The Bible Speaks to You: Embracing the Mindset of Christ

239 – Have you ever felt far away from God?Maybe you've made some huge mistakes, or someone had done something that harmed you. But no matter what has happened in your life, God is always with you, even if you're not aware of it.This week's episode digs deep into this idea that God is always with us, no matter what. Highlights this week:Psalm 139: Wherever you go, God is thereMy parents story of losing their business, but feeling God's presence with them during the challengesRomans 8:38,...

238 – Have you ever wondered if there's a way to really know God loves you?Does God's love ever seem far away? Or maybe you know theoretically that God loves you, but you just don't feel it?Maybe you've made bad life choices that makes it hard to imagine God still loves you.When I'm discouraged, it's been really helpful to remember that God sent Jesus because He loves us so much, all of us.Jesus's whole life, everything he said and did, is an example of how God loves you and me, not jus...

237 – Is it possible to find healing from the effects of trauma and abuse?Have you or someone you know been in an abusive or traumatic situation or relationship? This episode is for you.Marina Carrier shares how she overcame the residual effects of being an unwanted child and sexual abuse at the age of nine. It was only through the power of the Holy Spirit, which brought her back to the church and the study of the Bible, which started her journey of healing.Some important steps along the way ...

236 – If the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to your church, what would he say?First, imagine if you had lived back in the days of the early Christian Church. Paul may have come to your church to preach.And you may have received a letter from him later with some helpful ideas, prayers, and reminders of what he told you when he was there.Of course, he might also rebuke you for a couple of things your church was doing that wasn't faithful to Christ.Now, think of your church today.What would Paul sa...

235 – What does it even mean to be filled with God's fullness?In his letter to the Ephesians, at the end of Chapter 3, Paul prays that the church members would know the love of Christ and be filled with all the fullness of God.But is that even possible? Most Christians I talk to think that's the sort of thing that happens after they die and go to heaven. But Paul is praying for the Ephesians to experience here on earth.In this week's episode, I talk about Paul's prayer (there's a lot mo...

234 – Do you have a hard time forgiving yourself?Right. Join the club. It's not easy to forgive yourself. But it's something we need to do. And we can.This week I look at several Bible characters who, in one way or another, had to come to terms with the mistakes they made and their sins. The Bible doesn't tell us what these folks were thinking and if they ever forgave themselves or if it was enough just to feel God's forgiveness. Here are the people I talk about this week. Do you think they e...

233 – Where are you looking for Jesus?A lot of people are looking for Jesus these days, the real Jesus.Unfortunately, a lot of people have become disillusioned by the difference between what they’re discovering about Jesus in the Bible and the way their churches have followed, or rather not followed, Jesus.This week's episode is about where to look for Jesus and where not look for him. The Bible gives some pretty good insights on this.Where NOT to look for Jesus:Your preconceptions and opinio...

232 – Is anything keeping you from doing what God has called you to do?Do you have a strong sense of purpose in your life but it seems things keep getting in the way of you doing what God has called you to do?Or maybe you're still waiting to see what God wants you to do with your life.Sometimes, even when we know what God's will is for our lives, we haven't really pursued it because somehow we're waiting to get permission and approval from someone else.This week's episode is all about not wai...

231 – Do you notice when God is trying to get your attention?God talks to us in lots of ways. But how often do we notice?Take a minute to think of all the ways God tries to get your attention. Sometimes it might be because you're doing something you shouldn't. Sometimes it's because you're not doing something you should. And sometimes it's because your doing exactly what God wants you to do and He's confirming that you're right where you need to be.In this week's episode, I talk about h...

230 – Has God ever asked you to dance with Him?What does that even mean?When God asks you to dance, it's a metaphor for God asking you to participate in life and follow where He leads.Have you ever danced with someone who didn't know how to lead, or follow, depending on which role you were in? It can be confusing, awkward, and sometimes get pretty messy.Things can get pretty confusing and messy when God asks us to dance with Him and we don't follow His lead, especially if we try to lead.That'...

229 – How often do you hear: "The blood of Jesus saves you from your sins," or something to that effect?The more I have pondered and prayed about all the Bible has to say about God's forgiveness of sins, Jesus's crucifixion, and more specifically, the blood of Jesus, I've come to the conclusion that there's more to forgiveness than just the fact that Jesus's blood was shed.Spoiler Alert:This may sound a little controversial at first, but when you listen to this episode, you'll understand what...

228 – Did you ever realize how many women leaders there are in the New Testament?More than you probably realized. There are some I didn't even realize were women? Why haven't we been told about these amazing women who risked their lives to share the Gospel in the early Christian Church?This week I talk with Dr. Nijay Gupta about these women leaders in the early Christian church and how they set examples for how women can have leadership roles in the church today. He has written a book called:...

227 – Have you ever wondered if God still loves you?All too often we think of all the mistakes we've made or the things that have happened to us, and somehow decide God must not love us anymore, that we're not worthy of His love.But no matter what you've done ( or not done that you should have), no matter what mistakes you've made, big or small, God still loves you. It's as simple as that. Why do we make it so complicated?In this week's episode, I share some of my personal journey to actually...

226 – What does it mean to be more than a conqueror through Christ?With all the challenges in the world and in your own personal life, does it ever seem like there's just no end to the chaos?In Chapter 8 of Romans, Paul lists a host of challenges that describes what a lot of people are dealing with today. But he also promises us that we can find answers, solutions, and healing through Christ.In this week's episode, I talk about what it means to be more than just a conqueror:We can never...

225 – If you could ask Jesus a favor, what would it be?If you had met Jesus 2,000 years ago while as he was traveling around healing and ministering to people, what would you ask him for? A healing? Deliverance from a problem? The answer to a burning question in your heart?Lots of people came up to Jesus to ask him for all sorts of things. Sometimes he granted their requests and sometimes he didn't. There's so much to learn from these folks who approached Jesus with a request. In this week's ...

224 – Do you have to believe in the Nicene Creed to be a true Christian?This is a pretty heavy duty topic. And people have been arguing over this for about 1,700 years. So this is not the final answer or discussion on the topic.But is incredibly important to think about what it means to be a Christian. Is it based on what you believe or how you put into practice the teachings of Jesus?Or is it a combination of the two?This week, I share my thoughts on the Nicene Creed and some of the pr...

223 – Have you ever thought of the Bible as a verb?All too often we think of the Bible as a source for our beliefs, our theology, and our faith. But have you ever looked at the Bible through the lens of the action items that need to be on our daily to-do list?This week, I talk to my wife, Polly Castor, about the Bible as resource for how we are to behave, what we are to do, not just what we're supposed to believe.Polly shares LOTS of Bible action items, things we need to do, like:Obey the Com...

222 – Have you ever tried to find yourself in the Bible?So many people are trying to find themselves these days. They're looking in so many different directions, but they often overlook the spiritual aspect of who they are as a child of God.The best place to discover your identity is in the Bible. In a couple of previous episodes, I talked specifically about this: Episode 37: You Are the Image and Likens of God. What the Heck Does that Mean?Episode 144: Finding Your Identity in the Bible...

221 – Have you ever been so preoccupied with what others are doing that you don't focus on following Christ?Welcome to 2024!A new year is a wonderful opportunity to take stock of where you've been, where you are and where you're going.Instead of a New Year's Resolution this year, I decided simply to quit comparing myself to what others are doing and just focus on following Christ.Remember when Jesus said to Peter, "What is that to you? As for you, follow me." John 21:22That's why in this week...

220 – Highlights from The Bible Speaks to You Podcast in 2023The end of the year is a good time to look back and see where you've come from. It's a time to appreciate and be grateful for all the blessings from the previous 12 months. In these last few days of 2023, I've gone back to review some of the podcast episodes that, according to you, my listeners, were the most helpful. This week's episode shares some of the highlights from these favorite episodes from 2023.Here are the episodes which...

219 – What are you expecting to get for Christmas this year?Remember that sense of expectation you had as a kid at Christmastime? There was so much anticipation for what presents you'd get.What if you could have that same sense of expectation for all that Christ is giving you this Christmas? Have you ever stopped to think about all that Jesus has given us? In this week's episode I talk about some of the more obvious things Christ gives us, not just at Christmas, but all year long:Love, joy, p...

218 – Do you have a prodigal in your family?This week I talk with Pam Fields, mother of nine, and grandmother of four, about how to pray when you have a prodigal child.One of Pam's grown children has broken away from the family and renounced their faith.Pam talks about the way she has prayed about this and how she has supported others who have had similar experiences.Here are some of the points we covered:Acknowledge and deal with your emotions, such as guilt and shameA prodigal may lea...

217 – Have there been times in your life that gave you a deeper sense of what Christmas is all about?The Bible is full of these decisions people made and actions they took that create a chain of events that eventually lead to the birth of Jesus.In this week's episode, I talk about a few of these pivotal moments that altered the course of Bible history and bring us to Bethlehem when Jesus is born.Pivotal moments in the Bible that point us to that first Christmas:Caleb, of the tribe of Judah, w...

216 – Believe it or not, some people debate whether or not God really does love everyone.And they can debate all they want. To me, the simple answer to this question is the fact that God sent Jesus to show and be the Way for us, to bring healing and salvation to us and the whole world.The Bible verse that captures this all-inclusive love of God for all mankind, throughout all time is John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in ...

215 – Does your heart overflow with gratitude?I've been thinking of everything I'm grateful for. With all the tensions in the world, not to mention the challenges in my own life, I’ve found that expressing gratitude helps get me refocused on God and brings some peace of mind. Gratitude helps clear the air so my heart can breathe more freely.This week's episode takes a deep dive into some of the many ways people in the Bible express gratitude or encourage others to be grateful.Old Testament:Th...

214 – How are you surrendering to Christ today?We live in challenging times with so many influences trying to pull us away from following Jesus.But this is not new. It happened all the way back in Bible times.This week, Jay Kim and I talk about what it means to surrender completely to Christ and how the book of Colossians gives us a roadmap. Jay, the lead pastor at Westgate Church in Silicon Valley, California, has written a book about Paul's letter to the Colossians and how their challenges ...

213 – Is it really possible to be grateful in every situation?When things are going well in life, it is pretty easy to be grateful. But maybe you’re going through a season of your life right now where things aren’t going so well. Things aren’t working out. Or whatever it might be. Sometimes it’s pretty hard to find anything to be grateful for.So, where ever you are on the spectrum of how much or how little you think you have to be grateful for, I want to encourage you to just take a step...

212 – Do you want to pray more effectively?I learned a really important lesson from Halloween several years ago about how to pray in a way I had never thought of.When kids come to your door for Halloween, yelling "Trick or Treat," do you ever wonder if those are real witches or super heroes behind the masks?Of course not. Even if you pretend to be scared, you know the kids are just wearing costumes. It's a game we play every Halloween and everyone knows the rules. You know the costume is not ...

211 – Surprise, not everyone agrees on how to follow JesusWhat do you do when someone says you're not following Jesus the "right" way? Has someone ever "sent you to hell" because you didn't believe in Jesus or follow him the exact way they did?Jesus said simply, "Come, follow me." He said this to Peter and Andrew, James and John. He said it to tax collectors and anyone who was receptive.And here we are 2,000 years later still trying to figure out exactly what it means to follow Jesus.In this ...

210 – What if Jairus had not asked Jesus to heal his daughter?The answer is pretty obvious. She would not have been restored to life.I've been thinking of some of the challenges facing so many churches today and realized that Jairus's daughter being restored to life is a wonderful metaphor for what can happen to our churches when we turn to Christ for help.All too often, a struggling church thinks to be successful, it needs to get better music or update their audio-visual equipmen...

209 – How often do you think about your spiritual identity?It's one thing to identify yourself based on what you see in the mirror or how much money you have in the bank, and lots of other such things. But your real identity, who you are way down deep, is spiritual. It's who you are as a child of God made in God's image and likeness.This week I talk with Jared Capello, a life coach and fulfillment strategist. He helps people discover who they really are spiritually. This opens up unlimited po...

208 – What if you dug up a metal box in your back yard full of old gold coins?How would you feel? Pretty good, right?Why is it that, just the idea of unexpectedly getting a lot of money, makes us feel good? Well, it's probably because we tend to think of how much money we have as the source of how much happiness we can have in life.But Jesus gave us a completely different perspective on life, happiness, and wealth. He said life isn't about all your material possessions. It's about your relati...

207 – What would happen if you built your house on the sand next to the beach?You might have a beautiful house, but over time the water would probably erode the sand around and underneath your house. And your house would fall apart.Jesus uses the idea of a house built on a rock or the sand as a metaphor for obeying, or not obeying, the moral and spiritual precepts he taught in the Sermon on the Mount.In this week's episode I talk about how to build a firm foundation of obedience to Christ. He...

206 – Is legalism killing your church?Legalism puts a strangle hold on a church. It stunts the spiritual growth of the members and worst of all, it stifles the activity of the Holy Spirit.But legalism is not a new thing. Jesus had to deal with the same tendency with the religious leaders of his day. They were more interested in observing all the minute rules and laws than having a relationship with God. They thought their obedience to all these rules made them righteous.In this week's e...

205 – How can the book of James help your church grow?For a church to grow, there has to be a strong moral and spiritual foundation in Christ. And that's what the book of James is all about. In fact, it's very similar in tone with the Sermon on the Mount.When you and your church put these teachings into practice, individually and collectively, you will flourish.This week I talk with author, Robin T. Jennings about how the book of James is a guidebook to church growth and a bridge to the...

204 – Have you ever felt unwanted?I have a friend who was told by his parents that he was a mistake. They had not intended to have any more children. They constantly reminded him of this, as if it was his fault he was born.And they never gave him the love and support they gave to his brothers and sisters. All his life he has struggled with the feeling of being unwanted. It has affected him in lots of very negative ways.You'd be surprised at how many people I've met over the years ...

203 – What if Jesus was the preacher at your church?How would things be different? Would you listen more carefully to what was said? Would you be more inspired? Would you be afraid he might read your mind and see the things you don't want anyone to know about?How would it change you? Would you invite your friends to come the next week?I've been thinking about this lately. And that's what this episode is all about.What made Jesus a good preacher? Why did people come to listen? Well, there were...

202 – Can God still part the Red Sea today?Have you ever felt like you were trapped on the edge of the Red Sea with Pharaoh's war chariots charging toward you? And it didn't look like there was any way to escape?Imagine what it must have been like to be in that crowd when Moses raised his staff over the water, the wind began to blow, and the waters parted before your very eyes.God still delivers us from bondage He still parts the Red Sea. It just looks different today.In this week's epi...

201 – How good are you at walking in someone else's shoes?This week I have a conversation with Neil Matthews, host of the Other People's Shoes podcast.We talked about the importance of empathy when interacting with others.Neil shared several examples in the Bible when people expressed empathy:Jesus with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's wellJesus with the woman caught in adulteryPharaoh's daughter when she took baby Jesus out of the basket in the NileWhy empathy is importantNeil also talked abou...

200 – What are some of your favorite Bible verses?That's what this episode is all about.To celebrate Episode 200 of The Bible Speaks to You Podcast, I asked listeners to share their favorite Bible verse and why it's important to them.The response has been tremendous. Over 70 people, from all over the world, emailed me with their favorite passages in the Bible.Listen now, to see if someone mentioned your favorite verse.If you'd like to read everyone's response, go to the show notes page: thebi...

199 – How do you pray when bad things happen?Have you ever felt overwhelmed by with a problem, or series of problems, when it seemed like evil forces are trying to tempt or harm you?As always Jesus has the answer to these kinds of situationsHe told his disciples, who had been out preaching and healing, that he gave them authority to overcome all the power of the enemy (Satan).Christ gives you and me this same power today, to defeat the lies and temptations of the devil.That's what this week's...

178 – Did you have to memorize Bible verses when you were a kid in Sunday School?It can be a really good way to get to know the Bible. But it's not enough just to know the words. We need the spirit behind the words.Too much of what's in our hearts has been put there by the world, by people with good and bad intentions, and our own experiences.It seems like everyone and everything is trying to influence us in one way or another.But the most important things in your heart are what God puts ther...

197 – Have you ever looked at someone through a wall of glass bricks?The image is all distorted. You can't really tell who's behind all that glass. You can see shapes and forms and some color, but that's about it.Believe it or not, that's the way some people look at God. But it's not a literal wall of glass bricks. They see God through fear, man-made doctrines, and their own misconceptions about God.For example, if you think God is wrathful and vindictive and gleefully waiting to punish you f...

196 – How do you make room for God in your life?With all the busyness of today's world and the demands of daily life, it's sometimes hard to find the time to make space for one-on-one time with God.In this week's episode, I chat with author Tommy Thompson about how he has discovered ways to benefit from creating spaces in your life to be with God.Tommy says the best way to do this is start with small steps making room for God in your life. It could be just 10 more minutes of prayer each morni...

195 – Have you ever thought about having a Spiritual Independence Day?July 4 is celebrated in the United Sates as Independence Day. It's the anniversary of the day, back in 1776 when a small group of men, gathered in Philadelphia, and after much discussion and debate, decided to declare independence from England.If you would like to read a copy of that document, and don’t have one, click this link: The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.If you are a citizen of the Uni...

194 – Who do you identify with the most in the parable of the Good Samaritan?We usually like to think of ourselves as always being like the Good Samaritan, but sometimes we play some of the other roles.When I take an honest look at my life, there have been lots of times I have been more like the priest and the Levite.But there are several other characters in the story and this week's episode talks about all of them and what we can learn from them:Here they are. Which ones have you been? Who a...

193 – What comes to mind when you hear the phrase: surrender to God?Is it something you're comfortable with? Or is it a something you've tried to do but not very successfully? Or maybe it's something you don't really think about that much?This week, we're going to dive into this topic of surrendering to GodWhat does the word surrender actually mean?What it means to surrender to God What should we surrender?How to surrender to GodThe best example in the Bible of someone who surrende...

192 – Have you ever known someone who worried about almost everything?Or have you ever been that person, that just couldn't help worrying about stuff? This week's episode dives into Jesus's solution to overcoming being a worrywart. It's all about embracing his promise that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.Here are some of the key things this week:To quit worrying is about trusting God (Proverbs 3:5, 6, of course)You have to quit trying to manipulate people and circumstances to get what you wa...

191 – Did you know there are around 100 early Christian writings but only 27 of them are included in the New Testament?This week my guest is Shirley Paulson, founder and principal producer of Early Christian Texts, the Bible, and Beyond. We talked about how the early Christian writings, which aren't in the Bible, can help us understand the Bible better. They give us a bigger picture of what was going on in the early Christian church. Shirley's academic work focuses on early Ch...

190 – When you pray, do you start with the problem or the solution?This week we take a deep dive into how to pray more effectively. And so we're going to look at how Jesus prayed and see how we can follow his example.Jesus never started his prayers with the problem. But isn't that what we do sometimes? We try to explain to God how bad the situation is, as if He doesn't already know what's really going on.Jesus always started his prayers with the solution. Just look at how he taught us to pray...

189 – What do you do when you feel rejected?It can be a pretty lousy feeling. When you feel rejected, sometimes it's hard to know what to do.I’ve been hearing from people lately who have been rejected in one way or another. For some it’s being rejected by a family member or someone at school, or not getting the promotion at work they had hoped for. I have several friends who have been rejected by their churches because they were misunderstood and misjudged, or sometimes because they...

188 – The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea have the same source. Why are they so different?Have you ever noticed how many water metaphors there are in the Bible? One of the most important ones is not specifically mentioned. You have to know the geography of the Holy Land to understand it.The Sea of Galilee has fresh water coming into and water flows out of it. As a result, the Sea of Galilee is teaming with life.The Dead Sea has fresh water flowing into it, but there's no outlet for the water....

187 – What if the book of Revelation is not a prophecy of what will happen in the future, but a guidebook of how to follow the Lamb in the midst of Babylon?This week I talk with Scot McKnight, author of Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple.Scot warns against the tendency to read the book of Revelation through speculation as to who in the world today might be fulfilling specific prophecies.This misses the main point of Revelation, which is to ...

186 – With all the challenges in the world and in your life, is it really possible to stay faithful?Yes, of course.Sometimes we think of our faith in a big sweeping way. But staying faithful sometimes is about tiny little baby steps of doing what's right in the moment.In this week's episode, I talk about What it means to be and stay faithfulWho we should be faithful to (it's not just God)What we should not be faithful to, but all too often areWays to takes steps that strengthen our faith...

185 – What does it really mean to dwell in the house of the Lord?Usually we think it means sometime way off in the future after we die. But the Bible gives a lot of clues which point to the fact that we live in the house of the Lord right now, and always.That's what this episode is all about, living in the house of the Lord right now.Here are some of the key points:Psalm 23:6 says we dwell in the house of the Lord foreverForever is not just in eternity. It's right now too.What I learned about...

184 – Does it bother you if someone says they don't believe God is omnipotent?There's a lot of fresh discussion around this age old question, "Is God omnipotent?" A lot of people are challenging this concept and tying to be honest with themselves about what they really believe. So that's what we're talking about today.In fact, a lot of people are deciding that they no longer believe God is omnipotent. If God was all powerful, why would He allow all the evil in the world?In this week's ep...

183 – What is the best way to minister to the people most people ignore, the "least of these," as Jesus called them?This week on the podcast, I talk with Kit Cummings about his ministry in prisons and institutions, including men on death row.My favorite Kit quote:“A selfless act of service wakes up something inside of a person that, I don’t think, can be touched any other way.”We talked aboutHow he got started in his prison ministryThe struggle with alcoholism in his family and his own life&n...

182 – Have you ever wondered how Jesus could say “I have overcome the world,” before he was crucified?Easter is in just a few days and I’ve been thinking about something Jesus said to his disciples after the Last Supper and just before he went to the Garden of Gethsemane. It’s his famous saying, “I have overcome the world.” I’ve been pondering what he meant.Jesus knew exactly what was coming. He had tried to warn his disciples ahead of time that he would be arrested, tried, falsely accus...

181 – It's easy to see what your eyes see, but have you ever wondered how to see spiritually?Recently a listener asked me to comment of 1 Corinthians 2:9-14. She wanted to know what it means to see spiritually and how we can do that.This famous passage points out that the material senses, even the human mind and heart, cannot see or perceive the spiritual things God reveals to us. They can only be discerned spiritually.That's what this week's podcast is all about: how to see spiritually...

180 – Have you ever had a "burning bush" moment and felt like you were standing on holy ground?God appears to us in so many ways and situations. Even when it seems you're wandering in the desert, hungry and thirsty, either literally or figuratively, searching for answers and solutions to problems, in need of healing and love, maybe even at the end of your rope, right there and then, you are on holy ground. God is ready to guide you, protect you, love you, and heal you. You only need to be hum...

179 – Why did God rest on the original Sabbath day?Was God tired? What does it mean for God to rest? How does this apply to you and me? Is there something we need to know about the original Sabbath day, that helps us find a Biblical rest and what it really means to obey the Fourth Commandment?In this week's episode, I talk with Gregory Hall about what the original Sabbath is and how we can remember it the way God intended.Here are some of the things we talked about:How some people m...

178 – How do you see yourself?There's a lot of debate these days about how some people choose to self-identify when their choices don't follow society's stereotypes.Who or what is that defines us? Can we decide who and what we are? Are we defined by our past, our position in life, our culture, our money and education, our emotions. Can our mistakes define us? Can other people define who we are? Can we define ourselves; can we decide our own identity?You are so m...

177 – Are you searching for the pathway to healing?Have you ever felt like you were a long way off from getting an answer to your prayers? Maybe you’ve been praying for a long time about a resolution to challenge of some sort, guidance in making an important choice, or maybe you’ve been praying for healing, either physical or emotional, in your own life or for a friend. Sometimes it’s tempting to wish Jesus was here and we could just walk up to him and ask him to heal us, solve our ...

176 – Have you ever wondered if how much you love will have an impact on the future?A couple of weeks ago during my prayer time, God dropped this question into my heart:How much do you love the people who will be born 100 years from now?It really blew me out of the water.In this week's episode, I share some possible answers to this question. And I encourage you to think how you would answer it.Just thinking about this question gave me a more all-encompassing perspective of what it means...

175 – How is it possible to live in the kingdom of heaven today?Recently I was talking with a new listener to The Bible Speaks to You Podcast about what it means to embrace the mind of Christ on the subject of the kingdom of heaven.Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If that's really true, how can we be more conscious of its presence? Can we actually live in the kingdom here on earth? And what does that look like?These are some of the things I talk about in this week's episode:I...

174 – Getting from hurt to hopeAre there things hurting you from the past you're still carrying around? Or do you know someone who is? This week's podcast episode is full of healing. I'm talking with Steve Wormer about his work as a minister, and the Hurt to Hope program he works with to help churches and individuals find healing in their lives. It's a Bible-based program that helps someone move from the hurts of the past to hope for the future.We talk about what it takes to bring heali...

173 – Is there anything you need to surrender to God?This week's episode is a parable about six year-old Charlotte, who tries to take all 12 of her stuffed animals on a hike, crammed into her backpack.But it's not so easy to keep them all tucked away. One after the other they either fall in the water, get left behind, get covered in mud, or fall in a thorn bush.But Charlotte is determined to take all her "friends" with her each day.Join in the fun and listen as the wise little six-year ...

172 – What is it like to live in the Holy Spirit?Is it still possible today? Yes, it is!To understand why, we need to go back to when Jesus promises his disciples he will send the Holy Spirit to guide them, teach them everything they need to know, and remind them of everything he taught them.In this week's episode I talk aboutWhy Jesus had to leave before the Holy Spirit would comeHow to know that you have the Holy Spirit in your life2 things you can do that bring the Holy SpiritThe overall p...

171 – Have you ever wondered why Jesus spoke in parables so often?Recently I got an email from a listener, Brian, wondering why Jesus spoke so often in parables but didn't ever explain things to the crowds of people who were listening. He only explained them to his disciples.So I decided to do a whole episode about this. There's actually a lot to it and Brian actually had a lot of related questions.Here are the questions Brian asked and that I talk about this week. He was referring specifical...

170 – If you're stuck in a legalistic church, it may be time to leave.Being in a legalistic church is like being stuck in a small, tight box with little freedom. In today's podcast, I have a conversation with my friend Emily Louis, a worthiness coach and the host of the Abundant Grace Podcast, who left legalism for God's abundant grace.Here are some of the things we talked about:Why did you start your podcast, Abundant Grace and how has it blessed folks?What was the first thing you found free...

169 – Have you thought about what your spiritual vision for 2023 will be? It's not just setting a goal and making it happen but seeing what God is doing in your life.The book of Proverbs shares a powerful truth: "Where there is no vision, the people perish:" (Proverbs 29:18)But this vision doesn't just mean what you see with your eyeballs. It means spiritual or prophetic vision, the ability to see what God is doing in your life and the world.In this week's episode, I talk aboutWhy spiritual v...

2022 Highlights of The Bible Speaks to You PodcastSometimes at the end of the year and before the new year begins, you need a little reminder of all the good things that happened in the last 12 months.In this episode I share clips from 10 of the most listened to episodes of The Bible Speaks to You Podcast during 2022.Here are links to the full episodes of all those mentioned:# 120 Jason Elam: You Are Loved and Accepted by God# 125 Can Your Prayers to End War Make a Difference?# 13...

167 – Have you ever thought about what you'll give Jesus for Christmas this year?Christmas is in just a few days (if you're listening to this episode when it comes out). And you probably have most of your holiday preparations already taken care of except for the things that have to wait for the last minute.In all you've done to get ready for Christmas, have you ever stopped to consider what you'll give Jesus for Christmas this year?What could you possibly give him that he doesn't already have...

166 – How do you get ready for Christmas spiritually?Christmas will be here in less than two weeks. Are you ready?I'm not talking about the shopping and the cooking, the decorations and the Christmas cards. I'm talking about being ready spiritually to celebrate the birth of Jesus.Usually at this time of year, I read the Nativity stories in Matthew and Luke. And I look at the prophecies in the Old Testament the tell how Jesus will be born.But this year I've been studying the Sermon on th...

165 – Have you ever noticed all the ways Jesus loved his disciples?If you were going to tell someone you loved them, what would you say? How would you say it? There are so many possibilities. Just saying the words, “I love you,” doesn’t always convey love does it? It’s about the tone of voice, the circumstances, your facial expressions and body language, the sincerity in your heart. A lot more than just words goes into letting someone know you love them.And if you were going to show some...

164 – Wouldn't it be great to be sitting with Christ in heavenly places?Have you ever just wanted to get away from all the struggle, the challenges, and the busyness of daily life? Sometimes it seems the cycle of events never stops and we don’t have time to just be still and feel God’s presence as much as we’d like to. I have certainly felt this way many times. But a phrase from Ephesians has been coming to me the last week or so which has given me a lot of comfort: “sit together in heavenly ...

163 – What are you most grateful for?What’s the first thing you think of? Is it something big or small? Something recent, something in the distant past, or is it for something in the future that hasn’t even happened yet?Recently, when I asked someone in a class I was teaching what he was grateful for, he said it was his toothbrush. There's more to the story when you listen to the full episode, but it got me to thinking.What does the Bible say about gratitude? A lot actually.But most of the re...

162 – How do you define success?Too many people today define success by how much money they have, their career, the things they have, their education, and lots of other externals.But we need to redefine what success really is according to Tim Winders, my guest this week.Tim made some very insightful observations about success:Redefining success is about busting up the Babylonian or worldly system of approaching life and business and how success is defined. And then asking 'What does the...

161 – Did you know that as the image and likeness of God, in a sense, you are already complete and whole.When I was a kid, I usually felt there was something missing in my life. I didn't have everything I needed. I felt incomplete. I often thought I needed some thing or situation to make me complete, but it was actually a mindset issue. Way down inside, I felt incomplete as a person.As I grew in my faith, I came to see that as a child of God made in the divine image and likeness, my completen...

160 – Why is the Sabbath still important?In the world today, lots of people don't really think too much about honoring the Sabbath. They may be glad to have a day off from work, but they’re not aware of its deep spiritual significance. Other folks who consider themselves spiritual but not religious, may think it’s just some old-fashioned religious tradition. They may be thinking, “Why can’t we just celebrate and be spiritual however we want to? Why should one day be more important than a...

159 – The Bible is full of women who speak with wisdom and have positions of authority.Several years ago in my Bible class at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, CT, I put together a class on all the women in the Bible.It was fascinating to look at the Bible from the perspective of what women were doing and what was being done to them. One of the first things I realized in preparing for and teaching this class was that the Bible is full of examples when women were in charge,...

158 – Have you ever thought of yourself as a prophet?Have you ever thought it was even possible for you to be a prophet?We usually think if someone is going to be a prophet, it’s going to be someone else. Not us!And we have this stereotype of prophets in the Bible predicting the future, issuing a warning to an evil king, or performing miracles of some sort.But to be a prophet, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do all these things.Basically, to be a prophet, in the Bible, or today, you have...

157 – Have you ever had one of those days...You know, when you just feel down in the dumps, uninspired, and nothing seems to get you out of the doldrums? You sit there praying and it just seems like words? You try to read and study your Bible but even your favorite stories and verses seem empty and flat?It happens to most of us at one point or another. So how do we get out of it?Well, it may have very little to do with you. It may be the atmosphere you're in, the mental, emotional, ...

156 – Do you remember the story about the Syrophoenician woman who asked Jesus to heal her daughter?Have you ever wondered why Jesus was so incredibly inclusive of all types of people is in his ministry? I mean, think about it. Jesus talked to every sort of person there was to talk to: the rich, the poor, the holy, the humble, the sinner, the self-righteous. It didn’t matter to him if someone was of high or low social and religious status. What he cared about was if someone was receptive...

155 – Jesus spoke Aramaic in the New TestamentIs there any advantage to learning Aramaic to understand his teachings better?Of course!In this week's podcast episode, I talk with Roy Gessford about the insights we can get from reading the New Testament translated from Aramaic.Roy got interested in the original languages of the Bible when a speaker at a Bible conference told him he could learn these ancient languages.His first research said it was a dead language. But he quickly learned it was ...

154 – Have you noticed lately how so many people are predicting the end of the world?There is so much talk about "end times" these days. But actually it's been going on for years, even centuries.Think of all the people who came up with exact dates for when the world was going to end. But it never happened the way they predicted.Jesus said no one knows that day and time, not the angels, not even him. Only the Father knows.If Jesus said he didn't know, then we shouldn't be trying to figure it o...

153 – How can we find true self-worth?A friend of mine lost his job. All his confidence and self-assurance vanished. He never was able to reclaim a sense of his own worth. He saw his value based on the job he had and the money he made.But true self worth doesn’t come from anything you do, say, or achieve. It’s not based on how much money you make, how successful you are in business, with your family, or at church. It doesn’t depend on where you’re from or where you went to school. It’s n...

152 – Sometimes, the best prayer is just being in God’s presenceA lot of people think they don't know how to pray. They assume you have to say certain words and phrases in a certain way for your prayer to be "right."But there is no on right way to pray. It's more about feeling God's presence. Then the right ideas will come to you to pray with.Being in God's presenceI've been thinking about this a lot lately, the idea of just being in God's presence.In this week's episode, I talk about ho...

151 – Have you ever had to deal with modern day Pharisees?It's a big problem in a lot of churches, where someone in a church’s leadership becomes dictatorial, self-righteous, legalistic, and does everything to stay in control.Part of the problem is that Pharisees today, don't realize they are Pharisees.In this week's episode, I talk aboutWhat a modern day Pharisee is likeThe 4 main ways to deal with Pharisees What works the best What happens if you try to correct or rebuke a Pharise...

150 – I asked for your questions about the Bible. Wow!Several weeks ago, I asked listeners to send in their questions about the Bible. Thanks to everyone who responded. What wonderful and thoughtful questions.Asking questions is one of the most important ways to learn. Unfortunately, some churches discourage questions. They don't want people to think for themselves. I feel the exact opposite.Here are the questions sent in:My responses are not the be-all and end-all answers. But I share a few ...

149 – Have you ever wondered why you are where you are at this point in history?I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how each of us has a unique place and purpose in God’s creation. The Bible is full of examples of the right person being in the right place at the right time, saying and doing the right thing.One of the best examples in the Old Testament of someone being in the right place at the right time, is Esther. In this week's episode, I talk about the story of Esther at the crucial mom...

148 – When does Christ open the book with seven seals?Recently, I was studying Revelation, Chapter 5, where John of Patmos is shown a scroll sealed with seven seals. Chapter 6 then describes what happens as the seals are opened. A lot of Christians are incredibly fixated on what these seals represent and the events that follow in the book of Revelation. There are so many different opinions and theories about how and when these prophecies will be fulfilled.Here are some of the key points in th...

147 – What do you do when your church isn't following Christ?Recently I’ve met several people who have left their churches because their pastor, the leadership team, or the church as a whole, was not really following Jesus or obeying his teachings.I know folks who have been abused emotionally, spiritually, theologically, and sometimes even physically, in their churches. One or more of their church leaders, and sometimes the whole culture and the resulting politics at church, have been so far ...

146 – Is it really possible for us to be filled with God's fullness?And what does that even mean?Over the years, I’ve met people from all walks of life who, to greater or lesser degree, don’t feel complete. They identify themselves with their mistakes. They see themselves as victims of other people or circumstances. They don’t feel loved, good enough, or worthy.I have struggled with this myself at times.You can pray, read the Bible, talk to a friend, or even listen to a sermon or a podcast, o...

145 – Have you ever wondered why some prayers get answered and some don't?Personally, I believe all prayers are answered, just not always according to our preconceptions. There are times when we think our prayers have not been answered, but we just didn’t realize that the answer was, “No,” or something different from what we were expecting.Is it ever God’s will that someone not be healed or a problem not be solved? Unfortunately, too many Christians have been taught this very thing. I did a c...

144 – Keith Ferrin shares a unique way to read the Bible that reveals more of your identity in Christ.This week, Keith Ferrin and I have a conversation about experiencing the Bible's message on a whole new level that reveals more of who we really are as children of God.Keith shares why he's so passionate about the Bible. Here are some of the ideas he shares: The world’s lies are really, really loud and part of why I read the Bible is to make sure that the truth is louder.” It’s not about...

143- Jesus said to go into your closet and shut the door when your pray.Did he mean that literally? What is Jesus really asking us to do?Imagine you were in the crowd when Jesus was giving his Sermon on the Mount. He's talking about praying and all of a sudden he says you should go into your closet and shut the door.Most people you know pray on the street corners or in the synagogues. Jesus basically just called them hypocrites. How does he get away with that?In this week's episode, I talk ab...

142 – Sometimes we need to stop learning about GodSeveral years ago, I knew a fellow who was always studying the Bible. He was always trying to learn more about God. He’d look up every little detail about whatever topic he was researching. He knew a lot about God. He could always quote verses from the Bible that seemed appropriate for almost any situation.But all this knowledge about God was mostly in his head. Very little of it had made it into his heart. And even less had seeped out into hi...

141 – What would spiritual rebirth look like in your church?Our churches are facing some pretty challenging times. We need a more spiritual approach to church, but in our individual churches as well as all of Christianity.In this week's episode, I talk about how the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus about the need to be born again, can apply, not just to us as individuals, but also collectively to our churches.There needs to be a spiritual rebirth taking place in our churches.Here are ...