Our kids often look at famous athletes, singers, and actors to be their role models or examples of how they want to be. But did you know that they often follow your actions and examples, too? And you may not realize it, but there may be other people in your life who look to you to set a good example. In this message, Jill discusses the importance of being a good example and gives us practical ways we can do so.
Scripture: Exodus 33, Exodus 40
"On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.'"
After Jesus' ascension into heaven, the believers were filled with fear, wondering if they would be next to be crucified. But something happened that energized these people, gave them power to speak and do things as they never could have before!
Scripture: Acts 1:4
As we have seen, it is too easy for people to become spiritually sleepy and sloppy. To counteract these tendencies, we are to “encourage” and “build each other up.” Here we look at practical ways of doing this.
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-5:28
Life happens at the rate of 365 days per annum for everybody. What we do while it is happening is very important. Jesus had a lot to say about this in His short stories—the parables.
Scripture: Luke 7:36-7:50
Celebrities attract crowds. Jesus, while neither desiring it or seeking it, had become a celebrity and the crowds pursued Him wherever He went. But not all of His enthusiastic listeners were effectively responding to what He said. So He told a short story to show how important it is that people take seriously what He had to say.
Scripture: Luke 8:4-8:15
Life happens. Sometimes we have a say in what is going on, but just as often, we don’t. There are many circumstances you can’t control—earthquakes and floods, wars and terrorist attacks, the spouse who walks out, a sick child. What are you supposed to do when life—for good or bad—is happening around you?
The Bible tells us that we are to live according to God’s Word. Jesus’ teachings are a good place to start, particularly His parables, which are short, simple stories that explain divine truths.
Stuart takes you through parables in Luke’s Gospel and explains the significance and the lessons in each of the stories so you can apply them to your own life.
Scripture: Luke 10:25-10:37
Life happens. Sometimes we have a say in what is going on, but just as often, we don’t. There are many circumstances you can’t control—earthquakes and floods, wars and terrorist attacks, the spouse who walks out, a sick child. What are you supposed to do when life—for good or bad—is happening around you?
The Bible tells us that we are to live according to God’s Word. Jesus’ teachings are a good place to start, particularly His parables, which are short, simple stories that explain divine truths.
Stuart takes you through parables in Luke’s Gospel and explains the significance and the lessons in each of the stories so you can apply them to your own life.
Scripture: Luke 11:1-11:13
To help us determine our priorities, Stuart shares some points worthy of remembering:
Life is not made up of things. Be on your guard, because if you’re not you’ll be suckered in by the whole flow of our culture.
Life is on loan. One of these days God will foreclose and demand back what he gave you on loan. And a life that is lived egotistically, materialistically, and hedonistically denies the fact that the life is on loan in the first place.
Life in actual fact consists in being rich towards God.
Scripture: Luke 12:13-12:21
When little troubles appear in our lives, we can be surprised and wonder why God would allow such things to happen to us. Such thinking reveals that we may have fallen into the “me trap.” Satan tempts us with “easy cheese” promising an easy life. But God never promised that life would be comfortable!
In this message, Jill Briscoe shows us how the troubles and pain in our lives are actually a way God molds us into Christ-like people.
Scripture: James
It is possible for us to live lives that are rich according to human evaluation, but that does not necessarily mean they are rich according to divine evaluation. In other words, you can be extremely wealthy in a human currency, but in actual fact be bankrupt before God.
You will be rich towards God, not only when you understand who God is, not only when you have an intensity of desire to see His kingdom established in your life, not only when you relate your worries and concerns and earthly life to Him, but when you begin to demonstrate that your concern for the kingdom is paramount.
Scripture: Luke 12:35-12:48
Life happens. Sometimes we have a say in what is going on, but just as often, we don’t. There are many circumstances you can’t control—earthquakes and floods, wars and terrorist attacks, the spouse who walks out, a sick child. What are you supposed to do when life—for good or bad—is happening around you?
The Bible tells us that we are to live according to God’s Word. Jesus’ teachings are a good place to start, particularly His parables, which are short, simple stories that explain divine truths.
Stuart takes you through parables in Luke’s Gospel and explains the significance and the lessons in each of the stories so you can apply them to your own life.
Scripture: Luke 14:1-14:24
We live in a culture that encourages greed. We feel the need to “keep up with the Joneses” and own things that we don’t necessarily want or need. We are lured in by the “greed cheese” that Satan puts in the “money trap.” But everything we have isn’t even ours—it all belongs to God, and He entrusts us with what He knows we can handle.
In this message, Jill Briscoe teaches about the role money should play in our lives and gives us practical and challenging advice on how we should view and be good stewards of money.
Scripture: James
We’ve all been on both sides of hurtful words. We’ve insulted and been insulted, gossiped and been gossiped about. We’ve spoken words that have been obscene, profane, idle, or unkind. It’s no wonder the Bible is full of references to the tongue—so much destruction and yet so much encouragement, all from one little member of the body!
In this message, Jill Briscoe gives us an acrostic of “tongue” with examples of the tongue’s destructive characteristics, as well as their opposites, so we can avoid the “mouth trap.”
Scripture: James
Life happens. Sometimes we have a say in what is going on, but just as often, we don’t. There are many circumstances you can’t control—earthquakes and floods, wars and terrorist attacks, the spouse who walks out, a sick child. What are you supposed to do when life—for good or bad—is happening around you?
The Bible tells us that we are to live according to God’s Word. Jesus’ teachings are a good place to start, particularly His parables, which are short, simple stories that explain divine truths.
Stuart takes you through parables in Luke’s Gospel and explains the significance and the lessons in each of the stories so you can apply them to your own life.
Scripture: Luke 15:1-15:32
Life happens. Sometimes we have a say in what is going on, but just as often, we don’t. There are many circumstances you can’t control—earthquakes and floods, wars and terrorist attacks, the spouse who walks out, a sick child. What are you supposed to do when life—for good or bad—is happening around you?
The Bible tells us that we are to live according to God’s Word. Jesus’ teachings are a good place to start, particularly His parables, which are short, simple stories that explain divine truths.
Stuart takes you through parables in Luke’s Gospel and explains the significance and the lessons in each of the stories so you can apply them to your own life.
Scripture: Luke 16:1-16:15
Have you planned your funeral? Few of us have. We like to think of death as something far off in the future. Then once we do acknowledge death, sometimes we fall into “you only live once” thinking and fill our time with whatever pleases us. But God never promised us a long life! He has our days numbered, and only He knows when that number is up and we’ll be called to be with Him.
In this message, Jill Briscoe cautions us to avoid the “minute trap” and offers us a better perspective on what this life really is and how we should use the time God has given us.
Scripture: James
Life happens. Sometimes we have a say in what is going on, but just as often, we don’t. There are many circumstances you can’t control—earthquakes and floods, wars and terrorist attacks, the spouse who walks out, a sick child. What are you supposed to do when life—for good or bad—is happening around you?
The Bible tells us that we are to live according to God’s Word. Jesus’ teachings are a good place to start, particularly His parables, which are short, simple stories that explain divine truths.
Stuart takes you through parables in Luke’s Gospel and explains the significance and the lessons in each of the stories so you can apply them to your own life.
Scripture: Luke 16:19-16:31
If the enemy can't separate you from God, he's content to do the next best thing… distract you with subtle traps that will draw you away from God. These traps may seem like normal things in life that you manage every day—time, money, self. But if you get caught up in the bait he sets in these areas, you'll struggle with priorities and gradually begin to turn away from God. And you might not even realize it.
Jill teaches about these deceptive traps that women, in particular, often wander into. What specific bait are you most susceptible to? How can you resist and steer clear of the traps set before you? Are you stuck in one right now? As Jill explains, the tools to break free are waiting for you in God's Word.
Scripture: James
How should we approach and address the issue of values? That everybody has “values” is obvious, and it is equally obvious that there is considerable disagreement on what constitutes a valid value system. Society is full of conflicting lifestyles and clashing behavior patterns that can rock our existing system.
Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-1:7
“In the book of Proverbs, wisdom signifies skillful living—the ability to make wise choices and live successfully according to the moral standards of the covenant community…(This) produces things of lasting value to God and to the community.” – Allen P. Ross
Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-1:7
Scripture teaches that every good and perfect gift is from above—but would you ever think to see adversity as a gift from God? In the same way we receive good things from above, we should learn to accept trouble as well. But how can we do that?
In this message, Jill answers that question by diving deep into Job's story and sharing how our eyes can be opened to see hardships—and God Himself—in a whole new way.
Scripture: Job 1-2
The United States Supreme Court handed down the opinion that “Marriage is an institution in whose maintenance and purity the public is deeply interested for it is the foundation of the family and society without which there would be neither civilization nor progress.” But times are changing!
Scripture: Proverbs 2
When trouble comes your way, are you quick to question it? Have you ever gone so far as to question God Himself? The world can tempt us into asking, How could a loving God let something so terrible happen? Have you ever found yourself pondering that question?
Instead of questioning the character of God, Job willingly received suffering from God’s hands. But how was he able to accept the seemingly unacceptable? Jill shares how we can experience a transformation of attitude and move from a place of questioning God to a place of trusting God.
Scripture: Job 1
President Johnson speaking at Howard University in 1965 said: “The family is a cornerstones of our society. More than any other force, it shapes the attitudes, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the child. When the family collapses it is the children that are usually damaged. When it happens on a massive scale the community itself is crippled.”
Scripture: Proverbs 22:6
Paul told the Roman believers, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within” (Rom. 12:2). But what did he mean by “the world” and how does it affect our minds and what should we do about it?
Scripture: Romans 12:1-12:2
George Gallup, the famous pollster, says, “There’s no question about it. The sex-related issues are going to be the most important issues facing all churches in the foreseeable future. Abortion, AIDS, premarital sex, homosexuality, all those are going to be at the vortex.”
Scripture: Proverbs 7:1-7:27
Suffering can seem like an endless battle, because as soon as you get in it, you just want to get out. Hours, days, weeks, months, or even years can go by and you’re still asking, “How long, oh Lord?” So what do you do when you’re in a seemingly endless season of hardship?
In this message, Jill shares how when we’re willing to wait out our seasons of suffering, God won’t let the time go to waste.
Scripture: Job 23:8-23:12
Contemporary society has been described as “sex-saturated.” Sexual values that have long been rejected covertly are now openly challenged and contravened, and new values are being espoused and practiced.
Scripture: Proverbs 7:1-7:27
The renewed mind thinks clearly about “the self.” This is important because, as John Stott points out, “Our ‘self’ is not a simple entity that is either wholly good or wholly evil, and therefore to be either totally valued or totally denied. Instead, our ‘self’ is a complex entity of good and evil, glory and shame, which on that account requires that we develop more subtle attitudes to ourselves.”
Scripture: Romans 12:3
Even when your theology aligns with the Bible and you recognize that sometimes the righteous are called to suffer, when pain and suffering come your way it can feel a bit like diving into cold water—it can take your breath away and test your faith.
How do we cope while we wait for God to intervene in our painful circumstances? We can look to the story of Job to find answers.
Scripture: Job 19
Most people spend approximately half of their waking hours working. What they believe about work, or their “work ethic,” will therefore profoundly affect the quality of their lives.
Scripture: Proverbs 6:6-6:11
Will you stay faithful to God even when your world is crumbling around you? Suffering puts us in a vulnerable state for Satan’s attacks. He roams the earth, waiting to pounce until we’re weak and at our breaking point.
We see this all throughout the book of Job. Satan prowls about, teases him, and uses individuals in Job’s life to criticize and hurt him. In this message, Jill teaches us how we can cope with Satan’s attacks and come out of the battle victorious.
Scripture: Job 2
Opinions differ concerning the church. Some see it as an irrelevant relic to be ignored, others regard it as a respectable institution to be tolerated, while some see it as a powerful enemy to be opposed. But the person with the renewed mind sees it is the body of Christ. But what does that mean?
Scripture: Romans 12:4-12:8
Words can sting. We’ve all, at some point, experienced the pain that comes from harsh criticism. So what do you do when you’ve been deeply hurt by the words of a stranger, an authoritative figure, or—worst of all—a loved one you greatly trust?
Job experienced this, as his greatest comforters suddenly became his greatest critics. But what we see in Job’s story is how God can use criticism to teach us a valuable, life-changing lesson.
Scripture: Job 5, Job 15, Job 19, Job 22, Job 22
A basic principle of life is, “In all your ways acknowledge Him (the Lord).” One of the ways is the way we handle money. We are taught in Scripture to “honor the Lord with your wealth.” But why should we and how do we?
Scripture: Proverbs 3:9-3:15
Modern culture places great emphasis on looking good and feeling good. Less concern is shown about doing good and being good. In fact “do good-ers” are often disliked and “being good” is sometimes dismissed as prudery. But Scripture says, “Cling to what is good.” What is “the good” and how do we cling to it?
Scripture: Romans 12:9-12:13
At the conclusion of the famous book Habits of the Heart the authors wrote: “Our society has been influenced by the tradition of modern individualism. We have taken the position that our most important task today is the recovery of the insights of the older biblical…traditions.”
Scripture: Proverbs 3:3, Proverbs 21:21
Are you ever tempted to blame yourself for your suffering? Satan wants us to believe that hardships are punishment for our sin—but nothing could be further from the truth. Christ suffered the consequences of our sin so we don’t have to.
In this message, Jill looks to the book of Job to explain how—in the midst of our turmoil—we can live above Satan’s lies and live in light of the Truth instead.
Scripture: Job 8, Job 13, Job 25, Job 36, Job 36
Richard Niebuhr said, “It is helpful to remember that the question of Christianity and civilization is by no means a new one, that Christian perplexity in this area has been perennial, and that the problem has been an enduring one through all the Christian centuries.” (Christ and Culture) That being the case, it is unlikely we will solve the problem, but we can do some clear thinking about it.
Scripture: Romans 12:14-12:21
We began by noting that “the fear of the Lord” is the fundamental basis of a system of values, and we have been reminded continually that absolute values are found in the character and nature of God. We conclude by recognizing that ultimate values are found in relationship to the Lord, particularly in doing that which pleases Him.
Scripture: Proverbs 15:33-16:7
For generations Christians have found Jesus’ famous statement, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matt. 22:21) a helpful basis for understanding the relationship of the Christian to the State. But how does it apply today?
Scripture: Matthew 22:21, Romans 13:1-13:7
Can you say with certainty that you believe God is working out His greater purposes for you? Do you believe He can bring beauty out of the most hideous situations?
Job’s story demonstrates the undeniable beauty that God can bring out of darkness. In this message, Jill shares how, as a result of our troubles, we can experience beauty like never before.
Scripture: Job 33, Job 37, Job 42, Job 42
Our mere existence is evidence of God's love. When God creates, He creates in love and with purpose. He knows our days, our actions, our thoughts, before we even begin to exist.
In this message, Jill Briscoe reminds us that our reaction to God's love for us, as displayed in our creation, ought to be like David's in the psalms—a reaction of praise and obedience.
Scripture: Psalm 139
It’s easy for us to question God when He chooses us for a task. We feel unqualified, like God has made a mistake. But God often chooses the unexpected to do His work. David was the definition of unexpected. He was the youngest, the smallest shepherd boy, but he was chosen by God to be king.
In this message, Jill shows us that all of us have been anointed and given the ability to receive a calling and equipping from God.
Scripture: 1 Samuel 16
Our society worships many gods, resists the idea of "one way" to salvation, and increasingly disputes that Jesus is God. Using John 17 as the foundation, Jill examines some of the basic tenets of our faith, including: the trinity, Jesus' deity, salvation, being chosen, and the question of whether we can be lost once we are saved. When we understand and apply these truths to our lives, we can live in confidence and share our beliefs with power and enthusiasm.
Scripture: John 17
Our greatest human need is love—to know we’re loved and able to give love in return. But in our broken world, some of us have been so hurt that we’ve lost the ability to receive and give love—from God and others.
In this message, Jill Briscoe shows how God’s love is deeper, bigger, unconditional, and endless. It’s not a feeling but an action. And when we let the Holy Spirit heal us and work in us, we can once again become vulnerable enough to open our hearts to God’s love—and in turn reflect His love out to other people.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13
Our society worships many gods, resists the idea of "one way" to salvation, and increasingly disputes that Jesus is God. Using John 17 as the foundation, Jill examines some of the basic tenets of our faith, including: the trinity, Jesus' deity, salvation, being chosen, and the question of whether we can be lost once we are saved. When we understand and apply these truths to our lives, we can live in confidence and share our beliefs with power and enthusiasm.
Scripture: John 17, Philippians 2:1-2:11
We have all experienced the feeling of spiritual oppression, temptation, or threats. But when David faced Goliath, God was the champion. God fought for the one He loved, just as He will fight for us when we're overwhelmed, because He loves us.
In this message, Jill teaches us that God is our rescuer. That doesn't mean He will always rescue us from physical hardships or discomfort, but He will rescue us from sin, and its consequences. He will rescue us from Satan's schemes, from fear, and from ourselves.
Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:26-17:29
When man makes promises, he rarely follows through. God, on the other hand, can make promises the size of eternity, and He always follows through! God promised David that He would give him a throne that would never pass away. God promised to bring a new covenant to His people through David’s line, a covenant that would bring an eternity where there are no broken promises.
In this message, we learn of God’s faithfulness in His grand promises. We can trust His promises because they are based on His unfailing love!
Scripture: Psalm 41, Psalm 73-76
Our society worships many gods, resists the idea of "one way" to salvation, and increasingly disputes that Jesus is God. Using John 17 as the foundation, Jill examines some of the basic tenets of our faith, including: the trinity, Jesus' deity, salvation, being chosen, and the question of whether we can be lost once we are saved. When we understand and apply these truths to our lives, we can live in confidence and share our beliefs with power and enthusiasm.
Scripture: John 17
In their 5-message series, Powerful and Effective Prayer, Stuart and Jill Briscoe help you discover the power of a life rooted in prayer—and how it can become the place you turn to in every situation.
When life feels overwhelming, it’s easy to react first and pray later. But this encouraging series shows you how prayer can bring clarity, peace, and steady confidence in God, no matter what you’re facing!
This special resource, available as a digital download or on USB, is our thanks for your gift to help more people experience the truth of God’s Word.
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