Do you remember a time when you were extremely thirsty? Maybe it was years ago in a difficult situation. Perhaps it was more recent than that. The Psalmist actually prays that the Lord would give him a spiritual thirst for the Lord. He compares it to a deer “panting for the water” of a stream or brook. We are to want a relationship with the Lord in a similar way. Do you?

Every week I realize that I am talking to brokenhearted or broken people. When Jesus began His ministry on earth, He read from the book of Isaiah in a synagogue in a place called Nazareth. He referenced Isaiah 61 as a statement of His upcoming ministry that says this: “He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted! “ That presupposes that there will be brokenhearted people everywhere He went.

We begin our 37th year of broadcast on the radio with this program all this week on CrossHope. It’s a message with a simple message from Psalm 32. Here’s the premise: you and I either live in one continual guilt trip, or we live in a environment of forgiveness from the Lord Himself. It’s actually a choice that we make. Choose forgiveness through Christ, or live in perpetual guilt the rest of your life! It really is that basic.

All this week on CrossHope, we air the five all-time favorite Christmas stories that come from various messages on our program over the last 8 years. A good story carries its own weight. Each story stands on its own to convey truth and power for the season. We hope you will not only enjoy them, but share them with others.

Allstate Insurance made the phrase famous, “You’re in good hands with Allstate.” Being in the right hands is important in a lot of circumstances in life. What about in death? Right before Jesus took His last breath on the cross, He quoted David in Psalm 31:5, “Into your hands Lord, I commit my spirit.” If Jesus felt the need to commit His spirit to the Father when He died, why would you and I do anything less in death or in life?

What are you worth? Have you ever been asked that question? According to the Word of God, your worth is connected to the One who owns you! Psalm 24 says that the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, including all those that have live in it! That means He claims ownership over everything in the world, including you and me!

It’s called “seasonal affective disorder”. It impacts millions of Americans, primarily women. People go into a type of depression because of the lack of light in winter months. Most people prefer light to darkness. David tells us in Psalm 18 seven words: “My God turns my darkness into light.” How does He do that? We talk about that all this week on CrossHope.

Does the Bible define integrity? Yes, by describing it in Psalm 15. David begins the Psalm by asking two rhetorical questions. 1) “Who may dwell in the sanctuary of the Lord?” 2) “Who may live on the Holy Hill of God?” Both of those questions have to do with being in the presence of the Lord. Who qualifies for that kind of contact? David tells us in just 4 verses!

There’s a connection between gratitude and memory. If you forget what someone has done for you, you’re not real grateful to that person. That’s true in a marriage, a family, and in your relationship with the Living God! But the word “forget” means more than just “ceasing to remember”. It actually has a frightening definition that we discuss this week. It’s a fitting passage for Thanksgiving week.

What we believe in life seeps out in conversation, in behavior, and even in people’s perceptions of us. If people are around us enough, they will even pick up some of what we believe spiritually! You’ve picked up impressions of other people just by talking to them. David says in Psalm 14 that God actually is looking for men and women who truly seek the Lord.