Grace 809

Financial expert Matt Bell shares biblical principles and practical tools for managing your money in a way that builds trust, peace, and purpose. From budgeting to car payments to long-term investments, you’ll discover how to make financial decisions that strengthen your faith and your marriage.

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Matt Bell recalls a time where he realized his kids were more important than the amount of money he made.

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Religious leaders loved to make theater out of their prayers. The show nauseated Jesus. In Matthew 6:6 he said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.”

The words surely stunned Jesus’ audience. The people were simple farmers and stonemasons.  They couldn’t enter the temple, but they could enter their closets. The point? He’s low on fancy, high on accessibility. You needn’t woo him with location or wow him with eloquence. It’s the power of a simple prayer.

Join me every day for four weeks to pray four minutes. A simple prayer. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

Read more Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

John from Canada.

Our reading today Psalms 102-104. I’ll have a brief introduction to each chapter, then after we read all three, I’ll have some comments for you.

I’m calling today’s episode “Through It All.”  

Psalm 102 reminded me of a song by the great Andrae’ Crouch. It’s called “Through It All.” I’ll have a video on the show notes page if you’d like to hear it.  Verse three is especially good. 

I can’t listen to this song without joining Andrae in praising the Lord. It’s so good. It’ll be on the show notes page at /s12e238. If you want to have a time of praise, go listen. 

When I was a young man, I did quite a lot of hiking and backpacking and rock climbing. One of the greatest trips I took was in the High Sierra. Some friends of mine and I hiked from the area around Mammoth Mountain, where a couple of years later I became a professional ski patrolman, to Yosemite Valley, truly one of the most beautiful places on Earth. As the crow flies, the distance is about 35 miles. Our hike was

Financial expert Matt Bell shares biblical principles and practical tools for managing your money in a way that builds trust, peace, and purpose. From budgeting to car payments to long-term investments, you’ll discover how to make financial decisions that strengthen your faith and your marriage.

Receive a copy of Starting Strong and an audio download of "Unlock the Secrets to a Financially Secure Marriage" for your donation of any amount!

Get More Episode Resources 

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Matt Bell encourages husbands to take responsibility for the financial side of the marriage.

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In Matthew 6, Jesus prayed, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

A prayer that begins May I not view you as a distant father, but as one who has come to earth and understands the challenges and temptations of my life. Be near me today, whisper reminders that you’re close. My friends need you today as they make difficult decisions in their workplace and in their families. Show them you are closer than even their earthly fathers. Thank you for hearing me and listening to my pleas. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray this, amen.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

Read more Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

Our reading today 1 Chronicles 15-19. After the reading, I’ll have some comments for you. I’m calling today’s episode “What A Promise.”  

David looked at the palace he had built for himself and thought, “I should build an appropriate place for the ark of the covenant.” Seems like a good and noble thing to do, right? The prophet Nathan thought so, so he told David to go ahead with the project.

But God spoke to Nathan that night, telling him that he had not asked for a house, and it was not David who would build one for him. I like what Charles Spurgeon said:  “Though the Lord refused to David the realization of his wish, he did it in a most gracious manner. He did not put the idea away from him in anger or disdain, as though David had cherished an unworthy desire; but he honored his servant even in the non-acceptance of his offer.” 

Beloved, when we ask to do something for God from a pure and loving heart, I believe He is pleased. Even our best efforts and greatest gifts to Him are far short of what He has done for us, but a loving Father finds pleasure in His children’s gifts. When my oldest son was about five or six years old, he found a red brick at the beach that had obviously been tossed around by the waves for a very long time because all the corners and edges on it had been rounded and smoothed by the sand and water. He thought it was a wonderful and unique treasure. And he gave it to me as a gift. I still have that brick. And that little five or six year old boy will be 40 years old this year. I have moved homes many times since he gave it to me, but every time I look at it, it brings warm memories. 

And God did something that David would never have anticipated. God told David that HE was going to build a house for David, one that would last forever. God promised David that he would have a descendant on the throne forever. David’s son, Solomon ruled after him, and Solomon built a magnificent Temple for God, and many generations after Solomon ruled over Israel, until they suffered God’s judgement for turning away from Him. But even then, God did not forget His promise to David, and Jesus came from David’s line. So God’s promise to David is even now being fulfilled.

David’s response was thankfulness and humility. “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that you have brought me this far?”

Indeed. Who am I God, that you would give Your Son’s life for me? Who am I? Thank you, Lord. I owe you everything, yet You have been so gracious to me. What may I do for You, Lord? I give you my life. I give you my all.

Senator Tim Scott reflects on the powerful role of faith, personal responsibility, and America’s founding principles in shaping both his life and the nation’s story. Sharing his journey from a childhood in the segregated South to the U.S. Senate, Scott emphasizes the transformative power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the importance of prayer and perseverance, and the progress America has made toward justice and equality. Through historical examples and personal insights, he underscores the need for unity around a shared moral foundation rooted in truth, the value of treating others with dignity and love—even amid disagreement—and the responsibility of Christians to live out their faith in the culture - one relationship at a time. The conversation closes with a hopeful vision for spiritual renewal, highlighting signs of revival across the country and encouraging believers to remain steadfast in faith as a source of hope for America’s future.

Receive a copy of One Nation Always Under God and an audio download of "Faith, Freedom, and the Future of America" 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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U.S. Senator Tim Scott reminds us of how God’s grace is evident in the American story.

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Receive a copy of One Nation Always Under God and an audio download of "Faith, Freedom, and the Future of America" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Minute, please give us your feedback.