Podcasts about yet god

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 12–14; Revelation 5 Click HERE to give! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this August 31st episode, Heather guides us through Ezekiel 12–14 and Revelation 5. In Ezekiel, we encounter a people who have become resistant to God's voice. The prophet acts out the coming exile, carrying his belongings through a hole in the wall as a sign of what is to come. False prophets continue offering comforting illusions, while hidden idols have taken root within the hearts of the people. Yet God continues to speak. Even amid rebellion and judgment, he calls his people to turn away from their idols and return to him. Then, in Revelation 5, John sees a scroll sealed with seven seals. No one in heaven or on earth appears worthy to open it, and John begins to weep. But an elder tells him to look again. When John looks, he sees the Lamb. Jesus steps forward on behalf of a broken and rebellious world. Through his self-giving and forgiving love, he opens the way toward healing, restoration, and new creation. The sorrow of John's first look becomes the worship and new song of a countless multitude. Today's devotion encourages us to keep looking. When our first look brings only grief, confusion, shame, or despair, we are invited to look again and see the Lamb who has stepped forward for us. TODAY'S DEVOTION: At first look, you might weep. But you need to look again. We look for answers to the judgment that life is sure to bring, the rebellion that is present in every human heart, and the destruction that comes from our own selfish ways. When we take that first look, we may weep because we cannot see an answer. John could not see an answer either. He wept because he recognized that he had no answer within himself. No one had been found worthy to open the scroll. No one had stepped forward on behalf of this broken and rebellious world. John wept for himself. He wept for his people. He wept for the world. But an elder stopped him and told him to look again. In this second look, John would see the answer. And the answer was not what he expected. The answer was the Lamb. The elder said, "Stop weeping. Look." The Lamb steps forward to take the scroll that represents the judgment this broken and rebellious world has brought upon itself. He is not forced forward. He is not pushed or compelled. He steps forward willingly because of the love he has for his broken world and for broken people like you and me. The Lamb is the only one who can answer the judgment we have brought into this life. The scroll was nailed with him to the cross. There, he answered the accusations written against humanity. He did not answer violence with greater violence. He answered it with self-giving, radically forgiving, co-suffering love. That is what we are invited to look at again. Then John is told to take a third look. In this third look, he sees all that the Lamb has accomplished by stepping forward. He sees people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. Countless millions surround the throne, worshiping and adoring the Lamb. So keep looking. When you cannot see an answer through your tears, keep looking. When your first look reveals only rebellion, judgment, suffering, and loss, look again. You will see the Lamb. He alone is the answer you are looking for. He is the answer to your despair and shame. He is the answer to your broken heart and your regrets. He has stepped forward for you, out of love, to do what he alone can do. And then look a third time. You will see that the Lamb has stepped forward for countless millions of others, broken and rebellious people just like us. He is making them new. He is restoring their hearts. He is drying their tears. He is giving them a new song. Worthy is the Lamb. May God enable us to sing this new song today. May he give us eyes to look, and look, and look again. That's the prayer I have for my own soul. That's the prayer I have for my family and for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

This week we'll study Numbers 20:1-13 under the theme “When Leaders Fail.” At the end of forty years in the wilderness, Moses fails to trust God and misrepresents his grace to a new generation, bringing severe consequences on himself. Yet God still brings life-giving water from the rock, showing that even when his servants fail, God remains faithful to his people and his promises.Series Summary: The wilderness exposes what is in the human heart. But it also reveals the unwavering faithfulness of God. Through Israel's fear, grumbling, failures, and blessings, this series will call us to trust God's promises, receive his gracious provision, love him wholeheartedly, and choose the life found in Christ.Fill out our online connection cardHow can we pray for you? If you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here.

What's the fundamental problem with humanity? Is it a lack of education? Poor policies in the public sphere? Why are humans the way they are? In this sermon on Ephesians 2:1–3 titled “Man in Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the problem is much deeper. The problem is this: humanity is dead. Not physically dead––physically, people are very much alive––but in regards to spiritual things, humanity is born dead. Humanity sees no need for God and disregards His word. Spiritual realities are boring to them and they do not find the Bible relevant. As a result, humanity is shaped by the present age under the spiritual realm of darkness and organize their life apart from God. They do not know it because they are dead. The result is eternal death. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that one must know the depths of this problem. As the problem is much deeper than one thought, the solution must be greater than imagined. The delight in the gospel of Jesus Christ comes from understanding this. They were hopeless and dead. Without Christ, there was nothing one could do. Yet God loved them and He has made them alive.

What's the fundamental problem with humanity? Is it a lack of education? Poor policies in the public sphere? Why are humans the way they are? In this sermon on Ephesians 2:1–3 titled “Man in Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the problem is much deeper. The problem is this: humanity is dead. Not physically dead––physically, people are very much alive––but in regards to spiritual things, humanity is born dead. Humanity sees no need for God and disregards His word. Spiritual realities are boring to them and they do not find the Bible relevant. As a result, humanity is shaped by the present age under the spiritual realm of darkness and organize their life apart from God. They do not know it because they are dead. The result is eternal death. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that one must know the depths of this problem. As the problem is much deeper than one thought, the solution must be greater than imagined. The delight in the gospel of Jesus Christ comes from understanding this. They were hopeless and dead. Without Christ, there was nothing one could do. Yet God loved them and He has made them alive. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

God called Abraham to leave his country and go to a land He would show him. There was only one problem: Abraham didn't know where he was going.Then God promised to make a great nation through Abraham and Sarah. There was another problem: they had no children, and years continued to pass.In Week 2 of The Story, John Gunter follows Abraham's journey from uncertainty and impatience to a growing trust in the faithfulness of God. Abraham asks questions. Abraham and Sarah try to help God's plan along through Hagar. Yet God remains faithful to what He promised.By Genesis 22, Abraham has learned something through those years of waiting. When asked to offer Isaac, the son through whom God promised to build a nation, Abraham still doesn't understand what God is doing. But now he trusts that God can accomplish what seems impossible.His answer is simple: “God will provide.”Faith does not require us to know the how, when, or why. It calls us to trust the God who has proven Himself faithful and take the next step He places before us.Scripture: Genesis 12–35; Hebrews 11:8, 17-19 Series: The Story Week 2: Trusting God When You Can't See the WayEagle Community Church of Christ Mont Belvieu, TexasLoving God. Loving People. Following Jesus. 

Today's Promise: 2 Corinthians 7:6 There are times in life when discouragement seems to settle in, and you wonder how you will keep going. But Scripture reminds us that even the Apostle Paul experienced exhaustion, fear, and discouragement. Yet God did not leave him there. He brought Titus into Paul's life at just the right time to encourage and strengthen him.   In this episode, we look at a powerful promise that God is still the God who comforts the discouraged. When you are struggling, you don't have to feel guilty or wonder if God is disappointed in you. He knows your weakness, and He is working behind the scenes on your behalf.   You may not see it yet, but God may already be preparing your "Titus." Someone to encourage you, strengthen you, and remind you that you are not alone.   God is working. Your Titus may be just around the corner.

We'd prefer to fill a storehouse with a lifetime's worth of courage, cash, and convictions. Yet God wants us to...

Tap here to send us a message!Trials can leave the heart weary and the head bowed, raising difficult questions about why suffering comes even when a life is seeking to walk with God. Yet God remains the lifter of the fallen, meeting His people in the midst of adversity and giving strength to rise again. Through every trial, His purpose is greater than the pain, and His grace sustains us until He lifts our heads and brings us through.08/20/26 - Thursday Night Scriptures:Job 22:29

As a landscape photographer, I’m drawn to photos I find online. Recently I came across “10 of the Most Breathtaking Places in the U.S.” A photo of a geothermal spring depicts a massive basin of multi-colored luminescence. A snapshot of the Hoh Rain Forest shows a dense mossy forest that looks like something straight out of “The Hobbit.” A stunning picture taken in Monument Valley, Arizona, could be a panorama of Mars. These awesome images make me think of our awesome God. In Psalm 68, David gushes about God’s majesty: “Sing to God . . . extol him who rides on the clouds” (v. 4). Vividly, the psalmist proclaims God’s power over enemies: “May you blow them away like smoke” (v. 2). Yet God’s sheer majesty and power are contrasted with His intimate love: “Praise be to the Lord . . . who daily bears our burdens” (v. 19). David’s epic psalm reaches a climax with his breathless praise: “You, God, are awesome” (v. 35). In landscape photographs, I find both immensity and intimacy. The sheer expanse of these vistas speaks personally to my soul. It makes me wonder if the landscapes of our world are really glimpses of God Himself— reflections of how He’s both awesomely immense and breathtakingly loving. In that light, maybe today we might look for His reflected beauty around us. Maybe today we might whisper to Him, “You, God, are awesome.”

When someone breaks a promise or betrays your trust, forgiveness can feel far more difficult than simply saying, “I forgive you.” Laura Bailey shares how a broken confidence left her wrestling with hurt and resentment—and how a rainbow after a summer storm reminded her of God’s faithfulness, forgiveness, and promises. God remained faithful even when His people were not. Through the rainbow given to Noah and the ultimate promise fulfilled through Jesus Christ, Scripture reminds us that God is faithful to forgive and restore. Remembering how much God has forgiven us can change the way we respond when others hurt or disappoint us, helping us release resentment and pursue peace while still recognizing that forgiveness does not always require reconciliation. Highlights Why broken promises and betrayed trust can make forgiveness difficult How a rainbow became a reminder of God's faithfulness What Noah's covenant teaches us about God's promises How remembering God's forgiveness can help us forgive others Why forgiveness doesn't always mean reconciliation How healthy boundaries can coexist with forgiveness What Romans 12:18 teaches us about pursuing peace with others Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword 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: The Promise That Teaches Us to ForgiveBy: Laura Bailey Bible Reading:I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. - Genesis 9:13 ( NIV) I’ll never forget one of the first times I experienced the heartache of someone breaking their promise. As I think back to the day my friend gave away the seat at the lunch table that had been promised to me, it seems so trivial. While I’ve moved on from past adolescent hurt, the reality is that the painful feelings of broken promises and unmet expectations are present in adulthood. Unfortunately, the stakes are much higher than eating lunch alone. A breach of confidence can lead to family tensions, severed relationships, and future mistrust of people. As an adult, I long for the simplicity of recess drama, where misplaced trust held little consequence. Recently, a close friend I confided in let slip some details of our conversation to a group of ladies. I’d specifically asked that she keep our conversation between us, and she assured me that she could be trusted. So, when, later that week, a mutual friend sent a text that read, “I am so sorry to hear you are having a hard time; I’ll be praying for you,” my initial response was not one of gratitude but grievance. I was deeply hurt by my friend's inability to keep her lips zipped. However, I decided not to say anything to her, but by my frosty “hello” at church the following Sunday, she knew something wasn’t right between us. She invited me to coffee and apologized profusely for her carelessness; she genuinely didn’t mean to overshare. I could tell that she was sincerely sorry, but even as I looked into her tear-pricked eyes, my heart remained hardened towards her. We left our time together with a hug, and I said that “all had been forgiven,” but truthfully, I was still fuming inside. While we were at the coffee shop, a summer storm came through, leaving a curtain of fresh steam, inescapable puddles, and a beautiful rainbow. On my drive home, I couldn’t help but feel like the rainbow was following me. “I know, God, I know,” I muttered into the air. One of the first stories we learn as children is about Noah and the Ark and God sending a rainbow– a reminder that God keeps His promises. I began to think about the first rainbow. I wonder if, as he looked to the sky, Noah questioned whether God would keep his promise never to flood the earth again. Scripture often speaks of God’s covenants with His people, His first being that He would send a Savior to save us from our sins (Genesis 3:15). We see the fulfillment of that promise through Jesus, and every rainbow we see is an affirmation that God is faithful in keeping all His promises. I began to recall the countless times I hadn’t kept God’s commandments, my word, or broken a promise. Yet God is quick to forgive me and even promises to remember my sins against Him no more (Hebrews 8:12). If God, the creator of the Universe, can forgive my many acts of disobedience, both unintentional and intentional, who am I to withhold forgiveness from my friend? I was stewing over a few misspoken words when my own sinful nature was the reason why God sent His son Jesus to cleanse me of my sin—the ultimate act of love and full redemption. I could forgive my friend because I’d been forgiven, and when I’d been unfaithful, God continued to be faithful. It can be difficult to move past hurt, especially at the hands of someone we trust. There will be times when forgiveness is appropriate, but reconciliation may not be due to the need for boundaries or distance. But let me encourage you: let us live out the words of Paul in Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Intersecting Faith & Life:How does remembering God’s faithfulness to His promises—even when we are unfaithful—help you when you struggle to forgive others?Further Reading:A Prayer When You Don’t Feel Like ForgivingHebrews 8:12 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260817dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The Sovereign LORD declares—he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.” Isaiah 56:8 More Than Expected Have you ever thought of God as a gatherer? Isaiah 56 paints a surprising picture. The Lord is not content merely to bring back the exiles of Israel. He promises, “I will gather still others.” The gathering will be bigger than anyone expected. For centuries, God’s people might have assumed that the blessings of salvation belonged only to a certain nation and a certain family line. Yet God had larger plans. He intended to gather people from every tribe, language, nation, and people. He would gather outsiders, foreigners, and those who seemed far away from his promises. Through the coming Savior, God’s kingdom would expand far beyond the borders of ancient Israel. That promise includes us. Most of us are not descendants of ancient Israel. We were not standing at Mount Sinai when the covenant was given. Yet here we are, gathered among God’s people. We hear his Word. We receive his promises. We call upon Jesus as our Savior. How did that happen? Not because we found God. Not because we were wiser, better, or more spiritual than others. The Lord gathered us. Like lost sheep, we had wandered away. By nature, we were separated from God and hostile to him. Yet the Good Shepherd came looking for us. Through the gospel message, the Holy Spirit created faith in our hearts. Through baptism, God claimed us as his own. Through his Word, he continues to gather and keep us in the one true faith. What makes this gathering so remarkable is that it is completely unexpected. If anyone had predicted our spiritual future before God called us, they would have been wrong. Left to ourselves, we would never have chosen Christ. Yet God chose us. He sought us. He gathered us. So, when you wonder whether you belong among God’s people, remember who did the gathering. The Sovereign Lord himself brought you near through Jesus. The God who gathered Israel has gathered you, too. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for seeking me when I was lost and gathering me into your family of believers. 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.

What is God like? How does who he is impact what we do with our lives? In "Now Showing," we walk through some of the attritbutes of God and why they matter for our daily living. In Part 3, Pastor Zac teaches about the God who provides.God's tests prove and purify your faith, preparing you for His provision.This truth is hard to believe until you experience it. The tests and trials we face are never enjoyable in the moment, but later we can appreciate the lessons learned. When God sends us a test, he always has reason for it. One of those reasons is the same for every trial: to purify our faith and draw us closer to God.Faith moves toward God's provision.When we have faith it causes us to move to places where we receive God's provision. Choosing to put your faith in God does not mean sitting on your hands and letting God handle everything. Putting your faith in God means doing what God wants us to do and leaving the results up to God. Faith in God allows us to make decisions with confidence that God will provide help when we need it.God's provision is found in the person we worship.The most crucial provision for the Christian is the provision of Jesus Christ as our savior. God provided his son for us as a sacrifice in order to save us. Without this, we would be lost forever. Even if God did nothing else for us, this would be enough to make him a good God worthy of our praise. Yet God does so much more for us every day through Jesus Christ.God's provision may come at the last moment, but it's never late.Sometimes it is difficult for us to trust God's timing. In our minds it always better to receive God's provision when we think we need it. However, God sees every variable and every detail. God knows when the best time to intervene is, and he will not intervene sooner. We must remind ourselves of this and learn to wait on the Lord.

God's rescue story in Exodus isn't mainly meant to give us trivia or arguments about geography—it's meant to shape us. Israel begins as an enslaved people crying out under oppression, and God responds not with an abstract idea but with real deliverance: He sends Moses to confront Pharaoh, leads His people out of Egypt, and stays present with them through the pillar of cloud and fire.At the Sea of Reeds, Israel's confidence quickly turns into panic as Pharaoh's army closes in and chaos seems to trap them from every side. They accuse Moses and even long for slavery again—showing how fear can make us forget what God has already done. Yet God doesn't abandon them: He moves to protect them, parts the waters, and makes a way through where there was no way. Israel passes through on dry ground, and the pursuing Egyptian forces are defeated when the waters return. The point is clear: God is the Savior—He has saved before, and He will save again.On the far side of the sea, Moses and Miriam lead the people in song, because worship is a way God's people remember—when life gets chaotic, we rehearse God's faithfulness so we don't forget who He is and who we are. The sermon then connects this rescue to Jesus as the greater Deliverer: He meets us in our bondage, pushes back the chaos, and pays the debt of sin we could not pay, bringing us into God's kingdom now—not just someday.Because of that, church isn't meant to be a weekly show or a social club; it's a community formed by rescue and sent into everyday life. We gather to worship and refocus on God, we connect in relationships that shape our faith, and we serve—especially those who can't repay us—living as God's people in the places we work, live, and meet others. The invitation is to recognize God's presence “in every breath,” trust Him when fear rises, and say yes to Jesus as Savior, King, and Friend who leads us from bondage into life.00:00 - Pre-sermon00:18 - Exodus: God rescues the oppressed01:44 - Church crowd shares favorite water brands05:10 - Breathing in God's omnipresent Spirit07:17 - Exodus: God Rescues His Enslaved People13:06 - Israel's exodus, God's guidance, Pharaoh's pursuit18:01 - Israelites panic, blame Moses at sea.20:11 - God parts sea, defeats Egyptian army27:25 - God saves; Israel keeps forgetting.30:34 - Singing keeps God's salvation in memory.33:00 - Church: Worship, Connect, Serve Daily37:32 - Join God's kingdom by saying yes.42:10 - Post-sermon

“My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!” (Psalm 57:7 NLT) He came from the humblest of beginnings and rose to become the greatest king in Israel’s history. In battle, he was fearless. As a ruler, he was without peer. God once referred to him as a man after His own heart. I’m speaking, of course, of David: shepherd, psalmist, musician, protector, warrior, giant-killer, and monarch. David’s story is one of the most familiar in all of Scripture, and for good reason. David is someone most people can relate to. He was an underdog, someone who was overlooked by others. He was bullied and found himself in situations that were beyond his control. He tried to do what was right but wasn’t above making some really bad decisions. Yet God used him to accomplish some incredible things. And as we look at David’s story, we can get some clues as to the type of people God uses. First, God uses ordinary people. The Lord prefers to work in and through ordinary people to do extraordinary things. That way, the people who witness those extraordinary things won’t be confused about who accomplished them. God wants to make sure that people give credit to Him rather than to human beings. The apostle Paul suffered from an affliction that he called “a thorn in my flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT). Three times he asked God to take it away. “Each time [God] said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now [Paul was] glad to boast about [his] weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [could] work through [him]” (verse 9 NLT). Paul’s affliction made him ordinary, which allowed the extraordinary work of God to be magnified through him. Just as surely as God used Paul’s ordinary affliction and plucked David, an ordinary shepherd boy, from obscurity, He is looking for people today through whom He can show His strength. Second, God uses spiritually focused people. David wrote, “My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!” (Psalm 57:7 NLT). His confidence came from keeping his eyes on God rather than on his circumstances, and he experienced the blessings that come from that kind of faith. God may not give you everything you hope for in life, or He may give you far more than you ever imagined. Either way, your responsibility is to trust Him, leave the results in His hands, and put Him first. That’s exactly what David did. Third, God uses people who are content in Him. As a young boy, David’s primary responsibility was to ensure the safety of sheep. David figured that if watching sheep was what God wanted him to do, then he would do the best job he could. Did he dream of one day doing great things for God? We can’t know for sure, but we do know that David was content in whatever God called him to do. Like David, we are all ordinary people. There’s no shame in that. As long as we’re willing to be faithful in what God has set before us and willing to be content in whatever God asks from us, God will use us. And sometimes He’ll do it in extraordinary ways. Reflection question: How can you make yourself available for God to use? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you do when your circumstances tell you there is no future?Pastor Wayman Mitchell preaches from Jeremiah 29:11 about one of the most powerful forces in the Christian life: hope.Israel was living in exile. Their circumstances looked permanent. Yet God spoke:“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” — Jeremiah 29:11Your present circumstances do not get the final word. Failure does not get the final word. Sin does not get the final word. Discouragement does not get the final word. God is still working.Chapters00:00 - Hope after a shocking medical diagnosis00:56 - Jeremiah 29:11 - future and hope01:55 - Hope begins with God02:26 - God's word brings healing and deliverance02:55 - Faith, hope, and love03:25 - Present circumstances are not final04:21 - Redemption and the slave market05:18 - Salvation as sozo06:11 - Three biblical examples of sozo07:37 - A life stabilized through God's word08:36 - Jeremiah points to a future09:04 - How despair shuts people down10:04 - God gives a future in failure11:00 - Angel Morales' prison testimony11:59 - Believing and speaking forward12:29 - Salvation, purpose, and destiny13:25 - God is going somewhere13:54 - How the devil steals hope15:23 - The thief comes to destroy15:53 - Romans 15:13 - the God of hope16:52 - Tribulation produces hope17:52 - Turning curses into blessings18:48 - God works in us and for us20:00 - Cliff's testimony - a flyer that said “Hope”21:26 - Returning to Jeremiah 29:1122:23 - Laying hold of hope by faithNotesALL PROCEEDS GO TO WORLD EVANGELISMLocate a CFM Church near you:cfmmap.orgWe need five-star reviews! Tell the world what you think about this podcast:Apple Podcasts: Leave a reviewPodchaser: Leave a review

In Week 6 of When God Shows Up, Pastors RJ Ciaramitaro & Larry Loewen explore the story of Gideon and what it means to experience God's peace even when fear surrounds us. Gideon wasn't fearless when God called him—he was afraid and hiding. Yet God met him right where he was and reminded him that His presence was greater than his circumstances. Fear doesn't have to disappear before we can have peace. When we know that God is with us, we can find courage, confidence, and peace even in the middle of the battle. Listen and be encouraged to trust God's presence when fear feels overwhelming.

This week we'll be studying 2 Peter 3:10-18 under the theme “Don't Drift. Finish Strong.” This world won't last, and drifting is always a danger, but Jesus holds us securely and grows us in grace so we can finish strong.Series Summary: In a confusing and compromised world, you don't drift into faithfulness — you fight for it. The apostle Peter knew that believers are constantly tempted to forget what they know, become distracted by false ideas, and grow spiritually dull. Yet God has given us everything we need to stand firm in Christ. In this series, "Stay Sharp," we'll rediscover the truth that strengthens our faith, exposes deception, renews our hope, and keeps us watchful until the day Jesus returns.Fill out our online connection cardHow can we pray for you? If you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here.

What does it look like when an unstoppable fire gets started? In Acts chapter 1, we are brought face to face with the origin story of the church, and it is a story that belongs to us just as much as it belonged to those first disciples. The passage opens with a risen Christ spending 40 days with his followers, not simply celebrating his victory over death, but reaffirming the mission he had always been building toward: the proclamation of the kingdom of God. We are reminded that from Genesis to Revelation, the entire arc of Scripture points to a God who relentlessly pursues his creation, determined to restore what sin had broken. The cross was not a detour. It was always the plan. And the resurrection was not the end of the story. It was the launching pad for a movement that would reach every corner of the earth. What makes this message so compelling is that the people God chose to carry it were ordinary. They were uncertain, they were asking the wrong questions about timing, and they were completely incapable of fulfilling the mission on their own strength. Yet God did not disqualify them. He equipped them. The promise of the Holy Spirit stands at the center of this passage as the answer to every excuse we might offer for why we cannot live on mission. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in every believer. That is not a small thing. That is everything we need.

Welcome to The Daily. We are 7 days away from beginning our next book of the Bible. We are moving to the New Testament, 1 Peter. We are going to discover how to live holy in a hostile world. Go ahead and pick up your 1 Peter Scripture Journal now. And if you are a Project23 donor giving $35 or more per month, this has already been shipped to you. So become a donor and partner with us in Project23. Our text today is Hosea 14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,     for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. — Hosea 14:1 Some of you need to hear four simple words today: It's not too late. Brother. Sister. It's not too late. To return, repent, start over, and come home. That is how Hosea ends. Thank God. After thirteen chapters of warnings, confrontations, judgment, and exposure, God does not close the book with the last chapter of condemnation. He closes it with an invitation. "Return." Think about it. Israel had chased idols. Ignored prophets. Rejected truth. Compromised with the culture. Trusted false gods. Forgot the God who rescued them. Yet God's final word is not, "Good riddance." His final word is, "Return." That tells us something remarkable about God. He is more interested in your return than your ruin. Some people assume God is looking for reasons to push them away. Hosea reveals the opposite. Throughout this entire book, God has been pursuing people who keep running from him. And we all stumble in our run from God. You may have stumbled into: pride, addiction, compromise, bitterness, greed, spiritual apathy, sexual sin, self-reliance, or years of drifting. But your stumble does not have to become your future. That is why this verse is so hopeful.  God is not asking Israel to pretend that nothing happened. He is asking them to stop running. And to turn around and return. And maybe that is exactly what some of you need to do today. The same God who confronted your sin is the God who welcomes your return. And here is what I love most: God does not say, "Return when you've cleaned your life up." He simply says, "Return," Because he is the one who will clean up your life. He is the one who will wash you clean. What you need to do is return. And you can do that right now. Today. Because God's grace always makes an opening for a person who repents. And if you can still hear God's voice calling you, then he is not done with you yet. So if you have drifted, compromised, wandered, or grown cold, hear the first words of Hosea's final chapter as if God is speaking directly to you: Return. DO THIS: Take five quiet minutes today and tell God honestly where you have stumbled, drifted, or resisted Him. ASK THIS: Where have I been running instead of returning? What is keeping me from coming home to God today? Do I believe God's grace is greater than my failure? PRAY THIS: Father, thank you that it is not too late. Give me the humility to stop running, the courage to return, and the faith to trust that your grace is greater than my failures. Amen. PLAY THIS: "We Repent"

Genesis 1–3 reveals God as the purposeful Creator who formed the world in an orderly way, declared His creation very good, and created mankind in His image to live in relationship with Him and steward His creation. Mankind was given meaningful work, marriage, companionship, and responsibility as part of God's original design, with obedience to God at the center of life and flourishing. However, Satan introduced deception and doubt about God's Word, leading the woman to be deceived and Adam to knowingly disobey God. Through sin came spiritual death, separation from God, shame, fear, broken relationships, difficulty in work and childbirth, corruption in creation, and ultimately physical death. Yet God's response to the fall revealed both justice and mercy: He cared for Adam and Eve in their fallen condition, prevented them from living forever in that condition, and promised that the offspring of the woman would ultimately defeat Satan. From creation to the fall, Genesis 1–3 establishes mankind's original purpose, explains the brokenness of the world, and points forward to God's plan of redemption through Christ and the eventual restoration of what was lost. __________ Notes & Scriptures: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/beginning Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com __________    

Episode Summary: Photographs tell the story of time passed. People move in and out of the frame. Babies grow from child to adult. Moms and dad gain wrinkles and gray hair. Just as our physical selves change over time, so do relationships, including friendships. Friendships are one of God’s sweetest gifts, but they can be one of life’s most painful areas of change. Some friendships deepen over time. Some drift and some end unexpectedly. Yet God, our forever friend, remains faithful through every changing season. Quotables from the episode: Friendships rarely end all at once. Most often, they change quietly, little by little, until one day we realize something is different. We may be closer or we may have drifted apart. Our lives may be richer because of the deepening friendship, or we may feel the pain of a lost companion. In honor of National Friendship Day, today we’re going talking about when friendships change and how to trust God through seasons of relational transition. The memories between two friends become a sacred space. Within that space we found safety and belonging. Losing closeness can feel like grief. We grieve a version of life we once enjoyed and found the comfort our hearts needed. We often expect friendships to remain unchanged forever, forgetting that life isn’t static. It’s dynamic. We mature, heal, and find hope. Friendships also change. Sometimes for the better, like gold refined in fire. Other times, they go through the fire and don’t make it out. But not every drifting relationship is evidence of rejection. Sometimes friendships were meant for a particular season, assignment, or stage of growth. What feels like abandonment may actually be God lovingly reshaping your circle, pruning unhealthy dependence, or making room for new connections that better align with where he is taking you. Not all friendships are meant to look the same forever—and that doesn’t always mean something went wrong. Not every friend can meet our every need for the rest of our lives. That’s Jesus’ job and he does it better than any expectation we might place on a friend. Some people are meant to walk beside you forever. Others were meant to help carry you through a portion of the journey. Both are gifts and because of God’s constant faithfulness we can thank him for both. Scripture References: Proverbs 27:9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Recommended Resources: Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everything By Jessica Van Roekel 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 Rev. Jessica Van Roekel: Website / Instagram / Facebook 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 Co-Host: Jessica Van Roekel is a worship leader, speaker, and writer who believes that through Jesus, personal histories don’t need to define the present or determine the future. She inspires, encourages, and equips others to look at life through the lenses of hope, trust, and God’s transforming grace. Jessica lives in rural Iowa surrounded by wide open spaces which remind her of God’s expansive love. She loves fun earrings, good coffee, and connecting with others. 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.

Sometimes it's easy to believe the best about others—but other times, it can feel almost impossible. Maybe we've been hurt. Maybe someone is completely different from us. Maybe we don't know them well, or we've allowed assumptions and preconceived ideas to shape the way we see them. Yet God calls us to love others, extend grace, and be thankful for the unique people He has placed in our lives. In today's episode, we explore what it looks like to see others through God's eyes. Join us for an honest conversation filled with biblical wisdom, practical application, and encouragement to grow in love, understanding, and gratitude for the people around us.Reach out at:unshakenpsalm622@gmail.comChrist the Word Church Sermons - PodcastChurch History by Christ The Word Church - PodcastTruth & Life - PodcastFellow Heirs - Podcast

Have you ever wondered if the hardest pivots in life could become the very ones God uses most? When grief, loss, and unanswered questions reshape our future, it can feel impossible to imagine that anything good could come from the pain. Yet God's purposes are often unfolding long before we can see where He is leading.In this Season 12 finale, Tracie continues her conversation with Pam Triplett as she shares the rest of her remarkable testimony. From blending a new family to walking through unimaginable loss and discovering God's sustaining grace in the darkest seasons, Pam reflects on the faithfulness of the Lord through every pivot. Her story is a powerful reminder that while we may not understand the path God chooses, He never wastes our pain. Sometimes the very pivots we would have avoided become the doorway to a new season of purpose, hope, and ministry.If you know of someone who can be helped by listening to the Abundant Living Podcast, please share this episode with them. Please let us know what you think by rating and reviewing this podcast in your podcasting app! We love hearing from our listeners, whether through comments on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or our Facebook page or by messaging us on our website, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠christianladiesfellowship.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You may also apply to be a part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our private Facebook group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, but be sure to answer all the questions and agree to the group rules when you click to join. You can also email Tracie directly at tburns@immanueljax.org. Thank you for being part of this uplifting and encouraging community of ladies who want to live abundantly for the Lord!

The restoration of Jerusalem and Israel is ultimately a story of God's unwavering plan of salvation for all humanity.In today's homily, Fr. Jim McCormack, MIC, reflected on how Israel—the twelve tribes—became divided, and how exile and deportation caused many to lose not only their homeland but even their tribal identity. Yet God's promise was never lost.Jesus fulfilled that promise by opening the door of salvation far beyond the people of Israel. His mercy is not reserved for one nation or one people—it is offered to every person, to every heart willing to receive it. Through His Resurrection, the gift first witnessed by a few has been extended to the entire world.Readings for August 5th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072926.cfm© 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. ★ Support this podcast ★

Few things are more frustrating than watching our carefully made plans fall apart. Paul arrived in Rome with a vision for ministry, only to find himself under house arrest. Yet God continued to work through circumstances Paul never expected. Today we'll discover why flexibility is an essential part of faith and how God often accomplishes His greatest work through interrupted plans. What if your detour is part of God's purpose?Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside's conviction that God's grace is for everyone, each episode invites you to discover God's presence and activity in your life.

This week we'll be studying 2 Peter 3:1-9 under the theme “Why Isn't God Fixing This Yet?” When God seems slow to fix what's broken, Peter shows us that his delay is not neglect—it is mercy, patience, and perfect timing.Series Summary: In a confusing and compromised world, you don't drift into faithfulness — you fight for it. The apostle Peter knew that believers are constantly tempted to forget what they know, become distracted by false ideas, and grow spiritually dull. Yet God has given us everything we need to stand firm in Christ. In this series, "Stay Sharp," we'll rediscover the truth that strengthens our faith, exposes deception, renews our hope, and keeps us watchful until the day Jesus returns.Fill out our online connection cardHow can we pray for you? If you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here.

In the Gospel today Jesus arrives at a deserted place in order to be free of the crowds and to grieve and pray after learning of the death of John the Baptist. In this compromised human state, he discovers the crowds have followed him, and he immediately begins ministering to them. The loaves and fishes are similar. On its face this offering is much too small and poor to make any difference. Yet God uses this pathetic little offering that the disciples make to feed a multitude. How can we discover and embrace this dynamic in our own life?

Have you ever felt like God could never use someone like you?Moses had every excuse. He questioned himself, doubted his abilities, feared failure, and even asked God to send someone else. Yet God didn't withdraw His call—He faithfully equipped the one He had chosen.In Exodus 4, we discover that God is greater than our doubts, our excuses, and our weaknesses. The same God who called Moses still calls ordinary people today and promises to provide everything they need to accomplish His purposes.

These Are Our People Max Kozak Download Psalm 106,Praise the Lord!Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise?3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them,5 that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.6 Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.Mark Twain famously said that history doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes. That's why I love reading narrative nonfiction. Whether it's Shackleton, or John Adams, there is something uniquely “sticky” about gleaning important lessons other men have learned in the context of hearing their stories. And that's what we'll see the Psalmist setting out to do here, in Psalm 106.Similar to last week, the bulk of this Psalm is another recounting of Israel's history. And the story pretty much picks up where we left off last week. God has demonstrated his mighty power and covenant love by rescuing his people out of Egypt — and now, finally, Israel is about to cross the Red Sea and be on their way to the promised land. But although the story continues, the focus shifts. Psalm 106 has been described as “the dark counterpart to Psalm 105,” because its main focus is on the sin and rebellion of God's people. And we need to see both. Let's pray again, and then we'll jump in.Father, you are a mighty God who shows steadfast love to his covenant people. That was true when you led Israel out of Egypt to the promised land — and it's true now, as you lead us by your Spirit, through your Word. Help us to see and receive what you want to show us this morning in your Word, I pray in Jesus name, amen.1. The Tension: Blessing Belongs to the RighteousBefore we get into the story, we notice that there is a tension introduced in the first few verses that continues throughout this Psalm.After calling Israel to praise the Lord and give him thanks (v.1–2), the Psalmist reminds Israel that blessing belongs to the righteous: “blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.” (v. 3)He then personally appeals to God's blessing — asking that he would get in on the prosperity, gladness, and glory of God's covenant people (v.5). He says remember me (when you show favor to your people). Help me (when you save them). He wants to be included in their prosperity and the blessings of their inheritance.But if you read ahead, you'll say time out, this makes no sense.First, we'll see later in the Psalm that Israel is in exile when this psalm is written. The “prosperity and gladness” that he wants to get in on is far from Israel's current reality.Second, he's just linked God's blessing to righteousness, but the history that he then goes to great lengths to recount reveals that Israel's track record is the opposite of righteousness. And remember, God's covenant with Israel includes not just blessings for obedience, but also, curses for disobedience (laid out famously in Deuteronomy 28). And as we go through the story we'll see that it's the curses, not the blessings that fit Israel's track record.So that's the elephant in the room — the tension from the start is this: if blessing belongs to the righteous, how can the psalmist identify himself with Israel's wickedness, and yet appeal to God's blessing?2. Israel's Dark Pattern of SinThe story picks up in v.6:“Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.”Now, before we analyze the story, it's important to recognize what he's not doing and what he is doing. First, He is not denouncing or rejecting his heritage. It's clear in verses 4 and 5 that he has tied his identity to God's chosen nation. “Ride or die,” he has linked his fate to that of God's covenant people. At the same time he is not hiding their wickedness. He calls sin, sin, no matter where he sees it. There is no protecting reputations or sugarcoating here.It's also worth noting that he is not “taking on” or “repenting for” his father's sins. There is no “group guilt” going on here. Scripture is clear:“Each will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:12)And yet, he's honest enough to see himself in their story. He does not say “well if it were me in that wilderness, man, I'd do better” — the arrogant attitude that C.S. Lewis calls “chronological snobbery.”Instead, he leads us through a hard, honest look at Israel's history, and a hard honest look at his own heart to identify the dark pattern of sin and rebellion that cuts through every human heart. “Both we and our fathers have sinned.”If last week's history lesson was meant to show us: “wow, this is our God,” this week's history lesson reveals the flip side of the coin: “uff, these are our people.”The Red Sea (vv. 7-12)And we see their first failure at the Red Sea. Israel is on the cusp of leaving Egypt. They are about to walk free after 400 years of slavery. God had absolutely humiliated Pharaoh. Round after round, demonstrating both his power and his covenant love through his Judgement on Egypt, culminating in the death of every firstborn, and making Pharaoh finally relent and let Israel go. So here they are — their Fourth of July moment. And we see rebellion right at the starting line.“Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.” (v. 7)Pharaoh changes his mind, the Israelites see the chariots coming, and they turn on Moses and God saying “did you bring us out here to die?! Didn't we tell you in Egypt to leave us alone?”The Psalmist's first charge begins with “they did not consider God's works” — literally, they gave them no thought — “And forgot the abundance of his love.” Not paying attention, and forgetting, are high-stakes moral offenses, when it comes to our posture towards God. Remembering is a reflection of what we value, and God has given his people provisions for our remembering with many rhythms, disciplines, and reminders to reinforce our attentiveness to Him. Take advantage of them! Meditate on his word daily, tell of his wondrous works to one another, teach them to your children!But instead, Israel's forgetting here reveals their disregard for God and it results in rebellion. Yet God still intervened: He split the sea, destroyed the Egyptian army, and brought them out of Egypt. And for a brief moment, “they believed his word and sang his praise” (v.12). And they lived happily ever after … right?No, instead, we see the fickleness of their trust immediately in the next verse.Wilderness Cravings (vv. 13-15)“But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. 14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; 15 he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.” (v. 13)Instead of delighting in the Lord who just saved them, they forget again, and their hearts are corrupted by disordered desires.They had “wanton cravings” for food — literally translates “they crave-craved” food — to the point of putting God to the test: trying to manipulate God into proving himself to them on their terms.There is nothing wrong with their desire for meat, nor with asking God to provide good things we crave. But when you combine forgetting God and disordered desires, our cravings become deadly. Yet God gives them the meat they wanted, and his anger came with it in a wasting disease, where many people died, giving that place the name “graves of craving.”The Coup Against Moses (vv. 16-18)We'll skip over verses 16-18, but basically a group of prominent men, driven by jealousy rises up against Moses in a coup … God intervenes … the ground opens and swallows the leaders alive … and fire from heaven consumes the rest.The Golden Calf (vv. 19-23)Then comes the infamous golden calf episode. Verse 19:“They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. 20 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. 21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, 22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. 23 Therefore he said he would destroy them—had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.”Israel forgets again, and this time the whole nation rebels in idolatry. Instead of worshipping God, their savior, they chose to worship pretty much the most pathetic thing they could find. An ox, (that's a male cow) that eats grass. It was pathetic, but more importantly, it was deeply wicked, and a betrayal of their God. And we see its seriousness in verse 23:“Therefore he said he would destroy them—had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.”After everything from Abraham to Moses, God was ready to wipe them out and start over with Moses. That's the gravity of the situation. And there's no doubt that they deserved destruction, on the spot — ground opening up, or fire coming down. But Moses stands in the breach — a military image: when a wall has been breached, the city's about to get sacked except for a champion who steps into the gap, inserting himself to rescue the people.So what's going on here? Is Moses opposing God? Was God overreacting? Not at all. God is displaying here both the gravity of their sin, while also laying the groundwork for what it will ultimately take to deal with it. God wants Israel to know that the only thing that kept them from experiencing the just wrath of God was God's chosen one interceding on their behalf. And because of Moses' intercession, the flood of God's wrath is held back, at least for now, and without any delusions about what their sin deserves.The Spies Refuse the Promise (vv. 24–27)Then, on the very edge of the promised land, twelve spies are sent to scout it out. Ten of them give a cowardly report that ignites fear in the nation: “giants, fortified cities, no chance.” And Israel, again, ignores God's promise.“They despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise” (v.24).The result: an entire generation dies in the wilderness, without entering the promised land.Phinehas' Intercession (vv. 28–31)Fast forward to verse 28. Israel is now in Moab, right on the doorstep of the land, and they rebel again. This time they join themselves to the Moabites by worshiping their pagan idols and committing sexual immorality with them. So God's anger breaks out in a deadly plague against his people.And here in the midst of this plague, someone again intercedes — but this time it looks a little different. Phinehas (Aaron's grandson) sees a blatant demonstration of rebellion happening openly between a leading Israelite man and a prominent Moabite woman, so he grabs his spear, and executes judgment on both: with one thrust, deals with sin on the spot. And as the text says:“he intervened, and the plague was stayed, and that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever” (v.30–31).“Intervened” is an interesting choice of word. It's that intercession language again. Moses turned away God's wrath through intercessory pleading. Phinehas turns away God's wrath through intercessory action, executing justice for sin on the spot. Both are described as acts of intercession that hold back the flood of God's judgement against Israel, for now.And there's an important application for us here: Confront sin in your life head-on. Do not coddle sin, or it will destroy you. That requires calling sin what it is, and not concealing it. Phinehas confronted sin out of his righteous Zeal for the Lord and out of his love for his people. So confront sin starting with your own heart, and then commit to helping one another confront sin in Life Groups. The stakes are too high for a Minnesota-Nice coddling of sin. Sin dishonors God and when left unchecked will destroy you! Help each other root it out, in love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend.Defiling the Land (vv. 34–40)Fast forward to verse 34. Israel is finally in the promised land. You'd think, after everything they've been through, they would have learned. Instead, once they're finally in the land, they again, immediately disregard what God commands. God had told them to destroy the Canaanites, but instead…“They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them, 35 but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. 36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them. 37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; 38 they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. 40 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;”Instead of obeying God and executing righteous judgement (like Phinehas) to remove the evil from the land, they became just like them. They served their gods, and polluted the land with the blood of their own sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to demons!These are dark, dark verses. It should make us sick to our stomach. And it's an important reminder of the trajectory of sin. It is never satisfied staying where it is. It always drags you further and further into darkness, long before you see it's true ugliness.What's our view of sin? Does it make us sick? There's an ever-present danger of minimizing sin and there are many reasons for this. For one, the world around us celebrates it, and it's easy to grow accustomed to it. But also, because we've never seen the full extent of it's depravity. Don't get me wrong, we've seen enough. But, throughout all of history, in countless ways, God always restrains sin from its full expression. Whatever wickedness you have seen (both in your own heart, and in the world around you), is just the tip of the iceberg. Don't underestimate it. And this Psalm helps us not to underestimate it. They sacrificed their own children to demons! Sin is infinitely offensive to God, and it will keep dragging you further and further into it's bottomless pit.So here they are, the ugliness of their hearts on full display. And God can't stand it. He abhors them. He says “Get Out.” Right back into the hand of the nations to be ruled by those who hate them (v.41).Verse 6 opened things up with “Both we and our fathers have sinned” and verse 43 bookends it with his summary:“Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.”Or as the NIV puts it, “they were bent on rebellion.”This wasn't occasional, nor was it circumstantial. Bent. It's who they are and, if we're honest, it's who we are as well. This isn't just Israel's reality, or a uniquely wicked generation. It's the condition of the human heart. From Adam to us, history rhymes in a dark pattern of sin and rebellion against God.“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)And it brings us back to our original tension: if blessing belongs to the righteous, how can the psalmist (and how can we) who identify with Israel's wickedness, appeal to God's blessing?Well, Psalm 106 doesn't fully resolve that tension. In a way, it is a true cliff-hanger. The main melody of Psalm 106 is Israel's dark pattern of rebellion and the psalm ends with Israel in exile. But even so, there is a powerful countermelody of God's mercy throughout this psalm, most clearly in verse 44 right after their rock bottom moment.3. God's Countermelody of Mercy“Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. 45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 46 He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.”Unlike Israel, who forgets God's covenant at every turn, God never forgets his covenant. The great miracle of Psalm 106 is God's unwavering commitment to his people despite their sin. Time after time he preserves Israel when they deserve to be swept away in his righteous judgment. In every example we've walked through, anything short of Israel's utter destruction is an example of God's countermelody of mercy — his covenant love inserting itself between Israel's guilt and the judgement they deserve.But how? On what basis does “nevertheless” get to happen? God is no less just here than he was when he wiped out Korah's rebellion. So what holds the flood back?Our psalm has already alluded to it twice, both times incomplete. Moses stood in the breach — interceding through pleading, but absorbing nothing himself. Phinehas interceded through judgment — dealing with sin decisively, but only for one sin, not to mention that they were destroyed in the process. These examples highlight two halves of the same tension. What we need is someone to do both. Someone who will stand in the breach in our place, and satisfy God's justice on our behalf.The tension of Psalm 106 and it's hints of intercession both point forward in time to Christ's intercession on the cross once and for all. Romans 3:23-26 reminds us plainly: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”Jesus is God's answer to the tension. The Son of God became a man, lived the righteous life we couldn't, and stepped into the breach for us receiving the full judgement for our sins on the cross. He accomplished what Moses and Phinehas pointed to. He satisfied the judgment that our sin demanded, and displayed God's covenant mercy for all who trust in him. He takes the judgement for our sins, and we inherit the blessings of his righteousness. Intercession, completed.This is what makes the psalmist's plea in verse 47 possible.“Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.”He trusted that God in his mercy and justice would make a way to gather his people for worship and thanksgiving despite their track record. And it's why he can appeal to God's blessing despite his own sinfulness. Every “nevertheless” in Israel's history was borrowed against the cross. Every time God held back the flood, he was holding it back until it could finally, fully fall on his Son, in our place. That was true for Israel, and it's true for us. These are our people, and this is our God!And that brings us to the table.The TableThe table reminds us of where God's mercy and justice meet. No longer in tension, not in some uneasy compromise, but both fully satisfied at the cross.That's what this bread and this cup remind us of. His body, broken for us. His blood poured out for us. Christ took our sins upon himself, and we receive the blessings of His righteousness. We don't come to this table because our track record is any better than Israel's, we come because Christ stood where we should have stood, and declared “It is Finished.”As we celebrate the Lord's table together, this meal is a meal for the members of Cities Church, but if you have trusted in Jesus we invite you to eat with us.If you have not trusted in Jesus, we ask that you let the bread and the cup pass, but let this psalm be your invitation. As Tim Keller notes, you are more sinful than you know, and more loved than you imagine. Trust in Jesus today.

Do you ever feel God hasn't acted in time? We all have! Yet God is never eary or never late to act. A lesson we all need to learn.

By Rudolph Rangel III - Our past mistakes and failures can leave lasting scars that often carry shame and regret, even after repentance. Yet God does not want us to be defined by those wounds.

Why does God allow suffering? This is not merely a theological question. It is often asked through tears, sickness, loss, betrayal, loneliness, and deep disappointment. In this episode, Dave Jenkins explains that suffering exists because we live in a world affected by the fall. Yet God is neither absent nor powerless in the suffering of His people. He remains sovereign, present, good, and near to the brokenhearted. Scripture teaches that God uses trials to refine our faith, deepen our dependence upon Him, produce steadfastness, and conform us to the image of Christ. The cross provides the greatest example of suffering with purpose, as Jesus suffered to accomplish the redemption of His people. Christians may not receive an explanation for every painful circumstance, but they are never left without hope. God is at work even when His purposes cannot yet be seen. For more from Contending for the Word Q&A please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-qa/

This week, we'll be studying 2 Peter 2:1-3 under the theme “Not Everything That Sounds Spiritual Is True.” False teaching thrives by appealing to what our fallen hearts want to believe, but God's Word keeps us anchored in the saving truth of Jesus.Series Summary: In a confusing and compromised world, you don't drift into faithfulness — you fight for it. The apostle Peter knew that believers are constantly tempted to forget what they know, become distracted by false ideas, and grow spiritually dull. Yet God has given us everything we need to stand firm in Christ. In this series, "Stay Sharp," we'll rediscover the truth that strengthens our faith, exposes deception, renews our hope, and keeps us watchful until the day Jesus returns.Fill out our online connection cardHow can we pray for you? If you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here.

Send us Fan MailRELENTLESSPart 2 | The God Of Another ChanceSenior Pastor Keith StewartJuly 26, 2026Have you ever wondered if God still listens when the mess you're in is entirely your own fault? Jonah wasn't running toward God—he was running away. Even after God rescued him, his heart still had a long way to go. Yet God refused to give up on him. This weekend in RELENTLESS: The God Who Won't Give Up on People, we'll look beyond the famous fish to discover the real miracle of Jonah chapter 2. What if God's greatest work isn't simply rescuing us from our circumstances—but patiently transforming us through grace upon grace? If you've ever struggled with failure, self-righteousness, or wondered whether God could still use someone like you, this message is for you. Join us this Sunday at Springcreek Church or watch online. You may discover that you've been living inside Jonah's story longer than you realized.Discussion Questions Have you ever been absolutely convinced you were right, only to discover later that you had completely misunderstood the situation? What happened? Digging Into the Passage 1. Read Jonah 2 aloud together. What stands out to you after hearing the sermon that you may never have noticed before? 2. Jonah repeatedly thanks God for rescuing him, yet never explicitly confesses his rebellion. Why do you think that omission is significant?3. Compare Jonah's prayer with Psalm 51 or Psalm 32. What differences do you notice between David's prayers and Jonah's? 4. The sermon suggested that Jonah stopped running because he couldn't run anymore—not because his heart had fully changed. Have you ever obeyed God before your heart completely caught up? What did that experience teach you? Applying the Message 5. The sermon said: "The greatest miracle in Jonah chapter 2 isn't that a fish keeps a man alive. It's that God keeps loving a prophet who still doesn't love what God loves." How does that statement change the way you think about grace? 6. Why do you think it's often easier to recognize other people's sins than our own? 7. Jonah could receive grace but struggled to extend it. Why is that such a common struggle for religious people? 8. The sermon suggested this progression: Repentance → Grace → Transformation (what we expect)         vs.         Grace → more Grace → still more Grace → eventuallyTransformationHow has your own spiritual journey reflected that second pattern?Personal Reflection Pastor Keith shared that after nearly fifty years of ministry, he continues to discover how relentless God's grace has been throughout his life. Looking back over your own story, where can you now see God's grace pursuing you—even before you fully understood it? Is there an area of your life where you're more like Jonah than you'd like to admit? What would it look like to pray, "Lord, show me the truth about myself"? Close by sharing one way you've experienced God's grace recently and pray that God would help each person become not only a recipient of grace but also someone through whom that grace "spills over" into the lives of others.

Audio Transcript Beautiful singing. So I've not met you. My name is Aaron, and I'm the preaching pastor here and glad that you're with us today, this last Sunday of July. And so if you have a bow with you, if you'd open up to the book of Exodus today, our texture study is going to come from Exodus 12, verses 21 through 28. Although we're going to be spending our time in all of Exodus 12, this will be our primary spot is 2128. And if you don't have a Bible with you, if you're not, there are Bibles scattered throughout the pews. If you want to find your way to Exodus, essentially on page 31, our text, if you want to open there, and then as you open your Bibles, please do keep them open. And so if you're visiting with us, so we do a style of preaching called expository preaching. And so we're going to spend a lot of our time just in the text and kind of throughout the sermon. I'm going to be pointing us back to the text. And so I want us all to see what comes from the text. And so please do keep the Bible open. So Exodus 12:21 through 28. So please hear the words of our God. And then I'm going to pray and then we'll get to work. So the Bible says that Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin. Touch the lentil and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of the house until the morning, for Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians. And we seize the blood on the lintel and on two doorposts. Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter into your home and your houses to strike you. You shall observe this right as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come into the land that the Lord will give you as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, what do you mean by this service? You shall say, is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover. For he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians, but spared our houses when people bowed their heads and worshiped, then the people of Israel went and did so as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. So they did. That's God's word for us this morning. Would you please pray with me? Lord, we're here because we want to hear from your word. Lord, we know that your word tells us that through the folly of preaching that you indeed do speak. You speak through your word, through the power of your holy spirit. And so God, in this time, that is our desire, that is our ask, that is our request indeed, that you would speak. God, please keep me from error. Please keep me from stumbling. Help me to speak only that which is true. Please help the congregation just have good listening ears to hear what your spirit is saying to us today. Pray this out in Jesus name. Amen. So this morning, as we gather together, we do so. It's a slight detour what we had planned at the start of our summer preaching schedule. So at the start of our summer, the original plan was to have this sermon series that we've had been working through in Exodus. The sermon is the beginning part of the life of Moses. And we're up to the plan was to the start of chapter seven, which is where we were last week, as Moses and his brother Aaron approached Pharaoh for the second time to tell Pharaoh to let God's people go, as Pharaoh was holding God's people in bondage as slaves. From there, then the original plan, starting this week, and to go back into our study of the Gospel of Luke, which is a study that we've been working through for some time. However, today, and actually the next few weeks, there's going to be a little bit of a detour from that plan, which the detour has actually been on my mind for, I guess, a few weeks now, particularly when I was away on vacation, where I thought it'd be good for us as a church just to spend a little bit more time in the life of Moses, doing so in ways that relate to our church pillars, which you can see in the banners behind me. Worship, connect, grow and go. And I thought it'd be good for us to do this again just for a few reasons. So, first, we haven't done this in a while. So it's been actually well over a year since the last time we took time to, like, intentionally think through our church pillars in a sermon context. So we're probably due to do this again. Second, the fall approaching typically brings a little bit busier time in church life. So I actually thought it might be good for us to maybe refocus a bit as a church before things get busier. Third, as a church, it's actually really easy to detour on the things that God would have us to do. So we know this, the busyness of life, the challenges of life, the disappointments in life, the frustrations in life, the false hope of life, even sometimes like the successes of life, which we'll be talking about more just a bit. These things all have a way of, like, detouring us from the things that God would have us to do. So I thought it'd be good for us just to refocus a bit, to hopefully stay focused on the things that God would have us to do. Which, by the way, the reality of losing focus, being distracted, forgetting the things that God has done, things that God would have us to do. This is actually very present in our passage today where we see in the text today, God instituted things within, like the calendar, as a means to help his people actively remember, to help them to not, like, detour away from him, the things that he would have them to do and not do. So starting today and over the next couple weeks, what we're gonna do is continue to look at Exodus stories about Moses. I think give maybe some fleshing out of our four church pillars that hopefully we can learn from and apply to our own lives. So today, from our text, the primary pillar we're going to focus on is that of worship, which for us not only is our first pillar, but this is the most important and most Central of the 4. This is the pillar that actually meant to be like, the fuel, the motivation that leads into the other three pillars. Now, before we get into the heart of our passage today, just for a few moments, let me just remind us where we left off last week in chapter seven. And after that, I was going to give you some, like, flyby details in Exodus and what happened from that passage where we left last week in chapter seven to our text in our today in chapter 12. So just where we left off last week, we started that first. So as mentioned for a second time, Moses and his brother Aaron, who was like a prophet to Moses, went before Pharaoh to tell Pharaoh yet again, for a second time to let God's people go, where they also performed a miracle before Pharaoh, turning a staff into a great serpent. Whereas when last week, as Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh, God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. So for a second time, Pharaoh refused to listen to Moses and refused to let God's people go, which we talked about a lot last week. This had to be, at least in some ways, if not a lot of ways, hard for Moses to grasp and accept. I mean, God already had promised to free his people God even told Moses that he was going to be the deliverer. Moses is now doing the very thing God would have him to do. However, at least not yet. In chapter seven, freedom did not come. So one of the things we talked about a lot last week, for Moses, this had to be hard for him to grasp and accept. In this reality. This actually is true for much of his life, where often Moses would do the very thing God would have him to do, instruct him to do, only for the things to not work out in ways that Moses necessarily would want him to do, where over and over again, at least in the moment, things did not work out the way Moses hoped. And for us, this actually is part of the reality of our faith. Yes, we can do the right things, the very things that we know God would have us to do, but according to his secret will, things might not work out, at least not according to the timeline that we might have. That's where we were beginning of chapter seven last week. And then from there, over the next few chapters, which maybe you can read through this week, we see almost like this cyclical pattern on display where the Lord would continue to send Moses, his brother Aaron before Pharaoh, where Moses would continue to tell Pharaoh to let God's people go, where that message would be accompanied by signs and wonders. Yet God would continue to harden the heart of Pharaoh as Pharaoh refused to let God's people go. He even though in the cycle, even though there's these great signs and wonders, even though God did all these things, Pharaoh would still refuse to let God's people go. Now, if you've read through Exodus before, you remember that these series of signs and wonders were found in a series of plagues of judgment on Egypt. Was there a series of plagues that not only testified to God's power and God's glory, but it does seem, although this is debatable, it does seem that with each of these plagues, which were 10, that each of these God was like systematically defeating the many gods of Egypt. Let me just give you a few examples on this. So the first plague, you may remember, this is the Nile river turning to blood. And this seemed to be the Lord taking an attack on the Egyptian God who, like, watched over the Nile. Then the second plague involved, like frogs, like, overfilling the land of Egypt. And it seemed like this is the Lord, like, attacking Egyptian fertility God, who was resented as a frog dropping down, like to the ninth plague, which involved darkness over the land. This seemed to be the Lord attacking, defeating Ra, the Egyptian sun God, and the 10th plague, which we'll be talking about in part in our text today, involved the death of the firstborn of the land, which included the death of the son of. Of Pharaoh, with Pharaoh himself being revered like a godlike figure. As mentioned, there's a little bit of debate on this if this is actually what's happening, but it does seem that if you look at the 10 plagues, it does seem to be a direct correlation between the plagues and one of the many gods of the land. Okay, now just a couple of quick things I want to mention before we get to our text. So if we go back in as it relates to worship, this pillar that we're focused on this morning. So worship was really always at the heart of God. In the Exodus, he would free his people from the bondage of slavery so that they might worship him. And we don't have time to work through all the places that we see this, but really from Exodus 3, where God came to Moses and revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush of the great I am, where at that scene, the Lord also commissioned Moses to be the deliverer of the people. At that scene, worship was at the heart of God so that through his deliverance, through the freedom of his people, they might worship him. And this continues on from like the first time Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh, they commanded Pharaoh to let God's people go. Why? So that they might worship the Lord. Then each of the plagues in this sickle event that continued to happen over and over again, Moses and Aaron continued to approach Pharaoh to tell them the same basic message. The purpose is why? So God's people might be free to go and worship him. So worship is at the heart of Exodus, including at the heart of our text today, as worship is always at the heart of our God. Thus, if we're going to follow our God, worship will be on our hearts as well. Okay, so that is an introduction. Maybe fill in some of the gaps for us. Let's look back at the passage. Our passage day involves, like, what took place right before this 10th plague and the death of the firstborn of the land. Well, our text today details some really important information, not only for the book of Exodus, but really for all of scripture. Because our text today involves the Passover. Our primary text today starts in verse 21, but just give maybe just a little bit more context if you want to look up to some of the details in verses 1 through 20 of chapter 12. In those verses, we see God came to Moses to let Moses, let the people know that they were to get ready. Because the long wait of waiting upon the Lord to free them from slavery, the long wait was about to be realized. Freedom was about to come. The Lord's patient timing had now arrived. In the preceding verses, the Lord let Moses know that this freedom from bondage was going to change really everything for his his people, including their calendar, where from the day that they were freed, it was gonna be such a monumental work of God that salvation. So going forward, that day of deliverance would be the first day of the first month of their new calendars. Making this new calendar centered on this salvation from slavery, which would be a marker that they were to never forget, but to always remember the salvation of their God. Furthermore, starting the start of chapter 12, the Lord gave to Moses some instructions on how this freeing would take place, which I'm guessing is not maybe a way that Moses would have expected, particularly as he witnessed the power of God on display all throughout Exodus. Because the Lord let Moses know that this freeing that he was about to do to bring salvation for his people would actually come through a Passover lamb. With the lamb being like one of the most gentle creatures in all creation, yet all powerful God would bring about his glorious salvation. How through a lamb. And how the Lord would do this would be on the night of freedom, the night that all this things is about to take place. Yes. God would send a destroyer who would come to bring judgment, which is destroyed here mostly as like a death angel. The death angel, yes, would come into the land, would take the life of all the firstborn from the greatest of the land, including Pharaoh's own son, to the least of the land, to even the firstborn of all the cattle. That is, unless the home had a Passover lamb who provides salvation of death and judgment. So in this dialogue between the Lord and Moses, Moses informed on the night that the death angel was to come, the people of God were to enjoy like a meal of fellowship together. A meal that they were to eat in haste, even instruction how they eat this meal, and they eat this in haste because of how quickly salvation was about to come for them. And this meal was centered on this, on this Passover lamb, which was a lamb that was to be a lamb without spot and blemish. This guy's people fellowshipped around this lamb. They were to take the blood from the lamb and cover the sides of the front door with the blood. So on the night that the death angel came, as they saw the death angel saw the blood of the lamb, death would pass over the home. So God's people not only could be saved from judgment, but through the blood they would be set free to eternal or to a land that is to come, which we'll talk about more in just a bit. By the way, let me also mention the yearly calendars not only were to mark this night of the passover lambs, the calendar to mark the start of the calendar, mark this night, but in the beginning of chapter 12, going forward each year, God's people, from generation to generation were to continue to celebrate this Passover meal together so that they would actively remember that which the Lord had done for them and how salvation was found through the blood of the lamb. So in a very real way, on that night, the Passover lamb died so that they could live being set free. And the theme of our sermon today, be set free to worship the Lord. So with those instructions in the preceding verses given to Moses and the Lord, now in Our text, verse 21, if you're going to take your Isaiah, we see that Moses took that which is given from the Lord. So now he can convey that information to the people. So in text we read that Moses called all the elders of God's people together to tell them, hey, this is what is about to take place. This is how the Lord was finally going to free us. Through this blood of the lamb, Moses instructed the elders to go select lambs from the midst of their flocks. In doing so, according to the clan that you are from, as you go to the flocks to select a lamb, this Passover lamb that you're. The Lord then instructed in the text that this lamb that was slain, that they do next is take a bunch of hyssop. Hyssop is kind of like a. Like a bushy shrub. And this hyssop is to act almost like a sponge or a brush by which they would take the hyssop and dip it into the blood of the lamb that was just spilled, that was collected in a basin, our text tells us. And with the blood of the lamb now on the hyssop, they're then to touch the lintel, which is the top beam of the door, to put blood there. And they're also to put blood up and down on the two sides of the door. So in a very real sense, the home would be covered by the blood. And on that night when the death angel came, because of the blood, they were safe. Verse 22, because they were safe in the blood of the lamb, we read that none were to go out of the house until the morning, which for me is probably not instruction. I would need. Right. Death angels, come in. I'm going to stay safely behind closed doors, behind the blood. No interest nor curiosity was taking place outside. But obviously for some, maybe more curious in nature than me, might be tempted to see what was happening, maybe in a real sense, wanted to see death. This is a real instruction for them. Yes, you might be curious, intrigued, what was taking place that night. But you must fight against temptation. You must stay covered by the blood until the morning. Because if not, if you give in to your temptation, you will perish. But in verse 23 of our text, in this last and most terrifying of plagues, for the Lord himself will pass through to strike the Egyptians, those not covered by the blood, but where the Lord sees the blood on the lentil on the two doorposts, the Lord himself will pass over the door. And he will not let the destroyer, the death angel, enter into your house to strike you. Meaning as real and as powerful as death is, this death angel was even death was under the authority of the Lord, where, under the authority of the Lord, death would strike only those who, according to the will of God, were being judged that night, where death would pass over according to the will of the Lord, those who would live as life and death ultimately are in the Lord's hands. Now for us, let's just hit pause here just for a second, just to consider what an incredible and awesome, albeit terrifying night this must have been for God's people. So let's just try to put ourselves in their shoes and just kind of think through some of what has already taken place. So for a very long time, God's people, the shoes they were in were the shoes of slavery, doing hard labor, doing many things that were just not pleasant at all in life, where for years and years they're praying, pleading to the Lord to come and set them free, only for Moses to show up. But as he shows up, he basically tells us, hey guys, I am the answer to your prayers. I am indeed the long awaited deliverer who God would use to free you from slavery. Yet as we remember in our study, as he showed up, chapter five. For God's people, things actually went from bad to worse as Moses approached Pharaoh for the first time. Pharaoh became so annoyed at Moses that he ended up punishing the people by demanding that not only we continue to make bricks as slaves, but going forward, they'd also now have to start to like, collect the straw for their brick making work. And from there, all these terrible, terrifying plagues fell upon the land, which some of these actually affected God's people as well. These terrifying plagues came, and at different points, they actually kind of looked for God's people, that Pharaoh was going to finally let them go, only for Pharaoh to change his mind as the Lord continued to harden his heart to keep God's people in slavery. So from chapter five, when Moses showed up until our text today, which just covers a lot of time here for God's people, this is an absolute roller coaster of emotions, ups and downs, twists and turns, hopes, disappointments, and all of it is leading to this, this one big, awesome, terrifying night where Moses had just let them know through the elders, death is going to enter into the land. However, even through death that is about to come, their salvation would also come. And it would come from all things through a blood of a lamb, as through the lamb, salvation would come through judgment. Now for us to put ourselves in their shoes. Imagine knowing all this history and now getting this message from Moses, from the elders of the clans that salvation was coming through the blood of a lamb. Well, keep going to text verse 24, if you want to take your eyes there. As he got this message of salvation through judgment by the blood of the lamb, we see they also get some more instructions and how it passed down the Passover. And because they get more instructions again here, I think this stresses just how important this passing down was to the Lord. Verse 24, God's people will continue to celebrate this meal each year as a rite, as a statue for you and your sons forever. Meaning this is not just something they were to celebrate on the day they were set free, on that night as they celebrate the meal together. This is something that God's people from generation to generation would continue to celebrate, to continue to remember all of their days. By the way, if you read through the Old Testament over and over again, Scripture actually is pointing God's people back to this very night, this salvation from the Lord as a means to draw them back to worship. Verse 25. On that day when you come into the land that the Lord will give you, which the land that they're being saved too. So not only were they being saved from the judgment, saved from slavery, but God's people are also being saved to a land, a land in the text, a land that God promised to give to them, which we know is a land flowing with milk and honey. And as he entered into that promised land, even then the salvation of God found in the blood of the land, even then this right was to be on their minds, which only continues to stress the importance of this salvation. Where Even then, this rite in the text, this statue, this service, even then is one you are to keep and observe. Now, this here, the Lord telling his people that to keep this service even as they enter into the promised land, this incredible land flowing with milk and honey. I think this is actually the Lord like, maybe already addressing a real challenge that would be before them, which is the challenge of, like, things working out. We're in this challenge. There's a real temptation. When things like work out for us. Do you think that we actually no longer need the Lord or temptation maybe to put the Lord on the back burner of our life? And I do think for us, we know this challenge in our own lives, where, when things are kind of going well, how quickly it is to lose track of dependency, depend upon God. Where, when things are going well, whatever that well thing is, that can quickly become like our priority, where we maybe try to fit the Lord around that priority rather than making him the priority, keeping him the priority for us. Yes, no doubt there are challenges our faith when things do not work out the way that we hope, which say it earlier, this is true for much of Moses's life. But at least for me, from my own experience, there are often more challenges to my faith, more challenges to my dependency upon the Lord. When things are going well, keep going. Verse 26. When the children, the next generation, who are not present on this night, when they say to you, as you remember this Passover, what do you mean by this service? Why is it that we're celebrating this meal over and over again? What's the big deal? What's its purpose? Why the lamb? Why the blood? Verse 27. As they come with you with those questions, you are to say to them, it is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover. You are to teach them that we do this, to remember, to never forget the night that the Lord passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, where on that night he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses. Just a couple quick thoughts on this here. First, the question the children ask. What do you mean by the service? This is actually an obvious and legitimate question here. The generation that came after, they weren't there on that night, they did not have firsthand experience of how God redeemed his people. So it's not like, just like innately, they would have known all this. They would have needed someone to tell them, to explain to them the why, the what, the how that they were doing. They would need someone to come to them with, like, beautiful feet to pass on the Story of salvation through a lamb, which in the context here specifically was their parents. And for us just explaining to the children, this actually is the heart of like evangelism, discipleship. None of us just innately know all these things as you're saying earlier. We're all like on this hell bound race. So we need someone to have to explain things to us, just like someone had explained things to us. So as we learn about the things of Jesus Christ, now in turn we pass down that which we received. And with beautiful feet we explain things to others. We explain all the things that we know that is true and believe about our God and ultimately the redemption found in Lord Jesus Christ. Something kind of tied to this. So there's a phrase, but there's a time actually use, times we actually use here. Basically it says like one generation like believes the Gospel, which is the good news found in the redemption of Jesus Christ. But without like proper evangelism and discipleship, what can happen is the next generation then starts to like basically assume the gospel and then inevitably the following generation forgets the gospel. And this is such a true statement, not only because what we see this in church history proves to be true, but even in the Old Testament people of God, where over and over again one generation would believe, but the next generation would kind of assume before the following generation would just kind of forget about things all together. Only for the Lord to have to do some type of gracious work or maybe some type of work of judgment to bring his people back to himself. So this here in the text of needing to answer the question to the next generation to teach them about the salvation from our God church, this actually is really important. This is something that ought to be a real high priority for us as a church. For us, this is something we can't get detoured away from doing. Back to the text, the end of verse 27, after the Lord gave to Moses all this information from the Passover meal, this discipleship command to teach the next generation. We see the hearts of the people were soft before the Lord. And in the text the people like bowed their heads and they worshiped him, which hold on to this, we'll come back to this at the end. Verse 28. As the people had their hearts soft, soft before the Lord worshiping the Lord, then the people of Israel went and did so as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. So they did. Which here just kind of notice how basically the same thing is said twice in the text. Went and did so, and then at the end, so they did. I think this is emphasis on the obedience of God's people, whose hearts were soft, whose hearts were stoked to worship, where they were joyfully willing to do the things that God would have them to do. Now, this is where we ended our text today. But I do want to finish off the story this in chapter 12, starting at verse 29, if you want to keep going or keep looking there. So according to what God said, at midnight that night the death angel came and indeed struck down the firstborn of the land from the son of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the cattle, where, according to his word, only those who were saved on that night were the ones who were covered by the blood of the lamb. And after this final plague hit, finally, at least in the moment, the heart of Pharaoh softened to the point that he would let God's people go. The text tells us that 600,000 men, not counting women, children, were set free that night, bound for the promised land, where they left actually by plundering Egypt on their way. And as the people of God headed out, they did so still with soft hearts, still with hearts of worship. At the end of Exodus 12 tells us that they desired to obey God to keep the Passover from generation to generation. We're in verse 50, similar to verse 28, to further emphasize the soft heart to follow and obey God. We see in verse 50 all the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded. Moses and Aaron is on that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their host. And that's actually we're going to end in our text today. But before I end, I do want to give you some organized thoughts from this text as it relates to worship and how I wanted to do this. Just maybe try to answer a few questions on like the why, the how and the what of worship. Okay, so some thoughts here. So let's start out with the why. And I do think it's always most important for us to get the why right before we move on to the what and the how. This is really important as a church. We must get the why right of worship. So some of the whys of worship, as I start to answer some of the whys, I do want to mention again, worship was at the center of why God desired to free his people from slavery in Egypt. Now, yes, the desire of God is also one that was tied to, like God's love, where in his love he would do this for his people. This desire of God to free his people also is one that's tied to his promises, where in his word, God promised indeed he would free his people. And we know God is a God who makes and keeps promise. But even those realities are ultimately tied to worship. We're to say it again, throughout the story of Moses that we've been looking at this summer. God would free his people. Why? So that they could worship Him. So for us, why? This is why. This is why we exist, to worship God and why we should worship God. Well, we see throughout Exodus, throughout Scripture, because our God is the one who is worthy of our worship. Because our God is the one who is glorious in all who he is, as the great I am, which is Exodus 3 in all that he does, including his great salvation. And so for his glory, the Lord is calling us to worship. That's a real why of worship. Why? Worship is always at the heart of our God. Why? Because he's worthy of it. Because his glory actually demands us to worship Him. Very much tied to this why worship? This also is our design. So God created mankind to worship him, to keep him at the center, at the priority of our life, where all that we are to do in life, even the roller coaster relied in life. Big things, little things, even little things like eating and drinking, they all are to be done in worship of him, to bring glory to our God friends. That's actually why we exist. This is part of the why of worship. This is where we find joy, we find meaning, we find purpose is in worshiping our God for us as church. This is why worship is not only a pillar, but the pillar, the most important pillar. Where our desire as a church is to joyfully pour out our lives in the worship of our God, knowing that is where our meaning, that is where our purpose is found. However, unfortunately, tragically, sinfully, we know this as individuals, even as a church as a whole. This is something that we can easily detour from where there's so many other things that can get us sidetracked. So many other things like pull at our hearts in worship. We start to worship other things other than God. And if we do that, if we detour from our worship of the Lord, we must be quick to repent, to get this right, to put and keep God at the center. Because if we miss worship, the why of worship, everything else is a house of cards that will not stand so for us. Even this morning, if you know, like the worship of the Lord, if it's not at the center of your life, where any like somehow you detoured and you're trying to put your hope in other Things repent come back to him. Which actually leads the next question relates to a how question. And the how question, I'm not referring to like, you know, some type of posture. Like, this is how we do it. This is how we worship. By this posture, rather the how here, I'm actually referring to, like, how is it even possible for us to come to God in worship? And this actually is a pretty important question for us to know and understand. Because we actually all are sinners. And like Pharaoh, even by birth, by choice, we actually all have hard hearts. And because we are sinners with hard hearts before God, we can't approach Him. We can't come to God on our own because God is like, perfect in all that. He is perfect in his holiness, perfect in his glory. So we can't, like, just like waltz in and try to approach the Lord in worship, like, just kind of on our own. And likewise, it's not like we somehow can, like, worship our way to God. So this is actually important question of how that we must know. So, like, how is it that we can actually worship God as sinners? Well, in the text today, we need the Lord to act on our behalf. Our text today, the Lord acted through the blood of the Lamb, so that his people would be saved from judgment, that the Lord would pass over so they'd be set free, that they might worship him without the blood of the Lamb. They'd been bound in judgment as sinners, rightfully. And for us, as real as the blood of the Lamb was in Exodus 12, as real as it was the salvation of God bringing his people out of slavery, the blood of that Lamb. That salvation in Exodus 12 is ultimately a pointer to a better, more spotless lamb that was to come, an even better salvation. The Lord provided for his people a better Lamb, the Lamb of God, as God himself came to us in the person of the great God man, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world, which Jesus did by willingly, joyfully laying down his life for his people, which he did on a cross where the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, spilled His blood for us, where he died in our place, so that through him, through Jesus, him alone, we'd be saved from judgment. We'd be set free, bound for eternal promised land that is to come. So that through Jesus, friends, that's how we can worship God. It's only through him, through us putting our faith in him, trusting in him, in the blood of his eternal covenant. It's us calling upon the name of Jesus as our Lord, as the One who died for us, only to rise again from the dead on the third day. Which, by the way, is why, as a church, why we say the wooden cross and empty tomb mean everything to us. Because without it, without Jesus being our true Lamb, we would still be in the bondage of sin and there would be no possibility for us to worship God. We can only come to God the Father and worship through him, by the way, because Jesus Christ not only died as the Lamb of God, but because he rose again on the third day, which was a Sunday. Now, our entire calendar is actually marked with Sunday being the first day of the week, which is actually a unique and special day by which we were to gather together as a church body and worship, where we gather together not only to worship the Lord, but we do so in ways that we're sitting under his word, where we sing his praises, where over and over again, we celebrate the new Passover meal, the Lord's Supper, to help us to remember, to never forget what Jesus has done for us actually leads to the what of worship. So what should our lives look like if we're going to spend worshiping God? Well, in the text, the heart of worship, our lives will look like having soft hearts before God. Soft hearts that are like, joyfully obeying all the things that God would have us to do, doing all the things that God has to do, and not doing the things that he would not want us to do. And these things change from being burdens or maybe even options. But when we're worshiping the Lord of soft hearts, all these things now become like the desire of our heart, where we want to do the things that God would have us to do, which is true of God's people in the text. So for us as a church, some of the things it looks like all includes not forsaking, meeting together on Sundays, which is a habit that's easy to get into. But like God's people, we're to celebrate the Passover each year. Now, as God's people, we are to celebrate Jesus death and resurrection. Each Sunday we set our hearts to serve him, to serve others, not out of duty, but out of delight, because our hearts are soft to worship. And I know for various reasons it can be challenging at times, but at the heart of worship, these are challenges we seek to overcome. In our language, this is very much tied to the pillars of connect and grow, to come to be around God's people week after week after. Furthermore, what. What are we going to do if we're Going to worship God tied to our pillar. To go in the text, what we will do say we're going to pass down the message of our faith from generation to generation. This is, this is part of our worship. We're engaging our lives in evangelism and discipleship. Word of a heart of worship. We're explaining to others the tenets of our faith. Centering on the salvation of God found in Jesus Christ is one not only we celebrate today and hopefully every day, but the one that we'll celebrate and worship even as we enter into the eternal promised land that is to come, where forever and ever our worship will be to the Lamb who was slain, the one who is worthy. So yes, today a little bit of a detour of what was originally planned. But my hope is that this detour actually keep us on track on that which is most important to us as a church family, which always starts, always ends with worship. Through Jesus we are set free, forgiven of our sins, bound for the promised land so that we might worship him all of our days and all the way throughout eternity. As I close, if you know, for a host of different reasons, maybe you've detoured in your own life from this worship of Christ. So may the chorus of the song that was actually popular a few years back when I first made Christian, may this song, by the grace of God, be a true of you today. Just simply says I'm coming back to the heart of worship and it's all about you. It's all about you, Jesus. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for Jesus who is the true lamb of God, who came to take away the sin sins of the world. And Lord, this morning we confess again that without Jesus there's no way we could come to you in worship because of our hard hearts, because of our sin. Lord, thank you for your grace and your kindness, your mercy on us to help us to trust and to believe. And Lord, I do pray that today all of us that have hearts to worship Jesus. And Lord, I pray for those here maybe have yet to trust in Jesus, who've yet to have their lives covered by the blood, that today that you would do that in their life, that you would take out a heart of stone, but put in a heart of flesh that is now soft towards you. And Lord, I do pray that you'd help us to keep the worship of you always at the center of all that we do. Pray us on Jesus name, Amen. The post The Passover – Exodus 12: 21-28 appeared first on Red Village Church.

What if the person least likely to succeed was actually the one God had already chosen? Pastor Dave opens this powerful message from 1 Samuel 16 and uses David's story to shatter the lies we've believed about ourselves. When Samuel arrived at Jesse's home to anoint a king, Jesse didn't even bother calling David in from the fields. Too young. Too overlooked. Not invited to the party. Yet God looked past every polished, qualified candidate and said of the shepherd boy, *"Arise, anoint him, for this is the one"* (1 Samuel 16:12). Pastor Dave's unique insight cuts deep: your limitations are real, but your God has none—and choosing to trust your limitations over God's power is the enemy's greatest victory over you. Like a hard drive that must be written over rather than simply deleted, our minds need God's Word to replace the lies we've carried. The call today is urgent and personal: stop counting yourself out, bring those areas of settled defeat to the altar, and receive what God has already declared over you. You are unqualified—but you are *chosen*. Now get up and walk in it.1 Samuel 16 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”4 So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him!”7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.

What if the person least likely to succeed was actually the one God had already chosen? Pastor Dave opens this powerful message from 1 Samuel 16 and uses David's story to shatter the lies we've believed about ourselves. When Samuel arrived at Jesse's home to anoint a king, Jesse didn't even bother calling David in from the fields. Too young. Too overlooked. Not invited to the party. Yet God looked past every polished, qualified candidate and said of the shepherd boy, *"Arise, anoint him, for this is the one"* (1 Samuel 16:12). Pastor Dave's unique insight cuts deep: your limitations are real, but your God has none—and choosing to trust your limitations over God's power is the enemy's greatest victory over you. Like a hard drive that must be written over rather than simply deleted, our minds need God's Word to replace the lies we've carried. The call today is urgent and personal: stop counting yourself out, bring those areas of settled defeat to the altar, and receive what God has already declared over you. You are unqualified—but you are *chosen*. Now get up and walk in it.1 Samuel 16 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”4 So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him!”7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.

[Genesis 37:5-8] One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. [6] “Listen to this dream,” he said. [7] “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” [8] His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.[Romans 12:6a] “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.”God prepares the person before He reveals the ________________.[Ecclesiastes 3:11] Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.[Genesis 39:2-4] The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. [3] Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. [4] This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.What feels like a ________________ may actually be preparation.[Romans 11:29 NKJV] For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.Character is ________________ long before it is revealed.[Isaiah 64:8] And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.[2 Peter 1:5-7] In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, [6] and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, [7] and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.[Genesis 41:15-16] Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.” [16] “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”God is ________________ you for what He's preparing for you.[Genesis 41:41] Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.[Genesis 45:4b-5] he says, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. [5] But don't be upset, and don't be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.”[Genesis 50:20] You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a calling, uncertain about the future, or afraid you weren't enough? In today's Crosswalk Devotional, we reflect on Deuteronomy 31:8, where God promises to go before His people, remain with them, and never leave or forsake them. His presence doesn't always remove our fears—but it gives us the courage to move forward in faith. Just as Joshua was called to lead Israel into the Promised Land, we often face assignments that feel bigger than our abilities. Yet God never calls us to walk alone. He goes before us, prepares the way, provides what we need, and faithfully holds us through every challenge. Our confidence is not found in our own strength, but in the God who never lets go. Highlights: Discover how Deuteronomy 31:8 reminds us that God goes before us and never abandons His children. Learn why God's presence gives us courage even when we feel inadequate or afraid. Be encouraged to trust that God equips those He calls to fulfill His purposes. Understand how Joshua's story points to the confidence we can have in God's faithfulness today. Reflect on how fear loses its power when we remember God is already preparing the way. Find peace knowing your future rests in God's hands—not your own abilities. Join the Conversation Where is God asking you to trust Him in a situation that feels bigger than you? How does His promise to never leave or forsake you give you confidence to take the next step? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/ 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: How God’s Presence Strengthens Our Faith By Jennifer Slattery Bible Reading:The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” - Deut. 31:8, NIV When first invited to podcast, I wrestled with God for some time. I wondered why anyone would want to listen to me when there are so many other great podcasts from which they can choose. What if I was boring or ran out of things to say? But my biggest concern was that I’d make a fool of myself. I’d spoken to live audiences numerous times. People I could look in the face and respond to their cues. But speaking into a computer screen? Learning about all the technological elements felt a bit overwhelming. The more I prayed on this, however, the more the Lord made it clear that this opportunity came from Him. And that changed everything, because I knew, deep in my soul, when God assigns, He always provides everything we need to do all that He asks. More importantly, I also knew He would remain with me each step of my journey. Although that didn’t remove my insecurity, it gave me the courage to step into something that’s brought satisfaction and a lot of precious, prayerful moments with the Lord. Now, I realize my situation was nothing like Joshua’s. God gave this warrior-commander a massive assignment—to lead ancient Israel, a challenging group to say the least, into the Promised Land, an area occupied by powerful people groups with organized armies, living in fortified cities. And Moses, the man who had led them through many frightening situations in the forty years prior and who spoke with the Almighty face-to-face, wouldn’t accompany him. But Joshua wouldn’t be alone. The Lord would remain with him. He promised to go before Joshua—charting the way, removing what would hinder God’s purpose, and preparing him for everything he’d encounter. He also went ahead of His people in the sense that He’d already provided the blessing Joshua and the people needed to possess. Again, God had already given them the land, but they still had to actively take hold of it. They had to cross the Jordan River and engage in battle, but would do so from a place of victory. The Lord would never leave or forsake them. In the original Hebrew, one could phrase this as, “He will never turn His back on you, and He will never release His grip on your life.” He’s made that same promise to you. Intersecting Life & Faith: God is always moving closer, especially when you feel overwhelmed, insecure, or afraid, and He always keeps you locked in His loving gaze. That is why we don’t have to feel discouraged or afraid. Discouragement often rises when we realize something is beyond our control, and we lack the strength, clarity, or ability to fix whatever stands before us. But according to today’s verse, that will never be the case. We always have the power, presence, and provision of the Almighty Creator God with us. He goes before us, works within us, stands behind us, and surrounds us with His all-encompassing love. Fear often follows discouragement—it’s the what-if scenarios that flood our minds when we think about our sense of powerlessness. Faith grows when we remember that we’re not alone, nor must we navigate our problems on our own. We are always held, helped, protected, and empowered by the One who remains with us, fights for us, and has already secured our victory—your victory!—through His death and resurrection. This weekend, when stress or anxiety rise, pause and reflect on today’s verse. Let it remind you that your safety and future don’t rest on your ability to figure things out—God goes before you, remains with you, and faithfully leads you on the best path for your life. Remind yourself that your success and safety aren’t up to you. God’s got you. He’ll never turn His back or release His strong yet gentle grip on your life. And, if you’d like additional encouragement, I invite you to download my free resource: When Fear Hits: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts. Find it on my website’s freebie page. And may you live with the confidence and courage of one who is chosen, called, and empowered by the Almighty. Further Reading:Deuteronomy 31:1-8Joshua 1:1-9Exodus 23:20 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

For a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy, one appointment can open the door to practical support, renewed hope, and the life-changing message of the gospel. Dan Steiner, Founder and President of PreBorn!, joined the show today to explain how the ministry partners with pregnancy clinics across the country to serve women in crisis, protect unborn children, and introduce families to the hope found in Jesus Christ. A Calling Rooted in Christ Steiner's involvement in the pregnancy center movement began during his personal time with the Lord. As he prayed about how his life could reflect gratitude for what Christ had done for him, he became increasingly burdened by abortion and the lives affected by it. That conviction eventually led him to serve at a pregnancy center in the Midwest and later establish PreBorn!. From the beginning, Steiner says the ministry has been grounded in a simple conviction: Christ must remain at the center. Women facing unplanned pregnancies often need medical services, practical resources, and compassionate guidance. But their deepest need, like ours, is the hope and restoration found in Jesus. Today, PreBorn! works with nearly 300 pregnancy clinics, particularly in cities with high abortion rates. The ministry helps establish clinics, provides ultrasound equipment, covers the cost of ultrasound appointments, trains leaders, supports medical personnel, and connects women searching online for abortion information with nearby pregnancy clinics. Why Ultrasounds Matter Ultrasound technology is central to PreBorn!'s work because it allows a mother to see her child, often for the first time. According to PreBorn!, women who receive an ultrasound are significantly more likely to continue their pregnancies. The image on the screen can transform an abstract and frightening situation into a deeply personal encounter. Steiner shared the story of a pregnant 13-year-old who arrived at one of the ministry's partner clinics intending to have an abortion. She believed she was too young to become a mother and had not told her own mother about the pregnancy. But when she saw her child on the ultrasound screen, she began to weep. She chose life, and an adoption plan was later arranged for her baby. The ultrasound did not remove every difficulty she faced. It did, however, give her the opportunity to better understand the life developing inside her and to consider a different path. Caring for Women Beyond the Appointment Choosing life is often only the beginning of a woman's journey. Many women considering abortion are confronting financial pressure, unstable relationships, housing challenges, or uncertainty about how they will care for a child. That is why PreBorn's partner clinics seek to provide more than a single appointment. Depending on the clinic and the woman's needs, support may include maternity clothing, diapers, cribs, car seats, parenting resources, counseling, and ongoing care for several years. This compassionate approach recognizes that caring for an unborn child also means caring for the mother. Christians should never treat a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy as a political symbol or a problem to be solved. She is a person made in the image of God who deserves patience, dignity, truth, and practical help. “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Sharing the Hope of Christ PreBorn! describes its mission as saving lives for both earth and eternity. Protecting unborn children is an essential part of its work, but the ministry also wants every woman and family it serves to hear the gospel. Romans 1:16 is central to that mission: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Steiner recalled one young couple who entered a clinic divided over what to do. The father was pressuring his girlfriend to have an abortion because he feared repeating the destructive patterns he had witnessed in his own family. A counselor placed a fetal model representing the approximate size of their baby in his hand. As he looked at it, he began to cry. He knew abortion was not the answer, but he also felt powerless to become the father his child needed. The counselor then shared the hope of the gospel and explained that Jesus could redeem his past and begin transforming his future. According to Steiner, both parents placed their faith in Christ and chose life for their child. PreBorn! reports that more than 100,000 people have committed their lives to Christ through its ministry over the past two decades. These decisions are not produced by an ultrasound or a counseling technique. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Yet God often works through faithful people who combine truth, compassion, and practical care. Responding to a Changing Landscape Although the legal landscape surrounding abortion has changed significantly in recent years, the need for pregnancy care has not disappeared. The growing availability of abortion pills online means many women may never enter a traditional abortion facility. Instead, they can locate providers, schedule telehealth appointments, and receive medication through the mail. PreBorn! is responding by using digital outreach to connect with women as they search online. Trained team members can speak with them, answer questions, and help schedule appointments with partner clinics where they can receive medical services, an ultrasound, and compassionate support. This changing environment requires pregnancy ministries to pair unwavering biblical convictions with wisdom, innovation, and sensitivity. Behind every online search is a woman who may be frightened, isolated, or unsure where to turn. The goal is not merely to win an argument. It is to reach her with truth and love before she makes a decision she cannot reverse. Using God's Resources to Defend Life Faithful stewardship involves asking how the resources God has entrusted to us can be used to serve our neighbors and advance gospel-centered work. A gift of $28 to PreBorn helps provide an ultrasound for a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy. Donors may also fund an ultrasound machine for $15,000. According to Steiner, a single machine may remain in service for approximately 10 years and produce hundreds of scans each year. Of course, Christians will not all support the same organizations or participate in this work in the same way. Some may give financially. Others may volunteer, foster, adopt, mentor young parents, provide meals, or support a local pregnancy center. What matters is that our concern for life takes visible form. When God's people respond with generosity, women receive compassionate care, families find practical support, unborn children are given an opportunity for life, and doors open for the hope of Christ to be shared. To help provide an ultrasound for a woman in crisis, visit FaithFi.com/PreBorn or dial #250 and use the keyword “BABY.” On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions: I'm wondering about the new Trump accounts for children and whether they're a better option than a 529 plan for my grandson. If his parents open either type of account and I contribute, would I receive any tax benefit, and how would that work? I'm semi-retired, turning 65 in November, and currently have health, dental, and vision insurance through my school job, including an HSA that helps cover medical expenses. Do I still need to sign up for Medicare at 65, even if I keep my current coverage? And if so, how should I go about it? Resources Mentioned: Faithful Steward: FaithFi's Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner) PreBorn! Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship by Rob West Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and Anxiety Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA) FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every weekday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“If God is good and grace is real, why do I still feel badly about my mistakes?” A popular illusion of new Christians is that the rescue wrought for them by Jesus is supposed to save them from any sorrow about their past. In the shallow mythology we clutch, everything about our new life as believers ought to be “peace, light, and joy.” Yet God's Word poignantly asks, “Do you not know that God's kindness leads you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4). Assured at last of God's continuing affection for us, we look more honestly at how often we ignored His love, mistreated others, and damaged our own happiness. That new-found honesty naturally disturbs us, for we see clearly what we previously refused to see. A heart made clean and new by God will also experience real sorrow for the past. As the psalmist tearfully admitted, “Against you—you above all—I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight” (Psalmist 51:4). The grace that saves us also changes us, for real love would never leave us where we were. Embrace the new and better life to which God's kindness has now led you, even through some honest tears. Now stay in grace. -Bill Knott

A Choice That Became a LegacyWhen Mark Scharnberg '97 chose Cedarville University as a high school senior, he had no idea where this decision would take him. Looking back, he sees God's hand at work in ways no one could have planned.Mark recently shared on the Cedarville Stories podcast that Cedarville was the only Christian university he seriously considered. "I can't even tell you why," he admitted with a smile. Yet God often uses ordinary decisions to begin extraordinary stories.As Mark arrived on campus, another story was beginning. Through a connection with then-President Paul Dixon, Cedarville invited Mark's father, Lorne Scharnberg, into conversations about serving on the University's Board of Trustees. A son's college choice opened the door to a relationship that would shape the Scharnberg family and Cedarville University for decades.Mark remembers that his father poured himself into Cedarville more than any other organization. As God prospered the family's businesses, Lorne saw every opportunity as something to steward for the Lord. Supporting Christian higher education became a natural expression of that calling because he believed Cedarville was preparing students to follow Christ wherever He led them.Over time, that conviction became Mark's conviction as well.As he assumed leadership of the family's businesses, Mark wrestled with the responsibility that comes with success. He understood that financial blessings carry both opportunity and temptation. God's gifts are meant to be used faithfully, never trusted more than the Giver Himself.That perspective shaped Mark's own commitment to Cedarville. He chose to invest because he believed in the University's unwavering commitment to God's Word and its mission to disciple students for lives of faithful service. His generosity also reassured his father that the work they had supported together would continue into the future.The Scharnberg family's story offers a picture of how God works through His people. He gives different gifts and different assignments. Some serve from a classroom. Others lead a business. Still others strengthen ministry through generous giving. Every calling becomes an act of worship when it is offered back to the Lord.A young man's decision to attend Cedarville became the first chapter of a much larger story. Through one family's faithful stewardship, generations of students have been encouraged, equipped, and sent into the world for Christ. That is the kind of story God delights to write through people who simply place what He has entrusted to them in His hands.https://share.transistor.fm/s/35e10913https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egjE9QhTTdU

Honor.It's a seemingly forgotten word in our culture. We talk about rights, success, influence, and recognition, but very little about honor. Yet God commands us to honor our parents, honor all people, honor our spouse, honor our leaders, and above all, honor Him. Perhaps the real question isn't whether we know what honor means—but whether our lives demonstrate it. Let's open God's Word and see what biblical honor truly looks like.Send us Fan Mail Support the show

In Let Go of the Fear, guest speaker Lee Grady teaches how to confront the fear that keeps us from fully following and obeying Jesus. Through Paul and Timothy's discipleship relationship, Lee shows how fear, insecurity, and timidity could have prevented Timothy from accepting God's assignment. Yet God had not given Timothy a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Lee shares five practical ways to confront fear: stop overthinking, don't isolate, limit social media, share your heart, and find peace in prayer. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers can receive healing, boldness, and peace as they open every area of their lives to God. Let go of the fear, receive the peace of Jesus, and freely say yes to His calling. The Roads Church - https://theroads.church

This week, we'll be studying 2 Peter 1:12-21 under the theme “Don't Forget What You Know.” We tend to think spiritual growth means learning something new, but Peter reminds us that God often preserves and strengthens faith by bringing us back to the truths we already know—the reliable Word that keeps Christ before us.Series Summary: In a confusing and compromised world, you don't drift into faithfulness — you fight for it. The apostle Peter knew that believers are constantly tempted to forget what they know, become distracted by false ideas, and grow spiritually dull. Yet God has given us everything we need to stand firm in Christ. In this series, "Stay Sharp," we'll rediscover the truth that strengthens our faith, exposes deception, renews our hope, and keeps us watchful until the day Jesus returns.Fill out our online connection cardHow can we pray for you? If you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here.

In Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds, Bishop Julian Dobbs—Dean of the ACNA—reminded us that the world is contested ground where both the work of God and the work of the enemy are present. Yet God’s chief power is shown in mercy. As we await the coming harvest, we are called to seek the wisdom of Jesus in his word, examine our own hearts, come to his table, and faithfully join his patient work in the fields until the day he makes the world whole.

Welcome to The Daily. Partner with us in Project23. Grab your Hosea Scripture Journal. Our text today is Hosea 11:2-3: The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. — Hosea 11:2-3 One of the strangest things about human nature is how quickly we forget who carried us. "The more they were called, the more they went away." God kept pursuing His people, and they kept running. He called them, protected them, provided for them, healed them, and sustained them. Yet instead of turning toward Him, they credited someone—or something—else. People pray desperately when life falls apart. But when success comes, they quietly credit their effort, strategy, intelligence, discipline, or luck. We often explain away the hand of God because self-explanation feels easier than surrender. This is what I would call functional atheism. Functional atheism is when someone says they believe in God but lives as though everything ultimately depends on themselves. We work hard and forget who gave us the ability. We build something meaningful and forget who opened the door. We survive a painful season and forget who carried us through it. Sometimes we even resent the very moments God used to save us from ourselves. I have experienced that personally. Some of the seasons I disliked most—moments of frustration, limitation, discipline, redirection, or pain—were actually moments where God was protecting me. At the time, I wanted God to remove the challenge. Looking back, I can see He was carrying me through something I could not yet understand. That is the image in this verse. A father teaching his child to walk. Holding him under the arms. Steadying shaky steps. Or even a wounded son learning to walk again after injury, leaning fully on the strength of his father. And Hosea says, "They did not know that I healed them." That may be one of the most heartbreaking lines in the chapter. The Father was healing while they went on, ignoring him. We have all done this. We are constantly too distracted, self-focused, hurried, or emotionally numb to notice the quiet grace of God holding our lives together. Then, when life goes wrong, we blame Him. But when life goes right, we take the credit. Yet God keeps taking us up by our arms. That is the compassion of God. So maybe today is not just about gratitude. Maybe it is about surrender. Slow down long enough to notice where God has carried you. Look back at the closed doors, the painful seasons, the frustrations, the discipline, and even the losses. You may discover that God was protecting you far more than punishing you. And instead of taking credit for surviving, succeeding, or enduring, surrender the glory back to Him. Because the God who carried you this far is still carrying you right now. DO THIS: Take ten quiet minutes today and write down three moments where you now realize God was protecting, guiding, or carrying you—even when you did not understand it at the time. ASK THIS: Where have I taken credit for what God sustained? How have I practiced functional atheism in my daily life? What difficult season might God have used to protect me from myself? PRAY THIS: Father, forgive me for the times I ignored your care while taking credit for what you sustained. Open my eyes to your grace, teach me to trust your leading, and help me surrender fully to you today. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Come Jesus Come"

Today's Promise: Ephesians 3:19 Have you ever wondered if you could truly grasp how much God loves you? The truth is, His love is greater than your mind can comprehend. It stretches farther than you can imagine and reaches deeper than you will ever explore. Yet God invites you to experience that love every single day.   In this episode, we look at Ephesians 3:19 and discover God's promise that you can know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God. As you experience His limitless love, His presence becomes more evident in your life, bringing strength, peace, and confidence for each new day.   Join me as we explore this incredible promise together. No matter where you are on your journey with Christ, there is always more of His love to discover and more of His fullness to experience.

When the world around us seems to be getting more and more godless, we may wonder how we can stand on our biblical principles, much less let our Jesus-light shine in an obvious way. Do we have what it takes to grow in our discipleship when we feel so weak? Through Peter, in his Second Epistle, God says, "Yes, because I've already given you everything you need!"Series Summary: In a confusing and compromised world, you don't drift into faithfulness — you fight for it. The apostle Peter knew that believers are constantly tempted to forget what they know, become distracted by false ideas, and grow spiritually dull. Yet God has given us everything we need to stand firm in Christ. In this series, "Stay Sharp," we'll rediscover the truth that strengthens our faith, exposes deception, renews our hope, and keeps us watchful until the day Jesus returns.Fill out our online connection cardHow can we pray for you? If you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here.

A spectator mindset has quietly crept into modern Christianity, leaving many believers watching the mission instead of participating. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar challenge listeners to examine whether they have become passive observers rather than active followers of Christ. The guys explain that there is no such thing as a spectator Christian because every believer has been called to make disciples, serve the church, and engage in the work of the gospel. Too often, Christians excuse themselves from evangelism or ministry, believing those responsibilities belong to someone else. The conversation emphasizes that following Jesus requires action, obedience, and a willingness to step onto the front lines of spiritual battle.The guys then explore how consumerism has shaped the way many people view the local church. Rather than seeing the church as a covenant community where believers serve one another, many approach it with the mindset of a customer evaluating a product. This perspective turns worship, fellowship, and discipleship into something to consume rather than something to contribute to. The guys explain that believers have been freed by the gospel not merely to attend church but to actively participate in God's unfolding story of grace.The conversation also addresses practical barriers that keep believers from engaging in ministry. Fear, social anxiety, comparison, and distraction often prevent Christians from sharing the gospel or using their gifts. The guys discuss how technology has weakened many everyday interactions that help people build confidence and form meaningful relationships. Yet God has uniquely equipped every believer with gifts and opportunities to serve. Rather than comparing themselves to others, Christians are called to faithfully use whatever gifts God has provided and to trust that every member of the body plays a necessary role.Finally, the guys focus on the Holy Spirit's empowering work and the practical steps believers can take to become more active in their faith. The same Spirit who empowered the early church continues to guide, strengthen, and equip believers today. The guys encourage listeners to put down distractions, invest their time intentionally, arrive ready to serve, and look for opportunities to share the gospel. In the end, the Christian life is not about watching others live for Christ but about actively participating in His mission, trusting that God uses ordinary obedience to accomplish extraordinary things.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro