Podcasts about Ahaz

Power of Praying Scriptures over your Marriage: Special Patreon Release with Jodie Berndt   1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NIV) "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you."   *Transcription Below*   Jodie Berndt is bestselling author of the Praying the Scriptures book series, which includes volumes for Children, Teens, Adult Children, and Life, plus the new Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage (2023). Jodie has been a trusted speaker, Bible teacher, and prayer warrior for over thirty years. She and her husband, Robbie, have four married children, and they live in Virginia Beach, Virginia.   Connect with Jodie through her website or Instagram.   Questions and Topics We Discuss: What are some ancient truths from Scripture that stand out to you, specifically as it relates to marriage? Will you share a few of the helpful questions for couples that you write in the book? How have you seen kindness open the door to changes in a marriage?   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and The Savvy Sauce Charities (and donate online here)   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”   Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”   Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”   Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”   John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:10 - 2:47) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   I want to say a huge thank you to today's sponsors for this episode, Chick-fil-A East Peoria and Savvy Sauce Charities.   If this is your first time here, welcome! You may be wondering what it means to have a special Patreon release. So, here's the scoop. Patreon was a platform we used to generate financial support for The Savvy Sauce, and we expressed our thanks to those paying patrons by giving them a bonus episode every month. But, in 2024, we transitioned away from Patreon when we became a non-profit called Savvy Sauce Charities. The podcast is part of this non-profit, which exists to resource loved ones to inspire growth and intimacy with God and others.   So, people used to pay to support us through Patreon, but now they can just donate directly to our non-profit. We spend thousands of dollars each year to record and produce these episodes, and we do pray that they're beneficial and that God sees fit to use them to be transformational in your life. If that is the case, if you have ever benefited from an episode of The Savvy Sauce, would you consider showing your gratitude through your financial generosity? Any amount is greatly appreciated. In fact, if every listener gave only $1 per month, it would completely offset our costs. We have all the details on our website, thesavvysauce.com, but feel free to also reach out to our team anytime if you want to partner together. Our email address is info@thesavvysauce.com.   And now I'm pleased to share this episode with you that used to only be available to paying patrons. Jodie Berndt is my guest today. She is the bestselling author of the Praying the Scriptures book series, and today we're going to focus on the powerful way to pray the scriptures for our marriage. And I just want to give you a heads up that you may hear a lot of airplanes in the background during our conversation, but I hope it doesn't take away from all the goodness Jodie is about to share. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Jodie.   Jodie Berndt: (2:49 - 2:53) Laura, thank you. It is just a huge treat to be able to chat with you today.   Laura Dugger: (2:54 - 2:59) Well, will you begin by just first telling us a bit about yourself and the work that you get to do?   Jodie Berndt: (3:01 - 4:19) Sure. Yes. Well, like you, I have four children. Mine are grown now, though. I have three daughters and then a son at the end, and they're all adults and married and having kids of their own. I met my husband back when we were in college. We both went to the University of Virginia and got married right after college, kind of jumped into the whole marriage and family thing. By today's standards, it seems ridiculously young. I look back and I think I don't know what we were thinking. But as Robbie, my husband says, when you meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start right now. And I think we both kind of felt that way. And so, we've been married now, I guess, nearly 38 years.   Your listeners may know that I write books. I write the Praying the Scriptures books. I've done others as well. But those are the ones that I am primarily focused on now. Praying the Scriptures for Your Children, your teens, your adult children, your life, because we needed ourselves too. And then most recently, Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage. So, I never set out to become a prayer writer or even a book writer. But golly, I have realized the power of prayer and my desperate need for God's help in all things. So, I think it sort of fell backwards into it. And it's been a fun journey.   Laura Dugger: (4:20 - 4:37) Well, and I first encountered that book that you mentioned, Praying the Scriptures for Your Children, when I was a new mom, and it was so powerful. So, when you look back to that one, what are some of the stories or takeaways that really stand out from that resource?   Jodie Berndt: (4:38 - 9:31) Oh, gosh. Well, thank you for asking about that one. That was a book that was sort of born, as I said, out of my own need for the Lord, because nothing reveals your flaws and inadequacies and need for help beyond yourself as much as having children does. At least for me, that was the case. I'd grown up in a Christian home. Prayer was a natural part of life for me but not sort of the specific intentional prayers and not praying the scriptures.   And for anybody who doesn't know what that means, it just means taking the words that we read in the Bible, the things that God actually says to us there and using them to shape how we think about things, how we long for things, kind of creating our desires as based on what we read and then animating our prayers so that, as Jesus says in John 15, he looks at his disciples, he's getting ready to go to the cross, and you think of all the things he could have talked about. He chose to drill down on staying connected to him primarily through our prayers. He says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you." And then he explains why. He says, "This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."   And I think I read that chapter in those specific verses, probably a hundred times over my life without fully comprehending what he was talking about there. And I think what he's talking about is that as we abide in him, as we remain in him, as we stay connected day in and day out, whether we're doing the laundry or running a carpool or anything else, we can allow the things we read in the Bible to shape our thoughts, shape our longings, and then give voice to our prayers. And when we do that, that really is the secret to living a difference-making, transformational, impactful life, to bearing fruit.   I loved being able to kind of look back over a 20-year history. And the stories in that book, in all my books, are real-life people who have real-life struggles and real-life prayers. And some of them have very happy endings. Some of them are still being played out. All of them represent times when we're having to trust God. And as I looked back over 20 years of praying parents and watched these families, where when I first was interviewing the mom or the dad, their kids might be five or seven or ten years old. And now, you know, these kids are in their 30s, some of them. And I'm like, wow, God, you know, it's like watching hair grow sometimes when we're praying and we don't see the needle moving. But with the perspective of history and time, you can see how God works. And so that was a huge blessing to me that I didn't expect when I went back and re-read the book and updated the book to be able to see what God has done.   And one particular chapter that I loved in that book was the chapter on praying for your child to promote God's kingdom. And there's a story in there about two little second grade boys, Brandon and Eddie. And I was part of a moms in prayer group at the time. And we were praying a verse, Ephesians 5:16, that our kids would make the most of every opportunity, that they would be wise in the way they live. We really didn't know how God would answer that prayer. But what parent doesn't want their child to be wise in the way they live and to make the most of the opportunities? Well, sure enough, we prayed that prayer. And two weeks later, one of the moms in our group came in and told the most jaw-droppingly beautiful story of how her son, a second grader, as part of an in-class assignment, had chosen to write a persuasive essay. And you can imagine what a second-grade essay looks like. But most of the kids in the class thought, I'm going to persuade my grandmother to give me a bicycle or I'm going to persuade my mom to let me stay up late and watch a TV show, whatever it is. This child chose to write to one of his classmates, who had been known as a real troublemaker in that class and in the school, about why he should accept Jesus as the Lord of his life. And he put these 10 points, things like, you know, God loves you. Jesus loves you. You can have anything you want in heaven. Just is a second grader's viewpoint. And I'm telling you what, I did that interview and wrote that story 20 some years ago. And still today, as I look back on that child and again, getting to watch him grow up, he's now a father with children of his own. And seeing how God has worked in that child's life in answer to that Ephesians 5 prayer that our child will be wise, making the most of every opportunity. I'm just dumbfounded. First, by how God answered that in a second grader's life and how he's continued to have the answer to that prayer unfold over this young man's life as he's grown. It's just we never can know when we pray what God will do.   Laura Dugger: (9:33 - 9:53) Absolutely. Because the fruit looks so different than the seed. And that's incredible to have that gift of perspective. But now with your newest title, Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage, first of all, how do you even respond to someone if they ask you, why does prayer matter in marriage?   Jodie Berndt: (9:54 - 12:29) Yeah, well, that's actually a question that I get more than you would think. And especially from people who aren't super comfortable praying. Because a lot of us, even if we've grown up in church-going Christian homes, the idea of praying with our spouse just might not come naturally. And even for Robbie and me. But I'll tell you one of the reasons we want to do it is because prayer really does matter. As I jumped into writing this book, I started doing some research and secular research points to all of these benefits that it reinforces the idea of prayer does that you're on the same team. Psychologists have found that prayer increases a sense of satisfaction in your relationship. It heightens your own sense of emotional well-being. If you're mad, it gives you a chance to calm down. It can lower your blood pressure. And there have even been studies done that shows that when couples pray together, it even leads to better sex. And so, you get all of these things that are completely separate from maybe the spiritual side of why God would want us to pray. This is just the secular research.   But when you take it a step further and look at why God wants us to pray, oh, my goodness. You know, it opens the door to intimacy, both with ourselves and with the Lord, because honestly, it's being vulnerable, isn't it? When we pray, you know, that is asking God for help. That's acknowledging our dependence on him, admitting we can't always be kind or selfless or forgiving on our own. And, you know, I don't know any husbands or wives who can do those things because we're all inherently flawed. We're broken. We're selfish people. And we can kind of start to shrivel up under what pressure to just get it all right, you know, to be a good wife, to be a good husband. And we can feel like we're failing. And yet, when we realize that through prayer, we've got this vehicle of inviting God into the mix, into our relationship, of letting the Holy Spirit step in and do the things that only he can do to work in us, giving us, as Philippians 2:13 says, the desire and the power to do what pleases God. I mean, that just changes the equation. It removes the burden from our shoulders of trying to build a strong marriage or be a good husband or wife. And just says, God, you know what? I can't do this on my own. I need you. Our marriage needs you. And that just opens up the runway, I think, for us in marriages and really gives us a new intimacy and a new confidence in our relationships.   Laura Dugger: (12:30 - 12:45) Well, and Jodie, you did so much research on marriages in preparation for this book. So, what are some of the ancient truths from Scripture that stand out to you specifically as it relates to marriage?   Jodie Berndt: (12:45 - 16:24) I'll tell you, an ancient truth that runs throughout Scripture is God's desire for us to talk to him about all of the details of our lives. There's nothing too big or nothing too small for him to care about. And I know you shared with me that you loved the Isaiah 7:11 verse in The Message translation, which is when Ahaz and the Lord are talking together. And God says, ask anything, you know, be extravagant, ask for the moon. And that's God's invitation to us to ask big. But there are also verses in Scripture where it says, you know, he delights in the details of our lives. He bends down to listen. So, we really can talk to him about the smallest things.   And I'll tell you, in terms of what you term ancient truths, I would say, and your listeners, I'm sure, know this, that the Bible is kind of one big story of God's love for us. And the covenant of marriage really is designed to reflect that. You know, we say this in our marriage vows, but I've yet to meet a bride or groom who really knows what they're talking about when they say those vows. I know for Robbie and me, we were just starry eyed and in love and speaking these vows without even really thinking what it would mean for better, for worse, you know, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish all of those things. But I'll tell you what, marriage gives us a chance to live out the gospel every day in a million little ways.   I love what Tim Keller says about the gospel. He says the gospel is this. It's that we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe. And yet at the very same time, we are more loved and accepted in Jesus than we ever dared hope. And, you know, isn't that a picture of marriage? Because nothing reveals our flaws and our sins as much as taking two inherently selfish people and bringing them into close proximity with each other day in and day out. We are going to love against each other. We're going to be aware of our brokenness. Nobody knows my weak points as much as my husband. Nobody knows his as much as I do. So, we're so aware that we're flawed. And yet within the covenant of our marriage, we can honestly say, OK, we are more loved and accepted than we ever dared hope as we do what Christ did and give ourselves up for one another.   Ephesians 5, it's that classic New Testament passage about how human relationships are supposed to work. And Paul starts out, he says, Ephesians 5:2, "Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." And you may blow by a verse like that because it sounds very theological and holy. And you think, OK, what does that really mean in my human relationships? And more specifically, what does that mean for our marriage? OK, walking in love, giving yourself up. It could be something as simple as getting out of bed to let the dog out so that your husband or your wife can sleep in. It may be going to the in-laws for dinner when everything in us wants to stay home because we know that's what our spouse longs to do. Anytime we choose to put our partner's needs and desires ahead of our own, that's partaking of the gospel. That is giving ourselves up for them as Jesus gave himself up for us. Even as we do that in the little decisions of our lives every day, we get to live out that gospel. And what a beautiful opportunity. So, if I had to take one ancient truth from all of scripture, it would be that the Bible is one big love story of God's love for us. And in our marriages every day, we can live that out in a million little decisions.   Laura Dugger: (16:26 - 16:50) Well, in your book, you open up about your journey of learning to listen to your husband instead of interrupting him. Oh, yeah. And just a crazy side note. I'm just going to quote you here where you write, the average person pays attention for about eight seconds and can only go 17 seconds before interrupting someone. 17 seconds.   Jodie Berndt: (16:50 - 19:53) Yes. I mean, I read that in my research. I think that was out of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I think was the source there. But when I read that, I thought, oh, my goodness. A, that makes me just mortified. But B, it makes me feel better about myself because I am an interrupter. I always think that I have the answer, the solution or something that's going to be really either interesting to say or solving to say whatever it is. And I had to learn to give my husband space to speak because like a lot of men, I think he's not super verbose. He's not going to be letting his words tumble out. And so, I have to give space and time in our conversations for him to be able to get his words together instead of just leaping to a conclusion and saying, I know exactly what you mean or stepping in and trying to finish his sentence because he may have something that he's concerned about or worried about.   You know, I tell a story in the book, too, where when we taught a marriage class, we had to rate each other on all kinds of things, 20 different topics on a scale of like zero to four. I think it was. And he gave me a zero in meeting his emotional needs. And I thought zero, but that's not fair. I didn't even know you had emotional needs because you are such a steady, reliable, non-mercurial person. And I realized just because he's steady and not all over the map, doesn't mean he doesn't have fears and worries and concerns and emotional needs just like I do. I had to learn to kind of let him express those. And for his part, he had to learn to let me speak without immediately jumping in and wanting to fix something. I think men, a lot of our husbands are natural fixers. They love us. They want to solve our problems. They want to help us analyze what's wrong. And there have been times where I have had to just look at Robbie, sometimes even take a space in my hands and say, OK, I just want to tell you something. And I don't need you right off the bat to fix it. I just need to be heard. I need to know that you understand. So, will you just listen without trying to solve or analyze or fix and let me express myself, communicate? And that's been a really good listening tool. So so, between me trying to interrupt and him trying to solve and fix, we have really had to learn some some tools and some strategies that we talk about in the book for becoming better listeners.   And I think it only makes sense, right? We are not ever taught to listen or taught to speak. I've got grandchildren here and it's really fun to watch them at age one and two and three learn to mimic what we say when we say, can you say yes, please? Can you say, you know, I love you. And it's delightful to watch our children learn to form words. But nobody ever says to us, OK, let me teach you to listen. Let me teach you to wait. Let me teach you to reflect. Let me teach you to ask questions to help you understand more. All of those things may not come naturally to us. And so, there are things we have to be intentional in marriage and in every relationship about learning.   Laura Dugger: (19:54 - 20:07) Well, are there any of those game changing tools that you would like to elaborate on if someone really hasn't been trained to learn how to listen? Well, what has helped you and Robbie really listen and love?   Jodie Berndt: (20:07 - 22:13) Yeah, well, me not. Number one, expecting him to be a mind reader. I think sometimes we girls, because we intuit things, we think, oh, surely he'll pick this up. And I've had to learn that I need to really be clear in my communication. And just like I said earlier, you know, if I just want him to listen without fixing, I need to say that. And we've also had to learn things like I think sometimes listeners can try to reassure other people. We can minimize the problem saying, oh, it's going to be all right. You know, don't worry. That happened to me once, too. And while we might think we're doing someone a favor by that, what we're really doing is undermining their need to express themselves, to be heard, to say they really are afraid or concerned.   And so, I think a good listener doesn't just jump in immediately with the reassurance or another bad habit is deflecting, you know, saying, oh, yeah, that reminds me of the time I. And we think, oh, good, we're going to take their mind off the problem by telling them another story. And no, they don't maybe need to have their mind taken off it right then. What they might need right then is to know that they're being heard. Or even another bad habit that we had to learn to avoid is intellectualizing something or explaining something. You know, well, the reason it didn't go well for you at work today, honey, is that you probably started by just saying exactly what you felt without giving everybody else in the room a chance to speak or whatever it is. You know, we're going in trying to armchair quarterback our spouse's life by explaining and intellectualizing when, again, they just need to know we're listening, we're hearing, we're willing to be sympathetic and empathize, and we're willing to pray. And we don't have to have the answers.   We can say, gosh, that must be hard. You know, why don't we just stop right now and just say, God, we don't know what to do here. Just like Jehoshaphat had said, you know, he was facing vast armies. He said, God, I don't know what to do. We don't know what to do. But our eyes are on you. And we can say that in our marriage saying, I don't know how to help my spouse. We don't know what to do about this. But God, we're inviting you into this mix. And that's what a good listener can sound like. Sometimes you don't have to have all the answers.   Laura Dugger: (22:14 - 22:36) And I would even add, I guess it's part of the hope of this podcast, even, to ask really great questions. And our tagline is Practical Chats for Intentional Living. And the hope is that anyone listening would be inspired to also ask great questions and have their own practical chats for intentional living.   Jodie Berndt: (22:36 - 25:28) Yes, I love that you bring that up. Because in the book, there are questions at the end of every chapter. I didn't start out to write Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage. But after these other four books came out, I kept hearing from people on Instagram or via my website saying, when are you going to write something about marriage? You know, I'm in this most important human relationship. And we are grating against each other. You know, we need God's help when it comes to knowing how to handle conflict, how to handle our finances, time with our in-laws, intimacy issues, or learning, as you and I have been talking here, how to talk well, how to listen well, how to communicate, how to make friends. You'd think that would come naturally, but sometimes it doesn't. And couples struggle to find people that they want to do life with.   So, all of these things, leaving our legacy, parenting, are things marriages want God to be involved in. And so, these are what the different chapters, the topics. And at the end of each one, there are questions that we can ask our spouse. You know, hit the pause button and say, you know, say it's the chapter on having fun together. We might get to the end of that chapter and say, what's something you'd like to do that might surprise me? Because we don't always know what our spouse's idea of relaxation or fun or laughter would look like. And so, the questions in there are designed to elicit conversation. And you know what? If your spouse isn't interested in talking to you about any of those things, you can talk to the Lord about them. You can open your journal, and you can just write things out. You can listen to God. So, the discussion starters are in there for husbands and wives to use together or for you to use in your own quiet times with the Lord.   And I'll tell you, this is the only book in the series that Robbie has really written with me. He read every word of every chapter before I would send it off to the editor. And time and again, he would come back to me, and he would say, Jodie, I don't think a husband's going to really know what you mean by that. Or I don't think you have dug deep enough on this one or been as helpful as you might be on that one. And that made it hard. I mean, talk about a chance to have conflict with your spouse, invite them to edit your book. But it was so valuable because it has created a resource where I think a wife might buy the book. But I really do think a husband now might be willing to pick up the book. And even if the husband's not digging deep into the stories of every chapter, any husband or any wife can pick it up. Pray the 10 or 12 verses at the end of each chapter or just pray one verse that seems to resonate. And then avail themselves of those discussion questions and conversation starters so that it can help communication both between husband and wife and between you and God. So, thank you for bringing up that part about questions, because that really is something we need to do more about in life. We can't ever know someone without asking those things.   Laura Dugger: (25:29 - 26:18) I agree. And so, we've covered now how listening is that one important ingredient in communication. But in addition, you write, it is still important to stay current with our spouse by also talking and sharing what's going on within and around us. And you write on page 49, The things we don't say can become wedges in our relationships. Communication involves two parts, talking and listening, and we need to be good at both. And Jodie, I think that you model a helpful way to think about this through something that you taught your children. So, will you share that illustration of serving the ball and hitting it back and how that applies to conversation?   Jodie Berndt: (26:18 - 29:16) That's so funny that you pulled that out. And its funny right now because I just read that in a very important intellectual article that showed up in my inbox from one of these institutes. I follow on family studies and different things. I thought that Robbie and I had invented this idea of serving the ball. Our son was an athlete and not much of a talker. And because he was an athlete all year round, he would go to different tournaments, different places. And I remember him being a young teen and not being super eager to engage in conversation. But because we had four kids and you can relate to this, we were not always taking our kids to all the different tournaments and activities. A lot of times they'd be riding in a car with another adult, another team dad or mom. And on one occasion, I remember popping him in the car with a friend of ours who was going to go meet a lacrosse team, you know, another state away. And we knew he'd be in the car for three or four hours. And we said, OK, you know, when Mr. So-and-so asks you a question, you can't just answer with one word, you know, like I'm good or yes, sir. We want you to hit the ball back. We want you to think of something that you can ask him. Think of a conversation. That's our son's name. We said, like you're in a game where the ball has to go back and forth, like say something to keep it in play. And for him, that was a real eye opener for how to learn to talk when he mostly knew how to hit balls back and forth.   And researchers noticed that couples who paid that attention, you know, if a spouse, if a husband said, hey, look at that bird. Isn't that a pretty bird? If the wife didn't even notice the bird, that planted a seed of contempt or indifference, coldness, the cold shoulder that could grow, whereas if the partner said, wow, gosh, that is a pretty bird, and, you know, that reminds me of the one we saw last week on our walk, and, I mean, that's a silly illustration, maybe noticing the bird, maybe it's a sunset, maybe it's saying, wow, this, you know, hamburger is really good, whatever it is, whatever the little tidbits of conversation, when we pick up, when we hit the ball back, when we pay attention and say, you know, yeah, that creates an interest in our spouse and a kindness.   Laura Dugger: (29:17 - 35:00) And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Did you know you can go to college tuition-free just by being a team member at Chick-fil-A East Peoria? Free college education. All Chick-fil-A East Peoria team members in good standing can take advantage of this incredible benefit. If you're looking for a workplace that invests in your future, Chick-fil-A East Peoria is the place for you. You don't have to go into debt for college. Visit Chick-fil-A.com/EastPeoria and click on the career tab. And if you aren't located near Chick-fil-A East Peoria, make sure you check with your local Chick-fil-A restaurant to see if they also participate.   Jodie Berndt: And I'll tell you, when I started doing the kindness research, I said to Robbie, do you think some people are just more naturally kind than others? And he said, yeah, I do. I think some people are just naturally more kind. And I think he's right, but I don't think you put a period there, because kindness is a fruit of the Spirit, right? Galatians 5:22 and 23, it does talk about how love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness is what the Holy Spirit does in our lives. And researchers have found that kindness actually works with them like a muscle. It gets stronger in our lives the more we commit to using it. And I love what folks at the National Marriage Project discovered. They discovered that when we are kind to our spouse with these simple things, you know, bringing them a cup of coffee in the morning, it doesn't even have to be super important, that creates an atmosphere in which generosity toward one another can flourish. And what it does is create an upward spiral. You know, we all talk about downward spirals and how we can just descend into contempt or coldness. We can also ascend. We can create that upward spiral through simple, small words and gestures that communicate kindness in marriage. And it can change the whole climate and allow intimacy and love to flourish.   And I will tell you what, Robbie and I are in the empty nest years, and we have friends who are in our same season, and a couple of couples in particular. For the last maybe four or five years have confided to us that they're not as kind to one another as they would like to be. Their marriage is strong. They're not getting a divorce, but their kids are raised, and they each have kind of their own lanes they're in, and they're in the empty nest, and they're recognizing that they just don't treat each other with the generosity and love in their words and in their actions that maybe they did when they were younger. And you would say, oh, what a shame. Except that it's not a shame because these couples have committed to praying about it and to inviting other couples who will keep that confidential into their lives to say, hey, will you pray this for us? And I will tell you what, we are seeing the needle move in our friends' lives. It is a beautiful thing to watch someone in their 60s who thinks, you know what, I'm just not that kind, actually begin to soften and change and be kind as the Holy Spirit goes to work. So, if you're listening and you're thinking, you know what, I'm just not that nice of a person. I'm just not that kind. Or my spouse, they've been kind of cool or cold all these years. Don't give up. Keep praying. Keep trying. Keep relying on the Holy Spirit. Invite other couples into the mix who can come alongside you and pray for you and even maybe hold you a little accountable saying, okay, you know, that word was maybe harsher than it needed to be. And watch what God can do. Kindness really matters.   Laura Dugger: (45:06 - 45:45) Yes, it does. And my husband, Mark, and I love to ask questions of couples who are in the next season of life. So, we have some friends at church who are empty nesters, and we've asked them similar questions around kindness. And it was really helpful that they said what really enhanced their marital satisfaction and enjoyment of one another in those years was their tone. And I thought that was a really practical application, just to be mindful of our tone. At any season, I think of us raising little ones as well to watch our tone with our kids and our spouse.   Jodie Berndt: (45:46 - 46:16) Yeah, absolutely. And even when we speak in a tone that might, you know, I believe me, can blurt something out and it comes out sounding snippier than I meant. And I have to recognize that and say, I know that came out like I was challenging you or that I was correcting you or whatever. I didn't mean it that way. That was a genuine question of, you know, do you think we should do this or that? And I'm sorry it sounded snippy. So, we have to be aware. And when those things slip out to quickly correct that and say, gosh, sorry, let me try that again.   Laura Dugger: (46:17 - 46:38) Yeah. And I guess it's reminded me of one other quote that was really helpful. On page 63, you shared that one husband was giving a really practical definition for respect. And he said, respect looks like paying attention when I am talking, even if you have better things to do.   Jodie Berndt: (46:39 - 48:11) Yeah, I remember that couple. And I'll tell you, this was a great illustration. I'm glad you brought that one up because this is a wife who loved her husband deeply, respected what he did, said good things about him publicly and in front of people. And she would think, well, so of course he knows I respect him. Like I just praised him in front of our small group, or I just told him what a great job I thought he did on that presentation or whatever he told me about from work. And she thought, so of course he knows I respect him, but he's watching their day in, day out encounters and realizing that like so many women, you know, we do five things, 10 things at once. And he's thinking, I don't even think you're paying attention to me because I'm over here talking and you know, you're cooking the dinner or checking something on your phone or whatever. And you're listening with kind of half an ear. And she had to learn that to him, respect meant stop what you're doing and pay attention to me. And of course we can't do that all the time. Like especially if we've got little kids and they're grabbing our legs and stuff, we might have to say, hold on. I really want to pay attention to what you're saying. Can you give me five minutes to, you know, get the child settled with a coloring book or put the baby to bed or get some food in this toddler, whatever it is, because this is important to me. And I want to pay attention. So sometimes when an important need for respect is, is happening, we have to just set the stage to reassure our partner that yeah, I love you. I want to listen. I want to pay attention. I want to respect you. Let me set it up so I can do that really well. So yeah, good one.   Laura Dugger: (48:12 - 48:17) Well, do you have any other favorite stories or lessons that stand out from your book?   Jodie Berndt: (48:18 - 51:06) Well, I think a big takeaway for me is the importance of community kind of at every stage. You know, the Bible says walk with the wise and become wise for a companion of fools suffers harm. You know, that's a proverb. And I think it's really true that we need to be intentional about who we surround ourselves with. Certainly, as we're starting out young in our marriages, there's going to be adjustment phases. Even the most well-suited couples come from two different families. And as we're trying to blend our expectations, our needs, our desires, our histories, they're going to be bumps along the way. And you want to be surrounded with couples who will be able to almost laugh with you and say, yeah, you know, we had that too. And let me just tell you, here's how we navigated that. Instead of somebody who will say, oh my gosh, my husband drives me just as crazy. Like literally, I had a running group one time where I realized that there was a lot of husband bashing going on in the early morning hours as we would get out on the street, you know, before the kids went to school. And I thought this isn't really healthy. We need to change the channel on this conversation. And so, you know, and sometimes that was doable by simply changing the topic of conversation or saying something positive or just saying, “Hey, let's all list three things we're grateful about, about our spouse.”   But I think how we surround ourselves with couples really makes a difference also in the empty nest years. And I think our friendships change. Robbie and I have had friends change significantly many times over the years. Sure. There are those people that we can look back on college roommates that we're still in touch with, and that's wonderful. But we have had cross country moves four times. We have had different seasons with our kids where all of our friends might be the ones we're on the bleachers with because we are seeing them two and three times a week and traveling on the weekends to games and things like that. And now we're in the empty nest years and our friends are starting to go visit grandkids. They are in retirement, some of them and traveling for fun. Others have taken up new hobbies, new volunteer commitments. So that landscape has shifted and we've had to say, all right, let's look for life giving people, be intentional about who we want to invite over to our house for dinner, who we'd like to co-chair a project with, something where we are constantly thinking about how we can surround ourselves with people who share our faith, who will sharpen us. Again, that proverb about iron sharpening iron, our friends really matter. We want to be around people who keep us sharp and who will be intentional about pouring into our marriages. So, you know, they say divorce is catching, and it really is. If you're in a community where people are just quick to give up or quick to bash their spouse, change that, change that in your life. Look for folks who are leaning in and helping one another love well.   Laura Dugger: (51:07 - 51:27) And I think you're very encouraging to those couples that are entering or in the midst of the empty nest phase of life. And you drew out a proverb that I'd never heard in The Message version in Proverbs 4:18, where it says the longer they live, the brighter they shine.   Jodie Berndt: (51:28 - 51:58) Yeah. Isn't that a great one? I mean, you could read Proverbs 4:18 and in the NIV and the ESV and the King James, all that. And it's always good. But boy, when I hit it in The Message, and I don't know, I might've seen it around my 50th birthday or something, but I thought the longer they live, the brighter they shine. Amen. God, I want to put that on my refrigerator. Just remind me that, you know, you don't necessarily have to have all the Botox to keep shining bright. You can just have the Holy Spirit living in you and through you animating your life and making you radiant. So yeah, I love that one. I'm glad you called that out.   Laura Dugger: (51:59 - 52:06) Yeah. Are there any other ways that you see that play out as people do start to navigate these empty nest years?   Jodie Berndt: (52:07 - 53:52) I think you can become kind of insular as you get older. If we weren't being intentional about trying to have new experiences, make some new friends, your world can start shrinking because maybe your responsibilities at work aren't as demanding. So, you have more time away from work or your kids are gone. So, you're not seeing all the friends that you've done life with all that time. So, emptiness can be a time of loneliness for couples. And it can be a time when you are thinking, gosh, I'm not as active or having as much fun. But we have a friend named Jim Burns. He's written a lot of books on marriage and family issues. And he writes, he says, who would have thought that the most intimate times in a marriage aren't necessarily in the first few years, but in the empty nest. And he and his wife have navigated this transition so successfully. And I think it's in large part because they have been intentional about having fun together, about trying new things. And another couple, I know Susan and Johnny Yates, they're in their seventies. And they were like, Hey, we've never gone snowmobiling. You want to try it? Yeah, let's try it. And I just think, you know, the more we're willing to get out there and try new experiences, a new place to visit, it might even be as simple as a restaurant we've never been to, but just kind of ensuring that your world stays bigger, your friend groups stay bigger, and that you can be leaning into the fact that, you know, I think about Job where it says, God blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former. And there is a real, a real beauty to knowing that you have a lot of runway left when you hit the empty nest years and asking God, how do you want to use me in my family, in my church, in my community, and being open to the things he puts in front of you?   Laura Dugger: (53:53 - 54:02) I love that. And Jodie, you are just such an encourager. So where can we go online to learn more from you after this conversation?   Jodie Berndt: (54:03 - 55:19) Thank you for asking that. My website is jodieberndt.com. And I would really encourage people to check that out and kind of scroll around. There's an area called resources and printables where there's a lot of free stuff like 31-day prayer calendars. You can download and print to help you pray for your marriage, a verse every day, or pray for your children or your adult children, your teens, your life, all of those calendars are on there, as well as little prayer cards, things you can tuck into your kid's lunchbox or leave on their bedside table. If you have a teenager who maybe would roll their eyes, you know, if you want to walk in there and say goodnight prayers, you might say, well, you know what? I'm just going to leave this little thing on their pillow, so they know that mom or dad is praying. And again, even if they're acting like they don't want it, I've never yet met a teen, my own included, who used to sometimes roll their eyes who will now tell me, you know what mom? I really was listening. I really did appreciate that. So, a little hang in there strategy, but yes, at jodieberndt.com all those resources. And then I'm pretty active on Instagram and that's just @jodie_berndt. So, if people want to follow there, I love to share different prayer prompts or encouragements. People can DM me with questions and it's just a fun way to, to make friends in a digital way that you might not ever be able to see someone in real life, but we can all learn from each other.   Laura Dugger: (55:19 - 55:40) Well, we will add links to all of those places in the show notes for today's episode. And you may already be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because yes, I love it. I love it. And savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, Jodie, what is your savvy sauce?   Jodie Berndt: (55:41 - 57:21) That is such a great question. I love that you asked all your guests that I think for me, this might sound boring or even holier than thou, but I don't mean it that way. For me, a scripture is my savvy sauce. Like I turn to the Bible for my answers. I turn to it to shape my prayers. Like I can be so given to worry about something. I can just naturally go to a place of panic or uncertainty. And yet in the pages of scripture, I find promises that I can hold on to in a way that I can exchange my panic for peace and just trust God's provision. And the circumstances might not have changed, but what has changed as I lean into the Lord and read of his faithfulness in the past, they can help me trust for the future and it doesn't have to be this long. Like the other thing is there was a time when I thought, oh gosh, if I don't spend a half an hour, an hour, you know, reading my Bible with a candle smelling up the room and a nice cup of coffee and my journal open, it's not going to count. And I really, especially when I had younger children, it was so beautiful. An older woman, older mother set me straight. She said, Jodie, you know, you can talk to God in the carpool line. You can read three verses of scripture and meditate on those during the day. That may be more transformational than reading an entire book of the Bible and just having permission to take that in small bites, especially if you've got little ones. I think that is a great savvy sauce. Just find yourself a verse or two, hold onto it, write it out on an index card and meditate on it during the day and see what it does.   Laura Dugger: (57:22 - 57:43) That is so good. And going back to what we had talked about earlier, I experienced so much kindness in you and have really enjoyed this conversation and appreciate all that you've brought to encourage marriages. And I'm wondering if you would just close us out now with a prayer over all the marriages that are represented right now.   Jodie Berndt: (57:44 - 59:43) Oh, I would be so honored to do that. And right back at you. I mean, you're just, your voice is so very kind and welcoming. I just know your listeners love tuning in because it's like,  just having a conversation with a dear friend. So, thank you for that. But I would love, love, love to pray.   Heavenly Father, I just thank you so much for this conversation. I thank you so much for every marriage, every household represented as folks who are listening. And I just want to pray that prayer that I think I start the book with because it just jumps out at me day in and day out from 1 Thessalonians 3:12, "May our love overflow and increase for each other and for everyone else." That's something that Paul prayed for the Thessalonians. And I just want to pray it over all of our marriages, over all of our lives, over our parenting, that our love would increase, that it would overflow for one another, for our families, for our communities. And that that would be the sign that people can look at and say, you know, that as that old song says, they'll know we are Christians by our love. And it is so true in the way that we love one another, in the way that we are kind to one another. That just speaks volumes, Lord, about your love for us. I pray that we really would, as Paul writes in Ephesians, make the most of every opportunity. I pray we would live lives marked with wisdom, that we would, as he goes on in that same chapter, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Let our marriages, let our families, let our friendships be marked by that mutual submission, by that desire to not look just to our own interests, but to the interests of others, just being humble, God. Let us live humble lives, glorifying you, looking out for one another, and growing in the knowledge and grace of your son, Jesus Christ. It's in his name we pray. Amen.   Laura Dugger: (59:44 - 59:47) Amen, Jodie. Thank you so much for being my guest.   Jodie Berndt: (59:47 - 59:55) Laura, thank you so much, and Lord bless you in the work that you are doing to just equip and encourage so many. It's just wonderful.   Laura Dugger: (59:55 - 1:03:39) Thank you. One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

This sermon examines the narrative of Jesus' birth in Matthew 1, emphasizing four key theological truths: Jesus' full humanity, his supernatural conception by the Holy Spirit, his role as the savior of his people from sin, and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The sermon argues that Jesus' genuine human nature was essential for his sacrificial work and intercession, countering historical heresies that denied his flesh. By analyzing the context of Isaiah 7:14, the message refutes the idea of a 'double fulfillment' in Ahaz's time, asserting instead that the virgin conception was the definitive realization of the Immanuel prophecy. View this on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr5xrfI0fpg

This sermon explores the narrative arc of Isaiah 1 through 12, illustrating how God's grace triumphs over human sin through atonement and a worthy King. The message begins by establishing Israel's purpose to display God's righteousness, contrasting the ideal Zion of Isaiah 2 with the reality of a people unfit for use due to rebellion and idolatry. In Isaiah 6, the prophet confronts the traumatic holiness of God, recognizing his own guilt, but receives cleansing through a coal from the altar, demonstrating that God alone provides atonement. The sermon then identifies the unworthiness of earthly kings like Ahaz, pointing to the promised Messiah who fulfills the role of both the suffering servant and the eternal ruler. Ultimately, the text concludes that Jesus Christ is the only King worthy of the title, who atones for sin and reigns in grace, inviting believers to trust in His salvation and praise the Holy One of Israel.

Send us Fan MailTo continue receiving this podcast, please subscribe to: https://thebiblejourneydailypodcast.buzzsprout.comThis Podcast is part of season 23 of a project to complete an in-depth study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse.Episode Notes:Today's episode begins with a question many of us have wrestled with: How can someone hold a wrong theological position, and yet make it sound logical? Have you ever spoken with someone from a cult, or a group with deeply flawed doctrine, and found yourself thinking: "What they're saying sounds logical… but I know it's wrong.”   So how can right logic support wrong theology?  The answer is simple: Logic built on a false foundation will always lead to a false conclusion. And in the Old Testament, we find a king who made that tragic mistake. Here is a man whose thinking was logical, but whose theology was catastrophically wrong…His name is Ahaz….Support the showThis podcast is entirely the work of Jeremy R McCandless...Follow and support me on Patreon.Jeremy McCandless | Creating Podcasts and Bible Study Resources | PatreonTo receive my weekly newsletter and keep up to date with all five of my podcasts, subscribe at:Jeremy McCandless | SubstackCheck out my other Podcasts.My History of the Christian Church: https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.comThe L.I.F.E. Podcast: Philosophy and current trends in the Arts and Entertainment.https://the-living-in-faith-everyday-podcast.buzzsprout.comThe Renewed Mind Podcast. My Psychology and Mental Health Podcast:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568891The Classic Literature Podcast:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568906To visit my Author page on Amazon and view my entire back catalogue of books on both Amazon and Kindle, and now also on Audible, Visit:Amazon.com: Jeremy R Mccandless: books, biography, latest update

Text: Isaiah chapters 40 – 55; 2 Kings chapters 18 – 19; Chronicles chapters 29 – 32;  3rd Nephi chapters 21 – 27 relating to Isaiah. Supplemental Text: The Fourth Thousand Years chapters 20-21 BYU Lecture 40  Once the Bible reader grasps the scope of Isaiah's prophesies he cannot help being amazed at the vast, encyclopedia of foreknowledge which the Lord entrusted to this one man. Isaiah was one of those who knew a great deal about today and our marvelous age of miracles, along with the devastating disasters which could summarily sweep us into oblivion if we fail to do our part. In some ways, Isaiah knew us better than we know ourselves. For Israel, Isaiah proclaimed his message of pleading and warning for more than 20 years before Israel fell to Babylon in 721 BC. He denounced violence, immorality and dishonesty of the people calling them to repentance. Isaiah must have been delighted when the 25 year old son of Ahaz named Hezekiah, became the new king. His first task was to repair, sanctify and re-dedicate the temple which his father ransacked and defiled. Soon, the people began to follow Hezekiah's lead and began to repent. After destroying the northern 10 tribes of Israel, Assyria storms down through Judah and threatens to destroy Jerusalem. In preparation for this war and siege, Hezekiah carves the famous water tunnel through limestone rock. Isaiah prophesies that God will save Jerusalem and send a blast upon the mighty Assyrian army. When the king of Assyria arose in the morning, he found 185,000 of his soldiers dead. He abandons his war plans and flees back to Ninevah. As prophesied by Isaiah, Babylon conquers Assyria and then destroys Jerusalem in 721 BC, devastating the temple, community and city walls. In 539 BC, Babylon is conquered by Cyrus of Persia, also prophesied by Isaiah, even by name. He also prophesied of the coming of Christ, of America, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon (stick of Joseph), the restoration of the gospel, latter-day temples and the second coming of Jesus Christ. The discovery of America by Columbus is discussed and the many white Nephite people found alive as noted in his diary. Also discussed is the unfortunate mass slaughter of the indigenous people by well-meaning Catholic priests under the leadership of Cortez and Pizzaro; all prophesied by Nephi.

Text: 2 Kings chapters 14 – 27; 2 Chronicles chapters 26 – 28; Books of Hosea and Micah; Isaiah chapters 1-39 Supplemental Text: The Fourth Thousand Years chapters 18-19 BYU Lecture 39  Judah on the south and Israel on the north had both become strong, powerful nations, yet they were cankered with corruption, immortality, evil and decadence like the heathen. The prophet Hosea cried repentance in vain but remained hopeful. As Israel began to derail under corrupt government and assassinations, her tributaries began to flee and join with Judah. Israel broke into civil war under tyrannical rule of wicked king Menahem. In Judah, Uzziah rose to power and became a king after the pattern of Solomon. Judah embraced tributaries fleeing from Israel and conquered territories on the south, becoming a powerful, independent nation. Suddenly, from the north of Israel came the menacing forces of Assyria. Israel tried to make alliances with all the western nations to confront Assyria, but Judah, now ruled by the wicked king Ahaz, refused to join. Israel was so angry, an army was sent to Judah to force them to join. Isaiah comes on the scene and counsels king Ahaz not to fight Israel and Syria. But Ahaz did not listen, rather he stripped the temple of gold and valuables, sent them to the king of Assyria and asked for help in defending Judah. Assyria accepted the bribe but did not defend Judah. So Ahaz turned to the pagan gods and offered obscene sacrifices, pleading for help. He even sacrificed his own son on the alter. To Ahaz, this must have seemed to be successful for Israel turned from Judah to face the attacking Assyrians from the north. The prophet Isaiah is introduced and his ministry during this period is reviewed. The Book of Isaiah is difficult to read for several reasons. It is deliberately obscure to prevent too many prophetic details to be revealed which can manipulate our choices. It is also difficult because it is written in poetic form and he skips around history. He is also a brilliant and advanced writer with a large vocabulary. A brief biography and history of Isaiah is given, along with some of his Messianic prophesies we study today. For example, he gives Ahaz a sign that a virgin will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel.

In Isaiah 26:19, we encounter one of the Old Testament's most striking—and debated—visions of resurrection: “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.” But why does resurrection suddenly appear here, and what does it mean within Isaiah's larger story?In this episode, we explore Isaiah 26:12–19 against the backdrop of Israel's temptation to look elsewhere for security and even for answers to death. During the era of Ahaz, Egyptian religious influence, funerary practices, and competing conceptions of the powers governing death offered alternatives to trusting YHWH. Isaiah exposes the futility of that search. Human rulers die. Rival powers disappear. The dead masters of this age cannot save themselves or anyone else from the grave.But YHWH can.Isaiah 26:19 announces a powerful reversal: God's people will rise from the dust. Death does not have the final word because Israel's God—and not the gods, rulers, or powers of the nations—is Lord over life and death. While Scripture elsewhere anticipates a resurrection of both the just and the unjust, Isaiah focuses our attention on those who belong to the Lord and therefore share in his victory over death.We then turn to Ephesians 5:8–14, where Paul draws upon what many scholars regard as an early Christian hymn or baptismal/worship tradition:“Awake, O sleeper,and arise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you.”This call to wake up from the dead appears to combine the resurrection imagery of Isaiah 26:19 with the call to arise and shine in Isaiah 60:1. Paul uses this song to call us to participate now in the life and light of the resurrected Messiah. Those who once belonged to darkness are called to awaken, rise, and walk as children of light.And Christ's light is not merely comforting illumination. It is also diagnostic. Like an X-ray that exposes the disease hidden beneath the surface, Christ's light reveals the sinful practices and destructive powers producing darkness and death within us—not to condemn us to remain there, but to heal us and enable us to walk in the light. Resurrection is not merely something we wait for at the end of history. It is a new life in Christ that we are summoned to begin participating in now.Key Passages: Isaiah 26:12-19 Ephesians 5:8-14Explainer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Video⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.biblehub.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.blueletterbible.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave us a question or comment at our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website podcast page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

+ Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 1: 1 – 16. 18 – 23The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us."The Gospel of the Lord

Recall that in our timeline of Judah's kings the most recent king was Ahaz, who proved to be the most evil in king in Judah's history up until that time. He not only worshipped other gods, but sacrificed his children to them as an act of pagan worship. When his son Hezekiah comes to power, he literally cleans house, restoring the temple of the Lord so that all Israel could be called back to worship the God of their ancestors. The priests and the Levites are called upon to consecrate themselves for worship, and they do everything by the book. When the temple has been made ready, they celebrate the Passover early because the people had not done so in a long time. Scripture records that nothing like this has happened since the days of King Solomon. 2 Chronicles 29 - 1:06 . 2 Chronicles 30 - 9:49 . 2 Chronicles 31 - 16:08 . Psalm 146 - 21:09 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

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This covers the backdrop of Isaiah by examining King Ahaz after Uzziah and Jotham. From 2 Kings 15 and 16, Ahaz did not do right in the sight of the Lord, walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and practiced child sacrifice to Molech. He sought help from Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria against Rezin and Pekah and took temple treasures as a gift. Ahaz also built a Damascus-style altar and altered the temple offerings. This gives context for Isaiah chapter 1 on sacrifices God did not want.

I continue with part 2 of my introduction to the book of Isaiah by reading through chapter 1. I cover the vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. I discuss Israel's rebellion against God, their empty sacrifices, and His call to repent, wash clean, and reason together. I note the small remnant left by the Lord and the promise that the willing and obedient will eat the good of the land while the rebellious face judgment. I also connect it to my earlier discussion of Uzziah and the divided kingdoms, showing God as long-suffering yet clear about the coming destruction.

What keeps you steady when the world around you feels uncertain? In this message, Pastor Tim Dilena looks at Isaiah, Ahaz, Abraham, Elijah, and David to show what happens when fear meets a life anchored in God. Using the image of an 8,000 pound weight beneath a sailboat, he explains why spiritual depth matters before the storm arrives. This is a call to move beyond passive faith and rediscover prayer as the weight that keeps us grounded. When pressure rises, darkness grows, or you feel tempted to escape, God can give you the strength to stand, pray, hope, and keep moving forward. KEY TAKEAWAYS What is beneath the surface determines whether you can remain steady when life becomes uncertain. Prayer and God's Word give us the spiritual weight we need to face pressure without being controlled by fear. Dark seasons do not mean God is absent. Sometimes they help us see His presence more clearly. Faith is not passive. It chooses to pray, stand firm, help others, and trust God even when circumstances are difficult. When everything around you says to retreat, you can make a personal decision: as for me, I will call upon God, draw near to Him, and keep hoping. ABOUT TIMES SQUARE CHURCH NYC Times Square Church is a welcoming, multicultural church in the heart of New York City, founded by David Wilkerson. If you're looking for a church, you'll find a place centered on the Gospel of Jesus, passionate worship, and a real sense of community where you can grow in faith, find purpose, and belong. FOLLOW Instagram: @timessquarechurch If you've just made a decision to be born again, please respond here: https://bit.ly/ConnectwithTSC GIVE https://tsc.nyc/give/ Whatever storm you are facing, do not face it empty. Draw near to God, return to prayer, and let His Word become the weight that keeps you steady.

This opening episode begins a study of the book of Isaiah by examining the historical backdrop from Isaiah 1:1. Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (also called Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and was a contemporary of Micah. The discussion covers events in 2 Kings 14 involving Amaziah and the conflict between Judah and Israel that shaped the setting for Uzziah. Approximate time frames given are Isaiah from about 740 BC to 715 BC and Micah from about 758 BC to 700 BC. The later deportation of the Southern Kingdom to Babylon around 580 BCE is noted as showing God's long-suffering

For sixteen years, idolatry and wickedness increased all across Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah during the reign of King Ahaz. Places of worship to Canaanite and Assyrians gods were erected throughout the city. The temple of the Lord God was desecrated with uncleanness, the vessels were cut up, and its doors were closed. Out of the midst of this intense spiritual darkness, God raised up King Hezekiah. Though he was the son of Ahaz, he had a heart to obey God and sought to call the whole country back to holy living before the Lord. Let's consider this narrative and discover the importance of personal holiness before our God.Thanks for joining us for this episode! Please take a moment to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. If this message encourages you, we'd appreciate a 5-star review and would be grateful if you'd share it with others.We'd also love to invite you and your family to worship with us this week at Grace Baptist Church. Learn more at ⁠https://gracekettering.org⁠. Thank you for listening, and we look forward to having you join us again for another episode of the Grace Baptist Church Podcast.

We are back in the book of Isaiah, and as you'll hear the prophet himself mention, we are in the time period surrounding the death of Ahaz, that wicked king of Judah who not only created an idolatrous altar and set it up adjacent to the altar of God, but who sacrificed his own children to the gods of foreign nations. We begin with a pronouncement against Babylon, which contains assertions that they are God's chosen weapon of wrath against his disobedient people, AND that they will become desolate for their actions. Israel will return to the land and the king of Babylon will fall. Pronouncements against Philistia, Moab, and Damascus follow, and we'll conclude with a prophecy of judgment against Israel. Isaiah 13 - 1:03 .  Isaiah 14 - 5:34 .  Isaiah 15 - 13:15 .  Isaiah 16 - 15:13 .  Isaiah 17 - 18:21 .  Psalm 138 - 21:39 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In week 2 of our Built for This series, Pastor Zach Wright walks through 2 Kings: 16-21 to explore how a father and son, Ahaz and Hezekiah, chose radically different paths in a time of crisis. In this message, discover why the family that shaped you doesn't have to define you, and how God invites every one of us, regardless of our history, to find our place in His family. Whether your family has been a source of strength or pain, this message will show you that it's never too late to choose a new formation.

OverviewThis episode of the Remnant Rising podcast urges believers to actively contend for a real move of God—revival—rather than waiting passively for it to arrive. The host emphasizes that revival is happening globally but requires personal and communal engagement, including obedience, consecration, and prayer. He frames revival as life against death and uses a biblical case study, King Hezekiah, to illustrate how proactive reform and radical devotion can invite the Lord's blessing and prosperity. The message also contrasts worship of past moves with pursuing fresh, present-day work of the Holy Spirit, and ends with practical calls to action (subscribe, share, and pray). The discussion weaves in biblical references (notably David, Moses, and the kings Hoshea, Elah, Ahaz, and Abi with Zechariah as his grandfather) to anchor the call to revival in a historically grounded faith.Main Points• Revival is not automatic; it requires contending for it through deliberate actions and choices.• The church is in a season of revival across the globe, and individuals can jump into God's current mov e of Spirit.• Jesus told the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until endued with power; the implication is that “if tarry, then receive”—there is an if/then dynamic to revival.Revival is achieved by three core actions:• Obey your way into revival.• Consecrate your way into revival.• Pray your way into revival (including personal, secret-place prayer).Hezekiah serves as a case study: a king who did what was right in the sight of the Lord, modeled after David, and who actively dismantled idol worship (removing high places, breaking pillars, cutting down the wooden image, and smashing the bronze serpent Nehushtan).Hezekiah's reforms demonstrated dependence on the Lord: he held fast to the Lord, kept God's commandments, and the Lord was with him, causing him to prosper wherever he went.The text warns against worshiping past moves of God, urging fresh reliance on the present work of the Holy Spirit rather than relics of earlier miracles.The host discusses current moral issues (including abortion) to illustrate living out righteousness and not merely debating with words; personal obedience and action are essential.The episode ends with a practical appeals: subscribe, share, and a closing prayer for listeners to be equipped to contend for revival.Important DetailsBiblical setup: Hoshea was the king of Israel; Elah and Ahaz were in the lineage context; Hezekiah began to reign in the 3rd year of Hoshea, at age 25, and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem; his mother was Abi, daughter of Zechariah.Hezekiah's actions (2nd Kings 18, summarized): he removed the high places, broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image, and broke in pieces the bronze serpent Nehushtan which had been worshipped due to old miracles.Spiritual posture: Hezekiah “held fast to the Lord,” did not depart from Him, and kept God's commandments given to Moses.Result for Hezekiah: “the Lord was with him,” and he prospered wherever he went; he even rebelled against the king of Assyria.The imagery of revival as life in an emergency room: revival means reviving a person from the brink of death, not simply occupying a bed in a building.Personal stance on moral issues: the host references the debate around abortion and asserts the sanctity of life, tying it to living out God's standard of righteousness rather than merely discussing it.Emphasis on the secret place: true revival is anchored in personal, private prayer and obedience, not just public displays.Key Information• Central claim: revival requires human initiative and concrete decisions; it is the consequence of premeditated, intentional acts that lead to life.• Case study reference: Hezekiah as a modern-day analog for revival through decisive reform and faithfulness to God's standards (mirrored in the life of David).Core methods to contend for revival:• Obedience to God's standard of living and commandments (not relying on outward religiosity or past moves).• Consecration—setting oneself apart from cultural norms to remain distinct in holiness.• Prayer—especially personal, secret-place prayer as the primary engine of revival.• The host's exhortation to live out revival in the face of cultural and moral challenges, including calls to stand for life and righteousness.Engagement prompts: subscription and sharing to spread the message; a closing prayer asking for God to empower listeners to contend for revival.ConclusionThe episode argues that revival is active and negotiable, not passive history. By studying Hezekiah, believers learn that true revival flows from obeying God's commands, consecrating oneself to God, and maintaining intimate prayer with Him. The presence of the Lord with a person or a nation brings prosperity and victory over opposition, illustrating that revival is both spiritual and practical. The call to action is clear: engage with the message, subscribe, share, and press into personal revival through obedience, consecration, and prayer, trusting that the Holy Spirit will move in the present hour through the remnant who hunger for God.Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.strongfaith.co

The signs, visions, and prophecies included into today's reading span from the death of King Uzziah into the beginning of Ahaz's reign, who continues the lineage of Davidic kings. In chapter 6 we get an awe-inspiring sneak peek into the throne room of God. Isaiah senses that he is unfit to be in God's presence, but an angel approaches to cleanse him in a unique way. After this, the Lord God commissions Isaiah to be his messenger. In chapter 7, Isaiah prophesies to King Ahaz of a virgin who conceive and give birth to a son and name him Immanuel. This prophecy had an immediate fulfillment, as a statement about the amount of time which would pass between then and the invasion of the Assyrian king, but it has it's ultimate fulfillment in the birth of Christ. Isaiah 6 - 1:06 .  Isaiah 7 - 4:16 .  Isaiah 8 - 9:44 .  Psalm 128 - 14:10 .  Psalm 129 - 15:00 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Set Apart - Pt 8 - The Faith Factor - When a sudden crisis hits, where do you automatically turn? Do you lean into fear, try to fix it in your own strength, or stand firm in faith? In this episode, we look at the life of King Ahaz in Isaiah 7—a leader facing an overwhelming nation-threatening crisis. Faced with a critical crossroad, Ahaz had to choose between human alliances and trusting God's promises. Through his story, we examine "The Faith Factor" and explore how we can actively prepare our faith before the storms of life arrive. Tune in to discover practical, biblical principles for building an unshakeable faith that holds up under pressure. Key Passage: Isaiah 7 Connect with Us: Visit fbcconroe.org to learn more about our ministries, submit a prayer request, or join us for worship this Sunday

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0804db.mp3 Listen to Bible reading Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 04 Hosea 1 – 2 Hosea's Wife and Children Hosea 1 1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Be'eri, [1] in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, the king of Israel. 2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go. Take for yourself an immoral wife and children produced by sexual immorality, [2] because the land has been committing flagrant immorality, turning away from the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim. She conceived and gave birth to a son for him. 4 The Lord said to him, “Name him Jezre'el, [3] because in a little while I will inflict punishment on the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezre'el. I will destroy the ruling power of the house of Israel. 5 In that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezre'el.” 6 She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. The Lord said to him, “Name her Lo Ruhamah, [4] because I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel. Indeed, I will certainly not forgive them. 7 But I will have compassion on the house of Judah. I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.” [5] 8 Gomer weaned Lo Ruhamah. Then she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 The Lord said, “Name him Lo Ammi, [6] because you are not my people, and I will not be the Lord for you.” [7] A Promise of Future Blessing 10 Nevertheless, the number of the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. Then, in the place where they were told, “You are not my people,” they will be told, “You are children of the living God.” 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together. They will appoint one head for themselves, and they will go up from the land, for the day of Jezre'el will be great. [8] Hosea 2 1 Say to your brothers, “My people,” [9] and to your sisters, “She has been shown mercy.” [10] Israel Rebuked, Punished, and Restored 2 Plead with [11] your mother!     Plead with her, because she is not my wife,     and I am not her husband.     Let her put away her sexual immorality from her presence     and her acts of adultery from between her breasts. 3 Otherwise, I will strip her naked     and expose her as she was on the day she was born.     I will make her like a wilderness.     I will cause her to be like a dry land.     I will cause her to die of thirst. 4 I will have no compassion on her children,     because they are children of promiscuity, 5 because their mother has been promiscuous. [12]     She who conceived them has acted shamefully.     She said, “I will chase after my lovers,         the ones who give me my food and my water,         my wool and my flax, my olive oil and my drinks.” 6 Therefore, this is what I will do:     I will block your [13] way with thorns.     I will build a wall against her,     so that she cannot find her paths. 7 She will chase after her lovers,     but she will not reach them.     She will seek them,     but she will not find them.     She will say, “I will go back to my first husband,     because then it was better for me than it is now.” 8 But she would not acknowledge that I gave her the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil.     I gave her large amounts of silver and gold—her people used it for Baal! 9 That is why I will take back my grain during harvest time,     and my new wine in its season.     I will also take away my wool and my flax that were given to cover her nakedness. 10 Then I will expose her shameful nakedness in the sight of her lovers.     No one will deliver her from my hand. 11 I will put an end to all her celebration:     her pilgrimage festivals, [14] her monthly new moons, and her weekly Sabbaths—     all her appointed festivals. 12 I will devastate her vines and her fig trees,     about which she said, “These are the payment [15] that my lovers gave me.”     I will make them into a scrub forest,     and the wild animals will eat the crops. 13 I will punish her for the days with the Baals, on which she repeatedly offered incense to them.     She adorned herself with her rings [16] and her jewelry,     and then she chased after her lovers,     and she forgot me, declares the Lord. 14 But watch! I am going to court her.     I will bring her into the wilderness.     I will speak tenderly to her. 15 There I will give her vineyards back to her.     The Valley of Achor [17] will be a door of hope.     She will respond there as in the days of her youth,     as in the day she came up from the land of Egypt. 16 In that day, declares the Lord, this is what will take place:     You will call me “my husband.”     You will no longer call me “my master.” [18] 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth.     She will no longer call them by their names. [19] 18 In that day I will make a covenant for the Israelites with the wild animals, with the birds of the sky and the things that creep on the ground.     I will break the bow and the sword.     I will abolish war from the land.     I will allow the people to lie down safely. [20] 19 I will pledge you to myself in marriage forever.     I will pledge you to myself in marriage—     with righteousness, justice, mercy, and compassion. 20 In faithfulness I will pledge you to myself in marriage,     and you will know the Lord. 21 In that day this is what will happen:     I will respond, declares the Lord.     I will respond to the heavens,     and they will respond to the earth. 22 The earth will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil.     They will respond to Jezre'el. 23 I will sow her for myself in the land.     I will have compassion for Lo Ruhamah, [21]     and I will tell Lo Ammi, [22] “You are my people,”     and he will say, “You are my God!” Footnotes Hosea 1:1 The stop mark ′ indicates that Be'er – should be pronounced as two syllables. Hosea 1:2 Or prostitution. The Hebrew term includes paid prostitution, but it also includes promiscuous sexual immorality which is not done for money. It also includes sexual misconduct by perpetrators who pay their lovers instead of the other way around. Hosea 1:4 Jezre'el means God sows, and it is the name of both a valley and a city in Israel. Ahab and Jezebel murdered Naboth at the city of Jezre'e l, and Jehu destroyed the dynasty of Ahab there. Hosea 1:6 The Hebrew name Lo Ruhamah means no compassion or no pity. Hosea 1:7 Or charioteers Hosea 1:9 The Hebrew name Lo Ammi means not my people. Hosea 1:9 The Hebrew reads I am not I am for you, an allusion to the Lord's gracious name, I am. Hosea 1:11 English verses 1:10-11 are verses 2:1-2 in the Hebrew text. All the subsequent verse numbers in chapter 2 are two numbers lower in English than they are in Hebrew. Hosea 2:1 Hebrew Ammi Hosea 2:1 Hebrew Ruhamah Hosea 2:2 Or bring charges against. Also in the next line. Hosea 2:5 Or been a prostitute or acted like a prostitute Hosea 2:6 Your is the reading of the Hebrew. The Greek and Syriac read her. Hosea 2:11 That is, Passover, Pentecost, and Shelters Hosea 2:12 Or gifts Hosea 2:13 Either earrings or nose rings Hosea 2:15 Valley of Achor means Valley of Trouble. It refers to the location of the incident caused by Achan in Joshua 7. Hosea 2:16 Hebrew my baal Hosea 2:17 Or call on their names Hosea 2:18 Or securely Hosea 2:23 The Hebrew name Lo Ruhamah means no compassion. Hosea 2:23 The Hebrew name Lo Ammi means not my people. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

After 200 years of idolatry, God finally allowed the northern kingdom of Israel to be destroyed and the people carried off by Assyria. Meanwhile, the southern kingdom of Judah was being ruled the young, foolish, idolatrous King Ahaz. After being defeated in battle by the Aramean Kingdom of Damascus, Ahaz decided to worship the gods of Syria rather than turning to God for help. He also sacrificed his son to Molech in the Valley of Hinnom southwest of Jerusalem. Then he turned to the Assyrians for help against Israel, Syria, and Edom, cutting up fixtures in the Temple to send to Assyria as tribute. Needless to say, God was not pleased. Apparently, neither were the people of Judah. Ahaz was buried in the City of David rather than in the tombs of the kings of his forefathers. Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, has been battling stage 4 bowel cancer and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Derek's new book War of the Watchers Book One: From Baal to Balfour is now available at Amazon in paperback and as a Kindle e-book! If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources: Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821)Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon)Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF)Book of 1 Enoch - R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF) The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser's two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling. Link: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch JOIN US IN ISRAEL (NOTE NEW DATES)! We will tour the Holy Land Oct. 25–Nov. 6, 2027 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Follow us!• X: @gilberthouse_tv | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Substack: GilbertHouse.substacdk.com | SharonKGilbert.substack.com• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation | @thebiblesgreatestmysteries• Facebook.com/GilbertHouseFellowship Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Gilbert House T-shirts and mugs! New to our store is a line of GHTV and Redwing Saga merch! Check it out at GilbertHouse.org/store! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store. Our favorite Bible study tools! Check the links in the left-hand column at www.GilbertHouse.org.

2 Chronicles 28:1-6, 9-11, 21-24 

After 200 years of idolatry, God finally allowed the northern kingdom of Israel to be destroyed and the people carried off by Assyria. Meanwhile, the southern kingdom of Judah was being ruled the young, foolish, idolatrous King Ahaz. After being defeated in battle by the Aramean Kingdom of Damascus, Ahaz decided to worship the gods of Syria rather than turning to God for help. He also sacrificed his son to Molech in the Valley of Hinnom southwest of Jerusalem. Then he turned to the Assyrians for help against Israel, Syria, and Edom, cutting up fixtures in the Temple to send to Assyria as tribute. Needless to say, God was not pleased. Apparently, neither were the people of Judah. Ahaz was buried in the City of David rather than in the tombs of the kings of his forefathers. Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, has been battling stage 4 bowel cancer and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Derek's new book War of the Watchers Book One: From Baal to Balfour is now available at Amazonin paperback and as a Kindle e-book! 

In Isaiah 11:1–5, the prophet introduces a future King unlike any who came before him. Descended from David's family line, this promised ruler would not merely possess royal authority—he would be completely shaped, formed, and guided by the Spirit of the Lord. His wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and reverence for God would produce a reign marked by perfect justice and righteousness.This prophecy stands in sharp contrast to King Ahaz. Rather than trusting the Lord and submitting to his guidance, Ahaz relied on political alliances and human wisdom. Although some of Judah's later kings showed qualities of faithfulness, none of those future kings fully embodied Isaiah's vision. The prophecy remained unfinished, pointing beyond every subsequent king to the coming Messiah.In this episode, we explore how Jesus began fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy at his first coming as the Spirit-led Son of David. Yet the prophecy also reaches beyond his earthly ministry. Turning to Revelation 19:10–16, we see the returning Christ riding as the victorious King. Like Isaiah's promised ruler, he judges in righteousness, and the sword proceeding from his mouth reveals that his victory is achieved through the power of his truthful word. In a world filled with deception, violence, oppression, and exploitation, God's long-awaited judgment will finally bring justice as Christ rules the nations with a rod of iron.Ultimately, Isaiah's vision reveals why Jesus alone is worthy to reign. He is the only human King of Israel who perfectly allowed the Spirit of God to shape every thought, decision, and action. His life demonstrates what true kingship was always meant to be, and his return will complete what his first coming began. This is why we follow him—not only because he is Israel's promised Messiah, but because he is the Spirit-led King who alone embodies God's righteous rule.Key Passages: Isaiah 11:1-5Revelation 19:10-16Explainer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Video⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.biblehub.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.blueletterbible.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave us a question or comment at our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website podcast page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this Bible Story, we learn about the tragic downfall of Israel. Fully immersed in evil, they find themselves captive to the dark nations they swore allegiance to. Captives, stolen away from their country, they still fail to cry out to God for help. This story is inspired by 2 Kings 17. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Kings 17:39 from the King James Version.Episode 148: King Hezekiah bore the burden of having Ahaz as his father, but he was nothing like him. Hezekiah held fast to God and encouraged the people to do the same. He led the people in restoring the temple of God. He restored the priests to the temple. And he led the people in true repentance and trust in God.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Bible Story, we learn about the wicked King Ahaz. He rules Judah with idolatry and evil, and his twisted practices and unstable mind make Judah vulnerable to attack. This story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 28 & 2 Kings 16. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 28:22 from the King James Version.Episode 147: Every year, King Hoshea would send a tribute to Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to protect them. One year however, he betrayed his allegiance by sending a plea to the king of Egypt begging for his help against his current masters. However, Assyrian spies found out before the message could arrive and their fate was sealed. Because of his rebellion, Shalmaneser raided Israel, uprooted its people, and imprisoned its king. After years of rebelling against God and ignoring His warnings, all were led back to Assyria as slaves.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the ⁠Pray.com⁠ app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Bible Story, we learn about the faithful reign of King Uzziah. Although he does not finish well, the majority of his life was spent under the wisdom and guidance of God. He fortifies Judah, and protects them from harm. Then, his son Jotham follows by restoring Israel back to a loving relationship with God. This story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 26-27 & 2 Kings 15:1-7, 32-38. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 26:18 from the King James Version.Episode 146: Ahaz son of Jotham did not share his father's will to follow God, instead, he followed evil. He followed the footsteps of the kings of Israel and the wickedness of their neighbors. He even killed his own children as a sacrifice to foreign gods. God would not tolerate this and so he sent the armies of Aram and Israel to raid them and take captive their men. But even in this punishment, God had a plan to protect those who were innocent and to remove those who led them astray.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the ⁠Pray.com⁠ app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daily Dose of Hope July 22, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 16   Prayer: Lord Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, We give you all the glory and praise.  Thank you for being a God who provides.  Thank you for being a God who heals.  Thank you for being a God who sees past our brokenness and invites us into relationship with you.  Help us, Lord, to grow more deeply in love with you every day.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We have been working our way through both 1 & 2 Kings this summer and today's reading was 2 Kings 16.   In this chapter, the author's attention turns back to Judah, the Southern Kingdom.  Jotham's son, Ahaz, is abhorrently evil.  I can't help but wonder – his dad was pretty good and did the right thing, what happened to him?  Jotham had learned from his father's failings and tried to do better.  Ahaz seems to have taken an entirely different route.   King Ahaz, while he ruled in Judah, decided to follow the ways of the kings of Israel.  When he feels threatened by the kings around him, he doesn't turn to God but rather tries to bribe Assyria for protection.  He worships the Lord but also worships Baal, seemingly trying to cover all his bases.  He engages in child sacrifice and he destroys parts of the temple, even building a new altar.  He does what is utterly detestable in the eyes of God.  Thus, God allows him to be conquered by the pagan kings around him.    Judah may last a little longer than Israel but sin and evil are also finding their way to the Southern Kingdom.   Interestingly, this is the period when Isaiah enters the scene.  There are prophecies about the end of Judah during the reigns of these kings we have been learning about.  In Isaiah 7, God sends Isaiah to give Ahaz a sign.  This is where we get the Immanuel prophecy.  It basically says that Judah will see its demise and be conquered but God isn't done with them.  There will be redemption.  We know that redemption to be our Messiah, Jesus Christ.    It's so interesting.  In the midst of real tragedy, there is still hope.  The average person probably couldn't see it at the time, but we can see how God never stopped being part of the situation.    I think that might be something we need to hear right now.  Even when things seem really, really bad with all kinds of violence and immorality, God is still at work.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

When You Have Nothing but God by Autumn Dickson This week, we find a righteous but imperfect man surrounded by legitimate reasons to be afraid. How do you respond when you've been backed into a corner? Let's talk about how Hezekiah responded. Hezekiah was a righteous king especially when contrasted with his wicked father, Ahaz. When Hezekiah rose to the throne, he threw out all of the idolatry and tore down all of the false places and altars of worship. He was reforming Judah, and he was helping them repent and turn back to the Lord. Assyria was a superpower in the ancient world. They had just dominated the northern kingdom of Israel, and they set their sights on Judah next. I am a firm believer that the Lord protects the righteous. It's one of the main themes of The Book of Mormon, and yet, we see something interesting happen here. Judah is not completely protected. Assyria is able to take some of their fortified cities, and Hezekiah responds by offering to pay them a tribute to go away. In order to afford the tribute required by Assyrian, Hezekiah strips the temple. It doesn't work. Assyria sticks around. One of the Assyrian commanders comes to the walls of the city and starts speaking in Hebrew so that the people of Jerusalem can fully understand the danger they're in. It's psychological warfare, and the people respond with silence as instructed by Hezekiah. Hezekiah responds differently this time. He covers himself in sackcloth and ashes and goes to the temple to pray to the Lord. He prays and tells the Lord, “They're mocking Thee. Show them who You are.” The Lord does. He slays 185,000 soldiers in the Assyrian army, and Sennacherib goes home to be assassinated by his sons. We get to see Judah change and repent at this particular period in time. There are many good details; let's cover a few. Detail one. The Lord allows Assyria to defeat some of the fortified cities in Judah. Judah was in the process of repenting. Hezekiah had torn down a lot of the idolatry, and this was incredible faith. Unfortunately, Judah had a long history of turning away from the Lord. Losing these cities was not an indication of the Lord being powerless. It was about discipline so that Judah could learn. I actually find it really poetic that the fortified cities were conquered, but Jerusalem remained. What was in Jerusalem? The temple. The kingdom of Judah was being stripped down to its center, specifically to that covenant relationship that it held with the Lord. I've seen this kind of repentance in my own life. I didn't actually recognize it until a couple of days ago as I sat in my car in a parking lot. There was once a time when the Lord dismantled huge parts of who I used to be in order to make way for more important things. Music used to be the most important thing in my life. I would drive down the highway, listen to some good country songs, and I always felt like I was on fire. It was such a strong feeling. So much of my identity revolved around music. There were a lot of reasons I was worried about getting married and starting a family, but I actually think music was a huge portion of those reasons. I didn't want to sacrifice music. Music was taken away from me. I stopped college to try and be a musician. I was working in the industry. I was entering competitions and playing small shows. I did it for months. Then it all collapsed a bit. I was surrounded by darkness, both within my own mind and in what I had surrounded myself with. After being separated from that dark period, I put up a barrier between me and music. It didn't touch me like it used to. I couldn't write anything anymore. It was too associated with darkness. As I sat in my car pondering this, I found myself bawling my eyes out that the Lord had taken it away. Only, I was bawling in gratitude not in despair. Music is powerful and wonderful and I don't think I'm done with it yet. However, it had become an idol to me. I needed it taken away because the Lord had something much more important in mind. If I had kept music, regardless of whether I was successful or not, I think it would have prevented me from fully stepping into more divine callings. I wouldn't have had room for these other things that the Lord wanted to give me. Would I have willingly chosen children or resented them? Would I have ever had time to bear my testimony in the capacity that I do now? Would I even have been able to enjoy my role as a wife as much as I do now if music hadn't been taken away from me? I can't totally be sure, but I think music would have robbed me of those things. I was that obsessed. It was an idol. I know that's not the case for other musicians, but it was for me. It would have kept me from some of the most important parts of my life. As I think about the beautiful life I've been given, it makes me sick to think that I could have missed it. The Lord stripped away all of these parts of me that felt so important, and He left just Himself and His covenant with me. With all of the problems I had accumulated combined with the music having been taken away, there wasn't much of me left. Just a covenant. And the Lord upheld that covenant. He somehow got me on a mission and gave me my family. He had to remove all of that other stuff so that He could build something better with nothing but the covenant protection He had given me. Detail two. Hezekiah goes from stripping the temple of riches to praying in it. Hezekiah originally tried to give money over to Assyria to get them to leave, and it didn't work. They camped outside of Jerusalem. He doesn't make the same mistake twice. Hezekiah receives a letter telling him, “Don't trust anyone who tells you that your God can save you. We've defeated so many other gods before you.” Hezekiah had overturned altars and torn down idolatrous images in Judah; he did all the things. Now he gets to prove how much he really trusts the God of his fathers. Hezekiah tells the Lord that the Assyrians have done all of these major feats of strength and power, but Hezekiah also acknowledges that it is only the power of mankind. He continues his beautiful prayer with this sentiment. 2 Kings 19:19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only. He implores the Lord to show the Assyrians who the true God is. This isn't about saving his own skin anymore. Hezekiah's heart has turned towards God's glory. That is the result he wants: God's glory. God shows up with a whole lot of glory, and He shows Judah and the rest of the world who holds the real power. Hezekiah repented. He spiritually up-levelled. He went from knocking down idols to facing fear with nothing but his trust in God's covenants with Judah. He went from fear of losing his life and kingdom to simply wanting the glory of God. He stood to lose a lot in facing off with Syria, but he chose trust and it saved him. I testify that a covenant relationship with Christ is a powerful foundation. I testify that sometimes the Lord strips away parts of us that feel so important so that He can uncover that foundation and start anew with something more powerful. I testify that spiritually maturing means stepping into trust, and I testify that trusting in God saves us. It's not enough to keep the commandments and do the things. Hezekiah did the things, and they were SO important and necessary, but even that was not enough. Hezekiah still had to trust, and that was what turned the tides of Judah. It can turn the tide for you. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Kings 16–25 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Who was King Ahaz in the Bible? What can we learn from the life of King Ahaz?

"The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel. And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel." Hosea 1-3

Assembly of Yahusha BHP episode 331 officiated by Bro. Jon Dizon 07-09-2026. #Yahuah #Yahusha #biblestudy #faith #trueworship #assemblyofYahusha ©2026 Assembly of Yahusha All rights reserved. The Assembly of Yahusha exclusively own the rights to the contents of this podcast and any non-assemblymember reproduction must have the approval of the Assembly. Only bona fide members of the Assembly are authorized to copy, download, and reproduce the contents of this podcast for their personal or religious use. For permission to copy, download, and reproduce send an email to : info@aoy.today

Why did Jerusalem's kings keep gambling with the Assyrian Empire, and how did that set the stage for the Book of Mormon? Dr. Michael Day explores Hezekiah's faith crisis in the late monarchy world of Lehi.YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/pcAUyS3PdBESHOW NOTES/TRANSCRIPTSEnglish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastOT229ENFrench: https://tinyurl.com/podcastOT229FRGerman: https://tinyurl.com/podcastOT229DEPortuguese: https://tinyurl.com/podcastOT229PTSpanish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastOT229ESFREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF followHIM QUOTE BOOKSNew Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastNTBookOld Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastOTBookBook of Mormon: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastBMBook WEEKLY NEWSLETTERhttps://tinyurl.com/followHIMnewsletter SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followHIMpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastTIMECODE0:00 - Part 1 - Dr. Mike Day2:29 Mike's Top 34:55 Bio8:51 Late monarchy overview10:26 Chapter flyover12:38 Hezekiah's last stand15:53 Ahaz and syncretism19:01 What is a tribute?21:33 Scattering begins26:03 Deuteronomistic history28:36 Trauma and the Bible31:15 D&C 88 sidequest33:50 Scattering timeline36:43 Fortunate scattering41:07 Hezekiah's reign44:04 Temple gold tension45:03 Rabsakeh's taunting Israel49:49 Turn to Isaiah 3753:10 Hezekiah's prayer57:28 Angel strikes Assyrian army59:26 Prism1:02:48 Promise to Hezekiah1:04:48 Connection to Nephi1:08:22 End of Part 1 - Dr. Mike DayThanks to the followHIM team:Steve & Shannon Sorensen: Cofounder, Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish TranscriptsAmelia Kabwika: Portuguese TranscriptsHeather Barlow: Communications DirectorSydney Smith: Social Media, Graphic Design "Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com

This chapter highlights the reign of Ahaz in Judah and his multiple mistakes and sins against the Lord.

Listen to Pastor Paul as he teaches from 2 Chronicles 27-28.

This chapter highlights the mistakes of the king of Judah, Ahaz.

Fr. Mike reflects on Hezekiah's righteousness as king of Judah, and his pivotal work of restoring true worship and removing false idols. By undoing all of the corrupt things his father, king Ahaz did, Hezekiah shows us that our ancestors do not define our destiny. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Fr. Mike talks about how we see both an abundance of faith, and a great lack of faith in our readings today. While the widow Elisha visits shows us a beautiful example of walking in faith, king Ahaz fails to repent as he falls deeper into sin. Today's readings are 2 Kings 4, 2 Chronicles 28, and Psalm 127. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Guest Speaker Tom Madden teaches that the greatest legacy a father can leave is not wealth, success, or achievement, but a life devoted to God that influences future generations. Drawing from the lives of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, he warns of the consequences of drifting from God while encouraging fathers to lead their families in faith, prioritize the house of God, and model the love of the Heavenly Father. He concludes by reminding listeners that God can use one committed person to spark revival and leave a lasting spiritual legacy. 

Praying with Biblical Characters

As we work through the Book of Isaiah, we are increasingly seeing Christ's kingdom come into focus. Today, we look at Isaiah 7, we're going to study a spectacular prophecy that we usually talk about the miraculous birth of Jesus and how we know that, indeed, Jesus is the long-awaited King of the Jews.  DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    Verse 1 mentions King Ahaz? What was he and what kind of king was he? 2.    In verses 1 & 2, what was the setting that was troubling Ahaz? What was Ahaz's response in verse 2?  3.    What was the gist of the Lord's words for Ahaz in verse 4-9? Why do you think the Lord would have this message for Ahaz?  4.    If the Lord were to give such a practical promise to you, what would be your response? From your study of the next few verses, what was Ahaz's response (specifically verse 12)? This seems like it might be a righteous response, why wasn't it? What in his character produced this kind of response?  5.    What reply does the Lord give to Ahaz in verses 13 to 16? What was the gist of this prophecy? Who was the near fulfillment of this promise? Who is the ultimate fulfilment? How was He a fulfillment of these prophecies? 6.    Read over the rest of this passage, what kinds of things does the Lord promise to Ahaz? Would these be fulfilled in Ahaz's days? According to the podcast, when would they be fulfilled?  7.    The podcast mentions that Isaiah's son Shear-jashub means "the remnant shall return". What might be the significance of Isaiah bringing Shear-jashub to this meeting with Ahaz and then giving these prophecies?  8.    When you think of the desolation that Judah was going to experience, what kind of hope would these promises give to those people in the exile? What kind of hope does it give to us today?  Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon just in time for the Genesis relaunch in January! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Why do you feel so alone right now? Most of us, even on our most ordinary day, carry around a quiet fear that we are facing what we are facing by ourselves. And the answer the Bible gives to that fear is one of the most surprising things in all of scripture.In this sermon, Dr. Dennis Episcopo opens our brand new series Counterfeit Kings with the story of a scared, lonely king named Ahaz, three enemy armies marching toward his city, and the prophet God sent to meet him at the waterworks of Jerusalem.The story is in Isaiah 6 and 7. King Ahaz is one of the worst kings in the Bible. He even sacrificed his own son on a pagan altar (2 Kings 16). And yet, when his world is closing in and three nations have lined up against him, God does not abandon him. God sends Isaiah, the greatest preacher of the eighth century, to meet him at the upper pool with one message: you are not alone, but you have to trust me.Dr. Dennis Episcopo unpacks something here that most of us miss. Isaiah brings his son to the meeting. The boy's name is Shear Jashub, which means "a remnant will return." Isaiah is preaching a sermon just by showing up with his child. And then God gives Ahaz a sign that will echo across the next 700 years of history: a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14, fulfilled in Matthew 1).Two children. Two names. One message. You are not alone.Then Dr. Dennis Episcopo turns the corner from ancient history into right now. The message Ahaz needed is the same one a lot of us need today. God is with you in the thing you cannot solve. But you have to trust him, because Isaiah 7:9 also says, "Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm." Faith is the door God invites you to walk through.And here is where the gospel becomes the only thing that has ever actually worked. Most of us look at "just trust Jesus" and call it too simple. But Jesus told his disciples that following him would cost everything: deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, follow me (Luke 9:23). The fruit of a real Christian is self denial, cross bearing, and loyal trust. Imposters will not pay that price.At the cross, the old you gets crucified, and Jesus rises up to live his life through you. That is why Dr. Dennis Episcopo's life verse is Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." If you are exhausted from white knuckling your way through a season that keeps breaking you, this is the message you needed today.

Broken Promises Hosea 1-2:13 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 And the LORD said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. 7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.” 8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” 10  Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel. -- 2  Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.” 2  “Plead with your mother, plead— for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband— that she put away her whoring from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts; 3  lest I strip her naked and make her as in the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and make her like a parched land, and kill her with thirst. 4  Upon her children also I will have no mercy, because they are children of whoredom. 5  For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.' 6  Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. 7  She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.' 8  And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal. 9  Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my wine in its season, and I will take away my wool and my flax, which were to cover her nakedness. 10  Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of my hand. 11  And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts. 12  And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, ‘These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.' I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour them. 13  And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the LORD. I. To obey God we must surrender to God. II. One must obey God to understand the things of God. III. To obey God we must be honest with God and with ourselves. If every member of my church were just like me, what would we be like?

Today we begin our study of Isaiah! Isaiah is an incredibly important book in the Bible and today we'll give a quick overview of the book of Isaiah and his message to us repentance and faithfulness to our faithful God. Join us! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    The name "Isaiah" means "The Lord is salvation". According to the podcast, why is that a great summary of the Book of Isaiah? How does God's covenant relate to the theme that the Lord is our salvation? 2.    Based on the podcast, what is a prophet? Likewise, what is the "office" of a prophet? Do you remember what the podcast said was the difference between "foretelling" and "forthtelling"? What are those differences? What were these differences for?  3.    Verse 1 tells us that Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Generally speaking, what was going on during this time?  4.    Read over verse 2. What does this verse mean? Why do you think that the Lord has Isaiah begin on this point here?  5.    In verse 3, who is the "Israel" that is being spoken about? What do we learn about them from this verse?  6.    Read over verses 4 to 6. In verse 4, how were the people weighed down in iniquity? In verses 5 & 6, what was the result of their sin?  7.    Verse 9 & 10 makes the amazing comparison between Israel and Sodom and Gomorrah. From what you know about Genesis 19, what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah? Why is verses 7 to 9 warning the people that they are at risk of the same judgment as those infamous cities?  8.    In verses 11 to 15, what religious acts were rejected by the Lord? Why did He reject them? In our world today, how might a person have a similar mindset in their religion and likewise be rejected by the Lord?  9.    Clearly Israel has been rebelling against the Lord and they are about to face His judgment. Yet the Lord gives them a path of repentance in verses 16 & 17. What does He tell them to do? Why? What would it take for them to carry out this kind of righteous pursuit from now on?  10.    Verse 18 is a heartwarming verse reflecting God's heart for His people. What does He tell them? In verse 19, what does He promise them?  11.    Verses 21 to 23 return to the theme of Israel's sin. What sinful things were the people doing? What righteous things were they not doing?  12.    In verse 25 & 26, what is the relationship between God's judgment and their purification? Why would we want to submit to this kind of "refining fire" in our own life?  13.    In verse 27, when God redeems His people, by what means will He redeem them?  14.    In verses 28 to 31, what will be the fate of those who are not redeemed? In light of their sins, why is this fate "just" and deserved?  Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon just in time for the Genesis relaunch in January! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Send us Fan MailThe Bible Project Daily Podcast is an in-depth, daily study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Episode Notes:  God's Amazing Grace. (2 Kings 21: 1-26)Several days ago, we looked at a king named Ahaz and asked the question: “How low can one go?” Up to that point in 2 Kings, Ahaz was the worst king Israel had ever had. He made alliances instead of trusting the Lord. He changed the worship. He embraced idolatry. And in the most horrifying moment of his life, he sacrificed his own infant son in the fire. How low can you go? Well… keep reading because the Bible introduces us to another king, a king who somehow manages to go even lower. His name is Manasseh, and what he does is so dark, so hideous, so spiritually twisted, that you almost want to say, “Viewer discretion advised.” You'll see it by the end of the chapter. It's a truth about the human condition. A truth about sin and a truth about grace, and I genuinely believe most Christians underestimate it. So, let's walk through the passage.Support the showFollow and support me on Patreon.Jeremy McCandless | Creating Podcasts and Bible Study Resources | PatreonTo receive my weekly newsletter and keep up to date with all five of my podcasts, subscribe at:Jeremy McCandless | SubstackCheck out my other Podcasts.The Bible Project: https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comHistory of the Christian Church: https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.comThe L.I.F.E. Podcast: (Philosophy and current trends in the Arts and Entertainment Podcast).https://the-living-in-faith-everyday-podcast.buzzsprout.comThe Renewed Mind Podcast. My Psychology and Mental Health Podcast:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568891The Classic Literature Podcast:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568906To visit my Author page on Amazon and view my entire back catalogue of books on both Amazon and Kindle and now also on Audible, Visit:Amazon.com: Jeremy R Mccandless: books, biography, latest update

Ahaz's reign was marked by fear, idolatry, and political maneuvering. His story is tragic, the outcome of unbelief disguised as strategy. But in the midst of it all, God offered a sign. The story of Ahaz confronts us with a question: Where do you turn when fear and anxiety take hold?

Today's readings.. (Joshua 1), (Isaiah 7, (1 Thessalonians 3,4)All 3 of our readings today provoke serious meditation about human reactions to God. We started reading Joshua and saw God's challenge to him to take his people over the Jordan.  He is told, “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.  I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land … [1 v.5,6] In Isaiah (ch. 7] the prophet is told to “Go and meet (king) Asa” [v.3] and encourage him to face the threats from the north.  He is to tell him, “Be careful, do not fear, and do not let your heart in faint …” [v.4]  Then the king is bluntly warned, “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.” [v.9]  It is not possible to have a sort of half-faith!  Ahaz feels he is putting God to the test if he asks with a full expectation God will preserve him, he says, “I will not ask, I will not put the Lord to the test” [v.12]  Because of his lack of faith the LORD then gives, through Isaiah, messages to him of bad times to come when, among other things, “all the land will be briers and thorns” [v.24]In the New Testament we started to read Paul's 1st letter to the Thessalonians and saw how he is commending them on “how you turned … to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” [v.9,10] These words as so meaningful for us today; let us be “firm in faith” that God means what he caused his servants such as Paul to write.   May we, with full conviction in the word of God, “wait for his son from heaven' sensing that “wrath” will soon be coming on our world because it has reached the stage of near total godlessness. Let us not neglect our regular Bible reading as it lays the foundation to being “firm in faith” and to “be strong and courageous” both now – and even more – when the promised “wrath to come” actually happens and the dramas we will read of tomorrow in Paul's words actually takes place.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Get your Hosea Scripture Journal now. Our shout-out today goes to Charles Donahue from Keene, NH. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. Our text today is Hosea 1:1. The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. — Hosea 1:1 How does a nation drift away from God? Not all at once. Not in one dramatic moment. It happens slowly. Quietly. Over time. One generation compromises. The next generation forgets. Eventually, a culture that once knew God barely remembers him at all. That's the moment Hosea steps into. This opening verse may read like a simple historical note, but it tells us something important. Hosea ministered during the reigns of several kings in Judah—Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah—and during the reign of Jeroboam II in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. By this time, the nation had already been divided for nearly two hundred years. The Northern Kingdom kept the name Israel, while the Southern Kingdom became Judah. Hosea's message was directed mainly toward Israel. And at first glance, things looked strong. Under Jeroboam II the nation experienced economic growth and military success. Borders expanded. Trade increased. Life appeared stable. But spiritually, the nation was collapsing. Idolatry filled the land. Baal worship spread through the culture. Religious activity still existed, but true devotion to God had largely disappeared. In that moment, God raised up a prophet. In the Old Testament, prophets were not primarily predictors of the future. They were messengers sent by God to speak truth to God's people—confronting sin, warning of consequences, and calling the nation back to covenant faithfulness. Hosea was that voice. And history shows a pattern: when a nation begins drifting from God, God sends a warning before judgment comes. He sends truth before consequences. He sends a voice before collapse. So pause today and examine your own life. Spiritual drift rarely feels dramatic while it's happening—but small compromises can quietly move our hearts further from God than we realize. Take a moment today to ask God where drift may be happening in your life, and take one small step back toward him. DO THIS: Take five quiet minutes today and ask God to reveal one area where you may be drifting spiritually—and make one intentional step toward him. ASK THIS: Where in your life might spiritual drift be happening without you noticing it? What small compromise today could slowly move your heart away from God? What is one simple step you could take today to move closer to him? PRAY THIS: Father, help me recognize the places where I may be drifting from you. Draw my heart back toward faithfulness and truth. Amen. PLAY THIS: "The King Is Coming"

King Hezekiah didn't inherit a legacy of faith—he inherited a mess. His father, Ahaz, led Judah deep into idolatry, even turning good things—like the bronze serpent from Book of Numbers 21—into objects of worship. But Hezekiah refuses to follow that path. From the very beginning of his reign, he takes bold, decisive action to turn the nation back to the Lord. In this episode, discover what it looks like to lead with conviction, tear down what's corrupt, and pursue true faith in the face of a broken past.