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Marriage didn’t get easier when the kids came; it got louder, tighter, and easier to miss each other. Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler, authors of Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments, meet you there in survival-mode advice with honest, lived-in perspective. From overstimulation to quiet resentment, they name what’s real—and point toward a better way to stay on the same team when connection feels out of reach.

Show Notes and Resources

• Ge your copy of Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments on our shop.

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When you imagine God’s face...what do you see? If you visualize anger, you’re wrong. All God’s anger at sin was poured on Christ at the cross. This means if you’re in Christ, you’re free from God’s wrath because of Christ’s death and resurrection.

With remarkable literary skill, the author of Esther recorded God’s work on behalf of His people without once mentioning God’s name. As we begin our journey through Esther, we sharpen our theological lens to see God’s invisible hand moving people and events.

From the Series: Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity

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If you've ever checked your suitcase when you're about to take a trip by airplane, you know what they do with our luggage. No, not lose it. Not usually. The ticket agent determines what your final destination will be, he prints out an adhesive sticker with that destination on it, and he puts it around your suitcase handle. And then you settle back in your seat, knowing that bag will meet you at the other end of the trip. With the millions of bags the airlines handle daily, it's amazing that most do go straight to the right destination. Now there are some exceptions. Like the one I checked in Idaho. Oh, I checked it through to my final destination - Newark, New Jersey. To this day it's still floating somewhere out there in the Baggage Twilight Zone. Like I said, most of the time they get it to your final destination.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Guaranteeing Heaven."

If you belong to Jesus Christ, God has placed a final destination sticker on you. It says "Heaven." And I am happy to report to you that, unlike human delivery systems, God's batting a thousand on getting His there.

Our word for today from the Word of God starts with John 10:27 - in a sense, it's kind of your personal life insurance policy...for eternal life. "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand."

Jesus says, "I know the ones who are Mine, and I've put My final destination sticker on them. It says 'Eternal Life.' No one is going to get them away from Me. I won't stop until I've delivered them safely home." Isn't that awesome? Your getting to heaven is not up to you. That's what the Bible means when it says it is "not by works" but that it is "by grace you have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Now it may be that you have often questioned whether or not you really belong to Jesus and whether it really is settled. Those recurring doubts could be for one of two reasons. One is that you really don't belong to Jesus yet. He's in your head but He's not in your heart. Even though you have a lot of Christianity, maybe you've missed Christ! You know He died on the cross to pay the death penalty for the sinning you've done - you know that you need Him as your personal Savior.

But somehow you've missed that actual moment of commitment, that transaction, when you stand at Jesus' cross and say, "For me, Jesus. What you did here is for me. Right now I'm giving me to You."

If you asked me if I was married all these years it would be an easy question to answer. Yeah, there was a time I made a conscious commitment of my life to Karen. If you have committed yourself to Jesus, you should know you have. If you don't know you have, you probably haven't. And it's important you get it settled today because this is eternity. Do it before your heart turns harder. Don't risk another day without Jesus.

The other reason you may not be sure of your final destination is that you've fallen for the devil's big lie. He knows that, based on your trust in Jesus Christ, God has put His "Heaven" sticker on you. Satan's lost you - so he's now reduced to making you wonder if you're really going to heaven. Your enemy wants you to spend your whole life wondering if you belong to Jesus instead of living like you do! Don't fall for it any longer!

If you're not sure there's been a time when you've begun your relationship with Jesus, make sure today - once and for all. You can wonder if God has ever marked you for heaven before today, but at least you'll know He did it today if He's never done it before.

I'd love to invite you to go to our website where an awful lot of people have confirmed t

Read: Matthew 7:9-11

Nathan typed an email to his dad, who was away on sea duty with the Navy. “The Carlsons next door have a litter of puppies,” he wrote. “Can I please have one? Mom says it’s okay with her if it’s okay with you. I wanted to have a dog just like Rex, Uncle Brad’s dog, but this one is free.” Nathan clicked send. He could hardly wait for his dad’s answer.

When Nathan got home from school the next day, Mom met him at the door. “I just talked to Dad on the phone,” she told him. “He’ll be home next week.”

Nathan grinned. “That’s great! Did he say I could have a puppy?”

Mom shook her head, and Nathan’s grin disappeared. “Dad doesn’t want you to get one right now,” she said. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but please trust your dad. He loves you and wants what’s best for you.”

“Yeah, right,” Nathan muttered as he went inside.

For a while, Nathan’s disappointment clouded the joy of looking forward to his dad’s return. But when Dad arrived, Nathan threw his arms around him and started asking lots of questions. Then he remembered that Dad hadn’t let him get one of the neighbors’ puppies. “I still don’t see why I couldn’t get that puppy, Dad,” he said with a frown.

Just then a sound came from Dad’s pile of luggage. “What’s that noise?” Nathan asked.

Dad grinned and lifted a wriggling ball of fur out of a plastic carrier. “A puppy!” Nathan exclaimed. Dad placed the puppy in his arms. “He looks just like Rex!” said Nathan.

“The reason I said no to the other puppy was because I knew this was the kind of dog you really wanted,” Dad explained.

Mom smiled. “Like I told you before, you can trust your father to do what’s best for you.”

“We can trust our heavenly Father to do that too,” said Dad, “even when He says no to something we ask Him for. When that happens, we need to remember that He loves us so much He sent His Son to die for us and that everything He gives us is meant to help us grow in our relationship with Jesus. We can always trust Him to do what’s best.”

Nathan grinned and hugged the puppy tight.

–Agnes Livezey

How about you? Does your heavenly Father sometimes say no to the things you ask Him for? You may not understand why He answers your prayer with a “no” or “wait” instead of a “yes,” but remember that He loves you more than any earthly father could. Even when He doesn’t answer your prayers the way you want, you can trust Him to give you good gifts that help you grow in your faith.

Today's Key Verse: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father. James 1:17 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: God gives the best

Help is on the way—will you accept it?

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The theme: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives 4 - Barnabas

Barnabas didn't just open doors for others - he walked alongside them, investing in their growth and keeping them true to the Lord. Who in your life could grow deeper in faith with your encouragement?

Hebrews 3:13 - "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."  

Quote: Barnabas encouraged Paul to use his gifts and to grow in his faith. Look what became of him. I think the encouragement of Barnabas had an immeasurable impact on Paul.

Besides attending ceremonies and signing policies after taking the oath of office, new US presidents are greeted with a cold reality: they start making their own funeral plans. That way the country will be prepared to celebrate their lives when they die. George H. W. Bush was asked if it was “weird” to be planning his own memorial. He replied, “You kind of get used to it.” Historians will write about their legacies, but presidents get to plan the personal and traditional parts of their services and the ways they will be remembered.

Death is a sobering reality we all must face. King Solomon, who searched for the meaning of life in pleasure, work, and knowledge, and came up empty, said, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Negative situations give more perspective than happy times. If we face the reality of death, we can better prepare for what comes after. Verse 2 adds, “Death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.” We should ponder it and plan on it.

Preparation comes from receiving forgiveness of sin from Jesus, who died for us and rose again. Everyone dies because death came when the first man, Adam, disobeyed God, and we have followed his ways. But “everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life” (1 Corinthians 15:22 nlt).

Billy Graham once said that a checkbook is a theological document; it tells you who and what you worship. Each day, we make financial decisions—often without much thought. It is wise, however, to slow down and look deeper because how we spend may reveal more about our hearts than we realize. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West explores how our typical purchases reflect what we truly value. Then, it’s on to calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live . . . biblical wisdom for your financial journey. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here.

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Segment 1

• A federal court just disrupted abortion pill access—does this finally close the “mail-order” loophole?

• Lawmakers press the uncomfortable question: if you advocate abortion, will you actually defend the methods used?

• Graphic realities surface—what does it say about a nation that funds and normalizes this?

Segment 2

• Are cultural elites trying to turn your kids against you—and calling it “justice”?

• A new push claims older generations are the problem… but is this just recycled Marxism?

• What happens when society blames grandma instead of bad policy, debt, and inflation?

Segment 3

• Why are pastors apologizing for Scripture—and what does that reveal about modern preaching?

• If God commands something the culture hates, who do you trust: your instincts or His authority?

• One word—“likewise”—could reshape how you understand roles, submission, and obedience

Segment 4

• Are churches discipling kids—or just entertaining them to keep families coming back?

• What if youth ministry isn’t broken—but fundamentally misaligned with Scripture?

• Could older believers—not programs—be the missing key to lasting faith in the next generation?

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