Walking with Jesus with Pastor Doug Anderson Podcast

   When you have a very, very important decision to make, how do you prepare? Yesterday we looked at what Jesus did as He prepared to select His team of men who would BE WITH Him. These 12 men are called Jesus’ disciples in the Gospel accounts. Some of them are very famous, even 2000 years later, a few of them we know very little about.(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

  Have you ever had a chance encounter with someone you didn’t even know, which turned out to be very significant, maybe it was even a ‘defining moment’ in your life? As we continue the journey of God’s “Grand Narrative” let’s follow Jesus today, as He goes ‘off road’ and a chance encounter changed everything for a whole town of people!(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   This first Monday in the new year of ’26 is an important day for many people. Schools begin this week for children and teachers; businesses open their doors launching the first business quarter of this new year; and for many people who have postponed important medical procedures until a new insurance year, this is the week!  In all of those situations important questions will be asked seeking significant answers, maybe even life and death questions!! (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   This is a time of New Beginnings, isn’t it? The first weekend of this new year is ahead of us and following that schools will resume; the first economic business quarter will begin; and new champions are soon to be named as sports playoffs are underway. The first wave of babies are being born in this new year and undoubtedly some excited couples will be married this weekend. So, I wonder what excitement these first few days of 2026 will bring into your life and mine? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   How are you planning to spend the last hours of 2025? When this chapter of your life is complete and years from now you might be reminiscing, how will you remember 2025? I wonder what the highlights and lowlights, the most exciting and most discouraging events of your 2025 have been?  Most importantly: how have you seen Jesus working in your life journey this year? How much better do you know Jesus today than you did one year ago? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Today, with only three days remaining in 2025, let’s begin our New Testament journey with Jesus in the “Grand Narrative”. Gospel writers Matthew, Mark and Luke each tell us of the remarkable event which drew adult Jesus into the public eye and formally launched His ministry, as the Savior of the world. Remember, that’s how the angels had announced His birth to the shepherds that Christmas night? (Luke 2:8-13) (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   I hope this is a day of great joy for you, no matter where you are in this world, no matter if you are single or married, young or old. It’s Christmas Day, a day when God wants to speak into your life and mine with His wisdom, His truth, His guidance in helping us know HIM more, and follow Him more closely.(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   What is your FOCUS this weekend and these last few days before Christmas 2025? Honestly now, how much time and energy are you investing in preparations for family gatherings, buying and wrapping of gifts, traveling plans etc.,  and how much time nurturing your SOUL for this annual celebration of God’s ultimate gift to our world… Jesus?(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   One week from today is Christmas day! I wonder what Christmas will mean for you, your family, your city this year? Pause… Over this past year what was the biggest step of faith you took? I mean the type of faith the Christmas story is all about?(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Christmas is 10 days away and I wonder how you have been preparing your heart? Are you hurried, stressed, anxious or content and joyful on the ‘road to Christmas ’25’?  Last December, we searched for God’s answers to questions about Christmas. You’ll find all those 25 editions of “WWJ” in our home page Daily Archives Tab for the year 2024. They are fascinating and I urge you to consider them, again.  This December, as you know, we are following a 9-month journey we’re calling “the Grand Narrative”. It’s a chronological overview of the entire Bible, God’s story.(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Cataclysmic disasters arouse the attention and response of people and nations, and very often the trajectory of history is changed in these unforgettable events. Do you agree?  But here’s an important question: Can you discern the work of God in these great disasters? The Sunday morning Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, 81 years ago yesterday, is an example. America’s response was a whole scale effort to enter WWII with a vengeance after that day and our world has never been the same since, including the greatest outflow of missionaries taking the gospel worldwide following WWII, including to Japan and all Asia!  (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever had to ‘run for your life’? I mean… have the circumstances of your life ever become so complex, so fearful, you actually felt the best thing you could do was pack up and move to a new place?  Or maybe the situation you were in was so urgent you simply ran or drove away as fast as you could? That is exactly what happened to the old prophet Elijah!  But wait a minute!! How could that be? Yesterday we witnessed one of the most amazing displays of God’s power, as God sent a ball of fire from heaven in response to Elijah’s prayer and the prophets of Baal were shamed and defeated. (1 Kings 18:36-40) So why would the prophet Elijah run away in fear? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Unless you happen to live in one of only a few countries in the world, especially those with long family Monarchies or Dictatorships, you are familiar with frequent changes of government leadership and often the tumultuous times those government changes bring, right?  In our journey through God’s “Grand Narrative” the next section of the Bible in the Kings & the Chronicles gives us the story of the tumultuous years following the traumatic breakup of the nation of Israel into two kingdoms: Israel (Northern Kingdom of 10 tribes) and Judah (Southern Kingdom of 2 tribes).  (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   We all have something in our past that, if we could, we’d sure like the opportunity to go back in time and do things differently, right? So, what is that regrettable event for you and how long ago? More importantly, what negative consequences have rippled out in your life from that past event? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   I open today with an important question for all of us, no matter where you live in our big, busy world: When you need to make an important decision, a decision which may affect the rest of your life, and maybe the people most important to you, WHAT do you do? What is your process for making right, wise, significant decisions? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever experienced something which you struggle finding words to explain? Today as we bid farewell to Israel’s first king, Saul, we stand by as witness to one of those unexplainable events near the end of Saul’s life, found in 1 Samuel 28. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever found yourself in that difficult situation where the choice you face could have very significant consequences and you don’t have much time to think before a decision must be made?  Today let’s look at a situation like that with young David and king Saul, and it happened in the dark of a mountain cave. The story is found in 1 Samuel 24.(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   For us in America, politics is an all too frequent hot topic, especially in recent months. The same is true in Israel, and yesterday I left you in a tragic political moment. The tribal elders had rejected Samuel’s sons and called Samuel to find them a human KING! Their words are historic and cataclysmic in significance: “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations…” (1 Samuel 8:19,20) (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   With the cloud of recent events both in Israel and Ukraine still hovering over us, no matter where we live in the world, no matter your sense of freedom or fear, the two chapters of 1 Samuel 4 & 5 seem amazingly relevant!(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever been given an assignment or been challenged to step into an opportunity that simply seemed way too big for you? Do you remember how inadequate, perhaps ever fearful you were?  Now watch this my friends: for people of great faith in God, people who are followers of Jesus, the challenge of God inviting us into situations which seem far beyond our capabilities is an important and even strategic part of our development and God’s accomplishment of His purposes in our world.  (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Leadership transitions are always delicate and potentially dangerous times, be it in a nation, a business, an organization or even a family. For the Israelites, the transition from Moses to Joshua was smooth and successful. Moses made it clear Joshua was God’s selection and Joshua stayed the course of Moses’ leadership style making sure he carefully discerned God’s direction, and then Joshua faithfully led the Israelites in obedience to God.  (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Today is a special day for our world, do you know why? Two years ago today, final plans were being made by Hamas for a very sophisticated, brutal invasion into Israeli territory for the massacre of innocent Israeli citizens enjoying the festivities of one of their annual, very significant Jewish Festivals, Sukkot.  This year Sukkot begins at sundown this evening (October 6) and will last for 7 days. The Sukkot week calls Jews around the world to remember that their ancestors wandered in the desert for 40 years living in temporary shelters after they refused to trust God and go into the Land of God’s Promise. (Numbers 13,14) (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

  How do you describe what a REPUTATION is and the tremendous effect it can have on people’s attitudes or even choices. A bad reputation keeps people away and a good reputation invites people to trust, right? That applies in almost EVERY aspect of life.  Even God has a reputation, did you know that? So, what would you say God’s reputation is with your family or your city? One of the very interesting threads woven through the “Grand Narrative” story of history is the reputation of God. Joshua was facing it regularly as he and the Israelites moved into the Land of God’s Promise. Remember what Rahab had told the scouts Joshua sent in to check out Jericho? “We have heard how the LORD dried up the Red Sea for you…for the LORD your God is God in heaven and on earth below” (Joshua 2:8-11) (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   In our journey together you’ve heard me many times say that God is always working a bigger plan than what appears to us; and God is always working TODAY in anticipation of what HE sees in our TOMORROWs!  Yesterday we witnessed one of the greatest events in Israel’s history… the crossing of the Jordan river by a huge throng of Israelites from their years of desert wandering into the Land of God’s Promise. It was a phenomenal miracle as God stopped the flow of the Jordan river, which was running at FLOOD stage, and this huge throng of people and animals crossed a dry Jordan riverbed into the land of their ancient ancestors.!! (Joshua 4)(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

  Yesterday, I left you with Moses… waiting. Do you remember what Moses was waiting for?Moses had sent 12 trusted leaders of the Israelite people as scouts into the land they believed God had led them to.  Now they waited while these 12 men spent 40 days scouting out the land. Upon their return, their report shocked Moses and the people. While yes, the land was beautiful and inviting, the scouts reported that the people living there “are powerful and the cities are fortified and very large…” (Numbers 13:28) (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here   If so,  Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends all (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   What if God gave you a blank piece of paper and the assignment of designing a place where you could have life changing encounters with the Almighty God? What would you draw? How would it compare to some of the great cathedrals in our world? When you think about delicate, intricate ‘craftsmanship’ what comes to your mind? Woodworking, or precious stones, or brain surgery, or sculpting? Today I invite you back into the cloud on Mt Sinai where Moses has been with God for several days. Moses had been receiving from God specific and detailed instructions for the fabrication of things no human eye had ever seen.  (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   What if you were asked to write down all the key guidelines and the code of ethics which form the lifestyle expectations of your family? Would there be any that are unique to your family? Now here’s a question that you’ll need to ponder for a moment… what if your parents had been asked to make the same list 40 years ago; and your grandparents the same list 75 years ago; and your great grandparents 100 years ago? And if it was possible to place all four of these family guideline lists beside each other, how much has changed in lifestyle expectations in your family over the past century? WHY has your family changed so much?  (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Do you remember the day after “9.11”… 24 years ago? The massive pile of wreckage in NYC was still smoldering and air travel around the world was nearly at a standstill as our world struggled to wrap our minds around the terrorism of the previous day.  Yesterday we reviewed one of the greatest historical events of all time, the Exodus of about 1 million Israelite slaves from Egypt, as recorded for us in Exodus 12-14. If you had been a news reporter or photographer or maybe, to use a modern term… a ‘podcaster’ when the Exodus happened, I wonder what your reporting would focus on the day after the Exodus?(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Momentum is a powerful thing, isn’t it? Even a negative, destructive, downward spiral momentum is a force to be reckoned with, do you agree? Yesterday I left you with Moses and Aaron, struggling to regain some confidence for they were witnessing a destructive momentum that was nearly overwhelming them.  Twice, Pharaoh’s sorcerers had humiliated Moses and Aaron by duplicating what they thought were miracles which demonstrated God’s unique power, and both times Pharaoh expelled them out of his presence!(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Are you enjoying this “Grand Narrative” overview of the Bible? We’ve come today to a very important moment in history. I left you yesterday with young Joseph suddenly thrown into prison in Egypt! Do you remember why? It was the epitome of injustice, and the story is found in Genesis 39. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   In God’s “GRAND NARRATIVE” story with our human race, PATIENCE and TRUST are two virtues God desires most for all humanity! We’re traveling with old Abram and Sarai these days and look how Genesis 17 begins: “When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty [El Shaddai] walk before Me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between Me and you, and I will greatly increase your numbers.” (Gen.  17:1,2)(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Hunger is a powerful motivating force, isn’t it? We’ve all seen gut wrenching pictures of people facing starvation and the desperate things they’ll do to find food for themselves or especially their children. As parents and grandparents, we take seriously making sure our families have enough food, don’t we?  There are several times in the Bible when people faced famine and usually significant things happened in those dreadful times. Do you remember some of those stories? A famine in Bethlehem forced Naomi and her family to move east looking for food and you’ll recall that is when Ruth came into their family! (Ruth 1) Another famine forced Jacob and his family to move south to Egypt to find food, and Joseph his son welcomed them, remember? (Genesis 46)(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Why is today special? Because today we formally begin “The Grand Narrative”, a several month journey through the Bible. Why? We’re seeking to understand the story God has been writing since before time began. A story God is still writing today, and He is including you and me in His story! So here we go, looking at the very first page of the Bible, the only book in the world written by God! (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Of all the contracts and commitments, you’ve made and perhaps signed in your life, I wonder which ones have been most significant and have required the greatest effort on your part to uphold your end of a binding agreement? Perhaps your marriage covenant, or your home mortgage, or your advanced education loans, or business loans?  Join me again back in Jerusalem in late 445bc as Nehemiah and the Jewish exiles who were rebuilding Jerusalem enter into a ‘binding agreement’ with each other and with God!  (Click here to see full text, images and links)     Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   I wonder how you handle distractions in life. Especially sophisticated ones or repeated ones that don’t seem to accept “NO” for a response from you?  That is what Mr. Nehemiah was facing as the outrageously cumbersome and complex job of rebuilding the wall around the city of Jerusalem was nearing completion. Let’s join him again to watch what we can learn.(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   I hope you never tire of hearing me call you ‘friends’, because I really look VERY much forward to our daily times of spiritual reflection together, no matter what time of day or night, no matter where you and I meet in the world. I happen to be writing today about 1500 miles away from my home and I’m excited to dig into God’s Word with you…so let’s go! Have you had some people in your life journey who have modeled well for you how to live, especially at critical junctures or complex circumstances in life? I sure have and I’m grateful for each of them, especially my father, now 98 years old and guess what, he’s showing me how to age well and live with dignity and integrity in old age! Thank you, Dad! (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   How do you and I live alert and ready for the unexpected? Who are those who will respond quickly to our calls for help?  By the time we get to Nehemiah 4:18 it’s safe to say the massive project of rebuilding the Jerusalem wall had probably been going on for about a month. Yesterday we saw that Nehemiah had to develop a ‘multitasking’ defense & build plan because there was such strong opposition from Gentiles outside Jerusalem. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Are you one of those people who is amazingly gifted with the ability to “multitask”? Most women raising children are great ‘multitaskers’ as they often are doing many things at one time, even with little kids clamoring for their attention. Some say that this remarkable ability deteriorates as we age, but I’m not so sure. Come with me back to Jerusalem in 445bc and let’s watch many ‘multitaskers’ working together to accomplish the amazing task of rebuilding the WALL around the city.(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever spent much time not just watching but actually working at a major construction site? Have you ever helped with the hard work of building a wall? Working with heavy stone or concrete blocks and mortar will wear out even the strongest men very quickly, right? It’s exhausting, back-breaking work, especially in the hot sun. Come with me, let’s join such a project, but not with modern equipment.  Let’s go back, 2400 years ago, to a great wall building project in Jerusalem during the hot summer of 445bc.(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Today is July 3, and tomorrow is a very important day in world history. I wonder if you’ve ever visited “Independence Hall” in Philadelphia? Have you put yourself into the story of the American Revolution and what great courage was required of those 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence? Have you ever put your signature on an important document which left you feeling that you’d committed yourself to something that might require EVERYTHING from you? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever been moved to tears or significant action simply by listening to someone pray? Way too often prayer offered out loud in a public setting can be anything from a sermon to a political speech or even a rebuke of something or someone.  Down through history the prayers of some people have made it into the Biblical record and one of those is found in Ezra 9. It’s a powerful, repentant, humble, instructional prayer which poured out of Ezra’s broken heart. He was overwhelmed, ashamed for the failure of Jerusalem leaders. It’s also a prayer seeking God’s mercy and guidance in the middle of a crisis. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Rest, after a long busy day, or a very long journey is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? It’s amazing how God has designed our bodies, minds and hearts to recover with REST each in their own way, isn’t it? In part, that’s what a weekly Sabbath is all about, and have you found yourself caught in the over-stressed life without a Sabbath rest?   Let’s rejoin Ezra and his large caravan who finally arrived safely in Jerusalem after their 4-month walking journey from Babylon. 4 months in the hot, dry middle east climate, walking with about 1500 other people and all the carts with their belongings and even animals, can you imagine? Ezra simply says this: “So we arrived in Jerusalem where we rested for three days.” (Ezra 8:32) Oh my, can you imagine how welcome and refreshing this 3-day rest was for these weary travelers? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Of all the holidays you celebrate each year, which are your favorite and why? What makes those days so special? The food, the gathering of friends and family, the events celebrated, time off from work or school. Over the past several days we’ve been immersed in the remarkable story of Esther found in the Old Testament Bible book which bears her name. It’s an amazing story, isn’t it? As you may know it is one of the great annual festivals for the Jewish people around the world even today. It’s called “PURIM”. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever experienced or heard of someone who suddenly received an unexpected ‘windfall’ financial blessing? I don’t mean they won the lottery. But perhaps they were in someone’s estate plan and didn’t know it, or someone just felt led to give them an outrageous gift. Today, join me again in Susa, the capital city of the Persian kingdom, about 474bc as Mordecai is about to experience a ‘windfall’.(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   When in your life have you felt most vulnerable? Have you ever had a close call with death?  Come with me, back to the city of Susa, in Persia, in the year 474bc. Yesterday we saw that wicked Haman had convinced King Xerxes that the Jewish people, ALL of them, everywhere in the empire were enemies of the king and must be eradicated, eliminated, annihilated! (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   How many times have you applied for a job? Probably several in your lifetime. Some were simple 1-page applications and a brief interview, maybe even over the phone. Others were many pages, background checks, reference checks and multiple interviews with various levels of management. But have you ever been hired simply on the basis of your appearance?  Come with me back to the city of Susa in about 482bc. I left you yesterday standing in the royal throne room of his majesty King Xerxes, emperor over all 127 provinces of the vast Persian kingdom. He had thrown a week-long extravagant banquet for his officials from all provinces. Near the end of those festivities, in a rage, this temperamental King had declared the kingdom’s Queen Vashti was banished from ever coming into his presence again! Her crime? She had refused to come to his banquet and allow the king to parade her beauty before hundreds of the kingdom’s officials who had way too much to drink. This story is found in the Bible book of Esther. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

  Opposition is one of the sad but true realities of the human journey, right? As you reflect on your life, I’m sure there have been many times when you felt great opposition to your ideas or your objectives or your plans and efforts. What did you do in those cases? What have you and I taught our children and grandchildren about dealing with opposition in a God honoring way? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   I wonder if you’ve had the experience of visiting a childhood special place, many years later as an adult? And while perhaps that place had not physically changed, did it seem so much smaller to you, as an adult, than what you remembered? Today let’s rejoin the Temple rebuilding story in Jerusalem 2500 years ago because… that is exactly what happened! (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   We’ve all had the experience of TIME running much faster than we want it to, and sometimes we actually run OUT of TIME, or find ourselves far behind a time schedule. That is especially true in a rebuilding project, have you experienced that? Join me again please in Jerusalem about 2500 years ago. Everywhere you look at that time, dirt is flying, as the ruins of the demolition of the city of Jerusalem and the great Temple of God are being cleared and restoration begun! Yesterday we looked at Ezra’s description of the rebuilding of the huge Altar for Burnt Offerings on the Temple mount. (Ezra 3:2) In fact that reconstruction happened exactly on the foundation of the original Altar which had first been constructed there almost 500 years before by King Solomon! (Ezra 3:3) (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   We’ve all had the experience of packing up for a long trip. Many of us have perhaps packed to move permanently to a far distant place. So, it should not be difficult for us to imagine what the Jewish exiles were doing in Babylon when I left you yesterday in Ezra 1:7, about 538bc. King Cyrus had issued an edict that ANY Jewish captive, anywhere in the Persian empire, was free to return to their homeland with specific instructions to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and especially the great Temple of King Solomon which had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586bc. (2 Chron. 36:22,23) (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   When you hear the word “REVOLUTION” what comes to your mind? What about a Spiritual Revolution? Yesterday I left you in the middle of chaos in Jerusalem about 2000 years ago, do you remember? It was the Jewish “Shavuot” festival, also known as the Harvest Festival or Pentecost, which was celebrated each year 50 days after Passover.  As you recall, the Passover weekend, which we celebrate as Easter, was for all who knew Jesus Christ dramatic, unexplainable, unbelievable, and historic. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus has changed history and changed life for Billions of people in the past 2000 years. (Matt. 26-28)(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here