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The seasons of our lives are always changing—the schools we attend, jobs we hold, as well as relationships and personal chapters. As each one ends, it’s tempting to look back with regret, replaying our mistakes and missteps. But as our evening prayer and devotional remind us, regret quickly morphs into shame, and shame whispers that we’re unworthy and broken beyond repair.

That is not God’s heart for us. Jesus died to erase our guilt and lift the weight of condemnation. His resurrection brings new life, even from what feels dead and lost. While regret chains us to the past, reflection invites us to learn, reconcile, and grow forward in hope.

Reflection asks: What can God redeem from this? What have I learned? How can I grow? It’s not about ignoring mistakes, but about trusting the Spirit to transform them into wisdom and healing.

Through Christ, we are free to reject regret and embrace reflection—because shame is gone, grace has come, and hope is alive.

Tonight’s Scripture: Romans 8:1

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
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Your Nightly Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for walking with me through every season of life. Tonight, I lay down regret and shame at the foot of the cross, where Jesus paid for all my sins and failures. Teach me to reflect with honesty and hope, not condemnation. Restore what was lost, bring new life where I feel broken, and guide me by Your Spirit into seasons of growth and grace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Three Things to Meditate Upon

1. Recall a season where regret still lingers. How can you surrender that regret to God and allow Him to bring healing?

2. What truth from Scripture speaks directly to the shame you may feel? Write it down and declare it over your life.

3. Think of a past mistake that became a valuable lesson. How can you reflect with gratitude for what God taught you instead of living in regret?

Calls to Action

• This week, journal about a regret you’ve carried. Write a prayer inviting God to transform it into reflection and growth.

• Revisit Romans 8 and highlight every promise of freedom it declares.

• Sign up for our nightly devotional to receive Scripture, encouragement, and prayer straight to your inbox.

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Actor Giovanni Cairo—who plays Thaddeus in The Chosen—joins Michael to talk about Season 5 (dropping September 28 on The Chosen app), filming the crucifixion in Season 6, and how playing Thaddeus has reshaped his own faith and life.

Episode Highlights

• Why Giovanni originally thought Thaddeus wasn’t a real disciple

• How volunteering and surrendering to God led him to land The Chosen

• Portraying Thaddeus as the “peacemaker” of the disciples

• Behind-the-scenes of filming Season 6’s emotional crucifixion scenes in Italy

• What it was like being part of the early days of The Chosen when it was uncertain if the show would continue

• Why the global impact of The Chosen is unlike anything else Giovanni has experienced in acting

• Giovanni’s engagement story—and how his fiancée’s faith was reignited by the show

Guest Details

• Giovanni Cairo – Actor best known as Thaddeus in The Chosen (Seasons 1–6).

Resources & Links

• Watch The Chosen 

• Follow Giovanni Cairo on Instagram

• Explore more faith-based shows at LifeAudio.com

If you enjoyed today’s interview, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend. Your support helps more people discover faith-filled conversations like this one.

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This episode is part 29 in a study of the gospel of Luke. Jesus encounters a man who is thinking about money and tells a parable of a foolish rich man who learns that you can't take it with you.

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John wants a 3D printed liver and spends a week at home alone watching movies his wife would hate. Meanwhile, Jonnie ponders how adorable old political scandals are when compared with today's and celebrates the birthday of an author who sold a lot of books… and got his predictions wrong 100% of the time.

Plus, a conversation about submission and obedience, and what it means to be "free indeed.”

Todays episode is NOT sponsored by The Latest Smartphone: "Better Features? Not really. More expensive? Absolutely."

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In this episode, we use a simple basketball illustration to remind us of a powerful biblical truth: following Jesus is not a solo highlight reel. Just as a veteran player passes the ball to build up the next generation, Paul instructed Timothy to pass on the faith to others (2 Timothy 2:2). Discipleship means investing in people, encouraging them, and equipping them to lead—even if it costs us the spotlight.

Who are you passing the ball to in your faith journey? Discover why mentorship and discipleship are at the heart of the Church and how you can make an eternal impact by cheering on others.

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Episode Summary:

When we think of Christmas, we picture the manger scene, shepherds in the fields, angels singing, and a star guiding the way. But what if we’ve been missing one of the most important parts of the story all along? In her new book, The Spirit of Christmas, award-winning author Cynthia Ruchti invites us to rediscover the Holy Spirit’s presence woven throughout the Christmas narrative—from Genesis in the Garden of Eden to the cry of a baby in Bethlehem. This conversation will open your eyes to the power, presence, and promise of the Spirit of God in ways that may forever change how you experience Christmas.

 

Quotables from the episode:

• Christmas often stirs our hearts with nostalgia—decorations, carols, and retelling the story of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. Yet, as beautiful as those traditions are, there’s more to the Christmas story than we typically notice. Before the babe was conceived, the Holy Spirit was already at work, setting the stage and preparing the hearts of the biblical characters we know and love.
• This season, let Him set the stage and prepare your heart too. In her book, The Spirit of Christmas, Cynthia Ruchti helps us uncover the often-overlooked role of the Holy Spirit in God’s plan of redemption, reminding us that the Spirit has been present from the beginning—guiding, comforting, and empowering. If you’ve ever longed to experience Christmas with fresh wonder and deeper meaning, this conversation will encourage you to see the season through new eyes.
• I have found it fascinating that over the course of my life and maybe others have been in the same boat, we might grow up understanding Jesus quite well, or, and we hear Jesus loves me from when we're newborns and aren't even aware, perhaps, of that. And then I personally had gone through some seasons of my life where I thought, "I think I understand Jesus pretty well. I'm getting a good handle on who is this Jesus. I'm not sure I'm as familiar with God the Father as I need to be." So, I had a season of my life that was in my early 20s where I dove in and thought, "I need to know you better, God, my Father," and took an approach as I looked at the Word and noticed that throughout the Old Testament, God described himself as a God of love, which I thought was a New Testament idea. I understood who he was as the majestic Creator, and I think probably it kept him a little distant from me because I saw just that. Then a relative of mine had a heart transplant and I took a fresh Bible, and I circled everywhere in the Bible where the word love or heart appeared because I wanted this person who wasn't close to the Lord at the time to know and understand that God has been talking about the subject of love for a very long time. He's all over the Bible, so page after page was filled with the circled or the little heart drawn around the word love or the word heart.
• Then there came a season in my life where I thought, "I think I better understand now. We will never fully understand, but I think I better understand. God the Father, God the Son. Do I really understand the Holy Spirit? I know he is. I believe what the Bible tells me about the Holy Spirit, but do I really understand his role or how the different roles of the Trinity make a complete God for us? So, I investigated that, and I watched for his presence, but not as deeply as I did after I was challenged to look for the Holy Spirit's presence in the Christmas story.
• There was an editor who challenged me with that at a writer's conference. I found it fascinating. I thought that would be a very interesting study. We assume, I think, in the back of our minds that maybe the Holy Spirit is that presence that comes upon Mary in that moment when she conceives Jesus, the baby Jesus, as an infant just minutes old. And then we're not sure where else he might actually show up in the C

Today’s Bible Verse:
"He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." — Psalm 18:19

Psalm 18:19 is a powerful reminder that God’s rescue is not out of duty but out of delight. David reflects on God’s deliverance and emphasizes that His love and joy for His children are the very reason He saves. When God brings us into a “spacious place,” it points to freedom, peace, and security in His presence.

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Meet Today’s Host: Reverend Jessica Van Roekel

️ Listen to more daily devotionals with Jessica at Your Daily Bible Verse on LifeAudio

Rev. Jessica Van Roekel is a passionate Christian speaker, author, and worship pastor who shares how God brings beauty from brokenness. Her message centers on God’s power to rescue, restore, and renew, even after seasons of rejection or loss.

She is the author of Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everything, a guide to seeing God’s purpose in life’s disappointments.

Jessica and her husband are raising a vibrant family, with two adult daughters, a college-aged son, and a high school daughter. You can explore her teachings, devotionals, and resources at WelcomeGrace.com.

Let Scripture shape your heart today—begin with the Bible Verse of the Day on Biblestudytools.com

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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 Bonnie Curry, helps your body relax and your mind rest on the truth found in scripture. As you sleep, reflect on God’s promise in Genesis, symbolized by one of His most beautiful gifts: the rainbow. Let this reminder of His unwavering covenant bring you peace and calm.

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

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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 Bonnie Curry, to center yourself on the truth in God's word. What does tough love look like? Meditate on 2 Samuel 12:7. 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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A Prayer to Reap What You Sow

Peace is one of the deepest longings of our hearts, and yet it can feel just out of reach—especially in strained relationships.In today's episode by Brooke McGlothlin, we explore how true wisdom is shown in the way we live and get along with others. It’s not always easy—just like tending a garden takes sweat, patience, and perseverance—but sowing peace is always worth the effort. God promises a harvest of righteousness for those who keep planting seeds of reconciliation, dignity, and honor.

Reference: James 3:18

Prayer: Father, give me and my family the desire to do the right thing, even if the favor isn't returned, sowing seeds of peace in the dark, troubled places of our lives. Over time, Lord, we pray that you will grow those seeds, produce fruit that glorifies your name, and produce a harvest of righteousness in your people. In Jesus' name, amen.

LINKS:

How to Pray God's Word For Your Children Guide

Follow Everyday Prayers @MillionPrayingMoms

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