CLA+

Much has been said about the prayer of the penitent thief on the cross next to Jesus. But dare we forget the one who didn’t pray? He offered no request. He, too, could have requested mercy. He, too, could have asked Jesus to remember him in the new kingdom. But he didn’t. He offered no prayer of repentance. And Jesus didn’t demand one.

Jesus gave both criminals the same choice. One said, “Remember me.” The other said nothing. There are times when God sends thunder to stir us. There are times when God sends blessings to lure us. But then there are times when God sends nothing but silence as he honors us with the freedom to choose where we spend eternity.

Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

“Oh no!” That was my response upon opening a beehive and discovering the colony had suddenly died. It had been a thriving hive with lots of honey. I’d carefully maintained it throughout a mild winter and anticipated an early harvest. But a cold snap in the warm weather led to collapse.

I checked with local experts. “Many beekeepers lost hives this time,” they reassured me. Mild winters present challenges for bees, even healthy hives. Bees fan their wings to maintain warmth in the hive in winter, but when weather warms briefly, they exhaust themselves seeking even more food. If temperatures drop quickly, they don’t have strength to keep warm. Their “distraction” leads to destruction.

Even good things can become dangers when they turn us from what matters most. Moses cautioned God’s people about this after they left Egypt and before they entered the land God was about to give them—a land with “houses filled with all kinds of good things” that they “did not provide” (Deuteronomy 6:11). “When you eat and are satisfied,” Moses warned, “be careful that you do not forget the Lord” (vv. 11–12).

Remembering God in our blessings helps us because He is the source of “every good and perfect gift ” (James 1:17). When we humbly respond to His goodness by loving Him with heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5), we find in Him the best blessing of all.

We would love to pray for you! Please send us your requests here.

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Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org.

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Is your best player underperforming … or in the wrong seat? In this episode, we’re sharing four reasons why the right person might be in the wrong role and how you can position them to win.

Get the free leader guide for this episode here: https://www.life.church/leadershippodcast/right-person-wrong-seat. 

This month, we're giving away 5 copies of Craig’s latest book, Heal Your Hurting Mind. Comment on this episode for a chance to win. 

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ABOUT CRAIG

Craig Groeschel is the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church and one of today’s most trusted voices in leadership. Since 2016, he’s shared practical, empowering leadership insights to help you grow through the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast.

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God has penned a list of our faults. The list God has made, however, cannot be deciphered. The mistakes are covered. The sins hidden. “He has forgiven you all your sins:  he has utterly wiped out the written evidence…and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 Phillips).

He knew the price of those sins was death. He knew the source of those sins was you, and since he couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, he chose the nails.

The verdict behind the death was not decided by jealous Jews. With a flex of the biceps, Jesus could have resisted. No. Jesus himself chose the nails. He knew that the purpose of the nail was to place your sins where they could be hidden by his sacrifice—nailed to the cross, covered by his blood.

Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Jess was getting on in years when he first heard the children’s folktale about the boy and the butterfly. Right away, he understood the story’s lesson on gaining strength from struggle. In the tale, a boy is given a butterfly cocoon but told not to open it. But as the cocoon slowly twists and shudders in his hand, the boy can’t resist using scissors to split it open so the butterfly inside can escape.

Freed from the struggle, however, the butterfly falls to the ground and dies without ever flying. “What happened?” the boy cries. Jess, after a long life, understood instantly. “The boy prevented the butterfly from using the muscles needed to grow strong and fly.”

The children’s lesson may be a fairy tale, but it affirms the bracing biblical truth taught by Paul to persecuted believers in Jesus in Rome. “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

Paul wasn’t saying to celebrate pain or deny its heartbreak. He confirmed instead that God will use life’s troubles to build our character, growing our hope in Him.

It’s in His strength that God develops our trust in His overcoming power. The butterfly was cheated from growing stronger to fly. But in Christ, we can rejoice as struggles lift us with character to God our deliverer.

• Clutter is a life skill that many are not taught.
• Cultural expectations create pressure on women to maintain perfect homes.
• There is a distinction between clutter (optional) and expected mess (inevitable).
• A good enough home is about how it feels, not just how it looks.
• Mental health is affected by clutter and organization.
• Understanding your ‘stuff story’ helps in decluttering.
• Connection to oneself and others is a key desire in life.
• Thrifting can be a spiritual experience for some.
• Identity influences behavior regarding organization and clutter.
• It’s important to find balance and harmony in home management.

Your first hire is one of the biggest risks you’ll take as a business owner.

In this episode, you’ll learn the three key questions every business owner must answer before making their first hire—so you can grow your team without losing momentum.

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Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org.

Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Come with me to the hill of Calvary. Watch as the soldiers press a knee against a forearm and a spike against a hand, as the soldier lifts the hammer to strike it. Think about the hand that received the nail. The fist doesn’t clench, the moment isn’t aborted.

A mallet drove a nail into the hand, not just of a carpenter, but into the hand of God. Fingers that formed Adam out of clay and furrowed truth into tablets felt the pain of crucifixion. The same hand that stilled the seas stilled your guilt. And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you.

Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.