The Bridge Austin

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that when a situation seems impossible, God will not forsake us, no matter how we feel. We can’t wait until we feel strong enough. God uses our faith and our simple obedience to Him.

Join Mark Gregston and Wayne Shepherd today as they discuss the powerful opportunity parents have to shape their teens’ hearts and direction through intentional one-on-one time. Mark reminds parents that the teen years are brief, and busy schedules can cause us to miss moments we may later regret. Regular, judgment-free time spent listening, asking questions, and showing compassion builds trust and makes parents a safe place for their teens. That influence can guide teens toward wisdom, faith and purpose for the rest of their lives.

If you're struggling with your teen, our Families in Crisis Conference may be able to help! Visit familycrisisretreat.com to learn more and register.

Parenting Today's Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org.

Christian financial advisor Russ Crosson has spent more than 45 years guiding individuals and couples in everyday financial situations. Discussing his book, Your Money Made Simple, he offers practical advice for mastering your finances biblically—and it’s not about how much money you make! 

Receive the Your Money Made Simple bundle plus a free audio download of “Transform Your Finances: Smart Steps for a Secure Future” for your donation of any amount! Your Gift DOUBLES to Help Deliver Hope and Joy! Save 2X the marriages and families this Christmas with your life-changing gift today!

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Romans 8:28 says, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” But it doesn’t always seem that way, does it? Dr. Robert Jeffress teaches that while we cannot choose the circumstances we face, we can choose our response to them.

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Money has a way of reaching places in our lives that nothing else does. It touches our fears, our desires, our relationships, and our sense of security. That’s why Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Jesus wasn’t merely offering financial advice—He was revealing something deeply spiritual. Money issues are rarely just about money. They are heart issues. Our financial lives quietly expose what we trust, what we desire, and what we believe will ultimately take care of us.

Years ago, Ron Blue shared a story that reshaped our understanding of stewardship.

Ron was sitting on a hillside in Kenya with a local pastor, overlooking the village below. Curious, Ron asked what he assumed was a practical question: “What is the greatest barrier to the spread of the gospel here?” He expected the answer to be a lack of money, transportation, or resources.

The pastor didn’t hesitate. “Materialism,” he said.

Ron was stunned. Materialism? In a village of mud huts?

The pastor explained, “If a man has a mud hut, he wants a stone hut. If he has a thatched roof, he wants a metal one. If he has one cow, he wants two.”

In that moment, Ron realized something profound: materialism isn’t about how much you have—it’s about what your heart longs for. If materialism can thrive in a mud hut just as easily as in an American suburb, then money itself isn’t the root problem. The heart is.

Money is not moral or immoral. It’s a tool. But because it touches nearly every area of our lives, it becomes one of the clearest mirrors of what’s happening inside us.

• When we overspend, it may reveal a longing for identity or approval.
• When we cling tightly to savings, it may expose where we seek security.
• When we fall into debt, it may reflect impatience or a desire to live beyond God’s provision.
• When we resist generosity, it may reveal fear that God won’t come through.

In every case, the dollars are secondary. The heart is primary.

The good news is that God cares deeply about the state of our hearts—and He invites us into freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from comparison. Freedom from striving. Freedom from the quiet belief that everything depends on us.

Over the years of studying Scripture and walking with individuals and families through financial decisions, a few foundational truths have continued to surface.

1. God Owns It All

Ownership determines responsibility. If everything belongs to God, we stop clinging to money as if our lives depend on it. Instead, we manage it as stewards—grateful, humble, and free.

2. God Is Our Provider

Scripture reminds us that God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies—and that we, His children, are worth far more. When we truly believe that, fear begins to loosen its grip.

3. Money Is a Tool, Not a Treasure

Money was never meant to carry the weight of our identity or security. It was meant to serve God’s purposes—meeting needs, blessing others, advancing the gospel, and reflecting the generosity of the One who gave everything for us.

4. Financial Decisions Are Acts of Worship

Every spending choice, every act of saving, every moment of generosity becomes an opportunity to honor God. When we begin asking, “How can I serve You with this?” money stops being a rival and becomes a means of discipleship.

These truths aren’t theoretical. They shape every page of our new devotional (coming out next month), Our Ultimate Treasure—a 21-day journey to faithful stewardship. We wrote it to help readers see how deeply biblical principles shape every

What situation in your life looks insurmountable right now? A marriage heading for the rocks? A child breaking your heart? A doctor’s report with the word “Cancer” written on it? What circumstance in your life is so big, so overwhelming, so difficult that it looks impossible to conquer? Chip helps us discover how to unleash God’s power into our impossible situations.

Five questions about breakthrough:

1. What is a breakthrough?

Three key definitions:

• An offensive thrust that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line in warfare.
• An act or instance of breaking through a barrier.
• A sudden advance.

2. Is there a biblical pattern for breakthrough?

• Great need
• Great sin
• Great bondage
• God's compassion
• God's judgment
• God delivers

3. How did Jesus teach His disciples to experience and be agents of breakthrough?

• Announce the “Good News!” -Mark 1
• Defeat evil
• Bring healing
• Lead by example

4. Is there historical precedent that breakthrough can happen in our day?

• The entire book of Acts
• List of Church-Age believers

5. How do you experience the first step of breakthrough?

• BELIEVE that God is good.
• EMBRACE that it’s God’s will to do the impossible in you and through you.

Assignment:

• Read over Psalm 23, inserting your name in the blanks, at least once each day this week.

Broadcast Resource

• Download MP3
• Message Notes

Additional Resource Mentions

• I Choose Love Book
• Daily Discipleship - Psalms of Hope

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In this episode of The Creative Connection, Ed Young explores the spiritual discipline of prayer by unpacking the Lord's Prayer as taught by Jesus in Matthew 6, emphasizing prayer as a relational conversation with God the Father, access granted through Jesus, alignment with God's will, and the importance of forgiveness and persistence in prayer as a means to bring Heaven to earth.