LifeAudio

The rush of the Christmas season often temps us to forget its true meaning. In this episode, learn three specific areas of focus to pray to keep Christ first this Christmas. Also, take time to pray with Christina at the end of this episode to ask God for the joy, love, and hope this season brings.

Resources Mentioned in This Podcast:

Download Christina's Free 5 Day Prayer Guide to help you put into practice the powerful habit of prayer: https://www.subscribepage.com/prayerguide

Connect with Christina Paterson: https://www.belovedwomen.org

Join the “He Shall Be Called” Bible study series here: https://www.belovedwomen.tv/he-shall-be-called

Study the Bible with Christina and Beloved Women by downloading the Beloved Women app: https://www.belovedwomen.org/join

Scriptures in the Podcast are from ESV.

Episode Image Credit: Getty/ ChrisGorgio

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In today’s episode, Pastor Shawn Johnson gets vulnerable about his battles with depression, anxiety, addiction, and the temptation to quit. Drawing from personal experience and his newest book Kiss the Fire, Shawn reminds listeners that God often does His best work in the places we’d rather avoid. This is an honest, hope-filled conversation about pain, healing, and perseverance as Shawn shares practical wisdom on getting back up after spiritual burnout, facing intrusive thoughts, an unwanted and unexpected diagnosis, and finding strength to keep going when everything in you wants to collapse. He discusses the power of confession, how God uses adversity to shape your calling, and the small, daily steps that rebuild hope, resilience, and spiritual confidence.

 

Visit Red Rocks Church: https://www.redrockschurch.com/learn-more/ 

Purchase Your Copy of Kiss the Fire: https://shorturl.at/n9oeC 

Follow Shawn on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/shawnjohnsonrrc/?hl=en 

Looking for Clinically Excellent, Distinctively Christian Counsel & Care?: https://christiancareconnect.com/ 

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Today’s Bible Verse:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” — Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah 7:14 is one of the Bible’s most searched, quoted, and cherished prophecies — a promise tucked into a tense chapter of political fear and uncertainty. God responds to human anxiety with a person, not a plan. He offers a sign that doesn’t shout power or strategy, but presence: Immanuel, God with us.

MEET YOUR HOST: Dr. Kyle Norman at https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/

The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada. He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others. Rev. Norman has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.

Find more from Rev. Norman at revkylenorman.ca

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What if the greatest gift you give your kids this Christmas is a heart of generosity—and the chance to change someone else’s world?

This episode goes beyond stockings and wrapping paper to tackle one of the most pressing questions for believers during the holiday season: How do we practically teach our children the virtue of generosity, not just for the holidays, but for a lifetime—and in a way that makes a true, eternal difference?

Answer: Plant seeds of generosity in your family with Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Gift Catalog, a unique way for families to give gifts that can transform lives around the globe.

Browse the catalog and get involved at www.samaritanspurse.org/parent.

Catherine welcomes Kristy Graham, host of the On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse podcast and wife to Edward Graham, part of the legacy family behind this renowned global relief ministry. With firsthand experience raising four children and witnessing God’s faithfulness in some of the most challenging corners of the globe, Kristy brings unmatched insight and compassion to this timely discussion.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

• Transformative Giving - The Samaritan's Purse Christmas Gift Catalog: Learn how families can open a new kind of catalog—one offering goats, honeybees, water filters, heart surgeries, and more—to provide desperately needed gifts to people across the globe.
• Real Stories, Real Impact: Kristy recounts emotional, hope-filled stories: families in Iraq whose lives are remade by a simple beehive; a mother shattered by tragedy in need of purpose and dignity, restored by a brood of baby chicks; and the power of a $9 donation to feed a hungry infant and spark the hope of the Gospel for a mother who feels forgotten.
• Generosity That Changes Hearts—Including Our Own: Discover practical ways to involve your kids in picking out gifts, writing cards for teachers in someone’s honor, or pairing a meaningful donation with something tangible.
• Biblical Parallels: Kristy and Catherine share how the work of Samaritan’s purse brings to life the stories of Ruth, who gleaned what benevolent benefactors left for those less fortunate, and Hagar, who met the God who saw her need.
• Seeds of the Gospel: Every gift given through Samaritan’s Purse meets physical needs—and intentionally opens doors for the life-changing message of Christ. Whether it’s a water well, a jar of honey, or a vital medical procedure, these gifts become vehicles for sharing hope and introducing recipients to the God who truly sees them.

Call to Action:

This Christmas, will your family give a gift that extends beyond your home?
Explore life-changing opportunities at samaritanspurse.org/parent as a family, and ask your kids: “How can we be part of God’s story of hope this Christmas?”
Let your generosity become a legacy of faith, planting seeds for eternity.

Episode Links:

• Samaritan’s Purse Gift Catalog: www.samaritanspurse.org/parent
• On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse Podcast
• Catherine's Resources for Christian Parents

About the guest: Kristy Graham hosts On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse, a show she launched in 2019 to highlight God’s faithfulness through the ministry’s work. Each week, she brings listeners close to the stories of staff and the people they serve—always pointing hearts to Christ.

Sleep better and Stress Less— with Abide, a Christian meditation app that provides a biblically grounded place to experience peace and progress in your relationship with Christ. We hope this biblical sleep meditation, narrated by Tyler Boss, helps your body relax and your mind rest on the truth found in scripture. As you fall asleep, rest peacefully in the supernatural joy of Christ. It’s a joy unlike anything this world has to offer. It’s a joy that is abundant, infinite, and flows naturally from the presence of God.

For a 30 day free trial of our premium ad-free content, your trusted friend for better sleep is right here: https://abide.com/peace

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

Have you ever noticed that after pouring out love, hosting, caring, cooking, cleaning, and trying to make everything meaningful for everyone… your body suddenly crashes?

In today’s episode, Bonnie unpacks the Overgiving Crash — that drained, blank, emotional dip that often hits right after big holidays and busy seasons. You’ll learn why it happens, what your body is trying to tell you, and how God gently meets you in those weary places.

Bonnie also explains the cortisol dip — the biological drop that leaves you feeling tired, foggy, or flat after you’ve been “on” for days — and shares the simple soul care shift that can restore your spark as you enter the Christmas season.

Learn how to help your nervous system reset… and how to let God renew your strength with tenderness and love. 

Key Takeaways:
 Why the “overgiving crash” happens after holidays and emotionally demanding seasons
 What a cortisol dip is — and why it leaves you feeling drained or suddenly exhausted
 How God restores your strength when you pause and let Him care for your tired heart
 The science behind anticipatory joy — and why choosing one small thing you love lifts your mood
 A simple soul care practice to help you reconnect with peace as the holiday season begins

 Breath PrayerInhale: You renew my strength
Exhale: You are my hope

 Scripture
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” — Isaiah 40:29–31
 → Register "Advent Wellness Course" to lower holiday stress with God's peace, hope, joy, and love at mysoulcareschool.com
 →  Eucalyptus Shower Steamers for instant calm at Bonnie's Soul Care Store

 → Take the FREE Soul Care Quiz at soulcarequiz.com
Get your personal wellness assessment and learn which area of soul care you need most.

Connect with Bonnie:

  Join the Soul Care Newsletter:
https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe

  Watch Weekly YouTube Devotionals:
https://youtube.com/thebonniegray

  Bestselling Books by Bonnie:
https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd

 Follow Bonnie on Instagram & Facebook:
@thebonniegray

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Connect with God — on Abide, a Christian meditation app that provides a biblically grounded place to experience peace and progress in your relationship with Christ. Use this biblical meditation, narrated by Tyler Boss, to center yourself on the truth in God's word. Worried about satisfying everyone’s expectations this season? Meditate on Psalm 62:5-8. Allow the music & nature sounds, deep breathing, prayer, and scripture help you connect with God in a new way. 

For a 30 day free trial of our premium ad-free content, your trusted friend for meditation is right here: https://abide.com/peace

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

Promises carry weight. When someone makes a promise, we expect them to follow through. As children, a “pinky swear” sealed that expectation — breaking it simply wasn’t allowed. But human promises are fragile. People forget, circumstances change, and intentions fall short.

Not so with God.

Clarence Haynes reminds us that God’s promises rest on something infinitely stronger than a pinky swear — His unchanging, unfailing Word. When God declares something, it does not depend on our belief, agreement, or understanding. His promises stand because He stands. As Clarence says, the bumper sticker should really read: “God said it, and that settles it.”

This truth comes alive as we reflect on the promise of the Messiah. Immediately after the fall, in Genesis 3:15, God declared that a Savior would come to defeat sin. It was the first prophecy of Jesus — a promise given in the midst of humanity’s darkest moment. Adam and Eve could not have fully understood its meaning, yet God already had redemption in motion.

But here’s the tension:
God’s promises are always certain — but their timing is often unknown.
The promise of the Messiah was fulfilled 4,000 years later. Generations came and went without seeing the prophecy completed, yet God’s Word remained true. The long wait did not weaken His promise. It simply unfolded in God’s perfect timing.

This is the pattern of God’s promises in our lives too.
We know what God has said — but rarely when He will do it.
The uncertainty of timing can shake us, but the certainty of His Word should anchor us.

This Christmas season, as you celebrate the birth of Christ, remember:
Jesus’ coming is the living proof that God keeps His promises.
Not always quickly.
Not always how we expect.
But always faithfully.

Luke 1:37 is the reminder your heart needs:
No word from God will ever fail.
Not one. Not ever.

Let that truth give you confidence, hope, and peace — even in the promises you’re still waiting on.

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“For no word from God will ever fail.”
— Luke 1:37

MAIN TAKEAWAYS

• God’s promises are guaranteed because of His character, not our circumstances.

• The birth of Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s first promise of a Messiah.

• God’s Word is always certain, even when the timing is unknow

A Prayer to Let Your Light Shine by Katie J. Trent

Christmas lights have long symbolized joy, celebration, and warmth. But beyond the twinkle and sparkle, they also point us to a deeper truth: we are called to shine the light of Jesus in our everyday lives.In today's episode, Katie Trent reminds us to shine the light of Jesus in the world through our kindness, generosity, compassion, & love!

Reference: Matthew 5:14-16

Prayer: Heavenly Father, show me how to let the light of Jesus shine through me and my children to bless those around us each day. Teach us to be sensitive to the needs of others and always willing to reach out and tangibly share Your love. Help our family to light up our world with Your hope, peace, joy, and love this holiday season. Amen.

LINKS:

How to Pray God's Word For Your Children Guide

Connect with Katie Trent

Get today's devotion and prayer in written form to keep for future use! 

Support the ministry with your $5 monthly gift through Patreon.

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

«Queridos amigos, nunca tomen venganza. Dejen que se encargue la justa ira de Dios. Pues dicen las Escrituras: «Yo tomaré venganza; Yo les pagaré lo que se merecen», dice el Señor». Romanos 12:19

Escrito por Luciano Goicochea

Telegram: https://t.me/TheSalvationArmySoundcast

WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/B8WQJMa1QU9AFAMdmUkwcC

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