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We all struggle with distractions in our world today. Whether it’s technology, work or busy schedules – there always seems to be something diverting our attention. In this program, Chip reveals the deceptive power of an unfocused life, and the intentional steps we can take to refocus ourselves on God and what really matters.

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It was a big deal when the Defense Department approved women being in combat roles. And however you feel about that, I’ll tell you this, women being in combat might be new for the military, but they’re not new at fighting a good fight.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Women Fighting for What They Love.”

I’ve been there when my wife brought a new life into the world. Believe me, she was a warrior. I’ve been close by when our daughter and daughters-in-law birthed our grandchildren. A battle they fought and won, big-time. I’ve joked that if men had to have the babies, the human race would probably be extinct in a generation.

I know women who refuse to cave in to the “everybody’s doing it” pressure to give up one of their greatest treasures – their virginity. They insist – against the tide – that they will keep sex special for the man they will commit their life to. In many cases, that’s a lonely stand – one that merits a moral Medal of Honor. Some will call them weird. I say they’re rare – and, like collectibles, the less there are of them, the more valuable they become.

There are the women warriors who fight for their marriage when others would have given up. They believe, as God does, that marriage is for life – while their world bombards them with the notion that marriage is until it gets hard. I just checked my Bible. It still says, “They are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Mark 10:8-9). No matter what the latest opinion poll says, it’s nice to know you’ve got God on your side.

Can raising a whole and healthy child in this culture be considered anything less than a battle? Today our kids are navigating a spiritual minefield, and it’s littered with moral IEDs that can blow up a life. But between many a child and those destructors stands a mom who’s fighting for them. Countering the lies of a deceived and deceiving culture with winsome truth about what’s really right and what really matters. Lovingly listening as a son or daughter grapples with the inconsistency between the lies they hear at school and the truth they hear at home.

This woman winsomely sows – and models day and night – God’s ways from the Bible. Because it’s “a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” the Bible says (Psalm 119:105). The child who makes God’s ways their way can say with the psalmist, “I run in the path of Your commands.” Oh wait, you mean all bound by rules, right? Hardly. It goes on to say, “For You have set my heart free” (Psalm 119:32).

And though the battle that rages for a child’s life can be scary, the medal-deserving mom doesn’t succumb to that paralysis of fear. She knows “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). She refuses to just play defense, hoping she’ll raise a “survivor.” She plays offense, determined to raise a game-changer.

The ultimate woman warrior is not the one with the M-16 and the body armor. She knows the ultimate weapon for winning the battle for a life. She’s a woman, on her knees, crying out to her all-powerful God for someone she’s fighting for. Here’s our word for today from the Word of God, 2 Chronicles 20:15, “the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

This woman knows that prayer unleashes God’s power to, in the Bible’s words, “demolish strongholds,” to “destroy the Devil’s work,” to “remove a heart of stone” and “give you a new heart” (2 Corinthians 10:4; 1 John 3:8; Ezekiel 36:26). She releases the ones she loves to the One who loves them so much more.

Yes, women have been fighting life’s most decisive battles for a long time. And those who have embraced Jesus as the great love of their life fight their battles with His death-reversing, resurrection power on their side.

So if you know one of these women, hono

Why do some believers grow deep roots while others fade out fast? Jesus answered that question 2,000 years ago in the Parable of the Sower.

Turns out, spiritual growth isn’t one big decision—it’s thousands of small, daily choices. Bible or phone? Church or no church? Those choices add up, and they shape who you become.

Pastor Greg Laurie walks us through the four kinds of hearts Jesus describes: Hardened, shallow, crowded, and fruitful. And he shares the real “golden key” to lasting spiritual growth.

Notes:

Luke 8

 
The Christian life is more than praying a prayer and getting “fire insurance.”
 
It's following Jesus as your Savior and as your Lord.
 
Life is one long string of choices.
 
By not choosing spiritual growth, we choose spiritual decline.
 
Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life.”
 
If you want to go forward as a Christian, you will.
 
God has given us everything we need for spiritual growth and progress.
2 Peter 1:3
 
Read Luke 8:11–15 (NLT)
 
Which of these four soils represents you best?
Only one out of four makes it.
 
The job of the Sower is to throw the seed out far and wide.
 
This type of sowing seed was known as “broadcasting.”
 
Our job is to sow the seed of the word of God.
 
God does the work of conversion.
 
The Apostle Paul shows us how we each have a role to play.
1 Corinthians 3:6–7
 
The only way to tell if someone is really a Christian is through the test of time.
 
1 John 2:19 (NLT)
These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
 
Prodigals come to faith, fall away, and return later.
 
Some people have a weak beginning but a strong finish.
That is better than a strong beginning and no finish.
 
The Hardened Heart
Luke 8:12
 
Mark 4:15 (NLT)
“Only to have Satan come at once and take it away.”
 
Whenever you share the gospel with people, expect satanic opposition.
 
Every time you hear the gospel, your heart can get softer or harder.
 
Shallow Hearts
Luke 8:13
 
These are the hearers who seem to be converted but never get grounded in the faith.
 
They are living on an emotional high and a state of spiritual euphoria.
 
Perhaps they have experienced a supernatural touch from God.
 
Faith that cannot be tested is faith that cannot be trusted.
 
Christianity is Christ!
 
“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”
—G.K. Chesterton
 
Some people are simply impulsive by nature.

Some people fall away because they have built their faith on the wrong foundation.
 
Some people fall away because of persecution.
 
Mark 4:17 (NLT)
But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.
 
2 Timothy 3:12 (NKJV)
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
 
Some people fall away because unbelief set in, causing them to doubt God at the first emotional low.
 
Infested Hearts
Luke 8:14
 
Second best is often the worst enemy of the best.
 
Excessive worry can crowd out spiritual growth.
Mark 4:19
 
We live in a time when people are obsessed with extending their lives.
 
God determines the length of our lives.
Job 14:5
 
Fruitful Hearers
Luke 8:15
 
The golden key to spiritual growth is how you hear and respond to God’s word.
 
Mark 4:20 (NLT)
“Those who hear and acc

This hour we dive deeper into a better understanding of the End Times and discover why what lies ahead isn’t to be feared but seen with joyous anticipation. Todd Hampson joins us to offer biblical clarity on what will happen when The End turns into the beginning.

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Pain can deepen us. It can make us more compassionate, thoughtful, and ready to care for others walking through their own valleys.

In Part 1 of Greg Laurie's conversation with Chuck Swindoll, they talk candidly about grief, calling, preaching, and the lessons God teaches through it all. Watch the rest of this episode on The Greg Laurie Show.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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In Antidote to Pride, Dr. Michael Youssef confronts a sin that touches every heart—pride. Rooted firmly in the inerrant Word of God, this message contrasts King David’s humble, God-exalting praise with Michal’s self-centered pride. When David praised the Lord with all his might, he laid aside his status to honor God alone. Michal’s pride, however, robbed her of joy, blessing, and spiritual fruit. Dr. Youssef warns that pride quenches praise, weakens prayer, and dulls witness. True praise demands repentance, surrender, and humility before the Lord Jesus Christ. Only a praise-filled life, offered as a sacrifice, destroys pride and restores power for intercession and faithful Gospel witness.

On In The Market with Janet Parshall this week, former Air Force pilot, Lt. Col. Phil Cochran shared the spiritual lessons he learned in the cockpit of an F-16 fighter. National security expert Bill Gertz was back to speak about the communist influence efforts of Cuba attempts to infiltrate America and update us on the ongoing efforts of China to gain ultimate control of the world. As our nation celebrates 250 years of independence, Cynthia Scott, a member of America’s National Prayer Committee, reminded us of the men and women of faith who prayed this nation into existence. Clinical psychologist and mental health expert Dr. Linda Mintle explained how to slow down our anxiety and stress and how to find and walk God’s peace. As we end the week you are invited to join us for another exploration of the headlines through God perfect lens of truth.

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