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How can a loving God allow so much suffering, and how can we know our salvation is secure? In this episode, Dr. John Neufeld addresses two questions that strike at the heart of God's love for His people. He explains why suffering exists in a fallen world and reveals five ways God uses it for our good. Dr. Neufeld then tackles assurance of salvation, pointing us away from confidence in ourselves and toward the finished work of Christ.

I've Got Questions: In this thought-provoking series, Dr. John Neufeld tackles the real questions people are asking today—from the exclusivity of Christ to the problem of suffering, from biblical authority to assurance of salvation. Rather than offering quick answers, he uses each question as a bridge back to the foundational truths of Scripture. Dr. Neufeld equips believers to build their faith on solid ground while engaging honestly with the challenges of our contemporary world.

Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callaway, "Of Sports and Life." Enjoy!

Think parenting is about shaping your kids? Surprise — it’s God shaping you. On FamilyLife Today's lively, laugh-and-groan episode, Dave and Ann Wilson chat with Bruce and Maria Goff, parents of four, about how kids expose our idols of control, image, and comfort. With humor and honesty, they reveal how gospel-centered parenting means dying to self, finding joy in Jesus, and letting grace — not perfection — lead the home.

Thanks for tuning into FamilyLife today. If you heard us on your local radio station, don’t worry you have found that same programming here in a full length episode.

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Responding to restlessness on the job, plus Dr. Henry Cloud on establishing boundaries, and wisdom with physical touch when dating.   

Featured musical artist: Je’kob

Roundtable: Why Am I So Restless at Work?

We all experience restlessness with our jobs or chosen career paths. But how do we discern when restlessness is discontentment or fear versus a sign that we need to move on to something new? Our guests share their own examples of feeling the “career itch” and how they’ve dealt with it effectively.       

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Culture: Lessons From a Boundaries Expert

Are you a people pleaser? Do you assume you can never say no for fear of disappointing others? Do you resent those who walk all over you, even as you let them do it? Dr. Henry Cloud wrote the defining book on boundaries and joins us with instruction for taking back our lives from our own fear, passivity and boundary busting. 

 Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life  

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Dr. Cloud’s Website 

Inbox: A Word About Touch

Physical touch may be your love language, but guardrails are still biblical and wise, especially with someone you’re dating. What should you know and do to honor God in this area? Counselor Andrea Vidano weighs in.    

Link to Counseling Services 

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Parents, teach your child of his significance regardless of looks, abilities, or intelligence. Every child is entitled to grow up confident and secure.

Explore the beauty of the body of Christ in Romans 16. Join Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he explains key qualities of a healthy church community.

From the Series: Romans: The Christian’s Constitution

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Dr. Gary Chapman encourages parents to embrace five timeless characteristics that will create a healthy family environment. These include a service-oriented mindset, intimacy between husband and wife, strong parental guidance, obedience from children, and loving leadership provided by the husband.

Missionary pilots are some of my greatest heroes. See, missionary pilots fly around the world and land places where you think a plane could never land. They know how to take their plane apart; they know how to put it back together again.

When I was in college, a few of my friends were in a missionary aviation course and it was tremendously competitive. They studied on campus for two years when we were there, and then if you made the list, if you made the cut, you went down south to the flight campus at an airport. I said if you made the cut. See, only half of the guys would end up going.

One Friday afternoon they posted those names, and I watched my friend sweat it out all week long. For some I think it might have been the longest week of their life. Finally the day came and there was a list. You could hear the shouting of some of the guys who had just experienced one of the most exciting moments in their life, because they found out they had made the list!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Hell's Highest Compliment."

Our word for today from the Word of God: we're in Acts 19, and I'll begin at verse 13. "Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, 'In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.' Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?' Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding."

That's a pretty enlightening passage because it appears that the forces of darkness have a list of people they consider a threat. The demons said, "We know Jesus. We know Paul. Who are you guys? Let me check the list. You're not there." These guys used the right words and they tried to do spiritual things, but they were spiritually powerless.

I always thought it would be a worthy if unusual goal to have my name known in hell. It's quite a list to be on, huh? I wonder if they've ever heard of me or you there? You don't make the list by attending meetings, or believing beliefs, or just saying Christian things, or even holding Christian offices. No, you make the Devil's list by making a difference for Christ.

Maybe you've been under fire lately. You've felt some pressure physically, or financially, or medically, maybe emotionally. It could be in your relationships. Maybe it's marital. Well, it's not time to blame everything on the Devil. I"m not a fan of that. But it is possible you made his list. Maybe you've started to take Jesus seriously for the first time in your life. Maybe you're starting to take some risks to move out for Him. Maybe you're finally moving from being a spectator to being a player for Him. Or you're daring to speak out about Jesus to lost people. Or possibly you're checking out your priorities and considering leaving your comfort zone to serve the Lord - stepping up to spiritual leadership.

Well, that means you are or you soon will be pushing back the darkness. A wise old pastor said, "The ferocity of Satanic attack upon you increases in direct proportion to your potential usefulness for Jesus Christ." That's true, but you have nothing to fear. No! The Bible says, "Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world." But you need to know that the turbulence may be coming from the Devil, which is God's signal that it's time to get your armor on and fight with spiritual weapons. It may be that nothing is really wrong; something is very right in what's going on in your life. Your new commitment to Jesus Christ has set off an alarm bell in hell.

When you're making a difference for Jesus, you

Read: Matthew 13:18-23

When Penelope got home from school, she found Grandpa on his knees in the garden. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Planting vegetables,” replied Grandpa. He grinned. “Aren’t you glad we live in a climate where we can grow things all year round? Nothing tastes better than vegetables fresh from the garden.”

“But didn’t you plant stuff in those same rows last week?” asked Penelope.

“I did, but the hard rains washed most of the seeds away.”

“Oh.” Penelope picked up a pile of empty seed packets and flipped through them. “You planted radishes before, but you don’t have any now, do you?”

Grandpa shook his head. “They haven’t done very well, so I’m trying something else instead. I might try them again next year.” He stood up. “Tell me about your day. You were going to ask Michaela to go to Bible club with you this week. What did she say?”

Penelope sighed. “She said she’d rather go shopping with her mom.”

“Well, inviting someone to do something with you is kind of like planting seeds,” Grandpa told her. “Sometimes you get good results, and sometimes you don’t.” He looked down at his garden. “In fact, your invitation to Michaela points to a much bigger invitation God offers each one of us.”

“It does?” asked Penelope. “What’s that?”

“His invitation to trust in His Son, Jesus, and have our sins forgiven. The Bible says telling others about His invitation is like planting seeds in a field. Some of the seeds yield good results—people believing and trusting in Jesus—but some don’t. When you invite your friends to church and Bible club where they can hear about Jesus and what He did for them, you’re planting seeds.” Grandpa smiled at Penelope. “Keep praying for Michaela and planting seeds in her life by spending time with her and sharing what Jesus has done for you. But since she doesn’t want to go to Bible club with you this time, maybe there’s someone else you could invite.”

Penelope thought about it. “There’s a new family on our block with a girl my age.”

Grandpa nodded. “She may need a friend,” he said. “A friend who can help her understand how much Jesus loves her.”

–Margaret M. Primrose

How about you? Do you give up if you tell someone about Jesus or invite them to come to church with you and they aren’t interested? Don’t give up! Keep on praying for them and showing them God’s love—and keep looking for other people you could reach out to who don’t know Jesus. God wants us to help spread the good news of Jesus by planting seeds in people’s hearts, but only He can make them grow. Keep sharing His invitation with others and trust Him with the results.

Today's Key Verse: Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Keep on sharing Jesus