The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus

221 – Have you ever been so preoccupied with what others are doing that you don't focus on following Christ?

Welcome to 2024!

A new year is a wonderful opportunity to take stock of where you've been, where you are and where you're going.

Instead of a New Year's Resolution this year, I decided simply to quit comparing myself to what others are doing and just focus on following Christ.

Remember when Jesus said to Peter, "What is that to you? As for you, follow me." John 21:22

That's why in this week's episode I explain why my mantra for 2024 is "What is that to you? Just follow Christ."

I can't change what other people do or think. But I can change myself. The same is true for you.

I choose to follow Christ as a response to whatever happens this year:

• If someone does something better than me, I will follow Christ
• If someone does something worse than me, I will follow Christ
• If the candidates I vote for win or lose, I will follow Christ
• If people tell me I am right or wrong about the Bible or anything, I will follow Christ
• If there are still wars between countries, I will follow Christ
• Whatever happens this year, I will strive to follow Christ the best I can

I invite you to do the same.

This is possible. Paul says, "We have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16 That means we can think and act like Jesus did.

Show notes:
For a full transcript and Bible verses in this episode: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/221

Please join me this year in keeping your eyes on Christ, the Shepherd, and not comparing yourself to the other sheep.
_____________

REQUEST:
If you're reading this, it probably means you're listening on a podcast app. If your app allows, please rate the podcast and leave a review. Thanks.

Rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts
Rate the show on Spotify

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

220 – Highlights from The Bible Speaks to You Podcast in 2023

The end of the year is a good time to look back and see where you've come from.

It's a time to appreciate and be grateful for all the blessings from the previous 12 months. In these last few days of 2023, I've gone back to review some of the podcast episodes that, according to you, my listeners, were the most helpful.

This week's episode shares some of the highlights from these favorite episodes from 2023.

Here are the episodes which are highlighted. There's a 3-5 minute audio clip of each episode this week.

The Best of 2023

Episode 172: Living in the Holy Spirit
January 24, 2023

Episode 176: How much do you love the people who will be born 100 years from now?
February 21

Episode 177: You are on the pathway to healing
February  28

Episode 180: You are standing on holy ground
March 21

Episode 181: How to See Spiritually
March 28

Episode 189: How to Pray When You Feel Rejected
May 23  

Episode 192: Jesus’s Recipe to Stop Worrying
June 13

Episode 193: Quietly surrendering to God
June 20

Episode 203: What if Jesus preached at your church?
August 29    

Episode 216: Does God really love everyone? Christmas is the answer
November 28

Show notes:
For a transcript and Bible verses, go to thebiblespeakstoyou.com/220

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

219 – What are you expecting to get for Christmas this year?

Remember that sense of expectation you had as a kid at Christmastime? There was so much anticipation for what presents you'd get.

What if you could have that same sense of expectation for all that Christ is giving you this Christmas?

Have you ever stopped to think about all that Jesus has given us? In this week's episode I talk about some of the more obvious things Christ gives us, not just at Christmas, but all year long:

• Love, joy, peace
• A sense of God's glory
• An awareness of our relationship with God as His children
• Salvation and spiritual wholeness
• And so much more...

Right this moment Christ is pouring forth infinite, boundless, unlimited blessings, most important of which is a full salvation from the world’s evil, along with the awareness that we are the sons and daughters of God.

This is Christ’s gift to you.

How much of this gift will you accept, not just at Christmas, but all year long? 

Previous episode mentioned
Episode 167: What Will You Give Jesus for Christmas?

Show notes:
Transcript and Bible verses: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/219

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

218  – Do you have a prodigal in your family?

This week I talk with Pam Fields, mother of nine, and grandmother of four, about how to pray when you have a prodigal child.

One of Pam's grown children has broken away from the family and renounced their faith.

Pam talks about the way she has prayed about this and how she has supported others who have had similar experiences.

Here are some of the points we covered:

• Acknowledge and deal with your emotions, such as guilt and shame
• A prodigal may leave not because of what you have done, but because they are rebelling against God
• Listen to your other children (if you have any) and be willing to listen and learn from them
• Each child has their own individual relationship with God
• You can trust God to be at work in the life of a prodigal 
• If you don't have a prodigal, be of comfort to those who do. They are all around you but don't always talk about it.
• Payer is not limited by time, space, or geography
• Your prayers are more powerful than your words or physical presence

Pam says that having a prodigal does not disable your life. Step up and step into the calling that God has on your life.

Find a supportive community where you can feel support as well as support others.
_____

For a full transcript (pardon the typos): 218 Transcript.
Pam's previous appearance on The Bible Speaks to You Podcast
Episode 134: Moms in the Bible
Pam Field’s contact info:
  •  Website: TendingFields.net
  •  Facebook: Tending Fields page
  •  Facebook Tending Fields Moms Group
  •  Instagram: Tending Fields

Show notes with Bible quotes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/218

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

217 – Have there been times in your life that gave you a deeper sense of what Christmas is all about?

The Bible is full of these decisions people made and actions they took that create a chain of events that eventually lead to the birth of Jesus.

In this week's episode, I talk about a few of these pivotal moments that altered the course of Bible history and bring us to Bethlehem when Jesus is born.

Pivotal moments in the Bible that point us to that first Christmas:

• Caleb, of the tribe of Judah, was honest about what he saw when spying in Canaan
• King David's life as a whole helped pivot the people to expect a Messiah
• Ruth decided to go with Naomi back to Israel and marries Boaz
• The prophets continued to pivot the people away from the ways of the world toward the ways of God, preparing them for the coming Messiah
• Mary humbly accepted the message from Gabriel that she would be the mother of Christ
• Joseph accepted God's message through the angel that he should marry Mary
• The Wisemen obeyed the angel and returned to their homeland without telling King Herod where Jesus was

What if each of the people had made a different choice? Things would have been very different. God used each of these people to guide mankind to be ready for the birth of Jesus.

What does all this have to do with you and me?

It helps us see God’s hand in the chain of events that led up to Jesus’s birth.

But in addition to that, all these examples of important moments where things pivoted and took a new direction can  actually be metaphors for how God works in our lives, preparing and leading us to the birth, or appearance, of Christ in our own lives. They show how God can give us a deeper, more spiritual awareness of what Christmas is all about.

As you’re getting ready for Christmas this year, or even if you’re listening to this in the middle of July, I encourage you to take some time to look back on things in your life that have given you a deeper sense of what Christmas is all about.

What have been the pivotal moments which have pointed you to the spirit of Christmas?

Show notes:
To read a full transcript of this episode and study the Bible quotes mentioned, go to thebiblespeakstoyou.com/217.

Previous episode mentioned:
Episode 53: How I Met My Wife

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

216 – Believe it or not, some people debate whether or not God really does love everyone.

And they can debate all they want. To me, the simple answer to this question is the fact that God sent Jesus to show and be the Way for us, to bring healing and salvation to us and the whole world.

The Bible verse that captures this all-inclusive love of God for all mankind, throughout all time is John 3:16

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Here are some of the main themes in this week's episode:

• Since God loved the world so much and sent Jesus, the best way for us to prepare for Christmas is to love all mankind
• To get an idea of how God loves all His children, look at how Jesus loved people
• Jesus only did what he saw the Father do. That means he loved everyone because he saw God love everyone.
• But did Jesus love the Pharisees and those who opposed him? Yes
• Why did Jesus want us to love even our enemies?
• Why did Jesus love his enemies?

As you start thinking about Christmas, I encourage you to embrace in a deeper spiritual way than you ever have before, God’s love for all mankind. This prepares room in your heart to receive more of God’s love, more of Christ’s appearing. and it opens you up to express more of God’s love to those around you.

What would happen if you felt so powerfully God’s love for all His children, that everyone you came in contact with experienced God loving them?

I can’t think of any better way to get ready for Christmas!

Previous episode mentioned:
Episode 115: Christmas Means Everyone Is Worthy of God’s Love

 Show notes:
Read the full transcript of this episode and all the Bible verses mentioned. thebiblespeakstoyou.com/216.

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

215 – Does your heart overflow with gratitude?

I've been thinking of everything I'm grateful for. With all the tensions in the world, not to mention the challenges in my own life, I’ve found that expressing gratitude helps get me refocused on God and brings some peace of mind.

Gratitude helps clear the air so my heart can breathe more freely.

This week's episode takes a deep dive into some of the many ways people in the Bible express gratitude or encourage others to be grateful.

Old Testament:

• The "thank offering" or "sacrifice of thanksgiving" was one of the first ways the Children of Israel expressed their thanks to God
• When David brought the Arc of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, he appointed people to collectively praise and thank God
• When Solomon brought the Arc of the Covenant into the Temple for the first time, he also appointed a group of people to thank God collectively
• Jehoshaphat sent people out to sing thanks to God to meet the warring armies
• Ezra appointed people to collectively thank God when they laid the foundation on which the Temple would be rebuilt
• Nehemiah appointed two whole choirs to thank God in song on the newly built walls of Jerusalem
• Psalms is full of gratitude to God
• Don't forget Daniel and Jonah, who thanked God in tough situations

New Testament

• Anna thanked God for letting her see the Messiah
• Jesus gave thanks before he fed the 5,000 and 4,000 people
• Jesus gave thanks at the Last Supper, even though he knew he would be betrayed and crucified
• Paul thanked God for so many things
  • The people he was writing to
  • The fact that he got to serve Christ
  • That Christ delivered people from their sins
  • He encourages us to be grateful for everything in the name of Christ Jesus

And sometimes we just need to thank God for being God.

What are some ways you can be more grateful?

Mentioned in this episode:
Episode 213: How to Be Grateful in Every Situation
Episode 111: What Was Jesus Thankful for?

Show notes:
Read the full transcript and all the Bible quotes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/215

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

214 – How are you surrendering to Christ today?

We live in challenging times with so many influences trying to pull us away from following Jesus.

But this is not new. It happened all the way back in Bible times.

This week, Jay Kim and I talk about what it means to surrender completely to Christ and how the book of Colossians gives us a roadmap.

Jay, the lead pastor at Westgate Church in Silicon Valley, California, has written a book about Paul's letter to the Colossians and how their challenges were very similar to ours today.

Here are just a few of the things we talked about:

• How a few guys at church never gave up on him, even though he left church
• How Jay got into the ministry
• What it really means to call Jesus Lord
• The solution to legalism and other church problems
• What a church pastor or leader should do when they are tempted or have sinned
• Why the Colossians were like us
• What we can learn from Paul's letter about overcoming our challenges
• How do we realize we're being influenced by the material world if we're not aware of it?

Above all, we talked about being more like Jesus and surrendering completely to Christ.

Jay's books (affiliate links):
•  Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age
•  Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age
•  Colossians Bible Study Guide: One Jesus, One People (40 Days Through the Book) plus Streaming Video

Jay's website:
jaykimthinks.com

Show notes:
To read a full  transcript of today's episode and study the Bible verses mentioned, go to the show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/214. 

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

213 – Is it really possible to be grateful in every situation?

When things are going well in life, it is pretty easy to be grateful. 

But maybe you’re going through a season of your life right now where things aren’t going so well. Things aren’t working out.

Or whatever it might be. Sometimes it’s pretty hard to find anything to be grateful for.

So, where ever you are on the spectrum of how much or how little you think you have to be grateful for, I want to encourage you to just take a step back and let’s revisit what it really means to be grateful.

There are so  many things to be grateful for. Here are just a few of them. Be grateful...

• Just because God is good and loves you
• When good things happen
• When you receive something
• When God delivers you from the mistakes you've made
• When God delivers you from the harm other people have caused you
• When God heals you
• When you are in the middle of a problem, thank God in advance for helping you
• When you don't have enough, thank God for what you do have

Do you have a gratitude practice?

• It could be a gratitude journal
• Finding three things to be grateful for before you get out of bed in the morning
• Sharing with a spouse, partner, or friend what you're grateful for
• Writing letters thanking people for how they have blessed you
• So much more

If we're supposed to be grateful for everything, does that mean we should be grateful for problems? The answer can be yes!

Sometimes, a problem makes us stop and turn to God for answers to the real issues we’re facing, which we might not have done if everything seemed to be okay in our lives.

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I encourage you to look through the lens of gratitude, to embrace a mindset of thankfulness, that sees every person and situation as an opportunity to be grateful in one way or another. 

For full transcript and Bible verses, go to thebiblespeakstoyou.com/213

Related:
Episode 111: What Was Jesus Thankful for?

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here
  
  

212 – Do you want to pray more effectively?

I learned a really important lesson from Halloween several years ago about how to pray in a way I had never thought of.

When kids come to your door for Halloween, yelling "Trick or Treat," do you ever wonder if those are real witches or super heroes behind the masks?

Of course not. Even if you pretend to be scared, you know the kids are just wearing costumes. It's a game we play every Halloween and everyone knows the rules. You know the costume is not part of the kid and it's not who they really are.

When a sick person came to Jesus to be healed, Jesus knew something no one else knew. He saw something no one else saw.

To Jesus, sickness and disease was kind of like a scary costume. He knew it wasn't part of who someone was as a child of God. And he knew how to remove this "costume" or mask that tried to cover up a person's true identity as a child of God.

This week's episode goes into more detail and gives some examples of how Jesus healed people.

By the way, this idea that a problem is just a costume is just a metaphor. So take it in that spirit.

But when you can see this outward appearance of things as just a mask, a costume, that’s not part of who they are as a child of God, but is trying to hide or cover up their true identity  as a child of God, your prayers will be more effective.

Because you’re not trying to change a child of God, but you’re praying to remove the "costume."

Show notes:
To read a full transcript of this episode and study all the Bible references, go to thebiblespeakstoyou.com/212.

Text me your questions or comments.

Support the show

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. 

• Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
• Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       
• Make a donation to support the show
• Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
• Contact James here