We’d prefer to fill a storehouse with a lifetime’s worth of courage, cash, and convictions. Yet God wants us to trust him day by day. Elijah’s word to the widow is God’s word to us: “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry” (1 Kings 17:14 NIV). Elijah spoke to her with faith; she responded in faith. She turned and obeyed.

In order to swim upstream in a downstream culture, we, like the widow, have to make a choice. Will we obey God? When you are weary, God is your strength. Lonely, God is your friend. Weak, God is your provider. Fortitude follows faithful obedience. Do what the widow did. Go to the kitchen, empty the jar of oil and flour, trust. The God who filled it today will fill it again tomorrow.

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Presented by Lauren Stibgen

The final three things that are listed in Proverbs six are what God hates will likely have you saying, no way! Not me. I surely do not do any of these things. Not at work. Not at all.

Devising wicked plans, shedding innocent blood, and running to evil. All of these remind me of an old AC/DC song with the refrain; “I’m on a highway to hell.” Words like wicked, blood ,and evil should not ever belong at work or in our life. And they remind us the wicked surely do not display integrity!

Devising wicked plans. Another way to think of this is scheming. Proverbs 24:8: Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer. Have you ever been part of a conversation about getting someone fired or removed from a department when it wasn’t your job to do so? This is an example of colleagues scheming about another. Maybe this person has impacted you in some way, but scheming is not how to address the situation. Most companies will have a process for appropriately addressing concerns. Perhaps choosing to address the person directly about your concerns would be the kindest thing to do. God hates when we scheme. Be up front and honest when addressing the issue.

You may be thinking you don’t shed innocent blood, but do you? If you are working in supply chain and manufacturing, there is a movement to look at how every part of the process is impacting human flourishing. From fair treatment of workers in the form of wages and conditions to preventing human trafficking. Companies and laws are taking a deeper look at how our goods reaching consumers are impacting people. Are you aligned with a company that cares for people in a way that honors God’s requirements of you? While you may not be making the decisions that are impacting these larger issues, it is important that you ask questions as you consider where you are working.

What about running to evil? As a follower of Jesus, we can assume any sin is evil. Are you quick to walk in ways contrary to your new life in Christ? Do you look different or the same as all your colleagues? If you don’t walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fulling pleasing him and bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, what are you running to (Colossians 1:10)?

The fight surrounding Missouri’s Amendment 3 is heating up as out of state billionaire, and pro-abortion advocate, Michael Bloomberg gave $1.25 million to the “Stop the Ban” campaign.  

Missouri was the first state in the country to enact their trigger laws protecting unborn babies in the wake of the Dobbs decision. It was not long after that out of state money poured in and put abortion in the state’s constitution marking a significant victory for the abortion lobby, flipping Missouri from pro-life to pro-abortion in the law.  

Now, the voters have a chance to once again flip Missouri back into the pro-life column by establishing pro-life protections in the state constitution, and the abortion lobby is fighting tooth and nail to stop it. If Missourians can rally and protect unborn babies in the constitution, it will be a tremendous blow to the abortion industry. 

Our sons worked for many years on a Native American reservation. And it was one of the few places on that dark reservation. Dark because so few people had been reached for Christ and so few had any Christmas decorations up. But I was always impressed with that one village church where they had a lot of lights outlining all their church buildings, and there was a cross covered with lights on top of the church's steeple. It was pretty impressive. One Christmas I had a chance to visit there and I got to see the lights of the church and that cross. And, man, the cross really stands out against the darkness. And I met Rose. She's a Native woman who attends that church. Those lights are an important part of her story actually. She said, "I have struggled with alcohol for many years. And one night, during the Christmas season, I hit bottom. I was in the pit. I wandered outside and there it was – the cross all lit up in front of me. I came to where the cross was," she said, "and with the help of the pastor's wife, I finally found hope that night."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Light in Your Dark Night."

As that Native woman discovered that night when it was especially dark for her, the shape of hope is the cross of Jesus. For her, and maybe for you right now.

In our word for today from the Word of God in Ephesians 2:12, the Bible describes in eight little words how so many people feel. It talks about being (here we go!) "without hope and without God in the world." "Without hope" describes the feeling that things are always going to be like they've always been, I'm never going to change, my life is never going to change, I'll always come up empty, I'll always come up lonely, I'm always going to come up confused, I'm always going to come up feeling worthless. The habits, the failures, the weaknesses that have always brought me down, they're always going to bring me down. Rose, the woman I met at that reservation church, said it was like being "in the pit."

And the Bible suggests that the ultimate reason we are "without hope" is because we are "without God." That doesn't mean you don't believe in God or even know a lot about God. It means you don't have the personal love relationship with God that you were made for. We're without God because we've chosen to turn our backs on Him and run our own lives instead of letting Him run them. So the One who has all the meaning, all the love, and all the answers we've looked for our whole life is on the other side of a wall, and that wall is called sin.

Thankfully, this "without hope" statement in the Bible is followed by that hopeful word "but." "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near." Wow! Now, how does that happen? "Through the blood of Christ" it says. So we find ourselves at the same place Rose found herself that night she found hope - at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ. Why is this shedding of His blood on the cross so important? Because, as the Bible says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22). Sin has a death penalty, and a death penalty can only be paid by someone dying. And Jesus did so you don't have to.

When you put your total trust in Jesus to be your personal Savior from your personal sin, you're forgiven of every sin. You're guaranteed heaven when you die. You receive His power to change what you've never been able to change. It doesn't have to be the way it's always been. Hope is born when you follow the light of God to the cross of Jesus.

And that's where He's leading you this very day. It's what our website's all about, and that's why I want to ask you to go there. Let this be your hope destination today - ANewStory.com.

Hope is in the shape of a cross. And hope is born for you when you come

62% of Americans under 40 have a positive view of socialism or communism. Where did this come from, and what should be done?

__________

For more resources visit breakpoint.org.  

Read: 1 Corinthians 11:23-27

“Hey, Dad,” said Parker as he and his family were on their way home from a visit with their grandmother, “what do you want written on your tombstone?”

“What a question!” said Mom. “Why are you asking that?”

Parker laughed. “While you were visiting with Grandma, Sadie and I went to the cemetery across the street, remember? There were some interesting things carved on the grave markers—like little sayings or poems. I was just wondering what you’d want on yours someday.”

“I think I’d like a Bible verse,” Dad said. “I want people to remember that my hope is in Jesus.”

“Why do people put flowers on graves?” asked Sadie.

“It’s an expression of love for the person who died,” said Mom. “They do it in memory of that person, and it comforts them as they remember who that person was and what they did.”

“That reminds me of the memorial service we have at church,” Dad said.

“Memorial service?” Parker asked. “At our church? What service is that?”

“The communion service,” replied Dad. “The Bible tells us to observe it in memory of Jesus and all He did for us. We’re reminded of His life and death and that He rose from the grave.”

“And also that He’s coming again,” Mom said.

Sadie nodded thoughtfully. “Why don’t we bring flowers for Him, like people do at the cemetery?” she asked. “Or write something about Jesus on a tombstone?”

“Jesus isn’t dead, so He doesn’t need a tombstone!” said Parker. “But I guess we could bring flowers—like people do at Easter.”

“Well, Jesus actually gave special instructions on how to remember Him,” Dad said. “The bread and cup—symbols of His body and blood—are reminders of the sacrifice He made so we could be saved from sin.”

“Jesus sacrificed so much for us, but we often take it for granted,” said Mom. “That’s why communion is so important.”

“Next time we have a communion service, I’m going to think about Him and thank Him for what He did,” said Parker.

“Why wait till then?” asked Sadie. “We can thank Him right now too!”

–A. W. Smith

How about you? Did you know that communion is a special time to fix your thoughts on Jesus and what He’s done for you? Think about how holy He is and the great sacrifice He made for you out of love. Thank Him for dying on the cross and rising from the grave so you could be free from sin and have eternal life. Remember that He’s coming again and will always be with you.

Today’s key verse: As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Remember what Jesus did for you

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A single insult can reveal what’s been building in the heart for weeks, maybe years. We start with a haunting phrase, “the disease of me,” and track how selfishness and resentment can spread through a team, a family, or a church until people who should be grateful become petty, reactive, and hard. To make it concrete, we retell an unforgettable sports moment from the 1981 Los Angeles Lakers: the team rallies without its star, then falls apart when the spotlight returns. It’s a picture of what happens when recognition matters more than character.

Then we open our Bibles to 1 Samuel 25 and watch the same dynamic threaten David. After an extraordinary display of humility in the previous chapter, David hits a season of loss and uncertainty as Samuel dies. Enter Nabal, a wealthy Calebite with a godless heart, harsh dealings, and a mouth full of contempt, and Abigail, his discerning wife with spiritual insight and the courage to act. We walk through David’s protection of the shepherds, his respectful request for food during sheep shearing, and Nabal’s scathing refusal packed with “my bread, my water, my meat,” the language of entitlement.

The turning point is as practical as it is sobering: David straps on a sword and prepares to destroy an entire household because his good is repaid with evil. We slow down to talk about righteous anger versus sinful vengeance, why victories won today still bring temptations tomorrow, and how easily our sense of being wronged can become a justification for wrongdoing. If you’ve ever been overlooked, underpaid, misrepresented, or repaid with harshness, you’ll recognize the battle. Subscribe for more Bible-centered teaching, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25

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A story about a crowded living room and a frantic kitchen ends up diagnosing one of the most common spiritual problems in modern life: doing good things while missing the best thing. We open Luke 10:38-42 with Jesus showing up unexpectedly at Martha’s home, and we watch two sisters respond in totally different ways. Mary sits at the Lord’s feet and listens. Martha welcomes everyone, works hard, and slowly gets pulled under by distraction, pressure, and the need for things to be done her way. 

We name what’s really happening beneath the surface: anxiety that masquerades as responsibility, pride that hijacks a genuine gift, and comparison that turns service into resentment. Martha’s words sting because they sound familiar: “Lord, do you not care… tell her to help me.” If you’ve ever felt irritated that other Christians don’t see needs like you do, don’t serve like you do, or don’t prioritize what you prioritize, this conversation puts language to that tension without shaming you. 

Then we slow down at Jesus’ response: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.” We talk about priorities, discipleship, spiritual disciplines, and the hard truth that it’s often easier to be occupied for Christ than to be occupied with Christ. We also connect the “good portion” to a sustaining spiritual meal, the kind of nourishment that lasts longer than today’s to-do list. 

We close with hope from John 12 and a simple vision for balance: keep serving, but do it from worship, not from control. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels overwhelmed, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What’s your biggest “many things” distraction right now?

Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25

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In the dimly lit restaurant, our waitress quietly took our orders with a solemn expression. But then a customer kindly gave her a writing pen that had a little flashlight built into it. He told her it was so she could “see in the dark.”

Her face lit up and her demeanor changed to reflect joy. It was evident that she as delighted by the gift—clicking the light off and on. When she left our tables, the man smiled as he whispered to me: “I think she brightened up when I gave her the pen. It made her day!”

The God-given gift of light certainly brightens our days. Jesus is the ultimate gift of light—“Light . . . come into the world” to save the world (John 3:16-19). God provided this Gift because He loves us and wants to be in relationship with us. When we receive Christ as our Savior, our sins are forgiven, and we experience fellowship with Him. Jesus brightens our lives for all eternity. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

As believers in Jesus, we’re also to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). When we receive the gift God gave us through Christ, we walk in His light and “shine [our] light before others” (v. 16). As He helps us, let’s shine for Him today!

Long-term care isn’t just a health issue—it can become a major financial and family decision. Most of us hope we’ll never need extended care, but wise stewardship means planning for possibilities. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West and Nathan Sanow explain long-term care, what insurance can and can’t do, and how to build a plan that protects both your finances and your family. Then, it’s on to calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live . . . biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

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