Utah's Hope

Topics:

Pets on a Cruise, Cognitive Decline, Rate Your Service, Hugging, Growing Spiritually, Shock Jock, Our Attention


BONUS CONTENT: Unoffended Husband & Wife Email

Quotes:

"I did such a poor job unpacking."

"It's not confusing, I am."

"What are you reaching out for? What are you attending to?'

"It's so helpful to build little habits that direct your attention to God."
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What are your daughter’s emotions telling you about her inner world? Author Dannah Gresh chats about the lies our girls believe, the powerful emotions they face, and how to deal in healthy ways with both.

Show Notes and Resources

• Connect with Dannah and find her books  at dannahgresh.com, and be sure to catch to her podcast

• Intrigued by today's episode? Think more about the lies you might be believing in Dannah's blog post, "Are You Believing Lies about Media?" 

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“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” - Proverbs 19:21

We’re often told to plan for the future. Build a budget. Set retirement goals. Create a roadmap for success. And those things can be wise and helpful. But what happens when the future doesn’t follow the plan?

That’s a tension many people experience but rarely talk about: the paradox of planning. Scripture teaches that planning matters—but it also reminds us that even our best plans are never the final word.

Whether it’s a financial roadmap, a retirement timeline, or a weekly budget, planning helps us prepare for what lies ahead. And the Bible affirms that kind of wisdom.

In Proverbs 6, we’re told to consider the ant. Without anyone directing her, she gathers food in the proper season and prepares for what’s ahead (Proverbs 6:6–8). The lesson is clear: be diligent, think ahead, and use today wisely to prepare for tomorrow.

Planning itself is not the problem.

In fact, planning can be an act of stewardship. It reflects responsibility, foresight, and wise management of the resources God has entrusted to us.

But planning carries a subtle danger. What begins as wisdom can slowly drift into self-reliance.

Once we build a plan, it can be easy to believe we control the outcome. We may not say it out loud, but deep down, we start thinking, I’ve got this figured out.

That’s why James offers a strong warning:

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” (James 4:13–14)

James is not condemning planning. He is confronting presumption—planning that assumes we are in control and forgets our dependence on God.

This is the paradox we must learn to embrace: Plan wisely. Trust deeply. Prepare diligently. Surrender completely.

Our plans should never replace our dependence on God. They should reflect it.

The apostle Paul gives us a powerful example of this in Acts 16.

Paul and his companions had a clear strategy. They intended to preach in Asia. It was thoughtful, strategic, and mission-driven. But the Holy Spirit prevented them from going there.

They tried another route toward Bithynia, but again they were redirected.

Then Paul received a vision of a man from Macedonia saying, “Come over and help us.” That moment changed the course of Christian history. Instead of continuing east, the gospel crossed into Europe for the first time.

Paul had a plan—but God had a greater one. What looked like an interruption was actually divine guidance.

The same can be true for us. A job opportunity falls through. An investment underperforms. A door closes unexpectedly. A timeline shifts.

Our instinct is often to assume something has gone wrong. But what if those moments are invitations?

Sometimes what feels like a setback is actually a redirection toward something better than we imagined.

Faithful planning doesn’t mean gripping our plans with a clenched fist. It means holding them with open hands.

The late pastor and author Tim Keller once said, “You can make plans, but you cannot make outcomes.”

That captures the heart of biblical planning. We are called to think ahead, act wisely, and steward well. But outcomes never ultimately rest in our hands.

As Proverbs 16:9 reminds us: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

When we u

The number one reason believers don’t share their faith is fear: “What if I offend that person? What if it changes the relationship?” Would we be concerned about that if their home was on fire and they were in danger? Well, the Gospel saves people from a very real eternal danger. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us see how Jesus Himself directed us to spread the word far and wide. Someone’s eternity could literally hang in the balance if we don’t.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

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Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley have a treat for you today! Get ready for a presentation from Pastor Ted Cunningham, highlighting humorous, scripture-based encouragement to revere marriage. Greg and Erin give a “Share and Compare” date-night exercise, an a Q&A, from a husband whose wife feels “touched out” after caring for five young kids. Share this show link with friends!

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When you first put your faith in Jesus, there was no doubt a passion in your eyes. You wanted everyone to know the hope that you had found. But as the years go on and life gets in the way, that light may have begun to left your eyes. Kim Meeder uses her powerful storytelling to re-ignite your passion for your Creator. She gives you ideas for embracing freedom, love, and true joy, in order to start a revival in your heart that spreads to all of those around you. 

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Rich Griffth shares the different leadership styles parents should use to disciple their kids as they grow. Hear about discipling kids with intentionality at different stages of their development, from birth until adulthood.

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