Programs And Podcasts

We spend a lot of time talking—sharing our thoughts, our opinions, our stories—but how often do we really stop and listen? Becky Harling encourages you to develop the one skill that will strengthen every relationship you have—the art of listening. She’ll walk through some practical steps to develop healthy habits that will help you become more intentional, proactive listeners.

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It’s one thing to thank God before a meal. It’s another thing entirely to thank Him before sending off a tax payment.

For many Christians, taxes are rarely associated with gratitude. They often feel like a burden—an interruption to our financial plans or resources we’d rather use elsewhere. But Scripture invites us to view taxes through a very different lens. Instead of seeing them merely as a loss, believers can see them as a reminder of God’s provision and His sovereignty, and as an opportunity to live with integrity.

Few topics unite people quite like a shared dislike of paying taxes.

It’s easy to think, if I could just keep that money, I could do something better with it. And when government policies conflict with our convictions—or headlines highlight waste or corruption—resentment can grow even stronger.

Yet Scripture calls us to approach the issue differently. Instead of responding with frustration alone, the Bible encourages gratitude, humility, and trust in God’s sovereign rule.

In Matthew 22:17, the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with a political question: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” Jesus responded by asking for a coin and pointing to the image stamped on it. His reply has echoed through history:

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21)

This answer was remarkable. Taxes under Rome were deeply unpopular. Rome was an occupying force, and tax revenue helped sustain a system that oppressed God’s people. Yet Jesus did not call for revolt or avoidance. Instead, He acknowledged that paying taxes fits within God’s ordering of society while making it clear that our ultimate allegiance belongs to God.

Coins may bear Caesar’s image, but our lives bear God’s image—and they belong fully to Him.

The apostle Paul reinforced this principle in Romans 13:6–7, writing during the reign of Nero—hardly a model of righteous leadership:

“Because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God… Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

Notice what Paul does not say. He doesn’t ground obedience in the goodness of government. Instead, he points to the sovereignty of God.

Paying taxes, then, is not primarily an expression of confidence in a human system. It is a recognition that God ultimately rules over nations, leaders, and history itself.

There is another perspective on taxes that believers often overlook. Before you pay a single dollar in taxes, something has already happened: God has provided.

A mentor of mine, Ron Blue, often says around tax time, “Taxes represent God’s provision.” If God had not provided income, there would be no taxes to pay.

Think about it. Taxes imply that:

In other words, taxes—uncomfortable as they may feel—are evidence that God has supplied what we need. Gratitude allows us to see provision before we see loss.

Instead of asking only, How much am I paying? We can ask, What does this reveal about God’s faithfulness?

This perspective also shapes how Christians respond during tax season. In a world full of shortcuts, loopholes, and justifications, believers are called to something different: integrity.

Honesty in financial matters—especially the ones no one else sees—forms Christlike character. Filing accurately, reporting honestly, and paying what is owed becomes an act of discipleship.

It’s a quiet but powerful testimony of a life shaped b

Ever been behind the wheel on a long road trip? The endless miles of highway can be fatiguing. We can actually feel sleepy . . . at 65 miles an hour! Sometimes we go through life at 65 miles an hour . . . but spiritually speaking, we’ve practically fallen asleep. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out how to wake ourselves up spiritually, and how that’ll have an effect on our culture, as well. He’s explaining the biblical prescription for a societal spiritual awakening.

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How does a missing, distant, or imperfect dad shape a life? In the movie He Calls Me Daughter, director Rick Altizer and Rachelle Starr explore father wounds and their ripple effect on faith, identity, and trust. Through Scarlet Hope’s bold ministry in the sex industry, real stories of redemption, obedience, and God’s transformative love reveal how compassionate faith can heal deep hurts and restore hope in families and hearts.

Show Notes and Resources

• Watch the film He Calls Me Daughter in theaters for two days only: March 17–18 (get tickets and find theater locations now). visit HeCallsMeDaughter.org.
• Learn more about Scarlet Hope ministry: Visit scarlethope.org for stories, donation options, team info, and ways to get involved.
• Set sail on the Love Like You Mean It Marriage Cruise! Now through 3/31/26, use promo code CruiseMadness27 and enjoy exclusive savings on your stateroom.

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
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There's a way to experience real life change, and it isn’t about trying harder; it’s about a completely new way of thinking.

Negative Command: “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world…”

• Passive voice
• Imperative
• Present tense

Translation: “Stop allowing yourselves to be molded by the influences and pressures of this present world system.”

Application: We are to be SEPARATE from the world’s values. -1 Jn. 2:15-17

Summary: The world’s system seeks to SEDUCE us from our love for Christ by PLEASURE, POSSESSIONS, and POSITION.

Positive Command: “…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

• Passive voice
• Imperative
• Present tense

Translation: “But allow God to completely change your inward thinking and outward behavior by cooperating wholeheartedly moment-by-moment with the Spirit’s renewing process.”

Application: Are you shaped more by the WORLD or the WORD? -Mat. 4:4; 2 Cor. 3:18

The means of transformation: “…by the renewing of your mind.”

• Renewing your mind is a continual REFOCUS of a Romans 12:1 perspective.
• Renewing your mind will always involve a BATTLE.
• Renewing your mind is a SUPERNATURAL work of the Spirit.

Practical methods for “Renewing Your Mind”

1. HEARING God’s Word -Rom. 10:17
2. Use your TIME wisely. Be in the Word
3. READ God’s Word -Rev. 1:3
4. STUDY God’s Word -2 Tim. 2:15
5. MEMORIZE God’s Word -Psa. 119:9,11
6. MEDITATE on God’s Word -Jos. 1:8

A tool for transformation: The “2PROAPT” Method

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My wife and I were on a ministry trip to Phoenix, and much to my surprise she decided to have her gall bladder out there. Actually, it was much of a surprise to her, too. You don't plan these things. I remember that night she left dinner early, and I found her about an hour later in unbearable pain. Nothing was making a dent in that pain. Finally we went to the emergency room and they said, "Time for this gallbladder to come out."

Okay, I would never have chosen to do this out of town, a couple of thousand miles away from home. But in the providence of God it was a great hospital, and one of the best surgeons in this field practiced at that hospital. The classic gallbladder operation used to take several weeks to recover from. You know, they just make this big, long cut. Well, this doctor said, "I hope to do it by laser." Great news! He did, and there were only three little wounds. The gallbladder was gone, and she took just a few days to recover - all because of what a laser could do. One ray of focused energy aimed at this problem and you've got what feels like a miracle.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Prayer - The Laser From Heaven."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Hebrews 4:16. What a great prayer promise this is! "Let us then approach the Throne of Grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Now, first in this verse you've got the macro - the Throne of Grace. You are going into the throne room to be with the One who created and manages 100 billion galaxies. Man! But then He brings all that power down to the micro. He says, "Come into that throne room with your little time of need." It's so little compared to His power. But He says, "Bring it in." And you focus all of His power on one person on earth who needs God's touch; one need, one situation, one impossibility.

The specific prayer for a supernatural intervention is like laser power. It's a ray of focused energy from heaven, aimed by your prayer at one need on earth. Wow! The power of that prayer laser is described in Matthew 18:18. It says there, "Whatever you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Several great things happen when you focus the energy of God on someone or something on earth. First, God really loves it. Revelation 5:8, Our prayers are a bowl of incense in heaven. It's like incense for God to smell. Secondly, your faith grows. You're stretching your faith to trust Him for a supernatural intervention, and the larger your faith, the bigger things you'll be able to trust God for in the future.

Thirdly, Satan's grip is broken when you focus God's laser on something on earth that he's holding onto. Pray for that. And if you really want to turn up the laser power, get others to pray with you, focusing their faith and God's power on that need. Matthew 18:19 says, "If two of you agree on earth on anything you ask it will be done for you by My Father in heaven."

Jesus told us in Luke 18:1 we "should always pray and not give up." So while you're waiting, let God turn His laser on your life. He may want to do some laser surgery first to remove some infection in you before that answer can come.

When that doctor aimed his laser at my wife's point of need, we experienced what seemed like a medical miracle. When you pray specifically, in faith believing, you focus the healing, heart-changing, mountain-moving power of God on something or someone that you care about. So expect a miracle!

Tony and Lauren Dungy have impacted countless people through the years with their generosity and care for others. While Coach Dungy even made NFL history as the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl, the influence of the Dungys isn’t the result of their achievements, fame, or finances. Instead, it stems from the proactive, intentional choices they make every day—choices that have positioned them to live a life of profound meaning. Join us to learn how to boost your personal impact on those around you and your ability to see others with a heart of compassion.

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