The Bible Speaks To You

08/25/2024

Do you always get what you pray for?
Is it really true that God already knows what you need?

If that's the case, why do we need to ask God for anything? Why doesn't He just give it to us?

Well, sometimes He does, but usually it's important to ask because it reminds us that God is the source of all our blessings and we are not.

The question is: What do you really need?

Sometimes we get what we need mixed up with what we want and we end up praying for the wrong thing.
God knows what you need. It may not be what you want or what you think you need. But God knows what you need, what you actually need, better than anyone else.

That's what this podcast episode is all about. To listen, check out the first comment.

08/18/2024

Do you ever find it hard to surrender to God's will?
Have you ever struggled to trust God in a particular situation because you weren’t willing to give up your own preferences and preconceptions of what the outcome should be? Why is it so hard to surrender to God?
How often do you pray for God to give you what you want? And how often do you pray for what God wants?

You'd be surprised how many people actually tell God what they want and try to convince Him to give it to them.

There's a tiny little (actually big) problem with this. Sometimes, what we think we want and pray for is the worst thing for us.

This week's episode is all about surrendering what we want to what God wants for us. Here are a few of the things I talk about:
• Why it's hard to let go of what we want
• The church doctrine that makes us think we can do whatever we want
• The root cause of not surrendering to God's will
• The real reason to surrender to God's will
• How to figure out God's ultimate will for you
Does that mean we'll never get what we want?

Well, maybe, if we're asking for the wrong things. But God's will for you is always much better than what you could imagine.

God's ultimate will for you is always worth surrendering to.

Check out the first comment for this week's episode:

08/09/2024

Is there ever a reason not to follow Jesus?

Sometimes people follow Jesus for the wrong reason. It happened in the Bible and it still happens today.

Once in a while we get our priorities mixed up and our motives for following Jesus can get a little selfish.

We just want a blessing, a healing, a new job, or whatever. Is that so bad? Well, there's nothing wrong with any of these things, but following Jesus just to get something is a bit self-focused.

There's a much better reason to follow Jesus.

In this week's podcast episode, I did deep into Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John. People are following Jesus for a wide variety of reasons, but he explains what we need to do if we really want to follow him.

Not everyone back then was willing to follow him all the way. It begs the question: Are we?

08/02/2024

Have you ever been hesitant to share your faith with someone who you thought probably wasn’t receptive or that you really didn’t even want to talk to?

What would you do if God told you to go directly to that person and tell them about Jesus and the difference he had made in your life?

Would you just automatically go at God’s command or would you try to explain to God why it might not be such a good idea?

That's sort of what happened to Peter when the Holy Spirit told him to go with three strangers to talk with Cornelius the Centurion.

And what about Ananias when he was told to heal Saul of blindness.

Whatever God calls you to do, whoever God calls you to share your faith with, no matter how unexpected it is, He will provide the way to do it.

And if there's resistance from fellow church members, God will take care of that too.

How have you shared your faith?

07/23/2024

How often do you have a conversation about faith with folks who have a different faith than you?

07/21/2024

Have you ever met someone who seemed to be full of confidence , but when you got to know them, you realized they based their self-worth, or lack of self-worth on things like how much money they have or don't have, where they went to school, what job they have, or where they're from?
Or maybe how good looking they are or how many followers they have on Social Media?

Unfortunately, when you define your worth based on these external factors, you'll never find your true self-worth. In fact, this approach actually prevents you from seeing your real spiritual self-worth as a child of God.

All these external things can be lost or taken away. But the fact you are God's child can never change.

In this week's episode, I talk about various folks in the Bible who didn't always have a good sense of self-worth. Sometimes they were worthy and didn't feel it.
But others based their self-worth on the wrong things but didn't know it.
It's a funny thing sometimes, when you see how someone else does something, you can learn from the way they handled the situation and don't have to make the same mistakes they did.

Do things from your past ever keep you from feeling worthy of God's love? Finding your self-worth goes hand in had with discovering your relationship with God

07/09/2024

Whose version of Jesus do you believe in?

07/06/2024

Independence Day is over, but there are still things we need freedom from.

Have you ever been bullied by man-made religious doctrines?

Have you ever noticed that some people insist they are the only ones who have the correct theological doctrine?

But what they say, doesn't really go along with everything the Bible says.

Then someone else will say something very different and claim they're the only ones who have the correct theology.

Who should we believe? Who is right? Is anybody right?

How do you tell the difference between a man-made religious doctrine and a God-ordained truth?

As always, Jesus has a simple answer.

And equally important, how do we keep these man-made doctrines from influencing us?

Listen now to this week's podcast episode.

Some folks preach man-made doctrines without realizing it. But how do you know if a doctrine is man-made? If you disagree with it? Jesus has a simple answer.

06/26/2024

Are you tired of people telling you what to believe?

Have you ever had someone at church tell you exactly what you were supposed to believe and how you were supposed to act?

It's almost like they're imposing their faith on you as a formula for what your faith should be.

Maybe what they're saying is valid, but sooner or later, we all come to a point where we have to make our faith our own, and not just believe what we were taught without thinking and praying about it ourselves.

But how do you make your faith your own? Basically it's about putting into practice what you say you believe. You know, like loving your neighbor as yourself. Or forgiving someone.

Even Jesus's disciples had to learn they couldn't just repeat his words. They had to put what they learned into practice.

In this week’s podcast episode, I share several practical steps to help make your faith your own.

Is your faith just based on what others told you to believe? To make your faith your own, you have to put Jesus's teachings into practice in your own life.

06/25/2024

Have you ever had someone at church tell you exactly what you were supposed to believe and how you were supposed to act?

06/19/2024

Is it possible to hold onto your joy when bad things happen?

Have you ever had one of those days where everything is going really well, and even better than you could hope for: you’re happy; you feel on top of the world; you feel God smiling on you?

And then, out of nowhere, something happens, you get bad news, or someone says or does something that turns everything upside down.

The joy, the inspiration, and closeness to God you felt just evaporated and suddenly it feels like you’re in a pit of quicksand.

Fortunately, there's a way to hold onto your joy, even when challenges or tragedy knock at the door.

It's about finding what true joy is and why it's actually part of who we are as children of God.

Have you ever struggled with how to be joyful when bad things happen? Is it even possible? Yes! Your joy comes from your relationship with God and is secure

06/18/2024

How do you hold onto joy when bad things happen?

06/14/2024

It's not always easy raising kids. In fact, sometimes it can be really challenging.

How can we make sure children know we love them? And how do we impart our faith to them?

This week, in honor of Father’s Day, I talk with two dads, Christopher Wilson and Jared Haley, who are dedicated to their families and raising their children with love and respect, humility and gratitude, and most importantly, helping them discover their own relationship with God.

They point out that it's no surprise we need to lead by example. And sometimes we need to work on our own relationship with God before we can solve a relationship problem with our kids.

Enjoy the insights Jared and Chris share about how to be a good dad.

Raising kids with love and faith doesn't have to be hard. Jared Haley and Chris Wilson share insights on being a good dad while following Christ.

06/09/2024

Have you ever seen an old painting being cleaned? With a tiny cotton swab dipped in cleaning solution, the dirt, grime, and old varnish are gently removed to reveal the original colors of the painting and the original intention of the artist.

Have you ever felt like your life is covered up with things from the past and that you need a good spiritual cleaning, a spiritual restoration?

It's times like these that we need to get back to the essence of who we are as the image and likeness of God.

When God restores you spiritually, He doesn't change anything from the way He originally made you. He removes everything that isn't original to how He created you.

What's the best way to find spiritual restoration in your life? The secret is that God removes everything that isn't part of how He created you in His image

06/04/2024

When do you feel the need for spiritual restoration?

06/01/2024

Who is supposed to take care of Jesus's sheep?

Have you ever felt the pull at church between reaching out to the community and just taking care of your own members?

I used to think my church should focus more on reaching out. But others felt we should make sure church members were getting what they needed first.

Is one more important than the other? How do you find the right balance?

If you are always evangelizing but not taking care of the "sheep" you already have, they may not stay around for long.

But if you are feeding the followers of Jesus you have at church, you'll be ready to minister to even more.

Is your church feeding the sheep of Jesus? Or are you focused on getting new members? If you don't take care of the sheep you have, you're not ready for more

05/28/2024

Which is more important, the Great Commission or feeding Jesus's sheep?

05/24/2024

Why wasn’t the Gospel of Thomas included in the Bible?

It was basically church politics, according to Keith Giles. In fact, the book was banned and it was forbidden to even read it.

This book was lost to the world until 1945, when it was discovered in a clay jar in Dag Hammadi, Egypt, along with other forbidden books.

So, should we even read the Gospel of Thomas? Is it legit? Yes, it is. .

In this week's podcast episode, I talk with my friend Keith Giles, about all things Gospel of Thomas: how it was found, why it was banned, why it's not in the Bible, and so much more.

But the most important thing, according to Keith, is that the sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas help us discover our relationship with God and learn to love in deeper ways than before.

Why should you read the Gospel of Thomas? According to author Keith Giles, the Gospel of Thomas will enrich your daily desire to have a connection with Christ.

05/15/2024

How would Jesus solve the problem with tax collectors?

05/14/2024

If Jesus was here today, would he get involved in politics?

05/11/2024

Have you ever been in a challenging situation or maybe made a bad decision which led to a serious mistake or a series of events that made you feel separated from God?

Or maybe there’s been a time when your life was not exactly in line with God’s plan for you. Or someone did something that harmed you and made God seem far away.

But no matter what has happened in your life, God is always with you, even if you're not aware of it.

In this week's episode, I share what happened when the bank took away the business my parents were struggling to make successful. But even in the middle of those challenges, they felt God's presence.

That's what this week's podcast episode is all about, always being in God's presence.

Have you ever been in a challenging situation or made a bad decision that made you feel separated from God? But whatever happens, God is always with you.

05/01/2024

How does God show His love for you?

Sometimes God's love may seem far away. Or you may know intellectually that God loves you, but you don't feel it.

How can we really know and experience God's love for us?

The more I've thought about this, the more I've realized that the entire life of Jesus is proof that God loves us. And that includes you and me.

Everything Jesus said and did was an expression of God's love, not just for the people Jesus helped 2,000 years ago, but for all mankind, throughout all time.

And his love didn't go anywhere. It's still here today, just as much as it was back then.

Have you ever wondered how much God loves you? How does God show His love? The way Jesus helped people 2,000 years ago shows ehow much God loves you today.

04/30/2024

How does God show His love for you?

04/26/2024

Is it possible to find healing from trauma and abuse?

True confession: I didn't know until recently how many people have experienced abuse and trauma in their lives. The numbers are staggering.

If this has happened to you or someone you know, you're aware how hard it can be to rediscover your spiritual freedom and find healing from being abused or traumatized.

But healing is definitely possible through God's love.

This week on the podcast, I talk with Marina Carrier, who was an unwanted child and later abused sexually. She shares her journey of healing and forgiveness and shines a light for others in search of freedom.

Marina found her freedom by finally facing her past and dealing with it. One of the things that was most helpful was the idea from the Prayer of Jabez asking God to expand her territory.

This was the gateway to her freedom and healing.

Even if you have not experienced abuse or trauma in your life, there are some powerful healing ideas shared by Marina in this week's episode.

Is it possible to find healing from trauma and abuse? For Marina Carrier the answer is yes. She shares her journey of freedom and how you can find healing

04/19/2024

If Paul wrote a letter to your church, what would he say?

If you had lived back in the days of the early Christian Church, the Apostle Paul probably would have visited and preached at your church.

Several months after he left, your church would might have received a letter from him full of encouragement, prayers, blessings, gratitude, and even a couple of rebukes.

Now imagine if Paul could write a letter to your church today. What would he say?

How would he bless you? What would he appreciate about you? How would he pray for you? How would he rebuke you?

Of course, we'll never know. But when you read Paul's letters to churches, it's almost as if he's talking to us today. How will your church respond?

Imagine if the Apostle Paul could write a letter to your church. What would Paul say to your church? What would he bless and teach you? How would he rebuke you?

04/16/2024

What would the Apostle Paul say to your church?

04/10/2024

Have you ever felt far away from God because of a challenge you were facing, a mistake you made, or a sin you committed?

You pray and try to be more spiritually minded, but it's hard to get your mind off the problem. And then you make the same mistakes you did in the past.

If someone told you at that point that you were filled with the fullness of God, it might sound pretty far-fetched.

But in his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul prayed that the church members would be filled with the fullness of God. Not way off in the future, but right then (see Chapter 3).

Even though the Ephesians were struggling to hold true to Christ in a very materialistic society and sometimes succumbed to the sins of the society they were in, Paul saw what was possible. He prayed for them to feel the love of Christ and was convinced this would help them experience God's presence in their lives.

Paul's prayer is just as meaningful and powerful for you and me today. He shares some very specific shifts in our thinking that empower us to let go of a material, sinful view of ourselves and replace it with seeing ourselves "created to be like God—truly righteous and holy." (Eph. 4:24)

Paul expressed his heartfelt desire that everyone would know, at the core of their being, the infinite love of Christ.
But he didn't stop there. He also prayed that the Ephesians be filled with all the fullness of God.

If it's possible for the Ephesians, it possible for you and me. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it!

Is it possible to be filled with the fullness of God? Paul gives three crucial shifts in the way we see ourselves that fill us with God's fullness. Eph. 4:22-24

04/09/2024

What does it mean to be filled with fullness of God?

04/06/2024

Do you ever have a hard time forgiving yourself? Especially when you do something you know you shouldn't.

The Bible talks a lot about forgiveness: God's forgiveness and our need to forgive. But there's not really a whole lot, if anything about forgiving yourself, or how to do it.

Well, there are some puzzle pieces, but they don't come pre-assembled.

This week's podcast episode puts some of the pieces together by looking at the lives of several people in the.
• Samson
• King David
• Peter
• Saul (Paul)
Did they ever forgive themselves for the mistakes they made and the sins they committed?

Did they need to forgive themselves if God had forgiven them?

How do their lives help us discover forgiveness? What is it that prevents us from experiencing God's forgiveness? Listen now to this week's episode to hear Jesus's simple solution.

It's all about finding, accepting, and experiencing God's forgiveness and how that allows you to finally forgive yourself.

Do you have a hard time learning to forgive yourself? Is it because you haven't felt worthy of, accepted, or experienced God’s forgiveness in your own life?

03/31/2024

When Mary Magdalene looked into the empty tomb, the angel told her she was looking for Jesus in the wrong place.

Unfortunately, too many people today are also looking for Jesus in the wrong place. They're looking for Jesus in their opinions and preconceptions of what they want him to be. Or they're looking for him in some intricate theological dogma, that's not really based on what Jesus said or did.

The Bible gives some pretty clear ideas on where to find Jesus...and the Bible itself is one of them. That's pretty obvious.

But have you ever thought of finding Jesus in his teachings and especially in putting his teachings into practice in your daily life? That's actually a great "place" to find Jesus, following his example. You're probably already doing this.

This week's episode is all about where and where not to look for Jesus.

Where are you looking for Jesus? To many people today are looking in the wrong place. The Bible gives clear guidance on where to look for and find Jesus today