The Bible Speaks To You

04/23/2025

Miriam has something to teach us.

What is your response to people who insist women should not be in any leadership roles in church?

This is more prevalent than you may be aware of. And these folks quote a few Bible verses, sometimes way out of context, to support their convictions.

But the Bible is full of women who were in leadership roles, both in the Old and New Testaments.

This week's podcast episode looks specifically at Miriam and explores how she used her God-appointed role to lead and bless others.

Just as Miriam discovered, who you are and what you are capable of are gifts from God. These are your superpowers.

How will you use your gifts to glorify God and encourage others to do the same?

Miriam is one of many women in leadership roles in the Bible who has a lot to teach us. Even if you're a guy you can learn from Miriam's unique leadership.

04/17/2025

Have you ever noticed how lots of Christians focus on the crucifixion as the basis for their salvation?

But then at Easter, they suddenly start talking about the resurrection, as if they just discovered how important it is.

But Jesus's death on the cross cannot by itself save you from your sins. I know, this is a pretty bold statement.

The whole message of Easter is that Jesus rose from the grave. That should be the focus for the entire year, not just at Easter.

Paul says without the resurrection your faith is vain and you’re still in your sins. So it’s not all about Jesus dying on the cross.

Don't get me wrong, the crucifixion of Jesus is incredibly important, because without it, there would be no resurrection.

As Christians, we need to shift our gaze from looking just through the lens of the cross to looking through the lens of the resurrection.

Then we'll see Jesus's risen glory everywhere we go and in everything we do.

Jesus's death on the cross, by itself, is not what saves you from your sins. Paul makes it clear that without the resurrection, you're still in your sins.

04/10/2025

Have you ever been a stranger in a foreign country?
You didn't speak the language. You couldn’t read any of the signs, you couldn’t understand what people are saying. You don’t understand the customs.
And you felt lost or confused by what was going on around you.
Or maybe you've been in a strange location and felt out of place.
Then, all of a sudden, someone helps you get where you're going or explains what's happening. A simple act of hospitality makes all the difference.
There’s a great need in today’s world to be hospitable to strangers, on an individual and a collective basis, and not just strangers from foreign countries.
We need to be aware of the strangers in our midst as well.

What is the Biblical basis for loving strangers? Why should we even bother? Jesus set the example of how and why. God is empowering you to love strangers too.

03/28/2025

Is there something in your life, at work, or at church right now that needs healing?

What about justice? Have you or anyone you know experienced any injustice lately?

And if you look at what’s going on in the world as a whole, it almost seems everyone is crying out for healing and justice.

What on earth is the remedy to all this?

Well, the solution is never going to come from some government policy or any human organization.

The only real and lasting solution comes from standing in God’s presence, what the Bible calls standing before the throne of God.

You don't have to wait until after you die to stand before the throne of God. God is sitting on His throne–this is a metaphor for God being in complete control–right now.

Whatever you’re struggling with, on a personal level, or a global level, accept God’s invitation to be in His presence, to stand before His throne.

That's what this week's episode is all about.

Have you ever wondered what standing before the throne of God would be like? You don't have to wait until you die to see God face to face sitting on His throne.

03/09/2025

Have you ever felt like you needed a little extra blessing from God in your life?

Maybe things are a bit challenging at the moment or you’ve just come through some rough waters and are on the other side of things, but you need to find some peace of mind?

It’s at times like this that we need to feel God’s presence and the blessings that come with it.

There are lots of ways to ask for and receive God’s blessings, but in this week's episode I'll share a unique way to do this that I just discovered in the Bible a few days ago.

The Bible verse that sparked this Aha! moment is from Psalms:
I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10)

There's more to this verse than just opening your mouth to eat the food God gives you.

What does it mean metaphorically to open your mouth wide and have it filled by God.

How receptive and expectant are you to receive God's blessings for your life?

Have you ever felt like you needed a blessing from God in your life? There's one thing you can always do to receive God's blessings. Psalm 81:10 has the answer.

02/18/2025

What would you say to someone like Zacchaeus?

Zacchaeus was notorious for cheating people by making them pay more taxes than they owed. He was in cahoots with the Romans, which was basically a betrayal of the Jewish people.

What did Jesus say to Zacchaeus that caused him to have such a radical moral and spiritual transformation?

In this episode, I talk about:
• Why did Zacchaeus want to see Jesus?
• Why did he climb a tree to see him?
• Why did Jesus want to have dinner with Zacchaeus?
• What did Jesus see in Zacchaeus that no one else saw?
• What are some of the things Jesus might have said to him?

What does this story have to do with you and me?

We don't know the exact words Jesus said to Zacchaeus, but we do know he treated him with love and respect.

Is there a modern day Zacchaeus in your life that needs to feel the love of Christ? When you seen them with the eyes of Jesus and love them with the love of Jesus, you will be able to help them discover who they are as a child of God.

It's not just the words you say. It's about how you see and love them that brings moral and spiritual transformation.

Have you ever wondered: What did Jesus say to Zacchaeus that caused such a remarkable transformation? It wasn't just the words, but how Jesus saw and loved him.

02/10/2025

What do you do when you're discouraged?

I've been talking to a lot of folks who are VERY discouraged by everything that's going on in their personal lives and the world right now.

Is there a way to overcome this feeling of despair and discouragement?

Yes, of course. It's about turning to God. And it's encouraging to see all the folks in the Bible who were face with all sorts of discouraging situations and how they overcame them.

When you feel discouraged, be honest about how you feel. Don’t pretend to be so holy and spiritually minded that you’re not bothered when you are.

When Jesus was discouraged, he moved quickly from it to complete trust in God each time.

Right this moment, you may feel overwhelmed with discouragement, dismay, and despair over what’s going on in your life, at work, at church, in your country, or the world.

You may be at the height of hopelessness. But also, right in this moment, God is present, His hand full of hope, comfort, and resources, just as He was with the Children of Israel in the wilderness.

That's what this episode is all about.

What is the most effective way of overcoming discouragement? Discover how folks in the Bible overcame all sorts of discouraging situations and how you can too.

02/03/2025

How do you deal with all that's going on in the world today?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with gloom and despair with all that's going on these days?

Whether it's on personal or global level, sometimes it seems like evil influences are wreaking havoc on our lives and in society.

How do we deal with this? Is it possible to overcome all this evil in the world?

Yes, it is, but we can't do it on our own. We need God's help. We need God's goodness.

There are things you and I can do, starting today, to overcome evil with good.

If you're struggling with evil influences in your personal life or overwhelmed with all the terrible things happening in the world today, this episode is for you.

Is it really possible to overcome evil with good? Yes, but you can't do it on your own. Discover how Christ gives you the spiritual authority to overcome evil.

10/29/2024

How do you find peace in the midst of political chaos?

10/25/2024

Do you ever think of yourself as an ambassador of Christ?

Wait, isn't that just the people who do missionary work in foreign countries and stuff like that? What does it even mean to be an ambassador of Christ?

Well, it starts with walking in the footsteps of Jesus and living the way he taught us to, and loving like he did.

And most of all it means letting the light of Christ in your heart shine in the world so others can see this light and be drawn to it.

This week's episode is a conversation with Paul Granger, host of the Where Did You See God? podcast.

We talk about what it means to be an ambassador of Christ. It's not just the missionary who goes to another country. We all can and need to be ambassadors of Christ in every day life.

Paul Granger says: "You are an ambassador of Christ whether you’re preaching at church or when you’re at home with your kids, or walking down the street. It’s in the details of everyday life."

What does it mean to be an ambassador of Christ? Can anyone do it? Paul Granger explains how you can walk in the footsteps of Jesusas his ambassador.

10/23/2024

What's the best way to be an ambassador of Christ?

10/18/2024

Is there something in your that needs healing?

Have you ever felt that because of things that happened in the past, either mistakes you made or things other people did to you, you haven’t been able to live your life the way you wanted to or be as successful as you could be?

Once in a while, it can be a good idea to take an honest look at your past: mistakes you've made, things others have done that harm you, or situations that had a negative impact on your life.

If you're holding onto resentment for what others did, or the mistakes you made, or if you're still letting a some event from the past have a negative influence on the way you think and act today, it's time for some healing.

Sometimes God impels us to revisit the past in order to bring healing to our lives.

In this week's episode I talk about why you can let go of the past. And I share a unique prayer that reaches into the past and brings healing.

Do things in the past keep you from living the way you want to or being as successful as you could be? Pray this simple prayer that begins healing the past.