Why do you do what you do? In this episode of Live the Bible, we take a look our habits and ask that very question. We all have habits, including ones for the spiritual things we do. And we follow them religiously. But WHY? And why does what we do matter to God—or does it?
The book of Zechariah gives us the answer.
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Could you list your top 3 priorities? Yep, me too. But how about when we try to actually live them? In this episode of Live the Bible, we see that Bible is not just a Sunday textbook.
And during the week, it’s not just devotional material to go with our morning coffee. No, the Bible is for our lives—and it directs our priorities. The problem of living our priorities is not a new one. The Prophet Haggai was dealing with the problem a long time ago. The people then are much like us. The solution still works.
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Failure, shame, regret. Just pick one, and we’ve all experienced it. And we’d all like to forget it. This episode of Live the Bible is one you may want to listen to all alone. Why?
Because we’re going to talk about the subject of personal shame. Whether it’s shame because of something you’ve done, or shame because of something done to you, we all struggle with it. The Prophet Zephaniah gives us some much-needed encouragement when our consciences are working overtime to condemn us.
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Our most difficult battles in life often mirror Jesus’ struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. Can you picture Him there beneath the olive trees in the moonlight? Can you hear His weeping?
(Photo: Garden of Gethsemane olive tree. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
After His last supper with His disciples, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane. With heartache and desperation, He cried out for His Father to intervene—if it was His will.
Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me;
yet not My will, but Yours be done. (Luke 22:42)
Our greatest challenges come not from the circumstances that press in upon us—no matter how devastating or perplexing—but from the internal struggle of surrendering our will to God. And then trusting Him completely.
Jesus’ time in Gethsemane during Passion Week shows us what to do when faced with overwhelming challenges. Asking God to step in and change my circumstances comes naturally. But surrendering our will to Him? That often proves harder than the trial itself.
We must enter Gethsemane daily and drag our will to the Father in prayer. Here’s how.
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What can you do when God does nothing? In this episode of Live the Bible, we get down to the nitty-gritty of our daily walk with God. Oh, I know it doesn’t sound spiritual to ask why God is doing nothing, but if we’re honest, we wonder it.
A short, Old Testament book with a funny name gives us a wonderful and practical answer we can put into practice right away.
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Which of your mistakes haunts you the most? Peter denied he knew Jesus. To some folks, that’s no big deal. Compared to other big sins, giving in to fear seems like small potatoes. But to Peter, it was huge.
(Photo: Upper Room. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
The book of Proverbs says no one knows the grief of the heart like one’s self (Proverbs 14:10). Peter’s denial struck to his very core. Hours earlier, he had promised he would never deny his Master. NEVER. Emotion had gushed out of Peter’s mouth in a full-on promise—a vow—that he would stay faithful.
The bitterest pill? Peter really believed he would.
Weakness begins by thinking we’re strong.
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In this episode of Live the Bible, the book of Nahum agrees that we want people to get what they deserve. At the same time, of course, we want God’s grace in our lives.
See the tension? Only our wise God knows how to balance both—and to help us do the same.
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What difference can a narrow road make? Whenever I make my way down the Mount of Olives, I can’t help but think about Jesus’ riding down that slope on the back of a donkey early in His Passion Week.
(Photo: Palm Sunday Road down the Mount of Olives. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
His words that day hardly seemed fitting for a “Triumphal Entry.” When Jesus saw Jerusalem, He wept over it:
If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. —Luke 19:42
Why did Jesus say, “This day”?
He didn’t simply mean “today.” The prophet Daniel had penned a meticulous prediction of the very day when the Messiah would appear in Jerusalem.
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Do you ever feel like life is harder than it should be? In this episode of Live the Bible, we look at what to do when life feels like a burden. And let’s be honest, since God is in charge of life, we can often feel like He has burdened our lives.
God is aware of this feeling, and He offers us—through the Prophet Micah—some practical steps when we feel like God has burdened us.
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Have you ever just blown it? If you need a great dose of encouragement today, you’ll want to hear today’s podcast. In this episode of Live the Bible, we look at the greatest fish story in Scripture.
The book of Jonah is so much more than that—thankfully. It’s about God’s marvelous grace in our lives when we blow it.
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