Month: May 2018

1 Samuel 18:5-19:24, John 8:31-59, Psalms 112:1-10, Proverbs 15:12-14

Today is the 16^th day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s great to be here with you today. It is always a pleasure and an honor to take the next step forward together. To come around the global campfire as a community. Come in out of the chaos that life can bring us, warm ourselves around this fire and allow God’s Word to wash into our hearts and wash over our lives. So, we read the story of David and Goliath yesterday, which shows us how David… How his life intersected with King Saul’s life. And their lives will be intertwined for a while now. And it’s gonna get a little weird. But what we need to observe is the different men’s reactions. How the story plays out, the character of David, the character of Saul. We’ll find ourselves in both of these people and there’s much to learn because we’re watching where two roads lead. So, we’ll pick up with the story. 1 Samuel 18:5-19:24 today. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in 1 Samuel we see now the animosity between Saul and David. We see that David makes Saul insecure. He fears him. But we’ve had enough time with Saul to see that he fears a lot of things. And that totally clouds his leadership. So, Saul fears David. And a lot of times when we fear someone or what they have the potential to do to us in a negative way, we’re really fearing what we’re capable of doing. And we’ve seen Saul be erratic when he’s afraid of people. David, on the other hand, is actually loyal to Saul, to his king. He does not think of himself as anything. He’s been thrust into the spotlight. But he’s actually trying to serve the king and the kingdom well. So, Saul sends him on missions in hopes that David will get killed. And David is loyal to the mission and then is successful and its confusing why Saul would be so upset. So, we’ll watch the story continue to play out in its entirety and we’ll talk about it as we go. Because, like I said yesterday, in Saul and David we see two different people with very different characters. And we’ll find elements of our own character in both of these people. And what makes this portion of the Bible so helpful to us is that we can recognize these things and then we can watch this story play out. We can see where both of these roads lead, which allows us to have foresight on the paths that we are choosing.

In the book of John, we see Jesus simply speaking the truth and we see the reaction or the repercussions of the truth on the Jews that he is speaking to. He’s basically saying, Look, you are claiming to be children of Abraham, you are claiming to be children of God. And yet, here I am. I have been sent here specifically and you can’t find that I’ve sinned. You can’t accuse me of something. And you certainly can’t accuse me of grandstanding or trying to make a name for myself or trying to become popular among you. I’ve never tried to do that and I’m not trying to do that now. That’s not why I’m here. I’ve been sent here by the Father. I’m here to show you the way. I’m here to tell you the truth. And the truth is that you are claiming something that you are not. You are claiming to be children of God, but you want to kill me. And if you believed in who I was, if you believed what I’m telling you, you certainly wouldn’t want to be killing me. So, you are not who you say you are. So, Jesus is just speaking the truth. And he’s telling them the truth will set them free. And this doesn’t go over well with them, right? If someone said that to you, if they actually were speaking the truth to you but you didn’t see it or you didn’t wanna see it, that would be the same kind of reaction. Because the truth is going to bring a reaction, but it’s not always a positive one. Sometimes the truth confronts us. Sometimes it’s not just like, ah, the truth. There, now I see the light. Now there’s the way. Ah, awesome. Sometimes it confronts us. Sometimes it will stand right in the middle of our path and confront us on the way that we’re going. And sometimes we pick up rocks and throw the rocks at the truth just like the people were picking up rocks to throw at Jesus. Which is simply our denial of the truth. It’s just us saying, I don’t want that. I don’t wanna hear that. It’s just like Jesus said, you’re a slave. You’re a slave…the truth will make you free. But you’re saying, no I wanna be a slave.

And then we get to the Proverb today. A joyful heart, right? And we’ve been talking through the Proverbs when it speaks of our hearts. A joyful heart makes a face cheerful. I think we know that. But a sad heart produces not a downturned face. A sad heart produces a broken spirit. So, if we’re in a season where we feel sad hearted now, what we can get from this Proverb is that our joy is missing. Which allows us to then begin to invite the Holy Spirit. Where did it go? What is going on? What has robbed us of our joy? If we will meditate on that and invite the Holy Spirit into that, maybe journal about that, actually give some space to that. We can continue to be sad hearted if we want, right?  We can continue in this depression and anxiety. We can continue to be downtrodden, we can continue to be sad hearted. But it will continue to produce a broken spirit. So, things aren’t going to just get better until we begin to invite God into what has taken our joy. Once we can begin to name that, then we can begin to make the changes necessary so that we can have a joyful heart, which will make our face cheerful. So, there are plenty of things to think about in the Scriptures today.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we invite You. There’s so much here. We ask You to come and show us what has taken our joy. Show us the places that the truth has been standing in the path confronting us and we’ve been throwing rocks. Come Holy Spirit, we pray. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home. It’s the website. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here.

It’s where the Prayer Wall lives. It’s where the Daily Audio Bible shop is. It’s where a number of resources are. So be sure to check it out. Of course, you can get to the Prayer Wall using the Daily Audio Bible app as well. You can get to pretty much everything on the app as well. So be sure to check it out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi DAB family. It’s Mother’s Day morning at about 2:35. This is Donna calling from De Pere, Wisconsin. I am unable to sleep. I’ve been going through chemotherapy. So, I had it Friday, May 4^th. It took me eight days to recover…not recover…but go through the horrors of receiving the chemo and processing it through my body. I get chemo again next Friday, May 18^th and am wondering if you would all be willing to pray for me. I have a chronic low white blood count and the special chemo I’ve gotten in the past has helped to raise my white blood count level. I have a 15-year-old son, Tyler, who has been sick vomiting since he learned that I’ve had to go get chemo again for my white blood count level that is dangerously low. So, it’s very hard to pray for myself when I’m stuck. So, I just ask for you all, if you would pray for me and for my son. I have a very simple life when I’m not getting chemo and I would just like to get back to that simple life. And I just love you all and I thank you for the podcast Jill and Brian and I pray for all of you callers who call in. You encourage me. And keep calling in so I can continue to pray for you all as well. I love you.

All around me God there’s snoring
I feel your spirit in be pouring
I feel great strength your holy power
I feel like screaming Lord on me shower
give me more Lord give me more
Lord please shut and lock the door
Lock in your Spirit deep within
Letting no demon enter in
I feel you surging there is no sin
There is no beginning there is no end
Flowing like a river Lord
I know within I’ve been restored
Satan’s lost he’s been defeated
Through Christ’s blood it’s all been completed
The Scripture says he’s like a lion
But with no teeth he’ll soon be dyin’
Sometimes his roar would make me run
But I run no more cause I know God’s son
He gives me power as I believe
And if I don’t believe then I won’t receive
But I do believe and I have received
So by his roar I am not deceived
In my heart I celebrate
Cause God has help me elevate
He helps me walk in integrity tempted yet not sin
All powers been given me and Satan has no win
In my life he’s been evicted the door has been locked and shut
Jesus has empowered me to kick his ly’n but

blindtony1016@gmail.com. Like to give a shout out to Drew from the bay area and Michelle from LA and also Asia. Hope all is well. And, once again Brian, thank you for this wonderful podcast for God’s Holy Spirit to flow. Keep it flowin’ y’all. All right. Bye-bye.

Dear Lord, our amazing friend, Abba Father. You are God hears and answers prayer and we are amazed at Your mercy and grace toward us Lord because we know we don’t deserve it, but You’ve covered up over all of our sins and now we can be the new Adam. And when You look at us, you look at someone as spotless, as Your very own son. You see is as Your own son. Lord, I pray and lift up everyone in this community whose hearing this and who listens every day to Your word together. I pray Lord that You’ll break the stronghold of addiction that is wreaking havoc because we know that really You took care of all that at the cross. So, Lord, I pray for these dear ones, that they will turn away from that and find that what they’re desperate for is You Yourself and that somehow this whole addiction situation would be broken. I pray Lord for Connie from Ohio in particular because…not about addiction…but about loss. Lord, you are near to the brokenhearted. This dear one who’s lost her mom, her four-month old friend baby, her husband of 27 years who abruptly left her. Lord, be near to her, bind up all her wounds, be her husband, be her everything. In Jesus’ name I pray and I claim her peace.

Hey DAB family, this is Byron out in Florida hope you all are doing well. Right now, in our Bible reading were going through the book of Samuel and hearing the story of Saul and David, which is one of my favorite parts of Scripture during the year but it’s also been convicting over the years because the stories of Saul’s insecurities kind of mirror some of my own. And I always struggle with how to deal with those particular items. Well, this year…last year around this time a lady called in and gave some words of wisdom concerning this part of the Scripture that resonated with me so well that I wanted to repeat them this year so others can take advantage of it. And I’ve been meditating on it all year long. But what she said essentially was that the contrast between Saul and David gives us a picture of how to deal with insecurity, whereas Saul was beset by insecurity David was humble. So, humility becomes a cure for insecurity. And that was counterintuitive to me but it stuck with me and it really is true. So, I’ll invite you, as we go through this portion of the Scripture to see that contrast and ask God to really bring you a humble heart, to relieve you of your fears and bring you to the next level of what God has for you. So, I pray for everyone who takes advantage of that. I love you all. Talk to you later.

1 Samuel 17:1-18:4, John 8:21-30, Psalms 111:1-10, Proverbs 15:11

Today is the 15^th day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today. And we’re here to take the next step forward as we continue our adventure and the journey that the Bible is as we take steps everyday through the entire Bible in a year. And, so, let’s take that next step. We are reading from the book of 1 Samuel in our Old Testament reading. And we’ve met the first king of Israel. His name is Saul. And we’ve also met this other character named David. And David and Saul’s lives are intertwined in fascinating ways. And they bring out fascinating things in each other and today we’ll find out why David is even on the radar. 1 Samuel chapter 17 verse 1 through 18 verse 4 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, now we have an understanding of how David and Saul’s lives became entwined with each other. And we’ll get to know David very well, but we have to pay attention to how the story went, right? So David is the youngest son in his family. His brothers are off to war and David is a shepherd. He’s kind of running back and forth. So, when David steps forward and slays Goliath, he goes from complete obscurity to national hero in moments. And we’ve already gotten to know Saul a bit and we know that one of his primary character defects is his complete fear of man. And David will make Saul a very insecure man. But we’ll have a front row seat to watching all of that play out. But we also get some clues into David’s character. So, here’s this young, well-built, very good-looking kid and he’s the youngest kid in his family, right? So, when he gets to the battle line to find his brothers, he’s appalled at what this Philistine, right? This uncircumcised Philistine is   shouting. And then he starts to hear the rumors what the king will do. The man who kills this Philistine, his family will never pay taxes and he’ll marry the king’s daughter. Well David being just this young man, vital and vibrant, he’s thinking, that sounds like a pretty good deal. So, he’s asking questions. Now Goliath is certainly taunting and trying to discourage the entire army of Israel and this one man is being successful in that endeavor. This one man is intimidating the entire army of Israel. But Goliath doesn’t intimidate David. But David has some taunting and discouragement to deal with that’s way closer to home than this Philistine. He has this to deal with from his own family. So, it’s David’s own brother Eliab who’s like, why did you come here? And who did you leave those few little scattered sheep with and I know your arrogance and your evil heart. I mean, that’s pretty strong stuff to be saying even if you are picking on your little brother. So, we see that David has had to deal with this stuff in his life and he’s had to spend a lot of time alone. He’s a shepherd and we’ve learned that he’s had to come up against a lion and a bear. So, he’s learned how to take care of himself. He’s learned how to be stealthy and he’s become lethal with a slingshot. And I remember we were standing in the Valley of Elah just a couple months ago when we were in Israel. Was a beautiful day, spring flowers covering the countryside. And we all walked down into the Valley of Elah to the brook. There’s an ancient creek - just one - running through the valley. And I remember on this trip we had a giant of our own. We had a man, his name is Mike, and I can’t remember how tall he…he was like almost seven feet tall, right? So, way, way, way taller than me. Way taller than anybody else. And I’m looking at this guy going, man, if he stands down here in the creek, he can make a lot of money taking selfies all day.  But I remember thinking, man, Goliath would have been an imposing character, almost three feet taller than that. But this kid, David, wasn’t intimidated. So, he grabs some rocks. And you know I’ve heard the story of David and Goliath my entire life. And, so, in my mind, I was always enamored that David had a shepherd’s bag.  I remember this as a kid. I wanted a shepherd’s bag, whatever that was. I thought that was cool.  I mean, what do you put in shepherd’s bag? David took rocks.  And in my mind’s eye these are like golf-ball size rocks. But that wouldn’t have been the case. It would have been small, small rocks because when David slung the rock it sunk into the forehead of Goliath like a bullet. So, you can only imagine the story being re-told all over Israel and David becoming legendary. And we’ll watch the effects that fame has on David and how his life is altered because he has killed the giant Goliath over the coming days. But we begin to see the contrast between Saul and David right away.  Saul is hiding in the baggage at his coronation. David is going down into the Valley of Elah to face a giant. So, the way that they look at the world is very different. They’re on very different paths even though their lives are enmeshed. And we’ll learn a lot about ourselves as we continue to take this journey through their stories.

Prayer:

So, Father, we thank You for your Word. We thank You for these stories that are full of nuances because our lives are full of nuances. And we invite Your Holy Spirit to speak to us through this story. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here, so be sure to check in and check it out.

Stop by the Prayer Wall. See what people are asking for prayer for. Maybe pray for them. Maybe you have some things you want to be prayed over. It’s a great community of prayer there. Check out the Daily Audio Bible shop while you’re at the website. There are a number of resources there to take you on the journey through the Scriptures in a year, including the Promised Land films. And I mention them because the Valley of Elah, we’ve shot that and filmed it very extensively, so you can get a good look of what that all looks like for yourself and make this story come alive, as well as so many of the other locations that we’ve visited as we’ve taken the journey so far through the Scriptures. So that’s available in the Daily Audio Bible shop.

If you wanna partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link. It’s on the homepage. Thank you for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello DAB family. This is Michael from Texas, Fort Worth Texas. It is May 11^th and this is my day three calling in for marriages. Marriages were created by the Lord. He meant for us to be together, that man would have a mate. So, he created woman from man. And we are to leave our parents to cleave to each other. So, I’m just reiterating that we just…are meant to be together…that’s what…God has created us to be together and to love our mates and to be supportive of each other and to be there for each other in good and bad. So, I just want to lift up marriages to You Jesus and Lord to give us strength to get through every day to be an encouragement to our mates, to be supportive, to be a friend, to be their soulmate, to be their lover, and just to be a listening ear. Even though you may not want to listen but you listen because that is your mate because the devil will try to steal and try to throw a curve at you anytime he can. Just like today for me. My wife, she got up this morning and she was just starting to get on me about something. And I’m just saying, okay, what’s going on here? And I just…I held my tongue, and you know…I just…I’ve learned to listen and not say anything and just be…and pray and cry out to the Lord, Hey Lord, I need some help here. What should I say? What should I do? What’s my reaction? So, I just try to be still in the situation. But, okay, my time is running up. I ramble…

Hello DAB family. This is Michael from Texas again. Sorry I’m calling back in but there was some people I wanted to call on and pray for. And because it takes me so long to see what I need to say…sorry…and I apologize. I need to get better at doing this but sometimes I feel like I’m just stumbling along, mumbling. Anyways, I wanted to say thanks to Trinal, I think that’s her name, for reminding us where God’s heart is for his people. And I appreciate that word.  It’s just something I wrote down and I wanted to call and mention that. And also Victoria from Ohio, she called in one time very distressed and didn’t think that the Lord was anywhere near her. She thought that she wasn’t, He’s not listening, but you know He’s there all the time, no matter when you feel He’s not listening, He’s there. He just, you have to cry out to reach out get on your knees and just pray and read the word and listen to Brian’s reading of the word and trust me sister, He’s there for you. And you have thousands, I mean tens of thousands of people in this community praying for you. We’re all praying for you sister. And I wanted to say thanks to Deborah from Northern California for your words of encouragement that God loves us no matter what. God is never too busy and He loves us. He doesn’t have time to be dis__ing us. Oh my, that just kind of blew me away, those words. And thank you. Thank you so much for that…for those words Deborah. I appreciate that. That’s all I have time for today folks. Keep it flowin’. I love you guys. Victoria S., you are awesome. I love you when call and pray. I wish I could pray like that when I call in. Thank you, sister. Love you. Bye.

Hi neighbors. It’s Lisa the Encourager. I was really encouraged today by the reading on May 8^th that Brian did regarding Samuel and Eli. And I just wanted to share this with you and I hope it will be a blessing. So, I really, obviously, heard this story before and, you know, how God is calling out to Samuel and Eli tells him several times that it’s not him. And then he goes back and he inquires again and he tells him the Lord is talking to you Samuel and so you need to speak to Him. And, so, he gives Samuel these words. He says, tell the Lord when he speaks to you, speak for your servant is listening. And I heard those words and I said, you know what, I’m to write that down in my journal and remember that because I think all of us should be calling out to God and asking Him to speak to us and then in turn say that we are Your servants and we’re listening God and just make a profession of that. And I just love those words that he said. I never really thought about them before. So, I’m going to make that my mission and just listening to the Lord and asking Him to speak to me through the Holy Spirit. So, I just want to pray for all of us that will be able to be encouraged that way. So, dear God I thank You so much for the word of God and how it speaks to us in so many different profound ways when we’ve heard it before but we listen intently to different parts of the Bible that speak to us God. And I just pray that…

Father in heaven, thank You for Your salvation. Thank You for loving us and for giving us Jesus, for allowing Him to suffer. Thank You for saving us by putting people in our lives who loved us with Your love and who shared the Good News with us. Thank You for giving us the faith so that we could believe in You. And right now, Father, we lift up every person in our lives who does not yet believe, who does not follow You yet. We especially lift up to You those who have persecuted us because of our faith in You. We bless them in the name of Jesus and we ask that Your Holy Spirit will stir in them and will draw them to Jesus. Please grant us wisdom and perseverance to keep on praying for them and keep on loving them. Let Your Holy Spirit fill us so that we can bear the fruit of the Spirit instead of what our flesh wants to do. And we ask that each one will open their heart to You, that You will soften their heart, especially for this one family member that somebody asked us to pray for whose near-death and doesn’t yet know You. And I’m asking for my uncle. He’s had a very hard heart toward You and toward me talking about You. I lift up all of our family and friends that need You yet hold their arms and hold you…

1 Samuel 15:1-16:23, John 8:1-20, Psalms 110:1-7, Proverbs 15:8-10

Today is the 14^th day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. And here we are, approaching the half way point of another month. And step by step we’ll move through the center of the month and toward the back half. We are getting ourselves into the odyssey that is the life of King Saul and we’ll continue with that journey. 1 Samuel chapter 15 and 16 today. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in 1 Samuel we are working our way through Israel’s first king, Saul, and his life and times. And we came into contact with David today who was anointed to take Saul’s place. So, let’s just look at what we have observed about Saul because there’s much for us to observe about our own lives in the story of King Saul. We remember the story of how he came into contact with Samuel and how he was anointed. And when it came time to anoint him king, how he was hiding in the baggage. And we’ve watched his goings and comings ever since as he begins to take power and people begin to follow him. But even as people are following Saul, Saul does not completely follow God through the Prophet Samuel, which leads to his undoing. And in today’s reading, Saul confesses right out of his mouth what the problem is.  He says, I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. So, here’s the king of Israel anointed by God to lead his people but he fears the people far more than he fears God. So, Saul is this ruddy, handsome man who is taller, according to the Bible, than any other person around, any of his fellow Israelites. He looks the part of the King. His exterior is kingly. But his interior life is full of fear, which is no way to lead anybody. And we’ve already observed enough to know that at every turn where Saul feels insecure because he has to wait or because he thinks people are deserting him or whatever, whatever other fear he has inside of him, he reacts. And his reaction is to appease the people that he thinks are out to desert him or to make himself feel more secure as a leader. So his interior life does not match his exterior appearance. All of the sudden, now we’re speaking close to home. And although we have a ways to go in the life of Saul and we will continue to watch this as it spirals out of control, we have met the next king, David. But it’s gonna be a while, right? Samuel doesn’t just go around the country anointing kings. He has anointed a king and the people have begun to follow him. And he is Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, right? In the city of Gibeah. So, he has now anointed David from the tribe of Judah. But we remember what happened to the tribe of Benjamin, right? So, for Samuel to step up and say, now David from the tribe of Judah is king, that’s gonna cause another civil war. So, this is gonna have to play out. And it will, but as it does, as we watch these stories between Saul and David kind of get intertwined, we’re going to see that each of these men represent two completely different paths. One man, Saul, will demonstrate the fear of man all the way to its conclusion, and this other man, David, will show us what the fear of God looks like. So what is being laid out before us in the Scriptures through these men’s lives are the paths that we’re walking. And we get the benefit of seeing where those roads lead.

Prayer:

So, Father, we invite you into that. There is so much for us to see in Saul. There is so much for us to see in David. So much of a reflection back upon ourselves, so much of ourselves in these people because they’re human people with human hearts as we are. And, so, we invite your Holy Spirit to come. Illuminate these paths. Show us the one that we’re walking on. Show us where this is going. And show us the narrow path that leads to life. We ask in Jesus name. Amen.

Announcements:

Dailyaudiobible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, like I say every day, be sure to check in. Check it out.

The prayer wall is at dailyaudiobible.com. Certainly, check in and pray. If you need prayer, that’s a good place to go. So, check that out. Find out where we are on social media and find yourself among friends in discussion there.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There’s a link on the homepage. Thank you. Thank you profoundly for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi family. This is his Little Sharee in Canada. And Mother’s Day is coming up and I know it’s going to be a challenging day for many of us. And I just wanted to pray for strength and courage and health for all of the moms connected to this community, including new moms, stepmom’s. I think of Melody who called in who is a new stepmom. Everyone who is longing to be a mom, including Hopeful and Racquel in Atlanta. Single moms, newly divorced perhaps with young children or adult children, all of the moms who are estranged from their children. What a heartache. Moms who are struggling with illness, I think of Miguel and praying for a quick recovery for you Miguel’s mom. Mothers who are aging or who are far away from their children. I think of Gloria in New York and I am wondering how your mom is doing Gloria? I’m praying for her and for you. Dr. John in New York called in to let us know that his mom is palliative. I’m praying for her. I’m praying for grieving mothers, those who have lost children. And Monica in Kentucky called in to tell us about Eleanor who has now lost both of her adult children. Praying for her. Praying for those who are grieving for their moms, who have lost their moms, either recently or at any time. I think of burning Bush. I’m praying for you and your family. I am praying for those who are praying for unsaved moms, that they would come to know Jesus. I am praying for Linda in St. John who is looking for her birth mom and everyone in a similar situation. I’m praying for myself and those who are dealing with an empty nest who are missing their children. God bless all of the moms in Jesus name. Amen.

Hello Daily Audio family. This is Teresa from Florida. I know you’ve all been listening to me for months now, without my husband, the affair, and leaving me, and the lies. And I just want you all to know I’m calling in a praise report. My husband has come home to me. He said that he didn’t realize how much you loved me until he was away and that honestly the grass is not greener on the other side. I want to praise the Lord for this. I want to praise God and give Him all the glory. When he left, he walked out on his job. When he got up there he couldn’t find a job. Him and the girl were partying and drinking and it just wasn’t what he thought was going to be. But the Lord sent him back to me. He’s been back two days now. He’s already gotten another job that he loves with better pay. We are getting along better than we have in a long time. He seems like he’s actually happy to be there now. And I just want to thank you guys and ask you to continue to pray for us, pray for his heart, that he will open it up and come to the Lord. Pray for me family, that I can be patient, that I can be a godly wife to him, that I can show God’s love to him and continue to praise him and not just call on him when I need him. Thank you, thank you, family. God love you and I’m praying for you all.

Hey Daily Audio Bible family. This is Harris down in San Antonio. Just a prayer request. I feel, not really lost, I mean, I know where I’m at and I know where Jesus is at and everything, but this weekend, I saw a homeless man picking some trash out of the…picking some food out of the trash. You know, I went back around through the drive through of the restaurant I was at, ordered him a hamburger and fries, and I went back around to give it to them and he was so distraught, very cognizant of what was going on. So, I could tell that he wasn’t on anything, substance wise, abuse or anything like that. And we got to talking and, you know, I was witnessing to him. And I’ve never seen somebody who knew so much about the Bible, new Scripture, new a lot of things, talked about how long he served in the church, and lead people to Jesus to only have him turn 180° the other direction to talking so bad about the Lord and how, just how, you now, without having to play the whole conversation, I was just at a loss. And as I continued to try to witness to him in talking through it, the madder and madder and madder he got. And so, I felt like when I left, I, you know, prayed and left it in God’s hands to continue to have the Spirit work on this gentleman. And it just got me to thinking, one, to ask for prayer for this guy. I didn’t catch his name. I just know he is a homeless man here in the San Antonio area, but how many more homeless, and the impact…

Yes. This is David in South Carolina. I called in last Friday for Terry the truck driver and I think I made a comment then that he reminded me a lot of my son. And it’s been an interesting week since that phone call. In my own strength, I’ve been trying to help, in quotations, my son. And it’s become clear to me that I’m getting in the way more than helping. So, it’s kind of…I’m calling in response to two people that called in this morning, Blessed in Me, from, I think he said Memphis, called in and said…talked about God’s sovereignty. He talked about how sometimes we want to do God’s work and pull the strings. And that’s me. That’s what I’ve been trying to do the last week. And somebody told me yesterday, I was talking to the pastor at the church I go to and he told me basically the same thing. So, I got a feeling…and my brother told me the same thing about three or four days ago. So, I think that’s called a clue. So, I guess my point is this, I am letting go of this as far as my son goes. God is sovereign. He’s either it or He’s not. Nothing I do is going to help that situation. So, Blessed in…Blessed Like Me, I was the guy you were calling for today. Just know that. And then Karen in St. Louis, she was talking about what Bob said from Michigan about kill and fill. I heard that too and I just didn’t get it. But I’m going to start working on that, that killing the self and just let God, just let Him do it. And, so, for what it’s worth, you guys have been amazing this last week for me and my family. And Terry, I just want you to know, I’m still praying for you buddy. Like I told you, I’m going to treat you like my adopted son. So, call back in and let us know how you’re doing every once in a while. And again, I just want to say thank you because this is really a wonderful ministry. And…

Hey DABbers. This is dependent on you. I’ve called several times praying for and asking for prayer for my marriage and I’m calling again tonight cause I’m struggling and asking for more prayer for my marriage. Please, I have been fighting for over a year for my marriage when my husband went through, went through with a divorce three months ago. But I know the Lord has placed on my heart to continue to fight for my marriage and for all marriages. And, so, I’m asking for your prayer support, prayer for the restoration of my marriage, prayer that the Lord continue to pursue my husband and go after him and bring him back to the Lord because when he left me he also left the church. And now…and all of our church friends. And he lives a very worldly life and surrounds himself with very worldly minded people. So, I just ask prayer that he just return to the Lord, that the Lord, he just feel the conviction from the Lord on the way he’s living and in regards to this divorce and the Lord provide me strength and continue to fight for this marriage, to continue to fight for my husband because not only do I love my husband but I also stand for the very institution of marriage the way God designed it. I meant my vows and I want my marriage restoration to be a testimony of the Lords hand and give other people hope. So, I just ask you to come alongside me and please pray for my family, pray for my marriage, pray for God to restore it and strength for me. And thank you so much. I don’t know what I would do without all of you.

1 Samuel 14:1-52, John 7:30-53, Psalms 109:1-31, Proverbs 15:5-7

Today is the 13^th day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is a pleasure to be here with you as we step through the doorway, the threshold, into a brand-new week that will just unfold out before us. This week we’re gonna read from the Christian Standard Bible. And we will, of course, up where we left off yesterday and that will put us at First Samuel chapter 14 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and and as we crossed the threshold into a brand-new week we walk through the threshold with You. You continue to sweep us forward in the Scriptures, they Mark are days. This is the rhythm of our lives each and every day we come to hear from You to be fed spiritually by You through Your word and each and every day is a new day beginning Your mercies are new faithfulness remains and as we walk into this this week we walk confidently knowing that there is no where we can flee from Your presence. And we look forward to all that we will enjoy together as a community and in a relationship with You this week. Come Holy Spirit we pray in Jesus name we ask. Amen

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here, so be sure to check in, check it out, stay connected.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in keeping the global campfire that is our community burning strong, then that can be done at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi, this is Will from Northern Virginia. I am calling for a couple of reasons. Number one, my friend Annabelle, I called about earlier, she’s in stage III or stage IV cancer. She doesn’t really want to talk about anything; however, we know that she’s having an operation on the 16^th of this month and we are praying that the doctors are able to go in and get everything. Unfortunately, she couldn’t take the chemotherapy and she stopped after two rounds, which is an advisable but, you know, she’s made peace with that decision and she leaves herself in the hands of the Lord. So, we’re praying that that tumor had shrunk and they’re able to get all of it if that is God’s will. We just pray that whatever happens she’s able to glorify You. And her daughter is a wonderful young woman she’s raised as a single mother. She’s raised a wonderful young daughter. And she knows she has a home with us for as long as she lives. And we just pray that we’re able to stand in for her mother if that’s what’s necessary but more importantly, we pray that her mother will live. Also, my…It’s so funny…I…we…my wife and I have had a problem with money for as long as we’ve been married, about 18 years. And, it’s so funny, once my, as the head of the household, the husband, the father, grandfather decided, you know what, we’re going to pay our bills, that’s gonna be the most important thing. We’re gonna give money to God and pay our bills. As soon as that became the focus, it’s so funny, I started getting overtime that I didn’t used to get before. I started getting money coming from sources that I’d never gotten money from before. All that money is going to…either going to God…

This is Judy from Florida. There was a period of time in my life when I went through a deep depression. Even when circumstances were good and there was nothing to be depressed about I still felt depressed. Then I read a book on depression where I learned that where our prayers and thoughts lead they don’t go away, they go into our subconscious mind. The book said that we have six months’ worth of old thoughts in our subconscious and this affects how we feel. So, I began daily, constantly, on purpose replacing all negative thoughts with positive thoughts. This was not easy but I did it consistently every day. In the beginning I must’ve had to do this a thousand times a day. But eventually it got easier and in six months I was no longer depressed. Since then I try to keep positive thoughts in my mind. I believe that this can work with lust or any other kinds of thoughts but you have to be consistent and determined. Thank you Brian and Jill for this podcast. I pray for all of you. Bye-bye.

Hi this is Cherry from the Tulsa Oklahoma area. I left a message earlier but I thought I should redo it because I got pretty emotional and I thought maybe it couldn’t be hard. I am calling regarding two points. One, Mike, he just triggered this in me that I should make this call. Mike, on May 4^th, tank you for your humility, your tender heart, yeah, you just broke me down when I heard you, because, here we go, I’m crying again. There’s a man named Greg. He’s 49. I love him. He’s killing himself with the alcohol. He has neuropathy in his feet. He just got out of the hospital and I’m out on a job so I just had to step back into what I have in the past when I can only go back home twice a year. He can come back here with me and travel but I’m like his life support and I can’t…it’s not a healthy place to be. I  had to take this. And, so, he jumped back into the vodka and…anyway…I just…got this nasty __ . I’m fearful, I’m not fearful, but, you know, it’s life and death right now in this moment for Greg. And this is a big turning point. And he loves God. He came from a Christian background. He wants to quit but he is not able to. So, just pray. I know God can do this. I mean, I know God can do this. So, I just need prayer that God’s gonna bring his heart to repentance and conviction and this time to where he comes out of this. I don’t want to lose him. He is an awesome man…if you only knew. Just like, God, thank you guys. I don’t know…

Hey everybody. Hey, this is Annette from Oklahoma city. Hey, just got back from Colorado to visit my kiddos. Oh, my young son Alex. Oh guys, let me tell you he has, he is thinking low folks, it’ ain’t good but at least he’s got a good place to live that’s really nice, got a little money in his pocket. That’s about all I can say about it. But my oldest son Ricky is doing super, super well and doing great, doing construction work, building stuff out there in Loveland and Greeley Colorado. And I did wave as I came into the airport all my Denver friends. Boy when I came home I was just in a daze and in a funk, you know, and just kind of sad to leave my sons and trying to process everything. And I got kinda down about it and I open my email and it said something this morning about hang on, hope is coming. And I’m like. Okay. I didn’t even know what it meant. And then I get an email or a message from Sharon H. and her family from Ohio one of our DAB friends there, sisters and brothers, and kiddo. And they came here and contacted me. And we had a nice ice cream. And they just blessed me, they blessed me so much and reminded me that, you know, we got a great big family here and my family came and bailed me out when I needed them most. And I thank you guys so much. I love every one of you. Thank you, Sharon and your family for coming and I just wish you guys the best and I hope that your trip to Africa is just as much of a blessing to you as it is to them. I love you guys so much. Have a great day.

1 Samuel 12:1-13:23, John 7:1-29, Psalms 108:1-13, Proverbs 15:4

Today is the 12^th day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s great to be here with you as we get ready to close the books on another week. And we’ve covered some territory in this week, but to be sure, kings have been introduced into the culture of Israel as we move forward in that story. Of course, before that Samuel was born and grew up and came to prominence. And now we’re about to say goodbye. So, from the New International Version, which is what we’ve been reading this week, First Samuel chapter 12 and 13.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. And even as we have moved through many dramatic stories in the Scriptures this week we recognize that we move through all of the dramas of our lives and every fork in the road we have a choice to walk with You or to walk away from You, which is what we see playing out in the Bible over and over and over and over through different people at different times wearing different clothes and different generations. And it’s our story. And as we continue to take this journey through the Bible it becomes more and more apparent where these roads lead, offering us the counsel that we need and the truth that we need. And, so, we thank You for Your word. And we invite Your Holy Spirit as we begin to end this week and prepare for the next week, we thank You for Your faithfulness, we thank You for Your mercy, and we look forward to all that You have in store for us in the coming days. Come, Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here, so be sure to check in, check it out, stay connected.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in keeping this, this community, the global campfire that we share, burning strong and the Scriptures being read fresh every day, then you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996. Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi, this is Victoria S. Just calling to…I want to pray for hopeful…about her having kids. I just want to encourage you and let you know that you did the right thing in calling for prayer because, just like with Hannah, God had a special baby just for her and just for them. I want to pray with you my sister and I want you to be encouraged and continue to trust and lean to God. Gracious Father, we come before You today. Lord, we come for Hopeful. Oh Lord she’s hopeful because she knows that You are a God that can do anything but fail. She knows that You are God and that children come from above and that You are the great I Am. Lord, we are asking You Lord to bring her and her husband together and bring forth a child. Oh Lord in the name of Jesus let her not worry about her age. Oh Lord in the name of Jesus because it doesn’t matter about age. God is faithful. In the name of Jesus. Lord, You bless her with a beautiful, healthy baby. Oh Lord You know the sex and You know the reason. You know the purpose You have for her child Lord. You have a purpose of their child being great and doing something for the Lord. You bless that family Father in the name of Jesus. Lord, and I want to pray for sweet Naomi Lord. I want to pray that she’d be the little girl that You’re calling her to be. Oh Lord bless her mother in wanting to see her child grow up in the Lord and wanting to see Your hand on her life. Lord, in the name of Jesus, we ask You to touch all of the children Lord. We ask You to touch little Ezekiel and we ask You to touch the family of Brian and his wife. Lord, let Your hands be on their life. Let Your hands beyond our life Lord in the name of Jesus. You touch the DABbers Lord. You supply their needs. If it’s healing Lord You supply it in the mighty name of Jesus. And Lord, we’ll be ever so careful…

Good morning. This is Karina M. And I want to pray over my sister Naomi M. She was just rushed to the emergency room. They think she had a mild stroke but they’re running tests. Also, if you could pray over my family - covet, protect, and keep them financially and spiritually and lovingly. If you could pray over my family I’d greatly appreciate it. I love the Daily Audio Bible. You’re awesome. This is my first time call in and I thank God for Brian and Jill and your family and the Daily Audio Bible family as well. Thank you and I love you all.

Hey fellow DABbers. This is Redeemed Prodigal calling in. And a few people had mentioned how they were struggling with lust and just everything in that spectrum, not just men but also women. So, I just wanted to give you some encouragement cause this is something that I struggle with to. So, you’re not alone. I don’t know if you’ve heard of him but there was a preacher in the late 1800s, called Charles Bergen and one of his quotes was, ’a person is never so near to understanding and receiving God’s grace as they begin to feel as they can do nothing at all.’ I just want you guys to remember that and also to remember Romans 8:6-7. ‘Now the mind of the flesh is death both now and forever because it pursuits in peace and spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God both now and forever. The mind of the flesh with its sinful pursuits is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s laws. It cannot.’ So, yeah, just remember that and even if you guys mess up God still loves you. All right. See later guys.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family. This is Alfi calling from Delaware. I just wanted to call this morning to encourage somebody, whether you are struggling, whether you’re going through depression, whether you’re feelings are __. There’s this poem that I came across that has been such an encouragement in my life and I hope that it can encourage somebody this morning. And it’s called ‘Our Deepest Fear’. ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’ That poem has really helped me through so many times when I’ve felt low and when I feel not worthy enough. I just know that I am a child of God and is every one of us in this family. You are a child of God and God has created you with so much positive purpose. And I want you to know today that this is for you. I love you Daily Audio Bible family. This is Alfi calling from Delaware. Make it a great day. Bye-bye.

1 Samuel 10:1-11:15, John 6:43-71, Psalms 107:1-43, Proverbs 15:1-3

Today is the 11^th day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is my honor and pleasure to have these minutes together as we take the next step forward, moving our way through the Scriptures. So, we’ve been reading from 1 Samuel in our Old Testament reading and we are entering the territory that will lead us into a new era with the Israelites as kingship is about to be introduced into their culture. And Samuel plays a pivotal role in that story. So we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday. This week were reading from the New International Version. We’ll read 1 Samuel chapters 10 and 11 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we covered a bunch of territory in our reading today. In the Old Testament, we now have a king. Israel has its first king, Saul. So, we have entered a new era and we need to watch as this unfolds. We’re gonna learn a lot about ourselves from King Saul, or for that matter, from many of the kings. But this next patch that we’re gonna move through in the Scriptures, we’re (getting) an intimate look at King Saul and then we’re gonna meet this guy named David. And we’re gonna learn a lot about ourselves from him as well because he’s gonna grow up to be king, too. And they are starkly contrasted, Saul and David. But their stories are deeply intertwined. And one of the first clues that we get about Saul, we see today in his coronation when God is selecting the person to be king from the different tribes and the different family clans. And once Saul is selected, he’s nowhere to be found. He’s hiding. In the New International Version that we’re reading from this week, he’s hiding in the supplies. Other translations have him hiding in the baggage. They essentially mean the same thing. They’re the things that everyone who has come to this coronation have brought. But it gives us the opportunity to consider what baggage exactly it is that we are hiding in and are we able to rise up and be who we are created to be if we’re gonna continue to hide in the baggage?

And then we get into the book of John. And we encounter what some would call the bread of life discourse. I always smile when we come through this territory cause to me, it’s kind of like Jesus vampire monologue, where he tells everybody who’s listening that they can’t have hope in eternal life if they don’t eat his flesh and drink his blood. And we see the people’s reaction. They’re a little freaked out about it, a little agitated about it. A lot of the people who had been following Jesus deserted him after that. So, he’s willing to not grandstand. We see that in Jesus constantly. He’s not trying to build an empire for himself by saying the things that people wanna hear. But it is curious enough for us to go, like what is he talking about? How can we eat his flesh and drink his blood? And are we talking about cannibalism here? Are we talking about…what are we dealing with? But because you’d think that some disturbed person, and there were plenty of disturbed people around Jesus. He set a lot of disturbed people free. But if you think about it in those terms, some disturbed person who would believe that literally would try to kill Jesus and eat him. And you can only imagine how he would defend himself in court and how that would play out on national television if it were in this day and age, right? So, if something like that were spoken in this day and age it would seem bizarre at best, which is how it appeared to the people Jesus was talking to. He was speaking primarily to a Jewish audience who had been taught by the Mosaic law not to drink blood and not to eat meat with blood in it, right? And, so, it’s like Jesus is telling them to do exactly that, only to a human body. So, you can imagine why they’re a little freaked out. But interpreting what Jesus actually means leads us to divergent theological schools of thought. And I have worked tirelessly, really really hard over the years, to not try to tell you what you are supposed to believe and do.  I believe that is the work of the Holy Spirit.  But when we do come to historically divergent things in the faith, we talk about them. So, for many over the centuries, this has referred to the Lord’s table, to the eucharist or communion. And billions of people over thousands of years have held to that idea that in taking the eucharist, the elements become the flesh and blood of Jesus. They go inside and transform us spiritually and make us have eternal life. Other schools of thought equally as old, just as longstanding, have said, essentially, Jesus is not talking about the Lord’s table or communion here. It hasn’t even been instituted yet in the book of John. Jesus hasn’t had his last supper yet. He hasn’t passed the cup or the bread. He is speaking metaphorically about a spiritual reality in the same way with the woman at the well he talked about eternal water flowing from within to eternal life. And in the same passage that we read, Jesus seems to illuminate that by saying, the spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you they are full of the spirit and life. So, this has been wrestled with for a long time, going all the way back to the early church fathers. So, for example, St. Augustin of Hippo was very influential in some of the doctrines that we believe as Christians. Things like original sin, things like the doctrine of the trinity, he had a voice in all of that. Regarding this passage he summed it up by saying Believe and you have eaten. And this is because when we believe in Jesus, we enter into life with Jesus. And the apostle Paul would say it’s no longer me who’s living, it’s Christ who lives in me, which would parallel what Jesus said.  Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. So, there’s a couple of ways of looking at this passage. And I think we would pretty much agree that Jesus isn’t inviting us to become cannibals or vampires. Although, this is exactly what the early church got accused of. And what brought a lot of marginalization to early Christians in the societies that they lived in and what brought on persecution.

And then we get to Proverbs. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. And that would submit that that’s pretty self-explanatory, but pretty deeply penetrating into the ways that we interact. That proverb is worth committing to memory. It’s worth remembering and calling to mind before any conversation is going to take place. Because knowing this verse after the fact, right? After things have already blown up and world war 3 is raging, well, it’s a little late.  But walking into a situation knowing a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  Knowing that going in changes how you communicate.  So we’ve covered some serious ground today.

Prayer:

And, Father, we invite you into it. It touches on a lot of different things.  It touches us theologically, it touches us practically, it touches us historically. All these things that they keep churning as we continue to move through your Word and you keep touching every part of our lives.  And that’s what we want.  We want all of you, all that you have for us. And in return we give all that we are to you, which is such a lopsided trade. But it’s what we have. We give our hearts, our minds our wills, our bodies, our spirits to you and invite your Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. And we ask expectantly, knowing that you will. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it’s home base, it’s certainly where you find out what’s going on around here, so be sure to check in and check it out.

Check the resources that are available in the shop. Visit the prayer wall while you’re there and stay connected.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, that can be done at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link right on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the give button in the upper right-hand corner. Or if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. And as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi everyone, it’s Karen in St. Louis. Hey, I just wanted to celebrate with Terry. It was so great to hear you calling him and also hearing all the others who have called in. And we have all been praying for you brother. And I totally agree with what Bob from Michigan said today and loved how we talked about doing the kill and fill. I try to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill me each day before I get out of bed but I never thought about killing that flesh. And, so, I just wanted to say thank you for that. And also, I want to lift up Hopeful. I heard your prayer request for a child and I will be praying for you. And God can do it. My best friend got pregnant when she was 42 years old after many years trying. And, so, I pray that you will just have peace in the waiting. And, oh gosh Brian, once again your commentary on Proverbs 14:30-31. I unplug from social media from time to time and as you all know the desire in my heart for having a husband and a family has never happened. And, so, as the years have gone on, I mean, I’ve celebrated with friends and family who’ve gotten married and had kids but, gosh, I just find it harder and harder. And envy has been an issue that I continually have to write down even had at our Good Friday service at church. We had to give a funeral and pick up flowers for one besetting sin. The one that I picked out was envy. And, so, I would just ask that you would all pray that the peace that surpasses all understanding would just fill my heart, every square inch of it, and that the Lord would take away this desire if it’s not his. But, anyway, thanks again Brian and I love you all. Bye-bye.

Hey, this is Blessed Like Me coming to you with a message of knowing who God is. Now, we all have our own idea who God is but one thing we can all agree on - denomination to denomination, reverend to layman - we can all agree that God is sovereign but sometimes we forget this and sometimes we try to play the position of God. We try to pull the strings that God does. We try to do the things that God does. That’s not the thing that we are to do. God has given us, gave us commandments and things to do. We are to love God with all our heart all our soul all our mind, but we are to know that God is sovereign. And when we know that God is sovereign there are certain things we don’t do, there are certain things we don’t do. And we don’t try to manipulate or try to change things that God has already ordained and put into place. Now, one thing He has placed for us to do is to go. And don’t want us to sit on our hands and be Christians that can’t do anything, but He also wants us to know that God is in control. He is in control. Our God is in control. Somebody needed this today. Somebody needed to know that God is in control. No matter how much you worry. No matter how much you contemplate. No matter how much you try to design and change things, God is in control, and know that your life will go so much easier in your Christian walk with Him. Remember you’re not walking in front of Him you’re walking with Him. And God wants us to be his children. And one thing children do is they know their father, they know their parents. So, He wants us to know Him and to know what He wants from us. Blessed Like Me coming to you from __ knowing God’s sovereignty. God is sovereign. He’s all sovereign. Love you guys. Miss you DAB family. I Love you so much. Thank you, Jill, and Brian for this ministry. Love you guys.

Hey DAB family. This is Jordan from Texas, first time caller. Been listening since the end of Deuteronomy. Anyways, just wanted to introduce myself and let you guys know how blessed I am by this ministry and all of you guys prayers, poems, singing, it’s awesome. I just wanted to encourage a couple people that I’ve heard lately. Terry the truck driver, a lot of people been praying for you and giving you words of encouragement. Just wanted to say, aw man, you mentioned that you feel like God has given up on you and I just want to remind you about Jesus saying, you know, I want you…to His disciples saying…saying, you know, forgive those who sin against you 70×7 times in a day. And, you know, He did mean 490. He meant however many it took. And, so, if He required that of us, how much more is God willing to forgive you then. And, you know, it’s just a big fat lie that He has given up on you. So, be encouraged brother. I hope you are. I’m praying for you. Last person, if I have time here, Hopeful, just listened to yours, May 8^th, desperately wanting children and the doctors saying you’re too old, 40, turning this year. I met a woman last year, she’s on her 12^th child and she’s 50. So, it’s not too late for you and I just want to encourage you and let you know that I’m praying for you daily. So, all right, love you guys. It’s a blessing. So, have a good day.

Hi Fam. My name is Leah E. This is my second call. My first call was spoke so quickly and nervously I don’t think it was understandable. That was about a year ago. I’m calling today because 14 years ago the Lord found it fitting for me to leave a life of substance abuse and isolation. And over the last six years things got kind of rough. I lost my mother, my father, two close friends and my brother all in separate tragic incidents, incidents most of which I witnessed firsthand. Despite this, I stayed the course of sobriety. And I know now that’s because of prayers that begotten more prayers that begotten more prayers all started by a friend of mine who I love very dearly. Now that friend is struggling with substance abuse and depression and terrible seizures and that often terrify her children. Of course, she’s decided to call herself an atheist. The prayer chain she began reached thousands of people and blessed me with comfort and healing when I needed it the most. Also, another dear friend checked herself into the hospital today to keep from committing suicide. It’s a regular pattern that she can’t break alone. I know what that feels like and I know that God lifted these feelings from me as easily as He did the substance abuse, like peeling a glove off and exposing a clean hand. I know that with all of you out there praying my friend’s illnesses don’t stand a chance. Prayers are miracles and I can’t wait to see the miracles that He puts in place through you all. My friend’s names are Stacey M. and Mayly L. Thank you, family. Also, shout out to Slave of Jesus. Everything you do inspires me man. Thank you, guys. Bye.