Gossip. Slander. Rumors, Whispers. Accusation. Most of us have been talked about before. We have felt the piercing of sharp tongues set to do us harm. In our Bible, a man named Shimei unleashes upon King David years of pent-up bitterness, anger and contempt. What will King David do - how will the man after God’s own heart respond when verbally, publicly attacked? From this moment in David’s life, we can gain both wisdom and empowerment from God when we find ourselves treated wrongly by others. Bitterness and resentment are poison to the soul. David’s response helps us to see a higher road to choose when we are attacked. This road is steep, so it is not easy; but it leads to a powerful place with God.

"Would it surprise you to know that the Jesus’ original disciples had questions about the end of the age? The ones who lived side-by-side with Jesus were startled one day when He made an alarming statement about what would happen in Jerusalem in a short time. This conversation led to them asking deeper questions about the full establishing of His Kingdom on the earth. The details Jesus shared with them mostly went over the heads. We, however, have the ability to examine what Jesus said and apply His answers in a way that makes it crystal clear that we are extremely close to the final fulfillment of what He shared nearly 2,000 years ago. While Matthew 24 is not all that the scriptures say about the end of the age, these words are certainly the strongest jumping-off point in this series of messages that will equip us to live as those who are properly discerning the days in which we are living."

Life can ravage people, and it usually does on some level at some time to all of us. God’s people are to become the heart, hands, and feet of Heaven, moving in toward those who lay by the wayside in their wounding. People expect the Christians to help. More importantly, so does the Father. In a famous parable from Jesus, we are confronted with the possibility of our religious coldness keeping us from the compassionate pouring out of oil in the wounds of those who have been mugged by life. We must make our minds up ahead of time that the oil we have been given is not just for our own anointing, but for the health and wholeness of the fallen ones.

In this message, Jeff Lyle challenges us to examine the often-overlooked virtue of deep, intentional patience in our spiritual lives. Through the lens of King Saul's story in 1 Samuel 13, we see how impatience can lead to catastrophic consequences, even costing us our God-given authority. Abraham & Sarah birthed an Ishmael because they couldn’t wait for God to ring Isaac to them. Beyond these examples, Jeff reminds us that the entire nation of Israel demanded a golden calf because they could not wait on Moses to come back from his meeting with God on the mountain. These examples serve as a stark reminder that God's timing is perfect, and our attempts to rush His plans can lead to disastrous outcomes. As we reflect on this, we're encouraged to ask ourselves: Are we truly waiting on the Lord, or are we trying to force our own agenda? The message urges us to cultivate patience as a fruit of the Spirit, recognizing that God's ways often require us to slow down, trust, and align ourselves with His timing rather than our own hasty desires.

Finishing your race well is far more important than beginning your race well. Many believers are strong out of the gate, they may be crushing it at the midway point of their faith-marathon, but many of these same people crash before the finish line. There was ancient king in Israel named Uzziah who was a person who began well but finished in disaster. This episode of Truth Shots will unpack what we can learn from his initially inspiring life. He did great things for God. But when Uzziah desired more than God offered him, he crossed a boundary from which he never returned. We must learn to never follow his example.

When we speak of an orphan-spirit we are speaking of a person who lives with sensitive wounds from previous loss. The orphan-spirit is not necessarily some kind of demon, but is more often a person who has a self-concept of worthlessness or inferiority because of rejection and/or relational trauma. This orphan-spirit is usually birthed in childhood, and is often connected with trauma stemming from painful rejection, abandonment, abuse, or frequent intense criticism. They have not yet fully found validation and worth in God, so they live with shame, fear, self-loathing, and hurt. The orphan-spirited person typically lives with hyper-sensitivity, overt insecurity, self-defensiveness, anger, self-centeredness, lack of trust, or pessimistic defeatism. The person with the orphan-spirit has not yet discovered who they are, and may look continually to the wrong sources to give them what was not instilled in them in formative years. This message points those living with the orphan-spirit to a Father who paid it all so that they might be adopted as His own children and, consequently, orphans no more. There is hope, freedom, and deliverance for any who live with an orphan spirit.

We live in some heavy and often depressing days. Threats of another World War, a struggling economy, impossible gas prices, racial strife and constant political hostility - this is the culture we awake in each day. If we are not careful, the nastiness on the outside can creep inside. We have to push back hard against fear, worry and the clouds of dread. In Matthew 6, we read the inspired words of Jesus who refused to permit us to give in to the season of gloom. His hunger for us to experience the presence, provision, and power of God was His offer in these verses. From his words, we learn how to fight back against the challenges outside of us so that they never finds its residence inside of us. It’s time to talk to your own soul about these teachings from Jesus and win the war with worry.

One’s elevation in the things of God will almost never rise above the level at which one regards the written Word of God. The Bible is alive. It is the primary source through which the Spirit matures us in our understanding of the Kingdom, and also in our personal relationship with Christ. Those who prioritize a commitment to the Scriptures will have great advantage against the corrupt culture, their own flesh, and the attacks from the demonic realm. God imparts His own heart to us through the Scriptures. Is it any wonder that Satan fights your commitment to remain a diligent student of the Bible? This Truth Shot episode motivates all of us to remain joyfully committed to ongoing pursuit of revelation from the Scriptures, viewing it as the key essential for consistently victorious Christian living.