This week’s episode has been brewing in my heart and mind for more than two weeks. I actually knew what the Scripture and declaration would be well in advance of this date. I was simply waiting for the right time. I’ve been dealing as best as I could with the onslaught of emotions I’ve felt…
My pastor made a point last weekend about how those of us who are in Christ shun shame and shaming. In other words, I am who God says I am. I am who God created me to be. And so are you. You and I have no reason to feel shame in our identity, for…
Mary’s prayer: We choose thoughtful in-person discussions around dinner tables to hollering our opinions to masses on the Internet. Yesterday, Mary DeMuth shared a prayer of repentance from racial injustice on her podcast, Pray Every Day. She based her prayer on a few different scriptures, and one of the passages was Nehemiah 1:6-7. In today’s…
My heart is broken with grief over the tragic death of George Floyd. My spirit is heavy with the weight of the pain, unrest, and anger that has boiled over in response to the injustice. I ache at the condition of the human heart—that it could harbor such hatred. In times like these, I turn…
This week’s episode is once again inspired by my reactions to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on life as we once knew it. I crafted the Believe & Speak Podcast to prompt and encourage us to believe and speak truth. That’s why I give a declaration each week that I repeat and encourage you…
Today’s episode is the final installment in our four-week series on worry. The Scripture reading you’ll hear today is the one I go to more than any other passage in the Bible when I’m worried. Probably because one of these verses specifically addresses fixing our thoughts on God. The New International Version uses the word…
Worry is not healthy. Jesus cares about our mental health and well-being, and he told us not to worry. (Tune into Episode 18 for more on that.) During this season of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic, I have struggled to keep my mind from wandering into unhealthy, worrisome thoughts. Today’s episode looks at another one…
Last week, my daughter suggested I read from Matthew 6 and share Jesus’s command not to worry. I’ve listened to that podcast four times over the past week, and have repeated last week’s declaration over and over. If you’re new to Believe & Speak, you need to know that I always start by reading a…
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great deal of uncertainty, which is a magnet for worry. Today’s episode provides a gentle reminder of Jesus’s command not to worry. He says, “do not worry” three times in the span of nine verses. Fortunately, when Jesus gives a command, he always empowers us to obey. In today’s…
At the end of every podcast, I always say, “Your tongue has power. Use it for good.” It’s not easy for me to use my tongue for good when my thoughts aren’t so good. Over the past week or so, I was having a particularly hard time with the increasing duration and escalating restrictions of…
