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The first ‘Halo’ classic returns with a new look and some brand-new missions. But it’s still M-rated, Dad.

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Michelle Nietert shares about the joy of seeing her daughter walk with God.

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Worshippers of Baal believed they could earn the favor of their god through violence or promiscuous sex. For that reason the priests cut themselves, had prostitutes in the temple, and offered babies in the fire. What would such paganism do to a culture? We don’t have to look far to know. What two themes dominate our society? Violence and sex. On average, American youth will witness more than two hundred thousand violent acts on television before the age of eighteen. Thirty-five percent of internet downloads are for pornography.

If you want to be faithful in a faithless world, dare to defy the devil. Yes, he is powerful. But you are a child of the living God! The One who empowered Elijah will empower you.

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For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

He might be America’s most famous bear – Smokey! Maybe you can picture Smokey Bear right there in his blue jeans and his Park Ranger hat. They used to have commercials like that all the time. He’s probably holding a shovel or he’s looking straight at you very soberly. And he’s saying, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Actually Smokey has been a pretty effective spokesman, especially if we can think of his big line as soon as we think of him. Oh we’ll never know how many fires he’s prevented, but he’s drilled one very important idea into our heads. Take care of your fire; it could do terrible damage.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Fighting Fire When It's Small.”

Have you ever noticed the words we use to describe anger? “I’m really hot about this!” “Boy, he’s really steamed!” “She just blew her top!” “I was really burned up!” There’s this strong smell of smoke here isn’t there? And fire - the Bible has a lot to say about the fire of anger and how to control it. Our word for today from the Word of God, James 1:19 for example: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. For man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

Well, that’s interesting that it doesn’t bring about anything good, right? A rough translation or paraphrase might be, “You don’t do anything right when you’re angry.” In fact, isn’t it when you’re angry that you tend to make your biggest mistakes? Oftentimes you’ll also leave the deepest scars. You create some of the biggest regrets, and it’s when we’re angry that we most often hurt the people we love the most.

That’s why the Bible says in Colossians 3:8, “You must rid yourselves of all such things as anger and rage.” This isn’t just passively saying, “Well, I can’t help it. I lose my temper.” It’s saying, “Attack this thing! Get rid of it. Take it out like the garbage.” James 1 gives us some hints as to how. We could call these fire fighters for that anger fire inside of you.

First of all, it recommends a big ear. That’s the first fire fighter. It says, “Be quick to listen, and then you’ll be slow to become angry.” If you discipline yourself to listen before you speak, to ask two or three questions before you react you’ll be a lot more likely to tame your anger. Bite your tongue until you’ve heard the whole thing. A lot of “blow ups” come from misunderstanding; that’s where we get most of our exercise - jumping to conclusions. Have a big ear. If you’re quick to listen you’ll be slower to become angry.

I think the second fire fighter is the "cool down time out." That’s what I call it. It says, “Be slow to speak.” Take a step away before you respond; leave the room if you have to. Step away from the person. Step away from the situation. Take the cool down time out, and come back in and act instead of reacting.

And thirdly, here’s another fire fighter. I call it the “sundown clock.” The Bible talks about it in Ephesians 4:26. “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” See, anger never stays the same size. It always grows bigger. It will never be smaller than it is right now. So, get rid of it before you go to bed tonight. Deal with it. Get it out. Don’t stuff it inside. When you don’t act that way, well, Ephesians 4:27 kicks in, “Do not give the Devil a foothold.” Unresolved anger, when you go to bed at night, leaves Satan a wide open spot in your heart.

You and I have caused enough emotional forest fires in our lives haven’t we? And too many people have gotten burned. It’s time we draw actively on the love and the power of Jesus Christ to declare war on that fire inside; to keep that fire small, to extinguish it quickly before we allow it to do any more damage.

What if the Rapture happened today? In this powerful episode, Barry delivers an urgent message about the reality of the Rapture, the seriousness of Eternity, and why simply knowing about Jesus isn’t enough. With Scripture as his foundation, Barry challenges listeners to examine their faith, make the most important decision of their lives, and start sharing Jesus before it’s too late.
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 Welcome to Ignite: The Rapture is Closer Than You Think
00:50 Car Guys and Christianity: The Disconnect
02:33 The Problem of Affirmation: When Silence Becomes Agreement
03:37 Bearing Fruit: What Christians Are Actually Called to Do
05:47 The Church Is Broken: Honoring Money Over Holiness
06:15 What Is the Rapture? Understanding God's Rescue Plan
09:11 You Can't Earn Your Way to Heaven
10:00 The Magnitude of God: He Knew Your Name Before the Cross
12:06 Hell Is Real: Why God Warns Us
12:42 The Thief on the Cross: It's Never Too Late Until It Is
13:23 Boot Camp for Eternity: Making the Team
14:32 Living for God's Purpose: When Everything Works for Good
16:07 Time Has Run Out: Why You Can't Wait Anymore
17:39 2 Timothy 3: A Perfect Description of Our World Today
21:15 The 84-Year-Old Friend: Don't Play with Fire
22:12 Being a Good Presbyterian Won't Save You
23:04 1 Corinthians 15: In the Twinkling of an Eye
25:51 1 Thessalonians 4:17: The Rapture Revealed
27:24 Comfort Each Other with These Words
29:33 The Prayer of Salvation: Make Your Decision Now
30:23 Romans 10:9 and Your Eternal Security

Anne shares about eternity and Heaven from John 17:3.