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.

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 take the prideless journey together. Let’s be deliberate about keeping a check on pride. Let's acknowledge each day our helpless dependence upon God. And when we do, He will raise us up and exalt us. After all, that's the only true path to greatness in His eyes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.