The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus

315 – Keep following Jesus

Have you ever been at a point in your life when you just didn’t know what to do next? It could be a simple project you’re working on at home, at school, or at work. 

It could be a career choice or something with long term consequences. Or it could be a major life change on a much grander scale. If you don’t know where you’re going, what do you do next?

You’ve done all you’re allowed to or know how to do, and...

314 – Welcome to Freedom Friday

What does it really mean to repent? 

It's not just feeling sorry for something you did wrong. It goes much deeper. It's really about getting a deeper spiritual perspective on who you are, who God is, and how much He loves you.

It's about looking at things from the perspective of what is already true in heaven and letting go of old habits and negative ways of thinking that lead to sin.

When...

313 – How much do you and your church really want to grow spiritually?

A lot of churches are struggling these days with dwindling membership numbers, but just getting more warm bodies in the pews on Sunday morning is not necessarily a solution or a fulfillment of your church’s mission.

The real need, which is not a new idea, since Jesus talked about it 2,000 years ago, is to be hungry and thirsty for things of the Spirit. 

A church th...

312 Freedom Friday –  Finding freedom from guilt and shame

Welcome to Freedom Fridays: A new series from The Bible Speaks to You Podcast

Too many people these days are walking around with a heavy burden of guilt and shame from past mistakes and how others have harmed them.

If that sounds like you, this episode is for you. 

Show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/312

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Text me your questions or comments.

I’m putting together a...

311 – Do the people you love know you love them?

Have you ever felt a deep sense of love and affection for someone, but they had no clue you cared so much about them?

All too often someone feels unloved, while people actually do love them, but they never tell the person or express their love in a tangible way.

In this week’s episode we’re going to talk about the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself from a little different ang...

310 – Do you ever look God in the face?

It's probably not on the top of your to-do list. It’s probably not something you think about very often or even consider as a possibility. 

In fact, you may not want to talk to God face to face, for a variety of reasons. 

And what does that even mean, to look at God this way? To talk to God this way?

Doesn't the Bible say you can't see God's face?

Yes it does, but it also talks...

309 – What’s your first thought when someone says, “You need to repent.”? 

Does it make you uncomfortable or uneasy? Or do you agree and admit to yourself that you do need to repent? 

It might depend on the context and tone of voice someone uses to say those words, but all too often it happens during a sermon that sounds like a shouting match with the preacher yelling at his audience, using fear and emotional triggers to convince the...

308 – Do you ever feel separated from God?

Maybe because of something hurtful someone said or did to you? 

Or maybe because of bad choices you made that weren’t good for you or someone else? 

Or maybe it’s just because of all the problems the world is facing right now? 

Where is God in all this? Sometimes God does seem far away.

In this week’s episode we’re going to talk about God’s nature as omnipresent, that God is everywhere, what th...

307 –  How often do you think about your relationship with God? 

Not very often, once in a while, maybe a lot, maybe even every day? 

What kind of a relationship do you have or would like to have with God? 

Maybe a more important question is: What kind of relationship would God like to have with you? God has infinite love for you and is always willing and able to support you. 

In this week’s episode, we’re going to talk about a deeper ...

306 – What will it take for you to let God be in charge?

Have you ever been so involved in getting something done, wanting everything to turn out just right that you put your whole heart into it but somehow you ended up having to push and shove to get things to come out the way you wanted them? 

And even after all that effort, things don’t always work out?

Maybe you’ve even prayed about it and asked God to help you, but at the end of ...

305 – Do your prayers need to be more persistent?

Have you ever been praying about something and just didn’t seem to be getting any answers?

You poured your heart and soul into praying and studying the Bible, but after a while, you just couldn’t see any progress or evidence of your prayers having any effect at all.

Maybe some of your friends even told you it was ridiculous to pray for whatever it was you were praying about. And so you...

304 – Have you ever felt like the devil was trying to control you?

A preacher on social media recently warned all his listeners about how powerful the devil is and how careful you have to be not to fall into all the temptations that come to you.

It seemed to me he actually was trying to scare his audience so they would listen to him and do what he said. 

I agree, it's important not to give in to temptations, but the question for ...

303 – Who decides what it means to be a Christian?

Have you ever been told by someone you’re not a Christian because you didn’t agree 100% with them on every tiny detail of theology? It’s not a great feeling.

Some churches have a pretty wide and inclusive definition what it means to be a Christian, including people from many different denominations. 

Some churches believe they are the only ones with the truth but that God will be merc...

302 – Is it possible for you and me to heal like Jesus did?

Have you ever struggled with a problem and reached out to God in prayer for healing and resolution, but never really felt your prayers were answered, at least not in the way people who asked Jesus for help were healed?

Somehow you got through and were able to cope with the situation, but you didn’t have the kind of healing you read about in the Bible.

Is it even possible for ...

301 – What is the secret to church growth?

How is your church doing these days? 

Are you growing? Are you holding steady? Are you barely hanging in there trying to keep the doors open? 

A lot of churches are struggling right now. Some are closing. Some are growing.

What is it that makes a church not just survive but thrive? 

There are lots of factors, but what really helps a church grow, and I’m not just talking number of members, but m...

300 – If you could go back in time and talk to Jesus, what would you ask him? 

This is the question I posed to you, my listeners, several weeks ago and in today’s episode I share all your answers.

I am totally blown away with the amazing responses you sent me, over 150 questions.

Now, there’s an incredibly wide variety in these questions. You will see very quickly these questions come from very diverse theological perspectives. 

Some o...

299 – Has God put a calling on your life?

Have you ever felt a calling from God on your life but just didn’t feel you were qualified, or didn’t have the talents, time, or resources to accomplish what was being asked of you?

Well, you’re not alone. There are lots of people today and even in the Bible who have felt the same way when God called them to their purpose. 

The beautiful thing is, God takes what you have – what He has already ...

298 – Do you ever feel like your life is full of unsolved problems?

Life seems to be racing along and it’s hard to deal with everything when it comes up.

This can happen on a personal level, but it happens at work, at school, at church. And just think of all the unsolved problems on a national and international level as well.

But the solution is more than just finding a way to get all these problems resolved. 

Believe it or not, it’s m...

297 – Do you know who you are?

When you ask someone who they are, all too often, they respond with what they do or maybe what their hobbies and interests are. 

Sometimes they define themselves by their past, either good or bad, their education, their social and economic status, their cultural, religious, ethnicity and/or country of origin.

But none of these descriptions really answer the question, Who are you?

How would you answer the ...