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Before the fish swallowed Jonah, he thought he was a goner. But the prophet came to his senses. From that dark, slimy chapel, Jonah uttered the prayer we read in chapter 2—the text of this sermon.

From the Series: Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet

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Are you a parent who feels overwhelmed or ill-equipped to talk about sex with your kids? You’re not alone! In this episode, Mary Flo and Megan from Birds & Bees unpack how to have ongoing, age-appropriate conversations about sexuality, fostering trust and openness from an early age. We tackle common parental fears and discomforts, especially for Christian families, providing practical steps to build confidence. Learn the “”drip, drip, drip”” method for normalizing discussions about body parts, boundaries, and sex starting as young as age one, which is crucial for protecting children from abuse. We discuss teaching anatomically correct terms and clear boundaries to empower kids to report violations.

Show Notes and Resources

• Check out Megan and Mary's website and listen in to their podcast. 

• Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• See resources from our past podcasts.
• Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app!
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If you're a frequent flyer, as I have been in the past, they give you frequent flyer miles that eventually add up to a free ticket. Well, they give their really frequent flyers a few fringe benefits. The benefits aren't quite what they used to be, but like sometimes you can do early boarding. When one of our leaders and I were flying a lot together, it helped if we could board early. Because we could kind of get set up for a lot of work to get done on the flight. Now, he didn't have all the miles I did, but the boarding agents were pretty nice to him, because he boarded with me. My ticket, well, it has this special stamp that would indicate my high-mileage status. And on one occasion, they actually offered early boarding to us guys that they see all the time. They took my ticket and then he was following right behind me. He said, "I'm with him. Is that OK?" Yep. We went together.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Why God Will Let You In."

Sometimes the one way you can get in is on the strength of who you know. "I'm with him." Well, for sure, it's the only way any of us will ever get into heaven the day we die.

That important fact is dramatically demonstrated in our word for today from the Word of God from Luke 23 beginning at verse 42. The scene is that skull-shaped hill where Jesus is dying on the cross, with a criminal on a cross on either side of him.

Now the Bible says of one of those men, "Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.'" When this man died and kept his appointment with God, I could just see him grabbing Jesus and saying to God, "I'm with Him."

Now we know from Jesus Himself that that man is in heaven. Not because he was baptized. He wasn't. Not because he was confirmed. There was no time for that. Not because he was religious or righteous. He wasn't. He would go to heaven when he died for one reason. He had put his total trust in Jesus to forgive his sins and take him to heaven. It's the only way that thief could go to heaven. It's the only way I can; it's the only way you can.

God puts it this way. "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men" (1 Timothy 2:5). A ransom is the price you pay to get someone back, right? When Jesus died on that cross, He was absorbing all the guilt and all the punishment, all the hell of every sin you have ever committed. He was paying the price to get you back - the ransom. And no one else did that; no one else could. That's why your eternity depends on whether or not you grab Jesus to rescue you like a drowning person would grab a lifeguard.

You might wonder if God can forgive some of the things you've done. Well that dying thief, with his life of crime, might well have wondered the same thing until he heard Jesus say of the men who had executed Him, "Father, forgive them." If Jesus would forgive the men who nailed Him to that cross, is there anything He won't forgive? He will forgive you!

Don't wait another day to make sure you're going to heaven when you die. You just don't know when your date with God is. Say to Jesus, "Lord, remember me. Forgive me. Be the Savior for my sin." Your sins will be forgiven, and your name will be entered in His book of those who have eternal life in heaven that the Bible describes.

This is the day to say, "Jesus, I'm yours. I want to be ready for eternity whenever it comes." I've laid out simply the path to begin your relationship with Him at our website. I urge you to go check it out today. It's ANewStory.com.

Let today be the day you settle your eternity. So that when you meet God, you can say, "I'm with Him." And you'll hear

When Royston’s daughter Hannah suffered a brain bleed that resulted in a coma, he and his family repeatedly turned to God in prayer. Over months of waiting they clung to each other—and to God. The family’s faith awakened, as Royston reflected: “Never has God felt closer.” Throughout the ordeal, they were given “a renewal of faith to persist in prayer” like the “widow of Luke 18.”

Royston referred to Jesus’ story about a widow who continually sought justice from the town’s official, which He gave to illustrate “that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). This woman appealed repeatedly to the judge, who in weariness finally relented. Jesus contrasted that uncaring judge with God, saying, “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” (v. 7).

Although Jesus’ story addresses an unjust judge, the family members felt spurred on by it to pray for Hannah, asking the truly just and loving God for relief and help. They found themselves being drawn ever closer to Him: “As we seek God . . . it’s almost as if we’re the ones really waking up from our slumber.” After many months, Hannah woke from the coma and is slowly recovering.

When we draw close to God, He hears our requests and answers according to His grace. He invites us to cry out to Him day or night.

College students may be pros at pulling off last-minute study sessions, but when it comes to finances, cramming just doesn’t cut it. We often say that everyone needs a budget, and for college students, that might be even more crucial. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Dr. Kelly Rush joins Rob West with practical budgeting advice every college student should hear. Then, Rob tackles your financial questions. Listen for Faith & Finance Live, where biblical wisdom meets today’s finances, weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio. 

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio.  To join our team of supporters, click here.

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Wait a minute — that’s not Todd! Today on Wretched Radio, Fortis Institute Fellow and Way of Manhood host Dr. Adam Tyson explores how seeing God’s holiness exposes our sin, fuels worship, transforms our speech, and empowers us to forgive.

Segment 1

• Seeing God’s holiness exposes your sin and demands a response—repent or reject.

• Isaiah’s vision shows God’s majesty and your unworthiness: “Woe is me… I am a man of unclean lips.”

• Real encounters with God lead to humility, repentance, and mission: “Here am I, send me.”

Segment 2

• Psalm 84 reveals that pursuing God’s presence fuels passion and endurance, even through dry seasons.

• Like sparrows finding rest at the altar, your soul finds peace near God.

• “Better is one day in Your courts…”—God’s presence is better than anything this world offers.

Segment 3

• James 3 warns: your tongue controls your life like a rudder on a ship or a spark that ignites a wildfire.

• No one can tame the tongue—except Christ working through a changed heart.

• If God has cleansed you, your words should now build up, not destroy.

Segment 4

• Jesus’ parable reminds us: forgiven sinners forgive others—no exceptions.

• You’ve been forgiven an $8 billion debt; refusing to forgive a $30,000 offense shows an unforgiving heart.

• Release bitterness and extend mercy—not because it’s easy, but because you’ve been forgiven much.

___

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Why would early Christians choose the cross as their symbol when it represented death, shame, and defeat? Dr. Neufeld explores how the cross was considered foolish and offensive in the ancient world - yet became the central message of Christianity. Using Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians, he examines why the gospel message remains scandalous today: it strips away human pride, declaring that we contribute nothing to our salvation.

The Power of Christ in a Pagan World: Join Dr. John Neufeld for this 20-message series as he focuses on the book of 1 Corinthians. Covering chapters 1-4, The Power of Christ in a Pagan World looks at the many issues that confronted the church in Corinth; Problems that seemed to find their place within the church at every turn! This series helps us unpack the different conflicts and struggles of this early church in a relevant and practical way. Even though the church in Corinth existed a long time ago, they went through trials that might sound familiar to us in the 21st Century!