CIAM Radio

Why do some people believe in Jesus and others don't — even when they've seen the same evidence? In this episode, Dr. John Neufeld explores the mystery of faith, unpacking John 12:36–43 to show why believing in Jesus is never simply a matter of seeing enough proof. Ultimately, faith is not about having access to better evidence — it's about surrender, trust, and the miraculous work of God in the human heart.

Passion: Easter is a pivotal time in the life of a Christian. The foundation of our faith relies on the death and more importantly, the resurrection of Jesus. This 15-message series will prepare our hearts for the Easter season as Dr. Neufeld walks us through the various aspects of the time leading up to Jesus’ death. Talking about the stories of Jesus in the week leading up to his death, also known as Passion week, ought to awaken our own passion of service, thankfulness, and worship. This is a series you won’t want to miss!

Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callaway, "Forbidden Smile." Enjoy!

“Whose slave are you?” It’s a great question. Are you a slave to work? Possessions? People’s opinions? Bad habits? The good news is you don’t have to be chained to any of these. As a child of God, you’re free.

Can seasons of darkness help us see more clearly than ever? Singer & author Andrew Peterson describes his path through depression to resurrection.

Show Notes and Resources

• Get to know Andrew learn about his book Resurrection Letters at andrew-peterson.com
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Tune in to hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll discuss what the church is all about. Learn how to respect your leaders, live in peace, encourage the fainthearted, and more.

From the Series: Contagious Christianity

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What makes a successful marriage? Today, Greg and Erin feature a presentation by best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn. She offers insights from research she's conducted on what makes for a happier, more fulfilling marriage. She also outlines practical ways to develop a more Christ-like relationship with your spouse. We'll challenge you to recreate your first date, and we'll answer a listener question about whether its Biblical to have joint bank accounts.

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You know, most of us have heard words like this when we're going through a hard time, "Oh, I understand how you feel." Maybe you have muttered under your breath, "You have no idea." One situation in which those words should probably never be spoken, are a man to a woman in labor. Yeah, that's right! Now, I've been through labor with my wife three times, but I can not say I understand how she felt. Labor is easier for some women than others I understand, but having a baby is not easy for anybody. I still remember vividly our first time around the maternity track. My wife's increasingly frequent contractions and the trip to the hospital, and then the hours of intensifying pain, and then the last most intense pains of all. And suddenly, a baby girl! Now, I know it's easy for me to say, but I know my wife would have always agreed. It was a painful process with a glorious result. And you know, the result has lasted a lot longer than the pain.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Good In the Pain."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Romans 8. Here we're going to meet a man with the credentials to talk about pain, about hard times. Paul has been brutally slandered, he's been beaten, he's been attacked, he's been left for dead, he's been arrested on false charges, he's been in prison unjustly, been ship wrecked, deserted. What a list!

In Romans 8 he talks about "our present sufferings." And he even speaks symbolically of this world "groaning as if in the pains of childbirth." And then later on in the chapter he mentions trouble, hardship, famine, sword, and then he says this, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." How can that be with all the worst pain in life? It goes back to a God-given perspective on the pain of your life. And that's in Romans 8:28. He says, "And we know that all things are working together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to God's purpose."

So, what's the good in the pain? Well, it says, "For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son." In other words, the good that comes out of the pain is to make you what this world needs so desperately; someone who is more like Jesus.

Now, God doesn't send all the pain; some of it He allows. But it can't come to you unless your Heavenly Father okays it. And how does God decide what He will allow to come into your life? I think He's asking, "Could this make him or her more like Jesus?"

My consistent experience has been that the hardest things I've gone through have been God's most powerful tools in my life: faith, humility, compassion, mercy, learning the power of prayer, closeness to Jesus. They have been the blessed results of pain that made me know and trust God as never before. And like the pain of our daughter's arrival, my wife has enjoyed the result a lot longer than she had to endure the pain.

Because God's agenda in our lives is eternity, not just 70 years. The payoff will always be much greater than the pain. You may be in a hurting time right now and you don't have a choice. But it really matters what you focus on. If you focus on the pain you're going to become bitter and self-focused, burned out, and worn out, and negative. But if you focus on how God can use this pain to make you more like Jesus, you'll have the baby that the pain is supposed to give you. The tragedy will be if you get the pain but you miss the point.

If you're hurting today, remember that your loving Father, who sent His Son to die in your place, is using your hurt to bring about a beautiful result, which you will be enjoying long after the process is a distant memory.

Read: Luke 16:10-12; 1 Corinthians 4:2

It was a warm day, and Dad had just finished digging up the garden plot so he and Eliza and Jeremiah could plant sweet corn. “Hey, look!” exclaimed Eliza, bending over a corner of the plot. “An earthworm! We learned about earthworms at school. They eat dirt.” She picked it up and waved it under her brother’s nose. “Doesn’t that sound yummy, Jeremiah?”

“Ew, gross!” Jeremiah batted at the worm in front of his face. “Cut it out!”

“Okay, you guys,” said Dad. “That’s enough of that. But you’re right, Eliza, in a way, earthworms do eat dirt. As they move through the soil, it passes through their bodies and gives them nourishment, and the quality of the soil is also improved. Millions of acres of the earth’s topsoil are loosened in this way, allowing all kinds of good things to grow. As Christians, we can learn a lot from earthworms.”

Eliza gave her dad a puzzled look. “What do earthworms have to do with Christians?”

“Well,” said Dad, “since they live underground, we don’t see earthworms working—and like Jeremiah, we may think their job sounds unappealing—but they keep at it anyway. That worm you’re holding is a good example of a faithful worker. Because he and all the other earthworms out there do their jobs faithfully, lots of people benefit from the things that are able to grow.”

“But Dad, a worm doesn’t decide to be faithful,” said Jeremiah. “It just does what earthworms do.”

“That’s right,” said Dad. “Earthworms are faithful because God made them that way—and He does the same for us as Christians. Jesus gives us the ability to faithfully serve Him, even in hidden places—places where no one notices or praises us, doing tasks that aren’t always fun or rewarding. In those times, we need to remember that we’re serving Jesus and depend on Him to help us be faithful in doing our work, trusting that He will use it to help others grow.”

Eliza looked at the worm squiggling in the palm of her hand. Then she put it down and smoothed dirt over it. “Thanks, faithful friend,” she said. “Keep working so we can have lots of good sweet corn!”

–Christi B. Kehn

How about you? Are you depending on Jesus to help you be faithful in the things He has given you to do? Trust Him to give you the ability and strength to do what He wants you to do—even when those things are difficult or others don’t seem to care. Remember that you are serving Jesus and trust that He will use your work to bless both you and others.

Today's Key Verse: A faithful person will be richly blessed. Proverbs 28:20 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Be faithful