Shows
Alive and Active#134-The Ron Brown Story Pt.4Coach Brown had been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and now the Lord had positioned coach into being around several high-profile coaches. Coach Brown realized that he was now a missionary and the Lord had given him a passion for coaching. Coach Brown uses the coaching field to rescue college kids from the kingdom of darkness into a saving faith in Jesus Christ. What's your mission and how has the Lord positioned you to share the good news with others?2025-06-0628 minAlive and Active#133-The Ron Brown Story Pt.3As Coach Brown was excelling on the field, a backup named Harry Walls caught his attention. Harry loved the Lord and despite not playing, he greatly encouraged Coach Brown. After coach Brown's junior year, Harry left for ministry at Liberty University. Coach Brown missed Harry, but he set his sights on being drafted and going pro in The NFL. After Coach Brown went undrafted, he broke down and fell to the floor. Coach Brown remembered all the things that Harry had said and modeled and he cried out for God to take over his life. Jesus Christ changed Coach...2025-05-3028 minAlive and Active#132-The Ron Brown Story Pt.2In part two, Coach Brown discusses his transition from high school to playing football at Brown University. As Coach Brown was excelling on the field, he knew something was missing in his life. However, God was causing everything to work together for him. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." God was about to bring Harry Walls, a fellow football player who knew Jesus as Lord and Savior, into Coach Brown's life.2025-05-2328 minAlive and Active#131-Lost and Found: The Ron Brown Story Pt.1Everyone has a story. In this episode, Coach Brown tells the story of how he was the orphan child. Through God's sovereignty, Coach Brown was placed in the home of Arthur and Pearl Brown. God has chosen who are going to be His and all we can say is thank you. We are a product of God's grace. Ephesians 1:5 says that "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ." God is the hero and because of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we now have a new...2025-05-1728 minAlive and Active#93-Pleasantly PersistentJesus wants us to be persistent in prayer because He listens to us, and The Holy Spirit fine tunes our prayers before they get into the throne room, all the while as we are being shaped into the nature of Christ. Being persistent in prayer is important because that is one way that God trains us, renews our mind and matures us. Prayer is not about getting something from God, but it is about being changed by God so that we have the right ask and so we are refined and united with Him.2024-06-0728 minAlive and Active#92-Using Your InfluenceDaniel and his friends were captured and handed over to the chief official in Daniel 1. Daniel had already made up his mind that he was going to follow God no matter what the cost might be and his resolve did not change. Aeneas Williams was a football player who changed the culture of the locker room by asking to have different God honoring music played. As Christians, we must be persistent in going to the Lord in prayer and we must live out a Biblical worldview so we can use our influence for Jesus Christ. Are we using our...2024-06-0128 minAlive and Active#91-Pride SucksPride can suck the life out of us. We must look in the mirror, confess our sins, and put to death the pride within us. Jesus Christ humbly gave up his place in heaven to live a sinless and selfless life and he is our perfect example that we look to.2024-05-2428 minAlive and Active#90-Law and Order2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ." As Christians, we can't allow the culture and apostasy to seep into our hearts and minds. We must be in the scriptures so that we are tightening the locks on our hearts and minds. Each day there is a battlefield for our mind and we must continually take every thought captive and train in God's word.2024-05-1728 minAlive and Active#89-Wood, Hay and StubbleSometimes things happen in life like sickness, tornados or other things that are absolutely devastating. As Christians we need to be aware of the people around us and their circumstances, then we can be ready to be on a rescue mission for people in the name of Jesus Christ. Everything is in the hand of the Lord and He directs us where He wants us to go (Proverbs 21:1). If our whole life is based on material things, then we will always come up empty, but if our hope is on Jesus Christ then we will live meaningful sacrificial lives...2024-05-1028 minAlive and ActiveRE-RELEASE #46-The Joy of a Broken HeartPsalm 51 is a heartfelt Psalm of forgiveness. David blames no one but himself for sleeping with Bathsheba and having Uriah murdered and he begs for God's forgiveness. David knew that his sin hurt God's heart and because of that, his heart was broken. But joy eventually comes and David no longer feels the guilt because the Lord forgave him and restored his fellowship with Him. When we sin, we need to confess our sins repent, get back in the game, and be in the Scriptures daily. Let us learn from King David’s example - see Psalm 51.2024-05-0328 minAlive and Active#88-The RiflemanAs Christians we must have credibility, right thinking, and a servant's heart so that we can be the best team player in the Kingdom of God. There's no room for elbowing each other as Christians or wondering how you can always get the credit. We are after accuracy in Christ and leading with a servant's heart. JOY stands for (Keep) Jesus First, Others second & You third. 2024-04-2628 minAlive and Active#87-If You're Not Dead, You're Not DoneIn 2nd Samuel 19, David has the sense to listen to the wisdom of an older man named Barzillai. As we age, we don't mail it in and we never retire from proclaiming Christ. Moses didn't hit his stride until the near end of his life. No matter your age, the Holy Spirit wants to transform you into the image of Christ and allow you to use your wisdom to help others in their faith. 2024-04-1928 minAlive and Active#86-I Beg Your Pardon Pt. 2In 2 Samuel 19, David chose to forgive Shimei and others who had previously bashed him. Jesus Christ tells us as Christian’s to forgive just as our Father in heaven has forgiven us. Jesus modeled what true forgiveness looks like. We pardon others because Jesus first pardoned us.2024-04-1228 minAlive and Active#85-I Beg Your Pardon Pt. 1In 2nd Samuel 19, David reenters as king of Israel and he is greeted by some of the people that booed him when he was kicked out of Israel. David pardons Shimei and he shows that he trusted in God's sovereignty. As Christians if we are in Christ, then we can't seek revenge, but allow The Lord to handle it. We must follow Jesus' example and forgive others as Jesus forgave and pardoned us.2024-04-0528 minAlive and ActiveRE-RELEASE #36-All Rise Pt. 2Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead and defeated death. Believers are born-again (John 3:3) by the Spirit of God. God has put all things under His authority.We have been transferred from death to life and God has spiritually adopted us as his child. If you are a Christian, you are living under supernatural power. Our labor in this world is not in vain with the Lord.2024-03-2928 minAlive and ActiveRE-RELEASE #35-All Rise Pt. 1We "Get To" worship an ALIVE andRESURRECTED JESUS. Religion is man's attempt to reach God, but salvation is God coming down through Jesus Christ to reach man. Jesus died on a cross to fully pay for our sin, and he rose three days later and defeated death. It's not do more, try harder.It's dying to our old self daily. We get a new life from dying not trying. Trusting in Jesus Christ as your savior is what it's all about!!2024-03-2728 minAlive and Active#84-The Triple A DriftAs Christians we need a biblical worldview so that we don't drift with the culture. Adultery, alcohol, and arrogance are three drifts that the Bible addresses. If you are in a drift mentality, then you will allow the devil to lead you to places that you would never have thought you would go.2024-03-1528 minAlive and Active#83-Game Changer Pt. 2John the Baptist was relentless in talking about the kingdom of God. John was disciplined and he countered pressure with pressure. As Christians we must develop discipline and resistance so we can be circumstance-free in our approach to the Kingdom of God. 2024-03-0828 minAlive and Active#82-Game Changer Pt. 1John the Baptist was a game changer in the culture and people noticed him and felt him. John maximized his time on earth because he knew his role that the Lord had given him. As Christians, we must bloom where we are planted onto the glory of the Lord and we must be a game changer in the culture and rely on the Holy Spirit.2024-03-0128 minAlive and Active#81-The Line of ScrimmageIn John 11, John the Baptist was fearful yet Jesus encouraged him so that he wouldn't fall away. John was in the midst of extreme opposition and even though he was wavering, Jesus praised John. How do you handle the intense line of scrimmage type battles in life? Ephesians 6 tells us how we should prepare for the spiritual battles that we will face and how we need the Word of God and pray to help lead us.2024-02-2328 minAlive and Active#80-The Comeback KingIn 2nd Samuel 19, David gets up and takes his seat in the gateway. David showed great resiliency after getting kicked out as king. At times, we've all blown it in life and we've all sinned and missed opportunities to follow the Lord. However, God is for us and we can go to the Lord with wisdom and get back in the paint with Him. Be a comeback king and get off the floor, just like David it did.2024-02-1628 minAlive and Active#79-Quitting Before You QuitColossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters." In Super Bowl 27, the Dallas Cowboys were crushing the Buffalo bills, and the game was almost over. The Bills quarterback fumbled the ball and a Dallas Cowboys defender, Leon Lett, picked up the ball and ran it almost 60 yards to the end zone. Buffalo Bills wide receiver Don Beebe sprinted and knocked the ball out of Leon Letts hands right at the goal line, which prevented a Dallas touchdown. Don had the right attitude in Christ and he knew...2024-02-0928 minAlive and Active#78-If You are Still Lying on the Floor, That's on YouIn 1st Samuel 19, Joab tells David the hard message that he needs to get up and stop sulking over the death of his son Absalom. David responds by getting up and getting back into the game. When life hits us hard, we have to immediately go to the Lord, get off the floor, and live the resurrected life that He gives.2024-02-0228 minAlive and Active#77-Beyond WordsIn 2 Samuel 18, David hears the news that his son Absalom has died and he weeps bitterly for him. As believers, there's a time to grieve and there's a time to get back up. There are a lot of people dealing with grief and the solution is the Gospel of Jesus Christ because that is where our hope lies. God so loved us that he gave up his only Son, Jesus Christ.2024-01-2628 minAlive and Active#76-SweetnessWalter Payton was an all pro running back for the Chicago Bears. Walter maximized his time on and off the field and he was an extremely disciplined athlete. As believers, we have to be strategic in studying the word of God, because we are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. If we want to be great in the Lord, then we must be disciplined.2024-01-1928 minAlive and Active#75-EpitaphIn 2nd Samuel 18, Joab disobeys David and kills his son Absalom. Joab throws Absalom in a pit and piles a large heap of rocks over him. If Absalom and Joab had an epitaph written about them, it would probably state that they were rebellious and disobedient. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity to live out the calling in our life. What would people put on your tombstone? As long as we have breath, we still have a chance to recalibrate our lives for maximum Kingdom impact.2024-01-1228 minAlive and Active#74-Blue MonkeysWhen our thinking is off, we should seek the Lord and ask Him for wisdom. When our eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ, our thoughts will be taken captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5). Our old life was full of sin, but we now have a new life centered on Jesus Christ.2024-01-0528 minAlive and Active#73-Extra! Extra! Read All About It!In this new year, we can rest in our new life in Jesus while trusting in His promises. We should remind fellow believers of our new life and we should keep moving the chains for Christ and proclaiming Him to all. We keep advancing God's kingdom even on an Earth that boos us. As believers, we will suffer, but we can have joy in the Lord because He has overcome all things.2023-12-2928 minAlive and Active#72-Know That You Know That You Know1 John 5 tells us that everyone who believes hat Jesus is The Christ The Son of God has eternal life in heaven. When we accept the free gift that Jesus offers us, we can know for sure that we have eternal life. Collisions will happen in life, but Jesus has overcome the world and our future is secure in Him. This is the Good News of The Gospel that Jesus offers us. Do you know Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior today?2023-12-2228 minAlive and Active#71-Marvelous in The Midst of MediocrityDick Butkus and Gale Sayers were Hall of Fame football players for the Chicago Bears. They were incredible players despite being on a very mediocre team. As believers, we are called to be marvelous and to shine brightly for Christ, no matter the direction that the culture goes. We can't blend in with a mediocre culture because we have been set apart by the Holy Spirit to shine brightly in a dark world.2023-12-1528 minAlive and Active#70-Chain of Command Pt. 2Joab rebelled againstDavid's command and he killed David's son Absalom.As Christians, we need to spend time with the Lord and get God's take on whatever issue we are dealing with so that our thinking is right. We must go to God and ask for wisdom no matter the circumstance. We can either be like the young man who followed his chain of command in 2 Samuel 18, or we can be like Joab who was rebellious and out of control.2023-12-0828 minAlive and Active#69-Chain of Command Pt. 1In 2 Samuel 18, David commanded his men to not harm his son Absalom.Joab took things into his own hands and he rebelled against that order. As Christians, we need to be teachable and we need to make sure that we respect the chain of command in our lives. We operate out of a biblical worldview and we must let the word of God guide us.2023-12-0128 minAlive and Active#68-Rope A DopeIn 2nd Samuel 17, Absalom finds the advice of Hushai is better than that of Ahithophel. The Lord was the one who caused Absalom to have bad advice. Absalom didn't realize that Hushai was an advocate of David. As believers, we can trust in God's sovereignty even if the odds are against us and we must live in the paint with the Lord.2023-11-2428 minAlive and Active#67-Rumble in the Jungle2 Samuel 16 describes how Ahithophel is giving Absalom bad advice. David had refreshed himself and he was now thinking right and keeping his eyes up and looking to the Lord. The Lord was the one who was frustrating the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom. As Christians we need to be able to discern what is godly advice and what is worldly advice. God is sovereign and the word of God helps us see clearly.2023-11-1728 minAlive and Active#66-AmbitionWhat is our aim in life? The world will rapidly change around us, but as believers, our aim has to be on the Lord Jesus Christ who never changes. David could have gotten immediate revenge in 2 Samuel 16, but he refreshed himself in the Lord. David had the right aim in life. Do we?2023-11-1028 minAlive and Active#65-Who's for Real Pt. 2David is trying to figure out who he can trust and who is for real. God’s sovereignty is at play as David leaves town and prays for wisdom. In 2 Samuel 16, David realized that Ziba, whom he thought was a friend, was actually throwing Mephibosbeth, Sauls grandson, under the bus. Later, Shimei threw stones at David and cursed him, but David remained calm and he knew that God was in control and His timing is perfect.2023-11-0328 minAlive and Active#64-Who's for Real Pt. 1Absalom has stolen the kingship from David and David is being run out of town. David has a mix of fickle and faithful people in his life. In 2 Samuel 15, Absalom conspired for a rebellion, but people like Zadok, Abiathar, and Ittai pledged their support for David. However, one of David's counselors named Ahithophel, joined Absalom. We must remember that God is sovereign and He works all things out for His purpose and His plans will unfold and our job is to seek Him no matter the circumstances.2023-10-2728 minAlive and Active#63-Where is the King's Heart?Proverbs 21:1 says, "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." Our lives are like jigsaw puzzles where one piece connects to another piece, which connects to another piece, until all the pieces are connected. Sometimes we might get frustrated when things aren't working out as we think they should, but we must remember that God is sovereign and He controls all things. God directs our life and we need to be ready to move wherever He might take us. We can point people to the Lord, trust...2023-10-2028 minAlive and Active#62-Fickle or FaithfulIn 2nd Samuel 16, David is escaping from town since Absalom had stolen the hearts of the people. Shimei used to be a big fan of David when he was King, but now he curses David and hits him with stones. David knew how to handle fickle fans like Shimei. There's going to be fickleness and faithfulness but we must look to the sovereignty of God.2023-10-1528 minAlive and Active#61-Heavy on the Truth and Light on Our FeetAs believers, how do we react when plans change and interruptions come our way? Jesus Christ routinely was interrupted but he always got back to the truth. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever and his character does not change. We need to be heavy on the truth and light on our feet so we can adapt to whatever comes our way.2023-10-0628 minAlive and Active#60-Two Fingers Under the Chin Pt. 2In Psalm 3, we see how David responded when he fled from his son Absalom. David called out to the Lord and the Lord answered him and sustained him. The Lord wasn't going to let David fall flat on his face. The Lord met David and He lifted his head high. Our performance isn't what the Lord looks at. His perfect love covers us and we can be people who help lift others up when they are going through a tough time.2023-09-2928 minAlive and Active#59-Two Fingers Under the Chin Pt. 12 Samuel 15 describes how David is being kicked out of Jerusalem. In the midst of the embarrassment and sadness from leaving his kingship, David goes to the Lord and he is greatly encouraged by Him. Psalm 3 details how the Lord is David's shield and it is the Lord who lifts his head high. The Lord sees our pain and our tears and we can be encouraged in the Lord just like David was. The Lord will lift our heads up when we face challenging times and we can let the Lord turn our friction into traction.2023-09-2628 minAlive and Active#58-Absalom's ConspiracyIn 2nd Samuel 15, Absalom begins to strategically steal the hearts of the people so he could become King. As leaders and believers, we can't stick our heads in the sand when things get tough, and we can't take on the role of being a cheerleader instead of an umpire. Absalom took advantage of the people and his conspiracy grew. We have to hold each other accountable, we ourselves must be teachable in order to always be learning and we must be reading / studying the scriptures daily to prevent ourselves from being prideful like Absalom was.2023-09-1528 minAlive and Active#57-Necessary EndingsKing David's family was spiraling out of control and he had to do something with his family. As Christians, when we face tough situations we need to be people who have solutions and who are ready to act. David should have stepped up and intercepted the conflict within his family instead of leaving Absalom to plot his conspiracy for kingship.2023-09-0828 minAlive and Active#56-Hard KnocksIn 1 Chronicles 12:32, the men of Issachar understood the times and they knew exactly what Israel should do. Sometimes as parents, hard things will happen in life and we need to be ready to adjudicate those things with godly wisdom. King David was not involved with his sons like he should have been. Regardless of the situation, our hope is in Christ and we can take heart and be of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world.2023-09-0128 minAlive and Active#55-The Three T'sCan we be trusted with the time, talent, and treasures that the Lord has given us while we are on Earth? Our hearts are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and we all have blind spots. The only way to clean up our blind spots is to be in the scriptures. The Lord wants to change our lives so that we can help change others, just like He did with Joni Erickson Tada. As we endure suffering, we are to be joyful in the Lord in all things and make the most with our time, talent, and treasures.2023-08-2528 minAlive and Active#54-Walk Off Grand SlamIn Psalm 139, David asks God to search him and know his heart and to test him and know his anxious thoughts. As believers, we need to continuously go to the Lord and have him search us like David asked in Psalm 139. We know that the end times are near so we must prepare and choose to trust God and His word. When we let the Lord search our heart, it's like a grand slam because if we confess, The Lord will forgive our sin and that is an incredible Blessing.2023-08-1828 minAlive and Active#53-Time Heals All Wounds... Right? WrongTime doesn't heal all wounds. Healing comes from the Lord. Ephesians 5 tells us to live wisely and make the most of every opportunity. How do we spend our time after we have been hurt by others? We can allow the Lord to redeem our time for His glory. When we follow Jesus, we will take on numerous collisions, but we have to get back up because Jesus wants to do so much with your life. Go to the Lord and ask for wisdom and allow God to turn the friction into traction.2023-08-1228 minAlive and Active#52-Judgement Starts At Home PlateThe commissioner, God, has given us His rule book, the Word of God, and He entrusts us to make calls of balls or strikes, and follow the rule book with accuracy. King David failed to discuss the difficult things in his family. In 2 Samuel 13, David failed to jump in and speak up when Absalom plotted the murder of his brother Amnon. Judgment starts in our home and judgment has to be dealt with at home plate. We are protectors in our homes and we live out of the confidence that we have Jesus Christ.2023-08-0528 minAlive and Active#51-Dedicated DaddyWe can be constantly praying for our kids, but sometimes our kids might go off the path. Sometimes that's part of God's sovereignty, but we can still have hope that even if things don't look great. The game is not over yet. Luke 15 shows us the character of God in the story of the prodigal son. Even though the son had sinned greatly against his father and had used all the wealth, it says that when the father saw him and was filled with compassion for him, he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed...2023-07-2828 minAlive and Active#50-Distance Daddy Pt. 2There are many crafty men in this world just like Jonadab who want to influence our children in negative and unbiblical ways. We are the primary Bible teachers for our kids and we need to make sure that we are maximizing the time we have with our children since the window of having them under our roof is only open for a short time. Pour into your family and don't let work or anything else lead you to being an absent dad at home. Be intentional and get into the paint with your kids, they are a true gift fr...2023-07-2128 minAlive and Active#49-Distance Daddy Pt. 1When we come out of any type of sin, we have to move on and share what we came out of. The enemy wants us to live in the rear view mirror. In 2nd Samuel 13, David's son Amnon lustfully falls in love with his half-sister Tamar. David should have stepped in, but because of his absence, Amnon is influenced by the wicked Jonadab. The Lord wants us to steward our family well and we need to make daily deposits into the lives of our wife and children. We must go to the Word of God so we can steward...2023-07-1428 minAlive and Active#48-No Turning BackIn 2nd Samuel 12, David acknowledges his sin of sleeping with Bathsheba and killing Uriah and he pleads that his son would stay alive. When he finds out that his son died, David gets up, washes, eats, and goes to worship the Lord.David recovered quickly and he comfortedBathsheba. When you understand how muchJesus loves you, you won't want to take advantage of Jesus. When we go out of bounds, we will want to quickly get back in the game. David modeled moving forward in life and the importance of going to the Lord.2023-07-0828 minAlive and Active#47-Mrs. Franklin Opens a Can of WormsIn 2nd Samuel 12, God sends the prophet Nathan to convict David of his sin. David confesses his sin and pleads with God that his child would not die. David knew how much God loved him and after the child died because of the consequence of his sin, David gets up and worships the Lord. In our best and worst moments in life, we can go to the Lord and pour our hearts out to Him and we can be confident that He hears us and He is with us.2023-06-3028 minAlive and Active#46-The Joy of a Broken HeartPsalm 51 is a heartfelt Psalm of forgiveness. David blames no one but himself for sleeping with Bathsheba and having Uriah murdered and he begs for God's forgiveness. David knew that his sin hurt God's heart and because of that, his heart was broken. But joy eventually comes and David no longer feels the guilt because the Lord forgave him and restored his fellowship with Him. When we sin, we need to confess our sins repent, get back in the game, and be in the Scriptures daily. Let us learn from King David’s example - see Psalm 51.2023-06-2328 minAlive and Active#45-From Cover Up to Caught to ConfessIn 2nd Samuel 12 the prophet Nathan comes to David and tells him a story about a rich man and a poor man and how the rich man came and stole the poor man's only possession, a ewe lamb. David is furious and says the rich man must die, but Nathan points out that David “IS THAT MAN!!!!”because he stole Bathsheba from Uriah and had Uriah killed. We can try to cover up our sin and run from it, but if you are a believer, your sin has already been bought and paid for by Jesus Christ. The solution is t...2023-06-1628 minAlive and Active#44-From Cover Up to Cover UpIn 2nd Samuel 11, David continues to go deeper and deeper with his unconfessed sin of sleeping with Bathsheba. He tries to coax Uriah into coming back from war so Uriah would sleep with Bathsheba since she was already pregnant. After a couple of failed cover-ups, David finally resorts to having Uriah murdered. When we find ourselves trying to cover up our sins, we too will quickly find ourselves making unconscionable choices. The solution is to confess our sins, repent, and get back in the game.2023-06-0928 minAlive and Active#43-An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Pt. 2Where do we go and what do we do when we get caught in our sin? We can't hide because God already sees it. We have to look under the hood and acknowledge our sin. As Christians we can't bench ourselves when we sin. When we sin, we don't lose salvation but we do lose fellowship with God. Jesus Christ restores our fellowship with God when we confess our sin, repent and get back on mission for His kingdom.2023-06-0228 minAlive and Active#42-An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Pt. 1When it comes to sexual sin, we can either be on the side of prevention or on the side of cure. In 2 Samuel 11, David should have been at war, but instead, he allowed himself to lust after another man's wife. Instead of fleeing from temptation, David used his power to get what wasn't his. We are called to flee and run when temptation comes our way. Put a stake in the ground against sexual sin and confess your sin right away to the Lord because He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and purify us f...2023-05-2528 minAlive and Active#41-The Test of Prosperity Pt. 2There are two tests in life: the test of adversity and the test of prosperity. In order to pass both tests, we must allow Jesus to have full access to our lives. Our playbook of life SHOULD BE GOD’S WORD and when we follow that, we live with a biblical worldview.2023-05-1828 minAlive and Active#40-The Test of Prosperity Pt. 1In 2 Samuel 5, David became a more and more powerful King and the Lord was with him. Over the next few chapters, David has a string of victories and he defeats several opponents. But in chapter 11, King Davids disobedience catches up to him and he fails the test of prosperity when he sleeps with Bathsheba and then murders her husband Uriah while trying to cover up his sin. How do we handle prosperity as believers and can we pass our own tests of prosperity? Anything that is outside of the will of God needs to be addressed in our lives a...2023-05-1128 minAlive and Active#39-Rebound Position Don't Box Out Your Own TeamIn 2nd Samuel 2, David is anointed king over Judah. Abner who represented Israel, challenged David's men, specifically Joab, to a fierce battle as Abner was vying for leadership. As believers we can get caught up in battling our colleagues for rebound position, especially when we have a new boss or take on a new role at work. Instead of boxing out our own teammate, we should humble ourselves, die to self and serve others. 2023-05-0528 minAlive and Active#38-The Gift of Gab or God Pt. 2Our love for the Lord should be reflected in how we speak to others. As Christians we should honor God and be humble servants of Jesus in all things. We need to protect our hearts and minds from things that aren't godly or we will end up using our tongues in ways that are ungodly. We can't praise God with our lips, but at the same time curse people. The love of Jesus and resting on in what He accomplished for us on the cross and through His resurrection should cause us to speak words of life to everyone...2023-04-2828 minAlive and Active#37-The Gift of Gab or God Pt. 1Proverbs 18 and James 3 both talk about controlling our tongues. We have to put in a tremendous amount of effort in changing how we speak and it starts with godly training. When we take in God's Word and we let it saturate in us, we can then speak life to others and edify them instead of tearing them down. We represent Jesus at all times and our mouths are a reflection of our hearts.2023-04-2128 minAlive and Active#36-All Rise Pt. 2Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead and defeated death. Believers are born-again (John 3:3) by the Spirit of God. God has put all things under His authority. We have been transferred from death to life and God has spiritually adopted us as his child. If you are a Christian, you are living under supernatural power. Our labor in this world is not in vain with the Lord.Download Study Guide Here2023-04-1428 minAlive and Active#35-All Rise Pt. 1We “Get To” worship an ALIVE and RESURRECTED JESUS. Religion is man's attempt to reach God, but salvation is God coming down through Jesus Christ to reach man. Jesus died on a cross to fully pay for our sin, and he rose three days later and defeated death. It's not do more, try harder. It's dying to our old self daily. We get a new life from dying not trying. Trusting in Jesus Christ as your savior is what it's all about!! Download Study Guide Here2023-04-0728 minAlive and Active#34-In Memory ofIn 1st Samuel 20:17 Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again because Jonathan loved David as a brother. We experience true deep friendship with one another when we do life with them, go through the highs and lows with them, and learn how to express our true feelings with them. The end goal is to be conformed into the image of Christ and one of the ways we get there, is when we sharpen one another in godliness. Also: let’s not wait till someone passes away to eulogize them at their funeral; let’s tell them now how...2023-03-3128 minAlive and Active#33-The Unstoppable UnderdogsWisdom is a skill set that we can develop through everyday training. We do this through our relationship with Jesus Christ since He is our firm foundation. In Proverbs 30, ants, rock badgers, locust, and lizards are all described as small but unusually wise, but those animals and insects teach us how to prepare, how to have a solid foundation, how to work together, and how to be opportunistic. As believers we can incorporate those things into our lives and we can develop the skill set of wisdom by spending time in God's word.2023-03-3028 minAlive and Active#32-Gulp Gulp AhhhhhJesus went across enemy lines and shed His blood to cleanse us from all sin. In 2 Samuel 23, David's mighty warriors risked their lives to cross enemy lines and bring back water that David longed for from his hometown of Bethlehem. David refused to drink the water because the water represented the men's blood. There was a culture of love with David and his men. The culture of love starts with Jesus and He gave His life for us, so we should do things for the Lord out of an overflow of the example He set in love.Download...2023-03-1728 minAlive and Active#31-The King of the Lions Pt. 2Colossians 3:23 tells us to "Work with all of your heart at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." No matter what job or hobby you have, you can live for the Lord in all things. Jesus Christ is our motivation and he was as tough as they come since he endured the brutal beatings and crucifixion. As followers of Jesus, we look to God's word so that we can have a biblical worldview for the cultural goliaths that we face.2023-03-1128 minAlive and Active#30-The King of the Lions Pt. 1In the Bible, God uses the animal kingdom to teach us about wisdom. As powerful as lions are, God has given us human beings that are made in His image. Despite not looking the part, David was confident when he went against Goliath because he knew that God was with him. When opposition comes our way, we can look to Jesus Christ, the author and perfector of our faith and he makes us more Christlike.2023-03-0328 minAlive and Active#29-By Any Means NecessaryJoab was a mighty military warrior under David, but he was flawed because he sacrificed his morals and he did whatever it took by any means necessary to accomplish his purpose. As believers in Christ, we can't operate that way. We have to live differently and not follow the ways of the world. We are called to be Christ like and we can't let our circumstances determine how we live this life.Download Study Guide Here2023-02-2428 minAlive and Active#28-Roastin and Ghostin Not AllowedKindness may be viewed as a weak thing, but it is a fruit of the spirit. In 2 Samuel 2, David showed kindness to his men and he looked out for their households because he cared deeply for them. Jesus showed us the ultimate kindness by sacrificing his sinless life for our sin filled life so that we may be restored with God and have eternal life.Download Study Guide Here2023-02-1628 minAlive and Active#27-Everyone Loves RaymondIn Mark 10, blind Bartimaeus cried out to the Lord despite the opposition. Jesus stopped everything for Bartimaeus and He healed him and Bartimaeus followed Jesus. Do we let our circumstances or anything get in the way of our joy in Jesus Christ or do we get entangled in the affairs in this life? God uses circumstances for us to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes open, look around, see what the Lord is doing and don't let anything interrupt our relationship with Jesus Christ.Download Study Guide Here2023-02-0328 minAlive and Active#26-Boys to Men Pt. 4Brook Berringer, a highly skilled backup quarterback for the Nebraska Huskers was a winner on the field but he also faced incredible adversity. When Brook gave his life to Christ, his definition of success changed and now he offered his circumstances to the Lord. Brook believed in John 3:16, which says, "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."2023-01-2828 minAlive and Active#25-Boys to Men Pt. 3In Matthew 18, the disciples asked Jesus, "who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" Jesus told his disciples that they must become like children and be humble. Jesus used a young boy to show what reliance on the Father looks like. It's not where we've been in life, it's where we are going and we can humbly submit to our heavenly Father in all things.Download Study Guide Here2023-01-2128 minAlive and Active#24-Boys to Men Pt. 2In Daniel 1, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The best of the young men, which included Daniel, were taken to Babylon for the King's service. They tried to change their diets and minds, but Daniel understood the times and he courageously requested to not defile himself with the food and wine. What seemed like a demotion, quickly turned into a spiritual promotion. One man changed the culture because his mind was on the Lord and God provided favor in the midst of the wicked Babylonian empire.2023-01-1330 minAlive and Active#23-Boys to Men Pt. 1In Deuteronomy 6, we are told to impart the commandments on our children throughout their entire day. Jesus was fully man and fully God and he went from a boy to a man because he desired to do his Father's work. We can teach our kids about the Father's work and we can set a high bar for our kids so they go from boyhood to being a man of God. Jesus matured and increased in stature and wisdom and He matured and grew in His faith and that's what happens when we engage in the Father's business.2023-01-0930 minAlive and Active#22-It's a New SeasonIn 1st Samuel 31, an Amalekite shows up and tells David that Saul is dead, but the Amalekite was lying about how Saul died in order to gain favor with the soon-to-be new King David. David mourns Jonathan and Saul's death and he determines that the Amalekite was lying and he had no respect for the position God gave Saul. God cares about our character through the ups and downs of life and we are to be conformed to the image of Christ and we must yield and give full access to God through the Holy Spirit. David was a...2022-12-3129 minAlive and Active#21-Merry CHRISTmasThe Prophet Isaiah predicted the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ and the conditions he would arrive under. Jesus came into oppression and evil was all around Him as He was born in a humble stable. King Herod executed all male babies 2 and under trying to do everything possible to try and kill the baby Jesus. When challenges arise because of Christ, we must always remember that Jesus left His heavenly throne to come to earth in order to suffer, sacrifice & die a brutal death & rise again for our sake and for payment of our sins so that those w...2022-12-2330 minAlive and Active#20-Definition of Greatness Pt. 3Godliness with contentment is great gain. Are we chasing after the wrong stuff in life? We need to look past this earth and to the next kingdom or everything will crumble. Learn to stiff arm treasures on earth and learn how to embrace the treasures of heaven.2022-12-1730 minAlive and Active#19-Definition of Greatness Pt. 2In John 13, Jesus explains to his disciples what it looks like to serve and he tells us to follow his example. Service starts through the Lord Jesus and we need to see things from a Kngdom perspective. Jesus must increase and we must decrease (John3:30). Which kingdom are we living out of?2022-12-1030 minAlive and Active#18-Definition of Greatness Pt. 1In Luke 22, the disciples disputed who would be the greatest, but Jesus said those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. The definition of greatness is turned upside down and we can't live in both the kingdom of man and the Kingdom of God. Contentment in Christ and a servant's heart is what we can strive for. In this world, we are decreasing, but in God's kingdom, we are climbing always remember John 3:30 - He (Jesus) must increase & we must decrease.2022-12-0229 minAlive and Active#17-Faithfulness Leads to ThankfulnessIn 1st Samuel 30, David displayed an attitude of gratitude toward his fellow soldiers since the Lord had rescued the women and children that the Amalekites had taken. David realized how much he could be grateful for and he extended that to others who needed it as well. In Luke 17 when Jesus healed the 10 lepers, only one of them, a Samaritan, went back and praised the Lord. Faithfulness leads to thankfulness that leads to humility so we can see clearly.2022-11-2629 minAlive and Active#16-No Corner Offices in Heaven Pt. 2We can be great in this world and full of pride or we can be humble and great in the Kingdom of God. In Christ, we are called to live under control with whatever we've been given and we have to dethrone ourselves daily and take the lowly humble position. In Matthew 18 Jesus tells the disciples to take the lowly position and then they would be greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. We too can take the lowly position and we can also be like the poor widow in Luke 21 who put in everything that she had for the...2022-11-1930 minAlive and Active#15-No Corner Offices in Heaven Pt. 1In 1 Samuel 30, David was in great danger as his men were very bitter about losing their wives and daughters and they talked about stoning him. David found strength in the Lord and after 400 of the 600 men attacked the Amalekites and brought back the children and women, the 400 men didn't want the 200 men to receive the plunder. But David intercepted the nonsense, and he told the men not to be selfish with what the Lord had given them. Great leaders change the wickedness of the culture and David's solution helped bring together the 600 men so they could be back on...2022-11-1129 minAlive and Active#14-So You Want to be a Leader Huh?1 Samuel 30, David and his men came to Ziklag where they found that the Amalekites had burned the city and carried off the women and children. David was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him, but David found strength in the Lord and he acted strategically. The Lord guided David and his men to rescuing all the women and children along with provisions. When we are in dire straights do we run and hide when it looks like all is falling apart or do we connect with the Lord like David did? We too can go to the...2022-11-0429 minAlive and Active#13-A Fool or a KingIn 1st Samuel 25 David was on the run from Saul, and he sent his men to the town of Carmel to visit with an acquaintance named Nabal. Nabal refused to help David’s men with provisions (after David & his men protected Nabal’s land / livestock). Abigail, (Nabal’s wife), quickly realized the gravity of the situation. She slyly intercepted David's man with an abundance of provisions and fell at David's feet and put Naball's iniquity on herself. Abigail recognized that the Lord and His authority was over the situation and instead of being a fool, David acted as a wise K...2022-10-2830 minAlive and Active#12-Recovery Time Pt. 4In John 21, The Resurrected Jesus appears again to the disciples as they fished. Peter thought he had hit rock bottom since he denied Jesus three times, but Jesus forgave him, restored him and told him to feed His sheep. Jesus told Peter that he would die a brutal death for his faith, but Peter grew into a courageous follower of Christ and he was restored and gave his life for the Gospel.2022-10-2129 minAlive and Active#11-Recovery Time Pt. 3Peter was adamant at the Last Supper that he would stay by Jesus’ side and not leave Him or forsake Him. However, Peter denied Jesus three times, and he wept bitterly before returning to being a fisherman once again. However, Jesus showed up on the shore, restored Peter and emboldened him to strengthen his brothers and get back in the game to be used mightily for The Lords Kingdom! Download Study Guide Here2022-10-1430 minAlive and Active#10-Recovery Time Pt. 2David's lies caused 85 priests and their families to die in the town of Nob. In Gods sovereignty, He allowed Abiathar to escape Nob and then convict David of his sins. When we sin we lose fellowship with God but we get it back when we confess our sins. David got off the bench and back into the game for The Lord! Will you do the same?Download Study Guide Here2022-10-0730 minAlive and Active#9-Recovery Time Pt. 1How fast do we recover from difficulties in life? In 1 Samuel 21 David was afraid and on the run from King Saul and fear led David to bad decisions. When things spiral out of control, we can simply confess to the Lord and “own it” or fear will “kick our tail”. Eventually David confessed and his fear was turned to confidence in the Lord.Download Study Guide Here2022-09-3030 minAlive and Active#8-Bustin' Pipes to Produce Diamonds is an Act of Love Pt. 2Davids life could have collapsed after his camp in Ziklag was raided but David fell back on his training and he found strength in the Lord and led his men to defeat the enemy and rescue the people. Later, David's men willingly risked their lives to bring him water but David poured out the water as an offering to the Lord. Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins and we can follow David's example of receiving God's love and pouring it out to others.Download Study Guide Here2022-09-2330 minAlive and Active#7-Bustin' Pipes to Produce Diamonds is an Act of LoveDavid led a small group of discredited men as Saul chased after him. David could have ended Saul's life in the cave but instead, his training taught him to love his enemy and honor God for the sake of Jesus Christ. We too can love our enemies and we don't have to pull the rip cord when trials come our way.2022-09-1630 minAlive and Active#6-Interceptors Run to Meet the BallGoliath moved closer to attack, but David quickly ran out to meet him. David's love for God and his training in the sheepfold prepared him to intercept Goliath and later shepherd God's people. Jesus intercepted our sin and now we have the privilege, in Jesus name, of running to the challenges that we will face in this life.Download Study Guide Here2022-09-0929 minAlive and Active#5-Make Me a Man CoachIn John 16:33 Jesus tells us that we will have many trials and sorrows, but we should take heart because He has overcome the world. How will we respond when suffering and fiery trials come our way? God's word tells us to train ourselves for godliness and then we can live circumstance free because we have Jesus and He already conquered death.Download Study Guide Here2022-09-0230 minAlive and Active#4-When You Know the Good News, Even the Bad News is Good NewsWhen hard stuff happens in our lives, we can turn friction into traction and grow in Him. How will we respond when trials come our way? When we live in truth, the bad news for a believer can become good news. Joseph faced incredible challenges, but he faithfully followed God and took the bad news in his life and turned it into good news by saving the Israelites. Whatever goes into a sponge is what comes out. If we empty the sponge dry and fill our lives with Christ, He will come out when we are squeezed versus our o...2022-08-2630 minAlive and Active#2-Engaging the Real EnemyJesus faced and conquered death as he took the punishment for for our sins on the cross. Jesus rose victoriously on the third day and our victory is in Him. David trained for war and his courage came from the Lord. We can know where the game is played, how to engage the real enemy and how to live victoriously in Christ since He has already won.2022-08-1929 minAlive and Active#3-Great Relationships in a Dog Eat Dog WorldJonathan was set to become king after Saul but instead he became gentle and lowly like Jesus and he sacrificed his position and paved the way for David to become the next king. Jonathan handled adversity with great humility and David handled success and prosperity with great meekness. We too can follow Jonathan and David's example of how they handled praise, prosperity and adversity. Jesus Christ must increase and we must decrease.2022-08-1929 minAlive and Active#1-The Outer Man versus The Inner ManJoin us for the very first episode of Alive and Active radio hosted by Ron Brown and Mike Bliss. God looks inwardly at our heart and we can follow His example. The Word of God helps us prioritize our lives and live with an eternal mindset. 2022-08-0329 min