Love and hate have been at war ever since the first family chose self over God. The constant day to day battles were alive and well in the days of the Bible just as much as today. In John 17, Jesus’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, we find God’s answer to redeem the Garden of Eden. And Christ offers us some amazing insight for today as He prayed for all believers in every generation. This prayer will echo from the beginning to the end of the world. Listen closely. Listen with your heart.

“I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! (John 17:13-24 NLT)

Jesus recognized the hate in the world that is opposite His heart for the world. But He also said while we do not belong here, He leaves us here. Why? To be a reflection of His love in the same world that hates His ways. That really simplifies and hones our mission on earth, doesn’t it? Could it really be as simple as we are here to be His love to others? Even in the midst of hate?

We seem to constantly have to work to put love in perspective … love for ourselves, our kids, our ex, all other relationships. Can you ask Jesus right now to give you His eyes for the world, for your kids, for yourself?

Pray: Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, You are love and You also know what it feels like to be hated, to the point of death. You were hated centuries ago and You are hated today. Help me to be an expression of Your love, not mine, and to be an answer for the hate in this world. Teach me to love like You. As above, so below.”

Inside our theme of love this month, we are focusing this week on how we can adopt a mindset and attitude of love when we are surrounded by a culture of anger and hate. We all see and hear every day how hate seems to be growing at an alarming rate. But then we have to ask, why? Why so quickly? Why now? Why is it worse? As always being believers, we have to go to God’s Word to find the truth.

Have you ever thought about if God hates? Have you ever thought about what God hates? Have you ever realized that the God of love actually does hate something? What is it? Listen intently to Psalm 97:9-11 …

You who love the Lord, hate evil! (Pause for effect.) He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name! (NLT)

So what does God hate and tell us to hate? … He says if you love Him then you will hate evil. So is evil a person? … No. Evil is the outcome of sin. So disobedience to God is sin, which then creates evil. So we are to hate disobedience to God and its results. Can you picture an outcome of disobedience to God in your life? While their most certainly is grace for your disobedience, can you attach a sense of hatred for that evil that you have encountered? We are to hate those forces that oppose God inside our own hearts and in the world today. So, what good does it do to hate even evil? What might that create? The answer is a response of avoidance, of abstinence … of evil.

Today, I’m going to break our pattern and provide some current context to hating evil by reading Ephesians 6:1-13 …

… Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Who are we not fighting? Flesh and blood. Each other. Other humans. We may do evil things out of disobedience, but we are not evil. So what is evil? God’s enemy, Satan and his spirits. But by hating evil and loving God, we can resist evil and stand firm. What great news for us. And that’s a truth worth sharing with others, isn’t it?

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, forgive me when I show love for evil by cooperating with it. But help me to hate that which opposes You, even the sin in me. Teach me to love You more, and help me to show love that can conquer hate. As above, so below.”

Inside our theme of love this month, we are focusing this week on how we can adopt a mindset and attitude of love when we are surrounded by a culture of anger and hate.

We know from history that humans have gone through constant change. When one part of the world is at peace, another is in chaos. Economies rise and fall. Civilizations rise and fall. Life and death are constantly occurring. But the reality is that any season won’t last for long. Things change. Life cycles.

King Solomon gave us one of the most prolific and poetic texts for this concept in Ecclesiastes 3, verses 1-8. Listen to the flow, listen to the contrast, listen in this ancient text for where we are now as a people.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time for war and a time for peace.

Where did hear your own life, where you are right now, in these verses?

Where did you hear our culture, where we are right now, in this passage?

One truth remains, the other side of the coin, the other “time” will come back around soon enough.

With this in mind listen again to the passage,

Isn’t it interesting that the Bible would say that there is a time to hate? Maybe Solomon simply meant it is inevitable that if we love, we will at some point, also experience hate? But the truth will always be that love and hate and the time we spend on either will be our choice.

I want to encourage you to look back at this passage throughout the seasons in your life and use the words to help you honestly evaluate where you are and what your choice can be.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, You created the seasons and the times of our lives. Help me to know what time you want it to be for me in every season. But help me to constantly make the current season a time to gather, embrace, mend, and love. As above, so below.”

Today, we’re going to read a very inspiring passage from The Message Bible where Jesus is teaching how His disciples will respond and react different than the world. The Gospel is a constant paradox to the culture and passages such as Matthew 5:43-48 are clear examples:

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

I ask you what has become a familiar question from me to you in this podcast: What words stood out to you? Say it back to yourself. Then ask why?

We don’t really like the world-turned-upside-down verses like “Love your enemy,” do we? When someone gives you a hard time, pray for them? Really? These are tough and challenging words but then it’s also the very reason we are drawn to Jesus, right?

With this in mind listen again to part of the passage

“… I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best … to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. … “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

Can you think of someone in your life, or maybe even someone you don’t know… but you know of, that you strongly dislike or maybe even hate? Can you pray for them right now? Prayer changes things… more than changing others and circumstances…it changes us.

Let’s take a few moments and pray for those we don’t like but God says He loves. Pray that they would encounter God and His love the way you have.

What in Jesus’ teaching do you need to “grow up” in, as verse 48 stated? Where have you been rationalizing hate and you have to trade it in for some of God’s love? I love the last line … “live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to love my friends more and turn any hatred I have to love and prayer, like You said. I know you know that’s hard but if anyone can help me get to that place, it’s You, right? Teach me to live generously and graciously. As above, so below.”

Today, we wrap up our weekly theme of focusing on how to adopt a mindset and attitude of love when we are constantly surrounded by a culture of anger and hate. I hope you have been inspired and challenged by the Word, just as I have. Sometimes it’s hard to read and even harder to live out, but we so need it, especially in this world consumed by selfishness and hate.

You’d be hard-pressed to go to a Christian wedding and not hear some part of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 read, also known as The Love Chapter. But today, let’s look at how Paul defined biblical love in verses 4-7 as we think about being proactive in love to battle hate.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

I tend to read or hear this passage and think about how I don’t love, based on the definition we are given here. Do you feel that way? Why might we hear these words through a negative filter? Because even with those closest to us and when and where we work really hard to be good at love, we are still selfish sinners.

So, how can we possibly love anyone like this? Friend or foe? Family or enemy? I want to ask you to listen again to this same passage but I’m going to change out one word throughout. That will give us the only possible way we can love as we are taught here. Listen with your heart …

Jesus is patient and kind. Jesus is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Jesus does not demand his own way. He is not irritable, and He keeps no record of being wronged. Jesus does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Jesus never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Isn’t that incredible? Jesus can be interchanged with the word “love” because He is love and the embodiment of God’s love. So, the closer we get to Jesus, the closer we get to love. The more we follow Jesus, the more we walk in the ways of love. And the more we fall in love with Jesus, the farther away from hate we get, and the more our lives will provide an answer to a world filled with hatred.

 Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, teach me to love like You, to be patient and kind, not jealous, rude, or boastful, to not demand my own way, or be irritable, and keep record of wrongs. Help me to rejoice in Your truth, to never give up on love, never lose faith in You, and endure because of You. As above, so below.”

Inside our theme of balance this month, we are focusing this week on creating a balanced home structure. I know first-hand how difficult this can be and how often things can happen to mess with any set plans Solo parents make. That stress constantly challenges structure.

An incredible source for good common-sense wisdom in the Bible is the book of Proverbs. That’s why so many days we use it as a go-to. God granted a portion of His wisdom to Solomon upon the king’s request. The fact that we have access to his writings is really amazing. Centuries later, we get the opportunity to apply what God gave Solomon.

Today, we look at Proverbs 8, a prophetic chapter where the word “Wisdom” corelates to Christ. The “me” here is Jesus. Listen closely as I read verses 32 thru 35:

“And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful.

watching for me daily at my gates,

waiting for me outside my home!

For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.”

What do these verses tell us to do? There are 5 action items …

Follow His ways.

Listen to His instruction.

Listen to Him.

Watch for Him.

And the really tough one … Wait for Him.

With this in mind listen again to the passage …

“And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful.

watching for me daily at my gates,

waiting for me outside my home!

For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.”

No one could honestly say in today’s world that following Jesus is easy. One thing I have found is that the world tends to offer us the easy way in the short-term, which rarely makes the long term good. With the Lord, the short term is often hard, but the long term turns out right … if we listen … if we don’t ignore Him … if we watch … if we wait. We will find life and we will find favor from the Lord.

I want to encourage you today, that while trying to alleviate stress at home and build structure, to read this passage later … apply this passage, and you will find true balance … in time.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, so often in my life choosing You over the world or my own way is hard. Please help me to listen for You, to You, to not ignore You, to watch for You, and the hardest one … to wait for You. As above, so below.”

If this has been helpful, will you help us in spreading the word by sharing this on your social media. You can do that where you see the three dots below or above the podcast cover on your podcast platform. Share to Facebook and encourage friends to join us each day for a few minutes; to get still and know God more because Scripture promises that He meets us in the stillness.

Inside our theme this month on balance, today, we are going to continue our focus on creating a balanced home structure.

Psalm 1 from the Message Bible gives us a path to balance, most especially in our own homes. Tune in to this unique version of the first psalm …

How well God must like you—

Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.

You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month,

You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust—

God charts the road you take.

David tells us how much God loves obedience as he contrasts those who follow God versus those who don’t. But verse 2 talks about the concept of rumination on God’s Word, which is exactly what Sound Mind Set is all about. “Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.” The way we find truth, the way we find balance in this life is by repeating, thinking on, considering, and ruminating on His Word, allowing it to have a 24/7 impact on us.

With this in mind listen to the passage again

How well God must like you—

You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month,

… God charts the road you take.

As you have been listening to the passages of the Bible I read each day, do you find yourself thinking on, even repeating back parts of a verse to yourself later in the day or when a difficult circumstance arises? Almost like a song can get stuck in your head that you find yourself singing later? That, my friend, is rumination. And God loves it and can work in your life to bring balance in your heart and your home when that happens.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I want Your Word to go deep into my spirit to speak to me and make a difference. Bring the verses You want me to live by back to my mind as I go through my days and my nights. As above, so below.”

If this has been helpful, will you help us in spreading the word by sharing this on your social media. You can do that where you see the three dots below or above the podcast cover on your podcast platform. Share to Facebook and encourage friends to join us each day for a few minutes; to get still and know God more because Scripture promises that He meets us in the stillness.

Inside our theme this month on balance, today, we continue our focus on creating a balanced home structure.

This week, we are honing in on how getting God’s Word into our minds, hearts, and spirits can change us and bring balance. Isaiah 55 offers another powerful concept about God’s Word working in us, found in verses 10 thru 12:

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.

I send it out, and it always produces fruit.

Who sends out God’s Word? … He does.

What does it do when He sends it out? … Produces fruit.

When will it produce fruit when He sends it out? … Always. … Not sometimes, but always.

How do we receive His Word? Reading, listening to, ruminating on Scripture. Just as we are doing right now.

With this in mind listen again to the passage, this time from The Message

“Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,

This passage is not a metaphor. It literally means that when we take in God’s Word, it will do a work in our lives. Our part is simply to obey and allow the Word to do the work God intended. That is why you can read a verse a hundred times over many years and get something different out of it almost every time.

Shouldn’t this concept inspire us to see God’s Word differently? As something alive? Something transformative? To bring balance to every aspect of who we are and what we do.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I invite Your Spirit to interpret to me what You want to say and do every time I hear any Scripture. Complete Your assignment in me. As above, so below.”

If this has been helpful, will you help us in spreading the word by sharing this on your social media. You can do that where you see the three dots below or above the podcast cover on your podcast platform. Share to Facebook and encourage friends to join us each day for a few minutes; to get still and know God more because Scripture promises that He meets us in the stillness.

Today, we go all the way back to Moses and the nation of Israel. God often told Moses exactly what to say to the people … to be His messenger. But those messages are also available to us today and still true for us. Listen to Deuteronomy 32:46-47:

“Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are … to possess.”

In our quote-unquote Christian nation, it is so easy for us to hear Bible verses and treat them like “idle words,” isn’t it? But what did God call His laws, His precepts, His principles? … Your life. Puts an entirely different spin on the old saying, “Words to live by” huh?

With this in mind listen again to the passage, this time from The Message

“Take to heart all these words to which I give witness today and urgently command your children to put them into practice, every single word of this Revelation. Yes. This is no small matter for you; it’s your life. In keeping this word you’ll have a good and long life in this land …

Because God mentions you and your children in these verses, how might you let your family life reflect “putting His words into practice” and making God’s Word “your life” rather than merely “idle words”? How can applying and obeying His Word offer balance to your home? Starting with you and passing down to your kids?

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I know I am the pathway of Your Word and Your life to my kids. Help me to find ways to express You to them, to make Your Word a part of our everyday life. For You to be the head of my home. As above, so below.”

If this has been helpful, will you help us in spreading the word by sharing this on your social media. You can do that where you see the three dots below or above the podcast cover on your podcast platform. Share to Facebook and encourage friends to join us each day for a few minutes; to get still and know God more because Scripture promises that He meets us in the stillness.

Today, we wrap up our theme for this month on balance and our focus this week on creating a balanced home structure. There’s a really strong chance that the very reason you know about Solo Parent Society and you have decided to take the time out of your day to listen to Sound Mind Set is because, regardless of how much you were a part of the issue, someone in your life knocked you off balance. Maybe you were the one who knocked your family off balance. But regardless of blame or fault, you have been fighting, working to get life back into focus, back into balance for a while. For so many of us, balance won’t be solved with a one-week crash course, but rather through a one-day-at-a-time attitude towards health.

We live in a world today that has lost the true biblical concept of grace and forgiveness. We turn on the news to hear another horrible stat and to see that somehow evil seemed to win again. Many passages in the New Testament encourage us that, no matter how bad anyone else gets, how bad the culture gets, we must keep steady in our faith and follow God. Even if that means walking against the grain and walking alone.

Listen to 2 Peter 3:17-18:

My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.

Did you hear the contrast between verse 17 and verse 18? Listen again …

My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.

Scripture warns us that to keep our balance and stay on the right path, we have to stay away from evil. How? By growing in the wonderful kindness and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let me be honest. When we dive into our weekly themes, there are no Bible passages that say “Here’s 5 ways to balance your home life.” That will be true of a lot of our topics. Yet, I hope you are gaining the insight from weeks like this that while it is not that cut-and-dried, the Bible does tell us many more than 5 ways of how to balance all of life, including home. But we have to dig in, look deep, and draw out the truth from God’s Word. We pray that has happened for you this week.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, one thing about the world getting worse is that the disparity between good and evil, right and wrong, You and Satan, are quite clear. Help me every day to stay away from evil by staying close to You. With You, in You, I have nothing to fear and everything to gain. As above, so below.”