The Bridge Austin

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that when we continually ask for the Holy Spirit to fill us with his power, we can be an effective witness, and an example of Christ.

In today’s episode, Mark dives into some of the toughest and most relatable dilemmas families face: transitioning your parenting style as teens leave for college, navigating disagreements with your spouse over parenting strategies and the complexities around busy teen schedules. He also tackles challenging topics like helping teens through the aftermath of divorce and understanding — and celebrating — the sometimes obsessive fandoms that provide comfort to young people. Don't miss this episode!

Facing a challenge with your teen? Ask Mark about it! Go to markgregston.com to submit your questions. 

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.

Money can so easily capture our hearts. It promises security, comfort, and control—but often leaves us anxious and striving for more. Yet when we give, something remarkable happens. We’re declaring our dependence on God, not our bank accounts.

Dr. Art Rainer—founder of the Institute for Christian Financial Health and author of Money in the Light of Eternity: What the Bible Says about Your Financial Purpose—joined us recently to explore how generosity becomes an act of trust that transforms our hearts and deepens our faith.

Larry Burkett often said, “Every spending decision is a spiritual decision.” Dr. Rainer agrees.

“Jesus said, Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Art explained. “The Bible makes it clear—money management reflects heart management.”

Scripture contains over 2,000 verses about money and possessions. Why? Because few things so clearly reveal what—or whom—we truly trust. For believers, the central question is this: Do we believe God’s promises about provision, and are we willing to surrender this area of life to Him?

Dr. Rainer describes giving as a tangible expression of faith. “God doesn’t tell us to give and then leave us hanging,” he said. “He ties promises to generosity.”

Those promises fall into three beautiful truths—God will provide, multiply, and enrich.

1. God Promises to Provide

In Malachi 3:10, the Lord declares:

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do, I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in. Try it! Put me to the test!”

“God invites us to trust Him,” Art said. “He promises to pour out an abundance of blessings—not necessarily material wealth, but blessings that can be spiritual, relational, or emotional. Maybe it’s the contentment you’ve been chasing for years, or the joy of being part of something far greater than yourself.”

2. God Promises to Multiply

In John 6, a young boy offers his five loaves and two fish to Jesus—hardly enough to feed five thousand hungry people. Yet Christ multiplies that small gift until everyone is satisfied, with twelve baskets left over.

“Many of us feel like that boy,” Art said. “We look at our meager resources and wonder, What difference can this make? But God is a God of multiplication. He can take whatever you give and expand it to accomplish His purposes. That’s His promise—but it requires trust.”

3. God Promises to Enrich

Who doesn’t love a good return on investment—or ROI? “God does too,” Art said.

In 2 Corinthians 9:11, Paul writes, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.”

“God gives so that we can give,” Art continued. “He blesses so that we can bless others. He’s looking for conduits of generosity—people through whom His blessings can flow. When we live that way, generosity becomes not just a habit, but a way of life.”

As Dr. Rainer summed it up:

“Generosity is an act of trust. It shifts our hearts from reliance on ourselves and money to reliance on God. If

Every year at Christmas, the world pauses to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. But often, the busyness of the holiday season distracts us from its true meaning. Dr. Robert Jeffress takes this opportunity to reflect on the remarkable story of Jesus’ birth and the beauty of God’s plan to redeem mankind.

To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org/donate.

Humorist Ken Davis will encourage you to find joy by embracing a lighthearted attitude, even when your life isn’t perfect. He explains how God helped him overcome his own physical disabilities and find self-acceptance by understanding that he only had to be the best version of himself – just the way God made him to be.

Get free access to almost four hours of family-friendly comedy from Ken Davis, Ted Cunningham, Kenn Kington, Jeremy Nunes, John Branyan, and Chonda Pierce.

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Tired of anger hurting relationships? Want to stop losing your temper? Chip shows it's possible to control your temper and even turn anger from a foe into a friend.

Introduction: How to make anger work for you

• Anger is like a wild stallion out of control or under control.
• Our anger holds powerful potential for good and evil; it must be harnessed!

The A, B, C, Ds of anger:

• Acknowledge the anger
• Backtrack to the primary emotion
• Consider the cause
• Determine how best to deal with it

The practical process: How to deal with your anger

1. At whom am I angry?
2. What should I do?
3. How do I deal with the situation?
4. When should I deal with it?

God’s 3-step training method to bridle anger:

Step #1: “Be Quick to Hear”

• Our immediate response to God, others, circumstances, and our anger is to be “receptive listeners” not “reactionary responders.”
• Key Question: What is this anger telling me?

Step #2: “Be Slow to Speak”

• Our interim response to God, others, circumstances, and our anger is to “think before we speak.”
• Proverbs 10:19; 13:3; 29:20
• Key Question: What must I do to prevent a “verbal reflex response?”

Step #3: “Be Slow to Anger”

• Ecclesiastes 7:9
• Our life changing response to anger begins when we replace “reaction” with “reflection.”
• Key Question: What root issue is behind this anger? (ABCD Method)

Summary:

• Anger is a choice
• Anger is a secondary emotion
• It’s not wrong to feel angry, it’s what you do with it.
• The A, B, C, Ds of anger

Broadcast Resource

• Overcoming Emotions that Destroy Resources
• Message Notes

Additional Resource Mentions

• Overcoming Emotions that Destroy Small Group Offer

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Hope in the Night - Forgiveness