Podcast appearances and mentions of Jim Cymbala

Even if we don't have a strong singing voice, God delights when we sing to Him with gratitude in our hearts.

Struggling to break old sin patterns? We can't force this transformation on our own—God has to do it.

When we feel spiritually dry, calling on the power of the Holy Spirit restores us. Waiting in prayer invites the fresh wind and fire of His presence to move over our lives.

We can't let pride intervene and refuse to praise God during adversity. Instead, we should glorify Him.

We can fake it at church on Sunday, but God sees our hearts. Only a genuine hunger for righteousness and a desire to be like Jesus will keep us from falling.

How often do we default to our own strength, plans, and wisdom? God has given us the Holy Spirit—but how many of us are truly filled with Him?

Every victory, blessing, and testimony belongs not to us but to God.

Our culture is all about taking, but Jesus takes special notice of givers.

Jim Cymbala says, "The most mature among us is the one who is most dominated by the Holy Spirit." Let's talk about who the Holy Spirit is and how He works through us.

Have you lost your joy? Your calling? Your family? Take heart. Jesus recovers stolen property. Tell Him what you need back today.

God created our souls to bless Him, and as we do, He pours out His blessings upon us.

Don't let your current circumstances steal your peace—discover how God's promises can fill you with a joy that gives you strength.

Just because a decision is good doesn't mean God has planned it for you—tune into the Holy Spirit to hear what He says.

You might have a dream city you want to visit, but the most important destination you need to secure is the new Jerusalem.

What's one way to measure the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives? Our joy.

You can love the Lord with all your heart and still make a complete mess of your life from a lack of wisdom.

Ever loved someone deeply but realized that he or she just didn't love you back? God has.

It can be hard to change when we have old habits, traditions, and desires in the way? It is like a building; reconstruction is difficult with existing clutter, rather than starting from a clean foundation. God cleanses us of the rubble so He can build within us.

Sometimes after serving the Lord for many years, we begin to feel like we can make it without fully depending on Him. This can lead us to make decisions without first seeking God. But our Heavenly Father has a purpose and direction for every area of our lives. If we truly want to walk in His will, we must continually be led by Him.

When we're desperate and in trouble, let us pray. God understands our tears, even when we don't have the words. Like Hannah, who poured out her soul to the Lord for a son, let's come to God rather than letting our troubles build up inside us.

Each one of us has failed God—we have shortcomings that make it hard for us to even imagine being used by Him. The good news is that God can use anyone! Whether we have physical hindrances or spiritual scars, God will work mightily through us if we're willing. Above all circumstances, God is in control. Are we trusting Him today?

Isn't it funny how children will remember anything we promise them? We might forget, but they certainly won't! God Almighty has never forgotten us or His promises to us. Still, He loves it when we remind Him of them! When we release control of whatever we're facing and remind the Lord of His promises, it forces us to remember that we don't have to fight alone—God has already won!

Do we have any spiritual goals? Or are we content with Sunday attendance while we wait for Jesus to return? In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul shares his own spiritual goal: to know Jesus more deeply. In his desire to know Christ, he was even willing to suffer greatly. Let's evaluate our walk with the Lord—are we pursuing Jesus more every day?

Jesus is alive, and He's with us today! He sees everything we go through—all the heartaches, rejections, worries, and trials. Jesus wants to walk next to us through life. He is never far away! In fact, when we get saved, the Holy Spirit indwells our hearts. He gives us understanding of God's Word so we can deepen our relationships with Jesus. Let's ask Him for understanding and fellowship today!

Christians face temptation. Jealousy, fear, lust, pride, and all kinds of sins tempt us every day. But even when we want to overcome, we are weak. How do we get victory? Not by just going to church, then we likely will fail. We need to read our Bibles. We need to pray. The only way to beat temptation is to spend time with Jesus—seeking Him, praying often. Let's ask God to help us do that today.

Some say that the religious leaders put Jesus on the cross. Others say it was Judas or Pilate. Really, it was us—our sins, greed, and jealousy put Jesus on that cross. He chose to take on the curse and punishment for every single one of us! What would change if we started thinking of His sacrifice for us that way? Let's thank God today for His love and mercy, and share that joy with others.

Our circumstances can often make us anxious, depressed, moody, or ungrateful. But here's a secret: we can be content instead. How? By realizing that we can't change the storms of our daily lives. But God can lift us up to where we won't be affected by them anymore. We must ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with contentment so that we can rise above our circumstances and glorify the Lord.

We don't start our days praying to wooden statues—but we Christians still have idols. Some people idolize their homes, others their relationships. Many of us are consumed by the idol of money. Anything that comes between us and Jesus is an idol. What miserable lives we lead when we try to worship God and idols at the same time! Let's rededicate our lives to Jesus today and serve Him only.

When we feel anxious, depressed, and scared, those feelings aren't from God. No, the Holy Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-discipline. That's why the Bible tells us to be continually filled with the Spirit. Imagine how much stronger our daily prayer and Bible study times would be if we were led by the discipline of the Holy Spirit! Let's be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led today.

Shouldn't we want what the Lord has for us? Some of us are so stuck on checking off the box of going to church that we ignore the power of the Holy Spirit. Everything comes from the Spirit—He gives us boldness, discernment, and understanding. Let's see lives radically changed as we ask God to fill our hearts and minds with the power of the Holy Spirit!

If you're on the brink of making a big decision, don't miss this warning—listen for God's guidance and talk it through with trustworthy advisors! The Bible is full of examples of godly people taking bad advice and making poor decisions. We must humble ourselves and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without it, we'll self-destruct!

What do you truly and deeply need God to do for you? Whether it's a personal breakthrough, the spiritual return of a loved one, or some other miracle, pray for it! Jesus Christ is bigger than any problems we face in this life. Nobody is exempt from trouble, but praise the Lord, we can take it all to the only One who can bring us through anything!

God is not dead! How often do we consider that the God we pray to and worship is alive? If He were dead, He couldn't hear us, speak to us, or answer prayers. But every single day, God Almighty hears and answers us! It's amazing how our outlooks change when we lean into that truth. Let's pray to God today and know that He's living and listening.

How can we expect God to change our lives if we don't tell Him what we need? The act of pouring out our hearts—laying every thought, feeling, fear, and expectation at Jesus' feet—is what deepens our relationship with Him. We can tell the Creator of the universe how we feel at any given moment, and He cares! Let's take advantage of that wonderful privilege today!

Life can be hard—but that doesn't mean that God has forgotten or left us. When troubles and negative circumstances cause storms in our lives, we shouldn't panic, like the disciples did when their boat was tossed by wind and waves. Instead, we need to focus on Jesus, who is walking toward us above the very storm we're afraid of! He will be faithful to see us through.

Fire doesn't need advertising—everyone can tell where it is. In our daily spiritual battles, we should seek the fire of the Holy Spirit! When the Holy Spirit illuminates to us what the Word of God says, it's as if a holy fire erupts in our souls. And fires spread, right? Let's ask the Lord today to fill us afresh with His Spirit so His fire will spread light wherever we go.

We need to wake up—spiritually! Sleep is a need for our physical bodies, but if we fall asleep spiritually, we're in danger. The cares of the world can make us lethargic toward eternal realities. We must wake up and see that the world around us is full of lost and dying people! It's not time to sleep; it's time for us to share the gospel.

How many people in your life think of you as a blessing? In the Bible, God blessed Abraham so that Abraham would be a blessing to others. It's the same with us. God doesn't bless us just to make us happy. He blesses us so we can let His goodness flow through us to touch other people. Our actions are an advertisement of God to those around us. Let's not hold God's blessings tightly. Let's bless others and make the idea of God attractive to them.

The world we live in is filthy—sin ruins the joy and peace of Christians. Our God is holy. He gives us His Holy Spirit so that we can be like Him. Jesus wants to help us. We have a God who saves and provides! We can have the peace of God today and every day if we choose to praise Him for all His goodness. As long as we have breath in our lungs we have reasons to praise!

Today, on Karl and Crew, we continued our weekly theme of “Five Christmas Promises.” We discussed how God gives us light in the darkness. We then had Jim Cymbala join us to encourage us to give God what we have today. Jim has been a Senior Pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York for more than 50 years. He is also the author of several books, including “Jesus Every Day: A 100-Day Devotional.” We also had Dr. Sam Storms join us to discuss how God’s light is more powerful than the darkness amid conflict. Dr. Storms is the Founder and President of Enjoying God Ministries and serves on the board of the Gospel Coalition. He is also the Executive Director of the Convergence Church Network. We also used the phone lines to hear freedom stories from our listeners. You can listen to the highlights of today's program on the Karl and Crew Showcast. If you're looking to listen to a particular segment from the show, look at the following time stamps: Jim Cymbala Interview [03:11] Dr. Sam Storms Interview [17:23] Call Segment [34:20] Karl and Crew airs live weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. Central Time. Click this link for ways to listen in your area! https://www.moodyradio.org/ways-to-listen/Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People can be very aggravating. It is only by the Holy Spirit working within us that we can avoid lashing out at others sometimes! Our lives are testimonies of the Lord—we'd better handle things well. The Bible says that it is to our glory to overlook an offense. We Christians don't pray for patience often enough. Let's pray for patience from the Holy Spirit so that we can glorify God when altercations arise.

Only God can take a damaged past—heartbreak, substance abuse, adultery—and create a beautiful life. When we say yes to Jesus by accepting His gift of salvation and following Him every day, He turns our lives around! No matter how far down we go, Jesus can always bring us back to glory. What does God want to do in your life? Will you say yes to Him today?

We all need a Samuel experience. Remember Samuel from the Bible? When God called him as a young child, Samuel said, “Speak, Lord.” All Israel's history was changed because a little boy received a word from the Lord. Let's pray to have open hearts to whatever God wants us to hear! Our lives can be radically changed by a few powerful words if they're from the Lord. He's speaking today. Are we listening?

We tend to think that greatness comes by pushing our way to the top. But God's way are upside down from ours—He tells us that if we want to be lifted up, we need to humble ourselves. How can we be full of pride when Jesus went down to the cross for us? Through His grace and humility, God brought Him up to glory. Let's be humble today—and be more like Jesus.

We are guaranteed hardships in our Christian lives. Friends will hurt and betray us—it happened to Jesus and Paul! We need to have spiritual maturity during trials. Obstacles in life don't mean God has abandoned us. He will always walk through the hard times with us, and He provides earthly friends to support us, too. Thank the Lord for His faithfulness and for godly friends!

Each day brings its own set of challenges and unforeseen events. Yet, in Jesus, we can find the grace, the strength, and the peace to face those days with new hope. Pastor Jim Cymbala shares from his book, “Jesus Every Day: Living by God's Unshakable Promises.”  Days of Heaven Upon the Earth by AB Simpson Check out Susie's new podcast God Impressions on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here

Each day brings its own set of challenges and unforeseen events. Yet, in Jesus, we can find the grace, the strength, and the peace to face those days with new hope. Pastor Jim Cymbala shares from his book, “Jesus Every Day: Living by God's Unshakable Promises.”  Days of Heaven Upon the Earth by AB Simpson Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here