Podcast
Devotionals from Dad
Hosted by Jeff Ellis · EN
I am a simple man that wants to be able to share short 5 to 6 minute Christian devotions based upon my own personal life experiences. The devotionals have been created for my children and grandchildren, however I am hopeful that many others will find them inspirational.
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Without Saying a Word
3d ago00:06:16Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening I can always tell when I have said or did something that made my wife Joyce unhappy with me. As soon as the words leave my mouth, the expression on her face tells me what she is thinking, without her saying a word! Joyce speaks as much with her facial expressions as she does with her words. I have always jokingly told her, I was going to make a calendar that displayed her facial expressions, with a definition on each month. The only problem with this idea is that 12 months is not enough to display all the different expressions she uses. So my difficult question to you is why do so many Christians think that it acceptable or even pleasing to God to attend church and worship with a facial expression that looks like they have just drank a glass of vinegar?Luke 2:10 ESV And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.If we are honest, all of us must admit that it is very easy to become grumpy and disgruntled at times while we are working or serving others in the church. Perhaps we are overworked and interrupted by overly demanding people. That being said Christians should avoid the sourpuss syndrome at all costs! What message is this giving those attending the church, that may not yet have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior? I have a low tolerance for gloomy, melancholy Christians whose sourpuss faces contrast with the joy of the Gospel! Instead of living from a profound sense of security that you should have from knowing the love of Jesus Christ and the assurance his forgiveness! This should give us a deep-down joy! The “Good News” is a gospel of peace, because it brings peace between God and those who put their faith in Jesus Christ: Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, He has brought you into this place of undeserved privilege.Romans 5: 1-2 ESV Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.Christians are ultimately just people, meaning they struggle with the same bad days, stress, and relationship issues, just like everyone else. Unfortunately, a joyless disposition can act as a poor advertisement for your faith. Some people live right but they always look like they have spent the night drinking a bottle of lemon juice. If you struggle in this area, you need to listen carefully. Your salvation should be the source of great joy, and that joy and happiness should be expressed in your life in a dynamic way!John 15:11 ESV These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.Joy is one of the hallmarks of the Kingdom of God. Even when we are going through a rough patch, the Bible says we are to be full of joy. Joy makes the gospel attractive. If you put on a sour face all the time and you have a negative disposition, you will scare people away from church. You make the gospel seem like something people would never want. Like the old hymn says: “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word; just to rest upon his promise and to know, Thus saith the Lord.” I may not know what tomorrow brings but I know the one who holds tomorrow!Support the show
Transcribe →I am Not Crazy
1w ago00:06:10Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening If you know me very well at all you know that I have a mental illness. I have no official diagnoses and I don't seek medical attention, I just manage my own symptoms. I am sure if I went to a doctor I would be diagnosed with Obsessive Control Disorder or OCD. I count everything. I alphabetize the spices in my spice rack. The volume control on all my electronic devices must stop on an even number or at least something that is a multiple of 5. Everything has a place and everything must be in it's place. All joking aside, mental illness is a real issue in the United States. According to Mental Health America, approximately 1 in 5 adults, over 60 million people, live with a mental illness. The most common conditions are anxiety disorders which affects, 42.5 million adults that live daily with an anxiety disorder. This is followed by major depression. 14.6 million adults in the United States have experienced conditions that significantly interfere with their daily life. 21 million people experience at least one major depressive episode per year, and women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from major depression as men.Romans 5:12 ESV Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned!Mental illness, like physical illness, is a consequence of the Fall. Sin has corrupted all of creation, including human minds, leading to disorders such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Just as legs can break and eyes might not see, it is also possible for minds not to work as they were designed to either. It is a sad reality of the world in which we live. Roman 8: 18 ESV For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Even in the midst of mental illness, God is at work, and believers can hold onto hope. In Christ, we have the hope that the broken world we inhabit, the way things are now, is not how they will always be. Jesus is coming again to make all things new. There will be an end to our suffering. In the meantime, in the midst of our suffering, we can remember that, even our suffering is not wasted. God is using it, even if we cannot see or feel exactly how, to make us more like the Lord Jesus. Romans 8: 35-39 ESV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.Paul is pretty comprehensive here! If we have genuine faith in Christ, if our sins, past, present and future, have been nailed to the cross of Christ, than nothing can separate us from God. As the old hymn rightly says, ‘our sin, not in part, but the whole’ is included, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Not even mental illness! Christian theology generally emphasizes that God's grace and salvation are not dependent on a person's mental capacity to remember or profess faith, but on God's perfect love. Further, believers are instructed to care for the vulnerable. We are to care for the less fortunate whether that be because of physical or mental illness and we are to respect and care for the elderly.Support the show
Transcribe →Finding My Way
1w ago00:05:45Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening Upon occasion I have been to a large office facility and just inside the door is a map of the building with locations for all the office and names of the each person, in each office. Also on the map is a big star with the words “You Are Here.” I know, at least for me, I can study that map intently, and even though the star is indicating to me where I am, I am still not confident that I know exactly where I am or even where I need to be. Sometimes my spiritual life can feel the same way. At times it can be so hard to know God's will for my life that and it can be confusing, so confusing that I am not exactly sure, where I am or where God is calling me to go! In the book of Jeremiah the prophet is given directions for the people of Judah to follow. Jeremiah sent a letter recording a message from God to the elders in exile, the priests, the prophets, and all the people taken by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. In that letter, God foretells that the people of Judah would one day return to Him.Jeremiah 29: 10-11 ESV For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.God promises to return his people to their land after the captivity. He will hear their prayers for their return. So my difficult question to you is this, is it necessary to plead with God to do what he has already promised to do? Shouldn't their prayers be that of thanksgiving to God as they wait for the expectant answer to God's divine promise? From a theological perspective, it is not necessary to plead God in an attempt to change God’s mind or force His hand, as His promises are already certain, they are unchanging. However, pleading with, or reminding God, of His promises is a vital spiritual practice meant to align your heart with His, build your faith, and demonstrate your trust in His character. Jeremiah 29: 12-14 ESV Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. While these prophecies and promises are specifically related to the people of Judah and Israel, the principle that God will draw near to those who draw near to Him is a universal truth... But we have to draw near to God on His own terms, with clean hands and purified hearts. Clean hands and a clean heart that only God can provide by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.James 4:8 ESV Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.While Jeremiah’s letter recorded the words of God for the exiled people of Judah, readers today can benefit from recognizing that the same God who said, “You will find me when you seek me with all your heart,” has also told us that we can draw near to Him and He will draw near to us and that He will never leave or forsake us.Hebrews 13:5 ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”Support the show
Transcribe →Every Knee Will Bow
2w ago00:06:06Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening I got married when I was 18 years old and my bride was only 16. I had this dream that if I loved my wife, like my father loved my mother, my marriage could survive anything. I truly thought love conquered all, boy was I ever wrong! My marriage lasted 8 years. During that time I had 3 daughters. After my divorce I spent 4 years as a single parent. This time was the most agonizing and difficult days of my entire life. One night I had a dream that my home was on fire and I couldn't find my daughters or get out of the house. In my dream the fire surrounded me and I was helpless to do anything about it. When I woke up I found myself wrapped in the sheets from my bed and drenched in sweat. The dream was so real that I called my mother and woke her up just so I could hear her voice and be assured that I wasn't burning to death. The bible describes Hell as a place of suffering, separation, and judgment. It is portrayed as a place of eternal punishment, unquenchable fire, total darkness, and a deep separation from God. Matthew 13: 47-50 ESV Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.I hear so many people talk about Hell in such a flippant manner. They think that Hell is just one giant drunken party where they will go to hang out with their friends and really raise some Hell! I also hear people out of frustration and anger tell someone that they can go to Hell! Hell is such a terrible place I wouldn't want my worst enemy to be sent there. Hell is a place far more frightful than we could ever imagine. The Bible uses many very graphic pictures to describe Hell. Each image is terrifying. But the combination is even more horrifying than you can imagine. Second Peter 2:17 tells us that Hell is a place of total darkness. Matthew 5:20 says Hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Revelation 21:8 says it is a lake that burns with fire and sulfur. Jude 6 says Hell is a prison of everlasting chains from which there is no hope of release. The suffering in hell is beyond all comparison to any suffering found in this world today.Revelation 20:15 ESV And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.Knowing theses truths about the torment of Hell why then was it so hard for me, when I was younger to bow my knee and surrender my life to Jesus Christ? The bible tells us that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Philippians 2: 9-11 ESV Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.For those of us who are still living we must heed the warning in God's word about eternity in Hell. It is appointed for each of us to die once and then to face the judgment. Because one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Those who have hardened their hearts to the call of the gospel will bow their knees with great fear and trembling. Hell is a place of eternal punishment, where the suffering will never end! So it is better to bow your knee now, than to do so at the Judgment day.Support the show
Transcribe →Truth in Love
2w ago00:05:53Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening I have to admit at times I can have a very sharp tongue. Sometimes the sarcasm just flows out of my mouth so quickly and easily, it is amazing! Stupid people really get my sarcasm flowing. Some of my favorites quips of sarcasm are, “I would agree with you, but then we would both be wrong,” “If I were any better there would need to be two of me,” and one of my most favorite ones is “I talk to myself because sometimes I just need some intelligent conversation.” To be completely honest I kind of love sarcasm. I understand that it may not be the most proper or civilized trait, and I fully recognize that I’m often too sarcastic for my own good. Often times my sarcasm is just unfiltered truth. Sometimes when I see someone doing something really stupid I point out their flaws rather than treating them with respect and helping them correct what may have been an honest mistake. So is sarcasm a sin? Scripture doesn’t explicitly say that it is, so we can’t make that claim. However sarcasm is often rooted in sinfulness and therefore used to increase sin, rather than increase holiness. Proverbs 26:18-19 ESV Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, I am only joking!This might be the closest thing to a clear example of sarcasm being condemned in the Bible. What is described here in Proverbs 26 goes against what Jesus said in Matthew 5 about just talking in a trustworthy way, with integrity and honesty.Matthew 5:37 ESV Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. Let your yes be yes, means that you should say what you mean. It’s that simple. However sometimes the truth can be hurtful! Christians often talk about the need to speak the truth in love, a command found Ephesians. Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body is joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Truth may give you the message you need to share, but love gives you the method! Many times the truth I need to share is difficult, however when the truth is shared in a gentle, kind, inoffensive manner it will be more likely to be listened to or even accepted. From a practical standpoint, we know that difficult things are best heard when our defenses are not up. In a loving, non-threatening environment, hard truths are more readily received. By the grace of God, my sinful sarcastic tendencies have been confronted many times over. If yours have, don’t despair. There’s grace for the sarcastic. Christ died while we were yet joking, jabbing, and laughing at others. He came to pardon our prideful, mocking, and rebellious hearts. He made a way for us to be restored to fellowship with the Father when we deserved punishment and hell. In light of eternity, choosing to encourage and lift a soul is infinitely more valuable than my sharp tongue will ever be! God’s unmerited grace through Christ leads me to repentance when my sarcasm goes too far. It compels me to apologize when my words cut deep. So the next time you feel the need to be sarcastic do you best to bridal that sharp tongue. Your words are more powerful than your may ever know on this side of eternity!Support the show
Transcribe →The Plans of Men
4w ago00:06:26Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening I am a type A personality. I love to make plans of all I am going to accomplish for the day. Every week almost without exception, I write a todo list for the weekend. My inner control freak gets a bit of a sense of accomplishment, when everything on my todo list completed. On the other hand it gives me a great deal of anxiety when my list doesn't get completed. When this happens I start a new list for the next week and move that item to the top of my list. What does the bible have to say about making plans for the future?James 4: 13-16 ESV Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. My difficult question to you is this, do I make plans for my days or is my highly structured possibly, OCD todo list a sin? After all, according to God's word I do not know what tomorrow will bring for me. If you think about it, God is a planner. In Genesis 1:26, we hear the Trinity say, let us make man in our image, in our likeness. That sounds to me like the God head is making plans for the future. But God doesn’t just make plans for himself, like I do. He laid out his plans to both Moses and Joshua Exodus 3 and Joshua 6. He had detailed instructions for how the nation of Israel was to worship Him Leviticus. He has written out every day of our lives as well.Psalm 139:16 HCSB Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began. God is the one who is in control and in charge. He has determined the beginning and the ending. He has placed us in our various roles in His Story. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan. Even though God has already determined our future, it doesn’t mean that He will give us all the details. You must daily pray and spend time in God's word and He will reveal to you His plans, but He doesn't hand us all the details. He assumes we will plan too, counting the cost, and affirms the wisdom of His plans. It is an awareness that even if I am not the one in charge, I am still responsible! I am not in charge of my own destiny, but I will need to answer to God on how I have managed what He has given me. When we take the time to plan, we are living proactively. However, we need to remember that when we make plans, there are some guidelines we should follow when making those plans. First, our plans need to reflect God's purposes. Secondly, our plans need to bring glory to God. And lastly, we need to commit our plans to God so that he may establish them.Proverbs 19:21 ESV Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. We are saved be the grace of God to do His good will. Doing good works instead of flying by the seat of our pants, hoping that we’ll get to it sometime. I say to things to myself as much as I am to those who may hear me. Make sure that your plans include God and bring glory to God and don't forget to take advantage of the opportunities at hand when they arise, even if they don't happen to be on your todo list or according to your plans for the day. Remember God is in control even when it feels like life is out of control!Support the show
Transcribe →My Beautiful Bride
May 2400:06:19Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening Many of us have pet names for our spouse. Common pet names include: babe or baby, hun, sweetheart or sweetie, cutie pie, pookie and honey bun. For years I have called my wife, my beautiful bride or my queen and I am her humble servant. All joking aside I consider myself a blessed man to have a devoted, loving and Godly wife. What exactly does it mean to have Godly wife? To define a godly wife, we must first consider what the word godly means. In 1st Timothy 2:2, Paul uses the word in conjunction with being, peaceful, quiet, and dignified.1 Timothy 2:2 ESV for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. The Bible says the Holy Spirit, who is in every believer, both men and women, produces visible and invisible acts of godliness: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. However there is a strength of character that is found more frequently in a godly wife, that is not commonly found in men. A godly wife, whose life is rooted in faith, exhibits grace and forgiveness, unwavering trust, quiet dignity, and compassionate leadership. Fortunately, the Bible gives more specific qualifications as to what a godly woman, particularly a godly wife, looks like. Proverbs 31 says An excellent wife is far more precious than jewels. Proverbs 31: 10 ESV An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. A godly wife has the heart and trust of her husband. She does him good, and not harm She works with willing hands. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household. She dresses herself with strength and dignity. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She opens her mouth with wisdom. Her children rise up and call her blessed; and her husband praises her. The world defines a trophy wife as a beauty queen, but the bible says beauty is vain.Proverbs 31: 30 ESV Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Finally, a godly wife should be submissive to her husband.Ephesians 5:22 ESV Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. What does a submissive wife look like? Not what you might think. The Bible teaches that Jesus submits to His Father. Yet Jesus is equal to the Father. Therefore, a submissive wife is not less valuable as a human being; her role is not less important, but it is different. Christians know that Christ is every bit as divine as the Father and the Holy Spirit, but each plays a different role. In the same way, men and women each play a different part in marriage. So, for a wife to be submissive to her husband as Christ is submissive to the Father means she willingly allows her husband to lead. Jesus went willingly to the cross, although not without distress. He knew the Father’s way was best. A godly wife may find the path of submissiveness painful at times, but following God will always result in spiritual rewards that last for all eternity. Submission does not imply weakness; a submissive wife is not “unintelligent” or “unimportant.” Submission requires strength, dignity, and devotion. A woman can be a godly wife without being perfect, we know there is no such thing as human perfection. But my beautiful bride is as close to perfection as they come. I thank God daily for my wife.... My wife, my beautiful bride, makes me a better man!Support the show
Transcribe →Living a Duct Tape Life!
May 1200:06:21Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening My younger listeners you won't remember the TV show Hee-Haw. It aired from 1969 to 1993. Gloom, despair and agony on me was a reoccurring skit on the show. Four moonshiners, typically Grandpa Jones, Gordie Tapp, Roy Clark, and Archie Campbell, would sing about their troubles with women, and the song went like this: Gloom, despair, and agony on me. Deep, dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. Gloom, despair, and agony on me! I feel confident that many of us have gone through seasons in our life when it felt like your misfortune would have no end. Jesus told the disciples to “be of good cheer” just as they were about to face the darkest, most troubling time of their lives. He would soon be leaving them and He knew that severe persecution, suffering, and the possibility of death awaited each of them. John 16:33 ESV I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.I once heard it said that if your bible is tattered and held together by duct tape then your life is likely in pretty good shape. Don't take this wrong I am not trying to brag, but my bible was given to me by my mother more than 30 years ago. It is a study bible, in the Living Bible translation. I have a nice leather cover over on it, but if you remove the cover you will see that the binding is being held together by duct tape. The inside cover has five questions written in it that you should ask a someone you are trying to witness to and underneath that are the verses to the Romans Road complete with the page numbers. Although the pages of my bible are torn and tattered I wouldn't trade it for a million dollars. Look at you bible. Is it covered with duct tape or has it sat in the same place on a book shelf for so long that if you moved it you would see the dust imprint from where it was. All that being said Jesus told us that there would be times of tribulation in our lives. In the letter to the Hebrews, the author writes to a group of believers who were weary and worn from suffering. They were experiencing persecution for their faith.Hebrews 12: 3-4 ESV Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.Though we don’t often face the same levels of suffering that the early church faced, we do find ourselves worn by life in a fallen world. We find ourselves battling the same temptations and sins, wondering if we’ll ever conquer them. We experience rejection from family, friends, and co-workers for our faith. We grow weary from standing for truth in an increasingly post-truth world. We are worn from illnesses, caring for loved ones, watching a loved one lose the battle with cancer or any number of other issues. So if your life seems to be in shambles take out your bible and dig into God's word. Spend so much time in your bible that you begin to wear it out, even if that means holding it together with duct tape. John 15: 10-11 ESV If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. To grasp the significance of John 15:10 and 11, we must set our eyes on Jesus, who is the embodiment of joyful, loving obedience. In the face of fierce opposition, Jesus found joy in fulfilling the will of His Father. Obedience stems from love and is the one and only source of true joy.Support the show
Transcribe →Creditability
Apr 2800:05:48Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening Every month my credit card company send me a statement that shows what I have purchased and what I owe. With this statement comes a report of my credibility and my credit score. My credit score is calculated by and includes all the actions and details of the things I did financially during that past 30 days. My financial choices may have either had a positive or a negative impact on my credit score. My credit score is a measure of how much I can be trusted, believed in, and deemed reliable, financially speaking. It is a worthiness of trust and belief. If there was such a thing as a “Christian Credit Score” would you have positive or negative score? As Christians, life choices act as a witness, either drawing others to Christ or creating barriers to the gospel. John 13:34-35 ESV A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. When we choose to give our lives completely to the Lord and invite His Holy Spirit to fill our hearts, we become one with Christ. He gives us a little bit of heaven down here. The way we live will affect those around us. Our desire should be to live so that others will desire to know the Lord as well.We may have made some wrong choices in the past, and today are living with the consequences of those choices. But we serve a God of second chances. As we confess our failures, the Lord forgives and restores our relationship with Him. He can take the broken pieces of our lives and put them back together again, producing something beautiful. It is never too late to make a new choice. If you find yourself on the wrong road because of choices you have made in the past, stop, turn around, find the right direction in the Word of God, and walk in the way that the Lord leads.2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. My difficult question to you is this, How do you improve your “Christian Credit Score?” Small, consistent daily decisions, like kindness, patience in traffic, or integrity in business, create a positive ripple effect, often motivating others to re-evaluate their own actions and faith. By choosing to act with love, forgiveness, and generosity, we become the more like Christ. But what does this look like what are some ways I can love, forgive and be generous? Well you can start by attentively listening to those around you. Rather than planning your response, just stop and listen with your heart and your ears. Another action you can take is to stop your so called busy day and give to the person standing on the street, holding the cardboard sign, without judging them. Choices in relationships and daily life provide a visible example for others, often leading them to seek a similar foundation of faith. Matthew 5:16 ESV In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Now more than ever, others need to see Jesus in us. Not the Jesus the media portrays. Not the Jesus that others have created in their minds. But the Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus of the cross. The Jesus who lives in our hearts and loves without reason!Support the show
Transcribe →Well Worn
Apr 2800:05:56Tap to summarizeLove to hear from and know who is listening I have blue jeans that I wear that I have owned for many years. They are the most comfortable clothing I have, but they no longer resemble what they did they day I bought them. The knees are worn through. They have been patched, where I have snagged them. They are no longer the bright blue they were when I bought them. Over the years they have been transformed by daily life and use,.. oh but they are so comfortable! I could replace them with a new pair a jeans but then I would have to start the process all over, transforming them into the comfortable jeans I love and by the time that process is complete they are nearly ready to be replaced again. Time transforms everything. My body is not the same as it was when I was younger. I have grown gray hair. I have lost hair. My skin has become wrinkled. I have aches and pains that I never could have imagined I would ever have, when I was a young man. Time transforms everything. When I am planting my garden in the spring. I open a packet of seeds. The seeds inside of the packet look nothing like the plant they will become. They must be put into the soil and die before they can become useful to me. John 12:24 ESV Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Being a tent maker by trade, Paul considered the tent a fitting analogy for the temporary nature of our current earthly, mortal bodies. The human body is temporal, weak, and prone to decay, much like the simple, temporary structures Paul made with his hands. Tents serve a purpose, but they are not meant to be permanent dwelling places. By contrast, our future heavenly bodies will be permanent, beautiful, and glorious. They are our “forever home” that will never show signs of weakness or decay. They will be made for us by God himself, not by human hands. 2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. As we age, our bodies and our minds change. Just like my favorite pair of jeans that I have grown to love, they wear out. Our bodies and those of our loved ones get weak and our minds grow forgetful and eventually they are completely worn out. Just like my garden seeds, our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later.1 Corinthians 15: 40-44 ESV There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. As Christians, we need not fear death or the destruction of our bodies. No matter what happens to these mortal tents we live in now, we will inherit imperishable, glorified bodies. The house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.Support the show
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