Many believers in all seasons of life understand what it feels like to fervently pray for the desires of their hearts. One listener wrote to us about the sorrow he endured due to childlessness despite his prayers, and the isolation and stigma he experienced in church as a result. He asked us to talk more about what it means when God says no to our prayers. This is a sensitive topic, but important to discuss, and we’re grateful to him for bringing it to our attention. Sharing our experiences and testimonies gives hope to others in similar situations. It calls for accountability in our words and actions. Together, let’s dig into Scripture for biblical insight and comfort as we discuss the pain and struggle of unanswered prayer in the lives of individual believers and in the community of faith.

Many believers in all seasons of life understand what it feels like to fervently pray for the desires of their hearts. One listener wrote to us about the sorrow he endured due to childlessness despite his prayers, and the isolation and stigma he experienced in church as a result. He asked us to talk more about what it means when God says no to our prayers. This is a sensitive topic, but important to discuss, and we’re grateful to him for bringing it to our attention. Sharing our experiences and testimonies gives hope to others in similar situations. It calls for accountability in our words and actions. Together, let’s dig into Scripture for biblical insight and comfort as we discuss the pain and struggle of unanswered prayer in the lives of individual believers and in the community of faith.

Many believers in all seasons of life understand what it feels like to fervently pray for the desires of their hearts. One listener wrote to us about the sorrow he endured due to childlessness despite his prayers, and the isolation and stigma he experienced in church as a result. He asked us to talk more about what it means when God says no to our prayers. This is a sensitive topic, but important to discuss, and we’re grateful to him for bringing it to our attention.&nbsp;Sharing our experiences and testimonies gives hope to others in similar situations. It calls for accountability in our words and actions. Together, let’s dig into Scripture for biblical insight and comfort as we discuss the pain and struggle of unanswered prayer in the lives of individual believers and in the community of faith.&nbsp;

The Pain and Struggle of Unanswered Prayer

Listeners like you send us their questions about theology and faith as they study God’s Word. Was Judas saved even though he betrayed Jesus? How do I share my faith with non-believers? What if people I love are resistant to hearing about Jesus? How should I pray for people who are unsaved? Join us as we dig into Scripture to discuss what we know about Judas, learn about the Great Commission Jesus gave us, evangelism, and intercessory prayer for non-believers.

Listeners like you send us their questions about theology and faith as they study God’s Word. Was Judas saved even though he betrayed Jesus? How do I share my faith with non-believers? What if people I love are resistant to hearing about Jesus? How should I pray for people who are unsaved? Join us as we dig into Scripture to discuss what we know about Judas, learn about the Great Commission Jesus gave us, evangelism, and intercessory prayer for non-believers.

Listeners like you send us their questions about theology and faith as they study God’s Word. Was Judas saved even though he betrayed Jesus? How do I share my faith with non-believers? What if people I love are resistant to hearing about Jesus? How should I pray for people who are unsaved? Join us as we dig into Scripture to discuss what we know about Judas, learn about the Great Commission Jesus gave us, evangelism, and intercessory prayer for non-believers.&nbsp;

Your Questions about Judas, Salvation, Sharing Faith, and Praying for Nonbelievers

As humans, we are uniquely aware of time. We talk about the passing of time, we think about the end of time, and we often wish for more time. Sometimes it feels like time is fleeting and sometimes feels like time drags on. Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes contains one of the book’s most well-known passages. The Teacher opens “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” He then goes on to share a well-known list of life’s seasons. He  calls time a burden, but also says God has “set eternity in the human heart.” Join us as we discuss the association between wisdom and recognizing the seasons of life, as we seek to understand what it means to have eternity in our hearts, and as we receive the Teacher’s encouragement and advice for finding hope and meaning in life.

As humans, we are uniquely aware of time. We talk about the passing of time, we think about the end of time, and we often wish for more time. Sometimes it feels like time is fleeting and sometimes feels like time drags on. Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes contains one of the book’s most well-known passages. The Teacher opens “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” He then goes on to share a well-known list of life’s seasons. He calls time a burden, but also says God has “set eternity in the human heart.” Join us as we discuss the association between wisdom and recognizing the seasons of life, as we seek to understand what it means to have eternity in our hearts, and as we receive the Teacher’s encouragement and advice for finding hope and meaning in life.

As humans, we are uniquely aware of time. We talk about the passing of time, we think about the end of time, and we often wish for more time. Sometimes it feels like time is fleeting and sometimes feels like time drags on. Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes contains one of the book’s most well-known passages. The Teacher opens “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” He then goes on to share a well-known list of life’s seasons. He&nbsp; calls time a burden, but also says God has “set eternity in the human heart.” Join us as we discuss the association between wisdom and recognizing the seasons of life, as we seek to understand what it means to have eternity in our hearts, and as we receive the Teacher’s encouragement and advice for finding hope and meaning in life.

Finding Meaning in Life and the Passing of Time

Do you find joy and satisfaction in your work? Or do you consider work a necessary evil? Many of us spend huge portions of our life working, sometimes doing paid work, other times unpaid. You might say that work is a common theme in each of our lives. It’s also a common theme in the book of Ecclesiastes. In his writings, the Teacher repeatedly comes to the conclusion that work, labor, and toil are meaningless. But is it really that simple? If we carefully study the Teacher’s conclusions, we’ll discover some insightful wisdom about work and our identity, about why our motivation for work matters, about work/life balance, and about the secret for finding joy and satisfaction in our work.

Do you find joy and satisfaction in your work? Or do you consider work a necessary evil? Many of us spend huge portions of our life working, sometimes doing paid work, other times unpaid. You might say that work is a common theme in each of our lives. It’s also a common theme in the book of Ecclesiastes. In his writings, the Teacher repeatedly comes to the conclusion that work, labor, and toil are meaningless. But is it really that simple? If we carefully study the Teacher’s conclusions, we’ll discover some insightful wisdom about work and our identity, about why our motivation for work matters, about work/life balance, and about the secret for finding joy and satisfaction in our work.

A Wise Perspective on Work

Let's discuss what this opening line of the Lord's Prayer acknowledges about who God is, what it affirms about our own identity, what it communicates about our relationship with God, and what it means for us.

Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name

Jesus is in the ordinary and he’s willing to fellowship with us right where we’re at. We cultivate our faith when our focus stays on the resurrected Jesus and his simple command for us to follow him.

Follow: Jesus on the Shore

Find assurance that Jesus is ready and willing to meet us wherever we are in our faith journey and receive encouragement for times when believing in Jesus isn’t easy.

Believe: Jesus and the Disciples

Discover how the Holy Spirit helps us cultivate our faith yet today as we develop a greater understanding of God and his ways through Scripture.

Understand: Jesus on the Road

Study Jesus’ encounters with his female followers, and later his disciples, on that very first Easter day and experience that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.

Experience: Jesus and the Women

Ponder and reflect on Jesus’ death then remember again the unexpected, mind-blowing thrill of our salvation and victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Anticipation of Holy Saturday and the Thrill of Easter Sunday

Reflect on Jesus Christ’s example and its influence on our mindset and behavior today.

Remembering Jesus' Sacrifice on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

Learn from Jesus’ actions and countenance as he experiences the events of that first Palm Sunday.

Experiencing Palm Sunday with Jesus

As Revelation closes, John shares an encouraging vision of a restored heaven—a beautiful, life-filled city whose light comes from God himself—that offers immense hope and encouragement to believers as we wait for the fullness of God's kingdom to come.

Encouragement as We Wait for Christ's Return

The promise of a new heaven and new earth provides the eternal hope and encouragement we need for faithfully living our lives right now.

A Look at the New Heaven and Earth

Groundwork is a half-hour conversation that digs deeply into Scripture, the foundation for our lives. Each week, pastors Dave Bast (president of Words of Hope) and Scott Hoezee (director of CEP at Calvin Seminary) cultivate our understanding of God's Word by unpacking the richness of the Bible and applying it with insight to today's world.

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