Podcasts about philippians

Hey friends — welcome to 2026! I’m so glad you’re here, and I’m really excited about what God has for us as we step into a brand-new year together. This month, we’re starting a new series called One Word 2026, and it’s meant to be a gentle but intentional way to reflect, respond, and reconnect with God as we begin the year. In this episode, I’m walking you through why I love taking the whole month of January to pause and listen — rather than rushing into resolutions or putting pressure on yourself to “get it all together” by January 1. We’re going to start with Philippians 1:3–11, where Paul reminds us that we can have real confidence because God is still working in us, and He’s not finished. Then I’m going to share six words I’ve been praying over for our community — six spiritual intentions that I believe reflect the kind of growth God may be inviting us into this year. You don’t have to choose one right away, and you definitely don’t have to force it — but I hope that one of these words will resonate in your spirit and give you a steady anchor for 2026. What We Cover: 1. Confidence is available to you — because God is the one doing the work One of the biggest themes in Philippians 1 is this: God finishes what He starts. So you don’t have to rely on your own strength to grow this year — you can rely on His. 2. You don’t grow to earn God’s love — you grow because you already have it This is so important: we’re saved by grace, and spiritual growth is our response to that grace. We’re not proving anything. We’re simply saying, “God, I want more of You.” 3. January can be a month of spiritual discernment, not pressure I want you to feel free to take your time. The goal isn’t to pick a word immediately — it’s to listen and let God guide you. 4. One Word is a simple practice that helps you pay attention to God all year long A “word for the year” isn’t magic, but it can be really powerful. It helps you notice what God is doing, focus your prayers, and stay spiritually anchored as life gets busy. Resources Mentioned: Free One Word 2026 Companion Guide If you want to walk through this with me in a more intentional way, I put together a free companion guide you can download here: https://nicoleunice.kit.com/newyear Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

279. What if this ONE nutritional upgrade changes everything: An Interview with Sue Becker   Proverbs 14:12 NIV "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."   *Transcription Below*   Sue Becker is a gifted speaker and teacher, with a passion to share principles of healthy living in an encouraging way.  She is the co-owner of The Bread Beckers and founder of the ministry, Real Bread Outreach, all dedicated to promoting whole grain nutrition. Sue has a degree in Food Science from UGA and is the author of The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book. Sue is a veteran home-schooling mom with 9 children and 15 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild so far. She and her husband Brad, live in Canton, GA. Through her teaching, countless families have found improved health.   Sue's Instagram: @suebreadbeckers Sue's Website Sue's Podcast   Questions and Topics We Cover: Will you tell us about your professional background and share what led to a life-changing discovery?  In addition to helping us feel better, how can this swap also affect our weight? We are told gluten is the enemy, but you teach how wheat can actually be the cure, not the cause. . . Will you elaborate why even people who are sensitive to gluten can still enjoy this bread and experience greater health benefits because of it?   Related Episodes from The Savvy Sauce: 14 Simple Changes for Healthier Living with Leslie Sexton and Vasu Thorpe 26 Practical Tips to Eating Dinner Together as a Family with Blogger and Cookbook Co-Author, Rachel Tiemeyer 33 Pursuing Health with Functional Medicine Specialist, Dr. Jill Carnahan 129 Healthy Living with Dr. Tonya Khouri 205 Power of Movement with Alisa Keeton (Revelation Wellness) 212 School Series: Benefits of Homeschooling with Jodi Mockabee 256 Gut Health, Allergies, Inflammation and Proactive Solutions with Emily Macleod-Wolfe 261 Edible Theology with Kendall Vanderslice 270 Female Sex Hormones, Periods, and Perimenopause with Emily Macleod-Wolfe 275 Raising Healthy Kids: Free Tips with Emily Johnson   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   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: (0:11 - 1:29) 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.   Have you heard about this one-of-a-kind experience, the Radiant Faith and Wellness event?   It's going to take place January 30th and 31st at the Cannery in Eureka. I hope you learn more or purchase your tickets on this website or check them out on Instagram at @radiantwellnessevent and make sure you stay tuned to find out what the code is so that you can purchase your discounted tickets.   Happy New Year everyone! I am so excited to get to kick off the year with one of the best episodes I can ever remember.   You are in for a treat today with my guest Sue Becker. She is going to enlighten us to the one achievable, easy-to-implement nutritional change that could change everything. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Sue.   Sue Becker: (1:30 - 1:39) Thank you so much for having me. It is a real honor to be able to share my story, share my message with others that can listen and hear.   Laura Dugger: (1:40 - 1:56) Well, it may be one of the times I've most anticipated this conversation, but I'd love to just start by going back. Will you tell us about your professional background and share what led to a life-changing discovery?   Sue Becker: (1:56 - 14:21) Yes, yes. Well, it's a little bit of a long story, but I'll keep it as brief as possible. So, I always say, many years ago, headed off to the University of Georgia as a pre-med student because I loved studying everything about the human body and I wanted to help people and save the world, you know, all the grandiose ideas.   But my big passion was physiology and biochemistry. I loved studying that. Got there and realized, you know, I don't really want to be in school that long and I don't want that type of career after I graduate.   I knew my ultimate goal was to be a stay-at-home mom and I was like, okay, so why am I pursuing this? But I loved the field of study. And so changed my major, got accepted into pharmacy school, spent a quarter there and went, this isn't really what I want to do either.   So then I was led by the Dean of Pharmacy School to the field of food science, which was an up-and-coming industry at the time. I focused my attention more on the microbiology aspect of it and after graduation, I worked for Kraft Foods for almost five years as a bacteriologist in the lab there. I met my husband at the University of Georgia, and we married, actually, our senior year.   And so then, like I said, after I graduated, I started working for Kraft until I had my first child. I did become a mom, for sure. I have nine children, seven biological, two we adopted later in life, ranging in ages now from 45.   My oldest daughter doesn't like me to tell that, but it's too bad. It's what it is. 45 to 29, I believe Olivia is.   Yes, 29. And then I have 19 grandchildren and my very first great grandchild was born just a few weeks ago. So that's been a real blessing and a treat.   But after graduation, because I loved studying, it's funny, I tell everybody I'm a much better student now than I ever was in college. It's funny how you love to study once you don't have to perform with tests and things. But I continued studying physiology, biochemistry, read the works of prominent biochemists of the day and kind of came at everything with believing that we're fearfully and wonderfully made.   Our bodies know what they need and if they're not getting something they need, then chances are we're going to see sickness or lack of health. So, I kind of came at everything from that standpoint. It might be a little simplistic, but I think it's a great starting place.   So, I focused on feeding my family healthy food, you know, supplementing when we needed to. I tell people I grew up Southern. I grew up in a family of cooks and not chefs, but we cooked.   We ate real meat, real vegetables. My husband and I loved to garden. We grew our own corn and peas and beans and tomatoes and all the things.   So, we were eating real food. But we weren't a sickly family for sure, not compared to what others were, but we still had our share, our fair share. And so, we clipped along like this and I, in 1991, because of my interest in physiology, biochemistry, I subscribed to a publication, a health journal.   And the first publication that came into my home was entitled, "How to Greatly Reduce the Risk of Common Diseases." In this journal, the history of white flour was presented. Now, this was very eye-opening information.   Maybe I need to back up a little bit. The food science is not a nutrition degree. It's not a home economic degree.   It's the study of food processing. Everything that has to be done to keep that food safely on the shelf. Something's great. Something's not so great. So, when I read this information, I was like, how did I miss what's done to our bread? Through my studies, I had always read that whole wheat flour was better, but I didn't understand why.   So, in this journal, the history of white flour was presented. All the processing that is done to make that flour sit on the shelf forever, never really. And this is, like I said, what opened my eyes.   I learned that whole grains, real whole grains are the most nutrient-dense food God has given us. But in that journal, I learned that only when they're freshly milled, do they retain all their vital nutrients. You know, like I said, I had read that whole wheat flour was better.   I was trying to buy the stuff in the store, but it was kind of gross, nasty, I say. Didn't make nice bread, certainly not fluffy muffins. So, kind of gave up on that, trying to make bread with the store-bought whole grain flour.   And so, we were just buying whole wheat flour from the store. But I learned in that journal, it's not really what you think it is. And I, so like I said, I also, as a food scientist, what was so enlightening to me, when I read that word enrichment on the bags of flour or the bread products in the store, I thought, wow, we're making this better than it would have been, had we not done this favor.   I soon learned in this journal that that was not a favor that food companies are doing for us. They replace in their enrichment, a mere fraction of the nutrients that are there. And of course, I learned that once the flour is milled, I learned, well, let me, grains are storable, left whole and intact.   They store fairly indefinitely. But once that flour is, once that grain is milled into flour, it begins to spoil. The nutrients begin to oxidize.   So this led to the invention of these huge steel rolling mills that would take out the very nutrient rich bran, the oil laden germ that was causing the spoilage of the flour and leaving only the endosperm part, which is the white flour, protein and starch. Wonderful discovery. This flour won't spoil.   It'll sit on the shelf forever. And like I said, it looked like a wonderful discovery. And this all happened in the late 1800s, early 1900s.   By about 1910, the steel rolling mills had completely replaced the local millers because prior to the 1900s, most of the bread consumed in this country was either milled at home or the flour was purchased from a local miller. The bread was made at home and it was consumed at home. But with this invention, steel rolling, the steel rolling mills displaced the local millers, white flour, white bread became food now for everyone, rich and poor alike.   And can you imagine every housewife going, yay, I don't have to mill my flour anymore. I'll never forget years ago, Brad's 93-year-old grandfather lived with us for a little while. And I was in the kitchen milling some corn for cornbread.   And he went like this from his chair. He went, "I milled a lot of corn in my day." So, you can imagine people were like, hallelujah, we don't have to mill our flour.   But what seemed like an amazing, convenient, life-saving discovery actually turned out to not be so great. Shortly thereafter, the steel rolling mills and white flour became food for everybody. Three diseases became epidemic.   Beriberi, which is a vitamin B1 deficiency, it results in nervous disorders. Pellagra is a vitamin B3 or niacin deficiency, results in GI issues, skin issues, dementia, mental insanity. And that one really interested me because I did some more research on that and actually found out that the first case of pellagra was diagnosed right here in Atlanta, Georgia, which I'm from that area, you know, this area where our store in Woodstock is 35 miles north.   That first year 30,000 cases were diagnosed. Then anemia was the third disease. This puzzled health officials all over the country. They're like, what in the world is going on?   Why are we seeing this outbreak of diseases? And at first they thought beriberi and pellagra were maybe some type of infectious disease. But eventually they traced it to the new white flour that was on the market and the missing B vitamins and iron minerals that were provided by the bran and the germ.   Because for all practical purposes, that's where your nutrients are. The endosperm, white flours, protein and starch, protein and starches that we need, but not without the fiber, the B vitamins, the vitamin E, the inositol, choline, the iron, the calcium, all those nutrients. And so, things kind of clipped along.   They went to the millers and said, you got to put the bran and germ back in because of all the sickness. But the millers were like yeah, no, that's not going to happen because they had found a very lucrative market for the byproducts, which is so often done now in the food industry. Byproducts of the milling process, the bran and germ were sold to the cattle feed industry, white flour to the people.   So they're like, yeah, we're not giving up that money-making market. So things progressed until 1948. And finally, health officials stepped in, the government stepped in and mandated, you've got to fix the flour, you've got to enrich it.   And that's where I discovered what a deceptive term that is for the 35 to 40, who knows really how many nutrients are lost when they take the bran and germ away. They only replaced it with four, three B vitamins and iron. And of course, B1, B2, B3 and iron.   Supposedly, this took care of the beriberi and pellagra. But I always have to stop here and say, how many nervous disorders do we have in our country today? How many, how much GI disturbances and bowel issues, digestive issues?   How about dementia, mental insanity? What about skin eruptions? I don't think it took care of it.   But anyway, they think it did. And then it would take 50 years, 1998, after watching the rising incidence of birth defects and understanding that it was the missing folate that is no longer in the flour, richest food source, or most common, most readily eaten food source of folate, bread. Who knew?   So, they mandated then that a fifth nutrient be added. And that was folic acid, which, let me stop there and say this, these are synthetically produced supplements, vitamins that are being added to your flour. And particularly the B vitamins, this can be very troublesome, because the B vitamins come as a family, they come as a group, they work together synergistically.   When you take one out of context from the other out of balance, it actually depletes you and causes you to have a greater need. We're seeing that now with folic acid and the development of MTHFR, the folate, you know, reductase gene mutation. So anyway, it's caused more problems than it's worth.   And I've always thought about the scripture Proverbs 14:12, I believe it says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death." And we can certainly see that. You know, and if that were not enough, now, we've, we've taken all this away, we produce this beautiful white flour, but the residual oils cause it some yellowing.   So can't have yellowing of that flour. So, they began to choose to bleach the flour and a product called nitrogen trichloride was used for more than 25 years to bleach the flour. It was finally taken off the market because they discovered that this nitrogen trichloride caused seizures in dogs.   Are you ready for this? Hyperactivity.   Laura Dugger: (14:22 - 14:22) Hmm.   Sue Becker: (14:22 - 29:18) When I read that information, it was in 1991. That was the beginning of the scourge of ADD and hyperactivity we're now seeing in our children today. And I couldn't help but wonder, you know, when I read that information, there was one little boy in my son's music class, you know, and, but now, wow, it's pretty prevalent.   So then another bleaching agent is benzoyl peroxide. It's known to destroy B vitamins and vitamin E. And let me just tell you this, grains are one of the, especially wheat is one of the most nutrient dense food groups. Like I said, but it's the, one of the richest food sources of vitamin E and no amount of vitamin E has ever been put back in our enriched right white flour.   So, we lost that source, but now we're using a bleaching agent that's going to destroy it and B vitamins. And then potassium bromate is often used as a dough conditioner. It helps strengthen that gluten structure to help get a better rise in the bread. It's known to cause liver issues and thyroid issues.   And this is what we were consuming. So, wow. Yeah.   Talk about my mind being blown, my eyes being open. And then the rest of the journal was a brief discussion of the common diseases that plague Americans and showed why it was directly related, how it was directly related to our consumption of the processed white flour, lacking the nutrients and the fiber diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, diverticulitis, even varicose veins, skin issues, low energy. I mean, it just went on and on.   And from my, with my background, this made absolute sense. I knew it was scientifically sound, but it was also, it was a Christian publication. It was biblically sound.   And what changed my life here was like I said, always read whole wheat flour, better whole wheat flour, better, but I was buying the stuff in the store and even whole wheat bread in the store. Didn't really see a lot of difference in it. But this introduced me to the idea of an in-home grain mill, buying grain and milling my own flour.   That was life changing. I was like, this is amazing. I can do this.   Wanted a mill. My husband actually bought me a mill for my birthday in 1991. The mill came into our home.   I milled flour. I made bread. I ate bread.   It was delicious. It wasn't gritty. It wasn't heavy.   It wasn't dense. And I tell everyone I pooped the next morning and it was like, what just happened to me? So that was my life-changing experience.   First, first day, you know, my bowel issues were corrected. I had lifelong issues with constipation, struggled with it. Knew I didn't want to take chemical accidents.   So tried to do more alternative solutions, find those and they worked if I did them, but they were, I tell people they were outside of my, your realm of daily eating. You had to do something special. And honestly, sometimes I think we look at alternative methods, you know, supplementation or treatment for ailments that are afflicting us.   And we're not getting, still not getting to the root of the problem. My problem was I was not eating enough fiber. The white bread, the white flour was constipating me.   So this was the only change I made. I tell everyone I've not been constipated since 1991. I know you wanted to hear that, but, but then I had five young children by this time and I, I homeschool my children.   We were active in church and baseball and music lessons and all the things, you know, we were busy. I had nursing baby and, and I, but I'm telling you, when I started just adding this bread to our already real food, we were eating. I noticed significant energy.   Like I said, constipation gone right away. Then I begin to notice first week. It didn't take months.   I was like, wow, I have more energy. My frequent headaches went away. Also with my bowels moving, my chronic constipation went away.   I lived on antihistamines before bread since bread. That's another thing I can stand here and tell you. I've not had an antihistamine or a decongestant of any kind since 1991.   That's pretty amazing. I had frequent migraines, not had one since we started the bread. So those were, I've noticed my sugar cravings went away because now I was getting the real carbohydrates that my body needed and it's sustaining energy.   And then my children, I just noticed they were they were, they would eat and they were satisfied. They love the bread. They love the muffins.   They love the pancakes. It was healthy food. I didn't have to coerce them to eat.   No more snotty noses, no more ear infections for them. And that we just became a much healthier family. And they, my kids didn't necessarily catch every bug that came around.   And if one of them did get sick, didn't necessarily mean that all of us got sick, which a big family, that's, that's pretty significant, you know? And so it was just, and the bread was delicious. When I read that information about whole grains and, and, you know, how bad white flour was, I was, I was thinking that this freshly milled flour was going to be just like the store-bought whole wheat flour I was buying in the store.   And you can probably already tell I'm a very passionate person. So, I read this information. I'm like, we're never eating white bread again.   We're never, white flour's never coming into our house again. And if we have to choke this bread down, we're doing this, you know? Well, we did not have to choke it down at all.   The muffins, the bread, the pancakes, the brownies, cookies, everything I made was absolutely delicious. It was filling and it was satisfying. A lot of people would say, you must spend all your time in the kitchen when all my kids were home.   I'm going, actually, no, we eat breakfast and everybody's satisfied. Nobody snacks. And even my kids begin to notice how other kids snack all the time.   Not my kids, they would eat and they wouldn't eat till the next meal. And so, it was just very, very satisfying. So, I began to share my bread with everybody, bake bread for other people, take it here, take it there.   The next thing I know, so be warned, if you ever start milling and you make bread for somebody, they're going to ask you to make bread for them. So, I did start making bread for other people. And the next thing I know, they're coming to me and saying, my cholesterol dropped 85 points and all I changed was this bread.   You know, I feel better. I have more energy. And the lady with the cholesterol, she, I continued to make bread for her for a while.   And I always laugh. One of the favorite things she liked that I made for her was cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing. And she said, I ate one after every meal and my cholesterol dropped 85 points in just one month.   And I always laugh. I'm like a statin drug with all kinds of side effects, cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing, you know, and she said, it was her testimony. She goes, "I knew it was the bread. I know it is the bread because three doctors, three different medications, three years, nothing has changed. And this is the only change I made."   So, I started hearing this. And of course, she told all her friends, the next thing you know, everybody's wanting me to make this cholesterol lowering bread for them, you know, and I'll never forget. By this point, I had had my sixth child, still homeschooling, still doing laundry, still baseball, church, all the things. And here I was making bread for my family and then making bread for all these people coming to my door.   And I was spending all day every day making bread and for others and myself. And I just got really tired, to be honest with you. And I was making this bread and a thought came to my mind.   And I just looking back now, I know God put those words in my heart and in my mind. That day, I had also had a few people ask me, would I teach them how to make bread? And where could they get a grain mill?   So the idea came to me, met my husband in the driveway. And I said, when he came home from work, and I said, you know what, I don't think I'm supposed to make bread for the world. I think I'm supposed to teach the world to make bread for themselves.   And that was the beginning right there. We sat down on the porch swing and talked about what we would call it. And I said, I want to call it Bread Beckers.   That's, you know, our, it's funny, we didn't know that at the time. But Becker is a German name that means the baker. So, it is bread bakers.   And anyway, so and, and it's funny, because at that point in 1992, my world was four people, four people had asked me about where they could get a grain mill, and what I teach them to make bread. And today, we, well, we, started our business right then in our home, took a little while to, you know, get everything. And we outgrew our home by 1998, what my husband and I and my children could do.   I mean, it just grew from the testimonies of other people. I mean, just like that lady when and then you get hundreds of people sharing different stories and passing it on, people, people start noticing. So we incorporated with a longtime friend and partner in 1998, moved the business out of our home, we're currently in this lovely 10,000 square foot warehouse, we moved here in 1999.   We have a nice studio kitchen, this is where all my cooking classes take place that we can seat 100 people and regularly we fill up classes like that. We have a lot of online classes already for people to view on our YouTube channel. But and then a few years ago, it's back in 2009, we acquired another warehouse because we are passionate about providing God's people with grain.   That first week here, like I said, customer base of four. A week after starting our business, getting all the license and all that really hadn't started getting anything, God woke me up and said that he was raising up Bread Beckers to be like Joseph to supply his people with grain. And I wrote in my journal that morning that it would be a tremendous thing.   And it would take a few months, we invested in a lot of wheat, we took all of our savings, this was before we incorporated, it was just my husband and I and our family and bought some wheat, you know, and had spent all of our savings. Well, I got a little nervous. And I woke up that morning after unloading all this wheat and writing the checks and seeing the money go out of the savings account.   And I'm like, I don't think the electric company is going to take a bucket of wheat, you know, for payment. So this was my fear. And I felt like, you know, maybe I was being deceived, maybe we were being misled.   And I just cried out to the Lord that he would speak to me and confirm to me that this was what we were supposed to do. And this is how I do it. I just cry out to the Lord.   And then I just go on with my regular Bible reading, not looking for something I could have gone to the story of Joseph because he had already spoken that to me. But my verse for the day in one of my devotionals was Proverbs 11:26. And it says "Cursed is the man who holds back grain when the public needs it. But a blessing from God and man is upon the head of him who sells it."   My husband took that vision. I know you talk about, I was like, what? I could hardly wait for Brad to get up. My husband, Brad, you know, I had awakened early because I was stirring and all just anxious and fearful. And the enemy was just coming at me.   And when I shared that all with Brad that he was sleeping next to me, not knowing that I was in all this turmoil. And he just looked at me and he goes, "Sue, I can think of no other verse that God could have given you to answer and your question and to calm your fears." And so he took it to heart.   So, we now have a second warehouse. It's 13,000 square feet. We are probably one of the largest grain packaging facilities in the southeastern United States.   We have hundreds. I don't know how many we're growing everyday co-ops all over the United States. And we bring in two semi truckloads a week.   I mean, I'm sorry, a month, which is actually a little bit more than that. It's about 190,000 pounds of wheat. That's just wheat.   Package it down into these great food grade buckets, plastic buckets. And we package it with carbon dioxide gas. So it's perfectly storable.   We can guarantee that it's bug free. You know, the enemies of grain are moisture bugs and rodents. So that's why we really firmly believe in packaging it all in buckets.   And like I said, we have probably 180 co-ops now. I don't know. It's growing every day.   We ship wheat all over the country, grain and everything we sell. So it's been a real journey and just a real blessing. And then I started a ministry called Real Bread Outreach.   We clipped along locally, kind of providing grain and grain mills for those who truly can't afford it. But then in 2016, God called me to Haiti. I made 15 trips to Haiti.   We built a bakery there. We trained up another team at an orphanage and they were making bread every day. So right now, in Haiti, it's an intense situation, but the bakery is thriving, feeding about 1,200 school children a day.   And then the other, it's about 150 orphans. Then we went to Tanzania in 2021. We built a bakery there, started a feeding program.   We've helped start a bakery in Israel that is ministering to the Jewish people. We helped train a bakery in Uganda and we've sent mills to missionaries in Japan and the Philippines and Nigeria and Kenya, just all over. And I'll close this part with this.   A few years ago, a friend of mine just, she did, she remembered, she said, "Sue, do you remember when you said to Brad, I don't think I'm supposed to make bread for the world, but teach the world to make bread for themselves." And I'm going to tear up a little bit looking back now, like I said, four people, that was my world. Today, it truly is the world.   And not just because of the internet, but because of where God has called us through our ministry. And it's a real blessing. So, my encouragement to everyone is do the small thing.   You never know where God's going to take you in years to come and how it's going to bless the world.   Laura Dugger: (29:19 - 29:21) So I think that was a lot.   Sue Becker: (29:21 - 29:22) I know.   Laura Dugger: (29:23 - 32:39) It was beautiful. And it makes me think of the verse, do not despise small beginnings for the Lord delights to see the work begin. I'm paraphrasing, but I love how much it has blessed the world.   And I remember the first time I heard you, I was trying to just picture what is a mill, but you literally just turn it on and you pour the grain in and it comes out as flour. It's so easy. And so we purchased our own.   After our conversation, I get to stick in our loaves in the oven. They're still rising right now. And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Radiant Faith and Wellness Event is a unique event designed to bridge the aspects of faith and wellness and to live as our bodies, minds and souls were intended and created. So come together with other like-minded women to receive Christ centered teaching on health and wellness, to nourish your body with good food and to renew your mind and help you shine radiantly. At Radiant, wellness goes beyond worldly standards of wellness and self-help.   So, from worship and inspiring speakers to guided movement, meaningful conversation, biblical teaching, every part of this event is crafted to help you reconnect and step forward renewed. It's the perfect time of year to experience something like this. Radiant is more than just an event.   It's actually a transformational experience and supportive community dedicated to helping women grow spiritually and physically. 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First, this may be a little unrelated, but even thinking of feeding people around the world or feeding our children, you mentioned, you know, a lot of times if your kids were picky eaters, you'd say, okay, ditch the bread and just eat the meat.   But because it's so nourishing and nutritious and that Jesus has given us this as a grace gift, this bread, you can ditch the meat and eat just the bread and get so much nutritional value.   Sue Becker: (32:40 - 37:32) Yes, that and that's funny that you bring that up because, you know, one of the things over the years of studying is of the 44 to 46 absolutely essential nutrients needed by your body for health and to promote life. There's only four slightly deficient or missing in wheat, vitamin A, vitamin C. So, God gave us another kind of food.   Remember in Genesis chapter 1:29, he says, “I've given you plants that bear fruit with the seed in them.” So that's our fruits and vegetables. That's where we get our vitamin A, vitamin C.   Then we get our vitamin D from the sunshine if we get out there and get some. And then B12, of course, is low or is not found in any plant product. That's I mean, plant food.   So, you have to get that from your meat, your red meats and things like that. But that's and so learning that you're absolutely right. When my kids were growing up and the bread was my little toddler, how she'd tell me she was hungry, she would say, “I want a roll with honey.”   That was what she wanted to eat. And I would take the meat off the sandwich. And before bread, it was eat the meat.   After bread, it was just eat the bread, you know, because I knew just from that. And I started thinking about when Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone.” He was quoting the Old Testament, but by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God, he was reiterating that you think you're living because you have bread and all the biblical, you know, so many of the biblical feasts, Passover and First Fruits, Pentecost, they're around the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.   Grain was a big part of their life and of their sacrifices and all that. And he was saying, you think you're living just because you have bread. But I'm telling you, there's a spiritual life that you have to feed as well.   So, yeah, that was a fun time seeing the change of my perspective of just eat the bread. And, you know, some days, you know, breakfast was typically a pretty big meal for us. Sometimes it would just be pancakes, but a lot of times it would be eggs and freshly ground grits and bread of some sort, muffins.   And then lunch might be muffins and a smoothie because we really weren't that hungry from the bread at breakfast and then dinner. We eat normal. People think we're weird eaters.   But, you know, like I said, I grew up Southern. So, we do country fried steak. We do pot roast.   We do chicken. We do brown rice, mashed potatoes, green beans. You know, we do it all.   And you mentioned something that was funny. When I first started, when I would take bread places, people go, “Oh, my gosh, this coffee cake is so delicious or this bread is so delicious. Can I get your recipe?”   And I'd go, “Well, yeah, you can have my recipe. But you've got to understand, I mill my own flour.” Two things they would always respond with.   And the first one they would go, “You do what?” And I would go, “I mill my own flour.” The second one absolutely intrigued me for years and years until I did a study on what grain mills, the local millers mills, you know, waterwheels and gristmills and ox treading out the grain.   But they would always say to me, “Where do you live?” And I think they thought I must have had a barn and an ox or I lived by a river to have the gristmill to power my mill. Now, you can see my little mill behind me.   It just sits on my counter. And you're right. Turn it on, pour it in, comes out flour in a matter of seconds.   And I tell people, it's really not any slower or more tedious than taking your flour canister out of your cabinet. And I realize we've deviated in this day and time from even using flour and baking things ourselves when we can go to the store and buy it already baked. But it'll change your life.   I have never seen one dietary change bring so many significant across the board, broad spectrum health benefits to myself, my family, and so many people now that share their testimonies with me. It's just been amazing, just absolutely amazing. And, you know, I always, my husband always likes for me to say, you know, in the 25 years of raising my children on this bread, we only had to take them to the doctor twice for an illness.   Twice. And twice on antibiotics. They needed it.   There's a time and place. Twice to the doctor for an illness. In 25 years, there are people and families that go to the doctor more than that in a week.   So, when people say I can't afford it or I don't have time, I'm like, wow, I can just tell you the life-saving and money-saving advantages are, it's hard to describe. So yeah.   Laura Dugger: (37:33 - 38:05) Yeah. And like you said, it's an enjoyable process. It is.   But also, okay, referencing one other thing, just thinking about these ailments. You had quoted, I believe a doctor just saying about constipation that is, and I don't want to botch it, so I'd love to know if you remember this, that most Americans is that three out of five suffer from constipation or even chronic constipation. And that, was it the number one cause of breast cancer and prostate cancer?   Sue Becker: (38:05 - 39:29) Oh, wow. Yes. I'd almost forgotten that.   Yes. I was listening to a CD that someone shared with me, and it was by an oncologist. And I still remember, I would listen to things as we began to travel and share and teach, and I would listen to teaching.   And so, I had this cassette, if you can remember those or even know what those are. And I remember where I was, I was on I-10 headed to Jacksonville to a homeschool show. And this oncologist at the very end of her message, she said, “Toxins are stored in your, let's see, let me see. So, she said toxins are stored in your fatty tissue. In a woman, it's your breast. It's, and in a man, it's his prostate.”   And she said, “When toxins are not carried out of their, your body daily through bowel elimination, then these toxins get absorbed into the body and stored in your fat tissue.” And she said, “So a direct correlation between cancer and constipation is there.” And, and I was just like, what did she just say?   And that blew me away. I mean, that was not me saying it, this was an oncologist. And she's saying one of the leading issues is constipation.   Wow. Yeah, I'd almost forgotten about that.   Laura Dugger: (39:30 - 39:44) Well, and such a simple swap and getting to still enjoy these foods. But in addition to being healthier and the health benefits and making us feel better, how does this also potentially affect our weight?   Sue Becker: (39:45 - 42:33) Well, that's a good question, because we're all told that bread is bad, that bread will make you fat. And I totally agree. The bread that's in the store is devoid of nutrients.   It's devoid of fiber that fills you up. It's devoid of nutrients that satisfy fiber that fills you up. And it's heavily sweetened, sugared, you know, most of the breads we're eating are not just flour, water, yeast, salt. They're usually loaded with other things.   So, they're not satisfying. The fiber in real bread fills you up. So, like I said, you're not going to overeat, you're going to eat and you're going to be satisfied.   You know, I always tell the story when, when we were eating just bread from the store, I had five children, I would make sandwiches, they would, you know, cut them in half, I would make five sandwiches, they would, or I'd make the whole loaf, actually, they would fight over the last one. After bread, real bread that fills you up, I would make five sandwiches, cut them in half, and sometimes they would eat them all. And sometimes they wouldn't.   It was because it was filling, and it was satisfying. And that's something people need to understand. Also, the nutritional deficiency in the foods that we're eating in the store, especially our bread, they're leaving us malnourished, really.   Dr. Denmark, one of the oldest, well, the oldest practicing pediatrician in the country, she lived right here in Georgia. And she said, “We're the most undernourished, overfed people in the world.” We eat a lot because we're never satisfied, because the foods we're eating does not supply our body with the nutrients that we need.   And so, we're constantly craving. I don't think a lot of people don't understand what cravings are. You're craving food because you're needing a nutrient, you know.   And so, we find that we can eat and eat and eat, and, or not we, but Americans can overeat, and they do overeat because they're never satisfied. And so, real bread fills you up, real bread satisfies, it takes those sugar cravings away, which, you know, a lot of high calorie foods, they're loaded with sugars, and that's what we're craving a lot of times. I read something, women tend to crave sweets and chocolate, and men tend to crave salty.   And, but both, if we're craving, you know, processed foods, you know, you can sit down and eat the whole bag of cookies, where you make cookies from freshly milled flour, one, maybe two, if you go three, you kind of go, I really didn't need that one, you know. So, it's just filling, it's satisfying. We have so many people, testimonies of people saying they've lost, one lady said she lost over a hundred pounds, that was over the course of a while, you know, of a year or so, but she did it right.   She just started eating real food that nourishes and satisfies.   Laura Dugger: (42:34 - 44:21) I want to make sure that you're up to date with our latest news. We have a new website. You can visit thesavvysauce.com and see all of the latest updates.   You may remember Francie Heinrichson from episode 132, where we talked about pursuing our God-given dreams. She is the amazing businesswoman who has carefully designed a brand-new website for Savvy Sauce Charities, and we are thrilled with the final product, so I hope you check it out. There you're going to find all of our podcasts, now with show notes and transcriptions listed, a scrapbook of various previous guests, and an easy place to join our email list to receive monthly encouragement and questions to ask your loved ones, so that you can have your own practical chats for intentional living.   You will also be able to access our donation button or our mailing address for sending checks that are tax deductible, so that you can support the work of Savvy Sauce Charities and help us continue to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ. So, make sure you visit thesavvysauce.com.   And throughout the years, you've seen these different trends from Atkins to Paleo, and now a lot of times we're told gluten is the enemy, but I love how you say that wheat can actually be the cure, not the cause.   So, can you elaborate on that, and even why some people with gluten sensitivities may still be able to consume bread that was made with freshly milled grain?   Sue Becker: (44:21 - 1:01:23) Right, so, yeah, I think what people need to understand is what gluten actually is. And gluten's not really even in grains, it's just an easy way to verbalize it, I guess. So, gluten is the stretchy substance that forms from two proteins that are found uniquely in the wheat family of grains.   So, when you mill wheat into flour, and you hydrate it, wet it, mix it, you know, make a dough out of it, those two proteins, gliadin and glutamine, they form this stretchy substance called gluten. Well, it's very important in bread making that you have these two proteins, because when you make a yeast leavened bread, whether it's sourdough or commercial yeast today, those organisms feed on the carbohydrates both in the wheat and in your dough, and they produce carbon dioxide gas. So, that gluten, those stretchy strands of protein, those two proteins, they trap that carbon dioxide gas, and that's what enables the bread to rise.   So, it's unique to the wheat family of grain. It has always been there. It's why wheat is the king of bread making and always has been.   Who put those two proteins in the wheat family of grains? God did. And just so you know, wheat is not genetically modified, and it has not been altered to produce wheat that has a higher gluten content.   What determines the protein content of grain more than anything, which, what did I say gluten is? It's formed from two proteins. What determines the protein content in grain more than anything is rainfall during the growing season.   So, that's why here in the southeastern United States, we can't make yeast bread making wheat. We can't grow it because we have too much rainfall and it's too warm. So, we grow what's called soft wheat or pastry flour.   That's why southerners eat biscuits, because that's the kind of bread that we can make with the wheat grown here. The colder, drier climates in the breadbasket states of the country, they grow the hard bread making wheat. Now herein lies the problem.   When those steel rolling mills came on the scene and began to take the bran and germ out, what did they leave us with? Protein and starch. Those gluten forming proteins and starch are in that endosperm.   God never intended us to eat that white flour, those protein and starches without the vitamins, the minerals, the enzymes, the vitamin E that the bran and germ provide. So, therein lies a lot of the problem and that's what causes so many digestive issues is that we aren't getting the nutrients and the fiber that will keep our bowels clean and our digestive system moving the way it is supposed to. Now herein lies a bigger problem is that in the food industry and the American people's craving for fluffier bread.   In the food industry, they thought, okay, we can give you fluffier bread. If we take the wheat and we wash it until only all that is left is those two proteins, those gluten forming proteins. They get this stretchy substance and then they dry it and powder it and they add even more pure gluten forming proteins to that white bread.   So, now we have an even bigger problem and then and even in that whole grain bread, people want fluffy bread. They don't want, you know, coarser whole grain bread. So, check your ingredients.   That 100% whole grain bread that you might be already buying, third or fourth ingredient gonna be vital wheat gluten or gluten flour, whatever they call it and that is greatly upsetting the fiber to flour ratio and causing digestive issues. And then, you know, just the heavily consumption of that bread and you know, the commercially processed bread is a real problem. So, now what we have is people, you know, Americans consuming this bread.   Now, they have every symptom of something called celiac disease. Celiac disease is real. It is genetic.   I am learning. I used to say it's not reversible, but I am learning something that you might have the genes for celiac disease, but they can be turned on or turned off. So, perhaps what is happening is you might have the gene, but now it's being turned on by eating and consuming this high gluten, if you will, bread out of context, not the way God made it.   But then also what is also happening is so now we have people that have all the symptoms. Well, let me back up and just explain what celiac disease, celiac disease, true genetic celiac disease. You are born with these genes, the inability to break down that and metabolize gliadin.   That's one of those gluten forming proteins, which the whole wheat family has that. So, if you can't break it down, it's going to cause digestive issues, abdominal cramping. It's going to eventually as those that protein gets dumped into your large intestine, your bowel, it's going to lay down the villi.   You're going to have leaky gut. You're going to have all these issues. That is true genetic celiac disease, but it affects less than 1% of Americans have those genes and have it turned on for true genetic celiac disease.   So, what is being diagnosed today? Well, everybody eating the commercially processed high gluten packed or you know bread, they're developing the same symptoms, digestive issues, abdominal cramping, laying down the villi. So, they're being diagnosed with celiac disease when it a lot of times is not true genetic celiac disease and I'm not professing to be a medical professional.   I'm not giving anybody medical advice, but here's the good news that I do want to say to you. Non-genetic celiac disease is totally reversible. And the good news is people are finding some that have been diagnosed with celiac going gluten-free been gluten-free for 20 years.   They're finding they can eat the freshly milled flour because it has the right ratio and the good fiber and the good nutrients to heal their gut, cleanse their gut, and get their bowels moving, cleans out. So, bring that villi back to life and they're thriving. They're not just tolerating the bread.   They're thriving and finding reversal of many, many, many health issues. And another big issue too is people don't understand that for the most part digestion begins in your mouth, carbohydrate digestion. You chew your food, your saliva mixes with your food and there's an enzyme carbohydrate digesting enzyme called amylase.   Once you swallow that down in your stomach, your stomach is where protein digestion takes place. It must have an acid environment for those protein digestive enzymes to work. God knew that we're fearfully and wonderfully made.   He created cells in our stomach to produce acid brings the pH. If y'all know what pH is down to one very, very acidic could eat a hole in your stomach. But he also created these cells that produce mucus that lines our stomach and protects it from that high acid.   So, that's where protein digestion needs to take place. Here's the problem. What is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in America? Prilosec, Nexium.   These are antacids. They're prescribing it for something called acid reflux, which is only compounding the problem. So, these antacids are doing exactly what the name of them describes.   They're alkalizing your stomach acid. So, what's that going to do to protein digestion? It's going to compromise it.   Huh? So, yeah, and the real cause of acid reflux is not too much stomach acid. It is actually too low stomach acid.   Our body's not getting the nutrients that needs to produce that stomach acid. Now, it's acid enough that when it comes back up in our esophagus it burns, but there's a little flap that God created right there at our stomach and our esophagus called the epiglottis. Do you know what's and it's supposed to close so that when that stomachs churning and doing its digestion, it doesn't back that acid doesn't back up into your esophagus, but it closes.   It's stimulated to close by the high acid in your stomach. Do you see what's happening here? So, we're being prescribed an antacid which now we don't necessarily get the burn, but there's all kinds of side effects.   We've compromised protein digestion, which what did we say gluten is protein. Also, do you know the technical term for an allergy a food allergy not a sensitivity or an intolerance the technical term for a food allergy is an adverse reaction to a protein component of your food. I have never seen so many food allergies as we see today.   It's very interesting. Some people are diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity. Well, of course, I think everybody is sensitive to the bread and the store.   Some people can tolerate a little bit better than others, but I know when I occasionally, you know, we go out to a party or an event and we usually avoid bread, but sometimes it's on everything. You know, I know I wake up the next morning and I'm like, I don't feel good. I have a stomachache.   So, I think everybody is sensitive to the bread in the store, but we have now hundreds of testimonies of people who thought they had to be gluten-free or say I have, you know, I haven't eaten bread in 20 years because made me sick. It did this it did that and they are finding they can eat the freshly milled flour because even wheat because it's the right proportions all the nutrients, you know, one of the amino acids that's found abundantly and wheat is glutamine Google it and you'll see a lot of health professionals will actually give you glutamine supplements to heal your gut and it's and it's in the bread. So, then part of the other problem that I see then when people think they're gluten-sensitive or have to be gluten-free now mind you if you truly are genetic celiac, you probably will not be able to eat wheat and I'm saying probably now because I'm learning some things that we can turn those genes off.   I don't know but if you truly are genetic celiac, but that is going to be a diagnosis that probably came when you were young you were going to always have had symptoms of these if you are now 20 or 30 and all of a sudden having these issues and you've been eating wheat all your life chances are you're not true genetic celiac. So, that's something you need to look at but people are finding they can eat the flour. They can eat the wheat and part of a real concern of mine is when you go gluten-free if you don't really need to I've been doing some studying as a food microbiologist gut microbiome has been a big topic.   I've shared I've taught way before it was trendy on, you know probiotics and all of that and fermented foods. I've been teaching it since 1992 but what happens that they're finding on these gluten-free diets. It's actually diminishing your good gut microbiome and encouraging the growth of more pathogenic making you more susceptible to C. diff, E. coli and other sickness causing organisms.   Then you're going to have those organisms are critical for breaking down food that gets dumped into the large intestine and encouraging digestion and enzymes that they create and all kinds of B vitamins and I could go on and on so that is being compromised the next thing, you know, you have allergies to eggs allergies to milk these very restrictive diets change that gut microbiome and they are causing a lot of gut health issues and allergy issues. I've talked to two people in the last few months one lady told to go gluten-free been gluten-free for years. She with tears in her eyes couple of weeks ago came down from Ohio hugged me in was came to our store just wanted to come to our store.   I happen to be here that day. She hugged me tears in her eyes and said I was down to eight foods that I could eat another lady in one of my classes came up and said I was down to seven foods that I could eat, you know, so It puts you on a treadmill that I don't think you want to be on when you start very restrictive diets. It's and not just gluten-free, but even you know, the carnivore and the keto and the paleo the heavy meat diets you need whole grains to break the fats down and cholesterol that those foods are providing and I'm a meat eater.   I mean, that's fine, but to exclude the most nutrient-dense food group God has given us in my mind is very dangerous. Let's see if we can get healing and reverse that I have a podcast and I do it's the bread stories now and I one of my favorites and I recommend it more often than any other is episode 66 sit with Sarah Valentine if anybody that I hear of that say they have to be gluten-free or their celiac, I would say she fit the bill for what surely seemed like a true genetic celiac. She was diagnosed in I think she was around 15 or I don't remember her age.   She was in high school. I think but she had always had trouble even as a little one and she was diagnosed with celiac and she said at the end of the podcast, she goes either God supernatural healed me or it was a misdiagnosis, but she had been gluten-free for 15 years. I believe it was and she told me she said and I she had a dairy allergy.   She couldn't eat dairy and she said, you know dairy I cheated on a little bit because it would just cause me a little discomfort. She goes I never cheated on gluten. Well, her brother and her mother heard about me and they Sarah was off at college and they got a mill and started milling because her brother's children had some health issues.   I think they have warts and my work stories are great. But anyway, bought a mill. She came home from school and they said Sari.   We want you to try this. You nope. Nope.   Nope. I'm I can't finally they talked her into trying a little bit should she ate it no issues at all and she told me on that podcast. She said I pooped the best I've ever pooped.   I have pooped in a long time the next morning. I slept the best. I had no headaches had no adverse reaction and she's become if any anyone My poster child for you know, reversing what appears to be celiac disease and being able to thrive on real bread and freshly milled wheat with the right balance of those protein starches nutrients fiber enzymes vitamin E all the things that bring healing and improve digestion get the bowels cleaned out and the gut healed.   So, yeah, it's something that I think excites me the most and I call it food freedom because what I'm seeing is people are in bondage and you know, when you can't eat this and you can't eat that and I understand there's some I have a granddaughter that has a dairy a true dairy allergy and I get it and those are real and you don't want to you know diminish those but we are seeing so many people that the bread in the store totally disrupts their system and causes all kinds of issues were seeing them not only like I said tolerate bread made from freshly milled flour, but bring healing bring healing and I that is so much our Lord that God knows what he's doing in his intentional design. He is all about healing and freedom versus of setting the captives free.   Laura Dugger: (1:01:38 - 1:01:40) Oh gosh, that was a big one. Yeah.   Sue Becker: (1:01:40 - 1:02:10) Yeah, but it also just one real practical thing as we're talking about gluten and fermentation with sourdough. This is a two-parter because if you feed it with white flour or add that I'm assuming that diminishes effects and if you feed it with fresh milled flour and then add that to bake it in bread, is that like double the benefits because you've got the fermentation and the grain or how does that work?   Sue Becker: (1:02:10 - 1:07:07) You know, I can't find any real definitive information, but let's back up and let's talk about sourdough with white flour there for a while when we were still traveling back in the probably early 2000s a lot of teaching coming out going even celiacs can eat, you know sourdough bread and they were making it with white flour and all of this. Is it better than the stuff you're buying in the store? Maybe but white flour is white flour and it's still process is still been stripped of all the vitamins the minerals and the fiber.   So, in my viewpoint, it is no better for you. If you're making it's kind of a waste of time if you're making sourdough bread with white flour. Now, if you start milling your own flour and making your sourdough with that, that's a whole other realm.   And like I said, I've done lots of studies most what I find when I read is that when we went to commercial yeast, we gave up flavor. So, I get that and that the bread is kind of flavorless now. So, I get that a little bit but as Americans and especially children, we like our fluffy bread, don't we?   Yeah, so, kids, you know, don't fret if you're making bread with commercial yeast. That's the way I make most of my bread. But as a microbiologist and knowing that when those lactic acid organisms feed on sugars, they produce B vitamins.   That's like yogurt. Why yogurt has B vitamins and maybe your milk, you know, just uncultured milk doesn't. So, I know that that increases the availability of those nutrients.   So, I think there is definitely some nutritional advantages that you take it to a whole new level. But what I say that commercial yeasted bread is not healthy and you can't do that that you only need to be doing sourdough, you know, I learned to make sourdough from white flour when I was first married long before milling came into our family by the time I had my children I had vacated that and then when I started milling I used commercial yeast and have for most of my years and we saw tremendous health benefits. So, I don't diminish one over the other but I certainly recognize that yeah, you might have some better nutrient bioavailability. I don't buy into the that you have to do the long fermentations to prevent the anti-nutrients like phytic acid from keeping you from absorbing minerals because I've had mineral checks and we've seen people testify that they had to have blood transfusions regularly because they were anemic all their life.   They start milling making their bread with commercial yeast, you know, and they're no longer anemic and we've seen countless people that and the same with me. I'm never low in my minerals. So, I don't buy into that.   But I say, you know, hey if you feel like you can digest sourdough bread better than commercial yeast leavened bread. I'm not going to argue with you go for it do it. But I also don't want to put a heavy burden on especially young moms that are like it's going to take me three days to make bread, you know, or it's you know, no, it doesn't have to so that's kind of my stance on it.   Do what works for your family sourdough is a rhythm. So, you got to kind of get into it about the time I get into it. We take a trip.   I go speak somewhere. I'm gone for four days and I'm like, okay, where am I with this? So, you know, that's just kind of my viewpoint and what I want to encourage people do what works for you what you want what your family likes.   I love I've got sourdough bread rising right now. There's times when I just like I just want you know, that chewy that nice flavorful bread and then there's other times where I want a soft loaf of bread for a good Southern tomato sandwich or my kids like peanut butter sandwiches, you know, so do what works do for your family do what your family is going to eat and love and you know, my husband has a philosophy if it doesn't taste good. It's not good for you.   So, if your family, your children, especially don't like the texture and flavor of sourdough some people do but if especially if your kids are used to the bread from the store, that's going to be a hard transition for them. And if they're not going to eat it and balk at it, then it's not going to bring them the health benefits that you're trying to do for your family. So, make what's cul

The 11/23/25 message by Br Gowens is the eighth in the expository study through Philippians. The text from Phi. 1:18-26 is arguably one of the most personal and vulnerable in the Pauline epistles, as Paul expresses his hopeful perspective on his own future. The passage functions as both a window into Paul's own heart and mind and a mirror to challenge us to adopt the same outlook.

Sabbath School panel discussion and insight by 3ABN pastors and teachers. This podcast episode follows 2026 quarter 1, lesson 2 of the adult Bible study guide book. This quarter's book topic is “Uniting Heaven and Earth. Christ in Philippians and Colossians”, and this week's Sabbath School lesson is titled “Reasons for Thanksgiving and Prayer”. Join us every week for a fresh and relevant study of the word of God.  Reading: Phil. 1:1–18, 1 Cor. 13:1–8, Jer. 17:9, Col. 1:1–12, 1 Pet. 1:4, Ps. 119:105, Isa. 30:21. Memory Text: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, NKJV). (January 03 - January 09)  Sunday – John Lomacang - Fellowship in the GospelMonday – John Dinzey - Paul's Prayer RequestsTuesday – James Rafferty - Spiritual Discernment AppliedWednesday – Jill Morikone - Gospel FruitThursday – Shelley Quinn - Prayer Power Want the Panelists' notes? You can sign up here: https://3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com/notes/  Questions or Comments? Email us at mail@3abn.orgDonate: https://3abn.org/donate-quick.html

Philippians 3:12-15. It's the first Sunday of the year and we're launching a new series called Fresh. In Philippians 3, Paul teaches us something vital for a new beginning: if we're going to move forward, we have to stop living backward. Forget what is behind, strain toward what's ahead, and press on toward the prize. If you're ready to release last year's mistakes (and even last year's successes), fix your eyes on Jesus, and chase a closer walk with Him in 2025, this is where it begins. Let's start the year fresh and run our race forward.For upcoming events and important announcements at Skyline, visit our Facebook page for the latest details!If you'd like to check out more resources, get to know Skyline Church, or donate to our ministry and missions please visit www.skylineofallon.com. Don't forget to leave us a review and subscribe to have our Sunday message downloaded straight to your phone each week!

A new MP3 sermon from Founders Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Staying The Course Subtitle: Non Series - Philippians Speaker: Richard Caldwell Jr. Broadcaster: Founders Baptist Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 1/4/2026 Bible: Philippians 3:12-16 Length: 58 min.

Happy New Year! Listen in as Pastor Alex starts our new sermon series 'Forward' over the book of Philippians!

Written from a prison cell, Paul's letter to the Philippians reveals a joy that isn't rooted in comfort, control, or circumstances, but in belonging to Jesus and partnering with His people. As the new year begins, we're invited to re-center our lives around Christ, trust the God who finishes what He starts, and discover a joy that grows through grace-filled community.Catch the sermon on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or  bridge.tv/sermons.To support this ministry and help us continue our God given mission, click here: http://bit.ly/2NZkdrC Support the show

Resolutions fade fast, but desire for a deeper, steadier joy never goes away. We open a 13-week journey through Philippians by asking a bold question: what if joy doesn't wait for better circumstances, but is formed within us as we live with perspective, purpose, and presence? Paul writes the happiest letter in the Bible while chained to a Roman guard, staring down an uncertain future. His courage reframes how we approach goals, habits, and setbacks, and it gives us a practical path to live today like it actually matters.You'll hear the unlikely origin story of the Philippian church and why that diverse beginning still speaks to modern communities. You'll also see how Paul's defiant joy is not denial; it's a resilient posture that resists quitting. As we set the stage for a slow, verse-by-verse study, we invite you to align your days with what matters most and discover that joy isn't found in what happens to you but formed in what God is doing within you.Support the showMade a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.

We all live with soundtracks, those thoughts that play on repeat in our minds and shape the way we live. Too often, those soundtracks are filled with worry, lies, or fear. But God invites us to retire those broken soundtracks, replace them with His truth, and repeat His promises until they reshape who we become. In this series, we'll think about what we think about and discover how God gives us tools to think differently, live differently, and walk in His peace. This message kicks off the Soundtracks series by exploring how the recurring thoughts in our minds shape the way we live. Focusing on the soundtrack of worry, Jesus invites us to trade anxiety for trust and to let His peace rule our hearts. We're challenged to recognize our worry loops and allow Christ's presence—not fear—to shape our thoughts and lives. Passage: Colossians 3:15; Luke 10:38-42; Philippians 4:7 Speaker: Kevin Stiles

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

In this message, Bishop Walker teaches according to Philippians 4:11; Hebrews 13:5-6. Visit our website https://www.aplaceofrefugechurch.org Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofrefugechurch  Also enjoy these powerful podcasts: The Way 2 Go Podcast - https://goo.gl/xmctVQ Making People Productive Podcast - https://goo.gl/R53KGa The L.I.F.E. Podcast - https://tinyurl.com/4t2vapjb

Decisions are like dominos. And here we are—2026—standing in front of the next domino.In this message, Lead Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares how your life hasn't been shaped by big moments as much as by little choices. This message is called "Last Year's Choices." This isn't to give you a hard time about what you did last year—we all made good decisions and bad decisions in 2025. This is to help you understand how you got where you are and how to use the domino effect for your good.Our current lives are the sum total of our decisions. Some choices were intentional, some reactive, some made under pressure, and some dominoes were knocked over by others. I'm not saying you chose everything that happened to you, but you did choose how you responded."We are all born looking like our parents, but we all die looking like our decisions."If decisions brought us here, decisions can take us somewhere new.Where you are didn't happen all at once. It happened one choice at a time, one habit at a time, one reaction at a time. Last year's choices produced this year's realities, and this year's choices will produce next year's reality.You really do have a choice.Deuteronomy 30:19 reminds us God sets life and death before us and calls us to choose. You can't control your upbringing or circumstances, but you do control your decisions. You can't rewrite yesterday, but you can redirect today.When it comes to decisions, your default is not good.Joshua 24:15 shows that if we don't choose God, we don't choose nothing—we choose what's familiar. If you don't choose what's godly, you'll choose what's comfortable.You are good at making bad choices.Jeremiah 17:9 says the human heart is deceitful. Your heart doesn't just feel; it steers. That's why Proverbs 4:23 says to guard your heart, because it determines the course of your life. Good intentions don't stop bad decisions—good decisions do.Your choices begin as thoughts.James 1:15 shows how desire becomes action. A thought isn't a sin, but when desire meets decision, it produces direction. Philippians 4 reminds us to think on what is true and right, then put it into practice. Your thoughts are practice for your actions.Your choices are not private.Every decision affects someone. Numbers 32:23 reminds us what we repeat privately becomes who we are publicly. Personal choices become public patterns.Today is next year's "last year." You can start now.Is the domino effect working for you—or against you?

Click here to WATCH LIVE STREAM Worship Service on our Youtube Channel. Prayers for a New Year, Part 2 Numbers 6:22-27 Numbers 6:22-27 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 24 The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” 1. We pray with expectant hope for God's Blessing Genesis 1:26-30 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, Luke 24:50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them Numbers 6-22-23 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,… Numbers 6:27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Revelation 1:6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 2.We pray with expectant hope for God's Protection Numbers 6:24 The LORD bless you and keep you; Psalm 121:3-8 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. John 17:12 and 15 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled… 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 3.We pray expectant hope for God's Graciousness Numbers 6:25 the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; Leviticus 26:3-12 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. 7 You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. 10 You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. 11 I will make my dwelling[a] among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 4. We pray with expectant hope for God's Peace Numbers 6:26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:27 “ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Respond | Connect | Next Steps The post Prayers for a New Year 2 appeared first on Charleston Baptist Church.

Jesus didn't drift into spiritual strength—He decided to seek God.In this message, Pastor Mark Cummins explores how Jesus lived a life of intentional prayer and why that same discipline is essential for anyone who wants to follow Him today. Drawing from Mark 1, Philippians 4, Matthew 6, and multiple New Testament teachings on prayer, you'll see how consistent time with God produces peace, clarity, and transformation.God is conforming us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), and prayer is one of the primary ways that change happens. This message breaks down what it looks like to build a prayer life marked by: Consistency, Conversation, Communion and Change.

November 12, 2025 - Wednesday PM Bible Class   This episode walks through the closing chapters of the Book of Philippians, part of Paul's prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon). The host reviews Philippians 3–4, explains the letter's central theme that true Christian joy comes from Christ and the gospel — not from changing circumstances — and ties Paul's teaching to related passages (Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians, Proverbs, Matthew, John, and 2 Corinthians). Key topics include Paul's warning about Judaizing teachers who mix law and Gospel; the call to “press on” toward spiritual maturity; the contrast between earthly focus and heavenly citizenship; the hope and mechanics of the Second Coming and the resurrection body; and how these doctrines shape Christian joy and perseverance. The episode also unpacks practical counsel from Philippians 4: unity in the congregation (an appeal to Euodia and Syntyche), gentleness and reasonableness, and combatting anxiety by bringing requests to God with thanksgiving. The host highlights the promise that God's peace will guard hearts and minds and gives a concrete mental-health-style prescription: meditate on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Paul's teaching on contentment is emphasized — learning to be content in every circumstance and relying on Christ's strength — with a brief look at the thorn-in-the-flesh passage in 2 Corinthians as context for perseverance. The episode includes reflections, Scripture cross-references, and interaction with listeners, and notes that Neal substituted last week and delivered a complementary sermon on anxiety and prayer. Listeners can expect theology tied to practical application: how to guard the heart, pursue unity, replace anxiety with prayer and thanksgiving, and cultivate joyful contentment grounded in Christ.   Duration 44:34

We all live with soundtracks, those thoughts that play on repeat in our minds and shape the way we live. Too often, those soundtracks are filled with worry, lies, or fear. But God invites us to retire those broken soundtracks, replace them with His truth, and repeat His promises until they reshape who we become. In this series, we'll think about what we think about and discover how God gives us tools to think differently, live differently, and walk in His peace. This message kicks off the Soundtracks series by exploring how the recurring thoughts in our minds shape the way we live. Focusing on the soundtrack of worry, Jesus invites us to trade anxiety for trust and to let His peace rule our hearts. We're challenged to recognize our worry loops and allow Christ's presence—not fear—to shape our thoughts and lives. Passage: Colossians 3:15; Luke 10:38-42; Philippians 4:7 Speaker: Josh Jones

We all live with soundtracks, those thoughts that play on repeat in our minds and shape the way we live. Too often, those soundtracks are filled with worry, lies, or fear. But God invites us to retire those broken soundtracks, replace them with His truth, and repeat His promises until they reshape who we become. In this series, we'll think about what we think about and discover how God gives us tools to think differently, live differently, and walk in His peace. This message kicks off the Soundtracks series by exploring how the recurring thoughts in our minds shape the way we live. Focusing on the soundtrack of worry, Jesus invites us to trade anxiety for trust and to let His peace rule our hearts. We're challenged to recognize our worry loops and allow Christ's presence—not fear—to shape our thoughts and lives. Passage: Colossians 3:15; Luke 10:38-42; Philippians 4:7 Speaker: Kurt Goglin

Let's Rejoice With A New Heart & A New Start! | Philippians 4:4 | 4 January 2026 - Sunday Morning | Dr. Brad Weniger, Pastor

The Joy Letter — Part 16 "Press On!" Philippians 3:12-14 Cryy Out Christian Fellowship Message: Arnold Perez First time? Visit cryyout.org/new and tell us about yourself! Stay Connected: Website: www.cryyout.org Donate: https://pushpay.com/g/cryyout?src=hpp Instagram: @ cryyout Facebook: @ cryyout

Full Text of Readings The Saint of the day is Most Holy Name of Jesus The Story of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Although Saint Paul might claim credit for promoting devotion to the Holy Name because Paul wrote in Philippians that God the Father gave Christ Jesus “that name that is above every name” (see 2:9), this devotion became popular because of 12th-century Cistercian monks and nuns but especially through the preaching of Saint Bernardine of Siena, a 15th-century Franciscan. Bernardine used devotion to the most holy name of Jesus as a way of overcoming bitter and often bloody class struggles and family rivalries or vendettas in Italian city-states. The devotion grew, partly because of Franciscan and Dominican preachers. It spread even more widely after the Jesuits began promoting it in the 16th century. In 1530, Pope Clement V approved an Office of the Holy Name for the Franciscans. In 1721, Pope Innocent XIII extended this feast to the entire Church. Reflection Jesus died and rose for the sake of all people. No one can trademark or copyright Jesus' name. Jesus is the Son of God and son of Mary. Everything that exists was created in and through the Son of God (see Colossians 1:15-20). The most holy name of Jesus is debased if any Christian uses it as justification for berating non-Christians. Jesus reminds us that because we are all related to him we are, therefore, all related to one another. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email 2 thoughts on “Most Holy Name of Jesus” Pingback: Mary, The Most Holy Mother of God Lectionary Reflection: January 1, 2023 | peaceonjustice Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Lesson #2 for Saturday, January 10, 2026 Philippians and Colossians Adult Sabbath School Lesson 1st Quarter, 2026

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal. . . . — Philippians 3:13-14 It's easy to get trapped in the past, isn't it? We hold on to things we wish we could undo, replaying those moments in our minds again and again. It's as if we are carrying a heavy bag full of regret, guilt, or past mistakes—constantly reminding ourselves of our shortcomings. I know I've struggled with that—especially when I have wished I could turn back time and do things differently. But here Paul reminds us that the past is behind us, and that dwelling on it doesn't help us to grow. In fact, that can hold us back from the new things God wants to do in our lives. There's a freedom in forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, just as Paul describes in this passage. God is calling us to press on— to pursue the goal he has for us. This doesn't mean forgetting the lessons of the past, but it does mean no longer letting the past define our future. There's a prize ahead, and it's waiting for all of us who are ready to leave our old life behind. Let's press on toward the newness that God has for us, not letting our past mistakes or regrets hold us back. Lord, help me to let go of the past and to press forward into the future you have called me to. May I strain toward the prize you have for me, trusting that your grace is sufficient. Amen.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” - Philippians 4:6 Listen to other great sleep mediations on Amen.Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Formed.Support this podcast and the Augustine Institute by becoming a member of the Mission Circle. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stop Setting Goals God Never Asked You to Chase The start of a new year brings lists. Resolutions get written. Habits get promised. Motivation runs high for a short window of time. Most of those plans center on visible outcomes. Weight. Income. Productivity. Projects. Schedules. Those goals are not wrong. But they are incomplete. The deeper issue is not whether you are setting goals. It is whether your goals are shaping who you are becoming. That is where spiritual goals matter. A man can improve his body, grow his bank account, and still feel empty. He can accomplish everything on his list and still drift further from God. Progress in life does not always equal growth in faith. The question worth asking at the beginning of any season is simple. Are the goals you are chasing drawing you closer to Christ or pulling your attention away from Him? Why Spiritual Direction Comes First Most people plan backward. They decide what they want, then ask God to bless it. Scripture shows the opposite pattern. God shapes the heart first, then orders the life. Paul makes this clear in Philippians 3. He describes focus, pursuit, and discipline, but not for comfort or […] The post Spiritual Goals appeared first on UNCOMMEN.

SWM — Sex as Worship: Pornography, Erotica and AI Companions. Check out the blog post here for more details and links. Pornography and erotica have become ubiquitous and socially normalized, and AI “companions” are increasingly marketed as hyper-sexual substitutes. These offer the appeal of intimacy without risk—no rejection, responsibility or vulnerability—yet they train desire away from real people and covenant relationships. God designed intimacy for embodied, vulnerable union within marriage (Genesis 2:24–25; “to know” as in Genesis 4:1). In the “Sex as Worship” framework, aligning with God's design is worship; deviations declare that we know better. Scripture shows God's insistence on real relationships, not images or illusions (Exodus 20:4–6). Marriage pictures Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:31–32), and the incarnation underscores embodied presence (John 1:14). Substitutes like porn, erotica and AI reject that design (Romans 1:25). Practically, these fantasies retrain desire through novelty-driven dopamine, dulling normal arousal and escalating content. They reduce relationship satisfaction, weaken empathy, and increase objectification by orienting desire around control, not mutual love. They soothe loneliness without healing it, and intensify conflict avoidance—eroding skills vital to intimacy. Common rationalizations fall short: “It's better than cheating,” “It's just a character,” “It helps me cope,” “My spouse doesn't meet my needs,” “Everyone does it,” “You're sex-negative,” or “I can separate fantasy from reality.” In reality, formation happens; what captures your brain shapes your life. Relief isn't healing, and avoidance entrenches wounds. If you've been using these, stop and seek accountability. Share with your spouse if possible, involve a pastor/elder or coach, and retrain desire toward your spouse. Neuroplasticity means change is possible; meditate on what is true, noble, pure and lovely (Philippians 4:8). Healing aims at presence, covenant, and embodied love. You were made for more than illusion. Fantasy promises intimacy without pain; only reality delivers intimacy with meaning. God's design is harder and riskier—but far more satisfying. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter If you'd like to discuss the questions as they come in, consider joining our private forum. Thank you to all our faithful supporters! If you like that there are no ads in our podcast and want to keep it that way, check out our support page for more info. Even $5/month makes a difference. Lastly, if you like our podcast, please rate it as it helps others know this is a good resource to help with their marriage. You managed to find us—help someone else do the same and receive the same benefits to their relationship.

Philippians 2:5-11 - Emptied

Episode Notes:Key Takeaways:Jesus didn't leave room for us to call him just a good teacher.The earliest documents we have show Jesus making divine claims.Jesus' followers worshiped him as God from the very beginning—and they were Jews who knew better.Scripture References:Mark 2 - Jesus forgives sins (authority that belongs only to God)John 8:58 - "Before Abraham was, I am" (claiming the divine name)John 10:30 - "I and the Father are one"John 8:24 - "Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins"Philippians 2:6-11 - Early Christian hymn affirming Jesus' divinityJohn 20:28 - Thomas declares "My Lord and my God"Quotes: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with a man who says he's a poached egg—or he would be the devil of hell." - C.S. LewisHistorical Context:Gospel of Mark: written ~65-70 AD (within 35 years of Jesus' death)Paul's letters: 1 Corinthians written ~53-55 AD (20-25 years after Jesus)Philippians 2 hymn: possibly from the 40s AD (within 10-15 years)This Week's Question to Consider: If Jesus is who he claimed to be, what does that mean for your life today?Next Week: If Jesus is God, why did he pray?Connect with Pastor John-Connections Pastor Saint Mark Church - Little Rock, ArkansasSubscribe & Share: If this episode helped you wrestle with faith, share it with someone who has questions. New episodes every week.

Preached by NSC Elder Brian Fowler on 12/21/25. Philippians 1:19-30.More information at www.nshorechurch.org

As we look toward the future and the coming year 2026, the body of Christ must be prepared as a bride without spot, blemish, or wrinkle. Dr. Edith Davis explains that this preparation is not a passive event but a deliberate "beautification process" rooted in the renewal of the mind. Drawing from 2 Timothy 1:7, Dr. Davis breaks down the components of a sound mind—being cool, calm, collected, and disciplined—and explains why the soul is the ultimate "linchpin" in our spiritual walk. This teaching serves as a wake-up call to move past spiritual ignorance, which Dr. Davis identifies as a leading cause of "collateral damage" in marriages, families, and personal lives. By learning to recognize the voice of the Father versus the suggestions of the enemy, believers can move from being lukewarm to becoming "islands of salt and light" in a darkening world. Key Points from the Teaching: -- The Beautification Process: How we must work on ourselves through discipline to become the bride of Christ without spot or wrinkle. -- The Sound Mind Framework: Defining a sound mind as one that is balanced, self-controlled, and guarded by the Word of God. -- Faith vs. Fear: Understanding that God flourishes in an atmosphere of faith, while the enemy requires an atmosphere of fear to operate. -- The Soul as the Linchpin: Recognizing that while our spirit is perfectly transformed, our soul (mind, will, emotions) must choose to align with the spirit to win. -- Overcoming Ignorance: Why a lack of knowledge regarding our authority in Christ leads to unnecessary destruction in our personal lives and marriages. -- Inviting God's Will: The necessity of inviting God into our lives and obeying His Word to experience the reality of "Thy kingdom come" on earth. Scriptures for Further Study -- 2 Timothy 1:7 -- Hosea 4:6 -- Matthew 7:24-27 -- Matthew 6:9-10 -- Philippians 4:13 This is episode 387. +++++++ Check out my new website: https://www.enterthegloryzone.org/ MY AUDIO BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE You can Divorce Proof Your Marriage by understanding the Secret Keys of Love. You will come to understand that your Marriage has an enemy. You will come to understand that you are dating your future spouse representative. You will come to understand that your Marriage has the gift of Supernatural Sex. For more information about purchasing this audio book, click here: https://personalbuy.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/product8702.html

Audio taken from the live recording of "Do These 5 Things in 2026 and Your Life Will Change Forever!' - https://youtu.be/lQj3Nr6--5oAs we enter into a new year, many people are looking to make resolutions that can improve their lives. These resolutions, and if kept, will certainly improve the quality of your life, however they all share one common flaw: That flaw is, they all are dependent upon the strength and discipline of our human nature, which the Scripture reveals is weak. (Matthew 26:41)This inherent human weakness is why the majority of us fail to consistently keep our lofty resolutions, though we initially mean well.These 5 resolutions I am going to share with you today ensure you are not dependent upon your strength alone, because all 5 are undergirded by the promise of God's strength and supernatural intervention.1 - Read your Bible daily!2 - Pray Daily!3 - Faithfully honor God's house!4 - Become a generous steward.5 - Make Jesus Christ Your Lord and Savior!Key Scriptures used in today's teaching: Acts 2:42-47Other Scriptures referenced: Matthew 26:41; Philippians 4:13; Romans 12:2; Psalm 1:2-3; Proverbs 3:5-6; Luke 5:16; Hebrews 10:25; Genesis 1:27; John 3:16; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Psalm 112:9; John 10:10; Romans 3:23; Acts 16:3Unless otherwise noted, most Scripture will be read from the New Living Translation (NLT) Bible.If you prayed with Tiff, click here https://lostlamb.org/ and let him know!  Be sure to check out the playlist “New Beginnings” - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsX8E19Azl58_FjxELPxjnsL8CAtmama4Thank you for listening, and subscribe for new content each week. 
Connect with Tiff Shuttlesworth:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LostLambAssociation/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffshuttlesworth/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiffshuttleswor Learn more about my ministry: https://lostlamb.org/ Learn more about my ministry in Canada: https://www.lostlamb.ca

Are you currently your industry's best-kept secret? If you're looking at your bank account and it doesn't match the amount of heart (and hours) you're pouring into your podcast, you need this episode.It's January 1st, 2026, and I'm officially retiring the "just be consistent" advice. You with me? Because consistency is a lie if it's leading you straight to burnout with nothing to show for it but a few "great episode!" comments and a flat P&L.Today, we are doing the work. We're using a part of my Mic Drop Mastery Method to bridge the gap between where you are and where your dream clients are waiting for you.What's on the Workbench Today:The TLC Audit: We're moving past "likability." I'm challenging you to find your Leverage. What is that expertise that only you can deliver? If you can't articulate it, they can't buy it.The 90-Day Offer Map: Stop "winging it." We'll identify your top 3 revenue drivers for the first quarter. If it's not on the map, it's not in the bank.The Belief Gap: Your listeners are skeptical—not of you, but of themselves. I'll show you how to stand in that gap and lead them toward the transformation they need right now.The Review from the Future: Do not skip the visualization exercise in this one. You've got to listen in to find out what it is!The status quo is officially over. Let's make 2026 the best podcasting year yet!Let's Get To It:The January Flywheel: Spend 5 hours with me on January 27th and walk away with 90 days of content strategy mapped out. 13 episodes. Zero guesswork. Just revenue-driving momentum. [Grab your Seat!]

The new year is the perfect time for new beginnings. But before we can move forward with God, we must obey this verse in Philippians 3:13-14: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” If you are under condemnation, depressed and discouraged about past sin, it's like saying, “the blood of Jesus isn't enough to give me a fresh start.” Listen as Bill and Annette share encouragement for the new year. For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries please visit us at: https://soulchoiceministries.org/  You can find more of Bill's teachings at: BillWieseTV-YouTube

Happy New Year! In this episode, Haley and Dustin sit down with Cynthia Baker, life coach and author of Still Stuck. They discuss why we often get stuck accomplishing our goals — and how we can experience real, lasting change.  Cynthia opens with her hope story of overcoming an eating disorder in seminary and how changing her mindset became the turning point toward healing. She walks through four key principles of changing your mindset, offering biblical wisdom and practical tools to help you approach goals and resolutions with clarity and hope. This is biblically-rich, encouraging conversation to start the New Year with fresh perspective and hope. Subscribe to the podcast and tune in each week as Haley and Dustin share with you what the Bible says about real-life issues with compassion, warmth, and wit.   So you have every reason for hope, for every challenge in life. Because hope means everything.   Hope Talks is a podcast of the ministry of Hope for the Heart.   Listen in to learn more    (02:53) Digging Deeper—Mindset Change Over Behavior Change (16:48) The Power of Small, Consistent Steps—Not All or Nothing (21:35) Identify and Rewire Limiting Beliefs (41:35) Four Principles to Getting Unstuck and the Role of Action   Cynthia Baker Resources  Learn more about Cynthia Baker and her life coaching resources: https://cynthiabaker.com/    Hope for the Heart resources Blog: When God's Truth Silences the Enemy's Lies – https://www.hopefortheheart.org/explore/blog/i-dont-even-remember   Blog: How to Control Anxious Thoughts - An Exercise from Philippians 4:8 – https://www.hopefortheheart.org/explore/blog/8-ways-to-control-anxious-thoughts    Order our newest resource, The Care and Counsel Handbook, providing biblical guidance  100 real-life issues: https://resource.hopefortheheart.org/care-and-counsel-handbook   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopefortheheart   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopefortheheart    Want to talk with June Hunt on Hope in the Night about a difficult life issue? Schedule a time here: https://resource.hopefortheheart.org/talk-with-june-hope-in-the-night   God's plan for you: https://www.hopefortheheart.org/gods-plan-for-you/   Give to the ministry of Hope for the Heart: https://raisedonors.com/hopefortheheart/givehope?sc=HTPDON    ---------------------------- Bible verses mentioned in this episode   Lamentations 3:40 – “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.”   Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”   2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”   Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Philippians 4:8-9 – Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

In this message, Bishop Walker teaches according to Philippians 4:11-12. Visit our website https://www.aplaceofrefugechurch.org Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofrefugechurch  Also enjoy these powerful podcasts: The Way 2 Go Podcast - https://goo.gl/xmctVQ Making People Productive Podcast - https://goo.gl/R53KGa The L.I.F.E. Podcast - https://tinyurl.com/4t2vapjb

In this message, Pastor Baker teaches young people according to Philippians 4:11-12. Other Important Sites Our website:  https://www.beatrendsetter.com Our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/aportrendsetters  Encouragement for young people - https://www.primetimefaith.com  Productive Living Podcast - https://goo.gl/k9Vcqg 

✨ Show Notes — “Flourishing in 2026: Citizens of the Kingdom Dawn” ✨Happy New Year!

In Genesis 3 we have the record of how sin first entered the world through the yielding to temptation by the first created humans - Adam and Eve. The Apostle Paul says also, that at this time death also first came to the Adamic creation as a result of sin - Romans 5verses12. Adam and Eve after their creation - Adam from the dust (Genesis 2verses7), and Eve from Adam's side during a God-induced sleep (2verses20-25) - the man unable to find a suitable partner from the lesser creation; and feeling first, lonely; then joyous with a compatible companion. Chapter 3 commences with an introduction to the snake, who at that era had great powers of observation; limited reasoning capacity; and the ability to talk. The snake suggested that Adam and Eve were being deceived and held back by the Elohim (God). And so, after seeing the fruit of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" was attractive (pleasant to the eyes); it was good, and an excellent quality (good for food); and its clinching appeal - "a tree to be desired to make one wise" (the pride of life. Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that Adam and Eve grasped for equality with God - which thing our Lord Jesus Christ never did when tempted. The Apostle John tells us in his first letter chapter 2verses15-17 that all temptation and sin fall in one or more of these categories. Having sinned they were expelled from the garden; James tells us in chapter 1 the process of sin within every human mind -verses 13-15. Having disobeyed God, He the Almighty must in justice enforce the law He had given. Adam and Eve now had the sentence of death activated within them - this is called "mortality". What was possible before transgressing was now "a law within them" (Romans 7verses21-25) - i.e. now an inevitability. The human race now found that from this point forward all descendants from the first human parents found that sin cannot be overcome in their lives every time that each of us is subjected to temptation -Romans 6 tells us that they were bond slaves to sin. It required God to produce a Saviour, His Son, who although bearing the bias to sin within himself; this being the entail of the effects of Adam and Eve's first sin, would himself be sinless - though Jesus was of our identical nature (Hebrews 2verses12-18.

Have you ever questioned your purpose or wondered why you're here? You're not alone. For centuries, people have searched for meaning in their work, relationships, and achievements—yet many still struggle to understand their reason for being.Psalm 138:8 offers a powerful perspective: "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me." This isn't wishful thinking but a promise anchored in God's steadfast love. As King David declared, God doesn't abandon the work of His hands—He has established a purpose for each of us and works through us to fulfill it. Your life isn't random; you weren't sent into chaos. You were intentionally created with a divine calling.When we immerse ourselves in Scripture, God often highlights verses that become life verses—passages that frame our calling and purpose. I discovered mine in June 1985 when Philippians 1:20 leaped from the page: "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." This verse has guided me through decades, providing direction even in uncomfortable situations. Over time, God expanded my understanding to include "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." These words continue to shape my purpose to live boldly for Christ regardless of circumstances.We can also speak purpose into others who question their value. Share scriptures like Psalm 20:5—"May he give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose"—with those around you, especially the next generation. Help them understand they're here by divine appointment with a meaningful purpose. Finding your God-given purpose begins with spending time in His Word, asking what He's saying to you and how He wants you to respond. I encourage you to discover the Scripture that speaks to your calling and let it guide your journey. Remember, the Lord will fulfill His purpose for you because His steadfast love endures forever. Will you open your heart to discover it today?The accompanying devotion-driven discipleship guide that goes along with this podcast episode will be available on the Family Disciple Me app (SOON TO BE RELEASED!!!)______________________The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. Family Disciple Me is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org

Philippians 4:4-9; James 4:13-15 At the crossroads of the New Year, follow the steps we teach our children when they come to an intersection. Stop. How has God been moving in your life? Look. What new direction might He be leading you? Listen. What changes is God asking you to make? Hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he draws wisdom from Scripture regarding your thoughts, your treasure, your time, and your touch. God has great plans for you in these four areas. How will you invest your life this year? It's your move. Make this year count!

As a new year begins, many people carry regret, disappointment, or anxiety from what they didn’t accomplish in the past year. Yet Scripture invites us to move forward with hope, not fear. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that God is faithful to complete the good work He began in us. He does not call us to dwell on the past, but to trust His power to renew, restore, and make all things new. God’s newness isn’t wishful thinking—it’s His promise. No matter what the previous year looked like, He is still working, still transforming, and still bringing new life and purpose as we step into the year ahead. Today’s Bible Verse: Philippians 1:6 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/philippians/1-6.html“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.” Main Takeaways You’ll learn why God doesn’t want you living in regret or replaying past failures. Discover how Philippians 1:6 gives confidence that God completes what He starts. Understand how Scripture repeatedly calls believers to stop looking back and press forward. Reflect on how God promises to do new things—even when we can’t yet perceive them. Be encouraged that your future is shaped by God’s renewal, not your past disappointments. Bible Verse References Philippians 1:6 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/philippians/1-6.html Luke 9:62 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/luke/9-62.html Philippians 3:13 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/philippians/3-13.html Isaiah 43:18 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/isaiah/43-18.html Ezekiel 36:26 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/ezekiel/36-26.html Isaiah 42:9 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/isaiah/42-9.html Isaiah 43:19 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/isaiah/43-19.html 2 Corinthians 5:17 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/2-corinthians/5-17.html Revelation 21:5 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/revelation/21-5.html Your Daily Prayer Dear Father, thank You for Your promise to make all things new. Help me release the regrets, disappointments, and unfinished plans of the past year into Your hands. Strengthen my heart to look forward with hope, trusting that You will complete the good work You began in me. Renew my spirit, soften my heart toward You, and guide my steps into the newness You have prepared. May this year be marked by deeper trust, greater obedience, and a life that glorifies Your name.In Jesus’ name, Amen. Want More? Subscribe to Your Daily Prayer for daily encouragement rooted in Scripture. Leave a rating or review to help others discover the podcast. Visit LifeAudio.com for more Christ-centered podcasts and devotionals. Explore biblical encouragement and spiritual growth articles at Crosswalk.com and Christianity.com. Relevant Links & Resources Study today’s Scripture passages with trusted tools at:BibleStudyTools.com – https://www.biblestudytools.com Devotionals and Christian living resources:Crosswalk.com – https://www.crosswalk.comChristianity.com – https://www.christianity.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:14 NLT) New Year’s resolutions are funny things. We dream up grand lifestyle changes and tell ourselves “Ok, everything will be different on January 1st!” But the truth is, many of us adjust our New Year’s resolutions as time passes because we’re unable to keep them. Year after year, we get frustrated and discouraged by our lack of willpower, discipline, and commitment. But there’s a lesson in there that we must not miss. We don’t need a New Year’s resolution. We need a spiritual solution. The spiritual solution we need is found in Philippians 3:14: “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (NLT). In this passage, the apostle Paul helps us understand what our priorities should be. On more than one occasion, Paul used athletic metaphors to describe the Christian life. In this passage, he compares it to running a race. But we need to understand that the race is not a one-hundred-meter sprint. It’s a long-distance run. That’s why we must pace ourselves. In a long-distance race, there’s little significance in leading the field for, say, nine out of ten laps. What matters is the tenth lap. Whoever crosses the finish line first is the winner. Spiritually speaking, finishing strong involves being consistent. There are times in our relationship with Christ when everything seems to click—when our prayer life, Bible study, evangelism, and personal discipline are firing on all cylinders. With the wind at our back, we start to feel unbeatable. So, we alter our pace. We let pride dictate our strategy. And then we hit the wall, metaphorically speaking. We struggle to maintain any kind of pace. On top of that, we have a spiritual enemy who delights in turning our race into a hurdles event by throwing obstacles in our way. The good news is that the headwind, like the wind at our back, is temporary. We don’t have to face it long. The obstacles our enemy throws in our path need not affect us because we’re powered by the Holy Spirit. He gives us the stamina we need to stay the course. Our job is to stay focused on the race—to keep our eyes on the prize. We need to strive for spiritual consistency. If we want to win in the race of life, then we need to learn to pace ourselves. Reflection question: How can you pace yourself in your walk with Christ? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philippians 4:4-9, James 4:13-15 / December 29-31, 2025 There are days when it's wise for us to stop and look and listen. We scrutinize our lives, examine Scripture, and spend extended time in prayer as we gain a clearer sense of what God is doing in our lives and what He has for us in the future. As the new year rolls around, take some time for reflection and renewal. Start today. From the Series: Time to Reflect and to Renew read more

What's the #1 priority in your life—and what does your answer reveal about what truly motivates you? In this two-part teaching through Philippians 3:7–14, Pastor Jeff Christianson calls us back to the highest priority of the Christian life: knowing God. The apostle Paul says everything else becomes "loss" compared to "the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). In this episode, we unpack why knowing the Lord is the supreme treasure, how we come to the Father only through the righteousness of Christ, and why real discipleship always flows from abiding—never from anxious busy-ness. You'll hear: Why knowing the Lord is the believer's highest priority (Philippians 3:7–8; John 17:3) David's charge: "Know the God of your father" (1 Chronicles 28:9) How God brings us from darkness to light (2 Corinthians 4:6) The three ways we grow in knowing Him: resurrection power, fellowship of sufferings, and being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:10) Pressing forward with a single focus: "one thing I do" (Philippians 3:13–14) A needed warning for distracted hearts: Mary vs. Martha—the one necessary thing (Luke 10:38–42) This teaching is a fresh call to count all things loss, lay hold of Christ, forget what lies behind, and press toward the upward call—so we can live a visibly resurrected life in a dead world. Scripture Focus: Philippians 3:7–14 Key Supporting Passages: John 17:3; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Jeremiah 9:23–24; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 John 5:20; Luke 10:38–42; Ephesians 1:17 "If you seek Him, He will be found by you." (1 Chronicles 28:9) The Biblical Counseling Academy We train Christians to counsel with Scripture so they can help hurting people find hope in Christ. Many believers want to help others but feel unprepared to counsel biblically. The Biblical Counseling Academy gives you clear and practical training rooted in God's Word. In as little as 12 months, with just 5 hours per week, you'll be equipped and certified to counsel with confidence and clarity. Your next step starts with a conversation. Call (828) 707-9034

I love the fresh start January represents, so I normally kick it off with a list of New Year's resolutions as long as my arm. Some of my goals are specific and easily quantifiable: Walk a mile a day. Read a book a week. Get 7 hours of sleep a night. That way, even if I only walk 5-6 miles a week, read 3 books a month, or occasionally stay up late, I'll still be better off than if I didn't try to do those things at all.  But some of my goals – the really challenging ones – take the form of more general reminders. Today I'm sharing ten such resolutions I think should be on everybody's list. Show Notes VERSES CITED: Proverbs 16:9 - “A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 19:21 - “Many plans are in a man's heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.” Jeremiah 10:23 - “I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.” James 4:13-15 - “...you ought to say, 'If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.'” Proverbs 31:16 (Amp) – “She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]….” Luke 1:37  - “…with God nothing will be impossible.”  Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness....” Proverbs 15:13 – “A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.” Proverbs 17:22 - "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." 1 Corinthians 9:27 - “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.” Philippians 4:6  -  “Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything….” Ephesians 6:18 - “Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition.” Psalms 103:2 - “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” James 1:19 - “Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.” RELATED LINKS: How Can I Feel Productive as a Mom? EP 25: 7 Ways to Nail New Year's Resolutions A Prayer for the New Year One Year Bible Reading Plan Setting Goals for the New Year 10 New Year Resolutions We All Should Make Printable STAY CONNECTED: - Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -weekly themed link lists of free resources - Instagram: @flanders_family - follow for more great content - Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life - parenting tips, homeschool help, printables - Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home- encouragement for wives, mothers, believers - My Books: Shop Online - find on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, or through our website        

Pastor Alan R. Knapp discusses the topic of "Paul and The Parables" in his series entitled "ROMANS: DOCTRINES - Justification (2X)" This is Part 9 and it focuses on the following verses: Matthew 23:23, 25:21-46; Luke 11:42; Philippians 3:5

FROM TODAY'S RECAP: - Video: Revelation Overview (Part 2) - Philippians & Colossians Study - Prep for Next Year: 2026 Episode - TBR Start Page - Invite your friends to join you next year! PREP EPISODES (in case you haven't listened yet): 1. Let's Read the Bible in a Year (Chronological Plan)! 2. How I Learned to Love (Reading) the Bible 3. Why Reading the Whole Bible is Important (interview with Lee McDerment) 4. Preparing to Read the Bible 5. Avoiding Common Mistakes: What to Look for When You Read the Bible 6. Reading the Bible in Community   Note: We provide links to specific resources; this is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc. Their views may not represent our own. SHOW NOTES: - Follow The Bible Recap: Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube - Follow Tara-Leigh Cobble: Instagram - Read/listen on the Bible App or Dwell App - Learn more at our Start Page - Become a RECAPtain - Shop the TBR Store - Credits PARTNER MINISTRIES: D-Group International Israelux The God Shot TLC Writing & Speaking DISCLAIMER: The Bible Recap, Tara-Leigh Cobble, and affiliates are not a church, pastor, spiritual authority, or counseling service. Listeners and viewers consume this content on a voluntary basis and assume all responsibility for the resulting consequences and impact.

Philippians 4:4-9; James 4:13-15 At the crossroads of the New Year, follow the steps we teach our children when they come to an intersection. Stop. How has God been moving in your life? Look. What new direction might He be leading you? Listen. What changes is God asking you to make? Hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he draws wisdom from Scripture regarding your thoughts, your treasure, your time, and your touch. God has great plans for you in these four areas. How will you invest your life this year? It's your move. Make this year count!

Philippians 4:4-9; James 4:13-15 At the crossroads of the New Year, follow the steps we teach our children when they come to an intersection. Stop. How has God been moving in your life? Look. What new direction might He be leading you? Listen. What changes is God asking you to make? Hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he draws wisdom from Scripture regarding your thoughts, your treasure, your time, and your touch. God has great plans for you in these four areas. How will you invest your life this year? It's your move. Make this year count!