Deepen Your Faith, Renew Your Life

What problem in the world does your KINDNESS to others solve?

We live in an unkind world where people are often belittled, made to feel unworthy, less than, beneath consideration, and even deserving of scorn.

Your KINDNESS to others gives people their dignity back. It’s a special gift a lot of people don’t see often, yet it communicates very powerfully to others, “You matter.”

Boaz was a man who did mo...

The prophet Samuel had a very good feeling about this. He was the one appointed by God to anoint the next King of Israel.

† When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
—1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

And why not? Samuel was a smart and discerning man. He could see with his own eyes that Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son, was a handsome and tall man of statur...

What would you give for a 2ND CHANCE?

When you put your faith and trust in Christ, you’re going to get a 2ND CHANCE!

The world will not have any authority to label you as something “less than” in the eyes of God because you won’t belong to the world any longer. You’ll belong to God!

For in Christ, . . .

† He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His...

Do you ever wonder if God HEARS your prayers?

Sometimes we PRAY in order to check our “prayer time” off, our TO DO list.

The paradox, however, is that we don’t want God to hear our prayers in order to just check us off, His TO DO list.

How can we live with greater confidence that God HEARS our prayers? Take a listen and find out!

You can also READ the FULL article here at https://yanceyvaldez...

How Are You Doing at RESTING in God’s Sovereignty and the Sufficiency of His Grace?

Caring for the SOUL is more about WHO we are > than WHAT we do.

If your identity is wrapped up only in your job (what you do for a living), you’ll never be able to rest because you’ll always be suffering with an “identity crisis.”

How can you do better at RESTING in God’s sovereignty and the sufficiency of His grace? ...

What kind of person is your faith LEADING you to become?   

In his second letter to the Christ-followers who were suffering from persecution on the outside and from false teaching on the inside, Peter encourages them by saying, . . .

† For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, virtue.
—2 Peter 1:5a 

Just like your measure of faith in God is important for your spiritual journey, ...

The “BEST BOSS in the World” doesn’t really describe WHO the Lord really is, or what He really means, to those who follow Him. He is so much more than what the world might term as a “boss.”

WHO is He? And how does knowing WHO you work for impact the QUALITY of one’s work?

We’re going to talk MORE about this, in this week’s S2E9: PODCAST EPISODE!

Take a LISTEN and let us know what you think!

Yo...

It was the Day of Pentecost…

Fifty days earlier, God raised Jesus from the dead. But on the Day of Pentecost, it was announced that Jesus had now been exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And God the Father, just as He promised, gave Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit to pour out upon all that the people in attendance saw and heard that day (Acts 2:32-33).

Jewish people from all over...

It was immediately after Jesus’ LAST WORDS to His disciples.

After saying to His disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), Jesus was taken up in a cloud. They watched the whole thing. In fact, they strained to see Him rising into heaven until they could see Him no more.

W...

It had been some 40 days since Jesus rose from the dead. Over those 40 days Jesus had been presenting Himself to His followers with many convincing proofs that He was alive! He was also speaking about the Kingdom.

He told them not to depart from Jerusalem because something would be coming. In fact, He commanded them to wait for the promise of the Father, which He said, . . .

† “You have heard from Me; for John t...

5-9-24: UPDATED & RE-RECORDED for better sound quality and a better podcast experience!

Every day is a gift. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. How can we make the most out of the precious days we are given to live here on earth?

We will be heading into the summer months relatively soon. Life and work rhythms will be different for you, your family, friends, co-workers and clients. What adjustments do you need to ...

When we can learn to embrace the righteousness of God that comes to us through Jesus Christ alone, there is always a way forward. And not only that, the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind! 

There is no amount of good works, philanthropy, charity or service to others that can serve as a substitute for the precious gift of forgiveness and salvation accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. ...

Attending to the needs of the Lord, what He deems important for our lives, and what He wants to accomplish through our service to others, still matters in the world we live in.

There was so much I wanted to do and get done, but learning to live life with only one kidney was going to be an adjustment. After donating a kidney to my brother, I struggled in the recovery process because my energy levels were not the same as the...

It could very well be the most important, high priority, HIGH PAY-OFF meeting of your day.

It may cost you some precious time, energy and planning, but learning to be with Jesus is one of, if not, the first and foremost priority of a servant-leader’s preparation for a successful day of serving others well. 

Jesus hasn’t stopped calling ordinary people, like you and me, to Himself. And at times, it may not be for...

You don’t need another distraction, worry or frustration. What you need, is a target!

There used to be a television show on the History Channel called Top Shot. It was an American reality show in which 16 contestants, split into two teams of eight, would compete against each other in various types of shooting challenges. The winner would receive a $100,000 grand prize along with the coveted title of “Top Shot.”

T...

Happy Good Friday to you!

This is our FINAL episode for Season One of the “Deepen Your Faith, Renew Your Life” podcast.

I wanted to share with you a quick word of encouragement: We can only imagine what happened THE MOMENT Jesus died on the cross and what will happen when He returns.

This week’s podcast episode picture, is a picture I took on the Mount of Olives located directly east of the old city of...

It’s been two years since my brother and I had our kidney transplant surgery.

I remember that hard and difficult conversation I had with my brother, Kenny, when he told me his kidneys were failing. I knew he had some kidney problems, I just didn’t realize how bad, it had gotten. Kenny was telling me how he was at peace with God, and that he was ready to go when God felt it was time.

It was in that moment, that I...

Everyone’s personality has an emotional component. It’s part of who we are. Our emotional health is one of the five windows of the soul, in which many of us need to exercise “soul care” daily, in order to manage well.

Our emotions often exert a lot more influence over our lives than most of us would care to admit, especially when under pressure or persecution.

This is why . . .

“Managing our emotions i...

It was a game-changer in every one of their stories.

The heroes of faith in the Bible all wanted to make the most out of the life they had been given. But the journey was not without some kind of struggle that needed to be overcome.

Whether it was a battle that needed to be won, a problem that needed to be solved, or a vision from God regarding their future, the struggle was real and often against insurmountable ...