The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Honoring our Parents Well By: Laura Bailey “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV Paul’s gift of connecting orthodoxy( doctrine)  to orthopraxy ( how to apply) is one of the reasons I love the book of Ephesians. Paul informs his audience about what they believe and guides them to a deeper understanding of why that matters and how that should change how they live.  The first half of Ephesians is “informational training,” and the second half is “on-the-job training.” In chapter 6, Paul shares specific ways Christians should live, applying the truths he spoke about in previous chapters. Paul outlines how we can live like Christ's followers—specifically, in these verses, in our homes. We see a brief set of instructions for children in our key verses, Ephesians 6:1-3. It’s important to note that  Paul speaks to children who still live in the home and are under their parent’s authority. While the biblical principles Paul addresses, such as godly obedience, apply to children of all ages— in terms of submission and being under parental authority, these instructions aren’t directed towards the adult children/parental dynamic.  Growing up in church, I often heard that God desires children to obey their parents. These verses were usually used to encourage good behavior, focusing on a child's outward actions rather than the inward heart’s motivation—which is what Paul is addressing here.  Paul shares that children are to exhibit godly obedience, one that is not rooted in blind submission but in the heart’s desire to submit to the Lord and those whom the Lord places in authority over their lives. The family dynamic between parental authority and child submission is an allegory for the relationship we all should have with our Father in Heaven.  Why should children obey their parents? Because it’s the right thing to do! Paul drives home the point that children following their parents' instructions isn’t just a suggestion; it’s an expectation. Yes, there will be times, countless times, when it will be difficult to submit to their leadership. Parents often give instructions, guidelines, and rules that are difficult for children to digest; they want to know why, and it’s in our human nature to rebel against authority.  But Paul gave this command under the premise that parents love and protect their children and that children obey them until they live independently.  Paul then speaks about honoring our fathers and mothers, which refers to the 5th commandment (Exodus 20:12), which states, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you." The fifth commandment is the first one that comes with a promise—precisely when it was first given, the promise was to the children of Israel that they would live a long, blessed life in the promised land. However, in a broader application for us today, children who respect and honor their parents will likely have an easier time in life, as obeying our parents is the cornerstone of understanding submission to authority.   It’s important to note that honoring our parents doesn't guarantee that we will live to be 100 years old, be rich, or have a life of ease. Instead, the promise shows us that the Lord both commands and rewards us to respect those in authority over us. We will experience less conflict, division, and personal strife—and ultimately, we will experience our eternal reward in Heaven. Intersecting Faith and Life: Take some time and read through Ephesians chapter 6; if you can, read through the verses in different translations of the Bible. Have you ever noticed that “instructions for Christian households” come right before Paul encourages us to put on the armor of God? Why do you think this? How might a firm understanding of the first half of chapter 6 prepare us to receive Paul’s closing remarks? For Further Reading:Ephesians 6 3 Reasons for Tensions Between Adult Children and Parents Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If we follow our selfish ambition or conceit, it will lead to destruction—at breakneck speed. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches us that the road to life looks a lot more like walking, stopping, talking, and allowing ourselves to move at the speed of love. Just like vehicles have built-in governors to prevent them from driving at dangerous speeds, God gives us speed governors for our lives, too—the people we’ve been entrusted to love.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Love: The Ultimate Speed Governor  By Deidre Braley  Luke 8:45: And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?"  I am a get-it-done girl. I come by it honestly; efficiency and tenacity have been passed down through the women in my family tree, and my genes are wired in a way that makes me want to get the most things done in the least time possible.  So I often feel exasperated when I’m forced to slow down. The other day, my dog and I were out for a jog, and just as my favorite song came on and I hit my stride, he was hit by an irresistible smell from a passing bush. He came to a screeching halt—and I nearly popped my shoulder out of joint. Frustrated, I tried to drag him along, but he’s a stubborn little thing, and finally I gave up and let him sniff the bush, then the grass, then the clover. I thought to myself, It’s his walk too, I guess.  I haven’t adapted that easily to the interruptions of motherhood though. I wish I could say that I’m naturally the type of mother who enjoys baking with her toddlers, who welcomes the dawdling independence of a two-year-old dressing herself, or who’s content with long, sprawling days spent playing blocks and make-believe. But I am not.  In truth, as a dreamer and a doer, I’ve had more moments than I care to admit when I’ve thought, If only I could just do this on my own, it would be so much faster. I could get so much more done. When I catch myself putting projects over people, though, I remind myself of the interruptibility of Jesus.  In Luke 8, Jesus is on his way to Jairus’ house. His daughter is dying, and it’s urgent. But as he’s moving through the crowd and people are pressing in on him from every side, a woman who’s had an issue of bleeding for twelve years reaches out and touches the hem of his cloak. She senses that she’s been immediately healed, even without a face-to-face interaction with Jesus. Now, Jesus could have kept moving, could have left it at that. But instead, amidst the great haste and urgency of the crowd, he stops. Luke 8:45 recounts, “And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” He puts aside his agenda and stops to have a conversation with the woman in order to heal not only her body—but her spirit.  While he is stopped, someone comes from Jairus’ home to announce that his daughter has died. It seems, for a moment, that Jesus’ willingness to be interrupted has had fatal consequences. But then he goes to the little girl, raises her from death, completes his mission. From Jesus, we learn that loving others is the priority—even when that loving is inefficient, inconvenient, or downright untimely. Philipians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” It’s true that living this way slows us down, and that if we were only living for ourselves, we’d probably get a lot more done. But maybe that’s exactly why God gives us people to care for: in order to slow us down, limiting our propensity to run towards selfish pursuits, which is a road to disaster.  If we follow our selfish ambition or conceit, it will lead to destruction—at breakneck speed. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches us that the road to life looks a lot more like walking, stopping, talking, and allowing ourselves to move at the speed of love. Just like vehicles have built-in governors to prevent them from driving at dangerous speeds, God gives us speed governors for our lives, too—the people we’ve been entrusted to love.  Intersecting Faith & Life  Today, practice being interruptible. Remember: people are more important than projects or progress. This could like:  Talking with the person at the cash register ringing out your groceries.● Putting your phone in another room when you’re spending time with your children.● Looking your spouse in the eyes as they tell you about their day. Noticing people throughout your day (at work, in the coffee shop, on the bus) who looklike they could use a smile, a kind word, a listening ear—and giving that to them. Further Reading  Luke 8 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What would it look like for you to take it easy and to let go of your record of wrongs? Perhaps, take a second to repent and then receive God’s grace for you. He doesn’t look at you and see every mistake you’ve ever made; He looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus. He loves you and will continue to help you. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How to Move Forward when Sin Keeps Returning By Kelly Balarie “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” – Prov. 29:11 NIV I feel so angry at myself, and I can’t seem to let it go. Friends, I know, I know... God forgives me, so I need to forgive myself (in fact, I must forgive myself), but sometimes forgiving oneself is more easily said than done. The issue is -- I didn’t overlook an offense and, therefore, became explosive in my tone of voice. I unleashed it on one I love. The issue is that this wasn’t the first time this had happened either. It’s embarrassing to say that I have done it a couple times in the last few years. The issue is that I had resolved not to do this, ever, and I did it again. Oh, the frustration of it all… Have you ever given full vent to your offense? It’s so easy to do. In those moments where we’re wronged or a slighted, it’s easy to feel justified to be upset. The cause is righteous so, of course, we should stand up for it, with force. We know the action is right because we’re standing up for a person.  We’re standing up for God’s truth, so we have every right to not let the other person believe a lie.  The need to release offense and to stand up for something – can feel so right, yet it can be executed all wrong. That’s what I’m learning, anyway. For me? In those moments before I spoke, the words brewed inside, burning to be released. Finally, the second the other party provoked me – I hit a high-pressure point! Then, like a tea kettle screeching under the heat -- I gave full-vent to my anger. What pressures you to let loose your annoyance, anger or offense?“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” - Prov. 29:11 NIV Friends, I can’t help but be confronted with the thought: Two wrongs don’t make a right.  There is a way that seems right to a man but leads to death (see: Prov. 14:12). And there also a way that seems wrong to man but leads to calm in the end. In order to go the right way, we cannot permit feelings of flesh to hinder us from heeding God’s Word.   And, what do you do if, much like me, all the actions you thought were right have led up to a million repeated wrongs? How do you handle the face of all your mistakes? Here, Proverbs 29:11 comes to mind again, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” We are foolish to give vent to anger, even towards ourselves.  Wisdom embraces calm and extends itself the grace of Jesus. Letting go, we can choose to take it easy. Why? Because Jesus’ grace is always enough. Because Jesus’ grace is equipping, empowering and enabling. Because Jesus’ grace is alive and well.   This means, He will help us going forward. God is the Author and the Perfecter of our faith story and, best of all, our story is not over. God is still perfecting it. Here, we can take it easy on ourselves and let it go…God always has for us a fresh start in Christ Jesus. It’s time to let go… Intersecting Faith & Life: What would it look like for you to take it easy and to let go of your record of wrongs? Perhaps, take a second to repent and then receive God’s grace for you. He doesn’t look at you and see every mistake you’ve ever made; He looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus. He loves you and will continue to help you. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The more we yield to God’s Spirit within us, and courageously yield to His promptings, the more we experience the abundant, beyond expectations, deeply fulfilling life Christ promised. God still advances His plan. Our disobedience won’t thwart that. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Seizing God Moments, written by Jennifer Slattery “From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. “On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us” (Acts 16:12-15, NIV). When my daughter was young, my marriage and my life were a mess. My husband and I fought all the time. He held a demanding, high stress position with the railroad that often kept him away and left him exhausted when he was home. I was lonely and battling roots of shame that often caused me to react to challenges and conflict with defensiveness instead of love. We were in significant debt yet continued numbing our pain through shopping. As you can imagine, that didn’t help our relationship. At one point, things became so bad, my husband and I met with a divorce attorney, ready to end it all.  But then one day, while walking through our neighborhood with my daughter in her stroller, I encountered a woman who invited me to her church. She didn’t say much more than that.  I didn’t know her, had never seen her before, and never saw her since, but I did go to church the following Sunday.  That church, and the people there, changed my life, saved my marriage, and helped me learn an entirely new way of living. My daughter is now 26 and a precious woman of God. She and her husband lead a small group for young adults. Praise the Lord, they both have a lovely relationship with one another and me and my husband. And I wonder, where might she be, and how might her childhood have looked different, had that woman not responded to the God moment to invite me to church? And, if she’d reached out and I’d responded with hostility or disdain? While she might’ve felt a brief sting of rejection, I doubt she would’ve carried the heavy cloak of regret.  Thinking of today’s passage, and all that occurred after, provokes similar questions. Where might Lydia and her family have ended up, had she, those with her, and Paul not responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting on the Sabbath mentioned in Acts 16? In our culture where a decreasing number of Christ followers regularly attend church, I’m struck by the fact that Lydia and those women took time to meet at the river.  Let me explain the historical background. Regardless of how many God-following women occupied a city, the location needed at least ten Jewish men to form a public faith gathering. Therefore, we can reasonably assume, fewer than ten Jewish men lived in Philippi. In such cases, Jews customarily met at rivers to pray, hoping a traveling Rabbi would stop by to teach them. I don’t know how many women gathered at the river the day Paul arrived, but people would’ve considered their number insignificant. I imagine there were numerous Sabbath’s during which these women didn’t encounter a Rabbi. And on those occasions in which they did, how many Jewish leaders stopped to teach a group of women? From my perspective, this seems unlikely.  Did Lydia and her companions ever consider staying home? They certainly could’ve prayed there.  Yet, they were at the river, connecting with God, the day Paul, led by the Spirit, happened by. Because of this, they heard and responded to the gospel. But Lydia did more than that. She also invited Paul to her house, which scholars believe became the first Christ-following church in ancient Europe. But I’m also struck by Paul’s behavior, especially when one considers how people viewed women at this time. As I mentioned, although they considered ten Jewish men sufficient to form a synagogue, they found the number of Jewish women irrelevant. Therefore, one might expect Paul to pass them by. But he didn’t. Responding to the Holy Spirit, he seized the God moment, told them about Jesus, baptized these new believers, and accepted Lydia’s invitation to stay at her house. This became the Philippian church, which, as I mentioned in a previous devotional, became a major source of support for Paul.  Intersecting Life and Faith We all encounter numerous God moments each day; divine invitations we either accept or decline. We’ll never know the beauty we could’ve witnessed from those incidents we disregard or rationalize away. But the more we yield to God’s Spirit within us, and courageously yield to His promptings, the more we experience the abundant, beyond expectations, deeply fulfilling life Christ promised. God still advances His plan. Our disobedience won’t thwart that. It will, however, rob us of the joy of knowing God used us to impact a life.  Thankfully, when fear holds us hostage, we can ask God to embolden our faith and empower us to live for Him.  Further Reading: Ephesians 5:15-17 Isaiah 30:21 Acts 1:8 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Every night we have the choice, as our head lays down on our pillows. We can cry out to God and pour our hearts out to Him, giving Him our burdens. Or we can bottle it up and toss and turn. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: What If We Really Gave Our Burdens to God? By Sarah Frazer “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” - Psalm 55:22 (ESV) “Do you need help?” I asked the toddler struggling with the groceries. He grabbed the bag with spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, and ranch dressing.  “I got it!” was the confident reply. The next thing I knew, a jar of spaghetti sauce was rolling down the driveway. My son ran after it and caught it before it broke into pieces. The bag was too heavy, but the toddler insisted that it wasn’t. He needed to let me unload that burden for him.  What heaviness do you hold today that needs to be unloaded?  My toddler thought that he could carry it on his own, but that bag was too much. Often we face trials and burdens in our life that we think we can handle. In fact, we look at others and think they seem to be handling the same type of burdens just fine on their own. Only in our hearts we know that we can’t hold up on the weight of the heaviness. I wonder if some of us need to admit that we need help.  The world says, “You’ve got this!” and “You are enough.” This is not the way of the Bible. Our lives weren’t meant to be lived independently. That isn’t how God created us. As Christians we have something even better than doing life on our own. We have a God who is ready to carry our burdens for us.  The Bible talks a lot about what to do with our burdens. The word used in Psalm 55:22 for “cast” means “throwing away.” This can mean literally throwing something out like garbage or figuratively throwing something away from us to remove something from our presence. We are called to cast or throw out those things in our lives that weigh us down.  A burden can be anything in our hearts or minds that keeps us from living freely in Christ. It is a load or a task that requires effort. Throughout the Old and New Testament, God tells us what to do with our burdens.  Psalm 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” I love the word “daily.” It assumes that we have things weighing us down each day. You and I know what it is like to release something to God one day, but then the next day, we find ourselves worried and worn down from picking it back up again. God walks with us each day. He is there to help us each time we find ourselves weighed down.  In the New Testament, Jesus talks about burdens in Matthew 11:28-30. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We still might carry the weight of something, but sharing it with Jesus allows us to not bear the thing all by ourselves. Jesus calls us here in Matthew 11 to live a life dependent on Him.  1 Peter 5:6-7 says that we can cast our anxieties on him. Other translations change the word for anxieties to worries, fears, troubles, and cares. Those things that keep us awake at night or occupy our minds during the day are anxieties. Why can we bring them to God? Peter says it is because God cares for us. He loves us. Sometimes, we ask others around us to help carry our burdens, but they get tired, too. They have their own burdens to carry. God is never tired and nor does His love ever run out. We can always come to God and hand over our cares.  How do we do this? We pray. Prayer is our connection to God. He is always listening (Psalm 116:1), and He answers us (Psalm 116:2). As we pray, we tell God everything in our hearts. You might think, “But He already knows it.” Yes, but He knows that when we share those cares and hurts and burdens with Him, we are lighter.  Every night we have the choice, as our head lays down on our pillows. We can cry out to God and pour our hearts out to Him, giving Him our burdens. Or we can bottle it up and toss and turn. If I try to handle things on my own, I always end up failing. But if I rely on God, letting my burdens fall on His strong shoulders, I am able to rest each night.  Intersecting Faith & Life: What is the burden that you are carrying right now? Pray, asking God, to take this burden away or lighten the load. Know that God is in control and is working everything for our good (Romans 8:28). How is knowing God is in control and working all things out a comfort for you today?  Further Reading: Romans 8:28-29 Isaiah 41:13 Isaiah 40:11 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Psalm 18:6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Even though God is not the one tempting us, He allows us to be tempted, as we discover through the story of Job. It’s hard for us to fully understand why God would give permission for Job to experience such sorrow, loss, and hardship. But we do see through Job’s testimony, many truths about God are revealed, and He is glorified.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation By Lynette Kittle “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”-- James 4:7 In the 1960s and 1970s, comedian Flip Wilson created a character named Geraldine, who coined the phrase “The devil made me do it,” whenever she wanted to do anything wrong. His portrayal of human nature, to blame our sins on the devil, hit home and made people laugh at the truth of it. Although, like Geraldine, many of us also like to blame the devil for our sins, James 1:14 explains, “But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” Even though we try to push it off on the devil to take the fall for our misconduct, God calls us to take responsibility for it. Like James 1:15 describes, going from temptation to sin is a growing process within us. “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” If Evil Desires Lead to Temptation, How Was Jesus Able to Be Tempted? Unlike us, who have been born with sin residing within us, Jesus wasn’t led to temptation by an inward desire because He had no sin. Matthew 4:1 explains, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Although He was led by the Holy Spirit, God was not the one tempting Jesus. James 1:13 explains how, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” Jesus shows us how to submit to God by submitting to His word, as He did when tempted. Each time the devil tempted Him by distorting the truth about God, Jesus corrected him with the truth of God’s word. Who Tempts Us? Like 1 Peter 5:8 warns, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” As Job 2:2 describes, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.’”  Even though God is not the one tempting us, He allows us to be tempted, as we discover through the story of Job. It’s hard for us to fully understand why God would give permission for Job to experience such sorrow, loss, and hardship. But we do see through Job’s testimony, many truths about God are revealed, and He is glorified.  Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 3 Steps to Take It seems submitting to God is the difficult part of resisting the devil, because when we are willing to do so, the fleeing part comes easy. Following are three steps to take when facing temptations that will help us submit to God. Rely on the faithfulness of God. 1 Corinthians 10:13 encourages us that “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Don’t depend on your own strength. Some temptations may seem so strong and attractive, that it doesn’t seem humanly possible for us to resist them, which is true; if we try to depend on our own strength, we’ll surely fall into them. Like Proverbs 3:5 instructs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” We need to resist thinking that we can handle temptations on our own, because we cannot. Philippians 4:13 directs us where to turn for that strength. “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Believe that God will give you a way out. When God allows us to be tempted, He promises it doesn’t have the power to overtake us unless we let it, because He will provide a way out.  In times of temptation, we can believe what God has said and turn to Him, believing what He has assured us, that He will lead us out of temptation, like Jesus prayed, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). Intersecting Faith & Life:  If you’re facing temptations in your life this week, ask God to stop them from growing into sin and death, trusting Him to help you submit to Him through the three steps discussed. Further Reading: How to Overcome Temptation: 4 Ways https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/kelly-balarie/how-to-overcome-temptation-4-ways.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We try to satisfy the cravings we feel in so many ways, like food, social media, over-achievement, and television. But being attuned to—and in step with—the Father is often the true sustenance our bodies, brains, and souls are starving for.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Food of the Father  by Deidre Braley  John 4: 31-34:  Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."  But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."  Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”  On the day Jesus met the Samaritan woman by the well, his disciples eventually caught up with him and—right in the middle of his salvation business—they told him to stop and eat. “Meanwhile,” John 4:31 says, “his disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’”  They’re like Italian nonnas here, saying, “Eat, eat, I tell you!” They’re being practical, of course. They want to make sure Jesus’ needs are met. He’s likely done a lot of walking in the hot sun, and it could have been a long time since he’s last eaten. Like so many of us would, they’re thinking with their stomachs!  But I have always found Jesus’ response fascinating. He didn’t take their bread or grab a handful of grapes. Rather, “...he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about’” (John 4:32).  The disciples were confused. Where could it have come from? They all looked at each other, asking, “‘Could someone have brought him food?’” (John 4:33) What—and who—could be feeding Jesus?  As it turns out, the food Jesus was talking about wasn’t fish or figs, or anything else of that nature. “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34).  Scripture doesn’t tell us how the disciples responded, but I imagine them standing mid-bite with their jaws open, probably with crumbs stuck in their beards. A revolutionary thought, yes? That something so spiritual as obeying God’s will could satisfy a need so physical within Jesus’ body?  The disciples mistakenly believed that the food Jesus needed was the stuff of this earth, when really he was seeking the substance of Heaven—the food from the Father. How often do we have the same misunderstanding about what we need most? When we experience deep cravings within ourselves, or a hunger we cannot place, we have a habit of turning to the stuff of the world: chocolate cake, Instagram, overachieving at work, or marathon sessions of our favorite TV shows.  But afterward—once the sugar high has passed, the promotion has come, or the social media post stops getting likes—that craving is still there, insistent as ever. As C.S. Lewis famously said, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” Indeed. While it’s true that our bodies need fuel, this shared human hunger goes far beyond the necessity for food: it’s a void that can only be satisfied by being in touch with and obedient to the Father.  Intersecting Faith & Life:  We try to satisfy the cravings we feel in so many ways, like food, social media, over-achievement, and television. But being attuned to—and in step with—the Father is often the true sustenance our bodies, brains, and souls are starving for.  Today, take notice of your cravings, whether it’s the desire to go on social media, overindulge, overwork, or something else altogether. Ask yourself:  What prompted this craving? What is at the heart of this craving? How will my body-brain-soul feel after I indulge this craving? Now, pause and pray. Ask God:  Is this craving actually pointing me to a need I have in you? What do you want me to know today, God? What do you want me to do today? Will you please show me how to satisfy this desire in a way that is holy and pleasing toyou? Further Reading:  Psalm 37:4  Matthew 6:25-34 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

His grace is greater than our worst sins in the past and big enough to cover whatever sins we commit tomorrow. We know Him and have a Spirit-bound relationship with Him, again, through faith. And finally, through Christ and all we have in Him, we have the power and authority to resist the devil’s most relentless schemes.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Living With Assurance by Jennifer Slattery “I am writing to you, dear children,    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.13 I am writing to you, fathers,    because you know him who is from the beginning.I am writing to you, young men,    because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children,    because you know the Father.I write to you, fathers,    because you know him who is from the beginning.I write to you, young men,    because you are strong,    and the word of God lives in you,    and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:12-14, NIV). Early in my faith journey, I carried an underlying fear that perhaps I wasn’t really saved. This fear intensified when I went through a season of doubt. I worried that the very fact that I was questioning certain tenants of my faith, including the authority of Scripture, meant I didn’t truly belong to God and hadn’t actually yielded my life to Him. I wonder if you can relate. I have not yet met anyone who has completely yielded to Christ. We all have sinful behaviors that hinder our intimacy with Him, doubts we need Him to replace with truth, and fears that hinder our obedience.  Simply put, we are all in the process of transformation. And if we’re not anchored in God’s grace, our weaknesses, flaws, and the constant accusations from the devil can cause us to doubt our salvation.  This seems to be a challenge experienced by the people to whom John wrote the above passage. I understand why, considering the influence evil was trying to wield in their community. False teachers had risen among them and were spreading a counterfeit gospel known as Gnosticism. Among other things, these heretics claimed salvation through enlightenment rather than through faith in Christ. This, apparently, caused those who hadn’t received some “special knowledge” to doubt their salvation.  John wrote to them to counter this destructive teaching and to assure the first century Christ followers of their eternal security. Notice all the ways he affirmed them. First, he addressed them as “dear children”, an endearment that emphasized their standing in God’s family. Contrary to the Gnostics’ claims, these men and women weren’t outsiders. They were adopted sons and daughters (Romans 8:15), chosen by Christ (Eph. 1:4), and united by His blood. He also told them, clearly, that they’d received forgiveness not because of any exclusive “revelation” but “on account of His name.”  Next, John highlighted their relationship with Christ, stating that they “[knew] Him who is from the beginning.” Throughout this letter, John used two Greek words for “know.” One, eidó, refers to a factual, cognitive knowing, such as that the earth is round or plants grow from seeds. In 1 John 2:13, he used a different word, ginóskó, which refers to an understanding or recognition that comes through personal experience. Therefore, he emphasized that they knew Jesus personally. They hadn’t just learned about Him cognitively. They’d developed a relationship with Him.  Notice, also, John told them they’d overcome the evil one, the force driving the false teachers and the believers’ doubts and insecurities. The devil didn’t want those men and women to gain a sense of eternal security. He wanted them to live in fear. Understand, his tactics don’t change. While he doesn’t have the power to separate us from God, he can, and does terrorize us to keep us from experiencing the soul-deep peace gifted to us through Jesus’s death. When we understand evil’s strategy and our authority in Christ, we’re able to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16).  In verse 14, John told the Christ-followers they knew the Father, using the same phrasing as he did for their relationship with Christ. And he ended this poetic section stating that they were strong, filled with truth, and overcomers. Again, while the devil was harassing them and trying to defeat them, he was and always will be a defeated foe.  Intersecting Life and Faith Here’s what I find precious and beautiful. God preserved these words in Scripture so that you and I could live confident in our standing in Christ, secure in our salvation. When we begin to doubt those realities, may we speak the words in 1 John over ourselves, reminding ourselves that, because of our faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross, we are forgiven. His grace is greater than our worst sins in the past and big enough to cover whatever sins we commit tomorrow. We know Him and have a Spirit-bound relationship with Him, again, through faith. And finally, through Christ and all we have in Him, we have the power and authority to resist the devil’s most relentless schemes.  As we reflect on those truths, our confidence will increase, as will our peace. Further Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10 John 10:1-10 Ephesians 6:10-18 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When you know Jesus, it changes your life for the better. When you truly invite Jesus into your heart and have real conversations with Him, He renews your mind, strengthens your heart, and refreshes your soul. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Knowing Jesus By Alexis A. Goring “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”— John 17:3 NIV When I studied Journalism, one of the first rules I learned was when you refer to a person in a news story, you need to mention their first and last name for the first time. After that, you are to refer to them by their last name only. However, if you know the person personally then you may refer to them by their first name only (depending on the in-house style guide rules for the print publication).  One summer evening, I was reflecting on that lesson learned and realized a spiritual parallel: Jesus Christ wants us to know Him personally. He wants us to know Him and refer to Him on a first name basis. But this goes beyond writing rules. Jesus went to great lengths to save our souls. He desires to know us and for us to know Him intimately. He wants a closer walk with each of us because He loves us and, when you love someone, you want to know everything about them. You don’t refer to a loved one with a professional sounding last name. You may even have a fond nickname for that person that reflects their personality or shows what they mean to you. How does it feel to know that the Savior of the world wants to know us on those terms? What does it mean to know Jesus? I hear Christian influencers and musicians say to know Him is to love Him, and I agree that nothing else could be closer to the truth! When you know Jesus, it changes your life for the better. When you truly invite Jesus into your heart and have real conversations with Him, He renews your mind, strengthens your heart, and refreshes your soul. There is a deep joy that can only come through an intimate relationship with the Lord. And a relationship with Jesus doesn’t just change you, it changes the people around you. They start to notice a difference in you and want to know what happened. When you tell them about your love for God and invite them to read The Holy Bible, with the Holy Spirit’s help they can also get to know Jesus. They, too, can become on fire for Him. The process of observing a life changed by Jesus causes people to want to know Him as well, carrying on like a ripple effect. Before we know it, we see Him  changing the world for the better!  I got to know Jesus on a personal level when I was recovering from a health crisis at age 16. Despite growing up in a Christian home, I only knew a lot about Jesus. But when He came into my life and met me in the depths of a difficult time, His Light pushed back the darkness and His love for me—and all humankind—changed me from the inside out! He blessed me with this devotional writing ministry as if He, the Master Teacher, had enrolled me in His classroom. God helped me learn life lessons, then inspired the words for me to share in devotions that were exactly what I and my readers needed to hear! I fell in love with Jesus as my Lord and my love for Him propelled me to tell everyone about my Savior! I still feel called to do that today. Since my transformation from knowing about Christ to knowing Jesus on a first-name basis, people have commented on how the changes they saw in my life have inspired them to know Jesus too. This is what God wants: for us to make disciples and share His love, grace, and mercy with the world. He doesn’t want any of us to be lost. Jesus wants us to follow Him all the way to Heaven (John 3:16-17). “Knowing You, Jesus,” by Graham Kendrick is a song that also celebrates a close relationship with Christ. I encourage you to listen to it. (Note to the Editor: Would you please insert the YouTube link below to this song? https://youtu.be/pTTlSx6zXio?si=VRrrc6x0jLzdbCUh) Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you know Jesus? What difference in someone’s life have you seen after they started following Him? Further Reading: 1 Peter 2:9 2 Peter 3:18 John 1:1 John 8:12 1 John 2:3 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do we stand against these attacks? How do we stop being pulled into defeat, discouragement, and doubt? How do we continue to walk in the freedom Christ afforded us? Galatians 5:1 tells us that we must, “stand firm”.  This means that we keep standing no matter how hard Satan’s pulling. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Shutting Down Enemy Attacks Against You By Kelly Balarie “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Gal. 5:1 NIV Have you ever played a game of tug of war? In this game there are two groups of people pulling on each side of the rope.  One side pulls and the rope, along with the people, go left. The other side pulls and the rope, along with the rope-holders, go right. Whatever team has the stronger amounts of tugs, the one who gains the most ground, eventually wins. If they can pull the other team to their side, they are victorious.The enemy tries the same strategy with us.  He tries to pull us to his side and off the ground of God’s truth. The devil says to us, “You are a horrible person, why try?” He tugs at our heart left. He adds, “You can’t really believe that God will answer your prayer.” He tugs a little more and gains traction. He hits us again, saying, “Why go to church anymore? People only hurt you there.” The devil’s goal is to pull us off the ground of God’s truth so that we can be yoked to his lies. It is subtle.   “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Gal. 5:1 NIV God’s side offers us freedom, even for today. Satan’s side offers us slavery and burdens in life. How do we stand against these attacks? How do we stop being pulled into defeat, discouragement, and doubt? How do we continue to walk in the freedom Christ afforded us? Galatians 5:1 tells us that we must, “stand firm”.  This means that we keep standing no matter how hard Satan’s pulling. Practically, we can do these three things to continue to stand: Wait on the Lord. New life for Jesus looked a lot different on day 3 than it did on day 2. Sometimes, just giving it a day offers a fresh perspective, coupled with resurrection life power. Use Scripture as a weapon. Remember Jesus in the wilderness? He did not just listen to the enemy’s temptations, He defeated them with scriptural declarations. Memorize God’s Word and then speak it aloud over feelings of defeat or disillusionment. Pray. You are not powerless; you are powerful in prayer. Pray that the devil will get behind you and that God will strengthen you to stand. Intersecting Faith & Life: How do you feel attacked by the enemy? What is coming against you that you know is not from the Lord? What would it look like for you to stand? You know, if we stand through a storm, eventually the storm moves on. No storm lasts forever. Nature shows us this.  Likewise, what remains beyond the dark clouds is the sun. God is always there. He will never leave or forsake you, even if all you can see is gloom and doom. Don’t give up. Stand. Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; find encouragement by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, creator of the “Hear God’s Voice” podcast, is also a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly, a real cheerleader of faith, loves seeing the power of prayer in live action. She loves seeing the look on people’s faces when they realize –God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.