![]() | Persuaded Life is dedicated to helping you live out your faith in daily life and to helping you find new levels of intimacy with Christ.
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Each show is around 15 minutes.
Despite all the 2008 presidential election 24-hour media coverage, there are still voters who remain undecided. You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones experts gather in a room to gauge their reactions during various debates. It's as if these undecided men and women are waiting for that last piece of information they haven't heard before that will sway them in one direction or another. But both Clinton and Obama have been vetted ad nauseam. Yet, there are still voters who haven't yet made up their minds about which candidate they're going to support.
Every time I see that room full of undecided voters, I envision, instead, churches full of undecided people who call themselves believers but who are not living the example in front of those looking on. The world will not be convinced by watching part-time, uncommitted, unpersuaded Christians. They won't be drawn to a faith that doesn't engage us full-time. They won't decide for Christ by watching the undecided.
Broadcast 35 helps you pinpoint the undecided areas of your life and then helps you stand up for, get committed to, and become decided for what you believe in and in the ONE you believe in.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"Everyone is NOT Doing It" : Guarding your life against sin.
"Change We Can Really Believe In" : Reaching the world with your faith.
"Hang In There" : Making sure you keep running strong.
"When Good Sense Is Not So Good" : Trusting in more than what you see, hear, and feel.
"Tongue-In-"Check": Watching what you say.
"The Ultimate Walk" : Deciding what God has called you to do.
As human beings, we haven't mastered the love thing all that well. We're in love and then we're out of love. We're married and then we're not. We're passionate lovers and then we're bitter enemies. No, in the love department, we have a really long way to go. We're reminded of that fact this time of year when Valentine hearts and flowers and candy and cards abound. And when it comes to the love of God, many of us have no clue about how much He really cares.
Yet John 15:9 tells us, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love." To abide means "to stay, remain, dwell, continue, tarry." How can we settle the issue of God's love for us? How can we learn to love Him more? And how can His love for us and our love for Him help us both give and receive love with others?
Join me for Broadcast 34 as I talk about abiding love and how it can belong to us.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"Zakar: A Time to Remember" : Recalling past blessings and answered prayers.
"Who Decides?" : Trusting in His sovereignty.
"Where Is God In All This?" : Finding a method in the madness of life.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed. You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
I'm seeing a lot of hand-wringing these days over things happening in our country, including the absence of a presidential candidate to truly represent our Christian values and a hurting economy, which affects us from increased prices at the pump and grocery store to decreased values in our homes and retirement accounts. In addition to needs we face as a whole, we also confront desperate situations in our individual lives including illness, divorce, depression, and wayward children. Real people with real problems that need real answers real soon.
It's not time to wring our hands. It's time to lift them up to the only One who holds the answers. It's not time to lose our confidence. It's time to be the most confident of all for whatever we face and for whatever lies ahead. No matter what our five senses tell us, we must believe that God who has been faithful in the past will continue to be faithful for whatever we face. After all, desperate needs call for desperate prayers. Broadcast 33 challenges all of us to band together and pray and keep praying until the answers come.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"Wednesday's Meaning of Super Tuesday" : Making sense of what's going on.
"Taking By Force" : Impacting your world for Christ.
"GOP Turning Left?" : Continuing to fight for our faith.
"You'll Know Them By Their Fruit" : Deciding who to believe in by discovering what they believe in.
"Giving Plus" : Offering the eternal along with the immediate.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed. You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
I have a long and rich and proven history of miracles in my earlier days, but somewhere along the way, someone talked me out of them. Over the past many years, I have attended churches where miracles aren't expected. They're not in style. They're not politically correct. Somehow we exchanged the supernatural for the orderly, manifestations for the programs, signs for the numbers, and wonders for the hype and performance. That makes me sad. Jesus told His disciples that after He went away, they, the disciples, would do--and continue to do--even greater works than Jesus Himself had done. Ongoing miracles, not past-tense ones. The ones they'd seen previously were intended to build their faith and confidence for the ones that lay ahead.
Broadcast 32 brings our focus back to the miracles Jesus told us we were to do. Whys and hows are discussed, but mostly this broadcast reminds all of us that there are lots of miracles just waiting to be had by God's children. He uses the miracles to turn people to the Miracle Giver, and He's calling you and me to be part of His miracles for today.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"Standing Up for Life" : Doing your part.
"It's the BIG Picture That Counts" : Staying encouraged.
"Effective Praying" : Learning more about getting results.
"The Persuaded In the Market" : Remembering what to do when things look bad.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Ever heard these definitions of pride?
"Pride is the root of every sin and evil."
"Pride means 'straining or stretching one's neck'; 'to magnify, to be haughty.' "
"Pride is a focus on self and a form of self-worship."
"Pride believes all things should be from us and through us, to us and for us."
"Pride is competitive toward others, and especially toward God."
"Pride wants to be on top."
"Pride seeks to ungod God."
Countless godly people have fallen or failed to achieve all God had for them because of pride.
It can happen to us, too, if we don't become deliberate about spotting and removing pride from our lives. It's not something we do only once. Pride checking must be done every day for the rest of our lives if we want to be all we can be in God, maximize our input for the kingdom, and finish strong.
Come along with me for Broadcast 31. Let's start keeping a check on our pride.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"If We Don't Have Love" : Learning grace.
"GGPS" : Finding confidence in God's guidance.
"Set Apart" : Realizing it's good to be different.
"Promises Made, Promises Kept" : Reminding ourselves that our word is our bond.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Are you just putting in your time?
Are you just marking what you do off your list?
Are you just reminding God that you did something good for the day?
Broadcast 30 discusses our motives. Motive is defined as, "the reason for doing something or behaving in a specific way."
The Bible talks a lot both directly and indirectly about our motives. Check out this verse from Proverbs 20:26-27: "The Lord's searchlight penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive."
Don't let what you do be destroyed by why you do it. Don't let your work for the kingdom be marred by your desire for recognition from anyone other than God. Instead, pass the motive test. Make what you do in secret outweigh the things you do in public. It's then and only then that you can honestly know that you're not just putting in your time or marking what you do off your list or reminding God that you did something good for the day. Instead, you're living life to please, serve, and glorify Him. Broadcast 30 will help you do that.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"Do Christians Belong In Politics?" : Deciding when you need to speak up.
"It's Not About Us" : Recalling the purpose of everything.
"Never Stop Growing" : Staying pliable.
"Iowa and the Persuaded" : Remembering that God will have the last word.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Christmas is behind us and the new year is here. It's time to move on--and to make some new year's resolutions. To exercise more and eat less. To break a bad habit and start a good one. Problem is, just as we make these resolutions, we find ourselves breaking them.
I'm hoping the same is not true about our commitment to spiritual growth during the year ahead. One of my favorite verses is found in Isaiah 43:18-19, and the new year seems like a good time to read it all over again: "Do not remember the former things nor consider the things of old. Behold I WILL DO A NEW THING. Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
Hmmmm. New things for the new year. Through this verse, instead of us making a resolution with God, which we can never keep, He's making a resolution with us, which He can never break. All we have to do is reach out and take the new thing He is offering to us. How do we do that?
Broadcast 29 examines four ways of bringing about a life-changing resolution by showing you how to let go of the old and take hold of the new.
So listen up and join me in a new year for new things.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"Different Seasons" : Responding well to every call.
"Hold Fast Your Confidence" : Trusting even when things look bad.
"Big Gifts In Little Places" : Learning to find the answers you might have overlooked.
"Thankfully, Some Things Never Change" : Rejoicing in the consistency of God's Word.
"The 2008 Religion Race" : Keeping an eye on what's really going on.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Christmas is a special time of year for all ages for so many reasons. Family, friends, and food. Shopping, sharing, and showing our love.
One of the traditions many of us cherish is watching reruns of old Christmas movies such as It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. If we hadn't already seen the end of these movies, we might stress out about their conclusions. But because we know the outcome, we just watch and enjoy, knowing things are going to turn out okay.
Today, I want to go with you to the end of the book--THE book, The Bible--to show you why the plot of life on earth is as it is and how things are going to turn out in the end. By discovering this information, you can begin to watch and enjoy life as it unfolds without stressing about its conclusion. I'm calling this broadcast "How the Dragon Tried to Steal Christmas." It comes from Revelation 12, and it's a revelation you won't want to miss.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"No Lone Rangers" : Remembering that we're part of a body.
"Only Today" : Allowing tragedy to remind us to make the most of this moment.
"All in the Name" : Keeping your integrity intact.
"Wanted: More Knocking Knees" : Recognizing the need for godly fear.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Many of you find yourselves today in hard situations and undesirable circumstances, and at this time of year, everything can seem more discouraging and hopeless than ever. Your life is different, less perfect than those you see around you. They're enjoying children while you remain childless. They're enjoying financial abundance while you can barely get by. They're enjoying their health while you continue to suffer with an illness that never goes away.
But could it be that God is up to something in your life through those difficult events? Could it be that God uses the weak places, hard places, left-out places, I-don't-want-to-be-there places as His opportunities to work deeply in your life?
Broadcast 27 helps you see these experiences as God platform for speaking to you in ways comfort and ease just can't accomplish. This can be your opportunity give those hard places back to God for His free reign in bringing about His purpose.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"The Presidential Pre-Selection" : Remembering that God is in charge.
"Roadmap to Peace or Judgment?" : Understanding our role in these last days.
"Family First" : Keeping the main things the main things.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Do you look around you and see others doing great things for God and wonder why you can't do the same? Do you feel useless to the kingdom? Does it seem that God has left you on a shelf somewhere? Have you pursued an area you felt was His will only to have it not work out? Are you tired of waiting for God to show you His plan for your life?
I believe that's where many of us find ourselves today. There's much to be done for God in these last days, and we know we've been called. But instead of being busy doing, we're stuck in waiting mode--not out where the action is and where many others are busy making a difference.
If this describes you, you'll want to listen to Broadcast 26. Through this message, you will realize that you aren't the only one clueless about what to do next. Through those who've gone before, you'll understand why you're there, what's happening in the process, and what you need to do to stay on track.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"They Need to See and Do" : Influencing your kids in their visual, hands-on world
"Laughing Heart, Dancing Eyes" : Giving with the right motives.
"Arousing to Action" : Getting busy doing what you've been called to do.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
The news on the global front is dismal at best, and it shows no signs of improvement. But when the overwhelmingness of current events is compounded by devastating personal events, life sometimes seems more than we can bear. We don't know where to turn or who to turn to. And most of the time, the experience requires that we go it alone.
Perhaps you're going through a difficult time in your life. Something is hurting you. Someone has disappointed you. Some situation is not changing. Some news is not good. And you would do anything--give up anything--to have someone take away the pain. What do you get instead? Silence. Aloneness. Despair.
Broadcast 25 explores times such as these--why they're necessary, how to handle the lonely stuff, and what's happening through the process. So listen up! And if you're not presently facing such challenges, invite someone who is. Then let me hear from you. After all, we can all use a little encouragement when we're alone and hurting.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"Albums" : Glancing back and focusing forward.
"Licking Your Lacks" : Identifying and strengthening your weak places.
"No Surprises By the Bay" : Acknowledging persecution then moving on.
"Tapeinoo Person of the Year" : Recognizing true greatness.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
As you know, secular television and radio news programs are not generally good platforms to espouse the Christians principles that Jesus taught. Sometimes, however, guests will appear on the programs who speak up for things we stand for. Some of those guests do it effectively and make a convincing argument for right things. Other don't do so well. Their argument seems to be more about them than about Jesus.
Do you ever wonder how you would do if you were on that program instead? How effective would you be at persuading others about your persuaded life? Or to bring it even closer, how effective are you at persuading the UNpersuaded over the water cooler at work, over the fence in your neighborhood, or over the telephone with a family member?
Broadcast 24 talks about how you and I can make a better case for the faith we represent through God's power and for His glory, not ours. You'll discover how to get out of the way and make your witness about God thorough worship and intercession. You'll find ways to see lives changed and people persuaded all around you as they see God in you.
So join me for Broadcast 24 and discover the only real way to make a persuasive persuasion.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"Really Scary Stuff" : Reminding you of the difference you can make.
"Wanted: Greater-Than Miracles" : Trusting God for the something more.
"Seeing Is Still Believing" : Realizing we're not standing alone.
"Fires Don't Discriminate" : Reprioritizing important things.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Through the years, there's always been a disparity in political parties about who should take care of the poor, the people or the government. In a recent book, Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism, author Arthur C. Brooks found that religious conservatives were far more charitable than secular liberals, and that those who supported the idea that government should redistribute income were among the least likely to dig into their own wallets to help others. He wrote, "If liberals persist in their antipathy to religion, the Democrats will become not only the party of secularism, but also the party of uncharity."
When what Brooks calls "religious conservatives" are followers of Jesus Christ, there's a reason we are more benevolent, more charitable, more generous. Jesus was the picture of benevolence and charitablity, and He told His followers to do the same.
In Matthew 19:21, Jesus said, " 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' "
So why did Jesus command us to meet their needs? Broadcast 23 describes some of those reasons and helps you get more in tune to the poor God has sent your way.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
"Last Things" : Being more devoted, deliberate, and dedicated to the things you do.
"Quiet Pleasures" : Finding extraordinary blessings in ordinary places.
"Waking Up Tired Prayers" : Rediscovering the privilege of talking to God.
"Heaven and Kids" : "Answering an age-old question."
"Endorse or Keep Looking" : Helping you make political decisions.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
I was in elementary school in the 1960s when abortion became legal and prayer was removed from our schools. As I grew older and witnessed the aftermath of those and other decisions, I remember asking, "How could Christians let this happen? Where were they?"
Today, I'm watching the 2008 presidential contest with grave concern. Most pundits say that Hillary Clinton could well be our next president, which means we're in for a whole host of anti-Christian decisions--from liberal, activist judges being nominated to the Supreme Court to pro-abortion, pro-gay-rights decisions changing our country as we have known it for more than 200 years. I feel the same kind of concern I felt after the 60s only multiplied many fold. I'm one of the adults now who should know how to make the difference, but I find myself once again asking, "How can Christians let this happen?"
What I do know is that in order to enact true and lasting change and in order to influence decisions in our world for the eternal, we need to stay relevant. Followers of Jesus must not become marginalized. The foundations of our faith tell us that God is in control, and He's the one who sets up and brings down kings and presidents. We know that the fulfillment of prophecy is happening before our very eyes as events unfold to usher in the return of Christ. But we also know that God's design includes that His people make a difference in the world until Jesus comes back. In order to do that, we must stay relevant.
So how do we stay relevant? And how do we become influencers in our society? Broadcast 22 takes a fresh look at the Christian's role in today's world.
Also, You Won't Want to Miss Some Recent Blogs:
Cloud-Seeding, Daisy-Chaining, or Soul-Winning? : Spending efforts on things that matter.
Should Missionaries Stay At Home? : Hoarding or sharing the Good News?
Popcorn Evangelism : Discovering effective ways for witnessing.
Put Your Actions Where Your Faith Is : Doing as well as feeling.
Christians Can Be Green, Too: Finding ways to take care of the earth.
The Haves and Have Nots : Identifying the truly rich.
If Persuaded, Then Unashamed : Remembering that we are on the winning side.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
I have Bible history question for you today: What was the very first thing God created? Before He made the earth or the moon and the stars or the mountains and the seas, what did He bring forth?
If you answered "wisdom," you're right. Listen to Proverbs 8:22-34 and how the writer personifies wisdom:
The Lord formed me from the beginning, before He created anything else.
I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began.
I was born
before the oceans were created . . .
before the springs bubbled forth their waters . . .
before the mountains and the hills were formed . . .
before he had made the earth and fields and the first handfuls of soil.
I was there when He established the heavens . . .
when He drew the horizon on the oceans
when He set the clouds above
when He established the deep fountains of the earth
when He set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries . . .
when He marked off the earth's foundations.
I was the architect at His side.
I was His constant delight, rejoicing always in His presence.
This passage is a wonderful and clear description of what God did before He pushed up His sleeves and became Elohim--the God of Creation. God, Himself, consulted wisdom before He drew the boundaries of the earth. If God did that, isn't it a good idea for us to consult wisdom while drawing boundaries in our lives, too? Yet we don't have to look far to see that's not what we do:
We eat too much and pray too little.
We overspend and over-commit.
We're filled with self-indulgence and are void of self-discipline.
We allow our emotions to rule our responses but ignore our conscience to rule our conduct.
We keep accountability people out of our lives and let yes-people in.
Broadcast 21 gives you some spiritual food for thought. It helps you look at weak boundaries in your life and spot other places where you need to build them--all with wisdom as your architect.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"Living Out of Your Suitcase" : Learning to live with an eye on eternity.
"Understanding Unpardonable" : Realizing the only thing God can't forgive.
"Trust His Heart" : Maintaining faith when the evidence is not forthcoming.
"A Boat Load of Learnin" : Sitting and learning at Jesus' feet.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
I've been thinking a lot lately about decisions that we make through our lives. There are relatively unimportant ones, which if they don't work out, we merely undo them. At the other end of the spectrum is the most important decision we'll ever make--to accept Christ as Savior so we can live here for Him here and spend eternity with Him there. But in between the lesser important and the most important are crucial decisions, ones that we can't undo and that can affect every day and every aspect of our lives for the rest of our days.
One of those crucial decisions is who we marry. Many people spend more time selecting a new car than the person they plan to spend their lives with. Their parents didn't teach them or model how to choose a spouse, and they aren't teaching or modeling for their children either.
Proverbs 24:3-4 says,
"Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established
By knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches."
If you're like me and wish you'd been better prepared for mate selection, let's make up for it and do what we can to equip the next generations--our children and grandchildren. Let's teach them that they need wisdom to build the house in the first place.
If you were equipped and made good choices, pass on those skills. Be deliberate about getting your children ready, too.
If your children or grandchildren have already selected their mates, help them find the understanding and knowledge to fill its rooms with all precious and pleasant riches.
Join me for Broadcast 20. We'll talk about the W.I.S.E. way to prepare your kids.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"To All Fellow Pathfinders" : Heading down the road less taken.
"It's Not About Us" : Seeing God as the center of everything.
"Voice Recognition" : Learning to hear what God has to say.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
O.J. Simpson. He's all over the news again: a hotel room, a gun, stolen items, threats and a secret tape recording of it all. I've also heard reference to something else in a lot of the news coverage--OJ's temper. They talked about how the intensity of his anger could cause him to do almost anything.
The information took me back about 11 years, when OJ's trial was taking place after he was accused of killing his wife and Ron Goldman. I was at home one day with my children. Suddenly my 10-year-old son, Clint, lost his temper with his sisters. And I mean he lost his temper! He flew into a rage as he had been doing with greater frequency.
We did something that day that changed my son forever--we prayed and took authority over something that didn't belong in his life. Instead of allowing that anger to stay with him and go into his future marriage and fatherhood, Clint is free, and the anger has been replaced with peace and joy.
As Christians, we put up with an awful lot that we don't have to. Satan's payoff is killing, stealing, and destroying, while Jesus offers not only eternal life there, but abundant life here(John 10:10). And abundant life doesn't include anger, bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness, addictions or bad habits!
No matter what it looks like or how long it's been there, if the junk in your life doesn't look like Christ, get rid of it. Stop it now! Don't let it go into your children's generation. Broadcast 19 shows how.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"Hold Fast. Don't Become Sluggish" : Hanging in there.
"Yours for the Seeking" : Finding God for yourself.
"You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" : Realizing what God has in store.
"Buying Back Time" : Making up for lost opportunities.
"Being There for Them" : Recognizing our mentoring roles.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
We're hearing much these days about the downturn in the economy--the housing market, as well as the Dow Jones Industrial, S & P 500, and NASDAQ. My husband has been a financial planner for more than 30 years, and he's been watching these indexes carefully. I hear him on the phone with many of his clients who are obviously fearful about their retirement investments and how best to manage them.
But the Bible tells us about that ultimate retirement when we get to heaven and the payoffs or rewards we will or will not receive. Not retirement from the jobs we've held, but from the lives we've lived.
Hebrews 9:27 tells us that it's appointed unto all of us to face that ultimate retirement (death), and after death the judgment--two judgments in fact. The first judgment will determine those who go to heaven based on their relationship with Christ as Savior. The second judgment--called the Bema--will determine our rewards.
The Bible calls those rewards "crowns." There are five of them, and Broadcast 18 tells you what they are and the requirements you need to get them. Those are the rewards that no economy downturn can destroy, no person can steal, and no bankruptcy in social security can wipe out.
So listen and learn, and then lineup your life so you can some day receive your crowns.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
MAJORING ON THE MINORS: THE LAST OF OUR BLOG SERIES ON LESSONS FROM THE MINOR PROPHETS
"Malachi and Giving" : Prioritizing how you spend your money.
"Zechariah and Prayer" : Talking to God--His forever provision for His people.
"Haggai and Stirring Up" : Doing your part.
"Zephaniah and Repentance" : Allowing God to change you.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
We've all been through some hard places and seen some difficult things, but nothing compares to the pain and sadness of watching someone you love turn her back on the Lord or decide that he doesn't want to live his life God's way.
I, like most of you have experienced this kind of pain. And I'm here to tell you today that no matter how long it has been or how seemingly hopeless it has seemed, there is hope. Job 14:7-9 says, "There is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the ground, yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant."
It's not time for you or me to give up on those loved ones. It's time to get serious. These wayward loved ones are assigned to us, and we're to step up to the plate, hang in there, and do whatever we can to lead them to Christ.
Broadcast 17 helps you do that.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
MAJORING ON THE MINORS: THE NEXT OF OUR BLOG SERIES ON LESSONS FROM THE MINOR PROPHETS
"Obadiah and Pride" : Identifying and embracing humility.
"Jonah and Exclusivism" : Remembering that we're not the only ones God loves.
"Micah and Compassion" : Recognizing Yahweh's mercy.
"Nahum and Fidelity" : Renewing our heavenly vows.
"Habakkuk and Believing" : Holding fast our confidence when things look bad.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
In his book The Purity Principle, Randy Alcorn writes, "On a scale of one to ten, adultery or pornography addiction might be a ten, at the top of the ladder. But the question is, what were the bottom rungs of that ladder--the ones, twos, and threes?" (p. 43).
When it comes to temptation, we're not talking today about the no.-10 obvious wrongs. We're taking a look at the ones, twos, and threes that you let get by in your life. Those little, innocent things that you think don't matter but that cause you to sin in the end. Alcorn goes on to write, "When we identify those, disaster prevention can take place."
Broadcast 16 takes you back to the age-old, no-one-is-exempt-from subject of temptation. It will always be there, but there will always be a way of escape. This broadcast will help you find that escape, beginning with your eyes and paying closer attention to what you're looking at.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
MAJORING ON THE MINORS: THE FIRST THREE OF OUR BLOG SERIES ON LESSONS FROM THE MINOR PROPHETS
"Amos and Comfort" : Learning to grow spiritually in our prosperity.
"Joel and Judgment" : Becoming a spokesman of judgment with repentance and devastation with grace.
"Hosea and Mercy" : Showing God's kind of patience with wayward people.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
We've heard the word "integrity" much since the collapse of the 35 West bridge in Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago. Integrity is the thing that gives bridges--and buildings--their wholeness, quality and strength. The word "integrity" comes from the Latin word integras meaning "sound, whole, complete." The collapse of the Minnesota bridge has raised concerns about the integrity of other bridges across our country as well.
But a crisis in integrity is not confined to our bridges. The lack of integrity in people is at an all-time high as well. Do you realize that the U.S. has more than 35 million laws to protect us from the lack of integrity? Without integrity, people--as well as bridges--cannot support the load they were intended to carry, and they will eventually fall.
Broadcast 15 discusses the topic of integrity (what you do or say or think when no one else is looking), what it has to do with your life, and three ways you can be sure that you keep your integrity intact.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt looses its saltiness [integrity] . . . it is no longer good for anything. . . You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone . . . In the same way, let your light [integrity[ so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Mt. 5:13-16).
Be salt, be light, be a person of integrity. Broadcast 15 will help you do that.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"Wrestling With God" : Praying desperately in desperate situations
"No Greater Joy" : Standing in the gap consistently for your kids.
"Ouch" : Understanding the process when discipline hurts.
"A Slice of Humble Pie" : Spotting and ridding your pride.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
What do we do when Christmas or our child's birthday rolls around? We ask them what they want, right?
Jesus asked people what they wanted, too. At the pool of Bethesda to a man crippled for 38 years, Jesus asked "Do you want to get well? What do you want?" To two blind men on the road to Jericho, Jesus asked, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And to the immoral Samaritan woman at the well who came to draw water, Jesus talked to her about her heart's real thirst. Her real desire.
Just as Jesus asked the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda and the blind men on the road to Jericho and the Samaritan woman at the well "what do you want?" ----He's asking you right where you are, "What do you want, My child?"
Our children never hesitate to tell us what they want. Neither did the crippled, blind, and immoral people that Jesus talked to. And neither should you.
Broadcast 14 will help you perhaps see a different side of God--One who truly longs to give you the desires of your heart.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"A Hill or A Valley?" : Resting in God through hard places.
"Loved Just As Much" : Remember that Jesus died for everyone--even the ones you don't like.
"No More M & Ms" : Realizing the meaning behind God's silence.
"Nothing Hot" : Assuming your part in church revival.
"A New Song" : Acknowledging the role of worship in the last days.
"Yuk Yak" : Allowing God to strip off the old layers.
"Yours for the Taking" : Laying hold of the provisions that are already there.
"Something to Remember" : Watching and waiting for others.
"Hupernikao Conquerors" : Becoming the victor that you are.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Sometimes I share information because I want to, but the message of Broadcast 13 is something I think I had to share with you.
There's a role that God has called each of us to play. It's called a "watchman." When we don't do it well, He holds us responsible. All we have to do is read Ezekiel 33:6, which tells us this is true: "But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn't sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their deaths. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman accountable."
What is a watchman? What responsibilities does it involve? How do you get busy fulfilling the tasks it demands?
Listen carefully to Broadcast 13. No one wants to be held accountable for something he or she knows little about. And then let's watch our watchman role more carefully from this point on.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"Backpacks and Cinnamon Rolls" : Remembering how loved you are by God
"When God Sits Down" : Realizing what really happens when we worship
"Set Your Face Like Flint" : Living without shame
"Each Doing His Part" : Accepting with joy the work you've been assigned
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
How can something that is so important be so hard? Perhaps it's the importance that makes it so hard.
I'm talking about fasting, and Scriputure is clear, we'll never grow as much as we can or get as many answers to our prayers as we could without it. Think about this spiritual exercise as you do your physical exercise. You walk or run to get a cardiovascular workout, but to get the maximum physical benefit, you also need to add some weight training to build muscles in other parts of your body.
Similarly, you pray and read your Bible, but to get the maximum spiritual benefit, you need to add fasting to build strength in other areas of your life. Simply put, fasting helps put you (through God) in charge of your body, not your body in charge of you--and what freedom and power that brings.
So if you've got a prayer that really needs an answer or a problem that really needs to be solved or an area in your life you need to conquer, listen to broadcast 12. Then make fasting a regular part of your spiritual workout.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"Pumped and Praying" : Taking part in intercessory worship.
"You Can Change the World--Through Prayer" : Remembering the power of your prayers.
"A Sure Place" : Realizing that you cannot fail with God on your side.
"My Menuchah" : Trusting instead of worrying, resting instead of fretting.
"Train Up a Child" : Being faithful about teaching and preparing this generation.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Do you know someone who formerly walked closely with God but now he or she seems far from Him? How do you and I safeguard our own Christian walks so the same doesn't happen to us?
Broadcast 11 shows how easy it is to happen and how deliberate you and I must be to make sure it doesn't. You'll learn how to go in search of a deeper walk with God and five ways to safeguard the relationship that you find.
This broadcast is dedicated to all those who don't want to lose their passion for Jesus and want to sprint across the finish line of their spiritual journey. It is the last step that wins. It is when heaven's heights are full in view that hell's gate is most persistent and full of deady peril. Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. So run that you may obtain.
Call a friend to listen, too. Let's cheer each other on. Let's run the race to win.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"No Need for Counterfeits or Vicarious Faith" : Finding God for yourself.
"Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing" : Balancing life's demands with life in Christ.
"Our Story" : Discovering the timeless message all over again.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Ever hear someone say:
"God spoke to me."
"I felt God direct me."
"God impressed on my heart."
Ever felt discouraged that you can't say the same?
How do others hear from God? How can I hear from Him, too? Psalm 32:8 tells us " 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with My eye.' " How does He do it and how do we understand His instructions?
Broadcast 10 answers these and other questions about how you can discern God's will. I talk about three ways God speaks to us and several ways you can be sure to hear.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"Snapshots of God's Faithfulness" : Looking back on what He's already done.
"Getting the House Ready" : Realizing what the mansion Jesus is preparing must be like.
"Disconnect!" : Reigniting our time with God.
"Childlikeness" : Daring to unleash our expressions of faith,
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Do you get concerned about the lack of values that surround your child or grandchild? Do you feel helpless to do anything to combat these unhealthy influences?
It's not time to despair, wring your hands, and accept failure on behalf of your children. No way. It's time to get proactive and on-the-ball when it comes to teaching and preparing your kids and grandkids with godly principles.
Broadcast #9 will give you eight solid, time-proven principles to pass on lifetime values and to arm your kids for the battles that lie ahead.
So get informed, get excited, get deliberate, and get busy instilling values in your kids.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"Getting to the Bottom--Of Ourselves" : Decreasing us and increasing Him
"Which Describes You?" : Choosing to grow and respond like Christ.
"Miracles As the End or the Means?" Learning to want the Giver more than the gift.
"What Satisfies You?" : Refusing to settle for the good when we can have the best.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
We fear snakes and heights and speaking in front of others. But as Christians, sharing our persuasion is one of our greatest fears of all. What if they reject me? What if they say no? What if I'm inadequate for the task?
The reasons are many, but the result is the same: we miss the opportunity to offer someone eternal life.
Broadcast #9 explains evangelism in perhaps a different way than you've heard it before, and I hope it takes the fear-factor away. Evangelism is a command for all of us, not just those on the pulpit.
So listen, learn, and lick those nasty fears when it comes to evangelism.
Also: You won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"What Would You Do?" : Deciding if the needy are legit.
"All In the Name" : Using God's names to apply to your needs.
"Commiserating or Counseling?" : Learning to consult truth-people instead of yes-people.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
With Father's Day upon us, it seems appropriate to remind our dads to finish the parenting race well! To those of you who are not dads, you certainly know someone who is. Listen to this broadcast and then go and encourage the fathers that you know.
God gives us a specific order of priorities on which to base our lives. Dad, when you allow these to get out of whack, your whole life goes crazy. Don't let anything, ANYTHING, including the good things like ministry replace your time with your child. He will resent it, you'll both lose out, and your ministry will be rendered ineffective. Don't pursue the important to the exclusion of the urgent--your growing child.
So here's your challenge. Listen to this program, then take this time to renew your commitment to God's order of doing things. And if you do? Your children will bless you and be blessed.
Also, you won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"Why Do We Do What We Do?" : Checking our motives.
"Clueless But Committed" : Releasing your wisdom and finding God's while serving.
"Crying-Out Prayer": Reaching God when things get desperate.
"PurposeLESS or PurposeFULL": Remembering God's plans for your life.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Ever feel like you need someone to help you do life? Ever feel like you would love to have someone help you know what to do in hard situations? Ever feel like you have no one who cares about your life's journey?
We've all felt this way at some time or other, and because we have, we all need to both find and become a mentor.
Broadcast 6 reminds you that none of us should go through life without the benefit of mentoring. So give me your ears. Let me help you with the whys and hows of mentoring.
Also, you won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"God-Only": Re-throning God In our Lives and In Our Churches.
"Women In Combat": Taking Up Arms In Spiritual Warfare.
"Don't Forget His Benefits 1, 2, and 3": Remembering God's Promises
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Television. Radio. Telephone. Internet. Palm Pilots. Ipods.
So much noise around us. So many competitors for our time.
Most of us never experience the absence of sound. Silence has become a lost art. Solitude is something we no longer know how to find.
But until we reclaim the art of being quiet and alone, we will never give God a chance to be all He wants to be to us and say the things He wants us to know.
Tune in to broadcast 5 and discover three thiefs of solitude. Learn how to manage these, and you'll learn how to embrace silence and the ability to listen to what God has to say.
Also, you won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"A Meeting Place": Finding that special spot to be alone with God.
"Already Perfect" : Striving to be like Christ.
"Are You Ready to Graduate?" : Measuring your spiritual growth.
"What Was I Thinking?" : Remembering that God sees everything.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.

Every one of us has a daughter or a son, a granddaughter or grandson, a friend or a relative--someone we're praying for to become persuaded, to make their decision for Christ.
That's the reason for Broadcast 4. I wrote this fictional account to remind you what happens in the heavenlies when you pray. I want to encourage you to keep praying no matter how long it takes or how old they are before you see the results. I want to show you that your role as intercessor has never been more urgent than now.
My dad prayed for more than 30 years--and even fasted for 40 days--for his brother's salvation, yet he never saw this brother come to Christ.
But my sister and I did. Ten years after Dad died, His prayers were still working. We were with my uncle one spring day, and he prayed with us to receive Christ as his savior. Our uncle died a few months later at age 91 and is in heaven now, and I believe Dad's prayers and his refusal to give up did a lot to make the difference.
So listen up! Then keep praying and refuse to give up. What you do today will make a difference for all eternity!
Also, you won't want to miss some recent blogs:
"Head to the Storm Shelter": Weathering the hard times.
"Our Times Are In His Hands": Committing every action in every day to God.
"Cloud-Seeding, Daisy-Chaining, & Soul-Winning": Making a lasting difference.
"First-Hand-Faith Mothers" : Modeling an intimate relationship with Christ for your kids.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
So you've been persuaded. Now what? What do you do during the time between coming to Christ and going to be with Him?
The Bible tells us to "occupy until He comes." I call it "watching your wait!"
It's so easy to get distracted, discouraged, and disheartened as Jesus' return is delayed longer than many predicted. If we don't watch carefully, we can turn our attention to the nonessentials and put down stakes on this earth as though this is all there is and this is where we'll always be.
Podcast 3 reminds you that you're headed for a city up there and you're just a pilgrim passing through down here. I give you three keys to packing your bags and leaving them by the door--and then occupying and waiting well for Christ's return.
Come with me. Let's wait together!
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Ever feel like you're a has-been--or worse yet, a never has-been?
Ever feel like you're best days are behind you?
Ever feel like everyone's life is making a difference but your own?
Listen to Podcast #2, and I think you'll recast your thinking and start discovering some exciting new things God longs to teach you and new places He wants to take you. You might even realize that best is yet to come!
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.
Welcome to the Persuaded Life. I'm delighted you have joined us and hope by the time you finish hearing this very first podcast, you'll know what we're all about.
I'm also hoping you'll keep coming back. But like a new restaurant that opens, patrons return only when they like what they eat and they get their hunger satisfied.
I'm here to help you in your spiritual journey and to help you apply what you believe to how you live, what you face, and the decisions you make.
So eat up! Enjoy! And be sure to get in touch with me to let me know what other dishes I can prepare for you.
*Time before the show starts playing will vary from 2 seconds...to 20 seconds, depending on your internet connection speed! You may also right click and choose a 'Save' option to download the entire MP3 to your desktop and listen off-line.