Podcasts about message version

Send us a text“Then (Jesus) called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece'” (Luke 9:1-3).In the words of The Message Version, “Don't load yourselves up with equipment. Keep it simple; you are the equipment.”Written and sent out from the morning prayer time of Tommy Hays each day.God bless you and may you have a great day!—Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministrieshttp://messiah-ministries.org

Preacher: Becca Knudsen Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, James 1:2-4 Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. James 1:2-4 (The Message Version) 2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 9th of October, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in Ezekiel 18:32:”For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” Then we go to the Gospel of John 3:7:”Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.'”That scripture from Ezekiel puzzled me for a long time - “I have no pleasure in the death of a dying man, therefore repent and live.” What is the Lord meaning? He is saying that He does not want a sinner to die and go to hell, but He wants everyone to be saved and go to Heaven. It's all about choices, isn't it? Jesus is known by many titles. He's known as the Great Ploughman; the Shepherd of the sheep; the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End; He is known as the Bright Morning Star; He is known as the King of kings, but the title I love the most is known as the Friend of sinners. We have to make a choice, and it's not about good people going to Heaven at all. You have heard me saying that so many times. When you think about it, when Jesus walked on this earth, He spent most of His time with tax collectors, prostitutes, thieves, lepers, widows and orphans - not the successful! He said, ”I came for the sick, not for the healthy.” So what about you today, where are you standing today?I looked at The Message Version of the Bible and this scripture ends up where He says, “Make a clean break! Live!” You and I, let's start to live today.I want to pray for you and I want to really pray this prayer from my heart, not only for you but for myself, because you know folks, we've got to work out our salvation with fear and trembling the Bible says. What does that mean? It means we can't live a life where one day we're in and one day we're out, one day we are for the Lord and the next day we are not. We can't live like that. We have got to make a decision. ”For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” Why don't you pray this prayer with me? Father God, This morning we come to You and we ask You to save us. Save us Lord from sin, from iniquity, but save us mostly from ourselves, we keep letting You down. Lord, we commit our lives completely and entirely to You today. In Jesus name, Amen.God bless you and goodbye

July 1, 2024 Even when we find ourselves grounded and feeling stable, it doesn't take long for our thoughts to be distracted and we are back into the chaos.  Richard Rohr says that “silence precedes, undergirds, and grounds everything. We cannot just think of it as an accident, or as something unnecessary. Unless we learn how to live there, go there, abide in this different phenomenon, the rest of things—words, events, relationships, identities—become rather superficial, without depth or context. They lose meaning, so we end up searching for more events and situations which must increasingly contain ever-higher stimulation, more excitement, and more color to add vital signs to our inherently bored and boring existence.” In this episode, we will experience some silence and try to observe the chaos in our lives from a still, silent center. Then we will see where it is that we want to jump back into the chaos and try and let go and stay in our stability, choosing silence. Listening portion is from 1 Kings 11, The Message Version. Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.” A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-gift-of-silence/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/angie-winn/message

In this episode we walked through Psalm 91. It's a protective scripture for covering and safety. Scriptures are read from the Bibles- New King James Version (NKJV) and the Message Version. Memorize and pray this scripture over yourself daily and over your family. Thanks for listening and sharing.

In today's episode, I talk about persevering through self-doubt as a creative - something I'm working through myself, and something that all creatives with God-given dreams and goals face! You are not alone! Let's stay encouraged and full of faith together. I also share the Word that's keeping me going too, from James 1:2-4 (the Message Version and the NLT Version). Also, I'm recording this from my phone, so if the audio sounds different, that's why! -- If you loved this episode, please take 30 seconds to SUBSCRIBE, RATE, & REVIEW on Apple Podcasts. It would mean so much! :) -- Don't forget to JOIN OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY! Yes, let's inspire and connect with each other! -- -- Do you know a creative who needs to hear this? SHARE this with a friend! -- I'd love to hear from you! Let me know what you thought of this episode and if you have any topics you'd like to hear in the future. You can DM me on IG @estelleavbuere or message me through my website at creativelybyestelle.com/contact. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/estelle-avbuere/message

Cette semaine, je reçois Jérémy François, head of growth chez Prello, ex coach Growth Tribe. Durant l'épisode, Jérémy nous explique son activité et plus précisément la mise en place d'expérimentations rapides afin d'avoir un aperçu des résultats d'un projet en quelques jours. Ensemble, nous allons voir les stratégies possibles pour trouver des prospects sur internet puis, comment communiquer lors du premier contact. Après l'écoute de cet épisode, vous serez en mesure de mettre en place une nouvelle stratégie pour trouver vos prospects et les aborder.

This is part 2 about the implications of having a biblical theology about sex.  This week, Kent covers how we relate to each other and how we relate to our own identity.  If you've ever struggled with sexual sin, you need to tune in today! When you give at Harmony, you are investing in life change and are Advancing the Kingdom!  GIVE TODAY, text any amount to (859) 459-0316  to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give . ------------------- Sermon Notes Slide Key: Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise notedBold = Slide textBold Red = Scriptures (please reflect formatting of scripture on slides, i.e. - underlines, italics, etc.)“b" or “B” on a line by itself = Slide break/New slideBold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored[some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to OPENING: Previously on:  “Kent preaches a sermon on sex” last week, if you were here, we talked about how God created sex to be something that united us to one another in one flesh.  We talked about how this is actually the point biblically where you become married. Genesis 2:23-24 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;  she shall be called ‘woman,' for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. We talked about how even science backs this up - brain scientists have studied what happens to our brains when we have sex.  Our brains release a cocktail of hormones that make us feel good and feel connected to one another.   If you missed the sermon, you should really grab the podcast and give it a listen… Sermon Part 2What does this mean for us?  (The Implications of a biblical concept of sex) Implication 1:  The demotion of Sex by the world where God elevates ILLUSTRATION: About 10 years ago I started to notice a trend when people came to me to get married.  Most of them had had more than one sexual partner and all of them (except for one couple) were already living together and already having sex with one another.  As a matter of fact, for some of them, they had been in this arrangement for a long time and had been having sex for the majority of their relationship..   This is a complete cultural shift from say 20-30 years ago. My guess is, most of you if you are under 45 - this is how you did it.  You didn't even know there might be reasons to do it any other way… Let's ignore for a moment the biblical idea that when you've had sex with a person, you have united yourself with them. Let's just think about it rationally. If you have had sex with someone, let's say after the 3rd or 4th date, or maybe even a couple of months in.  You like them, they seem nice.   They make you feel good and you decide to have sex.  Now your brain is flooding itself with chemicals that are designed to cause you to want to recreate the act and specifically recreate it with that person.  You have unintentionally flooded your brain with chemicals that are designed to help you desire and want your spouse. Sex was meant to be God's gift in the married life It was meant to be the thing that draws a man and woman together and highlights their two fleshes becoming one. But what happens instead?  We become roommates who share our beds, a dog, and a washer and dryer set, but nothing else about our lives. We live together “trying out marriage” But you can't actually make a wise decision-I tell all these people coming in for pre-marital counseling that they are going to experience all kinds of “roommate” issues in their marriage -they keep their money separate, they keep their food separate, they each pay their own bills, etc. And instead of drawing together into a committed relationship We live with the fear that the other person could leave any time the relationship becomes inconvenient… Where our society has downgraded sex to just a bodily function, we should have elevated it. Sex is the most amazing gift of a God who loves us and wants to help us to continue to desire one another. This is part of the reason the author of Hebrews says in Hebrews 13:4Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. The way we handle and think about sex matters  Implication 2:  The elevation of sexuality where God places it in its proper context ILLUSTRATION: Watch any modern TV sitcom and they will do two things with sex.  They will demote it to just an action.  You'll see characters have random sex with people, moving in with each other with no possible consequences to any actions.  They will treat it like it's just a physical desire like hunger.  But there is this weird thing that happens where it will simultaneously be elevated to a place of it being all they think about and talk about. There is a subtle message in our world that you are primarily a sexual being. When sex loses its purpose and context it can be elevated to a place it was never meant to hold Here's the problem with believing you are primarily a sexual being-You will believe your inclinations are natural to who you are - there is no victory over them or changing them-You will believe what you do is your business only - excluding God and His design from the equation-You can begin to confuse your identity with your sexuality - believing that your sexuality/gender/bias' define WHO you are Your primary identity is not as a sexual creature, but as a spiritual creature with s sexual nature Genesis 1:26-27 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. You were created to reflect God's image ILLUSTRATION: I have seen this idea free a lot of men from addictions to pornography and help people overcome sexual addiction.  If you believe you are just a sexual being primarily, then it feels like you can't do anything to overcome it.  You are stuck.  Putting sex and sexuality in its proper context gives you the freedom to let God write a different story with your life - a story as an image-bearer of God! I love Romans 8:29-30 (The Message Version) 29-30 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun. CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: Some of you know that I didn't grow up as this good kid who just loved God and did everything right.  I tell my kids “I was a bad guy”.  I can remember the first time I got drunk and looked at my buddy's dad's porn stash.  I grew up with a mixed-up sense of what sex was.  There was a period of time where I thought maybe I was gay because when I saw a girl's butt, I would think “dude, she poops with that”.  I was all twisted up because what I knew about sex and sexuality was from the world and it was perverted.  It has only been through God's grace and learning that I have found healing and hope.  You can too.  The good news is that Jesus died to rescue all of us from what this world had given us.  A dysfunctional way of life.  Jesus gives us real life.  What if today you could have a new life.  You could take your story of disfunction to Him and find new life.  If that's you, in a moment, I'm going to pray a prayer and invite you to bow your head and pray with me.  

Today is a different kind of devotional. Instead of focusing on one verse, I will read Psalms 103:6-8 in the Message Version. It's what I needed. And maybe it's what you need today. Main point: He loves you and HE WILL MAKE EVERYTHING RIGHT.

Yesterday I set my goal for 2022 to CULTIVATE GOD CONFIDENCE... today lets talk about why we should. 1 Corinthians 10:13 in The Message Version says: "All you need to remember is that GOD will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it." That's three beautiful, powerful reasons aka PROMISES. Let's focus on #1: GOD WILL NEVER NEVER NEVER LET YOU DOWN!

"A naive re-interpretation completed on an octatrack, which acquired on the day of this submission. All sounds are from the original source material." Composition by John Spartacus. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave

Meet Camille: I AM VALUABLE“I never saw value in myself. I always viewed myself as less than and didn't think I had much to offer. It wasn't until I started a true relationship with God, that I started to see myself like He sees me. Now, not only do I see value. But I know my worth, my strengths, and my purpose.”-Bible Reference: Matthew 6:26 CSVConsider the birds of the sky: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they?The Message Version. If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.....#affirmationofthedaySupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SBHC)

Life at Christmas is crazy, this week Kent helps us look at what matters most to us and reorganize around that. When you give at Harmony, you are investing in life change and are Advancing the Kingdom!  GIVE TODAY, text any amount to (859) 459-0316  to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give . ------------------- Sermon Notes Slide Key: Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise notedBold = Slide textBold Red = Scriptures (please reflect formatting of scripture on slides, i.e. - underlines, italics, etc.)“b" or “B” on a line by itself = Slide break/New slideBold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored[some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Life at Christmas time is crazy.  Because we are all being pulled in a million directions.  I mean you've got Christmas parties to go to, Christmas concerts to attend, and Hallmark movies to watch… Ha But seriously, don't you sometimes feel like you're like one of those stretchy sticky hands getting pulled back and at some point, you end up snapping? What's going on with that? Why do we all let ourselves get wagged around by the craziness of this season? I can't prove it, but I think it's because a lot of us have this feeling that we “have” to. I have to be ____________ for my kids I have to be ____________ for my spouse I have to be ____________ for my work I have to be ____________ for my friends And all that “have to” is driving you crazy…You're gonna have to be committed if you're not careful :) Can I implore you as we get started this season, to figure out a way to find some slow in the crazy that is Christmas? ‘But Kent, how could I do that?'“I'm already booked out through to next year…” Let me show you, the problem is not with your kids, spouse, work, friends, or anyone else, the problem is with the expectation you're placing on yourself. Let me ask you this one thing What does God need from you this season? Seriously, I want you to slow down enough to ask that question.  Actually, we are going to pause for a moment, I've asked Tony to come out with a guitar and just play some music under this part of the sermon.  I want you to pray. I want you to take EVERYTHING that is stressing you out and bring it to God.  List it for Him.  When you feel like you've hit the end, turn your palms over to signify that you've given it to him and then ask Him, “God, what do you need from me this season?” Let me ask you a question, if the people who are closest to you were to write a paragraph about the activity of your life, would it reflect the kind of pause and peace you just found by releasing what's going on in your life to Jesus? It's so easy to let the “have to's” drive our behavior - but those things are not God. -You have responsibilities, don't hear me saying don't take care of responsibility.   What I'm saying is we all need to change the voice that is driving us. SCRIPTURE: I want to read you a paragraph that was written about a guy in the bible who had chosen a different voice to follow.  Listen as Paul talks about one of his closest friends, even calls him Son: Phil 2:19-24 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. Paul says several things about Timothy, did you hear them? I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ Timothy has proved himself Who the heck is Timothy? Timothy was a young man that Paul met on a trip - he had come to know Jesus, but had a dad who wasn't a believer.  Paul took him under his wing and invested in him.  And Paul is saying, Timothy, is unique. ILLUSTRATION: I'll never forget one of my mentors sitting down with me in the middle of a pretty vulnerable time in my life.  He looked me in the eyes and said, “Kent, you need to know, the normal person doesn't think about pleasing Jesus as much as you do, don't give up!” It was a powerful moment in my life - to have someone speak that over me Here is Paul speaking the same things over TimothyHe is like no one else Why? Because he is looking out for the interests of Jesus, not his own interests… Even Timothy being willing to show genuine concern for them comes because the most precious thing to Jesus is people - so they become the most precious thing for Timothy. I've preached a million sermons about priorities and getting them rightGod first, family, church, work…  etc. But can I say something… I don't think that's right. I think it's not that God is first on a list, I think it's about placing your list under God This is what we all just practiced…What was unique about timothy was he cared more about pleasing God than fulfilling everyone else's expectations. It's as if Paul is looking back at something he had just written in his letter about living this kind of life and he's saying, “yeah, Timothy is like that… See, right before this in Philippians 2:3-7b 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,     did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing    Paul goes on to talk about how Jesus became nothing by becoming a servant, by shoving himself into a human body (what Xmas is all about), by ultimately dying. I want you to get this, Paul is saying God… chose… to become…. NOTHING. Why did he do this?  He did it to come after me, and to come after you… What if you stopped letting the tail wag the dog this Christmas?What if you just simply started each day by praying all the worries of the day into God's hands and turning your hands over as you let them go? What is betrayed by all of our “have to's” is that we believe the half-truth that we can control everything - that I can keep it all together. You weren't called to keep it all together, you were called to lose it all to the one who can put you back together. CLOSING: I want to close today by reading a passage out of the Message Version of the bible and I want you to close your eyes as you hear the words and picture Jesus speaking them over you.  Then, we are going to stand and worship our guts out.  Some of you are going to come up here and drop burdens at the cross.  We are going to get rid of the half-truth of the have to's and turn to the one who can put us together and who holds all things together. Matthew 11:28-30“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.” Sounds good, right, live freely and lightly-all it takes is what Timothy had, the ability to let Jesus REALLY be your leader - not in words, but in actions…

So many new changes are taking place fast and furious. So how do we process it all? What are the signs that what's taking place isn't punishment, it's process? Learn what Warren Buffet calls getting rich slow! You may want to take notes on this one. And, yes please share the love with a family member, co worker, neighbor or friend. Let them know it's time again for Just A Moment With Indi. *Scripture References from the show: Philippians 4:4-9 and James 1:2. I like reading either The Message Version, Amplified Version or New Living Translation. Ok, let's get started! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/indrealetice/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/indrealetice/support

How do you stop manipulating people and situations around you? More of us that would like to admit need to find the answer to that question. If you've ever struggled with feeling out of control, this this weeks sermon is for you. Tune in and listen! Help us advance the Kingdom, support our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give). Got kids? Check out Harmony Kids online (updated weekly) https://www.harmonychurch.cc/harmony-kids-online/! ------------------- Sermon Notes Slide Key: Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise notedBold = Slide textBold Red = Scriptures (please reflect formatting of scripture on slides, i.e.  - underlines, italics, etc.)“b" or “B” on a line by itself = Slide break/New slideBold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored[some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Do you remember the time you first realized you could control people with your behavior?  We call this manipulation. I remember learning that with my personality I could get people to do things.  And I abused it.  I had this friend Casey who I'd go out to eat with.  I'd say, “Casey, before we leave you are going to buy me lunch…”  Casey, was like, “nope, no way…” and then I did this, every time Casey would take a bit of anything from his meal, I'd just look at his food and watch it go to his mouth with a sad look on my face.  Every single French fry…  Every bite of cheese burger.  Finally, about half way through, Casey was like, “Fine, what do you want!?” There was a short period in my life where I would take advantage of it.  I could make people laugh too and get them to give me things for free at restaurants, etc.   Thank goodness, I matured and realized at some point that manipulation was a terrible way to get what I wanted.   Manipulation only causes resentment and leaves people feeling used. But we've all known someone who never quite learned that there were other tools in their arsenal other than manipulation… I knew a woman in a church who was the MASTER manipulator. She would do ANYTHING to get her way. If she needed to be sweet and buy you things, she'd do that if she needed to emotionally abuse you, she'd do that if she needed needed to shame you, she'd do that She could be the sweetest person or the most vile - she did whatever it took to get you to do what she wanted. WE: You've felt this before, right?-Maybe your mom was constantly manipulating your emotions towards your dad, keeping you on her side and against your father and as you got older you realized you had been fed a story?-Or maybe your dad constantly held his money and position over your head.  You were constantly being controlled by a sense of shame and the feeling you weren't good enough.-You've had the boss or coworker that is constantly using their position, their health or some other thing to get what they want and cause you to fall into line and it's all because Manipulation is a means to control people, situations, or outcomes without their full consent. It's why it produces resentment and the feeling of being used. Manipulation is all about YOU and getting what you want without regard to how it truly affects others. Some of you have a picture of someone in your head… Maybe even your own family… SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS: You ever known someone that makes you feel good about your family?  The story of Jacob from the bible is like that for me, it also gives me hope that if God can use him, He can use you and me. Genesis 27ff.  Jacob is the grandson of Abraham and Sarah and his family is one of the most manipulative I've seen.. He and his mom work out this plan to steal his blessing from his brother - to take advantage of his aging father who is blind and probably a little senile.  At one point his convinces his brother to trade his birthright for a meal.  He goes off to find a wife and finds one in his mothers family, who is just as devious.  They tell him he will be marrying the younger daughter, but when it is night and he can't tell the difference, the father sends the older daughter to sleep with Jacob.  Can you imagine that next morning?  Waking up, the sun rising, you roll over to look at your new bride and tell her how much you love her and it's her sister…  Ha Jacob ends up marrying the woman, Rachel, that he originally wanted to marry.  He keeps scheming and manipulating and it affects his entire family.   The problem is most of the time, manipulative people don't even know they are manipulative Jacob was just doing what his family did, his mom had taught him this way of getting what you want, and it's what he did to get what he wanted So, How do you stand in the gap and stop the manipulation cycle? 3 Practices move you toward trust Practice 1:  Actually do the hard work of confronting why you seek to control situations. Most people who manipulate others do so because deep inside them, they are not sure they can trust.-trust things will work out-trust they will be cared for-trust others to do what's right-etc. But at an even deeper level, you will find a distrust of God. The statement is “If I don't make it happen, then it's not going to happen.” -this is not just a statement manipulators think, but it is the base of what's going on.-I want something and I'm going to make it happen.. Jesus talking about how we shouldn't be afraid of anything makes this INCREDIBLE statement…Matthew 10:29-3129 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. What is it for you?  What has led you to distrust God to the point that you have taken things into your own hands? -Jesus said not to worry about where your needs will come from?-When Paul suffered with a thorn in his flesh, Jesus told him His grace was sufficient-Jesus said his yoke was easy and his burden light If you aren't willing to do the hard work to confront your past (the things that cause you to fear losing control) b Then you'll never stand in the gap and get past manipulating people and situations. How do you do this?-Find a quiet place and give yourself ample time-Get a journal and start prayerfully writing down moments in your life that you felt alone or out of control- Pray through them with God.  “where were you?”  “Is this true? Was I alone I out of control when _____ happens?” Practice 2:  Make prayer your go to, not strong arm tactics. Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message Version) 6-7 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. If your natural inclination is manipulation - then the antidote is prayer-because prayer refocuses you back to trusting God you can stand in the gap and stop the cycle of manipulative behavior by leaning into trusting God and living in constant prayer. So, when you feel triggered, slow down and pray… Practice 3:  Live on mission. Matthew 6:31-34 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?' or ‘What shall we drink?' or ‘What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  CS Lewis said that one of the troubles with how people view Christianity is that they see it as trying to make life better, He said Christianity is not trying to make it better, it's pointing to an entirely different life. Jesus is pointing you to an entirely different life b A life that, when lived for God's Kingdom, doesn't have to worry about controlling everything. b Because you are living for the one who is in control it's as simple as…Advancing the Kingdom by living for God and loving people CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: When we were in the Smokey Mountains over Spring Break, we had gone up to Rainbow falls outside of Gatlinburg.  We had been hiking all day and were now driving around this loop looking for bears.  We pulled up closer to this car that was stopped watching something we thought for sure we were going to get to see a bear.  But as we got closer, we realized what they were watching was a turkey that was attacking a parked truck.  It was really funny, this turkey was strutting around, pecking at the bumper and tires of the truck, like it was going to push it around and back it off.  I'm not sure what the truck had done to get the turkey mad, but evidently something.   It hit me, the turkey thought it could do something about this immovable object. Some of you have been living like you have the power to control your world - you've been pecking at it and are frustratingly trying to make it move and bend to your will. Stop being a turkey.  Stand in the gap. b Your job isn't to move the world to your desires, your job is to move your desires to the one who moves the world.

Heather Creekmore joins me to talk about body image, comparison and the never-ending chase of better. We talk about Heather’s new book, The Burden of Better, and how there is no end to chasing better. Better is a moving target that changes depending on who you’re looking at or the trend of the day. She says the only answer to our constant discontentment is Jesus. Heather and I chat about how comparison affects our friendships. She says when we compare ourselves to other women, our potential friends, and find them seemingly “better” than us in a certain area, our brains process it as rejection. Heather says, “we cannot be loving others, especially our friends as we’re called to love them, if we are comparing ourselves with them, it’s just not possible.” Whether we’re comparing our bodies, or our works, or our gifts, Heather shares how grace and gratitude are tools God’s given us to effectively fight comparison and end the race for better. She say’s “once you truly understand God’s grace, it allows you to be grateful and have gratitude at just a completely different level. It takes it from a head game to a heart game, and that’s when it starts to really change the way you believe.” Heather writes and speaks hope to thousands of women each week inspiring them to stop comparing and start living. Her first book Compared to Who? encourages women to uncover the spiritual root of body image issues and find freedom. Her new release, The Burden of Better, offers women a journey into the depths of God’s grace to find a way off the treadmill of constant comparison. Heather and her fighter-pilot-turned-pastor husband, Eric have four children and live in Austin, Texas.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Burden of Better Compared to Who? Colossians 3:12-14 Message Version – Be content with second place.   HEATHER’S FAVORITE 5 Dr. Axe’s Salted Carmel Bone Broth Nicky Gumbel One-year Bible Reading Plan Say I Won’t by Mercy Me The Cosby Show Colossians 3:12   CONNECT WITH HEATHER Instagram | Facebook | Website   CONNECT WITH GIRLS TALKING LIFE Instagram | Facebook

'I Shall Be Released' by Bob Dylan + 'Joyful Girl [Man]' by Ani DiFranco I almost never get texts and have notifications turned off on, oh, everything, so I never need to remember to mute my phone. I had already failed to record this thing so many, many, MANY times, and it's incredibly difficult to pull off this arrangement and remember to switch the genders and the right place to come in to the second song and switching plucked strings and chord reps and then the fucking text came. The worst part? I was inducted into a text chain for no apparent reason. I'm leaving this as is, as is my habit. It was hard enough to work up the courage to do this, overcome elbow pain and cold and find a quiet space away from the other noise I have no control over. This is as good as it gets, y'all.

Sundays are for Leadership by Proverbs.  Today, Pete Blank shares a message from Proverbs 11:23 on the idea of good people. 23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,    but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.     (The Message Version)

1 Timothy 4:11-16 (The Message Version)

We looked at Psalm 16 in the message bible and unloaded Golden Nuggets. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/niki-batie/support

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 36 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 35 Message Version

A Reading of Isaiah Chapter 34 The Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 33 Message Version

Continuing on in 1 Peter to the next paragraph in The Message Version... We must live my life with a deep consciousness of GOD... of who HE is, of what HE has done for us, of HIS many blessings, of HIS love, of HIS mercy and of HIS grace.

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 32 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 31 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 30 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 29 the Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 28 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 27 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 26 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 25 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 24 Message Version

Stan speaks out of Matt 6:31-34 (Message Version). How a life steeped in Gods reality, Gods initiative and Gods provision allows us to be thankful and live a life free of worry.

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 23 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 22 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 21 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 20 the Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 19 the Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 18 Message Version

Psalm 18, 48, 78, 108 and 138.Proverbs 18Copyright Psalms Cast 2020.Today’s Daily Reading read from the Message Version of the Bible.Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group." All rights reserved.

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 17. Message Version.

April 17, 2020 Broadcast.Finding Wisdom in God’s Word.Psalm 17, 47, 77, 107 and 137.Proverbs 17Copyright Psalms Cast 2020.Today’s Daily Reading read from the Message Version of the Bible.Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group." All rights reserved.

Psalm 16, 46, 76, 106 and 136.Proverbs 16Copyright Psalms Cast 2020.Today’s Daily Reading read from the Message Version of the Bible.Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group." All rights reserved.

Psalm 15, 45, 75, 105 and 135.Proverbs 15Copyright Psalms Cast 2020.Today’s Daily Reading read from the Message Version of the Bible.Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group." All rights reserved.

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 16 Message Version

A reading of Isaiah Chapter 15 the Message Version

This is a rant that not everyone will agree with, and might bother a few. This episode touches on the topic of the culture war surrounding homosexuality, the Christian church, and biblical translation, but it does not purport to answer the question. This episode is about how an honest and open-minded answer, by Pastor Eugene Peterson, to a delicate hypothetical question, led a major Christian Book store to actually contemplate removing the Message Version of the Bible from their shelves. Basically saying "to protect these Words, we will no longer distribute them." That made me mad and i reacted immediately. So, that's what this is. ThisIsWillJames.com