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After I took a genealogy test a few years ago, I became curious about my ancestors. I’m grateful I got to hear stories about a few relatives from my late father and from my mother. Hearing about my ancestors helps me feel connected to my family’s roots (all the way back to one great-great-grandfather) and helps me to learn from their experiences.

When it comes to our spiritual roots, what a gift that Jesus’ earthly genealogy is recorded in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. Jesus’ genealogy establishes that He is the Messiah and a direct descendant of Abraham.

As we read Jesus’ genealogy, we see God’s faithfulness in keeping His promise to Abraham to make him the father of many nations (Genesis 17:1-8). Two thousand years after that promise was fulfilled, the apostle Matthew wrote, “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).

As we study the stories in the Bible about Jesus’ ancestors, the genealogy list comes to life. We see the names of royalty such as King David and ordinary people such as a carpenter named Joseph. And Matthew includes five women: Tamar, Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife), Rahab, and Ruth (who some scholars believe were all gentiles) and Mary.

Whether or not we know much about our biological ancestors, we can—because we’re part of God’s family—learn about our spiritual ancestors throughout the Bible. We gain courage from seeing how faithful God was to them.

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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“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37 NASB). Jesus spoke these words on an October day in a crowded Jerusalem. People had packed the streets for the Feast of Tabernacles, an annual reenactment of the rock-giving-water miracle of Moses.

“If anyone is thirsty.” Skin color does not matter. Income level is of no importance. There is only one qualification: “If anyone is thirsty.” All that is needed is an admission of thirst. Who fails to meet this criterion? We are thirsty—thirsty to be happy, thirsty to have meaning, thirsty for answers and strength. Thirsty.

Jesus was speaking in the midst of an extremely religious moment. Even so he invited, “Come to me!”  Spiritual thirst is quenched only by Christ himself.

Read more Help Is Here

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Living life rich is about so much more than the number at the bottom of your bank statement. In this bonus episode of the Maxwell Leadership Podcast, Mark Cole and Jared Cagle discuss freedom – financial, emotional, relational, physical, and spiritual – with speaker, coach, and financial expert Marissa Nehlsen! She’s sharing her framework for flourishing that comes straight from her new book, Live Life Rich! 

Key takeaways: 

• You are always enough and never too much.

• When your vision is clear, decisions become easy. 

• The key to living life rich is being a good steward. 

In lieu of our usual bonus resource, you’re invited to download Marissa’s Live Life Rich workbook, which helps you apply these principles and others from the book to your life and leadership. You can download it now at LiveLifeRichBook.com. 

References: 

Watch this episode on YouTube!

On Chantale’s thirteenth birthday, after hours of joyful celebration in her quiet home village, gunfire shattered the peaceful evening. Chantale and her siblings ran into the forest, obeying their mother’s frantic command to hide. All night, they huddled underneath the sanctuary of a tree. “The sun appeared in the morning. But not our parents,” Chantale recounts. She and her siblings were now orphans and refugees, joining tens of thousands in a refugee camp.  

When we hear stories like Chantale’s, it can be tempting to turn away from such overwhelming loss. But those who believe in the God of Scripture believe in a God who never looks away from suffering, who attentively “watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow” (Psalm 146:9).

The “Maker of heaven and earth . . .  remains faithful forever” (v. 6), ever at work “uphold[ing] the cause of the oppressed” and providing “food to the hungry” (v. 7).

Chantele Zuzi Leader, who founded an organization to educate refugee girls, says her experience taught her that “anyone can become a refugee—to lose that place of safety they once had.”

May our response to those who’ve lost a place of safety reflect the heart of the God who is an ever-faithful “refuge for the oppressed” (Psalm 9:9), who “lifts up those who are bowed down” (146:8).

In Part 5 of our Revival series, JP Pokluda brings firsthand accounts of how God is moving in college stadiums.

He shares the Gospel with your Uber driver, server, and other people you meet, what's...

Read the whole entry... »

Finishing well is the exception—not the rule.
Far too many leaders start with conviction but end with compromise. It rarely happens overnight. Most drift quietly—through small compromises, unchecked ambition, and a subtle shift from purpose to performance.

In this powerful episode of Behind the Seal, Peter Greer (President & CEO of Hope International) joins us to unpack why leaders lose their way—and how to stay mission-true in the face of pressure, success, and fatigue.

From the story of Solomon to the shadow side of ministry impact, Peter offers hard-earned wisdom and practical safeguards for pastors, nonprofit leaders, and Christian CEOs who want to lead with integrity and finish faithfully.

About Peter Greer:

Peter Greer is president and CEO of HOPE International, a global Christ-centered organization working to alleviate physical and spiritual poverty in more than 27 countries around the world. Peter’s favorite part of his role is spending time with the remarkable entrepreneurs HOPE serves. A graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School, Peter has co-authored 15 books, including Lead with Prayer, Mission Drift, and Rooting for Rivals. He lives with his wife, Laurel, and their four children in Lancaster, PA.

Additional Resources:

ECFA.org/LeaderCare

How Leaders Lose Their Way

Lead With Prayer

Learn more about Peter Greer

Learn more about Hope International

Spiritual Integration Resource

15:5 Weekly Check-in

If this conversation resonated with you, don’t keep it to yourself—like, share, and subscribe for more insights on healthy leadership. Drop a comment and let us know: What helps you stay mission-true?

In this episode, Charles Duhigg shares how to read the room, adapt to each person, and communicate in ways that inspire personal growth. Whether on stage or in a meeting, you’ll move people to lean in, listen, and take action.

Watch the video and download the leader guide: https://www.life.church/leadershippodcast/pulitzer-prize-winner-how-to-speak-so-people-actually-listen-charles-duhigg.

To enter the giveaway, comment “I want to be a better communicator” on the CGLP YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/@craiggroeschel.

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JOIN THE COMMUNITY

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️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/35447748/

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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.

See the quilt 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.

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

Christianity is on the decline in our country. The number of believers has dropped 12 percent in the last decade. Major depression is on the rise. The increase is found in all age groups but is rising fastest among teens and young adults. The increase in suicide is alarming. According to federal data on the US suicide rate, it is the highest it has been since World War II.

Yet we have this hope: revival can come at any moment! At the right hour God will open the floodgate and release his Spirit like a flowing river into society. This was the promise of Jesus. “Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice…’If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow from that person’s heart'” (John 7:37-38 NCV).

Read more Help Is Here

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.