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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 James Seawood, to center yourself on the truth in God's word. Even God practices gratitude. Meditate on Matthew 15:36. 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

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 Faith Over Fear Episode Summary

Guest: Mary DeMuth
 Topic: The Freedom of Surrender: 40 Devotions to Let Go and Live Free

What if the peace you’re craving isn’t found in control, but in letting go? In this episode, Carol McCracken talks with author and speaker Mary DeMuth about her new devotional The Freedom of Surrender. Together, they explore what it means to release the hidden parts of our lives—our past, our relationships, our daily struggles, and our deepest worries—to a God who can handle them better than we can.

Mary shares how surrender became a life-changing spiritual practice, one that moves us from striving and fear into trust and rest. She offers honest insights about how to identify areas of resistance, what healthy surrender looks like, and why God often meets us most powerfully when we finally stop trying to manage everything ourselves.

Whether you’re carrying regret, trying to fix relationships, or simply exhausted from worry, this conversation reminds you that freedom begins where self-reliance ends.

Resource Referenced: The Freedom of Surrender: Forty Devotions for a Joyful Life in Christ by Mary DeMuth

Download your free faith-building resource for all November's Faith Over Fear episodes here

Discussion/Reflection Questions:

1. When you hear the word surrender, what emotions rise up first—fear, relief, resistance, or trust?
2. Mary talks about surrendering our inner life—our thoughts, wounds, and private battles. Which part of your inner life might God be inviting you to release today?
3. How can you tell when you’ve picked something back up that you once laid down before God?
4. What’s one relationship where you sense God asking you to trust His timing and work rather than your own effort?
5. Mary reminds us that surrender and freedom are connected. What would “living free” look like for you this week?
6. Which Scripture verse helps anchor your heart when surrender feels scary or uncertain?

Connect with Mary DeMuth:

On her website

On Facebook

On Instagram

Find her writing on Amazon

Find Carol McCracken:

On her website 

On Facebook

On Instagram

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What if one simple rhythm could reshape the way you see your days, your relationships, and even your walk with God? What if gratitude isn’t just a feeling but a flavor that transforms everything it touches?

That’s the heart behind my conversation with Jeremy A. Taylor on The Love Offering Podcast this week. Jeremy’s new book, Gratitude Flavors Everything You Do, is a gentle companion designed to help you pause, notice God’s goodness, and cultivate a posture of thankfulness in the middle of real life.

In our episode, Jeremy and I talk about how gratitude can soften our attitudes, strengthen our relationships, and anchor us when life feels hurried or heavy. We explore how a thankful heart doesn’t ignore hard things—it finds God in them. 

I’d love for you to listen and consider beginning your own gratitude rhythm—morning, evening, or whenever you can breathe in God’s goodness. Let’s welcome each day with hearts attuned to God’s presence—and let gratitude flavor everything we do.

 

Connect with Jeremy:

https://www.jeremyataylor.com/

 

Read the Show Notes:

https://rachaelkadams.com/writing/

 

Download Your Free Advent Devotional and Calendar:

https://rachaelkadams.com/free/

 

Support the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/

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Thankfulness isn’t just a seasonal tradition—it’s a spiritual posture rooted deep in Scripture and woven through history. Psalm 100:4 calls us to enter God’s presence with gratitude, a theme that began long before American holidays and continues to shape the way believers respond to God’s goodness today. From Old Testament thank offerings to the Pilgrims’ courageous faith, we’re reminded that gratitude grows strongest in hearts that remember God’s faithfulness through every circumstance.

Highlights

• Biblical thanksgiving began with offerings of gratitude long before modern celebrations.

• Leviticus and 2 Chronicles reveal how God invited His people to display thankfulness through worship.

• America’s Thanksgiving tradition is deeply influenced by the Pilgrims’ commitment to biblical truth.

• Despite tremendous suffering, the Pilgrims lived out 1 Thessalonians 5:18 by giving thanks in all circumstances.

• Historical accounts show how miraculous their survival truly was—only a fraction lived to see the first feast.

• The Pilgrims’ perseverance helped lay the foundation for a national day dedicated to thanking God.

• Leaders like Washington and Lincoln carried forward the tradition of national gratitude to the Lord.

Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas!

Full Transcript Below:

Cultivating a Heart Full of Thanksgiving

By Lynette Kittle

Bible Reading:

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name”—Psalm 100:4

Offering thanksgiving didn’t begin in America; it began in the Bible, taught to humankind by a loving and gracious God who is deserving and worthy of our gratitude, and to receive thankfulness that comes from hearts truly grateful for all He has done and is still doing in our lives and in our nation.

Thanksgiving to God, often associated with food offerings, began in the Bible. As early as Leviticus 7:12, we read how God instructed, “If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with oil, and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in.”

Again, in 2 Chronicles 29:31, the King calls for the people to give thanks. “Then Hezekiah said, ‘You have now dedicated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.’ So the assembly brought sacrifices and t

In this episode of Jesus Listens Stories of Prayer, host Susie McEntire Eaton talks with author and speaker Arlene Pellicane. Arlene shares insights from her book, Making Marriage Easier, discussing how intentional decisions, gratitude, and making time for fun can strengthen relationships. She also touches on the importance of prayer in marriage and offers a realistic perspective on how it can be incorporated into daily life.

Guest’s Links
YouTube: @ArleneHappyHome 

Facebook: @ArlenePellicaneAuthor 

Instagram: @arlenepellicane 

 

Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/43xG8ec 

________________________ 

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*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

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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.

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.

.

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.

Gratitude often feels effortless when life is going well — when prayers are answered, when blessings are obvious, when joy overflows naturally. But for most of us, gratitude is forged not on the mountaintops, but in the rhythms of ordinary days. The days that feel repetitive. The days that feel quiet. The days when nothing "big" seems to be happening.

Scripture calls us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” Not just in the exciting ones, but in the everyday ones — the soft glow of morning light, the warmth of a cup of coffee, the sound of laughter around the dinner table, the simple grace of making it through another day. Gratitude in these small, sacred places keeps our hearts aligned with God’s presence and shifts our eyes from what we lack to who He is.

God’s goodness is not an occasional event; it is a continuous presence woven into the fabric of our daily lives. When we slow down enough to notice His fingerprints — a gentle breeze, a familiar verse speaking fresh truth, a moment of quiet peace — we begin to experience the miracle of everyday grace. Jesus Himself modeled this when He gave thanks for five loaves and two fish before the miracle. Gratitude prepared the way.

In a world obsessed with “more,” the Kingdom teaches us to treasure “enough.” Gratitude invites joy into what feels simple. It transforms routine moments into holy ground. It reminds us that every breath is evidence of God’s kindness.

If your life feels plain, small, or uneventful right now, take heart. God is in the small things too. Sometimes the quiet seasons are where He speaks the loudest.

Today's Bible Reading:
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Takeaway Truths

• Gratitude is not based on circumstances but on God’s unchanging character.

• Small daily blessings reveal God’s ongoing presence and care.

• Thanksgiving trains our hearts toward contentment and joy.

• Jesus modeled gratitude even before His miracles unfolded.

• The ordinary moments of life can become sacred when we slow down and notice God.

Let’s Pray

Father, thank You for the small things — the quiet gifts I often overlook. Forgive me for rushing past Your goodness while waiting for something “bigger” to celebrate. Open my eyes to notice You in the daily moments — in laughter, in silence, in the simple routines of my life.

Thank You for breath in my lungs, sunlight through my window, food on my table, and the people who love me. Thank You even for the inconveniences that remind me of the blessings behind them.

Teach me to live with continual gratitude — not because everything is perfect, but because You are perfect and Your plans for me are good. Help me pause, notice, and whisper thank You throughout the ordinary moments. Let my life become a continual offering of thanksgiving to You.

Feeling spiritually distant is something almost every believer experiences at some point. It can come during seasons of exhaustion, grief, distraction, or self-reliance. James reminds us that God does not move away from us — we are the ones who drift. His nearness is constant, steady, and unwavering, even when we don’t feel it.

Angie Grant offers a tender perspective: God’s pursuit of us mirrors the love a parent has for a child. Before a child can speak, understand, or reciprocate affection, the parent is already loving, providing, protecting, and inviting connection. The child doesn’t earn that love. They simply receive what already existed.

God’s love is the same — relentless, unconditional, and full of grace.

When we drift spiritually, it often happens quietly. We start to rely on our own strength. We get busy. We stop listening to the still, small voice that once guided us so clearly. Life begins to feel barren, dry, and heavy — a sign that we’ve been running on empty, trying to fill the God-shaped space in our hearts with things that can never satisfy.

But here is the good news:
God has not moved. He has not withdrawn. He has not hidden Himself.

You are not abandoned.
You are not forgotten.
You are not too far gone.

The moment you turn toward Him — even slightly — He is already rushing toward you with open arms.

Drawing near to God isn’t about striving; it’s about surrender. It’s stepping out of self-reliance and back into relationship. It’s slowing down enough to hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit again. It’s remembering that the Father who pursued you before you ever knew Him is still pursuing you now.

He is close.
He has always been close.
And He will draw near the moment you take one step toward Him.

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”
— James 4:8

MAIN TAKEAWAYS

• Spiritual distance is a feeling, not a reality — God has not moved away from you.

• God pursues us long before we pursue Him; His love is persistent and unconditional.

• We often drift when we try to manage life in our own strength.

• Drawing near is an act of returning — turning our attention, affection, and dependence back to God.

• The Holy Spirit continues to call us gently back into fellowship.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Thessalonians 4:11 says, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.” During the busy holiday season that is upon us, you may be wondering if a quiet and unrushed life is even possible. In this episode, I share with you three ways the practice of prayer can help you to slow down, focus on what's most important, and experience God's peace this season. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

Take the Prayer Personality Quiz to learn how you best Hear from God and communicate with Him: https://www.prayquiz.com.

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA:

Go to her site, https://www.belovedwomen.org, and study the Bible with her in the Beloved Women app available in the Apple and Google Play stores, where she invites busy women to fill up on God’s love and truth through online Bible study, practical Christian living, and authentic womanhood. https://www.belovedwomen.org/join

Scripture from ESV.

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