Building Great Lives Podcast: Recent Episodes
Trent Gilliam
Building Great Lives podcast is a podcast about real life, facing real issues and finding real answers. Our mission… equipping listeners from around the world grow, heal, find and fulfill their life purpose. Have you ever had difficult questions? Are you ready to find answers?Have you ever been hurt?Are you ready to be healed? Have you ever felt like you were just wondering through life?Are you ready to find direction, peruse your passion and fulfill your purpose?The Building Great Lives podcast strives to offers biblical, yet practical solutions to life’s complicated problems.Jesus said… Upon this rock I will build my church… The church is more than the place we gather to worship. We the people are the church. Jesus was telling Peter, “I want to build people! Great lives are not born, they are built one day at a time. Let’s start building!
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Welcome to episode #114 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
Have you ever wondered why some prayers go unanswered?
In this week’s episode we’re going to answer this challenging question. God doesn’t say no to hurt us. His “no” is a setup for greater things.
Through the biblical examples of the Apostle Paul, Joseph and personal reflection, we’ll uncover the truth behind unanswered prayers and how they shape our faith. Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
You can trust God’s wisdom, knowing that even when He says no, He’s working all things for our greater good.
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Welcome to episode #113 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
A study from Cornell University reveals that we make nearly 35,000 decisions each day. Thankfully, most of them are routine. However, some choices have a significant impact on various areas of our lives.
In this episode, we’re discussing the decision to choose joy. In Psalm 51:12, David asked God to restore his joy.
Now, more than ever, we need to reclaim our joy. Often, we mistake happiness for joy. True joy isn’t determined by our circumstances or what’s happening around us. It’s rooted in what has already taken place within us.
Jesus told His disciples that He gave them a joy that could remain, regardless of what was happening in the world or in their personal lives. Joy doesn’t deny our challenges—it transcends them.
Nehemiah faced enemies yet declared, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” David endured great hardship but still chose joy.
I choose joy!
And you should choose joy too!
This joy that we have—the world didn’t give it, and the world can’t take it away.
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Welcome to episode #112 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
When we think of ministry, images of preachers, missionaries, and the "five-fold ministry" often come to mind. But ministry is not limited to these roles. In this episode, we explore a powerful and often overlooked calling—the ministry of encouragement.
Through the story of Barnabas, the "Son of Encouragement," we'll uncover the divine impact of uplifting others, even without standing behind a pulpit. We’ll delve into how Barnabas' encouragement transformed the life of John Mark and how Moses encouraged Joshua to lead the Israelites.
This episode is a call to recognize and embrace the vital ministry of encouraging others. Whether through a kind word, a supportive text, or simply being there for someone in need, each of us can make a profound difference. Join me as we discover how encouragement is a ministry available to all believers and why it is more essential now than ever.
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Welcome to episode #111 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about overcoming offense. In my opinion, learning to overcome offense is one of the most important lessons we need to learn, especially if we want to continue growing in God while maintaining healthy relationships.
Truth be told, we’ve all been offended. Jesus told His disciples that offenses will come. Since completely avoiding offense is impossible, learning how to properly manage it is imperative to our spiritual, emotional, and relational well-being.
We’ll explore the nature of offense, why it’s so destructive, and how we can overcome it. We’ll look at biblical examples of those who struggled with offense and how it affected their lives. From Cain and Abel to King Saul and even John the Baptist, offense has the power to derail destinies. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Through the wisdom of Scripture and the example of Jesus, who faced the ultimate opportunity to be offended yet chose forgiveness, we can learn to navigate this challenging aspect of life.
Don’t let unresolved offense trap you in bitterness and resentment. Instead, discover how to find freedom, healing, and growth in God.
Tune in to learn how to overcome offense and ensure it doesn’t hinder your relationship with God or others.
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Welcome to episode #109 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
In today’s episode we’re going to talk about how God measures success.
While society often measures success by wealth, fame, and material possessions, God's definition is significantly different.
We discuss how the pervasive "influencer effect" shapes modern views of success, leading many to chase validation through likes and views, only to find themselves unfulfilled and feeling disappointed with their life.
Through powerful examples from scripture, including the ministries of Peter and Jeremiah, we illustrate that true success is measured by obedience to God, not by earthly standards. We also compare the lives of prophets Isaiah and Hosea to show that varied backgrounds and outcomes do not diminish their divine success.
Join us as we reveal how God measures success by unpacking Deuteronomy 10:12-13, highlighting that our ultimate success lies in fearing the Lord, walking in His ways, and serving Him with all our heart and soul. Learn how to align your life with God's definition of success and find fulfillment in your faith journey.
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Welcome to episode #108 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
In this episode, we discuss the crucial topic of recognizing and breaking destructive cycles in our lives.
A cycle is a recurring pattern of events that can influence every aspect of our lives. While some cycles are natural parts of our daily routines, others are harmful and need to be broken.
Proverbs 26:11 says, "A fool repeats his folly," highlighting the danger of repeating destructive behaviors.
We will explore lessons from Israel's repeated mistakes during the time of the Judges, the tragic cycle in Samson's life, and the cycle that kept the man at the tombs captive. These examples illustrate the importance of identifying and breaking free from our own destructive cycles.
Additionally, this episode offers four essential keys to breaking these harmful patterns. Tune in to learn how to change destructive behaviors and embrace cycles that lead to personal and spiritual growth.
It's time to break the cycle and step into the life God has planned for you.
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Welcome to episode #106 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
In this important episode, we delve into the concept of biblical wholeness, exploring how God can restore your heart and mind, and bring peace to your life. We start by understanding that biblical wholeness doesn’t mean forgetting past pain, but rather being completely restored.
We then discuss the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19. Here, Jesus heals ten men afflicted by leprosy, a painful and isolating disease, but only one returns to thank Him and is made whole. We explore the difference between being healed and being made whole, emphasizing that God's restoration goes beyond physical healing to encompass emotional and mental restoration.
Further, we look at other biblical examples like Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) and the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34), showing how their encounters with Jesus completely transformed their lives. These stories illustrate God's ability and desire to heal not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually.
Join us as we uncover the depths of God's restorative power and His desire to make you whole. Learn how your faith can unlock a complete transformation in every area of your life.
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Welcome to episode #105 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
In this episode, we're going to discuss how to find and follow the will of God. God's will is His sovereign plan and individualized purpose for your life. You were created for a reason, and I believe God has a specific will designed just for you.
Many people often see the will of God as mysterious and hard to find. However, I believe God wants us to know and follow His will.
We can divide God's will into two categories: His universal will for everyone and His specific plan for each individual.
We'll break down the will of God into three easy-to-understand elements:
- Finding His will
- Fulfilling His will
- Finishing His will
It's my prayer that this episode helps you discover and follow God's will for your life.
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Welcome to episode #103 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
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Welcome to episode #102 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
I had no intention of recording back-to-back episodes about trust. However, after wrapping up the previous episode about how we can trust God, something happened that I felt led of the Lord to share.
While in prayer, I felt the Lord gently speak in my spirit. He said, you can trust me, but can I trust you”? I was immediately moved to tears and responded, "Lord, I want you to be able to trust me.
Trust can be summed up with one word: reliability. We often focus on how we can trust God, but much less often do we consider if God can trust us.
Through biblical examples, such as the parable of the “trustworthy” servant in Matthew 25, we learn that trustworthiness is key to being used and blessed by God.
The goal of this episode is to encourage you to reflect on your own trustworthiness. Can God trust you to be sensitive to His voice, follow His leading, and use His blessings appropriately? These questions are meant to stir inner dialogue and inspire you to become a reliable servant of God, no matter the circumstances.
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Welcome to episode #101 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
In this episode, we’re discussing a topic that resonates with everyone at some point: How to trust God when life doesn’t make sense.
We’ll explore what it truly means to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, as highlighted in Proverbs 3:5 and Psalm 56:3.
Life’s unpredictability can shake our faith, making it challenging to trust God. Thankfully, the Bible is filled with powerful examples of unwavering trust, such as Abraham, Daniel, and the three Hebrew boys—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Along with these examples, we’ll discuss four practical steps that will help you trust God more.
Join us as we learn to navigate the ups and downs of life, armed with biblical wisdom and personal insights that will bolster our trust in God even when life doesn’t make sense.
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Welcome to episode #100 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
In this episode, we delve into the comforting truth that your story is still being written by God. Drawing this revelation from Hebrews 12:2, we’ll explore the concept of Jesus as the "author of our life story," emphasizing how God, not your difficulties, owns the rights to your story.
We’ll also reflect on the life of David, a man whose story was filled with many power and painful chapters , yet each chapter was vital. Despite chapters of failure and despair, David's faith in God's ongoing work in his life led to extraordinary outcomes.
We also explore the transformation of Saul into Paul, showcasing how a past filled with mistakes can be rewritten into a legacy of faith and redemption.
Through these biblical narratives, we are reminded that no matter the trials we face—be it depression, pain, brokenness, addictions or abuse — none or them determine how our story ends. The pen is in God's hand.
Finally, we contrast the stories of Peter and Judas, both of whom betrayed Jesus. While Peter's repentance allowed God to continue his story, Judas tragically took the pen from God’s hand.
Join us as we encourage you to leave the pen in the author’s hand and trust in His ability to turn even the darkest chapters into testimonies of His grace and redemption.
Your story is not over; it’s still being written by the hand of God.
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Welcome to episode #99 of the Building Great Lives podcast!
In this episode we’ll answer the intriguing question, what does God expect from us? Does He expect us to do the impossible.
We begin by exploring the significance of expectation in spiritual growth by drawing from Acts 3 and the miraculous healing of a lame man. Expectation is learned by our past experiences with God's faithfulness. Because He has in the past, we expect He will again. Expectation is a key ingredient to the miraculous. However, an often overlooked aspect to expectation, is God’s expectation of us!
So what does God expect from us? Mark 14:9 reveals a profound revelation. The story of the woman with the alabaster box answers the question—she did what she could. God doesn't expect us to do the impossible but rather what we can do.
Through biblical examples like the crossing of the Red Sea, the resurrection of Lazarus and Paul and Silas in prison, we learn: when we do the possible, God does the impossible.
We challenge listeners to assess their own actions—are they doing what they can? And we encourage them with the reminder that when we speak to our mountains, God will move them.
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Welcome to episode #98 of the Building Great Lives podcast.
In this episode we’ll discuss how to survive the between places. You may be wondering, what do I mean by “between places”? The between places are the times between God giving a promise and it coming to pass.
Unfortunately, not every promise from God comes to pass immediately. The goal of this episode is to help you navigate the challenging times between God's promises and their fulfillment.
Through biblical wisdom and practical insights, you’ll learn the importance of remembering the promise, resting in the assurance of His promise and rejoicing until the promise comes to pass.
Don't miss this empowering episode that will equip you to survive the 'between places' of life.
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Feel led to partner with our global ministry? 100% of all donations go directly to our global missions and humanitarian efforts.
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Life can be unpredictable, one moment it’s going great, the next thing you know, everything can change. Along with all the joys in life, there will also be times of struggle, heartache, disappointment and tears. At times, we can feel so courageous. At other times, we struggle with fear. There are moments of bold faith. And also, times we struggle with doubt. Tears, fears and doubt are all part of being human.
With this in mind, is it possible that were people in the Bible that had these same life experiences? People that cried tears, felt fears and struggled with doubt? Thankfully, we can find the answer in John chapter 20.
Join me in this episode as we discuss how Jesus responds to Mary Magdalene’s tears, the disciples’ fears and Thomas’ doubts. These examples offer us hope during our times of struggle.
Thanks for listening!
Let’s keep Building!
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Life is full of storms. I don’t mean actual weather, like thunder, lighting, wind and rain. The storms I’m referring to are the many difficulties we face.
In Matthew 5:45, the Bible says, the sun rises on the good and bad. The rain falls on the just and on the unjust. In other words, none of us are exempt from these life storms.
Since we all face them, learning how to manage these storms is very important. Learning how to stay calm when the storms of life are raging around you isn’t easy. However, I believe there are some things we can learn to fall back on that will help us “weather life’s storms”.
In Mark chapter 4, the disciples faced a great storm while crossing over the Sea of Galilee. The Bible tells us their ship was full of water. The storm raging on the outside made the disciples panic on the inside. This is exactly what happens to us. The storms of life raging around us begin to get inside us causing us to feel panicked or overwhelmed.
It doesn’t have to be that way! I John 4:4 says, “greater is He that is in you”. In this episode discuss four keys to staying calm during life’s most difficult storms.
Thanks for listening.
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Change, both good and bad, brings a certain amount of uncertainty with it. We all desire as much certainty as possible. Since we all desire safety, security and predictability, we all experience, to varying degrees, fear of the unknown.
Fear of the unknown is essentially the fear of anything beyond our comfort zone. This fear is often caused by the feeling of not being in control. Many may even experience the fear of failure. Fear of the unknown also highlights our insecurities.
While this type of fear is normal, it can become problematic when it consistently disrupts your life by holding you back from new opportunities, relationships, healing or begins to cause you other emotional, physical or spiritual struggles.
Join me in this episode as we lay out four strategies to help you overcome the fear of the unknown. You’ll learn how to make decisions based on faith and facts instead of “what if’s”.
Thanks for listening.
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The subject of a wounded spirit is an important one, as it affects so many people. Many don’t even understand what it is, or how it affects us.
At some point everyone will endure certain sicknesses, possibly suffer from a physical infirmity or decline in health. While sicknesses are difficult, they are often overcome and even tolerable when our spirit is at peace. On the other hand, an infirmity of the spirit, a wounded spirit, those are tough to bear.
Solomon, in Proverbs 18:4 makes a statement, and then asks a vital question, “the spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear”?
A broken inner man, a broken spirit, is worse than physical sickness. A wounded and broken spirit is hard to endure.
The spirit of a man keeps him strong when he’s enduring sickness, but what does he do when the very thing that makes him strong gets hurt?
What a question!
In this episode we’ll attempt to answer that question. We’ll look at the cause and cure of a wounded spirit.
Thanks for listening.
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This special Thanksgiving episode is dedicated to you the listener.
We, at the Building Great Lives podcast, would like to thank you for listening to and sharing this podcast.
In 1998, when God called my family I to global missions, I could have never imagined podcasting would be part of the global calling. I fully acknowledge we couldn’t do it without your support.
Because of you, at the time this episode was recorded, you have helped us touch lives in 116 counties.
Thank you for being part of our ministry efforts. Each of you make this ministry possible. We are forever grateful for your continued sacrifice.
Let’s keep reaching.
Let’s keep building!
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There are many things in this life that leave us brokenhearted. Situations and circumstances such as: the death of a loved one, a lost relationship, a broken marriage, broken trust, a loved one struggling with sickness, disappointments and letdowns of life in general and mental, physical and spiritual trauma.
All of these things leave us broken. When your heart is broken, healing can feel impossible. But I have good news for you. God can heal your broken heart.
In Luke 4:18, Jesus declared that He came to heal the brokenhearted.
“Brokenhearted” in this text means, to be deprived of strength, shattered, crushed completely. To be torn down or apart. To be broken into pieces.
To heal means to console and set free those who are deeply afflicted, or whose hearts are broken.
Jesus is saying that He came to heal those deeply afflicted by a broken heart.
In this episode, we’ll take a deeper look at the life of Job, David and Jesus. Through their example, we can learn a lot about healing and discover how God wants to heal your broken heart as well.
Thanks for listening!
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As a person that desires to overcome, I want to understand why some succeed and others do not. I want to learn to overcome as well. While some people have certain advantages and others do not, God desires for all of us to overcome!
Romans 2:11 says, “for God shows no partiality”. He is no respecter of persons. He doesn’t love those with advantages more than those that do not have them. It’s God’s will that all of us overcome!
In this episode, we will discuss what it means to be an overcomer in a biblical context. We will learn over-comers, regardless of their unique situation, share many of the same traits.
The goal of this episode is to provide each listener with ten traits over-comers consistently have in common and how to apply them to our own lives.
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We all have people that we look up to. People that motivate us to become better. It’s natural to desire good qualities we see in others and to model some areas of our lives by the example of people we admire.
However, our goal should be to become the best, most authentic, version of OURSELVES, not to copycat someone else.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:12, that it is unwise to measure ourselves and compare ourselves among ourselves.
It’s never good when we allow our inner self-critic to compare ourselves to others. The danger of measuring or comparing ourselves to others is that our comparisons are never fair.
This type of comparison leads to discontentment and feelings of inadequacy. It also leads to unnecessary insecurities.
Comparison is a thief to joy.
It can be difficult, but you have to break the habit of measuring yourself by others.
In this episode, we’ll talk about true vs. false measurements. We’ll also look at several biblical examples and then discuss the only three self measurements that matter.
The goal of this episode is to help each listener break free from the comparison trap while learning to live happy in who God created them to be.
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In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how to increase your spiritual capacity. Regardless of who you are or how long you’ve been living for God, it’s crucial to know that God has more for you.
Your potential doesn’t have to be limited by your upbringing, your exposure, financial standing or where you were born. Spiritual growth is possible. The ceiling on your potential can be lifted.
The Psalmist, in Psalms 119:32, asked God to “enlarge his heart”.
Jabez, in 1 Chronicles 4:10, asked God to “bless him and enlarge his coast”.
The Disciples, in Luke 17:5, asked Jesus to “increase their faith”.
Peter, in 2 Peter 1:5 said, “giving all diligence, add to your faith”.
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 2:9 said, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”.
Paul is saying, there’s more available right now! Not just when we get to heaven.
Whatever you’ve seen… God has more.
Whatever you’ve heard… God has more.
Whatever you’ve thought, envisioned or dreamed… God has more for you.
Join me in this episode as we learn to take the limits off and release God to increase our spiritual understanding!
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We can be our own worst enemy. Sometimes we set unrealistic expectations and then criticize ourselves when we don't live up to them.
While we all have room for improvement, there’s a huge difference between self-evaluation and self-criticism…
Self evaluation is a normal reflective process where an individual assesses themselves to gain a better understanding of their strengths and weakness with the intent of making improvements.
Self evaluation is much different than self criticism!
Self criticism is the continual expression of judgment or disapproval of oneself over perceived personal faults. These negative thoughts can result in feelings of worthlessness and failure. They often lead to discouragement, discontentment, depression and a poor self image. Self criticism has been found to worsen depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Learning to silence the inner critic is key to becoming all God has called you to be.
Join me in this episode as we look at four keys to silencing our inner critic.
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In this episode, we will discuss the two sides we have. The outward man that people can see and the inner man, known only to us. Psalms 44:21 says, God searches and knows our heart. God knowing our heart might seem frightening to some, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s comforting to know that even though God knows us completely, He still loves us wholly and desires to help us overcome our inner struggles.
Jacob had two sides. On the outside, he looked successful. However, things were much different on the inside. David also had two sides. To the causal observer, the king was blessed with many things. But, at times, things were much different on the inside.
Through these two examples we will learn how God desires to help us overcome our inner struggles.
Salvation is for the whole man and provides the power to heal and overcome now and for eternity.
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Without a doubt, there’s a battle going on for our mind. The devil desires for worry, depression, anxiety and a poor self-image to be constant companions in your life. Winning the war for our thought life is absolutely key to our mental, emotion and spiritual well-being.
Thoughts are seeds that bear fruit. We need to recognize damaging thoughts so we can stop them from influencing our lives. Thoughts, even though they cannot be seen, weighed, or measured hold powerful influence over our lives. Thoughts become feelings. Feelings become actions. Actions become behaviors, both positive and negative.
The goal of this episode is to help you recognize unhealthy or inappropriate thoughts, then overcome them. Once we learn to recognize unhealthy or inappropriate thinking, we can start replacing them with healthy and appropriate ones. Thankfully, Philippians 4:7-8 tells us what we should think on. A better understanding of these things will equip us to overcome every unhealthy or inappropriate thought that enters our mind.
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Even though we strive to do right and learn from our mistakes, there are times we find ourselves struggling with the same things over and over again.
It can be a vicious cycle that leaves us discouraged and feeling disappointed in ourselves.
The good news is, God is not finished working on you. God is longsuffering toward us. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul said, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
The word “workmanship” means the process of making something. It’s the quality imparted during the process of it being made.
The New International Version uses the word “masterpiece” instead of workmanship. Even though you struggle, you’re a masterpiece in the works!
Like clay in the hands of a master potter, or a paintbrush in the hand of an artist, you are still a work in progress.
Don’t give up on yourself, God’s still working on you!
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The psalmist Asaph declared, in Psalms 77:11, “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”
In Psalms 103:2, David said, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”
Through these psalmists, we are reminded to never forget the wonders of the Lord. Thinking back over the times God has made a way for us encourages us during difficult times! When we think of the goodness of Jesus and all He’s done for us, it stirs up our faith.
When Jeremiah saw the destruction of Jerusalem, he wept, but when he remember the mercies of the Lord, his hope was restored!
In this episode, we’ll cover five things we should never forget! Each of these will help you overcome struggles you may face!
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In today’s episode we’re going to reveal the secret to true happiness! When we think about being happy, it’s natural to think of happiness in terms of a special location, memory or an achievement.
People even jokingly refer to “finding their happy place”. Truth be told, happiness is much more than a special location, memory or an achievement.
Happiness can be defined as an enduring state of mind consisting not only of feelings of joy, contentment, and other positive emotions, but also of a sense that one's life is meaningful and valued.
Biblically speaking, happiness isn’t the absence of all trauma, suffering, discomfort or hardship. Happiness is a deep contentment that comes from knowing God is in control working all things for our benefit.
It's important for you to remove the illusion that any one thing in this world will make you permanently happy.
Happiness isn’t always something we feel. It’s a much deeper expression of life. Happiness is more so connected to who we are and what we do than the circumstances of our life.
True happiness is deeply connected to three main areas, our relationship with God, our relationship with family and friends and living a purposeful life. The great news, this means happiness is possible for all of us!
Join me in this episode as we explore the meaning of true happiness. We’ll also lay out five keys that will help you unlock the secret to happiness for yourself.
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In today’s episode we’re going to talk about temptation. What is it and how we can overcome it. Temptation is the testing of man's faithfulness and integrity.
It’s something we want that we don’t need or doing something we know we shouldn't.
Although it’s much easier to blame the devil, not all temptation comes from him. The truth is, because of sin, many of the temptations we face are because of our own carnal desires.
While being tempted is not a sin, temptation is the devil’s attempt to use our weaknesses against. However, we are not powerless. We will also take a deeper look at how Jesus overcame temptation and how we can apply these principles to our own lives.
God never allows us to be tempted beyond what we can take but always provides us with a way out.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.” God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. He will provide a way of escape, and keep you, that you may be able to endure.
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Each of us have strengths and weaknesses. While it is easy to embrace our strengths, we naturally tend to struggle with our weaknesses. It is important that we take note of our weaknesses and do our best to prevent them from being a hinderance in our lives.
Naturally, we spend more time reinforcing our strengths and often, to our own disadvantage, ignore our weaknesses. While none of us enjoy admitting we have weaknesses, let alone dealing with them, we must take our weaknesses seriously. Ignored or overlooked weaknesses can destroy our lives, the lives of others, marriages, families, reputations and ministries.
In this episode, we’ll take a look at the lives of Saul, David and Sampson. We will discuss their strengths and weaknesses. In so doing, we can easily see why it is so important for us to set up safeguards against our own weaknesses.
Join me in this episode as we discuss the importance of putting safeguards in place that will help us to be successful in every area of our lives.
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In today's episode we're going to talking about surviving setbacks. A setback is an event that delays progress or may even reverse some of the progress. No matter how carefully we plan, sometimes, things still go wrong.
Setbacks can occur in all areas of life.Setbacks at our jobs. Setbacks in our health. Setbacks in physical projects. Setbacks in our emotional heath. Even, setbacks in our spiritual lives. Experiencing these setbacks can be discouraging.
In this episode, we’ll look at a few biblical examples of people that experienced setbacks and overcame them. Then we’ll layout seven keys that will help you overcome when you face them.
In Luke 14, Jesus taught about being prepared when building a tower. Every great project manager builds in a contingency plan for unexpected setbacks. Being prepared is a sign of a great project manger. It’s also a sign of a well managed life.
Even though all of us experience setbacks, we can overcome them! This episode will cover preparing for setbacks, patience when facing setbacks, the positive side of setbacks and seven keys to overcoming setbacks.
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It matters how we see others. We perceive things based on sight or learned behaviors. We filter how we see people through the eyes of our upbringing, beliefs and personal preferences. We can even perceive certain things based on where a person is from.
However, if we can learn to see people through the eyes of God, we will no longer see them according to where they were born, the skin tone, their financial standing, or their worldview. We will see them as souls in need of a savior.
When we see others through the eyes of Jesus, we’ll see people in two categories, those that are reconciled unto God and those that are not. That’s what it is like to see through the eyes of Jesus. There is only reached and unreached.
Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
While we know both Jews and Gentiles, free and slaves, male and female certainly exist, Paul was showing the Galatians all people are equally important to God. God does not see one person of more value than any other.
This was a real struggle for the Jewish people of that day. The Jews were very nationalistic. Many are this way today. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with loving where you were born, we must always remind ourselves that our new birth into Kingdom culture must always come first.
In this episode, we’ll discover the real reason Jonah didn’t want to preach to the people of Nineveh. We’ll also look at the culture shift Jesus intended by going through Samaria.
The goal of this episode is to encourage us to see people as Jesus sees them.
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In today’s episode we’re going to talk about how to manage and overcome regrets.
Regret is a feeling of sadness, disappointment or sorrow, which is caused by something that has happened to us, something we have done or something we wish we had done differently. Most often we regret things we feel are too late to change.
A recent studied asked people in an end of life hospice care facility what their greatest regrets were. Those interviewed admitted they were dying with regrets. However, many people are currently living with regrets.
We are well aware of how Satan tries to use condemnation against us. However, improperly managing regrets can lead us to self-condemnation.
Regret is a thief, it makes you look back while robbing you of happiness. Regrets magnify the negative and blind us to the positive in your life.
An unhealthy view of regret can leave us with an unhealthy view of ourselves. God wants to help you overcome your regrets so you can get back to living a happier life.
In today’s episode, we’ll take a closer look at how Peter and Judas managed regret. We’ll also learn how Paul overcame his regrets. We will also lay out practical steps that will help you manage and overcome regrets in a healthy and godly manner.
If you’re ready to overcome your regrets, then sit back, listen and let God help you.
Thank you for listening.
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Everywhere you look today there are people whose lives are falling apart. Thousands of families in despair. Relationships crumbling. The whole world seems to be in disarray.
The question has to be asked, why are so many lives being ruined?
Why is every nation on earth facing such tragic and dire circumstances?
Why does it seem like the world is coming apart at the seams?
It’s not politics, political leaders or social economics. The reason tragedy is prevalent in our world is many people are not building their lives on sure foundations.
In Mathew chapter 7, Jesus taught a parable of two houses. One house survived a storm, the other did not. The difference wasn’t the material the houses were built with. The difference was the foundation the houses were built on.
The importance of building our lives, hopes, dreams and families on a godly foundation cannot be overemphasized.
We all face difficult situations. Thankfully, Isaiah 28:16 tells us we have a sure, unshakeable, tried and proven foundation we can build our lives on.
In this episode you’ll discover how the faith, hope and love play a role in building a foundation that will help you stand, regardless of what comes your way.
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We all have scars, and each of those scars have stories. Our external scars remind of us certain events and feelings. Our internal and emotional scars bring up much different feelings. Although emotional scars are easier to hide, they affect us on a deeper level and can take much longer to heal.
God made our human body incredibly resilient. For example, when you get a cut, your body immediately goes to work to heal it. However, when we experience an emotional wound, our body does not naturally go into recovery mode. We have to take an active role in processing what happened and asking the Lord to help us heal.
Scars prove we survived the struggle, yet these struggles can leave emotional scars that we carry for years.
Jesus had scars too. Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, performed many incredible miracles, including resurrecting Himself from the dead. Without question, Jesus could have completely removed the marks of His death. Yet, the Bible tells us scars remained on His body.
Why did Jesus keep the scars? Simply, He chose to. These scars proved His identity to His disciples. He chose to keep the scars because scars revealed who He was and what He can do to others.
You’ve been through so much. You’ve been wounded by life. You’ve felt the pain of disappointment and regret. You’ve experienced hardship and hurt. There’s chapters of your life that, given a choice, you wouldn’t have written. The pain of heartbreak. The trauma of physical or emotional abuse.
You’re carrying scars from the pain. But there’s a purpose for your scars as well. What the enemy meant for evil, God is going to use to save many people alive.
In this episode, we’ll talk about how God wants to use your scars to reveal Himself to others.
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We make thousands of decisions everyday. Some decisions are small, or seemingly inconsequential, like what clothes we’ll wear, where to eat, etc. These type of decisions don’t normally have long-lasting or eternal consequences.
We also make decisions that are more weighty. For instance, who we’ll marry, a career change, where to attend church or whether to move cross-country. These type of decisions affect the direction of our lives and can have long lasting, emotional, physical and spiritual consequences.
This is why spirit led decision-making is extremely important.
In this episode we’re going to talk about the importance of making sound, spirit led decisions. We’ll also discuss why making good decisions is important, how to overcome the impact of bad decisions, and lay out seven steps that will help you make better decisions.
As always… thank you so much for listening!
And until next time!
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In today’s episode we’re going to talk about Divine intervention. Divine intervention is when God steps in and changes the outcome of a situation.
The King James Bible has 1,189 chapters. However, only four chapters, Genesis chapter 1‐2 and Revelation chapter 21‐22 are exempt from man’s need for God to intervene. Genesis 1-2 is about the perfect man. Revelation 21-22 is about the perfected man. The remaining 1,185 chapters is a record of man's struggle and Gods divine intervention.
The Old Testament and New Testament are filled with examples of God intervening. In the Old Testament, God intervened and delivered Israel out of Egyptian bondage. In the New Testament, Jesus, moved with compassion, healed a man with leprosy.
You may be thinking, those stories are from a long time ago, but what about today? Does God still intervene today?
Thankfully, Hebrews 13:8 answers this question. It states that "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Yes! God still intervenes on our behalf. What God did for others in the past, He can do for you today.
Regardless of what you're going through or how difficult the situation, God can make a way. I pray this episode encourages you. Even when you can’t see it, God is working.
Thank you for listening.
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The Bible says, in Ephesians 6:12, that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
While demonic activity is real, it’s certainly not something we should fear. God has equipped us for victory with the whole armor of God.
One of the devil's more effective tactics is to torment our mind. He tries to overwhelm us psychologically with anxieties, shame, regrets and more.
I do not believe every psychological or emotional struggle is the result of an evil spirit. Having good days and bad days are a completely normal part of the human experience. However, I do believe, at times, devils try to piggyback on these struggles in an attempt to cause us more emotional grief.
Spiritual torment goes beyond the normal emotional or spiritual struggles we face. Spiritual torment is a continuous, unrelenting, attack on your mind. It’s the devil’s attempt to capitalize on our struggles and oppress us until we break.
In this episode, we will define what a tormenting spirit is and lay out some practical, yet biblical, steps to overcoming them.
Thank you for listening.
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In todays episode, we will learn how to listen for the voice of the Lord.
This simply means all the many ways God deals with each of us. From an audible voice to a gentle tug at our heart, God speaks in innumerable ways.
The first time God spoke was recorded in the book of Genesis. He spoke to His heavenly creation. He spoke to His Earthly creation. But it didn’t end there, according to Genesis chapter 2:16, God also spoke to His human creation.
There are over 2,000 occurrences of God speaking to man or through man in the Bible.
But does God still speak to us today? The writer of Hebrews 1:1-2 confirms that God spoke in the past and God is still speaking, “in these last days”.
Hebrews 3:15 also tells us that "today... if ye will hear his voice". The question is not whether God still speaks today. He certainly does. The bigger question is, when He speaks, will we hear Him.
Just like young Samuel, we have to learn how to perceive when God is speaking to us.
In this episode we’ll discuss practical, yet effective, ways to recognize when the Lord is speaking to you. This will give you invaluable insight into all God has created you to be.
Thanks for listing. Please help us reach more people by sharing this episode.
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A lie is an assertion that is false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving or misleading someone.
There is a saying, "the worst lie you can tell, is one you tell yourself." While all lying is biblically wrong, the point remains, many people struggle because they believe things that are not true about themselves.
In John 8:44, Jesus said the Devil is the father of lies. He lies to us to confuse us into doubting what God has told us. He knows if we repeat his lies long enough, we’ll begin to believe them.
Satan is good at what he does, he will do everything he can to get you to believe his lies. You must start recognizing his lies for what they are. His lies are meant to hold you in bondage.
This isn’t an indictment of anyone, from time to time, we all struggle with believing the devil's lies. And while there are many lies the devil tries to get us to believe, there are a few we may share in common.
In John 8:32, Jesus said, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. When we learn and know the truth, we are able to walk in freedom from the lies.
In this episode we’ll discuss four common lies we believe about ourselves and the truth that will set us free. Thank you for listing.
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How far can mercy reach? What is mercy? Mercy is a vital Christian term whose meaning is often misunderstood. In the most simple terms, mercy is God NOT giving us what we deserve.
In Isaiah 50:2, God asked Israel, Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? Nine chapters later, Isaiah 59:1, answers the question like this, behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save.
The Prophet Isaiah confirmed the reach of God’s mercy has no limits. God’s "hand" has not lost any of its power. His ability to save has not changed. His power has not become weaker. His reach has not become shorter.
God’s mercy was able to reach David in his lowest times. God’s mercy was able to reach the prodigal son in a far country. The mercy of God was able to reach a woman from Samaria. And mercy is able to reach you.
Dear listener, may this episode be a constant reminder that no matter what life brings your way, the reach of God’s mercy is well able to help you in your time of need.
Thanks for listening.
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Life can be difficult. You’ve gone through things that when others faced it, they gave up. But you, by the grace of God and a made up mind, survived.
Surviving hard times is an incredible accomplishment. Surviving is a reason to rejoice.
When it comes to our healing, we may not understand that it comes in stages. And while you may not be completely over what you’ve been through, you’ve survived. And that's a reason to celebrate.
Now that you’ve made it through it, God wants to get you over it. Everything we go through shapes us, but it doesn’t have to define the rest of our lives.
When Israel was freed from Egyptian bondage, they passed through the Red Sea. And, when it was time for them to possess the land God promised them, the Bible says they passed over the Jordan river.
First they made it through, then they made it over. God has the same desire for each of us. Not only will He help us make it through our most difficult days, He will also help us get over it. In other words, we can get to the point the hurt no longer defines us.
Join me in this episode as we celebrate and then begin the next stage of the healing process.
Thank you for listening.
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In todays episode we’re going to talk about the will of God. What is it? Does God have a will for each of us? If so, can we know it?
What do we mean when we talk about being in the “will of God”? Simply put, the will of God refers to God’s specific plan for our lives. It’s what we were created for. Our live purpose.
The biblical word for this type of “will” means “what God wishes” for our lives. Following God’s will means our life and plans are in alignment with God’s wishes.
To better help us understand God’s will, we’ll break down the will of God into two categories. First, we’ll talk about God’s universal will. His universal will applies to all of us. The second is God’s individual will. His individual will refers to His purpose regarding each of our lives.
In Colossians 1:9, Paul prayed that we would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.
God does have a will for you life. It’s His desire to reveal His will to you. Join me in this episode as we discuss five keys to discerning God’s individual will for your life.
Thank you for listening.
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It’s easy to get stuck in life and think we’ve gone as far as we can. Many times it’s not our spiritual enemy holding us back, it’s our own thinking.
If you think you can’t, you most likely won’t.
If you think you’ll never get better, you most likely won’t.
If you think you’re going to fail, you most likely will.
In 1 Chronicles 4:10, “Jabez called on God, saying, Oh that thou would bless me, and enlarge my coast”. We need to pray for God to enlarge our thinking so we can start believing God to use us in bigger ways. We need to start dreaming bigger dreams and start expecting more.
That starts with us working on our mindset. A mindset is a mental attitude that determines how we interpret and respond to situations, it’s a set of beliefs that profoundly affects the way we live our lives.
Research shows that our mindset plays a significant role in determining outcomes. By understanding, adapting and shifting our mindset, we can improve our mental health, and become more resilient to life’s challenges. The great news is, mindsets are changeable.
Join me in this episode as we discuss why our mindset matters. We'll also discuss several methods that will help you develop a more positive mindset that will better help you accomplish your life goals.
Thanks for listening.
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We’ve all been there; life is going good, then, out of nowhere, you’re blindsided by an unexpected call. In that moment, life turns from great to tragic. . Instantly all joy seems gone.
Loss can come in many forms. We might lose a job, our health, a relationship or even someone we love. Often, it feels like life will never be the same again.
Going through loss, can leave you wondering if joy is gone forever.
David, in Psalms 51:12, prayed for the Lord to restore his joy. In this episode we’ll endeavor to show that God wants to restore joy in your life.
Understandably, many people that have suffered loss struggle with feeling guilty for feeling joy.
The goal if this episode is to help each listener understand where true joy comes from and how to get it back if you lose it.
Thank you for listening.
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The Bible is filled with many powerful and eloquently spoken prayers.However, that doesn’t mean only eloquent prayers move God. And, thankfully eloquent words are not required when talking to God.
The Reverend Charles Spurgeon once said, If the eloquenceof our prayers mattered to God, then eloquence would be more valuable than grace — but it is not so.
Excellency of speech is not what moves God to work on our behalf.
God is moved by the honest and sincere cry of a broken heart and a contrite (crushed like powder) spirit.
It’s a good thing that God doesn’t require eloquent words because, in the midst of great distress, deep anxiety or overwhelming grief we find ourselves at a loss for words. There are timeswhen our heart is so heavy that we just can’t find the words to say. In this episode we’ll discuss a few personal examples as well as lay out four ways to pray when you can’t find the words to say.
Thanks for listening and let’s keep building!
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No one likes to fall. It can be painful, embarrassing or worse. And while, in the church realm, we think of “falling” as falling into sin, we are not going to focus solely on this aspect in our podcast today.
When the prophet Micah used the word “fall”, he was not just referencing sin. The word “fall” in Micah 7:8 also means “to feel overwhelmed when facing adversity”. In fact, falling can refer to anything that gets us down.
With that in mind, it’s safe to say, each of us have fallen. We’ve all felt overwhelmed by the circumstances of life. We’ve all felt “down and out”.
The goal of this episode is to help you understand, down does not have to mean out!
Solomon said in Proverbs 24:16; “A just man falls seven times, and rises up again.”
The righteous are able to rise repeatedly because both his person and his path are sustained by the Lord.
Noah got back up.
Moses got up.
Job got back up.
David got back up.
Jonah got back up
Peter got back up.
If these men were able to get back up, you too! It’s time for you to get back up again.
Join me in the episode and let’s keep building!
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Have you ever wondered why you were born?
In her Ted Talk, Mel Robbins, referred to a study were scientist calculated the odds of you being born. They took into account wars, natural disasters, the odds of your parents meeting and the timing involved with conception. According to this study, the odds of you being born, at the moment in time you were born, to your parents, with your exact DNA structure is 1 in 400 trillion “chance”.
The probability of your existence was all but mathematically impossible…. Yet here you are. I’m convinced God was directly involved in you being you.
Something much bigger than “chance” is at work in your life. I do not believe you were born to “just” exist. The rarity of your existence is a testimony of the great plans God has for your life
You were born for more.
In John 14:12, Jesus said, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.
The goal of this episode is to convince you that, regardless of your situation, God has great plans for your life. The enemy would love for you to settle for less than God has for your life.
Don’t settle…. You were made for more.
Let’s keep building!
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The Bible says God has given us exceeding great and precious promises. We prefer when God brings those promises to pass quickly. However, many of His promises take time.
Waiting feels synonymous with doing nothing. However, biblical waiting is not passive. Biblical waiting is actually an “action word” that means to prepare.
I’ve seen people jump ahead of God and try to make things happen for themselves. I’ve also seen people put their entire lives on hold, passively waiting, until something happens.
Neither of these approaches are helpful nor spiritually appropriate. We must understand that waiting doesn’t mean being inactive nor is the time we spend waiting wasted.
In this episode we’ll discuss five things you can do while you’re waiting on the promises of God to come to pass.
Thank you for listening.
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In todays episode we’re going to talk about breaking the chains of shame.
It’s important to break free from the chains of shame because shame makes people believe they are worthless. Shame leaves us feeling as though we have no value to God or others. Shame also makes people feel flawed, undeserving and not good enough.
Shame causes people to fear not being able to measure up or please the people whose love, respect and approval they desire most. Shame causes people to live in fear of being rejected by those they most admire. Shame can also manifest itself through low self esteem and depression.
People even feel shame over things that were not their fault nor had any control over. Shame doesn’t just make people feel unqualified, it makes them feel disqualified.
For these reasons we must break from from the chains of shame,
As Christians, we’re taught how repentance brings forgiveness of sins. Unfortunately, we’re taught much less how to deal with the ongoing effects of shame.
In this episode, not only will we look at biblical examples of those that dealt with shame, we’ll also discuss four suggestions that will help you break free from the chains of shame.
Thank you for listening. Please consider sharing these episodes. Let’s keep building.
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It seems like everyone you talk to is going through a difficult situation. People everywhere are dealing with real struggles, facing real trials and tragedies. We commonly refer to these times as “storms of life”. Many times these trials catch us off guard and leave us feeling overwhelmed.
I’ve been asked, how long will this storm last? When will it get better? Truth is, I don’t know how long your storm will last. But I can give you hope, regardless of your storm, you can survive it! There truly is life after the storm.
Noah and Job both experienced extremely difficult times. Genesis 9:28 says Noah lived after the flood and Job 42:16 says "after this, lived Job".
There is life after your storm too. There is life after: hurt, abuse, divorce, tragedy, betrayal, failure, even the loss of a loved one.
In this episode, I will also share five things I've learned during my own life storms. I believe these can help you as well.
Storms of life are inevitable. The fact that you are a Christian does not exempt you from a storm. As a matter of fact, the Bible says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched" (Isaiah 43:2). God did not say "if", but "when". God knows and understand that there will be storms in your life, and also promises to carry you through each one.
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Life can be unpredictable. You may think you have it all figured out, then the next minute, you're not sure what you should do.
Perhaps you’re sensing new direction, but God hasn’t revealed the next step. Maybe you’ve experienced an unexpected life change, and you don't know how to handle it. Maybe you feel like you’ve been stuck in the same situation for a long time. Maybe you’ve tried everything you could think of, nothing changed and now you’re at a loss as to what to do next.
We all experience times where we just don’t know what to do.
In this episode, we'll learn from a few biblical examples of those who didn't know what to do next. We will also discuss four things you can start doing immediately that will help you when you don't know what to do:
- Ask God for wisdom.
- Stay faithful to what you know.
- Don’t make life changing decisions.
- Seek Godly counsel.
Let's keep building.
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No one was born by mistake. God has placed you in this world for a reason. You are not here by accident. There is a purpose for your existence.
The Psalmist David said, when I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? (Psalm 8:3-4a)
In this verse, the word "ordained" means prepared, established and set in place.
With great care, just like the stars, God has intentionally and carefully placed you where you are.
You may wondering, what is my purpose? What is my “why”?
Your why answers the “what am I here for” question. Knowing your why becomes the filter for your life decisions. Knowing your why provides structure and focus to your life.
In this episode will discuss how to find your purpose. We were created for two purposes. We’ll show how our purpose is always two-fold. First and foremost, we were created for the purpose of having a relationship with God. Secondly, when we seek His kingdom first, He will direct our steps into our individual purpose.
It’s time for you to step into your purpose!
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In Exodus 14, the Lord said unto Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.”
If only it were as easy as getting the word to move forward and taking that first step and being well on our way. However, moving forward is not always as easy as it sounds. Life can be complicated at times. Life is a work in progress. But progress is a good thing, even if its only one step at a time.
In this episode we will discuss and debunk the following five myths about moving forward:
Myth 1: Moving forward is easy.
Myth 2: Moving forward means never feeling the pain again.
Myth 3: You have to be better before you can move forward.
Myth 4: Everyone moves forward at the same pace.
Myth 5: No one else struggles with moving forward as much as you.
We will also take a look at two biblical examples who took completely opposite paths. Peter denied. Judas betrayed. Both of them sinned. Both felt remorse. Yet they made opposite decisions regarding their future. Peter chose to move forward and was greatly used by God. Unfortunately, Judas did not.
Finally, we will explore three effective ways to move forward. We must remember that each difficult life event is but a chapter, not the completed book. God is not through writing your story. He will help us turn the page.
Let’s keep building!
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The book of Romans chapter 8, reminds us nothing can separate us from the love of God. We know we are more than conquerors through Jesus. So, why does it sometimes feel like God is a million miles away?
Even as believers, we often find ourselves measuring God’s closeness by our feelings. When things are going great, we tend to feel like God is close. During difficult times, it feels as though God is far from us. In reality, God is always with us.
Job cried out, "Oh that I knew were to find him, I cannot perceive Him." David cried out, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Both of these men had felt the closeness of God, and yet, they also experienced times where they felt God was very far away.
Thankfully, the Bible offers these examples to show us how best to respond when we feel God is distant.
In this episode we’ll dig deeper into this topic and discuss three practical ways that will help you understand, no matter how you feel, God isn’t far from you. In fact, He will never abandon nor give up on you.
Let’s keep building!
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We've all been tired. However, there’s a difference between being physically tired from a hard days work and being mentally, emotionally or spiritually weary.
Weariness can be a result of sickness, grief, anxiety, or the constant struggle of trying to handle complex life situations in our own limited abilities.
Extended seasons of weariness can result in excessive worry and anxiety. This occurs because our mind is staying in “alert mode". We have a feeling of “brain drain” and feel emotionally and spiritually numb.
Extended seasons of weariness can also lead to “burn out”, a feeling of tiredness that sleep alone cannot alleviate. Thankfully, the Bible gives us the answer for a weary spirit.
In this episode, we will define what it means to be weary and look at some biblical examples of people that overcame it. Through their example, we can develop a strategy to winning the war against weariness.
I pray, during this episode, God will speak a word of healing to your weary mind.
Jesus said, in Matthew 11:28-29, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Let’s keep building!
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Faith is not just a religious term. Faith is our living connection with God.
In Luke 17:5, the Disciples made a profound request. They asked Jesus to increase their faith. In a world filled with difficulties, it would have been understandable had they simply requested Jesus sustain their faith. But they didn’t, they prayed for more faith.
Jesus taught that faith is like a grain of mustard seed. Some have misunderstood this to mean that our faith has to remain small. However, Jesus further expounded on this concept when He taught that once a mustard seed is planted, it will grow into a great tree. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:3, that God has given each of us a measure of faith. Our measure of faith, just like the mustard seed, has the potential to grow into something great.
In today’s episode we’re going to discuss four practical ways to grow your faith.
(1) Identify specific areas where you want your faith to grow.
(2) Seek out resources that focus on those areas.
(3) Surround yourself with people that have the kind of faith you desire.
(4) Take the required action steps.
No matter who you are, no matter where you’re from, No matter if you’ve just begun your faith journey or you’ve been living for God for years, God wants to increase your faith.
Let’s keep building!
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Hope can be defined as an earnest desire and expectation. Maintaining hope is extremely important. It plays a huge role in our spiritual and emotional wellbeing.
The Apostle Peter told us to always be ready to give an answer to anyone that ask the reason for our hope. While life may be difficult right now, you have a reason to keep hope alive. Our hope is not in this world alone, Jesus is the reason for our hope. 1 Peter 1:3 tells us that we have been begotten again until a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It's possible to maintain hope after a negative medical diagnosis if the doctor suggests a proven treatment plan. Those individuals are able to remain hopeful, because of someone else's success in treatment. However, there are others who will rapidly decline, even as quickly as overnight, when given a diagnosis without a treatment plan. The difference being, the addition of hope.
The same applies to our spiritual lives. It is amazing to see someone endure the most difficult of situations and circumstances and still retain their faith. How is this possible? They have the added factor of hope in their lives.
In this episode we’ll look at several people who faced situations that appeared “hopeless”. Their lives teach us the importance of realizing where true hope comes from. (Jesus) I pray by the end of this episode God lifts you out of hopelessness and renews you to a lively hope.
Let’s keep building!
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As humans we make many mistakes. We may have even said, "if you will forgive us, I'll never make that mistake again." And we mean it. We are sincere and serious. Yet often we find ourselves failing again. Struggling over and over with some of the same issues.
Thankfully, 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us”.
But with so many ups and downs, one may wonder, is there a limit to God’s faithfulness ? Will He eventually give up on us? Is there a point where God’s faithfulness runs out?
Those are great questions that deserve to be answered. In this episode we’ll prove that God’s faithfulness is to a thousand generations and beyond.
Be encouraged, God hasn’t given up on you.
Let’s Keep building.
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Today’s episode will be emotional for many. It certainly was for me.
We’re going to talk about our need to forgive God. Yes, I know how strange that sounds, but hear me out.
We all want things to make sense. It makes sense that an all powerful God can do anything. We, for good reason, expect Him to answer when we pray. It doesn’t make sense when a God that can do anything… doesn’t.
Because of our limited understanding, it hurts especially bad when our all powerful God chooses not heal or work a situation out the way we want.
Martha must have felt this way when she said, Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.
Because we are emotional beings, this type of disappointment can easily create feelings of resentment toward God.
We must forgive God. Let me be clear, God has never needed a pardon from us. He’s never actually done anything wrong. However, the process of forgiving is the best way to explain the process we need to go through. Forgiving God is more closely related to releasing our pain, frustration and disappointment in His decision to answer differently than we had hoped.
In this episode we’ll look at biblical examples of others that experienced these disappointments and discuss how they handled it. We’ll also lay out a few ways to begin the process of… forgiving God.
He's truly working things for our best, even when we can't understand.
Let’s keep building!
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For years mental health professionals and behavioral experts have debated if it’s possible for people to change.
Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet, asked "can a leopard change his spots"? Can those that are used to doing evil, change and start doing good?
Can people change? What a great question and one most of us have wondered too. I believe the Bible reveals the answer.
Ezekiel said," a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes."
That sounds like change to me!
The Apostle Paul wrote, "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The word transformed literally means “to change”.
Change isn’t always easy, but it is possible. In this episode we’ll look at biblical examples that prove change is possible. We’ll also cover some steps that help change become a reality in our lives.
Be encouraged, no matter how far gone someone may seem, no matter how many times they’ve messed up, change is still possible through Jesus. Never give up.
Let’s keep building!
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Jesus said, in Matthew 21:21, if we have faith, and doubt not we can say unto the mountain, be thou removed… and it shall be done.
I believe God still performs miracles. God can, in an instant, change a person's life completely. From sick to healed. From blind to seeing. From lame to walking. From sinful to forgiven.
The Bible gives us many examples of people that were immediately changed by the miraculous power of God’s touch. Jesus declared in John 14:12, "the works that I do shall you shall do also".
So, when we speak to “mountains” of difficulties, we can expect them to move. However, there are times that we can speak, by faith, to our mountains and they don't seem to move immediately. Before you get frustrated, let's take a closer look at Matthew 21:21.
The greek word used for faith in Matthew 21:21 doesn’t just refer to immediate, it also means faithfulness and persistence. While we expect an immediate miracle, there are some mountains in our life that require a collaboration of the supernatural and our faithfulness and persistence.
Be encouraged, as long as you remain faithful, your mountain will move.
Let’s keep building!
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The Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon.
The Navy Of Tharshish also brought gifts to Solomon every 3 years.
The Navy of Hiram also brought gifts to Solomon ever 3 years.
The men of the earth brought gifts to Solomon.
The wise men brought gifts to the child Jesus.
Admittedly, these were all incredible gifts, but none of these were the greatest gift ever given.
In John 3:16-17, we read: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
The greatest gift ever given was not gold and silver, or wrapped in holiday themed paper. The greatest gift ever given was born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes.
The greatest gift ever given… is Jesus! The gift of Jesus brings:
The gift of opportunity
The gift of mercy
The gift of grace
The gift of forgiveness
The gift of His spirit
The greatest gift ever given was given to you! This gift is greater than gold and silver and greater than worldly fortune and fame.
In John chapter 3, Jesus spoke with Nicodemus about the greatest gift. Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, explained it further in Acts 2:38.
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Mary, the mother of Jesus, received the greatest gift. Jesus' disciples received the greatest gift. And, the greatest gift, is available to you as well.
Peter continued in Acts 2:39 "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Out of all the wonderful gifts you've received, there's none greater than Jesus. If you've never experienced Him, or if you've been away from Him, His gift is still available for you today.
Experience the gift!
Let's keep building!
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We all have insecurities. Including, God called, anointed and appointed leaders. Wrestling with insecurity doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, it means you’re a normal human being.
When it comes to leadership, managing insecurity must be high on our priority list.
Many leaders, feeling insecure, overcompensate by lashing out or cutting themselves off from others. As leaders, letting our insecurities control us makes us dangerous leaders. Our insecurities do not harm just us, they can harm those God has entrusted to our care.
As leaders, we must be willing to take an honest look at ourselves, to make sure we are not allowing our insecurities to influence the way we lead.
As leaders, we must be mindful that, while we can lead WITH insecurities, we do not have to lead FROM insecurities.
This episode aims to help all kinds of leaders develop strategies to help them lead more consciously and confidently.
Let’s keep building!
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From time to time, in one form or another, we each deal with insecurity.
Perhaps you’re insecure aboutyour appearance, your abilities or your past. Whatever it may be, no one is exempt from dealing with insecurity.
Insecurities can lead to depression, anxiety and negative beliefs about ourselves.
If we let our insecurities control our lives, they will affect our relationships, life goals, as well as our mental and spiritual wellbeing.
If we neglect to proactively manage our insecurities, they can keep us from making bold moves for God. For this reason, the devil tries to use our insecurities against us. It’s his attempt to hold us back and keep us from our purpose. He hopes we will give up.
If you’ve ever heard that inner voice tell you, “you’re not enough", then this episode is for you.
In this episode I’ll give you some strategies for managing your insecurities and embracing the person God designed you to be.
You, your personality and your experiences were specifically created by God.
Let’s keep building!
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No matter who we are or how long we've been living for God, there will be times that test our faith. Admitting that we have times of doubt makes us feel uncomfortable.
Our faith is the most central part of our relationship with God and times of doubt can be discouraging. We may even worry about our relationship with God.
I’ve heard it said many times, faith and doubt can not dwell in a person at the same time. This concerned me, because I know I believe in God, yet there are moments that I wondered if God would really work in my life.
While I’ve never doubted that God can do anything, there have been times I wondered if He would.
Imagine the relief I felt when I found a man in the Bible that struggled with belief and unbelief at the very same time!
In this episode, we will look at biblical examples of faithful people who had moments of doubt. We’ll talk about how they handled their doubts and what we can learn from their experiences.
One of the key takeaways from this episode is that a moment of doubt doesn’t have to destroy a lifetime of faithfulness to God.
Thanks for listening.
Let’s keep building!
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Have you ever heard someone say that they’re not afraid of anything? Guess what, those people are telling you how they wish the were not how they actually are.
We’re all afraid of something.
While researching for this episode, I came across an article that boldly declared, a “true christian believer” will never fear.
Let me just say, that couldn’t be further from the truth. As long as we live in this flesh… we will deal with certain fears.
It’s natural for us to fear certain things, as a matter of fact, it’s even healthy. The key is learning to not let fear take control our lives. There’s a huge difference between having a healthy regard for danger and being tormented by fear.
It’s an unhealthy understanding of fear that can lead to irrational thinking, unpredictable behavior, and spiritual paralysis.
In this episode we’ll take a deeper look at fear and layout practical steps that will help you assess and overcome fear.
Let’s keep building!
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Life can leave you feeling wrecked and as though you are about to sink. During these times we all need something we can hold on to.
Hebrews 10:23 says "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise."
In the face of pain and disappointment, the writer of Hebrews reminds us, that we can hold on to the Promises of God.
The Bible has 7,487 promises between God and man. But what exactly are biblical promises?
A Biblical promise is about what the “promise giver” will do, and also involves the receiver of the promise. When God makes a promise with us, we have the "right to expect". The promises of God are our "inventory of hope".
In this episode we will define God’s promises and learn how we can hold on to them. This is key to victory during our most difficult days. We will also discuss five areas in our lives that are covered by the promises of God.
Let’s keep building!
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All of us are searching for peace, but in times like these, is peace even possible?
Jesus confirmed to His disciples that they would face tribulations in life.
Paul warned us in 2 Timothy 3:1 that perilous times would come. There would be times filled with difficulties. Despite these warnings, Jesus, in John 14:27, also declared that He would give us His peace.
These statements seem to contradict each other. On one hand, He says there will be difficult days, while also declaring there would be peace. The reason perilous times and peace can occur at the same time is that there are those that are not able to understand peace.
We often think of peace as the absence of struggle. True peace isn’t the absence of difficulties, rather a quietness of soul, wholeness, completeness and rest.
Peace is actually found in the presence of God. His peace is available regardless of the circumstances we may face. True peace is supernatural.
Join me in this episode as we define true peace. We will learn how to experience it and how to retain it, even when we are enduring our most difficult days.
Let’s Keep Building!
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When we face difficult or complicated situations, it’s common for us to wonder if anyone really understands how we feel. Many times these situations leave us feeling all alone. It's possible to feel alone even in a crowd or among friends and family.
However, we must remember that we are never alone.
Matthew 1:23 states: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.God is always with us.
In this episode, you'll discover a powerful revelation. God is not just omnipresent, in all places at the same time, but He is with us, readily available and willing to help.
It’s comforting to know that God isn’t just among us, He is with us. Let’s keep building!
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Life is full of incredible days. If someone asked me to name the most important day of my life, It would be impossible for me to pick just one.
The day I received the Holy Ghost. The day I preached my first sermon. The day I saw my future wife for the first time. WOW. The day we got married. The day our children were born.
For me, all of those are incredible days.
But here’s what I believe: The most important day of our life isn’t a past event!
The most important day of our life is actually… Today! Life is short! What we do today matters.
James said: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:14)
The most important day of your life is today. You are not guaranteed tomorrow. That’s a sobering thought but, it should not depress us, it should actually motivate us to make today count. What you do today matters. The steps you take today will change your life forever. Your future is being written by the steps you take today. I’ve met so many people with big dreams, with plans to do great things. But for whatever reason, they never took that first step. They put it off to another day. A day delayed turns into a week. A week delayed turns into a month. A month delayed turns into a year. A successful tomorrow begins by what you do today.
What are you going to do with YOUR today?
Let’s keep building!
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Most of us would love to think we’re immune to discouragement, but the truth is we’re not.
Discouragement is universal; none of us are exempt. Discouragement doesn’t discriminate. Discouragement doesn’t care if you’re young or old, rich or poor, or what country you were born in. It is no respecter of persons.
Each of us has experienced times of discouragement.
Discouragement, if left unchecked, can become like a prison. Discouragement, if left unchecked can make you feel hopeless. In extreme cases, discouragement, left unchecked, can become deadly.
While we all may get discouraged from time to time, we do not have to be held captive. We do not have to let it control our lives.
In this episode we’ll define discouragement and lay out Biblical examples of how to defeat it.
Let’s keep building!
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In this episode we’re going talk about self-image. What it is, how it affects every area of our life and how to overcome it.
Self-image is the personal view, or mental picture, that we have of ourselves. It’s an “internal dictionary”that describes the characteristics we feel about ourself, including both positive and negative feelings.
This “internal dictionary” begins developing when we are very young. Each positive and negative life event adds to our “mental” dictionary. These entires become “thought patterns” that govern our lives.
Why does self-image matter?Becausehow we feel impacts our lives in some way:
Mentally… how we think.
Emotionally… how we feel.
Physically… how we respond.
Relationally… how we connect to others.
Spiritually… how we respond to God.
The enemy uses our negative thought-patterns to attack our minds. Recognizing and embracing what God has done for you will help you break free from the cycle of negative thoughts that have been controlling your life.
This episode will layout practical steps that will help you break free from the negative way you feel about yourself.
It’s time for you to stop letting your painful past define you.
Let’s start building!
There are many things that amaze me about God. From His power to create, to His ability to heal. One attribute of God that amazes me most is His willingness to forgive.
Each of us, at one time or another, has sinned. We all are in need of a Savior that is able and willing to forgive. Thankfully, the God of second chances is available to step in, forgive and continue to guide us into great things.
Throughout scripture we see examples of God’s love evidenced by Him giving man another chance. The wise man Solomon wrote: “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.” (Proverbs 28:13 The Living Bible translation)God desires to give fallen man another chance!
In this episode we’ll look at a few people who messed up, got a second chance and accomplished great things.
It’s my desire for you to know that God hasn’t given up on you. He’s ready to give you another chance. I want to encourage you to take Him up on His offer. No matter how bad things have been, He still desires to give you another chance.
Let’s keep building.
It is human nature to prefer things that are comfortable, familiar, or safe. We feel more like ourselves in familiar surroundings. Our personal comfort zones are as unique as we are. However, not all comfort zones are actually comfortable.
Comfort zones can also be explained as familiar feelings. These feelings are from a long term association or feelings we have grown accustomed to and tend to repeat.
For instance, some may even become so accustomed to pain or grief. It may seem unimaginable, but it can feel emotionally safer holding onto pain, rather than letting it go and moving forward. At times, we even choose to stay in our pain because it feels more predictable than the unknown that lies ahead.
You must understand that in order to move forward, there are some things that must end.
The Children of Israel faced this when the mourned the death of Moses and Aaron. In both of these situations, Israel’s mourning had to end before they moved forward into the promised land.
The goal is not to set a time line for grief, rather than understand that at some point that pain will eventually have to reach a point where you are able to move forward into the future. Letting go of the pain or grief is not about letting someone get away with hurting us or no longer loving someone who has passed, but it is releasing the pain that has kept us immobile for too long.
In this episode, we explore “necessary endings” more in-depth while reminding the listener that God will help them transition from pain to promise.
Let’s keep building!
Have you ever prayed and God was silent? Me too! Be encouraged, I have some comforting news! We are not alone! Everyone has been through seasons of silence or will eventually.
The great Psalmist David, known for his worship, experienced seasons of silence. He records some of his frustration in the following psalms:
Psalms 22:1-2 (ESV)
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
Psalms 35:22
22 This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me
David was not the only biblical hero that endured a season of silence. Job and Zacharias did as well. In this episode we’ll look at how these three men handled their “seasons of silence”.
When God is silent, we must guard against assumptions and challenging questions:Did I do something wrong?
Does God still hear me?
Did God leave me?
Does God still love me?
Why would God be silent?That’s a great question. There are many reasons. In this episode we’ll explore several of them.
It’s important to remember: The silence of God does not mean the absence of God.God has not forsaken you. He still hears your prayers. I hope this episode helps you finds ways to stay strong, even when God is silent.
Let’s keep building!
Today’s episode is very special to me. The thought is not original to me. The Five “Dangerous” Prayers, was preached by my mentor in ministry, the late Rev. Kenneth Humbers, over 25 years ago.
Thankfully, he passed these notes down to me. Today’s episode is filled with exact quotes from his notes mixed with my own.
I dedicate this episode of the podcast to his memory. He believed in me, he corrected me, he directed me, he preached me, he loved me and most of all, he prayed for me. He taught me that standing for right isn’t always easy, but it is always necessary.
I must warn you, these five “dangerous” prayers are not easy to pray, but they are guaranteed to change your life forever.
The 5 prayers we’ll talk about today are not “safe” prayers.
They are surrender prayers…
They are prayers that will move you out of your comfort zone and into the miracle zone.
Five “Dangerous” Prayers:
1. Search Me.
Psalms 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
2. Break Me.
Psalms 51:17
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
3. Stretch Me (Increase my faith)
Luke 17:5
5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
Increase means add to, grow or stretch…
4. Lead Me.
Proverbs 3:6
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
5. Use me.
Isaiah 6:8
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
The use me is a prayer of willingness.
Isaiah was saying, here I am Lord, I’m available, use me.
I’ve never seen anyone that sincerely prayed these prayers not be powerfully used by God.
Thanks for listening! Let’s keep building!
Most of us grew up with heroes. I certainly did. As I grew older and felt called to ministry, preachers became my heroes.
What happens when one of your heroes fall? What about when one of those heroes hurts you? I experienced this as a young preacher. I was devastated.
A recent survey said 73% of people polled said they no longer attend church because they were hurt by a lay leader or pastor. Astonishingly, it wasn’t that stopped believing in Jesus. They didn’t stop believing in the Bible. They stopped attending church because they lost trust in spiritual leadership.
Let me be clear, this episode is NOT an attack on Pastors or lay leaders. But that 73% is way too high to sweep under the rug. People matter to God.
In this episode I’ll talk about the generational effect of church hurt and lay out 5 keys to how to respond and recover after being hurt at church.
- Guard against “transferring disappointment”.
- Think more about what Christ has done FOR you and less about what others have done TO you.
- Don’t attach the complete worth of “the cause” to any single event or individual. The cause must go on.
- Do not allow the failure of others to become an excuse for you to fail.
- Give healing and restoration a chance.
If you’ve been hurt, please know you’re not alone. Don’t allow the disappointment to destroy you. Through prayer, counsel and time, you’ll be able to heal and rebuild trust.
It’s time. Let’s start building.
The story of Nehemiah and Israel rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days is something we rejoice about. What a miracle! But did you know, when the wall was only half built, they felt overwhelmed and wanted to give up? I had never noticed it either!
When life gets difficult, situations become complicated and things seem to be spiraling out of control, it’s normal for us to feel like giving up. Many times our frustrations make us want to quit trying. It's hard to admit it, but it’s true.
If you've ever felt like giving up, you're not alone! This is a very common feeling. We’ve all felt like throwing in the towel at one time or another.
Together, let's explore this and take a look at some other examples in the Bible. We can see how important it is to keep persevering, even when the progress seems slow.
Don’t give up. Let’s keep building.
It is human nature to want to be accepted by others. We try to only show our best sides. We fear rejection and try to hide or cover up our flaws.
We often approach God the very same way. We want Him to only see our best qualities. We want Him to only see our strengths. We try to hide our faults from Him.
We struggle with revealing our inner most fears and worries because we’re afraid that if God sees the “real us”, He may reject us.
Jesus didn't reject the desperate father, in Mark 9:24, that cried out, Lord I believe, but help my unbelief! His honesty resulted in his son being delivered.
Let me assure you, you do not have to fear being honest with God. People may reject you, but God never will. There's something very freeing about being completely open and honest with God. God already knows our thoughts as well as our faults.
Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. He died to deliver the “worst part” of us. How incredible is that!
In this episode we will discuss the life changing benefits of learning to be completely honest with God. We will learn to be open about our fears, struggles and our questions. We can even be completely transparent about our doubts.
Trust me, this episode will be life changing...
Let's keep building.
Forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a difficult topic and, it can be difficult to give. There are those of us who have been through devastating situations. And, we’ve struggled with the thought of needing to give forgiveness, let alone, actually forgiving.
We all have a ton of questions and maybe a few misconceptions about forgiveness. What is it? Why should I do it? What if the people that hurt me never ask for forgiveness? If I forgive, does it free them from the consequences of their actions? They hurt me, why should I forgive them? Does forgiveness require future relationship with the person?
In this episode we will answer all those questions and more. I pray this episode gives you a deeper, maybe even new insight into the purpose and power of forgiving, even those who’ve never asked.
Let’s keep building…
Everyone has a story. We've all led lives that have happy times and sad times. One way to influence, teach and inspire others is by sharing our story. It's amazing how these glimpses into our lives have a way of creating commonality, while building trust and establishing relationships.
In today's episode we're going to talk about a powerful story. This story is unique and one of a kind. It is a story that MUST be told. Are you wondering what story I'm referring to? It's your story! You have a story like no other. Your story will reach people in ways that no one else can.
Now is the time to discover your voice. Be encouraged to tell your story and allow those stories of overcoming inspire others to preserver in their own lives. Your story is the story that must be told!
Let's taking the building to the next level. Let's start telling...
To a varying degree, almost all of us have a fear of the dark.
All of our senses are intensified in the dark. Every noise sets our nerves on edge. The sounds we hear are magnified. Our ears hear sounds that we’ve “never” noticed during the daylight hours. Our heart rate increases as our brains try to determine if these sounds mean danger.
For many people, fear of the dark is not actual fear of darkness, but rather fear of possible dangers that are concealed by it. Darkness is disorienting.
In this episode we’re not talking about a natural darkness. This darkness is a type of emotional heaviness that makes it difficult to move forward.
Isaiah 50:10 tells us that even believers, those that obey His voice experience dark times. Experiencing the darkness doesn’t negate our relationship with Him. It is in this darkness that we are exposed to the Light. He shines brightest in your darkest days.
Have you ever been in a dark season? Maybe you’re in one right now. This spiritual and emotional darkness is trying to swallow you up.
But, I know this darkness is not more powerful than God. Thankfully, God moves and works in our darkest days.
Join me in this episode as we lay out a survival guide for surviving your darkness days.
Do you have a prized possession? Something that means a lot to you? Maybe it’s a gift from a loved one. Maybe it’s an heirloom passed down from a loved one when they passed. Out of all the things you own, it means more to you than anything else.
In many cases our prized possessions may not hold much monetary value. But to us, their value cannot be measured. We hold an emotional connection to it because of the deep affection we have from the person that gave it to us.
I have a few. One of them is my grandfather’s WWII military ID, also called “dog tags”. According to a recent online search, their resale value isn’t much, maybe $10 to $20 dollars. But to me, those “dog tags” are priceless.
I suspect most of us have a prized possession. Maybe, while reading this you had one come to mind.
The Psalmist David declared all the Earth and the fullness thereof is the Lord’s. I wonder, does God have a prized possession? If so, since everything is His, what would He choose for His prized possession?
I have discovered the answer. I know what God’s most prized possession is.
In this episode I’ll reveal God’s most prized possession and what that means for you. You will not want to miss this episode.
Remember, great lives are not born, they’re built.
Let’s start building!
I know what some of you are thinking. Crisis Identity? Doesn’t he mean Identity Crisis? Nope! I said it just the way I meant it, crisis identity.
What is a crisis Identity? A crisis identity can be defined as someone who has allowed their emotions, conversations and lives to be consumed by and revolve around a crisis. Associating a current or past struggle with our identity creates a crisis identity.
The struggle ends up running our lives. It consumes our thoughts. Our conversations revolve around it. To be completely honest, this is a common issue most of us struggle with.
We even associate people in the Bible with their crisis.
Blind Bartimaeus.
The lady with the issue of blood.
The woman caught in adultery.
These examples go on and on. This proves how we tend to connect crisis with identity.
In this episode we’ll discuss how to recognize and overcome a crisis identity.
You are not what’s been done to you. You are not the things you’ve done. And if you feel you are, then this episode is for you!
God has a plan to change your crisis identity into a cross identity.
Remember, great lives are not born, they’re built.
Let’s start building!
There is a school of thought that infers we are socially conditioned creatures whose futures have been determined by our pasts and believe an individual's past controls his or her destiny.
However, I do not believe that an individual’s future has to be controlled by their painful past.
No doubt, all of us have experienced painful situations. Those moments become time stamps in our life story. At times, if we are not careful, those painful experiences can become a heavy weight that causes us to stumble.
No doubt, many of us have endured traumatic situations that left us feeling trapped in an emotional prison. We long for freedom from those thoughts that leave us feeling stuck.
No doubt, the trauma is real. However, I do not believe your future is already determined. I believe there’s a way for your future to be better than your past.
Part of the healing journey is learning to turn you painful past into purpose. God desires to take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it into something good. God desires to use our painful past to help others experience healing.
While we want to “let go” of our past, what we really need is to “let God” use our past. That’s the ultimate healing! If you’re ready to start the healing journey, then this episode is for you.
Remember, great lives are not born, they’re built.
Let’s start building!
As a child of God, I am very familiar with His love and mercy. However, there are times that even though I know God loves me, I still find myself hurting. I still find myself going through frustrating circumstances and yes, at times even wondering, WHY God would allow this?
Over the years, I’ve discovered, I am not the only one who has felt this way. Thankfully, there are stories in the Bible that share times when others have felt the same struggle between KNOWING God loved them, yet still reeling from the hurt of their situation.
While we would certainly prefer to feel the love of God and never hurt or suffer again, the fact remains, we have been called to a greater purpose where even our hurt can be a blessing to someone.
In this episode, we will explore several instances of great men who God used their hurt to be a catalyst of healing to others. Just as those in the Bible, there’s a purpose much bigger at work than your current hurt. Let’s continue to build, because God is not done with us yet!
Have you every prayed, expecting God to answer, yet it seemed like nothing happened? It felt as though your prayer hit the ceiling and came falling back to your feet. Yeah, I’ve been there too!
We know God hears our prayers. We also know God has the power to answer. We even know the Bible tells us to ask and we shall receive. So, why, at times, does it seem like He doesn’t answer?
Trying to understand and make sense of that can be very difficult. It can also lead to emotional and spiritual frustration.
However, God DOES actually answer all of our prayers. And in this episode we will talk more about this, as well discuss four practical keys that will help you pray with more understanding and less frustration.
Are you ready? I know I am. Let’s keep building!
What if I told you I know the most powerful words ever spoken? Would you believe me?Admittedly, that’s a pretty bold claim considering most people can come up with quotes from respected figures that have inspired them in many positive ways. Quotes like, "Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." -Winston S. Churchill
That’s a great quote, however, it’s not even close to the most powerful words ever spoken. I credit Jesus with speaking the most powerful words ever spoken. In my opinion, the words Jesus spoke to the woman caught in the act of adultery are the most powerful words ever spoken. Jesus said to her, “neither do I condemn thee.” Those words literally saved her life. They were more powerful than her accusers. Those words were more powerful than her sin. They were even more powerful than her shame. Incredibly, the very words Jesus spoke to her, were intended for you as well.
If you’ve ever had a regret or felt condemned by guilt and shame then this episode is for you. Your life is about to change forever.
“Neither do I condemn thee.” - Jesus
Are you ready to experience the most powerful words every spoken? Let’s start building.
Have you ever felt like your life was falling apart? Have you felt at times that situations or circumstances were just crashing into you? I know I’ve felt that way. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when it seems so many things are going wrong. We feel frustrated, confused, angry and at times discouraged.
But, what if I told you, your life isn't actually falling apart? What if I told you things are actually falling into place? Yes, really.
In this episode, we will take a look at our lives from a different perspective. We will realize that not everything happening is to our detriment, but for a much bigger purpose. We will learn that God isn’t doing things TO us, rather, He is doing things FOR us.
You don’t have to let a moment of heartache define the rest of your life. You have the power to choose what you allow yourself to be identified with. You can choose the pain of a past hurt or the you that God has called you to become.
We’ve all experienced painful moments. These moments shape the way feel about ourselves, the way we think, the way we trust, even the way we love. Even though we are the sum total of all our life experiences, that doesn’t mean we are destined to live the rest of our lives being defined by only the painful moments.
In this episode, we’ll discuss the difference between being shaped by something verses being defined by it. This revelation will free you from your past. You are not the hurt you’ve experienced. God has great plans for your life. Embrace the plan not the pain of your past.
It’s time to start understanding our true self and not be identified any longer by pain we’ve endured.
Let’s start building!
Have you ever felt broken, even broken beyond repair? I know I have!
David felt that way too. David wrote something amazing in Psalms 31. In verse 12, David reveals something very important when he compares himself to a broken vessel. Why is it so important that David describes his feelings like a broken vessel? We all know what it feels like to be broken, and we can visualize what a broken vessel looks like. A broken vessel has lost its purpose and its usefulness. David is revealing to us that he feels so broken that he feels like he has lost his purpose and his ability to be used.
Unfortunately, many of us have felt that way. Fortunately, God is a great healer.
Psalms 34:18- The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalms 147:3- He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
In today’s episode we’re going to talk about recovering from brokenness. You are not broken beyond repair. Let’s start building!
Our hurts and failures often leave us with an unhealthy view of ourselves, a view the enemy uses to condemn us. In this episode you’ll begin to see yourself through the eyes of God’s love and not through the lens of your pain. I felt the anointing of Holy Ghost very strong while recording this episode. I pray it changes you like it changed me.
The pain won’t last forever… your purpose will.
Finding Purpose Through Pain. Many times the very difficult we wish was over, is actually the vehicle God uses to reveal our life purpose. The enemy wants you to give up. God wants you to lift your head up. It’s time to discover your purpose.
Greetings everyone, my name is Trent Gilliam. I’m exited to introduce you to the Building Great Lives podcast.
A podcast about real life, facing real issues and finding real answers.
Have you ever had difficult questions?
Are you ready to find answers?
Have you ever been hurt?
Are you ready to be healed?
Have you ever felt like you were just wondering through life?
Are you ready to find direction, peruse your passion and fulfill your purpose?
Then this podcast is for you!
For almost 30 years I’ve been privileged to minister around the world. Over the years I’ve experienced many unique situations, many of them powerful… some of them painful. Each dilemma presented me with two options… I could either give up or grow… I chose to grow and I want to help you do the same.
The Building Great Lives podcast offers biblical, yet practical solutions to life’s complicated problems.
Jesus said… Upon this rock I will build my church…
The church is more than the place we gather to worship.
We the people are the church.
Jesus was telling Peter, “I want to build people!
Great lives are not born, they are built one day at a time.
I’m Trent Gilliam and this is the Building Great Lives Podcast.
Follow “Building Great Lives” on Apple podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen.
Be sure you don’t miss out on a single episode.
Welcome to the process!
Let the building begin!