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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.

Why do you need to know that you are adopted by the Father and sealed by the Spirit? Simple—there is power in assurance.

A young college graduate requested that I pray for her to be accepted into law school. Each time we talked, she seemed increasingly anxious. The unknown future unsettled her. But then came the acceptance letter. She called me with the great news. Her thoughts were positive; her future was secure.

The Holy Spirit provides a far more significant assurance. From him we receive an acceptance letter to heaven. 1 John 4:17 (NLT) says, “So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.” The Holy Spirit will keep his promise. We’ve been sealed. He will get us home.

Read more Help Is Here

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

When we act based on feelings and fillers, rather than facts, misunderstandings multiply. But when we take the time to process these layers, we move from reaction to response. That is a shift that makes all the difference.

Ramona Davis serves as the CEO of a ministry outreach to women and families in Denton, Texas. She offers coaching to emerging leaders and small nonprofits, specializing in leadership development and effective communication. She may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.

Learn more about Outcomes magazine.

A nursing convention was being held at a hotel when a guest experienced a heart attack in the lobby. Immediately, more than two dozen caregivers came to his side and worked to keep him alive. The guest was incredibly grateful for all the nurses who were at the right place at the right time.

Esther was also at the right place at the right time. She’d been chosen to be queen after winning the king’s favor and approval (Esther 2:17). Yet, a decree threatened her people, the Jews, so her cousin Mordecai encouraged her to use her position to appeal to the king to save them from certain death. “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” he challenged her (4:14). Her decision to risk her life and “go to the king” (v. 16) to disclose this evil plot saved the Jews from certain death (ch. 8). It’s apparent that Queen Esther understood that God had placed her in that position at just the right time.

Sometimes, we may wonder why situations happen or circumstances change. Perhaps we get frustrated and try to get things “back to normal.” God may have placed us in our current situation for a specific purpose. Today, as we encounter disruptions or changes, let’s ask God to show us if there’s something special He wants us to do as part of His perfect plan.

Send Us Your Prayer Requests

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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.

“You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, ‘Papa! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6-7 MSG). The natural attitude of people toward God is not like this. We do not really trust him, love him, or pursue him. But upon conversion a supernatural change occurs.  Our affection toward God begins to warm, and we turn to him.

The Spirit convinces your spirit of this truth: your destiny is in the hands of a loving Father.  He is a good father, who has recorded your name in the Book of Life with the blood of the Lamb. And the Spirit of God is urging you to listen as he affirms in your spirit that you are a child of God. You have been adopted into the family.

Read more Help Is Here

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Activity does not equal productivity. Are your actions strategic enough to be effective? In this episode, John C. Maxwell is sharing 5 strategy questions to ask yourself if you want to lead successfully! 

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede sit down to discuss what John has shared and help you practically apply it to your personal life and leadership.  

Key takeaways: 

• “Why” gives context to “what.” 

• If you don’t see the big picture for your people, who else will? 

• Get committed to seeking outside perspectives. 

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Success Strategy Questions Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John’s teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Strategy and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.” 

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member.

When the navigation app suggested a route that would cut almost an hour off their drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, Shelby Easler and her brother followed the alternate directions. However, the “short cut” led them along a dirt path for hours that left them stranded in California’s Mojave Desert during a dust storm. They were able to reverse course, but they eventually had to be towed because of all the damage to their car from the rough terrain. The app developer apologized to the numerous travelers who followed those wrong directions.

It's important who we rely on for guidance. As believers in Jesus, we’ve been given the Holy Spirt to lead and direct us in matters of truth.

When Jesus knew that He’d soon die and be taken from His disciples, He assured them He wouldn’t leave them stranded. He urged His disciples to obey His commands and spoke of the promised Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of truth, who would be with them forever and live inside of them (John 14:15-17). “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (v. 26).

Let’s continue to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting as we go throughout our day. We know He’ll never lead us astray.

In this episode, Jenni Catron tackles one of the most misunderstood — and underused — drivers of a healthy team culture: accountability.

Too often, leaders shy away from accountability because they fear conflict or discomfort. But when done right, accountability isn’t harsh — it’s an act of care that builds clarity, trust, and unstoppable momentum.

Jenni breaks down why so many teams struggle with accountability, how it’s directly tied to organizational clarity, and the simple habit every leader can use to make accountability work: asking, “Who’s doing what by when?”

If you want a culture where commitments matter, trust runs deep, and people deliver on what they promise, this episode will equip you to lead accountability in a way that helps your people — and your mission — thrive.

We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:

1. Review us on Apple podcasts
2. Subscribe - we’re available wherever you listen to podcasts.
3. Share - let your friends know about the podcast by sharing your favorite episode on social media!

What if your family of origin is still running your leadership — and you don’t even know it?

In Part 2 of this vital conversation, Pete Scazzero continues unpacking how the emotional and relational patterns we inherited growing up deeply shape how we lead today — often more than we realize. If you missed Part 1, go back and listen first.

In this episode, Pete explores:

• Why so many leaders struggle to build healthy, emotionally mature community

• How unspoken family scripts muddle our priorities and calendars

• A powerful diagnostic checklist to help you reflect on your leadership

You’ll discover why your ability to lead from your true self, set wise boundaries, and create healthy spiritual culture is often determined by the invisible hand of your upbringing — unless Jesus breaks in.

This episode is both a mirror and a map — calling us to deeper freedom and alignment with the new family of Jesus.

Start your journey toward emotional and spiritual maturity today at emotionallyhealthy.org/course