All Audio

May we remember that the ordinary, daily, and mundane acts of faithfulness and kindness that no one else knows are well-known by God. He is watching. He is keeping track.

I’ll never forget the Sunday morning when I arrived at our church, which my mom had also attended. Though she had died that week, I decided to preach anyway. A very strange thing happened.

We can think of our lives in terms of a dot and a line, signifying two phases. Our present life on Earth is the dot. It begins. It ends. It’s brief. However, from the dot, a line extends that goes on forever.

I was on the Faith & Finance podcast with Rob West, talking about giving guidelines to fight materialism. 

I love this audio devotional from the excellent book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund. When I really love a book, I tend to either read it quickly or slowly. In the case of this book, I read it very slowly and spent multiple days reading some of the chapters.

This wonderful message our ministry received from an 83-year-old reader made my day. I listened to it twice. What a sweet and vibrant voice, and I love her transparency. She may not remember book titles well, but she remembers the books and the message of the books!

Martin Luther said, “It is pleasing to the dear God whenever thou rejoicest or laughest from the bottom of thy heart.” And who does that more frequently and sincerely than children? Talking to kids about Heaven was the focus of an interview I did with Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, for his radio program about my book Heaven for Kids.

I enjoyed talking with Scott Linebrink on his podcast, Get in the Game, about sharing the Gospel and being generous with our money and spiritual gifts. Hope you find this interview helpful. 

Jesus is Nanci’s best friend and my best friend. She is there with Him, and He is here with me. So Jesus is the bridge that keeps us connected until we live in that new world, with new bodies and minds, that He is preparing for us. The connection I feel to her through Him is profound.

Earlier this year I did a podcast with Jordan Raynor to talk about the difference between Heaven and the New Earth, and what it means for our work. Also, how the certain hope of the Gospel is empowering my wife Nanci in her struggles with cancer.

Recently, I was interviewed on The Thinking Out Loud Podcast with Kevin and Kyle. In our conversation, which centered around my book If God Is Good, we discussed evil and suffering, faith, healing and much more. The last year and a half have been tough on many people in many ways, (including for us as Nanci battles cancer), so the subject of suffering feels especially pertinent right now.

All of us form attachments. All of us have a place we call home. The question is, do we think and live as if this world, or the next world, is our home? Are our minds on Earth or Heaven? 

I recently had the privilege of visiting the Joni and Friends headquarters in Agoura Hills, California. While I was there, I was asked to record a few episodes for their podcast, including one about the journey Nanci and I have been on since her diagnosis with colon cancer in early 2018.  We talked about our relationship, hope, and practical ways to encourage those who are facing similar challenges.

Throughout the ages, Heaven has played a dominant role in the thoughts and lives of God’s people. Heaven is the North Star by which countless Christians have navigated their lives. But have you noticed? Heaven today has largely fallen off our radar screens.