One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can’t change.

~Anonymous

The Serenity Prayer

This quote might remind you of the famous “Serenity Prayer” which says: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

This prayer, written in its original form in 1933 has sustained popularity in part because it was used by Hallmark, Alcoholics Anonymous, and churches all around the country. It certainly resonates with people to this day, and maybe that seems strange on the surface. Sometimes when things are very familiar to us, it’s harder to see their true power. 

The Power of Prayer

In the first place, this was written as a prayer- a plea to the Almighty God, who hears us and cares about what we’re going through. Humbling ourselves and calling out to our Father in Heaven is the most powerful thing we can do. God wants us to have faith that He will work things out for our good, even things that look bad at the time. 

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”

Romans 8.28 NLT

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

Be Courageous

The key to being courageous is found in Joshua 1:9- remembering that God is with you wherever you go. If we could grab ahold of this truth and remember it throughout our days, imagine how much more courageous we could be in our lives! 

As far as changing things in our lives, it definitely takes courage. It’s not always clear what the consequences or results of change will be. We can be sure the Lord is with us and will bless us for our obedience when we make changes in order to better follow Him or to live more godly lives. 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1.9 NIV

Wisdom

Did you know the Bible says wisdom is better than gold, and that even if you give everything you have to get wisdom, it’s worth it? Those are some strong statements, and you might think, well, that’s great, but how do I get wisdom?

James 1.5 says:  “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” We need to ask God for wisdom when we’re making tough decisions, when we’re facing problems in a relationship or at work, when we’re stepping into new stages of our lives…really, anytime. We need God’s wisdom everyday and for every situation. Read the scriptures (especially Proverbs)  for nuggets of wisdom and put what you read into practice. God wants you to be wise and He’ll guide you when you desire godly wisdom. 

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post Letting Go Of What You Can’t Change appeared first on Hope 100.7.

Awards You Don’t Want 

Here are some awards that people actually try to win, but the awards don’t even exist.

The Never Put Themselves First Award

The Most Stressed Award

The Worried More Than Anyone Because They Care Award

The Slept the Least Award

Stayed on That Weird Diet for the Longest Award

Sacrificed Their Entire Life for Others Award

Liked by Everyone Award.

Whew. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I wanna win any of those.

What To Do While You’re Waiting

It’s one thing to wait in a long drive through waiting on that sandwich and fries or that specialty coffee drink, and it’s another to wait on God. Some people do it for months and even years. When you’re in a season of waiting, at least from my experience, it’s never just a season of waiting. Let me explain. It’s a season of preparation, abiding. There’s a word you don’t hear every day. Abiding. Waiting is not passive, it’s actually active. You have to be prepared for what you are praying for, what you are waiting for. Be prepared that it may look different than what you expect. Be prepared to hear God’s voice. You might not know when, but when He speaks, it happens fast and you’ve gotta be ready for that next season.

Prayer is a big deal in some people’s lives. If I were to be completely honest with you, I should be praying more. I worry and try to have control too much in my life. I saw this prayer and I think it’s worth repeating. And if you’re able to pray this with me right now, I think it’s pretty powerful. 

Dear God, when I feel overwhelmed, scared or anxious, please fill my heart and mind with your perfect peace. Amen.

~hopefully you.

Don’t Run on Empty

You can actually learn something from your bank account and apply it to your spiritual life: when withdrawals exceed deposits, bankruptcy is inevitable. I started to think about my own spiritual life. I know at times when I don’t pray as much as I should or spend time reading the Bible or doing a devotional, my attitude is bad. And imagine going on for weeks, months, and years like that. I can’t imagine people without God or Jesus in their life making it through the past two years. Maybe that’s why you see what I see- a lot of angry people walking around because they don’t have hope.

The post Having Perspective in Your Spiritual Life appeared first on Hope 100.7.

Spending Time With Jesus

If you feel like there’s a lot of noise around you right now, you have to be purposeful to choose to turn down the volume of the world. If you want to be able to hear and discern more clearly the voice of God in your life, you have to root out the distractions that can hijack your attention and time. You have to be literally ruthless to guard and protect your mind. I’ve gotten into a habit before I check my social media, before I check my email, before I check any missed texts from overnight, I try to open the Bible app and go through a Bible study and actually read the Bible.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Mark 6.31 NIV

Be Interruptible

This could be the bravest thing you do today, or maybe even in a while; but beware, this could open up doors that you can’t even see, which could be scary. It could put you on the edge of a cliff making trust and faith a bigger part of your life. I hope you’re ready. Pray this prayer: “God, if I’m not where you need me to be, I pray that you lead me there.”

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3.5-6 NIV

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

Are you ready to have your mind blown? Roughly half of Jesus’ miracles were actually interruptions. Jesus had a plan. Imagine knowing your destination, imagine knowing you would go through life, live 33 years, and die on a cross. That was His destination. He had a timetable, but Jesus was interruptible. I think of my own life: I’m someone who’s very planned. I live by that calendar on my phone- to a T, to a fault, to an extreme. So, it just makes me wonder how often I miss what God is doing because I’m holding on too tightly to my own plans.

Here’s some career advice I saw and I actually agree with it: don’t ever attach yourself to a person, a place, a company, an organization, a project, or a church. Attach yourself to a mission, a calling, or a purpose. That’s how you keep your peace. I experienced that a couple of years back where my place of work became my identity, and when that was gone, it took me months to figure out who I was and where I was going. It turns out, I should have been focused on Jesus the whole time.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post Focus on Jesus appeared first on Hope 100.7.

1) Remain kind. 

You can talk through all sorts of disagreements without them turning into fights if you can remain kind. The next two tips can help you position your heart and mind to be able to stay kind. Before you respond to a challenging situation, ask yourself if what your about to say is coming from a place of kindness. 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4.32 ESV

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

2) Remain soft.

You can be firm in your views and your beliefs and remain soft-hearted towards people. Remind yourself that we are all made in God’s image and we’re all loved by Him. People form their opinions based on all of their experiences, feelings, upbringing, and perceptions and we would be wise to listen to why people feel the way they do. 

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Colossians 3.12-13 NLT

3) Remain humble.

It seems like so many of the bitter arguments and disagreements we see all around us come from a place of pride and unwillingness to listen to each other. We should be asking ourselves if we feel deep down like we know everything, if we think we have figured it all out and that’s why someone’s opposing views upset us so much. If that’s the case, we need to turn to God for forgiveness and turn away from that prideful attitude. 

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 11.2 NIV

Challenging Yourself to Control Your Responses

When you can’t control what’s happening all around you, I think it’s important to challenge yourself, to control the way you respond to what’s happening. It’s the response that gets you in trouble half the time. I had this situation happen to me recently, where I was not invited to something and it was kind of awkward. I had these feelings welling up inside of me- I don’t know if it was anger, but it was definitely disappointment and, and maybe a little jealousy too. Then I kind of checked myself and thought, you know what? I am experiencing these feelings and they’re not for any good reason. I literally challenged myself on the way I responded to the situation. And after I worked through that, I was able to take a deep breath and move on.

I hope these thoughts are helpful as we all walk together through these troubled times.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post How To Exercise Self-Control in Your Responses appeared first on Hope 100.7.

When you are raising babies, you feel how long the days are, but when you’re raising teens, you feel with every single bone in your body, how short the years are.

Cheryl Donely

Empty Nesters?

My wife and I were just talking about this the other day. I remember having three little ones, a nine year old, five year old and a newborn at one point, thinking this is so incredibly hard. I’m looking forward to the days when they graduate from high school and they spread their wings and they become adults and how the relationship changes when that happens. And now we’re to that point where our oldest will be 25 this year, our middle child will be 20 this summer, and our youngest turns 14 later this summer. Now I’m holding on with everything I have to the 14 year old, realizing that in four or five short years we’ll be empty nesters. And that’s kind of scaring me. 

Parents who have adult children who live out of town know that seeing each other in person only happens a handful of times a year, especially if they live states away. Our oldest child has set up in Orlando. I had a quick work trip over the weekend, a three day weekend kind of thing. I was planning on seeing him on Saturday and then nature happened. There was a tropical storm that was barreling from Mexico into the Florida panhandle and there was the threat in Orlando of the weather being severe enough to delay flights, so I didn’t risk it. I needed to get home to get back to work, and I wasn’t able to see my son. I was really disappointed we didn’t get to spend some quality time together. So I think what we’re gonna have to do is invest, spend the money, and get down there as soon as possible to hang out and make some memories.

Our middle child is adulting and has gone off to a part-time job in the great big state of Montana. It is so far away. Her wifi is limited, so we just can’t text or FaceTime her anytime, but my wife and I were so excited to get a picture from her yesterday. It’s my beautiful daughter’s smiley face with French braids leading her first guest group on a hike. There are blue skies and big puffy Montana clouds down a dirt road. She looks like she’s having the time of her life and it made me smile.

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

Parenting Success

Late last night, my 13-year-old son found his older brother’s pull up bar that was disassembled. And I hear, “Dad come here. I need your help.” I’m sitting relaxing, kind of winding down on my phone, got the TV on, and I’m like, oh, I don’t want to do this, but I should go upstairs. So I went upstairs and then I discovered that he had this pull up bar disassembled and was trying to put it together. The directions were kind of funny and there’s moving parts and there’s angles, and you know, it’s gotta be put together correctly or he’s gonna do a pull up and he is gonna fall flat on his back. So we figured it out together and I can go back and think in my head, I did not fail. I didn’t stay on the couch and say, “no, this is my time I’m not coming upstairs.” I did the right thing and we had a special moment putting it together. And I’m just glad that I learned to be a better parent by success last night.

Encouragement for Parents

If you’re a parent, you can learn to be a better one by either succeeding at something and doing it well, or by failing. I’ve had plenty of those in my life. We all make mistakes. If you’re like me, there’s not a day that goes by that you don’t think of some dumb thing you did in your past. Some mistake, something that you did that hurt someone. I don’t know about you, but this is exactly what I need to hear right now in this moment:

“I forgive you now. It’s time to forgive yourself.”  

Love, God

Parents, don’t get hung up on the mistakes you’ve made in the past. Lean on God and let Him help you become the parent you want to be.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post The Days Are Long, But The Years Are Short appeared first on Hope 100.7.

Trust in God’s Timing

I wonder how you feel about this saying:

“You’ll see why God made you wait.” 

You might feel hurt, you might feel frustration, you might smile and go, “Hey, I’ve been there, done that.” This past weekend, I wrapped up a season in my life associated with an organization that I had been volunteering with for many years, probably almost 10. And I just felt a peace recently from God saying to me, “it’s time to step away.” I don’t want to, and it hurts, but I have to trust Him. And that saying “one day, you’ll see why God made you wait,” I actually am kind of excited and have some anticipation of “what’s next?”

The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? 

Proverbs 20:24 NIV

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

Trust in God’s Goodness

There are seasons in your life that will be good times. There’ll be some challenges, some trials. I know it’s difficult during those times- personally, it’s very difficult in the middle of the night, being awake and worrying or stressed out about some stuff. Consider this: it is crazy how a relationship with God can completely change your mood and attitude in an instant. Instead of worry, go to prayer. One worship song, one whispered prayer, one scripture verse can take you from the absolute worst mindset to a place of such peace and joy. There’s nothing like the presence of God. And my prayer for you today is to experience that.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4.6-7 NLT

Trust That God is With You

Today’s a great day to live by faith and not by sight. Sometimes what you see isn’t really the whole story. Faith will fill in all the gaps. I was spending time in the Bible this morning in the book of Luke, and Jesus was talking to the disciples about faith. It got me thinking about how faith is risky. I know sometimes I feel the risk; am I doing the right thing? Trusting God in this decision? Faith looks risky to others, maybe family members who don’t understand what’s going on in your life and how you are making decisions for you and your family. Especially in today’s day and age, where it seems like everyone is looking for proof of things to be true outside of God. 

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now. And don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6.34 NLT

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post When Trusting God is Difficult appeared first on Hope 100.7.

The truest test of your relationship with Jesus is when you don’t understand anything at all, and you still trust him fully.

God Is In Control

Worry and fear can freeze you in time. When your mind starts racing and you begin to worry, remember this: God is not caught off guard by what you’re going through. He’s in control. He is with you. There’s nothing that hasn’t first passed through His love. As a matter of fact, there are no emergencies in Heaven. None. Jesus is not moved by chaos and you can trust Him.

There’s a good chance that you have someone in your life who’s dealing with an unknown future. When I look around my life, I know people who have relationships that are failing or have failed, and it’s excruciating. Coworkers who are wondering if they will have a job next month; people who are taking money out of their savings to pay for gasoline and groceries. If you’re not careful, the pressure of an unknown future can really cause some fear and sleepless nights, but there is hope. I don’t have the right words to say for every situation, but I do know this: never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

During your work day, there are gonna be people who you cross paths with that put a smile on their face, but on the inside, they are crumbling. It might be someone at the grocery store, someone who you work with, someone at the gas station, or maybe that person is you. You should know this: God’s love is surrounding you. His faithfulness has covered you. You can breathe. You can let it go. Your job isn’t to run, to worry, or try to take life into your own hands. The Bible says to be still, and God will fight for you.

Be Still? 

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37.7 NLT

There’s a chance that we’re doing it all wrong. When God says be still, I think He means be still internally, but I think He still wants you to keep pushing forward patiently with a calm spirit, knowing that He’s working everything out for your good. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s difficult to shift the way I think, especially when I have a habit of worrying and anxiousness, but I’m never gonna truly grow or get to experience the fullness of an encounter with God, an answered prayer, a still small voice if I don’t let go of the anxiousness or the need to know the ending, or control everything. Those are things I can’t change with the snap of my finger overnight, but I can be aware of them and strive to trust God, even when I don’t understand.

Time to Recharge

If you’re like me- an introvert- you need time to recharge alone. You need those quiet moments on a walk or in a quiet room with the lights dimly lit to be alone with God, to be alone with your own thoughts. One thing I do on a walk is listen to worship music. It’s just me and God, and I allow him to speak to me through those songs. I wait for those worship songs to penetrate my heart and soul. It’s so refreshing. I’d recommend it. What do you do to recharge your faith? 

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post The Power of Trusting God appeared first on Hope 100.7.

“My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ Name. Christ alone, Cornerstone. Weak made strong in the Savior’s love. Through the storm, He is Lord, Lord of all. When darkness seems to hide His face I rest on His unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. My anchor holds within the veil. When He shall come with trumpet sound, oh may I then in Him be found. Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless stand before the throne.”

A Rich History

“My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” is a hymn written in 1834 by Edward Mote, a pastor at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham, West Sussex. The refrain of “my hope is built on nothing less” refers to the parable found in Matthew 7.24-27 of the wise and the foolish builders and has been covered and used in many songs over the years. 

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7.24-27 NIV

Have You Lost Hope? 

Have you ever felt like it’s impossible to find hope in this crazy world? That’s because it is…at least without God. You can search the world over, and try finding peace and hope in all sorts of places, but true lasting hope can only be found by trusting in God’s goodness and what He’s done for us. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

John 3.16-21 NIV

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

How To Find Hope

If you’re already a believer and you’re finding it difficult to have hope, you have to go back to basics. Search your heart to find what you’ve placed your hope and trust in. Do you find your security in your bank account, your spouse, your comfort? Have you put your trust in your own understanding of the world and found that it leaves you empty? Start by asking God for forgiveness for not trusting fully in Him, and begin strengthening your relationship with Him, which will renew the hope in your heart. 

Get In The Word

“If you feel like there’s a lot of noise around you right now, you have to be purposeful to choose to turn down that volume of the world if you want to be able to hear and discern more clearly the voice of God in your life. There are so many distractions that can hijack your attention and time if you’re not literally ruthless to guard and protect it. I’ve gotten into a habit- before I check my social media, before I check my email, before I check any missed texts from overnight- I try to open the Bible app and go through a Bible study. Honestly, I’ve kind of been going through the motions the past few days- that needs to change tomorrow.”

Todd Stach

If you haven’t built a strong Bible-reading habit yet, you may find it surprising to hear that reading or hearing Scriptures is one of the most life-giving practices you can engage in. The Word of God is “alive and active” (Hebrews 4.12 NIV), “God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3.16-17 NIV), and is a “light for our path” (Psalm 119.105 NIV). 

There are many tools available to you to help you prioritize Bible Study- books, apps, guides, small groups, podcasts, blogs, daily text reminders or emails, etc. Find what works best for you and build the habit. When your eyes are focused on the Father, your hope will return. 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15.13 NIV

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40.31 NIV

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less appeared first on Hope 100.7.

“So, you have those moments in life that stop you in your tracks. It could be the birth of a baby. It could be a tragedy. It could be a cyber Monday deal- ok, maybe not a cyber Monday deal. I saw this and it literally made me think so deeply, and I wanted you to hear this: worship is the act of committing one’s entire life to Jesus. It’s just not a song in church; it’s just not opening the Bible every morning; it’s literally your whole life. And if I were to look at my life, I don’t know that I can say my life is a life of worship, because I’m selfish. Because I don’t go to Jesus for every single decision. I’m not sure there’s an easy fix for committing one’s entire life to Jesus through worship. But I think it does start one decision at a time, one step at a time.” ~Todd Stach

What do you think of first when you hear the word “worship”? Do you think of worship music? Or a worship service? If so, I want to encourage you to think a little deeper about the meaning of true worship. Jesus points out in Matthew 15.8-9, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.” So it’s entirely possible to look like you worship God from the outside looking in, but to be far from God in your heart. That’s a terrifying idea, but rest assured that God sees our hearts and desires a true relationship with us.

Like Todd says, there’s no easy fix for living a life of true worship, but it begins in your heart and your mind. Have you ever felt like you desperately want to be fully committed to God, but you can’t seem to get it right? You’re in good company. Let’s read about King David, a man after God’s own heart. He loved God and was “fully devoted” to Him. 

(Speaking of Solomon) “…his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”

1 Kings 11:4 

When you look at David’s life, you can see that he still sinned, sometimes in shocking ways, but he continually turned back to God. David practiced a few habits that helped him turn his heart to God that we can emulate.

1) David’s devotion to God wasn’t based on his circumstances. 

“The psalms ring with David’s anthems of adoration and worship. Communion with God in prayer, combined with worship, prepares the hard ground of our hearts, tenderizing and mellowing it into fallow soil, yielded to God.”

Maryann Ward

David did not make a show of his devotion to God, but instead let that relationship define his life. He did not say to himself, “I feel depressed, so that means God is not good.” You can see from passages like Psalm 10, David is not afraid to question God’s actions, but those questions don’t lead him to walk away from God. By the end of the psalm, he is reminded of God’s goodness. “O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?” Psalm 10.1 NLT. “The Lord is king forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land. Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.” Psalm 10.16-18 NLT. 

In many instances, David tells his soul what to do and how to respond to God’s goodness. “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103.1-5 NIV

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

2) David trusted God for forgiveness.

When David sinned, he didn’t run from God, he ran towards Him. He threw himself on God’s mercy, knowing only God could forgive and restore him. 

“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.”

Psalm 51.1-5 NLT

David understood the depths of human depravity, and knew only devotion to God could keep him pure in God’s eyes. He cared more about his relationship with God than the punishment he knew he deserved for his sin. What does this mean for you and I? We can also purpose in our hearts to desire a relationship with God more than everything else. When we find ourselves in a pattern of sin, we can stop, pray, turn from the sin, and throw ourselves on the mercy of God. When the temptation to run and hide from God is strong, fight against it and turn to Him instead. 

3) David treasured the Word of God

“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.”

Psalm 19.7-11 NLT

David truly loved God’s Word and it was a source of strength and comfort to him. We can build the same relationship with the Word David did simply by making it a priority. If you struggle with consistently getting in the Word, make a plan for yourself starting small. Set an alarm or put it on your calendar to do a short devotion each day. Ask the Lord to help you fall in love with His Word and to lead you to studies or books or other resources that will help you. 

Hopefully this look at King David helped you see a few practices you can start in your own life to deepen your relationship with God. A life of true worship isn’t easy, but it’s the most worthwhile thing you can pursue. 

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post What is Worship, Exactly? appeared first on Hope 100.7.

Trust In The Lord

There are things going on in the world right now that are out of your control, out of my control- in the midst of chaos. If it’s causing hardship in your life, I’m very, very, sorry. There is one thing you can do to help fix your eyes on Jesus- when you can’t understand what God is doing, say this: I will trust in the Lord. 

When you can’t see past what’s right in front of you, because you’re just so burdened, say this: 

I will trust in the Lord.

When you can’t control the circumstances that you’re in, say this: 

I will trust in the Lord. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3.5-6 NIV

This might challenge you or give you encouragement- I’m not sure which way it will go for you. But when I saw this, it challenged me. “Stress comes from trying to do it all on your own. Peace comes from putting it all in God’s hands.” So whether it’s a relationship, stress at your job, paying bills, whatever it might be, daily give it over to God and expect Him to come through. 

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

Simple Prayer

I’m wondering if you would agree with me, but I think we complicate prayer. I complicate prayer. Really, it’s not a complicated process, but for whatever reason in our humanness, you and I can kind of complicate it. Here’s the simple reality: talk to Jesus about your day, your fears, your joy, your needs, your wants, pray for your family, your friends, even trivial topics. He wants to be a part of every area of your life. Talk to Him about Bible verses you don’t understand, cry out to Him when you need Him. You can never go to Jesus too many times. In fact, the more He hears from you, the better.

Feeling Stuck? 

The next time you feel stuck in a season, I want you to remember this: an unexpected detour or delay doesn’t mean your purpose has ended. Life is full of twists and turns, and honestly, God rarely takes you to where you want to go on the path that you think makes the most sense. In comes disappointment, in comes discouragement because you think you’re not where you should be and you didn’t expect life to look like it does right now. Just because the path God has you on is harder and not what you anticipated doesn’t mean that God’s not in it. It might be taking longer than you thought. That doesn’t mean God’s not going to do it just because you feel alone at times, it doesn’t mean that God has left. Just because it looks impossible, doesn’t mean it’s not possible. God’s ways are not your ways and not my ways. Impossible is actually where God starts. Miracles are what God does… keep believing in God. It’s not over.

Impossible is actually where God starts.

Todd Stach

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post Some Great Advice on Life and Faith appeared first on Hope 100.7.

Here’s an acronym that’s easy to remember: FEAR. FEAR has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run, or, Face Everything And Rise. That’s powerful! The choice? That’s yours.

~Todd Stach

In How To Handle Fear- Part One, we read the parable of the prodigal son and talked about how to run to Jesus. I included the quote from Todd Stach again to refresh you on the acronym that inspired this blog series. This time, we’ll look at what it means when someone tells you to “take it to Jesus” or “lay it at Jesus’ feet.” Let’s start with Scripture! 

What the Bible says about Fear and Worry

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10.28-31 NIV

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11.28-29 NIV

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then, you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4.67 NLT

Laying your burdens at Jesus’ feet is about trust, prayer, and renewing your mind. Worry is part of the human experience that stems from fear and is aggravated by our increasing desire to control every part of our lives. Add on top of that the fact that we can instantaneously find out about scary and troubling things happening all over the world, and it’s a miracle we do anything but worry! But the Bible is very clear on this: “don’t worry about anything…” The Bible tells us not to worry and not to fear many many times. If you ever took a class or a study on how to read the Bible, you probably learned that when something is repeated, it means “pay attention!” and God knew we would really need to hear “don’t worry” pretty often. 

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

How To Lay Your Burdens at Jesus’ Feet

1) Trust

If you’re a new Christian, spend time building your relationship with God through Bible study and prayer. By learning who He is, and seeing Him work in your life, trust will begin to grow. If you’re a more experienced believer, being in the Word and in prayer is an important part of trusting as well, but you also have your past experiences to help you. Remind yourself of the things God has brought you through, the prayers He has answered. Remembering how you learned to trust God before will help you trust now.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17.7-8 ESV

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Psalm 91.1-6 ESV

2) Prayer

The way you lay your burdens at the feet of Jesus is through prayer. When you’re tempted to worry about something, take it to Him in prayer. “Laying it down at His feet” means handing it over and not picking it back up. It’s hard, because sometimes our minds run away with scenarios and fears before we even realize what’s happening. When you find yourself in that mindspace, just pray immediately and tell the Lord you’re giving it back to Him. Like anything else, it takes discipline and practice, but it is possible to take control over your thoughts and your fear.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.

James 5.13 NIV

3) Renewing Your Mind

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12.2 NIV

Renewing your mind comes from being committed to studying the Bible, prayer, and refusing to allow your thoughts to dictate your belief in the truth. The Bible tells us to “take captive every thought.” You can do this by paying close attention to the thoughts in your mind. Train yourself to catch thoughts that go against the Word of God and replace them with the truth. The brain is a fascinating organ. The thoughts that we have over and over create physical grooves in our gray matter called neural pathways. The more we think certain thoughts, the deeper those pathways get and the easier it is for your brain to automatically run along those lines. The great news is we now know those paths can be changed! Thinking new thoughts weaken the old paths and eventually, the new neural pathways can become the dominant ones. The longer you’ve had certain habits, (like worrying) the longer it will take you to break them, but take heart! The result is so worth the effort!

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10.4-5 NIV

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post How To Handle Fear- Part Two appeared first on Hope 100.7.

“Think about some of the acronyms and abbreviations you use at your job. I know when I was in college, everything had an abbreviation or an acronym. ‘Hey, let’s meet at the CC and head over to dinner, and then afterwards we’ll go to the SC…’ I remember as a freshman thinking, where are these buildings and how am I going to find my way? It’s going to take me months to figure this all out! Here’s an acronym that’s easy to remember: FEAR. FEAR has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run, or, Face Everything And Rise. That’s powerful! The choice? That’s yours.” ~Todd Stach

You’ve probably heard about how our brain is designed to respond to fear by either fleeing to get away from the danger (flight), or standing your ground to overcome the object causing the fear (fight). It occurs to me that in the life of the Christian, both flight and fight have their place. We should run to Jesus and allow Him to guide and equip us to fight the battles we face. But what does that look like? In this 2 part blog series, we’re going to look at practical ways to turn to Jesus. 

How To Run To Jesus

If you’ve had someone say to you, “run to Jesus” or “just take it to Jesus” or “lay it at Jesus’ feet” you might have found yourself thinking, how am I supposed to do that? Where exactly is Jesus? Let’s get some Biblical perspective to understand these sayings a little better. 

“Run to Jesus” is a saying that reminds me first of the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. 

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.

Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death! I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on. ‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said, ‘and all that is mine is yours. But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Luke 15:11-32 Berean Study Bible

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

This is a parable, meaning a simple story used to illustrate a spiritual lesson. There are a number of lessons in this parable, but let’s focus on the picture Jesus is painting of the father. Even though the father has been wronged by his son in callous and heartbreaking ways, while the son is gone, the father is watching longingly for him to come back. The father is symbolic of God, waiting for us to come to Him with open arms. In fact, when we turn to Him, He runs to us. How beautiful!

Now for the practical part: running to Jesus is simply turning your attention to Him through prayer and reading the Word. It’s obeying even when it’s difficult. It’s choosing in a moment of fear or doubt to stop what you’re doing, turning your thoughts from what is worrying or scaring you, and thinking about the ways Jesus has provided, protected, or shown you love in the past. (If you are new to your faith and don’t have those experiences yet to remember, think about how God preserved your life until now. Think about all the ways He drew you to Himself. Read the Gospels and see the amazing things Jesus did for people everywhere He went and let that start to build your faith.)

I find it helpful to keep a journal of prayers and write down when my prayers are answered or when I see God is working in my life. It’s amazing to look back and see things I prayed about and didn’t even notice God answered, or things that were really worrying me and turned out to be no big deal. When you find yourself in spiritually dry seasons, you’ll be amazed how much you’ll be revived by remembering the ways God has moved on your behalf.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post How To Handle Fear- Part One appeared first on Hope 100.7.

“You have to wonder how many people really struggle with confidence. If I’m being honest with you, I do. Am I good enough for this job? Am I the best husband I can be? Am I the best father I can be? I try not to let it get out of hand. I saw this, ‘God’s never been interested in you being enough.’ Moses didn’t think he was good enough, people didn’t think David was strong enough. Maybe you’re in the ‘not enough’ mindset like I get in sometimes. Just know that God loves to show up in the ‘not enough’ to teach you that He is more than enough.” ~Todd Stach

Do you struggle with confidence?

Have you ever thought about what that really means? We hear the message coming at us from every direction: believe in yourself, follow your heart, trust your gut, be strong and confident…but let’s really look at what those messages mean for a Christian.

Confidence, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means “a feeling or consciousness of one’s powers or of reliance on one’s circumstances. A faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way.” “A state of mind or a manner marked by easy coolness and freedom from uncertainty, diffidence, or embarrassment. Confidence stresses faith in oneself and one’s powers without any suggestion of conceit or arrogance.”

Confidence is crucial…but maybe not in the way we’ve been taught. Let’s look at what the Bible has to say about confidence.

1) Our confidence can be misplaced. 

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 18.9-14

If we place our confidence in our own righteousness, intentions, motives, past performance, etc, we are on dangerous ground. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that our own hearts and feelings cannot be trusted (Jeremiah 17), our motives are often wrong (James 4), and our righteousness is as filthy rags before the Lord (Isaiah 64). (As bad as that sounds, there’s good news! Keep reading!)

In addition to that, going back to the Webster definition, it seems like pretty common knowledge these days not to trust in our circumstances. If the last two years has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t find our joy in our circumstances.

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

2) We can find our confidence in God’s promises. 

This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.

Titus 1.2

May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Hebrews 13.21

All the confidence we need can be found in Jesus. Even though we can’t put trust in ourselves, we can trust God to equip and guide us when we follow Him. If you haven’t done much Bible study, or you’re not sure what God has promised His people, find a Bible study or devotion to help you get equipped with the promises of God. A few options: 

The Promises of God by R.C. Sproul

Unshakeable Hope by Max Lucado 

The Promises of God by Charles H. Spurgeon

3) Our confidence in God casts out fear. 

So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

Hebrews 13.6

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid      on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

1 John 4.17

Coming to terms with the fact that we shouldn’t have confidence in ourselves is scary. I don’t know about you, but for me it sets off all these alarms in my brain that say, “If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?!” But that’s where some good old mind-renewing comes in. When you find yourself thinking that you need to figure out how to be more confident, or on the other hand, if you find yourself turning again and again to your own understanding, bring yourself back to the Scriptures and back to the only One who can hold our confidence.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post Why Confidence is Important appeared first on Hope 100.7.