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September 14 · 42 min
Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper ... - From Information to Transformation: Rethinking How We Teach
Most of us have experienced teaching that gives us a lot to think about, but doesn’t necessarily change much how we live. In this conversation about spiritual formation and Christian leadership, Alan and Gem explore why transformation rarely comes through information alone. Through their years leading retreats, workshops, and the PACE leadership cohort at Unhurried Living, they have discovered that growth often happens in quieter ways. It unfolds as people learn to listen to God, reflect on their lives, and share honestly with others. In this episode, they talk about the rhythms that help learning move from the mind into the soul. These include practices like solitude and silence, offering teaching in smaller portions, creating meaningful interaction, allowing a spacious schedule, and paying attention to the dynamics within a group. If you lead retreats, facilitate small groups, serve in ministry, or simply desire a deeper life with God, this conversation offers insight into how thoughtful learning environments can support lasting spiritual growth. You may discover that the way we gather and learn together matters more than we often realize. ______________________________________ Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 14 · 4 min
Chapter-A-Day Audio Bible - Song of Solomon 1
Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith. You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website. . If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange . The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: https://amzn.to/41v1DKh . To email John Stange directly, please send your message to biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 14 · 7 min
Your Daily Prayer - A Prayer to Be Patient with Your Progress
1 Corinthians 13 is most often read at weddings, held up as the standard for the love we give away to another person. And it is all of that. But it is also something else — a love letter from God to us, intended to encourage the kind of self-compassion that most believers rarely extend to themselves. Every time the word "love" appears in this chapter, it translates from the Greek agape — the highest, most unconditional love that requires no relation, no condition, and no achievement. It is the love God has for His creation, including you. When First Corinthians 13:4 says love is patient, it does not only mean patient with a spouse, a difficult coworker, or a frustrating situation. It means giving yourself grace and permission to be exactly where you are. Patient with your own growth. Patient with your own pace. The same verse adds that love does not envy — which means negatively comparing your own progress to someone else's is not a loving act, including when you direct it toward yourself. And love does not boast and is not proud, which invites a searching question: is the impatience with your own progress rooted in a desire for recognition, or a need to feel superior to others? Can you choose instead to be patient with everything you have endured, changed, and overcome, whether or not your journey has been fast, visible, or impressive by anyone else's measure? The qualities of agape love practiced toward yourself are not self-indulgence. They are what make us increasingly capable of giving that same love to others. Bible Verse "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." — 1 Corinthians 13:4, NIV Ponder Today Love is patient — including with yourself. The same grace and patience that agape love extends toward others is meant to be extended toward your own growth, pace, and progress. Harsh self-criticism is not humility. It is the absence of love. Love does not envy — and that includes comparing your progress to others'. Negatively measuring your pace against someone else's is not loving, not motivating, and not from God. Agape love allows you to live the life most suited to who you uniquely are. Impatience with your progress is worth examining honestly. Is it rooted in genuine desire to grow, or in a need for recognition, applause, or superiority over others? The question itself is an act of self-awareness that love invites. Self-compassion is not self-indulgence — it is what makes love for others sustainable. As you learn to extend agape love toward yourself, you grow in your capacity to give it away. The two are directly connected. First Corinthians 13 is a love letter from God to you. Read it as a personal word from the One whose love for you requires no achievement, no condition, and no further progress before it is fully given. You are lovable right now, exactly as you are. A Prayer for You Today God, I catch myself trying to do so many things at once that I start to behave in ways that are less than loving — to myself and, as a result, to others. Please pull me back into Your agape love. Teach me through Your love chapter how to see myself as enough, and how to believe that I am unconditionally lovable. Wash me of the pressure and anxiety I cause myself by feeling like I should be more accomplished or further along than I am. Speak to me that this life of mine is Yours, and that You love me right here and right now. Fill me with self-compassion so that I can practice the kind of love that reflects You to others. Thank You for loving me just as I am. In Jesus' name, Amen. Want More? Sig
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September 14 · 52 min
Dwell On These Things - "Hannah Prays for a Son" - 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11
The book of 1 Samuel begins during an important transition in Israel’s history. The period of the judges is coming to an end, and Israel will soon begin asking for a king. Before the book introduces us to Samuel, Saul, or David, however, it introduces us to a woman named Hannah. Her story begins with sorrow, moves through prayer and faith, and concludes with one of the great songs of praise in the Old Testament. Hannah was married to Elkanah, but she was unable to have children. Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, had sons and daughters, and she regularly provoked Hannah because of her barrenness. This was more than an occasional irritation. Scripture tells us that this happened “year by year” (1 Samuel 1:7). Hannah carried this burden for a long time. Elkanah loved Hannah and attempted to comfort her, but he couldn’t give her what she wanted most. When the family traveled to Shiloh to worship, Hannah’s grief became particularly intense. . Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith. You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website. . If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange . The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: https://amzn.to/41v1DKh . To email John Stange directly, please send your message to biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 14 · 4 min
Daily Devotions with Pastor John - Called, loved, and kept by God
Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith. You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website. . If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange . The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: https://amzn.to/41v1DKh . To email John Stange directly, please send your message to biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 13 · 35 min
Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager - Is There a Moral Case for the Death Penalty? | Sunday Fireside Chat
Fireside Chat Ep. 221 — Answering Your Questions originally aired on April 1st, 2021 Candlelight vigils are held for the most brutal murderers—attended by people opposed to the death penalty. But have they ever held a vigil for the murdered innocent? Dennis examines the moral arguments both in favor of and against the death penalty in this week's Fireside Chat. Donate to PragerU today: https://www.prageru.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 13 · 9 min
Your Nightly Scripture - Coming Home to the Father's Love (Luke 15)
Evening Scripture Luke, Chapter 15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Evening Reflection The parable of the Prodigal Son, as it is commonly called, is one of the most prof
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September 13 · 5 min
Your Nightly Prayer: Evening Prayers for Christian... - Fruit That Lasts
The world measures fruitfulness in results, productivity, and visible evidence of effort. Businesses track it. Organizations evaluate it. Even churches can fall into measuring success by the metrics that are easiest to count. And by those standards, much of what God calls us to do would not register as impressive at all. But God is not looking at the quarterly report. He is looking at eternity. John 15:16 carries a truth worth sitting with tonight. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. Before any effort, any achievement, any evidence of productivity, the choosing came first. And the appointment that followed was not to impressive results by the world's measure but to fruit that lasts, fruit with an eternal shelf life that outlasts every trend and metric and season. Lasting fruit looks different from what the world rewards. It grows slowly, through the patient planting and watering of God's Word in our own lives and in others. It is cultivated through prayer and fasting and selfless service. It shows up as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, the fruit of the Spirit growing in us as we remain connected to the Vine. And here is what liberates us from the pressure of productivity: we plant, we water, but God makes things grow. Paul understood this completely. Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is ultimately responsible for the harvest. We are co-workers in God's service, faithful with what He has assigned, and He takes care of the increase. The fruit that lasts is rarely dramatic in the moment. It is the seed planted in a conversation. The Word watered into someone's life over years. The small, consistent acts of faithfulness that compound into something beautiful long after we have forgotten we were even part of it. You were chosen and appointed for this. Not because of what you can produce, but because of who He is and what He intends to grow through you. Ponder Tonight Being chosen by God precedes any fruitfulness we produce. The identity comes before the assignment, which means our value is never contingent on how productive our efforts appear to be. Lasting fruit grows slowly and is often invisible in the early stages. The seed planted today may not bear visible fruit for years, which is why faithfulness and patience are themselves forms of fruitfulness. The division of labor in 1 Corinthians 3:7-9 is freeing: we plant and water, but God causes the growth. Taking responsibility for the harvest that belongs only to Him is a burden we were never meant to carry. The fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 is not achieved through greater effort. It is produced by abiding in Christ, which means the most fruitful thing we can do is stay close to the Vine. Tonight's Scripture "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last." — John 15:16, NIV "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." — Galatians 5:22-23, NIV Your Evening Prayer Father, Our hearts are grateful and deeply moved to be chosen and appointed by You to bear fruit that brings You glory and honor. We did not choose You first. You chose us. And that truth alone is worth pausing over tonight. Help us accomplish Your plans and purposes. Lead us this week to plant and water faithfully, trusting You to cause the growth we cannot manufacture on our own. Encourage us to look to You daily for direction, releasing the pressure to produce impressive results and embracing instead th
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September 13 · 8 min
The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Chris... - 3 Good Reasons Parents Should Embrace Aging
Aging can bring mixed emotions, especially for parents watching their bodies change while their children grow into adulthood. The world often treats getting older as something to fight against, but Scripture offers a different perspective. Growing older can bring wisdom, deeper faith, greater compassion, and a renewed appreciation for the life God has given us. For parents entering their senior years, aging can become an opportunity to embrace a new season rather than mourn the one that has passed. Years of parenting, relationships, hardships, and answered prayers can produce a wisdom that younger generations need. As physical strength changes, our dependence on God can grow stronger, shifting our focus from temporary circumstances toward His eternal promises. There is also freedom to slow down, enjoy new adventures, invest in family, and discover simple joys that may have been difficult to make room for in earlier seasons. Highlights: Why parents can view aging as a gift rather than something to fear or avoid How growing older can deepen wisdom, compassion, patience, and grace Why aging can strengthen our trust in God’s eternal promises Learning to focus less on temporary circumstances and more on lasting hope How parents can embrace greater freedom, relaxation, hobbies, and new adventures Finding joy in relationships with adult children, grandchildren, and loved ones How faith can provide strength and renewal even as our physical bodies grow weaker Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: 3 Good Reasons for Parents to Embrace Aging By: Lia Girard Bible Reading: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." - 2 Corinthians 4:16 We're all living in a world that wants us to believe it’s easy to find the next magic pill, new exercise, or diet strategy that will keep us eternally young—even in our old age. Yet we all know: this earthly life will end. None of us escapes this necessary passage, at whatever age God decides we're ready to stand in his presence. The longer I live… and the more sweet opportunities I’m given to be present with younger people managing life challenges… the more I understand that getting old is a crown of glory (see Proverbs 16:31). We don't all get to arrive in our senior years. As we near them, we may be feeling the pain of letting go of our own parents. It brings us face to face with the finality of this side of heaven. I've learned, though, while growing out my silver hair, wearing my glasses regularly, and giving up running for yoga, that life fosters compassion as your body weakens. If you're
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September 13 · 4 min
Chapter-A-Day Audio Bible - Ecclesiastes 12
Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith. You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website. . If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange . The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: https://amzn.to/41v1DKh . To email John Stange directly, please send your message to biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 13 · 7 min
Your Daily Prayer - A Prayer for Noticing More
Most of us move through the world on autopilot — not because we are incapable of noticing, but because we have stopped choosing to. We walk past the bee covered in pollen, the walking stick on a wooden bench, the osprey motionless in a tree above the path we almost took in the other direction. We are present in body but absent in attention, and in that absence, we miss the evidence of God's glory that Psalm 19 declares the heavens themselves cannot stop proclaiming. Becoming a noticer is not a personality trait reserved for the naturally observant. It is a decision — a deliberate, intentional slowing down to see what has always been there, waiting to be seen. A bee on a flower. The intricate architecture of a dandelion seed head before it is blown apart. The line of sight of a hawk fixed on something in the creek below. These are not small things. They are windows into the character of a Creator who designed every detail with intention and care, and who placed us in the middle of His creation to experience it fully rather than sleepwalk through it. Noticing is gratitude in action. It is a form of worship that requires no special equipment — only the willingness to slow down, engage the senses, and look at the same old thing with new eyes. A life lived with that kind of attentiveness is a life drawn consistently and almost involuntarily closer to God, because every genuine encounter with His creation points back to Him. Today's Bible Verse "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." — Psalm 19:1, NIV Ponder Today The whole earth is full of God's glory — but we have to choose to notice it. Creation does not stop declaring His majesty when we are not paying attention. We simply miss what was always there, waiting for eyes that are willing to slow down and see. A life of noticing is a life of gratitude in action. Observing the world around us with intentionality and wonder is not a hobby for the naturally curious. It is a spiritual practice available to every believer who chooses to engage it. Autopilot is the enemy of abundance. Christ came to give life abundantly (John 10:10), and abundant life is lived in the present tense — participating, observing, engaging. Sleepwalking through creation is a kind of apathy that robs us of what God has placed before us. Noticing sharpens more than observation — it sharpens the soul. Every genuine encounter with the details of creation is an encounter with the Creator who designed those details. The more we notice, the closer we are drawn to Him. Look at the same old thing with new eyes. A dandelion puff ball, a patch of sunlight on the floor, birdsong on the way to the car — these are not interruptions to the important things. They are the important things, if we have eyes to see them. A Prayer for You Today God of Creation, we join with the chorus in heaven and cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory." We are grateful for Your majesty all around us. May we have eyes to see and ears to hear. Our hearts are full of awe. May we increasingly notice the gifts of creation around us as we traverse this life of abundance You have blessed us with. With grateful hearts we pray, Amen. Want More? Sign up for our free newsletter, The Good Word, for weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement delivered right to your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lif
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September 13 · 3 min
Daily Devotions with Pastor John - United as one body
Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith. You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website. . If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange . The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: https://amzn.to/41v1DKh . To email John Stange directly, please send your message to biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 12 · 39 min
Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager - What Do You Want to Be? | A Rosh Hashanah Sermon
To get all 12 of Dennis' High Holy Day Lectures from the past five years, they are available to purchase here: Dennis Prager’s Best High Holy Days Teachings Filmed on Rosh Hashanah 2024, Dennis Prager reflects on one of life's most important questions: What do you want to be? Not what do you want to do for a living, but what kind of person do you want to become? Drawing from his own desire to be an “easy” father and father-in-law, Dennis explores the importance of consciously choosing who we want to be. He considers happiness, faith, goodness, wisdom, courage, marriage, and family, arguing that becoming the person we want to be requires more than simply wishing for it. In this thoughtful Rosh Hashanah reflection, Dennis challenges us to look beyond careers, success, wealth, and fame and consider what truly matters: Do you want to be a good person? A wise person? A happy person? And are you willing to work at becoming that person? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 12 · 6 min
Your Nightly Scripture - Finding True Rest for My Soul in God (Psalm 62)
Evening Scripture Psalm, Chapter 62 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down — this leaning wall, this tottering fence? Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” Evening Reflection Have you ever been so tired that no amount of sleep, rest, relaxation, or energy drinks seems to help? Or, maybe no matter how exhausted you are, sleep eludes you? Your body might be fatigued, but your mind is still working overtime without pay. Just a few nights ago, this was me. My day had been overwhelming, to say the least. I’d walked 20,000 steps, been to three places, written 4 articles, and was still kicking by 9 p.m. Until my mind wouldn’t shut off. As I tossed and turned, I replayed conversations from the day and worries from the night. No matter how many sheep I counted, I knew I wasn’t going to get much sleep. When you think about your life, what keeps you up? Are you restless? Worried? Scared? In Psalm 62, David gives us a picture of rest that you might find surprising. While many of his psalms praise and thank God, this one isn’t written from a perfectly peaceful life, but quite the opposite. He’s facing enemies, fake friends, and very real battles. And yet, he repeatedly declares that his soul finds rest in God. How can this be possible? Because David knows rest will never be found in our circumstances but in our God. And when we shift our eyes from what we see to who He is, that changes everything. You and I will still face hard times and many questions without answers, but this passage reminds us to take the pressure off ourselves: rest is a gift that comes from God. Yes, we need to have healthy bedtime habits, sleep well, and take care of our bodies, but rest isn’t always the result of circumstances becoming peaceful. Deep soul rest is choosing where we run with that unrest. Will we continue to run to our problems or our God? David is honest with God about what he’s carrying. But he also asks Him to remind him where his hope is found. We can do the same. Tonight, as you prepare for rest, ask yourself: What am I trying to carry alone that I need to talk to God about? What do I know about God’s character in this situation? What would it look like to rest with God this evening? Then, take a slow, deep breath and have an honest heart-to-heart with Him. Evening Prayer Dear Jesus, Tonight, my soul feels weary. I’m carrying ____ and need your help. Thank you for allowing me to
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September 12 · 6 min
Your Nightly Prayer: Evening Prayers for Christian... - God Is Steady When Life Feels Shifty
There is something deeply moving about a newborn baby crying in those first moments of life, overwhelmed and out of control, and then hearing a father's voice speak over him. It is okay, buddy. I am here. You are going to be alright. And the crying slows. The tiny body calms. And then, when the father says I love you, the baby opens his eyes and looks intently at his face, and stops crying completely. That is what it looks like to hear your Father's voice when everything feels out of control. Malachi was writing to a people who knew what it was to feel forgotten. Their lives were anything but stable, and the questions were real: where is God? Has He changed His mind about us? Has He forgotten what He promised? And into those questions, God makes one of the most direct declarations in all of Scripture. I, the Lord, do not change. Not I have not changed recently. Not I have not changed in favorable circumstances. He does not change. His nature, His love, His faithfulness, His care for us, none of it shifts with the seasons of our lives. A diagnosis does not change His mind about us. A friendship ending does not alter His character. Plans falling apart do not make Him less present. He has never been surprised by a single thing we have walked through, never forgotten a promise, and never become less faithful simply because we are exhausted. The second half of Malachi 3:6 holds a truth worth sitting with tonight. The Israelites were not consumed, not because they remained faithful, but because He was. There are seasons when faith is strong and seasons when all we can manage is a whispered, help me, Lord. And in those moments, His faithfulness does not weaken. Faithfulness is not something He practices. It is who He is. If God feels silent tonight, lean in. Listen for the voice that steadies the breath and quiets the crying. He is speaking. And the God who was faithful in your yesterday is present in every tomorrow that follows. Ponder Tonight The Israelites were not consumed because of their own faithfulness but because of His. That reframing is one of the most liberating truths in Scripture for anyone whose faith is running low in a difficult season. God's unchanging character is not an abstract theological statement. It is the practical ground we stand on when everything around us is shifting, the one fixed point in a world that moves at the pace of a freight train. The image of a newborn calming at the sound of his father's voice is a picture of what happens to us when we stop long enough to hear God's voice in the middle of the noise and the turmoil. The recognition itself brings peace. Identifying the areas where we have been trying to handle things in our own strength, rather than allowing God to intervene, and bringing those honestly to Him tonight, is one of the most important forms of surrender available to us. Tonight's Scripture "For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." — Malachi 3:6, ESV Your Evening Prayer Father, Remind us right now of Your steady love. Help us trust that You are unchanging, even when everything around us feels unsteady. When our faith is strong, we praise You. And when all we can manage is a whispered help me, Lord, remind us that Your faithfulness does not depend on the strength of ours. May we lean in to hear the still, small voice that steadies our walk and allows You to draw close. You are a good, good Father, and we trust You in all the circumstances that surround us tonight, the ones we understand and the ones we do not. We lay them all at Your feet. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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September 12 · 6 min
The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Chris... - Strengthening Your Stakes: Preparing for What Only God Can See
Uncertainty about the future, unanswered prayers, and dreams that haven’t taken shape yet can leave you wondering whether your ordinary, everyday faithfulness really matters. Scripture reminds us that God may be preparing us for something we cannot yet see. Noah spent years building the ark before a single drop of rain fell. In the same way, God often calls us to prepare, obey, and remain faithful without showing us the full picture. The small things we do each day—our work, responsibilities, relationships, and acts of obedience—can be part of a much larger purpose. We may want the big answer or the completed dream, but God is often strengthening our character and our faith through the seemingly mundane tasks right in front of us. Highlights: What Isaiah 54:2 teaches us about preparing for what God may be doing Why obedience sometimes requires faith before we understand the outcome Lessons from Noah’s years of faithful, unseen preparation How God uses ordinary and seemingly small tasks to prepare us for greater responsibility Why we should focus on faithfulness today instead of needing to know what comes next How seasons of waiting can strengthen our character, trust, and obedience Remembering that what seems insignificant to us may have a much greater purpose in God’s plan Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: Strengthening Your Stakes: Preparing for What Only God Can See By Hannah Benson Bible Reading: “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2 ESV). God often does things we don’t expect. As I read Isaiah 54 the other day, God showed me that He will often tell us to prepare for things He’s bringing us. In this passage, He tells a barren woman to expand her tent and strengthen her stakes for a family she doesn't even have yet. Our job isn’t to know the why but to prepare in obedience even when we don’t know what we are getting ready for. All we can do is walk in obedience even when we don’t know where the obedience will lead. It reminds me of the parable Jesus told of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. When they went to meet the bridegroom, only 5 of the virgins took extra flasks of oil with them before they departed. The other 5 foolishly didn’t. They didn’t prepare. Or in Genesis 6, when God commands Noah to build an ark. Do you think Noah might’ve thought it a bit strange, the command to build an ark when there wasn’t rain anywhere in sight? Not to mention the earth had never flooded before. Undoubtedly, the idea would’ve been a foreign concept to him. But Noah chose
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September 12 · 3 min
Chapter-A-Day Audio Bible - Ecclesiastes 11
Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith. You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website. . If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange . The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: https://amzn.to/41v1DKh . To email John Stange directly, please send your message to biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 12 · 7 min
Your Daily Prayer - A Prayer Because the Silence Is the Hardest Part
A seventeen-year-old in a dorm room, alone for the first time, with a rule she had made for herself: no calling home before Friday. She would prove she could do this. So she sat in the silence and counted the days, and she told herself the counting was strength. It wasn't. It was Egypt. Isaiah 30 tells the story of Judah facing a threat, with God's instruction already clearly given: return, rest, be quiet, and trust. Instead, they went to Egypt for horses and chariots — something tangible, something with hooves and wheels, something that felt like doing rather than waiting. And then comes verse eighteen, one of the most stunning hinges in all of Scripture. After all the refusing, after all the running toward their own solutions, God does not withdraw. "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you." That word "yet" carries the weight of everything that came before it — and then overrides it entirely. He is not a God who goes quiet and walks away. The Hebrew behind "longs" carries the sense of waiting with intent, waiting the way you wait while watching the driveway for someone you love to come home. He is in anticipation. He is not withholding. He is waiting. And some of the silence we blame on God is silence we are keeping ourselves. We have decided there is a Friday night we have not yet earned our way to, a threshold of worthiness we have to cross before we can come to Him. He is not waiting for us to be worth answering. He is just waiting for us. Bible Verse "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" — Isaiah 30:18, NIV Ponder Today A silent room is not an empty room. God's silence is not His absence. Presence and sound are not the same thing. He can be fully, actively present in a season where nothing feels like it is being said. Some of the silence we blame on God is silence we are keeping. We set rules for when we are allowed to come to Him, and we call those rules strength. But refusing to reach for Him until we have proven something is not faithfulness — it is Egypt. God does not withdraw when we go our own way — He waits. The "yet" in Isaiah 30:18 is one of the most stunning words in Scripture. After all the refusing, all the running toward human solutions, God still longs to be gracious. He rises up to show compassion. He does not go looking for someone more obedient. He is not waiting for you to be worth answering. The longing described in Isaiah 30:18 carries the sense of waiting with intent, watching the driveway, in anticipation. He is not waiting for you to earn your way to Friday. He is waiting for you — right now, today, as you are. Silence gets easier not when it gets quieter, but when we stop thinking silence means absence. The new rhythms come. The counting stops. But it begins with picking up the phone whenever we need to, rather than waiting for a threshold we invented ourselves. A Prayer for You Today Heavenly Father, I am sitting in the quiet today, and it is loud. You know how many times I have checked to see if You have said anything and come away with nothing I could hear. Lord, I confess that some of this silence is mine. I have been proving something. I have been going to Egypt for horses when You told me to rest. I made up a rule about when I was allowed to come to You, and then I called the rule strength. But You say You long to be gracious to me — not when I have earned it, but every single day. Help me stop confusing presence with sound. Help me sit in this room and believe You are here even when nothing in it says so. You have been waiting fo
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September 12 · 4 min
Daily Devotions with Pastor John - Rejoice in the Lord, no matter what
Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith. You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website. . If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange . The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: https://amzn.to/41v1DKh . To email John Stange directly, please send your message to biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 11 · 1 hr 17 min
The Sean McDowell Show - The "Lost" Gospels Are Back. What Do They Really Say About Jesus?
Bart Ehrman posed it as a hypothetical question: What if the canon had ended up containing the Gospels of Peter, Thomas, and Mary instead of Matthew, Mark, and Luke? I put that question to Dr. Greg Lanier, who has just written a GREAT BOOK on the Apocryphal Gospels. His answer is that the scenario has no historical basis, and that if you actually had only those three, you'd have no coherent story of Jesus at all. Dr. Lanier's argument throughout is that the Apocryphal writings are downstream of the canonical Gospels, not competitors with them. CHECK OUT: Greg's channel: https://youtube.com/@GregLanier-d5r CHECK OUT: Consider Supporting the Ministry! (https://seanmcdowell.org/give) READ: Apocryphal Gospels: Separating the Real Jesus from Fan Fiction (https://amzn.to/4qqO3nM) CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org Timestamps 0:00 — Do these writings threaten the historical Jesus? 0:51 — Responding to Ehrman's what-if 3:36 — Why write a book on fake gospels? 6:42 — What "apocryphal" actually means 11:08 — Sayings, fragments, and full compositions 16:57 — Peter, Mary, Thomas, and Judas 22:28 — How much history is in them? 27:04 — Why scholars now say they're downstream 31:11 — From the Jesus Seminar to the Da Vinci Code 33:33 — The Jesus Wife fragment 41:56 — Bad apologetics on both sides 44:05 — The Infancy Gospel of Thomas 52:15 — The Protoevangelium of James 57:16 — Your nativity scene isn't in Matthew or Luke 1:00:07 — How the apocryphal gospels argue for the four 1:07:19 — What the church fathers actually said 1:12:04 — Why he does this work Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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