エピソード

  • 592 The Heart: The Place of Truth Before God
    2025/09/09

    Tuesday, September 9th: In this episode, we explore what the Bible means by “heart”—not just emotions, but the integrated center of your person where desire and decision converge. Drawing on Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount and passages like Luke 6:45 and Mark 7:21, we show why real transformation always starts inside. We contrast first-century public piety with Jesus’ insistence that the Father “sees in secret,” relocating spiritual life from performance to the place of truth before God. Along the way we bring in a word-study snapshot of the Hebrew lev and Greek kardia, and why Scripture speaks about the heart so often. We then put our moment in context: billions of social accounts and hours online mean our attention—and therefore our hearts—are being formed every day. That’s not reason for fear but a call to honest, heart-level friendship with Jesus. You’ll hear simple, doable practices—truth-telling prayer, secret generosity, attention fasting, embodied worship—that open your will to God’s grace. We name both the hard news (a divided heart) and the hope (God’s promised new heart in Ezekiel 36). Finally, we unpack Willard’s claim that from the heart our whole lives “become eternal,” because what’s done in union with Christ carries the durability of His kingdom. By the end, you’ll have a three-minute daily rhythm to entrust your heart to Jesus and live from the inside out.

    Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

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    27 分
  • 591 God Wants to Be Seen
    2025/09/08

    Monday, September 8th: God Wants to Be Seen: Learning to Notice a God-Soaked World. God is not playing hide-and-seek; He is love, and love moves toward being known. Drawing from Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy, this episode explores the biblical claim that God wants to be seen—in creation’s song, in covenant and temple, and most fully in Jesus, “the image of the invisible God.” We name why many of us still miss Him: our hurried attention, our craving for fireworks, divided loves, and seasons when God feels hidden. Jesus retrains our vision by blessing the small and ordinary—sparrows, wildflowers, cups of cold water—and by teaching us to truly see people. A brief tour through Israel’s story, the early church, and Brother Lawrence shows how believers have practiced God’s presence in every century. We then move into five simple practices: two-minute awareness pauses, “Scripture walks” with Psalm 19 or Matthew 6, a threefold glance toward God in routine tasks, weekly confession of competing loves, and the “table test” of noticing the most unseen person at a meal. A guided prayer helps listeners start this right away. The goal isn’t to conjure spiritual feelings, but to consent to reality: God is already near. As we learn to pay attention, the blinds open and the room brightens. This week is an invitation to live as if the world is God-soaked—because it is.

    Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

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    28 分
  • 590 With Jesus or Against Him: Gatherers, Not Scatterers
    2025/09/05

    Friday, September 5th: In Luke 11:23, Jesus draws a hard line: with Him or against Him; gathering or scattering. In a culture that often likes Jesus but is wary of His followers, we ask what it means to gather people to Him instead of scattering them away. We walk through the Luke 11 context—deliverance, accusation, and Jesus’ kingdom logic—and show why neutrality isn’t really neutral. Then we name common scatterers: fear-first messaging, proof-texting, platitudes, performative positivity, grievance postures, and moralizing people before they meet Christ. We contrast those with gathering practices: leading with Jesus, pairing prayer with presence, quoting Scripture in context, normalizing lament, practicing sturdy hospitality, and refusing culture-war shortcuts. Along the way we note the landscape: many Americans remain open to Jesus even as trust in Christian credibility lags—so we focus on humble confession and steady faithfulness. We offer practical steps for the week so listeners can embody the message at home, school, and work. The aim isn’t winning arguments; it’s joining Jesus’ mission of rescue and restoration. Gatherers tell the truth in love, carry real burdens, and make space at the table. This episode is an invitation to align our lives with the One who still gathers the scattered.

    Openness vs. skepticism: 71% positive toward Jesus; “hypocrisy” is the top barrier people cite about Christianity. (Barna Group)
    Religious landscape (2025): 62% Christian; “nones” ~29%; the freefall has stabilized. (Pew Research Center, AP News)

    Clergy credibility: “High/very high ethics” now ~30–32%. (Gallup.com)
    Scripture engagement: ~18% of adults are “Scripture engaged” (≈47 million); Gen Z ≈11%. (Religion Unplugged, 1s712.americanbible.org)
    Giving to religion: still the single largest giving category (~$146.5B; ~24% of total U.S. charitable giving in 2024). (givingusa.org, NPTrust)
    Persecution: 380M+ Christians face high levels globally; 1 in 7. U.S. religion-based hate crimes exist but are dominated by anti-Jewish incidents. (Open Doors, Department of Justice)
    Fear appeals research: effective when paired with clear efficacy; otherwise can backfire into avoidance. (PubMed, American Psychological Association)
    Toxic positivity: mainstream psychology warns it suppresses emotions and harms resilience. (The Washington Post)
    Satan’s development: sparse in the Hebrew Bible; demonology expands in Second Temple Judaism under Persian/Hellenistic influence. (Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, DukeSpace)

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    27 分
  • 589 If Jesus Was Serious… Then We Will Value an Ordinary Life More Than a Famous One
    2025/09/04

    Thursday, September 4th: Jesus gave world-shaping identity to ordinary people, not the elite, when he said, “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.” In first-century Galilee, salt preserved what was good and made it tasteable, while a single lamp lifted on a stand illuminated a whole room. In the same way, everyday disciples preserve trust, truth, and relationships and make God’s goodness visible in ordinary places. Jesus didn’t say, “Become salt and light after you’re impressive,” but you are—right now, where you live and work. Fame chases platform and metrics; faithfulness chooses presence and maturity. “Losing saltiness” warns us about blending in until our distinctiveness disappears, while “hiding under a basket” cautions us against fear, distraction, and image-management. This episode offers simple “salt practices” (reliability, truth-telling, hidden generosity) and “light practices” (hospitality, intercession, peacemaking, encouragement) to embody the Sermon on the Mount. Paul reminds us that in Christ we see people anew (2 Cor. 5:16–17) and put on the new self (Col. 3:10–11), so the ordinary becomes a site of new creation. The kingdom doesn’t need more ambitious Christians; it needs deeply formed people who show up with Jesus. In his hands, an ordinary life becomes a conduit of extraordinary grace.

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    24 分
  • 588 Called Out, Not Persecuted
    2025/09/03

    Wednesday, September 3rd: Today’s episode explores a needed distinction: in America, most Christians aren’t persecuted—we’re being called out. We name the real pain of criticism, misunderstanding, and social pushback, while also admitting those are not the chains-and-prison kind of persecution we see in Scripture. That clarity doesn’t minimize anyone’s experience; it frees us to respond like Jesus and to pray for our global family who truly suffer for His name. We talk about the difference between exercising our faith (which we can do here) and trying to impose it on others (which isn’t religious freedom). From break-room conversations to mailbox moments, the Spirit is calling us out of defensiveness and into humble, neighborly love. When people struggle to see Jesus through us, the remedy isn’t outrage but repentance, presence, and hospitality. We revisit Jesus’ words about blessing those who insult us, loving our enemies, and rejoicing when it costs us. We also honor believers worldwide who endure imprisonment, violence, and loss because they follow Christ—and we commit to pray and support them. The episode ends with a quiet invitation: ask the Spirit to show you one person who can’t yet see Jesus through you, and take one step this week to make Him easier to see. Called out—not shamed—so Christ can be seen.

    Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

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    26 分
  • 587 Is It Biblical… is that the real question?
    2025/09/02
    Tuesday, September 2nd: This episode reframes the popular question “Is it biblical?” into the deeper discipleship question: “Does it look like Christ?” John defines biblical as “in the Bible,” then shows why that alone is not a reliable compass, since Scripture records both beautiful and brutal human realities. Using a Star Wars analogy, he illustrates how context turns a scene from “massacre” to “rescue,” and why ripping verses from their home misleads us. Two anchors guide our reading: the Bible tells the truth about God and us, and it’s a library of genres—law, poetry, narrative, wisdom, prophecy, apocalypse—that must be read on their terms. John sketches the whole story (Creation, Crisis, Covenant, Prophets, Christ, Church→New Creation) and explains how Jesus teaches us to read: Emmaus, the Sermon on the Mount, and John 5 all center the plot in Christ. Five tensions get re-aimed by Jesus—power (cross-shaped strength), people (honoring image bearers), boundaries (protect love, dismantle pride), justice (repair over payback), and holiness (love fulfilling the law). A Fort Hood anecdote about misusing “where two or three are gathered” becomes a living lesson in context and presence. Listeners receive a seven-step Jesus-lens for daily Bible reading and the practice of “obedience in inches” to move truth into relationships. Pastoral words encourage the Bible-tired and the Bible-defensive, affirming inspiration while insisting that Scripture leads us to Christlikeness. The episode closes by inviting us to ask, not only “Is it in the Bible?” but “Does it look like Jesus?”—and to take one concrete step this week.Step 1: Start with Jesus, then circle back. Begin with a short Gospel scene. Ask: What is Jesus like here? How does He treat power, enemies, outsiders, the vulnerable? Now carry that picture into your Old Testament or epistle reading.Step 2: Name where you are in the story. Creation? Law? Exile? New covenant? What problem is God addressing in that moment?Step 3: Respect the genre. Is it law, poetry, narrative, parable, wisdom, apocalypse? Don’t make poetry do math or parables write policy.Step 4: Descriptive or prescriptive? Is this describing what happened, or commanding what should happen? If it’s describing a broken world, look for how God limits harm and nudges people forward.Step 5: Trace the trajectory. What seeds here grow into the kingdom Jesus announces—mercy, justice, humility, truth, enemy-love?Step 6: The “prejudice of love” filter. Rachel Held Evans asked it well: Is my reading enslaving or liberating, burdening or setting free? Add Paul’s fruit test: does this interpretation grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness… or does it grow fear, pride, contempt?Step 7: Obedience in inches. Ask, What’s one small act I can do today? A confession. A call. A meal. A boundary. A gift. Bible study that never touches your relationships isn’t formation—it’s information. Right now, think of one relationship where this Jesus-lens needs to land. Whisper a prayer: “Lord, what’s my inch?”Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.
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    26 分
  • 586 — Costly Peace: Becoming Children of God
    2025/09/01

    Monday, September 1st: Peacemaking isn’t the same as peace-keeping—Jesus blesses peacemakers, people who roll up their sleeves to create what isn’t there yet. In this episode we reclaim shalom as wholeness with God, self, others, and our place—not the thin quiet that comes from avoiding hard things. We look at how the cross is God’s pattern for peace: truth named, sin confronted, and restoration pursued through costly love. Jesus makes peace “by the blood of His cross,” and that becomes our template for conflict. We contrast peace-faking and peace-breaking with true peacemaking that tells the truth, owns our part, and seeks repair. Practically, we walk six moves: truth-telling, confession, concrete repair, wise boundaries, justice with mercy, and perseverance “as far as it depends on you.” Listeners get simple weekly practices—the Shalom Examen, the GO path (Go to God, Own your part, Go to the person, Offer repair), praying blessing over opponents, and taking one costly step. We also tackle common myths (“forgive = forget,” “peacemaking = appeasement”) and replace them with Jesus-shaped wisdom. Scripture anchors include Matthew 5:9; Ephesians 2:11–18; Colossians 1:19–22; Romans 12:9–21; and James 3:13–18. The call to action: choose one relationship this week and do the next faithful, costly thing that sounds like your Father.

    Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

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    29 分
  • Episode 585 Pure in Heart in an Image-Obsessed World
    2025/08/29

    Friday, August 29th: In a world obsessed with image, approval, and optics, Jesus offers a deeper and freer way to live. This episode explores the meaning behind His words: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8). Surrounded by constant visual noise—from social media likes to digital ads—our hearts are pulled toward performance and outward validation. But Jesus redirects our attention inward, calling us to live “inside-first.” Drawing from Matthew 6 and 23, we see that purity of heart is not about sinless perfection, but about unmixed devotion—having a singular love for God. Ancient religious displays and today’s curated posts both reveal the same temptation: to impress people rather than walk with God. Jesus’ critique was never of the spiritual disciplines themselves, but of the motive behind them. When we live for the Father who sees in secret, our outer life begins to reflect a heart shaped by grace. This episode invites listeners to sit with Scripture, examine their motives, and rediscover the reward of seeing God clearly—beyond filters, performance, or applause. Real transformation begins where no one is watching.

    Sources (key references)

    • Ad exposure surge, Jay Walker-Smith (CBS News, 2006). (CBS News)

    • Daily ads encountered / noticed (Media Dynamics, 2014). (mediadynamicsinc.com)

    • Average daily internet use (DataReportal, 2025). (DataReportal – Global Digital Insights)

    • Global ad spend >$1T; digital >75% (Insider Intelligence / eMarketer, 2025). (EMARKETER, Insight Cloud)

    • U.S. teens’ platform use (Pew Research, 2024–2025). (Pew Research Center)

    • Surgeon General Advisory: >3 hrs/day doubles risk; prevalence stats. (HHS.gov)

    • Reducing social media improves body image/well-being; social comparison meta-analysis. (American Psychological Association, PubMed)


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