Shows
The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus302 – Learning to Heal Like Jesus302 – Is it possible for you and me to heal like Jesus did?Have you ever struggled with a problem and reached out to God in prayer for healing and resolution, but never really felt your prayers were answered, at least not in the way people who asked Jesus for help were healed?Somehow you got through and were able to cope with the situation, but you didn’t have the kind of healing you read about in the Bible.Is it even possible for you and...
2025-07-2223 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus301 – The Book of Acts as a Model for Church Growth301 – What is the secret to church growth?How is your church doing these days? Are you growing? Are you holding steady? Are you barely hanging in there trying to keep the doors open? A lot of churches are struggling right now. Some are closing. Some are growing.What is it that makes a church not just survive but thrive? There are lots of factors, but what really helps a church grow, and I’m not just talking number...
2025-07-1524 min
The lowLIFE ShowThe lowLIFE Interviews: Think, Pray and Love Like Jesus w/ James Early (Audio Only)DL the lowLIFE welcomes James Early, prison minister and Bible teacher, to explore how believers can embrace the mind of Christ: loving as Jesus, praying with purpose, and living out our true identity in the Father. Together, they unpack biblical strategies for spiritual warfare, heart renewal, and aligning daily life with Heaven’s values. Essential for anyone seeking growth in prayer, mindset, or Christian maturity.James is a Prison Minister, Bible Teacher and the creator of The Jesus Mindset Coaching Program that equips and encourages participants to Think, Pray and Love like Jesus....
2025-06-231h 03The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus286 – Healing Broken Relationships with Greg StephensNeed a church mentor? Contact James 286 – Do you have a broken relationship in need of healing?Maybe you’re having trouble with someone at work, either your boss or an employee. Maybe it’s someone at church. Or could it be someone in your family? Or maybe you’re completely estranged from someone.Whatever the situation is, there’s always a possibility of healing and restoring these broken relationships, even though it may not be easy and require a lot of soul searching.I’ve been think...
2025-04-011h 00The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus267 – The Real Reason to Go to Church, with Tom Wadsworth267 – What's the most important reason to go to church?Most people today would probably say it's to worship God. But according to Tom Wadsworth, PhD, the early Christian church did not have worship services, the way we do today.Tom says the main reason to go to church is found in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 14.It is to build each other up. Everything we do when we gather together is to edify on another other. And everyone contributes to this, not just a pastor or church leaders.
2024-11-191h 04The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus259 – Sandra Richter: Deborah, the Judge and Prophetess, Claiming Territory for the Kingdom of God259 – What does your church need to learn from Deborah?Deborah, the Judge and Prophetess in the Old Testament, has a message for you and your church, and it's probably not what you'd expect.Most Christians don't really know much about Deborah and how she broke the female stereotypes of her day as a Judge, a Prophet, and her role in a military victory.This week's episode is a conversation with Sandra Richter, who has unlocked the lessons Deborah has for us today. Sandy sheds light onTh...
2024-09-2453 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus248 – That's Not the Jesus I Believe In.248 – Have you ever heard someone talk about Jesus in a way that just didn’t quite fit with what was in the Bible? Or maybe you read a book or saw a movie or a play about Jesus that either fell short of capturing the true essence of Jesus or it kind of stretched the truth and over-exaggerated things? Recently in Season 4 of "The Chosen," there was a scene where Jesus made no effort to heal Ramah, when Thomas asked him to and openly confessed his...
2024-07-0926 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus236 – What Would Paul Say to Your Chruch?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, th...
2024-04-1623 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus228 – Nijay Gupta: Women Leaders in the New Testament228 – 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: Tell Her St...
2024-02-2059 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus225 – If You Could Ask Jesus a Favor...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.
2024-01-3023 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus211 – When Someone Disagrees with You on How to Follow Jesus211 – 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.
2023-10-2423 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus205 – The Epistle of James Was Written for Your Church with Robin Jennings205 – 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...
2023-09-121h 06The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus195 – The Declaration of Spiritual Independence195 – 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 United States, this is of d...
2023-07-0411 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus191 – How Early Christian Writings Help Us Understand the Bible with Shirley Paulson191 – 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 Christian writings, and she discussed the Secret Revelation of John, a long text focused on th...
2023-06-061h 03The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus157 – How to Find Inspiration when You Feel Uninspired157 – 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 m...
2022-10-1124 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus155 – Aramaic in the New Testament with Roy Gessford155 – 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 not.Roy shared so...
2022-09-271h 03The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus153 – Where Does Your Self-Worth Come From?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 yo...
2022-09-1324 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus152 – Just Being in God's Presence152 – 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 prese...
2022-09-0624 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus151 – How to Deal with Modern Day Pharisees151 – 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 PhariseeHow I almost became a Pharisee...
2022-08-3023 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus146 – You Are Filled with All the Fullness of God146 – 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 pod...
2022-07-2621 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus141 – Does Your Church Need a Spirtual Rebirth?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 some qu...
2022-06-2128 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus136 – Cultivating the Mindset of ChristHow can we cultivate a mindset like Jesus?When I was a kid, I loved to plant things in the garden. At a very early age, my mom helped me know the difference between the plants I was trying to grow and the weeds that seemed to grow without any help from me. One day when I lost my temper and said some things I shouldn’t have, my mother said to me, “James, your thinking is like a garden. Every time you say something loving, you are planting beautiful flowers in your thinking. Every time...
2022-05-1729 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus125 – Can Your Prayers to End War Make a Difference?125 – Do our prayers to end war do any good?This past week, we’ve heard the news that Russia has invaded Ukraine. Tensions had been mounting for quite some time. But diplomatic efforts were not effective in stopping the onslaught of war. People all over the world are offering prayers to end this war.I believe these prayers will help resolve the problem.If you’re reading this (or listening to this podcast) the day it's published, I realize things are developing quickly in Ukraine and I may not have the latest...
2022-03-0129 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus124 – God Is No Respecter of Persons124 – The Bible is full of stories explaining that God is not a respecter of personsWhen I was in college I had a professor who had a couple of favorites in class. I was definitely not one of them. In fact, it seemed she didn't really like me at all.I asked a friend to pray with me about the situation. My friend said I needed to start with the fact that God loved the professor just as much as He loved me.That's not what I wanted to hear, but it...
2022-02-2229 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus121 – Praying in the name of Christ121 – What does it mean to pray in the name of Christ?How many times do we hear tacked onto the end of a prayer the phrase, “In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”? How many times do we say it ourselves? If we’re not careful, it’s easy for that phrase to just roll off our prayer tongues out of habit instead of feeling the deep inspiration the words signify.There’s nothing wrong with these words and much that’s right, but does just repeating the words, “in the name of Jesus” or “in Christ’s name”...
2022-02-0122 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus118 – No One Can Put a Curse on You118 – Is it possible for someone to put a curse on you?This is a pretty heavy duty topic.I have met people who believe they have been cursed by someone. And there are people in the world who think they can put a curse on someone.Unfortunately, there are even some Christians who think they can curse their enemies, and pray that they fail at what they're doing or even die.Have you ever heard of anything further from what Jesus wants us to do?Jesus said we should lo...
2022-01-1128 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus117 – 22 Ways to Pray with the Mindset of Jesus in 2022117 – Join us in praying with the mindset of Jesus this yearThe more we embrace the mindset of Jesus, the more we'll be able to live our lives with the spiritual assurance and authority he wants for us.Here are 22 facets of the mindset of Jesus that we'll pray with: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does... I can do noth...
2022-01-0449 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus114 – Feeling the Awe of the Shepherds this Christmas114 – Is it possible for the angels appear to us as they did to the shepherds when Jesus was born?Yes it is!Is it possible for us to feel the same sense of wonder and awe they must have felt when the angel appeared to them and told them the long-awaited Christ was here?Yes it is!This week's episode talks about how the message of the angel who appeared to the shepherds was a complete surprise. They were just minding their own business, taking care of their sheep wh...
2021-12-1416 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus113 – Spiritual Giving at Christmas113 – What is your approach to giving at Christmas?Last week I got an email from one of my listeners that inspired this week’s episode. Here it is:“Dear James I listen to you every week and love all you have to say. I have been struggling with Christmas coming up and how I will afford it all. Last night I had a deep prompt to trust in all I have, that it will be enough and absolutely not to borrow any money. In my mind I remembered the loaves and fishes and the wa...
2021-12-0721 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus109 – Why Did Jesus Need to Pray?109 – Have you ever wondered why did Jesus need to pray?He was Jesus after all, right?Recently I came across the verse in Mark 1:35 that says Jesus got up while it was still dark and went off to pray in a quiet solitary place.I totally get that. He wanted some peace and quiet to commune with his heavenly Father. That's what prayer was all about for Jesus, communicating with God.So why did Jesus need to pray?In this week's episode, I look at several reasons Je...
2021-11-0923 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus108 – How to Separate the Wheat from the Tares108 – It's not your job to separate the wheat from the tares.Sometimes my life has felt like a hopeless mixture of good and evil forces fighting each other. Have you ever felt that way?One of the parables Jesus used to describe the kingdom of heaven has helped me immensely and gives some insight on how to deal with this.The Tares and the WheatIn the parable of the tares and the wheat, Jesus gives some very practical advice on how good wins out over evil. Th...
2021-11-0225 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus103 – Why did Jesus say, "Be Perfect as Your Father in Heaven is Perfect"?103 – Have you ever wondered why Jesus told us to be as perfect as God?What did he really mean by this?Too many people today are trying to be perfectionists in everything they do, but this isn't really what Jesus was talking about.All that human effort at being perfect is just that, human effort, human will, and human egotism.There's nothing wrong with striving for excellence, but trying to make yourself perfect is pretty much impossible.The word perfect in Greek means to be complete.
2021-09-2824 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus101 – Overcoming Lust: Guys, It's Not about What Women Are Wearing101 – Should women dress modestly to support guys trying to overcome lust?According to some church circles the answer is yes.But that makes the assumption that men can't think for themselves, are controlled by what women wear, and don't have to take responsibility for their own sinful thoughts.In this week's episode, I talk about some of the issues involved in overcoming lust.Even if all women dressed modestly, according to the definition of those self-appointed regulators of what they think the word means, it would not solve the pr...
2021-09-1426 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus100 – What Would You Ask Your Favorite Bible Character?100 – If you could talk to your favorite Bible Character, other than Jesus, who would it be and what would you ask them?In celebration of Episode 100 of The Bible Speaks to You Podcast, I have asked my listeners to share the answer to this question.Here are the people from the Bible who are on the hot seat this week to answer some pretty good questions:EnochMethuselahAbrahamJoseph, son of IsaacJochebed, mother of MosesMosesJabezDeborahSamuelAbigailRuthDavidElijahNaaman's wife's maidJonahJohn the BaptistMary, mother of JesusPeterJohnMary MagdaleneThe one leper of ten who came back to thank Jesus for hi...
2021-09-071h 09The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus099 – How Did Jesus Heal?099 – Have you ever wondered how Jesus healed people?There are so many ways to talk about this, and there’s no way to go into great depth in a single podcast episode. But there are a few main points I will emphasize.How did Jesus heal?First, I believe he was so completely aware of God’s healing presence. Jesus knew the Scriptures, so we can assume he knew this verse "I am the LORD who heals you." (Exodus 15:26)It brings to mind the wor...
2021-08-3120 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus094 – Are You Asking God for What is Rightfully Yours?094 – Jesus said, "Ask and you will receive."Does that mean we will get whatever we pray for? Not at all.In this week's episode, I dig down into what it really means to ask God for something. We talk about:What the Greek word "ask" really meansWhy we can ask and pray with expectationReasons why our prayers aren't answeredWhy your motives are important when you prayWhat to do when our prayers aren't answeredWhat to pray for instead of just asking God for thingsAnd so much more!To read the Bible verses qu...
2021-07-2726 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus093 - How to Be More Like Jesus – Part 2093 – The Sermon on the Mount and the mindset of JesusLast week we started the discussion about how to be more like Jesus.This week we’re going to look at a few things in the Sermon on the Mount to get a better insight into Jesus’s mindset. Everything Jesus tells us to do in this Sermon, he does as well. It’s how he wants us to think, how to act, how to follow him, how to be more like him. There’s no way to cover everything in the Sermon o...
2021-07-2034 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus092 – How to Be More Like Jesus – Part 1092 – Have you ever just wanted to be more like Jesus?To be more like Jesus and truly follow him does not mean that we simply repeat his words and mimic his actions. We need to embrace Jesus's mindset.This week's episode, which is Part 1 of "How to Be More Like Jesus," points out the need to:Understand Jesus better Hear his voiceNot use the human will and intellect or our egos in the processNot compare how you follow Jesus with how someone else doesQuit using the mindset of the material worl...
2021-07-1330 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus091 – Using Your God-given Talents091 – Are you using your God-given talents?We all have so many God-given talents and abilities. The question is: What are we doing with them? In this week's episode I talk about Jesus's parable of the talents and how it relates to us using what we have been given.The parable of the talents:One man was given 5 talentsOne man was given 2 talentsOne man was given 1 talentOne talent = 20 years worth of wages for a working manAt $15/hour, one talent is $600,000What would you do with $600,000? Would you...
2021-07-0625 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus089 – Digging Deeper into the Bible with Eric Nevins089 – How can we dig deeper into the Bible?Have you ever felt like your Bible study is sort of flat? The passage you're reading is just words and there's nothing new to get from it? This week's episode will give you some ideas about how to get some fresh inspiration from your Bible study by taking a deep dive in a thoughtful and meaningful way.Lectio divinaThis week I have a conversation with Eric Nevins, who explores a Bible study method called lectio divina. Eric graduated fro...
2021-06-2252 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus084 – The Immediacy of God's Healing Power084 – Have you ever noticed in the Bible how quickly God's healing power can come?A while back I read through the book of Mark. It seemed like every other verse had the word "immediately" in it. Everything happens so fast. There's a quickening pace in Mark you don't find in the other Gospel writers.In this week's episode I focus mainly on the first chapter of Mark. where the immediacy of Jesus's mission bursts upon the scene with his baptism, temptation in the wilderness, and the beginning of his preaching and healing.
2021-05-1823 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus077 – Celebrating Easter in the Garden with Jesus077 – Where will you celebrate Easter this year?I invite you to spend it in "the garden" with Jesus.It was in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus completely surrendered to God's will with that famous prayer: Not my will but Thine be done. And it was in another garden, near the place of his crucifixion, where he was buried. And of course it's in this second garden where he rose and talked to Mary Magdalene.In this week's episode I talk about...The significance of these events taking pl...
2021-03-3020 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus076 – Keith Giles and the Atonement of Christ076 – The Bible says a lot about atonement.There are many theories about what the atonement really is. And one of the most popular ones has only been around since the 1500s. In this week's episode, I talk with Keith Giles about his new book, Jesus Unforsaken: Substituting Divine Wrath with Unrelenting Love. In it, Keith explores the history of various atonement theories and explains how they differed from the teachings of the early Church.Here are some of the things Keith and I discussed:His journey in and out of the pulpitHow he...
2021-03-231h 11The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus073 – What Will Glorify God the Most?073 – How do you make important decisions?If you're like me, you make a list of all the pros and cons of all the possible choices. You go round and round trying to figure out what to do. You ask for advice from friends, family, and maybe even an advisor. But there are too many good options and there's no way to know which one is best.In this week's episode, I share several experiences where I was in that exact situation. I had some life-important decisions to make. I had changed my...
2021-03-0236 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus068 – Why the Heck Should I Be Humble?068 – Let's face it, humility is not the most thrilling topic to talk about.But without it, we can't really understand and follow Christ.In this week's episode, I talk aboutWhy humility is importantWhat it is and what it isn't (a lot of people get this wrong)Jesus was humble in his relationship to the Father, but he was bold in who he wasYou can be bold in fulfilling your purpose and still be humbleHumility is the key to unlock your relationship with GodJesus said th...
2021-01-2624 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus066 – We Reap What We Sow066 – The Law of the Harvest is at work in your lifeHave you ever planted a garden? When you plant carrots, you get carrots. It's not a mystery. It's the law of the harvest.The rules that govern the way a garden grows also apply to our spiritual life as well. Jesus often referred to seeds being planted and wheat being harvested. In this week's episode, I talk about many of the laws of the harvest that are at work in our lives. These laws apply equally whether our thoughts and act...
2021-01-1231 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus064 – Spiritual Highlights and Insights from 2020064 – Goodbye 2020What a year it's been. We were all so full of hope and expectation last January, but things didn't turn out like we expected.But through all the struggles and losses of 2020, there is still much to be grateful for.Really? Yes, really.Thank you 2020Yes, there were so many challenges this year, but as a result, there were so many lessons learned, so many opportunities to trust in God. I have learned so much, for example, to reset my priorities and sp...
2020-12-2934 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus063 – Christmas Is Not Just about Jesus Being Born063 – There's so much more to Christmas than Jesus's birthI'm not talking about lots of goodies to eat and presents under the Christmas tree. A major part of the Christmas story is how people in the Bible respond to the birth of Jesus.In this episode I talk about how there were two main ways that these well-known and mostly loved characters in the Bible responded:Mary and JosephElisabeth and the unborn John the Baptistthe innkeeperthe shepherds in the fieldthe WisemenSimeon and AnnaAnd don't forget King Herod...
2020-12-2226 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus062 – Women Make Christmas Happen062 – If it weren't for women, we wouldn't have ChristmasJust think about it. Without Mary, Jesus would not have been born.But it's not just Mary who makes Christmas possible. Think of all the women you know who take to heart preparing for and celebrating Christmas.And I'm not just talking about all the holiday traditions. Think about how women have brought the spirit of Christ's appearing to their daily activities all year long.That is the true spirit of Christmas.In this episode, I ta...
2020-12-1525 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus061 – Your Name is Written in Heaven061 – What if you had lived at the time of Jesus?Have you ever thought of what it might be like if you had lived in Bible times and you found out about Jesus for the first time?This week we take a trip back in time to experience what it might have been like to hear Jesus preach and see him heal the sick people who came to him. And imagine with me that because you become such a faithful follower, Jesus picks you to be one of the 70 disciples he sen...
2020-12-0826 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus060 – It's Okay to Talk Back to Angels060 – What would you say if an angel appeared to you?When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and commissioned him to lead the army against the Midianites, Gideon immediately peppered the angel with questions:If God is with us, why is He not protecting us from our enemies?If God could deliver our ancestors from Egyptian slavery, why can't He deliver us from the Midianites?Why would God pick me to lead the army? I am the youngest kid, in the smallest clan of the smallest tribe of Israel.Gideon just co...
2020-12-0132 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus059 – Are You Grateful God Created You?059 – Have you ever thanked God for creating you?During the Thanksgiving season you probably like to think of all the things you're grateful for. You've probably even made a gratitude list at some point, thanking God for all the blessings in your life. But I have a sneaking suspicion that you have left off one of the most important items from that list – yourself! It seems rather odd to thank God for yourself, doesn't it? Absolutely. But don't you thank God for all your friends and family and the people you love...
2020-11-2418 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus058 – Trust the Shepherd to Find the Lost Sheep058 – Do you know someone who is a lost sheep?Trust the Shepherd to do his job. Nothing can stop Christ from finding and ministering to the lost sheep. In this week's episode, I talk about how to minister to the sheep God puts in your path.Many years ago I tried to help someone who was not not taking a very spiritual approach to life. He was struggling to just survive at times, but he didn't really want to hear about how God could help him get hi...
2020-11-1731 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus057 – "Let Brotherly Love Continue"057 – The solution is simple. We need to love each other.Did you get caught up in the divisiveness in the United States before, during, and after the Presidential election last week? There were a lot of very strong emotions expressed from all quarters.But strong emotions never really solve the problems we face as a country. They only make things worse.In this week's episode, I talk about getting back to the simple solution of learning to love each other. But it has to be more than human love. That is ne...
2020-11-1030 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus055 – Building Each Other Up: The One Year Anniversary of The Bible Speaks to You Podcast055 – "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another." 1Thessalonians 5:11Wow! It's been a year since The Bible Speaks to You Podcast was launched. And what a year it's been. This special anniversary edition is designed to build us all up. You'll hear from listeners around the world who have found comfort and correction, healing, spiritual growth, and a deeper sense of God's presence and love in their lives.Unity and strength in the body of ChristI hope you find en...
2020-10-2742 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus054 – And God Said: I Still Love You054 – Have you ever wondered why God loves you so much?Many years ago I met a woman who just couldn't believe that God loved her. She had made some pretty big life-mistakes and was absolutely sure God would never forgive her. I tried to comfort her, but to no avail. In this week's episode, I explore the reason that God loves us, even though we have made serious mistakes in our lives and done things that do not please God. God's unconditional loveI also share a litt...
2020-10-2031 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus053 – How I Met My Wife053 – Are you looking for companionship?Here's the story of how I met my wife! Some of the ideas in this episode can help you find, nurture, or repair a relationship.Last week was the 32nd anniversary of when my wife and I met. It's quite a story. And there was a special prayer that prepared me for that wonderful day when I first looked into my wife's eyes and knew she was the one I would marry.Prayer for companionshipThere is so much in this story th...
2020-10-1336 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus051 – How Does God See Himself?051 – It seems like everyone has a different concept of GodIt's the age old question, Who is God? or What is God? Everyone has a different answer. Some people say we can't understand God and if we say we do, then we're just fooling ourselves.I grew up in a church sort of like that. They said there were something we just couldn't understand. But the Bible says over and over that we should get understanding and that God wants us to know Him.So many times we ask the wrong qu...
2020-09-2932 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus050 – Asking God for Guidance When You Don't Know What to Do050 – How often do you ask God: What shall I do Lord?Have you ever been in a situation when you didn't have a clue what to do next?Sometimes it because everything happens at once and you just can't think straight. Other times a single, life-changing event turns everything upside down. It's like you're in a different universe all of a sudden.Saul going to DamascusThat's what happened to Saul on the road to Damascus in Chapter 9 of Acts.His familiar and carefully maintained wo...
2020-09-2227 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus049 – How Does God Choose Leaders?049 – What's the most important thing to God in a leader?In the Bible, there are many times when God chose someone for a leadership position. He told the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul as King of Israel. Later, God told him to anoint David as King.God chose Zacharias and Elisabeth to be the parents of John the Baptist. And of course, He chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. How God chooses leadersIn this episode I talk about the single most important thing to Go...
2020-09-1527 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus048 – How to Fast Like Jesus048 – What is the most effective way to fast?Most people think it's to go without food for a certain period of time. But that's not necessarily what the Bible actually means when it talks about fasting.The heart and soul of fastingIn this week's episode I get down to the spiritual essence of fasting:True fasting is more about what's going on in your heart. It's refusing to eat the bread of selfishness. It's not drinking the wine of indifference to or unawareness of people in need of h...
2020-09-0834 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus047 – How to Pray about Hurricanes, Earthquakes, and Forest Fires047 – What's the best way to pray about the weather and disasters?In this week's episode I look at a few of the stories in the Bible where storms, fire, and earthquakes are mentioned. There's a lot to learn from how people back then dealt with and prayed about these challenges. I talk about:Jonah and the storm he was inJesus stilling the storm on his disciples' boatThe earthquakes at Jesus' crucifixion and resurrectionThe earthquake that freed Paul and Silas from prisonShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnaceHow a Sunday School teacher prayed about a...
2020-09-0126 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus046 – Are You Working to Establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth or Are You Bearing Witness to the Fact that it's Already Here?046 – Jesus promised us that the kingdom of heaven is at handWhat does that really mean? If you look around, it sure doesn't look like heaven is anywhere close. There are so many problems in the world. How could Jesus say such an outrageous thing?Jesus was looking at the world from a different perspective than we do. He looked at earth through the lens of heaven. He saw things from the perspective When we look at things from the perspective of the material world, we see all kinds of things th...
2020-08-2529 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus045 – Never Take Anything for Granted, Big or Small045 – Have you ever realized you were taking things for granted in your life?It happened to me when we recently lost power during a storm. We didn't have electricity or internet for a week. All the things I had taken for granted, like turning on a light switch, checking my email, and using the refrigerator were not options during those seven days.I really appreciated them all over again when the power came back on!Important things in lifeBut there are even more important things that we...
2020-08-1821 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus044 – How Long Have You Been Waiting at the Pool of Bethesda?044 – Have you ever waited, for what seemed like forever, for a solution to a problem?Remember the man at the pool of Bethesda? He had been unable to walk for 38 years. He was waiting at the water's edge for years hoping to find healing.But he was looking for something outside of himself. He was waiting for the water to be stirred by an angel. He was waiting for someone to help him get to the water first.When Jesus saw this man, he knew he had withing him the God-given ab...
2020-08-1213 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus043 – You Can Trust God’s Perfect Timing for the Events in Your Life043 – Have you ever felt like you were procrastinating on something God wanted you to, but when you finally did it, it was the perfect time?Yeah! That's happened to me a lot. God has a way of working things out and timing events in our lives better than we can.God has perfect timing!In this episode, I share a major Aha! moment when I was very down on myself because, in my mind, I had failed to accomplish what I thought God wanted me to do.I...
2020-08-0425 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus042 – It's Time to Think about Your Immortality042 – Have you ever thought about your immortal life as already here right now?Most people think about immortality as something that happens after they die when they get to heaven. But Jesus promised us the kingdom of heaven is at hand – right now. That means our immortality is at hand too.What if we could see things the way he did? But somehow we don't think we're able to do that. We're all too conscious of our shortcomings and can't imagine seeing, thinking, or acting like Jesus did."We h...
2020-07-2832 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus041 – Satan Is Not a Fallen Angel041 – How many times have you heard that Satan was originally an angel?That's what most people think, and they quote the Bible to "prove" it. The funny thing is though, they take those verses from Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28:13, 14 completely out of context.These passages don't refer to Satan or an angel that fell and became Satan. They refer to the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre. This is obvious when you read the whole chapters.Who am I to stand up to all those famous preachers that say th...
2020-07-2139 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus039 – Does God Still Talk to Us Today?039 – God is talking. Why don't we hear?The Bible is full of people hearing the voice of God. And not just the prophets. Regular, everyday people like you and me heard God's voice. Even a pagan king, Nebuchadnezzar, heard God's voice at one point.Why don't we hear God's voice?Sometimes we don't want to hear what He/She says. Sometimes we are distracted with our worries and fears or the materialism of the world. It's hard to hear someone call your name if you are listening to really lo...
2020-07-0735 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus038 – Why Is it So Hard to Love Yourself?038 – There's a key in the Bible that explains the only way to really love yourself.It's about reflecting God's love.But it's way too easy to think of all the reasons why you have a hard time loving yourself. Here are just a few I have struggled with:People say it's selfish to love yourselfYou don't feel worthy because of past mistakesThinking you have to be perfect before you or anyone can love youA bad relationship that ended because the other person didn't know how to love themselves or you, but you en...
2020-06-3036 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus037 – You Are the Image and Likeness of God. What the Heck Does that Mean?037 – Do you see yourself with the mindset of Adam or the mindset of Christ?The mindset you look at yourself and others with will determine what you see, how you act, and how you think about life.Did you ever see the movie, The Jungle Book? It's based on a true story of a boy who was raised by wolves in India and discovered in 1872. The boy had been taught by wolves how to live like a wolf. After he was brought to civilization, he had a hard time learning th...
2020-06-2339 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus036 – Why Didn't Jesus Tell People Who He Was?036 – People are still speculating who Jesus isEven 2,000 years ago people were trying to figure out who Jesus was. He only told a few people he was the Messiah.One day, a man was talking to Jesus and burst out with the question, "Why do you keep us in such suspense? If you are the Christ, just tell us plainly." Wouldn't that have made things so much easier for everyone? Well, not really.What if Jesus had come right out and told everyone he was the Messiah? Do you th...
2020-06-1631 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus035 – Teach Me to Love: Healing Racism035 – The real solution to racism is to love like Jesus did.There is no skin color in heaven. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:50)Jesus said we should love our neighbors as ourselves. When on earth are we going to learn what that means and then do it?In this episode, I talk about healing the anger and fear in our people's hearts. Your prayers are powerful healing agents in the world today. You may never know the go...
2020-06-0928 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus034 – Windows into Heaven034 – What if you could peek through a window and see what it's like in heaven?Well, this is not some far-fetched idea. Jesus gives us lots of windows to look through so we can see what's going on in heaven. The cornerstone of his message was that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In this episode, I talk about the windows we can look through not just to see what is in heaven but to experience the kingdom of heaven here and now.You already have access to these windows and...
2020-06-0234 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus033 – Your Physical Body Is NOT the Temple of the Holy Spirit033 – This just might be a little controversial...What did Paul really mean when he wrote, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?" (1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV)In this episode, I get into some nitty-gritty grammar and a tiny little detail most Bible translations miss that completely change the meaning of this favorite verse.It all has to do with what the words "you" and "thou" mean. There is something much grander going on in this verse than most Christians realize. Paul wants us to see the big pic...
2020-05-2630 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus032 – "The Parable of the Unbaked Cake"032 – Faith is like baking a cake. If you only read the recipe, it doesn't do you much good.Here's a modern day parable about the importance of living our faith instead of just reading books about how to be more faithful.Imagine a mom who promises her kids she'll make a cake but spends way too much time hunting down the perfect recipe but never baking the cake.How would you feel if you were one of her kids? Pretty bummed out, right?The Bible says, "Faith without works is...
2020-05-1922 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus031 – Listen to Your Own Angels Instead of Someone Else's Angels031 – Has anyone ever tried to get you to do something God told you not to do?This happens way too often. It's so important to stay faithful to what God tells us to do. but sometimes it's hard.In this episode, I retell the story of the prophet from I Kings, Chapter 13, who obeyed God until he believed what another prophet said instead of talking to God about it. And there were consequences.Here are some questions I talk about this week:What could the prophet in I Kin...
2020-05-1231 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus030 – Comparing Yourself to Others versus Spiritual Equality030 – Isn't it time to quit defining yourself as either superior or inferior to other people?I used to have a serious inferiority complex. Funny thing though, at the same time, I also had a superiority complex. I was pretty insecure.In today's episode, I discuss a couple of experiences that taught me the importance of seeing all God's children in the light of spiritual equality. In the process I had to eat big piece of humble pie.This literally saved my life. I would have probably been broadsided by an 18-wheeler ru...
2020-05-0532 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus029 – Is it Ever God's Will You Are NOT Healed When You Pray?029 – Can our prayers heal like Jesus did?The Bible makes that promise, but sometimes when we pray, we're not healed. Does that mean it's God's will we weren't healed? In this week's episode I talk about this topic and explore some of the reasons our prayers for healing may not be answered the way we want. I firmly believe it is always God's will that we are healed, but sometimes we don't go far enough in our prayersIs there fear or doubt in your heart?Do you think that God isn't abl...
2020-04-2830 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus028 – What Do You Have in Your House Right Now?028 - What if you had a big debt due tomorrow and no money in the bank?Remember when a widow came to Elisha the prophet with this exact problem. He asked her, "What do you have in the house?" All she had was a pot of oil. It turns out, this was the solution. The widow trusted Elisha. She took action with the little she had and it was multiplied beyond her wildest imagination. You can find this story in 2nd Kings, chapter 4.Sometime we are like Elisha and people come...
2020-04-2130 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus027 – What Kind of Seeds Are You Planting in Your Heart?027 – Jesus' "Parable of the Sower" has more than one meaningIt's not just about Jesus preaching the gospel. It's also about where and what kind of seeds of faith we plant in our hearts and our lives.In this episode I talk about how our faith is like a seed:It's not enough to have seeds (faith). You have to plant them.It's not about how big your faith is, but whether it's alive.You never know how much good can come from one seed, one small act of faith.It's our jo...
2020-04-1423 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus026 – Celebrating Easter Every Day: Jesus’s Resurrection Is Our Resurrection026 – What if you had seen Jesus that first Easter morning?What if you had been in in the room when Jesus appeared to his disciples after the resurrection? How would you act? How would it change your life?What if we lived each day as if we had just seen the risen Christ?In this episode I talk about:Why it's important to celebrate Easter as every dayWhy the crucifixion is not enough to save from sinJesus’s resurrection is also your resurrectionHow to experience the resurrection in every detail of y...
2020-04-0731 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus025 – Preparing for Easter in a Changed World: Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead025 – What is the best way to prepare our hearts for Easter?When we take the time to get ready spiritually for the significance of the resurrection in our lives, we get a deeper sense of what Easter is all about.In this week's episode, I explore the time Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead as a way to get us ready for Easter.Why did Jesus wait for two days before he went to see Lazarus?Why did Jesus say Lazarus was sleeping when he was already dead?"Jesus wept." Why (it's no...
2020-03-3136 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus024 – Give Gratitude in Advance of a Healing or Blessing024 – Have you ever thanked God before He heals or blesses you?Usually we thank God after something good happens. And that's important. But gratitude before the solution appears is a powerful prayer.In today's episode, I share some ideas about why "gratitude in advance" is so important and you can add this powerful tool to your spiritual tool box. You'll learn about:How Jesus thanked God before two very important miracles, feeding the multitude and raising Lazarus from the graveThe mindset of Jesus that empowered him to thank God in ad...
2020-03-2430 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus023 – How to Pray Like Jesus: The Prayer to Rebuke Sickness023 – How did Jesus pray? Can we pray like he did?Yes. Jesus expected us to follow his example in everything he did, including our prayers.In this episode, I present the first installment of an occasional series: How to Pray Like Jesus. The focus this time is on one of the very specific ways Jesus prayed, which I call the "prayer of rebuke."I talk about:What is the prayer of rebuke?Why is it so powerful?How we can pray this prayer just as Jesus didThe devastating results when yo...
2020-03-1721 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus022 – The Healing Power of God in Your Life022 – The Healing Power of God is alive and wellThe prophets in the Old Testament healed people. Jesus healed too many people to count. And his disciples followed his example by healing.God’s power to healGod heals today just as He did in Bible times. In this week’s episode, I share a remarkable testimony of healing in modern times and the prayer that brought the healing.Check out the shownotes with all the Bible references in this episode at thebiblespeakstoyou.com/022Please...
2020-03-1026 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus021 – How to Pray about Contagious Diseases021 – Can prayer protect you from contagious disease?According to the 91st Psalm, the answer is "Yes!"With the outbreak of the Corona virus, many people are afraid of getting sick. But the Bible promises, "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." (Psalm 91:10 KJV)But we have to hid in the "secret place of the Most High [God]."In this episode, I take each verse of the Psalm 91 as a guide for praying about contagious disease. God's healing power is with us today jus...
2020-03-0327 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus020 – How to Share Your Faith (and How not to)020 – When was the last time you shared your faith with someone?I'm not talking about having a debate and trying to convert someone to your faith. But just about sharing what you believe with someone.In this episode, I share a few practical ways to share your faith in a meaningful way. But I also talk about some of the ways that are not productive.Let your light shineBe the salt of the earthSharing your faith without fearBe respectfulDon't be argumentative or self-righteousTo study all the Bible references in...
2020-02-2531 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus019 – How to Discover Your Spiritual Purpose in Life019 – What does God want you to do with your life?There's a big difference between you trying to figure out what you want to do and listening for what God's purpose for you is.In the Bible, there's no way Moses, Gideon, Esther, Elisabeth and Zacharias, Mary and Joseph, or Paul could have set a goal to end up doing what God chose them to do. There was no way for them to know what it would be. The same is true for us. Even with all your great efforts of go...
2020-02-1831 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus017 – If You Take the Bible 100% Literally, You'll Miss 90% of What It Says017 – Do we really have to take the Bible 100% literally, like some people insist?Absolutely not. If you do, you'll miss a lot of what the Bible says.There are many things in the Bible that are literally true, but there are many parts that were never intended to be taken literally. For example:The parables of Jesus. Heaven is not a woman baking breadThe "hand of God" doesn't mean God has physical hand. It's a metaphor for His powerThe metaphors Jesus uses about himself. He is not literally a rock, a door, or...
2020-02-0428 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus016 – Christ Is Preparing Your Heart to Receive God's Glory016 – Why did the crowds follow Jesus?What did Jesus do to prepare people to prepare their hearts to hear his message of salvation?How does Christ prepare our hearts today to hear what he has to say?In this episode I explore what it was Jesus did to get people to listen to him and be ready to accept his good news that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.And I talk about how Christ works in our hearts today as well and what we can do to su...
2020-01-2821 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus015 – How to Stop Fighting Your Brother and Love Him Instead015 – It turns out I was lying to myself!I thought I loved God, but I did not love my brother. The Bible says that if we say we love God but hate our brother we are liars (see I John 4:20).Is there someone in your life, a sibling, a friend, a co-worker, a fellow church member who is particularly difficult to love? Well, join the crowd. If you say you love God but don't love these folks, then you don't really love God as much as you thought you did.In thi...
2020-01-2126 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus014 – Would You Let Jesus in Your House if You Hadn't Cleaned Up for Weeks?014 – How would you feel if Jesus knocked at the door and offered to help clean up your house, but it was a total disaster?Would you let him in? Just think of Jesus cleaning your toilet. Yikes!In this episode:I share an allegory of Christ coming to help me clean up my house (my life) and how embarrassing it is when he sees what a mess it is.Christ comes to us in many ways. Do we always hear his knock at the door of our heart?Why we ne...
2020-01-1421 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus013 – Let's Go Jump in the Jordan River013 – Why did John the Baptist baptize people in the Jordan River? Weren't there other places he could have done it?It turns out the Hebrew word for "Jordan" gives a big clue. Hint: It's all about humility.In this episode we're going to jump into the Jordan River seven times, submit seven times to God. Once or twice is just not enough. Naaman needed to dip seven times in the Jordan and so do we.Check out the shownotes at: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/013Will you pleaseshare this with a...
2020-01-0824 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus012 – 20 Ways to Follow Christ in 2020012 – What kind of spiritual resolutions will you make for 2020?Instead of just making the same old New Year's resolutions that will be forgotten by the end of the month, how about just following Jesus more closely – all year long?In this episode I share 20 ways to follow Christ in 2020.Some of them are fairly straightforwardSome of them are hard, like loving your enemiesSome have a twist, like walking on the water and clothing the nakedAll 20 of them will help you get closer to ChristFor a print-out of t...
2020-01-0136 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus011 – Thank God There Was No Room in the Inn When Jesus Was Born011 – Does it sometimes seem unfair there was no room in the inn and Jesus was born is a stable?In this episode I talk about the familiar story of Jesus's birth and just a few ideas to think about this Christmas season:What is the significance of Jesus being born in a stable?Why did Mary put Jesus in a manger, aka feeding trough?The importance of flexibility and being spontaneous at ChristmasWhat's really going on when Cæsar Augustus makes a decreeCheck out the shownotes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/011You'll find all the...
2019-12-2414 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus009 – The Best Way to Get Ready for Christmas009 – Getting ready for Christmas is not just about baking cookies and shopping. More importantly, what will you do to prepare your heart to receive more of the Christ and the spiritual meaning of Christmas this year?In this episode, I talk about how God prepared the Children of Israel, through prophecies, over hundreds of years to be ready when the Messiah cameZacharias and Elizabeth to become parents in old agethe people to be receptive to Jesus through the preaching of John the Baptistand how God prepares our hearts to receive mor...
2019-12-1024 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus008 – How to Experience the Spiritual Power of the Lord's Prayer008 – How often do you say the Lord's Prayer but it's just words?It's time to re-discover the original spiritual power of this prayer. In today's episode I share some fresh new ways to approach this prayer.Six ways to pray the Lord's PrayerSlow down already. Think about what each word and phrase really meanRewrite the prayer in your own wordsThink about how big your "our" and "us" are in this prayerThank God, instead of petitioning Him, for things as if they have already happenedSay the prayer as if God is...
2019-12-0319 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus006 – The Rights of Women in the Bible and the Daughters of Zelophehad006 – Have you ever had to take a stand to get the justice you deserved?There's a wonderful story in the Bible about five sisters who made a courageous appeal for justice.When the Children of Israel arrived at the Promised Land of Canaan after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the elders were deciding how to divide the land among the 12 Tribes of Israel.Zelophehad, who had died in the wilderness, had five daughters and no sons. But there was no provision for families who had no sons. It lo...
2019-11-1924 minThe Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus005 – It's Time to Claim Your Divine Inheritance005 – What is your divine inheritance? Paul writes, "we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ," (Romans 8:16, 17)What do we inherit from God? It is your spiritual birthright, as a child of God, to live, think, and pray like Jesus. It is your divine right to inherit the kingdom of God, to be a citizen in the kingdom of heaven.But we have to claim this inheritance, and use it service to God and our fellow man.Included in...
2019-11-1220 min