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How can God command us to fear Him while also telling us "fear not"? Dr. John tackles this apparent contradiction in Isaiah 44:1-8, exploring what it means to fear God rightly. As God promises judgment through Babylon, He simultaneously declares to Israel: "Fear not, I will never abandon you." For believers struggling with sin and uncertainty, these words offer profound comfort—we need not fear that God will forsake us or that His promises will fail.

God and the World's Idols: What are you really worshipping? In this series through Isaiah 40–44, Dr. John Neufeld explores one of Scripture's most powerful confrontations between the living God and the idols humanity creates. Writing to a nation facing exile and questioning whether their God has abandoned them, Isaiah paints a stunning portrait of who God truly is — His wisdom that needs no counsel, His power that never grows weary, His sovereignty over history itself.

Men, you’ve heard “lead your wife.” But what if you missed the assignment? Dave Wilson sits down with pastors Ike Todd and Rechab Gray for a no-posturing, men-only gut check on Ephesians 5:23 and surrounding verses. This isn’t chest-thumping leadership talk—it’s about cherishing, nourishing, repenting, and loving like Jesus actually does. Expect laughs, holy conviction, and practical shifts that make submission safer, lighter, and—yes—happier.

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Some things are worth waiting for. Do you struggle with God’s timing? Think of Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Trust that God knows what He’s doing and wait patiently for Him to act.

To speak of sexual purity in a society like ours may seem futile and may make us the object of jokes and scorn, but we must.

From the Series: The Sanctity of Life...The Inescapable Issue

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When it comes to instilling character in our kids, the most essential aspect we can teach and model for them is resilience. Dr. Kathy Koch explores the importance of resilience in our lives and how we can nurture that trait in our children. As a parent, you are the key to your child’s resilience! Through intentional modeling, ongoing conversation and observation, and encouragement, you can help them learn to bounce back from struggles, get unstuck, and move forward with courage and confidence.

Our daughter-in-law grew up in the desert. So, the first time she saw the ocean, and the seashells that are all over the beach at low tide, she said, "Can you keep them?" She did! I mean, the good news is, "Yes, you can." And we've loved collecting seashells when we've had opportunity to spend time along the coast. Some of those shells make it to the shore totally intact. Others, well you know, are broken, sometimes by the surf, sometimes by seagulls who've peck them open to get at their yummy tenants. Occasionally, I've found a particularly striking treasure, though, like the conch shell that I picked up a few years ago. It was badly broken. But inside there was some amazing beauty - beautiful swirls in white and blue and pearl, and it made an incredible design to behold. Outside, that shell was just like rough and plain - just another shell - but not on the inside. I never would have seen its unforgettable beauty if it hadn't been broken.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Beauty From Brokenness."

God displays some of His most beautiful creations through broken things. Maybe broken is a word that in some way describes you right now. Then it's possible He could show folks some of His beauty through you.

As hard as that might be for you to believe right now, you need to hear what your Creator has promised to broken people in our word for today from the Word of God. It's in Isaiah 61, beginning with verse 1. Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, "The Sovereign Lord has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners...to comfort all those who mourn...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." God says that, through His Son, He wants to unleash in your soul healing for the pain of your past, and a freedom from the darkness that has brought you down. He wants to turn what's been something ugly into something beautiful and something life-giving.

He goes on to say of the broken people He touches that "they will be called oaks of righteousness...for the display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated...All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed." So, God says He wants to do a powerful restoring, hope-giving work in broken people, so He can use them to do a powerful, hope-giving work for Him in a broken world.

I know He does that. I've seen it in a team of young Native Americans who have lived the despair of the highest rates of alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual abuse, and suicide on this continent. They are broken! But with Christ now in their lives, they go on our On Eagles' Wings team to the heart of North America's reservations telling their hope stories. And a generation that hasn't listened to anyone, that's written off Jesus as the white man's God, listens to them. And they have led literally thousands of Native Americans to Christ, because the light shines more brightly through broken vessels...a broken vessel like you and me.

They will listen to you because of your scars. They can see through your wounds the amazing beauty of a joy and a hope that only a Savior like Jesus can give. If you'll turn away from your despair, and maybe your bitterness, anger, self-pity, and give your brokenness to Him, He can do that miracle for you.

The songwriter was right when he said this, "All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife. But He made something beautiful of my life."

Read: Psalm 51:2; Isaiah 43:25; 1 John 1:6-9

Press, stamp! Press, stamp!

Kaitlyn’s thumb squished into the orange stamp pad, then she squashed it onto paper. Next, she pushed her finger into the yellow stamp pad, and a sunny oval appeared on the page. Soon she had a collection of colorful fingerprints, and she was ready to create designs with her black pen.

But her fingers were coated in wet, gooey ink in every color of the rainbow! She couldn’t pick up her pen without leaving bright marks all over it.

“Mom,” Kaitlyn called. “Help!” She waved ten inky fingertips in the air.

Mom arrived with a warm towel, and as Kaitlyn’s fingers washed clean, the white washcloth became stained with color.

“You know,” observed Mom, “this reminds me of something.”

“What?” asked Kaitlyn. She picked up her pen with clean fingers and began to doodle on top of the fresh, dry ink.

“When we are stained with sin, like your fingers were stained with ink, Jesus is the only one who can make us clean.”

Suddenly, Kaitlyn’s elbow was bumped from behind. The black pen in her hand wildly curved across her page. “It’s ruined!” she cried. “Hunter, it’s all your fault!”

Her little brother’s shoulders slumped.

Immediately, Kaitlyn felt remorseful. She prayed silently. She thought of how the white cloth had just removed ink stains from her hands, and she asked Jesus to forgive her harsh words and wash her clean. Then, taking a deep breath, Kaitlyn said, “I’m sorry I yelled at you, Hunter. It was just an accident.”

Hunter moved close for a little hug, then leaned against the table to watch.

Kaitlyn turned that wild black line into a swooping antenna. She dotted on black eyes and colored in larger spots to make an orange ladybug. Next, on a green print, she drew curly wool, a little face, and spindly legs to make a sweet lamb.

Soon Kaitlyn’s page filled with animals of all kinds. When she was finished, she turned to Hunter. “Would you like me to help you make fingerprint art?”

A wide smile was her answer.

–Wendy Lynne Smith

How about you? Do you need God to wash away the stain of your sin? God loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to take your guilt upon Himself. All you need to do is confess your wrongdoings and trust Him to make you clean. Jesus will forgive your sins and give you a clean heart.

Today's Key Verse: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus washes away your sin

How do you feel when you have to make major life decisions? You don't have to make these decisions alone—God wants to give you clear direction. Dr. Stanley shares the principles necessary to making right decisions.

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The acclaimed painting Let My People Go by Aaron Douglas uses vibrant colors of lavender, green, and gold, along with traditional African imagery, to tell the biblical story of Moses and connect it with Black Americans’ struggle for freedom and justice.

The painting portrays God’s appearance to Moses in a burning bush when he revealed that He’d seen the plight of the Israelites in Egypt. The artist uses a beam of light to symbolize God and His message, “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10).

In Let My People Go, Moses kneels in obedient submission to God’s instructions, but the eye is drawn to the dark waves and horses trained for war surrounding him—reminding viewers of the struggles the Israelites would face as they left Egypt. But the beam of light shines brightly as a reminder that God would be with the Israelites in their struggle.

The emotions evoked by the painting resonate because the struggle against injustice continues; many use their power to oppress men, women, and children around the world. As those suffering cry out for God to be “a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9), we can plead with God to respond to their cries for help. And, like Moses, we can be willing to act on behalf of the oppressed.