396: It’s Ok if You’re Not Ok

Hello, friend. I hope you’re well today.  The last few episodes, we’ve seen Joshua and the Israelites face one obstacle after another. Well this week is a biggie – crossing the Jordan River. But this story isn’t just about getting from one side of a river to the other. It’s about how God delivers us from what stands between us and him.

Hi, friend. I hope you’re having a good day.  Today’s episode brings us to one of the unlikeliest heroes of the Bible—Rahab. Maybe you know her story. Maybe you relate to her story. Nothing to lose, pulled from the bottom of the pit and pressed into service for God’s plan. God used her because she trusted him. May we all have that in common with Rahab.

Hello, friend. Thank you for joining me for another Encouraging Word. It can be difficult to tune out the negative voices around us. It can be difficult to tune out the negative voices in our own heads! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you know we just did a bunch of episodes about that. But thankfully, God has given us his Word, just as he gave Joshua and the Israelites, to help us know and heed his voice. 

Hi, friend. I sure hope you’re doing well. Last week I told a story about getting a gift from my dad. I have another story about my dad this week. You probably know by now that I love to tell stories about my dad. This story isn’t about getting a car. It’s about something he did for me when I was young that our Heavenly Father does for us now – he fights for us.

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day. In our human reasoning, Joshua had every reason to be uncertain. No one would have bet on the Hebrew people to conquer Canaan. But Joshua had one big thing going for him – God told him he would be victorious.

Hello, friend. I hope you’re doing well. If you’ve been listening to the podcast the past few weeks, you know we just wrapped up a series about managing our thought lives. This week we’re starting a new series I think will encourage you as you uproot negative thinking and replace it with truth.   We’re going back to the Old Testament, to the story of Joshua and the children of Israel. You’ve never seen a group more stuck in a rut and trapped in destructive, negative thought patterns! But God had a Promised Land for them, and, friend, he has one for you too.

Hello, my friend. Thank you so much for joining me for another Encouraging Word.  Today we’re wrapping up our series on thought management. If you’ve missed any episodes, I encourage you to go back and catch up. But here’s the big idea, as found in Ephesians 4:23-24: “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person.”

Hi, friend. I hope you’re doing well today.  What do you do when those you live with are hard to live with? Maybe it’s your spouse, your siblings, your neighbors, your co-workers. We all have relationships that challenge us, and a difficult relationship can consume our thoughts. So let’s start there. To deal with a difficult person, consider how you think about them.

Hi, friend. I hope you’re doing well.  A quick note before we get into today’s episode, particularly if you listen in the car or where younger ears can hear. This message includes the reading of a painful story in the Old Testament and some pretty blunt language about the dangers of pornography. Consider this a heads-up if you want to adjust when or where you listen.

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day.  Anxiety. It’s an all-too-common part of our lives. The statistics, especially among young people, are staggering. I know there are legitimate concerns in our world that need attention. And I know there are times clinical intervention is the solution God provides to those who struggle. But I also know peace is possible.