Ambassador Programs

Here are some important questions, and, really, they’re some of the most important questions anyone could ask: What is faith? How can you be sure your faith is genuine, and that it is saving faith? John MacArthur helps you make sure you’re putting your faith where you should in his series called A Faith That Pleases God.

Visit www.joniradio.org for more inspiration and encouragement!

--------

Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org.

Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Dee Dee Said shares a story about a time her boyfriend in high school physically hurt her in front of his friends.

Listen to today's broadcast

Get "It Doesn't Start with a Punch" free with your gift

Explore more episode resources 

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Minute, please give us your feedback.

Abuse and manipulation in teen relationships are devastating and sadly often happen without parents ever knowing. Identifying the warning signs and how to support a teen or young adult who is going through abuse is crucial. Dee Dee describes a manipulative, physically and emotionally abusive teen relationship she suffered and offers poignant insight into understanding how a teen or young adult might be feeling amidst abuse, and the thought processes that led someone into that kind of situation.

Get "It Doesn't Start with a Punch" free with your gift.

Praying for Your Teen's Heart and Future -- Lift your child up to God and raise them in Christ with this FREE video series. Jodie Berndt will give you tips on finding peace in God as a parent, rooting your teen's identity in Christ, showing love despite challenges and more.

Get More Episode Resources 

Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Matchbox the Movie leans into the over-the-top fun of Mattel Matchbox cars for its stunt-filled action. Will this spy movie live up to your childhood plastic-track memories? Plugged In has the review slotted and ready to roll.

Read the full review

PluggedIn Facebook Page 

If you've enjoyed listening to Plugged In Reviews, please give us your feedback.

Believe in the Jesus who believes in you. He believes that you can rise up, take up, and move on. You’re stronger than you think. “’I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

He certainly gave a bright future to the Bethesda beggar. “And immediately the man was made well” (John 5:9 NKJV). Jesus did nothing but speak, and the miracle was accomplished.

What will God do for you? I cannot say. God’s help, while ever present, is ever specific. It is not ours to say what God will do. Our job is to believe he will do something. It simply falls to us to stand up, to take up, and walk. Remember friends, you are never alone.

Read more You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence & Power

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

This grandparent thing can be an expensive proposition. I mean, without grandchildren, you can walk past hundreds of cute toys and never miss a step. But when you have a grandchild, you keep seeing your grandchild's name on those toys. Which means you must buy the toy with their name on it. Right? Well, not all of them, but probably too many of them. We happened to be in a store with our little granddaughter when she was about one year old, and I happened to see this great stick horse that I thought would be entertaining for another grandchild. That would be our nearly three-year-old grandson at the time. When you squeeze the ear of the head of this horse, the William Tell Overture (otherwise known to us non-intellectuals as the "Lone Ranger Theme”) starts playing, and the horse starts whinnying and snorting, and its nose starts twitching back and forth inside its halter. Well, I walked up to the grocery cart that our one-year-old granddaughter was riding in, and I turned it on for her to see. Her reaction was interesting. She reached in the direction of that twitching steed, wanting me to bring it closer. So I did. But as I brought it near her, she pulled as far back as she could, laying her head against her mother's shoulder. So much for my field test.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Seeking But Not Finding."

Our little granddaughter wanted to check out what I had, but she didn't want it to get too close. Curious, but keeping her distance. Just like a lot of us spiritual seekers do with Jesus.

Oh, you may consider yourself a spiritual seeker - which, by the way, is a wise thing to be. You've seen that our soul can never be satisfied by just earth-stuff. You know it must be something spiritual that will give life real meaning, right, and give your heart real peace. There are many possibilities to sample on the spiritual buffet we have today, but one possibility that's hard to overlook is Jesus Christ. He's so compelling, so dominating, virtually every world religion has an honored place for Him.

You're willing to check out Jesus. You may have even been around Jesus much of your life. Maybe you know a lot about Jesus. You like Jesus. You agree with Jesus. But maybe like our granddaughter with that toy, you've basically said to Him, "You can get this close, but no closer." Oh, you like having Him around, but when it comes to responding to His claims on your life, that's where you draw the line.

Jesus met a man like that. The man demonstrated a strong interest in Jesus and a lot of insight into His teachings. Jesus described him this way in Mark 12:34, our word for today from the Word of God: "You are not far from the kingdom of God." I wonder if Jesus might be saying that to you: "You're so close to belonging to Me. You're not far, but you're not in." See, close doesn't count when it comes to knowing Jesus. Close doesn't count on the day you die. You can be close to heaven, but not in. And that's still hell.

You've let Jesus be near you, but maybe you've never invited Him into your heart. You've never told Him that you're pinning all your hopes on Him and His death on the cross for your sins and His resurrection from the dead. It would be the ultimate tragedy of your life if you got so close to Jesus and missed Him.

This time, don't pull back. This time, reach out for Him until He's yours. He is, in fact, reaching for you right now and He’s planting in you the desire to belong to Him. Why not give yourself to Him while the opportunity is there? You’ll never experience what Jesus can do in a life until He's in your life. If you're ready to step across the line into Jesus' arms, tell Him that right where you are.

I think maybe a visit to our website might help you to just kind of be sure you have nailed this down and that He is yours for real today.