How does a person actually act with knowledge — and where does that knowledge come from? In this episode, we slow down on Proverbs 13:16 and trace the answer back to its root — the fear of the Lord — and forward into the places where wisdom shows up first: your words and your emotions.

Featuring Proverbs 13:16 alongside Proverbs 1:7, we explore the root-and-fruit connection between reverence and wisdom — and why the clearest evidence that someone is acting with knowledge is often what comes out of their mouth, and what doesn’t.

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What happens when you can’t shake that unsettled feeling — and you don’t know if it’s God or just anxiety? In this episode, we look at what John reveals about how the Lord uses our heart as a steering mechanism to guide our decisions. It’s not about condemnation — it’s about direction.

Featuring 1 John 3:19–21, we explore why “peace means go, no peace means wait” — and how the Lord uses conviction to slow us down when He sees something we can’t. We also tackle the difference between fear and a lack of peace, and why closeness to God is the key to discerning what your heart is really saying.

Follow Before the Lord on Facebook (@BeforeTheLord) and Instagram (@beforethelorddevo). Get devotionals delivered to your inbox at blakescrawford.com/sign-up, or listen anytime at blakescrawford.com/listen.

What happens when your relationships are built on control instead of love? In this episode, we explore how the instinct to manage relationships — through distance, over-functioning, or conflict avoidance — keeps us from truly living them. The bridge from managing to living is trust in the Lord.

Featuring John 13:34–35, we look at how Jesus modeled sacrificial love on His last night with His disciples — knowing they would scatter — and what that means for how we love the people in our lives today.

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What does it mean to let the peace of Christ “rule” in your heart? In this episode, we dig into the original Greek meaning of that word — and discover that Paul is describing an umpire, not a feeling. We explore what the peace of Christ actually is, how it’s meant to govern our thoughts, decisions, and relationships, and why gratitude is the key to keeping the umpire honest.

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Do you struggle with shame? In this episode, we explore the difference between guilt and shame, and why shame is a liar for those in Christ. Using Paul’s thorn in 2 Corinthians 12, we look at how God doesn’t always remove our struggles — but He transforms them. The key to moving forward from shame isn’t substitution. It’s transformation.

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What do you do when you’re called to make peace, but the other person isn’t peaceable? In this episode, we explore why not every broken relationship requires the same response — and why the path to peace with others always starts with being at peace in Christ yourself. Whether sin is involved or not, Romans 12:18 gives us the guide: do what you can, as far as it depends on you, and trust the Lord with the rest.

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Paul told the Corinthians that he and the Apostles were considered foolish, weak, and dishonorable — and he said it like it was a badge of honor. Years ago, that idea collided with my own struggle with failure and shame. In this episode, I share what I learned: the world determines worth by its own standards, but the Lord settled yours once and for all at the cross.

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Paul loved the Corinthians. He taught them, cared for them, and sacrificed for them. In return, they doubted his authority and withheld their love. So what did Paul do? He kept loving. In this episode, we explore what sacrificial love really looks like — and why the love that quits when it isn’t returned was never truly sacrificial to begin with.

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Most Christians would say God is always with them. Far fewer live like it on a Tuesday afternoon. In this episode, we explore what it means to practice the presence of God — and why a believer facing execution under Stalin’s regime might have understood this better than we do.

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Paul told the Corinthians that the only thing required of a steward is faithfulness — not success, not popularity, not approval. So why do we spend so much energy performing forpeople instead of serving the Lord? In this episode, we explore what it means to stop filtering your obedience through other people’s opinions — and why the servant who knows their audience will always know which voice to follow.

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