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I opened the refrigerator and there it was again - the pig! Yes, years ago someone bought it, put it in the refrigerator for a while and then it disappeared. I thought maybe he'd gone to the bacon factory, but then the pig was back. See, this pig was actually plastic, and whenever you would open the door, the plastic pig started oinking at you. It's annoying, but it does make you think about what you're about to do to yourself.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The No Regrets Alarm."

Our word for today from the Word of God - very familiar verses from Matthew 6, beginning at verse 9, "This then is how you should pray." And this is what we commonly call The Lord's Prayer of course. "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one." How many times have you prayed that? That's an important prayer. We almost don't think about those words. "Lead me not into temptation; deliver me from evil."

In other words, "Lord, help me see where the temptation is. Help me steer away from it. Keep me from anything that the Devil might be trying to get me to do." Well, how do you do that? That's through His Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit, who He called the Comforter, would do that. He said it in John 16:8. He promises "that the Holy Spirit - the Comforter - when He is come, He will convict the world of sin." He also said in John 14:26 He will "bring to your remembrance all the things that I have taught you." In other words, the Holy Spirit's going to bring to mind how Jesus feels about this.

The day you put your trust in Jesus as your Savior, God plants in your soul a sin alarm. Now somebody planted a gluttony alarm in our refrigerator; this noise that makes you stop and think before you reach for something. It was annoying, but the pig could keep you from doing something you would regret later; like how you'll feel when you step on the scale tomorrow.

We do need some noise inside of us when we're about to reach for something we're going to later regret. And God delivers us from evil if we will listen to the inner alarms He triggers when we are about to sin. He says something like, "That's not the truth; don't lie. That's not pure; don't watch it. That's going to hurt; don't say it. That's going too far; don't do it."

See, one alarm in us is what I call Scripture brakes. God brings to your mind a statement from the Word of God that keeps you from making a mistake if you listen. It's the brakes; step on the brakes. D. L. Moody said that "When you think sin you ought to think Scripture." That's why it's important to commit to memory verses that God can later use to warn you away from the edge. Psalm 119: "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I will not sin against You."

Now, another sin alarm is what I call shame warnings. See, many of us don't carry a sense of shame from the sins of the past, and God erased those from His books if you've brought those sins to Jesus. But sometimes the shame feelings are there a long time after God has forgiven us. And that's actually not all bad, because God can remind you of the damage that comes from saying yes to that temptation, using the shame warnings from the past. Listen to those.

One other sin alarm that God uses when you're reaching for something that could hurt you is Spirit tremors. It's an uneasiness in your spirit that says, "This just isn't right." That's probably the stirring of the Holy Spirit. Listen to that inner warning. But respond immediately and put on the Scripture brakes, respond to the shame warnings, to the Spirit tremors before sin drowns them out and you grab a plateful of regrets.

After a while, I have to admit I got immune to that pig warning in the fridge. I finally just put it away. Don't do that with the Holy Spirit alarm system inside you. Do not quench

Read: Proverbs 12:17-22

“There!” Isaac said as he finished pounding a nail. “This is the best tree house ever! When it’s really windy like this, you can feel the whole tree house move. It’s like being in a swaying castle! Let’s ask if we can sleep out here tonight.”

“I know my dad won’t let me,” said Bryce. “He says he has to be sure it’s safe first.”

“My dad said the same thing,” said Isaac. “I know! Let’s each ask our parents if we can spend the night together. They’ll think we’re at each other’s houses, but we’ll really be sleeping in the tree house.”

“I don’t know,” Bryce said, but he finally agreed to try it.

Their plan worked, but in the middle of the night, a loud crack of thunder and the sound of wind and rain woke the boys. “The whole tree house is swaying!” Bryce said.

“And the roof is leaking!” said Isaac. “Let’s go into the house.”

The storm had awakened Isaac’s parents too, and they were very surprised when the boys stumbled into the kitchen. “What happened? Is something wrong at your house, Bryce?” Isaac’s dad asked.

“No,” Isaac said, “we…um…we were sleeping in the tree house. But it starting swaying and leaking in the storm, so we came here.”

Mom’s eyes widened. “You mean you’ve been in our backyard this whole time? You asked if you could stay at Bryce’s house overnight.”

“Well, not exactly,” said Isaac. “I just asked if I could spend the night with Bryce.”

“I see,” said Dad. “So you didn’t exactly lie, but you still deceived us by letting us think you were at Bryce’s, didn’t you?”

With downcast eyes, the boys nodded.

Dad sighed. “Boys, lying and deceiving others makes you like that swaying tree house—it tells people they can’t trust you. And how do you think we and Bryce’s parents would feel if none of us knew where you were in the morning?”

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Isaac said.

“I forgive you,” Dad said. “But the tree house will be off-limits for a while. As you build back our trust, remember that the Bible says Jesus is a firm foundation who is always trustworthy. Trust Him to help you show His love by being truthful in both your words and your actions.”

–Agnes Livezey

How about you? Are you trustworthy? Can people count on you to be honest in both your words and your actions? God hates lying and deceitfulness because it goes against everything He is—a firm foundation who always acts in goodness and truth. We can always trust Him to tell us the truth and do what’s right. As His children, He will help us be truthful in all we say and do.

Today's Key Verse: So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. Ephesians 4:25 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Be trustworthy

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“I am thankful to God for His goodness,” reads the plaque, “in permitting me to have a part in building this broad thoroughfare as a frame to the beautiful picture which He created.” The inscription is attributed to highway engineer Samuel Christopher Lancaster in 1915. It stands at a beautiful scenic overlook on the highway he designed, a road that takes drivers along the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge with forests, waterfalls, and rocky cliffs.

It’s tempting to take credit for our resources and accomplishments or use them to bring ourselves praise. What would it look like, instead, to think of them as a lowly “frame” around God’s masterpiece? One example is when Moses invited the Israelites to bring gifts to build the temple (Exodus 35:5). “Everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them” contributed what they had: precious metal and stone, linen, leather, wood, spices, and oil (vv. 20-28). These costly goods were offered from willing hearts to fulfill what God had commanded (v. 29). Some master craftsmen were especially gifted. But everyone could contribute something, like the women who skillfully spun goat hair (v. 26).

What mattered most then, and today, is the posture of the giver’s heart. “From what you have, take an offering for the Lord” (v. 5). That’s when our resources are put to their best use.

The post Rev. George Francisco – Proclamations From a Poor Prophet appeared first on MGO Radio/Canada's National Bible Hour.

Read: James 4:7-11

Harley’s cat jumped up on the desk and started batting at her pencil. “Mom, can you come get Sassy?” Harley called down the hallway. “I’m trying to do my homework.”

Mom came to Harley’s door and laughed when she saw Sassy bat Harley’s pencil out of her hand and onto the floor.

“Can you take her, please?” Harley asked. “She’s distracting me, and I need to get this done so I can meet Grace at the park.”

Mom took Sassy out of the room and closed the door. A few minutes later, Harley saw something move out of the corner of her eye. Sassy was sticking her paws through the crack underneath the door. “Mom, Sassy’s still pestering me!” Harley called.

“Harley, there’s really nothing I can do,” Mom called back. “If I take her away, she’ll just come back the moment I set her down. Just ignore her and stay focused, and eventually she’ll stop.”

Harley did her best to focus on her homework and found that Mom was right. Sassy soon stopped. Harley finished her homework, then left to meet her friend at the park.

Later that day, Harley joined her mom in the living room. “Hi, Harley,” Mom said. “How was the park?”

“It was okay, but Grace kept wanting to talk badly about some of the kids at school,” Harley said as she picked up Sassy, who was lounging on the couch.

“How did you handle it?” Mom asked.

“Well, I thought about Sassy distracting me earlier and that when I stayed focused on what was important, she eventually stopped. So I did the same with Grace. When she tried to get me to talk badly about others, I stayed focused on Jesus and how much He loves the people Grace was talking about. Then when Grace said something bad about someone, I’d think of something nice to say about them instead. Eventually she stopped trying to get me to talk about people.”

Mom got up to pet Sassy, who was now curled up in a ball on Harley’s lap. “It sounds like Sassy has taught you how to resist temptation by focusing on what’s important—Jesus.” At that, Sassy batted at Mom’s hand, and both Harley and Mom laughed.

–Melissa Yeagle

How about you? Do your friends ever try to get you to do things you know are wrong? You can resist by focusing on Jesus. When you’re faced with a tough situation, remember that He saved you and you belong to Him. He gives you the ability to do what’s right and wants you to show His love to others by treating them kindly. When you’re tempted to sin, focus on Him.

Today's Key Verse: Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Stay focused on Jesus

Friendships are an essential part of our lives but many of us struggle to build healthy ones. Rediscover how friendships can be nurtured by exploring Jesus’ friendship with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

Receive

Jesus demonstrated the importance of friendship throughout the Gospels. His relationship with the Bethany siblings—Mary, Martha, and Lazarus—provides a great example of how much we need friends in our own lives, and how much we need to be a friend. Engaging in healthy communication, being dependable, growing with each other, and sharing celebrations can help our friendships flourish!

Reflect

Read the verses connected with this episode below. As you reflect on the Scripture, what stands out to you? 

• John 15:9-16 
• Luke 10:38-42 
• John 11:1-6, 21, 25, 32 
• John 12:1-3 

How does John 15:9-16 help you better understand Jesus’ plan for friendship? 

Martha and Mary demonstrate their friendship with Jesus in Luke 10:38-42. How can this nurture your friendships? 

Martha and Mary depended on Jesus to save their brother in John 11:1-6, 21, 25, 32. How can this inspire you to be a dependable friend? 

John 12:1-3 describes a celebration shared with friends (Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Jesus). How might you share a celebration with friends in the near future?

Respond

(Use this prayer to start a conversation with God)

“Jesus, thank You that You made us to live in friendship—with You and with other people You place in our lives. Help me to live into Your plan for friendship in my life. Help me to be a dependable friend and to take opportunities to share celebrations with my friends.”

Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Friendship Lab

Listen: 

• Friendship | Week 1 
• Friendship | Week 2

Read: 

• Deep Friendship in Christ 
• 7 Bible Stories to Deepen Your Friendships

Watch: 

• The Heart of True Friendship
• The Deepest Friendship Exists

When schools around the globe sent their students home for health and safety during the coronavirus pandemic, the buildings and stadiums stood empty. While acknowledging many were experiencing greater afflictions from the virus, teachers sought ways to show their students they missed them and to encourage them to press on through a difficult time. Many schools initiated what they called the “Be the Light” challenge in which they burned the empty stadium’s lights each night.

During His earthly life, Jesus issued His own kind of “be the light” challenge, saying that we who follow Him are to “let [our] light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16). His charge had a loftier goal than encouragement or moral support; instead, our willingness to reveal the light He’s put in us shows the watching world who God is. The way we live our lives, in both word and deed, reveals the hope Jesus gives us, making it visible to all those around us, like a lamp on a stand.

Jesus calls us the “light of the world” and challenges us to illuminate the paths of others with His light radiating through us when they’re walking a dark road. For those who don’t yet know the hope Jesus offers, sharing His light through the way we live can point them toward God as the source of all hope.

Sean is a struggling college student who spends more time betting on sports games than he does going to classes. Will his March Madness bets eliminate his debts, or will his bookie reveal his secrets? Find out what happens on the next Unshackled!