Resilient Holidays: Family, Faith, and Overcoming Challenges
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
In this episode of 'My Mornings with Jesus and Joe,' Lori and Joe discuss the challenges families face during the holiday season and offer strategies to maintain a Christ-centered focus. They talk about the importance of pre-planning to avoid common pitfalls like busyness, comparison, and materialism. They emphasize the need for forgiveness, avoiding debt, and combating loneliness and depression. With practical advice and relevant scriptures, they guide listeners on how to navigate the holidays with joy and peace, ensuring that Christ remains at the center of their celebrations. 00:00...
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Created to Reflect: The Significance of Imago Dei
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
In this episode of 'My Mornings with Jesus and Joe,' Lori and Joe discuss the significance of being made in the image of God, known as 'Imago Dei.' They begin with a prayer focusing on wisdom and understanding before delving into the uniqueness and inherent dignity of humans as God's creation. The hosts reflect on various Bible verses, including Genesis 1:27 and Psalm 139:14, to emphasize the special worth and purpose of humans. They also explore how recognizing our identity in God informs our worship and daily living. Throughout the discussion, the importance of understanding who we are and...
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Becoming Pillars of Truth in a World of Platforms
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
Becoming Pillars of Truth in A World of Platforms In this episode of 'My Mornings with Jesus and Joe,' Lori and Joe discuss the significant differences between platforms and pillars in the context of faith and community. They recount personal experiences, such as involvement in a successful fundraiser for their local pregnancy care center and spending time with grandchildren in the garden. The conversation pivots to a deep dive into the biblical concept of platforms—often seen as man-made and short-term—and pillars, which are long-lasting and rooted in serving God's truth. They...
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The Power of Discipleship
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
Enhancing Our Journey with Faith and Discipleship In this episode of 'My Mornings with Jesus and Joe', Lori and Joe discuss the upcoming changes to their podcast schedule, shifting to an every-other-Monday format to improve content quality. They share their recent experiences from the Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers Conference in Phoenix and Joe's baptism event in Oklahoma. Joe and Lori delve into the importance of Bible-based teaching and discipleship, contrasting expository, topical, and textual sermon styles. They emphasize the need for sincere, long-term commitment to...
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Finishing the Race: A Special Message About Charlie Kirk
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
In this special episode we talk about who Charlie Kirk was and why the world is a better place because of him.
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Our Protector and Keeper
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
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Comfort in Troubling Times
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
In this episode we break down Psalm 27 to find the comfort is offers in times of trouble. This psalm encourages us with three shields: Light, Salvation, Strength.
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Understanding the Desires of Your Heart
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
What are the desires of our heart? We miss out on God’s blessings when we get this wrong. But everything changes when we truly delight in the Lord. In the episode we talk about why we must examine our heart to know what we are truly delighting in. When we do that God can begin to mold our hearts and desires to align with His good and perfect will.
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God's Word About the World
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
One word, many facets. The word world is used to meaning slightly different things throughout Scripture. In this episode, we talk about of few uses of the word world in scriptures and how understanding the nuanced differences in each context helps us to grow our faith and understanding of who God is and how we are view the world, both physically and spiritually.
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Prophecy: Our Reason for Hope
My Mornings with Jesus and Joe
People often avoid Bible prophecy because they assume it means discussion of the End Times, but Bible prohecy is our cause for hope. Today we dicuss what biblical prophect is, how to recognize false prophets, and why there is unending hope to be found studying God's prophetic Word.
info_outlineSometimes we draw a line in the sand by saying “No, I’m not going to be a part of that.” And sometimes it’s a good choice to make. Ex. John 8 “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one,
It’s a bad thing though when it means not doing something we are called or commissioned to do by God through His Word.
What are some of the things God commands us to do:
Care for widows and orphans. James 1:27 to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Speak up for those without a voice Proverbs 31:8-9 Open your mouth for the speechless,In the cause of all who are [a]appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Love our neighbors as ourselves Luke 10:27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Micah 6:8 and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
We can agree with everything we find in God’s Word, but if we only believe it without putting it into action we’re no better than if we haven’t believed it at all.
Our verse …
But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
Sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand. Even when you’re the one who needs to step over it.
We have a very real enemy, black flag of no quarter over our churches and families, our governments and schools. He wants the end of everything God has created. And that means all of mankind.
There is no neutral party in this war.
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah draws a line in the sand with the words, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.”
I love that he uses the word “limping,” as though we’re not fully functional until we’ve stepped firmly over the line—one way or the other.
One of the most powerful “line in the sand” moments is found in Judges 7:3 in the story of Gideon.
Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. Judges 7:3
Over two thirds of the men turned back from war because they were afraid. When we look back to Judges 6:7, we find that the children of Israel had cried out to God for deliverance from the very people they were now too afraid to fight. They wanted an end to the oppression and a chance for a better life, but they didn’t have the courage to fight for it.
We can talk about ending abortion, broken families, abuse, addictions, racism, hatred, and oppression. We want to see biblical marriage restored and honored, God in our schools, and an end of human trafficking.
But when it comes to crossing the line to fight in that battle, we won’t take that step. T
Every bit of ground we don’t take for the Kingdom of God is ground we give to the enemy.
If we won’t cross it now when it may cost us much less, will we cross the line when it could cost us our jobs, our homes, our lives?
Jesus said that if we want to do His work here on earth, we can’t look back to the world we came from. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Stepping forward takes commitment, determination, and grit. Need we need to count the cost.
My prayer has become …
Oh my soul, march on in strength. Judges 5:21