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“There was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord” (1 Kings 17:15-16 NIV). Each day Elijah, the widow, and her son gathered around a table and had a miracle for a meal. Heaven’s delivery system continued as long as the trio needed it.

Jesus spoke of God’s faithful generosity. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you…?” (Matthew 6:30 ESV). You aren’t one scoop away from empty. It’s not just you and your depleted energy. It’s not just you and your concerns. You don’t face the assignment alone. If it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.

Read more Unbreakable Courage

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

A friend of ours is an avid hunter. In fact, so much that he's been known to skip church occasionally during duck hunting season. He's well known in the church, so the pastor notices when he's not there. With a twinkle in his eye, our friend explained recently how he's prepared to handle pastoral questions like, "Where were you on Sunday?" He said he's actually named his duck blinds where he hides to hunt those birds. One he has named "The Word." The other is named "Prayer." So when the pastor asks where he was on Sunday, he simply answers, "I was in 'The Word,'" or, "I was in 'Prayer.'" That's messed up!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Knowing the Words, Knowing the Lord."

Obviously, this is a hunter who understands the value of camouflage, as in the value of hiding behind some wonderful spiritual words. While his words are meant to be more whimsical than deceptive, they illustrate a deeper and more dangerous issue that is rampant among us church folks. We know how to use all the right Christian words and have just the right Christian look. We put it on every time we walk in the church door, but often it's camouflage that's covering up some issues in our life that aren't Christian at all.

Jesus put it this way in Mark 7:6, our word for today from the Word of God: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." You can say all the good, God-honoring things and still underneath have a heart that is far from Him. A life that has, beneath all that spiritual camouflage, some attitudes or actions that have no place in a child of God, someone who's been rescued at the price of the blood of God's Son.

We forget that God doesn't look at the "outward appearance" but "at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). In other words, the only One who really matters is not fooled by our Christian words. Your whole relationship with Him, His blessing on your life, is all about the condition of your heart.

Could it be that you've been hiding some serious un-repented sin under the camouflage of those beautiful spiritual words? You can be talking about prayer and Bible study in the morning and swimming in the cesspool of Internet pornography at night. Your Christian words can mask all kinds of hidden bitterness, lust and deception, or a compartmentalized life that's all about Jesus in the God-compartment, but all about you at work, at school, or at home.

You can even try to put Christian words on things that are anything but Christian. You can call it conviction, God calls it stubbornness; you call it compassion, God calls it compromise; you call it love, God calls it immorality or adultery. Isn't it time you looked in the mirror and maybe saw the hypocrite behind the beautiful words? There's freedom, there's forgiveness and there's integrity waiting for you at the cross of Jesus Christ, where you need to bring all the sin that's been hiding behind all that spirituality.

One of the greatest dangers of being in a Christian environment is that you can know the words and never know the Lord. You can have a religion that's all about Jesus and never have Jesus. Jesus said there will be people like that on Judgment Day to whom He will say, "I never knew you."

Could it be you've got Christianity but you don't have Christ? You've mistaken agreeing with Jesus for being committed to Jesus, and that mistake will cost you heaven. But today Jesus brought us together so you can experience what it is to know Him for real. Make this the day you say, "Lord, all this time I've missed You. But I want You in my heart, not just in my head. I'm Yours."

Listen, our website is set up as a place where you can go and actually make sure you belong to Him. Would you go there? It's ANewStory.com.

It isn't the rhetoric

Operation Rescue has investigated 24 separate abortion emergencies at facilities in Colorado since January of 2025. According to their reporting, a staggering thirteen of these emergencies all took place at the same Planned Parenthood in Fort Collins.  

Some women were rushed to the emergency room via ambulance and were able to be treated for their injuries. Other women, like 18-year-old Lexi Arguello, died as a result of the abortion complications.  

These deaths and injuries to mothers come in addition to the murder of many more innocent children in the womb. Despite the death and destruction, the state of Colorado maintains their radical pro-abortion laws and refuses to investigate the situation. 

What if your deepest pain became your greatest testimony? In Part 2, Barry Meguiar and Shari Turpin reveal the powerful gospel hidden inside every pearl, share unforgettable stories of lives transformed through simple conversations, and explain why God doesn't need perfect people—just willing hearts. Discover how following His gentle nudges can lead others to Jesus every single day.
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: Meeting Sherry Turpin from Pearls by Sherry
01:43 Your Platform Is Not Your Calling: The Mission Behind the Business
04:18 When God Created the Oyster: The Pearl Story That Changes Lives
08:12 Kleenex in Every Room: Witnessing Through Pain and Redemption
10:39 If You Knew the Gift of God: Discovering Jesus Through John 4
13:07 Pain as Preparation: How God Proves Himself Through Trials
14:54 The Airplane Evangelist: Starting Conversations with Strangers
18:10 Tell Me About the Time You Were Born Again: The Question That Reveals Everything
22:59 Follow the Nudge and Live in the Favor of God
28:27 Thirty Years and a Prayer: Never Be Ashamed of the Gospel

Anne shares about women in ministry, service, Bible study and listening to God from John 4:10.