Life has issues, and the Bible has the answers. Francie Taylor teaches the relevance of Scripture to daily life through these brief Bible application studies.
Episodes
Monday Dec 27, 2021
Monday Dec 27, 2021
BONUS EPISODE: Welcome to the Best of Keep the Heart from 2021. The first episode of our new podcast aired on January 21, 2021. As of December 21, 2021, Keep the Heart has had over 170,000 downloads, totally astounding this newbie podcaster! Thank you for listening, and for referring us to your loved ones as well.
Three episodes rose to the top out of 52 main episodes. Today you’ll hear the THIRD most-downloaded episode of 2021: “Signs of a Controlling Person.” It was a close contest. This episode only missed second place by two downloads!
If you haven't heard this yet, you can catch it now! If you heard “Signs of a Controlling Person” back in July of 2021, then this will be a refresher. Listen as this episode covers three signs of a controlling person, along with suggested solutions to this common but exhausting habit.
ICU--In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Application Study
Monday Dec 20, 2021
Monday Dec 20, 2021
Are you having a family gathering for Christmas? Maybe you’ve already been contacted by some who have opted not to come, or who have requested that everyone be vaccinated before gathering. Or maybe you have family members who won’t visit unless everyone tests negative for COVID. No matter what you think or where you stand on the pandemic and all the connected issues, one thing is still true: we don’t have to argue about this or anything else at the dinner table.
Mocking people for their stand in the pandemic is unwise and does nothing attract people to Christ. Many people are genuinely afraid of catching the virus or any severe illness. Ridiculing someone for their fear is not going to decrease the fear, but it may increase the misconception that Christians are uncaring. Let’s face it: More people are afraid of dying than ever before, and without Christ, this fear is reasonable. Do we care more about debating the merits of a vaccine than sharing the Gospel?
When we become combative and argumentative as Christians, we’re looking less and less like Jesus. One of the greatest risks we face is not just a loss of personal freedoms; it’s a decrease of love for the lost.
You and I can’t do much about the storyline being pushed by national news, but we do have control over what happens within our own homes. How can we have gatherings with loved ones who have strongly held opinions that differ from ours? Is it possible? Yes, it is.
For this year-end episode, I’ll share three guidelines that I abide by in our home, with a goal of providing ideas, not mandates. These are unwritten but helpful policies that I quietly employ. This is our final episode of Season One. Thank you for your support of this young podcast!
Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
Calm in Christ: Inspiring Reasons for Daily Bible Study ebook
Monday Dec 13, 2021
Monday Dec 13, 2021
Have you ever done something that ended up putting you in a very bad spot? It may have been a something done on the fly without thinking, or maybe you actually had been thinking about it for a while. Either way, once the decision was made, the consequences were set in motion.
Whether we’re living contrary to biblical principles or just being too careless in daily decisions, we could be asking for our own version of the Jonah Journey, also known as the Fish Belly Tour. It’s not a pleasure trip.
Making mistakes is part of learning and growing, but sometimes we’re making them too frequently, and this can be very costly to us in more ways than one. Relationships may be damaged, along with our reputations and our testimonies. It’s common to have days when we just don’t feel like paying attention to our every move, but the reality is this: a lack of alertness can cost us more than we’re ready to pay.
There were people in the Bible who got themselves into trouble, and the one that we’ll study in this episode is Jonah. Let’s learn three things from the life of a man who spent some time out in the belly of a whale. Jonah’s example has several built-in lessons that can help us when we’ve gotten ourselves into trouble.
ICU--In Christ Unconditionally: Old Testament Bible Application Study
Monday Dec 06, 2021
Monday Dec 06, 2021
The digital age gives us more access to the private lives of others than ever before. Just think about it: If you wanted to know how someone was doing just 20 years ago, you didn’t log onto your computer or pick up a cell phone and start swiping through their social media account. You had to CALL them, or even slower, WRITE to them by snail mail.
This also meant that it was unlikely that we would know when someone was struggling with a difficult decision, since there were fewer methods of communication. Talking in person lent itself more to this kind of discussion. The gray areas of life were a hot topics back when we did more talking than texting, and they're even more volatile today.
In fact, if you want to start an argument fast, pick a gray area and then make an opinionated statement about it. Watch the sparks fly!
We are way too late to be the first ones to wrestle with gray area decisions. The apostle Paul wrote about it in Romans chapter 14:5: "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."
The context of this verse was in regards to Christian liberty. Paul was teaching that we need to be more concerned with our own motives and conduct than with that of others. Unfortunately, we have too many cooks in our kitchens. When people mistakenly confuse unity with uniformity, they are bound to cross over into someone else’s territory of decision. Expecting agreement over gray areas is unrealistic, but that hasn’t stopped people from dividing over issues where the Bible has not issued a mandate.
What can we do with gray area decisions? We'll cover four suggestions with a goal of inspiring discretion in decision-making, encouraging you to prayerfully take your gray areas to the Lord.
NEW! Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
NEW! Seaside Treasures Seashell Gift Bags
Monday Nov 29, 2021
Monday Nov 29, 2021
When we're familiar with the Bible, there is a risk that we will read through it too quickly, missing important key facts. For example, did you remember that Jesus got into a boat and went fast asleep in the midst of a storm?
Most of us would be up wide awake, watching the skies and shuddering at the sound of the howling winds. Worry and fear are not storm-stoppers, but the disciples had Jesus right there with them in the ship, and yet they asked Him this question in Mark 4:38: "... Master, carest thou not that we perish?"
We are so much like the disciples. We have Jesus with us daily, and yet we forget that He is continously able to tell the wind and the waves what to do and when to do it. We forget that He is Almighty because we are not. We try to attribute our weaknesses to Christ, which is a mistake on so many levels.
There are profoundly helpful lessons at the end of the fourth chapter of Mark that will help us to learn how to calm down, and how to rest in a storm. You'll want your Bible handy for this study of Mark 4:35-41. It's deep. Pun intended.
NEW! Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
Monday Nov 22, 2021
Monday Nov 22, 2021
Whenever we get to the holidays, there's always the chance that there will be people who are going through a season of firsts. These are the things that come up in life and are happening for the first time since a loved one's passing, like having an empty spot at the dining room table. It’s disorienting, and we may find ourselves feeling like we’d rather not celebrate.
It's really hard to know what to do when you're going through something for the first time. It's kind of like being in a choir with a new piece of sheet music, and not knowing how to sing the song. Even if you are familiar with reading music, the first time through is rough. That's what it's like when you're going through a season of firsts because of changes in your life due to grief. Those firsts are unfamiliar and challenging.
The empty chair at the dining room table is one of several adjustments when we are trying to learn how to live without someone that we've had in our world for so long that they’re woven into the fabric of our soul. There are birthdays, anniversaries, and even first-time medical challenges without our beloveds by our sides. Even if we were expecting their passing, there is an adjustment period that takes time and takes us through a transition that is stunning at times, and tender at others.
This episode examines three things to consider when you're going through a season of firsts.
Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
Calm in Christ: Inspiring Reasons for Daily Bible Study ebook
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Do you have friends who would walk on hot pavement barefooted for you? I have been blessed with friends like that, and they help lift heavy loads in my life. Today's special episode is a perfect example of this. Veteran radio host, Janice Wolfe from Faith Music Radio is our guest podcaster today, covering for me while I'm out battling illness. Janice's inspiring show, eleven2one, airs on Faith Music Radio from 11am-1pm, Monday through Friday. You will hear a sample of Janice in this episode about "The Heavy Things We Carry." (It's so easy to listen to her deep and beautiful voice. It reminds me of butter melting on toast.)
Do you realize we carry heavy things around every day? Heaviness is mentioned in both the Old and New Testament. Is there a way to lighten the load? The Bible gives us precise instructions on how to trade the weights that we carry for the much easier yoke of Christ. You'll want your journal to take notes during this encouraging episode.
Many thanks to Dan and Janice Wolfe, my podcast trainers, for their investment in the podcast at Keep the Heart. Follow Janice on Instagram and Facebook, and visit her show by clicking the link below.
eleven2one radio with Janice Wolfe
Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
Seaside Treasures Seashell Gift Bags (hand-harvested by Francie)
Little is Much When Many are the Givers
Monday Nov 08, 2021
Monday Nov 08, 2021
Psalm 43:5 asks, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." It is helpful to know why we’re anxious, but even if we can’t figure out the source, God is still able to deliver us.
Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines anxiety as "concern…respecting some event, future or uncertain, which disturbs the mind, and keeps it in a state of painful uneasiness." The medical community also has this description: “Intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and feeling tired may occur.”
The American Psychological Association adds this to the mix of definitions: “Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.
If you're thinking to yourself, “I don’t need a definition; I need a solution!” I hear you. These definitions were provided as a foundation to this episode, but I’m with you: knowing what it is that we're dealing with and doing something about it are two different things.
If there is one good reason to go through various afflictions such as anxiety, it is so that we can become a caring, compassionate resource for others. My battle with anxiety began during my husband’s journey through cancer. The anxiety increased to hazardous levels within hours after my Norman’s passing, landing me in the emergency room with symptoms that mimicked a heart attack.
I quietly wrestled with this beast for over a year, until the Lord revealed some things to my soul, little by little. These lessons became exercises for me that I still practice today. Please understand that dealing with anxiety does not have quick fixes, but there are some things that we can practice to help bring our emotions back out of the danger zone. I’ll share four spiritual exercises that I’ve found to be helpful in reducing anxiety. These are routines that I’ve learned from studying the Word and crying out for help in prayer. I hope they'll help you as well.
NEW! Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
NEW! Seaside Treasures Seashell Gift Bags
Monday Nov 01, 2021
Monday Nov 01, 2021
You probably know someone who used to claim to be a Christian, but now they say that they either don’t believe in God, or they will not discuss anything about Christianity or spiritual matters. Something happened for them to arrive at this spot. There are common reasons why people reject God, or say that they don’t believe in God. It’s actually a popular position today but it’s also very hazardous. We can’t change our minds after the final breath.
It’s hard to watch friends and loved ones drifting away from God and the foundational principles of His Word. It is even more painful when those loved ones are close relatives, such as a spouse, a sibling, or adult children. If you are watching this happen to someone you love, you’ve probably also realized by now that you can’t make them turn around. That’s God’s territory. If we try to force change in someone else’s life, we may find ourselves being rejected as well. This shouldn’t make us angry. It should increase our compassion and resolve to pray without ceasing.
The reasons people reject God are so many that if I did an episode with three points every week for a year, we wouldn’t even come close to covering them all. We’ll consider three common reasons, with a goal of inspiring listeners to consider a more careful and thoughtful approach to those who are trapped in unbelief. It is indeed a trap.
ICU--In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Application Study
Monday Oct 25, 2021
Monday Oct 25, 2021
It is possible to handle disagreements lovingly, but we'll have to remember that we love the people with whom we have the disagreement! It's too easy to fall into the "us against them" trap, leading to contentious disagreements that damage relationships.
Anytime there are gatherings, there will also be multiple opportunities for disagreements. The old saying that you don’t discuss politics or religion at the dinner table needs a new category added: vaccinations. When I was a child and I would hear my Dad and Mom having a disagreement, if Mom kept adding to the list of transgressions Dad would say seven words: “You just want something to fuss about.” There are people today who qualify for that charge. They not only want something to fuss about; but they also expect you to agree with them or else you are most surely WRONG!
When someone throws a baited hook at you in the form of a prickly statement, do you take the bait and jump into an argument, or do you use discretion and carefully consider your words before speaking? We may think that we must say something, but sometimes taking the bait leads to nothing but a war of words.
This is way too big a topic to cover in a brief podcast, so we'll condense this down to four things that we can do to handle disagreements with tender loving care. Disagreements with are unavoidable. Arguments are avoidable.
NEW! Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
Monday Oct 18, 2021
Monday Oct 18, 2021
Have you ever had a time when something tragic or otherwise painful happened in a loved one’s life and they looked at you in shock and sadly asked, “Why me?” That’s a hard question, isn’t it? In fact, it doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned veteran to hardship and loss, it’s still a question that doesn’t have an easy answer. Sometimes we ask questions that cannot be answered fully on this side of Heaven.
It used to be true that if you suffered something catastrophic, you were somewhat rare. People would flock to the side of a person when they received a sobering diagnosis or if someone in their family passed away. But now, with so much going on in our world, more people have been struck by hardships and grief than ever before. Has death accelerated, or is it just more noticeable because we’re keeping track of the numbers? That’s another question that has no easy answer, but this we do know, things have changed, and we have more questions than answers.
This episode addresses three common questions that don’t have easy answers, followed by suggestions in how to rewrite them into prayer requests. The purpose of this exercise is to increase hope and confidence in God. He has not abandoned us, even if this season in life seems incredibly heavy. These suggested revisions of the hard questions are only designed to provide a way to view things from a more helpful angle.
NEW! Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
NEW! Seaside Treasures Seashell Gift Bags
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Monday Oct 11, 2021
When you read a post on social media and it makes an unverified claim, do you automatically assume that it’s true?
Do you make hasty decisions based on your emotions rather than taking the time to pray?
Have you ever had a caution in your soul about whether or not to do something, but you ignored it and ended up getting hurt by your own choice?
What do these questions have in common? All of them are related to a lack of prudence. A lack of prudence can turn life into one mess after another.
Included in the definitions of “prudent” you’ll find this gem of a statement: “Cautious not to act when the end is of doubtful utility.” In other words, a prudent person isn’t going to do something without considering the possible outcome of the actions. Prudence really enriches a person’s life. The wisdom of being a prudent person leads to less worry, a lot less drama, and less clean-up of self-made messes.
This episode walks through four verses about the prudent person. We’ll see some identifying marks that can help us to make some life improvements.
NEW! Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
Monday Oct 04, 2021
Monday Oct 04, 2021
Not long ago, I saw a little wall plaque that said this: “Hold on. I’ve gotta overthink about it.” That’s funny until it’s not.
Overthinking keeps us from doing things that could be beneficial while trapping us in a prison cell of doubt. Whether you’re doubting your abilities or doubting God, overthinking is a real vision killer, and it feeds on fears and what ifs. Is overthinking keeping you stuck? Don’t overthink that question. Just answer it honestly.
The general definition of overthinking is to “think about something too much or for too long.” Why would we do this? There are lots of reasons, but it is a learned behavior. Sometimes it’s fear of failure, and other times it may be a fear of not being accepted, or maybe we’re just afraid to try anything unfamiliar. Is there something you’re supposed to be doing but you’ve talked yourself out of trying? You may be a victim of overthinking, and the person doing this to you is in the mirror.
Whatever you’re putting off—whether it’s sharing the Gospel with someone God has put in your path, starting a new ministry, or launching a small business, overthinking will trap you in a loop of second-third-and-fourth guessing, preventing you from getting anything done. This is a form of self-inflicted torment, and unless we face this foe, we’ll stay stuck by choice. Sometimes it’s more comfortable not to do something than to step out boldly and walk by faith.
How can we stop paralyzing ourselves with overthinking? Let’s consider four suggestions, and then you can get together with God to pray about this whole subject. He has more for you. As usual, this episode is just a starter list.
NEW! Encouragement for Women--A 30-day Devotional
Monday Sep 27, 2021
Monday Sep 27, 2021
Have you ever opened a package of something, intending only to have a few bites and then suddenly the entire package was gone? We may think it’s something that’s just routine, but it’s really the result of a habit.
Sometimes we try to wiggle out of facing our issues by claiming that they aren’t addressed in the Bible, but on closer examination we will find that habits are in the Bible. They show up in lists like the "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5:22-23, and like the "add to our faith" qualities in 2 Peter 1:5-8.
Good habits help us to grow. Bad habits hinder growth and keep us stuck and spinning our wheels like a car stuck in a Minnesota snowbank. If you’ve never experienced having your car tires stuck in a snowbank, let me tell you from experience that you can rev the engine all you want but you’re not going anywhere.
Why do we settle for being stuck in habits that we hate when we can grow and thrive? Sometimes it’s as simple as this: we’re not examining ourselves to consider our ways. We’re just repeating the same mistakes but expecting a different outcome. God can help us with this. Let’s look at a person in the Bible whose habits helped him, with the goal of allowing the examples to help us as well. His name was Paul, and he had some great habits that anyone can practice.
ICU--In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Application Study
Monday Sep 20, 2021
Monday Sep 20, 2021
"I don't like what's happening in my life right now."
Culture shock sounds like that.
Maybe you’re a newlywed and you’ve moved to a new town with your husband and you don’t even know your way to Target. We know how much we love our Target runs!
Or could it be that you’re a former Pastor’s wife and suddenly, your husband is no longer the pastor? That creates an identity crisis on several levels.
Or maybe you’re a missionary on the field, and you wonder sometimes if people really care enough to pray for you as you go through struggles that you wouldn’t write about in the missionary prayer letter.
Or perhaps you’re like me, a widow who doesn’t know how to NOT be a wife. You’ve been married for longer than you’ve done anything else in life, and now you’re in a “Who am I?” stage of life.
Or maybe your situation is something else, but you’re still feeling like things just don’t fit right.
We don't have to move to a foreign country to experience culture shock. Whether you're feeling cut off from things that were familiar, or you're just going through too many changes, the uncertainty and uneasiness is real.
What can we do when we’re in a new or trying situation and we're wrestling to adjust? This episode provides four tips designed to inspire you to walk through this season with hope and encouragement.
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ICU--In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Application Study
Monday Sep 13, 2021
Monday Sep 13, 2021
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of self-indulgence is “excessive or unrestrained gratification of one's own appetites, desires, or whims.” Self-indulgence has lots of indicators. Here are some signs that you may be struggling with self-indulgence:
- You have an income but no money because of your spending habits.
- You repeatedly complain about your weight but you keep eating things that are great for packing on the pounds.
- Arriving late is your trademark for almost everything because of poor time management.
- You allow yourself to be moody and expect people to deal with it because "that's just how you are."
- You’re taking poor care of your health but making excuses for it.
Self-indulgence is self-inflicted bondage. You are in prison and holding the keys. Living like this makes life less enjoyable and more stressful. The self-indulgent life seems like it would reward us, but it actually robs and enslaves us. This tendency to do whatever we please was born in the Garden of Eden, and it has been an easy trap every since. What can we do about it?
This episode provides three starter suggestions, and then it would be best for you to go and spend some time with the Lord in prayer for more specific direction. We’re all unique, and while we may have common struggles, God can put His finger on our particular weaknesses and help us to overcome them by His power and might, not by our own.
Monday Sep 06, 2021
Monday Sep 06, 2021
Are you one of many people who didn’t mind when church was limited to live stream for a season? Maybe you would only admit this to close friends or family, but you had company. After decades of going to church in person, suddenly we were sitting in our pajamas with pancakes, bacon, coffee and our Bibles. Okay maybe some of you only had coffee but still, this wasn't how we normally went to church.
Something happened during that time of dramatic change. It advanced the ideal environment for spiritual dryness. Not everyone had this experience, but if you found yourself embracing the live stream over the in-person service so much that you didn’t want to return, there may have been more going on than just side effects of the pandemic. And it’s not just about church, either.
Seasons of spiritual dryness can happen to anyone. The pandemic is not the only thing that was going on in people’s lives when it arrived, and it will never be the only thing we’re facing on any given day. There are many things in life that can leave us feeling physically spent and spiritually drained, but God can help us to recover. We'll consider three indicators that we may be running dry, and then we’ll explore suggestions for recovering from this temporary condition. Spiritual dryness happens, but it doesn’t have to become permanent.
ICU--In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Application Study
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
One of the wealthiest people who ever lived had houses in the plural, and they were paid for in full. These homes were surrounded by vineyards and gorgeous gardens filled with orchards of fruit trees. An elaborate irrigation system watered the gardens and trees. No running around moving the old-fashioned sprinklers for this property owner!
But it didn’t stop there. Since this person had unlimited wealth, servants were hired to do everything from groundskeeping to cooking, cleaning, and more. Any possessions that someone else had, this person had to have bigger and better. There wasn’t enough to satisfy the bottomless appetite of this wealthy man.
And even with all this abundance, the man named Solomon, who had been known for his great wisdom said these shocking words found in Ecclesiastes 2:17:
"Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit."
Have you ever said that you hated life? Maybe you, like Solomon, were looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places. While there are many lessons we could learn from Solomon's mistakes, we'll consider three take-aways that are relevant to our lives today.
ICU--In Christ Unconditionally: Old Testament Bible Application Study
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Monday Aug 23, 2021
Monday Aug 23, 2021
When several items were stolen from my checked luggage last December, it really degraded my trust in the airlines. I couldn't prove who took the things from my bag, but this experience made me determine not to pack anything of greater value than a pair of used shoes!
It's understandable when we have trust issues as a side effect of being wronged by someone, especially when it was someone we should have been able to count as reliable. The problem with trust issues is that they tend to spill over into our walk with God, causing us to worry and become filled with anxiety and doubt. Fear and fretfulness are merely signs that our trust in God needs opportunities to grow.
We may prefer to stay in our comfort zones, but greater growth happens in the discomfort zone, and that's where trust is learned. God is worthy of our trust, no matter what happens in this life.
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Monday Aug 16, 2021
Monday Aug 16, 2021
You’ve done or said something wrong and now your friend is upset with you. It was totally an accident, but the outcome was the same as if you’d had done it on purpose. You felt really bad about it at first, until you started analyzing the situation. Was it really all your fault, or was this person just being thin-skinned?
Come to think of it, hasn’t she or he said a thing or two in the past that didn’t sit right with you, but you let it go? Where is the grace for you that you gave them when they were in the wrong? The more you replay these unhelpful thoughts, the less inclined you'll be to apologize. Developing a bad attitude won’t fix the situation. It will just delay the repairs.
Apologizing when we’ve done or said something offensive requires spiritual maturity and humility. This episode will focus on what we can do to make things right when we’ve been the offender.
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Monday Aug 09, 2021
Monday Aug 09, 2021
Have you ever had something happen in your life that made you wonder, "What just happened here?"
Heartbreaking events create a pressure in life that is like an explosion. First, there is shock as a person processes information that knocks them off their feet, and then the pain begins. As pain transitions into a cold numbness, it leaves behind side-effects that take time to resolve. Explosions in families, marriages, ministry, and more are reminders of our perilous times.
What can we do after something has happened to cause the earth to feel like it is crumbling beneath our feet? How do we recover when tragedy strikes, leaving us dazed and wounded? There are some things that we can do, and we'll cover these suggestions in this episode.
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Monday Aug 02, 2021
Monday Aug 02, 2021
People in the Old and New Testament had painful things happen in their lives that people wouldn't tend to freely discuss:
- King David murdered Uriah to cover up his adultery with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba. (2 Sam. 11:1-17). The baby from this adulterous relationship died abruptly.
- Abigail was married to Nabal, a wealthy and powerful man who was also a disagreeable drunk. (1 Sam. 25:3). We can only guess the challenges she had.
- Jonah struggled with discouragement and depression (Jonah 4:8). He wanted to die even after his miraculous survival from living in a fish belly for three days.
- Judas committed suicide (Matt. 27:3-5). This had to have been so sad for the disciples who considered him a friend, but have you ever wondered how his parents felt?
All of these accounts from Scripture prove that we are not the first to have things happen in our lives that are uncommonly hard. Sometimes things happen that we just can’t discuss openly with others, and this may lead to feelings of isolation and despair.
This episode offers four suggestions for walking through those times when we’re dealing with issues that we’re not free to discuss. We need wisdom when we’re secretly carrying a heavy burden. When you can't talk about it, you may feel lonely, but you are not alone.
ICU--In Christ Unconditionally: Old Testament Bible Application Study
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Monday Jul 26, 2021
Monday Jul 26, 2021
There are times in life when we are really vulnerable to spiritual attacks. For some, the stress of the pandemic has led to a lukewarmness about Bible reading, church attendance, or other healthy spiritual habits. For others, the passing of a loved one has left a painful fog of grief mingled with indifference to anything spiritual. Or maybe it’s a matter of who has access to your thinking. Are you spending a lot of time with people who are not interested in godly living? Regardless of the cause, any of us could go through seasons when we’re spiritually vulnerable, increasing the temptation to backslide.
Anything we do in this life is tied to our spiritual health. If we’re spiritually healthy, it’s reflected in our choices. The same is true if we’re spiritually unhealthy: it will show.
Are you in the process of backsliding? Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines a backslider as “one who falls from faith and practice of religion.” We know that Christianity is a relationship; but the word “religion” is in the Bible, and it’s referring to our worship of God. So, in this sense, backsliding is the act of falling from our faith back into habits and behaviors that are selfish and biblically off-base.
What if you or someone you love is heading in the wrong direction? Let’s look at a brief list of indicators, and then we’ll consider what we can do about it.
Monday Jul 19, 2021
Monday Jul 19, 2021
You finally got together with that sister friend for a long overdue cup of coffee. The conversation was general small talk until suddenly, your friend looked at you and said, "Can I talk to you about something?" As she unfolded her problem, you were wondering if you could truly help. Giving counsel is a very serious matter. After all, we surely don't want to add new problems to existing ones.
Biblical counseling includes purposeful advice with scriptural guidance and planning. It's not just a couple of people venting or passing opinions back and forth. Bring a notebook and pen to this episode. We'll cover a list of five instructions designed to help you as you're helping others.
"Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end." (Proverbs 19:20)
ICU--In Christ Unconditionally New Testament Case Studies
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Monday Jul 12, 2021
Monday Jul 12, 2021
The desire to control the outcomes and people in our lives is a very common temptation. It’s a flawed thread woven into the fabric of our lives, making us tense and anxious. It’s also a tendency that comes with our carnal nature, feeding on imaginations that we know what’s best.
Being in control of life’s circumstances is an illusion and a delusion. We can trick ourselves into believing that if we manipulate situations just right, things will turn out according to our desires. The problem with this plot is that we’re out of line. People with control issues also have major trust issues, and the lack of trust starts with God and then works its way down into other relationships.
This episode is directed to the controlling types. We can’t dive deeply into this topic in eleven minutes, so let’s just consider three signs of a controlling person, and some suggestions on ways to give up this draining habit while inspiring improvements.
ICU--In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Application Study