Utah's Hope

Topics: 

Trust God, Caesar Salad Birthday, Skeptic, Shock Jock, Seeking The Lord, HistorySegment, AI Worship, Hotcake


BONUS CONTENT: AI Music

Quotes:

"My trust of God's character is based on evidence."

"We don't need a deloreon,"

"Humans are worshipping machines."

"I yearn for the days of Clippy."
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"God hates divorce": you’ve heard it, maybe felt crushed by it. Cheryl Shumake joins Ron Deal and Gayla Grace to pull apart what Malachi 2 really says—and what it doesn’t. If you’ve felt judged, stuck, or sidelined by church talk, this conversation meets you there and pushes toward truth, clarity, and hope without easy answers.

Show Notes and Resources

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The world constantly tells us we need just a little bit more. A better home. A newer car. A bigger savings account. A longer vacation. But what if real contentment isn’t found in having more but in learning to need less?

That’s the heart of today’s conversation with Jeff Manion, Teaching Pastor of Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and author of the article “Discovering the Power of Contentment” in the latest issue of Faithful Steward magazine. 

Jeff reminds us that contentment is not something we stumble into once life finally settles down. It is something we learn—often through both scarcity and sufficiency.

Jeff begins with an honest admission: “Wealth confuses me.”

That may sound surprising coming from someone who has spent decades in ministry, but his point is deeply relatable. Early in his ministry, Jeff and his wife, Chris, lived simply out of necessity. They served a small church of about 25 people, and for years, resources were limited. They learned to depend on God in a season when there was barely enough.

But decades later, after faithfully avoiding debt, building an emergency fund, and practicing wise stewardship, Jeff realized the struggle for contentment had not disappeared. It had simply changed.

That is an important lesson for all of us. We may assume contentment will come once the bills are paid, the debt is gone, the savings account is stronger, or the house is finally updated. But contentment is not automatic in seasons of sufficiency. In fact, prosperity can bring its own spiritual dangers.

Jeff points to Deuteronomy 8, where Moses speaks to Israel before they enter the Promised Land. For 40 years, God had provided manna in the wilderness. Day by day, He kept His people alive in a barren place.

But as they prepared to enter a land “flowing with milk and honey,” Moses gave them a warning: do not forget the Lord.

That warning matters because abundance can create spiritual amnesia. Once the Israelites moved from manna in the desert to houses, vineyards, flocks, and herds, they would be tempted to say, “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17).

The danger was not that prosperity itself was evil. The danger was forgetting the Source.

That same temptation faces us today. When finances stabilize, debts are paid off, and retirement savings begin to grow, we can quietly begin to believe that our wisdom, effort, and discipline produced everything we have. But Scripture reminds us that even our ability to produce wealth is a gift from God.

Contentment begins with remembering: everything we have comes from Him.

Jeff also shared about a personal decluttering experiment. Over seven weeks, he gave away or got rid of five items a day—about 210 items in total.

These were not grand acts of generosity. Many were simply things that had accumulated over time: old CDs, unused dishes, T-shirts from events and races, and items tucked away in drawers or boxes.

The result surprised him. He felt lighter. In his words, he felt “richer for having less.”

That experience reveals something important about our relationship with possessions. Stuff has a way of multiplying. Without even noticing, we surround ourselves with things we no longer use, need, or value. And sometimes, the more we own, the more weighed down we become.

Decluttering is not just about organizing a closet. It can become a spiritual practice—one that helps us confront the quiet belief that more stuff equals a fuller life.

When was the last time you were the “newbie” on the job . . . the new guy or gal just hired? If you were fortunate, you had someone come alongside you to show you the ropes. Because if you don’t know anything, it’s hard to do anything. Well today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out how we tutor new believers through a process called “discipleship.” It’s a process of spiritual duplication where older believers give the younger an example to follow, a paradigm for success.

Join Greg Laurie for the Annual Jesus Revolution Baptism at Pirate's Cove on July 18.

—

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.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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A single Black woman. A married white guy with autism. A radio show that probably shouldn't work—but somehow does. Podcast hosts Brant Hanson and Sherri Lynn talk about unlikely friendships, honest feedback, and the kind of relationships that challenge your assumptions without turning into another argument. Because most of us like the idea of meaningful relationships, but fewer of us enjoy the awkwardness, honesty, and friction they require. Some lessons can only be learned shoulder to shoulder.

Show Notes and Resources

• Connect with Brant on Twitter @branthansen or on Facebook @branthansenpage.
• Learn more Brant on his website: branthansen.com
• Listen to Brant and Sherri's podcast
• And grab Brant's book, The Truth About Us: The Very Good News About How Very Bad We Are on our shop.
• Sign up for Janelle Breitenstein’s 5-session video series on mom anger at familylife.com/momanger

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
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British evangelist J.John brings encouragement for anyone who needs to change their perspective on their circumstances. He suggests that we try to see things from God’s perspective by looking up, looking in, looking back, looking around, and looking ahead.

Receive a copy of Jesus Christ - The Truth and an audio download of "How to Change Your Perspective on Life" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

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Learn the consequences of uncontrolled weaknesses in the life of the believer.

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The most patriotic thing you can do this month is have a broken heart for the 330 million people who need a Savior.

Notes:

Psalm 127:1 (NKJV)
Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
 
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Luke 19:40 (NKJV)
But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

A nation where the gospel can be freely preached is worth fighting for.
 
 Jesus came to deal with sin.
He came to bring spiritual restoration.
He came to rule as an Eternal King.
 
The Terms of Peace
Luke 19:41–44
 
Matthew 23:37–38 (NKJV)
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate.”
 
Luke 19:42 (NKJV)
“If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”
 
“Jesus knew that their desire for a political Messiah would bring total destruction in less than a generation.”  —David Guzik
 
The most patriotic thing you can do today is to have a broken heart for the 330 million people who need a Savior.
 
Read Luke 19:45-48
 
Cleansing the Temple
Luke 19:45–48
 
The revolution Jesus came to start was never going to begin in the halls of government. It has always started with His people.
 
“To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian.”  —George Washington

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
 
 Are we desperate enough?
 
America is not an accident, and her best days will not be determined in Washington; it will be by all of us.
 
Psalm 139:23–24 (NKJV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my thoughts;
And see if [there is any] wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Join Greg Laurie for the Annual Jesus Revolution Baptism at Pirate's Cove on July 18.

—

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.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.