Programs And Podcasts

Did you ever do the bumper cars at the carnival? Our family loves bumper cars! When you first get in the bumper car, you start at approximately the same place. But when you step on the pedal, you take off in about ten different directions and occasionally bump into each other. That was a description of our family when we were all still living under one roof. A description of yours maybe, too? You know, a bumper car family! See, you start out at the same place in the morning, you step on the gas pedal, and off we would go in five different directions, and every once in a while we would just happen to bump into each other.

In our world today it is so easy to let families just fly apart. And as the kids get older and mom and dad get busier and busier and we need to work more to keep up our standard of living, a lot of times there’s less and less time spent together. And then add in the internet and social media! Without even knowing it, sometimes your family – my family – becomes a group of strangers. And then later on we look back with regret and we say, “If only I could have those years back. Why didn’t we spend more time together?” See, every family needs to be together, but it actually takes someone to blow the trumpet to make it happen.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Holy Huddles At Home.”

Our word for today from the Word of God is found in the book of Nehemiah 4. I’m going to be reading verses 19 and 20. If you remember a little of your Bible history, you may know that Nehemiah was God’s man to lead the people in rebuilding the dilapidated and destroyed walls and gates of Jerusalem. It was a major task. It had pretty much been a mess for about 100 years. It took a lot of major organization, and he was able to mobilize all those people, each with a different assignment. And in 52 days, this small group of people literally rebuilt the walls and gates of the city of Jerusalem.

Listen to part of the plan here as he gives instructions to his work crew. “Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.’” Sounds a lot like the bumper cars syndrome; they all started out in the morning and they all went their separate directions. He says, “Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us.”

He said, “In my family of workers we’re going to need to get together. And so I’ll sound the trumpet, and when I do, come together.” Did you know that whenever there is a family that is spread out in their lifestyles like yours and ours, there’s got to be one person in the family who plays Nehemiah; someone who insists that the family comes together. Families are pulled apart unless somebody is willing to work at them being together, communicating, hugging each other, touching each other, praying together, keeping in touch with each other’s lives. It’s like a football team that has to regularly have a huddle. You can’t have a family without regular huddles.

So the person who sounds the trumpet is the person in the family who sets a time and a place and makes it happen to make sure that family comes together. If it doesn’t, people leave home with dangerous, unmet needs. They don’t have the closeness, the intimacy, the encouragement they need, and they’ll go looking for it in places they never should.

Now, biblically, this should be dad. In a single-parent family it may have to be mom. But certainly everyone in the family should come when the trumpet is blown. Dinner together, pre-committed days together, family devotions, vacation, prayer time. Don’t let your family be every man/every woman for himself or herself. Bring them together! Remember, every family needs that trumpet.

Robert Morgan will join us to identify key passages from Scripture to help believer’s face life’s challenges and practical instruction on how to get the most out of biblical meditation. Robert’s approach connects each of these passages to real-life scenarios, offering practical and spiritual encouragement for Christians seeking to rely on God’s strength in every aspect of their lives. Join us as we “set our minds on things above”.

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This hour, we open the phones and let you ask any questions on the topic of spiritual warfare. Can the Devil read our thoughts? Can demons occupy objects? Is holy water necessary to drive out a demon? Are certain words required to rid a person of a demon? Get the answers to questions like these and more on today's broadcast. Call in early as the phones are lit the entire hour!

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What happens when movements with fundamentally different beliefs find common cause around shared political or cultural objectives?

In this special conversation, Dr. Michael A. Youssef and Erick Erickson discuss themes from Dr. Youssef’s book An Unholy Alliance. Dr. Youssef traces what he sees as a growing convergence between radical Islamist political agendas and secular progressive movements, examining developments in politics, academia, foreign funding, and Western culture.

Throughout the discussion, Dr. Youssef emphasizes an important distinction between Muslims as people and Islamist political ideology. His concern is not hostility toward Muslims, but the need for Christians to understand competing worldviews while faithfully proclaiming the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This radio special calls believers to:

• Exercise Biblical discernment,
• Distinguish people from political and religious ideologies,
• Stand firmly on Biblical Truth,
• Resist fear and cultural pressure,
• Pray and intercede for those who do not know Christ,
• Renew their commitment to the Great Commission.

Above all, the message is a call for the Church to remain focused on its central mission: proclaim Jesus Christ faithfully to all people.

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

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Some of the earliest financial supporters of Jesus’ ministry were women.

Luke 8:1–3 introduces us to Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and “many others” who traveled with Jesus and the Twelve. Luke adds a remarkable detail: these women were supporting Jesus’ ministry “out of their means.”

Sharon Epps, President of Kingdom Advisors and one of the founders of Women Doing Well, points to their story as a powerful picture of generosity. These women didn’t simply contribute resources to a cause. They had encountered Jesus personally, received His grace, and responded by using what they had to serve Him and others.

Their example reminds us that Christian generosity begins not with what we give to God, but with what we have already received from Him.

Luke tells us that these women had experienced Jesus’ healing and restoration. Mary Magdalene had been delivered from seven demons, while others had been healed of diseases and afflictions. Then, having received from Jesus, they gave.

“God always pours into us first,” Epps explains. “Our breath, our skills, our life, and our resources are all gifts from Him.”

That changes the starting point for generosity. We don’t give to earn God’s favor or repay Him for His grace. We give because His grace has already been freely given to us.

Everything we possess—our money, abilities, opportunities, relationships, and time—ultimately comes from God. When we begin there, generosity becomes less about meeting an obligation and more about faithfully responding to what we have received.

An old Latin phrase, incurvatus in se, means “curved in on oneself.” It describes the human tendency to turn inward and make life primarily about ourselves. That temptation can become especially strong when life feels exhausting.

Epps uses the playful word “exhausterwhelmulated”—exhausted, overwhelmed, and overstimulated—to describe how many people feel today. When we’re depleted, our instinct can be to turn inward and focus almost exclusively on our own needs.

But remembering God’s care gives us another way forward.

“When we can breathe in God’s care, we can resist the self-focus and actually flow outward,” Epps says. “Let His generosity flow through us, even when life feels heavy.”

Generosity invites us to notice the people God has placed around us. It turns our attention outward—not because our own needs don’t matter, but because God’s provision frees us to see beyond ourselves.

The women of Luke 8 also remind us that faithful stewardship extends beyond financial giving.

Today, women can use their resources, work, relationships, businesses, investments, experience, and influence for others' good. That might mean supporting a local ministry, operating a business with integrity, investing in ways that promote human flourishing, mentoring someone who needs guidance, or simply responding to a need close to home.

“We can use our positions and relationships as part of God’s work of restoration,” Epps says.

God entrusts each of us with different resources and opportunities. Faithful stewardship asks how we might use those gifts in love of God and neighbor.

For someone who wants to become more generous but already feels stretched, the answer doesn’t have to be a dramatic financial commitment. Epps encourages women to begin by remembering who they are.

“You are a daughter of the King,” she says. “Pause long enough to breathe in His love and acknowledge that He’s our ultimate provider. Then look for just one small, concrete way you can share.”

Perhaps it’s meeting a need you notice today. Maybe it’s offering you

What’s the proof that we’re part of the body of Christ? Is there a membership card, a secret handshake, an insignia we wear on our clothing? I mean, the Bible says they’ll know we’re Christians by our love, but what about some bona fide credentials? Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the persecution we may face is a pretty good indicator that we’re part of God’s family. When’s the last time you heard of an unbeliever being persecuted for Christ? Pastor Greg explains it all today.

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