Everyday Encouragement: Timeless Truths for Today

Everyday Encouragement is taking a break for a little while. The transcripts of the first 28 episodes are now available as an ebook on Amazon. A second ebook containing the transcripts of the rest of the episodes will also be available on Amazon in a couple of weeks. If you want me to notify you when a new episode of Everyday Encouragement will be aired, then please send me your email address to everydayencouragement@jguypublisher.com. Well, that's all for now. Until next time, be encouraged!  

Whenever we think about God, we usually think about His power and His might. We think about what He can do. But is there anything that God can't do? If so, what is it? The Bible says, "Yes, there are some things that God can't do." In Episode 052, "Things God Can't or Won't Do," we'll find out what they are.

For many of us, glasses are required to help us see properly. Even when glasses aren't needed, sometimes, if we don't like what we are seeing, we may be tempted to put on a pair of rose-colored glasses and, with their help, change the view. But, doing that isn't always wise. Thankfully, there is an alternative to rose-colored glasses. In Episode #051, "Looking Through Word-Colored Glasses," we explore that alternative.

This coming Sunday, May 20, 2018, is Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Godhead, was sent to us by God the Father in response to God the Son's prayer. Who is the Holy Spirit? What does He do? In Episode 050, we'll close out the series titled "Getting to Know You" by focusing on the Holy Spirit and learning the answers to these questions.

In Episode 049, "Another Round of Finding Yourself in the Psalms," we're going back to the book of Psalms to look at a few more that can help us pray during those times when we can't find the words.

What do you do whenever you hear the command, "Ready, set, go!"? More than likely, you get into position to engage in a contest of some kind. But suppose you heard "Ready, set, receive!" instead? What do you think you are supposed to do then? Episode 048, "Ready, Set, Receive!" takes a couple of stories from the Old Testament and explores how seeing answers to prayer requires us to get into position to receive.   

When you ask God for His assistance with your problems, are you tempted to help Him out? Do you find it hard to stand still and let Him work out the answer to your prayer? If so, then today's episode should encourage you to step aside and watch God work. He doesn't need our help. All He wants is our thanks and praise for how He answers our prayers. King Jehoshaphat is the subject of Episode 047, "Stand Still." Let him show you what happens when God tells you to stand still.

Walking in sync with someone means paying attention to the other person. Obviously,  you have to be going in the same direction if you're walking together. But there are other questions whose answers determine if you are really walking together. For example, are the two of you traveling at the same speed? Is the length of your stride compatible with your companion's? God desires to walk with us. But for us to walk with Him, we need to pay attention to some basic requirements. In Episode 046, "Step for Step," we'll learn what those requirements are.   

Apps rule. There's no doubt about it. They can do just about anything we need to do. They make our lives easier with their convenience and speed. They enable us to do more when our time is limited. It's getting to the point to where we can't remember a time when apps didn't exist. Did you know that the Bible has apps, too? In Episode 045, "There's an App for That," we'll look at a few of them.

There are lots of rules governing gift giving. We have books and magazines to tell us how and when and what type of gift to give. There are guidelines suggesting how much to spend on gifts. If we're not careful, we can turn gift-giving into an obligation rather than an expression of love and caring. Episode 044, "A Lover Like No Other," looks at how God gives to us.

Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second member of the Godhead. Jesus worked many, many miracles while he was on earth. But the greatest miracle of all was that of his resurrection after being crucified. It was the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus from death. We'll look at the Holy Spirit a few weeks from now during the season of Pentecost, which is when He came to earth to continue the work begun by Jesus. In Episode 043, "Getting to Know You: God the Son," we'll consider Jesus and the significance of his resurrection.

Right now, we're in the season of Lent, which many people around the world observe in preparation for Easter. I'd like to take this time to do a three-part series titled "Getting to Know You" which focuses on each person of the Trinity. Episode 042, today's installment, is the first part of that series and looks at God, the Father.  

Have you ever spent time and energy and maybe even money doing something that later turned out to be unnecessary or unwanted? How did that make you feel? Did you think that you'd just wasted your efforts and resources? What about those times when you realize that you are repeating a life lesson? How do you feel then? Episode 041, "Wasted Effort," discusses the Bible's answer to wasting our efforts.   

Sometimes when we try to press forward, painful memories from the past weigh us down. It's hard to go into the future when the past keeps intruding. God wants us to move into our futures unencumbered with baggage. In Episode 040,"Leaving the Past in the Past," we'll see how God helped the Israelites leave their past as slaves behind so they could enter their Promised Land as free people.

Long ago, piles of stones called cairns, were erected as memorials to commemorate important events. When Israel was getting ready to enter their Promised Land of Canaan, God told Joshua to make two cairns. In Episode 039, "Remembering God," we'll learn why God told Joshua to do that and what his cairns mean for us today.

To help cement its truths in our minds and hearts, the Bible uses personification and lots of metaphors and similes. In Episode 038, "A Grammar Lesson," we'll explore some of those figures of speech in the Book of Proverbs. We'll pay special attention to Wisdom as she begs us to let her teach us how to live successfully.

It's Valentine's Day! Did you know that God gives us Valentine's Day cards, too? In fact, He gives us a valentine every day of the year. Episode 037, "A Valentine's Day Card from God" helps us learn more about God's character so we'll be able to understand the valentines He gives us.

Do you sometimes wish you knew what God was doing as He answered your prayers? Have you ever wanted an "inside track" on how He's thinking as He orchestrates things in your life? Episode 036, "The Principle of For Our Well-Being," discusses God's explanations of His actions in two incidents in the Book of Exodus that are relevant to us today.

We have all kinds of devices to help us measure and use time. In one of his psalms, David showed us that there are three types of time that operate in our lives.  Episode 035, "What Time Is It?" explores those types and examines how David viewed God's control of them.

If you're going through a wilderness period in your life, then you may feel like you're out of sight and out of mind. Rest assured; God hasn't forgotten you. Episode 034, "Out of Sight But Not Out of Mind," shows us that even when others have forgotten us, God still has plans for us.

It's time to tie together all of the episodes in this series titled "A Balancing Act," so we can understand the Apostle John's prayer for our souls to prosper even as we are healthy and enjoy prosperity in the other areas of our lives.

The Apostle John prayed that our souls would prosper even as we prospered in the other areas of our lives. Episode 032, "A Balancing Act, Part 4: The Emotions," continues this series examining how our mind, will and emotions should work together in harmony and balance for our souls to prosper.  

Episode 031, "A Balancing Act, Part 3: The Will" looks at the role the will plays in how we live our lives. Our goal is to understand how all three parts of our soul--our mind, our will and our emotions--work together to help our souls prosper as the Apostle John desires in his prayer for us.

The Apostle John prayed that we would enjoy prosperity in our lives even as our souls prospered. Our souls have three parts: mind, will and emotions. They all should work together and be in balance if we want our souls to prosper as John desires for us. Episode 30, "A Balancing Act, Part 2: The Mind," looks at what the Bible says about the mind.

Did you know that your soul is made of three parts? Today's episode, "A Balancing Act: Introduction" is the first in a series that will examine John's prayer for us to prosper and be in health even as our souls prosper. We'll look at what our souls are made of and how those parts work together to help us have that internal prosperity that John desires for us.

Falling down is part of life. Getting back up is also part of life. It doesn't matter to God how, or why, or how low we fall for He is always willing to help us get back up on our feet. Episode 028, "Skinned Knees and Bruised Elbows," looks at an Old Testament hero who fell and got back up again.  

Jesus said that in the world we would have problems. He also told us to "be of good cheer" because he had overcome the world. What did he mean by that? In Episode 27, "The Struggle Is Real," we'll try to understand Jesus' instruction.

Do you always finish what you start? Do you find it difficult to continue working on a project when it is no longer exciting? Episode 026, "When The Shine Wears Off," looks at someone from the Old Testament who picked up his project after a 20-year break and finished it.

Just as a chiropractor can adjust our backs when we throw them out of alignment, so the scriptures can help us get back into spiritual alignment when we seek their guidance. Episode 025, "Take It From A Chiropractor," looks at living spiritually-aligned lives.

There are times when keeping our word to others can be very difficult to do. Episode 024, "Up All Night," looks at how God helped Joshua when he kept his word under challenging circumstances.  

Because of their wide-ranging emotions and situations, Episode 023, "Finding Yourself in the Psalms," explores using Psalms to help us as we pray.

We receive invitations from God more than we realize. Episode 022, "The Pleasure of Your Company Is Requested," looks at how we respond to His invitations.

What does it mean to cooperate with God? Episode 021, "Cooperating with God," looks at that concept.        

What do you say when you talk to yourself? Do you motivate or discourage yourself? Episode 20, "Listen Up, Self!" shows how David talked to himself when the situation looked hopeless.

Episode 019, "Looking for Manhole Covers," examines how our faith can be boosted by observing ordinary things--like manhole covers.

We  all want to be a part of a group. In Episode 018, "No Turn on Red,"  a traffic light shows us what can happen when we go along with the group without thinking about possible consequences.

Sometimes we're forced to be patient and have no choice in the matter. Other times, we can choose to be patient. Episode 017, "Permission Granted" looks at how patience needs our consent to work in our lives.

A childhood song and a famous passage in scripture give hope when we are life's valleys. In Episode 016, The Ankle Bone Song illustrates Ezekiel's prophecy of the dry bones.

Episode 015, "Up, Daddy!" looks at how God, like an earthly father, picks us up and carries us when we need it.

Episode 014 "What's In Your Mouth?" explores the connection between what we think in our hearts and what we say with our mouths.

God looks at waiting differently from us. "Hurry Up and Wait" explores how God uses periods of waiting to help us grow.

Witnesses help strengthen a case by their testimony. Episode 012 looks at the concept of witnesses and faith in God.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Episode 011 shows how a woman used the tongue's power to get a successful outcome in a life and death situation.

Learning about God is a lifelong journey of discovery. In Episode 010, seven more facts about God are shared.

Here are some intriguing facts about God that you may not know. You will be surprised at what you learn in Episode 009.

Starting something can be exciting. So is ending. But what about the middle? Our choices during that time determine how well we finish. Episode 008 looks at the middle period-- the "in the meantime."

A prescription that can be filled anytime, anywhere, whenever life gets painful.

Process is how we get from point A to point B, from the beginning to the end of something. Episode 006, Walking It Out, shows how God sometimes uses process to answer our prayers.

Verses from the Old and New Testaments give a remedy for how to prevent giving up or fainting when overwhelmed by life.

Names describe character and nature. God has other names in Psalm 23 besides that of Shepherd. This episode explores them.

We can use our imaginations to see how God's name is a strong tower of protection and provision for us.