Strengthened Hands Podcast

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. "

God is the God of hope. He desires to fill us up completely with hope, that we would abound with peaceful, joyful hope. In Christ, this is not just a fanciful wish, but a reality. The sentiments of hope are never closer in our minds than at Christmas. The birth of Christ is the basis of Chri...

In this episode, we are looking at God's loving discipline for us. Sons of God must be disciplined by their Heavenly Father.

"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. " - Hebrews 12:7-8

The purpose of his discipli...

There is something exquisitely beautiful about friendship. It ought to be treasured and protected at all costs. In this episode I mentioned how I did not have many friends as a child. While that is true, I do remember my very first friend. His name was Quinn. He had blond hair like I used to and a soft nature like mine. We went to preschool together, and since he lived next to the preschool, I would watch him walk over by himself i...

Of all the crazy things that people did in the Bible, Peter volunteering to walk on water might be the craziest. I don't know exactly what he was thinking, but I don't think that thought would have even crossed my mind.

This request is physically impossible to satisfy, but in the presence of God, nothing is impossible. Even though it was Peter who asked to walk on the water, it was Jesus who extended the official invitation...

It's not a question of if, but when. You WILL encounter people who are difficult to work with. The question is, how will you treat them?

In this episode, we will be looking at how Jesus handled difficult people. The saviour of mankind was not always happy with the people He was working with, but He always acted righteously. Even when He was flipping tables, His anger did not cause Him to sin. We, on the other hand, have anger i...

Whether you are in highschool, freshly graduated, or have been out for years, it is never a bad idea to think about what you would have liked to know back in those years.

What stupid thing would you have avoided doing? Would you have had the same friends? How would you have spent those countless hours of free time?

As a young person matures into an adult, they must go through a time of great change. This change must be handled with...

Maybe when you get older. Maybe when you get a better job. Maybe when you get a girlfriend or you get married. Maybe when you buy a house and settle down and get everything that you've ever wanted. Or maybe not. Could it be that you are wasting your life right now because you're too distracted by where you want to be?

In this episode, I hope to give fresh perspective on what we call waiting seasons. We all have to wait f...

If you knew the eyes of the world were on you, how would you act? While the eyes of the whole world are rarely on a single man, people are always watching you. They watch how you live and how you act, how you love and treat other people. You are a leader, whether you realize it or not. We need to come to terms with our platform and we need to lead well, otherwise people will suffer.

It can be very uncomfortable to be the leader. I ...

Keep going; you have to keep going. You have to keep pushing. You have to keep fighting. The Gospel must prevail, and you have to play your part in making that happen.

Charlie Kirk's recent assassination has caused a worldwide firestorm that has touched believers everywhere. When a good man dies for the faith, others will inevitably rise up and grow in boldness and courage.

Through the example of a young man like Timothy, we se...

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." - Philippians 4:4

Easier said than done, isn't it Paul? And yet, that is not only our command, it is our privilege. And it is possible!

Today we are exploring the joy that is found exclusively in the person of God. Joy is not only able to bring us feelings of great pleasure and happiness, it is also able to get us through very difficult life circumstances as we look forward to ...

There are many burdens in life. There are financial burdens, burdens of sickness, relationship burdens. Another kind of burden is the guilt for wrongdoing. With other burdens, there are things you can do to bring relief to yourself. You can go out and get an extra job, you can take vitamins or see a doctor, you can have conversations and make intentional connections, but what can you do to relieve your conscience when you have done...

You are powerful. You are strong. You are an overcomer. These are not just nice thoughts to post on your bathroom mirror, they are promises from God himself.

"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power..." - 2 Timothy 1:7

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong, and very courageous..." - Joshua 1:9

"[...] in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." - Romans 8:37

In this episode we are looking at Go...

It's the subject of a million songs, the plot of a thousand movies, the drama of every high school relationship. Everyone wants it, craves it, needs it. People look high and low for it. A crazy little thing called love.

We have been told that God loves us. Do you know what that means? In this episode we explore the scriptural basis of God's love for us.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that...

Juggling. Speed reading. Underwater basket weaving. What do all these have in common? They're all talents, of course! Well, I'm not sure about the last one, but you get the idea.

God has given each person incredible talents, and He wants us to use them. The talents I just mentioned are trivial compared to the spiritual gifts that God has promised to us, but every talent we have is supposed to be used to give glory to God and to bui...

There is an idea that is growing very popular, the idea of self-talk. Speak positive affirmations over yourself, don't let any negativity into your space, find your worth within yourself. These things sound very good on the surface, but they have a shaky foundation. Without a solid basis of truth from which to say these things, you are at the mercy of your emotions, the words of others, and the wicked lies that come from the enemy....

Peer pressure is something we all know from experience, but we do not often talk about the ways that it affects our lives. In this episode, we are going to look at both sides of peer pressure, the negative influence that it can have on us, as well as the positive.

Peer pressure is a social pressure we feel that tells us to become something we are not. That pressure can come from a friend or friends, spouse, coworker, classmate, or s...

In this episode, I answer the question of how we should treat those in the LGBTQ community. This was inspired by a comment from a listener who wanted to know how they should love their gay friend.

It is not a question that the Bible calls homosexuality a sin. Those who wish to deny it will have to jump through many hoops and contort many scriptures in order to come to the conclusion that it is anything but. If the Bible is not usefu...

Sabbath was instituted by God on the Seventh day of creation when he rested from all of his works. God later gave it as a command to the Israelites that they also should rest on the Sabbath day in honor of God and his ability to provide for them. This is the Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six day shall you labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. " (Exodus ...

Let's set the scene: the faltering University of Michigan football team is up against their powerhouse nemesis Ohio St. in their annual rivalry game. Ohio State comes into the game favored to win by a landslide, both by sports analysts and football fans everywhere.

When the game is over, one team stands victorious, but it is not Ohio State.

Michigan wins the game 13-10 and celebrates in the middle of the field. As if the shame ...