In this episode, Tracy talks about expectations in marriage—why they matter, where they come from, and how to navigate them in a way that strengthens your relationship.

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The PursueGOD Family podcast helps you think biblically about marriage and parenting. Join Bryan and Tracy Dwyer on Wednesday mornings for new topics every week or two.

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Every couple comes into marriage with expectations. Some are spoken, but many are unspoken—and that’s where conflict often begins. Our expectations are shaped by childhood, culture, and our inner dialogue. If we’re not intentional, these expectations can weigh down our relationship instead of building it up.

Think back to your family of origin. What roles did your parents play—or fail to play? How might those experiences shape your current expectations of your spouse? In the book, Marriage Forecasting by Tim Muehlhoff says, when frustrations come, ask yourself: “Who is in the room with me?” In other words, what past examples are influencing how I see my marriage today.

1. Practice gentle honesty.
2. Avoid judgment. Your spouse isn’t a mindreader
3. Be curious listeners, not defensive.

The Bible gives us a better way. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul describes love as patient, kind, and not easily irritated. Love doesn’t assume or demand—it chooses to give. That means healthy marriages require us to talk about expectations instead of hoping our spouse will just figure them out.

We also need grace. None of us are perfect spouses. God models patience and forgiveness toward us (Colossians 3:12), and He calls us to extend the same grace to each other.

Marriage is a lifelong journey of discovery. As you share expectations and show grace, you’ll keep learning about each other and eventually know one another well enough to anticipate needs and support each other. Muehlhoff refers to this process as growing into soulmates, so enjoy the journey!

In this episode, Bryan and Layne explore how the Bible teaches direct access to God through Jesus, not through prophets or religious institutions, using the torn temple veil as the key turning point. Drawing from Layne’s journey out of Mormonism, they explain why trusting the Holy Spirit over human authority leads to true freedom.

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The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Layne (a former Mormon of 40 years) and Bryan talk about what access to God looks like in Mormonism compared to biblical Christianity. The big contrast: Mormonism tends to route access through an institution and its leaders, while the Bible teaches direct access to God through Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit.

They anchor the whole conversation in a key moment from the crucifixion: when Jesus died, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). That wasn’t just a detail in the story—it was God’s way of saying, “The separation is gone. The way is open.”

Layne describes growing up Mormon with a built-in ladder of authority—bishop, stake president, prophet—where “hearing from God” felt filtered through leadership. Bryan points out that the idea of having a personal relationship with Jesus often feels like “Christian language,” not the normal relational emphasis inside Mormon culture.

In the Old Testament temple system, the veil represented a barrier between people and God’s presence. Only the high priest could pass through, and only once a year, with a sacrifice.

But when Jesus died, God tore the veil Himself—from top to bottom—showing that man didn’t open the way; God did. The cross didn’t just pay for sin. It also removed the whole structure of “you need someone else to get you to God.”

They walk through the New Testament idea that God used prophets “in times past,” but something changes after Jesus (Hebrews 1:1–2). Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would guide believers into truth (John 16:13). Layne puts it plainly: dependence on a prophet is replaced by direct access through Jesus and the indwelling Spirit.

Even if it’s not biblical, a prophet can feel comforting because he’s visible, official, and “safe.” Bryan compares it to legalism: rules feel helpful because they’re clear and controllable—but clarity isn’t the same thing as truth. Layne agrees: when a system is built on control, it can’t survive if people learn they can truly hear and trust God directly.

They address a common objection: If you don’t have a prophet, won’t everything fall apart? Their answer: biblical Christianity still values church, leadership, and community—but a pastor isn’t a prophet, and no leader gets to trump Scripture. The moment any person claims “God speaks through me in a way that overrides the Bible,” you’re right back to mediation and control.

Layne shares how reading the Bible—initially to defend Mormonism—created “cracks in the foundation.” Over time, he realized he was constantly checking Scripture through the lens of church leaders instead of trusting God’s Word and the Spirit’s guidance. He describes leaving as hard, costly, and slow—but ultimately freeing.

Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 1:1–2; Acts 2; John 16:13; John 10; John 14:6; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 10:19–22; Deuteronomy 13 & 18; Amos 3:7; Psalm 118.

They end by teeing up the next conversation: If God doesn’t lead His church through prophets, how does He lead it—without it becoming chaos?

Welcome back to the podcas, as we close out this year with a special New Year's episode!

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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Every new year brings a familiar pressure: do more, be better, try harder. But on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus offered His disciples something radically different. In a moment filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and transition, He revealed the true secrets to a fruitful life—not through striving, but through connection.

John 15 isn’t a traditional “New Year’s passage,” but it may be the most important chapter for stepping into a new season. Jesus and His disciples are in the Upper Room. He has washed their feet. They’ve shared the Last Supper. Judas has already left. The weight of what’s coming hangs heavy in the air.

This moment feels like a final speech—Jesus preparing His closest followers for life without His physical presence. Twice in John 14, He tells them not to let their hearts be troubled or afraid. And yet, they clearly are.

We can relate. None of us knows what awaits us in the coming year. We don’t know what challenges, changes, or losses might be ahead. So how can we live without fear? Jesus answers that question in John 15.

Jesus begins with a metaphor:

The disciples were likely confused. They were focused on themselves—Why are you leaving us? Why can’t we go with you? But Jesus flips the perspective. He shifts the focus outward.

Fruitfulness isn’t about self-improvement; it’s about impact.

A consumer mindset asks, What do I get out of this?

A producer mindset asks, What can God do through me?

This changes everything—our marriages, our parenting, our work, our church involvement. Instead of seeing ourselves as victims of circumstances, we begin asking how we can bring peace, serve others, and make disciples. Jesus had just modeled this by washing His disciples’ feet.

A fruitful life starts when we stop making it all about us.

Jesus continues:

The image is organic, not mechanical. Branches don’t strive to produce fruit; they simply stay connected. This runs counter to how we’re wired. We’re taught to maximize effort, build better habits, and dig deeper into ourselves.

But Jesus says fruit comes from abiding—learning the art of being with Him.

That’s harder than it sounds. Many of us are good at doing things for God, but not being with God. Remaining requires intentional practices that slow us down and create space for relationship: solitude, slowing, and Sabbath rest.

Jesus doesn’t need us to produce results for Him. He wants to do something in us before He works through us.

Jesus then explains what abiding really looks like:

Remaining isn’t mystical or complicated. It’s relational. Jesus calls it love.

The relationship between the Father, Son, and Spirit existed before time began. Throughout His earthly life, Jesus lived in loving obedience to the Father—and now He invites His disciples into that same relationship.

Obedience doesn’t earn love; it expresses it. Real relationship with Jesus always produces obedience over time. Not perfection—but transformation.

Jesus concludes with His heart behind it all:

This is the goal—not pressure, guilt, or fear—but joy. As we head into a new season, Jesus invites us into a fruitful life marked by impact, connection, obedience, and overflowing joy.

These are the secrets. And they still work.

Welcome back to the podcast! Today, we are in week two of our Christmas series!

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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WE THREE KINGS: A ROYAL MESS AND A FAITHFUL GOD

Most of us skim past the first seventeen verses of the New Testament. The long list of names in Matthew’s genealogy feels distant and hard to pronounce, so we move on quickly. But Matthew didn’t include those names by accident. He placed them there to ground the Christmas story in real history. Jesus didn’t drop out of the sky. He entered the world through a real family—full of faith, failure, courage, compromise, and grace.

Matthew organizes Jesus’ family tree into three groups of fourteen generations. First come the patriarchs, from Abraham to David—the rise of a family. Then come the kings, from David to the exile—the ruin of a kingdom. Finally comes the remnant, from the exile to Jesus—the long road toward restoration. Last week we looked at the outsiders in Jesus’ lineage: Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. This week we turn to the kings.

You might expect the kings to be the highlight reel—strong leaders, noble faith, spiritual consistency. Instead, what we find is a royal mess. To understand it, we’ll look at three kings from the southern kingdom of Judah: a father, a son, and a grandson. Their stories show how faith can be passed down, rejected, reclaimed, and lost again.

By the time Ahaz became king, Israel was divided. The northern kingdom had fully embraced wickedness. Judah, the southern kingdom—where Jesus’ line continued—was struggling to stay faithful. Ahaz did not help.

2 Kings 16:2–3 (NLT) tells us that Ahaz “did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord… Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire.”

In the ancient world, people believed that if you wanted the gods to act, you had to give them something valuable. Ahaz was losing a war and terrified of losing his throne. In desperation, he went to the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his own son to Molech. That valley later became known as Gehenna—the word Jesus used for hell.

Ahaz’s legacy is devastating. He sacrificed his son on the altar of selfishness. Before we judge him too quickly, we should ask an uncomfortable question: What do we sacrifice our children to today? Career success, personal freedom, reputation, comfort, or misplaced ambition can quietly become modern altars.

After Ahaz died, his son Hezekiah took the throne. He grew up surrounded by idolatry. He had watched his father’s choices destroy lives. Everything about his upbringing suggested he would repeat the cycle.

But 2 Kings 18:5–7 (NLT) says something remarkable: “Hezekiah trusted in the Lord… There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah.”

Hezekiah broke the cycle. He tore down idols—even destroying the bronze serpent Moses had made because people were worshiping it instead of God. He trusted God in crisis. When the Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem, Hezekiah prayed instead of panicking. God responded by delivering the city overnight.

Hezekiah’s life proves an essential truth: your biology is not your destiny. Grace is stronger than genetics. You can be the one who says, “The trauma stops with me.” Christmas is a powerful time to ask: What patterns am I passing down, and which ones need to end?

After Hezekiah, his son Manasseh became king. Surely the revival would continue—right? Instead, Manasseh reversed everything.

2 Kings 21:2–3, 6 (NLT) says he rebuilt pagan shrines and “sacrificed his own son in the fire.” He returned to the very sins his grandfather Ahaz had committed.

Manasseh’s story teaches a hard lesson: you cannot inherit a relationship with God. God has no grandchildren. Each generation must choose for itself whom it will serve. Parents can shape environments, but only God can change hearts.

Ahaz was a wicked father. Hezekiah was a faithful son. Manasseh was a rebellious grandson. It’s messy and inconsistent—and yet Jesus came from this family line.

The Christmas story isn’t about perfect families. It’s about a faithful God who enters our mess and offers every generation a choice. As Joshua declared, “Choose today whom you will serve… But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 NLT)

Why choose God this Christmas? Because He is better than Molech. He doesn’t demand your son—He offers His own. Jesus died so we could be free, and that freedom can echo through generations.

In this episode, Bryan wraps up 2025 and gives us a clear snapshot of what God has been doing through PursueGOD—and what’s coming next in 2026.

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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Welcome back to the podcast! Join us today as we start a new Christmas series!

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Most people love Luke 2 at Christmas—the angels, the shepherds, the manger scene. But few of us slow down for Matthew 1, the chapter that looks like the “skip intro” button of the New Testament. Genealogies feel like the part you breeze through on your Bible-in-a-year plan. Yet Matthew opens the story of Jesus with a family tree on purpose—not to bore us, but to prepare us for what Christmas is really about.

Matthew organizes Jesus’ genealogy into three sets of fourteen generations (Matthew 1:1–17). It’s not intended to be exhaustive; it’s designed to make a theological point. Jesus is the promised Son of David, the fulfillment of God’s long-awaited plan. But Matthew also includes something shocking for ancient readers: five women—and three of them appear in the very first section of the genealogy.

In the first century, writers didn’t include women in genealogies, and certainly not women with complicated, painful, or morally messy backstories. But Matthew breaks the rules to highlight a truth at the heart of Christmas: God invites outsiders, sinners, strugglers, and the unexpected into His family. These women tell us what kind of Savior Jesus really is—and what kind of grace He brings.

Matthew 1:3 (NLT): “Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).”

Tamar’s story in Genesis 38 is one of the most uncomfortable chapters in the Bible. She marries into Judah’s family, but tragedy and injustice quickly follow. Her first husband dies. The second refuses to fulfill his duty to give her a child. Judah promises his youngest son to her “later,” but he never intends to keep his word.

Tamar is left childless, powerless, and trapped in a culture where bearing children was the only path to honor, security, and a future. Judah fails her completely, and out of desperation she takes matters into her own hands—posing as a prostitute to confront Judah’s neglect. When Judah discovers what happened, he responds with a shocking confession:

Genesis 38:26 (NLT): “She is more righteous than I am.”

This isn’t a story celebrating deception—it’s a story exposing Judah’s injustice. Tamar is the wronged one, and yet God sees her, steps into her story, and brings redemption through the birth of Perez—a direct ancestor of Jesus.

The lesson of Tamar:

God steps into the stories we try to hide.

He doesn’t turn away from the messy parts of our past—He redeems them. Tamar reminds us that God moves toward the abandoned and overlooked with purpose and compassion.

Matthew 1:5 (NLT): “Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).”

Rahab enters Scripture suddenly in Joshua 2, described openly as a prostitute living in Jericho. She checks all the “wrong” boxes: a Canaanite, an outcast, a woman shaped by a godless culture. Yet when the Israelite spies arrive, something unexpected happens. She hides them, protects them, and then speaks one of the strongest confessions of faith in the entire Old Testament:

Joshua 2:9,11 (NLT):

“I know the LORD has given you this land… For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.”

Rahab chooses faith before she has a chance to “fix” her life. She trusts God long before she understands His law or His covenant. And God responds by rescuing her—and grafting her into the very family line of the Messiah.

The lesson of Rahab:

Faith comes before we clean up our lives.

God meets us where we are, not where we think we must be. Rahab’s story declares that grace reaches into unlikely places and transforms unlikely people.

Matthew 1:5 (NLT): “Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).”

Ruth’s story begins with heartbreak. She loses her husband in Moab and follows her mother-in-law Naomi back to Israel, choosing loyalty to Naomi and devotion to God:

Ruth 1:16 (NLT):

“Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”

Ruth is a widow, poor, and a foreigner from Moab—a nation born through incest (Genesis 19) and excluded from Israel’s assembly for ten generations (Deuteronomy 23:3). Every cultural barrier is stacked against her.

Yet Ruth steps forward in humble, persistent faith. God brings Boaz into her life, provides for her future, and places her in the royal line—she becomes the great-grandmother of King David.

The lesson of Ruth:

To follow God, you have to leave Moab.

We all have a “Moab”—a place of old identity or broken patterns that God calls us to walk away from. Ruth shows that God honors courageous steps of faith, even when the journey feels costly.

In Jesus’ day, your genealogy was your resume. You highlighted kings, heroes, and honorable ancestors. But Matthew includes:

• A woman wronged and abandoned
• A prostitute from a pagan city
• A foreign widow from a forbidden nation

Why?

Because the Christmas story is not about polished people—it's about a faithful God inviting outsiders into His family.

This is the gospel: no matter your past, your failures, or your background, there is a place for you in the family tree of God. Jesus didn’t come for the impressive—He came for the willing. He came for Tamar, Rahab, Ruth… and He came for you.

In this episode, Bryan talks with Noemi about her journey leaving Mormonism and discovering a relationship with the God of the Bible.

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The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Welcome back to the podcast, we are in our last week of the David series!

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Failure is one of life’s great interrupters.

Sometimes it comes after a long season of struggle. Other times—like David—it crashes into our story right after success. David spent decades waiting on God’s promise, surviving betrayal, wilderness years, and impossible odds. Then at last, the shepherd-warrior became king. He won battles. He grew influence. He stacked victories. But success often tests us in ways adversity cannot. When comfort sets in, cracks in our character begin to widen. That’s exactly what happened to David.

Second Samuel 11 tells the story: David stayed home when kings went to war, saw Bathsheba, pursued her, abused his authority, and arranged Uriah’s death. It’s a tragic chain of compromise. Then God sent Nathan the prophet, who confronted him with a parable—and with the piercing words: “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7 NLT). Psalm 51 is David’s prayer after being exposed. It’s a window into godly sorrow, honest repentance, and the surprising hope that failure doesn’t have to be final.

Many people live as if their worst moment now defines them forever. David felt the weight of his sin deeply:

Psalm 51:3–4 (NLT) — “For I recognize my rebellion… Against you, and you alone, have I sinned.”

David makes no excuses. He names his sin before God. This is the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow.

2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT) says godly sorrow “leads us away from sin and results in salvation,” while worldly sorrow only regrets getting caught. Godly sorrow grieves how sin breaks God’s heart, not just His rules. And when we repent for breaking God’s heart, He changes our heart—not just our behavior.

If you’ve been letting failure define your future, Psalm 51 offers hope: repentance is a doorway God invites you to walk through, not a wall meant to stop you.

David doesn’t shift blame to Bathsheba, stress, or schedule. He looks inward:

Psalm 51:5–6 (NLT) — “You desire honesty… teaching me wisdom.”

Humility is what makes repentance possible. As F.B. Meyer once wrote, the gifts on God’s “lower shelves” go to the lowly. Humility is the willingness to be taught, corrected, and changed. Exposure is painful, but it is also grace—because God reveals what He intends to heal.

David’s prayer echoes another powerful invitation:

Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT) — “Search me, O God…”

That is the prayer of a teachable heart.

Too many people think repentance begins with outward change. But Psalm 51 shows that repentance is first an inside work—something only God can do.

Psalm 51:7–10 (NLT) describes this inner transformation:

“Purify me… wash me… give me back my joy… create in me a clean heart… renew a loyal spirit.”

The word create in verse 10 is the same Hebrew verb used in Genesis 1:1. David isn’t asking God to improve him—he’s asking God to re-create him. Real repentance is a gut punch that leads to joy, because God restores what sin has stolen.

A joyless Christian often needs repentance more than relief. When joy disappears, it’s a dashboard light alerting us that something deeper needs God’s renewing touch.

Many people assume God forgives but then places us on the “spiritual bench.” David thought his story might be over too—but listen to his prayer:

Psalm 51:12–13 (NLT) — “Restore… then I will teach your ways… and they will return to you.”

Forgiven people become messengers of grace. God doesn’t waste repentance; He multiplies it. Your story—your failure redeemed by God’s mercy—can help someone else find their way home.

David’s predecessor, Saul, also sinned. But Saul made excuses and tried to save face. Samuel told him:

1 Samuel 15:22–23 (NLT) — “Obedience is better than sacrifice… rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft.”

Saul lost his throne not simply because he sinned, but because he refused repentance. David, who sinned grievously, became a man after God’s heart because he responded with humility. Psalm 51 ends with this assurance:

Psalm 51:16–17 (NLT) — “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit… You will not reject a broken and repentant heart.”

Failure is not final for the person who returns to God.

We don’t go to heaven because we’re good—we go because we’re forgiven.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (NLT) reminds us salvation is God’s gift.

And 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT) says Jesus took our worst so we could receive His best.

If you’re ready for a fresh start, God is ready to recreate your heart.

In this episode, we compare the church in the book of Acts with the church Joseph Smith built—showing how the LDS ‘restoration’ actually rebuilds the hierarchy, temples, and priesthoods Jesus fulfilled and the Reformers fought to remove. It’s not a return to the New Testament but a reversal of the freedom Christ brought.

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The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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SUMMARY

Latter-day Saints teach that after the apostles died, the church fell into total apostasy—losing authority, truth, and the gospel—and that Joseph Smith “restored” the original church in 1830.

But when we compare the Bible, early church history, and the medieval church, a clear pattern emerges: the LDS system doesn’t look like the church in the book of Acts. It looks like the institutional system that developed centuries later.

This episode walks through that history and shows why Mormonism isn’t a restoration of the New Testament—it’s a rebuilding of the very system Jesus fulfilled and the Reformers worked to correct.

• No temples
• No priestly hierarchy
• No prophet-president
• No exclusive priesthood lineage
• Believers met in homes, prayed, broke bread, and studied Scripture
• Leadership was shared among elders/pastors
• Every believer was a priest (1 Peter 2)
• Access to God came directly through Jesus, not through mediators

Bottom line: The early church was simple, Spirit-led, and centered entirely on Jesus.

By the 4th century, especially after Constantine:

• The church became tied to political power
• Bishops became rulers
• Priests acted as mediators
• Salvation was tied to rituals and sacraments
• A single head (the Pope) claimed God-given authority

This system dominated medieval Christianity and buried the gospel under layers of tradition and hierarchy.

Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and the Anabaptists didn’t invent a new church.

They removed the medieval layers and returned to:

• Scripture alone
• Grace alone
• Christ alone
• Faith alone

Real renewal happens when ordinary believers open the Bible again.

Despite claiming to “restore” the church, Joseph Smith introduced:

• A layered priesthood (Aaronic & Melchizedek)
• A prophet-president with final authority
• Temple rituals and restricted access
• Ordinances required for salvation
• Centralized headquarters claiming exclusive truth

This mirrors the medieval Catholic model, not the church in Acts.

Jesus ended the temple system:

• The veil tore
• Jesus became the final High Priest
• The church became the temple (Ephesians 2)
• The Spirit lives in every believer

The early church never rebuilt temples or practiced proxy work for the dead.

The LDS Church brings back the very system the New Testament declares obsolete.

Across movements—the Hussites, Reformers, Moravians, Anabaptists, Puritans—renewal always happens the same way:

• By returning to the Bible
• By preaching the gospel
• By centering everything on Jesus

No new prophets.

No restored priesthood.

No rebuilt temple.

No extra books or hierarchy.

Just Scripture, Christ, and the Spirit.

Jesus didn’t leave His church.

The gospel was never lost.

The Holy Spirit never disappeared.

The early church didn’t need to be restored—because Christ kept His promise to build it.

The LDS restoration story isn’t a recovery of the New Testament church.

It’s a reversal—a return to the very structures Jesus fulfilled and the Reformers removed.

Welcome back to the podcast! We're in week number five of our series on David!

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Big Idea:

God’s route to His promises is rarely efficient—it’s fruitful. When Ziklag burns and hope falters, don’t quit. Strengthen yourself in the Lord, inquire of the Lord, and obey the Lord—and you’ll find the promise is closer than you think.

When life feels slow, confusing, or painfully inefficient, many of us wish God acted more like a navigation app. Apps like Waze or Google Maps always chase the fastest route from Point A to Point B. But God doesn’t choose the fastest route; He chooses the forming route. That truth sits at the center of David’s story in 1 Samuel 27–30. After twenty years of running from Saul, David was exhausted. Scripture says “David kept thinking to himself…” (1 Samuel 27:1 NLT). His inner narrative was slipping, and discouragement was shaping his choices.

We’ve all been there—moments where shortcuts look tempting, where God’s promise looks distant, and where the path feels like a zigzag instead of a straight line. But David’s journey shows us how to stay faithful when you’re one step away from giving up.

Discouragement often begins with unsubmitted self-talk. David “thought to himself” that Saul was going to kill him and concluded that escaping to the Philistines was his best option (1 Samuel 27:1–2 NLT). Without God’s voice grounding his heart, David drifted into enemy territory.

That’s how he ended up in Ziklag.

Ziklag—likely meaning “zigzagging”—was a Philistine town that became David’s base for about sixteen months (1 Samuel 27:6–7 NLT). For a man who had been running for years, Ziklag felt like success. He finally had stability, safety, and a loyal army. It looked like arrival.

But Ziklag wasn’t the promise. It was provision—but not inheritance. God had spoken something bigger over David’s life: a kingdom, a throne, and divine leadership over Israel. Ziklag was comfortable, but comfort can quietly become compromise. Sometimes the most dangerous place isn’t the valley—it’s the almost.

Don’t confuse the interim with the inheritance. Don’t let a tired heart write your theology. God’s promises may take time, but delay is not denial.

Then came the breaking point. While David and his men were away, the Amalekites raided and burned Ziklag to the ground, kidnapping every woman and child (1 Samuel 30:1–2 NLT). In minutes, everything David had built was gone. Even his own men talked of stoning him.

What do you do when your life looks like ashes?

David models four responses:

1. Weep honestly
2. They “wept until they could weep no more” (1 Samuel 30:3–4 NLT).
3. God never asks us to fake strength.
4. Find strength in the Lord
5. When everyone turned on him, “David found strength in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6 NLT).
6. Strength doesn’t rise from circumstances—it rises from communion.
7. Inquire of the Lord
8. David asked, “Should I chase… Will I catch them?” (1 Samuel 30:8 NLT).
9. Faith doesn’t assume—it asks.
10. Obey promptly
11. God answered: “Yes… You will surely recover everything” (1 Samuel 30:8 NLT).
12. David moved immediately (1 Samuel 30:9).

And God delivered. David recovered everything (1 Samuel 30:18 NLT). Yet even then, David still didn’t have the throne. He must have wondered if the promise had passed him by.

But while David was fighting at Ziklag, God was working in Israel. At nearly the same moment David was rescuing his family, Saul was dying in battle (1 Samuel 31:1 NLT). Three days later the news reached Ziklag (2 Samuel 1:1–4 NLT). The promise was not only alive—it was nearer than David realized.

You’re often closest to the promise right after the fiercest pressure.

The enemy doesn’t win when you’re discouraged. He only wins when you quit. Many believers lose heart not because God failed, but because they stopped one move too soon. God’s Word always produces what He promises (Jeremiah 1:12; Isaiah 55:11 NLT). Just because you can’t see movement doesn’t mean God isn’t working.

Paul says this is why we never give up: our troubles are temporary, and God is using them to form eternal glory in us (2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NLT). The path may feel winding, but the fruit is worth it.

Even Jesus had a Ziklag moment. On the cross, the promise looked farthest—yet resurrection was just days away (Hebrews 12:2–3 NLT). Because He rose, your future is not in doubt (Philippians 1:6 NLT).

When Ziklag burns, don’t quit. Strengthen yourself in the Lord, inquire of Him, and obey Him. The promise is closer than you think.