Wayne Stiles's Blog, page 18
January 15, 2020
It’s a Wonderful Life God Has Made [Podcast]
Selected Scripture
God created life. But sometimes the wonderful life God has made is filled with regretful decisions and struggles.
This special episode ofLive the Biblehonors Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, which is coming up this week on January 19. It’s likely this week’s podcast will touch you in a special way. So let me tell you, if you’re hurting from a past abortion, or if you’d just like to talk to someone about anything in your walk with God, you can find a good, biblical Christian...
January 8, 2020
Where We Begin with God [Podcast]
Genesis 3; 12:1-3
If the Bible tells us anything, it tells us that the evil you’ve experienced in your life—from family, friends, even from your own doing—God can spin that on its head to bring about a wonderful result if you’ll just trust Him.
This episode ofLive the Bibletakes us into a new year with a new series where we’ll take one message from each book of the Bible. First up? Genesis, of course, where we look at more than creation, the fall, and the flood, etc.
We’ll look at how Genesis...
January 1, 2020
Fearlessly Facing the Fabulous Future God Has Planned for You [Podcast]
Numbers 13-14
What if you could send spies into your future and report back to you what’s coming. Would you want to hear it?
In this episode ofLive the Bible, that’s exactly what happens. We get ready for the New Year with a look at how to fearlessly face the fabulous future God has planned for you. Our future will always have giants. But we can face them—in their many forms—as long as we don’t look at the size of the giants but at the size of our God!
Listen to the Podcast NowDecember 25, 2019
Our Christmas Surprise: God’s Way Up is Down [Podcast]
Luke 2:1-20; Philippians 2:3-11
The humble birth of Jesus Christ reveals a truth that, frankly, is shocking.In fact, it’s as surprising today as it was in the day Mary gave birth to Jesus in a Bethlehem barn.
In this episode ofLive the Bible, we take a special look at Christmas and its surprising truth. What truth? The pursuits of our lives and passions can easily get misplaced. Jesus shows us that the way up is down. The way to true greatness in the eyes of God is to be a servant to Him—and...
December 23, 2019
Ein Kerem—Waiting on God’s Promise a Long Time
God has something special planned for you.
When we think of the Bible’s Christmas couple, of course we picture Joseph and Mary. But there’s another couple in the Christmas narrative. In fact, they appear even before Jesus’ parents do.
(Photo: Tradition places the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth at Ein Kerem. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
God had been silent for 400 years. No additional Scripture. No more prophecy. No visions. Just waiting for the Messiah. 400 years! Then,...
December 18, 2019
A Tomb with a View Towards You [Podcast]
Mark 15:40-16:8
One event, more than any other event, reminds us that personal failure does not remove us from God’s plan.In fact, this event shows us that the success of God’s plan does not depend on our performance.
In this episode ofLive the Bible, we look at the essence of what makes Christianity true. Remove this, and we’re just another insignificant religion putting our hope in wishful thinking. But with this event, our faith is rooted in history. And it has huge implications for our...
December 16, 2019
Christmas Shows God’s Amazing Providence in Your Life
Here's how you can know your chances are really God’s choices.
The first Christmas looked like a coincidence. From a human perspective, politics set the agenda: Caesar took a census of his people. End of story. But it wasn’t.
(Photo: Bethlehem Fields with Herod’s Herodium in background. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
From the divine viewpoint, God orchestrated ordinary events for extraordinary outcomes.
Think about this past year in your life. Many ordinary events occurred....
December 11, 2019
Living Well to the Very End [Podcast]
Mark 15:1-39
How can we Live our lives well to the very end? Especially when we are falsely accused, rejected by those closest to us, and perhaps even abandoned, betrayed, or denied. Turns out, all of these were true of Jesus — and yet He finished well. What a model is our Lord.
In this episode of Live the Bible, we look at Jesus’ example of living well to the very end. From the time Jesus was born in Bethlehem to the time of His death at Jerusalem, He was faithful to the end. Jesus committed...
December 4, 2019
What to Do When You Remember Your Failure [Podcast]
Mark 14:53-72
What can you do when you remember your failure?You know what I mean. Something triggers a memory, and we have a flashback of a failure we did yesterday—or maybe even years ago.
In this episode ofLive the Bible, Jesus Christ reminds us that those memories don’t have to haunt us. Instead they can become a memory of something far better than our failure—God’s grace. This is an episode so essential for us to hear again and again.
Listen to the Podcast NowNovember 27, 2019
When Your Want-To is Willing, But Your Can-Do Is Weak, Part 2 [Podcast]
Mark 14:12-52
How can we be faithful and follow God, but we’re just not strong enough to do it?In this second part of our two-part episode ofLive the Bible, where Jesus gives us the practical application of what to do when we want to obey God—but we’re not strong enough to do it.
This is where the rubber meets the road in our Christian lives. Jesus takes us to Gethsemane, and models how to rely on God for strength in moments of vulnerability.
The peace we long for in life lies on the other...
