More than money or possessions, I want my kids to inherit my faith. New episode by Nicolet Bell is up now on what it looks like to faithfully invest in the people God has entrusted to us.

LINKS:Freebie: Drive Time Conversations Fruit of the Spirit Download How to Pray God's Word for Your ChildrenFollow Everyday Prayers @millionprayingmomsGet today's devotion and prayer in written form to keep for future use!Support the ministry with your $5 monthly gift through Patreon. A Prayer to Live Faithfully by Nicolet BellReference: Matthew 25:21Prayer: Lord, help my children to be faithful servants to you. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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La sal preserva y da sabor; la luz guía y revela el camino. Así también, nuestra Fe cobra vida cuando fortalecemos, consolamos y servimos con un corazón sincero. Ven y permite que la Luz de Jesucristo brille a través de ti; esa Luz que nunca se apaga.

Escrito por Luciano Goicochea

CANAL EN TELEGRAM

GRUPO EN WHATSAPP

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Welcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where pastor Matt Whitman helps us explore the book of Matthew, spanning its genealogy, the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. By examining Jesus’ ministry and life as a fulfilled prophecy, the episode reveals the foundations of Christianity and the hope found in realizing our place in the narrative.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always 

Jesus Listens

Matt Whitman

The book of Matthew

The Lightning-Fast Field Guide to the Bible

Interview Quotes:

“At the end of the Old Testament, you’ve got these promises hanging out there that God’s going to redeem everything, but there isn’t a clear timeline on it. And then you turn the page over to Matthew, and the hope starts, and the clarification on the whole arc of history starts, and this is where the Bible really begins to come into focus.” - Matt Whitman

“You meet Jesus, and you start to realize this is for me. I am part of this story. I am invited into this thing and I’m getting a sense of where I fit.” - Matt Whitman

“Right there at the front end of Matthew, we’re being told that Jesus is not a new thing. This was always the plan, this is more than just the next step in the plan, this is the culminating event in the plans.” - Matt Whitman 

“We can’t solve the problem. We need God to step into the muck and into the mess. If there is any solution to the curse from all the way back in the garden, it’s going to have to come from God. And Matthew is saying, ‘Open your eyes. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for.’” - Matt Whitman 

“How many of us have prayed that God would show us what is true, show us what is real? In Matthew 3, God shows up and affirms that He sent Jesus, that He is the Son of God, and that He is pleased with Jesus and what He’s about to do. It sets the stage for everything.” - Matt Whitman 

“The first stuff that Jesus teaches publicly is the beloved beatitudes. He throws down this gauntlet and is saying right out of the gate, “I’m a King, there is a kingdom, and the rules of my kingdom are different than the world’s kingdoms.’” - Matt Whitman

“One of the very first things that Jesus clarifies is that this isn’t a new religion. This was always the plan. Redemption would always come through Christ. God would always be with us. Jesus is the completion and fulfillment of all of it, not something new.” - Matt Whitman

“Jesus has demonstrated power over life, death, distance. It seems like He should be so completely ‘other’ that He would be detached from humanity. But instead, he says ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I’ll give you rest.’” - Matt Whitman 

“Jesus is not coming to heap more things upon people. The load of sin, the load of human frailty, is very heavy. And the answer to this is Christ. That is where hope can be found.” - Matt Whitman 

“Death is defeated, the story finds its symmetry, and we feel great about it, but we feel even better when we realize we are in this story. You are heirs and agents of this kingdom. You are an honored son or daughter of the King.

What does it really mean to believe in God? It’s possible to believe that God exists without allowing His Word to shape the way we think, live, and make decisions. True faith goes beyond acknowledging God—it means trusting what He says and letting that belief change us.

James 2:19 reminds us that even demons believe there is one God, challenging us to examine whether our faith is more than simply recognizing God’s existence. When we truly believe God, our lives begin to reflect that faith through our choices, obedience, relationships, and especially the way we love others. Following Jesus means allowing God’s truth to transform our hearts and our everyday lives.

Highlights

• The difference between believing in God and believing God
• Why genuine faith should change the way we live and make decisions
• What James 2:19 teaches us about simply acknowledging that God exists
• How Abraham’s faith demonstrates what it means to believe God’s promises
• Why our actions can reveal what we truly believe in our hearts
• How unbelief can quietly influence our choices and priorities
• Why loving others is one of the clearest ways our faith in Jesus becomes visible

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Full Transcript Below:

What Do You Believe?

By Lynette Kittle

Bible Reading:

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” - James 2:19

What we believe about God is critical, determining how we live our daily lives and also determining our eternal futures.

It’s wise for us to ask, “Do we believe in God or do we believe God?” because there is a difference.

The first is believing there is a God, which is good and a start; the second is our believing God, meaning we believe what He says is true.

The difference they make in our lives is evident, too. Believing there is a God doesn’t mean we believe Him and live out His words in our lives; believing Him changes us.

As 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

It’s not difficult, either, for others to see what we truly believe in our lives. For example, if we believe what health experts tell us about how to live our lives, then we exercise, eat healthily, and live according to healthy principles.

So it is if we believe God. We’ll live according to His word, incorporating, practicing, and living out His godly principles in our lives.

Believing God Changes Us

In Luke 4:33-34, a demon recognizes who Jesus truly is. “In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by a demon, an impu

Are you harder on yourself than you would be on anyone else?

Whether you're trying to break a bad habit, reach a goal, lose weight, learn something new, it can be easy to focus on how far you still have to go instead of recognizing how far you've come.

In this episode of HEARTBEAT, we're reminded that following Jesus doesn't mean expecting perfection from ourselves. We can be quick to extend grace and encouragement to other people while holding ourselves to an impossible standard.

When Jesus tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself,” He reminds us that we are also people created and loved by God. Our mistakes don't define us, and our value isn't determined by our productivity, appearance, accomplishments, or failures.

God gives us room to grow. We can do the same for ourselves.

Don’t forget: You can also download our free devotional, “Mind, Body & Soul,” designed to help strengthen your walk with God through Scripture, prayer, and practical habits.

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Learn more about HEARTBEAT- https://salvationarmysoundcast.org/heartbeat

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Fasting isn't simply about giving something up. Sometimes, it reveals what we've been reaching for when life gets hard—the alcohol, sugar, scrolling, shopping, or whatever else promises a little relief when we're overwhelmed, anxious, lonely, exhausted, or hurting. When we set that thing down, we're often left face-to-face with the discomfort we were trying to escape.

Wendy Speake, bestselling author of The 40-Day Sugar Fast, The 40-Day Social Media Fast, and The 40-Day Feast, shares why fasting is about more than giving something up. It can redirect our attention and affection toward God and create space for deeper intimacy with Jesus.

Christy and Wendy talk about what happens when the discomfort becomes overwhelming, why lasting transformation isn't about willpower, and how to keep moving forward when you stumble. They unpack why a slip doesn't erase the growth you've already experienced—and why God's grace means you don't have to return to the starting line every time you fall.

Wendy also shares the story behind her newest book, A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving: 30 Days of Rejoicing in God's Goodness, and what it means to praise God without pretending that pain doesn't hurt. 

If You’ve Ever Thought…

“I know I should turn to God, but I just want something to make me feel better right now.”

“If I stop drinking, scrolling, eating, or whatever else I use to cope, what am I supposed to do with the discomfort?”

“I made it several days and then slipped. Does that mean I've failed?”

“Can I be hurting and still trust God?”

The this conversation is for you.

What You’ll Learn

• Why fasting is about more than simply giving something up

• What our coping mechanisms can reveal about where we turn for comfort

• How fasting can deepen our attention, affection, and intimacy with God

• How to sit with discomfort without immediately trying to escape it

• Why transformation requires more than willpower

• How to respond when you stumble without starting over

• Why God's grace is bigger than our failures

• How to praise God while honestly acknowledging pain

Check Out Wendy’s Books

The 40-Day Sugar Fast
https://amzn.to/4h6qDQB

The 40-Day Social Media Fast
https://amzn.to/3SYhWQ0

The 40-Day Feast
https://amzn.to/4yAhMh6

A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving: 30 Days of Rejoicing in God's Goodness
https://amzn.to/4r6iQGI

Join the October 40-Day Fast

The Love Life Sober 40-Day Alcohol Fast begins October 5th.

https://lovelifesober.co.uk/october-fast

Order Christy's Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

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Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and e

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

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].

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

It is possible to feel like you are managing everything reasonably well — checking in with the people in your life, not overcommitting, trying to be thoughtful — and still have something important fall out of order. Not because of bad intentions, but because the most essential check was missed: the one with the Lord. Priorities can quietly rearrange themselves without any single dramatic moment, and the result is often disappointing the people we care about most while feeling genuinely confused about how it happened.

Psalm 139:23-24 is one of the most courageous prayers in Scripture: search me, O God, know my heart, try me, see if there is any wicked way in me. It is an invitation for God to show us what we cannot see about ourselves — the pride hiding under helpfulness, the people-pleasing disguised as generosity, the frantic doing that Elisabeth Elliot identified as one of Satan's favorite temptations: inspiring us to do more than the Father meant for us to do. We cannot change what we refuse to look at, and we cannot change even what we do see through our own strength alone. The comfort is that God is not in heaven condemning us for getting it wrong the four hundredth time. He is there to guide, help, and change us into His likeness. Romans 8:1 makes that clear. We cannot do the changing on our own — and He never said we could. He can, and He always said He would.

Bible Verse

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
— Psalm 139:23-24, NKJV

Ponder Today

1. The most important check-in is the one with God. We can consult everyone around us, manage our schedules carefully, and still miss the most essential question: Lord, is this what You want me to do? Checking with God first changes everything that follows.
2. Pride can hide under genuinely good impulses. The desire to help, to be needed, to jump in before being asked — these are not always wrong, but they can become a way of doing what we think is right rather than what God has actually asked of us.
3. Quiet priority drift is one of the most common and least dramatic ways things go wrong. No single decision feels catastrophic. But over time, the people who should come first end up carrying the weight of what slipped when we were too busy for them.
4. You cannot do the changing on your own — and God never said you could. This is not discouraging news. It is freeing news. He can, and He always said He would. Our job is to invite Him in and yield to what He shows us.
5. God is not condemning you for getting it wrong again. Romans 8:1 is clear: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He is present to guide, correct, and change us — not to berate us for how many times we have needed the same correction.

A Prayer for You Today

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for taking things out of Your hands and putting them into my own. Help me to stop and listen to what You want me to do and where You want me to go. You know me better than I know myself. You know the harmful ways in me and my propensity to wander from Your commands. Please keep me close. Draw me back when I have strayed. Change what needs to be changed and strengthen the weak areas. Lord, I need You more than the air I breathe. I am counting on You because apart from You, I can do nothing. I love You. Help me to love You more. Amen.

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The doctor looked at Daniel Ritchie's father and asked if they should let him go.

Daniel was born without arms, a disability two ultrasounds missed, and he came into the world not breathing and not moving. His dad didn't need a second opinion. Less than two minutes later, Daniel was kicking and screaming.

But surviving the delivery room wasn't the hard part. By 13, Daniel hated his life. Bitterness turned into isolation, isolation into depression, and depression into wanting out. Then a friend invited him to a church lock-in he only went to because it sounded like chaos — and a youth pastor spent an hour walking a hostile 15-year-old through the book of Romans.

In this conversation with Jeremy Stalnecker, Daniel talks about identity, contentment, and why the modifier we put in front of "Christian" quietly runs our lives. "I'm not an armless Christian," he says. "Christ is the most important part of who I am. The armless piece is just the refining aspect in the story."

ABOUT DANIEL RITCHIE

Daniel Ritchie is an author and speaker who has spent eight years traveling full-time, sharing his story with churches, conferences, and organizations across the country. danielritchie.com

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