FRESH Official Podcast

Have you ever wondered to yourself, “What brings God joy?” I mean, we’re made in His image and we experience joy in our lives. So it stands to reason that He does too. What a fascinating question. What brings God joy? And what follows on from that is this: What can I do to bring Him joy? Shouldn’t that be our desire? I know I want to do things that’ll fill my wife’s heart with joy. And when my granddaughter bounds in through my front door, I know that Grandpa absolutely wants to fill her life with joy. Hey, I even take my dog for a walk because I know she enjoys it. So … why not God? Well, if you’ve been wondering how to bring joy to the Lord, here it is: Psalm 147:11,12 The LORD enjoys people who worship him and trust in his faithful love. Jerusalem, praise the LORD! Zion, praise your God! Wow. Can it be that simple; worship God and trust in his faithful love? How easy is it to consign the whole idea of worship to an hour or so on a Sunday? And how easy is it, when we hit a few bumps and potholes in the road, or when we feel like we’re about to fall off a cliff, to forget to rely upon, to trust in God’s faithful love? Listen to me. God yearns to be a part of your life. God enjoys you … simply because you’re His creation. So here it is. Here’s something that will not only bring joy to God’s heart but radically transform your life: Worship the Lord and trust in his faithful love. Praise the LORD! Praise your God! That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

How often have you heard of people who’ve won the lottery –  millions, even tens of millions of dollars – only to squander it all, What a dream – to win millions. What a tragedy – to lose it all. A recent study found that of those who won big time, no less than 70% had squandered it all within five years. I know what you’re thinking. How could people be that stupid, right? But here’s the thing. I’ve won much more than the lottery, as have you, if you believe in Jesus. Money? That’s great, but you can’t take it with you. Yet the grace of God though Jesus Christ, the forgiveness we have, the power of the Holy Spirit to live a new life here on earth, the free gift of an eternity in God’s Presence … they’re worth so much more than any bauble or trinket that this world has to offer. But how many squander that incomprehensibly great gift? Apparently, rather a lot. Which is what caused the Apostle Paul to pen these words back in the 1st Century AD: 2 Corinthians 6:1 We are workers together with God. So we beg you: Don’t let the grace that you received from God be for nothing. Paul was writing to a church racked with sin; a church with so many divisions and arguments; a church, it would seem, intent on squandering the incomprehensibly great gift of God’s grace. Friend, Jesus took your sin upon His shoulders when He died for you on that Cross. He, who had no sin, became sin so that in Him you could be made right with God. That great act of love has eternal ramifications. Don’t squander it. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

There are times in our lives when we need to step up and do something for someone else; something that’ll cost us dearly; something that’ll involve a lot of sacrifice. And invariably, it hurts. You’ve been through times like that, just as I have. And no doubt, we’ve yet a few more of those left before our lives here are done. But can you imagine for a moment what it would be like to take the burdens of the whole world on your shoulders? We know how difficult it can be to carry the burdens of just one person; and two or three at the same time can be unbearable. So, the whole world … really? But that’s precisely what Jesus did for you and me when He died on that Cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God. On that Cross, Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of all the people who had lived, were living, and would ever live, on this earth. It wasn’t enough that He had to suffer physically in such a distressing way. No. He carried the sins of the world in His flesh, in what to us was an incomprehensible spiritual and emotional burden. And why … why did He do that? So that in Christ you and I could be right with God. So that when we bring our lives to the foot of that Cross, we can be forgiven. So that through faith in Jesus, you and I could be set free to become who He created us to be. That’s the good news of Jesus. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Sometimes, to get what you want in this world, you just have to go and take it. Sometimes, to get what you want, you have to beat the other guy. And that … that’s the thinking that gets us into so much trouble. Have you ever wanted something that someone else has? Have you ever felt the need to take something that isn’t rightfully yours because … well, you deserve it? You deserve the credit for this great accomplishment at work, not the next person. You’ve worked hard so you should have a bigger house or a nicer car, so you go and bury yourself in debt. You deserve … much better than what you’re getting and certainly better than the next person. And how well has that worked out for you in the past, hmm? James 4:2,3 You want things, but you don’t get them. So you kill and are jealous of others. But you still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight. You don’t get what you want because you don’t ask God. Or when you ask, you don’t receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You only want to use it for your own pleasure. Never a truer word spoken, eh? We want it all for ourselves, for our own pleasure, whether we take it from someone else or whether we demand it from God. When are we finally going to learn, you and I, that selfish tantrums never, ever end up getting us what we really want? Oh, sure … they may lead to short term gratification, but never long-term satisfaction. #NoteToSelf: Stop being so darned selfish. Humble yourself before God and ask for good things that’ll overflow out into other people’s lives for His glory. That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Fights and arguments – who needs them? Who wants them? Conflict is a terrible thing that robs us of our peace and our joy. And how easy is it to blame the other guy? I mean … obviously, it’s their fault Now call me crazy but I’ve come to the conclusion that playing the blame game doesn’t resolve anything. Not really. When we blame the other party, we may feel vindicated; we may be letting ourselves off the hook for the part we may have played in the conflict; it may give us a short term sense of relief, but it doesn’t really solve anything. One of the biggest problems we face in conflict is a lack of awareness of our own emotions. There’s a spark of conflict, it somehow sets us off , and then we’re into it without ever stopping to think: Where did this fight come from? Why am I reacting the way I am? And those two “why” questions are very good questions to be asking ourselves before we head down that well-worn path of conflict yet again. Here’s why: James 4:1 Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that make war inside you. So, rather than blaming the other party, God’s saying here, “Hey, look inside your own heart. Stop and think about your own emotions, what selfish desires are kicking off this war inside you – before it spills out into your relationship with this other person”. Because nine times out of ten, our fights, our arguments, begin in our own hearts. First, be aware of your own emotions, deal with your own selfishness, and you’ll end up with far less conflict in your life. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

The main reason that we find ourselves in conflict situations is that we want one thing, and the other person wants quite the opposite. It’s a well-worn path, the one that leads toward conflict. Pride, ego, selfishness, work together in a murky swill that clouds our judgement. We dig our heels in, the other party does the same and … boom, there you have it. Conflict. You’d think we’d have learned by now how not to go down that road and yet here we are. So, time to learn to take a different road: James 3:18 People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living. An interesting concept, that … working for peace in a peaceful way. Imagine just for a moment if instead focussing on a win, we were to focus on creating peace. Now, the best sort of peace is a win/win. It’s amazing how often conflict arises out of a simple misunderstanding – two people coming at the same issue from different perspectives. Many a time I’ve seen people argue over an issue, saying the same thing in different ways, in what I call violent agreement. Win/win is the best sort of peace. But sometimes peace will cost you. Sometimes, one party has to give in so the other can win. And often, in humility, that ain’t such a bad thing. However things play themselves out though, remember this: People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living. Being the peacemaker can be hard, it can be painful, it can involve loss – not always, but sometimes. And yet God’s heart is to bless the peacemaker. That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Most of us, in an honest moment, would admit that we’re not as wise as we’d like to be; that we have more to learn to become the sort of person that intuitively we know God wants us to be. Over the last few days we’ve been chatting about godly wisdom – humbly doing good day after day, and devilish wisdom – selfishness, jealousy, boasting and the like. There’s such a stark contrast between those two, both in Scripture and in our own hearts, our own lives. So today, I’d like to sit down at the table next to you and feast on more of God’s wisdom. Would you like to join me? Would you like to be filled from the top of your head to the tip of your toes with wisdom that comes down from above? Well, here it is. Receive it into your mind, your soul, your spirit – for the Word of God is alive and active: James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. Were you and I consistently to live out the rest of our lives in that wisdom, my goodness … how different our journey would be; how much richer our relationships would become; how much more those around us would see Christ in all that we say and do. So here’s the challenge: meditate on that one verse in your time with the Lord each morning for the next week. Apply it to your life thoughtfully, day by day, and watch to see what the Lord will do in you and through you. That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Jealousy and selfishness are two of the most basic of all human emotions. Indeed, they manifest from a very early age – pretty much from when a child begins to be able to exercise their will. It’s a sobering thought, isn’t it? You’ve seen it, I’ve seen it. One child sees what the other’s playing with – perhaps a doll or a red fire truck – and they want it. So they reach out and grab it, leaving the other child to scream. It’s a behaviour that happens billions of times every day around the world, and not just amongst children, but between adults, between groups of people, tribes and yes, even between nations. And when this jealousy and selfishness pattern escalates out of control, conflict happens; wars happen; people are hurt and killed through a pattern of behaviour that we should have unlearned growing up, but didn’t. Listen up: James 3:16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. That’s exactly what we’ve just been chatting about. Jealousy and selfishness lead to what? Confusion and every kind of evil. Every kind. So, my friend, here’s a wakeup call for the likes of thee and me. It’s time for us to stop sweeping jealousy and selfishness under the rug. It’s time for us to confront them, to deal with them head on each time they raise their ugly heads together. Because the longer we allow them to go on, the worse things get. Humility and sacrifice, difficult though they may be to live out some days, lead to good outcomes. But … Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Rightly or wrongly (mostly wrongly) we have a hierarchy of sin, of bad behaviour, in our heads. Murder, theft, adultery – they’re really bad. Selfishness, jealousy, boasting – sure, bad … but not that bad. I’m not sure where that comes from, but most of us excuse our own bad behaviour; we give it a little wink and a nudge, because whilst we know it’s wrong, it’s not that wrong. When was the last time that jealousy rankled away in your heart, and caused you to pull someone down, to criticise them behind their back? Something as simple as that can cause untold damage, yet we sweep it under the rug, pretending that it’s nothing. And yet, God calls that particular behaviour and a few others to boot … wait for it … devilish wisdom. Here it is: James 3:14,15 If you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in your hearts, you have no reason to boast. Your boasting is a lie that hides the truth. That kind of “wisdom” does not come from God. That “wisdom” comes from the world. It is not spiritual. It is from the devil. Yesterday, we chatted about godly wisdom – simply doing good, in humility, day after day. But selfishness, jealousy, boasting are the complete opposite. The comes from Satan, the father of lies. So, reality check: it’s time to stop making excuses, to stop giving ourselves a free pass on this sort of thinking, these sorts of emotions –  because they’re destructive; because they fall so far short of the humility and goodness in which the Lord our God – the same one who sent Jesus to die for us – would have us live. That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

By and large, we associate growing older with growing wiser. I mean, that’s what’s meant to happen. But actually, a direct correlation between age and wisdom isn’t a given. It’s one thing to know a lot of things – to have knowledge – but it’s another thing altogether to know what to do with that knowledge. You can be smart but lack, for instance, emotional intelligence. You can be highly intelligent, yet still fail to perceive people’s emotions, have insight into situations, or show compassion when it’s needed. So here’s the question: how do you and I grow in wisdom? That’s something we should all be asking ourselves because none of us is there yet. None of us have arrived. It turns out that like most things, wisdom comes through practice. Here it is: James 3:13 Are there any among you who are really wise and understanding? Then you should show your wisdom by living right. You should do what is good with humility. A wise person does not boast. Wisdom and understanding, it turns out, are like muscles that we can exercise or not; abilities that can either grow stronger or weaker. How can we become really wise and understanding? By living right, each day simply doing good without boasting about it; without expecting accolades; but in humility just step by step, doing good. Who in your life just at the moment needs you to do good for them? Who is it that needs just some simple kindness, or a word of affirmation, or a helping hand … today, here and now? When we humble ourselves and do good for them, we’ll at the same time be growing in wisdom. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.