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On FamilyLife Today, part 2 of a girls’ day talk goes straight for the tension: Can strong, vocal women actually enjoy biblical submission? Ann Wilson hosts pastors' wives Ari Todd and Brittany Gray, who say yes to submission—with joy. Their stories reveal submission not as erasure, but as a Christ-centered posture that brings relief, courage, and surprising freedom. If the word still makes you wince, this conversation might rewrite your instincts.

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Justin Brierley is a Christian apologist, popular author and podcaster in the U.K. who is reaching many people as he shares from a Christian worldview. He believes there is a growing wave of faith in the culture, including among skeptics and atheists, and we have a great opportunity to share the gospel. Based on his book Why I’m Still a Christian, Justin shares how science and other disciplines point to our Creator. He addresses heart issues, something beyond intellect that is drawing people in the culture to search for truth.

There were only two words in the headline in USA Today, but most of us understand the urgency of those two words: "Blood needed!" They were talking about an alarming shortage of blood available in blood banks due to a severe winter, a holiday season, and a bad flu season. One spokesman for the Association of Blood Banks said, "If you've had a bad car accident or a couple of gunshot wounds, you're in a world of trouble." I guess so. There is no fact more basic to human life - without the blood you need, you die.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Blood, No Life."

We understand the need for blood physically. But if God didn't explain it to us, we'd never understand our need for blood to live spiritually and to live eternally after we die. Our word for today from the Word of God tells us about it and it's a good thing. It's in Hebrews 9:22. It says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." That's pretty straight up isn't it?

The reason forgiveness is so critical is because that's the only way to have the sins of your life removed from God's book. There's no chance of heaven for you or me if we try to go there with our sin, and there's no way to get rid of our sin without God's forgiveness. And here God tells us there's no way to get that forgiveness without blood - blood that is shed for the death penalty that sin carries.

For God's ancient people, the Jews, that meant a system of regular animal sacrifices where the shedding of a substitute's blood - the blood of that animal - could provide a way to be forgiven. But it was only temporary and it was very incomplete because, as God says later in Hebrews, "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4). But then God sent to earth the only One who was perfect enough to be the substitute for all of us, shedding His blood for us. "We have been made holy" the Bible says. That means acceptable to God, "through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all" (Hebrews 10:10).

Now, there are some people who don't like all this talk about blood. But this isn't about gore. It's about love. We just don't understand the seriousness of our condition with God. We're lifelong rebels against His rule over us. We're under an eternal death penalty that can only be paid by someone dying! If you want to see the horror of all of our lies and our selfishness and our lust and our pride and our sexual sins and all the hurting we've done, just walk up to the Cross of Jesus and look at the mangled form of the Son of God. Listen as He cries out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" That's what our sin looks like. That's what it took to pay for my sin. It took the blood of the Son of God.

If you're depending on anything else, no matter how spiritual or how religious to get you to God, you're not going to make it. God provided this way for you to be forgiven, for you to live forever. The question is, have you ever been to Jesus' cross in your heart and put all your trust in the One who died there in your place? There's no reason you have to pay for your sin. Not when Jesus, in His love, already paid it for you as your substitute. The Bible says, "He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world"... and yours.

Have you ever put your total trust in Jesus to be your Savior, your Rescuer, your Forgiver? If not, why not begin your relationship with Him today? Just say, "Jesus, I've been running my own life. I resign. Today, I'm abandoning all trust in everything else and putting all my trust in You.

I'd love to help you make that commitment to Christ and understand it better. That's why our website's there. Please check it out today. It's ANewStory.com.

For you to have a relationship with your creator, for you

Read: Psalm 19:12-14; Ephesians 4:29

Isabela peeked over her brother’s shoulder at the picture he was drawing. “Hey, that’s pretty good! But you need to color in that bit of sky you missed in the corner or turn it into a cloud.”

“You’re so bossy!” Matías shot back. “I don’t care what you think, so stop trying to tell me what to do!” Isabela’s eyes filled with tears, and she left the room.

That afternoon, Isabela played at a friend’s house while Matías and Mom went to a greenhouse. “Why don’t you look around while I find the stuff I’m looking for?” Mom said.

Matías wandered around, looking at various plants. “Come see our mimosas,” one of the workers said. He pointed to some spiky green plants, and Matías went over to see them. “Blow on one of those,” the man said.

Puzzled, Matías blew. He was surprised to see the plant’s leaves suddenly curl up. “Did I hurt it?” he asked in alarm.

“No, it will be fine,” the worker assured him. “These plants respond to possible injury by curling their leaves. That keeps them from being harmed by insects or rain. It doesn’t take much to cause them to curl up.”

Matías was fascinated by the plants, and he told Mom about them as they drove home.

“Those mimosa plants remind me of your sister,” Mom said.

“Isabela?” asked Matías. “How?”

“They’re very sensitive,” Mom replied. “When you blow on mimosa leaves, they curl up. And when you say harsh, unkind words to Isabela, she’s hurt deep inside and withdraws to avoid being hurt more. We’ve talked about this before, but I’ve noticed that you might have forgotten.”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Matías said quietly. “I’ll tell Isabela I’m sorry too.”

“Good,” said Mom. “We may not always realize it, but our words have an effect on people. That’s why we need to depend on Jesus to help us make our words acceptable in His sight. Every word He says to us in the Bible communicates His love for us and what He did to save us so we can grow in our faith. Trust Him to help you speak to others in a way that encourages them and helps them grow too.”

–Karen S. Birt

How about you? What kind of words have you used today? Did the things you say encourage others and help them grow—or make them shrivel up? Even if you don’t mean to, it’s easy to say things that are hurtful, so pay close attention to your words and how they affect others. Trust Jesus to help you show His love through everything you say and speak words that are acceptable to Him.

Today's Key Verse: Let the words of my mouth…be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord. Psalm 19:14 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Use words to help, not hurt

God is called by many names in the Bible, but one of the most comprehensive is the name "I Am." God has many titles that remind us of His attributes and can encourage us when we face difficult circumstances. Dr. Stanley uses the life of Paul to illustrate that God truly is the God of all comfort.

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In his Confessions, Augustine wrestled with how it was possible for God to be in relationship with him. How could the One who created the universe come into something as small and sinful as his heart? But he pleaded with God to make it possible, praying, “The house of my soul is narrow. Enlarge it, so that you may enter it. It’s in ruins! Repair it! It has things in it that would offend your eyes. I confess and know it. But who will cleanse it, or to whom will I cry, but to you?”

Today we know Augustine as Saint Augustine, a revered philosopher and theologian. But he saw himself simply as someone transformed by the wonder of a God who wanted to know him.

In Psalm 119, the psalmist is also in awe of God’s revelation of Himself, particularly through Scripture (v. 18). “You shall enlarge my heart” (v. 32 nkjv), the psalmist celebrated. It’s only because God is graciously willing to enlarge our hearts that we can joyfully walk the path He shows us (v. 45). He turns our hearts away from what is corrupt (vv. 36-37) to the “path of [His] commands,” where we find infinite “delight” (v. 35).

We are small, and our hearts are fickle. But when we turn our longing hearts to God (vv. 34, 36), He guides us down the paths of joy and true freedom.

Segment 1

• Not all doctrinal errors are created equal: some are skin-deep, while some are truly fatal.

• Denying core attributes of God (justice, omnipotence, Trinity) moves you firmly outside Christian orthodoxy.

• Secondary issues can quietly morph into primary threats if they implicate larger, more central theological issues.

Segment 2

• Hell may be a secondary issue… but it’s not just a “friendly disagreement.”

• Rejecting eternal punishment often stems from seeking to redefine God’s character as only loving.

• It may seem harmless, but it warps the gospel and threatens scriptural foundations.

Segment 3

• Phil Johnson says that questions can be asked, but not every doctrine should be endlessly debated.

• If one wants to deny hell, one usually has to get around some pretty clear words from Jesus.

• Most historical rejections of hell came from cults or liberal fringe—not the faithful church.

Segment 4

• Today’s “just asking questions” mindset is often doubt disguised as curiosity.

• Hell isn’t up for revision—it’s central to Jesus’ message and the urgency of the gospel.

• Tone matters, but clarity matters more: eternal conscious torment is the historic, biblical truth.

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Thanks for listening!

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Finding financial freedom isn’t ultimately about getting more—it’s about learning to trust God with what you already have. When it comes to money, we often focus on strategies and tools, but the true path to freedom starts much deeper—in the heart. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West and Ron Blue share how aligning our finances with God’s wisdom can bring lasting peace and clarity. Then, it’s on to 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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