238 – Have you ever wondered if there's a way to really know God loves you? Does God's love ever seem far away? Or maybe you know theoretically that God loves you, but you just don't feel it? Maybe you've made bad life choices that makes it hard to imagine God still loves you. When I'm discouraged, it's been really helpful to remember that God sent Jesus because He loves us so much, all of  us. Jesus's whole life, everything he said and did, is an example of how God loves you and me, not...

237 – Is it possible to find healing from the effects of trauma and abuse? Have you or someone you know been in an abusive or traumatic situation or relationship? This episode is for you. Marina Carrier shares how she overcame the residual effects of being an unwanted child and sexual abuse at the age of nine. It was only through the power of the Holy Spirit, which brought her back to the church and the study of the Bible, which started her journey of healing. Some important steps along...

236 – If the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to your church, what would he say? First, imagine if you had lived back in the days of the early Christian Church. Paul may have come to your church to preach. And you may have received a letter from him later with some helpful ideas, prayers, and reminders of what he told you when he was there. Of course, he might also rebuke you for a couple of things your church was doing that wasn't faithful to Christ. Now, think of your church today. What...

235 – What does it even mean to be filled with God's fullness? In his letter to the Ephesians, at the end of Chapter 3, Paul prays that the church members would know the love of Christ and be filled with all the fullness of God. But is that even possible? Most Christians I talk to think that's the sort of thing that happens after they die and go to heaven.  But Paul is praying for the Ephesians to experience here on earth. In this week's episode, I talk about Paul's prayer (there's a lot...

234 – Do you have a hard time forgiving yourself? Right. Join the club. It's not easy to forgive yourself. But it's something we need to do. And we can. This week I look at several Bible characters who, in one way or another, had to come to terms with the mistakes they made and their sins. The Bible doesn't tell us what these folks were thinking and if they ever forgave themselves or if it was enough just to feel God's forgiveness. Here are the people I talk about this week. Do you...

233 – Where are you looking for Jesus? A lot of people are looking for Jesus these days, the real Jesus. Unfortunately, a lot of people have become disillusioned by the difference between what they’re discovering about Jesus in the Bible and the way their churches have followed, or rather not followed, Jesus. This week's episode is about where to look for Jesus and where not look for him. The Bible gives some pretty good insights on this. Where NOT to look for Jesus: Your preconceptions...

232 – Is anything keeping you from doing what God has called you to do? Do you have a strong sense of purpose in your life but it seems things keep getting in the way of you doing what God has called you to do? Or maybe you're still waiting to see what God wants you to do with your life. Sometimes, even when we know what God's will is for our lives, we haven't really pursued it because somehow we're waiting to get permission and approval from someone else. This week's episode is all about...

231 – Do you notice when God is trying to get your attention? God talks to us in lots of ways. But how often do we notice? Take a minute to think of all the ways God tries to get your attention.  Sometimes it might be because you're doing something you shouldn't. Sometimes it's because you're not doing something you should. And sometimes it's because your doing exactly what God wants you to do and He's confirming that you're right where you need to be. In this week's episode, I talk...

230 – Has God ever asked you to dance with Him? What does that even mean? When God asks you to dance, it's a metaphor for God asking you to participate in life and follow where He leads. Have you ever danced with someone who didn't know how to lead, or follow, depending on which role you were in? It can be confusing, awkward, and sometimes get pretty messy. Things can get pretty confusing and messy when God asks us to dance with Him and we don't follow His lead, especially if we try to...

229 – How often do you hear: "The blood of Jesus saves you from your sins," or something to that effect? The more I have pondered and prayed about all the Bible has to say about God's forgiveness of sins, Jesus's crucifixion, and more specifically, the blood of Jesus, I've come to the conclusion that there's more to forgiveness than just the fact that Jesus's blood was shed. Spoiler Alert: This may sound a little controversial at first, but when you listen to this episode, you'll understand...

228 – Did you ever realize how many women leaders there are in the New Testament? More than you probably realized. There are some I didn't even realize were women? Why haven't we been told about these amazing women who risked their lives to share the Gospel in the early Christian Church? This week I talk with Dr. Nijay Gupta about these women leaders in the early Christian church and how they set examples for how women can have leadership roles in the church today. He has written a book...

227 – Have you ever wondered if God still loves you? All too often we think of all the mistakes we've made or the things that have happened to us, and somehow decide God must not love us anymore, that we're not worthy of His love. But no matter what you've done ( or not done that you should have), no matter what mistakes you've made, big or small, God still loves you. It's as simple as that. Why do we make it so complicated? In this week's episode, I share some of my personal journey to...

226 – What does  it mean to be more than a conqueror through Christ? With all the challenges in the world and in your own personal life, does it ever seem like there's just no end to the chaos? In Chapter 8 of Romans, Paul lists a host of challenges that describes what a lot of people are dealing with today. But he also promises us that we can find answers, solutions, and healing through Christ. In this week's episode, I talk about what it means to be more than just a conqueror: We can...

225 – If you could ask Jesus a favor, what would it be? If you had met Jesus 2,000 years ago while as he was traveling around healing and ministering to people, what would you ask him for? A healing? Deliverance from a problem? The answer to a burning question in your heart? Lots of people came up to Jesus to ask him for all sorts of things. Sometimes he granted their requests and sometimes he didn't. There's so much to learn from these folks who approached Jesus with a request. In this...

224 – Do you have to believe in the Nicene Creed to be a true Christian? This is a pretty heavy duty topic. And people have been arguing over this for about 1,700 years.  So this is not the final answer or discussion on the topic. But is incredibly important to think about what it means to be a Christian. Is it based on what you believe or how you put into practice the teachings of Jesus? Or is it a combination of the two? This week, I share my thoughts on the Nicene Creed and some of the...

223 – Have you ever thought of the Bible as a verb? All too often we think of the Bible as a source for our beliefs, our theology, and our faith. But have you ever looked at the Bible through the lens of the action items that need to be on our daily to-do list? This week, I talk to my wife, Polly Castor, about the Bible as resource for how we are to behave, what we are to do, not just what we're supposed to believe. Polly shares LOTS of Bible action items, things we need to do, like: Obey...

222 – Have you ever tried to find yourself in the Bible? So many people are trying to find themselves these days. They're looking in so many different directions, but they often overlook the spiritual aspect of who they are as a child of God. The best place to discover your identity is in the Bible. In a couple of previous episodes, I talked specifically about this:  Episode 37: You Are the Image and Likens of God. What the Heck Does that Mean?Episode 144: Finding Your Identity in the Bible...

221 – Have you ever been so preoccupied with what others are doing that you don't focus on following Christ? Welcome to 2024! A new year is a wonderful opportunity to take stock of where you've been, where you are and where you're going. Instead of a New Year's Resolution this year, I decided simply to quit comparing myself to what others are doing and just focus on following Christ. Remember when Jesus said to Peter, "What is that to you? As for you, follow me." John 21:22 That's why in...

220 – Highlights from The Bible Speaks to You Podcast in 2023 The end of the year is a good time to look back and see where you've come from. It's a time to appreciate and be grateful for all the blessings from the previous 12 months. In these last few days of 2023, I've gone back to review some of the podcast episodes that, according to you, my listeners, were the most helpful. This week's episode shares some of the highlights from these favorite episodes from 2023. Here are the...

219 – What are you expecting to get for Christmas this year? Remember that sense of expectation you had as a kid at Christmastime? There was so much anticipation for what presents you'd get. What if you could have that same sense of expectation for all that Christ is giving you this Christmas? Have you ever stopped to think about all that Jesus has given us? In this week's episode I talk about some of the more obvious things Christ gives us, not just at Christmas, but all year long: Love,...

218  – Do you have a prodigal in your family? This week I talk with Pam Fields, mother of nine, and grandmother of four, about how to pray when you have a prodigal child. One of Pam's grown children has broken away from the family and renounced their faith. Pam talks about the way she has prayed about this and how she has supported others who have had similar experiences. Here are some of the points we covered: Acknowledge and deal with your emotions, such as guilt and shameA prodigal may...

217 – Have there been times in your life that gave you a deeper sense of what Christmas is all about? The Bible is full of these decisions people made and actions they took that create a chain of events that eventually lead to the birth of Jesus. In this week's episode, I talk about a few of these pivotal moments that altered the course of Bible history and bring us to Bethlehem when Jesus is born. Pivotal moments in the Bible that point us to that first Christmas: Caleb, of the tribe of...

216 – Believe it or not, some people debate whether or not God really does love everyone. And they can debate all they want. To me, the simple answer to this question is the fact that God sent Jesus to show and be the Way for us, to bring healing and salvation to us and the whole world. The Bible verse that captures this all-inclusive love of God for all mankind, throughout all time is John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who...

215 – Does your heart overflow with gratitude? I've been thinking of everything I'm grateful for. With all the tensions in the world, not to mention the challenges in my own life, I’ve found that expressing gratitude helps get me refocused on God and brings some peace of mind. Gratitude helps clear the air so my heart can breathe more freely. This week's episode takes a deep dive into some of the many ways people in the Bible express gratitude or encourage others to be grateful. Old...