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Life rarely unfolds without surprise, hardship, or moments that test our emotional and spiritual limits. This Christian devotional explores how God prepares believers to live with courageous faith, even in the face of fear, uncertainty, and overwhelming circumstances. Rooted in John 16:33, this devotion reminds us that while trouble is unavoidable, peace and victory are found in Christ—who has already overcome the world.

Highlights

• God prepares His people for hardship before it arrives

• Jesus offers peace even while acknowledging life’s troubles

• Courageous faith grows when we remain connected to Christ

• The Holy Spirit strengthens, guides, and sustains believers

• God’s grace meets us before and after moments of failure

• Abiding in Christ replaces fear with peace and clarity

• Victory comes through reliance on Jesus, not self-effort

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This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org

TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org

Full Transcript Below:

Divinely Prepared to Live with Courageous Faith
By: Jennifer Slattery

Bible Reading:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33, NIV

Most of us don’t like to be caught off guard, hit with something we weren’t expecting. Those situations can feel disorienting if not overwhelming. Not long ago, a friend shared an experience with me that, in the moment, triggered all of her internal alarm systems, resulting in her landing in total freak-out mode. In short, she and her husband decided to attend a small gro

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.  You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

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This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org

TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org

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Forgiveness can feel impossible when someone has truly hurt you—especially when the offense was intentional, public, or deeply damaging. Today’s devotional doesn’t pretend forgiveness is easy. It acknowledges the very real emotions that rise up when we’ve been lied about, betrayed, or harmed, and it names what many of us experience: bitterness and grudges can quietly take root and begin to affect our walk with God.

The devotional points us back to Jesus’ clear teaching in Matthew 6:14–15: forgiveness is not optional for the believer. God has freely forgiven us, not because we earned it, but because of Christ. That truth becomes the foundation for how we treat others. When we refuse to forgive, it doesn’t just strain relationships—it also creates distance in our fellowship with God, because unforgiveness keeps our hearts closed, guarded, and resistant to His work in us.

We’re reminded that forgiving others is a pathway to freedom. It doesn’t erase the wrong or pretend the pain didn’t happen, but it releases bitterness and returns the weight of justice to God. Forgiveness is also an outward witness: when we forgive as Christ forgives, we display the grace we’ve received and reflect the love of Jesus to believers and unbelievers alike.

Finally, the devotional emphasizes that forgiveness is sustained by closeness with God. Keeping communication open with Jesus—through prayer, repentance, and humility—helps us remember that we are finite, flawed people saved by grace. And because God continues to forgive us as we confess and grow, we can ask Him for the strength to forgive again and again.

Main Takeaways

• Forgiveness can be deeply difficult, but Jesus calls believers to forgive as an act of obedience and love.

• Unforgiveness can foster bitterness and hinder your fellowship with God.

• God’s forgiveness is freely given through Christ; we extend forgiveness because we’ve received grace.

• Forgiveness releases the burden of resentment and allows you to walk in peace and freedom.

• Staying close to Jesus through prayer and repentance helps soften our hearts to forgive repeatedly.

Today’s Bible Verse

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. - Matthew 6:14-15

Your Daily Prayer

Here is a brief excerpt from today’s prayer:

“Help me to forgive others as you forgive me… Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.”

You can listen to the full prayer here or read devotional at the links below.

Looking for more daily encouragement and faith-filled content?

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.  You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

.

The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

.

To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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In today’s episode, Becket Cook sits down with Jay Dios, who shares his powerful testimony of growing up in a conservative Christian home, struggling with pornography and same-sex attraction from a young age, entering a same-sex marriage, and ultimately experiencing a radical transformation through Jesus Christ. Jay opens up about deconstructing his faith, embracing affirming theology, reading God and the Gay Christian, and even meeting Matthew Vines in person—before God revealed the truth that led him to repentance, freedom, and surrender.

Jay explains what ultimately compelled him to divorce his husband, how Scripture reclaimed authority in his life, and why faithfulness to God—not identity or desire—became the turning point. Now rooted at Passion City Church, Jay reflects on obedience, contentment, sanctification, and living for eternity rather than cultural approval.

This conversation is for anyone wrestling with faith and sexuality, confused by affirming theology, or seeking clarity on biblical truth, repentance, and redemption through Jesus Christ.

The Becket Cook Show Ep. 228

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John wonders if trees are weaker in the South and prepares for Y2K with his dad. Meanwhile, Jonnie ponders getting a taser and thinks Groucho Marx would've loved the new "6-7" craze.

Plus, a conversation about the sins that upset humans the most, and whether they are the ones God is focused on.

Today's episode is NOT sponsored by Spaghetti Sauce: "Staining Your Tupperware Containers Since 1946."

 

FOLLOW Jonnie W: https://jonniew.com

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This episode is part 46 in a study of the gospel of Luke. Jesus is approached by the sadducees with a contrived question about the marriage and resurrection.

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Why do so many Christians feel like they’re “bad at prayer”? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast, Dr. James Spencer sits down with Addison Bevere (President of Messenger International) to talk about prayer as presence, not performance—and why shame and distraction keep God’s people from the intimacy they were made for.

Addison shares the origin story behind RediscoverPrayer.com and a pivotal conversation with his dad that reshaped his view of prayer: “I pray for about 15 minutes… and then I just listen.” That moment helped expose a common misconception—many people assume prayer is a spiritual performance, a transaction, or a checklist. But Scripture invites something deeper: constant prayer as constant receptivity, lived from a place of rest and God-consciousness rather than self-consciousness.

James and Addison discuss how modern life trains our attention toward anxiety and control, and how rebuilding a prayerful “cadence” can reorient our entire day. Addison explains why attention is a real sacrifice, why the first hour of the morning can have a disproportionate impact, and how prayer energizes every other spiritual discipline instead of merely being one more item on the list.

They also explore:

• Why “pray without ceasing” isn’t a burden, but an invitation to ongoing intimacy

• The difference between formulas and frameworks for prayer

• How the enemy uses shame to turn prayer into a place of disqualification

• How prayer changes us—even when we’re messy, distracted, or unsure what to say

• Why the church needs to recover the sacredness of God’s presence in community to make disciples today

Addison’s newest resource, Words with God Prayer Journal, is designed as a practical framework to help people reflect, recenter, rest, receive, ask, and respond—building a life of prayer that carries into every moment.

Resources mentioned:

• Purchase Words with God Prayer Journal here.

• RediscoverPrayer.com

• MessengerX.com (Messenger International’s discipleship app)

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Episode Summary:

Today we are diving into a topic that affects millions of people who feel stretched too thin and overwhelmed by life. We are talking about real world tools for managing chronic stress and mental fatigue so you can regain clarity, rebuild your strength, and restore your hope. Chronic stress is not simply an inconvenience. It quietly infiltrates every area of life and disrupts sleep, relationships, thought patterns, mood, and even your sense of spiritual connection. Our goal today is to equip you with proven strategies that help you move from exhaustion to renewal so you can thrive again.

When mental fatigue sets in and stress feels unending, many people assume that feeling overwhelmed is their new normal. But God offers a better way. You can experience renewed strength, restored clarity, and a calm mind even in the middle of challenging seasons. If you long for sustainable emotional wellness, Christ centered stress management tools, and practical ways to quiet your mind, this episode is for you. We want to help you step out of survival mode and experience the peace that God promises. Today we’re going to be talking about Tools for Managing Chronic Stress and Mental Fatigue.

Quotables from the episode:

• Chronic stress affects the whole person. It impacts the body, mind, emotions, and even our sense of spiritual grounding.
• As a neuropsychologist, I see how the stress response system affects the brain. When people experience stress for long periods of time, the brain becomes over activated. Concentration decreases. Memory becomes foggy. Emotional regulation becomes harder. We feel more reactive and less resilient.
• The good news is that the brain is both adaptable and changeable. With consistent tools, we can retrain the mind and restore mental clarity.
• It is critical to remember that God did not design our bodies to live in chronic stress.
• Chronic stress is the type of ongoing stress that does not resolve quickly. It comes from situations that continue to require emotional or physical energy without enough recovery time.
• Chronic stress and mental fatigue are not signs of weakness. They are signs that your body and mind need care. With intentional tools and God’s help, your mind can heal, your body can recover, and your spirit can strengthen.

Scripture References:

• Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”

Recommended Resources:

• Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everything By Jessica Van Roekel
• Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
• The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories
• Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals
• Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 202

Veteran actor and producer Stelio Savante joins Crosswalk Talk to discuss his role in the true-life family film Hazel’s Heart — streaming now on Angel Studios and available on video-on-demand platforms. Based on the remarkable survival story of Hazel Miner in 1920 North Dakota, the movie highlights sacrifice, courage, and hope against the odds. Savante also reflects on his career arc, including Sarah’s Oil and his defining role in The Chosen, and shares his thoughts on why faith-centered storytelling resonates deeply with audiences today.

Highlights

• What Hazel’s Heart is about and why Stelio was drawn to this true-story drama

• His role as William Miner, father to Hazel, and what it meant to portray strength and regret

• Behind-the-scenes fun fact: much of the blizzard environment was created in an abandoned Kmart with visual effects

• How playing antagonistic and complex roles (like in Sarah’s Oil) adds depth to his work

• Why faith and family films are growing — better artistry + greater audience hunger for hope

• His journey from early roles in Law & Order: SVU and Ugly Betty to playing Moses in The Chosen

• What makes The Chosen connect on a personal level with viewers worldwide — perspective and humanity

• Lessons from Hazel’s Heart: making wise choices under pressure and giving hope to others

Resources:

Stelio Savante – Actor & Producer

• IMDb Profile: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0767445/

Featured Films & Series

• Hazel’s Heart (2025) – True-life survival film based on Hazel Miner’s story

  • Official Film Info (Angel Studios):

  • VOD/Rental Info (Apple