Straight From The Heart Radio

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.

Other heroes of the faith- Is suffering the result of sin in the life of a believer? Or maybe a lack of faith? Not according to Hebrews 11. The writer of Hebrews makes sure to point out that some of us are led into difficult circumstances by the Lord, but that doesn't change His love for us.

The faith of Rahab- The harlot Rahab and her family were saved from the destruction of Jericho because she put her faith and trust in the God of Israel. Rahab's story of faith shows us that no sinner is beyond God's grace and love.

Faith to do the illogical- We all encounter situations in life that feel hopeless. God led the children of Israel to the brink of the Red Sea to reveal something to them about Himself. They weren't there because they were lost or because God chose to abandon them in the wilderness.

A long living faith- Moses went from living in luxury as a prince of Egypt, to living in the desert for 40 years where God appeared to him, to leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness for 40 more years. Moses was not perfect, but he had a faith that endured.

The faith of Moses and his parents- Moses's parents made a choice to raise their child in faith, trusting the Lord's protection and provision. Because of the seeds faithfully planted in Moses by his parents, Moses also made a choice, and learned to say no to the "passing pleasures of sin."

The faith of Joseph- Joseph had plenty of excuses he could have used to turn his back on God. He experienced death and dysfunction in his family from a young age. God seemed to be silent through it all, but Joseph's faith never wavered, and God was with him all the way until his final breath.

The faith of Isaac and Jacob- It says in Ecclesiastes 7:8 that "The end of a thing is better than its beginning." Isaac and Jacob made plenty of mistakes in their lifetime, but none of that is recorded in Hebrews 11. What we are told is by faith, they both finished their course well.

Abraham's faith tested- God asked Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son Isaac. Abraham and Sarah endured many difficult years of waiting to finally see Isaac born into the word. What do we do when God asks us to do something that seems contradictory to his promises or His nature? Abraham's faith through testing instructs us.

A tale of three cities- There is a city we came out of, a city beside us, and a city we are headed toward. Abraham left behind Ur, not looking back, and he lived separated from the sin of Sodom because his heart was set on looking ahead to a "heavenly country." Do we have a right relationship toward the past, present, and future?

Abraham and Sarah's faith journey- God called Abraham and Sarah to live in a foreign land, dwelling in tents. Like Abraham and Sarah, we are called to live as strangers and pilgrims, remembering that heaven is our home. Part of the journey of faith is learning to trust the promiser when it's hard to see the promises.

Abraham's faith- Abraham takes away all our excuses to not surrender to God and follow Him in faith. God does not call us based on our good record of performance. God calls us out of His love and grace to step out and follow Him in faith and obedience.

The faith of Enoch and Noah- Enoch and Noah were both challenged to live in a world where it was very unpopular to faithfully walk with God. How did they resist the pull of the ungodly culture around them? They believed in God and diligently sought after Him.

The faith of Abel- What can we learn from the faith of Abel? There will be a cost for those who seek to live by faith. Abel lost his life at the hand of his own brother for his faith in God. The religion of works will always persecute the religion of faith.

Confidence in the unseen- Some would say it's "blind faith" to believe that the world was made by a God that we can't see. Is it anti-science to claim God created the universe? The truth is, our faith is built on convincing evidence, and science confirms what the Bible says.

Need of patience- Faith is only as valid as whatever the object of that faith is. We have no need to doubt the person of Jesus Christ, His work, and the truth of the gospel. What we do need is faith to patiently endure until the day when we will be made like Him in glory.