Ambassador Programs

David Ring describes how Jesus has made a difference in his life.

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Certain birthdays are like, you know, special milestones. Every birthday is a milestone, but take 40 for example. For some reason, we sort of enshrine that particular one as a special marking place in your life. And I remember when my wife had her 40th birthday. I'm not going to tell you when that was, but she handled it very well. I mean, she was so cool about it; it was no big deal. I hope when I get to my 40th I'll be able to handle it as well. Well, it wasn't like she had just crossed some great river in her life. Then my 12-year-old son came along a few months later. He said this, "Hey Mom, do you know you've been on earth for 14,662 days?" You put it that way, it takes on a whole different feel. Forty years doesn't sound too bad, but 14,000 plus days? Hello, prehistoric! After he said that I got to thinking about the days that we had with our three children, and you begin to realize how many are gone, and how many are left, and how quickly they slipped away. And you think about kids. They don't think about next year, next month, or next week. It's all about the day isn't it? You know, we need to take a better look at the days we still have; the days that you have.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Capturing Days."

Our word for today from the Word of God is found in Ephesians 5. I'm going to begin reading in verse 15. "Be very careful how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." This verse that's in the middle, verse 16, talks about making the most of every opportunity. It's sort of in a sandwich between two verses that have some very intriguing phrases, "Don't live unwisely." Live smart in other words. Don't be foolish.

And then it talks about your destiny here on earth - God's will. And it all seems to be wrapped around this phrase, "Making the most of every opportunity." You want to live smart? You want to get God's will? Seize every opportunity. Now, it's no coincidence that the verses that follow this are about family relationships. In fact, in chapter 6, verse 4, only a few verses later, it says this to fathers: "Bring up your children in the training and instruction of the Lord." I think the way you do that is to capture each 24-hour period as another moment to mold the lives of your children and your grandchildren. There's so little time to strengthen them for a world that is so lost.

We need to ask ourselves, "Lord, have we touched You together today as a family...me and my kids? Have we talked about where we saw the Lord today in our lives...our God sightings? Have we celebrated how something in the Bible helped us today, or have we prayed about something real and personal together today. Have we explored the Bible together today? Have we gone out to some people in need and done the work of Jesus together? Have we touched each other today? Have we expressed our love for each other today? Have we gotten in touch with what made each other happy today? Have we talked about things that were hurting the other members of our family?

See, the greatest classroom our kids will ever experience is the classroom of everyday life - that natural teaching that comes up in the flow of the day. See, by the time you finally have time to do this with the kids, they probably won't.

I know one of the greatest burdens of my life is the days we lost. One of the greatest challenges of my life: how do you make the most of the days ahead? It means reordering some priorities; it means leaving time in what tends to be a wall-to-wall schedule, and asking God each morning for the opportunities, the determination, the timing to mark your children for Christ that day.

Hey, the days are flying by. Grab each one; capture it for Christ. You can't

‘Hangtime’ centers on professional football punter Michael Turk’s chaotic adventures and plain fun experiments.

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Not all guilt is bad. God uses appropriate doses of guilt to awaken us to sin. God’s guilt brings enough regret to change us. Satan’s guilt, on the other hand, brings enough regret to enslave us. Don’t let Satan lock his shackles on you. Colossians 3:3 (NIV) says, “Your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

You see, when God looks at you, he sees Jesus first. In the Chinese language the word for “righteousness” is a combination of two characters: the figure of a lamb and a person. The lamb is on top, covering the person. Whenever God looks down on you, this is what he sees. The perfect Lamb of God covering you.

It boils down to this choice: Do you trust your Advocate, Jesus, or your Accuser, Satan? Give no heed to Satan’s voice. You have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous.

Read more Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

This is what happens when human life is considered disposable. In Texas, 21-year-old Cody Arnold impregnated 16-year-old Katelynn Stone, then conspired with his 25-year-old girlfriend Chelsea Shipp to murder the pregnant teen and hide what he had done and avoid the sex offender registry.  

While Katelynn slept, Shipp shot her in the head killing her, and her unborn baby. Arnold helped cover the body with a trash bag. Both were convicted. Shipp received 40 years, Arnold 34 years. Shipp reportedly bragged saying, ‘I got rid of her’ to keep him out of trouble. 

This horrific double murder follows the same logic as many abortions. Once society discards the sanctity of life and allows the innocent to be killed as cover up, these sort of killings outside of the womb are inevitable.  

Franko Besinaiz and Antonio Gutierrez share how a simple act of kindness at a fireworks booth led to a life-changing friendship and decision for Christ. Discover how genuine love builds trust, opens hearts, and creates divine appointments to share the hope of Jesus.

Host Barry Meguiar is a car guy and businessman who hosted the popular TV show, Car Crazy, on Discovery Networks for 18 years. He loves cars, but he loves Jesus even more! Learn more about Barry at IgniteAmerica.com
 
Get your copy of Barry’s book Ignite Your Life: Defeat Fear with Effortless Faith at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other online booksellers.
 
Learn more about:
 
-        Why obedience matters when sharing the Gospel
-        How we can work God into any conversation
-        Why 80% of Americans are looking for God
-        When we can use humor to share God’s message
-        How the Holy Spirit gives us a voice

Check out Why Share? on IgniteAmerica.com to learn why it is important for every believer to share their faith. Then visit First Steps which provides practical ways to get started in your faith-sharing journey. Sign up to receive emails that will bring you solid faith-sharing tips and powerful inspiration.

(00:00) A Divine Appointment at the Gas Station\
(01:18) Building Trust Through Kindness and Presence
(02:06) Why Love Opens the Door to Faith
(03:16) Tony Begins Sharing His Faith with Others
(03:45) Encouraging a Homeless Man with Hope
(05:05) Living Out Faith in Everyday Moments
(05:43) Closing Encouragement to Share Christ’s Love

Anne shares about victory and temptation from Ephesians 6:10-11.