Before The Day Ends

Last time we looked at Matthew 5 through 7 and Jesus’ new covenant with us.  Today, we dig into this new covenant we have with Jesus as He gives us an unexpected definition of who God is. You can now subscribe to our You Tube channel as well.  For handouts for our sessions, please visit https://www.beforethedayends.org/mission-one.  The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word.  Follow our channel on Rumble to receive updates when new episodes are released. 

We traditionally call Matthew 5-7 the “Sermon on the Mount.”  However, this first teaching of Jesus in Matthew is so much more!  For handouts for our sessions, please visit https://www.beforethedayends.org/mission-one.  The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word.  Follow our channel on Rumble to receive updates when new episodes are released. 

Jesus’ mission begins right were John’s left off.  Today, we will talk about repentance, turning and discipleship.  For handouts for our sessions, please visit https://www.beforethedayends.org/mission-one.  The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word.  Follow our channel on Rumble to receive updates when new episodes are released. 

In this episode we  explore the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness and its connections with Moses and the Israelite nation.  For handouts for our sessions, please visit https://www.beforethedayends.org/mission-one.  The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word.  Follow to our channel on Rumble to receive updates when new episodes are released.  Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

In this episode we  explore the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry with His baptism by John.  For handouts for our sessions, please visit beforethedayends.org.  The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word.  Follow to our channel on Rumble to receive updates when new episodes are released. Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

In this episode we skip ahead 30 years to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.  But, first, we need to learn a bit about John the Baptist and what people were expecting. The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word.  Follow to our channel on Rumble to receive updates when new episodes are released.  Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

In this episode we will be exploring Matthew 2:1-12 with a special emphasis on the visit of the Magi. The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word.  Follow our channel to receive updates when new episodes are released.  Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

In this episode we will be exploring Matthew 1:18-25 with a special emphasis on Joseph. The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word.  Subscribe to our channel to receive updates when new episodes are released.  Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

In this episode we will be exploring Matthew 1:1-18 (with a sneak peak at Matthew's use of Emmanuel). The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word. Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

Today, we will explore the literary background of Matthew and the brilliant way that Matthew organized his story of Jesus' life. How Matthew is Organized: https://www.beforethedayends.org/copy-of-daniel-11-and-second-centur The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word. Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

Part two of our exploration of the world of Matthew's Gospel. Link to Parallels in Daniel 11 to the Second Century BC: https://www.beforethedayends.org/copy-of-translation-of-psalm-73 The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word. Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

oday we begin a two part series on the world of Matthew's Gospel. The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word. Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word. Each mission has been designed to be about 10 minutes long so that it can fit into any part of your day. Why do we call these videos “missions” instead of classes or lectures? Let’s face it, classes and lectures sound a bit boring. We choose to call these brief encounters with God’s Word, “missions” because we want to have a laser focus on growing, learning and engaging the Bible in a new and practical way. Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word. Each mission has been designed to be about 10 minutes long so that it can fit into any part of your day. Why do we call these videos “missions” instead of classes or lectures? Let’s face it, classes and lectures sound a bit boring. We choose to call these brief encounters with God’s Word, “missions” because we want to have a laser focus on growing, learning and engaging the Bible in a new and practical way. Check out our new book: Paperback Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R281VYB Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2B6TP2

The Before the Day Ends Mission One Video Series is a collection of fun, informative and challenging videos which explore God’s Word.  Each mission has been designed to be about 10 minutes long so that it can fit into any part of your day. Why do we call these videos “missions” instead of classes or lectures?  Let’s face it, classes and lectures sound a bit boring.  We choose to call these brief encounters with God’s Word, “missions” because we want to have a laser focus on growing, learning and engaging the Bible in a new and practical way.

Do you have a favorite travel destination?  How we prepare for a journey can tell us a great deal about ourselves. What we pack defines those things that we deem to be so essential to our survival and comfort that we have to carry them with us when we leave home. How we travel provides some important insights into our priorities, what we define as essential and even our identity. Our NEW book is now available on Amazon.  Visit www.beforethedayends.org for more information. 

The One who was offered no place with us, arrived in Bethlehem to lead us to a place, built in eternity, that is not complete without us. Our NEW book is now available on Amazon and Apple Books.  Visit www.beforethedayends.org for more information.  

Happy Thanksgiving! Please enjoy this fun look at Thanksgiving dinner on the farm from the perspective of a high school football player.

This one is personal…  Today, I want to share with you a passage that I turn to when I am facing moments in my life that are heavy with uncertainty, or when darkness seems to be stretching its cold shadow over the world.  In the end, where we look for our faith in the future defines and determines our hope in the present.   

Apples are nothing like ice cream cones.  I know that might be stating the obvious, but I hope you will take a break from your busy day to join us as we explore the differences. I will also reveal the only true purpose for a spoon…

Why do we take vacations?  We tell ourselves that we need to get away from the world — or at least our corner of it — to rest, reflect, and untangle the knots we have tied in our muscles and minds.  But, when our vacation has ended, did we actually accomplish our goal?

No matter how many times we have heard a story, there is always something more we can discover.  Take a timeout today and join us “before the day ends.”

A few years ago, my daughter asked an interesting question, quite out of the blue, “Daddy, are there splinters in heaven?”  It’s a great question!  The answer might surprise you.  Join us “before the day ends.” 

The fear of being laughed at may lead us to step back and blend in with the crowd. We may believe that it is safer to be laughing with the masses, hidden in its ranks. But, standing with the crowd is not without its own risks. Plus, being laughed at isn’t really about who is in the crowd. It’s about us.

Tests and trials have the ability to make us better, reveal unseen weaknesses and help us grow.  But they are only effective if we have the fortitude to face them and the willingness to learn.  Tests are never easy, but they are necessary.

Maybe…  A placeholder set between “yes” and “no.”  Here we wait, hoping for a positive outcome.  We have probably heard a “maybe” or two from our parents or spouse.  But, what happens when we suspect God is answering with a “maybe?”  When our prayers seem to be spoken into a vacuum…  Do we keep asking, or just assume the answer is “no?”  Or, is prayer founded upon the necessity of our relationship with God, rather than the nature of our requests?

Praying for God’s will to be done should never be an excuse for our lack of involvement in process.  Sometimes, we discover the greatest insights into our truest identity when we realize that “our will” does not harmonize with God’s.  Sometimes, a “no” is what we desperately need to turn our lives around and start moving forward in the right direction.  

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, He taught them the Lord’s Prayer.  There is something very special about this particular prayer.  Not only because it is probably one of the most famous and familiar prayers of all time, but Jesus also told his disciples that this was how they should pray.  How does the Lord’s Prayer model the rest of our prayers?  What makes the Lord’s Prayer so unique? 

If God already knows what we need, do our prayers actually change anything?  Is prayer simply an attempt to align ourselves with what God is already planning? Is there more going on here than just getting us on the same page?  What if, our simple, heartfelt prayers could not only change us, but also change God? Let’s talk…

A heroic life is not found in a distant moment.  A heroic life does not wait for a time of crisis.   A heroic life is courageously lived in the midst of the days we have been given.

Who do you trust?  Warning: This is not a philosophical or theoretical exercise.  Who do you trust in situations that have a significant impact on your life?  Who do you trust to help you make important decisions?  Who do you trust to be there when you are desperate? I am not looking for a series of qualities, I am looking for a name…

God’s monuments are not built of gold and stone.  They are constructed from the faithfulness we exhibit, the loyalty we hold, and the fortitude we display. We serve God because we chose to, not because we have been forced to.

When we are suffering, knowing that we have reached the halfway mark reminds us that the end is coming, the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight.  The halfway point is a signpost of hope along the long road of endurance bearing the message, “Hang on!” To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

You are living through a historic moment! This singular point in time is the closest anyone has been to the return of Jesus and the end of the world… as we know it.  Therefore, questions about the “Big End” become more relevant with each passing minute. And, that has been true since Jesus left the planet with a return ticket in hand.

We live within the boundaries between our endings and beginnings.  The past is always coming in waves, relentlessly storming the shore of the present. Each wave brings change and opportunity, uncertainty and freedom.  Within these boundaries of endings and beginnings, the future is forged.  Join us for our latest episode as we take a stroll along that mysterious place where the sea ends and land begins. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

So, what do you think about my title for this article? I have heard or read that phrase several times over the last few months, but do we know what we are saying when we use it? Headlines can be deceiving. When we stop reading before reaching the smaller typeface, we forfeit our ability to form our own conclusions.   Join us for our latest episode of Before the Day Ends as we dig past the headlines. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.  

When is the last time you heard or read something wise?  Have you ever wondered why you thought, “That is pretty wise!  I need to remember that.”  Why did it connect?  How did you recognize it as something worth remembering? We will spend a couple of episodes having a little fun exploring those questions.  Join us for our latest episode of Before the Day Ends. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

If you visit the archeological remains of Petra, in the country of Jordan, you will see stairs carved into the red rock walls above or next to ancient tombs.  Ever wonder why decorate a tomb with stairs?  Could these be the first Led Zeppelin fans? Join us for our latest episode of Before the Day Ends. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

Who Wins in the End? Who will inherit the power and the control that so many nations, rulers, factions, and movements are fighting so desperately for today?  Join us for our latest episode of Before the Day Ends. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

Identity and image are being redefined almost daily.  So, in today’s world, what does it mean that we have been created in the “image of God?”  A lot of ink has been spilled over the centuries trying to answer this important question. Join us as we explore the meaning behind the “image of God” in our latest episode of Before the Day Ends. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

In his anger, Cain asked God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  I think he knew the answer, and so do I.  Join us for this important episode of Before the Day Ends. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

Anyone still carry cash these day?  If we don’t we might be missing a powerful reminder. Join us Before the Day Ends to learn more! To read the transcript for this episode, please visit https://www.beforethedayends.org/post/in-god-we-trust  

Today, we will finish our reflections on the importance of asking good, insightful questions.  I cannot overstate the importance of asking good questions, especially given the state of our world today.  I hope you will join us, Before the Day Ends. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

In our last episode, we talked about the importance of honest, thoughtful questions that dig beneath the surface. Today, we will look at what should be our first question and why it is so important.  To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

Have you ever met a “question talker?” You know, the person who answers your question with a question.  As a father, I believe this is one of the greatest tools in my parenting arsenal!  For the next couple of weeks, we will explore the power and purpose of great questions. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

Today, I find myself thinking about Christmas. Specifically, I am wondering how we will look back on the first few months of 2020 when Christmas rolls around.  What will our lives today look like when we see them in the rearview mirror? To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

As businesses and community spaces cautiously begin to reopen, I have to admit that I am pretty excited. In a way, after nearly two months of forced “vacation,” I am ready.  While I have enjoyed the extra time with my family, I have really missed working. And, I think there is a good reason for it.   To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org. A translation of Genesis 1 by the author is available as well.

Without forgiveness, we don’t really move on. The delusion eventually crumbles and words from the past echo their way into our future conversations. After all something was broken, damaged, injured, ruined. And now, there is a cost that must be paid. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

Golfers call it a “mulligan.”  Gamers refer to it as a “respawn." Kids playing in the backyard call it a “do-over.” Parents, and this is my favorite, call it an “opportunity to learn.” For now, let’s just call it a “second chance.” To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

When facts are presented to us, and our face begins to show the faint tracings of doubt, I believe there is a simple explanation. It doesn’t matter if we are in the midst of a personal conversation or anonymously analyzing information from behind a computer screen, the underlying cause for our doubt is the same. Behind the statistics, data, facts and the interpretation of the facts, we inevitably find our fellow humans. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.

It was July, so I knew the depth of the Lake had dropped drastically, but this seemed unbelievable. The Christmas trees were standing out of the water! Although not a statement you’re likely to hear very often (if ever), it was nevertheless true. To read the transcript for this episode, please visit http://beforethedayends.org.