Rhonda Stoppe

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

One mom really stood out to me. She genuinely seemed to enjoy being a mom. One day I pulled her aside to ask her, “How do you do it? You seem to sincerely enjoy the mundane life of motherhood.” With eyes wide open, she responded, “I love it. And do you know what? If I could do it all over again, I would go back to when my kids were little and just enjoy them for who they are.”

Before Israel had kings to rule over them, God appointed judges and prophets to speak to the people on His behalf. When the judge was a godly influence, he would lead Israel to repentance and victory over their enemies.

So many times in Scripture God shows up when His people cry out for help. In this case, Israel was paralyzed by fear of Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army who boasted 900 iron chariots. So, God rose up an unlikely judge, prophetess and hero of the faith –– a woman named Deborah.

Discover the Bible story of the Romans Road to salvation and its meaning. What must we do to ensure our salvation to heaven?

While abortion is not specifically mentioned in Scripture, we can glean insights from God’s response toward a culture who regularly practiced the killing of babies. The Lord was particularly intolerant of the act among His own people.

Abortion is not a political issue, it’s a matter of the heart. Ending abortion among Christians will not happen through politics, but through prayer and equipping them with the truth one person at a time.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the LORD and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Since it is human nature to battle against self-worship, we are tempted to focus on the latter half of this verse which seems to promise that God will give us whatever our little hearts desire. But realizing the context of Psalm 37:4 will help us better comprehend what it means to delight in the Lord.

As we mourn the loss of the beloved Rev. Billy Graham, we think about the great impact he made for the Gospel and the wonderful man he was: 

What comes to mind when you hear the name of this evangelistic legend? For me, it’s the memory of attending a Billy Graham Crusade held in a massive stadium filled with people.

After hearing Graham powerfully preach the gospel, I knew he was being used by God to call sinners to salvation. Thousands flocked forward as the choir sang, Just as I am without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me…

Years later in San Antonio, Texas, my husband and I took our youth group to hear Billy Graham during one of his final Crusades. I was in awe as Graham shared simply and clearly the call to repentance and surrender to Christ. I thought, who is this man who speaks with such authority? How did God bring him to this place?

I recently did a little research on Billy Graham’s story, and I’m excited to share with you:

10 Things You Didn’t Know about Billy Graham.

Kim had been a believer for a number of years. She often felt the twinge of guilt whenever her pastor brought up evangelism. Since becoming a Christian, Kim knew God wanted her to tell others about the hope she found in Christ, but the fear of seeming pushy or appearing as that weirdo who threatens people with hell’s fire and brimstone made her hesitant to share her faith.

Maybe you can relate to Kim’s situation. Think back—can you recall the people and circumstances God used to draw you to Christ? Most likely, someone was bold enough to share the gospel with you.

So why is it that we, whose lives have been transformed by a relationship with Christ, tend to recoil when God brings to us those He’s drawing to Jesus? What are some ways God would have us be His ambassadors in this generation? To help, let’s begin by looking at 10 things that are NOT evangelism:

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I love studying the lives of others who’ve gone on before us. The faithful followers of Christ and their resolve to serve Him in their generation inspires me to follow their example.

It’s easy to look at their lives and think they were somehow special, but truth is, the only thing that made their lives count was their resolve to allow God to do through them what He had ordained before the foundations of this world.

Think of it. Your life is just as important to God as the heroes of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. God doesn’t want you to be perfect. He’s not waiting to use you until you measure up to His expectations. He simply wants from you unconditional surrender so He can do through you all He has planned. For a little inspiration, let’s look at 10 Christians Who Shaped History:

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“I really like listening to her podcasts. I don’t know what it is, but when she talks she really makes me feel better about life,” Kara shared in her social media comment.

Kara went on to encourage others to follow the podcast as well. Later that day, an older woman pulled Kara aside to question what exactly she was learning from the well known podcaster’s sermons. Kara began to list a number of ways the sermons gave her warm feelings and hope for all the prosperity God wanted to bestow upon her. The older woman stopped her mid sentence, “You have repeatedly described how the sermons made you feel. You have not once mentioned what biblical principles you have learned from the podcasts.”

The older woman continued, “The Bible warns us not to be silly women tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.” She then kindly and graciously cautioned Kara to be more discerning about where she looked for theological insights.

What about you? Do you relate to Kara’s story? Are you careful when you listen to teachers online? Realizing that the Apostle Peter warned how there will arise many false teachers among us, do you ask God for wisdom to discern their doctrine? Let’s look at 10 cautions to consider before you download sermon podcasts.