WPEL On Demand

Ever been stumped by a Bible question, not knowing where to look for a clear and definitive answer? Well, you may have at least one of those questions cleared up today as John MacArthur breaks from his normal verse-by-verse teaching format to answer questions from folks in the church he pastored for fifty-six years. Join him for a helpful Q&A.

Have you ever known someone with the ability to bring out the very best in others? Maybe a teacher or a manager at work? Would you like to know how to be that kind of person? Join Chip as he shares how to bring out the very best in people.

Resources

• Message Notes
• Special Offers

Connect

• 888-333-6003
• Website
• Chip Ingram App
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

Partner With Us

• Donate Online
• 888-333-6003

Bullying can leave kids feeling isolated, anxious, and unsure of their worth—and parents often wonder if they’re responding the right way. Counselor Julie Lowe offers practical, biblical guidance to help you recognize bullying, respond with wisdom, and give your child the courage and confidence to stand strong. 

Get the "Facing Bullies with Confidence Bundle" free with your gift

Helping Your Child Deal with Bullies Audio Collection

Get More Episode Resources 

Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Julie Lowe shares how she covers the topic of bullies with her kids.

Listen to today's broadcast

Facing Bullies with Confidence Bundle

Explore more episode resources 

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Minute, please give us your feedback.

Life feels stuck when life makes no progress. When you battle the same discouragement you faced a decade ago or struggle with the same fears you faced a year ago. When you feel as though everyone gets to the pool before you and nobody wants to help you.

Friend, Jesus sees you. He has a new version of you waiting to happen. He says to you what he said to the man near the Pool of Bethesda. “Stand up, pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8 NLT).

Stand up, do something, take action. Pick up your mat, make a clean break with the past, and walk…hit the trail. Assume that something good is going to happen. Set your sights on a new destination and begin the hike.  Getting unstuck means getting excited about getting out. And remember friend, you are never alone.

Read more You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence & Power

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

I used to be undefeated in Scrabble. I’m sure you're real excited about that. Of course I’ve never heard of an Olympic Scrabble Tournament, or I would have entered it. But you notice what I said…I used to be undefeated? Yeah.

See, a long time ago my son broke my winning streak. You say, “Well, it couldn’t have been too impressive.” Yeah, my son is a smart kid. And near the end of that game that finished my future as the King of Scrabble I was getting desperate! I had a few high-scoring letters left, maybe you’ve done this. Some of those eight and ten-point scorers, you know, and some Zs and Qs. So I put down a word that is sort of a word but sort of not a word, and it was sort of debatable. So guess what we did? We debated it. I got out the dictionary, and I got absolutely no support. After arguing my case a little bit more, I finally gave in and lost. I’ll tell you, there’s no satisfaction winning on words that I probably shouldn’t use anyway in Scrabble or in everyday life.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Trash Talk - No Way to Win.”

Our word for today from the Word of God is about no way to score points. Ephesians 4:29, says this, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” And it says in verse 31, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

These verses that we’ve read here are about what you do with your mouth. And it says to us that the easiest thing to do with your mouth is to tear people down. The book of Proverbs says “the tongue has the power of life or death” and you can, with what you say, either make a person feel more alive or more dead inside. You’ve had it happen to you. You know. It’s so easy though, isn’t it, to use our mouth to score points on the other person, to defend ourselves, to get out of a jam, to express our anger.

But it’s no way to score points. Just think about the people who are most important to you that you spend the most time with; your family, your coworkers, your friends, people at school. You’ve learned that there are things you can say that help you get your way. Right?

Every married couple knows this, that there are some things you can say to silence your partner. There’s a way to make sure you win the argument, right? But usually it’s in a way that cuts them down. There’s a sarcasm maybe that can leave the people around you quivering.

There’s the attack on their weak spot; you know where they’re weak, you know how to get at them. If you attack that spot, their physical weak spot, their emotional weak spot, you know you can get your way. You can use guilt to get your way, to manipulate them into whatever you want. Oh, you win for the moment, but you leave them feeling very small. And guess what? You got smaller in the process.

And like Scrabble, there are words; there are kinds of sentences you should never allow. You should never allow to come out of your mouth any words that make someone else feel smaller. The Bible says to only allow words that build people up. That’s the test.

What if you listened to a recording of yourself for the last couple of days? Would you hear criticism, attacks, negativity that put the other person on the defensive, names called, put-downs given? Oh, maybe you scored some points for the moment, but you’re both smaller as a result of it.

We’re told in 1 Peter 2, that Jesus did nothing wrong. It says, “Did no guile and no accusation came out of His mouth.” Would you let His lordship reach your mouth? Eliminate the cutting words, the hurting words. They’re words you should never use; they’re just no way to score points.

Many feel trapped by secret sins they can't escape on their own. The vision in Revelation of a woman named Babylon exposes the lure of false religion. In this message, Pastor Lutzer reveals why false spirituality always leads to immorality. If we're caught in a pit too deep to climb out of alone, there's still hope—by God's grace.

This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://offerrtw.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001.

Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives.

Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

SUPPORT:

Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/

Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/

SUBSCRIBE:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia

Daily Devotional and Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

Most of us fear death, and we long for peace when our time finally comes. Torn between life and heaven, Paul left a legacy of faithfulness to Christ all the way to the end. In this message from Philippians 1, Pastor Lutzer reveals how God gives dying grace right on time. What brings a Christian to the point of saying, "Live or die, I'm a winner"?

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.

Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives.

Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

SUPPORT:

Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/

Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/

SUBSCRIBE:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia

Daily Devotional and Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

There are shoes by the door, dishes in the sink, and absolutely nowhere for company to sit. Invite people over anyway? Don Everts’ research suggests faith at home may grow in a surprisingly crowded house. He joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to explore what happens when we quit treating home as our family’s bunker—and make room for people who aren’t already inside it.

Show Notes and Resources

• Vibrant Conversation Deck.
• Weekend to Remember.

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
• Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
• Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• Download FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
• Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network.

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy