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Today’s society is full of sexual expression, gender confusion, and disregard for God’s purposes and plan for our sexuality. Dr. Juli Slattery discusses how we can live out our sexuality in both holy and healthy ways by addressing sexual identity, contentment, and true intimacy.

When our kids were living at home I couldn't believe people actually paid to go to the circus. We had a circus right there! It was free - a three-ring circus. Now the most exciting issue was usually, "What am I going to wear today?" And then that cry by various experiments with different combinations until some outfit finally looks right. Does that sound familiar? Of course it's always punctuated by these discussions of who's wearing whose shirt, or whose pants, or whatever. Actually, whether you go to school or to work, what to wear is kind of a challenging choice. Unless of course you're one of the lucky ones; you just wear a uniform. You don't have any decision to make; somebody else made it for you. You have to consider the weather, and what season it is, and what mood you're in, and what people you're going to see, and do the colors match, which is hopeless for me. Well, in the process, you might overlook the one item you have to wear to school or to work every day.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Joy Looks Good On You."

Now, there's some intriguing detail in the biblical saga of Nehemiah. You may remember he's the man that led the Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem in 52 days after they'd been away for 100 years. Now, he was cup bearer to the king, and that king by the way was the King of Persia. He was quite a ways from where he needed to end up in Jerusalem. But Nehemiah had a tremendous burden on his heart. And he had a desire to tell the king his burden, but he wasn't sure how to open the conversation.

Well, in our word for today from the Word of God, which is in Nehemiah 2, beginning in verse 1, it's interesting to see how the king actually initiates the discussion. And it ends with him giving Nehemiah everything he needs for this rebuilding project. And you know why the king initiated it? Because Nehemiah didn't wear to work what he usually did.

Here's our word for today. "When wine was brought for the king, I took the wine..." Nehemiah is speaking here. "...and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before. So the king asked me, 'Why does your face look so sad when you're not ill? This could be nothing but sadness of heart.' Well, I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, 'May the king live forever. Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire.' And the king said to me, 'What is it you want?'"

Well, the rest is history. From there it was the rebuilding of the wall of God's city. In essence the king is saying, "Nehemiah, where's your smile? You always wear it to work. Where is it today?" Nehemiah was known for his positive attitude on the job - his joy, his smile. So much so that it was an event for Nehemiah not to be smiling at work. Now, for many of us it would be an event that we were smiling when we're in the middle of our daily responsibilities.

But if you're a Christian, you get your joy from your invironment, not your environment - from Christ inside you. No one should ever ask you, "Hey, how come you're so happy today?" Like it's unusual? That should be routine. Maybe they might ask you why you're so down today, because that would be unusual. Most of us just plod mechanically through our school day, our work day, our household responsibilities. Sometimes we're like expressionless drones. And often we're complaining and whining like everybody else.

But consider Nehemiah's working wardrobe - a predictable smile, a contagious joy, and a consistent positiveness in the midst of daily drudgery. In our world, that is an attention getter, and that wardrobe is always in style.

Wear joy to your work place every day. You'll knock 'em dead!

Read: Matthew 25:31-40; Philippians 2:3-8

“Mom!” Jade called as she ran into the kitchen.

“What’s up?” Jade’s mom asked from where she stood kneading bread dough.

“I just saw an ad about kids who don’t have enough food to eat or clothes to wear, and I want to help, Mom!” Jade explained in a rush.

Mom dusted flour off her hands. “Jade, I’m so glad you want to help and serve others. Why don’t we start with Mr. Barton?” Mom turned to the cabinet and pulled down two cans. “I have this chicken noodle soup that we can drop off to him since he’s sick.”

Jade frowned. “But he lives just down the street. I want to help people in a poor country in another part of the world.”

“He’s an older man who lives alone,” said Mom. “It’s hard for him to afford groceries or cook, and he can’t drive anymore. We can show kindness to Mr. Barton by helping him out.”

“He’s just one person, Mom! I want to help lots and lots of people!” Jade exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

Mom removed her apron. “Jade, remember when you trusted Jesus as your Savior last year?”

“Well,” Mom continued, “when you trusted Jesus to forgive your sins, the Holy Spirit came to live in your heart. He gives you the desire and ability to love and help others so they can know Jesus loves them too.”

“Then isn’t it good that I want to help lots of people?” Jade asked.

“Of course!” Mom smiled. “Jesus doesn’t want us to forget about people in faraway places. But He wants us to look for opportunities to bless people who are nearby too.”

“So serving one person is just as important as helping out lots of people?”

Mom nodded. “Jesus said that whenever we serve even one person, we are actually serving Jesus Himself.”

“Wow!” Jade’s eyes grew big. “Let’s take Mr. Barton the soup right now. I’ll grab a jug of orange juice from the fridge too. Come on, Mom! We have important helping to do!”

–Allison Wilson Lee

How about you? Has God given you a desire to help people around the world who are struggling? What about people in your hometown or church? Or just one person down the street? When we help others, we show them Christ’s love. You don’t need lots of money or have to go someplace far away to live out His love. Helping a neighbor, friend, sibling, or whoever God places in your life is a wonderful chance to serve Jesus by serving others.

Today's Key Verse: The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Serve others near and far

Be encouraged to trust the Lord to meet all of your needs.

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Faith-based investing is expanding rapidly—and new tools are opening the door to more thoughtful stewardship. As more investors seek alignment between conviction and strategy, ETFs have become one of the most talked-about vehicles. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West and Brian Mumbert explore the opportunity faith-based ETFs offer investors. Then, it’s on to your calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live . . . biblical wisdom for your financial journey. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

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In 1848, engineer Charles Ellet Jr. puzzled over how to begin the process of constructing the first bridge over the Niagara Falls gorge. How would they get a cable across the river? Prompted by a dream, Charles decided to host a kite-flying contest: whomever could land a kite on the other side would receive five dollars. It was won by American teenager Homan Walsh when his kite landed on the Canadian side of the river. Homan’s kite string was secured to a tree and used to pull a light cord back across the river. Progressively heavier cords were pulled back and forth until heavy wire cable was in place. This was the small beginning of the construction of the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge.

The bridge’s challenges and inauspicious beginnings mirror those faced by those working to rebuild God’s temple after returning from captivity in Babylon. An angel awakened the prophet Zechariah with a message that nothing would thwart God’s work—it would all be accomplished “by [His] Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6). Some of those who’d seen the temple in its previous glory were fearful that the rebuilt version would pale in comparison (Ezra 3:12). The angel encouraged Zechariah that they shouldn’t “despise the day of small things” because God would “rejoice” in seeing the work begun (v. 10).

Even though the tasks God has appointed to us may seem insignificant, we can be encouraged knowing He uses small things—like kite strings—to accomplish His great works.

Segment 1

• Pope Leo’s use of Matthew 25 misapplies God’s Word by turning an individual mandate into a government policy.

• Learn from Speaker Mike Johnson’s calm, biblical approach to hostile media questions—and why his tone matters for every Christian.

• Get a crash course on what the Bible actually says about borders, nations, assimilation, and the role of civil authority.

Segment 2

• Watch progressives contradict their past positions on immigration through a shocking AI-generated political montage.

• Laugh (and cringe) at a satirical skit where a liberal time-travels to kill Hitler—only to discover eerie ideological overlaps.

• Understand how worldview—not just politics—drives modern shifts in culture and moral reasoning.

Segment 3

• John Macarthur’s heartfelt worship should be a lesson for us all.

• Reconsider everything you assumed about the Puritans—especially their deep focus on the love of God.

• Hear how a forgotten Puritan voice might be the encouragement you need today if your faith feels more fearful than joyful.

Segment 4

• Explore why love, not just justice or wrath, is the central attribute behind God’s redemption plan.

• Let Octavius Winslow’s rich theology flood your soul with hope, assurance, and a fresh view of God’s heart.

• Fear of God and love from God must coexist—together, they fuel worship, holiness, and evangelism.

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Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callaway, "Heart of the Matter." Enjoy!