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A beard really changes people - especially men. You can make a man look older, scruffier, wiser, or more suspicious. A beard does amazing things. Some wives and girlfriends can't wait for their guy to grow it. Others can't wait for him to shave it. My friend, Lou, spent much of his time clean-shaven. He also spent many of those same years as an alcoholic. They were terrible years for his wife and for his daughters. One day, Lou became so desperate he surrendered the control of his out-of-control life to Jesus Christ. From that moment on, the Savior beat that bottle that had always beaten Lou, and right about then, he started to grow a beard. He actually has had it for several years, but a couple of years ago he decided to shave it one morning. He walked out to his family, and he said, "Hey, what do you think?" His little girl started to cry. She begged her Daddy to grow his beard back. See, the old face made her think of her old Dad. She was afraid the old Dad was back.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Old You, Gone for Good."

Our word for today from the Word of God is in 2 Corinthians 5:17. It's a promise from God to do something we could never do for ourselves. It's a miracle only He can do. Listen to this: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Man, what words! "New creation" not from the outside in. No, this is from the inside out, and it's what happened to Lou and it could happen to you. You've got to come to the point where you're tired of not being the man or woman, or the husband or wife, or the mom or dad that you really want to be. You know, that person that you love really needs you to change.

Okay, here's my right hand on the right side of this table. This is the man I want to be - that people need for me to be. Now, here's my left hand over here on the other side of the table - this is what I actually am. I can't seem to close this gap between these two hands. That admission in itself is the first step to having a new you. Behind our mask of having it all together is a man or woman who may be addicted to selfishness, or unfaithfulness, or to lust, or to depression, or maybe we're addicted to a temper that's out of control, a sexual appetite, a habit. We've tried reforming. It hasn't worked!

That's what gets us ready for Jesus. See, you're ready as this verse says, to be "In Christ." Without Him, we're in trouble. The ultimate diagnosis of our inner darkness is called sin. We've got the wrong person running things. And the Bible says, "Sin, when it is full grown gives birth to death." Sin separates us from the people we love, from the person we want to be, from the person we need to be. Worst of all, it separates us from our Creator forever, unless we are "In Christ."

How do you get in Christ? John 3:16 says, "God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not die, but will have eternal life." All that faith that you've put in yourself and your religion and in other people? You take all that and you put it all in Jesus now. You say, "Jesus, I'm yours."

That's the new beginning, a new dad, a new mom, a new son, a new daughter, a new mate, a new friend. Someone much stronger will be in your driver's seat. Jesus will take your life places you never dreamed it could go and daily recreate you into someone who is becoming like Jesus Himself. Why don't you make this the day that the new you begins - your new beginning day. Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours."

In fact, our website is there to help that new beginning, it's called ANewStory.com. Check it out today and you can find, there, what you need to know to begin this relationship with Jesus.

As my friend's daughter found out, a new Dad is more than ju

Read: Philippians 2:1-4

Chase stomped his feet to warm them while he waited at the edge of the woods for his grandpa and sister. When they caught up with him, Iris pointed. “What animal made these tracks, Grandpa?”

Grandpa crouched in the fresh snow to peer at the tracks. “Let’s see. Four toes and a heel. And see what a straight line he left? I’d say a fox was here. A fox’s narrow chest lets him place one paw right in front of the other, which is why there’s a single line of prints.”

They followed the trail a little way, and Grandpa pointed out places where squirrels had played tag and rabbits had been hiding. “Wow, Grandpa!” Iris said. “You’re the best tracker in the whole world!”

When they got home, Chase sniffed the air. “Yum! Mom’s making pizza, and it smells like it’s ready to eat!”

Iris put away her wooly coat and fuzzy mittens, but Chase dumped his coat on the floor, yanked off his boots, and turned toward the kitchen. Snow clung to the bottom of his pants in small clumps.

“Chase, I can always tell when you’ve been through a room,” Grandpa said, stopping him in the hall. “You leave tracks. And just like animal tracks, what you leave behind tells a story. What kind of story do you think people get from tracks like puddles and coats on the floor?”

“Umm…” Chase thought about it. “That I’m messy?”

“Anything else?” asked Grandpa.

Chase looked down at the puddles on the floor. “I guess it could tell people that I expect someone else to clean up my messes.”

Grandpa nodded. “As Christians, the story we want our actions to tell others is how much Jesus loves them. By acting in unselfish ways—like showing others respect by picking up your things—your actions will leave tracks that tell His story. He cleaned up our mess by dying for our sins, and when we act in thoughtful, loving ways toward others, we point to Him.”

Chase nodded. “I’m sorry, Grandpa. I’ll put away my things and wipe up the puddles on the floor right now.” He grinned. “From now on, you’re going to have a harder time telling where I’ve been!”

–Lisa Nagel

How about you? What kind of story do your tracks tell? Do your actions show others the kindness and love of Jesus—or that you’re only thinking of yourself? If you trust in Jesus, He gives you the power to leave tracks that point others to Him. Even if it’s just in small ways, like cleaning up after yourself or not cutting in line, you can tell His story through kind, loving actions.

Today's Key Verse: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 (CSB)

Today's Key Thought: Your actions leave tracks

Live by the principles in God's Word and you'll experience His blessings.

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When the Transit Agency of Central Kentucky (TACK) renovated its headquarters, it wanted to make sure people noticed. Instead of a subtle sign or announcement, it installed a massive, nearly twenty-two feet tall thumbtack at its entrance. The thumbtack, a world record, is an undeniable marker that no passersby can miss.

In Daniel 6, God used something undeniable to get people’s attention: He miraculously rescued Daniel after he’d been placed in a lion’s den for choosing to defy King Darius’ decree and continuing to pray to God (vv. 10-23). The prophet survived because he’d “trusted in . . . God” (v. 23). Darius then declared that—unlike the dead idols of the Medes and Persians—Daniel’s God was “the living God [who] endures forever” (v.26). He alone “rescues and . . . saves [and] performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth” (v. 27). It’s remarkable that even a pagan king acknowledged God’s power and sovereignty. Like a giant, divine “thumbtack,” God’s act of power couldn’t be overlooked.

Sometimes God gets our attention as He does something significant and undeniable (v. 27)—supernatural rescues, right-on-time provisions, and heart transformations. Other times, He works quietly as we watch and wait. Let’s stand in awe of what He’s doing in and around us today—trusting in Him and His great power (v. 23).

J.I. Packer once said, “What matters in life is not what you make of it, but what God makes of it for you.” You feel that contrast most acutely with money. When circumstances change, the quiet question arises: Will there be enough? We are often encouraged to secure peace through self-provision. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West explores how, in Scripture, we are invited to rest in a Father Who provides. Then, it’s on to your calls. That’s Faith & Finance Live, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. 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

• The Bible is sufficient to build a “theology of eating” even without modern labels like anorexia.

• Eating disorders are less “body problems” and more heart + identity problems.

• A young woman’s, Katie’s, diary is introduced to expose what’s really driving the struggle.

Segment 2

• She admits she “hated God” because she believed a false version of Him.

• Todd spotlights how biblical counseling targets wrong theology before behavior change can last.

• “Radical amputation” shows up as practical wisdom: removing triggers, not worshiping mirrors.

Segment 3

• A “sanctification plan” includes a failure plan so setbacks don’t become spiritual collapse.

• Katie’s progress includes accountability, routines, and letting others into what used to be secret.

• The danger of denial: “I don’t have a problem” → no safeguards → isolation → despair.

Segment 4

• A tiny booklet on “the quest for thinness” reframes eating disorders as God-excluding self-rule.

• Todd challenges the secret-keeping and “control language” behind starving, binging, or purging

• Practical next steps: confess honestly, learn who God is, ask for help, speak truth, prepare for failure—because you have an Advocate.

___

Thanks for listening!

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What makes a testimony truly powerful? In this message, Dr. John explores Paul's defense before King Agrippa as a masterclass in sharing your faith — walking through who Paul once was, his encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and the life of obedience that followed. A compelling look at how a well-told testimony gives all glory to Christ and can stop a room in its tracks.

Jesus Goes Global: A Prisoner of Christ: When we read the book of Acts, we tend to give primary attention to the formation and growth of the Church in the early chapters. We then highlight the three mission trips of Paul. But some of the most profound lessons lie in the final chapters of Acts 25-28. Dr. John will show God extending His Kingdom through the personal struggle and imprisonment of Paul. The world’s worst cannot impede God’s best.

Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callaway, "A Successful Hollywood Marriage." Enjoy!