Programs And Podcasts

People who know me know that I’m a very focused person when I’m working on something. Except when it comes to the most distracting people I know - my grandchildren. I remember when my granddaughter was pretty little. She was just one-plus-year-old, there was just no way to resist her when she came my way. She’d pull herself up by my pant leg, she’d stretch her arms my direction, and then she'd make these cute little noises and irresistible faces - virtually begging me to pick her up. I’m not the only one who’s gotten nothing done when she was around. No, she was that way with other family members too; reaching out to be held. And I’ll tell you this: our arms were always open.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Hungry To Be Held.”

Sadly, my granddaughter’s quest for someone to hold her is a picture of someone who’s listening today, except open arms have been hard to find. And when you do, it seems like sooner or later you lose even those who do give you some of the love and attention that you need. Sometimes, you pay a price that’s too high to get someone to be there for you; making you vulnerable to being used and being hurt - a mistake that might be all too familiar to you.

I can’t forget these children we met at a hospital in Haiti. They were hospitalized early in life because they had tuberculosis or AIDS. We played with them, we sang with them, and we read to them, knowing that they probably didn’t understand a word of our English. But as we got ready to leave, the children surrounded us and called out, over and over again, two words they did know in English - words I’ve never forgotten, “Hold me. Hold me.” We gave one last hug, but we couldn’t hold them. We had to move on.

The cry of those precious Haitian children is a fundamental cry of every human heart, “Hold me!” But there aren’t many hugs that last. Even for those of us who have had someone who really has loved us and made us feel secure, there is still this strange love deficit inside. There’s never enough love.

We need someone who will always hold us, who will never let us go, who will never go away. We were made for that kind of love, but we’ve reached the wrong direction to find the one hug that will always be there. We’ve been reaching around us to other people. But to find the one we were made to be held by, we need to look up.

Listen to God’s words, describing the kind of relationship He wants to have with you. “The Lord your God is with you…He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). That’s intimate love. That's infinite love. That's expensive love. God paid the price for that love.

In Isaiah 49:15-16, our word for today from the Word of God, He says: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.”

For Jesus, that engraving is the nail prints in His hands from the day He died to pay for your sins so you could be forgiven; so you could belong to the one whose love you were made for. Because He walked out of His grave, He’s alive. He’s offering the greatest love in the universe. But one-way love doesn’t make a relationship. He’s waiting to hold you, but you have to reach for Him.

God says that means putting your total trust in Jesus to be your personal rescuer from the death penalty for your sins. The wall that’s between you and God comes down when you tell Him, “Jesus, I’m Yours.” Ultimately, your hunger to be held all this time it's been a hunger for Him. He's reaching your direction. It's time to reach back. He'll hold you and never let you go.

Do you want to experience that love for yourself? Would you check out our website? There's a lot of information t

Doug Smith knows what goes on behind the tech curtain, which is why he continues to sound the alarm that AI is not “value neutral”. Doug will offer keen insight into the tech revolution and provide clear, biblical guidelines for engaging with this oftentimes nefarious technology.

Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partners

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this message from our “Cutting Through the Noise” series, Pastor J.D. picks up the analogy Paul uses in chapter 9—of an athlete in training—and asks us, “How can we run like disciplined athletes in pursuit of the race God has set before us?” Athletes are ruthless, eliminating everything that stands in the way of winning. And we should be the same. Whether we’re looking at our personal preferences, our worship services, our political decisions, even our ethnic identity … we lay it all on the line for the sake of the gospel—that we might save some.

God never calls His people to shrink back. In this opening message, Dr. Michael Youssef turns to Joshua 1 to show how God prepared Joshua to lead with courage after Moses’ death—and how that same call speaks to believers today.

Every generation faces its own “Jerichos”: hostile culture, spiritual apathy, moral decay, and fear of the unknown. But God’s command is clear: step up, obey, and trust Him. The battle belongs to the Lord, but obedience belongs to His people.

Dr. Youssef highlights God’s threefold encouragement to Joshua:

This episode calls believers to reject comfort, embrace their Kingdom calling, proclaim the Gospel boldly, and trust the Lord with unwavering faith.

Scripture Focus: Joshua 1:1–11

 If today’s teaching stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone. 

Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care

Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com

If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.

❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate

The world constantly tells us we need just a little bit more. A better home. A newer car. A bigger savings account. A longer vacation. But what if real contentment isn’t found in having more but in learning to need less?

That’s the heart of today’s conversation with Jeff Manion, Teaching Pastor of Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and author of the article “Discovering the Power of Contentment” in the latest issue of Faithful Steward magazine. 

Jeff reminds us that contentment is not something we stumble into once life finally settles down. It is something we learn—often through both scarcity and sufficiency.

Jeff begins with an honest admission: “Wealth confuses me.”

That may sound surprising coming from someone who has spent decades in ministry, but his point is deeply relatable. Early in his ministry, Jeff and his wife, Chris, lived simply out of necessity. They served a small church of about 25 people, and for years, resources were limited. They learned to depend on God in a season when there was barely enough.

But decades later, after faithfully avoiding debt, building an emergency fund, and practicing wise stewardship, Jeff realized the struggle for contentment had not disappeared. It had simply changed.

That is an important lesson for all of us. We may assume contentment will come once the bills are paid, the debt is gone, the savings account is stronger, or the house is finally updated. But contentment is not automatic in seasons of sufficiency. In fact, prosperity can bring its own spiritual dangers.

Jeff points to Deuteronomy 8, where Moses speaks to Israel before they enter the Promised Land. For 40 years, God had provided manna in the wilderness. Day by day, He kept His people alive in a barren place.

But as they prepared to enter a land “flowing with milk and honey,” Moses gave them a warning: do not forget the Lord.

That warning matters because abundance can create spiritual amnesia. Once the Israelites moved from manna in the desert to houses, vineyards, flocks, and herds, they would be tempted to say, “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17).

The danger was not that prosperity itself was evil. The danger was forgetting the Source.

That same temptation faces us today. When finances stabilize, debts are paid off, and retirement savings begin to grow, we can quietly begin to believe that our wisdom, effort, and discipline produced everything we have. But Scripture reminds us that even our ability to produce wealth is a gift from God.

Contentment begins with remembering: everything we have comes from Him.

Jeff also shared about a personal decluttering experiment. Over seven weeks, he gave away or got rid of five items a day—about 210 items in total.

These were not grand acts of generosity. Many were simply things that had accumulated over time: old CDs, unused dishes, T-shirts from events and races, and items tucked away in drawers or boxes.

The result surprised him. He felt lighter. In his words, he felt “richer for having less.”

That experience reveals something important about our relationship with possessions. Stuff has a way of multiplying. Without even noticing, we surround ourselves with things we no longer use, need, or value. And sometimes, the more we own, the more weighed down we become.

Decluttering is not just about organizing a closet. It can become a spiritual practice—one that helps us confront the quiet belief that more stuff equals a fuller life.