Connecting The Gap

Are we really in a spiritual war? Who does Satan and his demonic forces attack? Is Satan all knowing? Does he really know all about me and my weaknesses? Is the secret to the battle just pray a prayer, take a prayer walk or “bind” Satan? There is a spiritual battleground that lies beneath the surface attacking our families and our homes. Our latest series unveils the invisible war within our homes, going beyond mere relational conflicts to confront the spiritual forces at play. Discover how Ephesians 6:12 casts light on our true adversaries and how, by embracing both biblical wisdom and scientific insights, we can fortify our families in faith. Our new series "The Battle Within" begins by exposing Satan's subtle maneuvers aimed at disrupting the family unit, including the origins of this ancient conflict. We discuss how Paul and Peter grappled with spiritual warfare and how these lessons apply to our lives today. We'll share strategies that harness the armor of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to claim the victories Christ has secured for us. Understanding these elements is crucial for every believer eager to stand firm against spiritual assaults. Concluding our discussion this week, we dispel common myths about family spiritual warfare and emphasize the necessity of vigilance and community support within the Christian faith. We'll work our way through ten strategies that empower you to safeguard your home against the enemy’s divide-and-conquer tactics. In the weeks to come we will continue our discussion about maintaining the spiritual well-being of our families, and individually recognize how to better understand how Satan likes to battle us in our own life. Never forget, we're unified in this spiritual struggle, empowered by the transformative truth of the gospel. Visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for more about our ministry. We also have a new merch shop open so please go check that out and help spread the word! Also, check out our sponsor at wearewarriorsapparel.com. Have a blessed week!

Why does God allow bad things to happen? Does God even care when things take a terrible turn in our lives? As our current study series draws to a close, I'm reminded of the truth that pain and suffering can be divine tools for growth and transformation. As we contemplate the sovereignty of Jesus through the lens of historical and biblical figures, we find comfort in the omnipotence of God. Exploring the balance of God's control and our human response has never been more important. The rich scriptural insights from Isaiah and James serve as beacons for our own lives, guiding us through the complexities of honoring God's sovereignty while actively engaging in prayer and trust. This discussion takes us further into understanding how every trial and victory can magnify His power in our vulnerability, and how our actions can glorify Him against the backdrop of His higher wisdom. As I share a portion of the story of one of my wife's medical procedures, it's a testament to the power of prayer and the healing that comes from surrendering to God's will. This narrative isn't just my own—it's an invitation for all to see God's hand at work in every facet of our lives. Next week we start our new series "The Battle Within - Overcoming the Invisible War". This upcoming series promises to arm you with knowledge and spiritual armor to confront life-controlling issues, continuing our pursuit of deeper faith and understanding. Please visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for more about our ministry. Also, check out the awesome merch at wearewarriorsapparel.com. We thank them for being a sponsor of our ministry. Please subscribe and share. It's through your stories, feedback, and engagement that this ministry thrives, and I eagerly anticipate walking alongside you as we step into the next chapter of this spiritual journey in 2024! Costi Hinn More than a Healer

This week we unravel the seamless blend of justice and faith embodied in Jesus' teachings, and their resonating impact in our world today. Imagine a justice system so perfect, it offers comfort in times of distress, and assures us of God's absolute authority in holding all accountable—this is the justice of God we delve into. As we navigate through the scriptures, our understanding deepens regarding God's impartiality and the expectation that we live our lives in line with His righteous standards, finding peace in His promise-keeping nature. The Church stands at the forefront, challenged to illuminate the path toward being equal in God's eyes. We ask ourselves; how can the Church transform from a silent spectator to a dynamic catalyst for change? In this week's discussion, we dissect the Church's imperative role to advocate for the oppressed, educate communities, and embody the same radical love and justice Jesus demonstrated. We're reminded that biblical justice isn't just about fairness; it's an expression of love—embodied in the actions of the likes of the Good Samaritan, transcending social barriers with compassion. In our final chapter, we transition from reflection to action, bridging the gap between the gospel's promise and our daily walk of faith. Visit us at connectingthegap.net for more about us and our ministry. Please check out our sponsors website as well at wearewarriorsapparel.com. Thanks for listening and Happy New Year! Costi Hinn More than a Healer

Have you ever felt torn between the pressure of being accepted and the call to follow your deeper convictions in your walk with God? This week on Connecting the Gap, we unwrap more than just presents; we unravel the timeless struggle for approval and the beauty in choosing God's perspective over popular opinion. This week's special Christmas episode invites you to journey through Joseph's story, a tale of faith and fidelity that created challenges in his life. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus and the salvation He brings, we contemplate the transformation that occurs when one lives for an audience of one—God Himself. Join us this week for a journey through Joseph's dilemma, an engagement bound by divine intervention yet mired in potential scandal. Joseph's internal battle, the angelic message in a dream, and the societal stakes at play create a narrative that was a battle in Biblical times and has carried on into today. This episode is an invitation to explore the depths of your own beliefs, to recognize the value of spiritual integrity, and to possibly see the festive season and our everyday life choices in a new, transformative light. It's time to search your motives, to question, and to find peace in the true meaning of Christmas and the courage it takes to stand by one's convictions. You can visit our website at connectingthegap.net for everything you need to know about our podcast. We also thank our sponsor wearewarriorsapparel.com. We pray that you have a very Merry Christmas! LC

Unmasking the true essence of love, we dive into a discussion exploring how it's embodied in Jesus. This week, we traverse the biblical concept of love, engaging deep conversations about selflessness, compassion, and the role pain plays in bringing us closer to God. We believe that understanding Jesus as the personification of love can significantly deepen our relationship with Him, and we invite you to join us in this week's episode. As we immerse ourselves in the profound meaning of the hymn 'Blessed Be the Tithe that Binds', we unravel the essence of joy and fellowship within Christian communities. Drawing stark contrasts between the world's transactional view of love and God's transformative love, we will discuss three biblical truths about God's love: its perfection, its ability to cast out fear, and its transformative power. Our exploration surfaces the importance of understanding and experiencing God's love as the key to finding true fulfillment and purpose in life. Venturing into the core message of the Gospel, we examine its profound connection to Christian love. We shed light on how God's sacrificial love, demonstrated through Jesus, serves as the foundation for Christian love and inspires us to love others selflessly. Reflecting upon historical disputes among influential figures like RC Chapman, George Mueller, John Nelson Darby, and Benjamin Willis Newton, we investigate their effect on Christian fellowship. Lastly, we explore Jesus' unconditional and sacrificial love, emphasizing its influence on our daily interactions. Join us at Connecting the Gap and be part of our mission to bridge the gap in our biblical walk with God. Let's walk together, growing in understanding and faith every step of the way. You can visit our website at connectingthegap.net to learn all about our ministry. You can also download a copy of the transcript for this episode there as well. Next week we will have a special Christmas episode just for you! Please visit our sponsor for some awesome apparel at wearewarriorsapparel.com. Have a blessed week! Based on Costi Hinn More than a Healer

You say it, I say it, we all say it. It usually comes out when we purchase our first home, deliver a healthy baby, find a perfect front row parking spot at the grocery store, leave for our long-awaited summer vacation or get promoted at work, “God is so good!” There couldn’t be a more reassuring truth. God definitely is good! We say it because it is one of the best ways to express our appreciation to God for how things are working out in our favor and for giving us a temporary state of happiness and excitement. Would we say the same thing, however, if things weren’t working out the way we desired? Do we truly embrace the fact that God is good, even when our circumstances are not? Could there be more to God’s goodness than the bright side to our story? If we’re going to grow closer to Jesus than ever before and find our ultimate purpose in who he is (and not merely in what he can do), we must ask ourselves these kinds of challenging questions. They are essential to our growth. When things are going right, we rightly declare God’s goodness, but the Bible tells us that God is good even when things are going horribly wrong. This is because goodness is part of God’s nature. He is always good because it is innate to who he is. This week we once again dig deeper into our study on Who is Jesus? This week we talk about Jesus is Good. Visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for all the stuff you need to know about our podcast and ministry. The transcript for todays episode is also on the website as well. Thanks to our sponsor, We are Warriors Apparel at wearewarriorsapparel.com. Please subscribe, share, or leave a 5-star review! Thanks, and have a blessed week! Based on More Than a Healer by Costi Hinn

A poll was taken by Pastor Costi Hinn on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram and hundreds of people responded on Instagram and thousands of responses flooded in on X. The question was “what comfort do you sometimes turn to BEFORE Jesus?" The responses to vote on included comfort foods/snacks, working out, retail therapy, complaining/venting. The results were very disturbing. More than 85% sometimes turn to comfort food (as I do sometimes), or complaining and venting before turning to Christ. That’s a big OUCH! When we rely on comforts to solve our problems or meet our emotional needs, we often find that they fall short of achieving the desired results. Comforts, such as food, shopping, or other pleasurable activities, might provide temporary relief or distraction, but they are unable to address the deeper issues at hand. In fact, they can act as thieves, luring us into a false sense of security and leaving us feeling empty or unfulfilled in the long run. Comforts can become problematic when we become overly dependent on them or use them as a means to escape or avoid facing our problems. This reliance can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms and, in some cases, addictive behaviors. We might turn to comforts repeatedly, seeking momentary relief without actually addressing the root causes of our issues. As a result, we get trapped in a cycle where we constantly seek comfort, yet never truly find lasting solutions or resolution. This week we continue our series on Who is Jesus. This week we discuss Jesus, our Comfort. Do you need comfort in your life today, but you are looking in all the wrong places? We all do that at times in our life. Visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for everything about our ministry and be sure to check us out on social media on X and Facebook. Transcripts for this series are also available on the website as well. Thanks for joining us this week and we hope you have a blessed week! Based on Costi Hinn More than a Healer

Throughout 1 Peter, Peter encourages believers to maintain their faith and conduct themselves with grace even in the midst of adversity. He reminds them that they are part of a chosen people, a holy nation, and a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) and urges them to "rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed" (1 Peter 4:13). The letter of 1 Peter resonates with believers even today as it offers reassurance, guidance, and hope during times of trials and difficulties. Its message encourages Christians to find strength in their identity as God's chosen people, to trust in God's faithfulness, and to persevere with hope in the ultimate victory found in Jesus Christ. In the same way that Peter encouraged the early church, I encourage you to set your hope fully in Christ, emphasizing the word “fully”. Have you ever felt hopeless in life? Trapped? Holding on by a thread? Suffocating under your burdens? If we aren't careful, our pain can become our purpose. The challenges you face have the potential to fuel your determination and drive. Embrace your pain, learn from it, and let it ignite your passion to make a difference in your life. Commit to trusting that Jesus will have the final say. This week we continue our discussion on "Who is Jesus? He is our only hope! Visit connectingthegap.net for everything you need to know about our ministry. A transcript is also available at our website for each episode of this series. Thanks for listening this week and we hope you have a blessed week! Based on Costi Hinn, More than a Healer

When we dismiss or belittle our Savior, we risk closing ourselves off from experiencing the fullness of His grace, peace, and redemption. We hinder our own spiritual growth and miss out on the transformative work He desires to accomplish in our lives. Rolling our eyes at our Savior can limit our understanding of who He truly is and the depth of His love and power. It keeps us from fully embracing His teachings, His example, and the abundant life He offers. Our relationship with God is intended to be one of trust, surrender, and reverence. By mocking or trivializing our Savior, we undermine the reverence and awe that He rightly deserves. Jesus emphasized the importance of our spiritual condition, emphasizing that gaining the whole world but losing our souls would be a great loss (Matthew 16:26). He taught that true healing and wholeness come not merely through physical restoration, but through surrendering our lives to Him, receiving His grace and forgiveness, and having a renewed relationship with God. It is through this miraculous inward healing that we find lasting peace, joy, and eternal life. As we acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and allow Him to heal our souls, we find true purpose, abundant life, and a hope that transcends the temporary nature of this world. This is the perfect time of the year for a study such as this. Jesus came as a baby born in a manger, grew up to become a man like no other, and then fulfill His ultimate purpose as the Savior of the world. Join us this week for part three of our series and examine yourself. Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? Visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for everything about our ministry. We'd love to hear from you as well. There is a contact page on the website or email me at daniel@connectingthegap.net. I'd love to hear some feedback on how God has changed your life! Have a blessed week! Based on Costi Hinn and More Than a Healer

There are verses in the Bible that highlight the importance of surrendering ourselves to God and allowing Him to transform our minds. By offering ourselves as living sacrifices, we align our hearts and minds with God's will. This transformation brings about peace in the midst of peril because we trust that God's plan is perfect and that He is working all things together for our good. This week on the podcast we continue our new series, Who is Jesus? Last week we discussed Jesus our Healer, this week we talk about Jesus our Peace. Does it seem difficult to find peace in your life? Sometimes when that happens, it means we are looking in the wrong places to find our peace. Join us this week as we walk through the Word and learn more about Jesus our Peace. You can visit my website at connectingthegap.net for everything about my ministry. Please subscribe and share if you find this type of Bible study helpful to you or you know someone that would really enjoy it and learn. Thank you to all of you that have subscribed to my podcast, and I appreciate your prayers as we journey forward! Also, thanks to our new sponsor We Are Warriors Apparel. You can check out their line of inspiring clothing that will build your faith to overcome by visiting them at wearewarriorsapparel.com. Have a blessed week!

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. That's an awesome verse for my coffee cup! That's my life verse! That verse changed my life! Have you ever thought that about this verse - or bought the coffee cup? I'll admit, I do have that on my leather Bible cover I bought at Silver Dollar City! The truth of it is, this scripture isn't anyone's promise for today. You are probably like, "WHAT?!" But that is my verse! No, really, it isn't! There are terms out there such as Eisegesis, specific promises, and general promises. To understand this verse in the Bible and to realize why this verse isn't for you or me you have to understand these terms and how they apply to this verse versus other scriptures in the Bible. It's easy to believe this is your life verse and it is for you, and then be set up for a huge letdown. Whenever we believe this is just to us and it doesn't happen, it leads us to the conclusion that either God does not exist, or God is not really good. That's the danger we have when we start reading ourselves into a promise. We start to wrongly believe that God is some kind of cosmic Coke machine. We come up to God, we put our money in, we do what we're supposed to do, push the button. Then he must deliver on exactly what we want. Essentially, we're reducing God to our butler who exists to serve us. This week we discuss this verse and the true application of it. Next week we are starting a new series here on Connecting the Gap called "Who is Jesus? You will definitely not want to miss that 9-part series that starts next Thursday, November 2, 2023. You can visit us at www.connectingthegap.net for more about our ministry. Please subscribe, share, and pray God leads the people to hear the gospel through our ministry that needs to hear! Have a blessed week! LC

Starting on November 2, 2023, that episode will start a new Bible study series on Who is Jesus? We are looking forward to sharing this study with you. Take a listen to the promo and subscribe and share to be sure you don't miss an episode!

In my life, I need you to give me some mile markers. I need some encouragement. I need you to tell me I’m halfway there, even if I'm not halfway there. Just tell me it's halfway! Just tell me what you need to tell me to keep me going for another lap, because I can't just be doing this and not know how much longer I have left! But you know, what's funny about life is, life doesn't tell you 15 more seconds. Life doesn’t tell you three more laps. Life doesn’t tell you just hang in there till the end of this year. Life doesn’t tell you your breakthrough is just around the corner. So, you march, and you march, and you walk, and you walk. And you wonder, and you wonder, when am I gonna be done with this? I don't mind walking. But I just need to know how many laps I have left! Does this resonate with you? Have you stopped walking in your walk with Christ? Because stuff does happen in life and can be overwhelming, and you can feel like you are getting nowhere. There is a story in the Bible that deals with this exact situation. Joshua was told by God to walk around the walls for seven days, but his fighting men did not know that. All they knew was that they were getting up every day after walking around the walls and doing it again and seeing nothing happen. If they had stopped walking and marching, would those walls have fallen? You can't just stop! Your miracle might be around the next lap! This week we talk about this story in the Bible. You can visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for information about our ministry. Please subscribe and share! Have a blessed week! SF

Do you ever wake up in the morning and feel like you're already surrounded by problems, by pressures, and by predicaments, that are left over from the night before? Anybody? I've been there and I am sure you have to! It's in those times in our life we can feel completely alone. It's in those moments that we have a tendency to question God and ask Him if He is really there. And sometimes, that's ok. Sometimes the question arises in our minds, "does God protect and insulate us from our problems from the inside out or from the outside in"? The situations we are in sometimes makes us feel defeated. We can live in that defeat if we don't understand how God comes alongside us and helps us fight our battles. It is not your situation that determines your courage, it is how you see your situation that determines your courage. This week we study a little story in 2 Kings about Elisha. He was surrounded by the enemy, and they wanted to take him out, but Elisha saw into the issue and understood his help was there from the Lord. Visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net and please subscribe and share! Have a blessed week!

Well, y'all, I have so much backlog of woke news in my mailbox I really need to unload some news more quickly this time around. Therefore, you get a bonus episode this week! I know you've been waiting for this! I'm sure you've heard of the Republican Presidential Debate Round 2. Well, you get my opinion on that this week. New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, wins the award for the most articles generated for this episode, and if you've ever wondered where a majority of your money goes when you buy some chocolaty Samoas and Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies, I'll fill you in. On your next trip to Disney in California, your sweet little pre-teen girl can get her promised "royal transformation" at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique experience courtesy of one of fairy godmother's apprentices, a man in a dress with facial hair and make-up, and a group of South Carolina school children were interrupted mid-performance at the U.S. Capitol and ordered to stop singing the national anthem inside Statuary Hall. But unlike the Looney Tunes, that's NOT all folks! There is more on this week's Woke News Brief! You can visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for all of our platforms we are on. Our typical episodes are released every Thursday morning. We pray you have a blessed week and continue to pray for our country and it's leadership.

Watered Gardens founding passage is: Isaiah 58:11 - The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. The vision of Watered Gardens is to see the Church boldly engaged with the homeless and poor relationally, responsibly, and compassionately. The ministry exists to serve the local Church in its mission to help the poor in Jesus’ name. They operate on the values of: Relationship: Every person is meant to be with another. Redemption: Every person is meant to be with God. Hope: Every person should see an end to his poverty. Human Dignity: Every person is a noble creation. Join us this week as we share part 2 of our time spent with Michal Mitchell, Director of The Forge at Watered Gardens, about the awesome ministry in Joplin, Mo. and their mission to help those that can no longer function in society without a helping hand. This is an episode you won't want to miss! You can visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for more about our ministry. Watered Gardens can be reached at their website, www.wateredgardens.org.

Sometimes in life you cross paths with fellow believers in the faith that have phenomenal testimonies. This week's episode is one of those moments. Michael Mitchell is the director of the Forge which is a division of Watered Gardens Ministry in Joplin Mo. From being shot by a sniper in the military to firefighting and cage fighting, Michael has quite a testimony to share. Through life's close calls and having the opportunity to have some of the coolest jobs on the planet you would think a person would be super thankful to the God above for the blessings on your life and give him all the glory! But sometimes, that just isn't the case. This week Michael shares with us the journey that he traveled through the military and beyond as he searched for true meaning in his life. In the end he has come to realize no matter how many awesome stories a person has to share about their journey through this life, none of them are more important than the story we have when we truly find peace and grace thorough the restoration offered by the love of Christ. This is a testimony you won't want to miss! This is part 1 of a 2-part series with Michael. This week he shares his testimony and next week we sit down again and talk about the ministry of Watered Gardens. The next couple of episodes are ones you definitely won't want to miss! Visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for more about our ministry and to see the platforms we are on with this podcast. Please subscribe and share and pray with us that God would lead the right people to hear these episodes that need to hear! Watered Gardens ministry can be reached at www.wateredgardens.org.

If you are a pro-life mom, you may be a domestic terrorist. That’s according to the Biden Administration. This is at the same time that the Biden administration is handing out freebie cell phones to illegal aliens as part of their welcome packet to the United States! To top all that off, Gardner Kansas is trying to ban Bibles from their public schools and an announcer at the Atascocita Eagles and Deer Park Lady Deer softball game declared over the public address system that the national anthem would not be performed. You might be saying, "Well, that isn't all that much that's been going on! That is a light news week!" Oh ....... but there's more! I haven't mentioned yet about Biden's commencement address at Howard University taking a dark and disturbing turn as he announced that white supremacy is the "single most dangerous terrorism threat in the nation". He went on to say that some "of us have the guts and the heart to st---- to stand up for the best in us". At the same time, we have nearly two dozen veterans being evicted from hotels to make room for illegal immigrants and Addidas has now jumped on the bandwagon to use a hairy-chested guy to model a one-piece swimsuit in the women's section! You may be asking, "what is our country coming to?" Well, I have my ideas about that, and you will to after you take a listen to this month's Woke News Brief. These teasers are just a taste of what is in this episode. You can visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for more about our ministry. Please subscribe and share! Pray that whoever needs to hear the episodes each week will be reached. Thank you all for listening!

I want to suggest something to you this week about the storms of anxiety in your life and the waves and the winds that are blowing in your life, because the winds will blow, and the waves will break, and they will crash. And in those times when Jesus is sleeping in the stern and He doesn't take action and He doesn't fix your situation, it can be easy to deduce what the disciples deduced “We're gonna die and God doesn't even care!” Start playing it out all the way to the end, this is how I'm gonna die right here! This is how it’s going to end right here! I'm never gonna get another job, I’m worthless! And they're anxious for nothing because they eventually got to the other side. And I wondered all week why would Jesus send them into a storm? Just like we wonder in our lives why doesn't God do more about the chaos in our world? Why doesn’t He fix situations before they get that bad? We celebrate when God heals somebody of cancer, but silently we wonder why did they have to have cancer to begin with? We celebrate when somebody's kid comes back to God, but we wonder then why did God let the kid wander away to begin with? We celebrate that somebody went to Heaven, but we wonder why did God have to make it so that people die and we feel pain and sorrow. Doesn't He care? This week we continue and finish our two-part series on anxiety. You can visit my website at www.connectingthegap.net for anything related to the podcast. Please subscribe and share and I pray you have a blessed week!

Isn't it great when people seem to know more about your life than you do? They always walk around judging you for every little thing you do or don't do? I cannot count the many times in my life that someone has come up to me and passed judgment on me or someone else and acted like they knew it all. The problem is, I've done that as well! It is probably one of the most single hardest things to get victory over in our lives sometimes. The church teaches the scripture to judge not as you to will be judged, but yet we are supposed to hold each other accountable in scripture as brothers and sisters in Christ? Which is it? This scripture is one of the most misquoted passages in the Bible and this week we are going to dissect it and see exactly what Christ meant when He quoted this scripture in Matthew 7. You can visit my website at www.connectingthegap.net for anything ministry related and for the podcast. Please subscribe and share and I pray you have a blessed week!

We live in the age of anxiety. Let's be honest about it. It is almost marketed to us through the stations that are supposed to be giving us our information. They actually engage us using fear tactics so they can sell advertising time, often promoting the same drug and pharmaceutical companies that are owned by the same conglomerates that push out the information that is designed to make us anxious. How do we overcome the spirit of anxiety? How do we push through those moments when we are so worked up that we feel like the entire world is closing in on us and we feel so out of control? That's what I want to discuss this week. I want to take you through a seven-point test answering the question "Why am I anxious?" and hopefully help us to get past this point of answering that question with somebody else's name, and hopefully get us past the point of answering that question by mentioning something that is happening that is outside of our control, and hopefully to get us to the place where we can see that not only is God watching over my life, but He truly cares where it ends. God has his surveillance system in every situation of our life. He will not suffer my foot to be moved. The Bible calls Him "The Lord which keepeth thee…" He has 24/7 surveillance on us. I know how us parents don’t like it when somebody talks about one of our kids. God feels that way about you times a thousand, and He's watching out for you. So why are we anxious if our Father knows our needs? Why are we anxious if He has numbered the hairs on our head? Why are we anxious if He promised to supply every need? If you are struggling with those answers, this episode is for you! This is part 1 of a 2-part series on anxiety. We'll drop part 2 next week. You can visit my website at www.connectingthegap.net for all the platforms I am on and to reach out. I'd love to hear from you! Please subscribe and share and have a blessed week!

"I used to attend his church, but as a pastor, he just doesn't live the same anymore. God is definitely not happy with him!" That comment floated across my Facebook feed as I was aimlessly flipping through my feed killing time about a week ago. I went back to read it again because then I noticed the comment was made by a person that has always attended church with that pastor, even way before he was leading a church. They were long time acquaintances and it kind of surprised me about the comment ... but then it didn't surprise me. The reason was, the commenter was still living heavily in legalism, the pastor had studied his Bible and took being saved by grace and not works at face value and was living in the freedom God had given him. My first thought was, "And you have a direct connection with God to know what God thinks? Really??!" I did understand why the comment was made. You see, I grew up in legalism and under the influence of a critical spirit as well. It was a practice that was handed down to me from my parents and my old church family and it is still a battle today. I fight a critical spirit all the time. It's only by the grace of God that over the years I have found a new meaning in the Grace that Jesus gave us when He died on that cross so that I could live in the freedom He gave as well. We have to take Galatians literally if we are going to say we live by the Bible. It's not by works, it's by grace. God didn't give us the power to judge. That is God's job! It's our job as Christians to live in God's grace and love others like He loves us, unconditionally. We show them the love of Christ without passing off the criticism and let God take care of the rest. So how do we fight that spirit that resides in so many of us? This week on Connecting the Gap, we discuss some ways we can overcome the urge to criticize and potentially run someone from God for an eternity. You can visit my website at www.connectingthegap.net for all my platforms I am on. Please subscribe and share this if you know of others that might benefit from this podcast. Have a blessed week!

Have you heard? Biden's woke Navy is looking for a few new drag queens. Can you just imagine a fellow waiting at the altar for his soon-to-be-wife and he sees a hairy dude in a dress? Satan Con celebrates by tearing up a Bible and a Thin Blue Line flag. Emerson College has agreed that “men who also menstruate” deserve respect, so we report to you this week on what they have done to fix that problem, and while we are in the middle of a financial crisis in this nation, we have trillions of dollars in debt, and we cannot balance our nation’s budget, Oklahoma University has signed off on a campus event featuring a high-priced drag queen! Are you kidding me? No, I'm not! And guess what? There is so much more! It's time for another woke news brief on Connecting the Gap. You can visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net for more about the podcast and our ministry. If you would like to be informed each week as a new episode is released, please subscribe and share! We hope you all have a blessed week!

We all have a story. We all have baggage. Sometimes there are parts of our story that we wish we had never had to go through. We always have to remember the things we go through in life are just scenes. It's all of those scenes that in the end puts together the big picture. But what if God took those bad parts of your story and used them to give you a blessing later? Would you be ok with that? Sometimes it is the scenes that we would have chosen to skip that eventually brings us to the blessing God wants to give us. We discuss that this week on Connecting the Gap. Please visit our website at www.connectingthegap.net and subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. Also, please share as that helps to get God's Word out and that is what he has called us all to do! We are praying you all have a blessed week!