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Building Great Lives PodcastDoes God Expect Us To Do The Impossible?Send a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #99 of the Building Great Lives podcast!In this episode we’ll answer the intriguing question, what does God expect from us? Does He expect us to do the impossible. We begin by exploring the significance of expectation in spiritual growth by drawing from Acts 3 and the miraculous healing of a lame man. Expectation is learned by our past experiences with God's faithfulness. Because He has in the past, we expect He will again. Expectation is a key ingredient to the miraculous. However, an oft...2024-05-1224 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Survive the Between PlacesSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #98 of the Building Great Lives podcast!In this episode we’ll discuss how to survive the between places. You may be wondering, what do I mean by “between places”? The between places are the times between God giving a promise and it coming to pass. Unfortunately, not every promise from God comes to pass immediately. The goal of this episode is to help you navigate the challenging times between God's promises and their fulfillment. Through biblical wisdom and practical insights, you’ll learn the...2024-04-2929 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastMercy Is Not AfraidSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #97 of the Building Great Lives podcast!In this episode, Mercy Is Not Afraid, we talk a closer look into the transformative power of God's mercy. With poignant illustrations like the woman caught in adultery and the prodigal son, this episode reveals how mercy intervenes in life's messiest moments, offering redemption and restoration. Mercy isn't deterred by our mistakes or messes; instead, it actively pursues us, ready to rescue and restore us to wholeness. Through these heartfelt insights, leach listener is encouraged to...2024-04-1531 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastSome Bridges Should Be BurnedSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #96 of the Building Great Lives podcast!This episode, Some Bridges Should Be Burned, explores the delicate balance between restoration and necessary endings, focusing on the bridges in our lives that should be burned. Drawing from biblical examples like Elisha's decisive choice to leave his plows behind and Peter's struggle with returning to fishing, this episode offers insights into the importance of closing certain chapters to embrace new beginnings. With heartfelt anecdotes and practical wisdom, Some Bridges Should Be Burned, encourages listeners to...2024-04-0123 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastNothing Changes, If Nothing ChangesSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #95 of the Building Great Lives podcast!This episode, "Nothing Changes, If Nothing Changes" delves into the necessity of making appropriate adjustments to become better versions of ourselves. Drawing from scripture and real-life examples, this episode hopes to inspire listeners to embrace change for spiritual and personal growth. This episode will address common barriers to change and offers practical insights on taking action towards a more fulfilling life. It’s time to embrace the journey of transformation and discover the courag...2024-03-1818 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastIt’s Time To Stop RunningSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #94 of the Building Great Lives podcast!This compelling episode, It's Time to Stop Running, delves into the common tendency to avoid problems and the detrimental effects of running away from challenges. Through insightful reflections on biblical stories and practical advice, this episode encourages listeners to confront their problems head-on rather than seeking temporary relief through avoidance behaviors. With actionable steps and inspiring examples, this episode empowers listeners to break free from the cycle of running and embrace the courage and resilience re...2024-03-0418 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Keep Pressing OnSend a text message to the show! Welcome to Episode #93 of the Building Great Lives podcast!This empowering episode titled "How to Keep Pressing On," shares five essential keys to help you maintain determination and resilience, no matter what challenges come your way. Drawing inspiration from biblical examples like Israel, David, and Joseph, this episode illustrates the importance of perseverance in achieving your goals and fulfilling your purpose. With practical advice and heartfelt encouragement, this episode will equip you to face adversity with courage, align your actions with your aspirations, and em...2024-02-1918 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWinning the Private Battle WithinSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #92 of the Building Great Lives podcast!This insightful episode titled "Winning The Private Battle Within," delves into an often overlooked aspect of spiritual warfare—the private battles we face within ourselves. Drawing inspiration from the life of David and the contrasting sides of Thomas, this episode provides a compassionate perspective on the inner struggles each of us face.Through biblical examples and practical advice, this episode encourages listeners to recognize and overcome their private battles.Tune in to discover how...2024-02-0522 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Perfect Place to StartSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #91 of the Building Great Lives podcast! This inspiring episode titled "The Perfect Place to Start," explores the concept of starting anew, whether it's embarking on a new goal, career, personal transformation, or spiritual journey. Drawing from personal experience and biblical narratives like the Prodigal Son and the sinful woman who washed Jesus' feet, this episode emphasizes the importance of starting right where you are, even amid struggles and imperfections. Through heartfelt anecdotes and powerful scriptures, this episode encourages listeners to embrace the...2024-01-2920 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastGod's Promises are Greater than Your PerilSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #90 of the Building Great Lives podcast! This episode, The Promise Is Greater Than The Peril, will discuss the contrast between perilous times and the promises of God. This encouraging episode draws from biblical narratives and personal anecdotes to illustrate how God's promises are greater than the challenges we face. From the perilous times in Egypt to Paul's trials and tribulations, this episode demonstrates how God's faithfulness remains steadfast even in the midst of adversity. Through powerful biblical examples, each list...2024-01-2223 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Walk Through the ValleySend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #89 of the Building Great Lives podcast! This insightful episode, How to Walk Through the Valley, explores the metaphorical valleys of life, drawing inspiration from biblical passages and personal experiences to offer practical guidance on navigating life’s most challenging seasons. From the valley of the shadow of death to the depths of despair, this episode shares valuable insights on facing adversity with faith and resilience. With poignant reminders of God's presence, the importance of community, and the power of praise, listeners will...2024-01-1516 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWhat Do Tears, Fears, Doubt and Jesus Have in Common?Send a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #88 of the Building Great Lives podcast!Life can be unpredictable, one moment it’s going great, the next thing you know, everything can change. Along with all the joys in life, there will also be times of struggle, heartache, disappointment and tears. At times, we can feel so courageous. At other times, we struggle with fear. There are moments of bold faith. And also, times we struggle with doubt. Tears, fears and doubt are all part of being human. With this in mind, is...2024-01-0820 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastDealing With DistractionsSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #87 of the Building Great Lives podcast! This episode "Dealing With Distraction", will take a deeper look into the topic of recognizing and overcoming distractions. Distraction is one of Satan's most effective weapons. This episode will proved biblical and practical insights on overcoming spiritual, mental and physical distractions.This episode will help you differentiate between natural and supernatural distractions and gain biblical wisdom on staying focused amidst life's challenges. It will also provide the listener effective keys to dealing with distr...2024-01-0127 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastGifts From GodSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #86 of the Building Great Lives podcast! This episode, “Gifts From God”, unwraps the timeless significance of God's greatest gifts. Thankfully, as revealed in this episode, God’s gifts are still available for us today. Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share this message of hope with others!Let’s keep building!Feel led to partner with our global ministry? 100% of your donations go directly to our global ministry efforts. https://venmo.com/u/Trent-Gilliam-3https://www.paypal...2023-12-2213 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Stay Calm Through the StormSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #85 of the Building Great Lives podcast!Life is full of storms. I don’t mean actual weather, like thunder, lighting, wind and rain. The storms I’m referring to are the many difficulties we face.In Matthew 5:45, the Bible says, the sun rises on the good and bad. The rain falls on the just and on the unjust. In other words, none of us are exempt from these life storms. Since we all face them, learning how to manage these storms is ve...2023-12-1822 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastOvercoming the Fear of the UnknownSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #84 of the Building Great Lives podcast!Change, both good and bad, brings a certain amount of uncertainty with it. We all desire as much certainty as possible. Since we all desire safety, security and predictability, we all experience, to varying degrees, fear of the unknown. Fear of the unknown is essentially the fear of anything beyond our comfort zone. This fear is often caused by the feeling of not being in control. Many may even experience the fear of failure. Fear of the u...2023-12-1124 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Cure for a Wounded SpiritSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #83 of the Building Great Lives podcast! The subject of a wounded spirit is an important one, as it affects so many people. Many don’t even understand what it is, or how it affects us. At some point everyone will endure certain sicknesses, possibly suffer from a physical infirmity or decline in health. While sicknesses are difficult, they are often overcome and even tolerable when our spirit is at peace. On the other hand, an infirmity of the spirit, a wounded spirit, those are...2023-12-0324 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastA Special Thank You MessageSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #82 of the Building Great Lives podcast! This special Thanksgiving episode is dedicated to you the listener. We, at the Building Great Lives podcast, would like to thank you for listening to and sharing this podcast. In 1998, when God called my family I to global missions, I could have never imagined podcasting would be part of the global calling. I fully acknowledge we couldn’t do it without your support. Because of you, at the ti...2023-11-2306 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastA Word for the BrokenheartedSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #81 of the Building Great Lives podcast! There are many things in this life that leave us brokenhearted. Situations and circumstances such as: the death of a loved one, a lost relationship, a broken marriage, broken trust, a loved one struggling with sickness, disappointments and letdowns of life in general and mental, physical and spiritual trauma.All of these things leave us broken. When your heart is broken, healing can feel impossible. But I have good news for you. God can heal your broken h...2023-11-2022 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Consistently Overcome ANYTHINGSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #80 of the Building Great Lives podcast! As a person that desires to overcome, I want to understand why some succeed and others do not. I want to learn to overcome as well. While some people have certain advantages and others do not, God desires for all of us to overcome! Romans 2:11 says, “for God shows no partiality”. He is no respecter of persons. He doesn’t love those with advantages more than those that do not have them. It’s God’s will that all of us...2023-11-1321 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Danger of Comparing Ourselves to OthersSend a text message to the show! We all have people that we look up to. People that motivate us to become better. It’s natural to desire good qualities we see in others and to model some areas of our lives by the example of people we admire. However, our goal should be to become the best, most authentic, version of OURSELVES, not to copycat someone else.The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:12, that it is unwise to measure ourselves and compare ourselves among ourselves. It’s...2023-11-0524 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastIncreasing Your Spiritual CapacitySend a text message to the show! In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how to increase your spiritual capacity. Regardless of who you are or how long you’ve been living for God, it’s crucial to know that God has more for you. Your potential doesn’t have to be limited by your upbringing, your exposure, financial standing or where you were born. Spiritual growth is possible. The ceiling on your potential can be lifted.The Psalmist, in Psalms 119:32, asked God to “enlarge his heart”.Jabez, in...2023-10-3025 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastSilencing Self-CriticismSend a text message to the show! We can be our own worst enemy. Sometimes we set unrealistic expectations and then criticize ourselves when we don't live up to them. While we all have room for improvement, there’s a huge difference between self-evaluation and self-criticism…Self evaluation is a normal reflective process where an individual assesses themselves to gain a better understanding of their strengths and weakness with the intent of making improvements. Self evaluation is much different than self criticism!S...2023-10-2323 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastVictory Over the Inner ManSend a text message to the show! In this episode, we will discuss the two sides we have. The outward man that people can see and the inner man, known only to us. Psalms 44:21 says, God searches and knows our heart. God knowing our heart might seem frightening to some, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s comforting to know that even though God knows us completely, He still loves us wholly and desires to help us overcome our inner struggles.Jacob had two sides. On the outside, he looked successful. However, things were...2023-10-1622 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Control Your Thought LifeSend a text message to the show! Without a doubt, there’s a battle going on for our mind. The devil desires for worry, depression, anxiety and a poor self-image to be constant companions in your life. Winning the war for our thought life is absolutely key to our mental, emotion and spiritual well-being.Thoughts are seeds that bear fruit. We need to recognize damaging thoughts so we can stop them from influencing our lives. Thoughts, even though they cannot be seen, weighed, or measured hold powerful influence over our lives. Thoughts become feelings. Feelings be...2023-10-0925 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastA Masterpiece in the MakingSend a text message to the show! Even though we strive to do right and learn from our mistakes, there are times we find ourselves struggling with the same things over and over again. It can be a vicious cycle that leaves us discouraged and feeling disappointed in ourselves. The good news is, God is not finished working on you. God is longsuffering toward us. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul said, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in t...2023-10-0227 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThings Worth RememberingSend a text message to the show! The psalmist Asaph declared, in Psalms 77:11, “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”In Psalms 103:2, David said, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”Through these psalmists, we are reminded to never forget the wonders of the Lord. Thinking back over the times God has made a way for us encourages us during difficult times! When we think of the goodness of Jesus and all He’s done for us, it sti...2023-09-2523 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Secret to True HappinessSend a text message to the show! In today’s episode we’re going to reveal the secret to true happiness! When we think about being happy, it’s natural to think of happiness in terms of a special location, memory or an achievement. People even jokingly refer to “finding their happy place”. Truth be told, happiness is much more than a special location, memory or an achievement. Happiness can be defined as an enduring state of mind consisting not only of feelings of joy, contentment, and other positive emotions, but also of...2023-09-1825 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastOvercoming TemptationSend a text message to the show! In today’s episode we’re going to talk about temptation. What is it and how we can overcome it. Temptation is the testing of man's faithfulness and integrity. It’s something we want that we don’t need or doing something we know we shouldn't.Although it’s much easier to blame the devil, not all temptation comes from him. The truth is, because of sin, many of the temptations we face are because of our own carnal desires. While b...2023-09-1129 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastEstablishing Personal SafeguardsSend a text message to the show! Each of us have strengths and weaknesses. While it is easy to embrace our strengths, we naturally tend to struggle with our weaknesses. It is important that we take note of our weaknesses and do our best to prevent them from being a hinderance in our lives. Naturally, we spend more time reinforcing our strengths and often, to our own disadvantage, ignore our weaknesses. While none of us enjoy admitting we have weaknesses, let alone dealing with them, we must take our weaknesses seriously. Ignored or overlooked weaknesses ca...2023-09-0524 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastResolving Conflict God's WaySend a text message to the show! Although avoiding conflict altogether is impossible, the Bible teaches us we should pursue peace. We should do our best to live in a manner that avoids creating or stirring up conflict. Scripture, overwhelmingly, teaches us to live peaceful with those around us, including our family, our neighbors, our community and according to 1 Timothy 2:1-2, government powers. This results in living a quiet and peaceful life. In this episode, we’ll discus several common conflicts. By doing this, we can learn to avoid and/or r...2023-08-2927 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow Should Christians Respond to Conspiracy Theories?Send a text message to the show! This episode is not an attempt to discredit or demean anyone nor is it an attempt to debunk any specific so called “conspiracy theory”. Outside of scripture, I’m not here to tell you how to think or what you should believe. With so many conspiracy theories spreading throughout our world, my desire is to help equip you, so you can respond in a biblical and balanced manner. In this episode, we’ll define what a conspiracy theory is. We will also cover such topic...2023-08-2125 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastSurviving SetbacksSend a text message to the show! In today's episode we're going to talking about surviving setbacks. A setback is an event that delays progress or may even reverse some of the progress. No matter how carefully we plan, sometimes, things still go wrong. Setbacks can occur in all areas of life. Setbacks at our jobs. Setbacks in our health. Setbacks in physical projects. Setbacks in our emotional heath. Even, setbacks in our spiritual lives. Experiencing these setbacks can be discouraging. In this episode, we’ll look at a few biblical exampl...2023-08-1429 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastSeeing Others Through the Eyes of GodSend a text message to the show! It matters how we see others. We perceive things based on sight or learned behaviors. We filter how we see people through the eyes of our upbringing, beliefs and personal preferences. We can even perceive certain things based on where a person is from. However, if we can learn to see people through the eyes of God, we will no longer see them according to where they were born, the skin tone, their financial standing, or their worldview. We will see them as souls in need of a sa...2023-08-0722 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Reconnect with GodSend a text message to the show! Life is complicated and not always easy. We go through difficult situations. Life is also busy, we have jobs, bills to pay and kids to raise. There’s always something demanding our immediate attention. So much so, if we’re not careful, just as these things can cause our earthly relationships to suffer, they can cause our relationship with God to suffer as well. All relationships require attention. Our relationship with God is no different. None of us are immune to spiritual disconnect. In Proverbs 21:16, Solomon cautioned us about...2023-07-3125 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastModern Day MiraclesSend a text message to the show! Miracles are extraordinary occurrences that can only be attributed to a supernatural work of God. They surpass all known human ability and natural law. They also demonstrate God’s involvement in human lives. God uses miracles to reveal Himself, His character, and His purpose to us through miraculous measures that are otherwise unexplainable. Miracles provide evidence of God’s existence, power and authority. Miracles transcend human understanding and cause people to recognize that God is active in the world.The Old and New Testa...2023-07-2426 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Overcome RegretSend a text message to the show! In today’s episode we’re going to talk about how to manage and overcome regrets. Regret is a feeling of sadness, disappointment or sorrow, which is caused by something that has happened to us, something we have done or something we wish we had done differently. Most often we regret things we feel are too late to change. A recent study asked people in an end of life hospice care facility what their greatest regrets were. Those interviewed admitted they were dying with regrets. However, many p...2023-07-1726 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Foundations of an Overcoming LifeSend a text message to the show! Everywhere you look today there are people whose lives are falling apart. Thousands of families in despair. Relationships crumbling. The whole world seems to be in disarray.The question has to be asked, why are so many lives being ruined? Why is every nation on earth facing such tragic and dire circumstances? Why does it seem like the world is coming apart at the seams?It’s not politics, political leaders or social economics. The reason tragedy is prevalent in o...2023-07-1023 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Scars He Chose to KeepSend a text message to the show! We all have scars, and each of those scars have stories. Our external scars remind of us certain events and feelings. Our internal and emotional scars bring up much different feelings. Although emotional scars are easier to hide, they affect us on a deeper level and can take much longer to heal.God made our human body incredibly resilient. For example, when you get a cut, your body immediately goes to work to heal it. However, when we experience an emotional wound, our body does not naturally go...2023-07-0321 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastSpirit-led Decision MakingSend a text message to the show! We make thousands of decisions everyday. Some decisions are small, or seemingly inconsequential, like what clothes we’ll wear, where to eat, etc. These type of decisions don’t normally have long-lasting or eternal consequences. We also make decisions that are more weighty. For instance, who we’ll marry, a career change, where to attend church or whether to move cross-country. These type of decisions affect the direction of our lives and can have long lasting, emotional, physical and spiritual consequences. This is why spirit led decision...2023-06-2631 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastGod Will Make A WaySend a text message to the show! In today’s episode we’re going to talk about Divine intervention. Divine intervention is when God steps in and changes the outcome of a situation. The King James Bible has 1,189 chapters. However, only four chapters, Genesis chapter 1‐2 and Revelation chapter 21‐22 are exempt from man’s need for God to intervene. Genesis 1-2 is about the perfect man. Revelation 21-22 is about the perfected man. The remaining 1,185 chapters is a record of man's struggle and Gods divine intervention. The Old Testament and New Testament are filled wi...2023-06-1921 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Overcome a Spirit of OppressionSend a text message to the show! The Bible says, in Ephesians 6:12, that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.While demonic activity is real, it’s certainly not something we should fear. God has equipped us for victory with the whole armor of God. One of the devil's more effective tactics is to torment our mind. He tries to overwhelm us psychologically with anxieties, shame, regrets and more. I do not...2023-06-1223 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastLearning How to Hear God's VoiceSend a text message to the show! In todays episode, we will learn how to listen for the voice of the Lord. This simply means all the many ways God deals with each of us. From an audible voice to a gentle tug at our heart, God speaks in innumerable ways. The first time God spoke was recorded in the book of Genesis. He spoke to His heavenly creation. He spoke to His Earthly creation. But it didn’t end there, according to Genesis chapter 2:16, God also spoke to His human creation. T...2023-06-0528 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastFour Lies to Stop Believing About YourselfSend a text message to the show! A lie is an assertion that is false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving or misleading someone.There is a saying, "the worst lie you can tell, is one you tell yourself." While all lying is biblically wrong, the point remains, many people struggle because they believe things that are not true about themselves. In John 8:44, Jesus said the Devil is the father of lies. He lies to us to confuse us into doubting what God has told us. He knows if we repeat his lie...2023-05-2926 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow Far Can Mercy Reach?Send a text message to the show! How far can mercy reach? What is mercy? Mercy is a vital Christian term whose meaning is often misunderstood. In the most simple terms, mercy is God NOT giving us what we deserve.In Isaiah 50:2, God asked Israel, Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? Nine chapters later, Isaiah 59:1, answers the question like this, behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save.The Prophet Isaiah confirmed the reach of God’s...2023-05-2224 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastGetting Over What You've Gone ThroughSend a text message to the show! Life can be difficult. You’ve gone through things that when others faced it, they gave up. But you, by the grace of God and a made up mind, survived. Surviving hard times is an incredible accomplishment. Surviving is a reason to rejoice. When it comes to our healing, we may not understand that it comes in stages. And while you may not be completely over what you’ve been through, you’ve survived. And that's a reason to celebrate. Now that you’ve made it t...2023-05-1520 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Discern God’s Will for Your LifeSend a text message to the show! In todays episode we’re going to talk about the will of God. What is it? Does God have a will for each of us? If so, can we know it?What do we mean when we talk about being in the “will of God”? Simply put, the will of God refers to God’s specific plan for our lives. It’s what we were created for. Our live purpose. The biblical word for this type of “will” means “what God wishes” for our lives. Foll...2023-05-0823 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastMindset MattersSend a text message to the show! It’s easy to get stuck in life and think we’ve gone as far as we can. Many times it’s not our spiritual enemy holding us back, it’s our own thinking.If you think you can’t, you most likely won’t. If you think you’ll never get better, you most likely won’t. If you think you’re going to fail, you most likely will.In 1 Chronicles 4:10, “Jabez called on God, saying, Oh that thou would bless me, and enlarge my coa...2023-05-0124 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Get Your Joy BackSend a text message to the show! We’ve all been there; life is going good, then, out of nowhere, you’re blindsided by an unexpected call. In that moment, life turns from great to tragic. . Instantly all joy seems gone. Loss can come in many forms. We might lose a job, our health, a relationship or even someone we love. Often, it feels like life will never be the same again. Going through loss, can leave you wondering if joy is gone forever. David, in Psalms 51:12, prayed for the Lord to restor...2023-04-2428 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Pray When You Don’t Know What to SaySend a text message to the show! The Bible is filled with many powerful and eloquently spoken prayers. However, that doesn’t mean only eloquent prayers move God. And, thankfully eloquent words are not required when talking to God. The Reverend Charles Spurgeon once said, If the eloquence of our prayers mattered to God, then eloquence would be more valuable than grace — but it is not so. Excellency of speech is not what moves God to work on our behalf. God is moved by the honest and sincere cry of a br...2023-04-1728 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastYou Don’t Have to Stay DownSend a text message to the show! No one likes to fall. It can be painful, embarrassing or worse. And while, in the church realm, we think of “falling” as falling into sin, we are not going to focus solely on this aspect in our podcast today.When the prophet Micah used the word “fall”, he was not just referencing sin. The word “fall” in Micah 7:8 also means “to feel overwhelmed when facing adversity”. In fact, falling can refer to anything that gets us down.With that in mind, it’s safe to say, each of us have...2023-04-1025 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastYou Were Made for MoreSend a text message to the show! Have you ever wondered why you were born? In her Ted Talk, Mel Robbins, referred to a study were scientist calculated the odds of you being born. They took into account wars, natural disasters, the odds of your parents meeting and the timing involved with conception. According to this study, the odds of you being born, at the moment in time you were born, to your parents, with your exact DNA structure is 1 in 400 trillion “chance”. The probability of your existence was all but mathem...2023-04-0324 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWhat to Do While You WaitSend a text message to the show! The Bible says God has given us exceeding great and precious promises. We prefer when God brings those promises to pass quickly. However, many of His promises take time. Waiting feels synonymous with doing nothing. However, biblical waiting is not passive. Biblical waiting is actually an “action word” that means to prepare.I’ve seen people jump ahead of God and try to make things happen for themselves. I’ve also seen people put their entire lives on hold, passively waiting, until something happens. Neither of...2023-03-2723 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastBreaking Free From the Chains of ShameSend a text message to the show! In todays episode we’re going to talk about breaking the chains of shame.It’s important to break free from the chains of shame because shame makes people believe they are worthless. Shame leaves us feeling as though we have no value to God or others. Shame also makes people feel flawed, undeserving and not good enough. Shame causes people to fear not being able to measure up or please the people whose love, respect and approval they desire most. Shame causes people to live in fea...2023-03-2024 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThere is Life After Your StormSend a text message to the show! It seems like everyone you talk to is going through a difficult situation. People everywhere are dealing with real struggles, facing real trials and tragedies. We commonly refer to these times as “storms of life”. Many times these trials catch us off guard and leave us feeling overwhelmed. I’ve been asked, how long will this storm last? When will it get better? Truth is, I don’t know how long your storm will last. But I can give you hope, regardless of your storm, you can survive it! There t...2023-03-1324 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWhat to Do When You Don't Know What to DoSend a text message to the show! Life can be unpredictable. You may think you have it all figured out, then the next minute, you're not sure what you should do.Perhaps you’re sensing new direction, but God hasn’t revealed the next step. Maybe you’ve experienced an unexpected life change, and you don't know how to handle it. Maybe you feel like you’ve been stuck in the same situation for a long time. Maybe you’ve tried everything you could think of, nothing changed and now you’re at a loss as to what t...2023-03-0623 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Find Your PurposeSend a text message to the show! No one was born by mistake. God has placed you in this world for a reason. You are not here by accident. There is a purpose for your existence.The Psalmist David said, when I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? (Psalm 8:3-4a)In this verse, the word "ordained" means prepared, established and set in place.With great care, just like the stars...2023-02-2725 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastFinding a Way ForwardSend a text message to the show! In Exodus 14, the Lord said unto Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.”If only it were as easy as getting the word to move forward and taking that first step and being well on our way. However, moving forward is not always as easy as it sounds. Life can be complicated at times. Life is a work in progress. But progress is a good thing, even if its only one step at a time.In this episode we will...2023-02-2028 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWhat to Do When God Feels DistantSend a text message to the show! The book of Romans chapter 8, reminds us nothing can separate us from the love of God. We know we are more than conquerors through Jesus. So, why does it sometimes feel like God is a million miles away?Even as believers, we often find ourselves measuring God’s closeness by our feelings. When things are going great, we tend to feel like God is close. During difficult times, it feels as though God is far from us. In reality, God is always with us. Job cried out, "O...2023-02-1329 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastA Word for the WearySend a text message to the show! We've all been tired. However, there’s a difference between being physically tired from a hard days work and being mentally, emotionally or spiritually weary. Weariness can be a result of sickness, grief, anxiety, or the constant struggle of trying to handle complex life situations in our own limited abilities. Extended seasons of weariness can result in excessive worry and anxiety. This occurs because our mind is staying in “alert mode". We have a feeling of “brain drain” and feel emotionally and spiritually numb.2023-02-0626 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastPractical Ways to Increase Your FaithSend a text message to the show! Faith is not just a religious term. Faith is our living connection with God.In Luke 17:5, the Disciples made a profound request. They asked Jesus to increase their faith. In a world filled with difficulties, it would have been understandable had they simply requested Jesus sustain their faith. But they didn’t, they prayed for more faith. Jesus taught that faith is like a grain of mustard seed. Some have misunderstood this to mean that our faith has to remain small. However, Jesus fur...2023-01-3026 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Reason for Our HopeSend a text message to the show! Hope can be defined as an earnest desire and expectation. Maintaining hope is extremely important. It plays a huge role in our spiritual and emotional wellbeing. The Apostle Peter told us to always be ready to give an answer to anyone that ask the reason for our hope. While life may be difficult right now, you have a reason to keep hope alive. Our hope is not in this world alone, Jesus is the reason for our hope. 1 Peter 1:3 tells us that we have been begotten again until a...2023-01-2326 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastDoes the Faithfulness of God Have Limits?Send a text message to the show! As humans we make many mistakes. We may have even said, "if you will forgive us, I'll never make that mistake again." And we mean it. We are sincere and serious. Yet often we find ourselves failing again. Struggling over and over with some of the same issues. Thankfully, 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us”. But with so many ups and downs, one may wonder, is there a limit to God’s faithfulness ? Will He eventually give up on us? ...2023-01-1622 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWhat to Do When God Doesn’t InterveneSend a text message to the show! Today’s episode will be emotional for many. It certainly was for me. We’re going to talk about our need to forgive God. Yes, I know how strange that sounds, but hear me out.We all want things to make sense. It makes sense that an all powerful God can do anything. We, for good reason, expect Him to answer when we pray. It doesn’t make sense when a God that can do anything… doesn’t. Because of our limited understanding, it hurts especia...2023-01-0925 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastIs Change Possible?Send a text message to the show! For years mental health professionals and behavioral experts have debated if it’s possible for people to change. Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet, asked "can a leopard change his spots"? Can those that are used to doing evil, change and start doing good? Can people change? What a great question and one most of us have wondered too. I believe the Bible reveals the answer. Ezekiel said," a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I p...2023-01-0226 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastFaith That Moves MountainsSend a text message to the show! Jesus said, in Matthew 21:21, if we have faith, and doubt not we can say unto the mountain, be thou removed… and it shall be done. I believe God still performs miracles. God can, in an instant, change a person's life completely. From sick to healed. From blind to seeing. From lame to walking. From sinful to forgiven. The Bible gives us many examples of people that were immediately changed by the miraculous power of God’s touch. Jesus declared in John 14:12, "the works that I do sha...2022-12-2625 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Greatest Gift Ever GivenSend a text message to the show! The Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon. The Navy Of Tharshish also brought gifts to Solomon every 3 years. The Navy of Hiram also brought gifts to Solomon ever 3 years.The men of the earth brought gifts to Solomon.The wise men brought gifts to the child Jesus. Admittedly, these were all incredible gifts, but none of these were the greatest gift ever given.In John 3:16-17, we read: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his...2022-12-1921 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Importance of Managing InsecuritiesSend a text message to the show! We all have insecurities. Including, God called, anointed and appointed leaders. Wrestling with insecurity doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, it means you’re a normal human being. When it comes to leadership, managing insecurity must be high on our priority list. Many leaders, feeling insecure, overcompensate by lashing out or cutting themselves off from others. As leaders, letting our insecurities control us makes us dangerous leaders. Our insecurities do not harm just us, they can harm those God has entrusted to our care...2022-12-1228 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastYou Are Enough, Strategies for Overcoming InsecuritiesSend a text message to the show! From time to time, in one form or another, we each deal with insecurity.Perhaps you’re insecure about your appearance, your abilities or your past. Whatever it may be, no one is exempt from dealing with insecurity. Insecurities can lead to depression, anxiety and negative beliefs about ourselves. If we let our insecurities control our lives, they will affect our relationships, life goals, as well as our mental and spiritual wellbeing. If we neglect to proactively manage our in...2022-12-0527 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWhat to Do In Moments of DoubtSend a text message to the show! No matter who we are or how long we've been living for God, there will be times that test our faith. Admitting that we have times of doubt makes us feel uncomfortable.Our faith is the most central part of our relationship with God and times of doubt can be discouraging. We may even worry about our relationship with God. I’ve heard it said many times, faith and doubt can not dwell in a person at the same time. This concerned me, because I know I beli...2022-11-2825 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Stop Letting Fear Hold You BackSend a text message to the show! We all have met someone who claims to not be afraid of anything. And while this may sound like a mighty brag, the truth is, these people would prefer not to be afraid, yet even they have some fears. We are all afraid of something. While researching for this episode, I came across an article that boldly declared, a “true christian believer” will never fear.I, however, believe that this simply cannot be true. As long as we live in this flesh, we will deal with certai...2022-11-2127 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastPromises You Can Hold On ToSend a text message to the show! Life can leave you feeling wrecked and as though you are about to sink. During these times we all need something we can hold on to. Hebrews 10:23 says "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise."In the face of pain and disappointment, the writer of Hebrews reminds us, that we can hold on to the Promises of God. The Bible has 7,487 promises between God and man. But what exactly are biblical prom...2022-11-1431 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Experience Inner PeaceSend a text message to the show! All of us are searching for peace, but in times like these, is peace even possible? Jesus confirmed to His disciples that they would face tribulations in life. Paul warned us in 2 Timothy 3:1 that perilous times would come. There would be times filled with difficulties. Despite these warnings, Jesus, in John 14:27, also declared that He would give us His peace. These statements seem to contradict each other. On one hand, He says there will be difficult days, while also declaring there would be peace. The...2022-11-0724 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastIs God Really With Us?Send a text message to the show! When we face difficult or complicated situations, it’s common for us to wonder if anyone really understands how we feel. Many times these situations leave us feeling all alone. It's possible to feel alone even in a crowd or among friends and family. However, we must remember that we are never alone. Matthew 1:23 states: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.God...2022-10-3126 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Most Important Day of Your LifeSend a text message to the show! Life is full of incredible days. If someone asked me to name the most important day of my life, It would be impossible for me to pick just one. The day I received the Holy Ghost. The day I preached my first sermon. The day I saw my future wife for the first time. WOW. The day we got married. The day our children were born. For me, all of those are incredible days.But here’s what I believe: The most important day of our l...2022-10-2423 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastDefeating DiscouragementSend a text message to the show! Most of us would love to think we’re immune to discouragement, but the truth is we’re not.Discouragement is universal; none of us are exempt. Discouragement doesn’t discriminate. Discouragement doesn’t care if you’re young or old, rich or poor, or what country you were born in. It is no respecter of persons. Each of us has experienced times of discouragement. Discouragement, if left unchecked, can become like a prison. Discouragement, if left unchecked can make you feel hopeless. In extreme case...2022-10-1731 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Break Free From a Negative Self-ImageSend a text message to the show! In this episode we’re going talk about self-image. What it is, how it affects every area of our life and how to overcome it.Self-image is the personal view, or mental picture, that we have of ourselves. It’s an “internal dictionary” that describes the characteristics we feel about ourself, including both positive and negative feelings.This “internal dictionary” begins developing when we are very young. Each positive and negative life event adds to our “mental” dictionary. These entires become “thought patterns” that govern our lives. 2022-10-1025 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastDoes God Give Second Chances?Send a text message to the show! There are many things that amaze me about God. From His power to create, to His ability to heal. One attribute of God that amazes me most is His willingness to forgive. Each of us, at one time or another, has sinned. We all are in need of a Savior that is able and willing to forgive. Thankfully, the God of second chances is available to step in, forgive and continue to guide us into great things.Throughout scripture we see examples of God’s love evid...2022-10-0329 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastNecessary EndingsSend a text message to the show! It is human nature to prefer things that are comfortable, familiar, or safe. We feel more like ourselves in familiar surroundings. Our personal comfort zones are as unique as we are. However, not all comfort zones are actually comfortable.Comfort zones can also be explained as familiar feelings. These feelings are from a long term association or feelings we have grown accustomed to and tend to repeat.For instance, some may even become so accustomed to pain or grief. It may seem unimaginable, but it can fee...2022-09-2627 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWhat To Do When God Is SilentSend a text message to the show! Have you ever prayed and God was silent? Me too! Be encouraged, I have some comforting news! We are not alone! Everyone has been through seasons of silence or will eventually. The great Psalmist David, known for his worship, experienced seasons of silence. He records some of his frustration in the following psalms:Psalms 22:1-2 (ESV)1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?2 O my God, I cry by...2022-09-1932 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastFive Dangerous Prayers Guaranteed to Change Your LifeSend a text message to the show! Today’s episode is very special to me. The thought is not original to me. The Five “Dangerous” Prayers, was preached by my mentor in ministry, the late Rev. Kenneth Humbers, over 25 years ago. Thankfully, he passed these notes down to me. Today’s episode is filled with exact quotes from his notes mixed with my own. I dedicate this episode of the podcast to his memory. He believed in me, he corrected me, he directed me, he preached me, he loved me and most of all, he prayed...2022-09-1226 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastHow to Heal When You've Been Hurt at ChurchSend a text message to the show! Most of us grew up with heroes. I certainly did. As I grew older and felt called to ministry, preachers became my heroes. What happens when one of your heroes fall? What about when one of those heroes hurt you? I experienced this as a young preacher. I was devastated. A recent survey said 73% of people polled said they no longer attend church because they were hurt by a lay leader or pastor. Astonishingly, it wasn’t that stopped believing in Jesus. They didn’t stop believing...2022-09-0534 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWhat To Do BEFORE Giving UpSend a text message to the show! The story of Nehemiah and Israel rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days is something we rejoice about. What a miracle! But did you know, when the wall was only half built, they felt overwhelmed and wanted to give up? I had never noticed it either! When life gets difficult, situations become complicated and things seem to be spiraling out of control, it’s normal for us to feel like giving up. Many times our frustrations make us want to quit trying. It's hard to admit it, but it’s...2022-08-2929 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastWhat Happens If I'm Honest With God?Send a text message to the show! It is human nature to want to be accepted by others. We try to only show our best sides. We fear rejection and try to hide or cover up our flaws.We often approach God the very same way. We want Him to only see our best qualities. We want Him to only see our strengths. We try to hide our faults from Him. We struggle with revealing our inner most fears and worries because we’re afraid that if God sees the “real us”, He may rejec...2022-08-2229 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastFreedom Through ForgivingSend a text message to the show! Forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.Forgiveness is a difficult topic and, it can be difficult to give. There are those of us who have been through devastating situations. And, we’ve struggled with the thought of needing to give forgiveness, let alone, actually forgiving. We all have a ton of questions and maybe a few misconceptions about forgiveness. What is it? Why...2022-08-1533 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Story That Must Be ToldSend a text message to the show! Everyone has a story. We've all led lives that have happy times and sad times. One way to influence, teach and inspire others is by sharing our story. It's amazing how these glimpses into our lives have a way of creating commonality, while building trust and establishing relationships. In today's episode we're going to talk about a powerful story. This story is unique and one of a kind. It is a story that MUST be told. Are you wondering what story I'm referring to? It's your story! You have...2022-08-0829 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastA Survival Guide For Life’s Darkest DaysSend a text message to the show! To a varying degree, almost all of us have a fear of the dark. All of our senses are intensified in the dark. Every noise sets our nerves on edge. The sounds we hear are magnified. Our ears hear sounds that we’ve “never” noticed during the daylight hours. Our heart rate increases as our brains try to determine if these sounds mean danger. For many people, fear of the dark is not actual fear of darkness, but rather fear of possible dangers that are concealed by it. Da...2022-08-0131 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastGod's Most Prized PossessionSend a text message to the show! Do you have a prized possession? Something that means a lot to you? Maybe it’s a gift from a loved one. Maybe it’s an heirloom passed down from a loved one when they passed. Out of all the things you own, it means more to you than anything else. In many cases our prized possessions may not hold much monetary value. But to us, their value cannot be measured. We hold an emotional connection to it because of the deep affection we have from the person that ga...2022-07-2531 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastOvercoming a Crisis IdentitySend a text message to the show! I know what some of you are thinking. Crisis Identity? Doesn’t he mean Identity Crisis? Nope! I said it just the way I meant it, crisis identity. What is a crisis Identity? A crisis identity can be defined as someone who has allowed their emotions, conversations and lives to be consumed by and revolve around a crisis. Associating a current or past struggle with our identity creates a crisis identity. The struggle ends up running our lives. It consumes our thoughts. Our conversations revolve around it...2022-07-1832 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastTransforming a Painful Past Into a Powerful PurposeSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #10 of the Building Great Lives podcast! There is a school of thought that infers we are socially conditioned creatures whose futures have been determined by our pasts and believe an individual's past controls his or her destiny.However, I do not believe that an individual’s future has to be controlled by their painful past. No doubt, all of us have experienced painful situations. Those moments become time stamps in our life story. At times, if we are not careful, those painf...2022-07-1137 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastI know God Loves Me, So Why Am I still Hurting?Send a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #9 of the Building Great Lives podcast! As a child of God, I am very familiar with His love and mercy. However, there are times that even though I know God loves me, I still find myself hurting. I still find myself going through frustrating circumstances and yes, at times even wondering, WHY God would allow this?Over the years, I’ve discovered, I am not the only one who has felt this way. Thankfully, there are stories in the Bible that share times when o...2022-07-0433 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastYou Prayed, Nothing Happened. Now What?Send a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #8 of the Building Great Lives podcast! Have you every prayed, expecting God to answer, yet it seemed like nothing happened? It felt as though your prayer hit the ceiling and came falling back to your feet. Yeah, I’ve been there too! We know God hears our prayers. We also know God has the power to answer. We even know the Bible tells us to ask and we shall receive. So, why, at times, does it seem like He doesn’t answer? Trying...2022-06-2731 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastThe Most Powerful Words Ever SpokenSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #7 of the Building Great Lives podcast! What if I told you I know the most powerful words ever spoken? Would you believe me?Admittedly, that’s a pretty bold claim considering most people can come up with quotes from respected figures that have inspired them in many positive ways. Quotes like, "Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." -Winston S. ChurchillThat’s a great quote, however, it’s not even close to the most po...2022-06-2032 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastYour Life Isn’t Falling Apart, It’s Falling Into PlaceSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #6 of the Building Great Lives podcast! Have you ever felt like your life was falling apart? Have you felt at times that situations or circumstances were just crashing into you? I know I’ve felt that way. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when it seems so many things are going wrong. We feel frustrated, confused, angry and at times discouraged. But, what if I told you, your life isn't actually falling apart? What if I told you things are actually falling into place...2022-06-1334 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastDon't Let a Moment Become a LifetimeSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #5 of the Building Great Lives podcast! You don’t have to let a moment of heartache define the rest of your life. You have the power to choose what you allow yourself to be identified with. You can choose the pain of a past hurt or the you that God has called you to become.We’ve all experienced painful moments. These moments shape the way feel about ourselves, the way we think, the way we trust, even the way we love. Even though w...2022-06-0634 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastYou Are Not Broken Beyond RepairSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #4 of the Building Great Lives podcast! Have you ever felt broken, even broken beyond repair? I know I have! David felt that way too. David wrote something amazing in Psalms 31. In verse 12, David reveals something very important when he compares himself to a broken vessel. Why is it so important that David describes his feelings like a broken vessel? We all know what it feels like to be broken, and we can visualize what a broken vessel looks like. A broken vessel has lost...2022-05-3036 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastSeeing Yourself Through the Eyes of GodSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #3 of the Building Great Lives podcast!Our hurts and failures often leave us with an unhealthy view of ourselves, a view the enemy uses to condemn us. In this episode you’ll begin to see yourself through the eyes of God’s love and not through the lens of your pain. I felt the anointing of Holy Ghost very strong while recording this episode. I pray it changes you like it changed me. Remember, great lives are not born, they’re built. Let’...2022-05-2334 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastDiscovering Your Purpose During Difficult DaysSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #2 of the Building Great Lives podcast! The pain won’t last forever… your purpose will. Finding Purpose Through Pain. Many times the very difficult we wish was over, is actually the vehicle God uses to reveal our life purpose. The enemy wants you to give up. God wants you to lift your head up. It’s time to discover your purpose. Remember, great lives are not born, they’re built. Let’s start building! Feel led to par...2022-05-1631 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastQuestions For GodSend a text message to the show! Welcome to episode #1 of the Building Great Lives podcast! I grew up hearing it was wrong to question God. Having questions for God meant you didn't trust Him. However, I must be honest with you, there have been many times I’ve had to navigated circumstances that left me asking God why. Because I didn’t think I could ask God questions, when I did, I would question my faith. Admittedly, I felt condemned for having questions. Condemned is how I felt, but how did God feel abo...2022-05-0937 minBuilding Great Lives PodcastTrailer: Welcome to The Building Great Lives PodcastSend a text message to the show! Greetings everyone, my name is Trent Gilliam. I’m exited to introduce you to the Building Great Lives podcast. A podcast about real life, facing real issues and finding real answers. Have you ever had difficult questions? Are you ready to find answers?Have you ever been hurt?Are you ready to be healed? Have you ever felt like you were just wondering through life?Are you ready to find direction, peruse your p...2022-05-0202 min