It's the th of July the day we celebrate our nation's independence It's also a great day to take stock of your financial independence Are you on the road to financial freedom Or are you falling under the bondage of money It's one or the other Either you control your money or your money controls you The Gift of Financial FreedomIndependence gave our nation freedom and financial independence provides us with the freedom to make choices When we control our money we can decide where and how we live where we work and how much we work However financial freedom [... more]

Wednesday June Message by Pastor Josh Main Scripture Luke - [... more]

In today's episode we dive back into our study of Acts focusing on chapter where Paul and Barnabas face the highs and lows of their first missionary journey Contrary to what many might think their experience was marked not only by success and effectiveness but also by intense affliction and discouragement Join us as we explore Paul's deeply personal reflections from Corinthians where he candidly shares the overwhelming challenges they faced which even led them to despair of life itself We'll learn practical lessons from their journey highlighting the importance of acknowledging the emotional and physical burdens of serving God [... more]

My friend Paul was awaiting the arrival of a technician to repair his refrigerator when he saw a text on his phone from the appliance company It read Jesus is on his way and is expected to arrive at approximately a m Paul soon discovered the technician rsquo s name was indeed Jes uacute s hay-soos But when can we expect Jesus the Son of God to arrive When He came as a man two thousand years ago and suffered the penalty of our sin He said that He would be back mdash but only the Father knew the precise [... more]

In this episode Stephen Davey delves into the power of prayer through the example of Nehemiah a man burdened by the brokenness of his people and city Discover the three components of a godly burden and how they can lead to a life of extraordinary impact Learn the first two steps on the prayer path that will help you gain the maximum attention of God recognizing His sovereignty and acknowledging your own sin Through practical insights and biblical wisdom you'll be equipped to deepen your prayer life and experience a greater intimacy with God Join us as we explore the [... more]

Dr Gregory Jantz can help you discover your gifts and find a direction that pleases God He'll help you to become an active participant in finding your true desires living with optimism and serving God intentionally Get the book Find Your Purpose in Life and an audio download of Understanding Your Purpose and God's Plan for your donation of any amount Get More Episode Resources We'd love to hear from you Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail [... more]

We'd like to think that our actions are always pleasing to God and certainly don't offend Him but we also know that isn't always true Christians are called to do good works so the world will see them and God will be glorified So it shouldn't surprise us that God takes stinginess and generosity personally Randy Alcorn joins us today to discuss this Randy Alcorn is a New York Times bestselling author of over books on Christian Living and the Founder and Director of Eternal Perspective Ministries His ministry focuses on helping others use their time money possessions and opportunities [... more]

Every once in a while you're bound to come to some crossroads in life like a marriage proposal or a new career And either way you choose you know your life will never be the same again The nation of Israel had defining moments like that too when they had to choose between serving God or idols [... more]

Decades ago I went to a college retreat where everyone was talking about a personality test ldquo I rsquo m an ISTJ rdquo one said ldquo I rsquo m an ENFP rdquo another chirped I was mystified ldquo I rsquo m an ABCXYZ rdquo I joked nbsp Since then I rsquo ve learned a lot about that test the Myers-Briggs and others such as the DiSC I find them fascinating because they can help us understand ourselves and others in helpful revealing ways mdash shedding light on our preferences strengths and weaknesses Provided we don rsquo t overuse them they [... more]

Carolyn Calupca on the program was a long time senior producer at Crown Financial Ministries where she worked closely with Larry Burkett for many years She's now a frequent contributor here at Faith and Finance and the author of our new -week study guide Rich Toward God A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool WHAT IS THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL Jesus delivers this parable in AD during a time of significant political and spiritual tension in Judea under Roman rule As Jesus moves toward Jerusalem for the last time he attracts a [... more]

Imagine enjoying perfect health holy unity and unhindered worship serving God together into the ages of the ages Everything will be good perfect and beautiful In this message Pastor Lutzer discusses the features and the privileges of the holy city Who will dwell in the holy city the New Jerusalem This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount Get yours at rtwoffer com or call us at - - - [... more]

Pastor Rich answers our questions about worship from Ecclesiastes - [... more]

THE DANGERS OF LOVING MONEY AND THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSESome people view money as the source of life's greatest pleasures equating it with security success freedom and power However the Biblical perspective emphasizes trust in Jesus rather than in fleeting worldly possessions THE PROBLEMS WITH LOVING MONEY Timothy warns about the love of money being the root of all kinds of evils emphasizing the destruction and ruin it can bring Loving money leads to a life-destroying path marked by temptation and harmful desires It can cause us to stray from our faith experiencing deep sorrow as a result Money can become [... more]

ldquo In everything we look for pleasant ways of serving God rdquo writes sixteenth-century believer Teresa of Avila She poignantly reflects on the many ways we seek to stay in control through easier more ldquo pleasant rdquo methods than total surrender to God We tend to slowly tentatively and even reluctantly grow to trust Him with all of ourselves And so Teresa confesses ldquo even as we measure out our lives to you a bit at a time we must be content to receive your gifts drop by drop until we have surrendered our lives wholly to you rdquo As [... more]

Genesis tells the story of a godly man named Joseph who faced tremendous hardship though he was completely innocent In this message Adrian Rogers reveals five principles for us to remember when nothing seems to make sense [... more]

COMMITMENT TO BIBLICAL FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES Success in various areas including financial life requires strong commitment and adherence to biblical principles Effort is required to attain financial objectives like saving planning paying off debt giving and living with integrity This commitment offers peace contentment and joy Serving God with finances allows participation in his blessings and provides testimonies to inspire others BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF COMMITMENT The Bible emphasizes commitment through examples in Hebrews showcasing believers prioritizing their faith in God Jesus is the epitome of commitment sacrificing himself for humanity He signifies God's unwavering dedication to us ROLE OF FAITH Faith [... more]

What do you do when you're despised because of your faith or ridiculed for serving God How should you respond if threats intensify after prayer On Truth For Life Alistair Begg looks at Nehemiah's response when such challenges overwhelmed God's people ----------------------------------------- Click here and look for FROM THE SERMON to stream or read the full message This program is part of the series 'A Study in Nehemiah Volume ' Learn more about our current resource request your copy with a donation of any amount Download the audiobook for Pray Big by Alistair Begg for free this month Helpful Resources [... more]

Eric heard about Jesus rsquo love for him while in his early twenties He started attending church where he met someone who helped him grow to know Jesus better It wasn rsquo t long before Eric rsquo s mentor assigned him to teach a small group of boys at church Through the years God drew Eric rsquo s heart to help at-risk youth in his city to visit the elderly and to show hospitality to his neighbors mdash all for God rsquo s honor Now in his late fifties Eric explains how grateful he is that he was taught early [... more]

The Red Dress project was conceived by British artist Kirstie Macleod and has become an exhibit in museums and galleries around the world For thirteen years eighty-four pieces of burgundy silk traveled across the globe to be embroidered upon by more than three hundred women and a handful of men The pieces were then constructed into a gown telling the stories of each contributing artist mdash many of whom are marginalized and impoverished Like the Red Dress the garments worn by Aaron and his descendants were made by many ldquo skilled workers rdquo Exodus God rsquo s instructions for the [... more]

Some statistics claim that percent of American employees are happy with their jobs Then again apparently percent of us are suffering from work-related stress So what does all this mean for you If work-related pressure is getting you down what do you do Quit Re-train and change jobs Grit your teeth and keep going We suggest you step back and ask a different question As a believer in Christ why are you working in the first place The desire to do productive meaningful work is in our D-N-A In fact when God created Adam and Eve He immediately set them [... more]

Today Nikita speaks with Bill Coleman Listen as he shares his passion for music and serving God [... more]

Love expressed through selfless service to others is the best legacy we can leave [... more]

Jimmy hadn rsquo t allowed the reality of social unrest danger and discomfort to keep him from traveling to one of the poorest countries in the world to encourage ministry couples The steady stream of text messages to our team back home revealed the challenges he encountered ldquo Okay boys activate the prayer line We rsquo ve gone ten miles in the last two hours Car has overheated a dozen times rdquo Transportation setbacks meant that he arrived just before midnight to preach to those who rsquo d waited for five hours Later we received a text with a different [... more]

Today Robby interviews missionary Sarah Listen as she shares her story of serving God in India [... more]

Are you serving God where you work even if you don't work for a ministry Dr Jeff Myers asserts that we can work for the Lord in any job especially if we cultivate our God-given strengths seek synergy with our co-workers and prepare for our work by resting on the Sabbath Receive a copy of Truth Changes Everything and an audio download of this broadcast for your donation of any amount Get More Episode Resources If you've listened to any of our podcasts please give us your feedback [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Johnsonville Sausage founder Ralph Stayer's incredible faith journey Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

My friend Ruel attended a high school reunion held in a former classmate rsquo s home The waterfront mansion near Manila Bay could accommodate attendees and it made Ruel feel small nbsp ldquo I rsquo ve had many happy years of pastoring remote rural churches rdquo Ruel told me ldquo and even though I know I shouldn rsquo t I couldn rsquo t help but feel envious of my classmate rsquo s material wealth My thoughts strayed to how different life might be if I rsquo d used my degree to become a businessman instead rdquo ldquo But I later [... more]

Dr Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first African-American woman to earn a medical degree Yet during her lifetime she recalls being ldquo ignored slighted and rendered insignificant rdquo Even amid adversity however she remained devoted to healing and fulfilling her purpose Crumpler boldly affirmed that although some people might choose to judge her based on her race and gender she rsquo d always have a ldquo renewed and courageous readiness to do when and wherever duty calls rdquo and that she did Not only was she a servant in her field but she also believed that treating women and children [... more]

Marie a single working mom rarely missed church or Bible study Each week she rode the bus to and from church with her five children and helped with set up and clean up One Sunday the pastor told Marie that some church members had donated gifts for the family One couple provided the family a house with reduced rent Another couple offered her a job with benefits at their coffee shop A young man gave her an old car he rsquo d rebuilt and promised to serve as her personal mechanic Marie thanked God for the joy of living in [... more]

September Message from Pastor Josh Bevan Main Scripture Passage Malachi - Topic Service Download SCRIPTURE REFERENCE [... more]

Jesus came to serve and it's our duty as believers to follow that example [... more]

So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me for I trust in thy word And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth for I have hoped in thy judgments So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever And I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts Psalm - [... more]

When I saw the massive volume of Leo Tolstoy rsquo s War and Peace on my friend rsquo s bookshelf I confessed ldquo I rsquo ve never actually made it all the way through that rdquo ldquo Well rdquo Marty chuckled ldquo When I retired from teaching I got it as a gift from a friend who told me lsquo Now you rsquo ll finally have time to read it rsquo rdquo The first eight verses of Ecclesiastes state a familiar natural rhythm of the activities of life with some arbitrary choices No matter what stage of life we find [... more]

Pastor Rick has a topical message from the book of Isaiah Isaiah [... more]

Jesus praised the Ephesian church for being committed to the truth of the Gospel and for steadfastly serving God So how was it possible that they were still in danger of spiritual bankruptcy That's the question Alistair Begg explores on Truth For Life Listen [... more]

https www amazon com Bold-Living-Intentionally-Todays-World dp BOLD Living Intentionally In Today's World encourages believers in Christ to be intentional in their daily lives in serving God and sharing the gospel Testimonies of ordinary people who stepped out of their comfort zone and took a risk to serve God will inspire you to live YOUR life with intention and boldness Examples from the lives of heroes of faith and people in the Bible who bravely stood for God no matter the consequences will encourage you They were BOLD in their faith in large and small ways because they were intentional in [... more]

Pastor Rick teaches from the letter to the Hebrews [... more]

Pastor Rick teaches from the letter to the Hebrews [... more]

Raised in a tribe in the Philippines opposed to belief in Christ Esther received salvation through Jesus after an aunt prayed for her during Esther rsquo s battle with a life-threatening illness Today Esther leads Bible studies in her local community in spite of threats of violence and even death She serves joyfully saying ldquo I can rsquo t stop telling people about Jesus because I lsquo ve experienced the power love goodness nbsp and faithfulness of God in my life rdquo Serving God in the face of opposition is a reality for many today just as it was for [... more]

ldquo So great to see you rdquo ldquo You too rdquo ldquo So glad you rsquo re here rdquo The greetings were warm and welcoming Members of a ministry in Southern California gathered online before their evening program As their speaker calling in from Colorado I watched silently as the others gathered on the video call mdash not knowing anyone and as an introvert feeling like a social outsider Then suddenly a screen opened and there was my pastor Then another screen opened A longtime church friend was joining the call too Seeing them I no longer felt alone God [... more]

Do you ever wonder what eternity will be like The best description we have is that of the Holy City the New Jerusalem Here the saints will enjoy perfect health holy unity and unhindered worship serving God together into ldquo the ages of the ages rdquo nbsp Click here to listen Duration [... more]

In today's world serving God isn't exactly popular The same was true in Daniel's day when the pagan culture of Babylon rejected God Not everyone folded under pressure though Hear how they stood firm on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg Listen [... more]

The man ahead of me at the carwash was on a mission He purposefully strode to the back of his pickup and removed the hitch so it wouldn rsquo t snag the high-powered rolling brushes He paid the attendant then pulled onto the automated track mdash where he left his truck in drive The attendant shouted after him ldquo Neutral Neutral rdquo but the man rsquo s windows were up and he couldn rsquo t hear He zipped through the car wash in four seconds flat His truck barely got wet Elijah was on a mission too He was busy [... more]

Joe worked over twelve hours a day often without taking breaks Starting a charitable business demanded so much time and energy that he had little left to offer his wife and children when he got home After the toll of chronic stress landed Joe in the hospital a friend offered to organize a team to help him Though he dreaded giving up control Joe knew he couldn rsquo t keep up his current pace He agreed to trust his friend mdash and God mdash as he delegated responsibilities to the group of people they chose together A year later Joe [... more]

Cross the Bridge - [... more]

Cross the Bridge - [... more]

As we continue our study of Elijah we're looking at a defining moment in Israel's history when they had to choose between serving God or idols And Pastor J D is challenging us to face that decision as well [... more]

Cross the Bridge - [... more]

Cross the Bridge - [... more]

Pastor Greg Laurie points out that we each have some form of ministry some way that we're serving God's Kingdom And Friday on A NEW BEGINNING he points out how to recognize that sacred call It's the kickoff to a study in Nehemiah Support the show [... more]