelmed by the chaos of the world? When was the last time that the first thing you did after you got up was to get on your knees in prayer and have a few moments of silence, focusing your thoughts your heavenly Father. We need to do this so that we are putting on the full armor of God, but instead we pick up our electronic devices and check social media or we turn on the TV to see what the news media is sensationalizing. To answer my own question from earlier, Does the devil pay more attention to me when I am being faithful, well the answer is yes!1 Peter 1: 6-7 ESV In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So if you find yourself in a battle that seems unwinnable or insurmountable, or it just feels like your gonna loose this one, just remember this. Place your faith in God and he will fight your battles for you and one day every knee will bow and and every toSupport the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening One of my greatest struggles is working with God rather than for God. God cares deeply about our work, our impact in this life, not because he needs us to serve him or work for him, but because he wants to work with Him. He wants to give us a picture of His goodness and love at work in the lives of others, and He wants to deepen our relationship with Him by identifying and empowering us in our unique calling. “Work” typically has a negative connotation in my mind. I associate work with something I have to do, but don’t really want to do. But with God, the word “work” couldn’t be more different. Work is designed to be the expression of our abundant, life-giving relationship with our heavenly Father. God doesn’t call us to work out of obligation or to earn his love, but to live our lives in response to his love. It’s for this reason that Scripture is clear about God’s intention for the marriage between faith and works. James 2:26 ESV For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. What is our faith if it doesn’t produce action? What is the nature of our relationship with God if it doesn’t cause us to live differently? Often we have a misunderstanding about what it is God would have us do if we were to truly submit our life fully to Him. Often we believe if we were really to hand over our life to God in faith he would call us to do things we don’t want to do. Maybe we believe he’d call us to a foreign mission field, or to live our lives in a manner that is not as comfortable as we hoped it might be. If you are truly walking in faith and fully submitting your life to God then the desires of your heart will change. The things that used to make you comfortable before turning your life over to God, like money and possessions, won't seem nearly as important to you. Remember this, there are many ways God can use you. The are many different “works” that you can do to serve God. Not everyone is called to be a preacher, teacher or missionary in a foreign country. You can serve God by doing something as simple as loving on the people you work with and living a holy life. The life you live may be the only bible some people every read! Maybe God is calling you to something you don’t fully understand yet, but if you say yes to him, the very calling that you possibly feared most may turn into the dream you didn’t know you had. God calls us to a life of works because he loves us and has designed us for such a purpose.Ephesians 2:10 ESV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. The work God is calling you to is perfect for you because He is the one who formed you and knows you. Have faith in perfect will of your heavenly Father. Choose to live a life of good works. And experience the joy of living every minute of your day with intentional and eternal purpose. This advice is meant as much for myself as it is for those who may hear it. I tend to be a bit of a control freak and I like to make a to-do list and plan out my day in a manner that makes me feel good. Plans that make me comfortable. I need to learn to let go and be more willing to follow God's will for my life, no matter where it may lead me!Titus 3:14 ESV And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. We are saved by faith alone but a faith that is real is never really alone. What would your life look like if you chose to do your work filled with purpose of the Holy Spirit? All you have to do is choose to live your life with a different perspective. Enjoy your days working and bearing the fruit of your faith. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening When I was a child my Grandpa Miller used a lot of idioms, which is to say he used a lot of figurative language, sometimes vivid and descriptive phrases, to get his point across. A couple of his commonly used phrases were, “Well isn't that just crooked as a dog's hind leg,” and another was; “Now that's just as slick as snot on a Teflon door knob.” His Country or rural phrases are burned into my memories. One of the things my father used to tell me that is burned deep into my memory is; “Don't slouch, throw those shoulders back, son.” This one is so deeply ingrained into me that even now as a 60 year old man, when I am a bit tired and I begin to shrug my shoulders and hang me head, I hear that voice in my head and I look around, then I stand up straight and through my shoulders back. Now I am certain that if you ask my father if he remembers saying this to me, he probably will say, “well maybe I said it once or twice and I am sure it needed to be said,” but I am certain he probably doesn't remember it as vividly as I do! No matter what the truth may, both the figurative language of my grandfather and my father's drill sergeant like orders, “throw your shoulders back son,” are memories I will never out live. I say all that just to ask you, what are you telling your children and your grand children that they will remember even when your dead and gone?Proverbs 22:6 ESV Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. God created the family. His design was for a man and a woman to marry for life and raise children to know and honor Him. Adoption is also God’s idea, and He models this in His adoption of us as His children.Romans 8:15 ESV For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.Regardless of the means by which they enter a family, children are a gift from God and He cares about how they are raised. Several places in Scripture give specific instructions to parents about how to raise their children. Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Psalms 103:3 says, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Proverbs 29:17 says, “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.” I could go on all day, but I think you get my point, the bible is filled with instructions on how parents are to be raising their children. God desires that as parents we fill our homes and our children's minds with his truth, and his truth is way better than any book man has ever written.Psalms 127:3 ESV Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward. So what are you teaching and saying to your children? What are they hearing you say? Remember a picture and your actions are worth a thousand words. The real goal of good parenting should be to produce wise children who know and honor God with their lives. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening When I was younger I was working in the kitchen and cut the first finger on my left hand all the way to the bone. I was living in a very rural community and I went to the doctor, who was bit older and near sighted. He stitched me up and I survived but the tendon in that finger was damaged so that I can no longer straighten the tip of my finger. Genesis 32 recounts the story of Jacob in an all-night wrestling match. Alone in the desert wilderness, Jacob had the ultimate restless night. A stranger visited Jacob, and they wrestled throughout the night until daybreak, at which point the stranger crippled Jacob with a blow to his hip. Even then, Jacob held on. He must have known there was something supernatural about this stranger, because he demanded a blessing from him. Genesis 32: 29-31 ESV Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Jacob does what many of us do. In our weakness and as we walk through the Valleys of fear and doubts we wrestle with God. Jacob was separated from everyone and from his worldly possessions, and that’s when he wrestles all night for what is truly important. It was a struggle that left him crippled. It was only after he ceased his struggling, that he realizes he could not go on without God. Then he finally received God’s blessing. So the moral to this story is never trust someone that doesn't walk with a limp! Trials and tribulations are an inescapable part of human life, testing our resolve and challenging our faith. Frequently the difficulties of our lives change us forever. Sometimes, like Jacob, we are left physically crippled, but many times we are emotionally crippled. No matter how difficult our life is James tells us that we are to rejoice in the trials and tribulations.James 1: 2-4 ESV Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If I was allowed to ask God just one question it would be, why did I have to suffer through the death of my two infant sons? If there is one question you want to ask God, what would it be? The number one question, many people would like to ask God is, why is there suffering in the world? And, why does God allow the righteous, the Christian, the believers to suffer?2 Corinthians 1: 3-4 ESV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. So if you are walking today in the valley of despair, If you like Jacob have wrestled with God and came out with a limp, consider it a blessing rather than a curse. Because tragedy has happened to you, it helps you to see those around you that are walking with a limp. It gives you a greater sense of oneness with others who have experienced tragedy. You can feel for them and have a greater understanding of their situation. Because you have been comforted by God in the midst of your difficult days, you in turn may be able to comfort others. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening We hear the term, forgive and forget, but how can we forget? Don’t you wish there was a delete button for your brain? We can choose to forgive the person who has hurt us and not allow the memory to control our lives. So in that sense, we can forgive and forget. It is very hard to do, but it is possible to forgive those you have hurt or wronged you. That being said the one person I have the most difficulty forgiving is myself! On March 8, 1988 my son Jerry Craig was born. He had a rare genetic disorder that caused him to be a bleeder and need frequent transfusions of blood platelets and had suppressed immune system. He lived for 3 months and spent only 1 day out of the hospital. The doctors told me that he would never have a normal life but with medical help he might survive a while longer, but they were unsure how to treat him. My wife and other two daughters were suffering because I was unable to provide for them both physically or emotionally because all my attention was focused on my sick son. So I made the difficult decision and told the hospital staff to treat my son as if he was a healthy infant. He got the care and nutrition that any every child his age would receive and within a week he got sick and passed away. For many years after his death I blamed myself. I could not forgive myself I felt like I had caused his death.Psalm 103:12 ESV as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Many people are trapped because they can’t forgive themselves. I don't think that I am alone. For years I felt trapped. Because I could never hear her my son offer me forgiveness, because he was no longer with me I felt trapped and unable to release myself from my guilt. Why can’t you release yourself from your sin? Is it because the weight is too much? Because you know you haven’t changed? Because the ripple effects of your sin can’t be reversed? I have good news! You don’t need to forgive yourself, because you can’t forgive yourself. There is no category of self-forgiveness in the Bible. And what a freeing truth! Your shame and guilt does not depend on your ability to forgive yourself. There are two—and only two—biblical categories of forgiveness: forgiveness of others and God’s forgiveness. Horizontal and vertical. Horizontal forgiveness marks us as Christians. Seeking to forgive of others is not optional. Forgiving one another is not optional.Colossians 3:12-13 ESV Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. As important as horizontal forgiveness is, the forgiveness of those who have hurt you, even more fundamental is vertical forgiveness, which comes from God alone. After committing the heinous double sin of adultery and murder against Bathsheba and Uriah, David cries out to God.Psalm 51:4 ESV Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. David realizes that as awful as his sin is horizontally, it’s much worse vertically. He has profoundly offended God by devaluing one life and snuffing out another. But what never hear David struggling with? The process of self-forgiveness. He doesn’t entertain for a second that he must forgive himself. Once he’s sought forgiveness from God, he must release himself from his sin. So forgive and forget your sins because the Almighty God already has!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening What is at the center of your life? What is it that you strive for? What is the one thing that anchors your life? I would venture to guess that a large portion of the world centers their lives around their careers and the size of their bank accounts. Some may focus their lives around their children. Behind every Olympic athlete is a parent or two, who have encouraged and pushed their child through tens of thousands of hours of grueling training to keep them on track. Jim and Cecille Adrian watched their 23-year-old son Nathan qualify for the 100 meter freestyle with the fastest time in the preliminary rounds. They drove about 100,000 miles in four years, taking vacations in about 15 different cities in the US, and flew 100,000 air miles or more “and that's just the start," Jim Adrian told ABC News. "It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.” On the day this parent will stand at the Judgment seat of Christ to receive his rewards, do you think his investment in his child will pay off?2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.So back to my original question, what is the center of your life? There are 31,174 total verses in the Bible. Psalm 118:8-9 are the 15,587th and 15,588th verses. The very center of the Bible. Do you suppose that it is just random chance, or maybe it’s God’s way of winking at us, but these two verses in the very middle of the entire Bible seem to capture well the bottom line of faith. Where the rubber meets the road.Psalm 118: 8-9 ESV It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.There are really only two basic religions among men, one of which is man-centered and the other one God-centered. One is based on evolution; one on creation. One is humanism; the other is theism. The Bible begins by setting forth God as Creator in Genesis 1:1 and ends by invoking the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation 22:21.Revelation 22:21 ESV The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.But mankind’s greatest and most basic sin has always been that of seeking to replace God with man. Ye shall be as gods, was the lie that Satin told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden which resulted in the fall of man.Genesis 3:5 ESV For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.Paul teaches us in Romans 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. In Gods eyes all people are created equal. It's only people who elevate and devalue other people. The center of the Bible is teaching us an important lesson; TRUST GOD, not men. We have been given a gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Don't let faith in men keep you from the gates of heaven. Put your faith and trust in the One who loved you and died for you. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life! It is infinitely and eternally better to trust in the Lord, than to put your confidence in men. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening A good friend of mine recently made a post on social media stating that she believes we are living in the end times and we should be careful not to be deceived.  She went on to say, as we get to the end of the year, she thinks about the end times, and wonders if she will live to see it. There are so many things that the Bible talks about, that is happening in our world today. She asked the question, do think you will live to see another year completed or will Jesus return to rapture his church?Luke 21:8-9 ESV And he said, See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am he! And, The time is at hand! Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.At times I wish Jesus would return today, so I would no longer have to struggle with my sin and the worries of this world. However, on the other hand I feel selfish for those I know and love that will be left behind when Jesus raptures the church out of this world, because it may seem difficult now but after you remove all the Christians from the world it will become truly evil! Do you worry about it or do you have the faith of knowing where you will be? Are you saved? What does that mean to be saved? I ask this question because another person online confronted me and said, if Jesus freed you from sin, what would be the reason for the struggle? When a person is saved, All things are new. This is a quote from 2 Corinthians 5:17 that says Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. I posted one final reply in which I said, I am only human and I still struggle with the fact that I fail and fall into sin daily. I know I am forgiven, but if you don't struggle with sin, your just not telling the truth. Being saved doesn't mean your suddenly a saint! Even the apostle Paul struggled with sin and his fleshly desires. Romans 7:15 ESV For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. The Bible is clear in several passages how to receive salvation. It doesn’t mean you are perfect after you are saved, but it does mean that you are forgiven and saved from the penalty of sin by God’s grace. When we accept salvation, we are saved from the penalty of sin. Jesus paid for our sin on the cross, and when a person trusts Him for salvation, that person is forgiven and justified before God. This is a once-for-all transaction. However, Christians still struggle with the power of sin in their lives. Even though they are forgiven, they are not perfect. While we are still alive we are being sanctified. The same apostle, Paul, that told else he struggled with sin goes on to tell us how we have been saved from the penalty of sin and he urges us to live in that reality, by not letting sin continue to control your actions.Romans 6:11-13 ESV So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. I am saved, I am forgiven, not perfect! 1 Peter tells us that we must put away all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander and like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I enjoy cooking and I grew up in a family that had many great cooks. When I was younger my fathers family gathered for reunions, I think sometimes just to eat. I have 24 first cousins and I had seven Aunts and Uncles and they were all amazing cooks. There always more than enough food, enough you could feed a small army. I was taught by my conservative parents that I was to eat whatever was put in front of me or go hungry. My mother was not a short order cook, at least not until she started having grandchildren, then all the rules went out the door and she made each child exactly what they wanted. My mother made some meals because the were cheap and would feed a lot of people. I still make many of those meals and I consider them, comfort food. She made goulash from a recipe that was handed down to her from her mother. One of my favorite meals my mother made was sauerkraut and weenies. If my mother called me in the morning and invited me over for dinner and told me she was making one of my favorite meals, even if I got hungry, I wouldn't make a trip to the convenience store before dinner and get something to snack on because that would ruin my appetite for her good cooking. The junk food would quench my appetite for the good food! Sin in your life does the same thing. Sin quenches your appetite for Gods word. The definition of the word quench is to satisfy one thirst by drinking or to extinguish a fire. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 ESV Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Just like you can be hungry for your favorite food, you also can have an appetite for sin. We all have a desire to satisfy our fleshly appetite. A fleshy appetite is having an inner desire to satisfy your sinful hunger. In the book of Galatians, God's word tells us what it means to have a fleshly appetite. Galatians 5:19-21 ESV Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Are you hungry for the things of the world or are you spiritually hungry? It's not hard to comprehend what it’s like to be physically hungry. Do we feel a similar craving for spiritual food? Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. We live in a time when people have all they want to eat. They constantly entertain themselves. They are restless and go from one pleasure to the next. Yet they feel empty and depressed because there is something missing deep inside. 2.3 billion people around the world experience food insecurity, meaning they did not have consistent access to food and often faced uncertainty about where their next meal will come from. Of those, about 864 million people face severe food insecurity, sometimes going without food for an entire day or more. When I am even just a little bit hungry I will say I am starving to death, if the truth be known I have never not known where my next meal would come from.Matthew 5:6 ESV Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. In Matthew Jesus tell us we are to have a spiritual desire, hungering and thirsting after righteousness. That’s not just a mild craving. That’s an intense feeling, a desire to do what’s right and to be right in the sight of God. We need to pursue or hunger and thirst for what is good for spiritual growth!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening During the Christmas season many of us get super focused on stuff. Some get obsessed with Christmas decorations, some get obsessed with greeting cards and some of us think we need to buy everyone gifts. The world bombards us with advertisements, there is Black Friday, Cyber Monday and countless other sales. It is easy to see how we can get distracted from what the true meaning of the Christmas is! It is so easy to listen to the Christmas carols, look at the Christmas manger scene decorations and get confused about what really happened the day Jesus was born. The Christmas carol, We Three Kings, has at least three errors in the song. First, the Bible does not identify these men as kings. They were magi, a Greek term that translates to wise men. They would have been known for studying the night sky for signs or omens. Since they were from the east, they were probably from Persia or Babylon, which is modern day Iran or Iraq. Second, the Bible never tells us that there were three magi. The notion that there were three magi is based on the three gifts that they presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Finally, the wise men definitely did not arrive on the night Jesus was born. Since we sing this song at Christmas time, many believe that the wise men were at the nativity. Modern nativity scenes also include the wise men, but the Bible clearly teaches otherwise. Matthew 2:1 and 2:11 ESV 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. If you were paying close attention you noticed verse one begins with, after Jesus was born. It is a common misconception that the wise men visited Jesus at the stable, on the night of His birth. In fact, they came days, months, or possibly even years later. Another common myth is that the wise men rode camels. Because the lyrics of the carol says, We 3 kings from Orient are, most of us envision men wearing ornate, crowns riding camels. The bible simple doesn't tell how they traveled. What we do know is that camels were considered pack animals. It is possible they were wealthy and could have been riding Arabian horses or the simple truth is they could have walked. That really messes up all the modern day manger scenes doesn't it. The world is filled with Christmas traditions that while they are not evil, they are not good either and they don't bring glory to God. How many times have you wasted away your evening shopping for stuff on Amazon or spent hours driving to the city to find every bargain you can at the shopping malls. I would be willing to say that nearly everyone of us have done this at some point in our life. We want to buy everything our children and grandchildren have ever dreamed they of. However in reality what our children really need more than gifts is to know the truth. John 1:14 ESV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. We as Americans have truly been blessed. We have so much abundance, that we have become spoiled and think we are entitled to everything all the time! When you are given to much, then you don't rely on God to give the things we need. With the blessings of plenty comes great responsibility. The bible says in Luke 12:48 “To whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. There is no sin in enjoying Christmas movies, watching your children in Christmas plays and singing Christmas carols. It is imSupport the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Have you ever looked up at the night sky on a clear night and tried to count the stars. There are so many it is impossible to count them. Stars are giant, glowing balls of hot gas that produce light and heat. The vary greatly in size, temperature and distance. Our sun is just one of trillions of stars in our milky way galaxy we live in. Humanly speaking stars our innumerable, there are so many you can't count them all. The milky way galaxy that we live in is just one of billions of galaxies and it contains trillions of stars. The star nearest earth is 4.24 light years away or 25 trillion miles. To put that into perspective if you could get your hands on one of the decommissioned space shuttles and fly it to the nearest star it would take you tens of thousands of years. The bible tells us that our amazing universe was created by and is held together by that little baby in the manager. Colossians 1: 16-17 ESV For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. At Christmas it is not uncommon to see a cradle in a manger scene, but what do you see when you look into that cradle? It looks like a little baby boy. But who is this baby? This is God, wrapped up in swaddling clothes. The sovereign of the universe, born into the world He created. That cradle was made of wood, and filled with straw. But the One lying there is the One who said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, seeds, and trees.” And the earth, at His command, brought forth plants and trees of all types. Whether it’s a giant redwood or a little clover, He created them all. And here He is, resting on that straw, splitting time in half. His birth is so remarkable that it marked time, BC and AD. Even those who deny the existence of God and that Jesus is his Son in human form acknowledge his existence every time they use a date to mark time. Despite Christ’s tiny, human frame, let’s not think of that baby as anything less than the almighty Creator God, who spoke galaxies into existence and breathed life into man. The bible says Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The word image, meaning copy or likeness, expresses Christ’s deity. This word involves more than a resemblance, more than a representation. He is God! Although He took on human form, He has the exact nature of His Father!Hebrews 1:3 ESV He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.God took on the human form in the humblest of manners, a manger, a feeding trough for livestock that would have been made of wood or stone in a space that was filled with livestock, dirt and most likely manure. This was our Saviors first baby crib. Luke 2: 6-7 ESV And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.So as you contemplate the scenes of Christmas, recognize who it is in that manger: not just a fully human child, but in fact the Creator of all the heavens and the earth. Through faith, in Jesus you can be declared righteous in God's sight. Place your faith in this baby, the miracle in the manger!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening What is the one thing that instantly strikes fear in your heart? Is it public speaking? Maybe you fear losing your job and not being able to provide for your family. Not having enough money for retirement or the fear of losing your job and facing a financial crisis are the cause of major anxiety and fear for almost everyone. I have a fear that my wife could have a health crisis and I would find myself a widower. There is nothing else that causes me more anxiety than the thought of living alone. When I was a boy once in a great while I didn't obey my parents, okay maybe more frequently than I want to admit, I was a difficult child. My mother had one phrase that would instantly strike fear in my heart! She would say, “Don't make me tell your father!” The minute she uttered these words I immediately changed my behaviors. When the bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, does that mean that we should never feel fear? Feeling fear is part of being alive. If you don't feel fear upon occasion you must be insane. Even if life seems to be going well and you don't feel any of the fears I mentioned before you may feel fear when you are doing something you have never done before, or when obstacles seem insurmountable. But does feeling fear mean you are a coward? No not at all, you are only cowardly when you allow your fears to dictate your actions or decision.2 Timothy 1:7 ESV For God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. We live in a sin filled world and because of that any number of things can fill you with fear. Feeling fear is not the same as being afraid, when you are truly afraid you let those fearful thoughts control your actions and decisions. I might feel angry, but I choose not to act on my anger and the same applies to fear. I might feel fear, but I don't have to let that fear control my life and the decisions. The bible says, do not fear, hundreds of times. But what does that mean? Are you wrong to feel fear when you’re not sure how to pay next month’s rent or when you get that dire health diagnosis or when your job is on the line? When God says, do not fear, he is not commanding us to shut off our brain and emotions. God doesn't want us to be without fear, to be emotionless and stoic like a robot. The real issue God wants us to wrestle with is, where we go when we face fear. Where do you go when you have fears? How do you deal with your fears?Isaiah 41:10 ESV Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Simply put, God wants us to go to him. Fear can paralyze us! Yet when we place our fears in the hands of God, when you place your faith in God, even in the midst of your fear, your no coward, and you can overcome your fear! God is all powerful and He desires to be with us in the midst of our fears! Unfortunately, no one will be able to completely escape fear in this sin filled and broken world. It is real. It can be paralyzing. It is powerful. But God is more powerful.Psalm 46: 1-3 ESV God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.There is a song from the 70's that goes something like this; Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water. Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea. Place your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee, place your faith in Jesus!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening All my life and have had a disability, I am vertically challenged, in other less friendly words and am short. I used to claim I was 5 foot 7 inches tall because I am 5 foot 6 and ½ inches tall, so I just rounded up. As I have matured I have come to the conclusion that it is just easier to admit my short comings and say I am vertically challenged. I tell all my co-workers that I have a disability and because I work for the state government that have to provide me with the tools I need to overcome my disability. In order for me to complete my job on many occasions I need my vertical assistance device, a 3 step ladder, so that I can reach my work. Have you ever felt like you were vertically challenged? I am not talking about your physical characteristics I am talking about spiritually. Does it seem at times that your prayers are not rising up to the ears of your heavenly father.Isaiah 59:2 ESV but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and our sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. Every Christian I know struggles with unanswered prayer. If you don’t, then either you’ve been only Christian for about 10 minutes or you’re lying. There are many reasons why you may feel like your prayers are going unanswered. It may be that your being impatient. The world today has become what I like to call a “Microwave Society.” We expect all our desires to be 30 seconds and ding, they are answered! God's timeline simply does not line up with ours.2 Peter 3: 8-9 ESV But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. In general, unanswered prayer is something we need to accept, it moves us to a deeper trust in God and a greater persistence in prayer. But there are a host of reasons God might not be answering your prayer. You may have wrong motives or selfish desires. Maybe you have been disobedient or have unconfessed sin in your life. It could be that the thing you are praying for is not aligned with God's will. Finally and I know none of us like admit this, but maybe you think there is simply no way God can do the thing you are praying for, you have doubt or a lack of faith. A lack of genuine belief and faith can weaken the effectiveness of prayer. For today I would like to focus on the one item that hits closest to home for me. My prayers are not being answered because they are selfish in nature.James 4:3 ESV You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Sometimes God doesn’t grant us our prayer request because we ask with the wrong motives. Even if the thing we’re asking for may be good, in its own right, God doesn’t want to honor a heart asking from the wrong motivation. When we ask for things for our own selfish pleasures, God will not hear us. When we want things that are not in the will of God, He doesn’t listen. When we make vain repetitions with words that don't really come from the heart, He isn't going to listen. But when we ask according to His will, with our hearts, and in His name, He will hear, and we will receive. 1 John 5:14 ESV And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening In my household we try to be as conservative as possible. God has richly blessed us in many ways, but we still try to be as financially responsible as possible, especially during the Christmas season. I would love nothing more than to be able to give my children and grandchildren their every desire, but doing that really isn't being a responsible parent. I have tried to teach my children that nothing good is free! One way I try to be financially responsible is by not putting any Christmas gifts on the credit card. We have a large jar that we both put our spare change into. Around the Thanksgiving we take the change to the bank and cash it in. This year there was $240 in change in the jar. I also have an account at the credit union that I put $20 a pay period into. The credit union is 85 miles away, so it is easy to just forget about it. Just like the change jar each year around Thanksgiving withdraw most of the balance of the account. This year it was $400. I also have a bank bag at home that we keep all the cash from the sales of eggs. This year we sold $1,100 in eggs. The total cash I set aside for Christmas was $1,740 now “That's not Chicken Feed!” It is nice to be able to set aside the cash and to avoid debt. In Revelation 13, the beast forces everyone in the world to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads in order to control financial transactions. No more buying eggs from your neighbor with cash.Revelation 13: 16-17 ESV Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. These verses in Revelation indicates that during the tribulation currency will become cashless or digital. In order for the Antichrist to control all buying and selling, a cashless society will be necessary during the tribulation. As long as people are using cash, transactions can be completed in private, but, if currency becomes electronic, then every transaction can be monitored. According Clearly Payments, a payment processor that provides digital payment solutions, including websites and credit card machines, 84% of payments in the US are being made digitally in 2025. Why is this a problem you ask? If Christianity were to fall out of favor with those in power, a government-controlled digital currency could be used to target Christians. The government would have the ability to monitor or even block transactions and could be used to shut down churches, confiscate funds, or penalize individuals based on their political or religious views, and that's only the beginning. In a digital society those who control the currency could assign everyone of a carbon foot print and once you have purchased your allotment of petroleum products, no matter what the balance of your bank account, you wouldn't be able to buy any more gas for your car or propane or natural gas to heat your home. The same could also apply to the grocery store. Each and every household could be assigned a certain portion to be used to buy groceries and once you reach that limit your money would no longer be any good.2 Timothy 3: 1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. The end times started with the resurrection and aSupport the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening When my children were young at times they would come to me and tell me they were afraid to go to sleep. Sometimes there were monsters under the bed and sometimes they were simply afraid of the dark. As they grew up they still had fears, but the fears were different. When they were preteens, their fears were that they wouldn't be liked by their peers and friends. As they grew older and were well into their high school years their fears became getting the grades they needed to graduate, among other things. My fears in life have changed as well. I used to be afraid that my teenage daughters would make a bad decision, get into a car with the wrong friend and have a life changing or even fatal injury. Now that my children are adults I don't worry so much about them. I do still have one thing that I worry about occasionally. I worry that something may happen to my wife and I would suddenly find myself alone, a widower. My wife makes me a better person and I can't imagine life without her. What does God's word have to say about worry and anxiety?Matthew 6:27 ESV And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? In Philippians the bible clearly teaches that Christians are not to worry. Philippians 4:6, says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.If you watch the news at all it is hard to not be worried about something. When the pandemic hit, I really didn't worry about getting the virus or getting fatally sick, the things I did have anxiety about may surprise you. I wasn’t worrying about masks, vaccines, or lock-downs. Rather, I saw the world falling apart around me and I wondered if it indicated a final slide into the end times, the final days of the world as prophesied in the bible. Instead of being joyful at the soon return of Jesus, I found myself a bit anxious about the end times. The headlines of the nightly news sound like they are quotes taken directly from the bible. Biblical signs of the end times include religious deception, wars and rumors of war, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, and the persecution of Christians. Other signs mentioned are; increasing lawlessness, immorality, and a decline in love among people. Maybe you can relate to my fears, about the world.Mark 13: 7-8 ESV And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. As Christians, we know that God will accomplish his perfect will. God is in control in in the midst of what seems like chaos. He controls the events that will lead to the fulfillment of his word. For those who do not know the Savior, worry and fear will be a part of life. But to those who have given their lives to Him, there is a confident hope. We should not be worried or afraid of the darkness of this world. When we hear of conflict and unrest these are the signs of Jesus imminent return. If you have placed your faith in God you will agree, the world is filled with lost people doing what lost people do, lying, cursing, breaking laws and living immorally. Jesus will come back and in the twinkling of the eye there will be destruction. Saints will be saved. Sinners won’t be and Jesus will make all things new. Revelation 21:5 ESV And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” So don't be afraid of the dark there is good news! This world is not the end of the storSupport the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I am truly blessed. As a young boy and a teenager my parents drugged me. They drug me to church every week and sometimes multiple times a week! I grew up all my life understanding the ABC's of Christianity. “A” admit that I am a sinner. Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.“B” Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that his death and resurrection provide salvation from sin.John 3:16 ESV For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. “C” Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Romans 10: 9-10 ESV because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.For many people once they have said “The Magic Prayer” and asked Jesus into their heart they believe they have now entered “Club Christianity.” Congratulations! You have made a life-changing decision! Perhaps you are asking, now what? How do I begin my journey with God? The real unfortunate thing is,... mature Christians put nearly all their effort into evangelism, or more simply said, leading the lost to Jesus Christ, after that they are not given much further attention. Mature Christians have several vital roles after someone first accepts Jesus Christ as their savior. Mature Christians need to focus on discipleship, mentorship, and integration into the church community for the new believer. This involves nurturing them to help them grow in their faith, understand Christian principles, and develop a personal relationship with God. Ephesians 4: 11-16 ESV And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ultimately, the job of the mature Christian is to help the new Christian grow to a point where they can, in turn, help others who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior come to know the truth. So once your, friend, neighbor, brother or sister has said “The Magic Prayer” and confessed Jesus as their savior your job, my job, as a mature christian is not done,.. it has only just begun! Now we must come along side them disciplining them into a healthy growth and service for God, in the family of God.Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I made a post on social media recently about how my grandparents and parents were able to afford the American Dream of owning a home, yet my children and other younger people can't seem to save enough money to buy a home. I made the mistake of accusing the younger generation of making poor financial choices and putting things like a $10 coffee at the convenience store and expensive vacations as top priorities. I received a lot of backlash. A younger member of my family said, “Judge not least you be Judged.” I didn't believe I was passing judgment, I was just making an observation based upon my own personal experience. My difficult question to you is this, was I being judgmental and exactly what does this verse in Matthew mean?Matthew 7:1 ESV Judge not, that you be not judged.I am sure all of us have felt judged at some point in our lives. Judgment can often leave you feeling sad and hurt, especially if it comes from someone important or close. Scientific studies have determined that judgment is an instinct of the human brain. As humans, our basic instincts are to survive and thrive. As a consequence, we automatically end up judging people around us to determine if they are safe to be with. Everyone, without exception, judges the people around them based upon their appearance. I will be the first to say when I see someone in the public who has a serious case of bed head and their hair looks like it has not seen a comb in months, they must be a lazy person. Other ways people are judgmental include: assuming someone is lazy because they are overweight, assuming someone is selfish because they have no children, thinking someone is a bad parent because their child is throwing fit in a public place, thinking someone is poor because of the way they dress. I could go on forever, but I think you understand my point. We pass judgment on people every day. My failure was that I assumed all young people, that could not afford to buy a home, were financial irresponsible. Some may be, some may not. Exactly what does, “Judge not least you be Judged” mean? Sadly, the passage is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied teachings in Scripture, by believers and non-believers alike. When Jesus said, “Judge not lest you be judged,” He wasn’t issuing a blanket rule that people are never to judge others. To truly understand this verse we need to look at the verses that follow it. Matthew 7: 2-5 ESV For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. A closer look at these verses reveals what Jesus was really trying to teach us. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Jesus teaching was primarily directed to believers, but the principle can be applied to anyone. How can anyone deal with the speck in our friend’s eye, if we have a log in our own eye? The purpose of judging someone weakness is to help him or her be free of it. But how can we help someone else if we are not free? We must first be willing to look honestly at our own lives and exercise the same judgment toward ourselves. When we do this, we judge from a position of humility. A faithful servant of God will see himself as accurately as he sees others. He will recognize his own sinfulness and need for God’s mercy as much as he does those around him. Romans 3:23 ESV For all Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Frequently we associate faith with a feeling, an invisible force that seems to be leading you to a destination that you may or may not know. Faith is often thought of as something we have a belief in or someone we trust. But in the Scriptures, faith is more than a passive possession, it’s a firm confidence that results in action. In the bible every mention of faith is followed by an action. Noah built an Ark in a land where it had never rained, because of his faith. Abraham placed his only son, Isaac on and alter to be sacrificed, because of he had faith in God. The Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days, with priests blowing trumpets. On the seventh day, they marched around seven times, blew their trumpets, and shouted, because they had faith in God's Divine instruction and the walls of Jericho crumbled!Hebrews 11: 1-3 ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. There is a song by Hillsong United that speaks of faith. The lyrics of the song go like this: Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters. Wherever You would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander. And my faith will be made stronger. In the presence of my Savior... I don't know about you, but there are often places I would not choose to go if it were not for my faith in God. Do you have complete faith and trust in God, even when He calls you into situations that are unknown and intimidating? Instead of sitting back, believers should count on God’s promises and act accordingly The book of Hebrews is often called the, “Hall of Faith.” Hebrews highlights numerous men and women of faith, primarily in chapter 11, figures like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses, it also mentions others such as Rahab, Gideon, and Samson. The Lord accomplished amazing feats through their lives when they believed Him and acted in obedience. Like a muscle, faith grows the more we put it into action. In this way, believers strengthen their trust in God and His promises. Mark 11: 22-24 ESV And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."You may be experiencing mountains in your life right now. You may be juggling work, school, family or dealing with a personal trial. Whatever the mountain it is that you are facing at this time in your life, you must do your best and keep the faith knowing that all things do come to pass. Do you have a faith that can move mountains? True mountain-moving faith isn't about the strength of the individual, but about the power of God working through a surrendered heart. It involves trusting God's power over your circumstances, praying with the assurance that nothing is impossible for Him, and acting in obedience to His will. Are you acting on your faith in God and His Word? When you see a command or warning in Scripture, do you obey it? Are you letting biblical truths about God’s character and power shape your thinking and responses? Be grateful for the difficult mountain that God has placed in your life, for it is giving you the opportunity to rely on God. Place your faith in Him, then to respond or act in a way that brings Glory to God!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening When I was a child I learned in Sunday school class the song, Jesus loves the little children. If Satan had a song it would be called, Satan loves all the good people. The song would go something like this.... Satan loves all the good people, all the good people of the world. The generous and kind, the friendly and the caring. Satan loves all the good people of the world. Satan is not opposed to good morals. What he is opposed to is Jesus Christ. Satan doesn’t care if you’re a good person. He doesn’t care if you volunteer at the food bank, recycle your trash, and help old ladies cross the street. He doesn’t care if you are kind, generous, and well-liked by everyone in your community. He cares that you don’t bow your knee to Jesus. Here’s the deception that is damning millions. Satan has convinced people that morality equals spirituality. That being a good person is the same as being a Christian. That if you live right, treat people well, and avoid the big sins, you are acceptable to God.Titus 3:5 ESV he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.The Pharisees had impeccable morals. They followed the law meticulously. They were well respected, disciplined, and religiously devoted. Jesus called them children of the devil. Why? Not because their morals were bad. Because their morals replaced Christ. Satan’s greatest trick is not making bad people worse. It’s making good people think they don’t need a Savior. Most of the world has Satan pictured as a red horned man with a pitch fork and a pointed tall. They think of him as the evil one that convinces people to kill, steal and cheat. However Satan's greatest tool is deception. Think about it, the atheist who feeds the homeless thinks he’s good enough without God. The Buddhist who meditates and practices compassion thinks they are enlightened without Christ. The Muslim who prays five times daily thinks he’s righteous without Jesus. The moral Christian who goes to church, pays his tithe, and avoids scandal thinks he’s saved without surrender. All of them are headed to the same place, hell and eternal separation from God. Because morality doesn’t save.Ephesians 2: 8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.Satan loves good people who reject Jesus. They’re his best advertisement for the lie that you can earn your way to heaven. They are living proof that you can be kind without Christ, be generous without God, be disciplined without the Holy Spirit, be respected without redemption and still be lost. Here is what most people fail to comprehend, Satan doesn’t need to make you do bad things, to murder your brother, to steal from your friends or to have an affair with another man's wife. He just needs to keep you from doing the ONE thing that matters the most, surrender to Christ.John 3:36 ESV Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.You can live a moral life and still die lost. You can be a good person and still face judgment. You can avoid all the big sins and still end up separated from God forever. Because the only sin that damns you eternally is rejecting Jesus Christ. The murderer who repents and believes in Christ will be in heaven. The thief who turned to Jesus on the cross is in Heaven. The prostitute who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears is in heaven. However the moral, religious person who rejects Jesus Christ is damned to hell for eternity. That is why Satan loves all the good people of the worSupport the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I pride myself at being good at a few things. I believe that I am pretty good at mowing my yard and keeping it weed free. I spend a lot of hours in my garden making sure that it is perfectly tilled and that I have the biggest and best possible produce. I may not be perfect at either, but I feel confident I am pretty darn good. Also, I tell my wife that I am the perfect husband and there are none better than me, so far I think she believes me! For the majority of my life I have wanted to excel at everything I do. Perfectionism can lead to finding your identity in accomplishments and when things don't work out as you have planned you may find yourself at the least feeling disappointed and at worst becoming depressed. No matter what I may tell my wife, I am not perfect and I never will be! In my walk with Jesus, I want to be a perfect Christian. In my mind, the ideal Christian is someone who lives a sacrificial life. This person is obviously a missionary, lives among the poor and has adopted at least seven children and they have hour-long quiet times every day. They never yell at their kids or spouse and their house is immaculate. They also disciple many younger adults or teens and have an ideal marriage. They are, in a sense, perfect!!! However, perfectionism can be devastating for a Christian.Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God!The perfect Christian does not exist! It is easy for us to look at someone who is living an “extreme life” for the Gospel, someone who is a missionary in some far off location or is leading a large congregation of people and be convinced they have it all together, but I promise you, even though they may look perfect on the exterior, they struggle with sin daily. There is one thing that I am perfect at, I am the perfect sinner. I can always count on myself to do that thing that I shouldn't do and fail to do the things that I should.  Romans 7:15 ESV For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. In Romans, Paul confesses that he does not understand why he continues to sin. He wants to do righteousness, but he does not do it. Rather, he finds that he commits sin, the very thing he hates!!! I have to admit that I really connect with Paul when it comes to failing to be the Christian I want to be. We live in a day, when sin is normalized. The world does its best to make sin seem acceptable. They sit comfortably in it and make it look so good. For example, the LGBTQ community says that all sorts of sinful relationships are perfectly fine, because they love one another. It is so easy as a Christian to look the other way so that you are not accused of being hateful or intolerant. It is the nature of man, even the nature of a believer, to over look sin, to be entangled in sin. It happens so easily. Hebrews 12:1 NASB Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us.When we constantly strive for unattainable perfection, we are chasing after something that will never satisfy. We are chasing after a fleeting goal that will never compare to the love and peace found in our sweet Savior. God never meant for us to spend our days toiling to reach an eventual state of human perfection. Our idea of perfection is often rooted in selfish ambition and a desire for more. So friend, let us lay aside our desire for perfection and instead cling to God's perfect grace and love!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Soon after my marriage to my first wife ended, I became a single father doing my best to raise 3 little girls, My oldest Samantha was 8 years old, Sophia was 6 and Sara was 18 months. I spent the next 4 years of my life earnestly searching for and praying for a wife, someone that could come along side me and help me raise girls. Because I was not the smartest guy in the world when came to understanding females. Oh, I knew the physical anatomy of girls but I knew nothing about the emotional issues. I was a typical man, I just wanted to know how to fix stuff and as their father I felt a high calling to fix every problem that arose. Little did I know that some female problems can not be fixed. So in my anguish and absolute failure to fix things, I prayed for a wife, but it seemed God was not listening. James 4:3 ESV You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. It was hard for me to believe that God did not want me to have a wife to help me raise my girls, after all in the very beginning God said it was not good for man to be alone. However, looking back over the years now I have realized that the reasons I was asking God to answer my prayers for a wife were selfish and had nothing at all to do with bringing Glory to God, they were for Jeff alone, so that I could get out of life the one thing I desired the most, love!!! There are many different ways God answers our prayers. Some of the most common answers to prayer are: No, I love you too much, Yes, but you'll have to wait, Yes, but not what you expected, Yes, and here's more, Yes, I thought you'd never ask. In my case, God answer to my prayer was, Yes Jeff, I have a wife for you, but your gonna have to wait. Psalm 27:14 ESV Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Waiting, I must say, is not something I do well. It seems there is not a day goes by that we do not spend a portion of it waiting. We wait at the stoplight. We wait in line at the grocery store. We wait for our children get ready for so that we can get where we are going. We wait at the restaurant for our food. We wait for the insurance company to approve a medical treatment. I could go on but I think you understand, waiting is part of life, even if you don't like it.... Immediate answers to prayer, you want them, I want them, but God does not always work that way. And to get his best, we must be patient. However there is one prayer that God always answers the same and always answers immediately. That is the prayer for salvation from repentant sinner. Romans 10: 9-11 ESV because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” Many people think prayer is complicated, but it is not hard at all. Romans 10, verse 9 couldn't be any simpler, it says very plainly. “confess with your mouth and believe in your heart.” If you pray, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Today, I make Jesus the Lord of my life. I believe He died so I could be forgiven and rose again to give me life. This prayer God always answer immediately and with a resounding yes!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening A thousand ways to die was a television series that aired from 2008 to 2012. The program recreated unusual deaths, some based on true events and some on urban legends. The show interviewed experts who describe the science behind each death. Over the years the human race has become experts at killing each other. The history of war begins with the evolution from primitive hunting with spears to organized warfare, marked by the first recorded war in 2700 BC. During, The Bronze Age, warfare intensified, with dedicated armies and the development of metal weapons like swords and spears. Two other commonly named periods of the increase of warfare are the Axial Age and Modern Times. The invention of gunpowder, and its use in warfare, together the invention of the atomic bomb has forever changed warfare. Currently the acceleration of technological is changing war all together!Isaiah 54:17 NKJV No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me, Says the Lord. No matter how many ways man finds to kill each other, as Christians our confidence rests upon the sure promises of the all-powerful God. Who reminds us throughout His Word, that He is the Almighty, Sovereign Ruler of the universe, and has given us His assurance that no weapon, whether physical or spiritual, will prosper against His children. A weapon is anything designed to inflict harm. The apostle Paul tells us that we have been given tools to fight against our enemy, but our weapons are not ordinary weapons or even like modern day weapons such as automatic guns, fighter jets or even atomic bombs. The weapons we fight with are not like the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power.2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. Often, the enemy hits us with spiritual attacks such as confusion, depression, anger, anxiety, fear, temptation, and loneliness. But the Lord has given us His Word as our sword and faith as our shield. Ephesians 6: 13-18 ESV Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.God is in command. He controls both those who make weapons and those who use them. He has already won the war. Through Jesus Christ, He has defeated the final enemy, death, and purchased for us eternal life. As God’s people, we can be confident in the Lord’s victory over every enemy. Nothing built, sharpened, aimed, or fired against you, your family, your church family, God’s kingdom, or God’s people will succeed. This is a promise from God, every child of God can say, no weapon formed against me shall prosper!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening The octagonal Heinz ketchup bottle was patented in 1890. The bottle is know for its iconic shape. However, the eight sided ketchup bottle posed issues for both the consumer and the brand. Consumers were often perplexed by the difficulty of getting the thick condiment out of the bottle. Sometimes, they resorted to sticking a knife in the bottle, resulting in a messy red goo all over the handle. Pounding on the bottom of the bottle sometimes worked. But, at times, it produced a flying burst of ketchup that could land anywhere. Eventually, Heinz found a way to take the stress out of the ketchup bottle. The inverted the plastic squeeze bottle let people start applying the ketchup with a lot less effort and frustration, even when the bottle was nearly empty. Stress and pressure that comes from stress comes in many forms, much more frustrating then getting some ketchup on your hamburger. Here are some things that may cause you stress: the toilet is plugged, the water heater burst and flooded the house, the alarm didn't go off and your running late for work and on the way to work you hit every red light possible, the temperature is freezing and your car won't start and your kids are sick and you must stay home from work and your already so far behind you feel like you will never get caught up. This is only the beginning of the list of things that can stress you. Philippians 4:6 ESV do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Stress, pressure, we work under it. We are driven by it. We suppress it. We deny it and try to escape it. We take vitamins for it. We feel it in our chest. Our stomach churns. Our palms get sweaty. And all of us are squeezed by it. What comes out of you when you are squeezed? What comes out of you when milk is spilled all over the brand new carpet? What comes out of you when a child throws a tantrum at the worst possible time or when you get cut off in traffic, or your husband says something unloving? Thank God I never say anything unflattering to my wife!... The truth is: whatever is inside of you will spill out when you are squeezed under the pressure and stress of life! The bible tells us that there is a holy war going on inside of us. Our flesh wants to scream and lash out at the person or thing that has squeezed us and caused us stress. Romans 7: 18-19 ESV For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. 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. When the stress of life puts the squeeze on and I want my own space, my own way, my own silence or rest. I need to remember that Jesus left the comfort of His home in heaven, where He was worshiped and adored to die on a cross for me a rebellious sinners!Romans 5:8 ESV but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He died for me, even though when I am squeezed by the pressures of life and I react in a way that is far less then heavenly and am everything or anything but perfect, He still forgives and loves me. He loved me enough to send his only begotten Son to die for me. Christ died for us while we were still sinners, which is to say that Christ didn’t die for the perfect and the put together, as if there are any such people. He died for the weak, the wicked, the broken, the rebellious, the ungodly. God, in His divine nature, didn't wait for us to be worthy or even to seek Him out, but actively pursued us, a rebellious and evil people.Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening There is a faith based marketing campaign titled, “He Gets Us.” They use advertising to encourage people to explore their questions about Jesus. Essentially, "Got Questions" is a creative marketing tool by the "He Gets Us" campaign to spark dialogue and invite people to ask questions about Jesus and their personal faith journey. I have no idea who is behind this campaign or what their core theology is and I don't want to start a debate about the content of the television ads they run. I do know this, they have spent millions of dollars to get what appears on the surface as a faith based message into a Superbowl ad and for that I applaud their fortitude and tenacity in witnessing and evangelism. The bible tells us however that cautious skepticism is always important.1 John 4:1 ESV Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. When you have questions where or to whom to you turn? For the majority of my life, my “Go to” person to ask both difficult questions and to get reassurance that I am making the right decision is my father. He has always made time to listen to me and to give me simple straight forward advice, without being critical of me. I know you may say that I should be going to God in prayer for the answers I am searching but I have been blessed by God with an earthly father that I know has a personal relationship with God himself and I am confident that the answers he gives me are based on his relationship with God. It is an amazing blessing!!!... to be able to both see in his life actions and hear in his words the way a Christian man should live.Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 ESV And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.I don't feel like I have any personal abundance of knowledge, or to put it simply, I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I have found that my children on occasion now come to me with their difficult questions. I am not as nice or as patient with my children as my father was with me. Occasionally when they say, “Dad what should I do with my misbehaving teenage child?” I reply with, well I remember a teenage child that once lived in my home that did the same things, do you remember what happened to you?... I know that is not a very nice response, but even in my criticism I want them to pause, cool down and take a deep breath and not fly off the handle with the discipline of their teenage child realizing they once did the same thing. I am thankful that when I have to most difficult questions in life that I am either to shy or to embarrassed to ask my earthly father, I can go to my heavenly father without fear!James 1:5 ESV If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. You need wisdom every day. You need wisdom in dating, communication, marriage, parenting, finances, and conflict. You make decisions every day. How you react to your family, what you say to others, or what you don’t say, how you spend your money, how you handle an offense, and how you handle a crisis. Your lifestyle may be the only bible many ever read and for that you need wisdom every day. Got Questions? Ask God!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I was listening to Christian radio the other day and the host of the program asked this question. Why do so many people have dusty bibles and shiny new electronic devices? This really made me take a deeper look at my habits. I opened up the settings on my phone. In the section called, digital well being, a very appropriate title I must say, I looked up the amount of time I spent on my cell phone. In one week, my total screen time was 12 hours and 31 minutes. Wow! I must admit I was a bit ashamed that I had wasted so much time. It is my personal belief that the Devils greatest tool is distraction. If Satan was to look me in the eye and say, I want you to steal from your employer, or I want you to cheat on your wife or even worse yet I want you to kill that person that most irritates you, I would without hesitation reply absolutely not! However, Satan is so much more subtle and sly. I don't think twice about the amount of time I spend on social media. I even believe that some of the time I use social media and the internet can be a tool to spread God's message and while it is true that some of time I spend using my electronic device is for evangelism, it is only a very small portion of the over 12 hours a week I spent staring at the screen of my cell phone! Everyone, no matter who they are, has 168 hours a week, and we’re supposed to spend about a third of it sleeping, and then another large amount of that likely goes to work. But in terms of what we call discretionary time, how much do we actually have? And how are we spending it? Scripture tells us to redeem the time and make the most of the time we’ve been given. Ephesians 5: 15-17 ESV Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. I must admit that modern technology has really changed me. It hasn't made me into an evil person, a thief, a mass murderer, but it certainly has transformed me into a person that not the best version of myself. Before it became so easy to pick up my cell phone and just google anything I wanted a quick answer to I spent more time talking to my parents and other more mature Christian friends. If you take the cover off my bible the binder is held together with duct tape. Inside the front page I have hand written the verses that are the “Romans Road” and I even have the page numbers written down so that I can quickly find them. I have many hand written notes and highlighted verses in my bible. Now I rely on artificial intelligence and the posts of people that I don't know. I have no idea if the information aligns with the word of God or not unless I stop and take time to get out my good old fashion bible and look it up in God's word. This doesn’t mean that there’s no time for fun, hanging out with friends and family, barbecues, or watching a good movie. Our leisure time can be used in ways that please God.1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. So the answer isn’t believing that spending time doing the things we enjoy is automatically wrong. Hobbies and God-honoring entertainment can be an enriching part of an abundant, satisfying, and happy life. If your approach to free time is staring at your cell phone and wasting countless hours on social media, then we’re likely neglecting other important things God has called us to do. Are we building relationships with our neighbors and the people God has brought into our lives? Who are we serving or reaching out to? So put down your shiny electronic device and dust off your bible!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Many people have suffered the loss of a spouse or a child and in a moment of despair have cried out to God and said, “If you really loved me then why did you let my loved one die?” If God is all powerful, and if prayer really works, then why I am here at this tombstone morning the death of my loved one? This is such a difficult question and to be honest with you I don't have a good answer. However, I can tell you this; it is important that we confess to God how we really feel. He already knows it, of course, but we need to be honest with Him and ourselves and face our own need of healing. The real proof of God's love is the fact that he allowed His only begotten son to die on the cross so that we can be forgiven.John 3:16 ESV For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus death is only the beginning, not the end. At the moment we close our eyes in this world and our heart beats it's last beat we will enter the kingdom of heaven and be in the presence of God. Luke 23:43 ESV And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.So how are we as Christians supposed to react when our spouse or child is terminally ill? Second Samuel chapter 12 says that King David prayed fervently for God to heal his son. David would not eat, he fasted and prayed day and night. The elders tried to get David up, they tried to get him to eat something but he refused, his life, all his thoughts and prayers were focused on his prayers for God to heal his son. He prayed non stop for seven days, but on the seventh day the child died. Because God did not answer David's prayers for his son to be healed, did that mean He didn't love David? No not at all! In a way the child was healed because at the moment his life ended, he entered into the kingdom of Heaven where is there is no more sickness.Revelation 21:4 ESV He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.The Bible tells us to be thankful to God for all things in first Thessalonians 5:18. It is not that we thank God that loved ones have been taken from us, but that our loved ones are in Heaven where pain and death will never touch them again. Be thankful that God is with us in our own grief. God is still in control, even when we do not understand all that happens in this life. I personally had two sons die. The first had genetic disorder, that at the time could not be cured. The second got his umbilical cord around his neck and was still born. My grief was nearly unbearable. If it had not been for the love and support of my wonderful Christian parents and siblings I am not sure I could have managed the grief. When you are in the midst of the deepest, darkest, despair you have ever felt because your spouse, your child or other loved one has died, remember the pain that Jesus endured for us on the cross. He suffered unlike anyone in all of history. I will never know in this life my my boys had to die but one day when I rejoin them in heaven, I will finally understand!1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Forty-four percent of Americans say they are very satisfied with the way things are going in their personal life. This is according to information gathered by surveys conducted by the Gallup corporation, a firm know for its public opinion polls. According to Gallup there has been a continued decline in personal satisfaction since January 2020, when the measure peaked at 65%, just before Covid. Gallup also reported that those who attend church on a regular basis and those who are wealthy are more likely to report that are satisfied with their lives. What would it take for you to be satisfied with your life? In Philippians Paul describes has he has had both abundance and need and was still satisfied.Philippians 4: 11-12 ESV Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. Like Paul, James had learned to be joyful and optimistic through trials and testing because he understood them to be privileged occasions for growth.James 1: 2-4 ESV Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. There is a tale of a king who suffered from a painful ailment. His counselors advised him, the only cure was to find a contented man, get his shirt, and wear it night and day. So, the king sent messengers to find such a man, with orders to bring back his shirt. After months of searching the kingdom, they returned empty-handed. The king asked his servants, did you find a contented man in all my kingdom? Yes, O king, we found only one they replied. Then why did you not bring back his shirt, the king demanded? The servants replied, my king the man had no shirt. I am a lot like the king in this story. In this imperfect world I am searching for a cure, for satisfaction... and there never seems to be enough for me to be satisfied. I would like to say that I am satisfied with all that I have, but unlike Paul and James I have not yet perfected my faith and I fear that I won't be truly satisfied ever. I know I sin and fall short of God's glory daily, and I feel I will not be satisfied until that day when I awake in Glory. There is an old hymn that describes well where you can find true satisfaction and the lyrics go like this: I am satisfied with Jesus, He has done so much for me: He has suffered to redeem me, He has died to set me free. I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied with Jesus, But the question comes to me, As I think of Calvary, Is my Savior satisfied with me? For those who are believers, the question of God's satisfaction is answered through faith in Jesus Christ. If you have placed your trust in Jesus, God sees you as holy and righteous, not based on your own actions, but because of what Jesus has done at Calvary! 1 Peter 2:24 ESV He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. We can carry around our Bibles every day and remain unchanged. However, if we study Scripture and persist in prayer, by faith, we encounter the One who is worthy of our worship. He provides us with true satisfaction, no mater if you currently are living in prosperity or total emptiness. No matter the challenges you face today my friend, come to Jesus. He will satisfy your deepest needs!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I am confident at some point in time you have heard the saying, “A job worth doing is a job worth doing right!” This means that if a job is started, it should be completed with care, and to the best of my ability. You should take pride in what you do and emphasize quality over quantity, rather than just going through the motions or doing a half-hearted job. Essentially, if something is worth doing at all, it's worth doing well. I spend a lot of time in my garden. I call it my dirt therapy! I take pride in my garden and when things don't go as I had hoped, I am is very disappointed! It also gives me a great sense of accomplishment to share the things I grow in my garden with those I love! Have you ever wondered what you will be doing in heaven? I bet work and having a job is probably the last thing you think of when you imagine Heaven. After all, doesn’t the Bible describe Heaven, as a place of rest? How could there possibly be work in a place of rest?Isaiah 65: 21-23 NIV They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. If you were to ask the average Christian to describe what Heaven is like, you are more likely to hear descriptions of floating on a cloud than you will building houses or planting and tending to vineyards and gardens. The thought of working in heaven may be distasteful to some, especially to those who have spent their lives at a job that was physically or mentally demanding. But work in heaven will be quite unlike our jobs that we work at in this world. Our job in eternity will simply be to serve God. Heavenly work is often described as service to God and others, a continuation of the good works that believers are called to on Earth, but without the weariness and limitations of this life. I am not sure where the idea of heaven being a place where we lounge around on clouds, strumming a harp comes from, but it does not come from the Bible. From the beginning, God intended work to be part of the human experience. Work was His design; even before the fall, Adam had a job, as God placed him in the garden to work it and take care of it, and Eve was to assist with the work, as God created Eve to be Adam’s helper.Genesis 2:15 NIV The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:20 NIV So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.Before the fall, the work God gave Adam and Eve was fulfilling, invigorating, and provided a sense of purpose. Only after the introduction of sin into the world did man’s job become difficult. Even in our sinful world, work can still be good and can provide purpose and fulfillment. The problem is many things get in the way of enjoying a job, personal problems, unrealistic demands and physical or mental fatigue. In contrast, work in heaven will be pleasant and satisfying. There will be no conflicts, impractical expectations, or fatigue, and we’ll have the perfect Boss. So until that day when we reach our final destination and get our heavenly jobs. Do everything as if you were already working for God.Colossians 3:23 NIV Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Have you had one of those days when nothing seems to go right? I know I have my share of days when I look back at what I have accomplished for the day and I feel like I have been working my tail off... all day... and I still don't have anything to show for it. Days like this just make you want to through your hands in the air and say, I give up! There is a song by Brandon Lake titled, Hard Fought Hallelujah. The lyrics to the first verse and chorus go like this: I don't always feel it, but that's when I need God the most. So I'll keep on singing, Til my soul catches up with my song. There are times when my hands go up freely and times that it costs me dearly. There's days when the praise comes out easy and days when it takes all the strength I've got. So I'll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, been-through-hell hallelujah. I'll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail, story-to-tell hallelujah, Cause God, You've been patient, God You've been gracious and faithful whatever I'm feeling or facing. So I'll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, it-is-well hallelujah!John 16:33 ESV I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.While we will face persecution and hardships as Christians, God will comfort and reward those who remain steadfast in faith! Jesus told the disciples to be of good cheer just as they were about to face the darkest, most troubling time of their lives. He would soon be leaving them, and Jesus knew that severe persecution, suffering, and even death awaited each of His disciples. The disciples were grieved and confused as Jesus said, “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” They would all scatter, and most would abandon Him at the cross. But soon after, their doubt and fear would be transformed into faith and peace. Jesus told them, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In the original language, the words translated as be of good cheer and take heart can also be understood as be bold, be confident, or be courageous. Jesus taught the disciples that they could have inner peace and courage. amid tribulation only by placing their faith in Him.1 John 2: 28 ESV So now, little children, remain in Him so that when He appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at his coming.In this world, you will encounter persecution and suffering, just as Jesus did!... Even if you face the threat of death, you can say, thanks be to God! Persecution to the point of death, now that is what I call a “Hard Fought Hallelujah!” However, be of good cheer, be joyous, be lighthearted, exuberant even, because Jesus has conquered the world. While the world offers only trouble, threat, and danger, we do not have to be anxious or afraid. We can be of good cheer because we belong to the One who has overcame the world! Nothing in this world can harm us because we belong to the One who is the most powerful and sits at the right hand of God. If you believe in Jesus and belong to Him, you too have overcome the world because the One living in you is greater than the one in the world.1 John 4:4 ESV Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. So the next time your wrestling with the darkness of this world, the next time your struggling just to get through the day, bring your hard-fought, heartfelt, been-through-hell hallelujah to the one to whom one day every knee will bow! Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening When I was a teenage boy I questioned all authority, especially that of my parents. If my parents asked me to do something well then that was enough motivation for me to do the opposite. It didn't matter if they asked me nicely, tried to bribe me or simply demanded that I do something, I did everything in my power to do the opposite of what they asked, even if I knew it would be good for me. They were the ultimate authority in my life I wanted to be my own ultimate authority. Many years down the road I began to raise my own family and I soon developed a bit a respect for what my parents were trying to do for this very strong willed child. I think I have since apologized to them for all the trials and tribulations I caused them, but if I have not, I will now, sorry Dad and Mom for all the trouble and grief that I caused you. It doesn't matter who you are in this world we all have some authority we must answer to from the homeless person living on the street to the President of the United States living in the white house. We will all answer to someone, and one day we will all bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.Philippians 2:8-11 ESV And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Who or what is the ultimate authority in your life? Is your employer your authority, is it law enforcement or is it still your parents? How much authority does the holy word of God have in your life? How has God and the scriptures influenced your life? When I was still living at home my parents drugged me, they drug me to church every time the doors were open. I am sure I acted up in church doodled on the bulletin and did everything I could think of to distract myself and those around me, but this was most certainly one of the best things my parents forced me to do. Even though I thought that I was totally ignoring the preacher and all the Sunday school teachers, some of what they were saying sunk into my hard head.Proverbs 22:6 ESV Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. My parents were committed to teaching and raising their children to know Jesus Christ as their own personal savior, and I thank God they were! You must be committed to everything the bible says. Every single word in the bible is the truth and not one single dot or tiddle, even the smallest letter, or one single pen stroke will pass away before all things written in the bible are accomplished. If you claim to be a Christian you must be committed to every single word, every command in God's law. Look at the 10 commandment for example. Some of the commandments are much easier to keep. It is not hard for me to obey, thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, honor your father and mother is easier for me now than it once was, but some of the others are not so easy to keep, such as you shall not covet your neighbors stuff and you shall not have any other God's before me. Wow! Did that last one surprise you a little bit! I know it did, admit it! The person telling you that you must be committed to every word of the bible is saying that he struggles with having other God's. Oh my gosh how can this be! You hypocrite, yes I am a hypocrite and I bet you are as well. Yes from time to time I tend to give other things in my life a higher priority, more importance than I do God's word. Sometimes my camper or my garden is more important to me than studyingSupport the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening When my kids were still living at home and going to school upon occasion they would attempt to fake an illness to skip school. Maybe they had a test or report due at school that they thought they were going to do badly on or they may have been afraid someone was going to pick on them. No matter what the reason they had for not attending school, dear old Dad had a stead fast rule, if you were not puking to pooping uncontrollably, you were going to school. Most of the time this worked for me, however there were a few times it backfired on me and the school nurse would call me and tell me I had to come pick up my sick kid. Forty percent of all Americans say they attended worship on the previous weekend. However, Sociologists of religion have questioned that figure, saying Americans tend to exaggerate how often they attend. By actually counting the number of people who showed up at a representative sample of churches, it was found that only 20% of the population attended church each weekend. Recent research using cell phone data has indicated that significantly fewer people are likely attending every week. The estimate could be only 10% of Americans attend church weekly. In 2000, the median worship attendance was 137. In 2010 it was 105. In 2020 it was 65. Today 55 is the Median worship attendance that is a decline of 60% in two decades.  Hebrews 10: 24-25 ESV And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. My children came up with some very creative ways of faking illness in an attempt to skip school and Americans today have as many or more different reasons for skipping church as my children had for skipping school. According to Pew Researchers 4 in 10 Americans who do not attend church say they practice their faith in other ways. Now that is about as ambiguous answer as I have every heard! According to this same study 37% do not attend because they have a dislike for religious services. 23% said they said they have not found a church they like yet, 18% said they didn't like the sermons, 14% said they did not feel welcome, 12% said they simply didn't have the time. However, in my personal opinion here is the scariest data of all, 28% of those surveyed said there were not a believer in God at all! Yes, I know these figures may not add up to a total of 100% but that is because many of those surveyed gave multiple reasons why they did not attend church! Outwardly people may seem religious. They may make a profession of Christianity, but their actions speak louder than their words. By their ungodly behavior, they show that they are living a lie. There is no evidence of the power of God in their lives.2 Timothy 3: 1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.Many have given up on the church because they have experienced hurt, betrayal, and abuse. However, Christ said the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church. Christ loved the church and gave his life for her. We must love the church as well and be faithful to her. We must persevere in, love, we must minister to the church. Do you still love your church? Are you faithfully tithing, attending and ministering in your church? Or are you justSupport the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening Unless you have been living under a rock you have been to Walmart and seen some really weird outfits. I know there have been times I have noticed someones outfit and thought to myself I wouldn't have left the house in that, let alone worn it in public. There is even a website that is devoted to the strange outfits and antics of Walmart customers. The site, “The People of Walmart,” is a humorous site that depicts the many customers of Walmart stores across the United States and Canada, through funny photos. My difficult question for you is this: what are you looking at? What are you focusing on? If you spend to much time looking at the world you will soon become distressed, If you spend to much time looking at yourself you will become depressed but if you focus on and look to God you will find rest! As Christians we are called to be in the world but not of the world.John 15:19 ESV If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Jesus understood the tension we would experience as Christians living in a hostile world. So what does it really mean to be in the world, but not of the world? How do we decide which shows we should watch, which environments we should avoid or which activities are out of bounds? Look to the word of God, focus on bible study. The sad fact is that the only way to completely avoid all sinful experiences or influences is to leave this world altogether. You will always experience temptation until that day you enter into eternity in heaven. The fact that you might be in a location where your Christian view is challenged is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, God may have placed you there so you can have a positive impact on those who don’t yet know Jesus. As Christians we are to be a light in a dark and sin filled world.Matthew 5:14-16 ESV You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. So the question we must ask ourselves is how bright is our light. When you see that person dressed in some crazy outfit at Walmart that you just can't un-see it burns a memory in your head. What exactly are people seeing in your day to day actions? What influence is your life having on those around you? Living the Christian lifestyle is so difficult! Sometimes our light stops shining because we have started to crave the world more than we want to change it. This can happen to anyone, even those of us who are active in our church. We begin to pursue pleasure, attention, and money more than we strive after spiritual things like faith, love, and a close relationship with God. Worldly things promise us a lot, but ultimately leave us empty. God’s path leads to an inspiring, fulfilling, and purposeful life. 1 John 2:15-17 ESV 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 all that is in the world the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Worldly distractions can pull your focus away from your faith. So who are you looking at, the things of the world or the things of God? Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I am pretty confident that most of us have had one of those, “What If” moments where you wondered just how things may have turned out differently if you had made a different choice. My biggest, “What If” moment has just recently came across my mind. When I turned 18, I signed up for the draft because I was required to. I thought myself I will serve if drafted, but I am not going to volunteer. I had several of my classmates signed up to serve in the armed forces right out of high school and now they are comfortably retired and only working at things they enjoy doing. It has made me think to myself, how would my life had been different if I had joined the military and made a career of it? First I would have gotten married at a very young age and had 3 girls and 2 boys, that passed away as infants. I also wouldn't have had a failed marriage after 8 years and been a single father for 4 years. I also wouldn't have met the love of my life Joyce Ellis who helped me raise my 3 girls. Finally, I wouldn't have 6 grandchildren ranging in age from 18 years old to 12 years old. There is no way to know what my life would have looked like. The choices you make in life are similar to throwing a rock into a body of water. It makes waves which ripple out for a long way. Here is my difficult question for you, what if you had enough faith in this life to do all that God would have you to do? Matthew 17: 19-20 ESV Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. If I had the faith to follow God without fail the impacts of my actions wouldn't be like the ripples caused by throwing a rock into a body of water, it would be more like the wave cased by a tsunami. Everyone and everything around you would be effected by your actions. However the truth of life is that we all live in a broken and sin filled world. We have all been betrayed in one way or another and this causes us to lose our trust in others and ultimately find it difficult to completely trust God. True Faithfulness comes from a place of trust and loyalty. Hebrews 11:1 ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. As a Christian, it is important to be faithful to God. It is one thing to simply believe in Him, but another to be faithful to Him. When we are truly faithful to God, this shapes the way we live. Faithfulness requires us to submit our ways to God. It comes from a place of realizing that we are in need of a Savior and that He is in control of our lives. Proverbs 19:21 ESV Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. So, how do we grow in our faithfulness? We can grow in our faithfulness by having a personal relationship with Christ. If we are truly faithful to Him and obey His commands, this will be evident in our lives. My challenge to you is this: Think about the ways you show your faithfulness to God. Are there things that are getting in the way of your faithfulness? What areas of your life have you not given over to God? Through spending time in prayer, ask God to make these things clear to you, so that you can grow in your faithfulness. “What If” you were completely faithful in all you do? What If?Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I have a common response to all who ask me how I am doing, most days I reply, “If I were any better there would have to be two of my and my wife would say, WOO HOO!” If the truth be known my wife's response would likely be something more like, “OH NO!” My wife has the patience of Job! She has the ability to accept or tolerate all the harassing, teasing and torments I hand out without getting angry or upset or at least she doesn't lash out at me, but I can tell by the expression on her face she is angry. I can be a bit of a trouble maker and that is putting it nicely. I am so grateful for the grace my wife extends to me. As I have grown older and more spiritually mature I have become more aware of the grace that is extended to me by God. Daily I sin and fall short of the glory of God. Grace is not something earned through good works or merit; it's a spontaneous gift, offered freely and unconditionally.Ephesians 2: 8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.The Bible does not attempt to conceal the sins of those God choose to do his will. The people that adorn the pages of scripture made mistakes just like me! Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command and ate from the Tree of Knowledge, Cain murdered his brother, Noah got drunk and slept in the nude, Abraham and Isaac both lied about their wives, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, Moses killed an Egyptian, Jonah disobeyed God's command and ran from Nineveh and Lots daughters got him drunk and had children with him. Despite their sins God still used these people.Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.Let us face the fact, we came into the world with nothing, and we will leave it with nothing. Where do we get the notion that man’s idea of success and God’s are the same? You may have written a book and achieved some success. You may be a talented outdoors men and hunter. Maybe your a very successful farmer or maybe your good with your finances and have invested wisely and accumulated a great deal of money. Without the gifts of intelligence, imagination, personality, and physical energy, which are all endowed by God, where would you be? We are born poor and we die poor! We come into this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing. If we are anything, it is because God has blessed us with some talent or physical ability. Let's face it God doesn't need us! But he chooses to use us despite all our failures and sins to show his greatness. I once knew a person who told me, God can strike just as hard a lick with a crooked stick, and God knows I am a crooked stick. If God can use a lair, a drunk, an adultery and a murderer the he can use you and he can use me. God’s grace is amazing. His forgiveness knows no bounds. Whether you make one or one million bad choices, God will always take you back. He will always forgive you, because Jesus suffered the punishment for your sins on the cross. So if you mess up, admit it. Don’t let one bad choice lead to another. But also trust that no matter how hard you fall, no matter how low you sink, God’s grace for you knows no limits. Turn to him and find full and free forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 ESV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God accepts me warts and all! All I have, has been given to me by God's almighty hands. Forgive me when I tend to boast about my own accomplishments for I am nothing without Gods grace and love. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening In the early 90's there was a movie called, Wayne's World. Wayne and his best friend Garth run a popular cable access show called, Wayne’s World. They get the the attention of a TV executive who wants to exploit their show. In the movie there is a scene where Wayne and Garth repeatedly say, We're not worthy. It occurs when they meet Alice Cooper, a rock and roll icon. After Alice Cooper suggests they hang out with him, Wayne and Garth, in a state of extreme excitement and awe, react with the phrase, We're not worthy, which they repeat multiple times, along with other exclamations of self-deprecation. This may seem strange to you but there are times when I have a strong desire to lift someone up in prayer, but as I begin my prayer I suddenly feel especially remorseful. I want with all my heart to approach the throne of God with my prayers, but I recognize that because of my sins, I am Not Worthy!Psalm 51: 1-3 ESV Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.The world wide waste of time, the internet, especially social media has a tendency to occupy or waste way more of my time than it should. Frequently I find myself on Facebook and I stumble across a post that really infuriates me. I know I shouldn't pay attention to it but I find myself getting lost in the comments. Many of the responses are a retaliation to what this person shared in their post. My heart yearns to leave a witty comeback! With my fingers poised over my phone's keyboard, I try to devise a reply to that will let all those who have hatefully lashed out that this person know just how they are wrong they are! I come up with several retorts that I really want to post, but I ultimately decided it is better to do nothing than it is to reply in my furious state, so I hit close all apps and put my phone down. Satisfied with my good behavior, I mentally pat myself on the back for my ability to exert such excellent self-control. Doing the right thing is good in many ways, but it doesn’t change what’s in our heart. Jesus tells us that sin starts in the heart.Matthew 15: 18-19 ESV But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. If our sin isn’t dealt with at the core, it will grow out of control until it permeates our entire being, affecting our relationship with God. Although I practiced self-control by not posting a comment, my heart was unrepentant. Outwardly I looked clean, but on the inside, my heart was a muddy mess that still oozed pride and fury. Despite my good behavior, I still need to seek the Lord in true repentance. God delights in a heart that is truly remorseful! Psalm 51:17 ESV The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Rather than assuming that my good behavior is enough to make me right with God, I need to approach Him with the recognition that, I am Not Worthy, that even my most righteous acts are no more than filthy rags to God. I should have a repentant heart that wants to be made right so I can enjoy a better relationship with my heavenly Father. Because none of us are worthy, We are Not Worthy!!!Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening When my children were young there were several things that I was known for with all their friends. First, if your car blocked the driveway and you parked me in you would find your car at the top of the hill, a couple blocks away. If your car was not running right, I would fix it for you or if you wanted a new stereo installed in your car, well I was your man. I was also a bit ornery, matter of fact I was infamous for being a a joker. Children frequently describe their parents by the job or careers they have, their hobbies, and the types of activities they enjoy, such as reading, gardening, or cooking. Children describe their parents beliefs about right and wrong, based on the rules they are given. They describe their parents, using adjectives like "funny," "strict," "kind," "generous," or "helpful". In essence, their descriptions of their parents is a snapshot of how they perceive their parents characteristics, actions, personality, beliefs, and values. What would your children say your infamous for? Proverbs 22:6 ESV Train up a child in the way he should go; and even when he is old, he will not depart from it. I will be the first to tell you that when I was raising my kids, they were more likely to find me in the garage working on my race car than they were to find me with my bible studying God's word. As parents, we bear the responsibility of being a good example for our children. Our words and actions shape their understanding of God. Just as we are encouraged to learn from God's Word and apply it to our lives, we should also teach our children to do the same. There is a delicate balance between parental authority and ultimate obedience. The most successful parents have the wisdom to guide their children, not just through rules, but through the example of their lives. In Ephesians the bible tells us that Fathers and mothers, should not provoke their children to anger, but teach them discipline and instruction of the Lord. This verse encourages parents to discipline and instruct their children with love and guidance, not anger. I was blessed with two parents that kept God at the center of their lives. No matter what foolishness I had done on Saturday evening, I knew that my parents would be dragging me out of bed to go to Sunday school and church the next morning!Psalm 103:13 ESV As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. I am confident that when my parents stand before God they will receive a crown so full of jewels it will be hard for them hold their heads up. I know this because as a teenager if my parents asked me to do something I would intentionally do the opposite and yet the kept their composure. My parents showed me compassion and love when I deserved the opposite. I am sure there were moments when my parent questioned my sanity and prayed to God and asked Him what they did to deserve such treatment! My parents and my grandparents of both my mother and father's family were infamous for attending church nearly every time the doors were open and that trait was also demonstrated in their lives Monday through Saturday. Children will use words and phrases that they have seen and heard their parents say. I received a call from my daughter when she was in college one day and she said I can't believe it but I have become my father. I asked her what she meant and she told me that she had just told her room mate, were your born in a barn? Close the door and shut off the light, a phrase I had said to her many times when she was a child. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are was reciting the Lords prayer before a meal at a family reunion and receiving a bible as a Christmas gift. I still have that bible Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening I got married and started my family at a very young age. When I married my first wife I was 18 and she was only 16. We were married for 8 years and had 3 girls, who I love with all my heart. Our marriage failed for many reasons, but the main reason it failed is because God was not in the center of our relationship. I will be brutally honest with you! I chose my first wife for the same reason many men choose a bride. She was beautiful and I was consumed with fleshly desire for her. After the marriage failed, I spent the next 4 years of my life as a single father doing the best I could to raise 3 little girls. I had primary custody of the girls and their mother spent weekends and summers with them. I must say these were the most difficult years of my life. In Genesis God says it is not good for man to be alone!Genesis 2:18 ESV Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.In Genesis 2, God brought the creatures to Adam to see what he would call them. This act of naming was not just a matter of labeling, but a demonstration of Adam's dominion over creation and a way to show him the difference between himself and the animals. It also served as a test to see if Adam could find a suitable helper from among the creatures, ultimately leading to the creation of Eve. You really have to think deeply about this task to understand the real reason God asked Adam to name all of the animals of creation. God could have easily done this himself, with just his words he spoke them all in to existence, so why did God need Adam's help? The truth is God didn't need Adam's help. What I believe God was doing was teaching Adam a lesson. Naming a creature requires that Adam recognize that creature as God's creation and that the creature has a role to play in the world God created. As a result of getting to know the all of God's creatures it became clear that none of them were like Adam. None of them could be a suitable helper, which resulted in the creation of Eve, because it was not good for man to be alone.Genesis 2: 20-23 ESV The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.It was not good for Adam to be alone and it wasn't good for me either. In May of 1997 I married Joyce Hendren. Joyce and I have always put God first in our relationship. I will be the first to tell you that she makes me a better man. I have a tendency to be a bit ornery. To some I may seem to be a difficult husband, but I love my wife more than I do myself. I love her with all my heart and just like the bible says I would give up my life up to protect her. Ephesians 5: 25-30 ESV Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. Support the show

Love to hear from and know who is listening We all have that one person in our lives that the moment they walk into your presence just makes you grind and grit your teeth. When they speak there is just something about them that grates on your nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. Maybe this person is your next door neighbor, maybe they are a co-worker or worse yet, and I hope I am wrong,.. maybe they are a fellow church member! The minute you see this person you start searching for the nearest exit so you don't have to listen to them, to be irritated by them. Surrounding yourself with like minded people can be awesome. The encouragement you receive and the focus you’re able to achieve can be incredible. I’m convinced that creating a circle of like-minded people should be a non-negotiable task on my to-do list and if you know me very well, you know that I love my to-do list! I hate to inform you of this but there is danger in surrounding yourself only with like minded people. People who constantly agree with you. People who never challenge you and only affirm your beliefs. It becomes very easy to simply accept that something is true because enough of the people around you say it’s true. You accept that what you believe is right, just because people around you say it’s right... But you say, the bible tells me that I am not to forsake the gathering together of like minded believers.Hebrews 10: 24-25 ESV And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Yes you are right, we are not to forsake the gathering together of believers, but in the very first part of this verse is a couple very important words, stir-up. This verse tells us that we are to stir the pot, to motivate one another to love and good works, because the Day of the Lord's return is drawing near. There is another bible verse that many people misunderstand. The bible says that iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another.Proverbs 27: 17 ESV Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Most people think that this just means surrounding yourself with good friends makes you better. But sharpening isn't comfortable. It is friction with sparks flying everywhere. Iron doesn't sharpen iron by sitting next to you. It sharpens by clashing with you, by creating heat and irritation. If your friends never challenge you, call you out or push you to be stronger, they are not sharpening you. True Christian friendship is not about comfort. It is not about affirming your desires. It is not being a consumer of Christianity and getting all you can get. It is about forging Christians that are strong, wise and holy through real accountability. If no one ever irritates you, if no one every applies pressure to you and creates some friction, you will never be sharpened. You must be challenged in order to learn. I can tell you from my own experience that there are times that God's word, spoken to me in love by a brother or sister in Jesus Christ, can cut to the bone.Hebrews 4:12 ESV For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. If these words have some how irritated you then they have accomplished their purpose. Hopefully I have helped you to discern your thoughts and showed you the intentions of your heart, sharpening you into a better person!Support the show