YOU Podcast

My kids get along remarkably well. They share, take turns, and my ten-year-old reads to his little sister. There is still plenty of tattle-telling, though. When I hear the two-syllable whine, “Mo-om,” I typically respond with, “Just worry about yourself.” Do I really need to step in every time my six-year-old forgets to flush the toilet?

There are times, though, when the call for “Mom” takes on a sense of urgency—like when someone has put an entire roll of toilet paper in the commode, remembered to flush, and now the overflowing water is headed for the hallway carpet. Sometimes I need to step in to keep something bad from becoming a disaster. That’s part of being a mom.

There are times to “just worry about yourself,” there are also times we need to step in and act with wisdom to keep something bad from becoming a disaster.”

That’s also part of being a family—looking out for each other and being willing to step in. As believers, we are part of the family of Christ. While there are times to “just worry about yourself,” there are also times we need to step in and act with wisdom to keep something bad from becoming a disaster. We see a great example of that in one woman named Abigail. She proved to be a selfless woman who despite the cruelty of her husband stood for him against others.

My daughter gave me a little plant for Father’s Day. She even named the plant Pops. I left the plant in my car by accident. When I remembered that it was on the back seat of my car it had started to turn brown. Yet, interestingly, with some water, sunshine, and time the plant began to flourish again. Now, I didn’t expect it to shoot up overnight, but as I have continued to give it water, sunshine, and time the plant has grown to the point that I am preparing to put it in a bigger pot.

Like the plant, Christians need to be nourished and cherished so we can grow. We need constant and consistent time in the Word, on our knees, and with God’s people. Only nourishing your spiritual person on Sundays is not enough to see real growth. We need to be patient and remember that Rome was not built in a day, and neither will our spiritual lives grow in a day.

Christians need to be nourished and cherished so we can grow. We need constant and consistent time in the Word, on our knees, and with God’s people. Only nourishing your spiritual person on Sundays is not enough to see real growth.”

Christian maturity can’t be rushed or easily quantified. Spiritual growth isn’t instant like 1-Minute Rice. If you need a metaphor, spiritual growth is more like fruit that has to be ripened to maturity. Paul helps us to understand in this session that sanctification takes a lifetime, but the results are worth the effort.

As a teenager, my first job was working in a movie theater and video store in my hometown. Through that work, I became familiar with many unforgettable movies and actors’ performances. These included modern films and actors as well as movies and performers of yesteryear. I couldn’t articulate why some actors made such an impression on me, but as I learned more about acting, it began to make sense.

I learned that method actors are likely to be trained thespians. They are named for the original actor, Thespis, who performed in ancient Greek amphitheaters. At that time, actors were called hypocrites, a Greek word meaning “one who wears a mask.” These hypocrites shielded their identity to play a role as someone else.

Method actors are likely to be trained thespians. They are named for the original actor, Thespis, who performed in ancient Greek amphitheaters. At that time, actors were called hypocrites, a Greek word meaning “one who wears a mask.” These hypocrites shielded their identity to play a role as someone else.”

Today, some Christians are actually called hypocrites: mask-wearing fakes. This perception may be unfair and perhaps unfounded, but it’s still believed by many in our culture. As believers we should commit ourselves to becoming authentic disciples who mirror the character of Christ. That way when people see us, they see Jesus, and don’t find a conflicting message in the word we deliver.

The Bible contains a story about an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of Ethiopia. His job was to oversee her entire treasury. This nameless black official had visited Jerusalem to worship and was on his way back home. While sitting in his chariot, he was reading from the prophet Isaiah out loud. Being led by the Holy Spirit, Philip was told to cross racial boundaries and join himself to that chariot. In obedience, Philip ran with haste to the chariot and inquired whether the man understood what he was reading. The Ethiopian replied, “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” He invited Philip to accompany him.

Starting with that passage, Philip taught the eunuch the good news about Jesus. Then something remarkable happened. They came to a body of water and the Ethiopian pointed out the water (Acts 8:26-40). What caused this need to point out the water? The mindset of this man had been transformed. Now, he wanted to follow it up with a believer’s baptism.

Coming to Christ changes the way we think. We must discover how life takes on new meaning when we live for Christ, instead of ourselves.”

The eunuch learned that coming to Christ changes the way we think. In this session, we’ll discover how life takes on new meaning when we live for Christ, instead of ourselves.

In the hit movie Overcomer, a basketball coach named John Harrison is on the verge of making some noise with next year’s team. But the next school year entered with the town’s largest manufacturing plant closing and hundreds ofpeople moving away. Coach John agreed to coach cross-country racing, a sport he was a novice in coaching. With only one runner, Hannah Scott, an asthmatic athlete who was experiencing family issues, John began to coach. He trained Hannah to run the cross-country course, with the help of others, he trained her on how to run the ultimate race of her life.

One of the important lessons that this film teaches is that life is not meant to be lived alone. The coach needed help. Hannah needed help. Hannah’s grandmother needed help. In an important scene in the movie, the coach and His wife bow on their knees in prayer to ask God for wisdom on how to handle their situation.

Life is not meant to be lived alone… Believers are desperately searching for advice about living life for God’s glory… We must learn how the Holy Spirit helps saints know how to live in ways that are pleasing to God.”

Like the movie depicted, believers are desperately searching for advice about living life for God’s glory. In this session, we will learn how the Holy Spirit helps saints know how to live in ways that are pleasing to God.

“Going viral” is a common term these days for something shared quickly and often on the Internet or social media. While it may be a piece of news, a fad, or something humorous, most things that “go viral” on the Internet are harmless and pass as quickly as they came. When it comes to our health and our bodies, things that “go viral” can be deadly.

For example, in the recent past, when the Covid-19 virus spread throughout the world, the number of the infected propelled this world into something that I had not seen in my lifetime. Businesses temporarily shut down and some were closed permanently, so people started working from home or not at all. People were threatened by the uncertainty of this event. Lost family members increased as each day came and went. Anxiety and depression set in because families were separated from one another, especially those in nursing homes. The impact of this global phenomenon was staggering, to say the least.

Like Covid-19, sin ravages the lives of people. Though God provides a divine remedy to sin, most people are unaware of how it works. When we learn how to live out the truth that, in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we have victory over death and sin.”

Like Covid-19, sin ravages the lives of people. Though God provides a divine remedy to sin, most people are unaware of how it works. In this session, we’ll learn how to live out the truth that, in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we have victory over death and sin.

Some players in sports and some actors in entertainment are characterized as a “triplethreat.” Merriam-Webster defines this phrase as “a football player adept at running, kicking, and passing or a person adept in three different fields of activity.” These individuals are seen as being versatile. A person who can sing, dance, and act or an athlete who is good at playing the game, coaching the team, and running the organization puts those types of individuals into a special category.

Yet, when it comes to God, He is more than just a triple-threat. He is utterly unique and distinct from His creation. The Lord God declared concerning Himself that “there is no one like me on the whole earth” (Ex. 9:14).

When it comes to God… He is utterly unique and distinct from His creation. The Lord God declared concerning Himself that “there is no one like me on the whole earth” (Ex. 9:14).”

As you study the holiness of God, recognize that God’s holiness is what sets Him apart. His power is restrained by it, and His justice is determined by it. Will you testify like Hanna, who said, “There is no one holy like the Lord. There is no one besides you! And there is no rock like our God” (1 Sam. 2:2). My brothers and sisters, the God of the Bible is holy. These traits distinguish Him from all other socalled gods. Let’s take a deep dive and learn more about the One, True God.

Television is a strong influencer in our culture. TV watchers view people that influence the way they look, the clothes they wear, the food they eat, the places they go, and more. Online professional influencers promote services and products in an effort to influence the buying habits of shoppers. Both influences have the potential to change the lives of the people to which they are connected.

Life change also happens in the lives of people who have been touched by the lives of people in African American history. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and Langston Hughes to name a few, have changed the lives of boys and girls as well as men and women who have been inspired to follow in the footsteps of some ofthese greats.

In the shadows of moms and dads, kids seek to emulate everything their parents are doing from how to cook, to way they talk, and to attending church.”

And let’s not forget the impact of influencers in our own homes. In the shadows of moms and dads, kids seek to emulate everything their parents are doing from how to cook, to way they talk, and to attending church. In many ways, that’s what mentoring is all about: learning to follow the pattern of others so that spiritual growth happens.

Nothing on this earth will last forever. Scripture says, “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1) and everyday life proves this to be true. No matter what we try to hold onto, all aspects of life shift at their God-given pace. Children grow into adulthood, friends change or move away, jobs morph into careers, parents turn into colleagues, loved ones pass away, and newborns enter the physical world with each passing second.

No matter what we try to hold onto, all aspects of life shift at their God-given pace.”

Though change can be frightening it does not have to be. As believers, we know that change is inevitable as we transition through the sanctification process to become transformed into the likeness of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we can be filled with hope knowing that God is ultimately operating the switchboard of our lives.

In today’s session we will see how God worked mightily through two of the earliest apostles in the Church, Paul and Barnabas. We will discover a unique brand of mentorship from their exploits, one that morphed from a traditional dynamic into a mutual exchange with accountability and support. More importantly, we will see how God facilitates transitions for His glory and the salvation of many.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is without a doubt the figurehead of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. Streets all over the country are named in his honor and every year on his birthday U.S. citizens stay home from work. Many Black Americans appreciate Dr. King’s contributions even if they don’t completely agree with the tactics he utilized. Though he was and is often celebrated, and rightfully so, one could reasonably argue that what he accomplished would not have been remotely possible were it not for his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

Though Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was and is often celebrated, and rightfully so, one could reasonably argue that what he accomplished would not have been remotely possible were it not for his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King.”

Not only was Mrs. King a supportive wife and strong mother of four, but she was also on the front lines as an organizer, activist, fundraiser and at times even a substitute speaker for Dr. King. She, too, stood as a symbol, braving multiple violent attacks on her family and home.

One biographical writer says she, like Dr. King, “also faced and transcended the possibility of death.” He adds, “To audiences across the country she is fond of quoting Esther: ‘and if I perish, I perish.’” Just as Esther’s words had spoken to Coretta Scott King, Mordecai’s words spoke to Esther in God’s timing for the deliverance of His people in the face of danger. Who will your words speak to?