Podcasts about sovereign lord

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. — Isaiah 40:15 Here the prophet Isaiah portrays God's superiority over all the nations of the earth. The world's great economic and military powers are no match for God. Empires rise and fall, but God remains the Sovereign Lord over all. Armies develop weapons and conquer other powers, but then other, stronger armies rise—and fall. In the meantime God remains on the throne of the universe. In poetic language, Isaiah says that all these nations, with all their power, are to God “like a drop in a bucket” or like dust on a set of scales. And islands, with their charm and beauty, are only like fine dust that can blow away in a breeze.God is incomparable in his power. He is unique in his wisdom. He is indisputable in his governing. He is infinitely greater than everything he has created. Nothing compares to God. No one can equal him. In today's world we have more than 200 nations. Even all of them together cannot compare with God. God is greater than the universe. He is infinitely greater than anything that exists.Despite his greatness, the Lord is the personal God who cares about each one of us. He knows your name. He loves you with an everlasting love and draws you to himself. He has never given up on loving you, and he wants you to have full life with him forever. Sovereign Lord, humble our hearts before you. Though you rule the universe, you know and love each one of us. Draw us close, and keep us in your never-ending care. Amen.

Jesus is both our Sovereign Lord who knows our failures, but also our Merciful Lord who forgives us.

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him. . . . — Isaiah 40:10 Having introduced the Lord to his people, Isaiah describes the majestic revelation of God.First, he is the Sovereign LORD, the Lord Almighty. The Lord is neither a pagan deity nor a tribal idol; he is the one, true God, clothed with power and majesty. Since he is all-powerful, nothing is too difficult for the Lord.Second, the Lord has control over the universe, history, and nations, for his mighty arm rules over all things. Kingdoms rise and fall, but the Lord remains King over all. He is the one who gives life and takes it away. He is the one who exalts and brings low. He is the one who raises up presidents, prime ministers, and other rulers on the earth, and yet before him they are like nothing, no more than a drop in a bucket (Isaiah 40:15-17).Third, he is the God who rewards. The Lord saves by his grace and brings rewards by his goodness. Scripture says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6:10). And “when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).The Lord our God is sovereign, almighty, in control, and faithful to his promises. Lord, you rule with all power and majesty over all nations and all time. Strengthen our faith. Help us to serve you with love, trusting that you see, remember, and reward us with the gift of full life with you. Amen.

Luke 2:25-40 New International Version 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[a] your servant in peace.30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[b] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ask God To Guide You Through Troubles And Not To Remove. You Will Grow As A Result Acts 4:23-24 23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.

Luke 2:21-35 New International Version 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. Jesus Presented in the Temple 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[a]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[b] 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[c] your servant in peace.30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drawing from Asaph’s transparent confession in Psalm 73:2-3, this reflection explores how unresolved hurt and constant focus on injustice can slowly lead us toward disillusionment. Like Asaph, many believers struggle when they see harmful people thriving while their own wounds deepen. Yet the turning point in the psalm comes when Asaph intentionally enters God’s sanctuary and regains an eternal perspective. In God’s presence, he remembers that earthly success is temporary, but God’s love, justice, and guidance are eternal. This devotional encourages Christians to stop carrying pain alone and instead seek refuge in the Lord. God does not dismiss our hurt or ignore injustice. He sees every wound, strengthens weary hearts, and offers healing to those who draw near to Him. Even when circumstances remain difficult, His presence steadies us and renews our faith. Highlights Psalm 73 honestly addresses discouragement over injustice and evil. Comparing our suffering to others’ success can lead to bitterness and despair. Rumination and isolation often pull us further away from God’s peace. Asaph found clarity only after intentionally entering God’s presence. God offers refuge, healing, and perspective in seasons of pain. Justice may seem delayed, but God remains faithful and sovereign. Drawing near to God strengthens faith and quiets fear. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: When We Feel Discouraged by the Evil in Our WorldBy: Jennifer Slattery Bible Reading:But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;I had nearly lost my foothold.For I envied the arrogantwhen I saw the prosperity of the wicked. - Psalm 73:2-3 (NIV) Some time ago, I met with a sweet woman trying to heal from some deep emotional wounds. Because of past harm, she struggled to trust others and feel safe in relationships. Relatively new in her faith and transformation journey, she was just beginning to make sense of her emotions and inner world. As her understanding grew, so did her anger. This multiplied when she learned the person who’d most harmed her had slandered her to others, causing some to misjudge her and others to withdraw completely. She felt like she would never break free from her pain and bitterness. Worse, her offender didn’t seem to suffer any consequences for her actions. The person actually seemed to be thriving. Have you been there? Watching someone else treat others with ruthless cruelty, and not only get away with it, but benefit from your pain and the wreckage they caused? We can all probably think of situations in which injustice left us deeply wounded, wondering why God allowed us to experience such pain. We’ve also probably watched others seem to get away with horrendous behavior, while our suffering only increases. This was precisely how Asaph, the royal musician who penned Psalm 73, felt. We don’t know when he wrote this passage. But if this is the same Asaph who served during the time of King David, he may have been watching the betrayal David experienced at the hands of his son. Or perhaps the wickedness he refers to hits closer to home. His words might also stem from a more existential reflection on considering the world at large. At times, it does seem like the wealthy, powerful, and unscrupulous thrive, with little worries or pain, while we fall into one crisis after another. And in those seasons when someone else’s success seems to mock our pain, it’s easy to question the heart, promises, and plans of God. Unfortunately, if we cease tending to our souls, our sorrow can turn to disillusionment and eventually bitterness. Our inner angst can turn us from, rather than to, the One who knows us fully, loves us deeply, and is always working on our behalf. When we sense ourselves tiptoeing toward disillusionment and despair, we can follow Asaph’s example, as revealed in verses 16-17. Initially, he attempted to make sense of his circumstances on his own (v. 16). This only increased his inner angst. But then, in the next verse, we read: “… till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny” (NIV). He intentionally turned to God. I don’t know how far he needed to travel to reach the Temple. But this required effort and determination. It also meant setting aside whatever other tasks he wanted to complete that day. When we’re hurting, frightened, or struggling with doubt, it’s easy to get stuck in our heads as we rehearse all the evils we’ve experienced or seen. The more we ruminate on what feels hard and uncertain, the more powerless and discouraged, and potentially, even abandoned, we feel. And our mind rarely remains focused on the inciting incident. Often, one negative thought leads to another, then another, until we’re overwhelmed. And like I said earlier, unmitigated introspection can pull us further from God, which only increases our fear or despair. But the converse occurs, as well. When we turn to God, seek His presence, and authentically engage with Him, He meets us in the intensity of our emotions and speaks clarity to our confusion, truth to our doubts, and surrounds us with His love. Did you catch how the Lord did this for Asaph? In God’s sanctuary, the place in which His presence dwelt, He gained faith-building understanding. Yes, the wicked seemed to thrive without any concerns or consequences. But justice would come, and Asaph would experience God’s goodness. Notice how he ended his poetic prayer. In verses 23-26, we read: Yet I am always with you;you hold me by my right hand.You guide me with your counsel,and afterward you will take me into glory.Whom have I in heaven but you?And earth has nothing I desire besides you.My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heartand my portion forever. And then, in verse 28: But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; Intersecting Life & Faith: I don’t know what you’re going through currently, what feels heavy and unfair and unjust. But I do know God sees you, loves you, and is for you. He won’t abandon you in your pain, nor will He allow the wicked to thrive forever. He brings justice, healing, hope, and refuge. If you’re feeling disillusioned by someone else’s sinful behavior, bring your emotions, unfiltered, to God and trust Him to meet and to heal you there. To shield and uphold you in His love. Before you sign off, if this episode hit a tender place in your soul and you’re struggling to make sense of some relational patterns that are leading to more anxiety than joy, visit the Faith Over Fear podcast to listen to my conversation with Jennifer Renee Watson on the threads of people pleasing and how to gain the confidence to tend to your soul—when others try to beat you down. That episode is titled "When People Take Advantage of Your Kindness: Biblical Help for People Pleasing." Further Reading: Psalm 37:1-7 Romans 12:19 Psalm 94:1-3 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sit quietly with grace, and let it work its slow, substantial change. Nothing is more common for those whose hearts have been divinely warmed than to pledge themselves to new, exacting duties. We'll read our Bibles for an hour each day; pray for all our friends and even for some enemies; tell “unconverted” colleagues, neighbors—even strangers—of their task to do as we have done. We move at hyper-speed as if to make up for the months—the years—when we ourselves were unresponsive to the gospel. But what we need—and what our friends and enemies much need—is that we answer the first call of grace: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10). Our rush to vow new righteous duties, work new holy deeds, and tell what we have only started to experience is often just another act of foolish self-atonement. Heaven wisely urges us to quiet. “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘Only in returning to Me and resting in Me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength'” (Isa 30:15-16). Grace received always grows into grace well-lived. But beware of pledging your good deeds until you've more fully learned all that the Lord has kindly done for you. And stay in grace. -Bill Knott

Sit quietly with grace, and let it work its slow, substantial change. Nothing is more common for those whose hearts have been divinely warmed than to pledge themselves to new, exacting duties. We'll read our Bibles for an hour each day; pray for all our friends and even for some enemies; tell “unconverted” colleagues, neighbors—even strangers—of their task to do as we have done. We move at hyper-speed as if to make up for the months—the years—when we ourselves were unresponsive to the gospel. But what we need—and what our friends and enemies much need—is that we answer the first call of grace: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10). Our rush to vow new righteous duties, work new holy deeds, and tell what we have only started to experience is often just another act of foolish self-atonement. Heaven wisely urges us to quiet. “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘Only in returning to Me and resting in Me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength'” (Isa 30:15-16). Grace received always grows into grace well-lived. But beware of pledging your good deeds until you've more fully learned all that the Lord has kindly done for you. And stay in grace. -Bill Knott

by Aubrey Botha https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/27003503/May-24-Sermon.mp3 Ezekiel 37:1-14 The Valley of Dry Bones 37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. 11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.'”   Transcript (Transcribed by TurboScribe) Father, you are good. I need help. They need help. Thank you that we may stand before you in the name of Jesus. May we see Jesus and only Jesus. Amen. So last week I made a little mistake. I said we’re starting a new series today. I actually meant after Pentecost. Today is Pentecost and then next week we’ll start a new series. It’s going to be fun. The series is called At the Right Time and we’re going to talk a little bit about the life of a man called Joseph and see what God says to our lives about that. But today is the day of Pentecost where we celebrate the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Now I don’t know if you have ever noticed as you read scripture that it does not only have God’s answers to many of our life questions that we have. Many of the things that we go through in life that God gives us answers to those where we ask for that. But it also has God’s questions. Questions that God asks us about our lives, about who we are, about how we live, about how life around us looks like. Let me give you a few examples because these questions are meant for us to stop, take stock, look at our own lives. Ask, what is God asking of me? Way back when in the garden when Adam and Eve messed up and God came looking for them, they went and they hid. And what was God’s question? Where are you? Having them think for a moment, why are we hiding? What did we do? And God asks, where are you? And often he asks us, where are you? When Moses was reluctant when God called him to go and free his people from Egypt and Moses had all of these excuses one after the other, God asked him a question. What was the question? What do you have in your hand? There was only a staff, but that staff became a snake. That staff became that which changed the Nile into blood. That staff became that which parted the sea. That staff became that which hit the rock and the water came from the rock. And often God asks us, what do you have in your hand? There was this guy called Jacob, the heel grabber, the deceiver. When he came back to the land and there at the Jabbok, he wrestled with God and God asked him a question. Can you remember what the question was? What is your name? And he had to say the name out loud, Jacob, deceiver, the one who deceived my father, my brother, my father-in-law, who deceived them all. I am Jacob and now you will be Isaac. No, Israel. You will be Israel, the one that I have called. And then there was this man called Peter. Peter, the old loud mouth. Peter said, Lord, they’ll all deceive you and they’ll all turn their backs on you and all. I’ll never do that. Peter stands there at the fire and they said, ah, you were one of them. And he said, I don’t know who you’re talking about. I don’t know this man. And then Jesus meets up with him, John 21, at the sea of Galilee and Jesus asks him a question. Can you remember the question? Do you love me? Often God will ask. One more and then we’ll go to our question of the day. There was this man, Paul. He was on his way to Damascus on this road and the Lord stopped him and he asked him a question. Why are you persecuting me? The questions God asks us. They’re meant to stop me in my tracks and let me look at myself and say, why are you asking me the question, Lord? What do you mean by asking me the question? It makes me embark on that journey to look at my relationship with God and ask, when am I with you, Lord? It takes me on another journey where it asks me to look at this relationship with these loved ones that God puts all around me. How are you doing with them? What is your relationship? The questions God asks us. So on this Pentecost Sunday, there is a question for us and what better place to go than the book of Ezekiel chapter 37. I’m going to read verses 1 to 14. The hand of the Lord was on me and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, and here is the question for today. Son of man, can these bones live? And I said, sovereign Lord, you alone know. And then he said to me, prophesy to these bones and say to them, dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones. I will make breath enter you and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you and you will come to life. And then you will know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together bone to bone. And I looked and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them. But, there’s the but, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to it, this is what the sovereign Lord says, come breath from the four winds and breathe into these slain that they may live. Can I just stop there for one second? The one thing that we miss when we read English and not Hebrew is that sometimes there are words that are used that have more meaning. The word spirit, the word breath, and the word wind in Hebrew are all exactly the same word. It’s difficult for Canadian tongue to say because there’s a rrr in there and there’s a rrr in there. Ruach, the spirit, the breath, the wind of the Lord. So look how the Lord uses those. The spirit brings him, then he prays for the breath to the wind and the wind brings the breath. Verse 10, so I prophesied as he commanded me and breath entered them and they came to life, stood up on their feet, a vast army. And then he said to me, son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say our bones are dried up and our hope is gone and we’re cut off. Therefore, prophesy and say to them, this is what the sovereign Lord says. My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them. I will bring you back to the land of Israel and then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord when I open your graves and bring you up from them. And I will put my spirit, my wind, my breath in you and you will live. And I will settle you in your own land and then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and I have done it, declares the Lord. So God takes Ezekiel, and this is in a time when God’s people are in Babylonian exile, when they’ve lost everything. God takes Ezekiel and he puts him in this dry valley through the spirit, looks at the valley and there’s the skeleton bones of people lying there, dead, dried out, and it represents how God’s people feel about themselves. Dry, hopeless, dead, just there’s nothing left. They’re sitting in this situation and they’re going nowhere. And in this moment, God asks the question, can these bones live? What a profoundly poignant question, not just for people who are in exile and have lost everything, but a question for today and for each one of us. Can these bones live? Because so many of us struggle with the dry bones syndrome in this world. People struggling with their lives, people struggling with things around them. This world’s struggling with itself right now. It is quite dry and dead and desolate despite the fact that we have AI and all kinds of other jazz going on. So many people struggle with a dry bone syndrome, but also in our faith walk, many folks struggle with dry bones. They go through the motions. We read, we pray, we sing, but it’s dry and it’s empty and there’s nothing. And the question is, can these bones live? Let me try three answers. Two of those, I think, will lead us down a path that’s a cul-de-sac. And then one of those, I think, is one that will lead us on a path of life. And these are not answers that I thought out. These are the answers that we see. Answer number one. Can these bones live? Lord, step back. Let me do this. I’ll show you how it’s done. I’ll show you how we get these bones going again. Answer number one. And then we do it. And it’s the I thing. I’m going to study more. I’ll learn about the word more. I’ll pray more. I’ll go for more studies. I’ll get the Bible and I’ll read it from front to back and from back to front. Watch me, Lord. And then these bones will live. Here’s the problem. It’s the Pharisee problem when we do that. Because those Pharisees, they knew the first five books, the Torah, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, knew them off by heart. They could recite them word by Hebrew word. They knew the Ten Commandments. They lived by them. They actually made 613 laws from those first five books. Do’s and don’ts. 365 of those were don’ts. One for each day of the year. They had it all. Stand back, Lord. We can do it. And they could tick them off. I did that one. I did that one. I did that one. I’m okay. The bones are alive. Remember what Jesus said to them? Matthew 23, 27. He said, Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. On the outside, you look like beautiful whitewashed graves. But on the inside, you’re filled with dead bones. The dry bone syndrome. We cannot solve that by saying, step back. I’ll do it. I’m gonna do more. It’s not about more. Oh, I’ll do new resolutions. I’ll go pray earlier in the morning. I’ll get up four o’clock. Can I tell you something? I never pray four o’clock in the morning because even God does not want to deal with me four o’clock in the morning. Way too grumpy. And then we do that. And then the poor family gets up. And then I’m grumpy with them. And the rest of the day is grumpy. And instead of getting closer to the Lord, I’m actually getting further away. And the bones are just getting drier and drier and drier. Sometimes there’s a second answer. Can these bones live? I don’t think so. The answer. I don’t think so. That’s the answer of despair, of disappointment, of discouragement, of a life that’s kind of going nowhere. And I’m thinking when I look at what God’s expectations are, I don’t think I have it. I don’t think I can do it. I don’t think I’ll ever live up to that. I don’t think so. The problem with the first two is what you know me by now. I’ve said it a million times. It’s the I trouble. I trouble. Where we think I can do it. Leave it to me. I’m sorry to say it, my friends, but none of us can make those dry bones live again. Not on our own. We can’t. Maybe the third answer is the one that we need to think about for a second. Ezekiel, can these bones live? What was his answer? Sovereign Lord, you alone know. The question about life for dry bones is a question that only the living God can answer. Because it is only the living God that can give his living spirit, wind, breath, and blow that into our lives. It is only when God pours out that amazing gift of his Holy Spirit that those dry bones become life in all of its fullness and all of its abundance again. Because hear me, the Holy Spirit of God is not a ghost. The Holy Spirit of God is not some kind of it or power. The Holy Spirit of God is God in the present. It is God in his presence in my life and in your life that breathes the breath in us. Think about it. Genesis 1, when this world was formless and dark and it was nothing, who was the one that changed that? And the breath of God came over this formless thing and the breath of God breathed and it changed into the most beautiful creature. God made two little clay people and God breathed and the breath of God went into them and they became the most beautiful living images of the living. Oh the breath of God. When those disciples were so afraid after Jesus died on the cross, they locked themselves up in that upper room and they sat there like chickens on a perch on a day when there’s thunder and lightning and they’re so scared sitting in there. All of a sudden the Lord Jesus stands there and what does he do? He breathes on them and he says, receive the Spirit, the promise that was made. You will be my witnesses when the Spirit of God comes upon you. Just in that moment happens and after that breath, that man called Peter who denied and who was so scared, he would stand out there and he would preach and thousands would hear the word of the Lord. That same man, Paul, when the breath of God breathed on him, became a man who would go to the ends of the earth to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ despite the fact that his life was dry. He lived in prison for most of his life. How many times did he receive those 40 lashes on his back? How many times did he go without food and yet Paul always rejoiced in the Lord. Always, he said, rejoice. Why? Because that is what happens when the breath of God comes upon you and God breathes that breath. Oh Spirit of God, breathe on this church, Lord. Breathe on each one of us, Lord. Breathe that breath. Breathe it in and live the way that you would want us to live. How do we do that? How do we allow that? Maybe it starts by acknowledging that I need the breath of God. Anyone here need the breath of God? I’ll put both my hands up. There’s a beautiful story in the Jewish Talmud that tells about a young man who comes to the city gates because the wise men would always sit there. The elders of the community sit there and the young people would come ask them questions. This young man comes to this old man and he says to him, how can I have more of God in my life? The old man says, come with me and he takes him down to the river. When they get to the river, he asked the young man to kneel. As the young man kneeled, the old man comes from the back and he pushes his head into the water and he keeps his head down under the water. He holds him and he holds him until this young man starts kicking. Then he takes him out and as he takes his breath, the old man says to him, the day you need God as much as you needed this breath is when the breath of God will come into you. Maybe we need to learn how to breathe and acknowledge the breath of God. Lord, I need you is a song that we sing. Lord, I need you every hour. I need you by one defence, my righteousness. Oh, how I need you. Maybe we need to accept the promise of God. Verse 5, verse 6, verse 10, verse 14. This is what the sovereign Lord says, I will make breath enter you and you will come to life. Verse 6, I will put breath in you and you will come to life. Verse 10, so I prophesied as he commanded me and breath entered them and they came to life. Verse 14, but I want to start a little earlier with verse 12 and listen to the eyes, God’s eyes. My people, says the Lord, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them. I will bring you back to the land. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord. When I open your graves and bring you up from them, I will put my spirit in you and you will live. And I will settle you in your own land. And then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and I have done it, declares the Lord. Eleven eyes in these few verses. That is the promise of God. I will breathe on you. I will breathe my breath on you. If only you will receive and breathe in. Where we can say, breathe on me, breath of God, until I am holy time. That’s what we sing. Breathe on me, breath of God, and fill me with your fullness. Breathe on me, breath of God, when I am empty and lonely and stuck. Breathe on me, breath of God, when I am so dry that I’m just lying like bones in a valley. Breathe on me, breath of God, even when I don’t understand. Breathe on me, fill me with the breath, with the wind, with the fire of your spirit. Be quiet for a moment. Let’s allow the breath of God to breathe, will we? Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Breathe, oh spirit of God in this place. Breathe your breath, your life, on each one of us. Thank you for the breath that breathes when we are broken and hurt. Thank you for the breath that breathes when we are filled with joy and happy. Thank you for the breath that breathes when we stand breathless before our King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you for the breath that gives life in all of its fullness. Thank you for your work, Holy Spirit, our comforter, our friend, our helper, the breath of God in us. Breathe, spirit, breathe. We pray in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.  

My friend Shana Reif suffered from Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and other organs. It causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the airways, leading to repeated infections, inflammation, and progressive lung damage. In many cases, the disease can advance until the lungs can no longer do what God created them to dobring oxygen into the body and sustain life. Cystic Fibrosis is a horrible and incurable disease, and it was the disease Shana endured all her life. When she was born, her parents were told she would not live much past her twentieth birthday. But Shana lived to be thirty-two. I came to know Shana in high school, not long after I became a follower of Jesus. After high school, we became very close friends. She edited my Bible college papers, and I visited her often during her many hospital stays. I also visited her at home as she recovered from the latest infection. By 2003, her lungs had been so damaged by chronic infections that she was placed on the waiting list for new lungs. She received a double lung transplant in 2004, but even then, her suffering did not fully end. Her body remained fragile. Her fight continued. But Shana loved Jesus. Though she struggled deeply with her disease, she held onto the hope of the gospel. One of the last emails I received from her was signed with words from her favorite hymn: Great is Thy faithfulness. In 2007, Shana died from complications after a procedure to reopen a constricted airway. When someone you love suffers like that, the question How long? is not theoretical. How long will disease ravage bodies? How long will death take those we love? How long will Gods people suffer in a world still broken by sin? How long before Christ makes all things new? Revelation 6:911 brings us to that question. But here, the cry comes specifically from those who have been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they maintained. The Martyrs: The Cost of Their Witness (v. 9) There are three cycles of judgment in Revelation: the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls. These cycles do not unfold in strict linear successionseals, then trumpets, then bowlsbut recapitulate the same period of history with increasing intensity, like birth pains. For our purposes, I simply want you to notice one pattern that helps us understand what is happening in this passage. In each cyclethe seals, trumpets, and bowlsthe first four judgments affect the world in broad, visible ways, but the fifth shifts the focus. The fifth seal shows the saints crying out for justice (Rev. 6:911). The fifth trumpet shows judgment beginning to fall on the enemies of Godthose who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (Rev. 9:112; especially 9:4). The fifth bowl shows judgment reaching the very throne of the beast, whose kingdom wages war against all who refuse to worship him (Rev. 16:1011; cf. Rev. 13:78, 15). This is why the first four seals show us the horsemen riding across the earth. But when the fifth seal is opened, the focus shifts from what is happening on earth to what heaven sees when Gods people suffer because of the word of God and the testimony they maintain. These martyrs are not beneath the altar because they were victims of history. They are there because they belonged to the Lamb and remained faithful to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Their witness cost them their lives. John is showing us what Jesus had already told His disciples: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me (Matt. 16:24; NASB). The fifth seal reminds us that following Jesus is not merely a call to believe certain truths about Him; it is a call to bear faithful witness to those truths, even when obedience is costly. Polycarp is said to have been a disciple of the apostle John and later became the bishop of Smyrna. Smyrna, you may remember, was one of the seven churches Jesus addressed in Revelation. Jesus told that suffering church, Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev. 2:10). Years later, Polycarp was arrested and ordered to deny Christ. When pressed to renounce Jesus, he replied, Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour? Polycarps witness cost him his life, but heaven did not see his death as Rome did. Rome saw a criminal to be silenced. Heaven saw a faithful witness beneath the altar. And we do not have to go back to Polycarp to see this kind of witness. You may remember the twenty-one Coptic Christians who were taken by ISIS in Libya and led onto a beach in orange jumpsuits. They were ordinary men who refused to renounce their faith in Jesus. Their blood was shed on earth, but Revelation 6 reminds us that heaven did not miss a drop. The world saw men being led to execution. Heaven saw faithful witnesses beneath the altar. Since 2015, conservative estimates suggest that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed for faith-related reasons around the world. According to Open Doors 2026 World Watch List, North Korea remains the most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian, while Nigeria is the deadliest, accounting for 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith during the latest reporting period. The seals describe the birth pains that mark this present age. The first four seals show us a world marked by conquest, war, famine, and death. But when the fifth seal is opened, we are shown what heaven sees when Gods people suffer because of the word of God and the testimony they maintain. The Altar: The Cry Before God (v. 10) Notice that John not only tells us that these faithful Christ-followers suffered and died for their faith, but also tells us where he saw these Christians. They are under the altar. This is a crucial detail that you can only understand if you know something about the Old Testament tabernacle that God told Moses to build. Scripture tells us that the earthly tabernacle was a copy and shadow of the one in heaven (Heb. 8:4-5; Exod. 25-31; 35-40). So when John sees an altar in heaven, he is not seeing something new, but the heavenly reality to which Israels worship had always pointed. Within the tabernacle, there were two primary altars. The bronze altar stood in the courtyard, where sacrifices were offered. The altar of incense stood near the Most Holy Place, close to the ark of the covenant, which represented the throne of God. Both altars help us understand what John sees. The blood of the sacrifice was poured at the altars base, and the incense rising before the Lord symbolized the prayers of Gods people ascending into His presence. So when John sees the souls of the martyrs beneath the altar, he sees their lives as precious before God and their prayers as heard before His throne. In the earthly tabernacle, a veil stood between the priests and God's immediate presence. But in heaven, no curtain hides His throne from His redeemed people. The martyrs are not far from God. They are beneath the altar, before the throne, and in the presence of the Lord God Almighty. Now, picture what is happening before Johns eyes. Those who suffered the ultimate cost for following Jesus are not behind the altar, nor are they on top of the altar. These saints are under the altar, which tells us that they are closest to the throne. Also, the martyrs are not passive, but are actively pleading for vindication in Gods heavenly court. There is no magical language here, for their cries are raw and honest. There is no anger hurled before God, but cries of vindication in light of their understanding of who God is! Notice what these dear saints include in their prayer: O Sovereign Lord, holy and true... Now lets stop there for a moment. The ESV translates the word well asSovereign Lord.The Greek word used here is not the most common term for Lord,kyrios, butdespotēs, and this is the only time it appears in the entire book of Revelation. The word these martyred saints use conveys absolute ownership, supreme authority, and sovereign mastery. We get our English worddespotfrom this word, but whiledespotusually carries a negative meaning in English, that is not the case whendespotēs is used of God in the New Testament. When used of God, it emphasizes His complete authority over creation, His servants, history, judgment, and justice. This matters because these Christians are not merely crying out to God as sufferers, asking whether He cares. They are crying out to the One they know to be the Sovereign Master over all things. They are appealing to the One who has the authority to judge, avenge, vindicate, and bring history to its appointed end. They are not crying out in doubt. They are crying out in faith. They know He is able. They know He is holy. They know He is true. And they know that the Sovereign Lord will do what is right. Notice what the saints attribute to God next. Not only is He the Sovereign Master, but He is holy. These saints who have suffered much understand that their God is utterly set apart from all evil, corruption, compromise, and injustice. He is not like the kingdoms and the kings of this world. He is not indifferent to injustice and the bloodshed at the hands of the wicked. He is not morally conflicted. He is pure in all His judgments, righteous in all His ways, and completely opposed to everything wicked. He is holy and these saints know it! God is not only holy; He is also true. When these saints plead their case before the throne of God, they do so knowing that He is faithful to all He has promised. He does not forget. He does not make empty threats or hollow promises. What He has spoken, He will do (Num. 23:19; Josh. 21:45; Isa. 55:1011; Titus 1:2; Heb. 10:23). So when these martyrs cry, How long? they are not questioning Gods goodness, nor are they doubting that He will keep His word. They are asking when the God who is holy and true will act in perfect faithfulness to His word and to those He has promised never to forsake (Deut. 31:6; Heb. 13:5; Rev). The breaking of the fifth seal and the prayer of these suffering saints teach us an important truth about how we can and should pray. They pray from their understanding of who God truly is. This is the kind of thing we read about in Daniel 11:32: ...the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. These saints know their God, and so they cry out, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? This prayer is not a contradiction of Jesus command to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44). It is a plea to the holy and true God to judge evil, vindicate His people, and set the world right. Their cry is rooted in the justice of God, knowing that His Word teaches that vengeance belongs to Him and not to His people (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19). The martyrs beneath the altar are asking God to do what only God has the right and authority to do. The Throne: The Completion of Gods Purpose (v. 11) Now, notice what happens next. God responds, meaning He heard their prayer. But He does not respond as we might initially expect. The God who is sovereign, holy, and true responds by giving these Christians white robes as a sign of honor, purity, and vindication. These robes signify the righteousness that is theirs because of Jesus. When we see this great multitude again in Revelation 7, we are told, They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14). These martyred saints represent every faithful witness who has been slain for the word of God and the testimony they upheldfrom the earliest martyrs of the church to our brothers and sisters suffering for Christ today. They are not treated as victims of random violence but as saints who belong to Christ and whose witness is precious before God. God responds by giving them white robes and telling them to do the thing we all hate: wait. Verse 11 says they were told to rest a little longer. That word, rest, matters. God is not dismissing their cry. He is not ignoring their suffering. He is calling them to rest in His presence, assured that perfect justice will come in His appointed time and in His sovereign way. Why must they wait? Because other Christians will suffer as they did, and they must wait until their number is complete. This means Gods justice is not delayed because He is indifferent. It is delayed because His purpose is not yet complete. There are still more witnesses to be gathered, more saints to be strengthened, and more glory to be given to Christ through the faithful endurance of His people. Gods answer to their prayer was to wait a little while longer. Conclusion My friend Shana frequently asked the same question you may have asked more than you can count: How long O Sovereign Lord, holy and true... It is the plea of the suffering. Shana was not a martyr, she was not killed by persecutors because of the word of God. She died on the operating table due to complications at the hands of surgeons who were trying to ease her suffering. Let me tell you what Shana did know. She knew what it meant to suffer in a world that is still waiting for Christ to make all things new. She knew what it meant to groan. She knew what it meant to wait. She knew what it meant to hope. I know that God used her life to encourage and strengthen the faith of others. Revelation 6:9-11 teaches us that we need not pretend the pain we experience is small. We need not pretend injustice does not matter. We need not pretend that death is natural. We can cry How long and do so in faith, not despair. We can cry it to the Sovereign Lord, who is holy and true. The Lamb who opens the fifth seal, is the Lamb who sees the suffering of His people. He honors the witness of His redeemed. He gives those who follow Him rest. The Lamb who died for you, is the Lord who will bring His purpose to completion for His glory and for your good! So, my dear brothers and sisters, we wait. But we do not wait as people forgotten by the One who sits upon the throne. We wait as those who belong to the Lamb. We wait as those whose lives are precious before the One on the throne. And we wait with confidence that the One who is sovereign, holy, and true will do exactly what He has promised. We can trust Him to do what is good and right because that is who He is.

After weeks of walking through perilous terrain, Jacob arrives at his destination in Harran. In order to woo himself a wife, he sidles up to her father Laban, a professional schemer and a man who turns out to out-scheme Jacob himself. If the way this story unfolds seems familiar to those of you who have been following along in our series thusfar, its because God intended us to see the effects of generational sin and deception and how they have a ripple effect throughout our lives. But while the pattern of sin is more than apparant in the similiarities between Jacob and his father Isaac's stories, a few key differences show us that God is at work through it all, despite the folly of Jacob himself. God works through all things. All sin patterns, all tendencies, all deceptions and all bad intentions. He is our Sovereign Lord. He weaves His mercy and goodness through all the self-imposed pain in our lives so that His plan for our ultimate redemption will be fulfilled despite our selfish ambitions and mixed up motivations.

Dr. Lee Warren is a neurosurgeon and author of The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery, but his story goes far beyond medicine. After losing his son tragically and unexpectedly, he found himself navigating unimaginable grief. Yet on the very same day as his son's funeral, the birth of his granddaughter gave him a glimpse of hope in the darkness.   In this deeply moving conversation, Dr. Warren shares what suffering taught him about God, hope, and the power of our thoughts. Blending biblical truth with neuroscience, he offers practical steps on how to renew your mind, care for your mental health, and find hope – even in the hardest seasons.   If you're walking through grief, trauma, or uncertainty, this conversation will remind you … you're not alone – and there is 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    Dr. Lee Warren Resources   Get Dr. Warren's book, The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery: https://wleewarrenmd.com/books/the-life-changing-art-of-self-brain-surgery/    Learn more about Dr. Lee Warren: https://wleewarrenmd.com/    Listen to the Dr. Lee Warren podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@drleewarren  Hope for the Heart resources   Connect with Hope for the Heart on social!    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopefortheheart   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopefortheheart    Learn more about the ministry and resources of Hope for the Heart: https://www.hopefortheheart.org/    Learn more about Hope Talks and catch up on past episodes: https://www.hopefortheheart.org/hopetalks/    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://hopefortheheart.donorsupport.co/page/hope-talks -------------- Bible verses mentioned in this episode Isaiah 30:15 – “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”   John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Romans 5:3-5 -- “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”   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.”   Philippians 4:8 – “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.”   Titus 2:10 – “showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.”

Welcome to Day 2863 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2863 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 127:1-5 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2863 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2863 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – The Architect, the Watchman, and the Warrior In our previous episode on this grand expedition, we climbed through the seventh Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Six. We stood in the tension of the “already, but not yet,” remembering the unbelievable, dream-like rescue of God's people from exile, while desperately praying for a fresh outpouring of His grace. We learned the profound, agricultural lesson of the sower. We discovered that in the contested territory of this fallen world, we often have to plant our seeds in tears, exhausted by the spiritual warfare around us. Yet, we anchored our souls to the unbreakable, cosmic guarantee that those who weep as they plant will eventually return singing, carrying a massive, joyful harvest. Today, we take our next deliberate steps upward on this ancient pilgrim trail. We are exploring the eighth song in this magnificent collection. We are turning our attention to Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven, verses one through five, in the New Living Translation. Interestingly, this specific psalm is attributed to King Solomon. Solomon was the ultimate builder of the ancient world; he built the glorious Temple, fortified cities, and amassed unprecedented wealth. Yet, in this psalm, he pauses to deliver a sobering warning about the futility of human ambition. He teaches us that building a physical empire, or a lasting family legacy, is entirely useless if the Architect of the cosmos is not the one holding the blueprints. Let us step onto the trail, and learn how to build a legacy that actually lasts. The first segment is: The Futility of Autonomous Ambition Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven: verses one and two. Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. This magnificent stanza opens with a definitive, double-sided declaration of human limitation. “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.” To truly grasp the weight of these words, we must view them through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview, specifically regarding the Divine Council and the cosmic rebellion. When human beings attempt to build a house, a dynasty, or a fortified city without the authorization and the active presence of Yahweh, they are essentially repeating the catastrophic sin of the Tower of Babel. At Babel, humanity sought to build a localized empire, a massive tower to reach the heavens, in order to make a great name for themselves, completely autonomous from the Creator. That act of autonomous ambition resulted in God disinheriting the nations, confusing their languages, and placing them under the jurisdiction of lesser, rebel spiritual principalities, the fallen elohim. Therefore, any city, or any human institution, built outside the cosmic order of God, is inherently vulnerable. It belongs to the chaotic, unstable realm of the rebel gods. You can hire the greatest architects, lay the thickest foundation stones, and post the most highly trained sentries on the walls, but if the Most High God is not the active Protector of that territory, the entire enterprise is spiritually bankrupt. It is destined to collapse into the dust. This reality brings us to the deeply psychological, and practical, observation in verse two. “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” The rebel gods of the surrounding pagan cultures demanded endless, anxious labor from their followers. The deities of Canaan, Egypt, and Babylon were viewed as cruel taskmasters, requiring constant sacrifices and frantic appeasement just to ensure the rains would fall, and the crops would grow. The kingdom of darkness thrives on human anxiety. It wants you waking up before dawn, terrified of failure, and going to bed late, exhausted and consumed by the stress of basic survival. But Solomon, the wisest king of Israel, calls this frantic, autonomous striving “useless.” It is vanity. It is chasing the wind. He draws a sharp, beautiful contrast between the oppressive systems of the world, and the loving economy of Yahweh. “For God gives rest to his loved ones.” Other translations say, “He provides for His beloved even in his sleep.” The God of the Bible is not a cruel taskmaster. He is the loving Father who provides Shalom—complete, restful wholeness. This does not mean that believers are called to be lazy. We are called to be diligent, responsible stewards of creation. But the motivation changes entirely. We do not work out of a suffocating, paralyzing fear of starvation, or a desperate need to build our own autonomous empires. We work from a place of profound rest, knowing that the Sovereign Lord is the ultimate Provider, and that He is intimately guarding the house we are building. The second segment is: The Divine Gift and the Rejection of the Fertility Cults Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven: verse three. Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Suddenly, the psalm pivots. Solomon shifts the metaphor from building a physical house out of stones and cedar, to building a household, a dynasty, made out of human lives. He declares, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” In our modern culture, we might read this simply as a sweet, sentimental statement about the joy of parenting. But in the ancient Near East, this was a massive, aggressive theological claim. It was an act of profound spiritual warfare. The nations surrounding Israel were deeply entrenched in fertility cults. They worshiped gods like Baal and Asherah, believing that these localized, rebel deities controlled the womb, the rain, and the harvest. When a couple wanted to conceive a child, they would participate in the corrupt, often deeply immoral, rituals of the pagan temples, frantically trying to manipulate the gods into granting them fertility. By stating that “Children are a gift from the Lord,” the psalmist is explicitly stripping all power and authority away from the false gods of Canaan. He is reminding the pilgrims that Baal has absolutely no jurisdiction over human life. The womb is not controlled by the chaotic forces of nature; it is the exclusive, sovereign domain of Yahweh. Every single child is a direct, intentional inheritance, and a precious reward, handed down by the Creator of the universe. To build a family legacy, you do not turn to the frantic, anxious practices of the world; you look upward, to the Giver of all good things. The third segment is: The Warrior's Quiver and the Expansion of the Kingdom Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven: verses four and five. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. Having established the divine origin of the family, Solomon introduces one of the most striking, martial metaphors in the entire Psalter. “Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands.” Why does he compare children to weapons of war? Because, in the biblical worldview, raising a family is not a neutral, passive activity. It is an act of strategic, generational combat. The world is contested territory, deeply infected by the lies, the injustice, and the chaotic rebellion of the dark spiritual principalities. When you raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, you are intentionally shaping imagers of God, preparing them to push back against the darkness. Consider the nature of an arrow. An arrow is not meant to be kept safely inside the quiver forever. A warrior carefully shapes the shaft, balances the weight, sharpens the arrowhead, and attaches the fletching. All of this meticulous, grueling preparation is done for one specific purpose: to launch the arrow outward, into enemy...

Acts 4 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. The Threats of Confidence    23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.    24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.    25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.'   27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.      29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."     31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.   32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.    33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all    34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

On this episode of The King's Healing Room Podcast,  Dr. Lacey dives into her sermonSermon References: (NIV Version):ISAIAH 41:10: See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,and he rules with a mighty arm.See, his reward is with him,and his recompense accompanies him.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.HEBREWS 12:2: fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.James 4:7: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Nehemiah 8:10: Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”Genesis 19:9: Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.We are Located in Syracuse, NY The King's Healing Room4326 Fay RoadSyracuse, NY 13219Founder/Senior Bishop: Bishop. Brian K. Hill Sr.Executive Pastor: Elder. Yulon JonesWe can be reached at 315-516-8110Giving Experience:To give today:Givelify: Search: The King's Healing RoomPay Pal:TKHROFFICE@gmail.comTKHR now offers Text to Give...Here's how it works:5 Steps...1.   Text - "give " to 1 (844) 981-2759 which is unique to TKHR2.  You will receive a text with instructions 3.  Follow the instructions to set up a giving account4. Text the amount you want to give and the designation (eg. tithe, offering, general fund)5. You will receive a receipt via email confirming your giftI did it and it works!Mailing:The King's Healing Room4326 Fay RoadSyracuse, NY 13219Check out our website:tkhrchurch.com Linktree:Linktr.ee/TKHRChurchWatch our weekly services live on: Facebook.com/TKHRChurchWeekly Services:Sundays:Kingdom Academy: Sunday 9:30amSunday Service: Sunday 11amThursdays:Intercessory Prayer Meeting:Every Thursday @ 12pm Dial in @ (978) 990-5000; Access Code 596853Monthly Services:Saturdays:Youth Ministry: 2nd Saturday's: 12pm to 4pmWomen's Ministry: 3rd Saturday's from 11am to 1pmMATA: Men's Group: 4th Saturday's from 12p to 2pm___________________________________Podcasting:If you want to listen to the sermon on audio podcast here are the links below:Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kings-healing-room-podcast/id1494591065?uo=4Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/4LDhQ58s0Ysk6PYJ9vKMboBreaker:https://www.breaker.audio/the-kings-healing-room-podcastGoogle Podcast: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xMjJjOWQ4OC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==Overcast:https://overcast.fm/itunes1494591065/the-kings-healing-room-podcastPocket Cast:https://pca.st/bv1ufvf7Radio Public:https://radiopublic.com/the-kings-healing-room-podcast-WJ2LL1____________________________________Social Media:Follow us on all social media platforms at @TKHRChurch and use our hashtag #TKHRCHURCHX: https://x.com/TKHRChurchFacebook: https://facebook.com/TKHRChurchInstagram: https://instagram.com/TKHRChurchSnapchat: https://snapchat.com/TKHRChurchYouTube: Youtube.com/@TKHRChurchThank you for listening to The King's Healing Room Podcast, “We Are A Kingdom Ministry with a Global Presence”.

From “In the Beginning” to Amen – Honest to God Honest to God God Invites Honesty, Not Performance The Psalms Model a Full Emotional Life Lived in God's Presence, But Willing to Learn and Be Shaped Psalm 73:21-28 (NIV)“When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”  1.      Joy And Praise - Loads of It 2.      Fear and Anxiety 3.      Anger and Frustration 4.     Grief and Despair 5.      Honesty and Repentance God Is Not Intimidated by Emotional Complexity - He Created Us… God Desires Relationship Over Ritual Authenticity Is Central to a Deep Spiritual Life God Desires Your Real Heart, not a Rehearsed One

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260430dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5 With Jesus My Shepherd, I Am Honored The story arc of Psalm 23 moves fast enough to make your head spin. It begins with David identifying with a lowly sheep, content to recline in the presence of the Lord, his loving Shepherd, knowing that plenty of green grass and clean water are available. Then Shepherd and sheep are up and walking, and the paths seem right—until suddenly all is dark and scary. Fortunately, David is aware that the Shepherd is with him in that shadowy valley, fending off unknown and unseen assailants on every hand. One verse later, the darkness is lifted, revealing the enemies before him, but the tables have turned in an unexpected way. The lowly sheep from the pasture is now the guest of honor at the Lord’s own Table. Those who meant harm to him can do nothing but watch in humiliation and defeat, as he receives every sign of hospitality and honor. Perhaps this sequence of events reflects the way King David looked back on his own life. He went from a young man tending his father’s sheep to a giant-slayer to being hunted by the king as a traitor to being anointed and crowned king himself. How could a young shepherd ever imagine receiving such honor? In gratitude for all these blessings and more, David prayed, “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” (2 Samual 7:18). He knew better than anyone that it was only by God’s grace that he was blessed in this way. Jesus Christ—both David's descendant and his Lord—is the Shepherd King who displays lavish hospitality on us, the sheep of his flock. He took our shame and lowliness upon himself, dying in our place, so that he might share his glory with us. When Satan points out our sin, Jesus stuns him into silence, graciously inviting us to his Table where our Lord’s own body and blood assure us of forgiveness. Jesus, our Shepherd, welcomes us as honored guests, anointing us with joy and the Holy Spirit. Prayer: (CW, 552:5) You spread a table in my sight, A banquet here bestowing; Your oil of welcome, my delight; My cup is overflowing. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260430dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5 With Jesus My Shepherd, I Am Honored The story arc of Psalm 23 moves fast enough to make your head spin. It begins with David identifying with a lowly sheep, content to recline in the presence of the Lord, his loving Shepherd, knowing that plenty of green grass and clean water are available. Then Shepherd and sheep are up and walking, and the paths seem right—until suddenly all is dark and scary. Fortunately, David is aware that the Shepherd is with him in that shadowy valley, fending off unknown and unseen assailants on every hand. One verse later, the darkness is lifted, revealing the enemies before him, but the tables have turned in an unexpected way. The lowly sheep from the pasture is now the guest of honor at the Lord’s own Table. Those who meant harm to him can do nothing but watch in humiliation and defeat, as he receives every sign of hospitality and honor. Perhaps this sequence of events reflects the way King David looked back on his own life. He went from a young man tending his father’s sheep to a giant-slayer to being hunted by the king as a traitor to being anointed and crowned king himself. How could a young shepherd ever imagine receiving such honor? In gratitude for all these blessings and more, David prayed, “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” (2 Samual 7:18). He knew better than anyone that it was only by God’s grace that he was blessed in this way. Jesus Christ—both David's descendant and his Lord—is the Shepherd King who displays lavish hospitality on us, the sheep of his flock. He took our shame and lowliness upon himself, dying in our place, so that he might share his glory with us. When Satan points out our sin, Jesus stuns him into silence, graciously inviting us to his Table where our Lord’s own body and blood assure us of forgiveness. Jesus, our Shepherd, welcomes us as honored guests, anointing us with joy and the Holy Spirit. Prayer: (CW, 552:5) You spread a table in my sight, A banquet here bestowing; Your oil of welcome, my delight; My cup is overflowing. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Yesterday I gave you a new name you couldn't pronounce, but a powerful promise from our God through a name he reveals. Remember, Yahweh M – God’s promise of actively sanctifying you to make you holy simply by relationship with him. Not through your perfection, but through his. Not by your works, but the works already done for you. And because of this, you can surrender and find sweet rest. Now today, we will study a name you really know. A name you can pronounce. A name you can understand. And we will see God's perfect fulfillment of this name in the work of Jesus. Psalm 23:1 (You complete the sentence) – “The LORD is my …. SHEPHERD” Yes, God is our shepherd, meaning he is our guide, our provider, and our protector. He is present, and he is personally aware of YOU. This is your game changer! Recognize, you are the sheep. The one created and designed to need help. You were never intended to know the way. You were never expected to get there on your own. You simply can't – you're the sheep. You were designed to need a shepherd. Ezekiel 34:11-12, This is what the Sovereign LORD says, “I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.” Have you ever had one of those dark, cloudy days? One of those days that rocked your world and caused you to get lost in the darkness? One of those days that made you question everything you thought you knew. Yes, those are the days when sheep tend to get scattered. We run and hide in our thoughts and try to isolate from the pain. And my friend, don't you know that's when you are in the most danger? Running and hiding is never your answer. If you watch a few nature shows on Africa, you will quickly see the lesson play out. If there's a group of zebra (which by the way are called a dazzle), and those zebra are being chased by a lion, they are safe as long as they stay together. But inevitably, do you know what happens – there's one who strays from the dazzle and runs to hide by itself. THAT'S THE ONE THAT GETS EAT EVERY TIME. What's the moral of the story? Don't run and hide. Stay with your people. I've intentionally created my own small zebra herd to go through life with. We are accountability sisters. We don't let each other hide. If one is suffering, we all gather around. If one is struggling, we pick them up. We continually call on the God for each other. Because here's the truth, our enemy is like a lion! 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” God tells us he is the shepherd finding his sheep that have scattered. He is rescuing them from the places where they run on their dark, hard days of life. Girl, if you've been hiding, he's looking for you! Ezekiel 34 goes on to say in verses 15-16, “I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak.” Wow, what a promise we have from God. He is our shepherd. To study a shepherd is to study the ways of our God. A shepherd doesn't just watch sheep, he LEADS his sheep. The shepherd knows what his sheep need and he knows where to find it. He knows where those green pastures are. He knows where those still waters are. Every step, he leads his sheep to what they need. A shepherd fights for his sheep. There's always a lion looking to devour that helpless sheep and without a shepherd to protect them, they will never survive. Scripture talks about King David as a young boy being a shepherd to his father's sheep. He became strong and ready for battle against the giant Goliath because he had been fighting off lions to protect his father's sheep for a long time. A shepherd is actively fighting to protect his sheep. You simply have no idea the battles God fought for you just YESTERDAY. You are very likely completely unaware of all God did to protect you from harm. That's the thing about sheep – we can be completely clueless about the dangers. We can be so hyper focused on trying to run to the next pasture that we are oblivious of the lion that was waiting around that corner. But the shepherd knew and the shepherd protected. Do you ever wonder why where you wanted to go and what you wanted to do didn't work out? Do you ever wonder why you can't just go where you want to go and have it the way you want it? LIONS!!!!!! Hidden dangers of the enemy. You may be clueless, but your shepherd is not. He redirects you out of protection. How about you stop fighting against his guidance and trust him. Once again, we're back to that same word again – SURRENDER. The LORD is your shepherd – sweet sheep, will you trust him? Will you go where he is leading you? Will you trust where he guides? Will you lay down and rest when he says to stop? Will you stop wandering off convinced there's something better somewhere else? When a sheep is injured, the shepherd literally carries them. He lovingly binds up their wounds and brings them healing. He restores them. This is the work of the shepherd. And the LORD says, THAT IS WHO I AM FOR YOU, my girl. I AM YOUR SHEPHERD. A shepherd doesn't just show up for working hours and then leave. No, a shepherd lives with his sheep. He walks with them. He lays down with them. He stays with the sheep. The truth is, you are never alone. You are never in this by yourself. You never have to look out for yourself all on your own. Whether you know it or not, you've had a shepherd right there with you every day of your life. If the Lord is your shepherd, you are never lost, you are never alone, and you are never without what you truly need. You are perfectly cared for. You can call on the Shepherd. That's who God is for you. He is your guide. He is your provider. He is your protector. And he's sent a GOOD SHEPHERD to be forever with you. That's our Jesus! Here's what Jesus says in John 10, starting in verse 11, “I am the GOOD SHEPHERD. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. I am the GOOD SHEPHERD: I know my own sheep, and they know me.” You can call him GOOD SHEPHERD. You can CALL ON the GOOD SHEPHERD. You can absolutely COUNT ON the GOOD SHEPHERD to show up for you. He literally knows you. He knows precisely where you are at this very moment, and he has a good place to take you to next. Isn't that amazing to think that our Good Shepherd actually sees what is ahead for you and is continually leading you to that good place?!!! And he knows every threat along the way so he protects you. He knows every need for the journey so he provides for you. If you get hurt on the way, he heals you. He stays close. But if you get yourself a wild hair and decide to not stay close to the Good Shepherd, he will go search for you and rescue you. If you're the one who is hiding, he is looking for you. If you're the one who has strayed, you're not beyond his reach, just fall back into his arms. If you're one who is hurting, let him heal you. If you're one who is worried about future pastures, stay close and let him show you the way. God made a promise to be your shepherd, and he sent his only son to be YOUR GOOD SHEPHERD! You can call him by name now. Good Shepherd, this sheep really needs you today. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

“How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” — Revelation 6:10 Are you waiting for anything these days? Maybe a longplanned vacation or an important birthday? Or maybe you're waiting for healing after a surgery, or for a relationship to be restored.In our text for today we see a gathering of waiting saints. This is part of the amazing sequence of visions God gave to the apostle John to write down as the book of Revelation. The saints in this passage have been killed for their faith in Jesus, and they want to know how long they will have to wait for justice, for the Lord's vengeance, and for the completion of God's kingdom to come.It's a question that all of us who are “in Christ” ask in one form or another. When will our faith be made sight? When will God's remaking of creation, which began at Christ's resurrection, be complete? When will suffering on this earth be over? When will joy become truly everlasting?“Wait just a little longer” is the answer. No calendar date is provided, but the Lord promises that it will happen. All of us who are “in Christ” will be able to enjoy full life in God's new creation someday. In the meantime, we new creations, all of us who are “in Christ,” are held, loved, and kept for the arrival of that big new creation the Lord is working on. Lord, we are eager for your kingdom to come in its fullness. But we will wait, and as we try to do that in faith, with trust in you and love for one another, help us to serve you faithfully. In Jesus' name, Amen.

In his presentation on Revelation 6, Ben explores the apocalyptic visions triggered when the Lamb opens the first six seals of the scroll. The sequence begins with the four horsemen—riding white, red, black, and pale horses—who are released to bring conquest, violence, economic hardship, and death to a quarter of the earth. The fifth seal shifts the focus to the souls of martyrs beneath the altar who cry out to the Sovereign Lord for justice, receiving white robes and a command to rest until the appointed number of their fellow sufferers is complete. Following this, the sixth seal unleashes severe cosmic upheaval, including a blackened sun, a blood-red moon, and a vanishing sky, driving people of all earthly statuses to hide in terror from the wrath of the Lamb. These intense themes of suffering and judgment are grounded in the apostle Paul's desire to know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, highlighting that Jesus himself endured the full spectrum of human and demonic evil—such as betrayal, injustice, racism, and corrupt institutions—during his crucifixion.

There is a particular kind of weariness that comes from feeling stuck — when you have tried every solution you can think of, waited longer than feels reasonable, and still find yourself in the same place, wondering if anything will ever change. In those moments, it is tempting to conclude that you have simply reached the end of what is possible. But what if the end of your possibilities is precisely where God's begin? Jeremiah 32:17 is a declaration that refuses to be contained by our circumstances: the God who made the heavens and the earth by His great power and outstretched arm is the same God who is present in your stuck place right now. Nothing — not your complicated relationship, your unanswered question, your closed door, your exhausted imagination — is too hard for Him. The obstacles that loom so large in our vision are remarkably small compared to the power of the One who spoke galaxies into existence. He is not intimidated by what you are facing. And He is not finished. New possibilities do not always arrive as dramatic breakthroughs — sometimes they come as a quiet nudge, a fresh perspective, a creative idea that hadn't occurred to you before. But they come. Keep your eyes open, keep bringing your questions to God, and keep trusting the One who can do what you cannot. Something new may be closer than you think. Today's Bible Verse "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." — Jeremiah 32:17, NIV Ponder Today Feeling stuck is not the same as being without hope — the God who created the heavens and the earth is never limited by the circumstances that feel impossible to us. When we focus first on God's greatness rather than our problems, our perspective shifts — the obstacles are still real, but they are suddenly much smaller than the power available to us. New possibilities don't always arrive dramatically — sometimes God moves through a fresh idea, a subtle nudge, or a creative solution that opens a door we hadn't noticed before. God doesn't expect us to figure everything out on our own — He invites us to bring every question and uncertainty to Him, and to ask for guidance at every step of the way. God's timing may look different from ours, but He is always at work — even when we cannot yet see results, new possibilities are forming beneath the surface of what is visible to us. Today's Prayer Dear God, You are the Creator of heaven and earth, and Your love and power are unlimited. You see exactly where I feel stuck, and I confess that I sometimes focus more on the size of my problems than on the greatness of You. Help me trust You to bring new possibilities into my life. Open my eyes to solutions, ideas, and opportunities I might be missing. When I don't know what to do next, guide me step by step. Remind me that nothing is too hard for You, and give me patience when Your answers don't come right away. I trust that You are at work, creating something new. Thank You for walking with me. Amen. Enjoy Today's Prayer? If this episode encouraged you, we'd love to stay connected! Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and faith-filled content delivered straight to your inbox. Don't miss an episode — subscribe and share with someone who needs encouragement today. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Episode Summary: Are you weary from constantly striving, juggling endless responsibilities, and living at a pace that leaves you burned out and exhausted? You’re not alone. In this episode of Your Hope-Filled Perspective, I’m joined by Dr. Portia Preston, a public health expert, two-time TEDx speaker, and author of Hustle, Flow, or Let It Go? Her compassionate, shame-free approach to wellness helps us release hustle culture and create sustainable wellness so we can live with greater balance, peace, and joy. Quotables from the episode: This chronic stress is when I lose connection with myself. That's really the best way I know. Where am I in relation to myself and the things that I value most? If I am being irritable in my relationships, something's off. Because these are people that I love. If you had asked me a decade ago about my experience with burnout, I would have pointed directly to my career. And always feeling like it was on me to provide because who else would do it? But it's only been in recent years when I've found that burnout extends to all facets of my life. Surrender isn't about what you can do. The to-do list narrows our perspective. It's asking us to show up as the person who does these things. So immediately we are taken out of connection with our reality and our capacity. And we've been conditioned to say, well, that's the way that it should be. So, if what I have today doesn't measure up to that, then I'm the problem. And I'm not saying the list is bad. There is a saying that says that we are human beings, not human doings. You were born with worth. That it was a part of you. And it's not something that can be taken away from you. God never designed us to go full speed all the time. And recognizing the rhythm of the seasons frees us to honor time of work and time of rest. Scripture References: Isaiah 30:15 (NLT) “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.’” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NRSV) “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Recommended Resources: Hustle, Flow, or Let It Go? A Guide to Shame-Free Wellness That Honors Your Reality and Gives You Life by Portia Preston, DrPH Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Dr. Portia Preston: Website / Instagram Connect with Dr. Bengtson: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Guest: Dr. Portia Preston is a public health expert, two-time TEDx speaker, and founder of Empowered to Exhale. She holds degrees from Stanford, the University of Michigan, and UCLA, and currently serves as a faculty member at California State University, Fullerton. Through her groundbreaking work, Dr. Preston helps individuals and organizations create a culture of sustainable wellness and performance. Her new book, Hustle, Flow, or Let It Go?, offers a compassionate, shame-free roadmap to releasing hustle culture and embracing wellness that truly honors our unique realities. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Ashton Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Psalms 93-99 are all about God's reign as King. Psalm 96 sit at the heart of this collection, and Psalm 100 serves as a kind of postscript. Find out what they reveal to us about the rule of our Sovereign Lord.----------------------------Please follow us on these platforms:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JointhesearchPodcast: https://thesearch.buzzsprout.com/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jointhesearchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jointhesearchtodayFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jointhesearchtoday

God's power is immeasurable. You can't calculate or quantify the power of God. It is beyond what we can see, know, and understand. God's power is without limit. When we pray, God can do more than we ask or imagine.Main Points:1. Most of us, in our moments of despair, have cried out to the Lord and asked, “God, can you meet my needs? Are you able to provide what I need?” Theologically, we know God can do anything. We know He has all power. We understand He is the creator of all things, yet, when our back is up against the wall, we question whether God can and will meet our needs. But as we read His Word, we learn of His power, His might, and His ability. In reality, the question is not “What can God do? But what can God not do?”2. There is no lack with God. God never runs out of resources. He is never in short supply of whatever we need. He is a God of abundance.3. Speak truth to your own soul. Stand upon the never-changing Word of God. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.Today's Scripture Verses:Ephesians 3:20 - “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…”Jeremiah 32:17 - “Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Have you noticed how quickly disappointment follows when expectations are placed on the wrong things—people, circumstances, plans, even your own strength? In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds us that only God's promises can carry the full weight of our expectations. Dr. Youssef takes us to Luke 2:25–35, where we meet Simeon—an ordinary man with extraordinary hope. Simeon had spent his life waiting for the Messiah, trusting God's Word that he would personally see the Christ. After years of watching and waiting, Simeon finally held the infant Jesus in his arms and prayed with calm certainty: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised… you may now dismiss your servant in peace” (Luke 2:29–32). Simeon wasn't shocked that God came through—he expected it, because his hope was rooted in the faithfulness of God. This devotional will help you contrast Simeon's steady confidence with the shaky expectations we often place on this world—and call you to re-anchor your heart in what never fails. God's timing may stretch longer than you'd like and His methods may surprise you, but He will always fulfill His promises. Prayer: God, help me to place my expectations in You, not in this world. I know that You will never disappoint me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11). Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon Unrealistic Expectations, Hope That Will Not Disappoint: WATCH NOW   The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

God's desire is that we love Him above all else. We are to love Him with all of our hearts, all of our souls, all of our minds, and all of our strength. Only God can satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. Everything else we would turn to is an idol, something we run to instead of God. Yet, every time the idol leaves us empty. It produces regret, shame, and even fear.Main Points:1. We seek God first in our lives because He alone is worthy. We love Him above all things because He is Lord of all, and because He has loved us with an incomparable love. We refuse to have idols in our lives because none of them compares to God and what He can do for us.2. An idol can be a person or a relationship. An idol can be our work, our talents, or our career goals. An idol can be food or other substances we consume. An idol can be something we use to fill our time such as: tv, movies, and social media. As we see, idolatry really could be anything we turn to instead of God. 3. Idols are fake imitations of God. Let's search our hearts, ask for God's forgiveness, and relinquish any idols we may have worshipped. Let's give our allegiance to the one true God and remove modern-day idols.Today's Scripture Verses:Exodus 20:3 - “You shall have no other gods before me.”Proverbs 4:23 - “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”Ezekiel 14:3 - “These men have set up idols in their hearts”Ezekiel 14:6 - “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Holy Spirit April 12 2026 Teacher: Pastor Doug McHenry The Holy Spirit is the life-giving presence of God. “Now the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” – Genesis 2:7 The Trinity is One Being, Three Persons; one essence, three personalities; Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the life-giving presence of God and breathes into our lives, makes us new and we're born again. It's not something we achieve; it's something we receive. We are not self-generated. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17 “I pray 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 his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” “That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realm…” – Eph. 1:18-20 “Then he said to me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'” “Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘My people, I am going to bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.” “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live…Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it,' declares the Lord.” – Ezekiel 37:11-14 The Breath of God, the Holy Spirit, alone can bring dead things back to life. The Holy Spirit is the life-giving presence of God from the first breath in Eden to the new life of resurrection.

Welcome to Day 2840 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2840 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 119:121-128 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2840 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2840 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Ayin of Anticipation – Eyes Straining for Cosmic Justice In our previous episode on this grand expedition, we navigated the fifteenth stanza of Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, the “Samekh” section. We witnessed the psalmist draw a hard, unyielding boundary line in the sand. He declared his absolute hatred for divided loyalties, and he begged the Creator to prop him up, acting as a sturdy pillar and a protective shield against the relentless pressure of a compromised culture. We learned what it means to tremble in the holy, bristling awe of God's justice, realizing that the Sovereign Lord will ultimately skim the wicked off the earth, just like dross is skimmed from a boiling crucible of silver. Today, we take our next courageous step forward, transitioning from the imagery of a sturdy shield, to the piercing reality of human vision. We are entering the sixteenth stanza of this magnificent, alphabetical mountain. We are exploring the “Ayin” section, covering Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, verses one hundred twenty-one through one hundred twenty-eight, in the New Living Translation. In the ancient Hebrew alphabet, the letter “Ayin” was originally depicted as an eye. It represents seeing, perceiving, understanding, and even weeping. This visual imagery is woven perfectly into the very fabric of this stanza. The psalmist is standing on the edge of his endurance. He is looking out at a world that is deeply broken, straining his eyes to see the promised rescue of Yahweh. He is begging for the spiritual vision, the discernment, to understand the cosmic blueprint, and he is watching, with righteous indignation, as the rebel forces violate the Creator's laws. Let us step onto the trail, open our eyes, and learn how to watch for the intervention of the King. The first segment is: The Plea for a Cosmic Guarantor Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verses one hundred twenty-one and one hundred twenty-two. Don't leave me to my enemies, for I have done what is right and just. Please guarantee a blessing for me. Don't let the arrogant oppress me! The stanza opens with a bold, legally framed petition. The psalmist stands before the throne of the universe, and he submits his record for inspection: “I have done what is right and just.” This is not a boast of sinless perfection. In the Ancient Israelite worldview, doing what is “right and just” meant maintaining covenant loyalty. It meant that, despite the overwhelming pressure to adopt the idolatrous practices of the surrounding pagan nations, the psalmist had maintained his integrity. He had refused to participate in the corrupt, oppressive systems governed by the rebel gods of the Divine Council. Because he has maintained his allegiance to Yahweh, he asks for the reciprocal protection of the covenant: “Don't leave me to my enemies.” He then makes a fascinating, highly specific request: “Please guarantee a blessing for me.” The Hebrew word translated as “guarantee” is 'arab, which means to act as a surety, to pledge, or to co-sign. In the ancient commercial world, if a person owed a massive debt they could not pay, or faced a powerful opponent they could not defeat, a wealthier, stronger individual could step in as their surety. The guarantor would place their own reputation, and their own assets, on the line to protect the vulnerable person. The psalmist realizes that he is completely outmatched by his enemies. The “arrogant” individuals oppressing him are not just schoolyard bullies; they are the wealthy, powerful proxies of the dark spiritual realm. Therefore, he looks up to the Most High God, and essentially prays, “Lord, I need You to co-sign my life. I need You to step in as my cosmic Guarantor. Put the infinite weight of Your reputation between me and my oppressors, so that they cannot destroy me.” The second segment is: The Exhaustion of the Watchman Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verse one hundred twenty-three. My eyes strain to see your rescue, to see the truth of your promise fulfilled. Here, we encounter the direct connection to the Hebrew letter “Ayin,” the eye. The psalmist confesses, “My eyes strain to see your rescue.” Other translations render this, “My eyes fail, looking for your salvation.” This paints a vivid, heartbreaking picture of spiritual and physical exhaustion. Imagine a watchman standing on the high wall of a besieged city. The enemy army has surrounded the gates, the food supplies are running out, and the watchman is staring out at the distant horizon, looking for the dust cloud of a rescuing army. He stares for hours, days, and weeks, until his eyes burn, blur, and literally begin to fail from the sheer intensity of the vigil. This is the agonizing reality of living in the “already, but not yet” phase of God's redemption. The psalmist knows that God has promised deliverance. He knows the character of Yahweh. But the waiting is taking a devastating toll on his physical body. He is straining to see the truth of the promise materialize in real time. It is a profound comfort to realize that the Bible does not gloss over the fatigue of the faithful. It is incredibly tiring to live a life of integrity in a world that rewards corruption. It is exhausting to keep your eyes fixed on the horizon of God's justice, when the present moment is filled with the taunts of the arrogant. Yet, even as his eyes fail, the psalmist refuses to stop looking. He will not lower his gaze to the mud; he keeps his vision locked on the heavens, anticipating the arrival of the King. The third segment is: The Privileges of the Servant Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verses one hundred twenty-four and one hundred twenty-five. I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love, and teach me your decrees. Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws. In the midst of his exhaustion, the psalmist re-establishes his identity. Twice in these two verses, he declares, “I am your servant.” In our modern, democratic culture, we often view the title of “servant” as something degrading, or lowly. But in the ancient Near East, to be the direct servant of a sovereign king was a position of immense privilege, authority, and protection. A king was legally and morally obligated to provide for, and protect, the members of his royal household. By claiming the title of “servant,” the psalmist is invoking the royal obligations of Yahweh. He is saying, “Lord, I belong to Your administration. I work for Your kingdom. Therefore, deal with me in unfailing love.” Here is our bedrock, anchor word once again: Hesed. He is not asking God to deal with him based on his own merit, or his own strength, because his strength is currently failing. He asks God to treat him according to His loyal, stubborn, covenant-keeping affection. And what does this weary servant request from his Master? He does not ask for gold, silver, or an immediate, magical escape from his problems. He asks for education. “...and teach me your decrees. Give discernment to me... then I will understand your laws.” The psalmist realizes that his physical eyes might be failing, but his spiritual eyes desperately need to be sharpened. The Hebrew word for discernment means to separate, to distinguish, or to perceive with clarity. He wants the ability to look at the chaotic, confusing events of his life, and perceive the underlying, cosmic architecture of God's plan. He knows that true comfort does not come from a change of circumstances; true comfort comes from a deep, profound understanding of the Creator's laws. The fourth segment is: The Courtroom Demand for Cosmic Justice Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verse one hundred twenty-six. Lord, it is time for you to act, for these evil people have violated your instructions. This single verse is one of the most remarkable, audacious prayers in the entire Psalter. The psalmist shifts from the posture of a weary servant, to the posture of a prosecuting attorney in the divine courtroom. He looks up at the throne, and declares, “Lord, it is time for you to act.” This is a direct, legal petition to the Divine Council. The psalmist is not being disrespectful; he is being intensely prophetic. He is surveying the cultural landscape, and he sees that the rebellion of the arrogant has reached a critical, unsustainable tipping point. He presents his evidence: “...for these evil people have violated your instructions.” Literally, the Hebrew says, “They...

When we see Jesus as He really is, the Sovereign Lord of creation changes everything about our lives. There is no part of life that He is not sovereign over.

Calvary Chapel North Country Podcast

It's Friday, April 10th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Maunday Thursday Massacre: Muslims killed 43 Christians in Congo On April 2nd, the Islamic Allied Democratic Forces killed dozens of Christians in Mambasa Territory located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reports International Christian Concern. The attack in the African nation occurred on Maundy Thursday, a day during Holy Week when Christians remember the Last Supper. A religious freedom advocate, who wanted to remain anonymous for safety purposes, said, “The initial death toll of 43 may rise further; some victims were burned inside their homes, and others are still in the bush. The attackers surprised the population in their sleep. The victims were killed by gunfire, and several were beheaded with machetes. The images are unbearable.” In Revelation 6:9-10, “When [Jesus] opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the Earth and avenge our blood?'” White House envoy to Netanyahu: Stop bombing Lebanon Iran's new Supreme Leader issued a chilling message after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scolded by U.S. President Donald Trump for nearly jeopardizing the shaky ceasefire. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu held a phone call between President Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Axios. Witkoff reportedly told Netanyahu to “calm down” the strikes in Lebanon and open peace negotiations. Amid Trump's two-week ceasefire with Iran, Israel has continued to bombard urban population centers in Lebanon, including Beirut, killing and injuring civilians. Trump's request came as the United States prepares to meet with Iranian leaders in Pakistan to negotiate an end to the war. Iran claims Lebanon was part of the ceasefire deal with the U.S. and is now threatening to abandon peace talks and keep the Strait of Hormuz closed unless Israel stops attacking its proxy, Hezbollah, in the region. However, U.S. and Israeli diplomats deny that the ceasefire with the Iranian Islamic regime applies to Netanyahu's ground offensive against Lebanon. New evidence reveals deep pro-abortion bias at Biden's DOJ A nearly 60-page report from the Trump Department of Justice contains “evidence of collusion and unethical behavior” between the Biden-era DOJ and pro-abortion entities, including the National Abortion Federation, reports LifeSiteNews.com. According to MS Now, formerly known as MSNBC, the draft says, “Upon assuming office, the Biden DOJ shattered the public's trust by weaponizing the [Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994] to advance a pro-abortion agenda, and the DOJ's Civil Rights Division was at the forefront of this weaponization.” Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, who has seen the evidence on which the report was based, spoke to LifeSiteNews after the leak of the document. Terry told LifeSite that he and Terrisa Bukovinac, founder of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, were granted access to the unredacted records on March 4, 2026. Bukovinac and Terry met with Trump's DOJ officials in Washington, D.C., because the documents reference Terry by name and Bukovinac's organization. Terry said the report contains clear evidence of unethical coordination between Biden lead prosecutor Sanjay Patel and pro-abortion groups, including the National Abortion Federation. At the same time, 70 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers went largely uninvestigated and unprosecuted in the months after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The Department of Justice documents include: an email in which Sanjay Patel was helping National Abortion Federation obtain a significant financial grant, Patel allegedly suggested ways to increase prison time for pro-lifers engaged in peaceful activities, to create fear among pro-life activists. 'Gas & Glory': Tenn church gives hundreds of commuters free gas And finally, amid rapidly escalating gas prices worldwide, a Tennessee church recently pumped out free gasoline for hundreds of commuters, reports The Christian Post. Overcoming Believers Church of Knoxville, which has a membership of 1,500 people, held its “Gas & Glory” event on Saturday at a local Thumbs Up Exxon station. They blessed 400 drivers with $20 worth of free gas. Additionally, volunteers provided free T-shirts, candy for children, and invited drivers to join them for worship on Easter Sunday. Karen Swint, a spokeswoman for the church, said, “People need to see us be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us to ‘Go and make disciples.' I truly believe this is the best way to do [it]. We are to be doers of the Word, not only hearers or speakers.” James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” The “Gas & Glory” event comes at a time when gas prices worldwide have been sharply increasing amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel, rising above $4.00 a gallon in the U.S. Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, April 10th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Scripture: Obadiah 1:15-18 Title: The Day of the Lord SHOW NOTES: For encouragement on your spiritual journey, we invite you to visit our ministry website, Discover God's Truth, where you can access additional resources to enrich your Walk with God. NEW! Watch us ONLINE! Click here!The book of Obadiah is a vision from the Sovereign LORD concerning the land of Edom. We might overlook this message because we don't understand the prophecy or because it doesn't seem relevant to us today. However, the truth found in these twenty-one verses can transform the way we live each day.Pride in our hearts can lead to mistreatment and violence toward others. This happened with the Edomites. They were misled by their pride and boasted of their importance and safety, living in a rock fortress.The “Day of the LORD,” a key theme in Israel's end-times beliefs, points to future events. This DAY signifies the time when God's rule is established in human history, and He judges all enemies who oppose His reign. This “day,” then, decides the fate of Edom and other nations that oppose Israel. The day is near when I, the LORD, will judge all godless nations! As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads. Obadiah 1:15 We serve a holy and righteous God, who is the perfect Judge over all. This calls us to follow Him and live according to His commands and Holy Law. Lord, shine Your light on our sins of pride and selfishness. It is our desire to walk faithfully with God. Song: On That Day - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McX9SdQS4mI&list=RDMcX9SdQS4mI&start_radio=1

Episode #1208 He Is Series – Adonai (Lord/Master) — When You Don't Understand God's Ways but Still Long to Trust Him Isaiah 40:10 “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.” The name Adonai means “Lord” or “Master.” It means God has authority over our lives—but not in a harsh or distant way. He is a loving Lord, a good Master who leads, protects, and cares for His people. In this verse, Isaiah says, “The Sovereign Lord comes with power, and He rules with a mighty arm.” I think we can all agree that we like the part about God coming with power. Many of us have seen God's power in our lives. And if we haven't noticed it, it may just be that we haven't been looking—because God is always at work. But the part that says He “rules with a mighty arm” can feel harder to understand. It can even feel intimidating at first. When we read the Old Testament, we see moments where God corrects His people. Not because He is harsh, but because He is leading them. He is teaching them how to trust Him and how to live in the freedom He created them for. For example, in Numbers 21, the Israelites complained and spoke against God and Moses. They had seen God perform miracles—He had freed them, provided for them, and stayed with them in the wilderness—yet they still struggled to trust Him. There were consequences. But even in that, we see God's mercy. When the people turned back to Him, He provided a way for them to be healed. We see something similar in Numbers 13 and 14, when the Israelites were afraid to enter the promised land. Even though God had promised to give it to them, they doubted Him. Again, there were consequences—not because God wanted to harm them, but because He was forming them. He was teaching them what it means to trust Him as their Lord. This is what it means for God to be Adonai. He is not just powerful—He is Lord. He has authority over our lives. But His authority is not something to fear. It is something we can trust. Just like a loving parent sets boundaries for their children, God gives us guidance so we can grow, learn, and live the life He created for us. God is just, and He tells us how He wants us to live. Then He lovingly gives us the choice whether to follow His ways. If we choose not to, there are consequences. Not because He wants to punish us, but because that is how we learn. If there were no consequences, we wouldn't really have free will—God would be choosing for us. The next part of the verse brings so much hope: “See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.” Even though God rules with authority and lovingly corrects us, He also rewards us when we live according to His will. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard… what God has prepared for those who love him.” The verse also says His recompense accompanies Him. Recompense means to make up for loss or harm—to restore. I love this. I love the idea that God restores what we have lost and rewards what we have endured for Him. Romans 8:17 reminds us that if we suffer with Christ, we will also be glorified with Him. We suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him. I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to that. Yes, there may be suffering here, but it is temporary compared to eternity with Him. Trust in the Lord. He comes with power, and He will reward you for your faithfulness. Adonai is not just the Lord over our lives—He is the Lord we can trust with our lives. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening today. Lord, thank you for being a just and loving God. Thank you for giving us clear direction. Help us follow your ways. Help us see when we are about to make a mistake and give us the strength to stop. Lord, you are amazing, and we thank you for all you do for us. We love you and ask this in Jesus' holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I. Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in October 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am the Lord, there is no other. I am the beginning and the end.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

I thought my life was over. Dead. Gone. Never to return. When my husband died from cancer at 33, I didn’t know how life could possibly go on. The future we dreamed about together, the vision we shared, the trips we planned, the dream home we hoped for, all gone. Wiped away in that one final breath. Bible Reading:“Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! … I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.’” - Ezekiel 37:4-6 I walked out of that stale hospital room putting one foot in front of the other, not knowing how I would take a million more steps without him. I was forced to begin again. From scratch. Ezekiel wrote this passage around 600 B.C. while living in exile. Jerusalem had been destroyed. Israel was conquered. The temple was gone. The people felt spiritually dead, defeated and scattered. “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” - Ezekiel 37:11 During that dark season, God gave Ezekiel a vision: a valley filled with dry bones. Not recently dead, very dry. Long gone. God asked him, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel answered wisely, “Sovereign Lord, You alone know.” (v.3) The real question underneath the vision is this:Do we believe God can bring dead things back to life? God assured Ezekiel that He would restore what had been lost. “These bones are the whole house of Israel… I will open your graves and bring you up from them… I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live.” (vv. 11–14) Life can usher us into seasons so dark we wonder if light will ever return. We can find ourselves in valleys that feel permanent. Hopeless. But God is in the business of restoration. After my loss, I began to see my life slowly take shape again. Small pieces of hope returned. I noticed light breaking through. I felt a faint but steady glimmer of what my new life could become. God gathered the broken pieces and resurrected the hope that had once felt buried. He can do that for you, too. When we surrender our loss, our pain, and our hopelessness, we create space for God to rebuild. When Jesus died on the cross, the disciples were devastated. Confused. If He truly was the Son of God, why did they watch His lifeless body breathe its last and be laid in a tomb? A stone rolled over the entrance. It seemed final. Deep disappointment feels that way.Like the stone has sealed what we loved forever. But three days later, resurrection came. Just as Jesus rose from the grave, God can breathe life into the areas of our lives that feel buried. No matter how devastating the loss, when we seek Him in our disappointment and pain, we will begin to see dry bones stir. “After you have suffered a little while, He will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” - 1 Peter 5:10 Resurrection is still what He does. Let’s Pray: Lord, there are areas in my life that feel dead. I carry the ache of things I may never get back. I live with regret, disappointment, and moments of hopelessness. I wish certain things had turned out differently. They didn’t unfold the way I envisioned, and it’s hard to reconcile the dreams I once held with the life I’m living now. But Lord, I don’t want to live in hopelessness. I don’t want lost dreams to steal the joy from my days. I want to see your hand even in hardship. I want to trust that you can rebuild what has been lost. Help me to view my struggles through the lens of Your goodness and hope. I trust that you can bring dead things back to life. I believe that the same God who raised Jesus from the tomb can resurrect the places in my life that feel buried. I want to live with hope, with trust, and with the belief that hardship does not have the final word. You did not create us for a life of comfort, but for a life that reflects Your goodness, even when it’s hard. I believe that You work all things together for good for those who love You. Help me to see that goodness. Give me patience when change feels slow, and restoration seems far away. Teach me to surrender instead of control. Help me to keep bringing everything to You in prayer. And most of all, Lord, help me to live like Christ, encouraging others even as You are restoring me. Thank You, Jesus, for loving me through the difficulty. Thank You for my salvation. In Your precious name we pray,Amen. If you like this podcast, be sure to check out our sister podcast, Your Nightly Prayer - an evening Christian prayer podcast to help you end your day in conversation with God. https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

One in four of us—perhaps even more—have a messy relationship with our bodies as well as with food. What if a struggle with food and our bodies is not a failure, but a place Jesus longs to meet us with mercy? In this tender conversation, deeper stories beneath diet culture are gently uncovered, inviting compassion, healing, and hope. Nothing in our story is beyond His care. Come and begin to receive a kinder way forward. This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation.…..SHOW NOTES:…..VERSES: Isaiah 61:1 (NIV) – The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.Luke 4:18 (NIV) – The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.Song of Songs 2:14 (NIV) – My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.Ecclesiastes 1:14 (NIV) – I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.…..DIANE SUMMERSWebsite:⁠HopeNutritionTherapy.com⁠BIODiane Summers, MS, RDN has had the immense privilege of providing nutrition therapy for folks from all walks of life as they heal from the full spectrum of eating concerns and struggles, to include but not limited to severe eating disorders, chronic dieting and weight cycling, and orthorexia. She has a private practice, Hope Nutrition Therapy, and works virtually with clients all over the world. She has done this work for 22 years and absolutely loves it, as it's an incredible joy to show up for her clients and journey alongside them as they seek healing, freedom, and peace. Diane attends a neighborhood based church, serving on the board and occasionally preaching. She is a believer that we heal in the context of relationship and community. In her free time, you will find her exploring the Pacific Northwest beaches during low tide and geeking out on sea creatures, enjoying coffee from a local shop, traveling to see friends and family, leading Story Workshop and Narrative Focused Trauma Care groups with The Allender Center, dining out on delicious food, hosting friends in her home, hitting the ski slopes, or prepping for her soon to arrive golden retriever puppy who will hopefully become a therapy dog in her practice one day.Diane's Podcast Appearances:The Allender Center Podcast — Food & Body Series ⁠https://theallendercenter.org/category/podcast/food-and-body/⁠The Allender Center Podcast — Food Insecurity: ⁠https://theallendercenter.org/2023/11/food-insecurity/⁠Life Unrestricted: EP 32 – There is hope for healing and achieving a life free from body issues ⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Sv77OBYNMiOQnJ8AuiM2m⁠Impossible Beauty Podcast —⁠⁠Lent, Fasting, & Diet Culture: ⁠https://www.impossible-beauty.com/podcast/lent-fasting-and-diet-culture⁠…..ADDITIONAL RESOURCESHealth At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Linda Bacon⁠https://www.amazon.com/Health-At-Every-Size-Surprising/dp/1935618253/ref=sr_1_1⁠Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) — An organization promoting Health at Every Size® principles and inclusive, weight-neutral care. ⁠https://asdah.org⁠Research:  ⁠https://www.intuitiveeating.org/studies/⁠Substack:  ⁠https://weightandhealthcare.substack.com/⁠…..Don't Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for FreeSubscribe using your favorite podcast app:YouTube – ⁠https://wahe.art/4h8DelL⁠Spotify Podcasts – ⁠https://wahe.art/496zdfn⁠Apple Podcasts – ⁠https://apple.co/42E0oZ1⁠ Amazon Music & Audible – ⁠https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ⁠

Walking with Jesus but missing His way 03/29/26 Pastor Jon Verwey Jesus leads the way in humility, opens the way through the cross, and is the only Way to real transformation. …Jesus [was] leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. — Mark 10:32a NIV …Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. — Luke 9:51 NIV Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame. — Isaiah 50:7 NLT Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” vv. 32b-34 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. — Philippians 2:6–8 NLT “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” v. 38b “…but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”v. 40 …You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. vv. 42b-44 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… v. 45a For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. v. 45 …he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. — Philippians 2:7 NLT His spilled blood, broken body and death became the ransom price that set us free from slavery to sin. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. — Philippians 2:9–11 NLT Jesus leads the way in humility, opens the way through the cross, and is the only Way to real transformation. He has opened the way for you to step out of the exhausting cycle of trying harder but never changing — and into the life you were created to live.

Spring Break Interlude | March 25Psalm 73:3-6, 16-28 | The Strength of My HeartSHOW NOTES: For encouragement on your spiritual journey, we invite you to visit our ministry website, Discover God's Truth, where you will find additional resources to enrich your Walk with God. NEW! Watch us ONLINE! Click here!Psalm 73:3-6, 16-28 3 - I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.4 - They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong.5 - They don't have troubles like other people; they're not plagued with problems like everyone else.6 - They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty.16 – So, I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!17 - Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.18 - Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.19 - In an instant, they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors.20 - When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.21 - Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.22 - I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.23 - Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.24 - You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.25 - Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.26 - My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.27 - Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you.28 - But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.Song: As For Me (Psalm 73) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZp2k7AcHh8&list=RDjZp2k7AcHh8&start_radio=1

Let's go see the meteor shower! Man, when it happens, it's all over the news. It's one of the few times astronomers make the front page. I mean, earth moves into this dust trail of a comet that passes through, and this thing happens about every 130 years. When that happened the last time, we went out at the prescribed time with our trusted binoculars. My son got out his telescope. He found a place where he could get away from as many lights as possible, because at that point we were living near a major city. And others went too; apparently they had read the same stuff we had. And they were in various chiropractic poses with their necks, bending back trying to see this spectacular meteor shower. Everything was in readiness, and they said on the news that there were some meteor fireworks that night. Of course, we didn't see any. Oh yeah, just about show time, the clouds decided to roll in. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Clouds Covering God." Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Joshua 7. After the incredible victory at Jericho, the Jews have lost in a smaller, far less challenging battle at a city called Ai. They'd been told not to take any loot or plunder anything from the city of Jericho or God would judge them. Well, they've just now lost at Ai. Joshua couldn't figure out what happened. It says, "Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell face-down to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same and sprinkled dust on their heads." "What's happened, Lord? What went wrong?" "And Joshua said, 'Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!" Oh, Joshua, you don't know what the problem really is. "The Lord said to Joshua, 'Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned.'" See, God's people had been experiencing God's power; they'd been experiencing victory; they'd been experiencing obvious closeness to the Lord, but something was wrong, and Joshua was thinking of everything, "Maybe it's this. Maybe it's that." He's complaining, "Why can't we see Your brightness any more, Lord?" Feels a little like that night we looked for the meteor fireworks. They were there, but there was something between us; something keeping us from experiencing it. We couldn't see that. Well, God says, "Joshua, get up! You're going down the wrong trail here. The problem is that Israel has sinned." Same Joshua, same Jehovah at Jericho, but God's blessing has been withheld because there is besetting sin. When it is dealt with aggressively later in the chapter, the blessing of God returns. Maybe you have that feeling right now. "Something's wrong. It just doesn't feel like it used to between God and me." Maybe you're not feeling the power and the victory; the supernatural things you were seeing. And like Joshua you're wondering where the blame goes. While you're trying to reason it out, God is saying, "It's sin. There's a cloud that's come between you and Me. You can't see Me. You don't have a clear look at Me because of that sin." Think about it. Have you dealt with the thing that might be causing God to withhold His blessing? Have you even asked Him about it? It could be a broken relationship, a resentment that's slipped in, the return of an old habit or an old way of thinking. Maybe it's a compromise you've been making. Or you've returned to self-managing things that you had surrendered to Him. Or you've been shoving your mate or your family aside or compromising your integrity. I don't know what it is, but the Lord's saying, "That's the reason. That's where the clouds are. That's why you can't see Me." It's the last place you like to look for an answer for what's wrong. But could it be that sin has crept into your camp? Could it be that the clouds of compromise have come between you and the Lord, who once blazed so dramatically through your life? You see, the Lord Jesus is still producing spiritual fireworks. What He's done before, He wants to do again. But those fireworks can only be seen by those who don't let sin block the view.

Let's go see the meteor shower! Man, when it happens, it's all over the news. It's one of the few times astronomers make the front page. I mean, earth moves into this dust trail of a comet that passes through, and this thing happens about every 130 years. When that happened the last time, we went out at the prescribed time with our trusted binoculars. My son got out his telescope. He found a place where he could get away from as many lights as possible, because at that point we were living near a major city. And others went too; apparently they had read the same stuff we had. And they were in various chiropractic poses with their necks, bending back trying to see this spectacular meteor shower. Everything was in readiness, and they said on the news that there were some meteor fireworks that night. Of course, we didn't see any. Oh yeah, just about show time, the clouds decided to roll in. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Clouds Covering God." Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Joshua 7. After the incredible victory at Jericho, the Jews have lost in a smaller, far less challenging battle at a city called Ai. They'd been told not to take any loot or plunder anything from the city of Jericho or God would judge them. Well, they've just now lost at Ai. Joshua couldn't figure out what happened. It says, "Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell face-down to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same and sprinkled dust on their heads." "What's happened, Lord? What went wrong?" "And Joshua said, 'Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!" Oh, Joshua, you don't know what the problem really is. "The Lord said to Joshua, 'Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned.'" See, God's people had been experiencing God's power; they'd been experiencing victory; they'd been experiencing obvious closeness to the Lord, but something was wrong, and Joshua was thinking of everything, "Maybe it's this. Maybe it's that." He's complaining, "Why can't we see Your brightness any more, Lord?" Feels a little like that night we looked for the meteor fireworks. They were there, but there was something between us; something keeping us from experiencing it. We couldn't see that. Well, God says, "Joshua, get up! You're going down the wrong trail here. The problem is that Israel has sinned." Same Joshua, same Jehovah at Jericho, but God's blessing has been withheld because there is besetting sin. When it is dealt with aggressively later in the chapter, the blessing of God returns. Maybe you have that feeling right now. "Something's wrong. It just doesn't feel like it used to between God and me." Maybe you're not feeling the power and the victory; the supernatural things you were seeing. And like Joshua you're wondering where the blame goes. While you're trying to reason it out, God is saying, "It's sin. There's a cloud that's come between you and Me. You can't see Me. You don't have a clear look at Me because of that sin." Think about it. Have you dealt with the thing that might be causing God to withhold His blessing? Have you even asked Him about it? It could be a broken relationship, a resentment that's slipped in, the return of an old habit or an old way of thinking. Maybe it's a compromise you've been making. Or you've returned to self-managing things that you had surrendered to Him. Or you've been shoving your mate or your family aside or compromising your integrity. I don't know what it is, but the Lord's saying, "That's the reason. That's where the clouds are. That's why you can't see Me." It's the last place you like to look for an answer for what's wrong. But could it be that sin has crept into your camp? Could it be that the clouds of compromise have come between you and the Lord, who once blazed so dramatically through your life? You see, the Lord Jesus is still producing spiritual fireworks. What He's done before, He wants to do again. But those fireworks can only be seen by those who don't let sin block the view.

By Mary Lindow   I welcome you to today's podcast and look forward to sharing this message with you!  I told you in my last podcast that had some things on my heart that we're concerning me as well as just observing some of the trajectory of things going on, I guess we could call it “largely in the Body of Christ”, as well as the Lord allowing exposures and allowing things to be brought to light when others choose to not fear and revere the Lord.  When they have no real understanding of how long he gives us before we are allowed to have that brought to light.   In Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 it says, (This is the key scripture I'm using to address part of this message.) “Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him.”   BEING TESTED, STRETCHED, AND RESTRAINED. It's in all of our lives as believers, we face times and settings where there is a feeling of being pulled and tested, stretched and restrained. Often, during these excruciating events, those who avoid personal character development tend to give unrestrained advice, spiritualized platitudes, and often, trumped up words of “so-called” prophetic inspiration to help us not suffer so much!   As we begin to see the Lord's plan in all of this we also come to understand that if we are not first hearing His voice, His heart, His word in the matters that are straining us, nothing any man or woman says can bring the ultimate light of clarity and release!   WE HAVE WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, AND FALL. We all face seasons of change that correspond much like the four seasons we observe yearly. Nothing is more surprising than to have an interruption of what we anticipate to be what is "normal" for an earthly expectation, in one of those seasons. When a sudden ice storm blows in unexpected in the late spring and encrusts the tender blooms on fruit trees and garden plants, we are devastated by the loss of not only the blooms, but also the fruit it could have produced. It appears as if there has been a cruel storm, sent to cause crop failure.   UPHEAVAL. LOSS. DISAPPOINTMENT.  For many listening to or reading this message, you feel as if you have experienced a "Crop failure", perhaps several, and just can't take one more aching disappointment.  Many hearts have passed their tender agonies on to me on paper, in emails and through the telephone.   ANGUISH HAS ITS OWN PERFUME I have also heard the whispers of the voices of darkness try to entice, with wearisome words of worry, paranoia and doubting! "Give up!" they say!  “What good is this time of shaking doing?" "What possible good can come out of believing that there is something occurring that will bring a fresh and healthy  move of God's goodness, when all seems to have stalled or strained?"   In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul lists the works of the 'flesh' (“sinful nature”).   In the middle he mentions “idolatry, sorcery” (NKJV) or “idolatry and witchcraft” (NIV).   THE CONTROL CONNECTION! This is our fallen, rebellious, sinful nature. And if not brutally dealt with - this insidious root can deceive even the Christian believer if he of she is not transparent before God and is in humble, healthy and mature relational accountability to other members in the Body of Christ!  (Not easy to do…but healthy!) But real godly accountability must be vulnerable at all times, wise in listening to advice, and not selective about what things WE want to be accountable for or not.    “Delicatessen Accountability” is not going to bless your life,  and it will frustrate your family and friends to tears.     HUMILITY HAS NO PROBLEM EXPOSING ITSELF. It's a natural outpouring of what is in the heart of a true follower when put under the pressure of the test of exposure.   NOTICE IN THE BOOK OF ACTS THAT SOME BELIEVERS  OPENLY CONFESSED THEIR SINS TO ONE ANOTHER!   Acts 19:18 says,  “Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.”   AND AGAIN IN THE BOOK OF JAMES, ALL BELIEVERS ARE URGED TO CONFESS THEIR SINS  HUMBLY TO ONE ANOTHER, AND ALLOW THEM  TO BE PRAYED FOR AND HEALED OF HIDDEN WRONGDOING!   James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”     So! What's The Definition of ACCOUNTABILITY?  Accountability - noun responsibility."  Liability, answerability :  the quality or state of being accountable;  especially,  an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions   THIS NATURE OF THE FLESH OFTEN MANIFESTS ITSELF,  EVEN IN INFANCY, IN EFFORTS TO CONTROL OTHER PEOPLE!  We feel secure if we can control others. Then they do not threaten us!  They do what WE want!     GOD, ON THE OTHER HAND… …NEVER SEEKS TO CONTROL US. He respects the free will He has given to each of us, although He does hold us responsible for how we use that freedom.   THERE ARE THREE WAYS THE DESIRE TO CONTROL OTHERS EXPRESSES ITSELF:   ☑ MANIPULATION ☑ INTIMIDATION ☑ DOMINATION   THE GOAL IS DOMINATION! People who recognize that they are weaker than those they seek to control, tend to manipulate. Those who feel stronger tend to intimidate.  But the end purpose is the same:  TO DOMINATE -  meaning…. … To control others and get them to do what we want.   MANY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS PORTRAY THIS. Husbands intimidate their wives by fits of rage or actual violence. Wives manipulate their husbands by tears and hurt feelings, and often making them feel guilty for their shortcomings.  Parents frequently intimidate or manipulate their children.  But, alternatively, children can become extremely good at manipulating their parents.   ONE MAIN TOOL OF MANIPULATION … … IS GUILT. Once we learn to recognize the desire to control others as an evil, manipulative force, we will see it at work in many different areas.   ONCE WE RECOGNIZE THESE DEVICES ARE  DISGUISES OF REBELLION, WE REALIZE  THAT IN OUR CONTEMPORARY AND POST MODERN CULTURE  WE ARE BEING EXPOSED CONTINUALLY TO ITS PRESSURE!      This sure gives new meaning to Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that says,  “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers”.  People who are in the habit of using manipulation or intimidation to control others will be taken over by a deceitful spirit masquerading itself in many cloaked forms, often shifting it's present behavior or mask, in order to influence others to THEIR  WAY way of thinking.  This is still a form of evil.  After that they will be unable to relate to anyone apart from these tactics. “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” -Proverbs 28:13   “Then I acknowledged my sin to you,  And did not cover up my wrongdoing. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "- And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”  Selah. -Psalm 32:5     EVERY PERSON MUST MEET THE CONDITIONS FOR BEING SET FREE Psalm 38:18 says “I confess my wrongdoing; I am troubled by my sin.”   ON ONE SIDE, THE PERSON EXERCISING CONTROL MUST REPENT AND RENOUNCE HIS OR HER DESIRE TO CONTROL. ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE PERSON BEING CONTROLLED MUST REPENT OF SUBMITTING TO SUCH CONTROL. (This does not mean necessarily a separation from the relationship… but a healthy detaching from 'being controlled' as the relationship functions.  Fear is at work underneath this structure… fear of man…etc.)   FEAR OF MAN. What IS That? It is obvious that we must fear God rather than man. If we fear man more than God, we will displease God most of the time, because man's ways are usually opposite of God's.   THE WORD "FEAR" MEANS TO "TREMBLE". The fear of man may be evident by someone being overly fashion-conscious, needing to be noticed for their trendy appearance. Other forms of having the fear of man is being easily embarrassed (even when doing right), being quick to defend ourselves (with lies, if need be), the telling of grandiose or constant lies and deceptions to gain honor from others, by pretending to understand when we don't, by giving compliments which we don't mean, by pretending to agree when we should disagree, by avoiding giving criticisms and warnings even when necessary. AND, here's a big one. Gaslighting or planting suspicious seeds about someone else in order to appear more credible or spiritual to peers.  Oh the insidious nature of the flesh!    OBVIOUSLY, A MAN-FEARER WILL NOT ONLY DISPLEASE GOD,  BUT WILL ALSO ULTIMATELY BE CONSIDERED TOTALLY UNSTABLE AND UNTRUSTWORTHY BY OTHERS - BECAUSE HE OR SHE WILL CHANGE THEIR MIND AS SOON AS THEY FACE SOMEONE ELSE.   In other words, the "honor" that they receive is only a momentary acknowledgement for "convenience" provided by their man-pleasing deed.  ➡️ Man-fearers are "used" and then despised. ⬅️ Besides… …WHO KNOWS WHEN A "MAN-FEARER" MAY TURN AGAINST YOU, AND "SLAY" YOU, SO THEY CAN OBTAIN HONOR FROM OTHER MEN OR WOMEN?   Look at the way politicians cave in under pressure due to the fear of man and loosing face in front of the “Big MONEY OR INFLUENCER People”! EVEN if a man-fearer was loved by another, he or she is not loved, but actually his/her “pretended-self” is the "one" that is loved.   WHAT GOOD IS HAVING FEAR OF GOD AT WORK IN OUR LIVES?  PROVERBS 9: 10 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"   The word 'fear" means to "reverence". One who fears God is more concerned about what God thinks than what men think. (ACTS 4:19)  The result of this fear, this reverence is a single-minded obedience to God's Word, and a single-minded aim to glorify God!    A GOD-FEARER IS WILLING TO SUFFER SHAME AND PAIN RATHER THAN TO DISOBEY GOD. (Like Daniel and his friends did. Read DANIEL 3).     THE FEAR OF GOD IS: THE RESULT OF LOVING HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US! Fearing Him because He is constantly watching us,  and  Expecting from Him alone, all our present and eternal rewards.    Since man's ways are usually opposite to God's, there will be a continuous struggle in us whether to honor God or man.   The fear of God is pretty evident in many instances by practicing a godly carefulness regarding being "In fashion and trendy ", having a slowness to be embarrassed before men, speaking that will not only compliment but  will also warn (in a gracious and loving manner, Romans 10:18), having a quickness to defend God's honor, and a quickness to admit your own mistakes. Having a cautiousness to accept lavish and public compliments, and having a quickness to give the glory to God in a humble manner.   SOMEONE  WHO FEARS GOD IS STABLE, PREDICTABLE AND TRUSTWORTHY  He or she will simply obey God's Word and will not change their mind because of man's faces or “undertones of condescension.”   FRIENDS!  WE MUST STOP JUST "ACTING" SPIRITUAL! WE MUST "BE" SPIRITUAL. We must stop concentrating on the outside and start concentrating on the inside. Management experts say that there is no formula for success but God says: "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them,  so that you may flourish in all that you do" (DEU. 29:9).   In the midst of these strains and attempts to distract comes a clear undeniable "Divine Tension" that pulls and stretches the heart of the humbled believer. It calls simply, firmly, and does not lack a depth of confidence and direction. This “Presence” causes a clash with all that seems to be "the way of man" and will not relent.   THE EARTH IS IN TURMOIL! It doesn't take much to understand that the earth is in upheaval, rivalry, and chaos wherever we look. There is a tangible and penetrating "tension" in the events we are seeing unfold every day.  Parallel to this explosion of pure evil and lulling to sleep of many, there is a Divine Course being laid out for those who have come to the end of themselves.     ETERNITY IS IN THE SIGHTS OF THOSE LOOKING TO A KINGDOM YET UNSEEN! The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been preparing a bride.  This is done only through the shaping tools of heavenly choice. The chisel and hammer have been at times brutal and unflinching, yet when the soft hand of The Almighty begins to apply the oil of polishing,  He does it with His own hand as well. He makes it beautiful in His own timing, even though the “Divine Tension” seems as if it might cause us to "snap" under the pressure of His hand, smoothing away the roughness of our thoughts and soul's intentions.   Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”   HEARING, REFINING,  and HEEDING These three words can be hard to listen to at times.  The King of all Glory is training those who have been thrust on the altar of fire to hear from Him as one who strains to catch the song of a bird in distant meadow. It takes the "spiritual ear" and training it to identify even the slightest note or sound, however distant, and to learn to silence the sounds and voices of distraction until the "honing in" on the sound, the glorious sound of peace, finally directs and sustains us with all that we hear. And then, having drunk deeply of the Voice of the Beloved and Divine Counselor, quickly, without the mental filing way of instructions, or the weighing of how much it might cost, we move and heed His mapping out of plans for this appointed time.   Isaiah speaks so clearly about those who desire to honor God fully and who see the world in need of the telling of the good and beautiful truth of the sacrifice that Jesus was for their redemption.     As I read this passage in closing, I would encourage you to speak it as if it was your very own words. Speak them before the Lord and own them, take them to heart and allow him to use you more beautifully and purposefully in the days ahead, more than ever before.   Isaiah 61 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,Because the LORD has anointed me To preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim freedom for the captives And release from darkness for the prisoners,   2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor And the day of vengeance of our God, To comfort all who mourn,   3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion To bestow on them a crown of beauty Instead of ashes, The oil of gladness Instead of mourning,  And a garment of praise Instead of a spirit of despair.   They will be called oaks of righteousness, A planting of the LORD For the display of his splendor.”   Wow! These are such beautiful words!  I just love reading the words of God and speaking them out loud.  Speaking these words to remind myself that this is the voice of the ONE who created me, the voice of the Savior who died for me, and the power of the comforter, the Holy Spirit, the advocate. The one who comes alongside to help! These are the Beloved Ones, and the ones who have loved me and they function in a unit of such glorified deity that I stand in awe that they acknowledge that I am loved and wanted and valuable enough that a life was spilled and spent, that I might have eternity!    I thank you for listening today and I ask the Holy Spirit to speak these words clearly to you and that you would ponder and let them move deeply within you in these days where there is just so much noise and so many good and “not so good” podcasts to listen to.  Sometimes  you just feel like you get hooked on listening to certain threads or certain themes, and I have found myself needing to pull back a little bit and just be quiet, just be still!   You know friends, the greatest gift to a believer is peace in the presence of God, and then rest comes from that.    I encourage you to maybe share this podcast with someone else who needs to hear it! Good bye for now!   Duplication and re-transmission of this writing is welcomed provided that complete podcast source and website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! Copyright  2026 "THE ADVOCATE OF HOPE " ~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com https://marylindow.podbean.com/   If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website and podcast costs,  or  desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts  or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:  ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To:  His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA    Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow  Under the name of - Mary Lindow His Beloved Ministries Inc.    ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status.   We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985.  THANK YOU!

No matter how messy or complicated our story may feel, God is the one who begins, sustains, and completes the work within us. Even in seasons of wandering, failure, or doubt, His grace remains active—reshaping our hearts and drawing us closer to Him. This devotional highlights the powerful truth that we are continually being transformed, and God is faithful to finish what He started. Highlights God Initiates Growth: Our transformation begins with God, not our own efforts (Philippians 1:6). Jesus Rescues: We cannot save ourselves—Christ is the one who pulls us out of sin and restores us. Messy Testimonies Matter: Faith journeys aren’t always clean or simple, but God is still writing the story (Hebrews 12:2). God’s Faithfulness: Even when we fall short, He remains constant and committed (2 Timothy 2:13). Sanctification is Ongoing: Spiritual growth happens over time through Scripture, prayer, and obedience. Renewed Mindset: The Holy Spirit transforms our thinking, helping us focus on eternal priorities. Progress Over Perfection: God is continually shaping us into Christ’s image, step by step. Intersecting Faith & Life It’s easy to become discouraged when your spiritual growth doesn’t look the way you expected. But God never asked for instant perfection—He invites you into a process. Every step of obedience, every moment in Scripture, and every prayer contributes to the work He is doing in your life. This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: You Are God’s Work in Progress By: Emily Rose Massey Bible Reading: “…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” (Philippians 1:6, NIV). A new friend recently asked me, “Emily… how long have you known the Lord?”I wanted to be as concise as possible but also transparent. I explained that I have been coming to grips recently that I was most likely a false convert when I was a teen into my early 20s and didn’t truly start following Christ until the summer after I graduated college. It’s the only way I can seem to make sense of the mess I lived in for six years after my profession of faith, after responding to an altar call at a youth conference.As I walked the aisle at that church, I responded to the news that Jesus died for my sins to be forgiven then eventually ran right back into the same ditch like a dumb sheep thinking I could rely on my own works and not Christ’s finished work of the cross, and God allowed me to fail, fall, and create a home in my pit of self-righteousness and sin for six years. But thanks be to God, that wasn’t the end of my story- the Lord didn’t leave me in that pit because one day, I was rescued. We must first remember that we cannot rescue ourselves out of a pit of sin- Jesus is the Great Shepherd who rescues His sheep. It is God who begins the work in our hearts, turning them from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh, and the longer we walk with Him, the more He will continue to mold our hearts. I don’t believe all our testimonies of coming to faith in Christ can be packaged up into a nice little box with a bow. It’s because we aren’t the author of the story- our Sovereign Lord is the author and finisher, or perfecter, of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Scripture tells us that He is faithful to complete that work that He began in us: “…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” (Philippians 1:6, NIV). Intersecting Faith & Life:You may also have a messy and complicated testimony and cannot fully explain all of what you think the Lord was doing in your heart and when, but I can tell you that even when you have been faithless, God has been incredibly faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). Even when I’m extremely dumb, hard-headed, and rebellious, He is wise, patient, and perfect on my behalf. He doesn’t give up on His children! And just as God is sovereign in salvation, He is also sovereign in our sanctification as we learn to partner with Him in our growth in Christ. He is the one who is in charge of seeing us mature on our walk with Him. The same grace that saved us is the very same grace that keeps us and molds us into the image of Christ, each new day. We will never be perfect this side of heaven, which is why we rest in the finished work of the cross of Christ, but we should be walking in holiness little by little each passing day. One way this occurs in our lives is through studying the scriptures and other spiritual disciplines such as prayer, serving others, and consistent discipleship and evangelism. The Spirit of God guides us into all truth and convicts our hearts of sin. The more we study the Bible and exercise spiritual discipline, the more the Holy Spirit renews our minds. This renewal of the mind helps us to think on eternal matters, and soon, worldly thinking and fleshly desires become less of a temptation for us the longer we walk with the Lord. Our behavior and attitude begin to change, and God gives us a desire to love, obey, and serve Him with fervor! From the moment of your conversion, you became God’s work-in-progress, and the greatest news of all is that He doesn’t grow weary, stressed, or exhausted with you. He will complete the work He began in you! Further Reading: Galatians 2:20 1 Thessalonians 5:23 2 Peter 1:2- Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today’s Bible Verse: “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.” — Isaiah 50:4 Isaiah 50:4 reminds us that God equips His people to bring encouragement to others. The verse paints a picture of someone who listens to God each morning and then speaks words that strengthen the weary. Before we can encourage well, we must first learn to listen. Want to listen without ads? Become a BibleStudyTools.com PLUS Member today: https://www.biblestudytools.com/subscribe Meet Today’s Host: Carol Ogle McCracken

Get your copy of our 2026 Annual Read: Tozer on the Son of God by A.W. Tozer.First Time?Start Here: https://bit.ly/MarinersconnectcardCan we pray for you? https://bit.ly/MarinersPrayerOnlineYou can find information for all our Mariners congregations, watch more videos, and learn more about us and our ministries on our website https://bit.ly/MarinersChurchSite.FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marinerschurch• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinerschurch• Twitter: https://twitter.com/marinerschurch• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinerschurchSupport the ministry and help us reach people worldwide: https://bit.ly/MarinersGive

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  Acts 17:25 NIV “...He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Job 34:14-15 NIV “If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, all humanity would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.” Psalms 68:20 (NIV) “Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  Acts 17:25 NIV “...He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Job 34:14-15 NIV “If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, all humanity would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.” Psalms 68:20 (NIV) “Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

Welcome to Day 2789 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2789 – A Sacrifice, A Savior, a Sword – Luke 2:21-38 Putnam Church Message – 12/28/2025 Luke's Account of the Good News - “A Sacrifice, A Savior, a Sword”   Last week, we continued our year-long study of Luke's Narrative of the Good News in a message titled: “The Nativity Revisited – Love Came Down.” This week is the final Sunday of 2025 – in some ways, it flew by in a flash, but in others, it has been a very long year. Today, we find the newborn Christ eight days old, and he is taken to the temple for circumcision and naming of the child, as every devout Hebrew did. Today's passage is the story of “A Sacrifice, A Savior, a Sword.” Our Core verses for this week are Luke 2:21-38, found on page 1591 of your Pew Bibles. Jesus Presented in the Temple  21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[b]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[c] 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.” 36

We've often said that the Bible has a lot to say about sexuality. But which passages made a big difference in our lives? Bonny, J, and Chris start off the new year discussing Bible verses that helped our sexual growth. Sponsor Every Love Intimates has a great Date Night Subscription box and also sells quality lingerie and single-night date boxes. Check them out! From the Bible 1 Corinthians 13 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:2–10 Create in me a clean heart, O God And renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 (KJV) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,     because the Lord has anointed me     to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,     to proclaim freedom for the captives     and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor     and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,     and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty     instead of ashes, the oil of joy     instead of mourning, and a garment of praise     instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,     a planting of the Lord     for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:1–3 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 Song of Songs I belong to my beloved,     and his desire is for me. Song of Songs 7:10 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 1 Corinthians 7:2–7 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." John 5:3–8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord." Genesis 4:1 I am my lover's, and my lover is mine. He browses among the lilies. Song of Songs 6:3 (NLT) For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. Luke 8:17 (BRB) Resources Love (and Sex in Marriage) Is Not Self-Seeking - Hot, Holy & Humorous "In Bed" (or, Lessons from a Fortune Cookie) | The Forgiven Wife Episode 214: Developing a Theology of Sex, with Phylicia Masonheimer Supernatural Sex: Spiritual Dimension of Libido for Low-Drive Wives • Bonny's Oysterbed7 Thanks for joining us at the virtual kitchen table for another great chat! We'd love for you to join our inner circle by supporting us on Patreon. You can contribute to our wonderful ministry while getting some fun perks for yourself! Check it out here: https://patreon.com/ForChristianWives If you could, leave a rating and/or review so that others can find the show. Please also check out our website and webinars at forchristianwives.com. And visit our individual ministry pages for more resources as well: Strong Wives - Bonny Burns Honeycomb & Spice - Chris Taylor Hot, Holy & Humorous - J. Parker

Luke 2  NIV 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,     you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,     and the glory of your people Israel."