Most of us hear the word fasting and immediately think about food: how long, which meals, what kind of fast, and whether we can “handle” it. But what if that’s not the question God is asking at all? We go to Isaiah 58 and let Scripture confront the motives behind religious sacrifice, especially the kind that looks spiritual on the outside while staying self-focused on the inside.

We walk through God’s rebuke of performative fasting, then connect it to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 about fasting in secret, without the sad face and the public attention. From there, the conversation turns to a surprising and practical definition of “the fast that I have chosen”: loosening bonds, lifting burdens, freeing the oppressed, and breaking yokes through real generosity. That includes feeding and clothing, but it also reaches into the needs people carry that aren’t visible like loneliness, spiritual affliction, fear, confusion, and seasons of depression.

Along the way, we talk about conditional “if…then” promises in Scripture and why biblical faith is more than mental agreement. Hearing and obeying changes how we expect God’s guidance, healing, and provision. We also share a personal challenge to go beyond prayer-only concern and step into tangible help, while still keeping responsibility and balance at home.

If you want a Bible-grounded, conscience-awakening take on fasting, generosity, and serving “the least” as serving Jesus, press play. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

"Message Our Father's Heart a Question or Response"

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening and sharing with others!

We would very much appreciate you continuing to FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, and LIKE us through any of the following platforms:

Substack: htt​ps://ourfathersheart.substack.com/
Website: ourfathersheart.org
Podcast: https://ourfathersheart.buzzsprout.com/share
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@ofathersheart
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ofathersheart
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ourfathersheart

May God bless you and make you prosperous in Him as you listen and obey His voice!

Growth is rarely loud or boisterous. It’s usually hidden, slow, and deeply formed, like roots spreading underground before a plant ever breaks the surface. We talk through a message that starts with a striking picture: blood cells sent through the body with life-giving oxygen, then returning to the heart to be refilled. That’s the rhythm we’re invited into as Christians to serving with purpose, then returning to Jesus for renewal so we don’t run on empty or confuse activity with maturity.

From the parable of the seed and the mustard seed to the call to “dig deep” and build on rock, we explore what spiritual growth actually requires: patience, a Christ-centered foundation, and a daily habit of testing what we hear against Scripture like the Bereans. We also get honest about the dangers of hurried zeal, shallow doctrine, and being too busy to develop a real relationship with the Lord. The conversation connects practical discipleship to big biblical themes like foundation, holiness, and what it means for our work to be tested.

We also walk through the tabernacle of Moses as a simple map of maturity, repentance, cleansing, the Word of God, illumination by the Holy Spirit, and prayer and intercession. Along the way, we highlight sober warnings from Hebrews about falling away and willful sin, then land on a hopeful close: self-discipline brings freedom, spiritual gifts need balance, and the greatest aim is love for God and neighbor.

"Message Our Father's Heart a Question or Response"

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening and sharing with others!

We would very much appreciate you continuing to FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, and LIKE us through any of the following platforms:

Substack: htt​ps://ourfathersheart.substack.com/
Website: ourfathersheart.org
Podcast: https://ourfathersheart.buzzsprout.com/share
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@ofathersheart
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ofathersheart
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ourfathersheart

May God bless you and make you prosperous in Him as you listen and obey His voice!

Obedience sounds simple until God’s command collides with our logic, our comfort, and our “good reasons.” We walk through one of the most unnerving lines in Scripture, “to obey is better than sacrifice,” and we let it land with full weight. Saul didn’t refuse God outright. He edited God’s instruction, kept what looked valuable, spared what felt merciful, and then insisted he had obeyed. That’s the danger: partial obedience can feel spiritual while still rejecting the Word of God.

From there, we connect the dots across the Bible’s warning stories. Jude reminds us that people can experience deliverance and still be destroyed through unbelief. Paul uses the wilderness generation as a flashing sign for the church: spiritual experiences don’t replace enduring faith, and ongoing rebellion has consequences. We also sit with Malachi’s brutal list against the priests and notice the common thread underneath corruption, injustice, and polluted worship: they stop hearing and obeying.

We bring it home with a New Covenant lens. God isn’t asking for cheap offerings or self-chosen “sacrifices” that protect our idols. He calls for a broken and contrite heart, the sacrifice of praise, doing good, sharing, and presenting our lives as a living sacrifice. And we can’t obey what we refuse to hear, so we talk about Scripture, prayer, and real communion with Jesus as the place where hearing becomes possible. If you’re serious about Christian discipleship, hearing God’s voice, biblical repentance, and obeying the gospel, this conversation is for you.

"Message Our Father's Heart a Question or Response"

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening and sharing with others!

We would very much appreciate you continuing to FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, and LIKE us through any of the following platforms:

Substack: htt​ps://ourfathersheart.substack.com/
Website: ourfathersheart.org
Podcast: https://ourfathersheart.buzzsprout.com/share
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@ofathersheart
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ofathersheart
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ourfathersheart

May God bless you and make you prosperous in Him as you listen and obey His voice!