When we hit the odd bump in the road, it's great to know that there's someone that we can call on. Someone that we can depend on. And that's why it's so important to understand exactly who God is.

There are times in life when we need to know that we're safe; times of turmoil, times of uncertainty, times when we're down or alone, times when we need help and advice. That's not to say that you or I are a bunch of losers, that we can't look after ourselves, not that but it's a simple acknowledgement that we can't do it all on our own.

And no matter how strong we might be, some days we need some assurance. That's why last week and again this week on the program, we're taking a look at some promises. Promises that we can depend on, promises from God.

Last week, we looked at five awesome promises from God about what He would do for us. And this week, we're going to take a look at some more promises from a bit of a different angle, promises about who He is and they're important because at the end of the day. If you and I are going to trust anyone, that trust is rooted in who they are isn't it? And the more we know who they are, the more we know whether or not we can trust them.

Now you may have heard me, in the past, talk about a man called Graham. This man had a huge influence in my life. When I was serving as a captain in the Australian Army, he was a colonel, a set over me, he was my boss. I got to know him and eventually we both left the army and together with another man, a guy called Mark, we formed a consulting business in the Information Technology industry.

Now Graham is 20 years my senior and he mentored me for the best part of 2 decades. The man was perfect by no means but then again, you're not and I'm not but he was probably one of the smartest and wisest men I have ever known. And Graham had the patience to invest in me.

Now, I used to talk over the top of people, he had to teach me to be ahead of the game, he had to teach me to think ahead as a leader, to anticipate, to collaborate, to deal with difficult people. And much of the practical stuff I share on this program from day to day has it's genesis in the mentorship and the guidance that Graham gave me and invested in me over almost two decades. Now 5 or 6 years ago we sold that business, he's retired now and I'm in full time ministry doing what I'm doing right now and where, back then, he was the head of our organisation, I was his pupil, today I'm the head of an organisation, this ministry that I'm involved in, Christianityworks.

Now, over that time I got to know him really, really well. We each have our different approaches, we each have our different styles but I would trust this man with my life and I still call him for advice and input and to talk. If he came to me and made a promise, you know I would trust that promise implicitly because I know, through experience, who he is, I have experienced him.

There are other people though, people I know who would be at the complete opposite end of the scale. Why? Because I've seen them in action, I know what's in their heart. I know one man who cheated on his wife while she was dying of cancer. I know a woman who says one thing in public but behind people's backs says something quite different. If either of those people came to me with a promise, how much value do you think I would place on it?

I can think of another man, the pastor of my Church. I have just started attending a new Church in the last few months. Now I think this guy, Warwick, is an awesome man. He has this wonderful mix of strength and compassion, he's humble yet he's clearly an anointed leader. He's a great teacher and he's a man I have enormous respect for but I hardly know him. I don't know him through 20 years experience as I did Graham. I haven't served with him in the trenches yet and so, as much as I respect and admire him, his promises yet wouldn't carry quite the same way as Graha

As the storms of division rage ever more violently across society, do you ever feel that everyone's talking but no one's listening? And, let's be honest, have you ever found yourself doing the very same thing? Sometimes, the only reason we shut up is to think of what to say next, not to listen, not to try to understand what the other person's saying. Guilty as charged, eh?

Jane Addams was a pioneer of social reform and peacebuilding in Chicago during the late 19th and early 20th centuries - building bridges between the wealthy and the poor. At a time of intense labour unrest and class conflict, she chose not to take sides immediately. Instead, she sat with both industrial workers and wealthy business leaders, listening intently, even when both sides distrusted her.

She believed that deep, genuine listening could break cycles of violence and resentment. Though she couldn't stop all the violence, her approach brought healing and lasting change in local communities. She became a peacemaker by being slow to speak and quick to listen, helping people feel seen, heard, and human.

James 1:19-20 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. (NRSV)

It's not rocket science, is it? As clinical psychologist and author, Dr Henry Cloud points out, so many conflicts go away when someone feels heard. Which is why listening can calm the storm before it even begins.

Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger … because no amount of anger will ever give you the right result.

That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Support the show: https://christianityworks.com/channels/cw/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, let me ask you, what's your definition of wisdom? Someone you meet could be incredibly smart and successful, yet you take one look at them and in about three seconds you conclude that "wise" is the last label you'd ascribe to them. Why?

In the 1950's and early 60's, Swede Dag Hammarskjöld served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. In a world riddled with Cold War tensions, jealousy, and political posturing, Hammarskjöld quietly embodied a different kind of leadership—marked by humility, moral clarity, and a deep, personal faith in God.

He often turned to solitude, prayer, and service rather than ambition or power games. His posthumously published spiritual journal, Markings, revealed a life shaped not by ego but by surrender.

While others sought position, he sought peace—becoming a quiet force for justice and reconciliation. He died in a mysterious plane crash while en route to negotiate peace in the Congo. His was a life exemplified by an otherworldly, godly kind of wisdom.

James 3:16-17 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest.

Friend, true wisdom shows up in how you live, not just what you achieve. Wisdom is knowing how to apply God's truth, how to live that truth. And people are hungry for that. Be wise, otherworldly wise … godly wise.

That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

When soldiers killed his father and displaced his family, Jeton had every reason to hate—until the Holy Spirit made the impossible possible.

One day – your time on this earth will be over. Then what? If God is God – how are you going to fare when you stand before Him? I mean how can you be certain that He will forgive you?

For such a long time you know, I poo hooed any notion that I needed God's forgiveness. I mean, give me a break! If you'd asked me, back in those days, about what I thought on that whole subject, I would have given you quite a mouthful. But deep down, underneath that confident bravado I was running away from God. Now you stand back and you think that through and you realise how stupid it is to kind of run and hide from God, if God is who He says He is. I was running away because frankly, I just knew that the stuff I was into was plain wrong.

I was greedy, I was selfish, I wasn't frankly a particularly nice person and then when I came face to face with this Jesus, who claimed to be the Son of God, my biggest concern was, well that I wasn't good enough. And even after I accepted Him for who He is, I still, for a long time, would try and run away from Him because of the deep sense that I had, that I simple wasn't deserving of His forgiveness.

Now I don't know where you are in your life, maybe you're where I used to be and if you are I completely understand. But, but let me encourage you just to join me over these next few minutes and let me share something with you about this forgiveness thing.

My hunch is that the sense that God wouldn't or couldn't possibly forgive me for what I've done is more widespread and prevalent than we might think or admit. Many people like me push it away and you try not to think about it but when I talk to people, who believe that there's a God, and I ask them, "so what's stopping you from living your life for Him? What's stopping you from drawing close to Him?"

The answer that comes back, time and time again, is this sense that, "God wouldn't forgive me. I'm not good enough!" Now it comes in all sorts of different shapes and sizes and forms in which people reply but you boil it down, what they believe is that they are simply not good enough for God. And you know, it goes for people who've believed in Him for years as well as for people who have been avoiding Him for years.

Lets just assume for a minute God is God, there is a heaven, there is a hell, sorry John Lennon but there is. And one day, you and I are going to stand before Him and have to give an account for our lives. How can we be certain that it will go well? If I asked you right now, as you live out your life day by day, how certain are you of that day, that eternal future? How would you answer? You know, most people are actually pretty uncertain. They might be able to verbalise the right response but deep down they're not sure at all.

I want to take you to another of Gods unbreakable promises today. That's what we've been looking at over this week and we'll be looking at them again next week on the program. Promises that you and I can depend on because when we have those promises written on our hearts, it changes our lives. God is a dependable God and His promises are so important, particularly in the storms of life because Gods promises give us peace.

Now this particular promise we're going to look at today begins at a really strange dinner. Some people refer to it as the Last Supper, you maybe familiar with it. It's the night that Jesus was betrayed to be crucified and they celebrated, if you can use that word, the Passover meal with His 12 disciples. Jesus washed their feet and, have a listen. This comes from Matthews's gospel, chapter 26, it begins at verse 26:

While they were eating Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and He broke it and He gave it to His disciples saying, "Take it and eat it. This is my body." Then He took the cup, He gave thanks, He offered it to them saying, "Drink from it all of you. This is my blood, the blood of the covenant which is poure

Whenever we get to the point of believing that we know it all, there's one thing for certain: we really have no idea what's going on. We're so blinded by our own puffed-up sense of knowing, that we're blinded to the fact that we know little to nothing. And let's face it, we've all been there.

Most of us have that one thing that we're really good at; that one thing that we're better at than most of those around us. Possibly you're one of those people who, unlike me, intuitively senses how others are feeling. So it's easy for you to look down your nose at me, and think to yourself, "What's the matter with him? I am so much better than that!"

And me, I can write like the wind. I can pull together complex ideas and explain them in a simple yet compelling way. How easy is it for me then, to look down my nose at others?

When we behave like that, our pride clouds our judgement and without doubt it'll bring us crashing down at some point. So, here's God's alternative:

Proverbs 2:3-6 Ask for good judgment. Cry out for understanding. Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure. If you do this, you will understand what it means to respect the LORD, and you will come to know God. The LORD is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.

Smart people give smart answers, but wise people ask smart questions. They're humble, they're teachable, which is exactly what God calls us to be. Ask Him for good judgement. Cry out for understanding.

That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

God never shames us for recognizing a wrong turn. He welcomes us back and leads us toward the life He intended.

These days, the whole self-discovery thing seems to have become all the rage. I need to know myself and not be ashamed of who I really am. Yeah, right. Look around. How well is all that introspection serving us in this increasingly self-obsessed, narcissistic world in which we live?

Back in the day, Greek philosopher Aristotle posited that knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. Indeed, the famous maxim "Know thyself" was inscribed at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Socrates and Plato were also big fans.

So, what does all that ancient history have to do with us, here, today? Well, there's a multi-billion dollar, global self-help industry that's rooted in this whole self-discovery thing; in the notion that you are your own solution; that you already have everything you need inside you—you just need to unlock it. Endless tools, books, courses, and coaching are all designed to help you "discover your true self."

But the further you go down this rabbit hole of introspection, the deeper you sink into a subjective self-centredness that right now is tearing this world apart, wouldn't you agree?

God's plan, as it turns out, is the complete opposite:

Proverbs 3:5-8  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body.(NRSV)

So, sure … be self-aware. Totally. But real wisdom doesn't come from looking inward—it comes from looking upward. Don't rely on your own insight but in all your ways acknowledge God and He will make straight your paths.

Friend, that's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.