The Light

You know the story of Noah: God tells him to build an ark, sends a worldwide flood, and saves Noah’s family and the animal kingdom. The question is, What are you supposed to learn about your faith in Christ from that story? To find out, join John MacArthur as he continues his study titled A Faith That Pleases God.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll opens Mark 1:21–28, revealing how Jesus’ teaching and His confrontation with an unclean spirit displayed an authority no one had ever witnessed.

From the Series: Jesus: The Servant at Work, Volume One, A Study of Mark 1:1–6:13

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Perhaps you’re a skeptic. You don’t believe in miracles, only in science, logic, and absolutes. The good news is Christ doesn’t ask you to check your brains at the door when you come to know Him personally. Just the opposite—you gain insight and knowledge through the Holy Spirit!

Difficult seasons can leave you feeling weary, unproductive, or uncertain about what God is doing in your life. Jeremiah 17:7-8 offers a powerful reminder that those who trust in the Lord are like trees planted beside water, with roots that remain strong even when the heat and drought come. Your circumstances may look bleak, but a season that feels fruitless doesn’t mean your faith has stopped growing or that God has abandoned you.

Trusting God isn’t about pretending hardship doesn’t hurt or forcing yourself to feel hopeful. It’s choosing to rely on His character and sovereignty even when you cannot see the outcome. Like a tree growing deeper roots through winter, your relationship with God can strengthen through quiet seasons of prayer, Scripture, and dependence on Him. Discover how to stop measuring your spiritual growth by visible accomplishments, find encouragement in God’s promises, and trust that He can produce lasting fruit in your life—even when all you see are bare branches.

Highlights

• What Jeremiah 17:7-8 teaches about trusting God when life feels uncertain, painful, or unproductive

• Why a difficult season doesn’t mean your faith is failing or God has stopped working in your life

• How to choose trust in God’s character and sovereignty when your circumstances feel out of control

• What bare winter branches teach us about growing deeper spiritual roots during seasons of hardship

• How prayer, Scripture, and quiet time with God can strengthen your faith when you feel weary

• Why spiritual growth isn’t always visible and how God can use trials to develop lasting faith

• Reflection questions to help you recognize where God is inviting you to trust Him and grow beneath the surface

Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.

UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

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Full Transcript Below:

What Bare Branches Can Teach Us about Trust 

By Sarah Frazer

Bible Reading:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” - Jeremiah 17:7

Every season, I take a quick snapshot of the tree in our front yard. We’ve only lived in our house fo

The Lord has entrusted us with resources and opportunities to use fruitfully while we await his return. Jesus has a stark warning for those who would use those things for personal indulgence rather than fruitful service. We need to keep in mind the reality of his return when we consider how we use that which he has given us. ‘Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required.’

Dr. Stanley teaches us the true meaning of the ministry of intercession on behalf of others.

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