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Matt and Lisa Jacobson share some simple and effective ideas for showing love to your kids. You may say the words “I love you” all the time, but do your kids know how much you LIKE them? Parents need to be intentional about spending time, showing affection, and respecting their children.

When Saul became king, he was “little in his own eyes” (see 1 Sam. 15:17), but some time later all that changed drastically. The erosion of his character left him proud, impatient, and downright rebellious…a man who refused to bow even to the Lord his God. A serious failure and well worth our attention.

From the Series: Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives: Rediscovering Some Old Testament Characters

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In our fast-paced world it’s easy to lose touch with the basics of life. Basics like integrity, decency, honesty, and commitment. These are not character flaws!

Jack Phillips was a senior radioman on the maiden voyage of the ill-fated Titanic. On that fatal night when two-thirds of her passengers and crew would die, Phillips actually received a message from a ship called the Masaba. That ship was reporting on a major ice field ahead and the message gave the coordinates where the Titanic could expect to encounter those icebergs. It was the place where just two hours later, the Titanic would, in fact, hit one of those icebergs. The message with the warning of what was ahead - would you believe it - didn't get delivered. Jack Phillips was really busy at the time - a lot of radio traffic - and he stuck the message on a spindle to be delivered sometime later, and it never was. That one decision would cost the lives of 1,500 people and the life of the radioman himself.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Deadly Silence."

Life-saving information never delivered. That is a tragedy that has been repeated countless times, as followers of Jesus Christ fail to deliver the life-saving message God has given to them. The message of how His Son's death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin and made the way for our sin to be forgiven so we could go to heaven. But if those who know it never tell those who don't, lives are going to be lost forever. That is the deadly silence.

If you belong to Jesus, you may not fully realize the reason you are where you are and the incredibly important role you play in the plans of God and in the eternal destiny of people you know. There's a story in the Bible that wonderfully illustrates your position in the lives of your family, your coworkers, and your neighbors. It's found in 2 Kings 5:1-3, and it's our word for today from the Word of God.

The Bible says: "Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. Naaman was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy." Okay, highly successful, very famous leader suddenly facing something bigger than he is - the fatal disease of leprosy.

The story continues: "Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, 'If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria (that was Elijah) he would cure him of his leprosy.'" Ultimately, General Naaman acts on that information. His body is healed and he opens his heart to Jehovah God.

Someone close to him knew how he could be saved and she took the risk to point him to the only person who could help. Humanly speaking, she was working there because of something bad that had happened to her; she was captured by enemy soldiers. But she came to understand that she had been divinely positioned where she was to save a life there. So have you. God, not circumstances, has positioned you where you are so you can help save the lives of the people there by pointing them to your Jesus; the only one who can save them.

Like the girl working as a servant in the home of a very important man, it's a risk to tell them how they can be cured of the cancer of sin and how they can live forever. You won't take that risk if you're thinking about yourself. You will take the risk if you realize that the greatest risk of all is that they will die without the information that could have helped them go to heaven with you. We can't be this close to them for so long and never tell them the life-saving information we know.

Pray each day that God will give you natural opportunities to share what you know about Jesus. Ask God to show you how to approach each person, and even ask Him to give you the words to say. He's promised He would. Living a Christlike life in front of them is very important, but it's not enough. They

Read: Matthew 10:28-31

“Shall I brush your hair before you go to bed, sweetie?” Grandma asked. Jiya, who was spending the night with her grandparents, nodded and got her hairbrush. Her scalp tingled as Grandma brushed her hair with long, gentle strokes.

When she finished, Grandma handed the brush to Jiya. “There, now. Why don’t you clean the hair out of the brush so it’ll be all ready for next time?”

Jiya carried the brush to the wastebasket. “When you brush my hair, a lot comes out, Grandma,” she said as she pulled out strands that had twisted around the bristles. “Am I going to be bald like Grandpa?”

Grandma chuckled. “No, you don’t have to worry about that, sweetheart. It’s normal to lose up to a hundred hairs a day, but you have many more than that on your head—maybe a hundred thousand.”

“Wow!” said Jiya. “That’s a lot! I wonder who counted them.”

“Well, God keeps count of every one,” Grandma said.

“He does?”

“That’s right. The Bible says the hairs on our heads are all numbered. I think that shows He loves us very much, don’t you?”

Jiya nodded. “The first verse I ever learned was John 3:16—‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…’” She paused, thinking hard. “God loves me so much He sent Jesus to die for me, and He cares how many hairs I have. That’s awesome!”

“Yes, God is awesome,” Grandma said, pulling back the sheets on Jiya’s bed. “He even knows when a hair falls out, and He cares for you and watches over you day and night.”

“Even when I’m sleeping,” Jiya said with a yawn.

Grandma smiled. “Yes, and I can see that it’s time for you to snuggle into bed. Go tell Grandpa goodnight and then I’ll tuck you in.”

“Okay. And I’ll tell him not to worry about his hair,” Jiya said, heading for the bedroom door. “I’ll tell him God cares how many hairs he has and won’t let him lose more than he should.”

–Kim Sheard

How about you? Are you aware that God knows everything about you—including how many hairs are on your head? He knows when you’re happy and when you’re sad. He watches over you when you’re awake and when you’re sleeping. He loves you so much He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you, and He cares about every detail of your life. He is truly an awesome God!

Today's Key Verse: The very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: God cares for you

Learn to pursue your heavenly Father and embrace an intimate relationship with Him.

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It’s common for those who are traveling overseas for the first time to pack a lot of stuff.  The fear is being so far from home and needing something. But a recent article speaks of the problems of over-packing. It advises leaving behind shampoo and hair dryers (which most hotels have) and not bringing extra shoes and books, which are bulky and heavy. The writer notes that when you wind up lugging heavy luggage over Europe’s cobblestone streets, you’ll wish you didn’t bring so much with you. 

In a way, it’s an apt metaphor for the travel advice the apostle Paul provides.: “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Timothy 6:7). He ties this to the problem of possessing too much: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation,” and he warns that extra baggage is “a trap” leading to “ruin and destruction” (v. 9). People of faith have a different travel destination where all that’s needed is provided by God—“everything for our enjoyment” (v. 17).

It might be good for us today to remember that what we accumulate in life is meaningless. We can’t take it with us. By being “generous and willing to share” (v. 18), Paul says, we “lay up treasure . . . for the coming age.” This is the best travel tip of all, the secret to “life that is truly life” (v. 19).

Sports betting is exploding across the country. What many see as harmless fun can quickly become a trap that distorts our view of money, stewardship, and even our neighbors. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West and pastor and author Kyle Worley talk about the real spiritual stakes. Then, it’s onto your calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live—biblical wisdom for your financial decisions, weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

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Segment 1

• Why a century-old song about narcissism is more relevant than ever—and what it says about our cultural moment.

• Here’s how postmodernism, pop culture, and deconstructionism have normalized self-worship.

• We need a specific toolset to engage with a generation raised in a “me-first” world.

Segment 2

• Learn the 5 powerful traits formed by 1980s upbringing—and how they’re vanishing in modern culture.

• Gen X and Boomers feel “alien” in today’s world—and their strengths differ from Gen Z’s vulnerabilities.

• Gen X’s latchkey autonomy and delayed gratification shaped stronger mental frameworks, which impacts how they parent.

Segment 3

• The truth behind gentle parenting: does avoiding “no” really help children grow?

• A therapist and mother reflects on how saying “yes” too much undermines authority and trust.

• These observations are brought back to the Proverbs—and how loving discipline builds resilient adults.

Segment 4

• Creationism vs. Traducianism vs. Pre-existence: Which view on the soul lines up with Scripture?

• Origen’s false teachings were condemned, but can still show up today.

• Your view on the soul’s origin shape your view of sin, salvation, and Jesus Himself.

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