Moody Podcast Network

Pastor Gary Hamrick joins us to walk us through the Bible’s final book with a clear, passage-by-passage approach. His straightforward teaching makes Revelation easier to follow while showing us how its message reveals God’s plan to defeat evil, establish justice, and bring His people into an eternal inheritance.

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The first Christians practiced a remarkable kind of generosity—freely sharing what God had entrusted to them so that needs were met among them. What can their example teach us about living generously today? On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West and Dr. Darrell Bock explain. Then, it’s on to calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live . . . biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here.

To support the ministry of FaithFi, click here.

To learn more about Rob West, click here.

To learn more about Faith & Finance Live, click here.

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She teaches advanced writing at Penn State. She’s an award-winning author. And on this edition of Chris Fabry Live, Dr. Heather Holleman takes us back to middle school. What she puts her characters through in her novel series for 10-14 year olds might be just what you need to hear in your season of life. How do you deal with the pressures of popularity, social media, friendship and the search for belonging? Don’t miss Wednesday’s Chris Fabry Live.

Featured resource:
This Seat's Yours by Heather Holleman

Resource mentioned: 
The Elita Brown Series by Heather Holleman

September thank you gift:
Resolve Conflict and Find Peace and Hope with Adult Children by Kathy Koch

Chris Fabry Live is listener-supported. To support the program, click here.

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What does Christlike leadership look like? We live in a day and age that desperately needs us to express our biblical convictions in an authentic and compassionate way that demonstrates character. We’ll talk about that with Dr. Justin Irving on Equipped with Chris Brooks.

Featured resource:
Leadership in Christian Perspective by Justin A. Irving & Mark L. Strauss

September thank you gift:
The Special Needs Parent by Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini

Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible through your support. To donate now, click here.

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“There was not a needy person among them.”

That remarkable statement in Acts 4:34 describes the early church's generosity. The first Christians freely shared what God had entrusted to them so their community's needs were met.

Their example can sound almost foreign in a culture that prizes independence and personal ownership. But according to Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), the generosity we see in Acts reflects something much deeper than a particular financial system. It reveals what happens when people begin to see themselves, their possessions, and one another differently because of the gospel.

So what can the early church teach us about generosity today?

Money and possessions receive considerable attention throughout the Gospel of Luke, and Dr. Bock summarizes Luke’s perspective with a simple image: believers should hold what they own with loose hands.

The reason is stewardship. What we possess ultimately comes from God. We are not owners in the absolute sense but stewards responsible for faithfully managing what He provides.

That changes the question from, “What can I do with my money?” to, “How can I use what God has entrusted to me to serve Him and others?”

Open-handed stewardship does not mean possessions are inherently wrong. It means we refuse to grip them so tightly that they become unavailable when God gives us an opportunity to help someone else.

Acts places the extraordinary generosity of the early believers immediately after Pentecost and the Holy Spirit's coming.

That placement matters. Dr. Bock describes spiritual transformation as redirecting the focus of our lives. Instead of everything pointing inward toward ourselves and our own agendas, our attention begins moving upward toward God and outward toward others.

That transformation inevitably affects how we think about possessions.

We no longer view our resources merely as tools for our own comfort or even solely for the benefit of our immediate families. We begin recognizing that God may also use what He has entrusted to us to care for the people He places around us.

The early Christians understood themselves as an extended family—brothers and sisters united in Christ. When needs arose within that family, those who could responded.

Their generosity was not simply a financial practice. It was evidence of changed hearts.

Acts 2 and 4 have sometimes raised the question of whether the early church abandoned private ownership altogether. Acts 5 helps clarify the issue.

When Ananias and Sapphira sold property but misrepresented what they had given, Peter made clear that the property had remained theirs and that they had authority over the proceeds. Their sin was not keeping some of the money. Their sin was dishonesty.

That tells us something important about the early church's generosity: it was voluntary.

Believers were not compelled to surrender everything they owned. They chose to give because their hearts had been transformed.

That voluntary nature actually makes their generosity more remarkable. No one had to force them to care for one another. Their willingness reflected their character.

The language Luke uses also suggests that believers were not necessarily liquidating all their possessions at once. Rather, they sold possessions as needs arose.

That implies discernment. Dr. Bock points to the contrast between Jesus’ encounter with the rich ruler and His encounter with Zacchaeus. Jesus instructed the rich ruler to sell everything, while Zacchaeus announced that he would give away half of his possessions and w

What do you do the morning after you’ve completely blown it?  Today on BOLD STEPS, Mark Jobe turns to John chapter 21 and Peter’s return to his old fishing boat after denying Jesus.  Failure sends some people running from God, but Peter’s story shows there’s a better way to respond … listen to Bold Steps with Pastor Mark Jobe.

Bold Steps Gift: Goliath Must Fall: Winning the Battle Against Your Giants - Louie Giglio

Visit or watch Mark Jobe at New Life Community Church

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Karl Marx and D.L. Moody. The contrast between these men could not be greater. These two men represent opposing worldviews that have competed throughout history—views that are very much alive today. Marxist ideas are surfacing all over the world, infiltrating even the most unlikely places here in America. Pastor emeritus of The Moody Church, Erwin Lutzer will join us to reveal the seduction and impact of Marxist ideology. He will showcase the difference between a man-centered worldview and a God-centered worldview, critiquing Marxism through the lens of the Bible while exploring the nature of God, humanity, and the consequences of ideas.

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A business closes. A home is lost. An investment collapses. A scammer wipes out savings that took decades to build. When money disappears, the loss can reach far beyond the balance sheet. But, in Scripture, we are reminded that while wealth can be lost, our true treasure cannot. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West explores three stories that can help us respond faithfully when financial loss comes. Then, it’s on to calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live . . . biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here.

To support the ministry of FaithFi, click here.

To learn more about Rob West, click here.

To learn more about Faith & Finance Live, click here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He’s back! The voice that stops traffic when he speaks, Steve Brown returns with a message that has defined his life and ministry. He believes down to his soul that “God’s not mad at you.” And we’ll talk about the power the enemy has over us when we get stuck in our guilt, shame, fear and regret. Don’t miss a freeing, fresh conversation with Steve Brown on Chris Fabry Live.

Featured resource:
God's Not Mad at You: Confronting the Lies of Guilt, Shame, Fear, and Regret by Steve Brown

September thank you gift:
Resolve Conflict and Find Peace and Hope with Adult Children by Kathy Koch

Chris Fabry Live is listener-supported. To support the program, click here.

Become a Back Fence Partner: https://moodyradio.org/donateto/chrisfabrylive/partners

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Caring for a child with special needs is a full-time job you can’t imagine until you’re living it. If you’re one of those special needs parents who feels isolated, don’t miss this edition of Equipped with Chris Brooks. Joe and Cindi Ferrini will encourage you and give you biblical wisdom for the road ahead. Hope you can join us. 

Featured resource:
The Special Needs Parent by Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini

September thank you gift:
The Special Needs Parent by Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini

Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible through your support. To donate now, click here.

Become a Monthly Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/equipped/partners

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.