Glimmers in the Fog Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kim Stiver
With compelling stories drawn from everyday life, Glimmers in the Fog is a weekly audio blog about catching glimpses of God and His amazing love for us. It strives to offer fresh spiritual insight and inspiration to encourage, challenge, and renew your vision of the redemptive love of Christ and His calling for your life. Visit the blog to go deeper every week with questions for reflection and a free devotional eBook when you sign up for the email list. https://www.coreradiate.com/blog
Sometimes the most spectacular movements of God are the hardest to see, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. This message offers encouragement for anyone who’s struggled with unmet expectations and disappointments after long periods of waiting on God to move or open up doors for you to serve others or see a lifelong dream come to fruition. No matter what your dream or how you’ve been disappointed, Jesus is always trying to accomplish one thing more than anything else during our seasons of suffering. All other reasons will always be secondary to this one goal. I’ll share with you how this has played out in my life in recent months, and how God has been faithful, even when the trials of ordinary life seemed to indicate otherwise. While this episode is the last Glimmers podcast for a while, I didn’t want to leave you without saying thank you for listening and letting you know what the next chapter of life holds for me. For more resources or to read the blog post, visit: www.coreradiate.com/blog/last-glimmer
When we read the Word of God out loud, sometimes the Holy Spirit brings a passage to life in a whole new way. Romans 8 is not traditionally considered an Advent message, but when it's read aloud and set in the context of Christmas and why Jesus came in the first place, another layer of meaning emerges and a bigger glimpse of God's love for us appears. You're invited to sit back, close your eyes, and restfully seek His presence as you listen to this short, dramatic reading of selected verses from Romans 8 in The Passion Translation. Merry Christmas to all Glimmers in the Fog listeners! May you experience the gift of Jesus and the peace He offers in new ways this Advent season!
What would happen if more followers of Jesus practiced heartfelt gratitude every day, all throughout the day? This kind of thankful posture is not naturally within us, but it’s what our souls are longing for as new creations in Christ. And the more we get in the habit of soul-deep appreciation, the more automatic it becomes… the more blessings we will recognize around us… and the more joy will overflow from our hearts. Simply put — Gratitude. Changes. Everything. Being grateful is, at times, the last thing that we feel like doing. And getting started can be challenging. But if you take a step toward Jesus in this, then He’ll meet you where you with an infusion of strength, contentment, and joy that will surprise you every time. Listen now to learn about 5 powerful ways gratitude will change your life. Afterwards, please share this message with someone as a special Thanksgiving blessing! And if you visit the bottom of the blog post, you'll find a free 5-day devotional. Happy Holidays! This podcast will be taking a break for the month of December.
In the next few minutes, you and I will both do something out of habit. Yet the Word of God tells us that we have a power far greater within us than that of habits. God created the power of habit and He knows firsthand how it can be used for our good or for our detriment. If you have been wondering how the force of habit shapes your life, prevents you from doing new things or making healthy changes, or even blinds you to opportunities from God to serve others and grow closer to Him, then this podcast is for you. The power of habit, just like so many other two-sided forces in life, is not in and of itself bad or good. It just is. Like money. Food. Physical pleasure. And even time. All of these things can drive our emotions, inspire us, or … chain us down. And yet all of these forces were designed by God to be harnessed by the power of His Spirit, for His purposes, and for His glory. Listen now to learn more about Scripture's prescription for not only bringing your habits under control but also harnessing their potential for your spiritual good. After listening, visit the bottom of the blog post for a free 5-day devotional to bring your habits more under the control of the Holy Spirit. www.coreradiate.com/blog/habits
Some stories shouldn’t be unpacked too soon. They need time to mature and mellow before they are opened up and experienced again. God mercifully allows us to forget certain things or experiences until we’re ready… until He’s prepared us… to unpack them. In His endless mercy and wisdom, He knows that some stories can’t bear to be retold until the road stretches far enough behind us for wounds to be healed, and our hindsight is clear enough to bring appreciation and understanding. The amazing thing is, He never writes any stories that end in brokenness. Nothing that happens to us is void of purpose or opportunity. Jesus gave His life to assure us of this timeless and powerful truth. He is the culmination of God’s story for all humans, and you are no exception. If you want to be encouraged that everything broken can be made beautiful in God’s time and by His power, then listen now as we explore the unending love of God and its power to transform anything for His glory. After listening, please share this message with someone who needs to hear it. And visit the bottom of the blog for a free 5-day devotional to draw closer to God and find a better ending for your story.
Jesus taught the disciples to operate on a micro-scale, creating a ripple effect powered by the Holy Spirit that eventually changed the lives of countless people throughout the ages. Today, more and more Christians are being duped into believing that God is calling them to serve Him on a macro-scale, creating an impersonal wave of information that reaches millions but changes no one. Our culture pushes us to desire the praise of many for being different, yet we yearn to display our uniqueness and offer our precious talents from the safety of a distant place. We don’t actually want to get in the ordinary trenches of others’ lives and help them walk through the pain, the need, and the despair. Through the exchange of His life for ours, Jesus forever altered the meaning of what it means to be truly adored, satisfied, and beautifully stunning in midst of everything the world views as mundane and commonplace. So if you want to live an extraordinary life, then listen now to explore Jesus’ plan for transforming ordinary people. After listening, visit the bottom of the written version of this message for a free 5-day devotional on this topic! www.coreradiate.com/blog/ordinary
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When the Holy Spirit begins the work of emptying your heart or your life of things that are getting in the way of holy transformation, it can feel like a crushing blow. We often assume that God’s calling on our lives should include the use of what we’re good at or have the skills to do. But a story from the Gospel of Luke about the apostle Peter reveals that God often asks us to lay aside the very talents and experiences we thought were so valuable in order to prepare for something even better. Peter learns that being emptied by Jesus is just as much of a miracle as being filled by Him, and so can we. You're invited to explore what it means to let Jesus empty your net and why it will likely happen many times throughout your life. After listening, visit the blog for a free 5-day devotional that includes special prayer prompts for seasons of change and preparation. www.coreradiate.com/blog/empty-net
If you grew up being told that you had to achieve certain objectives or obey a list of rules to be a Christian, your sense of duty or obligation to God may eclipse your desire for Him… just to be with Him, just to know Him. I know, because I’ve been in that place too. Rather than hungering for Him, in the past, I have denied myself to please Him. Being a true follower of Jesus is not about obligations, burdensome disciplines, or formulas, but rather living each day with an aim of finding satisfaction in Him and pleasure in His presence. After struggling with legalism for years and even walking away from God for a season, I found freedom in choosing desire over duty. It has been 33 years since John Piper first released his groundbreaking book Desiring God, and like so many other believers, that book has changed the trajectory of my life and helped me find freedom from the chains of legalism. So whether you’re in a season of deep satisfaction or wandering in a passionless desert right now, I think there’s something in this message for everyone because we can never get too close to Jesus. We can never exhaust our hunger for Him. So I invite you to listen now as we explore what it means to desire God, how to cultivate our desire even when we don’t feel it, and why it is more important than anything else in life. After listening, visit the blog for free devotional content and a list of resources. www.coreradiate.com/blog/desire-over-duty
One of the most difficult and least practiced things God asks every believer to do is to love each other completely. Fully. Not just a half-way, happy, feel-good, social love. Gritty, down-in-the-trenches love is what Jesus practiced, and He wants us to go there with Him. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Complete love requires us to put ourselves, our pride, and our own comfort in jeopardy for the sake of helping another become what God has created him or her to be in His Kingdom. Listen now to explore the need for -- and the keys to -- offering and receiving Godly criticism. And when you're done, visit the blog for a free 5-day devotional and a list of resources. www.coreradiate.com/blog/constructive-criticism
Whether you secretly struggle with envy or simply cannot be still while waiting on God to bring about a much-needed change, discontentment can lurk in every corner of your heart. Yet, Jesus calls us to be at peace — in other words, to be satisfied — in Him in all situations and seasons of life. But how do we cultivate that kind of trust in His timing to bring His best, when our own evaluation of our situation screams for so much more, right now and not in the distant unknown? Fortunately, we have both Scripture and the wisdom of brave believers who have come before us to give us some practical ways to experience more contentment in our hearts. Listen now to discover 10 keys to cultivating a soul-level satisfaction in Jesus. After listening, visit the blog for links to the Scriptures included in the podcast, as well as a free five-day devotional to take you deeper into the Word. www.coreradiate.com/blog/contented-heart
Nothing about us or what we do is small to God. It all matters to Him. But the great news is Jesus will take care of sweating the small stuff for us. Only He can do it the right way. However, we have to stop using excuses to prevent His Spirit from penetrating, revealing, and dealing with any little things that get in the way of being fully used for His glory. So if you’re ready to discover what the Bible has to say about sweating the small stuff and how transformative the answers could be in your life, then listen now to explore one of the most helpful, yet most often misused expressions in our culture today… even among followers of Jesus. After listening, visit the blog post for free five-day devotional guide at www.coreradiate.com/blog/sweat-the-small-stuff.
Desperation of some sort lurks within all of us. We just sometimes cover it up with our own resources, remedies, talents, skills, ambition, and even our dreams. But healing comes when we finally learn to grab ahold of our eternal identity in Christ, versus who and what we are suffering from right now. No matter what you kind of healing you long for, listen now to explore God’s plan for your healing and why your hope for it should never fade. After listening, visit the written version of this podcast for a free 5-day devotional guide with scripture readings and reflection questions. www.coreradiate.com/blog/hope-for-healing
Turning to God in our moments of need is often comprised of spiritual disciplines that feel comfortable in our solitude. Prayer is powerful. Meditating on the Word is life-changing. But we often miss out on one of the most immediately effective weapons in our arsenal — singing praise to God. Contrary to what many of us think, praise is not the icing on the cake following a good sermon. It’s not only a reaction to God’s blessings. And it’s definitely not meant to be a routine on Sundays or mere background music to our lives. Praise is a no-kidding, get-serious weapon to fight a myriad of spiritual problems within our hearts, in the world around us, and against the very forces of evil that want to destroy our souls. If you typically reserve out-loud singing for Sundays or would never dream of bursting into song all by yourself, then listen now to enter a whole new realm of spiritual reality. Once you go there, you’ll never want to live without it again. After listening, visit the blog for a FREE five-day devotional guide to take you further in your walk with Jesus. www.coreradiate.com/blog/sing-praise
Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” When Jesus told the disciples that they needed to become like little children, He was implying far more than having humility and surrendering to God’s authority. We have to be willing to yield the canvas of our lives to the Master Artist Himself to fulfill the promise of Ephesians 2:10, which says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” With childlike faith, our spiritual eyes also become new again, allowing us to see the unseen… and giving us the ability to see the masterpiece He is making of our lives. If you want to draw closer to God, using your imagination in these three ways can help. After listening, visit the bottom of the blog post for a FREE five-day devotional guide to help you engage your imagination and ignite your vision in your quiet time. www.coreradiate.com/blog/draw-closer And if this podcast touches your heart, please become a subscriber and share it with others!
One of the most prevalent commands in all of the Bible is to rejoice, yet choosing to be joyful during times of stress, grief, tragedy, or prolonged difficult circumstances can be one of the hardest things a believer can do. If you could use more joy in your life but don't know how to start or feel too discouraged to pursue it, I invite you to join me now as we explore the pursuit of joy and three powerful motivators that can help you take action today. After listening, visit the blog for a FREE 5-day devotional guide to take you deeper into the Word. www.coreradiate.com/blog/more-joy
Most of us struggle to not only be real about our doubts, fears, and struggles with other people, but also be authentically open with God and even ourselves. It's only when we live authentically that the Holy Spirit can move in and address our questions, teach our hearts, and soothe our souls. Listen now as we get real about the need to be transparent, and then visit the bottom of the blog post for a FREE 5-day devotional guide. https://www.coreradiate.com/blog/be-real
The struggles of life have a strange way of clouding or warping our vision, often causing us to rely on our own wisdom, memories, or previous experiences to evaluate what’s happening around us or to speculate what God might be planning to do. In times of struggle, we are also especially vulnerable to thinking more or less about ourselves than we should. But God sees us just as we are — created in His image for His glory, no matter what the circumstance. Listen now to learn more about God's plan for recalibrating our vision and comforting our hearts in any season of life. After listening, visit the blog for a FREE 5-day devotional guide on this topic. www.coreradiate.com/blog/God-Sees-You
Most of us have simply accumulated too much stuff through the years — either accidentally, intentionally, or a mix of both. We all exist somewhere on the continuum between minimalism and hoarding. But where does God want us to be? Just like our houses, we have a tendency to fill up the rooms of our heart with things that don’t belong there. But everything in our houses first appeared as a desire in our hearts. Listen now to explore the concept of minimalism from a faith-based perspective and what Jesus asks of anyone who wants to fully and completely follow Him. When you're done listening, visit the bottom of the blog post for a FREE five-day devotional guide to take you closer to God on this topic all week long! https://www.coreradiate.com/blog/minimalism
If you’ve ever wondered how you can best help a friend in need or why you may have hit a plateau in your spiritual growth, the solution to both situations is connected to intercessory prayer, which is the practice of praying for others. Most of us don’t realize that when it comes to prayer, the best thing we can do for others is also the best thing for ourselves, which in turn is one of the best ways to love our Heavenly Father. Listen now as we explore the mysterious and far-reaching impact of intercessory prayer and the power that it has to supercharge your faith. Afterward, visit the bottom of the blog post for a FREE 5-day devotional guide to draw you closer to God: www.coreradiate.com/blog/be-a-participant
When life seems anything but organized or expected, sometimes we can become so overwhelmed in the details that we miss seeing Jesus in the midst of our chaos. And sometimes the opposite is true. We get so busy enjoying the good things of life, that our comforts and entertaining distractions keep us from experiencing God’s presence. So whether you’re in a season of disarray or enjoying a refreshing summer break, listen now as we explore our need for — and the way to experience more of — God’s tender and instructive presence.
There are no ordinary moments in the life of the believer. Even the seasons of waiting and quiet rest are active parts of God’s grand adventure for your life. But what if you’re afraid during seasons of change, upheaval, doubt, or loss? Here are 5 ways to cultivate a heart for God’s adventure. After listening, visit the blog for a free 5-day devotional guide and a Spotify playlist featuring uplifting songs to fuel your passion for God's love and calling over your life. www.coreradiate.com/blog/adventure
NOTE: Glimmers in the Fog will be on a brief hiatus for the next three weeks. Kim will be back with a new episode on July 17th.
The longings of our heart are each directly tied to a spiritual need in our lives. When something is lacking deep within us, we often resort to using the good elements and blessings of life as a primary source of comfort and happiness, rather than finding satisfaction in Jesus. When this occurs, we may not even realize that our hearts are gradually being enticed to love the gifts of God, more than the Gift-Giver Himself. Are you ready to draw your line in the sand and say, "enough is enough" when it comes to letting too much of a good thing squeeze out room for loving Jesus, serving others, and honoring God with your body and your life choices? Listen now as we explore what God’s Word has to say about moving from a self-fulfillment mindset to a soul-satisfying mentality. Afterward, visit the blog for a free 5-day devotional guide to take you deeper into the Word and prayer. www.coreradiate.com/blog/line-in-the-sand
Based on how God has spoken throughout the ages, there are six Biblical hallmarks of His voice that offer us critical insight into exactly what His voice sounds like — and of equal importance — what it does NOT sound like. If you are struggling to hear Him clearly or wondering how to confirm what you've heard is from Him, this episode is for you. After listening, visit the bottom of the blog post for a free five-day devotional and journaling guide to take you further into the Word. www.coreradiate.com/blog/hear-god-part-2
Jesus said His followers will know His voice, but if you're struggling to hear Him you may wonder what you're doing wrong. His voice is not likely to come in the way you imagine, and rarely will it be what you expect. But when you commit to preparing your heart to receive His guidance and lay aside all of your preconceived notions and any shreds of personal agenda, you become far more likely to discern His will. Listen now to learn about four ways to prepare your heart and eight ways He may choose to speak to you. After the podcast, visit the bottom of the blog post (www.coreradiate.com/blog/hear-God-part-1) for a free five-day devotional and journaling guide to take you further into the Word. (This episode is part 1 one of a two-part series. Next week’s podcast will reveal the hallmarks of God’s voice and how to confirm that what you hear is truly Him.)
We are told in the Bible that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, but what should you do when nothing in life seems to be good right now? How do we embrace what God allows into our lives when it seems like anything but good for us? If you have ever struggled with these doubts, then this message is for you. Listen now to discover the true purpose of prayer and how it will change your understanding of — and desire for — what is truly good. And when you're finished listening, visit www.coreradiate.com/blog/jacobs-ladder for a 5-day quiet time guide with scripture readings and reflection questions.
Your desire for something other than what God wants for you is never about the thing itself. It always points to a deeper need. Jesus submitted His flesh to the ultimate torture and death, to make it so we can live victoriously in ours. But after we've fallen again to the same old temptation, how do we find the motivation to begin the long journey back to wholeness when guilt is telling us it’s hopeless and our flesh is telling us we can’t? Listen now to discover the road to restoration and how to take the first steps toward healing. And when you're finished, visit www.coreradiate.com/blog/setback for a 6-day quiet time guide for crafting your comeback plan. Also mentioned in the podcast is another episode from 10/23/18 entitled "To Seek is Human. To Find is Divine." Listen to that here or visit this link: www.coreradiate.com/blog/seekjesus
On the surface, spiritual laziness may look like not getting up early enough to pray and read your Bible, but not doing those disciplines is only a symptom of another problem buried much deeper in our souls. Even worse, it feeds many strongholds in our lives, like worry, anger, control issues, greed, stubbornness, and other negative habits. While you may think of yourself as a highly productive and motivated individual, spiritual laziness is probably not what you think it is, and it may be lurking in unexpected places in your life. Listen now to learn its true definition, causes, and what you can do about it. After the podcast, visit the blog for a FREE 5-day devotional guide with spiritual journaling prompts on this soul-stirring topic! www.coreradiate.com/blog/spiritual-laziness
No matter what you’ve done or what you’ll do, you can't change God's love for you or His desire for you to walk in close step to a plan He's designed just for you. That truth is often hard to believe, however, when we’ve made stupid mistakes, tangled our lives up in sin, or blazed a trail in the entirely wrong direction. But our glorious Father never gives up on us, constantly designing a plan to use us for His glory that is usually surprising in more ways than one. Listen now to explore the all-encompassing and intensely compassionate nature of God. After the podcast, visit www.coreradiate.com/blog/Plans-of-God for a five-day quiet time and journaling guide.
Despite its shortcomings, the local church is still relevant and essential for every follower of Jesus. Whether you’re a seasoned churchgoer who might be struggling with burnout or you’ve never really attended on a regular basis, you've probably wondered whether being a part of a local congregation is really worth the time, energy, and tolerance of other people that it often takes to stay committed. But no matter how you feel about it, God’s word offers us real encouragement regarding His church and how it’s designed to work, comfort, instruct and heal. Listen now as we explore both the obstacles and the benefits of being a part of the body of Christ. After you listen, visit www.coreradiate.com/blog/church for reflection questions and five days of spiritual journaling prompts.
Sometimes God obscures the light of our coming relief to keep our eyes fixed only on Him. If we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, then we might not turn our eyes to look at the miracles He's working right in front of us... in the midst of the darkness. With a plot twist worthy of the best movie, 2 Kings 6 contains an instructive story on how to see through the lens of trust in order to uncloak the miraculous happening all around us. Visit the blog post for reflection questions to take you deeper into the Word. www.coreradiate.com/blog/see-miracles
Why does God ask us to fear Him and then tell us that we shouldn’t have any fears or doubts because of His perfect love? It sounds like both a contradiction and a tall order. While it may seem impossible to live fearlessly, Jesus gives us a clear roadmap to get there and the tools we’ll need along our journey. But before we can discover the keys to courage, we have to start with who we were created to be from the beginning. Our true identity in Christ. If we are to become more like Jesus… if we are to be known by His name… then we will yield to the Spirit the way He did.
The Bible makes it as clear as the Caribbean ocean that He not only cares about the details and struggles of our lives, He is actively involved in the minutia of our days. Like an invisible pattern on a vast ocean, our Father's hand stretches out over the span of our years from birth to death, orchestrating our steps and encouraging us to simply follow His lead and trust His oversight. When we allow the love of Jesus to collide with our struggles, we will always find peace, purpose, and hope in the pain. Listen now to discover God's redemptive plan for your pain. And visit the blog page for reflective questions that will take you deeper into the Word and prayer. http://bit.ly/lovecollides
Whether you struggle with life’s day to day frustrations or you have deep-seated fears about the future, stress, anxiety, and worries can cripple your productivity, steal joy from your heart, and keep you from experiencing an abundant, spirit-led life. In this week's episode we explore one of the primary reasons why we miss out on one of God’s most helpful and comforting promises: peace. By administering a four-step prescription from Philippians 4, we can experience the kind of supernatural peace, rest, and hope that the world around us will notice and want. Also visit the Glimmers blog for additional resources to end anxiety and worry.
Jesus said that His followers are to be the salt of the earth. But in order to truly make a difference… in order to be valuable for Kingdom work... we must take action and practice the art of being salt, or flavoring, in a world desperately wanting to taste real nourishment and find soul-satisfying truth.
Every situation we encounter is an opportunity for spiritual growth if we have the eyes to see it. Like sandpaper on our souls, Jesus gently smooths out our rough edges and transforms us into His workmanship little by little. If you’re struggling to grow in Jesus, then you probably haven’t yielded some part of your heart, mind, or soul to His careful improvement. By learning to recognize the often hidden opportunities for growth in our everyday lives we can uncover the areas still needing improvement. But even when we do feel we are growing by leaps and bounds, we must acknowledge that the work is never done.
Social media presents Christ followers with unique challenges and it can be difficult to know how to live out your faith with loving confidence and conviction in today's cultural arena. But when we are aware of the common lies the enemy has set to ensnare us daily and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us away from them, we can move forward with boldness and authenticity to carry the love of Jesus into social media.
How are Christians called to consume and contribute to the social media machine? More than ever, we are bombarded on a daily basis by images of “ideal” people living enviable lives doing exciting things with beautiful companions in the most exotic of locations. So if we are called to authentically share Jesus in all places for all people, where is the line between cultural relevancy for the sake of the Gospel and pure self-promotion for the sake of ourselves? Listen to find out more and join in the dialogue with your comments here, on my website, or in social media.
Less than 5% of Christians do this, but practicing this powerful spiritual discipline will catapult your walk with God. Like a chain around our hearts, we can unknowingly shackle our lives to earthly things and miss out on pursuing heaven-minded dreams. Learn more about what God is calling us to do and how He'll bless us if we do.
What can a love letter from Johnny Cash teach us about loving God? Find out in this special Valentine's edition of Glimmers in the Fog about the all-satisfying love of Jesus. Like Johnny and June, we can have an overflow of satisfying love that comes from the complete surrender of the longings of the heart.
The spiritual struggles within all of us often stir up baffling contradictions of simultaneous love and hate. But at every point in our faith journey, we can find concrete encouragement and explicit instructions in God’s Word on how to overcome our battles and learn to love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and souls. Perspective isn’t just in the mind. It’s a battle plan for a victory already won.
Ownership is an optical illusion that tricks us into believing that we are in control of what only God can give. But when we allow God to take the lead, we can rest in the assurance that He alone is responsible for the outcomes of anything we do. Our minds can be at peace in the off hours because the Owner of all things is still at work.
Most of us have a very hard time “feeling” the hope of heaven when we’re down in the pits of the daily grind. But when we learn how to put it into practice, hope -- and all its benefits -- is within us continually because of the Spirit of Christ. Rather than a lens for how we view the world, hope becomes a companion, changing not what we see, but who we are.
God designed our souls to crave a Garden experience with Him on a daily basis. The problem is that most of us have either forgotten how to get to the Garden, are afraid of allowing ourselves to go there, or simply don’t make it a priority. We have yet to realize that only in the Garden with Jesus can we experience the wonder of being simultaneously on the mountaintop while walking through the valleys of life.
When change arrives, it always brings with it a life lesson. It forces us to make a choice -- we can pivot in trust toward hope or turn in fear toward bitterness. Trust will teach us the lesson and usher us into a new level of strength. Fear will blind us to the truth and force us to repeat the lesson again and again. In a world that is becoming more and more time-starved, high-pressured, and completely impersonal, we can be a steadfast, but gentle resistance against the cultural grain and help others in times of struggle, change, and pain.
We cannot exhaust God's newness anymore than we can reach the end of His love for us. The resolutions we should keep have nothing to do with a new year but have everything to do with the daily renewal of our love for Jesus. When we’re committed to that, every day has the potential for greatness.
How much love does it take for a king to leave his splendor in order to wrap himself in the rags of common humanity? One minute Jesus was walking on streets of gold and the next he was beginning a long journey on a dusty road to a destination called Calvary. Jesus chose sacrificial love to the point of death for the joy of being with us. This Christmas, discover the kind of joy that leaves you changed, not just happy. When we allow the Spirit of Christ to complete His work in us, we become Christmas miracles ourselves.
When life takes a turn we could've never imagined, God calls us to trust Him regardless of baffling circumstances. Joseph gives us a powerful example of obeying God even when the path ahead demands that we walk through darkness. If we love God, then we will trust God. And in order to trust, we must continually obey.
During the Advent season, many people have only a superficial understanding of one of the most pivotal characters in the Christmas story — Mary. She had the most important ingredient for God to use her to usher in the greatest event in human history — humility. Like yeast added to dough, humility is the ingredient that triggers spiritual greatness for God’s glory. All the raw ingredients can be inside a person, but without humility, even the best combination of traits will fall short of God’s plan.
There’s not a person on this planet who doesn’t make mountains out of molehills when it comes to doing things they dread. But God can turn any pile of misery into magnificence if we seek His glory and not our own. Here are five steps we can take to glorify Him even in the most arduous tasks and annoying situations.
What do the Grinch, Clark Griswold, and George Bailey have in common? Find out what Christmas movies can teach us about Thanksgiving and preparing our hearts for the Advent season. #Thanksgiving #ChristmasMovies #WednesdayWisdom #gratitude #thankfulness #Jesus #Advent #Christian #Inspirational
The mind is like a muscle. It prefers to sit on the couch of familiarity.
Discipline is like exercise. It kicks the mind off the couch every day.
The brain's plasticity is reshaped and improved gradually by repeated practice, not a sweeping instant transformation. Each step we take in following Jesus' lead teaches us to lean on the power of the Holy Spirit for the next step. God is ready to do some mental rewiring in your life if you’re willing to practice.
When we go through difficulties or disappointments, our souls long to be soothed. But we can’t expect to be fully comforted, calmed, cheered, strengthened, satisfied, or healed when we only receive a tiny slice of what God offers. In every frustration, every need, every decision, the Word beckons us, saying to us over and over, “If you only knew the gift God has for you.” Like an antibiotic salve, the Word treats the most infectious spiritual bacteria running rampant in our lives and soothes our souls.
When the negative rhetoric is scarier than Halloween movies, how do we see the truth and make decisions that honor God? Following God's wisdom in the Bible, we can find the truth in the chaos of the election season and beyond. No matter how it turns out, ultimately voting should be about Christians earnestly seeking communion with God, not merely fulfilling a civic duty.
We live in a world that is quick to condemn and prone to instant reactionary judgment regardless of moral, ethical, religious, or political leaning. And communicating the fullness of Christ’s love to someone we disagree with is next to impossible if we are telling them that something they are doing is hateful at the same time. All they hear is the hate in our words, and miss the love, even if it’s really there. So for those who long to share the love of God with others, what are we to do? While I don't have the complete answer to that question, I have found some clues to share based on two fundamental truths Jesus taught plainly. Listen to find out more!
As we have all discovered at one time or another, attempting to lock up a secret is as effective trying to conceal the sunrise — you may block the light for a while, but there’s no denying the time of day. All too often, secrets start as little things that slowly snowball over time, fed by the darkness we keep them in. Yet the human heart wasn’t designed to be a labyrinth of secrets. Rather, it was created to be a throne room for God Himself. As such, any secret we create will take up space that our Heavenly Father longs to fill up with His goodness, beauty, peace, truth, hope, and love.
Learning to gracefully and compassionately manage our daily frustrations is a rapidly dwindling skill in today’s digitally driven culture, which demands instant gratification for just about everything. But practicing patience is like a treasure hunt for the truth that comes with an invitation from God. Instead of viewing patience as something that requires waiting, we would do much better to value it as a means to see truth and then react with grace and love.
Every person has within them an innate desire to seek. To hunt. To discover. To chase. We are biologically wired and rewarded by the chemicals in our brains to seek out something or someone on a daily basis. Listen to learn 8 reasons why all human beings are driven to seek beyond healthy boundaries and 6 spiritual things we can do about it. We don’t have to be mastered by our biological need to seek. Instead, we can learn to master it by being willing to see — and seize — God’s escape hatch for genuine fulfillment.
Jesus calls us to treat others as He did — that they are fellow royalty no matter where they are on their spiritual journey. From prostitutes to thieves, He treated everyone he encountered based on who they could become in His kingdom, not what they were struggling with at the time. Only through divine guidance, can we learn to reason and act based on truth while fully feeling and experiencing what it means to be a human living in God’s abundance.
Every moment of change is an opportunity to welcome God’s plan for our lives, which is not headed toward a cruel, impersonal end, but rather something positive and specifically designed for each of us as individuals. An unwavering belief in that truth makes all the difference between welcoming the next season or resisting it and letting what is absent turn into a knotty, twisted root of resentfulness or bitterness in our hearts.
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Scripture gives us a seven-part prescription for our seasons of waiting and included in this divine remedy we also find the reasons why He sometimes makes us wait in the first place. In His faithful hands, we can trust that our Father will use the waiting to reveal more about Himself and shape us into being more like Jesus in the process.
Our greatest moments on earth are but shadows of the glory that awaits us in Heaven. Daydreaming about the life hereafter with Jesus is not only Biblical, it is also one of the best mood-lifters and perspective-shifters humankind has ever known. Here are 10 dazzling, exciting, and comforting things to ponder about Heaven. When you take the time to remember the splendor for which we were intended, the road now becomes smoother and final passage later will be less about fear and more about anticipation.
Just as our spines are designed to be the balancing rod of our bodies, so our spiritual backbones are intended to keep our souls pointed in the right direction. Having a spiritual backbone is making peace with your weaknesses, not ignoring them or indulging them, and then letting Jesus transform them into a strong collection of dynamic characteristics that move in concert to more fully believe, trust and love God.
Sometimes the things we think we need are exactly the things which hold us back. The shoes of comfort, obligation, and skepticism only keep us from sensing the Truth and responding to the direction of the Holy Spirit. The layers in our lives may feel good and seem to promise protection. They may have even served a good purpose for a season. But anything that keeps our souls from being bare before Jesus, will eventually be targeted for removal by the Master Surgeon. As a believer in Jesus, your spiritual feet are already standing on the road to glory, but moving forward means leaving your shoes of self-preservation far behind.
Most habits and routines happen automatically, but the very things we don’t usually think about are some of the most critical things we should actually spend time thinking about. The force of our habits and routines is powerful, but Scripture offers a prescription for not only bringing them under control but also harnessing their potential for our spiritual good.
The time we have on earth is a lot like living in a big backyard surrounded by an unscalable wooden fence. But every now and then, we are blessed to come upon a knothole that gives us a glimpse into God’s miraculous work behind the scenes on our behalf. Prayerful stillness is one of the best ways to find knotholes, especially if you find yourself sitting in the backyard staring in frustration at the fence line, instead of flourishing where God has placed you. Regardless of busyness or people's expectations, Jesus modeled how to cultivate an intimacy with our heavenly Father.
While self-sacrifice is a hallmark of a fruitful Christian life, God doesn't ask us to make it the aim of our relationship with Him. Instead, Jesus makes it clear that the ultimate goal of our relationship with Him should be delight and pleasure for His glory. When we find ourselves in the rut of duty and self-denial as the end game — a way of just checking off the spiritual to-do list — we are in dangerous territory. When we commit our hearts to loving Him above all else, He does all the work to make us truly happy about that decision.
Sometimes an amazing opportunity or idea can appear at what seems like the perfect time and be naturally aligned with your talents, but it turns out to be a mistake. In John 15, Jesus reveals both the key to letting God make the decisions for our lives and the rewards of doing so. Once we get to the end of ourselves and learn to rely on Him for our decision making, we’ll find the beginning of the life He actually intends for us and the wisdom to pursue it.
When we cram all our “rest” into Sundays, versus making it a daily lifestyle, we squeeze out the room for God to show up all week long. If you don’t have any margin in your daily schedule, you won’t have any space for God to move freely in your life. Reduce stress, increase your contentment, and experience God more deeply when you incorporate Sabbath margin.
In every one of life’s trials, we have the opportunity to view everything that happens through the lens of a belief in a sovereign and loving God, or through our own human perspective. No matter what particular issue scares you or worries you the most, the challenge is the same: how to trust God and effectively receive His supernatural peace and contentment in any type of hardship or struggle. Temptations are Satan’s counterfeits of God’s promises. But in either case — temptation or promise — we don’t experience the ultimate outcome until we’ve actually committed the act.
We are challenged in encounters with people on a daily basis. Whether it’s a frustrating person you barely know, someone you deeply love, or anyone in between those two extremes, most of us struggle with loving them the way Jesus would. The solution lies in truly believing that people can change and then following through on that belief in our actions towards others. Read more: www.coreradiate.com/blog/god-changes-people