Grace 809

Denalyn and I had enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant. As we received our bill, a church member spotted us and came over.  After we chatted a few moments, he took our bill.  “I’ll take this,” he said. Guess what?  I let him do what he wanted to do.  I let him take it away.

Someday we will stand before God.  All of us will be present. All of us will have to give an account for our lives. Every thought, every deed, every action.  Were it not for the grace of Christ, I would find this to be a very terrifying thought.

Yet, according to Scripture, Jesus came to “take away the sins of the world” (John 1:29 Phillips). On that day, I will point to Christ.  When my list of sins is produced, I will gesture toward him and say, “He took it.” Let him take yours.

Read more Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

Today is prophecy Friday, and we’re going to read the entire book of Obadiah. All one chapter.  I’ll have some comments after the reading. And of course I’ll have an “On This Date In Church History” segment for you, too. I’m calling today’s episode  “Treat Your Brother Well.”

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, but that does not take away from its value. It is, after all, the Word of God. 

The name Obadiah means “Worshipper of Yahweh” or “Servant of Yahweh.”

We don’t really know who this Obadiah fellow was, though. There are thirteen Obadiahs in the Old Testament. Some think that he is the Obadiah that was a servant in Ahab’s household as in 1 Kings 18:3. If this is he, then he was the man who hid and fed the prophets spoken about in that chapter. Others think that this Obadiah was a man who lived some time later, at around the same time as Hosea, Joel and Amos. And still others believe that he lived around the time that the Edomites destroyed Jerusalem.

All of the other Old Testament prophets delivered messages either to Israel or Judah. Obadiah was sent only to Edom. 

So who were the Edomites? They were descended from Esau. Esau was the brother of Jacob. Both of them were the sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Esau was sometimes called Edom, which means “red”, so Esau may have had red hair.

In Numbers 20 when Israel was still wandering in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land, Moses asked for permission to pass through the Edomites’ land, and they were denied. Instead, Edom threatened to attack Israel if they tried to go through.

There were many times in the Old Testament when Edom came against Israel or Judah. Sometimes they were defeated. Other times they were the victors. And they fought alongside the Jews against Rome in 66-70 A.D. In this war, Edom was completely annihilated, fulfilling verses 10 and 18 of Obadiah’s prophecy.

The judgement of God against Edom because of their intense pride and treatment of Israel and Judah (who were descendants of Jacob) over the years.

Obadiah concludes with the words “And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” These are encouraging words to God’s people, that even when they may suffer at the hands of evil people, He will judge them for their misdeeds. There will be justice.

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1 NASB

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I can bear witness to the power of God’s grace! I could take you to the church, to the section of seats in the church. I might even be able to find the very seat in which I was sitting when this grace found me.

I was a twenty-year-old college sophomore, living with a concrete block of guilt that had made a mess of my life. But then I heard a preacher describe the divine grace that is greater than sin.  At the end of the message he asked if anyone would like to come forward and receive this grace.  Iron chains couldn’t have held me back.  Truth be told, chains had held me back.  But mercy snapped the guilt chains and set me free.

I know this truth firsthand:  Guilt frenzies the soul; grace calms it! The benefit of being a great sinner is dependence upon a great grace!

Read more Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

Today is poetry Thursday and we’ll read Proverbs 26-27. I will have an “On This Date In Church History” segment for you, and I have a personal prayer request at the end of the show. I’m calling today’s episode “Friends.”

I used to listen to political talk radio and watch political TV talk shows. But I got tired of the arguing back and forth. And I noticed that no matter how logical or well-thought-out an argument was (on either side), seldom (if ever) was an opponent persuaded to listen objectively. And often, both sides ended up looking foolish.

So when I read verses 4 and 5 in chapter 26 today, I was reminded how silly it is to argue with a fool. Here are the verses again: 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

I like the way the Easy to Read Version renders these two verses: There is no good way to answer fools when they say something stupid. If you answer them, then you, too, will look like a fool. If you don’t answer them, they will think they are smart.

So what are we to do? I guess it depends on the situation. If possible, I think that it is good to avoid the fool altogether. But if that isn’t possible, then don’t engage them in conversation that brings out the foolish in them. 

There are people in my life whom I consider to be foolish. Come on. Let’s be honest here. Most of us have this type of person in our lives that we are forced to have contact with. My way of dealing with these people is to just be polite. We talk about the weather or other mundane things that don’t really matter. I know that if we get into the deep water, nothing but trouble will ensue. If they bring up a subject that I think will go the wrong way, I’ll just smile politely and let them drone on until I can gracefully make an exit. 

Same thing online. I don’t engage in debates there, either. As they say, “Don’t feed the trolls.” 

I like that Solomon spent some time giving counsel to his son about the importance of good friends. Like a rare jewel, truly good friends are hard to find. But when you find them, they are much more valuable than jewels. More than bringing fellowship and good times, they can help you through the difficult times. They can help to make you a better person. And sometimes, God can use them to speak His words into your life. I consider mysel

What’s the secret to a strong family? Author and mom Jessica Smartt says it’s not perfection – it’s connection. Drawing from her book Come On Home, Jessica shares powerful and practical ways to build a lasting family legacy, navigate technology with wisdom, and create meaningful memories as a family. You’ll be encouraged to create a home where your kids feel safe, seen, and deeply loved. Because as Jessica reminds us, “Your family doesn’t have to be perfect to be strong.”
Receive a copy of "Come On Home" and an audio download of "Tiny Habits Can Build a Stronger Family" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.
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What kind of person does unresolved guilt create? An anxious one, forever hiding, running, denying, pretending. As one man admitted, “I was always living a lie for fear someone might see me for who I really was and think less of me.  I hid behind my super spirituality but this lie was exhausting and anxiety producing.”

Unresolved guilt will turn you into a miserable, weary, angry, fretful mess. In a psalm David wrote after his affair with Bathsheba, the king said, “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat” (Psalm 32:3-4 NLT).

As Paul told Titus, God’s grace is the fertile soul out of which courage sprouts. “God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone!” (Titus 2:11 MSG).

Read more Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

Today is Psalms Wednesday, and we’ll read chapters 114-116. I’m calling today’s episode “He Hears My Voice.”

If you heard last week’s Psalms episode, Psalms 11-113, the one titled “I Will”, you might remember that Psalm 113 was the first of a collection of Psalms called the Egyptian Hallel. The others are 114-118. These Psalms were sung as a part of the annual Passover celebration that Jews observed. Psalms 113 and 114 were sung before the Passover meal, and 115-118 were sung after the meal, and it is more than likely that Jesus sang these songs with the disciples at their Passover meal the night of His betrayal. Once again, listen carefully, and try to imagine what must have been going through His mind as He sang these Psalms.

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 114 NKJV; Ch. 115-116 NLV

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Steve Webb 0:00
Your right hand will hold me fast.

Steve Webb 0:10
Together Again, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I’m your OG God cast her Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Today is Psalms Wednesday, and we’ll read chapters 1/14 through 1/16. And today’s episode will be a bit different than normal. I’m going to give you a brief introduction to the Psalms, but no comments afterward. I think the Psalms speak for themselves, given the context that I’ll give you in a moment. And with my medical procedure coming up on Friday, I’m kind of crunched for time. I will still have an on this date in church history segment for you and a time of prayer. The title of today’s episode is he hears my voice. The show notes page is at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 265. And my email address is Steve at Lifespring media.com. Let’s begin.

Steve Webb 1:04
If you heard last week’s Ps