Chad Maples' Podcast

There are four realities that we face when we don’t know what to do

(from 2 Kings 4:1-7):

1. We all face times of desperate need (vs 1).

2. God needs only what we have (vs 2-4).

3. God does what we cannot do (vs 5-7).

4. God fills only what we offer (vs. 5-7).

"No one who hopes in you [God] will ever be put to shame (Psa. 25:3).

Jesus was the Great Physician, the Doctor who never lost a case. He brought the prescription for the sin sick soul. [Inspired by Marshall Keeble's sermon "The Dr Who Never Lost a Case]

Covetousness blocks the flow of God's goodness in our life. But Paul told Timothy, "godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (I Tim. 6:6-8).

People who constantly complain will spend a lifetime in the wilderness. Thankfulness, like complaining, is a voluntary decision that we can make.

Complaining can be defined as expressing dissatisfaction with a circumstance that is not wrong and about which I’m doing nothing to correct. Does that describe you? This is the first in a series of lessons on attitudes. The next lesson will focus on replacing our complaining with thankfulness. [Based on "Lord, Change My Attitude, Before It's Too Late. By James MacDonald].

Without the birth of Christ, He could not have come into the world to live a sinless life. Without His perfect life, He could not have become the perfect sacrifice for all of mankind. Without His sacrifice, we would all be lost. See Acts 2:39.

Sometimes we pray for an easier path, when in reality, we need to pray for stronger shoes.

One of the freedoms that we have in Christ is the freedom from discouragement. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

Looking at Psalm 90, we see that God is eternal and the brevity of man's life. God's sense of time is converging with us, and the older we get, the more we think about time the way God does.

The Christian faith and favoritism cannot coexist.