Straight From The Heart Radio

God's divine parameters- The children of Dan were not content with the inheritance allotted to them. The borders God has set up for us are meant for our own safety and well-being. Idolatry begins when we start looking beyond God's portion because of dissatisfaction and envy.

How long will you neglect?- Joshua challenged seven tribes of the children of Israel who were too comfortable to dwell in the land of promise without pursuing their promised inheritance. Are you pursuing and abiding in Christ, or is your faith just "fire insurance?"

Drive out the enemy- Is there some sin or fleshly indulgence in your life that you have given allowance to? Caleb did the work of driving out the inhabitants of the land promised to him by the Word of the Lord. We can't be comfortable with the enemy having any foothold in our lives.

Caleb wholly followed God- God said of Caleb, "he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully." Caleb waited for 45 years to see God's promise to him come to pass, and he was rewarded for his faithfulness when he received the land of Hebron as an inheritance.

What is your lot?- God instructed Joshua to divide the land of Canaan as an inheritance for the tribes of Israel by casting lots. Was God leaving the inheritance of the land up to chance? We need to be careful not to covet others and learn to be content with the "lot" handed to us by God.

Possessing the land- Joshua chapter 12 gives a record of 33 kings that Moses and Joshua defeated on their way to possessing the land of Canaan. What spiritual insights can be drawn from this long list of the names of defeated kings?

The Canaanite conquest- God promised Joshua victory over the inhabitants of Canaan, but it wasn't a cake walk. Joshua led Israel and took the land after seven years of war. We have great promises of blessing from God in the Christian life. Are you living a life that is blessable?

Bring out those five kings- Joshua did not let up in his pursuit of the enemies of Israel after their victory at Gibeon. Why did Joshua execute the five Amorite kings so ruthlessly? Was he too harsh in his treatment of them? Is there sin hiding in your life that you have yet to deal with?

The sun stood still- Joshua and the children of Israel marched all night long to fight at Gibeon and see the victory that God had already promised. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to arrive at a place of true repentance and see sin defeated in your life? If so, God is willing to do the impossible.

When self-righteousness is king- An enemy alliance led by Adoni-Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, threatened Gibeon and Israel. When self-righteousness is on the throne of our hearts it leads to all kinds of problems in our lives.

Overcoming condemnation- Although it was a mistake, Joshua honored the covenant Israel made with the Gibeonites and gave them a place to serve. Has your sin left a cloud of condemnation hanging over you? Let God use your failure and turn it into a servant for His purposes.

When compromise comes- The people of Gibeon thought better than to engage with Israel in war, so they came disguised as travelers to try and make a treaty. God has given us discernment by His Spirit to recognize the strategies our enemy uses to tempt us.

Learning from mistakes- After their victory at Jericho, Joshua and the children of Israel became overconfident, and relied on their own human wisdom for the next battle. Learning from their mistake, Israel turned to the Lord and remembered His word after their victory at Ai.

Do it his way- Failure and discouragement can be hard to deal with, but God is able to bring good out of our disappointments. God graciously gave Joshua a plan of success to have victory over Ai after the sin of Achan. Do you trust that God's design and plan are what's best for you?

God can't bless sin- Achan took ownership of his actions, but still suffered the consequences for disobeying the word of the Lord given by Joshua. Although we still face the consequences of sin today, God has provided forgiveness through Jesus who took the penalty for all our sins.

The part affects the whole- Israel saw the walls of Jericho fall in victory because their leader, Joshua, faithfully sought after the Lord. Israel also experienced judgment because a man named Achan defied Joshua's orders to not to take from the spoils of the enemy. Our sins never just affect ourselves.

Faith to see victory- The Commander of the Lord's army visited Joshua and declared that victory over Jericho was a done deal. But the walls of the city were still standing. How could that be true? Sometimes it's hard to see past the walls of our challenges. That's where faith comes in.

A place of remembrance- After crossing the Jordan, the children of Israel camped at Gilgal and kept the Passover for the first time while in the promised land. Gilgal became a place for fresh consecration and surrender before the Lord, remembering God's goodness and faithfulness.

What are these stones?- Joshua instructed the children of Israel to set up stones as a memorial to what God had done when he miraculously parted the waters of the Jordan. Parents are still responsible today to communicate the truth of God's word, and all His mighty works to their children.

Stepping out in faith- God performed a miracle when He parted the waters of the Jordan River for the children of Israel to cross into the promised land. They had the ark of the covenant, God's presence, to go before them, but they still had to demonstrate faith by stepping into the water and trusting God's promise.

A scarlet cord- God "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." All Rahab wanted was to save her family from the destruction that was coming on Jericho. Her simple faith not only saved her family but led to the privilege of being grafted into the family tree of the Messiah.

An unlikely ally- Joshua sent two men on a mission to spy out the city of Jericho. The plan was jeopardized when the king of Jericho caught wind of their presence. With their lives in danger, the two spies found refuge with a harlot named Rahab, but why did she show such kindness toward them?

Crossing the Jordan- It is consistent with God's character to give His children peace and rest. God promised the children of Israel good things were to come in the promised land if they were faithful and obedient to His word. We can have courage in all circumstances, not because they are always easy, but because God is always good.

The book of Joshua- Joshua is the first of the twelve historical books in the old testament documenting the beginning of Israel's journey into Canaan, the land of promise. Joshua is the central figure, called and commissioned by God, to lead Israel after the death of Moses.

Bring back the wanderer- How can you tell if someone who has wandered from the Lord is a prodigal or never truly knew God in the first place? It's not our place to judge people's hearts, but we should be willing to speak the truth in love to those we care about.

Effective, fervent prayer- Do you have a trusted friend or pastor you feel comfortable going to for prayer? When it comes to confessing sin, we must be careful that the things we share don

Tongues and knees (Part 2)- Why does God heal some and not others? Some people falsely believe that sickness can be the result of sin or a lack of faith. This is a harmful false doctrine in the church. What exactly does it look like to pray in faith?

Tongues and knees- Job was an example of patience in suffering. This is the only reference to Job in the new testament. James once again exhorts Christians to be mindful of their speech as we wait for the return of Christ.

Responding to injustice- What action are we called to in response to all the injustice we see in the world? What do we learn from the life of a farmer that will begin to answer that question? Our constant consumption of news and media can lead to bitterness and complaining.

God sees the oppressed- People who want to live life in "pleasure and luxury" will have no problem mistreating people along the way to reach that goal. Jesus is the only one who has the answer for all the injustice we observe in the world.

The practical atheist- Do you depend on God for your daily needs? Do you look to Him to set the course of your life? Or is faith and religion just a means of fire insurance? When it comes to how we live our lives and how we treat others, some people are only Christian's in name.

The cure for conflict- What is the cure for conflict? James says, "humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." If we surrender our will to God in humility, He will draw near to us and cleanse us.

The source of conflict- Conflict within leads to conflict without. The root cause of conflict with others is our pride and selfish desires for pleasure. Living to satisfy our flesh leads to friendship with the world. A friend of the world is an enemy with God.

Wisdom above and below- James explains what the fruit of Godly wisdom and earthly wisdom looks like. If you want to grow in wisdom, studying this practical list of the attributes of wisdom is a good place to start.

Who is wise?- Wisdom has to do with actions. It is the correct use of knowledge. For the believer, wisdom lived out is related to meekness. What is the difference between Godly and earthly wisdom?

The tongue (Part 2)- James says, "no man can tame the tongue" and it is "full of deadly poison." Only Jesus can give us the power to control our tongues. As Christians, we should use our speech to glorify God, and spread the good news of the gospel with a lost world.

The tongue- The tongue may be a small part of the body, but the words it produces can be extremely influential. A quick study of history will show the trail of destruction human words have caused. Is your tongue building up or tearing down others?

Living faith- We don't have a right to judge others, but we do have a right to question the reality of their faith if there is no fruit. There's dead faith, demonic faith, and real dynamic faith. Abraham and Rahab demonstrated what real obedient faith looks like.

Loving faith- A simple way real saving faith is demonstrated is by not showing partiality. Do we treat people differently based on their wealth, race, or social status? James knew very well how the religious elite in his day showed favoritism.

Be a doer of the word- What profit is God's word in our lives if we aren't living it out? James says rather than bearing the fruit of corruption from the world, we as believers should be living in the blessing that comes from being a doer of the word.

Dealing with temptation- Temptation is going to come. It's not sin to be tempted, but how we respond to temptation is where sin and compromise can come into the picture. James shares some practical instruction on how to remain faithful when temptation comes.

From external to internal- Trials come to us from many different directions. The external pressure of trials many times leads to the internal pull of temptation. Thoughts of doubt and compromise can begin to invade our minds. There is a reward for enduring temptation.

How to go through trials (Part 2)- James says that when trials come our way we should consider it an opportunity for great joy. How can we find joy in trials? We can find the proper guidance and motivation to endure through trials only through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

How to go through trials- Who was James the half-brother of Jesus? James had a very different perspective on life when he found out his older brother was God. If God is a God of love, why does He let us go through trials and heartache?

Joseph father of James- Joseph the father of James wasn't perfect, but the Bible tells us he was a just man. What lessons can be learned from his life about the role of a father? Parents be encouraged. Even Joseph had prodigal children.

The book of James- Which James wrote the book of James? There are three prevailing theories. If James the brother of Jesus was the author, there is a lot to consider about his life. What kind of impact did his dad and older brother have on him?

A city which is to come- The final exhortation to the Hebrews centers around the reality of our eternal destiny. Earth is not our home; therefore, we should praise Him with our lives and proclaim the good news of the gospel to all who will hear. Instruction is also given to honor and obey those in church leadership.

Marriage is honorable- The last chapter in Hebrews begins with moral instruction to love others, be hospitable, and remember those who are persecuted. A warning is also given against covetousness and sexual immorality. Marriage and sex are good gifts from God, but they have been perverted by sin.

Jesus the Mediator- When God spoke to Moses and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai they heard His words in fear and trembling. Through "Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant" we can now relate to God through the law of grace.

God chastens whom He loves- There should be a healthy reverence and fear a child has for their father. Because God perfectly loves us, He will always bring chastening for our profit. In contrast, an earthly father will sometimes bring correction in the flesh.

The race set before us- We are called to lay aside every weight and sin in the race of life set before us. That includes any sin that we might justify as innocent or harmless. When we become weary in the race we need to look at Jesus, our great example, for strength to endure.