Word Radio

True healing in relationships begins when we choose kindness, compassion, and forgiveness just as Christ has forgiven us.

Pastor Kevin Thompson offers practical advice for maintaining a healthy and happy marriage in a discussion based on his book Happily: 8 Commitments of Couples Who Laugh, Love.

Receive the book A Rebel’s Manifesto plus a free audio download of “Laughing, Loving, and Lasting With Your Spouse” for your donation of any amount!

Get More Episode Resources 

If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback. 

“Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and the power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.”  - Ecclesiastes 5:19

What if true joy doesn’t come from gaining more, but from gratefully receiving what God has already provided? Today, John Cortines joins us to explore what he calls the Cycle of Grateful Living—and how it transforms our approach to money and contentment.

John Cortines is the Director of Grantmaking at The Maclellan Foundation. He is the author of our new study on the book of Ecclesiastes, Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money, as well as the co-author of God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School and True Riches: What Jesus Really Said About Money and Your Heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:18–20 forms the foundation of our new Wisdom Over Wealth study:

“It is good and fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil... this is God’s gift to man... God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” - Ecclesiastes 5:18–20

These verses, nestled within the longest section on money in the book, offer a radical invitation: rather than striving for more, we’re called to enjoy what we’ve already received. Even the ability to enjoy life’s blessings is a divine gift.

To help us live out this vision, here’s a simple acronym from Ecclesiastes 5:19: E.A.T.—Enjoy, Accept, Toil.

1. Enjoy God’s Provision
   
   Everything we have—our wealth, relationships, health, and even the capacity to enjoy them—is a gift from God. Acknowledging this turns entitlement into gratitude and replaces striving with trust.
    
2. Accept Life’s Brevity
   
   Ecclesiastes frequently reflects on death, not to breed fear, but to awaken us to the preciousness of life. Acceptance of our limits and mortality grants deeper purpose and contentment in the present moment.
    
3. Toil with Joy
   
   Work is not something to escape from. Ecclesiastes calls us to rejoice in our toil. True fulfillment isn’t found in early retirement or unending leisure, but in the meaningful work God places before us.

Gratitude can often feel elusive in the routines of everyday life. Often, we slip into discontent when we:

• Take God’s provision for granted
• Ignore life’s brevity and live mindlessly
• Complain about work instead of finding purpose in it

The world’s promises—especially those of financial independence or early retirement (FIRE)—can become mirages. We’ve probably all been there, dreaming that if we work hard and save enough, we will someday be free. But that vision of life can be so hollow because the human condition is to be oriented to purpose, to work. Even if you're retired, it's

Sometimes, after we put on sunglasses, we realize how harsh the light really was? That’s sort of a picture of life without God – blinding, confusing, and glaring. Well, here on National Sunglasses Day, Pastor Greg Laurie shares how seeing life through the lens of God’s truth changes everything. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, from a Harvest Crusade message, Pastor Greg takes us to Jesus’ answer to the question, “what good thing must I do to have eternal life?”

Learn more about this year's Harvest Crusade!

---

Become a Harvest Partner this month and receive Life Hacks, Pastor Greg Laurie’s thoughtful book in which he imparts years of wisdom gathered as a Christ-follower, pastor, evangelist, husband, and more.

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you read the headlines these days, our country seems to be spiraling deeper and deeper into moral decline. Behaviors that were taboo fifty years ago are now widely accepted and even celebrated. How much worse will things get? Dr. Robert Jeffress explains why our country’s rapid spiritual deterioration will ultimately lead to its demise.

To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org/donate.

There comes a time in the decline of a nation when God will no longer delay judgment—that’s when true suffering begins. To endure times of hardship, we need to have a support system in place. In this message, Pastor Lutzer offers guidance from Jeremiah, who saw times like ours coming. How should believers live when the really hard times come?

This month’s special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.