The Heart of the Author

Vickie and Jasa are pushing pause on The Heart of the Author Podcast. Stayed tuned, we will be back.

Meanwhile, enjoy the blooper reel.

Many thanks to Kim McKenzie for her behind the scenes work.

Suffering Is Never for Nothing

By

Elisabeth Elliot

Elisabeth Elliot knows suffering. Her first husband was killed in the jungle by savages. Then her second husband died of cancer. In later years, she suffered from terrible dementia. She couldn't even speak, but her eyes still sparkled with the love of Christ. She had peace because she knew that Suffering Is Never for Nothing.

It's through the deepest suffering that God has taught me the deepest lessons. — Elisabeth Elliot

This short book, published four years after Elliot's death in 2015, was adapted from a series of talks she had once given at a conference. And what a treasure trove of wisdom she has left for us. This is not a book of answers, but of hope, as she leads us through the roadmap from suffering to glory:

1. The Terrible Truth – We live in a fallen world and there is suffering.
2. The Message – God is God. He loves us, and He is in control.
3. Acceptance – Knowing and trusting God's Message helps us accept the Terrible Truth.
4. Gratitude – Thank God no matter what you're going through. Gratitude honors God and prepares the way for God to show us His salvation.
5. Offering – Whatever God gives us is a gift to offer back to Him.
6. Transfiguration – The exchange of suffering for glory.

Elisabeth Elliot's life is an example for us. She gave God the offering of her suffering, and He exchanged it and used it to bless the world.

Listen to the podcast to hear much more, and then go read the book. It's not just for those who have been through profound suffering, but for everyone. Elliot defines suffering as "either having what you don't want or wanting what you don't have." And we all go through moments like these on a daily basis. Even the most trivial frustrations like getting stuck in traffic are small moments of suffering, and they are never for nothing. God will turn it ALL to glory when we accept it with gratitude and offer it back to Him.

The Comeback

By

Louie Giglio

We all face trials in life. Sometimes our own choices get us into trouble, and sometimes life just blindsides us and derails us from the path we're on. Life doesn't turn out the way we planned, and God seems so far away. The fog thickens, the storm clouds roll, and the winds blow all around us. We look and we pray, but we can't see the horizon or hear from God. We may feel let down, devastated, afraid, and even hopeless. We may doubt whether God even exists.

The Comeback is full of stories of hope and redemption, of God bringing people's lives back from disappointment and disaster. Just like all of our trials are different, our comebacks may not look the same either. God may help you overcome your circumstances so you can continue on, or He may completely change the course of your direction. Maybe our problems won't be solved in this lifetime, but we realize God's presence in the middle of the mess. One thing we can know: God is in control, and He is always good.

Your comeback is in God's plans right now.

It's never too late, and you're never too far gone. We can't see into the future, but God already knows the outcome. We don't know what God is doing behind the scenes, but He is always doing something. If we can just grasp that, we can be free from feeling like we're in charge and entrust our lives in the hands of a loving God. Our story is never just about us. It's about God's glory and the work He is doing in the world. And no circumstance can hinder God from accomplishing His plans and fulfilling His purposes.

Esther: Trusting God's Plan

by

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

In this Bible study on the Old Testament book of Esther, you'll see the providence of God at work in the lives of His people. Even though God is mentioned nowhere in the story, His hand in it is unmistakable. Through a humble woman, God rescues His people from an ungodly king who sought to wipe them out of existence.

In this study of Esther, you will learn to recognize God's sovereign ways. The hope is that you will see His hand in your own life and trust His divine providence even in the midst of impossible circumstances.

Some of the truths you can expect to find:

• You are in a battle.
• God has a sovereign plan.
• You are a part of God's plan.
• God's plan will never fail.
• It's a beautiful thing to live under God's caring providence.
• There is no situation so desperate God cannot redeem it.
• Don't judge the outcome of the battle by the way things look right now.

In the six-week study, each week is divided into five daily sessions and is suitable for either individual or group study. You can purchase the book or download the PDF along with accompanying audio files and additional resources at reviveourhearts.com.

Everybody Always 

By

Bob Goff

Love isn't something we fall into; love is someone we become. 

In his second book, New York Times bestselling author Bob Goff, shows us what it looks like to become love. As Christians, we are called, above all else, to love God and to love one another. But in the world today, Christians are often known more for what they are against than for their love. We point out the sin of nonbelievers and argue for our Christian principles instead of reaching out and loving the individual nonbeliever. "It's easy to agree with what Jesus said. What's hard is actually doing what Jesus did." 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." – John 13:34-35 English Standard Version (ESV) 

To love as Jesus loves is to become love. Give away love like you're made of it. Feed the hungry. Visit the prisoners. Befriend sinners. Spend time with those who are different than you, even the ones you don't like. Welcome strange people into your life. Meet them where they are. Bring Jesus to them not just in your words but in your actions. Treat the trolls with compassion and grace.

Bob Goff's entertaining storytelling inspires radical love and shows how we can all live and love like Jesus when we let our guard down and step out in faith. Join Vickie and Jasa on the podcast to hear more, and pick up your copy of Everybody, Always here.

Today we have a special guest on the podcast, Rachel C. Swanson, the author of Refine and Restore. Rachel is a dental hygienist turned best-selling author, national speaker, podcaster, and accredited Christian life coach. She and her husband, along with their "wannabe triplets" just moved from southern California to rural Idaho where they are rebuilding a broken-down ranch into a wedding and retreat center.

Refine and Restore: Revive Your Heart and Release Your Purpose

By

Rachel C. Swanson

If you ever feel dry and distant in your walk with God, you're not alone. In Refine and Restore, Rachel Swanson addresses the elephant in the room that we all experience, but few talk about. Ignoring the dry spells can leave us feeling alone and stuck. Only by acknowledging and walking through them will we discover the abundant life that Jesus talks about all throughout Scripture.

How do we do this? It's a process:

Refine  

Refining is an act of confession. When we confess our sins, big and small, God strips away the things that hinder us.

Restore  

Restoration comes by truth. We're all prone to believing lies about ourselves and God that leave us discouraged and disillusioned. Only one thing can restore us—the truth of God's Word. 

Revive

When we confess our sins and weaknesses and restore our hearts and minds to the truth, our lives are revived and freed to live the abundant life.

Release

Through the process of refining, restoration, and revival, we are able to release our purpose in the world. 

Tune into the podcast to hear the interview with Rachel Swanson and learn more about her story and the book. She is offering three sample chapters for free if you'd like to try the book. Follow her on social media or join her email list below to receive this offer.

Listen on iTunes 

Visit Rachel's website

Join her email list

Follow her on social media

The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi 

By

Kathie Lee Gifford with Rabbi Jason Sobel

In The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi, Kathie Lee Gifford shares how experiencing Israel firsthand has deepened her faith. As she describes her own journey through the Holy Land, Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel expounds on the language and culture to enhance our understanding of:

The Rock: Jesus Christ, the Messiah

The Road: Israel, the Promised Land

The Rabbi: The Bible, the Word of God

As one of the tour guides explained, "…the Bible was written by Middle Easterners for Middle Easterners. But we try to understand it with a Western mindset. We try to apply our own principles and our Western understanding to a culture that is completely foreign to us."

By walking the same paths in the Bible and studying the language, culture, and history of the Middle East, we can develop a deeper understanding and faith. But it's not just a lesson in social studies or religion. Kathie Lee's husband, Frank Gifford, after a lifetime of Christian religion, realized for the first time a very personal relationship with Jesus when he visited Israel.

Join Vickie and Jasa on the podcast to hear some of Vickie's personal experiences in Israel and her thoughts on the book. There is nothing like walking "The Road" (Israel) yourself in person. But if you don't have the opportunity to visit and experience Israel for yourself, this book will effectually take you there.

The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World

By

Rosaria Butterfield

In her newest book, author Rosaria Butterfield challenges Christians to practice "radically ordinary" hospitality. She reflects on the way she came to Christ through the simple hospitality of strangers who invited her into their home and became her friend. As a liberal English professor who identified as a lesbian, Butterfield's intent was to dispute the Bible and the Christians who preached it. But Ken and Floy Smith didn't preach to her. They didn't even recite the gospel or invite her to church. Instead, they spent two years serving her in their home, getting to know her, listening, answering her questions, and caring for her. "I wasn't their project," she said, "I was their neighbor." 

So, what is this "radically ordinary" hospitality that Butterfield writes about, and why aren't more Christians practicing it? It is "using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God." Real hospitality is rooted in our love for God, the body of Christ, and a desire for our neighbors to know the salvation of Jesus. It's easy for us to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ, but caring for our unbelieving neighbors is out of our comfort zone. We don't want to be associated with sinners, but we've got to change our thinking. "Our home is not our castle," says Butterfield, "but a hospital." 

Listen to the podcast to hear more, including five myths about hospitality and two commitments to keep as we go out into the world and serve our neighbors for Christ.

Click here to listen on iTunes, and please take a moment to leave a review while you're there so more people can find us. 

Podcast archives

Recovering Redemption (Part 2) 

By

Matt Chandler and Michael Snetzer

Last week in part one, we talked about the bad news and the good news of the gospel. The bad news is we can't earn it, and the good news is we don't have to. So why do we keep trying?

It's human nature to want to be self-reliant. It's pride—the root of all sin—that makes us keep trying to earn approval from others and from God. We want to be good. We want to think that what we do pleases Him and that we deserve the good gifts He gives us. That is not the gospel.

The idea that "good little boys and girls go to Heaven" is popular but unbiblical. In reality, it is sinners transformed by the gospel of Christ who go to Heaven. He changes us, so that we live to please God not to earn our way in, but as an expression of worship and gratitude that we are already redeemed.

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." – Galatians 3:11

We need to keep the gospel securely in our heads. We can't find satisfaction in anything but God. And we don't need validation from anyone but Him. Because of His acceptance of us, we can walk in perfect balance of humility and confidence. Not self-confidence, but confidence in Christ and His redeeming grace.

God restores what cannot be restored. He takes what is and broken and beyond hope, and He infuses His own life into dead spaces, not just once, but again and again, ever renewing, ever redeeming, ever satisfying. That is the gospel.

Do you know the gospel? This book is for you if:

• You've never heard of the gospel
• You've heard of it but don't know what it means
• You know what it means but don't believe
• You know what it means and do believe

Yes, it's for everyone! No matter where you stand with the gospel of Christ, your understanding of it can always grow deeper. Recovering Redemption challenges your mind in a logical, thoughtful, and biblical way, answering the question: What is the gospel?

The Bible calls it the "good news." But in order to see the good news for what it is, we have to understand the bad news. We're all sinners, and nothing we can possibly do can save us from the consequences of our sin — eternal death. Only one thing can save us, and that is the gospel of Christ.

"Well, I'm already saved," you may be thinking. But the gospel is so much more than a one-time redemption. It is daily. We need the grace of the gospel every single day in order to walk in the freedom of redemption. Otherwise, we fall into our old patterns of sin.

We turn to ourselves. We try to do good, to look good, to earn God's grace. When we inevitably fail, we feel guilty and defeated. So, we try harder. It's a never-ending cycle of failure because it's a battle we cannot win for a freedom we cannot earn.

That's the bad news. The good news is, we don't have to earn it! It is finished and done. Jesus paid the price, and there is nothing more we need to do to earn it.

Join Vickie and Jasa on the podcast to hear more on Recovering Redemption. There is so much good stuff that the episode had to be split into two parts. Tune in next week for part two.