Lifespring!

Lifespring!176 "An Interview With Stryper's Kenny Metcalf" TOLL FREE Comment Line (877)433-9091

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:40:26 -0700

Special Thanks To Our Sponsors

Covenant Eyes - Get 30 Days Free with my promo code: Lifespring!

1800PetMeds - Get 10% off PLUS FREE SHIPPING on orders of $39 or more!

Kenny Metcalf

My guest today is Kenny Metcalf, who introduced the guys in the group, Stryper, to Jesus...before there was a Stryper. He went on to become Stryper's keyboard player, touring with them all around the United States. In today's interview, Kenny talks about some of his experiences with the group, and then tells us how his life and the Old Testament's Job have some amazing parallels. He tells of the healing power of God, and how we can have faith, even in the midst of terrible hardships.

Kenny's Website is here .

Other Links Mentioned In The Show

For the movie Punisher: Warzone , Karmyn Tyler needs YOUR VOTE to get her song Luv Me So into the soundtrack. Just click here to listen to the song, which is equal to one vote.

Lifespring!175 "Phil Keaggy: Working Class Guitar Player" TOLL FREE Comment Line 1(877)433-9091

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:42:34 -0700

Phil Keaggy is on the show today!

I have got such a great show for you, and I can't wait to introduce one of today's great musicians to you. If you are not familiar with the music of Phil Keaggy, believe me, you are in for a treat. If you ARE familiar with him, you are in for a treat, too, because you are going to get to hear him in a way that you probably never have...because Phil and I had a chance to talk last week for over an hour, and you are going to get to know another dimension of this remarkably gifted man.

During our conversation, we talked about many different musicians, and I have woven some clips of most of them into our conversation, so you're going to get to sample many different artists and genres today. Kind of an audio smorgasborg. I hope you like it, and I hope you'll give me feedback. Call me toll free at 877-433-9091, or email me at steve.lifespring@gmail.com.

Lifespring!174 "A Conversation With Petra's John Schlitt: The Grafting" TOLL FREE Comment Line 1(877)433-9091

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:30:52 -0700

Hosted by Steve Webb

Special Thanks

Thanks to our supporters like you who contribute monthly gifts, and our fantastic advertisers...Covenant Eyes and 1800PetMeds!

The Show

John Schlitt is a name that, for many people conjures up memories of a hard rockin' band from the midwest called Head East. I think their biggest hit was Never Been Any Reason, which is still played by classic rock stations around the country. John was one of the founding members, the lead singer, of Head East in August of 1969, but left the band to go to school not long after, only to return in 1973, after earning a degree in civil engineering. Head East has a reputation for putting on unbelievable shows. High energy, high volume, rockin' music, that crowds love.

Several years later, as John relates in today's show, the already award winning Christian rock band, Petra, called and asked him to join them as their new lead singer.

Petra played their last gig in 2007, but John Schlitt has released his third solo effort with "The Grafting". Listen to the show to hear John tell his story, talk about this great new project, and hear some of the songs.

Lifespring!173 "The Family Squeeze Edition: An Interview With Phil Callaway" TOLL FREE Comment Line 1(877)433-9091

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:10:33 -0700

Hosted by Steve Webb

Thanks To the Show Sponsors

First, it's people like you who make doing the show worth doing, and some of you have decided to be a part of the ministry here be sending financial support. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your generosity. If you want more information on how YOU might join in the support, all the info here. Lifespring Media is a 501(c)(3) corporation, and we're working on getting tax exempt status so that your donations can be tax deductible.

Get your first month free when you use the promo code: Lifespring

Get a 10% discount PLUS free shipping on orders of $39 or more, with promo code: Life

On With The Show!

Today I have a really wonderful conversation to share with you. Phil Callaway is the best selling author of something like twenty-four books, and is described as “Dave Barry with a message.” Callaway is a popular speaker for corporations, conferences, camps, and marriage retreats. He is a frequent guest on national radio and television, and partners with Compassion, an international child development agency. Phil’s writings have won more than a dozen international awards. His 5-part video series The Big Picture is being viewed in 80,000 churches worldwide.

Listen for a great interview!

Music

John Schlitt..."Keep Your Light On"

Lifespring!172 "World Premiere of 'Still Dancin'' With Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band!" TOLL FREE Comment Line +1(877)433-9091

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:16:40 -0700

Hosted by Steve Webb

Intro

Woah! I've got a fantastic show today! You are going to be so glad that you listened today, and you're going to want to tell your friends about the show too. Get 'em to listen to the show! Tell 'em how to download the show, better yet, tell 'em how to subscribe!

New Theme?

There's a bit of a push back from the Lifespring family! Some are saying we like the new theme, some are saying keep the old. What's it going to be??? I need more voice messages from you all to let me know how you feel about the theme. Do you prefer the old ls theme......or the new upstart???........ I'm going to let you decide! The theme that gets the most amount of voice mail will be the theme we stay with. Email doesn't count, unless you are outside of the U.S. If you're outside of the U.S., then you are allowed to email. The voice mail won't cost you anything if you are in the U.S. It's a toll free call and the number is 877-433-9091. Email for non us residents is steve.lifespring@gmail.com .

Thanks To the Show Sponsors

First, it's people like you who make doing the show worth doing, and some of you have decided to be a part of the ministry here be sending financial support. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your generosity. If you want more information on how YOU might join in the support, all the info here . Lifespring Media is a 501(c)(3) corporation, and we're working on getting tax exempt status so that your donations can be tax deductible.

Get your first month free when you use the promo code: Lifespring

Get a 10% discount PLUS free shipping on orders of $39 or more, with promo code: Life

Now, on with the show!

I cannot tell you how unbelievably excited I am to have this show for you today. What an incredible honor it is to be able to have you, the Lifespring family, be the very first to hear Dove award winning, multi gold and platinum albums recipient, Contemporary Christian Music pioneer, survivor, my friend, my neighbor, and my brother in Christ, Bryan Duncan and his NehoSoul band's brand new, not yet even available in stores or online, brand new CD called "Still Dancin'" It's so new that mastering was just completed a day or two ago. My copy of the CD is still warm, just out of the oven.

Bryan came to my house just yesterday...I'm recording this on Tuesday morning, July 22, 2008, and spent a couple of hours with me talking about the album. We videotaped part of our conversation, so you'll want to keep an eye on Lifespring.TV, youtube, mevio, and other places over the next several days because I'm going to be releasing the video in chunks, and we recorded the audio that you are about to hear. I don't think this has ever been done...at least I've never heard anything like what you are about to hear...and I think you're really going to like the next 56 minutes. So let's get right to it... Listen to the show for a very special treat!

Lifespring!171 "The Tongue: More Powerful Than A Locomotive" TOLL FREE Comment Line (877)433-9091

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:44:15 -0700

First

The show has so much more than what you see below, but this is the basic text of today's message. You have to listen to the show for all the yummy extra content. Don't miss it!!!

Watch What You Say!

The power of the spoken word is incredible. Its effect is so often underestimated by most of us. We really don't even think about the impact our words can have because speaking just comes to easily to most of us. We have a thought, we speak the words. One, two. There it is. What we think, we say. Like it or not, take it or leave it. Words can encourage people to new heights, or they can damage and defeat them. And the work they do has lasting, sometimes eternal effects. Listen to some examples of how words can be used to encourage. I have several here, and I want you to listen carefully. Give the words time to settle in your mind and in your heart. See how hearing them has an effect on you... Some simple ways: "Good job!" "Well done!" "You really have a talent for that." "I love you." And then here are some encouraging quotes from some wise people... "When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place." ~ Unknown "it is never too late to be what you might have been." --george elliot "If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down. " ~ Mary Pickford "It doesn't matter how many say it cannot be done or how many people have tried it before; it's important to realize that whatever you're doing, it's your first attempt at it." ~ Wally Amos "Fall seven times, stand up eight." ~ Japanese Proverb And here are some scriptures that talk about encouraging words...

Proverbs 16:24 " Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Hebrews 10:25 "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Psalm 10:17 "You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry." Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things" Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" 1 John 3:16 "This is how I know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for me." John 10:10 "Jesus said "I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full."

What does the Bible say about my role in encouraging others?

2 Corinthians 1:3,4 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts me in all our troubles, so that I can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort I myself have received from God."

This past week, the Supreme Court of the United States made a ruling that upheld private citizens' right to own guns. Some of you probably agreed with that ruling, and some of you probably disagreed. Be that as it may, I would like to submit to you that your tongue has far more power than any gun that has ever been, or ever will be made.

Proverbs 15:4 "The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life,but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue has the power of life and death..." James 3 1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

And then James goes on to say that we should yield to the wisdom and direction of God, and when we do, James says just a few verses later, the rewards are great. Listen to

James 3:17 "...the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace‑loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

And better yet, listen to this:

2 Sam 23:2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me;his word was on my tongue."

How very awesome is that??? Our tongues, these incredibly powerful instruments, that can do so much destruction, can also be the instruments of God, to bring His message to a lost and dying generation. What an awesome thing to consider. So we need to be aware of the power of our words and ask ourselves, "Do my words build up or tear down? Do they help or hinder? Are mine the words that Jesus would say?" Now, if you are at all like me, you have times, more times than you would like to admit, where you let words fly that Jesus would most definitely not say. And I'm not just talking about the vulgar four letter words. I'm talking about demeaning phrases, hate filled speech, boastful attitudes, lies, gossip, you probably know your area of weakness, just like I know mine. And it is oh, so easy afterward to say, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I couldn't help myself. It's just who I am. Me and my big mouth." Well, as I see it, there are two things wrong with that sorry excuse. 1) You can't unsay the words. They are out there, and they will continue to ring in the ears of the hearers for a very, very, very long time. And they will have long lasting effects. And the worse the words were, the longer the effects. 2) You CAN, and you are EXPECTED to harness your tongue. That's right. If you are a believer, you can keep your mouth shut. You do NOT have to blurt out whatever vile thought your tongue would like to vomit. Want proof? Let's first start on the negative side, ok?

Proverbs 6:16-19 "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:"

(((Listen for how many of these are done with the tongue...)))

17 haughty eyes,a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."

There were seven things there that God detests, and three of them are done with the tongue: a lying tongue, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. So, why does God delineate things that He detests? To show the wrong of the things, to be sure, but we know that when the Holy Spirit controls the life of the believer, He gives us power to obey, we are no longer slaves to the sin. Right? Want more proof that we can control our tongue? Here's another one from the negative side... In speaking about evil men, King David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said:

Psalm 50:19 "You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit."

Did you hear that? He said "You...harness your tongue to deceit." What does a harness do? It controls, holds, restrains. So, the evil man makes his tongue deceive. Well, if an evil man makes his tongue deceive, can't a Godly man exercise control in the opposite direction? God's Word says he must:

1 Peter 3:10 "For,“Whoever would love life ; and see good days ; must keep his tongue from evil ; and his lips from deceitful speech."

Not clear enough for you? Then listen to James:

James 1:26 "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

Yikes! If I don't keep a tight rein on the things I say, I'm not much of a follower of Jesus. That's basically what that says. All of my good works, everything I do in the name of Christ, is worthless if I don't tame my tongue. Which makes sense, doesn't it? If I do good things, but tear others down with my words, what does that say about me, and more importantly, what does it say about the power of Jesus in my life? Hmmm. Something to think about isn't it? Remember, Christians, we have a choice. If we have been made new creations by the blood of Jesus, and if we have the Holy Spirit within us, then we are not at the mercy of our whims, our passions, our impulses. We can choose to do the Godly thing, or the ungodly. "But Steve," you say. "Come on. Sometimes I just can't help myself. The words are out before I know it. I just blurt them out. I'm sorry once they're said, I really am. And I know I shouldn't have said them. But sometimes, in the heat of the moment, they just come out! Does that mean that I'm not a Christian?" No, I wouldn't say that. If you sincerely are sorry, if you just had a moment of weakness, then what I would say you are is human. And in pretty good company. Listen to the apostle Paul:

Romans 7: 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. ; Romans 8 1 Therefore, (or...since that is so....) there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

I heartily recommend that you go read Romans 8 in its entirety right now if at all possible. This is one of my favorite chapters of the entire Bible, and it really speaks to this issue of sin in the life of the believer, and the victory we can have because of what Jesus did for us. I can't take time to read the whole chapter to you here, but every believer needs to read and reread this chapter until it becomes a part of you. So, the message is this: Words are powerful. More powerful than a locomotive. They can tear down and they can build up. They can bring death, and they can bring life. The evil man uses words to do evil, the godly man can bring God's words of hope, love and Good News. We are responsible to control which type of words we use. And when we fail, there is forgiveness because of Jesus sacrifice for you and for me.

Music on today's show

Run Run Run..."Words"

Chris Christensen..."Tame De Tongue"

Chris' Podcast links: Amateur Traveler and The Bible Study Podcast

Bryan Duncan..."No Words"

Michelle Gold..."To Heaven"

Please Support the Lifespring! Media Sponsors:

Get your first month free when you use the promo code: Lifespring

Get a 10% discount PLUS free shipping on orders of $39 or more, with promo code: Life

Lifespring!170 "Cookie Dough and Prayer" TOLL FREE Comment Line (877)433-9091

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:19:24 -0700

Special Thanks To Listeners Like You Who Help To Support The Lifespring! Media Ministry. In addition, big thanks to our advertisers:

Get your first month free when you use the promo code: Lifespring

Get a 10% discount PLUS free shipping with promo code: Life

The Show

On today's show, I have a very special guest, with whom I had a great conversation about prayer, and what effective prayer looks like. Her name is Nancy Guthrie.

Plus, I have some exciting news about Lifespring! Media and a new way that we are aiming to minister to you, along with the usual great music, and a fun little segment near the end of the show that I'm going to call The Kids Korner.

Music on the show

Kerri Crocker...Brand New

Michelle Gold...Dayenu

Recent Rainfall...Bless And Keep You

Links mentioned on the show

Chuck Norris video at Lifespring.tv

Lifespring! Store

Lifespring!169 "The Perfect Sin: Internet Pornography"

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:53:32 -0700

Disclaimer: This episode of Lifespring! deals with the subject of internet pornography. If you deem this topic inappropriate, or if there are minors within the sound of my voice, you may want to listen at another time. If you are a minor, please ask your parents to listen to this episode before you do, so they can give their permission.

Introduction

I love a good "whodunit." You know, crime stories, murder mysteries. I grew up watching Perry Mason, Dragnet, Mannix, Starsky and Hutch, ad infinitum. These days, I've got my DVR set to record all the CSI's. One phrase that I remember hearing on these crime shows is ,"The Perfect Murder." You know, the murderer commits the crime in such a way that there is no way that he'll ever be caught. No witnesses, no evidence, no consequences for the perpetrator. The perfect murder. Or so it seems.

Of course, in nearly every show where the perfect murder seems to have been committed, the story is about how the hero of the show digs and investigates and questions until the one flaw in the murderer's plan is exposed and the "perfect" part of the "perfect murder" is shown to be...not so much. The murderer ends up paying the price.

The point is, he or she gets caught because somewhere along the line, evidence of some kind is exposed. A witness, trace evidence, phone records, something that the perp didn't account for. If he knew that he would have to account for his crime, he would have probably not done the crime.

Today I want to talk to you about the perfect sin. This is the sin that has no witnesses, leaves no evidence. It's done in secret, while no one is looking, and every trace of it can be deleted with the push of a button or the click of a mouse. I'm talking, of course, about internet pornography. You're going to hear some statistics that may surprise you, a Biblical perspective on pornography and sex, guilt and forgiveness. And I want to tell you about a tool that I have found that can help control the problem. Full disclosure: Because I believe so strongly in the approach taken by this company, I have brought them on as a sponsor of Lifespring! Media. We'll talk more at the end of the show about how this came about, but I want you to know at the outset that this relationship exists.

Song :

Anne Davis ... "Temple of Contradictions"

Background

The word pornography is made up of of two Greek words. The first is porne , meaning “one who sells, a fornicator, a whore,” The second word is graphein , meaning “to write.” ¹ In other words, pornography is literally “the writing of fornicators or whores.”

The Greek word porne is used several times in the Bible. In one of these instances, the apostle Paul writes: Do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot [ porne ] is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:15–20).

Matthew 5: 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 “If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

Now please, don't get sidetracked on that last part. Jesus was illustrating the seriousness of the sin by saying that you should tear out your eye or cut off your hand. Do not do that. The point is that pornography is considered by God to be a serious sin.

On today's show we'll look at some facts about internet porn, we'll look a bit more at what the Bible says about it, and I'll give you some advice on how to loose its hold on your life.

Pornography in many forms is invading people's homes and is available 24 hrs a day, seven days a week. The internet is a powerful tool, and like all powerful tools, it can be used for profound good or profound evil. In the distribution of pornography, the internet is a tool of profound evil, because pornography is physically more addicting than cocaine and 'imprints' the mind with images. Overcoming pornography addiction takes years, and may affect you and everyone around you, the rest of your life.
The average age of first exposure to Internet porn is 8 (Family Safe Media, December 15, 2005.) Profoundly evil.
Previously, if you wanted pornographic material you could buy a magazine, video, or visit some establishment. All of these put you at 'risk' of being found out. Now, with computers being used in private, unaccountable settings, people can find and view hardcore pornography right in their homes and offices. This can quickly escalate into an addiction with great harm brought to individuals, children, wives and families.

Facts and Stats

40 million U.S. adults regularly visit Internet pornography websites.

42.7% of world wide Internet users view porn

47% of Christians said pornography is a major problem in their homes

53% of Christian men viewed pornography in the last week

10% of adults admit to Internet sexual addiction

The Internet pornography industry generates $12 billion dollars in annual revenue. That's more than the combined annual revenues of ABC, NBC, and CBS

25% of Daily total search engine requests are pornographic

Lest you think that this is only a male problem, listen to this:

28% of porn site visitors are female, or that translates to 9.4 million women access adult web sites each month.

70% of women keep their porn secret

17% of all women struggle with pornography addiction.

Women are much more likely to act out their behaviors in real life, such as having multiple partners, casual sex, or affairs.

Two-thirds of the divorce lawyers attending a 2002 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers said excessive interest in online porn contributed to more than half of the divorces they handled that year. They also said pornography had an almost non-existent role in divorce just seven or eight years earlier.

Dr. C.J. Manning’s 2006 study on sexual compulsion showed that learning of a spouse’s porn use typically has the same impact on an innocent spouse as learning of an affair, and pornography is a significant factor leading to divorce.

Americans aged 13 to 18 spend more than 72 hours a week using electronic media, defined as the Internet, cell phones, television, music and video games

87% of all teens are online

Average age of first Internet exposure to pornography is reported to be as early as five years old

80% of 15-17 year olds have had multiple hard-core exposures

90% of 8-16 year olds have viewed porn online, most of them while doing their homework

The largest group of viewers of Internet porn is children between ages 12 and 17

Even pastors are not immune:

57% of pastors call pornography the most sexually damaging issue for their congregations

51% of pastors say porn is a temptation

69% of pastors started looking at porn out of curiosity

37% of pastors say porn is currently a struggle

53% of pastors have visited porn sites in the past year

18% percent of pastors look at porn a couple times a month

30% of pastors do not talk to anyone about their use of pornography

4 in 10 of pastors looked at porn today

Sources: Christianity Today, Promise Keepers, Barna Research Group, World Magazine, Internet Filter Review, USA Today, Cnet, internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com , Child-Proofing on the World Wide Web: A Survey of Adult Webservers, 2001, Jurimetrics. National Research Council Report, 2002, Family Safe Media, December 15, 2005

Struggling Christians

My friends, as you see, this problem really is the 300 pound gorilla. From the statistics, it can safely be surmised that every one of us knows someone who has a problem with porn, and many of you reading this right now are probably feeling like I'm talking specifically to you, because your life is out of control in this area, too.

As a matter of fact, here is part of an email that I recently got from a listener who would like to remain anonymous, so I'll call him "Bob", not his real name...

"I too was a victim of pornography before coming to know Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. In fact, it was a pretty significant part of my life up until the week of my salvation.

"When I was about 15 I was reading a computer magazine, and they had an article about various web sites of computer games companies. One of them had a name which had a second meaning, and led the article writer to jokingly say something like "be careful if you search for this one!". My curiosity was aroused, and when I got home, I searched for the company, but really started looking for the second meaning, which was related to porn.

"I soon became hooked on the images I saw. In fact, at that time, we still had dial-up internet, so even though I was technically competent enough to wipe traces of my surfing from the computer, the amount of time I spent could easily be seen from our phone bill. I ended up lying about what I was doing to my parents, as well as seeing things that I really should not have, which I'm pretty sure has affected my view of the world - but thankfully I now have Jesus in my life to help turn things the right way around.

"For me, the most addictive activity wasn't the pictures, but the stories. I guess it was something about my imagination, but with the stories I could see things that were not always in the pictures. Unfortunately certain stories are all too easy to think back to now.

"Given that I had a certain amount of Christianity in my background, I sometimes tried to read the Bible instead of going online and visiting the same sites, but that rarely "worked", and I would find myself back at the screen.

"This carried on for three years till I was reading a book I had been lent by a member of the cell group I was attending at the time. The book was "Left Behind", which is about those "left behind" after the rapture (isn't it easy to get sucked into using Christianese and not even think of a simple way of explaining what certain words mean!). I'd gone to church when I was younger, and then again for a few months up to this point. I'd managed to come to the understanding that being a Christian just meant going to church/reading the Bible/praying etc, but hadn't understood the core of Jesus' forgiveness and Lordship in my life. When reading the book, I read of other characters who also thought they were Christians but had not returned with Jesus at the rapture. This was the wake up call I needed to help me see that I needed to repent and so I did just that. Having asked Jesus into my life and to help me with my addiction, I knew there had been a change, and I'd done what I needed to break porn's (really Satan's) control over my life.

"Since then, I can't say I've never fallen back, but those incidents have been exceptions that I'm not happy about, rather than being a part of my everyday life."

Here's another comment from a Christian who struggles with this, we'll call him Justin, again, not his real name: " For years I have struggled with porn and lust. The feelings of utter failure, uselessness and self loathing would knock me down and make me useless as a Christian, and yet I thought I could beat it without really changing. First thing to do is "whatever He tells you", and in this case He clearly tells us to "flee youthful lusts." So don't hesitate, negotiate, or procrastinate. Flee right now! Decide now to flee, flee, and again, flee."

See, you are not alone. Those feelings of failure and defeat and self loathing after giving in to temptation are something that nearly every believer experiences. Some say that it's the enemy, Satan, attacking you, trying to keep you down..."And you call yourself a Christian. Look at yourself. You're a hypocrite and a failure. You think God loves you, after this? You think He'll forgive you AGAIN? After asking Him so many times? Give it up."

Let's look now at what the Bible has to say about guilt, pornography, and forgiveness.

Sometimes it might be the enemy, but remember this: Satan can only be in one place at a time. He is not omnipresent. So how could he be personally attacking each and every Christian that falls? He doesn't need to, we do it to ourselves just fine, thank you. It's our own mind, in most cases. It's called having a guilty conscience! And you know what? That's a good thing! It is an indication that you have not been irreparably hardened to sin! Of course, don't stay in those negative thoughts. Remember the scripture that says " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) And think also of Matthew 18: 21Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Of course when Jesus said up to seventy times seven he was making the point that we should forgive an unlimited amount of times. So, do you think God will be LESS forgiving than He asks us to be? Of course not.

"So then, it's no big thing then! We can continue to sin and God will continue to forgive us! Awesome! Let's party!" Not so fast. The apostle Paul talked about this very concept in the New Testament book of Romans. And in chapter six, verse one he says, " What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2Certainly not!" No, that would not be pleasing to God, and if we are truly in a relationship with Jesus, we won't desire that, and Jesus Himself says that “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. (John 14:23)

So at this point, just to be clear, let's look at what God's Word teaches about pornography. I know that many of you know that using pornography is wrong, but you may not have specific scriptures to back up your instinct. Let's look at a few.

1 Corinthians 6: 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Matthew 5: 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Y ou shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 “If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

Job 31: 1“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.

Proverbs 5:

15 Do you know the saying, “Drink from your own rain barrel, draw water from your own spring-fed well”?

16 It’s true. Otherwise, you may one day come home and find your barrel empty and your well polluted.

17 Your spring water is for you and you only, not to be passed around among strangers.

18 Bless your fresh-flowing fountain! Enjoy the wife you married as a young man!

19 Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose— don’t ever quit taking delight in her body. Never take her love for granted!

20 Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a whore? for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger?

21 Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make; he’s aware of every step you take.

22 The shadow of your sin will overtake you; you’ll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark.

23 Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.

There are many more examples, but you get the idea. Looking at a woman other than your wife, or ladies, looking at a man other than your husband, or looking at another of the same sex, and doing it with lust, is a perversion, or a distortion, of God's plan for your sexuality. We won't get into the homosexual question at all on today's show. If you're interested in that discussion, listen to Lifespring!, episodes 104 and 105.

God created us as sexual beings. He understands the power of the temptation, but he does expect us to flee temptation when it comes. Gen 39 Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife...Fleeing is not weakness! It is the suggested and accepted way to deal with temptation that could easily overwhelm us.

Would you purposely swim with a bunch of hungry man eating sharks, just to prove that you are strong? Of course not. You wouldn't stand a chance. You would do everything you could to get out of the water, where you know they cannot go. That is the idea here when it comes to temptation. You have already shown that this shark can have you for lunch at any time. So why flirt with it? Why even dangle your toe in the water? Get out of there.

"Steve, I've tried that, but I still fall."

Let me give you some ideas that can help you gain control.

First and foremost, unless you have a personal, vibrant and committed relationship with Jesus, I don't think you have a chance. You must draw near to Him. You cannot do it on your own strength. So, if you are not sure of your relationship with Him, take time right now to pray and ask Jesus to forgive you, to tell Him that you want Him to cleanse you from your sins, and that you want a new life where He is the one in control. Ask Him to help you live as He would want you to. And then, every day, and every moment of every day, cultivate that relationship. Make it the reason for everything that you do. Stay in touch with Him through prayer, getting to know the Bible, because that is His message to mankind, and find some folks who can mentor you in the Christ following life.

Ok, so you say, "Steve, I have that covered. I truly believe that Jesus is who he says he is, I am a believer and a follower. But this porn thing just has me in its grip. What can I do? I'm addicted. I keep relapsing."

Listen, God knows all about it, and He loves you anyway. The Bible says that "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He knew from the very foundation of the world that you would fail, even after you asked Jesus to be your Savior. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less.

Let's take a moment to listen to one who has experienced the repeated failures of relapses in his own addictions.

Song

Bryan Duncan..."Jesus Loves Me Anyway"

Remember, " I f we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

So, what to do.

Remember that sin begins first in the mind...with your thoughts.

Did you know that it is said that there is no difference between when you imagine something or if it actually happens? They both have the same effect on your brain. Neurologically, they're the same. That's why athletes often visualize themselves in competition, doing the event perfectly, and winning. Over and over they practice in their mind.

James 1:14-15 - “Sin begins with the desire and then when it has conceived it brings forth sin and when that is finished it brings forth death.”

1 Peter 1:13 - “Prepare your mind for action, be self controlled.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 - “We take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.”

Romans 13:14 - “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of your sinful nature.”
Matthew 5:28 Jesus said - “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Phil 4: 8Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

Knowing these things, considering what scripture has to say, we need to determine our course of action before we are in a crisis situation, before we are tempted. We need to decide beforehand that giving in is not an option. Much of the battle will be won if we refuse to engage in the temptation. Flee at that moment. Don't think about it. It's been decided.

You say, "Steve, I've done that, and I still fail."

Ok, but I'm not finished yet.

This next step is probably the hardest. It's going to take some humility on your part, some courage, and commitment. But do you really want to get the upper hand? Do you want to do what God's word says? If so, then you have to tell someone that you have this problem . Someone who will hold you accountable. Not someone who will be easy on you, but someone who will ask the hard questions. "Come on, Steve! I can't do that. It's too embarrassing. What will they think of me?" Well, if they love you, they'll want to help you and they'll think, "Wow, here's a sinner just like me." James 5:16 says, Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed … (NIV). Look at that, it said, "so that you may be healed."

You want freedom from this bondage? Confess to someone you trust, someone who will pray with you and for you, and who will hold you accountable, because this is going to be a process. It will take time to change your habits and behaviors. You can be accountable one on one, to a small prayer group, your spouse. Whoever it is, make sure it is someone who will truly not let you slide.

Next, take a look at when you are most vulnerable. Is it late at night, when everyone else is in bed? Then determine that you'll not be on the computer when they're in bed.

Is it when you're stressed? Then exercise more. Seriously. Exercise is a great stress reducer. Take a walk, ride a bike, do push ups, do something to get your body moving. It really does help.

Look at your behavior and figure out what the triggers are. Then alter your behavior when you see the trigger.

Next, be aware of the health of your relationship with Jesus

Are you spending time cultivating your closeness to Him? If we don't spend time with those we love, we tend to grow apart. Jesus said in John chapter 15, 5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

You can't do this without staying close to Jesus.

Think of the consequences

The writer Randy Alcorn says, “Whenever I feel particularly vulnerable to sexual temptation, I find it helpful to review what effects my action could have:

· Grieving the Lord who redeemed me.

· Dragging His sacred name through the mud.

· One day having to look at Jesus, the righteous judge in the face, and give an account of my actions.

· Losing my wife’s respect and trust.

· Hurting my daughters.

· Destroying my example and credibility with my children.

· Causing shame to my family.

· Losing self-respect.

· Forming memories and flashbacks that could plague future intimacy with my wife.

· Undermining the faithful example and hard work of other Christians in our community."

Be prepared. Gear up for battle.

In Matthew 26:41, Jesus says, Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.

1 Peter 5:8 (Living Bible) - Be careful, watch out for the attacks from Satan your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion looking for some victim to tear apart.

Understand that constant vigilance is the phrase of the day . You cannot let your guard down. You know how it is with internet porn. You're searching for something innocent and BAM!, you're confronted with porn. Constant vigilance.

What do you do when these temptations appear on your computer screen, completely by surprise? Sometimes you give in, sometimes you don't. Right?

Well, what if you knew that your accountability partner would find out that you gave in? Would you be less liable to succumb? Probably.

Now this is where the commercial comes. But understand, I chose this sponsor because I believe in them. Over a year ago, one of the Lifespring listeners emailed me, telling me of his addiction to internet porn. He asked me to be his accountability partner with Covenant Eyes software. And then several months later, a friend of mine confessed to me that he was having a problem with internet porn, too. I suggested Covenant Eyes to him because of the good results I had seen with my listener.

Let me explain what Covenant Eyes software is all about.

When you sign up with them, you download an application that will watch everywhere you go on the internet, and send a report to the servers at Covenant Eyes. This record is not stored on your computer. Of course, your browser still has your history, but we all know how easy it is to clear that. With Covenant Eyes, the history is kept on their computers and you can't touch it.

By the way, this software does NOT slow down your browser. Page load times are the same as always. No worries there.

Next, your accountability partner is emailed a report of your browsing periodically. The frequency is adjustable by your partner. What's on the report? This is the cool thing.

Because reports provide scoring , partners and users can easily identify questionable websites, searches, links, and more. The report shows trends for websites viewed and bar charts that show the times of day and night when the Internet is used.

• Internet protection for individuals, families, office staff, and schools.
• Easy 5 steps to sign-up and download the software.
• Inexpensive: $7.99/mo per user, $84.99/yr with multiple user discounts.
• Free customer service and free software upgrades.
• Download onto additional computers at no extra charge.
• Extremely difficult to bypass. Partners receive an email if software is uninstalled.
• Recommended by Focus on the Family.

There are other companies out there that offer some level of accountability, but I've done the comparison, and I believe that Covenant Eyes is the best and most reliable tool available. I've had well over a year's experience with Covenant Eyes, and I really believe in it. I had a long conversation with one of the owners of the company, and I am convinced that he really has a ministry attitude when it comes to helping people. He is committed to providing a powerful tool for gaining control of your web surfing habits.

He told me of some new products that they are working on that I can't really talk about, but believe me when I tell you, they are on the cutting edge. They know what the trends are in internet use, and they are committed to staying ahead of the curve.

Now listen, if you are serious about taming the internet porn problem in your life, or if you have kids in your home, you really do need Covenant Eyes in your arsenal. It's only $7.99 a month, or $84.99 a year, which is a savings of more than ten dollars. And if you use the promo code "Lifespring" when you sign up, you'll get one month free. There is no risk. Sign up using the promo code Lifespring, and you can see how it works. If it's not for you, just cancel and you'll have no further obligation. But I don't think you'll want to cancel because it works.

Remember, if you have kids in the house, they are at greater risk than you probably are. And don't you want to help them before they get into trouble?

I believe in Covenant Eyes, and I think you should, too. Click here to sign up using the Lifespring promo code.

The Bottom Line

As I said at the beginning of this conversation, ultimately it will have to be Christ in you who changes your desires from the inside out, but we should use every tool we can to change our behaviors.

We have looked at the problem of internet pornography, we've heard some facts about its pervasiveness, we've heard what the Bible says about it, and we've learned some ideas on how to get control.

Would you write to me if this has been an issue with you? I would love to hear from you, and I would love to pray with you. My email address is steve (dottttt) lifespring (attttttt) gmail (dotttttt) com. Better yet, call me toll free at (877)433-9091. Leave a message.
For some helpful books, be sure to visit our Resource Center .

A Final Prayer

Psalm 51:

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; ; according to your great compassion ; blot out my transgressions. ;

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. ;

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. ;

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak ; and justified when you judge. ;

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. ;

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ;

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. ;

9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. ;

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ;

11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. ;

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. ;

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. ;

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, ; and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. ;

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. ;

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, ; O God, you will not despise. ;

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. ;

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; ; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Lifespring!168 "Addicted To Connectivity" TOLL FREE Comment Line (800)433-9091

Wed, 21 May 2008 02:24:21 -0700

Ok. Show of hands. Raise your hand if you are addicted to internet connectivity. Since this show is primarily downloaded from the internet, I'm going to make the assumption that most of you are fairly well internet savvy, and some of you are complete geeks, and you are connected nearly 24/7. What happens when you lose your internet connection? Do you experience withdrawal symptoms? Weight loss? Paranoia? Preoccupation?

How does this relate to God? Listen to the show to find out!

Music On Today's Show

Steven Coy Cook..."I Think He'd Dance"

Sharon Wilbur..."Out Of Zion"

Lifespring!167 "O Is For Oprah" TOLL FREE Comment Line 1(877)433-9091

Tue, 06 May 2008 18:21:09 -0700

Hoo boy. She's all over the place. She's rich. She's famous. She's number two on the iTunes store's most popular podcast list, and number one in the religion category.

And I've been getting lots of questions from listeners and family members and church members. What about this teaching that Oprah Winfrey is doing on this book, "A New Earth"? What about Oprah's religion? Oprah says she's a Christian, but is she really?

Listen to the show for my answer, and lots more.

Music on the show today:

Big Stuf

"Blessed Be Your Name" (mp3) from "Illusions" (IMI)

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at Rhapsody

Buy at Napster

Buy at Amazon

Buy at GroupieTunes

Buy at mTraks Download

More On This Album

Sarah Bauer..."Magnificent King"

Link to the blog I mentioned:

Helen Ann's Blog

Lifespring!166 "Where Is The Evidence?"

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:45:24 -0700

Where's The Evidence?

I was recently having a fatherly discussion with one of my sons...whose identity will remain anonymous for reasons that will soon become crystal clear. At times the discussion became, shall we say, animated. You see, report cards came out in the weekend mail.

Listen to the show to hear the rest...

Music in today's show:

Matt Chandler
"I Am Yours" (mp3)
from "I Am Yours"
(RecEDGe Records)

Buy at CD Baby
Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon
Buy at GroupieTunes
Buy at mTraks Download
More On This Album

Matthew Casteel..."By Your Love"

Lifespring!165 "Story Time" TOLL FREE Comment Line (877)433-9091

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:01:53 -0700

A new and different kind of show today.

We have to mix it up once in a while, right? :)

Today I tell four stories, and connect them with songs. The four stories are entitled "This Is Good", "Tug of War", "The Refiner's Fire", and "When I Say, 'I Am A Christian.'"

Today's Music

Kerri Crocker..."Brand New"

MIchelle Gold..."Almost Slipped Away"

Kent Gustavson..."Let My Prayer Rise Before You"

Recent Rainfall..."Bless And Keep You"

Lifespring!164 "The Man With The Golden Heart" or "From Korea With Love" TOLL FREE Comment Line 1(877)433-9091

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:54:44 -0700

"Welcome to Lifespring, 007. Today, we're reviewing the successful extrication from South Korea, of a kidnapped child, whose own mother participated in the stealth operation. It's a story of unknown informants, web 2.0 social networks, computer hacking, government conflicts...even dreams from God. Yes, 007, if you listen closely, you'll learn of a mother's despair, her tenacity, and a man with a mission."

Kobe Lee

Thus begins this very exciting episode of Lifespring! Listen as Mark Miller, founder of the American Association For Lost Children , tells the story of how he, with the help of Bazzel Baz, from the Association For The Recovery Of Children , along with Tiffany Rubin, mother of kidnapped Kobe Lee, rescued Kobe from South Korea, where his estranged father had taken him.

It's an amazing story, and you'll not hear it anywhere like you hear it here on the Lifespring! show.

Lifespring! Special Bulletin!!! TIME SENSITIVE!!!

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:08:25 -0700

Set your TiVo or other DVR device for Monday, March 31, 2008! ABC's Good Morning America will be interviewing Mark Miller, founder of the AAFLC , and guest on Lifespring! 156. He's helped to recover an abducted boy in South Korea. He'll be interviewed sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., according to the schedule they've been given.

Lifespring!163 "How To Really Follow Jesus" TOLL FREE Comment Line +1(877)433-9091

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:23:16 -0700

We're blowing it, friends. "Outsiders" don't think very highly of us.

According to the book "unChristian", we are looked upon with skepticism and suspicion.

Ouch.

Here's a link to the book:
unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters

Listen to the show for what I think might just be the first thing we need to do to change this sad state of affairs. It's an uplifting and positive message, despite the seriousness of the problem.

Also, I talk about the crisis of Darfur .

Music in today's show

Shannon Quintana..."Be Still"

Derek Webb (no relation)..."Rich Young Ruler" and "Love Is Not Against The Law"

Jay Wright..."Change Gotta Come"

Website of the Day

Youversion.com

Lifespring!162 "A Heart To Heart" TOLL FREE Comment Line +1(877)433-9091

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:05:14 -0700

Well guys, it's time for one of those conversations that some call "a heart to heart." This is a conversation that I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but didn’t quite know how to broach. And by the way, I’m talking primarily to those of you who have been with me for awhile. If this is your first time listening to the show, or if you’re new and still just checking out the Lifespring family, then you’re welcome to listen, obviously, but you’re not who I’m mainly addressing myself to...(Listen to the show for the entire message.)

I also talk about Eliot Spitzer, Easter, and a Grandma's interesting take on the way some fairy tales begin.

Lifespring! "A Note From Home"

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:39:59 -0800

Just a very short announcement.

Lifespring!161 "Speaking In Unknown Tongues? Me???"

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:45:33 -0800

I've got a great show for you today, if I do say so myself. My Nigerian friend has sent a passel of questions for me to answer, and I'm going to answer a few of them today. We'll talk about women in the church, whether they should teach or even be pastors, and we'll talk about the fate of babies who die. I think you might find some interesting stuff there, and I'm going to encourage your participation, too.

We're going to touch on some new stories that deal with believers, and I'm going to talk about the newest show in the Lifespring! Media family. Yep, just a couple of weeks after telling you that there were going to be no new shows in the Lifespring! Media family, many of you already know about a new show in the Lifespring! family. And I need YOUR help with it. Your involvement. I'll tell you about at the end of the show.

Music

Jeff Caylor..."Almost Flew"

Dan Ryker..."O, My Jesus"

Links

My Twitter Page

Jeff Caylor's Twitter Page

The Church And The Blogosphere

Lent as a Christian Ramadan

Christian Missionary's Islamic Terrorist Murderer Slain

Lifespring!160 "A Very Special Touch" TOLL FREE Listener Comment Line +1(877)433-9091

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:49:11 -0800

We recently had the marvelous opportunity to have Mr. Carl Hespe, of Special Touch Ministry, speak at my church. Special Touch Ministry is focused on reaching disabled people with the message of hope, love and Good News. They are all about introducing Jesus to an entire group of people who the church spends very little effort or time on, if any. When I heard Carl's speak, I knew that I just had to have him on the show here, to share with you the same message he brought to the Lifespring! church in Riverside, CA. I think you'll find him fascinating, and I think you're about to have your eyes opened to a new way of thinking about the disabled.

Lifespring!159 "How To Have Power, Potential, and Passion In Your Marriage" TOLL FREE Listener Comment Line +1(877)433-9091

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:49:42 -0800

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to sit down with one of the most important people in my life, Del Brixey. This is a man that God has used more than once to bring me face to face with Himself. He and his wife, Kathi, are doing some very special and very important things today that I wanted you to hear about.

Way back on Lifespring! 85, which I named "Faith Personified", I talked with Kathi, in which she talked about her battle with multiple sclerosis and cancer. I love these two people, and I hope you will too.

Links

Del and Kathi Brixey's ministry is called Challenged To The Core .

You can email them here . Daniel Johnson, Jr.'s

"Journey Inside My Mind" podcast is here .

Lifespring!158 "Gospel Contradictions?" TOLL FREE Listener Comment Line +1(877)433-9091

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:46:33 -0800

Another packed show today! Some great new music, an "Ask Steve" question, catching up on the last few weeks, what's in store for the Lifespring! family of show in 2008, and a bit more news!

The "Ask Steve" question from a listener is actually a multi-part question:

* Why do the four Gospels have different accounts of Jesus' ministry, like about His life, arrest and persecution? The scriptures certainly can not contradict itself.

* The Bible of course does not teach reincarnation; Heb 9:29. Can you please explain these scriptures: Malachi 4:5 & 6 and Matt 11:10-14, and was John the Baptist Elijah?

* What is the different between the Holy Spirit & the nine gifts of the Spirit, are the nine gifts the embodiment of the Holy Spirit? If a person has the Spirit of God (The Holy Spirit) does it means that the person also has the nine gifts of the Spirit of 1Cor 12:7-13? Listen to the show for my answers.

Music

Big Stuf
"Who Am I" (mp3)
from "Illusions"
(IMI)

More On This Album

Shaze
"Every Nation" (mp3)
from "PRAISE HIM"
(MASTRAK)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Napster
More On This Album

Links

Brad Rhoads' Podcast, "On The Rhoads"

Karmyn Tyler's Studio

101 Contradictions Explained

Gospels Chart

Lifespring! Family Bible Google Gadget (Widget)

Click here for the Widget and instructions on adding it to your desktop.

Lifespring! Family Bible Google Calendar

If you are a Google Calendar user, the Lifespring! Family Bible Calendar is listed in the "Public Calendars" section. Add it to your Google Calendar! With both of these cool toys, you'll be able to listen to the entire Bible in a year!

Thanks to listener Davy!

Lifespring!157 "Urgency" or "A Conversation With Michelle Gold" TOLL FREE Listener Comment Line (877) 433-9091

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:04:31 -0800

What a great show today!

We have a fun conversation with Michelle Gold , a fantastic singer/songwriter who happens to be the niece of Ed Ovett, of the " Ed's Mixed Bag " show.

Michelle has somewhat of a unique story - that of being raised as a Jewish person, and then coming to know and understand that Jesus is the Jewish Yeshua, the Messiah.

This is a story that you will certainly want to hear!

Songs on the show:

God Forgive Me

Dayenu

You Were There

Mentioned on the show is Jews For Jesus. They have a great website here .

Lifespring!156 "Really Finding Lost Children"

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:56:35 -0800

Mark Miller

Two Causes

It's really rare for me to ask my listeners to financially support any specific "cause", but today I have two.

The American Association For Lost Children

I recently met a new friend on MySpace that I want you to meet.
The story of the AAFLC has been in Reader's Digest, Woman's World, Biography Magazine, and other magazines. Mark has been on Hard Copy, 48 Hours, CNN's Larry King Live, Inside Edition (three times), and several other TV shows.

Mark Miller's story is perfect for the Christmas time of year, and with our Going Deeper theme. I spoke with Mark last week for a little over a half hour and found him to be genuinely passionate about what God has called him to do .

For the past twenty years, he's been helping to find lost and abducted children, reuniting them with their families. He's been "boots on the ground", actively searching, going where ever the trail leads. He's committed to Going Deeper. That conversation is on this show.

Please help The American Association For Lost Children by making GoodSearch.com your default search engine and making the AAFLC the charity of your choice.
Karmyn Tyler's Sister

Many of you know who Karmyn Tyler is.

Karmyn Tyler
Photography: Michael D'Ambrosia

I've played her music many times on the show. She's a wonderful singer.

More than that, I've come to know Karmyn as a friend.

Last year, she recorded a beautiful rendition of Silent Night for the Christmas show that I did with my friend James Cooper , she led our praise and worship time at the podcast expo worship service , she's been to my house with her mother, Sue, and it's looking like she may be joining LeeAnn and I here at the house on New Year's eve.

She's one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet, and I believe that part of the reason for that is her mom and dad are quality people, and they are a quality family.

On November 27th, Karmyn's sister Diane and her two daughers, suffered a terrible tragedy . While they were away from their home, a fire started that eventually engulfed the entire structure. They lost everything, including two cars. When they arrived home, they found that everything was gone.

Imagine how you would feel. Devastated. Shocked. Emotions all over the board. And Christmas less than a month away.

It would be so kind of you if you could help Karmyn's sister Diane and her daughters to have a better Christmas than they might otherwise have this year. Having recently had some dealings with the insurance industry myself, with the theft of all my worktools, I know that even if you are insured, they don't cover everything. I'm sure that every extra penny that Diane has is having to go for basic living expenses and then making up the difference for what the insurance won't cover. There won't be much extra for Christmas. That's where we can help. Karmyn has put up a link on her website, karmynkast.net, that will allow you to make a donation to Diane and her girls. Any amount will help.

Music On Today's Show

Coppermine..."Child"

Lifespring!155 "Do I Hear Four?" Our three year anniversary show! TOLL FREE Listener Comment Line (877) 433-9091

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:45:16 -0800

We take a very brief look back at the previous three years of Lifespring!, we introduce a new feature, called "Going Deeper", and we look to the future.

Music

Rachel Keagy..."More Than Me"

Lifespring!154 "The Snake And The Dove" or "The Christian's Role In Politics"

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 03:10:58 -0800

Another "Ask Steve" Question

Davy Mitchell asks: How about something regarding a Christian's relationship to governments? From democracies to dictatorships to monarchies?

Steve's Answer

As you may have noticed, I don't talk much about politics on the show here.

Does that mean that I don't think Christians should be involved in politics? Not at all.

Does that mean that I don't have any interest in political issues. Nope. I have very definite and strong opinions about many political issues.

It's just that I have made it a point to keep politics off the show. My first order of business here has always been to share the message of hope, love and good news that is contained in the Bible.

My belief is that the surest method to make a difference in our culture is to bring someone into a relationship with Jesus. Whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, or a Libertarian... a member of the Labour Party, or the Conservative Party...the thing that matters most is who you say that Jesus is. Do you know him? Do you follow His teachings? If you do, I believe that your political activities and involvement will be subject to his leading if you seek after Him.

However.

Obviously not everyone who is involved in governing is a Christian, so when it comes to fulfilling their office, chances are they will not have the same world view as a believer and will not make decisions that would correspond to our liking. Oftentimes, in today's society, their world view is the polar opposite to a Christian's, and their decisions are hostile to our values.

Unless someone is there to represent the Christian voice, it is easily conceivable that we may lose the right to express ourselves at all. So I think that it is imperative that believers be involved in politics.

Let me be clear. I DO NOT think that one's Christianity is something that should be used in order to garner votes. Too many times, I've seen politicians pander to certain religious groups, only to abandon the values they espoused once they got into office. It's gotten to the point to where I won't believe a candidate is the real deal until I've done some digging myself.

Same thing with businesses, by the way. When I see the fish symbol on a business' sign or sales literature, I wonder about them. Seems to me that if you are a Christian, your business practices or your political career will testify to it and you won't have to publicize it.

So, what does the Bible say about the believer's relationship to governments?

Listen to the show to find out...

Music On Today's Show

Recent Rainfall..."This Holy Moment"

Kimo Watanabe..."Morning On Haleakala Highway"

Michelle Gold..."You Were There"

Links To Mentioned Items

RoneyZone Productions with Jeff Roney

Email Our Military

Ed's Mixed Bag with Ed Ovett

Journey Inside My Mind with Daniel Johnson, Jr.

Lifespring!153 "In The Sweet By And By" TOLL FREE Listener Comment Line 1(877)433-9091

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:19:47 -0700

Finishing off the "Ask Steve" question from Lifespring!152. "Steve, I hear a lot about life after death; including purgatory, heaven, hell, limbo and many other things. What does the Bible actually say about life after death, and where did the other ideas come from? Thanks in advance, Alex."

On today's show, I talk about Heaven, Hell and Limbo. Are they real? What does the Bible say?

Lifespring!152 "What's Behind The Door?" or "What's This 'Life After Death' Stuff?"

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:04:53 -0700

An email from a listener was the basis for today's show: "Steve, I hear a lot about life after death; including purgatory, heaven, hell, limbo and many other things. What does the Bible actually say about life after death, and where did the other ideas come from? Thanks in advance, Alex"

On today's show I address the two first parts of Alex's note: life after death, and purgatory.

Special thanks to my Catholic friend on helping me talk about purgatory.

Today's music is Marty Buttwinick with "Car Ride - Julia Nonet's - Woodwind - String Orchestra"

Link for the terrific hard drive repair software I mentioned in the show: "Test Disk" http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

Lifespring!151 "And Then There Were Three" Toll Free Comment Line: +1-877-433-9091

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 01:30:15 -0700

I had a great conversation with RevTim and Jeff Roney at the Podcast and New Media Expo about "Why Bad Things Happen To Good People." I think you'll enjoy listening in. The audio quality is not the best, but the content is good, so take a listen.

If you EVER have need of a good machine shop, Texarkana Machine, Inc. is the place you should go. They did some awesome work for me, and I recommend them highly. This is a completely unpaid endorsement. I just had some work done by them, and it was awesome! Kerri Crocker's father owns the business.

Lifespring!150 "And Now For Something Completely Different" Toll Free Comment Line: +1-877-433-9091

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:49:12 -0700

On today's show, I announce the winner of the AMD powered, Windows Vista Ultimate Media Center PC.

In addition, I bring you Podenstein, brainchild of Ron, from Griddlecakes Radio. For more information, check out the Podenstein website.

It's a very different episode for Lifespring!, and I hope you enjoy it.

Lifespring!149 "Falling Into God" Toll Free Comment Line: +1-877-433-9091

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:27:50 -0700

This episode is called “Falling Into God”.

What do I mean by that? There used to be a series of tv commercials for an iced tea company. I think it was Lipton. The end of these commercials always showed someone taking a drink of the tea, smiling broadly, and then falling backward into a sparkling blue swimming pool. Remember those commercials?

The other day I was thinking about following Jesus, doing the will of God, and how so many of us have a hard time completely surrendering to Him. I think it’s a trust issue.

(Listen to the show for more...)

Music:

Kerri Crocker..."Time"

Talkshoe Information for the live New Media Expo Feed:

I'll be doing the show on Friday and Sunday, both days the time will be 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

TalkShoe info:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Talkcast ID: 52297
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/52297

Lifespring!149 "Falling Into God" Toll Free Comment Line: +1-877-433-9091

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:16:19 -0700

This episode is called “Falling Into God”.

The other day I was thinking about following Jesus, doing the will of God, and how so many of us have a hard time completely surrendering to Him. I think it’s a trust issue.

(Listen to the show for more...)

Music:

Kerri Crocker..."Time"

Talkshoe Information for the live New Media Expo Feed:

I'll be doing the show on Friday and Sunday, both days the time will be 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

TalkShoe info:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Talkcast ID: 52297
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/52297

Lifespring!148.5 "Answered Prayer"

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:16:00 -0700

Why I didn't put out a Lifespring! last week and why there won't be one today.

LSTV1: Lifespring.TV "Pies For Youth" (iPod)

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:53:00 -0700

Johnny Diaz, the youth pastor at LifeSpring Church, recently had a fund raiser. The congregation nominated various people among their midst to take a pie in the face. The nominations required a donation. The top ten names with the highest donations became the people who were "lucky" enough to get a pie. I was one of the lucky ten.

Once the day arrived, further bids were taken to see who would have the honor of delivering the tasty pastries. It was a warm day in Riverside, California, and we did the deed just after Sunday services.

Lifespring!148 "No More Eeyore"

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:34:57 -0700

Don't forget about the drawing for the AWESOME computer I'm giving away! Check out the details HERE!

On today's show:

What’s your calling? What were you made to do? What is your purpose?

There seem to be lots of books on the subject. That tells me that a lot of people are searching for the answer to the question: What is your calling?

I’m going to take a leap here, okay? Are you willing to go with me? Just humor me, okay?

Antidepressant drugs are selling like candy. People are unhappy. Depressed. I found a list online of the most popular antidepressants. There were 24 names on the list!

Good grief! What did we do before these drugs existed? Now Listen, I am not one who is against drugs when they are truly, medically needed. So you don’t need to send email beating me up over what I’m saying here. I’m not against drugs when medically called for. I think they are a Godsend. They can be good. But I think that in our culture today, too often we want the quick fix, the instant answer. It’s easier to pop a pill than to get to the cause. Again, I am not a doctor, but in my opinion, the reason so many people are feeling depressed is because we are too centered on our own problems! We are spending so much time examining our own navels that there is no way that we can effectively do what God has called each of us to do, no matter what that calling happens to be.

(Listen to the show for the rest of this important discussion...)

Today's Music:

Karmyn Tyler..."The Long Haul" (A David Patillo Song)

Background music during my Depression/Calling discussion:
Michael Mucklow..."Joy"

Pictures of Labor Day at my house:

Karmyn Tyler and Steve

Left to Right: Karmyn's mom, Sue, Steve, Karmyn, LeeAnn

Lifespring!147 "Up Up And Away"

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:30:55 -0700

A really jam-packed show today! It's been a couple of weeks since the last show, and we've got some catching up to do.

On today's show I announced the details for HOW TO WIN A VERY COOL MEDIA CENTER COMPUTER! Click HERE for all the details and rules.

Interview

There's a great conversation with Brad Rhoads, a Lifespring! listener who has recently made a big life change, partly because of something he heard on the Lifespring! HymnStories show.

Here are the links Brad mentioned:

Brad's website: http://www.maf.org/rhoads
God's Story: http://www.gods-story.org
Missionary Aviation Fellowship Learning Technologies: http://www.maflt.org
God-pod solar powered MP3 players: http://megavoice.com/products/ambassador/

Podcasts Mentioned

Summerhill Gang: http://www.summerhillgang.com
The Shameless Plugcast: http://shamelessplugcast.podshow.com/
Michael Moss: http://michaelwmoss.podshow.com

Music

Josh Woodward..."Learn To Fly"

Jason Harrod..."When I Fly Away"

Jim Fidler..."Lillian A Portrait In Sound"

Douglas Spotted Eagle..."Summer Morn"

Josh Woodward..."Frannie"

Lifespring!146.5 "Special Notice"

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:34:20 -0700

The reason that episode 147 is late is that while I was editing, my mom called to tell me that Dad fell and broke his hip. I'm spending time at the hospital today, and hope to finish the episode late tonight.

Lifespring!146 "An Important Cause"

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 01:03:10 -0700

Domestic abuse is a huge problem. The statistics I read recently said that somewhere between nearly 1 million and 3 million women in the United States are victims of some kind of abuse each year. Chances are good that you know someone who has been abused by a spouse or partner.

One way to help is to be educated. Knowing the signs of abuse might just make the difference in a loved one’s life. It just might mean that you are moved into action…to encourage the victim to make the appropriate changes.

You’re going to learn another way that you might help on today’s show. I’m going to be talking to Claudia Harsh, spokes person for the 4^th Annual One Voice Domestic Violence Community Awareness Walk, which will take place on Sunday, September 9^th, in Cincinnati. It doesn’t matter if you are not in Ohio. You can still help. Listen to find out how.

Links:

The Fourth Annual One Voice Domestic Violence Community Awareness Walk

Heart To Heart

Daniel Johnson, Jr.'s podcast Journey Inside My Mind

Scripture:

Ephesians 5:25 - 28 (TMSG) ²⁵Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. ²⁶Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, ²⁷dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. ²⁸And that is how husbands ought to love their wives.

Music:

April Start..."Desperately Seeking You"

Darrell Smith..."Love Like You"

Lifespring!145 "Like A Ton Of Bricks"

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:11:48 -0700

I read something recently during the Lifespring! Family Bible that hit me like a ton of bricks. Every time I read it silently to myself, somehow I sort of skimmed over it. Here's the passage:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke 4:1 - 13 (TMSG)

¹Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. ²For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry.

³The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.”

⁴Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to really live.”

⁵For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. ⁶Then the Devil said, “They’re yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I’m in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. ⁷Worship me and they’re yours, the whole works.”

⁸Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”

⁹For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, “If you are God’s Son, jump. ¹⁰It’s written, isn’t it, that ‘he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; ¹¹they will catch you; you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone’?”

¹²“Yes,” said Jesus, “and it’s also written, ‘Don’t you dare tempt the Lord your God.’”

¹³That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think you know what it was that caught my attention? Listen to the show to find out.

Music

Kole..."The Weakness"

Kerri Crocker..."Time"

Show's Mentioned

Joe's Podcast

PodsafeMusicHour

Lifespring!144 "The Man Behind The Microphone, Revisted"

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:18:22 -0700

Email: steve.lifespring@gmail.com

TOLL FREE Listener Comment line: +1 (877) 433-9091

A very different show today.

So who is Steve Webb? That’s a fair question. Let me see if I can give you a fair and accurate snapshot of “the guy behind the microphone”. On this show, I tell you something about my personal life, and then I talk about my doctrinal beliefs.

Lifespring!143 "So You Say You're Not A Person Of Faith"

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:23:55 -0700

BRAND NEW TOLL FREE LISTENER COMMENT LINE: +1 (877) 433-9091

Today's Topic:

There’s no room for faith in the 21^st century. Man has evolved beyond needing faith. To paraphrase the Mexican bandit from 1948’s Treasure of the Sierra Madre “"Faith!? We ain't got no faith. We don't need no faith! I don't have to show you any stinking faith!!"

Really? Listen to the show for my thoughts on that.

Music:

softfocus..."Faith"

Gary Ritchie..."I'll Be There"

Greg Federico..."Faith"

Summer Pictures

New Flickr Photos here.

Lifespring!142 "A Standing Invitation"

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:22:33 -0700

"I’m going to talk today about one of the greatest and most incredible privileges that I can possibly imagine. This is just so amazing that I’m nearly speechless. It’s hard to put into words how blown away I am at the thought that this unbelievable honor has been bestowed on me. I recently received an invitation, with all expenses paid, to have a private meeting with one of the most respected and most loved men in America…"

Thus begins the show. But there's something else, too. The subject is prayer.

Now, I know that for a lot of people, prayer can be a boring subject, but come on, when you think of it as an incredible opportunity to speak to and be heard by the most incredible, powerful, knowledgeable, kind, loving being in all of the universe, how can you not be completely jazzed at the mention of it?

Music

Aaron...Talk 2 Me

Zack and Sarah...Surrender

Excerpts from:

Jimmie Bratcher...Take It Back

Karmyn Tyler...The Middle Man

Links:

Lifespring! TV

Orange County Podcasters

L. A. Podcasters

Podcamp So Cal

Lifespring!141…"The Thrush And The Cuckoo"

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:59:48 -0700

I had a conversation with someone this past week that made me think about choices and the dichotomy within us. Listen to the show to find out who this man is, and that one of the Bible's authors experienced the same thing!

Music

David Downen..."I Need You"

Lifespring!140 "What Great Friends"

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:59:49 -0700

Friendship...from a Biblical perspective, from your emails, and a story of friendship from a different perspective.

Scriptures

The greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. You are my friends if you obey me. I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me (John 15:13 -15).

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. " (Proverbs 17:17)

Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. (Proverbs 27:6)

As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:17)

Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? " (Amos 3:3)

Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9 - 12)

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8)

Podcasts Mentioned

Shayna and Aaron's Mind and Body Cast

Paul's Indie Music Sampler and his son Joe's Joe's Podcast

Ron Stroope's Zip 71101

James' Minehead Baptist Church

Music

Spring Heeled Jacks Original Swinging Jass Band... "No Friends Like Old Friends"

Rob Costlow... "Friend"

Torsans... "Dog"

Lifespring!139 “More! More! More!”

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 23:10:17 -0700

Is more always better? Where does contentment come in? Who's in charge of what is in your life?

We talk about that, and where I have gotten a bit off the mark in my own life.

Scriptures

Philippians 4:11 - 13 (TMSG) ¹¹Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. ¹²I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. ¹³Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

Matthew 9:10 - 13 (TMSG) ¹⁰Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riff-raff?” ¹²Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? ¹³Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.”

Music

Adrina Thorpe..."With Hope"

Eliot Popkin..."A Little Bit More"

Lifespring!138 "Peace"

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:42:27 -0700

Philippians 4:4 - 7 (NIV) ⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow. A jam-packed show today to be sure. Today's theme is peace.

1. The Lovely Lady LeeAnn joins us with her thoughts on the subject, and it is really her that inspired the show today. I think you'll really see into her heart during our discussion.

2. In addition to my talk with LeeAnn, I also talk a few minutes about the current PodShow campaign and what it means for the Lifespring! Family of Podcasts. There is a call to action.

3. A couple of my friends sent me the same email this week, and I read that to you.

4. Website Of The Week: Some funny courtroom quotes are at http://rinkworks.com/said/courtroom.shtml

5: Podcast Of The Week: Chris Penn, one of the smartest guys in podcasting, has a really great show for anyone who is about to enter college, or is in college, or knows someone in that stage of life. It is called "The Financial Aid Podcast" and I highly recommend it! He also wrote some nice things about the Lifespring! podcast last week on his blog here.

Music

Kevin Reeves..."Peace"

Steve Amerson..."It Is Well With My Soul"

Download "It Is Well With My Soul" (mp3)
from "Hymns and Gospel Songs"
by Steve Amerson
Amerson Music Ministries

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Napster
Buy at Rhapsody

More On This Album

Finniston..."Peace"

Colie Brice..."Heavenly Peace"

Lifespring!137 "THE Unforgivable Sin"

Wed, 30 May 2007 20:14:22 -0700

Last week's show brought some email asking for further discussion on blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and the unpardonable, or unforgivable sin. Always aiming to please the listeners, that is the topic for this week.

Music

Jimmie Bratcher..."Drive"

Friction Bailey..."Fill My Mind With You"

Check out my Flickr photos

Lifespring!136 "Answers to FAQ"

Wed, 23 May 2007 01:13:19 -0700

Answering some questions that often come up regarding Christianity: What about UFOs? Alien abductions? Ghosts? Can you go to Heaven if you commit suicide? What's with all the denominations? And more!

Music

Sweet Comfort Band..."Looking For The Answer"

The Mamas and the Papas..."California Dreaming"

Podcast of the Week

The Jersey Boys Podcast Hosted by Steve Holden and his wife Christie. They have a great show news and information about the Broadway show of the same name and also Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Website of the Week

Senses Challenge

Lifespring!135 "The Lifespring! Time Machine Part Two"

Wed, 16 May 2007 21:14:20 -0700

Michael Franzese, former Mafia boss, concludes his very compelling story today. He tells about being in solitary confinement, his fear of mob reprisals and more. Plus, he tells us what he's doing today, and how he came to grips with Jesus.

This is a must listen!

Michael Franzese's website is here.

Lifespring!134 "The Lifespring! Time Machine Part One"

Tue, 08 May 2007 16:56:38 -0700

Nearly two years ago I had the privilege of meeting with Michael Franzese. Who is Michael Franzese? Well, he’s a guy with an absolutely fascinating tale to tell. That’s why I am running this interview again. I’m sure there are many of you listening who are new to the show since July of 2005, and I thought this story needed to be told again.

This interview is amazing! Michael Franzese talks about how he was brought into New York City’s Columbo crime family, what “the life” is like, what he did to earn over $2 billion for the Mafia, and how that earned him millions of dollars per week. And that’s just the beginning. This is one podcast you HAVE to hear!

Michael Franzese’s book, “Blood Covenant” is available at his website, or through the “Lifespring!” podcast Amazon link here.

Links Mentioned in the Show

Ken's Easter Seals Page

Podcast of the Week:

The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd

Website of the Week:

GoToQuiz.com

Contest:

I am happy to be one of the sponsors of the Let Them Hear You contest. This is the idea of the good folks over at the Dancing With Elephants podcast.

The following are the ground rules for the Let Them Hear You Contest:

1. Enter as many times as you like.

2. Each review must be 20 words or more and end with “R U Listening?”

3. No copy and pasting the same review for multiple shows.

4. No writing multiple reviews for the same show in multiple podcasting directories.

5. Since this is our contest, we have the final say on what we consider to be a legitimate review. Needless to say, “This podcast is really, really, really, really, really, really, really good.” will not make the cut.

6. The podcast directory has to be recognized as a legitimate directory such as iTunes, Podcast Alley, or Podcast Pickle.

7. Each legitimate review counts as one entry in the drawing.

8. Two winners will be selected by random from the pool of legitimate entries. (1) 1st Runner Up, (1) 2nd Runner Up, and (1) Grand Prize Winner.

9. Entries must get to us no later than Friday, May 11, 2007 at 11:59 PM US Central Time.

10. This contest is open to anywhere you can make use of the prizes.

11. Alternative prizes will not be substituted.

Prizes
1st Runner Up:
3 Blind Mice’s Good Grief
Jonathan Coulton’s Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
A Large comedy4cast Coffee Mug **NEW**

2nd Runner Up:
A $25 iTunes Music Store Gift Certificate donated by The Dinkycast **NEW**

Grand Prize:
3 Blind Mice’s Good Grief
Jonathan Coulton’s Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
Seasons 1-4 of The Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd
A 1 Year Membership to Dr. Floyd’s Imagination Nation
An Apple iPod Shuffle
A Marware USB Travel Dock for the iPod Shuffle

If you are a podcaster and would like to play the Let Them Hear You Contest Promo on your show, you can get it here here

The Let Them Hear You Contest is sponsored by Dancing With Elephants with the assistance of The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, comedy4cast, The Dinkycast and the Lifespring! Family of Podcasts.

Lifespring!133 "Let 'Em Roll!"

Wed, 02 May 2007 19:08:05 -0700

A very different show today because I am interviewing Bill Aho of Clear Play. They did not pay for an endorsement or offer any other benefit to me for this interview. I just really like what they're doing.

Podcasts Mentioned in the show:

Rob Walch of Podcast411.com
Daniel Johnson, Jr. of Journey Inside My Mind

Contest:

I am happy to be one of the sponsors of the Let Them Hear You contest. This is the idea of the good folks over at the Dancing With Elephants podcast.

Want to enter the Let Them Hear You Contest? Then send the name of the podcast you reviewed, a copy of your review, the podcast directory where you posted your review, and your user name if applicable to dwecontest@gmail.com. Have fun and Good Luck!

The following are the ground rules for the Let Them Hear You Contest:

1. Enter as many times as you like.

2. Each review must be 20 words or more and end with "R U Listening?"

3. No copy and pasting the same review for multiple shows.

4. No writing multiple reviews for the same show in multiple podcasting directories.

5. Since this is our contest, we have the final say on what we consider to be a legitimate review. Needless to say, "This podcast is really, really, really, really, really, really, really good." will not make the cut.

6. The podcast directory has to be recognized as a legitimate directory such as iTunes, Podcast Alley, or Podcast Pickle.

7. Each legitimate review counts as one entry in the drawing.

8. Two winners will be selected by random from the pool of legitimate entries. (1) 1st Runner Up, (1) 2nd Runner Up, and (1) Grand Prize Winner.

9. Entries must get to us no later than Friday, May 11, 2007 at 11:59 PM US Central Time.

10. This contest is open to anywhere you can make use of the prizes.

11. Alternative prizes will not be substituted.

Prizes
1st Runner Up:
3 Blind Mice's Good Grief
Jonathan Coulton's Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
A Large comedy4cast Coffee Mug **NEW**

2nd Runner Up:
A $25 iTunes Music Store Gift Certificate donated by The Dinkycast **NEW**

Grand Prize:
3 Blind Mice's Good Grief
Jonathan Coulton's Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
Seasons 1-4 of The Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd
A 1 Year Membership to Dr. Floyd's Imagination Nation
An Apple iPod Shuffle
A Marware USB Travel Dock for the iPod Shuffle

If you are a podcaster and would like to play the Let Them Hear You Contest Promo on your show, you can get it here here

The Let Them Hear You Contest is sponsored by Dancing With Elephants with the assistance of The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, comedy4cast, The Dinkycast and the Lifespring! Family of Podcasts.

Music

Nicholas Alan..."Hollywood"

Martin Ekman ..."It's Always A Beginning When Something Ends"

Poetry

I read a poem written by my great grandmother, Lavinia Johnston. Here it is:

This poem was written sometime in the 1960s when my great grandmother was in her 70s or 80s.

Website of the Week

This video is at Youtube and is titled "The Day They Took God Out Of The Schools"

Podcast of the Week

Of course, it the Dancing With Elephants podcast!

Lifespring!132 "Twelve Basketsful"

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:33:00 -0700

Something I don't often do on this show is take a subject directly from my Bible reading.

This past week I was reading in the New Testament book of Mark. Jesus was teaching and his students completely missed his point. Not unusual for them.

Listen to the show for what his point was. How many basketsful do you have?

Music

Evensong Rising..."Be Still My Soul"

Background Music while I talked about the subject: Greg Federico..."The Promise"

Air 5..."I Will Carry You"

Background music during the story: Brandon Sollis..."Lonely Nights"

Background Music during the final segment: Mike Brooks..."Crockagator"

Website of the week:

Ceiva Digtal Photo Frames

Podcast of the week:

The Shooby Show. Shooby takes us along on a tour of Leo Laporte's studio.

Lifespring!131 "Virginia Tech: Where Was God?"

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:33:57 -0700

The shootings at Virginia Tech took place this morning. Where was God? Why did He allow this to happen? What can we do?

Lifespring!130 "How To Be Perfect"

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 03:03:29 -0700

Brought to you in part by AMD Live!

In this show: The concept of working hard and achieving perfection. How my dad's extremely crummy childhood affected mine, how I carried some of the hurt into adulthood, and God's call to perfection. What does it mean?

Music:

Harrison Kennedy..."Make A Difference"
Brandon Sollins..."Lonely Nights"
Matt Brady..."My Cry"
Beatrice Ericsson..."Put A Little Love"

Website of the Week:

Podcast User Magazine

Podcast of the Week:

The podcasts of the Orange County Podcasters, of course!

Lifespring!129 "My Favorite Week"

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:38:37 -0700

Lifespring! Sharing the message of hope, love and Good News.

I’m recording this show on Monday, and easter is this coming Sunday. For me, this entire week marks the most important week in the history of mankind. I love this week! No sequence of events in all of history even comes close to the impact of what happened in the final week of Jesus’ time walking on the earth.

Music: Susan Gray..."Jesus Reigns"amdlive_partner1

Lifespring!128 "Cosmic Bully or Cuddly Teddy Bear?"

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 02:25:56 -0700

Many times people say that the God of the Old Testament was all about judgment, that He was mean and angry. I’ve had people say that to me more than once. They look at the times where God would punish the people, or bring judgment and bondage, and focus there.

Then those same people look at God in the New Testament and say that He’s all about grace and love and forgiveness. And they focus only on the grace and forgiveness. They say that’s the God I want to serve. They look at God as a big cuddly teddy bear or something.

Which is true? Listen to the show for the answer!

Music:

Download "Believer" (mp3)
from "Why I Sing"
by Lene Nørrelykke
In The House Records

More On This Album

Download "Turn My Whole Life Around" (mp3)
from "My Heart Belongs To Jesus"
by Melvin Taylor
L'lezra Entertainment Group

Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody

More On This Album

Background Music:

Mike Banta..."From Everlasting"

Podcast of the Week:

Grammar Girl

Website of the Week:

Dancer

Lifespring!127 "It's A Family Affair"

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 03:20:59 -0700

Click on the link above to Bum Rush the Charts!
--->March 22, 2007<---

I was at Disneyland yesterday and saw something that reminded me of the relationship that most believers have with God.

I was standing in line to go on a ride with Timothy and the Lovely Lady LeeAnn. Standing just behind us was a woman and a little boy who looked to be a year or two younger than Tim. Now, Tim is one of those kinds of people who can talk to just about anybody, so he struck up a little conversation with the boy. No big deal, happens all the time. Ordinarily I wouldn’t think anything at all about this, but there was something a little unique about this particular woman and boy.

Listen to find out about more about adoption and how it relates to the Lifespring! show, you'll have to listen to the show!

Music:

Bob Bennett..."A Song About Baseball"

Rob Costlow..."Family"

Zach and Sarah..."Rescue Me"

Website of the Week:

The Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club

Podcast of the Week:

Buzz Out Loud

Contest:

Listen to the show to find out how you can win valuable prizes!

Lifespring! 126 “Hey, Over Here!”

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:06:04 -0700

Are you following the course or the pack?

Learn about the NCAA runner Mike Delcavo, who demonstrated self confidence and leadership in a race which took place in Riverside a few years ago.

Music:

Puckett…Run

Craig Whittaker..."The Walk"

Rob Costlow..."L.A. Passing By"

Website of the Week:

http://www.wildcard.jp.org/

Podcast of the Week:

Podcast Answer Man, episode 9

Lifespring!125 "It Is A He"

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:36:36 -0800

The topic today is a mystery to some people, and I got an email highlighting that fact.

I got an email this past week asking about the Holy Spirit.

The person writing said that they know very little about the Holy Spirit , and asked me to do a show about Him. Actually the writer asked me to do a show about “it”, but the Holy Spirit is not an “it”, the Holy Spirit is a “He”.

Music

wahba..."Mystery"

Mark Steven Brocke..."Trade Mark"

Susan Gray..."Live Here"

Story/Website of the Week...Hiding Messages In Plain Sight

Podcast of the Week..."Looking Out The Window" hosted by Ed Roberts

Lifespring!124 "U Turns Allowed"

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 18:56:31 -0800

How many times have you been driving down the road, when you became aware that you were headed in the wrong direction? You know, you need to get somewhere…maybe you’ve never been to this place before. You’ve heard of the place, maybe even had some people tell you about it, and give you directions.

But somewhere along the way, things don’t look quite right....

Listen to the show to hear the rest!

Music

28...Miles Away

Adrina Thorpe...Round the Bend

Podcast of the week

Short Cummings audio. Weekly six-minute audio humor essays. Each week you'll be treated to a brand-new audio essay. No rambling here, just quick-witted wordplay and wry observations on life. Always fun to listen to.

Website of the week

I am *not* an Apple fanboy. As you know, I’ve already mentioned that I have chosen to produce my audio shows on my pc and leave the mac for video. But I love the mac/pc commercials. If you haven’t seen the new "Security" spot in this series, you really must. I’ll put a link on the shownotes to the apple site. Just click on the one labeled "Security".

Apple site is here.

News item of the week

From cnet: : Sirius Satellite and XM Satellite to merge.

Lifespring! 123 "It Was Only A Mist"

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 06:47:19 -0800

For what do you want to be known? What do you want people to say about you? Do you want to be rich? Famous? If all the people who knew you were gathered in one room, and you were a fly on the wall, what would they be saying about you? What would you want them to be saying?

Listen to the show for some ideas.

Music:

Last day…Calling in the Night

Background music... Jim Stephany...I Never Knew

House Of Thomas...More Than Just Alive

Podcast of the Week: Mac OS Ken

Website of the Week: Twitter

Also mentioned: HisHolySpace.com

Lifespring! 123 "It Was Only A Mist"

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 06:32:30 -0800

Listen to the show for some ideas.

Music:

Last day…Calling in the Night

Background music...Jim Stephany...I Never Knew

House Of Thomas...More Than Just Alive

Lifespring!122 "Go?"

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 05:13:51 -0800

Should a believer have standards? With whom and with what should we be identified? After all, Jesus hung out with sinners, right? If He did, do you think he followed their lead, or was it the other way around?

People say that God loves everyone, and that we should leave it up to Him to show them their errors. That we should just love them and accept them.

Okay, but how far does that go? When does this mindset move from being loving and compassionate to impotent and ineffective? When do we become laughing stocks, and worse yet, when do we cross the line from being loving and accepting, to encouraging and endorsing?

Music:

Wahba..."Saint"
C.J. Chenier..."Turn Around And Say Goodbye"

Background music:

General Fuzz..."Liquid Jazz"

Lifespring! Recommendations:

Website of the week: Plan a family game night here.

Podcast of the week: Griddlecakes Radio, "Griddlesode" S2-011: The Shoulders of Giants

Lifespring!121 "Freedom and Slavery"

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 04:29:29 -0800

Today I’d like to talk about freedom. What is freedom to you?

Is it political freedom?

Here in the United States, freedom is foundational to the very fabric of our nation. Some say that our political freedoms are being eroded a little more every day. But I’m not talking about political freedom today.

...Listen to the show for the rest...

Music

Tara Leigh Cobble..."Made For You"

Rudi Massyn..."Holy, Holy"

Jilleen..."This Is My Father's World"

Links:

More about making Jesus a part of you life here.

Podcast of the week: The Podcast About Nothing

Website of the week: Interview with Eugene Peterson on "Why Can't Hear God?"

Funny church news: Lark News

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

Lifespring!120 "What About Islam?"

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:45:06 -0800

Concluding the mini series on cults and other religions. Islam is the fastest-growing religion on the planet. Radical Muslims are bent on world domination, by whatever means necessary. What is Islam?

Music

Wahba..."Flame"

Zach and Sarah..."Rescue Me"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

Lifespring!119: "He Didn't Have To Do That"

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 21:24:03 -0800

Genesis 1:25… “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature..."

What's your favorite color? Is it a serene blue, a vibrant red, a snazzy lime green? Maybe a royal purple, or a forest green. Most people have a favorite color. Or maybe you just enjoy all colors, you can't choose just one...they all bring a smile. He didn't have to do that.

Listen to the show for more examples of how God gave us much more than we needed for mere survival! This show will touch your heart.

Music

Val Davis..."The Texas Sky"
Zach and Sarah..."Everything Is Beautiful"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

Lifespring!118 "The Fearsome Foursome Part 2"

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:03:09 -0800

We continue our conversation with football great, Rev. Rosey Grier. He’ll tell us about the Fearsome Foursome, his bout with depression and how he left his wife and very young son, and the amazing story of how he came to a place where he realized he needed to have God in his life, and what he's doing today.

Link

I was on “The One Minute How To” this last week. Check it out!

Related to the above link: I’ll have an announcement later on in the show, of a very exciting project that I’m taking on this month, and I’m hoping that YOU will join me in it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

Lifespring!117 "The Fearsome Foursome"

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 23:07:59 -0800

Happy New Year!

In this first show of 2007 you'll hear the first part of a conversation I recently had with Rosey Grier.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with who this great man is, let me just say that you are in for a treat. From 1963 to 1966, Rosey was part of what Dick Butkus called "the most dominant line in football history." The line was called the L.A. Rams Fearsome Foursome. You’ve heard of sacking the quarterback? That term was coined during the reign of the Fearsome Foursome, by one of its members, Deacon Jones. He said, "You know, you sack a city, you devastate it." Rosey was a formidable presence on the football field, at 6’5” and over 300 pounds.

We’re going to hear more about that as the conversation unfolds, but there is so much more to Rosey’s life than football.

According to Wikipedia, Grier served as a bodyguard for his friend, U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, but was guarding Ethel Kennedy, the Senator's wife, the night that Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles in 1968. Grier and Olympic gold medalist Rafer Johnson heard shots fired ahead of them. As Johnson rushed forward and grabbed the gun of the assassin, Grier followed suit, jumped on the pile, and put his hand over Johnson's who had already gained control of the weapon.

I first met Rosey Grier in 1986 when I was managing some Christian bookstores. His autobiography, called “The Gentle Giant” had just been released, along with an album, entitled “Committed”. As part of a promotional tour, the publishers brought Rosey to a couple of the stores I managed because they were some of the biggest stores in southern California.

Coming from very humble beginnings, Rosey Grier has been the friend of Presidents, gang members, the Queen of England and a podcaster in Riverside, California. I must say that of the many people that I have interviewed for this show, no one has been more gracious and generous than Rosey Grier. We laughed together, and I cried as he shared part of his story with me in his office in Santa Monica, CA.

From the moment the Lovely Lady LeeAnn and I walked in, Rosey Grier made us feel welcome and at ease. He began telling stories even before I started recording, so we are going to pick up the conversation as he was telling us how and why his political affiliation changed…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

Lifespring!116 "Take Two"

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 01:49:17 -0800

A fun, easy going show today, sort of easing into the last week before Christmas. I've got some really exciting news to share on this show, however, that you don't want to miss. God is doing something great!

Plus a review of the movie "The Nativity Story".

Music:

Stacey Kent..."The Christmas Song"

Download "The Christmas Song" (mp3)

from "The Christmas Song"

by Stacey Kent

Candid Productions

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Ayla Brown..."Grown Up Christmas Gift"

Chuck Girard..."The Heart of Christmas"

Download "Heart Of Christmas" (mp3)

from "Heart Of Christmas"

by Chuck Girard

Seven Thunders Records

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at eMusic

Buy at Napster

Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody

Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody

Background music was Jimmie Bratcher..."What Child Is This"

Greetings from:

Dan Johnson with the "Journey Inside My Mind" podcast.

Karmyn Tyler with "The KarmynKast" podcast.

Ed Roberts with the "Podsafe Christmas" podcast.

Lifespring!115 "Is A Moon A Star?"

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 04:49:15 -0800

Continuing our miniseries with a very politically-connected religious leader, one with upwards of one thousand "front organizations", the "Reverend" Sun Myung Moon.

Music

Joel Lightman Band..."Step It Up"

Derek K. Miller..."Clouds or Smoke?"

Jimmie Bratcher..."Man It's Christmas"

Unification Church Links

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/156684

Follow up article: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04188/342412.stm

SEARCH ARTICLES: http://www.culthelp.info/index.php?option=com_search&Itemid=99999999&searchword=moon&submit=Search&searchphrase=any&ordering=newest

Moon Front Groups: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/moonies/front_groups.htm

A very disturbing video showing Sun Myung Moon crowned King of Peace at Senate Building

http://youtube.com/watch?v=f08clPMODw8&search=sun%20myung%20moon

Moonie propaganda follows

From: http://www.unification.net/faq/uniffaq004.html : Rev. Moon instructed us to take down the Unification Church sign and put up the sign of the Family Federation for World Peace.

Link to other podcasts mentioned

Cafe Virtuale

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order

LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>

LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…

Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

Lifespring!114 "Huggin' The Road"

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 01:48:37 -0800

Takin' it easy today after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Did you ever find yourself driving and not looking at where you were going? I talk about that today, and much more.

Scriptures

John 10:10b (NKJV) I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Matt 11:28 (NIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Mark 6:31b (NIV) “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Music

Vanessa Jourdan..."Drive"

Karmyn Tyler..."I'll Be There On Christmas Day"

Podcast Links

Lifespring! Advent Calendar

Podsafe Christmas with Ed Roberts

Podshow Radio

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order

LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>

LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year Support your favorite podcaster…

Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!113 "What's Wicca?"

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 03:19:39 -0800

Continuing our mini-series on the cults. Today's subject is Wicca.

Music

Clemency..."It's Your Love"

Scott Wesley Brown...

Download "For The Beauty Of The Earth" (mp3)

from "Hymns - The Old Made New"

by Scott Wesley Brown

Devotion Music

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at eMusic

Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody

Buy at Napster

Buy at GroupieTunes

Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody

Wicca Links

Wicca Denies:

The concept of Heaven and Hell (Matt. 25:46)

The existence of the Devil and the worship of the devil, Lucifer, etc. (Matt. 4:1ff)

The existence of absolute evil (Psalm 34:14; 35:10)

The inspiration and authority of the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16)

A need for salvation (Rom. 3:23)

Moral absolutes (Exodus 20)

That Jesus is the only way to salvation (John 14:6).

The male headship presented by Christianity (Eph. 4:11; Eph. 5)

A religious authoritative hierarchy (Eph. 4:11; Eph. 5)

The concept that humanity is to subdue the earth (Gen. 1:28).

What does the Bible say about Wicca: http://www.carm.org/wicca/bible.htm

Several articles:

http://www.carm.org/wicca.htm

Podcast Link

Ed's Mixed Bag

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order

LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>

LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…

Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!112 "A Look at Scientology"

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 05:45:32 -0800

The second anniversary of the Lifespring! podcast!!!

A packed show today, in which we focus on Scientology.

Also, a brand new song by Jimmie Bratcher, with an exclusive Lifespring! intro of the song by Jimmie.

Scripture

John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me.”

Links for further study

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Ron_Hubbard

http://www.watchman.org/sci/

http://www.equip.org/free/DS170.pdf

http://www.sweenytod.com/cos/

http://www.sweenytod.com/cos/Theology/Theology/peik.htm

Music

Craymo..."Happy Birthday Song"

Assertive Sound..."Starpilot Title Theme" (background during discussion of Scientology)

Jimmie Bratcher..."1941"

Lifespring!111 "Ted Haggard"

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 09:08:52 -0800

Taking a break from the cults miniseries to address the Ted Haggard story. I've been asked by some people what my comments are on this current news story. My comments just might surprise you.

Music

Adrina Thorpe..."Correction"

Jerimae Yoder..."I Need You"

Bryan Duncan..."This Christmas"

Scriptures

Romans 7:19 (TMNT) What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.

Luke 12:47 - 48 (TMSG) “The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he’ll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!

John 8:7 (NIV) “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!110 "Hope, Love and Good News" (REPOST)

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 18:46:07 -0700

Jam packed show! Again, all the light stuff and chat is at the end. We get right to the content, which is a continuation of the mini-series on cults.

Today:

Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons

Scriptures:

John 3:16 (NIV) 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 28:19 (NIV) 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 3:16 - 17 (NIV) 16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Genesis 1:26 (NIV) 26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Genesis 11:5 - 7 (NIV) 5But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

Acts 16:31…Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved

John 1:12 (NIV) 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

Ephesians 2:8 - 9 (NIV) 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

Links:

http://www.caic.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=3&Itemid=8

http://www.caic.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=350&Itemid=8

http://www.caic.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=532&Itemid=8

http://members.aol.com/DiaLogos3/salvation.htm

http://www.watchman.org/jw/worksjw.htm

Music

The Name Above All Names
Chuck Girard
Seven Thunders Records

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody

Buy at eMusic

Download "Don't Shoot The Wounded" (MP3, 192kbps)

Also:

Jimmie Bratcher..."Dance With Me"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!110 "Hope, Love and Good News"

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 02:40:41 -0700

Jam packed show! Again, all the light stuff and chat is at the end. We get right to the content, which is a continuation of the mini-series on cults.

Today:

Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons

Scriptures:

John 3:16 (NIV) 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 28:19 (NIV) 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Acts 16:31…Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved

John 1:12 (NIV) 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

Ephesians 2:8 - 9 (NIV) 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

Links:

http://www.caic.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=3&Itemid=8

http://www.caic.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=350&Itemid=8

http://www.caic.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=532&Itemid=8

http://members.aol.com/DiaLogos3/salvation.htm

http://www.watchman.org/jw/worksjw.htm

Music

The Name Above All Names
Chuck Girard
Seven Thunders Records

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody

Buy at eMusic

Download "Don't Shoot The Wounded" (MP3, 192kbps)

Also:

Jimmie Bratcher..."Dance With Me"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!109 "Getting To the Content Faster!"

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:37:37 -0700

Way less preamble in this show. All the "chat" is at the end. You're busy and you want your content NOW! So you got it!

We're picking up the "Cults" mini series here. Today's focus is The Baha'i Faith.

A few links for more information on Baha'i

http://www.watchman.org/profile/bahaipro.htm
http://www.carm.org/cults/cults.htm
A link about the Resurrection

http://members.aol.com/jasonte3/htheory.htm

There are dozens and dozens of good sources of info. Google is your friend.

Music

Illuminate
Daniel's Window
Cul De Sac Records

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at Napster

Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody

Buy at eMusic

Download "Open The Eyes Of My Heart" (MP3, 192kbps)

Also...

Tenth Hour Calling...You Alone

Google Map

Djibouti

Scripture References

Matthew 28:19 - 20 (TMSG) 19Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 20Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Revelation 3: 20 (NIV) …20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne

John 14:6 - 7 (NIV) 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Hebrews 1:1 - 2 (NIV) 1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

John 14:23 (NIV) 23Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 14:6 (NIV) 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Malachi 3:6 (NIV) I the Lord do not change….

Heb 9:27 (NIV) 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

John 1:1 - 2 (NIV) 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

John 1:3 (NIV) 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John 1:14 (NIV) 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 Cor 15:6 (NIV) 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!108 "Voices In My Head"

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 02:45:37 -0700

A really packed show today! Featuring a recap of the Podcast Expo in Ontario, California. Plus the winning "Ask Steve" question is answered..."How can I know God's voice?"

Scriptures referenced:

John 6:44 - 45 (NIV) 44“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.

John 10:27 (NIV) 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!107 "Win An iPod Shuffle and What Is A Cult?"

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 04:03:07 -0700

On today’s Lifespring!, I’m going to begin another mini series. A mini series on cults.

And I’m going to tell you how you can win a brand new iPod shuffle. Plus, we’ve got some great new music…

Music

Michael Popenhagen..."I'm Amazed"

Eric Vardeman..."You Are There"

Podcast Expo

Win An iPod!!!

Podcast and Portable Media Expo

I'm at the Orange County Podcasters booth (#619) on September 29th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Then, on Saturday the 30th, I'll be doing a "live" show at 1:00 pm.

Send an mp3 to my email address (which you can find in the right hand column right next to this post) or call the comment line at (206)350-CALL. What to send? A question for me to answer on the show I'll be doing there. The best questions will be answered on the show, and I'll be picking the very BEST question, and giving a brand new Apple iPod Shuffle to the winner!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!106 "Adam, Eve, Rats, Bats"

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 04:20:36 -0700

It's time to lighten things up a bit! A show unlike any other Lifespring!

Music

Deirdre Flint..."Cheerleader"

Peeper Radio Theater..."Peeper Brand Powdered Meat"

Peeper Radio Theater..."Magic"

Steve Newman and Friends..."Lullaby For Lawyers"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!105 "104 Revisited"

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 05:52:28 -0700

Okay. Last time for this subject for the forseeable future.

In this show, I respond to voice mails and emails received in response to the last show.

Music

Matthew Casteel..."By Your Love"
Kaimoku..."Honolulu Shuffle"
Eric Vardeman..."The Answer"

Links

http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/homotheo.html

http://www.exodus.to/content/blogcategory/14/35/

http://www.anointedlinks.com/freewill.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!
GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:
LS1 gets you 10% off any order

LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>

LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year
Support your favorite podcaster…

Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!104 "What About Homosexuality?"

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 05:05:43 -0700

In answer to a listener's question, I give you what I think is the Bible's teaching on the subject, and have a few words for those who say that "God hates fags".

This show is for you if you are a homosexual...Christian or not. It's also for you if you want to know how to answer the question of what the Bible says about the subject.

The show is REALLY for you if you think that God has it out for homosexuals. I dare you to listen.

Music

Jimmie Bratcher..."Bad Religion"

CLC Band featuring PodcastPaul on drums..."Praise Him"

Links

Steve O'Brien's new show, a part of the Lifespring! Family of Podcasts: A Wing And A Prayer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!
GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:
LS1 gets you 10% off any order

LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>

LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year
Support your favorite podcaster…

Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!103 "I Hope There Is A God"

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 10:59:15 -0700

Lots of things to talk about today...including believers listening to "trash" podcasts, and "I hope there is a God."

Music

Clemency..."Hunger"

Naima..."Indescribable"

Tenth Hour Calling..."You Alone"

Links

The Manly Geek Podcast

Jilleen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!102 "Meet Mark Lowry!"

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 23:35:19 -0700

Lifespring!101 "One Big Eye!"

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 02:47:48 -0700

I received an email that brought up lots of emotion…primarily sad and mad. Not mad at the sender of the email, but something else. Listen and find out what the email said, why the emotion, and what’s with the title of this episode!

Music

Too Close
Too Close

Bishop Perry Tillis
Birdman Records

* Buy at iTunes Music Store

* Download “God don’t like it” (MP3, 192kbps)

Jamin Dunn…”Forgive Them”

Rob Costlow…”Family” (Background Piano Music)

Links

Scribe Music Show

Podcast Peers Awards

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00 >
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster… :-)
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don’t forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!100 "YOWZA!!!"

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 04:51:14 -0700

ONE HUNDRED SHOWS!Can you believe it? Because of God's incredible grace, today I will be posting the one hundredth episode of the Lifespring! podcast. Isn't that amazing?We hear from dozens of past guests on this show, and reminisce a little.And then we get on with a great coversation with Jerimae Yoder, who's new CD will be released on August 8, 2006! We hear a couple of songs from the new CD as well: "Evidence" and "Not In Vain".The show ends with the song that really embodies the reason for the Lifespring! podcast: Bob Bennett's "The Best."

Lifespring!99 "What's A Wahba?"

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 01:59:33 -0700

Last week I had the great pleasure of spending some time talking with one of the very first Christian artists to support podcasting. Ever since I first heard Wahba’s music both on Rick Wezowicz’s ICM Raw, and at indieheaven.com, I have been a fan. I’ve played his music on this show several times, and on the Lifespring! Weekend Music Show. He has a real attitude of ministry, and I am thrilled to introduce you to wahba, the man…

Music

Wahba..."Saint"

Wahba..."Giver"

Wahba..."Flame"

Lifespring!98 "Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah"

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:03:52 -0700

This is a very different "Lifespring!" show. The war in Israel and Lebanon, involving Hezbollah, has brought much criticism of both sides. With Pastor Steve O'Brien as my guest, we discuss the situation in an attempt to look at things in a balanced and Biblical way.

Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shebaa_Farms

http://www.rachaya-al-foukhar.com/

Scripture

Gen 16:1 - 16 ( NIV ) 1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.” 6 “Your servant is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.” 11 The angel of the LORD also said to her: “You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, £ for the LORD has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers .” 13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi ; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Gen 17:20 - 21 (NIV) 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac , whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order

LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00 >

LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…

Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks also to EARTHLINK .

Keep listening for the finalist's entries in the Earthlink Challenge contest!

Lifespring!97 "As Promised..."

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 04:40:38 -0700

Last week's Digger's Story podcast surprised me. An excerpt from Lifespring!95 was included in their episode number 28. That prompted another contribution to that podcast by me, dealing with what my idea of "peace" is. In that comment to them, I promised to do this show about that subject. So, as promised, peace is the subject of this show. Music on Today's Show Geoff Smith..."Save Me" Kparx..."First Light" (Background music during my talk on peace) Tara Leigh Cobble..."I Wonder" (Go buy her CD!) Other links Brian Kelly's Rough Mix Ole Kristian Valle's Podshow+ page My Podshow+ page ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GoDaddy Logo Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts! GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES: LS1 gets you 10% off any order LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00> LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year Support your favorite podcaster… :-) Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't forget EARTHLINK!!!

Lifespring!96

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:44:16 -0700

On this show:

I went to a movie again yesterday. Don’t you hate when you’re watching a scene that is very dark, and then it cuts to a really bright scene??? It hurts your eyes!

You know, during the dark scene, you can’t really see what’s going on very well, but after awhile you get used to it. As a matter of fact, your eyes adjust and you begin to see things a little clearer. You can’t really see much detail, and you can’t see colors much either. But you start to feel fairly comfortable.

Then, BAMMO! All of a sudden they shock you with a really bright scene, lots of times it’s of the noon day sky or something. Wow that hurts. I really hate when film makers do that. The shock from going from dark to light just plain hurts. But, after your eyes get adjusted, you can see much more detail, and colors are nice and bright and beautiful. Everything is so easy to see. And you realize that before, when it was dark, you were really missing a lot....(continued on the podcast)

Music

Jody Raffoul..."Light of Day"

David Paris..."Everything That Hath Breath" (background music)

Josh Lindsey..."New Man"

Scriptures

Matt 7:1 - 29 (NIV) 1“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. 13“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lifespring!95b

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 14:49:27 -0700

Problems with uploading numnber 96.

Lifespring!95 "LIberty and Civility"

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 01:51:46 -0700

Lifespring!94 "The Chase"

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:11:47 -0700

Lifespring! 93 "Mickey Mantle, A Donkey and Grapes"

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 05:00:52 -0700

Grrrrrrrr!!!!

Speak when you’re angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret….Laurence J. Peter

Uncontrolled anger is not a pretty thing. Listen as I discuss some very revealing parts of my own life dealing with this issue.

Music

Anne Davis..."Temple of Contradictions"

Jamin Dunn..."Forgive Them"

John Clarkson..."4 KG"

Scriptures

Mark 3 (The Message New Testament)

Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. He said to the man with the crippled hand, “Stand here where we can see you.”

Then he spoke to the people: “What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?” No one said a word.

He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out—it was as good as new! The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod’s followers and ruin him.

John 15 (The Message New Testament)

“Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

Galatians 5:19 - 25 (The Message New Testament)

It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Special Thanks to my sponsors:

Click here to enter the Make Advertising Better Challenge Challenge URL: http://adchallenge.podshow.com Start Date of Submission: May 23 Types of Advertisements: Jingle: A jingle is a short musical composition that makes you think about a product…and you just can’t get it out of your head! Make it 30 seconds or less. Spot: A spot is a pre-produced audio piece that promotes a brand or product. Make it short, make it hot! Don’t just make a normal ad. 30 seconds is almost too long! Filetype: .mp3 Filesizes: at the most 6MB Reward #1: Piles of Money Reward #2: Ad will be featured in an EarthLink campaign on the top podcasts in the industry. ~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00> LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster… Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lifespring!92 Hang On

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 03:48:26 -0700

Hang on!

On last week's In Touch With God's Character I spoke about God as our Comforter. I said that He will comfort you. I said that I have needed His comfort many times, and that I have received comfort in Him.

That is a true statement, but it isn't the whole story. Sometimes we don't feel His comfort. What then?

Listen to today's show for the answer.

Music

wahba..."Flame"

Susan Gray..."Hold On"

General Fuzz..."Lido In The Morning"

Bacwards Moon..."Love and Comedy"

Links:

Gods Promises

Lifespring! Family Forum

Special Thanks to my sponsors:

Click here to enter the Make Advertising Better Challenge
Challenge URL: http://adchallenge.podshow.com
Start Date of Submission: May 23
Types of Advertisements:
Jingle: A jingle is a short musical composition that makes you think about a product…and you just can’t get it out of your head! Make it 30 seconds or less.
Spot: A spot is a pre-produced audio piece that promotes a brand or product. Make it short, make it hot! Don’t just make a normal ad. 30 seconds is almost too long!
Filetype: .mp3
Filesizes: at the most 6MB
Reward #1: Piles of Money
Reward #2: Ad will be featured in an EarthLink campaign on the top podcasts in the industry.
~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!

GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order
LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00>
LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster…
Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lifespring! 91 "Don't Miss The Party"

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 06:16:06 -0700

Thanks to GoDaddy for sponsoring the Lifespring! Family of podcasts!GODADDY DISCOUNT CODES:

LS1 gets you 10% off any order LS2 gets you an additional $5.00 off any order over $30.00> LS3 gets you .COM domain names for only $6.95 a year

Support your favorite podcaster… Please remember to use only these codes when you order from GoDaddy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Topic

Some people really don't like the idea that God is willing to forgive everybody...even the worst criminal, if they will only repeint and then become a follower of Jesus. We talk about that on this show in some depth.

Music

Phantom Freeway..."Stylin' On Market"

Big George Jackson Blues Band..."I'm Sorry"

wahba..."Your Grace Is Enough"

Lifespring!90 "There's Gotta Be More Than One!"

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:47:09 -0700

Looking at the question of whethere it is reasonable that there is only one way to get to God.Looking at listener email...Music by "Blue Dew" and "Olwen Ringrose".

Lifespring!89 An Interview With A Shining Star

Tue, 23 May 2006 03:18:00 -0700

Lots of great stuff, culminating with a conversation with 97 year old George Beverly Shea. He's sung live in front of more than 200,000,000 people since his association with Billy Graham started in 1949.Music by Just Plain Darin "I've Got It All"Steven Stewart "Staring At The Ocean"Jilleen "Softly and Tenderly"

Lifespring! 88 Interview with Rob Morgan

Tue, 16 May 2006 03:50:18 -0700

An interview with the author of "Then Sings My Soul", volumes one and two. These are the books that inspired the Lifespring! HymnStories podcasts.

Lifespring! 87 David Was A Slacker

Tue, 09 May 2006 06:41:42 -0700

Christy asked a question about what the Bible says concerning how God might bring something good from our bad decisions.Music:Jimmie Bratcher..."Bad Religion"Geoff Smith..."Quit My Day Job"David Dowlen..."I Need You"

Lifespring! 86 "Of Apes and Dinos"

Wed, 03 May 2006 02:45:12 -0700

Answering a listener's question about dinosaurs and cave men.Music:46 Bliss..."In A Long Time" Matthew Casteel..."Who?" Background music during the "Quiet Sermon" segment was Jim Fidler with "Flow On Waterford River"